In terms of family background, not many are worthy of Qin Zhilan.
Qi Jin is a person who is unwilling to get married. I don’t know why.
Although Xie Yi'an and Xie Yiting, the legitimate sons of the Xie family, have reached the age of marriage, it is a pity that such an incident happened today. Mrs. Xie will never let the woman who pushed her daughter into the water enter.
The princes are all married. Rong Huaishu and Qi Jin are currently the two most popular nobles under the prince. Although there are many other young and marriageable nobles, there are not many who have outstanding appearance, talent and family background. many.
The queen really wanted to see who a woman like Qin Zhilan could marry in the end.
…
When Chu Yunfei returned to the palace, he ordered people to invite Hao Jinxi, the daughter of the Minister of Rites.
The woman in front of her was wearing a rose-pink dress. She was only fourteen or fifteen years old. She had a pair of watery eyes and looked particularly innocent, cute, and charming.
"Your Majesty Jinxi, please see Your Highness the Crown Princess."
"Miss Hao, please excuse me." A smile appeared on Chu Yunfei's face, looking gentle and approachable. "I heard that Miss Hao went to Princess Chun'an's mansion today."
Hao Jinxi nodded: "Yes."
"Have you ever seen Xie Danshu fall into the water?" Chu Yunfei's eyes fell on her face, "I heard that she fell into the water on her own?"
Hao Jinxi's expression changed slightly, and he couldn't help but avoid Chu Yunfei's eyes. The handkerchief in his hand was tightened: "It should...it should be, right?"
"Should?" Chu Yunfei frowned, "Did you see it?"
Hao Jinxi lowered his head: "I saw it."
"Where did you see it?"
"At that time, my daughter was sitting in the pavilion drinking tea and eating snacks. The eldest princess ordered people to prepare a lot of delicious snacks. Miss Qin said she had something to talk to Miss Xie, and the two left the pavilion and went to the lakeside."
Chu Yunfei asked: "So you were sitting in the pavilion and saw Miss Xie falling into the lake by herself?"
Hao Jinxi pursed his lips and nodded slowly: "Yes."
There was a mocking arc at the corner of Chu Yunfei's mouth: "I understand, you can go back."
Hao Jinxi was surprised, that's it?
She looked at Chu Yunfei with some suspicion: "Don't the Crown Princess ask anything else?"
"What are you asking?" Chu Yunfei raised his eyebrows, "Do you know anything else?"
Hao Jinxi shook his head.
"That's okay." Chu Yunfei got up and went back to the house, "Go back."
Hao Jinxi had doubts and uneasiness in his heart. Thinking of Xie Danshu's identity and her engagement with the heir apparent of Prince Rong, he felt that this result would not be bad for the Xie family.
The emperor issued an order to cancel the engagement between Prince Rong's Palace and the Qin family, and to re-marry Xie Danshu and the crown prince of Prince Rong's Palace. I heard that Xie Danshu was willing to do so. Isn't this a happy event for everyone?
The Crown Princess called her here just to ask this question?
Returning home with doubts, Hao Jinxi stayed at home anxiously for a long time. He even had trouble sleeping at night, always feeling as if a disaster was about to happen to the Hao family.
The sky was covered with dark clouds, and a bolt of lightning suddenly flashed across, illuminating the entire night sky in an instant.
Hao Jinxi stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the dark night. Big raindrops were hitting the window lattice, and the strong wind was blowing, making the treetops rustle.
The downpour fell instantly, giving her an ominous premonition.
Nothing will happen to the Hao family, right?
…
When the white fish belly appears in the east, the court meeting has already begun.
"Your Majesty, I want to impeach Mr. Hao, the Minister of Rites!"
"Hao Shangshu committed corruption and accepted bribes. He openly accepted the 'filial piety' of the candidates during the Spring Festival. He received a total of more than 60,000 taels in bribes. He also used his position to help four candidates get rankings that did not belong to them. Please make your decision, Your Majesty."
"Your Majesty, I have been wronged! I have been wronged!" The Minister of Rites staggered out of the queue and knelt down. "I have been wronged. I beg the Emperor to see clearly!"
The minister of impeachment was Du Yushi. When he saw this, he knelt down and said righteously: "Old minister, if there is no evidence, I will never impeach indiscriminately! Someone saw those four candidates interacting with Hao Shangshu, and on the eve of the exam. I have been in and out of Hao Shangshu’s residence several times, please let the emperor take a closer look!”
"Report to your Majesty." Dou Shangshu, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, stood up and presented a list in his hand, "I can testify that there was indeed injustice in this spring exam. This is the list of several cheating students. Before the exam, they also Trying to bribe a minor official."
Emperor Mu sat on the dragon chair with an angry look on his face: "Three months have passed since Spring, why are you telling me now?"
Du Yushi said: "Reporting to the emperor, because before the results were released, I was not sure whether Hao Shangshu would engage in malpractice for personal gain. It was not until the results were released this month that I discovered that several students who were filial to Hao Shangshu were all on the list, but several of them He has no knowledge and the articles he produces are even more unsightly!"
"Your Majesty." Uncle Xie Guo stood up and spoke in a neither humble nor condescending manner, "Some of the students who failed the exam knew these four people. They complained about the unfairness of the scientific examination, saying that only those who have money and filial piety to the examiner would have the opportunity to serve the Emperor in the court. I originally wanted to serve the Emperor. I don’t believe what they say. Under the emperor’s governance, the country will be clean and the country will be stable, so there shouldn’t be such worms.”
Emperor Mu frowned: "Is your uncle also aware of this?"
"It's not that I heard about it, but there are students who are aggrieved. I must investigate this matter as soon as possible to restore Chunwei's reputation." Xie Guojiu bowed and said, "I secretly kept several candidates who failed the exam and reported the students for bribery. They went to the Imperial College to examine their knowledge and character for a period of time, and to investigate whether what they said was true. After half a month of evidence collection, it was found that what these failed students said was true, and the Minister of Rites did use his authority to accept the There are many benefits for some candidates.”
Emperor Mu said coldly: "Where are those candidates now?"
"They are temporarily living in the imperial palace."
"Hao Shangshu." Emperor Mu said in a calm and majestic tone, "Do you still want to defend yourself? Do you need to bring those students to testify?"
"Your Majesty!" The Minister of Rites turned pale, "I deserve to die! I deserve death for my crime! I am helpless——"
"Helpless?" Emperor Mu smiled instead of being angry, "Someone forced you to collect money with a knife?"
"These students..." Hao Shangshu knelt on the ground uneasily, "They... they are people arranged by the Gu family..."
"That's so outrageous!" Emperor Mu suddenly slapped the dragon case, his face was livid and furious, "As an official of the imperial court, you dare to give or take privately with aristocratic families, or even buy and sell official titles. You are so audacious!"
"I know I'm guilty! I deserve to die!" The Minister of Rites kowtowed, "I beg the Emperor for mercy! I beg the Emperor for mercy!"
"From now on, Hao Qingshan will be stripped of his position as Minister of Rites. He will be loyal in the past and exempt from other punishments. He will be expelled from the capital and his descendants will not be allowed to enter the officialdom for three generations!"
Emperor Mu said coldly, "The candidates who cheated in the imperial examination will be punished with twenty canes each. They will not be allowed to participate in the imperial examination in this life! Resign from the court!"
The ministers knelt down and said: "Congratulations to your Majesty, long live my emperor!"
