Wen Jingsong had no dealings with Bai Dalang, so naturally, there were no grudges between them.
Being preempted by his remark, he found himself momentarily speechless.
Court affairs were inherently volatile. Just as he had fallen into a disadvantage, Feng Jinlin pressed his attack.
He then addressed Emperor Qi, "Your Majesty, this humble subject has an urgent matter to report!"
"Speak!"
Emperor Qi's veins bulged on his forehead. Those familiar with him knew this meant he was enraged!
Thus, Feng Jinlin seized the opportunity, "Your Majesty, I, Yin Canwen, and Yin Canwen were classmates and friends from the same cohort. We studied together at Yunqi Academy. During the holidays and before the imperial examinations, I had invited him to stay at the Feng residence, so we are quite close. Before the examination, my third sister had asked for a few bracelets for good luck and safety. We wore them on our hands. Today, when we casually spoke of this matter, we realized that the bracelets had accidentally come into contact with the fluorescent powder specially made by the Imperial Palace. That substance is persistent and difficult to wash off once it contaminates something. Therefore, when we were writing our examination papers, we must have also gotten some on us. If the examination papers can be brought here for examination, the truth will be revealed to all!"
With that, he displayed the bracelets and also presented an essay he had written at home earlier.
"Your Majesty, if you order someone to examine this item under sunlight, the truth will naturally become clear."
Upon hearing this, Yin Canwen immediately rolled up his sleeves. A red string was also visible on his wrist.
He exchanged a glance with Feng Jinlin, his heart filled with gratitude.
These siblings were truly his lucky stars. Not only had they helped him in times of need, but they were now also helping him testify to his innocence. How could he not be moved!
If he could successfully reclaim the top scholar's rank this time, he would definitely express his sincere gratitude to the entire Feng family!
Meanwhile, Wen Mengsheng, after Feng Jinlin finished speaking, inexplicably recalled the bracelet Bai Sihan had sent him that day.
Hadn't she said she had asked for it?
So, she had stolen Feng Jinyao's credit to embellish herself!
If he had known that Feng Jinyao had asked for the bracelet, he would have cherished it dearly. But now, he didn't know where the bracelet had gone, how could he possibly find it again.
At this critical juncture, Wen Jingsong was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. He was still thinking about other matters.
Elder Xu, who liked to strike while the iron was hot, quickly suggested, "Your Majesty, the crux of the matter now lies with the examination papers. Since that is the case, let them retrieve the papers. A simple comparison will reveal the truth of this matter, won't it? What is false cannot be made true, and what is true cannot be made false, wouldn't you agree, Minister Wen?"
Wen Jingsong's heart pounded like a drum. If they were truly allowed to retrieve the papers, his deception would surely be exposed. However, if he refused, it would be tantamount to admitting his guilt. For a moment, he didn't know what to do.
Unfortunately, everyone was waiting for him to fall, and no one would give him a chance to recover.
Facing so many witnesses and evidence, Emperor Qi's mind was as clear as a mirror. Wen Jingsong was not innocent. He abandoned his intention to stabilize the court. If his life could be used to appease the scholars from humble backgrounds across the land, it would not be a bad outcome. He said with a cold face, "Since that is the case, then go to the archives and retrieve the examination papers."
"Your Majesty, it might not be enough to only find the papers of Young Master Yin and Young Master Wen. This old minister believes that all the examination papers should be brought out and thoroughly investigated. Only then can we ascertain how much manipulation Minister Wen has carried out."
Elder Xu's words almost made Wen Mengsheng wet his pants.
He had always thought that their target was merely the matter of Yin Canwen's essay being swapped. Now, it seemed they had been prepared long ago, aiming to expose everything.
If all the examination papers were investigated, wouldn't they soon discover what his father had done behind the scenes?
In that case, wouldn't their Wen family be in danger?
His heart trembled uncontrollably, and he hurriedly tugged at Wen Jingsong's sleeve.
Unfortunately, Wen Jingsong was in such dire straits himself, like a clay Buddha crossing a river, unable to save himself, let alone protect his son behind him.
Soon, the examination papers from the archives were brought back by Emperor Qi's trusted confidants. Along with them were the individuals responsible for collecting and organizing these papers, so any required document could be found immediately.
Thus, a small mountain of examination papers was piled up in the grand hall. The officials responsible for managing these papers trembled like sieves.
They had no idea what had happened and were simply brought before the Emperor by the guards.
Given their official ranks, they rarely got to see even a prince, let alone the Emperor.
The current scene naturally terrified them into shivering.
"Are you the officials in charge of managing the examination papers?"
"Replying to Your Majesty, yes."
The one who stepped forward to reply was among the braver ones, but his tone was laced with nervousness.
"If that is the case, then find the examination papers of Yin Canwen, Wen Mengsheng, and Feng Jinlin. I wish to see if they are indeed false!"
Upon hearing this, Wen Jingsong's heart sank by more than half. His only hope was that the powder on the papers had taken effect, and they were so damaged by termites that they were illegible.
Yin Canwen and Feng Jinlin, on the other hand, had clear consciences and were eager for the officials to find the papers immediately.
Since the copied papers were easier to find, they were quickly presented.
As expected, the essay Yin Canwen had brought earlier was identical to the one ranked first. However, the name written on it was Wen Mengsheng.
Emperor Qi's anger surged. He glared fiercely at Wen Jingsong, wishing he had something in his hand to smash him with!
Next, Feng Jinlin's essay was also found. After reading it, Emperor Qi was quite impressed with his literary talent.
Observing his character, he deemed him a worthy candidate and considered promoting his ranking.
However, he did not make any pronouncements at that moment.
Finding the original examination papers was both difficult and not difficult.
The individuals who organized the papers had classified them according to their examination hall locations. Therefore, once the examination hall locations of the three were known, their original papers were found in no time.
"Huh? Why is it damaged?"
Yin Canwen's original examination paper was severely gnawed and now blurred. Seeing this, Wen Jingsong finally breathed a sigh of relief. He would not give up as long as there was a glimmer of hope.
He then said, "The archives of the Ministry of Personnel have not been renovated for many years, so there are many termites. Especially the papers at the bottom are easily infested. It is likely that Young Master Yin's original paper was placed at the bottom, which is why it is like this."
Feng Jinlin sneered, "Minister Wen is quite capable. Knowing there are termites, yet you refuse to renovate. What are you plotting?"
"Young Master Feng, stop slandering me. As the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, I have repeatedly reported the renovation of the archives to the court. However, the Ministry of Revenue always finds various excuses to evade allocating funds for repairs. What can I do?"