With the ground laid before Emperor Changwu, Gu Yanchen had no further reservations. He simultaneously had Meng Changdong pose as a scholar seeking to buy exam questions to infiltrate the organization, and had the Qin family appear at Shuguang Tower to lure the culprits.
Soon, Mrs. Qin encountered the wife of another examiner at the tower. Both felt awkward for a moment but quickly averted their gazes with unspoken understanding.
For some reason, Mrs. Qin’s envy of the financial freedom of other prominent ladies lessened by half. This lady, who always appeared adorned in jewels and precious silks, had to bend her back for ten thousand taels.
It was clear that her family was not the only one short on money.
Following the lead, Gu Yanchen quickly identified the real seller of exam questions – the elder brother-in-law of the chief examiner, Luan Zhonghui.
Luan Zhonghui was a Grand Scholar of the Hanlin Academy, deeply trusted by Emperor Changwu. Those who came from the Hanlin Academy, no matter how high their later official positions, treated him with utmost respect. Moreover, his family had been a scholarly lineage since the previous dynasty. Such aristocratic families appeared inconspicuous but possessed deep foundations. The processions when the old Madam Luan traveled were no less grand than those of imperial clan ladies.
Scholarly families had always valued their reputation above life itself, and the Luan family was not lacking in money. Gu Yanchen almost thought he had made a mistake. However, Luan Zhonghui’s elder brother-in-law was no hardened criminal. Before any torture was administered in prison, he readily betrayed his own sister, Madam Zhan, completely.
To exonerate himself, he even revealed Madam Zhan’s practice of usury outside.
He had long assisted his sister and gathered considerable evidence. Once presented, it saved Gu Yanchen a great deal of trouble. That very day, he went to the Luan residence and apprehended Madam Zhan.
Seeing that the situation was beyond salvage, Madam Zhan confessed readily to avoid physical suffering.
Ultimately, all this stemmed from the lack of money. The Luan family was indeed a scholarly lineage, and their estate was considerable, but they had too many descendants. When sons and grandsons divided the family assets, the main family’s wealth was depleted generation after generation, losing the affluence others imagined.
In Luan Zhonghui’s generation, there were three brothers.
As their mother was still alive, they had not yet divided the family. The ancestral home was large enough, so there was no shortage of living space.
The Great Yin Dynasty valued military power over scholarly pursuits, and the Luan family had long lost its former glory. Luan Zhonghui was the most accomplished; his two younger brothers had only attained the rank of Juren and held insignificant minor posts.
The Luan family was in decline, but the old madam still lived in the extravagance of the past, insisting on pomp and ceremony in every aspect of her diet, clothing, and travel. The other two branches of the family, not managing the household, were unaware of the cost of daily necessities and squandered their money recklessly. Madam Luan, who managed the household affairs, faced deficits year after year. Even after exhausting her dowry, she received no praise, only the reputation of being stingy and petty. To raise funds, she would often delay paying the servants’ wages, solely for the interest earned over that month.
Yet, it was still a constant struggle.
Seeing her children growing older but unable to afford respectable betrothal gifts and dowries, Madam Luan became anxious. One day, she inadvertently peeked into the study and saw the exam questions drafted by Master Luan. Immediately, she conceived the idea of making a large sum of money.
To avoid implicating herself, she specifically sent letters to the wives of the other two examiners. Her mind was active, and she knew that with those two ladies taking the lead, even if the leak of exam questions were traced to Shuguang Tower, those two would bear the brunt of it.
She could then rest easy.
This plan could be considered thorough, but unfortunately, it faltered at Mrs. Qin.
She never imagined that Mrs. Qin’s visit to Shuguang Tower would be witnessed by Lu Nianfu and Qing Ya, and that Qing Ya, due to her gossipy nature, knew the ins and outs of Shuguang Tower. Even less could she have imagined that Lu Nianfu, with such meager information, would escalate a minor issue into a major one, prompting Gu Yanchen to investigate thoroughly.
For days, Emperor Changwu had been guessing who had leaked the exam questions. He had considered many possibilities but never this one.
The massive case of imperial examination fraud had originated from the greed of a woman within the inner chambers.
It was utterly laughable.
Emperor Changwu felt immense regret. Luan Zhonghui was someone he had cultivated for many years, loyal to him, and had groomed many talents for him. Those who emerged from the Hanlin Academy and were recommended by him to his presence had all proven to be excellent.
Luan Zhonghui was not yet forty years old and could at least manage the Hanlin Academy for another decade for him.
However, this was now clearly impossible.
Imperial examination fraud was a major case. Upon investigation, it turned out to be the chief examiner’s wife selling questions. As husband and wife were one, Luan Zhonghui could not escape responsibility. It was fortunate that the case was investigated early. Had it truly waited until after the Spring Examination, and the scholars then exposed the leak, not only Luan Zhonghui and his wife, but the entire Luan family would have been ruined.
Emperor Changwu’s worries did not end there.
With only three days left until the Spring Examination, if the case were to be made public at this juncture, it would likely cause widespread panic. Moreover, it was too late to appoint another chief examiner at the eleventh hour.
Gu Yanchen found it strange: "Why would it be too late?"
Emperor Changwu was patient with Gu Yanchen: "Firstly, the exam questions must be changed, which is not something that can be done in two or three days."
Gu Yanchen raised an eyebrow: "Is composing questions that difficult? The imperial examinations are, after all, meant to select officials for the court, to select people to serve Your Majesty. As long as Your Majesty deems them suitable, what kind of questions are not acceptable?"
Seeing his casual remark, Emperor Changwu considered it more deeply and found it surprisingly reasonable.
He straightened up: "Why doesn't Minister Gu draft one?"
Gu Yanchen quickly replied: "This humble minister is a rough man, and such scholarly matters are truly not suited for me."
"You still have the audacity to say that! A dignified third-rank official actually has a typo in his memorial. Aren't you afraid the historians will laugh their heads off?"
Gu Yanchen was unfazed: "Everyone knows this humble minister is a military man, a boorish fellow. It's good enough that I can read and write. Making a typo or two occasionally is inconsequential. Besides, although this humble minister's education is not extensive, I am still serving you well. As long as one understands the principles of being a minister, Your Majesty would surely not mind such minor flaws."
Emperor Changwu had a flash of inspiration: "Well said, the principles of being a minister. This year's imperial examination shall have this as the topic!"
Gu Yanchen: ...
Was it that casual? Also: "Your Majesty, I heard scholars must write three essays, and you have only one topic so far."
"I already have ideas for the other two."
"Congratulations, Your Majesty."