Chapter 137: Chapter 76 Little Girl Tong_1
The autumn imperial examinations of the Liang Dynasty had ended just one day ago, yet the lawsuit over the death at the Tribute Court had already spread through every street and alley.
It was said that there was a poor scholar who, having lost his father in his early years, had depended on his mother for support. His mother made a living by killing fish in the fresh fish market, supporting her son’s pursuit of fame and fortune through the imperial exams. The son had a photographic memory and a talent for writing; he was originally seen as a potential top-scorer, yet even after more than ten years of examinations, he failed to place. It wasn’t until after his mother passed away that the son learned the truth. Apparently, for years, the examination results in Shengjing had been prearranged by the Ministry of Rites Examiners in collusion with wealthy families, and his rightful place had been unjustly delayed!
Heartbroken and furious, the impoverished scholar poisoned himself in his quarters. Before dying, he caused a commotion that alarmed the authorities, triggering a thorough investigation, which revealed the scandal to the public.
And yet, even after the scholar’s death, he couldn’t rest in peace. The government officers from the Trial Court ransacked the scholar’s home. When they encountered neighbors from the street who had come to help with posthumous matters, a fight broke out between the two groups. Some of the scholar’s cohort had seen his final essay in the examinations and, not knowing who, copied it onto paper and scattered it throughout the streets—
"Alas, for us scholars, tirelessly we toil and persist. Our eyes strained from reading, hands callused from writing... Ten attempts and only once a pass, fame and success always come so slow. Even those with careers and connections, their temples already turn to gray..."
"Pity the days of youth, coinciding with times of poverty. A man grows old and sick, what’s the use of wealth and status then... The deep mansions of the nobles house, within are children reeking of milk. Their appearances effeminate, their bodies as pale as sorghum stalks..."
"Hands not grasping scrolls, bodies not donning military gear. At twenty they inherit titles, their gates blessed with ancestral wealth... Each spring they go out day by day, their official garb grown ever more light, mornings spent drinking with gamblers, evenings promised to the brothel’s delight..."
"Earning ranks to pay for their wines, piling gold to select maidens fair. Besides the pursuit of beautiful voices and fast horses, they know nothing else... Sprouts on the mountain and pines in the ravine, their position as high or low as the land. Ever thus without remedy, not only you grieve, my friend..."
Sprouts on the mountain and pines in the ravine, their position as high or low as the land!
This poem spread overnight from the Hanlin Academy to Rouge Lane, and on both sides of Luoyue Bridge, brothels and tea houses turned it into a play and sang it everywhere.
The officers of the Trial Court wanted to arrest people, yet the law does not punish the masses, and everyone was spreading it, everyone was talking about it. They could not possibly arrest every person in Shengjing—there wouldn’t be enough jail cells in the Department of Criminal & Justice.
The poem even reached the palace.
The rage of the scholars seemed insignificant alone, but together it was like a fierce and inextinguishable fire. Students from modest backgrounds gathered in the streets and stopped the imperial censor’s sedan, and petitions like snowflakes flew to the Emperor’s desk.
The Emperor had long heard rumors of corruption in the civil examination, and now that such a scandal had been exposed, he felt mocked and deceived by his ministers. Incensed like never before, he ordered a thorough investigation into the matter. The Assistant Minister of Rites was immediately dismissed and detained. As the investigation deepened, it reached the head of the Judicial Commissioner, Fan Zhenglian—
Inside Fan Mansion, everything was in chaos. Maids and servants wailed in a cluster, while Mrs. Zhao clutched Fan Zhenglian’s arm, her voice fraught with panic, "My lord, what’s happening?"
Those tasked with the confiscation had arrived at the entrance to the mansion. Prince Ning personally delivered the imperial order, and as Fan Zhenglian’s house was still hosting guests for a banquet, the unexpected turn of events scattered them like birds and beasts.
The officers blocked and guarded the front and back doors. Just a day before, Fan Zhenglian had instructed his men to ransack the home of Scholar Wu at the temple entrance, attempting to intimidate and suppress this matter. Yet, in just a short span of time, the tables had dramatically turned.
His heart trembling, Fan Zhenglian approached Prince Ning, who was overseeing the matter, and pleaded in a low voice, "Your Highness, Your Highness, what does the Emperor intend by this..."
The situation had not yet escalated to the extent of ransacking his home, and there was still a chance for reversal. Prince Ning was usually seen as a benign figure. Hearing Fan Zhenglian, he gently counseled, "Lord Fan, there’s no need to worry. His Majesty has merely instructed me to inspect your household assets." While ordering his men to catalog the confiscation, he said to Fan Zhenglian, "However, you must also accompany me to the Department of Criminal & Justice. Rest assured, it’s just for some questioning. You have always been honest and upright, and once the investigation clears you, you will certainly be proven innocent."
"Oh, by the way," Prince Ning seemed to recall something else, "The Assistant Minister of Rites has already confessed to his crimes and is currently under custody in jail. You are merely under temporary detention, so there is no need for concern."
His voice was gentle, his tone seemingly cheerful, yet it struck Fan Zhenglian like a bolt from the blue, leaving him dumbstruck.
The Assistant Minister of Rites had already confessed!
How could it have happened so quickly?
He and the Assistant Minister of Rites had been secretly colluding for years. Once the Assistant Minister was imprisoned, how could Fan Zhenglian possibly remain unscathed? And why was it the Department of Criminal & Justice and not the Trial Court? Prince Ning mentioned it was only a detention for questioning, but between the lines, it was clear that Fan Zhenglian’s good days were over!