Chapter 133: Chapter 74 Various Forces_3
"The Palace Front Office isn’t in a good position to show up right now."
"Who said anything about the Palace Front Office?" he said with calm composure, "Of course, we should have someone deliver this message to the Privy Council."
The Privy Council was the sworn enemy of the Palace Front Office. Having the Privy Council step in would allow the Palace Front Office to watch from the sidelines, completely untouched by even a spark of the blaze. Indeed, this could not be better.
Xiao Zhufeng fell silent for a moment, "That makes sense."
Pei Yunmeng looked up, the sunlight filtering through the window gap cast a warm, velvety glow on his handsome features. He turned his head, gazing at the distant shadows of the trees outside the window, his voice taking on an inexplicable tone.
"This Shengjing, it’s really getting more and more lively."
...
The entrance to the Tribute Court was bustling with activity.
In addition to the common folk who were watching from the perimeter, in no time, people from the Department of Military Affairs, Department of Criminal & Justice, and the Imperial Academy had arrived, and even individuals from the Privy Council, having heard the news from somewhere, had come to the entrance of the Tribute Court to apprehend someone.
Upon learning that the imperial examination had been compromised, the Emperor flew into a rage and personally appointed ministers to thoroughly investigate the matter. Medical officers from the Hanlin Medical Institute had been sent and were currently examining the deceased candidate for poison.
Several of the main examiners from the Ministry of Rites were on edge, yet in their current position, they found it hard to extricate themselves; with so many eyes upon them, even if they wanted to meddle, they couldn’t. The Vice Minister of Rites had yet to send any word, and since these officials were still in the Tribute Court, they had no way of knowing the situation in the palace. At this very moment, their Assistant Minister of Rites was unable to save even himself.
The medical officer who had gone to examine the body stepped forward and reported to Scholar Zheng of the Imperial Academy, "Sir, the candidate indeed died of poisoning, about two hours ago."
Two hours prior, the autumn examinations were still underway.
Scholar Zheng stroked his beard, "It seems that the killer is still among us, hidden within this very dormitory."
The last session of the autumn examinations had concluded, yet all the candidates remained inside their dormitories, afraid to come out. With a murder happening within the Tribute Court, any of them, including the chief examiners, could be the murderer. The officials from the Ministry of Rites would have liked to cover this up, but under the watchful eyes of so many, they were impossible to stir.
After the brother-in-law from the Department of Military Affairs arrived, Lady Dong was finally able to ascertain that the poisoned individual was not Dong Lin and had since returned home in her carriage—With so many parties gathered here, the unfolding situation was beyond her control. It was best to keep to oneself and stay out of trouble.
Once she knew her son was not in danger, a mother could regain her composure very quickly.
Several chief examiners still wanted to conceal the truth, but the people from the Department of Military Affairs and the Department of Criminal & Justice had already begun to check the names of the candidates in the dormitories, against the rolls, as was routine, since all the suspicious individuals present needed to be accounted for. However, when they conducted their checks, they found that an astonishing twelve candidates’ names did not match the persons they were supposed to be.
To prevent fraud during the examination, the roll contained not only the names of the candidates but also their portraits. These twelve individuals did not match their portraits. A member of the Privy Council glanced at the chief examiners and sneered, "This is rather curious. The honored examiners have good eyesight, yet how could they fail to see such significant differences in appearance?"
The other candidates had already come out from the dormitories, anxiously watching the twelve at the front.
The Magistrate of the Department of Military Affairs rested his hand on the hilt of his sword, looking coldly at the twelve individuals, "It seems there’s no need to search any further; these twelve individuals, whose names do not match, must be the poisoners. Committing poison in the Tribute Court, conspiring to murder your peers, the law commands beheading—"
"No!" one of the young men in the front involuntarily shouted, "Lord, Sir, it’s a miscarriage of justice! Even if I had a hundred guts, I wouldn’t dare to commit murder. I am not behind this!"
At his outcry, the people around him also realized the gravity of the situation and fell to their knees, crying out in protest.
The Magistrate remained unmoved, looking down from his vantage at the row of people, "Nothing but evasive excuses and a string of lies! If you didn’t poison them, why sneak into the examination hall? Where are the original candidates you replaced? No doubt, you’ve killed them together. To plot murder under the Emperor’s very noses, your hearts deserve to be executed—"
His feigned intimidating act indeed terrified the group. They understood that being jailed for impersonating candidates in the imperial examination was one thing, but their lives were not at risk for that. However, if it was connected to a murder, that was a capital offense.
They were only there to take the exam in someone else’s stead, hoping to earn some silver, but they certainly didn’t intend to stake their lives on such a sum—an idiot would be the only one to make such a trade!
The man at the front made a quick decision, kowtowed heavily to the Magistrate, and spoke in anguish, "Sir, Sir, I swear I didn’t poison anyone. I just entered the Tribute Court dormitory to take someone else’s place in the examination. I was only impersonating another to take the exam, nothing more. I would never dare to take a life!"
He shouted this loudly, not avoiding others nearby, unsure if he was addressing the formidable lords before him or someone else altogether. Yet his words rang clear throughout the Tribute Court, inside and out.
Impersonating someone in the examination, taking someone else’s place?
As these words spread, the crowd erupted in a wave of commotion.
The surrounding officers and soldiers revealed knowing smiles, and the faces of the chief examiners by the dormitory turned deathly pale.