Chapter 167
Prefect Xiao looked with disappointment at Kou Yuanxing, who was kneeling in the courtroom. It wasn't just that he was frail; even a grown man couldn't withstand thirty strokes of the cane.
The crowd gathered outside the prefectural office also looked worried, especially those from Huaixian. They all knew Kou Yuanxing and had expected him to be the top scholar in this prefectural examination. To their surprise, not only did Kou Yuanxing fail to place, but he had also accused Prefect Zhang.
"Your Excellency," Prefect Zhang, seated to the lower left of the courtroom, suddenly stood up and looked at Academician Chen, who was seated in the main seat. "Kou Yuanxing has accused me. According to the law, I should recuse myself. Since the punishment is to be carried out, why don't Your Excellency's guards execute it, to avoid Kou Yuanxing thinking I would seek personal revenge?"
The yamen runners of Nanxuan Prefecture were all under Prefect Zhang's command. If they were to administer the caning, and Kou Yuanxing met with an accident, it would be difficult to explain. Prefect Zhang's move was indeed to distance himself.
"Prefect Zhang is truly cautious," Academician Chen said with a cold expression. If Kou Yuanxing couldn't endure thirty strokes and died on the spot, Academician Chen could pin the crime of 'disregarding human life' on him.
"Since that is the case, let it be as Prefect Zhang suggested," Academician Chen said coldly, about to order his guards to carry out the punishment.
"Academician Chen, this student Zhan Feiyu implores Your Excellency to show leniency beyond the law." Zhan Feiyu, standing outside the courtroom, suddenly spoke. Academician Chen, who had been interrupted, frowned and slammed the gavel.
Beneath the plaque of "Bright Mirror Hanging High," Academician Chen's face was stern and furious. "How dare a mere child obstruct my court proceedings! Guards, seize Zhan Feiyu and give him ten strokes of the cane as a warning!"
Zhan Feiyu, a young child without the scholar's title, could only kneel in the courtroom. His clear voice rang out, neither humble nor arrogant, "This student admits guilt, but still implores Your Excellency to show leniency to Kou Yuanxing. Kou Yuanxing is frail and cannot possibly withstand thirty strokes. This student is willing to take the punishment in his stead. I beg Your Excellency to show leniency beyond the law!"
Zhan Feiyu's small frame knelt up straight, his chubby face set in a serious expression. He was determined to disgust Academician Chen to death.
This girl is too unruly! Prefect Zhang's brows furrowed. Even if Academician Chen's guards administered the punishment, Kou Yuanxing wouldn't be beaten to death on the spot. However, Academician Chen was not here with good intentions. Even if Kou Yuanxing died in prison a few days later, Prefect Zhang would still have to bear the ill repute.
After all, Kou Yuanxing was beaten because he accused Prefect Zhang. But with Zhan Feiyu's intervention, if Academician Chen still insisted on punishing Kou Yuanxing according to the law, and the latter died, then the ill repute would fall upon Academician Chen.
"Utter nonsense! Do you think the laws of Daqing are a child's play?" With a bang, the gavel was struck again. Academician Chen glared at Zhan Feiyu kneeling below, wishing he could truly give her forty strokes and be done with her.
But as soon as he thought of Zhan Feiyu's teacher being Gu Qingzhou, and that she had won fifty-five thousand shi of grain for the border soldiers this time, if Zhan Feiyu died at the hands of the Chen family, the consequences would be imaginable. Gu Qingzhou would absolutely destroy all the officials of the Chen family who held office.
And if Prince Yu and the border soldiers did not act to avenge Zhan Feiyu, then the First Prince would never hope to gain military power in his life. Thinking of this, Academician Chen's sinister gaze fixed on Zhan Feiyu. Was she acting with impunity, wanting to step on him to gain fame?
"This student admits guilt," Zhan Feiyu spoke again, but her voice was firm and powerful. "The law allows no mercy, but the law is not devoid of human kindness. In the eighteenth year of Chengyuan of Daqing, the Sima of the Guarded Province directly remonstrated in the Golden Palace, speaking frankly that the late emperor's construction of a temporary palace in Jiangnan was a drain on the people and resources... The late emperor had once stated, 'Cultivate virtue and be lenient with punishment, but be mindful of its application.'"
In the eighteenth year of Chengyuan, Jiangnan was hit by floods. If temporary palaces were built with great fanfare, it would be like adding insult to injury for the local populace. Lord Ma, risking his life to remonstrate, angered the late emperor, but then he calmed down. Moved by Lord Ma's concern for the people, he uttered these eight characters: "Cultivate virtue and be lenient with punishment, but be mindful of its application."
This was originally Confucian thought, that the foundation of governing a country lies in virtue,禮 (propriety/ritual), sincerity, and trustworthiness. As a benevolent ruler, one cannot rely solely on strict laws and punishments, but rather on acting with benevolence and righteousness. It is impossible to regulate the behavior of all people solely through laws.
Prefect Zhang glanced at Academician Chen, who was suppressing his anger. A smile flashed across his face. Zhan Feiyu had even invoked the late emperor. Unless Academician Chen dared to go against the late emperor and the current emperor, he could only compromise.
To punish or not to punish? Caught in a dilemma, Academician Chen was put on the spot! If looks could kill, Zhan Feiyu kneeling in the courtroom would have been riddled with holes!
Even as a young child, she had forced the second-rank academician to back down. Once this news spread, regardless of how outsiders viewed Zhan Feiyu, at least the court officials would have some reservations about the Chen family.
Being repeatedly suppressed by a young girl, would they still dare to ally with the Chen family? With such weak combat effectiveness, could they truly assist the First Prince?
"Zhan Feiyu, you don't need to pretend to be a good person! I am also well-versed in the laws of Daqing. I accused Prefect Zhang, and these thirty strokes are what I deserve!" Kou Yuanxing shouted angrily, but he was giving Academician Chen a way out.
Academician Chen sighed, "Enough. Considering your youth and frail health, I will temporarily record these thirty strokes. If you are found to have made a false accusation, you will be punished for both crimes!"
This farce concluded temporarily with Kou Yuanxing being imprisoned. Academician Chen could not convict Prefect Zhang without evidence, and he did not even dare to escalate the case.
Throughout history, no one dared to use the imperial examinations as a pretext. If no evidence could be found, not only would Prefect Zhang not be brought down, but he would also incur the emperor's displeasure, which would be a complete loss.
...
Far away in the capital.
"Wuyan, how is your recovery progressing?" As the Son of Heaven, the current emperor certainly did not wake up early and sleep later than a dog! Besides the morning court, he had to handle countless memorials.
Even when he had free time, he still had to visit the harem, meet with the empress and consorts, and chat, and then find time to test his sons. Therefore, being able to have a meal with Yin Wuyan was definitely a form of favor. Not even several princes might have this treatment.
"I am already fine," Yin Wuyan shed his usual cold demeanor. His face was handsome, his eyes were calm, and coupled with his luxurious black brocade robe, he looked more like a noble young master from the capital's aristocratic families, rather than the Commander of the Imperial Guard who made people tremble.
The Emperor looked at Yin Wuyan, who was sitting beside him, with concern. He had watched him grow up, so his affection was no less than that for his own sons. On the contrary, the Emperor valued Yin Wuyan more.
One day, the Emperor would grow old, and his son would wear the dragon robe and inherit the throne. Even though the current emperor was a wise ruler, there was still something unsatisfactory. Otherwise, he would not have not established a crown prince until now.
And Yin Wuyan, despite holding the Imperial Guard, had no aspirations for the throne. This allowed the Emperor to find a sense of "fatherly love and filial piety" in him. Their relationship was more like father and son than ruler and minister.
After the meal, the eunuch removed the bowls and plates, and the palace maids brought tea.
Only then did Yin Wuyan say, "The junior disciple of Lord Gu is the top scholar of this prefectural examination. Academician Chen is inspecting Nanxuan Prefecture, and Kou Yuanxing, the top scholar of Huaixian, has accused Prefect Zhang of cheating in the imperial examinations..."
As soon as he heard the words "cheating in the imperial examinations," the Emperor's expression slightly sank. He put down the teacup he had just raised. "Was he manipulated, or is he unwilling to accept a young girl being the top scholar?"
The Imperial Guard was the Emperor's eyes and ears in various prefectures and counties. Therefore, in recent years, local officials had rarely dared to deceive their superiors and mislead those below them, unless they had the ability to withstand the investigation by the Imperial Guard. Otherwise, it would be an even greater crime!
"Zhang Chengli canceled Kou Yuanxing's ranking in the prefectural examination..." Yin Wuyan reported the entire matter to the Emperor without any emotional coloring.
The root cause was still the case of Wang Linlang poisoning Madam Lin. After being caned, Chen Weibin sent yamen runners to escort her back to Huaixian. Because she was still young, the magistrate of Huaixian ordered the Wang family to keep a close watch on her.
The Wang family was a wealthy merchant. After having such a vicious daughter, the Wang family's reputation was also affected. Wang Linlang, who was confined in the Wang family's ancestral hall, died of illness a year later.
Kou Yuanxing and Wang Linlang were childhood sweethearts. He absolutely did not believe that Wang Linlang, who was so kind that she couldn't bear to step on an ant and had pawned her jewelry to give rice to beggars on the street, could be a cruel and ruthless person. Furthermore, Wang Linlang had sent a letter to Kou Yuanxing before her death.
In the letter, Zhan Feiyu and Master Lin were the murderers who caused her death. This hatred was planted in Kou Yuanxing's heart like a seed, which led to all that followed.
"Such a simple matter, and the Chen family cannot figure it out?" The Emperor's eyes turned colder after hearing this.
It was not surprising that the Chen family disliked Zhan Feiyu. Every official in the court had political enemies. Even Yin Wuyan, whom the Emperor regarded as his son, was impeached by the top scholar the year before, listing all the crimes of the Imperial Guard, almost saying that Yin Wuyan disregarded human life and killed indiscriminately.
What displeased the Emperor was that the Chen family was using the imperial examinations as a pretext to target Zhan Feiyu and Zhang Chengli.
The imperial examinations were the foundation of the Daqing dynasty. Ninety-nine percent of the officials in the court were selected through civil and martial examinations. Once the imperial examinations became a tool for some people to eliminate their rivals, the foundation of the Daqing dynasty would be shaken, and the meaning of selecting officials through examinations would be lost.
"Chen Jin bribed the yamen runners of the prefectural office and planned to tamper with the caning..." Chen Jin, mentioned by Yin Wuyan, was the fat Chen. Not only did he lose fifty-five thousand shi of grain, but more importantly, he caused the Chen family to lose face. The enraged Old Master Chen directly struck Chen Jin from the family genealogy.
Without his family and money, Chen Jin wished he could kill Zhan Feiyu with a knife. However, he was afraid of death and knew that He Sheng, who was by Zhan Feiyu's side, was a master. In the end, Chen Jin used the money his mother gave him to bribe the yamen runners, intending to retaliate against Zhan Feiyu and Prefect Zhang in this way.
When he heard that Zhan Feiyu had forced Academician Chen to back down by citing the late emperor as an example, the Emperor, who was amused, laughed. "She is indeed a mischievous and clever girl. No wonder Qingzhou sends people to Nanxuan Prefecture by express horse every three days."
Gu Qingzhou, as a Grand Academician of the Hanlin Academy and a confidant of the Emperor, was unmarried. His vast academician's mansion had only him as the master. Sometimes the Emperor wanted to bestow a marriage upon Gu Qingzhou to save him from being alone.
But now that he had taken a young disciple, although Gu Qingzhou spoke words of disdain, besides academic books, clothes, fabrics, jewelry, and various nourishing ingredients, it was estimated that more than half of the storerooms of the academician's mansion had been emptied.
After Yin Wuyan left the imperial palace, the Emperor began to review memorials. By the time dusk fell, the Emperor put down his brush, and Eunuch Liu, who was serving him, immediately stepped forward. "Your Majesty, this old servant will massage your shoulders for you."
The Emperor's expression was indifferent. "No need. Go to the Gu family and deliver an imperial decree."
"This old servant obeys." Eunuch Liu bowed respectfully, suppressing the fleeting surprise in his eyes.
Although he had not seen the imperial decree, as a chief eunuch serving the Emperor, Eunuch Liu knew very well that this imperial decree must be to appoint the eldest son of Old General Gu, Gu Dawei, to the position of Tongzhi of the Capital Guard.
Before this, the Emperor had originally intended to reserve this position for the elder brother of the First Prince's consort. Although this was only a third-rank official position, the Capital Guard Commandery was responsible for guarding the capital and the imperial palace, which represented the Emperor's trust.
Thinking that the Emperor had dined with Yin Wuyan today, Eunuch Liu, who exited the imperial study, looked at the magnificent palace before him and raised Yin Wuyan's status in his heart again. No wonder the princes were jealous of Commander Yin. Just based on the Emperor's favor and trust, tsk tsk, it would be strange not to be jealous.
The current Emperor was in his prime and strong. Not only had he not established a crown prince, but he did not even have any adult princes enfeoffed as kings. However, no one in the court dared to comment.
And as Eunuch Liu delivered the imperial decree, the news spread. The First Prince smashed his study again.
Chen Shuduo, the Minister of Personnel, also felt his scalp tingle. The duck that was already in hand had flown away like this. He could imagine how furious the First Prince would be.
However, the Chen family was the maternal family of the First Prince. Even though he knew that going there now would inevitably become a target for the First Prince's venting, Chen Shuduo still had to order his horse to be prepared.
"I think Father is senile!" The First Prince roared, his enraged face contorted. For this position, he had meticulously planned for over a year, but it was all erased by an imperial decree.
"Your Highness, perhaps the Emperor intends to test Your Highness," Chen Shuduo could only tell a white lie, first to appease the First Prince's emotions. As for why the Emperor suddenly changed his previous decision, they could only investigate slowly.
The First Prince sneered, completely disbelieving this reason. His sinister gaze fixed on Chen Shuduo.
But then he thought about it. Although the previous bet involved the Chen family, it was the Chen family that suffered losses. This year, they had to donate one hundred thousand shi of grain. It was for this reason that the Emperor decided to reserve the position of Tongzhi of the Capital Guard for the elder brother of the First Prince's consort, as a form of compensation for the First Prince.
"Enough. I will visit my mother tomorrow and ask her to probe Father's intentions," the First Prince's expression remained unpleasant, but after his rage subsided, his reason returned.
When it involved the Emperor, the First Prince absolutely dared not send people to investigate easily. He could only rely on Consort Chen in the harem to investigate. However, before Consort Chen could act, news came from the palace.
Involving cheating in the imperial examinations, the various families in the capital were stunned at first. They thought it was the Chen family interfering with the imperial examinations in Jiangnan Province. But after sending people to investigate, they realized that this matter was related to Zhan Feiyu. Academician Chen, in order to deal with Zhan Feiyu, had actually incited Kou Yuanxing, the top scholar of Huaixian, to accuse Prefect Zhang of cheating in the imperial examinations!