Gu Shouyuan looked at Xu He and Xu He who were wearing scholar's shirts behind Wang Liangchen, and said with a faint smile: "My neighbor, what's going on? I've made you anxious!"
The situation was not clear yet, so Wang Liangchen did not dare to speak loudly, so he pulled Gu Shouyuan aside and whispered.
Who would have thought that Gu Shouyuan, who had been calm just now, turned pale after hearing Wang Liangchen's words and said in shock: "I came up with the test questions. It's true... it's true that [it's shameful to do so]!"
When Wang Liangchen heard this, his face turned pale.
It is a serious crime to leak test questions before the provincial examination.
This happened once in the second year of Zhizheng. Emperor Zhizheng directly ordered everyone in the provincial examination, except for the outer curtain officials who could not access the examination questions, to be either exiled or beheaded.
It was even worse for the chief examiner, because the censor heard about the impeachment and was directly demoted from the capital. Shortly after he left the capital, he added an edict to death.
Gu Shouyuan, who originally avoided suspicion because Xu He was wearing a Lan shirt, could no longer care about anything else.
He waved Xu He over and said, "As a student, has this ever been true?"
Wang Liangchen said anxiously: "Ming Shan, he is a careful student and will not harm you!"
"What?" Gu Shouyuan said in surprise: "Are you Shenxing's student, that junior Sanyuan Xu He from Nanzhili?"
Wang Liangchen introduced to Xu He: "This is Mr. Gu Shouyuan, the same year as your teacher, who is the examiner of this provincial examination!"
Xu He quickly bowed and said: "Master Gu, students don't dare to lie. Even after hearing this, they were afraid of getting burned, so they came to find the great master with classmate Ouyang Jun as soon as possible!"
The matter was so important that Gu Shouyuan asked Xu He and Ouyang Jun alone again. Although their words were different, the general situation was correct.
This shows that the two people did not deliberately collude beforehand, but actually did it.
Just then, the sound of horse hooves sounded in the distance.
Gu Shouyuan's face turned pale with shock, thinking that the matter had been leaked and known to others, and that his captors had already arrived.
Unexpectedly, the torchlight along the road turned out to be people from Zhennan Guard and Longhu Guard.
"Zhennan Guards and Longhu Guards are soldiers from the Jinke Township Examination who were specially transferred to the city to maintain public security. Why are they here?"
When Gu Shouyuan saw this, he became even more suspicious that his captors had arrived. His face turned sallow, as if he were mourning for his heir.
But when the group of people approached on horseback, Xu He was surprised to find that the young marquis Xue Yongzhi was among them.
"Little Marquis!"
"Liangsheng? Why are you here!"
Wang Liangchen and Gu Shouyuan felt a little relieved when they saw that Xu He actually knew this person.
Xu He went up to him and asked, "Why are you here?"
Xue Yongzhi said: "I just replaced the commander of the Dragon Tiger Guard after the new year! I just heard that there was a carriage driving toward the Gongyuan Courtyard. The people below were worried about something happening, so they notified me to come and take a look. What's wrong? Are you okay? "
Xu He's eyes suddenly lit up when he heard this, and he said to Xue Yongzhi: "Wait a minute, I'm going to ask if you have anything."
Xue Yongzhi was confused by what he said. He saw two civil servants looking at him in front, but he could not easily come forward to greet him, so he had to stay where he was and wait and see the situation!
Xu He hurried back to Wang Liangchen. Wang Liangchen pulled Xu He's clothes and said, "What's wrong? Why are the guards here?"
"Reporting to the Grand Master, the guard station was alerted by our carriage, so we came to check the situation. The leader is Xue Yongzhi, the young prince of the Ningguo Hou Mansion!"
When Wang Liangchen heard this, he was relieved: "Tell them to keep their duties!"
As soon as he finished speaking, seeing Xu He delaying in going, Wang Liangchen frowned and said, "Go quickly!"
Gu Shouyuan seemed to have discovered something. Wen Yan said to Xu He, "Liangsheng, your teacher and I are brothers. If you have anything to say, you can just say it!"
Xu He looked at Gu Shouyuan and said, "Mr. Gu, is it true that the matter of leaking the title has nothing to do with you?"
Gu Shouyuan's face darkened, and he said slightly angrily: "I, Gu Shouyuan, earn my fortune by eating the emperor, my loyalty to the emperor, and the national talent promotion ceremony. If I, Gu Shouyuan, do something unclean, I will go to Abi Hell after death!"
These words were serious, but Xu He had no time to be polite. He nodded and said: "I have some relationship with Mr. Xue Xiaohou. It happens that Longhu Guard and Zhennan Guard are responsible for the peripheral guards of the Nanzhi Provincial Examination. At this time, instead of quietly Instead of suppressing the matter quietly, why not make a big splash! You and Mr. Wang will order Mr. Xue Xiaohou to help investigate this matter!"
Gu Shouyuan and Wang Liangchen were both civil servants, and they refused to have anything to do with nobles from the bottom of their hearts.
But Xu He's words are not unreasonable.
At this point, there are only three ways to go.
The first is to pretend that nothing has happened. The provincial examination is approaching and it is too late to change the test questions. Besides, changing the test questions for no reason can only be done after going through the Ministry of Rites and even reaching heaven to get permission.
The second is that the outside is loose and the inside is tight, pretending that nothing is wrong on the surface, but secretly investigating which link caused the problem.
But again, time does not allow it. Who can guarantee that the person who leaked the questions can be caught in these three days? Besides, even if the person who leaked the questions is caught, who knows how many candidates have already leaked the questions? knew?
Third, it was Xu He's method. As the chief examiner of the provincial examination, Gu Shouyuan simply lifted the lid. Didn't the questions leak?
Then no one should have an easy time, just suspend all exams and make things worse!
Although it may delay the provincial examination, it is better than having someone expose it in the end and everything will be ruined.
After listening to Xu He's analysis, Gu Shouyuan nodded and said: "It seems that this is the only way to do it!"
Xu He added: "If this matter is handled with great fanfare and spreads to the ears of the people, the imperial provincial examination will become a laughing stock! It needs to be handled with some care!"
Gu Shouyuan and Wang Liangchen were in confusion at this moment. They had no idea at all. After hearing Xu He's words, they suddenly said: "Yes, the impact is too bad, and it has a great impact on the prestige of the court! Liangsheng, what do you say? manage?"
Xu He said: "Our purpose is to let the court know about this, not to let the people know about it!"
With one word to wake up the dreamer, Gu Shouyuan nodded repeatedly and said: "Speak loudly, this is a very good idea!"
Before Wang Liangchen could react, Gu Shouyuan called his coachman directly, and then returned to them after giving an explanation.
Wang Liangchen asked curiously: "Mingshan, why did you go?"
Gu Shouyuan said: "I asked the coachman to take my servants and take my name cards to the homes of the Six Ministers and the Imperial Academy in Nanjing to post them. I told them that I had something to invite and asked them to come to the Gongyuan immediately!"
Xu He gave this person a thumbs up in his heart. Sure enough, no one who could get into the position of Prime Minister was a good person.
Isn't there someone who doesn't want me to feel better?
That's fine, I'll tell you all the heads of Nanjing's yamen, big and small, not to have a good night's sleep.
Gu Shouyuan said again at this time: "Liangsheng, keep talking!"
Xu He said: "Please ask the chief examiner to secretly order the officers and soldiers of Longhu Guard and Zhennan Guard to go to the Zhuangyuan Building to search for the person who bought the exam!"
Wang Liangchen frowned and said: "Liangsheng, if you go by your guess, these two people should have deliberately framed you. They should be gone long ago, right?"
Gu Shouyuan nodded and said: "We still have to go through the necessary procedures for delivering missions to the imperial court. The key is that the guards inside and outside the Gongyuan are all from the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion. If such a big thing happens, the Governor's Mansion will also be in trouble." Take the blame!"
