The news that the Qin family, with their young son and daughter, knelt outside the county yamen holding a bloody letter, spread through Shangsi County like wildfire, reaching every corner in less than half an hour.
"Teach the young, upright and gentle, broad and stern, strong and not abusive, simple and not arrogant..." The weather remained hot, and in the study, clear reading voices echoed.
With only half a year left until the county examination in February, Zhan Feiyu, ever since learning that the academic supervisor was the First Prince's maternal uncle, studied with an additional three parts of diligence.
Chong Guang, sitting in the corner, exuded an aura of melancholy. He asked weakly, "Fat girl, can you beg Seventh Master for mercy?"
When he practiced martial arts, he wasn't as diligent as Fat Girl. Three hours a day, including evenings and lunch breaks, was that even human? With Fat Girl's dedication, hanging from the beams and pricking her thighs, Scholar Gu still said the county examination would be a勉强 (勉强 - barely passable).
The thought of being forced to participate in the county examination, with no permission to return to the Forbidden Dragon Guard if he failed, immediately conjured an image in Chong Guang's mind: himself, with hair as white as snow and a hunched back, trembling as he walked into the examination hall, leaning on a cane.
Closing the book, Zhan Feiyu smiled smugly, "Beg me."
"Name your price." Chong Guang conceded. Who could blame him? Fat Girl was protected by Seventh Master. He must have had a screw loose to bully Fat Girl.
"How about you take me to the county yamen?" Zhan Feiyu glanced guiltily out the window.
After Wan Yunhao was poisoned, whenever Prince Yu presided over a case, Zhan Feiyu would attend the county yamen to observe. The time spent was made up later by staying up late.
But this time, with Wan Yunhao's wife and daughter kneeling outside the county yamen, Gu Qingzhou forbade Zhan Feiyu from leaving.
Chong Guang immediately perked up, "Alright, let's go!"
"Uncle Chong Guang, no horses, we'll take a carriage," Zhan Feiyu quickly added. With this glaring sun, riding a horse would surely bake a person to death.
The flower hall in the backyard of the county yamen.
Due to the false accusation by Chen Fei before his death, Chen Weibin also had to undergo an investigation. Fortunately, the accusation was made on impulse and lacked any evidence, so Prince Yu reinstated Chen Weibin to his official post.
"Your Highness, Madam Qin refuses to enter the county yamen to rest," Constable Fei reported to Prince Yu, who sat in the main seat. "Many scholars from Nanxuan Prefecture have already gathered outside, mostly from humble families. The leaders are several good friends of Wan Yunhao."
Madam Qin, as a widow, kneeling outside the county yamen with her five-year-old daughter and three-year-old son, weeping and lamenting, naturally garnered sympathy from the world, especially since the women and children were dressed in mourning clothes. Even passing citizens had red eyes.
"She wrote a bloody letter to slander the little girl without any evidence?" Prince Yu's face tightened with anger. He was hot-tempered, but the person making a scene outside was a weak woman, someone he couldn't hit or scold!
Chen Weibin, as the county magistrate, had seen such things often. "As long as the murderer of Wan Yunhao is not brought to justice, Madam Qin can use this to slander Xiao Yu."
After all, murder always had a motive. Prince Yu and others knew that the mastermind was Liu Jian, but the scholars and commoners outside were not aware of this.
Zhan Feiyu knew the junior officer Chen Fei. Chen Fei was the murderer who poisoned Wan Yunhao, and before his death, he falsely accused Magistrate Chen. Furthermore, Chen Weibin had shown Zhan Feiyu great kindness, which effectively implicated Zhan Feiyu in the poisoning case.
The motive for murder was even easier to find. If Zhan Feiyu lost the competition, she would not be able to apprentice under Scholar Gu, so she could only have poisoned Wan Yunhao to ensure her victory.
After all, one was the youngest Juren in Nanxuan Prefecture, and the other was an eight-year-old child prodigy. In the eyes of outsiders, Zhan Feiyu was bound to lose this competition.
"You're not worried at all?" Prince Yu glared at Gu Qingzhou, who was calmly sipping tea. The charge of murder had been pinned on the little girl, yet he, as her teacher, showed no concern.
Scholar Gu, composed and at ease, smiled and said, "It is Lord Liu who is anxious. He wants to muddy the waters."
After careful consideration, Liu Jian did not immediately silence them. Zhou Wenquan was, after all, a capable advisor to him. Therefore, he had the Qin family bring the orphaned mother and children. This was merely a last-ditch struggle.
When Zhan Feiyu appeared outside the county yamen, someone shouted. Madam Qin, who had been kneeling and crying until her voice was hoarse, suddenly turned around. Her piercing and grief-stricken cries made onlookers sad and listeners weep.
"You... you give me back my husband's life... Why didn't you poison us mother and children together?" Madam Qin, dressed in white mourning clothes, had tears streaming down her pale face. Her delicate figure was like a radiant little white flower. Overwhelmed by grief, she suddenly collapsed to the ground.
"Mother!" The three-year-old boy wailed. Children from wealthy families were raised plump and fair, with beautiful features. At this moment, he tugged at Madam Qin's arm and cried incessantly, making people even more heartbroken.
"You killed my father, I'm going to kill you!" The five-year-old girl suddenly stood up and lunged at Zhan Feiyu. Her tender face was filled with ingrained hatred. At least in her eyes, Zhan Feiyu was the murderer who poisoned Wan Yunhao and caused her mother to kneel and weep.
Watching the little girl being held back by Chong Guang, Zhan Feiyu finally understood why her teacher hadn't wanted her to come to the county yamen. Facing the grief-stricken orphans, Zhan Feiyu, even though innocent, was at a disadvantage.
Zhan Feiyu surveyed the surroundings. The common people were relatively alright. Zhan Feiyu was a renowned child prodigy in Shangsi County. Even if Madam Qin and her children were pitiful, they did not believe Zhan Feiyu was the murderer.
However, the scholars gathered around glared at Zhan Feiyu. They were from Nanxuan Prefecture and were good friends with Wan Yunhao. They had also attended the full moon and first birthday banquets for the two children. In comparison, even if Zhan Feiyu were innocent, she now appeared guilty.
"Let go of me!" The little girl, held back by Chong Guang, screamed sharply, kicking and struggling against Chong Guang. "Let me go..."
"You say I poisoned your father?" Zhan Feiyu's dark eyes were calm, her clear voice like pearls falling onto a jade plate. "If I poisoned your father out of fear of losing, why would I propose a competition? Why would I risk beheading for such a redundant act?"
"You..." The little girl was only five years old, but the Qin family was a scholarly one, and children were tutored from the age of three. The little girl had studied for two years, and at this moment, Zhan Feiyu's question stumped her. She wanted to retort but didn't know how.
The scholars, who had been filled with righteous indignation, fell into thought. Zhan Feiyu's words seemed reasonable.
Madam Qin, who had collapsed on the ground, had a cold glint flash in her eyes. She slowly sat up, pulled her sobbing younger son into her arms, and looked at Zhan Feiyu with animosity. "You poisoned my husband simply to tread on his corpse and gain fame! Who would have thought an eight-year-old girl could be so venomous and ruthless!"
Madam Qin, consumed by grief, accused in a hoarse voice. Zhan Feiyu's voluntary challenge was merely to gild her own reputation and solidify her prodigy status. Otherwise, why would the renowned Scholar Gu of Daqing Dynasty take her as a disciple?
However, she also feared losing the competition, so she colluded with junior officer Chen Fei and Magistrate Chen Weibin to poison Wan Yunhao! With the protection of her teacher, Scholar Gu, the case of Wan Yunhao's poisoning would ultimately become a cold case.
"If you are not the murderer, then why, with Prince Yu and the Forbidden Dragon Guard present, has the mastermind behind my husband's poisoning never been found?" Madam Qin hugged her younger daughter, who had rushed into her arms, held her son tightly, and shed silent tears, as if lamenting the injustice of heaven!
"Madam Wan, you keep saying I poisoned Scholar Wan out of fear of losing the competition. To prove my innocence, I will certainly request Prince Yu to post the examination papers of the three of us outside the county yamen!" Zhan Feiyu spoke directly, cutting off Madam Qin's intended words as she slightly faltered.
"At the end of the competition, my paper and Tong Xu's paper were both placed in the examination box and sealed. Many people present witnessed this. Madam Wan need not worry that Magistrate Chen and I will collude to swap the papers."
Wan Yunhao's papers were not sealed, but many scholars recognized his handwriting.
"Sister-in-law, we all saw it at the time," a scholar who was friends with Wan Yunhao said in a low voice, then looked at Qin Ye beside him. "A Ye was also there."
Qin Ye nodded. Recalling Zhan Feiyu's essays he had seen at the county school, his heart skipped a beat. Could it be that Zhan Feiyu was confident of defeating his brother-in-law? Otherwise, why would she dare to publicly post the examination papers?
Madam Qin did not believe Zhan Feiyu's talent could surpass Wan Yunhao. Seeing her speak so frankly, she became even more suspicious that Zhan Feiyu had swapped the papers.
With Scholar Gu as her teacher, what excellent essays couldn't be written? At that time, Zhan Feiyu could simply copy them and put them back into the examination box, and who would know? Or even if they suspected, who would dare to point it out?
But the situation was pressing. Madam Qin did not believe it, but the scholars present were eager to see what brilliant essays Zhan Feiyu had written.
Two quarters of an hour later.
Liu Jian was summoned by Prince Yu. Madam Qin's suspicion of Zhan Feiyu was also a suspicion of Gu Qingzhou and Prince Yu, and even Prefect Zhang and Magistrate Chen were not trusted by her.
"Lord Liu, the posting of the examination papers will be your responsibility. Please check the seals and the examination boxes," Prince Yu said, then dismissed him, treating the second-rank official Liu Jian like a mere errand boy.
"Yes." Liu Jian walked out with a dark expression, followed closely by two yamen runners carrying the examination boxes.
Outside the county yamen, in addition to Madam Qin and her two children, many scholars had gathered. More than the truth of Wan Yunhao's poisoning, many people wanted to see Zhan Feiyu's examination papers.
"My lord, please," Constable Fei placed the examination box on the table and retreated to the side.
Liu Jian, forced into this situation, looked even more displeased. The Forbidden Dragon Guard could lift fingerprints, so creating a fake seal was as easy as pie.
However, unless conclusive evidence was found, if Liu Jian dared to claim the Forbidden Dragon Guard had faked it today, before he could return to the capital, the Forbidden Dragon Guard would expose all his secrets.
Liu Jian carefully examined the seal on the examination box. There were no signs of it being tampered with. Under the public gaze, he could only say, "The seal is fine."
He first opened the box on the right. Tong Xu stepped forward and looked at the papers. "Reporting to my lord, these are my examination papers."
When it was Zhan Feiyu's turn, she also checked. "Reporting to my lord, these are my examination papers."
After their papers were taken away, Wan Yunhao's examination paper had already been posted.
"Reading Brother Wan's essays always gives a sense of exhilarating fluency, with every word a gem and his thoughts agile. We are ashamed of our inferiority!" The scholar speaking praised him repeatedly.
"It's a pity Brother Wan was harmed by villains, otherwise, achieving fame and parading through the streets would have been within reach!"
"Is this Tong Xu's examination paper?" The onlookers scoffed upon seeing the posted papers on the wall. The first paper, on the classics questions, had three errors, indicating that Tong Xu's mastery of the Four Books and Five Classics was not firm enough.
"I just looked. Out of the five hundred classics questions, excluding those not completed, Brother Wan made only three errors." Wan Yunhao's talent was universally acknowledged, while Tong Xu, as the eldest son of the Tong Prefecture, made three errors on one paper.
After Tong Xu's policy essay was posted on the wall, the onlookers read a few sentences and their expressions became even more disdainful. They even doubted if Tong Xu's Xiu Cai (successful candidate in the provincial examination) title was obtained through his father, the Tong Vice-Prefect.
"Post Zhan Feiyu's examination paper!" someone shouted from the crowd. Instantly, all eyes turned to the wall.
As the saying goes, calligraphy reflects the person! The calligraphy of an eight-year-old girl, who had been studying for less than a year, already showed a nascent style that surpassed many. Their calligraphy at the age of eight had form but lacked spirit.
Having seen Wan Yunhao's examination paper earlier, the crowd was already familiar with the five hundred classics questions. As they looked at each paper, a strange silence fell over the scene.
This made the constable posting the papers look at them in surprise. Just now, they were commenting on Tong Xu's papers, but now they had all fallen silent?
"They're all correct!" someone exclaimed. A total of five hundred questions! Wan Yunhao's three errors had already earned their admiration, but Zhan Feiyu had not made a single mistake.
"There are rumors that Zhan Feiyu has a photographic memory." As soon as this was said, the onlookers nodded, feeling both envy and jealousy.
If answering five hundred classics questions correctly was attributed to her exceptional memory, then upon seeing Zhan Feiyu's policy essay, the crowd fell silent once more!
Wan Yunhao's policy essay was brilliant because of his profound literary foundation, extensive knowledge, and flowing prose. In comparison, Zhan Feiyu's essay appeared much simpler, but it was substantial and incisive.
The policy essay asked for measures to govern the country and benefit the people, matters concerning national economy and people's livelihood. No matter how brilliant Wan Yunhao's essay was, it was still vague. Zhan Feiyu's policy essay could truly solve the problem of salt prices, curb the profiteering of salt merchants, and make salt affordable for ordinary people!
"Was this policy essay truly written by an eight-year-old girl?" someone couldn't help but question.
Although the handwriting on the twelve papers was from the same person, it could also be that Scholar Gu had ghostwritten it, and Zhan Feiyu had copied it. If this were the case, Chong Guang's examination would reveal the truth.
"Yes. If she truly possessed such talent to write such a policy essay, why would her poetry be so ordinary?" The initial three parts of doubt suddenly turned into seven parts.
"Enough, don't you forget that Lord Liu personally unsealed the seal," the brocade-robed youth sneered at the group of unsuccessful scholars from humble families. Was it simply because they were overshadowed by Zhan Feiyu?
The young man standing beside him agreed, "Since Zhan Feiyu dared to challenge voluntarily, she must have had a sure chance of winning."
If she lacked true talent, would Zhan Feiyu dare to challenge Wan Yunhao? Since she did, why should her writing such a brilliant policy essay be doubted?
Seeing that some were still unwilling, the brocade-robed youth spoke again, "The topic of the policy essay was set by Lord Liu. Scholar Gu did not know the topic. Later, the examination papers were sealed in the examination box. Do you suspect Scholar Gu of falsification?"
Given Gu Qingzhou's reputation in literary circles, anyone who dared to doubt Scholar Gu would be condemned by scholars across the land! Especially since the invention of movable-type printing had lowered the price of books, Gu Qingzhou was even more revered by scholars.
The crowd, who had harbored doubts, dispelled them. They might not believe Zhan Feiyu, but they firmly believed in Scholar Gu's integrity!
Vice-Prefect Tong and Tong Xu looked quite displeased. The posting of the examination papers was akin to publicly executing Tong Xu, especially the disparagement from those present, which made Tong Xu too ashamed to lift his head.
Liu Jian also did not believe Zhan Feiyu could write such an essay. It must have been ghostwritten by Gu Qingzhou. These people were so foolish from reading that they believed Gu Qingzhou was noble and upright, not realizing that true nobility could not stand in court. They were simply foolish!
"Lord Liu, do you not believe Xiao Yu?" Gu Qingzhou, who had approached at some point, asked loudly. Looking at the group of scholars whose expressions had suddenly turned humble and excited, he continued with a smile, "If Xiao Yu did not possess such talent, why would I accept her as a disciple?"
The group of scholars nodded in sudden realization. Yes, if Zhan Feiyu were not a child prodigy, why would Scholar Gu accept her as a disciple?
Liu Jian looked at the group of people being deceived and wanted to curse. Did Gu Qingzhou willingly accept her as a disciple? That was a commendation from the Emperor to Zhan Feiyu! Everyone in the court knew that the movable-type printing was created by Zhan Feiyu, but this achievement was attributed to the court and the Emperor.
As if to further infuriate Liu Jian, Prince Yu's booming voice rang out, "Lord Liu, I am a rough man and cannot discern the quality of these essays. Tell me, who won the competition among the three?"
Zhan Feiyu's five-character eight-rhyme poem was the worst, but she answered all five hundred classics questions correctly, and her policy essay surpassed both Wan Yunhao and Tong Xu.
Liu Jian wished he could tear off Prince Yu's wrinkled, smiling old face. Suppressing his anger, he replied, "Reporting to Your Highness, among the three, Zhan Feiyu won, Wan Yunhao came second, and Tong Xu was last."
Therefore, Zhan Feiyu, having won, had no need to poison Wan Yunhao. Madam Qin's accusation of murder motive was completely untenable.
Zhan Feiyu, standing beside Gu Qingzhou, smiled. Finally, she could speak freely.
Just as everyone thought the matter was settled, Chong Guang strode over. He was wearing the uniform of the Forbidden Dragon Guard. The crowd parted, making way for him. Everyone avoided the Forbidden Dragon Guard, not daring to provoke them.
After saluting, Chong Guang spoke, "Your Highness, esteemed lords, the paper used for this competition was specially made by the Forbidden Dragon Guard. I am ordered by the Commander to examine all the examination papers."
Uh... Not only the scholars present, but even Prince Yu and Liu Jian were stunned. No one expected that the Commander of the Forbidden Dragon Guard, though not the question setter, had marked the examination papers.
Some suspected that Zhan Feiyu's policy essay was not written by her, but ghostwritten by Gu Qingzhou, and then copied by Zhan Feiyu and placed in the examination box. In that case, Chong Guang's examination would reveal the truth.