Xie Qian is a big liar.
The three cabinet elders entered the Chang Mansion, and Chang Feng saluted the three of them.
Xie Kankan took a sip of tea and began to lie: "Brother Chang, the only prosperous dynasties before the Ming Dynasty were the Han and Tang Dynasties."
"Qin is too short. Short means weak."
"However, the powerful Han Dynasty finally died at the hands of ten permanent servants. Ten gelding dogs controlled the government, were arrogant and domineering, sold their official positions, and expropriated taxes and levies."
"They took Emperor Ling into their hands. Emperor Ling even said such ridiculous things as 'Zhang Changshi is my father and Zhao Changshi is my mother'."
"If Emperor Han Gaozu and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty knew about it, I'm afraid the coffin boards wouldn't be able to hold it down!"
"It was the castrated dog's monopoly that led to the decline of the Han Dynasty, which caused people's confusion and the rise of yellow scarves."
"Following the assassination of General He Jin by the ten constant servants, it directly led to the destruction of the country and chaos."
Xie Qian spit out the stars, took a sip of tea, and continued to talk: "Brother Chang has the reputation of being a civil servant. I heard from Brother Li that the Ministry of Rites reviewed the examination papers today and adjusted your papers."
"You are three places shy of being on the apricot list in this subject. With such talent, you should also be someone who understands history."
"In the prosperous Tang Dynasty, he also died at the hands of the eunuch Gao Lishi. After he entered the palace, he first flattered the usurper Wu Zetian and became prosperous. He also encouraged Xuanzong to kill his own aunt, Princess Taiping."
"The tall gelded dog also helped Yang Yuhuan, the witch who brought trouble to the country, to seduce Xuanzong. The concubine riding on the red dust laughed, but no one knew it was lychee."
"As everyone knows, a small lychee in Yang Yuhuan's mouth is filled with the blood and tears of many people."
"If you ask me, the prosperous Tang Dynasty died at the hands of Gao Lishi!"
Xie Qian's deception ability is excellent. Chang Feng was not bypassed by him.
Chang Feng questioned in a low voice: "That's not right. How do I remember that the prosperous Tang Dynasty fell due to the civil servant party struggle between Yang Guozhong and Li Linfu, and the subsequent forty-year Niu-Li party struggle?"
Xie Qian didn't give Chang Feng a chance to speak. He continued to spit: "Let's not talk about the Han and Tang Dynasties, only this dynasty."
"The changes in the Tumu Fort in this dynasty were caused by Wang Zhen, the castrated dog! If Wang Zhen hadn't bewitched the Ying Zongye, why would the Ying Zongye have personally conquered the Tumu Fort and defeated the Tumu Fort and Beishou Grassland?"
"Let alone Brother Nangong's prisoner's attempt to seize the door later!"
"There are crazy people with ulterior motives in the world who slander Master Ying Zong as the 'Bao Zong'. What a treasonous act! The culprit behind all this is the castrated dog Wang Zhen."
Chang Feng finally couldn't hold it in anymore: "The three pavilion elders came to the humble residence late at night. I'm afraid they didn't condescend to teach history to the students, right?"
Liu Gongjuan, this "judgment" does not refer to deciding the case, but predicting the direction of things.
Liu Jian, the chief assistant, said: "Reading history can help you draw a clear picture; knowing the past can help you draw a clear picture of the present."
"In the Chenghua and Hongzhi dynasties, the power of the eunuchs was too great. Not to mention that in the Chenghua dynasty, Wang Zhi and Shang Ming successively gained power. They took away the loyalty of civil servants who were loyal to the emperor."
"Even in this dynasty, the Holy King comes to the dynasty. There are also places where guarding eunuchs and supervisory eunuchs are rampant."
"Eunuchs in the palace, such as Li Guang and his ilk, gained immense power by relying on the harem and pleasing the Holy One."
"In the eighth year of Hongzhi, Li Guang dared to interfere with cabinet selection and frame important ministers. If Brother Chang hadn't taken action, I would be the only one looking for you tonight!"
At this point, Liu Jian finally got to the point: "After Li Guang's death, the power of the eunuchs in the palace continued unabated."
"There was a huge misunderstanding in this meeting. Let me predict how things will turn out for you!"
"If you always side with the castrated dogs, the castrated dogs will take advantage of the situation and turn a small matter of misunderstanding in the examination into a major matter of imperial examination fraud."
"They will use the false fraud case to implicate them, kill loyal ministers, and usurp power."
"By then, ah! I'm afraid there will be ten permanent attendants, Gao Lishi, and Wang Zhen in the Hongzhi Dynasty!"
"The Ming Dynasty is dead!"
Li Gongmou. Li Dongyang is the think tank among the three who comes up with ideas.
Li Dongyang also expressed his attitude: "Brother Chang, in order to prevent the tragedy of the Han and Tang Dynasties from happening again, we need your help."
"You only need to agree with me and report to the emperor that cheating in the examination does not exist. It is all a misunderstanding. Tang Yin and Xu Jing deserve to be ranked first and second. The eunuch's conspiracy will not succeed."
"If you do this, you will be the benefactor of the cabinet and the benefactor of the loyal civil servants in the world!"
The three pavilion elders took turns to cheat. Chang Feng didn't fall for it.
Chang Feng deliberately smiled with a smile on his face and said as if he was laughing: "Even if I don't listen to you this time, wouldn't I be the cabinet's benefactor?"
If Chang Feng hadn't cleaned up Li Dongyang and Xie Qian's frame-up from Li Guang, it would have been impossible for these two people to join the cabinet. I'm afraid my career will come to an abrupt end.
Chang Feng suppressed his smile and said: "The three pavilion elders will eat a castrated dog tonight. It seems that there is no good person among the officials."
"Three pavilion elders, please don't forget that I, Chang Feng, am the adopted grandson of an internal official!"
Li Dongyang thought to himself: It’s broken. I've gone too far tonight. Why did you forget that Chang Feng is Huai En's god-grandson?
Liu Jian was a little impatient. I cursed secretly in my heart: We three cunning and important ministers of the imperial court have condescended to condescend us, and Baba comes here to beg you, a humble servant of the emperor. It is both telling facts and making sense. You always have to make a statement.
So Liu Jian said: "Chang Feng, we need an answer from you. Should we stand with the loyal and civil servants of the world, or should we stand with the eunuchs."
Chang Feng's answer was sonorous and powerful: "I've always been a person who discusses matters as they arise. This time the emperor asked me to investigate a mystery case, and I won't stand with anyone."
"I only stand with the truth!"
"If Cheng Minzheng, Tang Yin, and Xu Jing are innocent, I will return their innocence."
"If there is indeed fraud, I will let them accept the punishment they deserve."
Liu Jian sighed: "You are confused! Sometimes the truth is not important. The trend of things is important."
Chang Feng responded tit for tat: "The truth is the truth. Do you want me to imitate Zhao Gao and call a deer a horse?"
Liu Jian stood up angrily, turned and left without saying a word.
Li Dongyang and Xie Qian also stood up and left their seats.
Fatty Xu had been sitting in the hall, neither daring nor able to interrupt.
After the three of them left, Fatty Xu sighed: "Oh, my Master Chang is in trouble this time. He is caught between the civil and internal officials."
"If you don't help the civil officials, you are helping the eunuchs. If you help the eunuchs, you will offend the civil officials."
"No one helps, and both sides are offended."
Chang Feng said something meaningful: "Wrong. Sometimes not helping anyone is equivalent to helping both parties!"
"This time we will arrange five and ten to find out the truth."
"As the sage said, everything needs to be hit. If you hit the mark, you will be successful, if you miss it, you will be destroyed. To hit the mark, you need to be impartial, but it is not enough."
Fatty Xu asked: "Both the people in the cabinet and the palace have received favors from you. You are their benefactor."
"Tell me the truth, which side do you prefer?"
Chang Feng said: "As a man, you must drink water and think about the source. The one who gave me great power, glory and wealth was not the civil servants in the cabinet or the eunuchs in the palace, but the emperor."
"No matter whether the civil servants are too powerful or the eunuchs are too powerful, it will be of no benefit to the emperor."
"I am squeezed in the middle, and I just need to try my best to maintain the balance of power between the two sides and maintain the emperor's authority."
The lively night in Changfu is over.
Fatty Xu left leisurely with a big belly and a big mouth.
It was still early, Chang Feng came to the back garden.
Thirteen-year-old Chang Ponu came over: "Dad, was Mr. Li here just now?"
Chang Ponu was the prince's companion and studied with Zhu Houzhao. Li Dongyang was an official in the East Palace, so he called him "Sir".
Chang Feng was a little unbothered: "Well, I've been here. I'm not here to give you extra homework. You don't care what you do. Go back to bed quickly and go to the East Palace to accompany the prince to read early tomorrow morning."
Let us say that Liu Jin returned to the East Palace.
Although Zhu Houzhao was only nine years old, he had already moved into the East Palace.
It was late at night, but Zhu Houzhao did not go to bed to sleep. Instead, he sat in front of his desk.
Of course, he is not working hard just lighting the lamp and boiling the oil. Instead, he worked hard on the homework Li Dongyang left for him.
Zhu Houzhao picked at his fingernails, his ears, and played with the paperweight. Think of the paperweight as a stone tiger, and he is the flying general Li Guang who shoots the stone tiger.
Anyway, I just don’t do my homework.
Liu Jin came to Zhu Houzhao: "Your Highness, why aren't you sleeping yet?"
Zhu Houzhao pointed to the homework in front of him: "No, Mr. Li left it for me during the day."
Liu Jin knew that taking good care of the prince was the biggest political investment.
Li Dongyang had the same view as his hero, and also believed that educating the prince well was the greatest political investment.
But what Li Dongyang didn't know was that the more he wanted to teach the prince well, the stricter he would be on the prince.
The stricter you treat the prince, the more disgusted the prince becomes.
The effects of forces are reciprocal. Excessive force will naturally cause the object to rebound.
Liu Jin took the opportunity to start indoctrinating Zhu Houzhao: "Oh, why do you, a literate man like Mr. Li, always want to use his homework to build a cage? How about locking up your highness?"
Zhu Houzhao nodded hurriedly: "Yes, yes! What I said to my eldest companion can be considered as speaking to Gu's heart!"
"I always feel like I'm in a cage lately!"
Liu Jin smiled and said: "Your Highness, I will ask the queen tomorrow. Will you go to the imperial garden for an outing, fly eagles, and relax?"
Zhu Houzhao clapped his hands: "Hey! I still understand my eldest companion's feelings!"
Liu Jin put away the pile of homework and put it next to the desk: "Your Highness, it's better to go to bed quickly. Only by recharging your energy can you control the Mule Royal Garden!"
Zhu Houzhao was young and could not ride a horse. When going to the Royal Garden, I always ride a mule, hold a slingshot, and enjoy riding and shooting.
Liu Jin made the bed for Zhu Houzhao. I called a smooth and slippery bed-warming wet nurse, took off my naked buttocks, and got into bed.
Zhu Houzhao hugged his wet nurse and fell asleep sweetly.
Liu Jin stared at Zhu Houzhao's childish face and smiled secretly in her heart: Li Dongyang, Li Dongyang. Do you think that if you teach the prince to read, you can become his close relative?
you are wrong. The prince's closest relative is me, the eldest companion, not you, the husband.
At the same time, in prison.
Cheng Minzheng was an official of Liubu Hall and the son-in-law of Li Xian, the famous prime minister of the former dynasty. His biological father was the former Minister of War in Nanjing. Disciples and old friends spread all over the world. Because of his noble status, he lived in a superior cell in the imperial prison.
The upper-class cells in the imperial edict are no different from the upper-class rooms in an inn. There was also a small barred window in the wall.
Cheng Minzheng looked at the bright moon through the small window and thought to himself: Those who are clean will be clean themselves, I am not afraid of investigation!
In this examination, I conducted the examination impartially and did not cheat.
Even if he had the intention to accept Tang Yin as his promised disciple, it would not be considered a violation of the law. It's just about talent.
Not to mention, I didn’t reveal a single word about the test questions to anyone!
In a low-grade cell. Tang Yin was anxious and angry: I passed the Huiyuan exam only because I am talented and well-read!
Oh, that so-called difficult question about the meaning of the scriptures. I saw the title in a Song version of the book ten years ago!
Why did Jin Yiwei arrest me? Isn’t this just out of thin air to prove someone’s innocence?
In another inferior cell. But Xu Jing was trembling! There is a ghost in my heart, and I am most afraid of the ghost calling the door!
After the morning court the next day, Chang Feng prepared to go to Jinyiwei to interrogate Cheng Minzheng, Tang Yin, and Xu Jing.
Li Dongyang followed: "Is Chang Tongzhi going back to Jinyiwei to interrogate Cheng, Tang and others? I'll go with you."
Chang Feng's refusal last night caused a misjudgment among the three cabinet ministers - Chang Feng might side with the eunuchs this time, aiding the tyrants and attacking civil servants.
The three pavilions have long agreed that Chang Feng must not be allowed to interrogate Cheng Minzheng and others alone. Otherwise, using Jin Yiwei's torture methods to extract confessions through torture, it would be a piece of cake to get the desired confession.
Chang Feng said: "Yes. Then please ask Ci Fu to accompany me to Jinyiwei."
The two came to the questioning room and sat down together. Qian Ning, Shi Wenyi, and Fatty Xu are listed next.
Chang Feng pushed the gavel to Li Dongyang's hand: "You are the second assistant. You will be the judge."
However, Li Dongyang pushed the gavel back: "This is the imperial prison, your Chang Tongzhi's territory. You are still in charge of the trial."
After some humility, Chang Feng picked up the gavel and slapped it: "Bring someone to commit Cheng Minzheng."
Not long after, Cheng Minzheng was taken to the questioning room. He refused to kneel and held his head proudly.
Qian Ning was furious: "How brave! Why doesn't the prisoner kneel down?"
Cheng Minzheng said seriously: "I am not a criminal! The emperor did not convict me, nor did he deprive me of my official position."
"I am still the Right Hall of the Ministry of Rites and a third-rank official of the imperial court! Even if it involves an imperial case, I can kneel down in court!"
Qian Ning ordered: "Left and right, break his legs and see if he kneels or not!"
However, Li Dongyang stopped Qian Ning: "Qian Qian's matter. Cheng Minzheng is right. He is still in the right hall of the Spring Palace and can avoid kneeling."
Chang Feng said: "Bring a chair to Cheng Butang."
Qian Ning said: "Master Chang."
Chang Feng repeated: "Move a chair."
Chang Feng's follower, Deputy Qianhu Zhang Cai, moved a chair to Cheng Minzheng, and Cheng Minzheng sat down.
Chang Feng asked Cheng Minzheng: "Did you leak the test questions to Tang Yin and Xu Jing?"
Cheng Minzheng said loudly: "I have never leaked the test questions to anyone! I have also been in second place in the county examination, government examination, college examination, township examination, general examination, and palace examination in ten years!"
"I know the suffering of scholars who light lamps and boil oil while their heads are hung with beams and cones stabbing their buttocks!"
"I also know that every scholar is eager to strive for fame in the fair and just Gongyuan Hall!"
"How could I do something that goes against my conscience, the laws of nature, and that would be a disgrace to the scholars in the world?"
Chang Feng did not see deception in Cheng Minzheng's eyes, only anger.
Qian Ning said angrily: "The presiding officer asks the case, and the prisoner only needs to answer yes or no, yes or no. Where is there so much nonsense?"
Cheng Minzheng gritted his teeth and said, "No!"
Chang Feng asked again: "Have you met Tang Yin and Xu Jing half a month before the examination began?"
Jin Yiwei knew about Tang Yin and Xu Jing's visit to Cheng Mansion.
Jin Yiwei's eyes and ears are all over the capital. A third-grade official like Cheng Minzheng has three eyes and ears dedicated to monitoring him.
After he was appointed to take charge of the examination, the number of eyes and ears under surveillance increased to eight.
Jin Yiwei even had such great supernatural powers that he knew that when Cheng Minzheng had sex with his favorite concubine for the last time, the two of them shouted "bad husband" and "little slut" several times.
This is not an exaggeration.
History books once recorded that during the Hongwu period, a certain minister encountered troubles and looked sad at home.
In the morning of the next day, Taizu asked the minister why he was upset.
The minister was surprised: Your Majesty actually knows that I am troubled?
Taizu casually took out a small picture from his sleeve, which showed the minister's frowning expression.
That is, when the minister is upset at home. A pair of Jin Yiwei's eyes were staring at him from the dark.
Na Tiqi also took up his brush and drew his profile with great interest.
Elite agents such as 007 are not limited to modern heroes who are not human beings. It also existed in Jinyiwei of the Ming Dynasty.
Cheng Minzheng did not deny it: "I have met Tang Yin. But I have not met Xu Jing."
Chang Feng asked: "Why do you want to meet undergraduate candidates before the exam?"
Cheng Minzheng replied: "It's simple. Which scholar is not good at being a teacher? It is a great pleasure to be a teacher and to be educated by the best people in the world!"
"Tang Yincai's reputation is unparalleled in the world. If anyone were to be the examiner, they would also want to see his style and test his knowledge before the exam."
Chang Feng changed the subject: "What do you think of his knowledge?"
Cheng Minzheng said: "The best in academics in ancient and modern times! After I met him, I knew that he must be the top student in the undergraduate program. He will definitely be in the top three of the first class in the imperial examination!"
Chang Feng took a sip of tea and said, "Did you know that after the examination and before the apricot list was announced, Tang Yin once said something arrogant in front of hundreds of candidates in Hongbin Tower?"
"The first person in the undergraduate program must be me, Tang Yin!"
Cheng Minzheng replied: "I've heard of it. If the most talented person in the world is not crazy, can he still be called the most talented person? Tang Yin has the legacy of the Wei and Jin Dynasties, so it is not unusual to say such a thing."
"I'm using an inappropriate analogy. I'll give it a try... Hehe, I'm afraid Tang Yin could even get into the apron list if he splashed ink on his face and rolled his face on the answer sheet!"
"As long as you have 70 or 80% success and write your answers carefully, you will be able to top the apricot list."
"Did you know that when the name was removed, Tang Yin was fifteen more than the second placer Xu Jing. Nineteen more than the third place!"
The ranking of the examination is determined by the number of five marking marks.
The circle is the number five, the triangle is the number four, the slash is the number three, the vertical bar is the number two, and the cross is the number no.
The same ranking rule applies during the palace examination. However, there is one more stipulation. If you mark more than two crosses, you can only be ranked in the top three.
Qian Ning couldn't listen anymore: "Master Chang, listen to his clever mouth. If he is not punished, it seems that he will not confess."
"In my opinion, give him the Great Memory Restoration Technique. You will know whether he is innocent or not."
Li Dongyang sneered: "Huh, being punished? Even kneeling can be exempted, let alone being exempted from punishment? To punish him, you need the emperor's decree!"
Chang Feng said: "Take Cheng Minzheng down first."
Cheng Minzheng was taken out of the questioning room.
Chang Feng said something pertinent: "Cheng Minzheng's behavior does not look like a person with ghosts in his heart."
Li Dongyang was overjoyed: "You have said something fair. I know Cheng Minzheng well. Although he is pedantic, he has an arrogant personality."
"How could he engage in favoritism and malpractice in the national talent promotion ceremony and lose the conscience of scholars?"
Chang Feng did not say anything to Li Dongyang, but directly ordered: "Take Tang Yin."
Tang Yin was brought into the lobby. When he saw Chang Feng, he blurted out: "I seem to have seen you before."
Chang Feng smiled slightly: "Yes, we met at Hongbin Tower. We have a relationship."
Qian Ning roared: "Kneel down!"
In fact, according to the rules, a person can be elected without kneeling before he meets an official. Even if he commits a crime, he has to wait until the Xuezheng Yamen expels him from his position before he can be made to kneel.
But Tang Yin, a scholar, had never seen such a terrifying posture in prison? I was already scared out of my wits.
"Plop". Tang Yin fell to his knees.
Chang Feng said: "Cheng Minzheng, the undergraduate examiner, has he leaked the exam questions to you?"
Tang Yin replied: "Never!"
Chang Feng said again: "You went to Cheng Mansion fifteen days ago and had a secret conversation with Cheng Minzheng in the study. What did they talk about?"
Tang Yin replied: "It's not a secret conversation. I only talked about poetry and craftsmanship with Mr. Cheng. Oh, listening to Mr. Cheng's words, it seems that he intends to accept me as his promised disciple."
"He didn't reveal a single word about the exam questions to me."
Although Tang Yin is crazy, he is not stupid. He only told half the truth. But he did not admit that Cheng Minzheng had hinted that he would make secret notes on the examination papers and take care of them during marking. He politely declined.
Such a big thing has happened. If I tell the truth now, wouldn't it increase the suspicion on myself?
Tang Yin's choice was right. Leaking test questions is considered cheating. Accepting promised disciples, implying that they will make secret notes in the papers, even if they are on the syllabus, it is considered cheating.
Chang Feng had investigated so many cases and interrogated so many people over the years, so he could naturally see the dodge in Tang Yin's eyes.
Chang Feng felt that Tang Yin seemed to be hiding something.
Qian Ning said: "Li Cifu, Jinyiwei is going to punish Juren, so there is no need to ask for an order, right? Mr. Chang, do you want to put Tang Yin on the tiger's bench?"
Li Dongyang was speechless. Tang Yin is not a third-grade official. There is nothing wrong with Jin Yiwei sentencing him.
Chang Feng said: "Forget it. Don't go to jail, just take him to prison first."
Chang Feng was also a scholar and admired Tang Yin's talent. He could not bear to punish the leader of the four great talents in Jiangnan.
Jin Yiwei's cruel punishment, used on a weak scholar, would probably leave an indelible shadow on him throughout his life. It might even lead to madness or stupidity.
Chang Feng didn't want a master of calligraphy, painting, poetry, and crafts to be ruined by his own hands.
Besides, Chang Feng has seen Tang Yin's background. Knowing that his father, mother, wife, son, and sister died within a year. I sympathize with his plight.
The last person to pass the court was Xu Jing.
Xu Jing was almost helped into the questioning room. This guy was so scared that his legs were weak.
Chang Feng slapped the alarm: "Kneel down!"
An old lady in Xu Jing got out of bed and fell to the ground with her arms stretched out. It was difficult to get up and kneel down.
Chang Feng said: "Xu Jing, are you going to Cheng Mansion with Tang Yin?"
Xu Jing replied: "Go, I have been there. But the threshold of Cheng Mansion is high and I was not allowed in. I only sat in the concierge for a while."
Chang Feng smiled slightly: "Oh? What did you do in the concierge?"
Xu Jing's eyes evaded: "Ah, I chatted with the old concierge Cheng Wang for an hour and a half. I will not leave until Tang Yin leaves the house."
Chang Feng asked: "It's been an hour and a half. Have you and Cheng Wang been chatting?"
Xu Jing replied: "Yes."
Chang Feng's expression changed: "What's there to talk about with a rich and knowledgeable Juren and a bad old servant?"
"Tell me, what did you talk about?"
Xu Jing's eyes evaded: "Ah, let's talk about the weather, customs, and eating habits of the capital."
"Reading thousands of books is not as good as traveling thousands of miles. I came to the capital from the south of the Yangtze River, so naturally I have to inquire about the customs."
Chang Feng saw deception in his evasive eyes. The left eye deceives, the right eye deceives!
When Xu Jing said this, his right hand kept making small movements. When prisoners lie, they will subconsciously use small actions to cover up their inner uneasiness.
Not to mention, Xu Jing's eyes have been slanting upward to the right.
Chang Feng had already guessed that Xu Jing was in trouble.
Even Li Dongyang, who was not good at investigating cases, noticed something unusual about Xu Jing.
Chang Feng asked Qian Ning: "Qian Ning, we haven't investigated the concierge Cheng Wang mentioned by Xu Jing. Capture him and investigate carefully."
"Detain Xu Jing first, and the interrogation will be suspended for a few moments. Li Cifu and I will have a sip of tea and rest our minds. We will wait for Cheng Wang to come back and then interrogate him."
Qian Ning took the order and left.
Chang Feng took a sip of tea and said to Li Dongyang: "Second Assistant, the truth may be revealed today."
Li Dongyang asked: "You still can't listen to what we told you last night? Are you really going to start a big case?"
Chang Feng said: "Whether it will lead to a major case is another matter. I just ask Li Cifu, what do you think of Xu Jing?"
Li Dongyang was silent. As if he had a clear mind, he knew that Xu Jing was a ghost. But he hopes Chang Feng can turn this case into a "misunderstanding." Therefore it is inconvenient to state clearly.
Chang Feng said: "Look at Xu Jing wearing gold and silver. When I arrested him, he had a bag of broken gold in his purse. In the secret pocket of the sleeve of his robe, there was a stack of silver notes, more than a thousand taels."
"It seems that Xu Jing's family is well off."
Fatty Xu suddenly interrupted: "Xu Jing's native place is Jiangyin. I remembered that our Elephant Training Center has a newly recruited elephant breeder named Sun Yue, who is also from Jiangyin."
"If Xu Jing's family is a wealthy family in Jiangyin, Sun Yue should know about it. Call him over and ask and he will find out. It will also save us the trouble of looking for someone to investigate."
No matter how rich Xu Jing's family is, they are still just wealthy gentry. He's not qualified to be on Jinyiwei's secret files yet. To find out his details, there are no secret files to follow.
Chang Feng nodded: "Well, send someone to call your mahout over."
Not long after, the mahout Sun Yue entered the questioning room.
Chang Feng and Li Dongyang were stunned when they saw Sun Yue!
I never thought there were such obese people in the world! In front of him, Fatty Xu looked like a little fat man meeting a big fat man.
Good guy, this Sun Yue probably weighs more than three hundred kilograms, which is like a mountain of meat. Although he is a man, his two big hammers shake and shake when he walks, which can be described as choppy.
That big-faced plate is like a big pot.
After a moment of surprise, Chang Feng laughed dumbly: "Master Xu, if you let him raise elephants, you won't be afraid that he will compete with the elephants for food. If the elephant loses weight, will he gain weight?"
Sun Yue didn't know how to tease, so he replied seriously: "Master Chang, elephants eat fresh grass and tree buds, but humans can't eat those things!"
"As a mahout, I don't dare compete with elephants for food. That's considered corruption."
Chang Feng said: "Okay, let's get down to business. You are from Jiangyin. Have you ever heard that there is a wealthy gentry called the Xu family in Jiangyin?"
Sun Yue replied: "Oh my Lord Chang, who in Jiangyin doesn't know the Xu family? They are famous in the whole of Jiangyin, no, in the whole of South Zhili!"
Sun Yue spoke with an accent and described the rich man as a big loser.
Chang Feng smiled and said: "Oh? So famous?"
Sun Yue said: "That's natural. His family's land probably covers tens of thousands of acres, and there are countless businesses and properties. In a good year, his family's silver ingots may be as many as the soil lumps in the field."
"Oh, by the way, it is said that his son is very ambitious. Although he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he advanced to the imperial examination. He seems to have won the imperial examination."
Chang Feng said to Li Dongyang: "It seems that he is talking about the Xu Jing family. A powerful family, they train their children to advance to the imperial examination. When their children become officials, they protect the interests of the family. This is not unusual."
Li Dongyang smiled awkwardly: "Master Chang, don't think too badly of the scholars of the Ming Dynasty. I believe that the vast majority of scholars took the imperial examinations to serve the court and protect the people."
Li Dongyang himself didn't believe this when he said it.
Chang Feng chatted with Li Dongyang for an hour. It was close to lunch time, and Qian Ning strode in.
Qian Ning smiled and said: "Master Chang, I have solved the case for you!"
Chang Feng was stunned: "What?"
Li Dongyang said: "Don't joke about Qian Qian."
Qian Ning said: "How dare I make a joke in front of Second Assistant and Master Chang? I just arrested Cheng Wang in the Cheng Mansion and sentenced him to death in the concierge."
Qian Ning can become Chang Feng's substitute, so he certainly has his merits.
Being decisive is one of his strengths.
Qian Ning thought to himself that this case is actually very simple. Anyone involved in the case will be punished severely.
But Li Dongyang was sitting in the questioning room. On the other hand, the punishment is pushed to three blocks and four blocks.
It is better to avoid Li Dongyang and execute Cheng Wang outside the Jinyi Guard.
Cheng Wang, the "old capital", obviously doesn't have very strong bones. He confessed as soon as he had his feet nailed.
He admitted that his son Cheng Zhong peeked at the test questions by serving his master Cheng Minzheng with written instructions.
He also sold the examination questions to Xu Jing for a sky-high price of five thousand taels of silver.
Qian Ning broke into Cheng's house again, captured Cheng Zhong, and tortured him. Cheng Zhong's confession was the same as his father's.
Channing finished telling it all. Li Dongyang frowned: "Cheng Minzheng hasn't been dismissed yet. How dare you enter his mansion, arrest his servants, and torture him in his mansion?"
Qian Ning had an indifferent expression on his face: "I have arrested the person and I have investigated the case clearly. If the second assistant is dissatisfied with the way I handle the case, you can participate in impeaching me!"
Qian Ning is not afraid of Li Dongyang. He had his adoptive father Qian as his backer, and this time he had the support of eight powerful internal officials in the palace to handle the imperial examination fraud case.
Chang Feng admired in his heart: Qian Ning is so neat in doing things. He is worthy of being the apprentice I brought out and the substitute I single-handedly promoted.
Chang Feng said: "Okay, bring Cheng Wang, Cheng Zhong and his son to the court! Oh, by the way, bring Cheng Minzheng, Xu Jing, and Tang Yin also. Confront them face to face."
Not long after, the five people were escorted into the questioning room.
Chang Feng was shocked: "Cheng Zhong, how did you peek at the test questions written by your master and leak them to others? You will be punished for not telling the truth."
Cheng Zhong has been tortured once and does not want to be tortured a second time. Of course, tell the truth.
After he confessed, Cheng Minzheng yelled: "My slave harmed me!"
Chang Feng: "Cheng Butang, your personal servant stole the test questions, and you are also to blame."
"The exam questions are the top secret of the imperial court before the examination begins. When you write the top secret, you let the person next to you watch?"
Cheng Minzheng was at a loss for words: "I am a hundred secrets and a sparse."
Xu Jing was so frightened that he fainted.
Chang Feng ordered: "Pour cold water on him to wake him up!"
Then Chang Feng asked Cheng Zhong: "How many people have you sold the exam questions to?"
Cheng Zhong replied: "I sold it to Xu Jing alone."
Chang Feng looked at Cheng Zhong suspiciously: "There are thousands of candidates participating in the examination. Everyone wants to be on the gold list. There must be many people who are willing to spend a lot of money to buy exam questions."
"Why do you only sell one person? If you sell more people, your profit will double!"
Cheng Zhong replied: "Sir, I have been with you for a long time. I have seen a lot of things on the scene, and I have also learned a lot."
"If I sell the test questions to a few more people, it will definitely spread! Although I can get more money, it will be exposed sooner or later! So I only sold it to Xu Jing!"
"Besides, Xu Jing gave me a total of five thousand taels of silver. It's enough for me to be a rich man for the rest of my life. Why should I add extraneous matters? I have a life to earn but no life to spend?"
Chang Feng said: "Oh, I can't tell, you are still a very smart person."
Chang Feng has now roughly clarified the truth.
Cheng Zhong peeked at the test questions and sold them to Xu Jing. Xu Jing consulted the classics within four or five days and thought about how to answer in advance.
This shows that Xu Jing himself is also somewhat talented. Otherwise, there is no use buying test questions.
This matter is extremely secretive. If nothing unexpected happens, Xu Jinghui will happily participate in the palace examination as the second best person in the examination and become a Jinshi.
However, Xu Jing's good deeds were ruined by Tang Yin's words.
Tang Yin said boldly in front of everyone, "The first person in the undergraduate program must be me, Tang Yin!"
It was this sentence that caused a storm. During the turmoil, Xu Jing colluded with Cheng Minzheng's servants, and the transaction of buying and selling examination questions was exposed.
Xu Jing was now splashed with cold water and woke up. Trembling with fear.
Chang Feng asked Xu Jing: "After you bought the test questions, did you tell others about the test questions? For example, Tang Yin?"
Xu Jing answered tremblingly: "Sir, this kind of thing has to be rotten in your stomach. How can I tell others about the problem?"
"Not only Tang Yin likes the name Jinke Huiyuan, but I also like it! Although we are good friends, there are no fathers and sons in the examination room, let alone good friends?"
"It's just that even if I got the exam questions and prepared in advance, my essays were far inferior to Tang Yin. In the end, he was made the Huiyuan."
Tang Yin looked at Xu Jing and sighed: "Brother Xu, you are confused! Now, not only did you commit a crime yourself, but you also implicated me!"
Chang Feng said: "Detain all the prisoners."
Li Dongyang sighed: "Such a major case was investigated in just one day?"
Chang Feng smiled and said: "Li Cifu has never been in charge of the Three Laws Division. He doesn't know how to investigate cases. Sometimes, the more important the case, the easier it is to investigate."
"But after the truth is found, how to deal with the criminals and how to close the case are more complicated than the investigation itself."
Li Dongyang said: "How do you plan to deal with the criminals and how do you plan to close the case?"
Chang Feng said: "Simple, report to the emperor truthfully. I respectfully request the emperor's judgment."
Li Dongyang asked: "Can I take a step to speak?"
Chang Feng ordered: "You all go down first."
Not long after, only Li Dongyang and Chang Feng were left in the questioning room.
Li Dongyang said: "If we go by the prisoner's confession and report it to the emperor, I'm afraid Cheng Minzheng will be responsible."
"He is one of the most important figures in the imperial court. He is also the son-in-law of Li Xian, the famous prime minister of the former dynasty."
"He is also a model scholar who won two yuan in a row."
"If he falls because of this incident, it will damage the court's civility."
"Chang Tongzhi, can you please make some changes?"
Chang Feng's expression changed: "Second Assistant, you want me to be flexible? Are you encouraging me to deceive you?"
Li Dongyang said quickly: "That's not what I meant."
Chang Feng said seriously: "I know that in the past two years, civil servants and internal officials have been fighting like black-eyed chickens."
"Civil officials want to win over me. Internal officials also want to win over me."
"The reason why you pull me is not because you respect me. It's because you want me to be your knife."
"I tell you, the handle of my dagger will always be in the Emperor's hand."
"To put it bluntly, you want me to be a swordsman? No matter whether it is a civil servant or an internal official, you are not worthy!"
"Today's Changfeng is no longer the Changfeng fourteen years ago!"
Although Chang Feng's words were exaggerated, he was also honest.
Li Dongyang said: "I never meant to use you as a swordsman."
Chang Feng waved his hand: "It doesn't matter whether it is true or not. What is important is that the emperor ordered me to find out the truth about the imperial examination fraud case. Now that I have found out, I will report it truthfully."
“I will not favor Cheng Minzheng just because he is one of the core members of North Korea’s civil servants.”
"When I helped you and Mr. Xie Ge clear away the grievances of being attached to traitors, it was not to join the civil service camp. It was to clarify the truth and let the wronged people be innocent."
Li Dongyang was stunned.
He suddenly felt that the civil servants who always boasted of being as white as a lotus could not keep up with Chang Feng, the butcher of the Jin Yiwei, who was as open-minded as ever.
Li Dongyang suddenly remembered something: "We in the cabinet are not deaf or blind. We also know a little bit about the movements of the internal officials."
"There is something strange. As far as I know, there are eight internal officials in the palace who intend to expand the imperial examination fraud case to attack us civil servants."
"And Qian Ning has secretly attached himself to those eight people."
"The culprit of the fraud fell into the hands of Qian Ning. Why didn't Qian Ning use coercion and inducement to make Cheng Zhong change his story and falsely accuse Cheng Minzheng himself of selling the test questions?"
"That way, Qian Ning and the internal officials can take the opportunity to raise a big case."
Chang Feng waved his hand and interrupted Li Dongyang: "Li Cifu, please remember. Qian Ning is not one of those eight internal officials. He is mine!"
"It was before, it is now, and it will still be in the future!"
"If I can't even control the people I single-handedly promoted. Hey, Zuo Tongzhi, don't be fooled. Go home and take care of your child!"
Li Dongyang extended his thumb: "I admire you."
Just as Chang Feng said. Sometimes, investigating a case is simple. How to deal with criminals and the conclusion of the case are complicated.
Chang Feng believed that the matter of Xu Jing and Cheng Minzheng's servants buying exam questions would be made public once it was revealed. Those who fail will definitely take the opportunity to continue making trouble and demand that the imperial court retake the examination.
Rumors will also fly. The more it spreads, the more nonsense it gets.
He compiled everyone's confessions. He followed Li Dongyang to Qianqing Palace and asked to meet Emperor Hongzhi.
While kneeling in front of the Qianqing Palace, Chang Feng predicted everyone's outcome in his mind.
Cheng Minzheng didn't know how to keep it secret when he came up with the test questions. There was actually a servant standing next to him, causing the test questions to be leaked. A charge of dereliction of duty is inevitable.
However, Cheng Minzheng did not do evil unintentionally, and he also added a series of identities such as "son of the old minister", "son-in-law of the old chief assistant", "two yuan in a row", and "model scholar" to bless the emperor to demote him by at most one level, or punish him The salary is over.
Cheng Wang, Cheng Zhong, and Xu Jing will definitely be executed.
Tang Yin is innocent at first. He is also a great talent in the world, so the emperor should retain his status as Hui Yuan and participate in the palace examination.
Yesterday morning, it was reported to the emperor that Zhonghua Chang, who was found guilty of fraud in the imperial examination, should be promoted.
As for the truth about the fraud in the undergraduate examination, the emperor would probably choose not to announce it to the public, so as not to upset the hearts of scholars.
Chang Feng only guessed the last one correctly.
The heart of an emperor has always been elusive.
Xiao Jing came outside the palace and said loudly: "Li Dongyang, the second assistant of the Xuan Cabinet, and Zuo Tongzhi Changfeng, the commander of Jinyiwei, come into the palace to see you!"
Chang Feng and Li Dongyang stood up and walked to the main hall of Qianqing Palace.
(End of chapter)
