Emperor Yuan Jing threw the red-stamped document to the old eunuch and smiled, "Dabang, tell me, did Xu Xinnian cheat in the imperial examination?"

The old eunuch took the document and quickly glanced at it, then said, "I am dull, but I feel that there is indeed something suspicious about this matter."

Emperor Yuan Jing stared at him for a few seconds and ordered, "Instruct the local yamen and the Ministry of Justice to handle this case. We must get to the bottom of it."

After the old eunuch left, Emperor Yuan Jing sat on the dragon throne, gazing at the blue sky outside the study, and suddenly smiled, "One arrow, three birds."

The old eunuch in python-patterned robe left the study, walking quickly with a worried look on his face, muttering to himself, "He asked me even after the red stamp... Wei Yuan, oh Wei Yuan, it's not that we won't help you, but our lives are the most important."

Soon after, the imperial edicts reached the Ministry of Justice and the local yamen.

The Minister of Justice, Sun, seemed to have anticipated this. After receiving the edict, he immediately sent someone to arrest Xu Xinnian.

The Prefect of the local yamen received the edict from the palace and shook his head with a sigh, "There will be times of adversity... I'm just afraid that a big wave will come and destroy everything."

He immediately called the Deputy Prefect and said in a deep voice, "Send someone to arrest Xu Xinnian and bring him back to the yamen for questioning. We must capture him before the Ministry of Justice does... Also, send someone to inform Xu Yinluo."

.............

The Xu Family.

On a sunny spring day, Xu Xinnian had his desk placed under the shade of a tree, with sunlight filtering through the leaves, casting dappled patterns on the table, the books, and his extraordinarily handsome face.

There were tea and pastries on the side.

His aunt, along with his two cousins Xu Lingyue and Xu Lingyin, and Lina, who was staying at their house, were getting ready to go out.

Lina saw Xu Xinnian under the tree and generously praised, "Xu Erlang is really handsome. If he were in our tribe, the women would fight over him until blood is shed."

His aunt immediately became alert, as if she had seen a mother pig trying to steal her cabbage.

Was this girl from the Southern Frontier hinting at something? Did she have feelings for Erlang? Ridiculous, wishful thinking. Like a toad lusting after a swan.

His aunt shot Lina a warning look and urged, "It's getting late. Let's go out soon."

They went out without any attendants this time. A hundred attendants wouldn't be a match for a girl from the Southern Frontier. Her strength had been confirmed by Uncle Xu and Big Brother Xu.

His aunt had also witnessed the girl from the Southern Frontier easily crushing a fist-sized rock into powder.

Lina immediately put the handsome Xu Erlang out of her mind and hurried out. She couldn't wait to explore the bustling city of the Great Feng.

Back in the Southern Frontier, she had often heard the elders in the tribe talk about the bustling city of the Great Feng, the most prosperous city in the world.

"That girl eats a lot and now she has her eyes on our Erlang. I have to find a way to get rid of her..." His aunt thought to herself.

This foreign girl who had dropped from the sky had sparked his aunt's xenophobic thoughts.

She was planning how to get rid of the foreign girl when she saw a group of soldiers rushing in, pushing the gatekeeper Old Zhang to the ground and heading straight for the inner courtyard.

The leader, a constable, held up a portrait and pointed at Xu Xinnian under the tree, shouting, "This is Xu Xinnian. Seize him."

"Who are you people? On what grounds are you arresting my Erlang?" His aunt was shocked and, out of protective instinct, she didn't hesitate to step forward and block the soldiers.

"Arresting people on behalf of the Ministry of Justice? How dare you interfere? Take them all away!" The constable waved his hand and ordered his men to arrest his aunt.

Two constables immediately stepped forward, took out ropes, and tried to tie up his aunt.

"Bang!"

Lina stepped forward and gently pushed the two constables in the chest. "Ah..." With two cries of pain, the constables flew out and fell in disarray.

Clang!

The constables drew their weapons and pointed them at Lina. The girl from the Southern Frontier licked her lips, feeling a little excited. She could kill all of these people within ten breaths.

His aunt, still in shock, hid behind Lina and suddenly realized that this girl from the Southern Frontier was surprisingly reliable and worth relying on.

"Stop."

Xu Xinnian reprimanded, put down his book, and walked over, his gaze sweeping coldly over the constables. He said in a deep voice, "I am a Jinshi with meritorious service. You have trespassed into my residence and wielded your weapons recklessly. This is a serious crime."

At this moment, the two constables who had been thrown out stood up, and the constable leader, after a moment of contemplation, sheathed his sword, took out a warrant, and said, "We are here on the orders of the Ministry of Justice to take Xu Huiyuan back to the yamen for questioning."

Xu Xinnian frowned and asked, "What crime has Xu committed?"

"You'll find out once you come with us." The constable leader waved his hand and ordered, "Take him away."

His aunt and Xu Lingyue followed all the way to the gate of the residence, until the constables led Xu Xinnian away and disappeared at the street corner.

Lina whispered, "Did Erlang steal silver?"

She knew that stealing silver would lead to arrest by the soldiers.

At this time, Old Zhang, the gatekeeper, brought Xu Xinnian's horse and said, "Madam, Miss, I'll go and inform the master."

His aunt and Xu Lingyue turned around at the same time and called out, "Go find Big Brother."

............

"What? The Ministry of Justice's constables came to the residence to arrest Erlang?"

In the Nightwatcher's yamen, Xu Qi'an, who received the news, was stunned and caught off guard.

"Big Brother, you have to think of a way quickly. Madam and Miss are so worried that they're crying." Old Zhang's son looked anxious.

"Why are they arresting him?"

Old Zhang's son shook his head and said, "A group of soldiers suddenly rushed in, pushed my father to the ground, and took Erlang away.""I got it, you go back first," Xu Qi'an instructed, "Tell Aunt and Lingyue not to worry, I will handle this matter."

"Eldest Brother, you should go back and tell them in person," said the son of the gatekeeper, Old Zhang.

Xu Qi'an nodded, waved to dismiss him, and sat at the table, pondering for a moment. He got up and left Yidao Hall, planning to go to the Ministry of Justice to find out why they wanted to arrest Xu Erlang.

"It can't be that the Minister of Justice is deliberately picking a fight just to vent his anger for his niece. If that's the case, then it's easier to resolve. Erlang has achievements to his name, and trivial matters won't affect him much...

"But the big shots in the court, even if they are venting for their niece, wouldn't arrest someone without reason. They must have caught some handle, with a surefire hit before making a move.

"So, Erlang must have gotten into something, but I still don't know..."

Thinking to himself, he left the courtyard and was about to turn to the stable to bring out the mare, when he saw the chief constable of the Prefectural Yamen, Lv Qing, hurrying into the courtyard with two fast runners.

"Master Xu."

They met face to face, and Lv Qing's face first showed joy, then was replaced by anxiety as she said, "The Prefect has sent me to inform you that Xu Huiyuan is in trouble."

"I know, he was taken away by the people from the Ministry of Justice not long ago," Xu Qi'an nodded calmly.

"It seems that the people from the Ministry of Justice were faster," Lv Qing sighed.

"Master Xu, there is something I need to consult you about," she said.

Xu Qi'an dispelled the thought of going to the stable, and led Lv Qing back to Yidao Hall.

Lv Qing took the tea offered by the clerk, took a symbolic sip, and went straight to the point, "His Majesty has ordered an investigation into Xu Huiyuan's cheating in the imperial examination."

The four words "cheating in the imperial examination" made Xu Qi'an's brow jump.

The poem "The Hard Road" was indeed given to him by Erlang, but does this count as cheating in the imperial examination? The court does not support leaking exam questions, but it has never been prohibited either. It is common in the scholarly world to leak exam questions, strictly speaking, it is not considered cheating... No, the problem itself is not cheating.

Xu Qi'an smelled the scent of conspiracy and said in a deep voice, "His Majesty ordered this?"

Lv Qing looked at the clerk in the hall and said in a low voice, "I don't know, Master Xu, don't make unfounded speculations."

"I misspoke."

But this is very important. If Emperor Yuan Jing wants to deal with Erlang, then it will be difficult. Erlang's future will be almost ruined in an instant. If the royal family doesn't want him, then the scholar is finished... Xu Qi'an thought to himself.

"Thank you for the reminder, Master Lv. I am eager to handle this matter and cannot keep you here."

"Master Xu, please walk with me for a bit," Lv Qing hinted.

The two of them left Yidao Hall and walked side by side outside the Prefectural Yamen. Lv Qing lowered her voice and said, "Master Xu, it's best to go to the Ministry of Justice. Once in the hands of the Ministry of Justice, anything can be confessed. That's all I can say."

Lv Qing had practiced martial arts since childhood and had served in the Prefectural Yamen for many years. She had seen many similar cases and was clear about the tricks in the officialdom.

After seeing Lv Qing off, Xu Qi'an turned and entered the Haohui Tower to seek help from Wei Yuan.

His intuition told him that this matter was not so simple. The intrigues and tricks in the officialdom, he lacked experience and rank, but fortunately, he had a big support to rely on.

In the teahouse of Haohui Tower, Xu Qi'an told Wei Yuan about the matter and asked for his help, "Please teach me, Lord Wei."

Wei Yuan held the teacup and pondered, "I have not received any notice from the palace, which means His Majesty does not want me to know, at least not immediately."

Xu Qi'an's face changed, "Is His Majesty targeting me?"

"The word 'targeting' is too vulgar," Wei Yuan said disdainfully, then shook his head, "You and your brother Xu are not qualified enough to make His Majesty personally intervene. It should be a case of being accused.

"As for the purpose, first, according to the examples of cheating in the imperial examination in previous sessions, if it is cheating, there must be an examiner leaking the questions. The three chief examiners for this year's spring examination are Zhao Tingfang from the East Pavilion University, Liu Hong from the Right Imperial Censorate, and Qian Qingshu, the Grand Academician of the Wuying Palace. Let's not consider the other small fry for now.

"Among the three possible examiners leaking the questions, Qian Qingshu can be ruled out first."

"Why?" Xu Qi'an frowned.

Wei Yuan replied, "The impeachment memorial must first pass through the Cabinet, which is Wang Zhenwen's territory, and Qian Qingshu is Wang Zhenwen's man. Do you understand?"

If the Prime Minister did not send the memorial back, it means that this matter has nothing to do with Qian Qingshu... Xu Qi'an nodded, "I understand."

Wei Yuan continued, "Secondly, your brother Xu Xinnian is from the Yunlu Academy. Although the court is divided into factions, all the civil officials have an unspoken agreement to suppress the scholars of the Yunlu Academy. This is the main reason for the cheating in the imperial examination this time."

A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled.

"The Great Scholar of the Yunlu Academy... didn't remind me?" Xu Qi'an frowned.

"Being suppressed is inevitable, but it may not necessarily be on the grounds of cheating in the imperial examination. Even if Xu Xinnian becomes the top scholar, he can still be swept aside. There are too many methods, how can we guard against it?" Wei Yuan shook his head.

"Finally, Xu Xinnian is your brother, and you are my confidant. When encountering major events related to your future, will you seek my help? If I refuse, there will be resentment between us. If I agree, the follow-up moves will come," Wei Yuan sneered coldly.

"Our Emperor is happy to see me and the civil officials fight, so the news from the palace has not been leaked."

Killing two birds with one stone... No, if there is still the examiner leaking the questions and the person behind them, it's killing three birds with one stone. As for Erlang, being involved in a cheating in the imperial examination case, there are only three possible outcomes: one, conclusive evidence, exile or beheading. Two, conclusive evidence, but a lighter punishment, removal of achievements, and lifelong disqualification from employment. Three, found innocent after investigation, but missed the palace examination, and his reputation is ruined.Xu Qi'an took a deep breath, his head feeling as heavy as a cauldron.

Scholars are truly nauseating. If there's a conflict, why not just draw swords and settle it in a duel? It's so much more straightforward.

Instead, they resort to all these sneaky and venomous tricks.

"Wei Gong, what should I do?" Xu Qi'an earnestly sought advice. When it came to solving cases, he was full of confidence. But in the arena of bureaucratic struggles, he was like a lone silver rank facing a group of kings.

Fortunately, I have the support of a peak king-level big shot.

"I can step in, but by doing so, Xu Xinnian will become my man, and that label will never wash off him for the rest of his life," Wei Yuan said, sipping his tea and looking at him with a gentle gaze.

This matter is troublesome. Even if Wei Gong intervenes to extricate the Second Brother, it would likely cause significant upheaval. After all, it's not just one faction we're up against; it could be a tacit agreement among several...

Moreover, if the Second Brother becomes part of the eunuch faction like me, it would be better for him to leave his hometown and depart from the capital...

Xu Qi'an's brows were tightly furrowed. After sitting in silence for a long time, he said in a raspy voice, "Wei Gong, is there no other way?"

"There is!"

This answer surprised and delighted Xu Qi'an.

But Wei Yuan's tone shifted as he shook his head and said, "But you can't do it."

...

PS: I need to correct something. "SeanGhoust" generously tipped 230,000, not 190,000; I miscalculated in the previous chapter.

Also, I've been dealing with some frustrating matters recently. I didn't sleep at all last night and only got four hours of sleep during the day before I started writing. And then, I wasn't really in the mood to write.

Thankfully, it's the weekend, or I'd be worried about suddenly dropping dead. There will only be one update today, sigh.

Rest assured, the words owed today will be made up tomorrow. I keep my word.

By the way, the inspiration for this case comes from the Tang Yin imperial examination fraud case. It's not entirely fabricated. I've researched many cases of examination fraud. Some have conclusive evidence, while others lack evidence but have still ruined lives.

Just a heads-up to prevent any readers from thinking it's unreasonable.