Ji Ning was going to go directly to Xie Kang, Master Xie Kang, but because the bribery was fermenting, he didn't know what the final result would be, so he didn't dare to go to see Shen Kang rashly, so as not to affect Shen Kang's reputation.

As an apprentice, of course, he had to think about his grandfather, and after seeing off the guests, he stayed at home. According to the established arrangement, on the second day after the release of the list, on the second day of the ninth month, it is the Luming banquet that entertains all the examiners and newcomers, even if Ji Ning, the Xie Yuan, is not safe, he will still attend the Luming banquet, he doesn't want to be said to be "a thief" and dare not go.

Ji Ning didn't go out of the crying temple outside that day, and he didn't know how loud the noise was in the end.

The next morning, Tang Xie personally came to visit and told Ji Ning what he knew: "...... The scholars were divided into three groups, the first wave of people made trouble at the gate of the Gongyuan, blocking the door to prevent the people inside from coming out, and last night they were all night in meditation; The second wave of people went to the Jinling City Confucian Temple to cry the temple and wrote "Juan Tang Wen", crying about the injustices in this township test; The third wave of people went to the yamen in Jinling City to report the matter to the imperial court, in order to get the attention of the imperial court. I heard that the Jiangnan Imperial History and the Lianghuai Imperial History have heard the news, and they will go to the imperial court, according to the requirements of the scholars, the list of people in this township examination will not be able to get the literary name, and some candidates involved in bribery will be permanently deprived of examination qualifications, and even go to prison for questioning, and the township examination will be re-examined. ”

Ji Ning nodded and said, "The matter is so big, there must be someone behind the scenes." ”

"Yongning you know, it's good, today's Luming banquet, or don't go to participate, so as not to provoke right and wrong, those scholars themselves did not pass the exam, and they are full of righteous indignation, if you go, if they are overly emotional, they are likely to do some irrational things to you, this is justified and there is nowhere to say!" Tang Xie himself was also a child of the Wang family, and in this matter, he stood on the son of the Wang family who was sued, and thought that this trouble was caused by a group of cloth clothes who had no talent and learning.

Ji Ning said: "Brother Tang's kind reminder, I have thanked you, but I am not afraid of shadows, if I hide at home and don't come out, it will become a reason for others to attack." ”

"Hmm. Yongning, you are open-minded and admired by your brother. ”

The two talked for a while, and He An hurriedly ran in and said, "Young Master, Han Gongzi is asking to see you outside." ”

"Oh? The public station is also here? Let's go, go out and have a look. Ji Ning stood up and walked out of the door with Tang Jie.

When Han Yu saw Ji Ning, he said directly: "Brother Ji, Brother Tang, something big happened last night, the old squire Feng committed suicide in the tribute courtyard, and left a suicide note, saying that he admitted that the case was committed by him, and asked the court not to hold him responsible, and now the middle of the scholars has exploded, and today's Luming banquet has also been canceled!" ”

"Huh?" Tang Xie was stunned, "Really? ”

"What did you deceive? Now the prefect of Jinling has personally taken the servants and the yamen to the tribute courtyard, and there are no less than 1,000 officers and soldiers guarding the inside and outside of the tribute courtyard, and they all know that yesterday the scholars made trouble, and the old servant Feng died in his room, the doors and windows were closed, and he committed suicide by taking poison, and it seems that the bribery is true. Han Yu said nervously.

Tang Xie will also be worried, originally the matter is only in the fermentation stage, others only suspect that there are ghosts in this township test, and now the chief examiner sent by the Confucian Temple, Feng Xuanqing, suddenly committed suicide by taking poison, which is equivalent to saying that it is a truth, even if the scholar did not want to make trouble, he will definitely not calm the anger in his heart now.

Ji Ning thought for a moment and said, "Even if the bribery is true, that old waiter will not be the culprit." ”

Tang Xie and Han Yu both looked at Ji Ning curiously, and Tang Xie asked, "Yongning, why do you have such a judgment?" ”

"Obviously, the so-called suicide of the old waiter is too obvious, the axe and chisel work is too obvious, the case has not yet been implemented, but the death of the old waiter is still a suicide note, then everyone will know that bribery has become an iron case. But you expect that this case is only in the stage of Shizi's troubles, even if Feng Lao Lang is involved in the case, there is no need for him to commit suicide before the court and the Temple of Literature move, even if he commits suicide, then he should be the person behind the scenes, but he left a suicide note unusually, this is not to let people continue to investigate? This is contrary to his purpose of settling things and committing suicide! Ji Ning analyzed.

After thinking about it, Tang Xie said: "What Yongning said is reasonable, since the old squire Feng chose to commit suicide, it is to calm the incident, so that people cannot trace it, and it is also to protect his family." Now his suicide note is tantamount to making the Feng family a family of criminals, and it will be raided and distributed, and it will also leave clues for people to continue to investigate...... The motives of suicide and leaving a suicide note are contrary to each other, and someone must have planted the blame! ”

Han Yu said: "Even if your analysis is reasonable, but the Gongyuan was heavily guarded last night, who can go in and kill the old servant Feng, and turn murder into suicide?" ”

In Ji Ning's opinion, if the "Shangguan Gongzi" hadn't come to him beforehand to talk about the article in another country, he also believed that it would be impossible for anyone to enter and exit the Gongyuan guard. Ji Ning said: "If this case has been laid out before the township examination starts, and even the poison has been prepared a long time ago, just wait for the end of the exam, and then find someone to come out and fan the flames, and then poison the person after the matter is big, and even the suicide note may have been written when the old man Feng was drunk or confused, and it may be that the old man himself took poison by himself, then does this case really become an iron case?" ”

After Tang Xie and Han Yu heard this, their bodies trembled, and Han Yu said: "Being said by Yongning, there is a creepy feeling. ”

"Yongning, now we don't know for sure what it is, but if it's really as you said, then who is the culprit behind it?" Tang Xie asked.

Ji Ning shook his head slightly and said: "Now it's just an analysis, if I can directly find out the culprit behind the scenes, then I don't need to take the imperial examination here." ”

"Hmm." Tang Xie and Han Yu glanced at each other and nodded with a wry smile.

"But I expect that this case will soon be targeted at someone in the court, and whoever has a deep grudge against this person is the culprit behind the scenes!" Ji Ning said.

He actually didn't say anything, to make such a big move, the forces behind it must not be weak, I think that now there is such a ability in the court, even King Chong is not qualified, it is nothing more than between the prince, the five princes and Princess Wenren, although Ji Ning feels that the crown prince and the five princes are more likely, but Ji Ning does not know much about Princess Wenren, and women may not lose to men in terms of conspiracy and trickery, and Princess Wenren should have a strong staff think tank behind the scenes.

"Yongning, no matter what, you can't go out these days, and before the court and the Temple of Literature have a result on this matter, you can even go outside to hide for a few days, now that the case has been framed and confirmed, you are the most dangerous here!" Han Yu reminded.

Ji Ning shook his head with a smile and said, "I have to stay at home and not go anywhere!" ”