As soon as Zhang Lang said this, Yang Shao immediately stood up and said:
"Your Majesty, the reason for this matter is clear. In my humble opinion, those ten candidates only answered according to the rules, and there is no suspicion of cheating."
"But it is an indisputable fact that the top eleven candidates have been rounded up by candidates from the south."
"If the gold medal list is posted, the candidates in the north will inevitably mutiny and question the fairness of the imperial examination and your Majesty's fairness!"
"Master Hu Yanhu, as the chief examiner of Chunwei, did not do his job well and actually put Your Majesty in such a dangerous situation. His heart is to be punished."
"I sincerely request your Majesty to punish him in order to eliminate the unhealthy tendencies in the court!"
As soon as these words were said, an undercurrent surged in the Qiande Hall.
Many officials were silent, but the depths of their eyes were like deep pools with no bottom.
When Hu Yan heard this, his face turned livid and his teeth clenched.
Before the examination, he and Prime Minister Wei were worried that if there were too many candidates from the north on the list, it would be difficult to post the gold list, and they were afraid that someone with ulterior motives would take advantage of it and call the emperor to punish them.
It's a good thing now that the first eleven are all surrounded by southerners. The Yang family still found an unfounded excuse and asked the Holy One to punish him.
Co-authored, this will be a test of the rankings. If there are too many people from the north, it won’t work, but if there are too many people from the south, it won’t work. Should the north and the south each have half of the country?
How ridiculous!
Seeing them attacking each other with their words, Wei Qing naturally couldn't sit back and watch his beloved disciple be humiliated, so he immediately stood up and said:
"Your Majesty, the fact that all the top 11 candidates were rounded out by candidates from the south is really due to the Huainan poet's keen eyesight. He predicted the direction of this year's questions. What does it have to do with Hu Yan?"
"Hu Yan has been working hard and diligently since he has been the chief examiner in Chunwei for half a month. He does not dare to slack off for a moment."
"For being so diligent, even if there is no merit, there is still hard work. Please give me a lighter sentence, Your Majesty."
After saying this, Yang Huai, who had always been in the presence of the old god and had no sense of presence, narrowed his eyes and frowned slightly.
There was nothing outstanding about Wei Qing's words, they were just normal pleas for mercy.
But the next sentence is gentle and down to earth, which is extremely wonderful.
Because he was not advising His Majesty on what decision to make, but rather on the extent to which His Majesty should make a decision!
Today's Holy Emperor, with his civil and martial arts skills, vows to be on par with Emperor Taizu Gao and become the king of great power and great rejuvenation.
How would such a person like others to make decisions for him?
But if it is just a suggestion to make a decision, it means that the decision-making power is still in his hands, and these words will be much more pleasant to the ear.
Wei Qing, Wei Qing, no wonder you can sit in the position of prime minister.
This time, I am afraid that my nephew will not have the opportunity to serve as a wine worshipper in the Imperial College.
Sure enough, after Emperor Renxuan pondered for a long time, he slowly spoke and said:
"When such a mistake occurs, Hu Yan, as the chief examiner of Chunwei, has no shirk of responsibility."
"But it was an unintentional mistake after all, so I will fine you three months of salary as a warning to others."
As soon as this statement came out, the matter was considered to have settled down.
After all, today, it’s all about telling the truth.
Above the court, most of the ministers only have the power to make suggestions but not to make decisions.
Hearing this, Wei Qing and Hu Yan's expressions improved, and there was a hint of joy in their brows.
Yang Shao frowned, his face ashen and helpless.
A three-month fine to serve as a warning?
Who knows, in this officialdom, salary is often the least valuable thing.
Not to mention the children of these aristocratic families, even if they come from a poor family like Hu Yan, what can they do?
He has a reputation for talent, whether he is a poet or an article writer, there are many ways to make money.
How can you care about this little salary?
But...if this is the case, his position as the Imperial College's wine sacrificer will be lost.
"May I ask, Your Majesty, how to post this gold list?"
"Just post it truthfully. Over the past few years, I have been involved in the literary world, where the north is strong and the south is weak, and the shortcomings have been accumulated for a long time. I just want to take this opportunity to add some vitality to the talents from the north and the south."
"If any northern candidates cause trouble, it will be handled by Hu Qing's family."
"That's it for now, but are there any other important matters?"
"Your Majesty, the Second Prince has made many military exploits at the northern border a few days ago and will be returning soon." Military general Wei Zifu stepped forward to report.
When Emperor Renxuan heard this, he immediately beamed with joy.
"I have read the reports from Brother Zhenbei. Yuan'er is very brave and has made many military exploits. He really deserves a good reward."
"Among all my sons, Yuan'er is the one who is most like me."
As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere in the entire hall instantly dropped to freezing point.
Under the dragon chair in the Qiande Hall, there is a step, which is the dividing line between the emperor and his ministers.
The people who can get close to this step are not officials, but nobles.
After all, in the final analysis, this world still belongs to nobles.
Officials are just beating workers.
At this time, the young man standing closest to the steps frowned slightly when he heard this, and there was a vague look of displeasure on his face, but he quickly put it away and pretended that nothing happened.
This person is none other than Prince Daqian and the eldest son of Emperor Renxuan, Xiang Baichuan!
The name Baichuan comes from the meaning of the sea embracing all rivers.
Being able to get such a name shows that Emperor Renxuan had high hopes for it.
In fact, Xiang Baichuan also did a good job.
Except that he can't fight, he is almost a perfect prince.
It has even gained the support of half of the civil servants above the court.
It can be said that if there is no second prince.
Then Daqian's throne is basically confirmed.
But unexpectedly, the second prince was born!
His political ability is not obvious, but he is quite talented in military strategy and martial arts practice.
Over the years, he has followed the King of Zhenbei on his expeditions to the north and south, and has made many military exploits!
Logically speaking, when the prince reaches the age of twenty, he will go to the capital to join the feudal clan. It cannot be summoned or returned.
However, the second prince was already over 20 years old, but he was still left in Qiandu by Emperor Renxuan. The meaning of this was self-evident.
Furthermore, the second prince’s name is Xiang Longyuan, which means the dragon lurking in the abyss.
A child of the royal family, but named after dragon.
It can be seen that Emperor Renxuan's expectations for him were no less than those of Prince Xiang Baichuan.
Xiang Longyuan has been in the army for many years and has already been deeply loved by the generals.
If he returns at this time, he may be able to establish a faction to fight against the prince Xiang Baichuan.
As a result, the situation in the court may become even more confusing.
And Emperor Renxuan's attitude seemed to be...more biased towards the second prince.
Therefore, the civil servants frowned, while the military generals were happy.
Today's Daqian, surrounded by enemies, is a great opportunity for military generals to shed their blood and make contributions!
In comparison, the status of civil servants is lower.
It can be said that without the outstanding master of Zhenbei King, the generals in the court would be much more arrogant.
Even quarreling with civil servants is not impossible.
In a time of peace and prosperity, the situation would be reversed.
"Yuan'er is here, tell him to come to the Manlu Hall to see me first."
Qiande Hall was where court meetings were held, while Ganlu Hall was where Emperor Renxuan received ministers and handled government affairs.
Summoning the second prince here is a kind of favor in itself.
"No!" There was a hint of unnoticeable joy in Wei Zifu's words.
