The sparse raindrops fell on the surroundings of the inn, and with the raindrops, a spring thunder sounded from time to time, but the students seemed to be stunned, standing stupidly in the drizzle inside and outside the inn. This alley is the place where students from other places rush to Beijing to take the exam, so there are a lot of people, and after the previous shout, the crowd immediately fell into a very strange silence.

It was a long time before someone came to their senses and surrounded the student who had shouted earlier, and for a while they were in a state of confusion, as if they had exploded, and asked what was going on. Hou Jichang and Yang Wanli also showed excited looks on their faces, but they forcibly suppressed the impulse in their hearts, and just walked to the side of the fence and listened to everyone's conversation.

There were too many people who asked, but there was only one who answered, and it took a long time for the three of them to understand that it turned out that last night there were more than 100 secret agents dispatched by the Supervision Yuan, divided into five routes, and directly rushed to Guo Mansion in the south of the city, while four roads went to four other houses and arrested four students from Jiangnan.

Because of the extremely fast movement, the news was covered up all night, and it was not until the early court that His Majesty the Emperor said lightly that he had issued an edict to order the Supervision Yuan to investigate the fraud in this case, and there was a kind of chaos in the court, and at this time the ministers knew why Guo Youzhi, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, did not stand in the line.

The only people who are really calm in their hearts are the Prime Minister, the Lord of the Household Department, and of course, the Lord Chen Pingping of the Supervision Yuan, who still has not been to the court.

The action of the Supervision Yuan was extremely fast and accurate, especially the team that arrested the four Jiangnan scholars. Their correspondence with some officials was found on the spot, and in the Guo Mansion, a staggering amount of silver taels was found. According to the preliminary investigation results, the families of these four Jiangnan scholars are all powerful and powerful, and there are actually three salt merchants, who brought a large amount of gold and silver with them to Beijing for the examination, walked many ways, and finally threw themselves under Guo Shangshu's door.

Guo Youzhi had already entered the prison of the Supervision Yuan at this time, and the four Jiangnan scholars had also become pitiful guests. Because nominally, these four Jiangnan scholars bought off Guo Shangshu, the president of Chunfu, but in fact, most of the money was handed into the East Palace, so the final background of this case was...... Prince.

Of course, these details are naturally not known to the students. only knew that he scolded Guo Shangshu in the rain, but he didn't even let go of poor Lao Guo's old mother and weak son.

His Majesty's determination to thoroughly investigate the fraud case in the department this time seems to be very great, in addition to the Ministry of Rites, at least a dozen officials have been suspended from their posts pending investigation at this time, according to rumors in the rivers and lakes, the reason why this investigation is so fast and so accurate. It was all because of a blacklist, which was written with the names of the scholars who colluded with the officials of the DPRK and China.

Hou Jichang walked back to the wine table from the side of the bar in shock, raised the wine glass and poured it into his throat, as if he didn't feel that the wine was spicy. He said in a trance: "I didn't expect it, I really didn't expect it." ”

"What didn't you expect?" Yang Wanli and Cheng Jialin didn't come back to their senses from this shocking news, and asked subconsciously.

Hou Jichang laughed, slapped the table hard, and said: "I didn't expect the Supervision Yuan to be so accurate and ruthless, and it was able to get a list that could kill the nobles of the DPRK and China." He picked up the flask, filled the glasses of the two friends, and raised their glasses to each other. With an excited face, he said: "Come, let's have a drink to the Supervision Yuan!"

"!" Yang Cheng and the others had no other words, and toasted excitedly.

At this time, the inn was full of excited young students who were inviting people to drink, and the Qingguo officialdom had been accumulating shortcomings for a long time, although everyone knew that it was impossible to just catch a scholar of the Ministry of Rites. It will completely change this situation, but as the so-called journey of ten thousand miles begins with a single step, as long as His Majesty really finds the problem and is willing to solve the problem. These young, energetic, and even extremely simple scholars believe that the future of Qingguo will definitely become better.

......

After a long time, the wine gradually came to his heart, Yang Wanli blurred his eyes, and smiled a little stupidly: "It's really happy, even if you don't hit this time, but it can be regarded as a pleasure to be in such an earth-shattering situation." ”

Cheng Jialin drank less, and he was the most sober, he had always been keen on his career, and he asked a little hesitantly: "Since the fraud case has been revealed, what about it...... Will there be a retake this time? ”

"No, it won't. On the contrary, Hou Jichang after a few pots of wine, his thin face seemed calm, and his eyes became extremely clear, "This is just a warning from Your Majesty, and there has been a precedent for this matter, twelve years ago, the world was decided, and there was also an incident in Chunqiu, and fourteen officials of the Ministry of Rites were beheaded that year, but the results of Chunqiu were still released as usual, but those students who had an affair with the officials were removed and made up by the back." ”

"That'...... Don't we have a chance?" Yang Wanli smiled innocently, he thought that the question was very simple, "There are only so many places in the top three, and when those benevolent brothers who follow crooked ways are removed, we will have more chances." ”

Hou Jichang sneered: "If it weren't for the fact that there were more expensive nobles doing this, Guo Shangshu would just be a minister, how would he dare to do anything in this country's ceremony." Those noble people want to protect the students are only afraid of more, but they have eliminated the sons of four salt merchants, what is the help of the general trend?"

The other two thought to themselves, sure enough, they couldn't help but be a little surprised. After a while, Yang Wanli suddenly slapped the table and said with a smile: "No matter what, this is also a happy thing." Last year, the most sensational thing in Beijing was the speech, which forced the eldest princess to return to Xinyang, and the most sensational thing this year is probably this blacklist, which actually overturned a dynasty book. ”

Cheng Jialin said with a worried face: "Let's talk about it when the top three come out tomorrow." ”

Hou Jichang and Yang Wanli knew his temperament, and they still had illusions about this Spring Festival, smiled slightly, ignored him, and said: "I have to pull that kid from the bed and tell him the good news." ”

Yang Wanli smiled: "Remember to let him buy some food." ”

――――――

"Pretty, so pretty. Fan Xian gently flicked the paper brought by Wang Qinian, and was in a good mood. Wan'er sat beside him and said with some worry: "Aren't you worried that the prince's brother will know that it was you who reported the fraud?"

Today, Fan Xian, who was reprimanded by his father, was grounded for the first time, so he had to stay in the house honestly. Of course, if he hadn't gotten the news from the courtyard in advance, knowing that His Majesty the Emperor was going to kill chickens and monkeys this year, Fan Xian wouldn't dare to be this "tainted witness" and be the enemy of the Manchu Dynasty.

In fact, that list is not a secret, Fan Xian has a few notes in his hand, those teachers are promoted, who doesn't have a few in his hand? Just looking at this kind of upright and upright disadvantage, you know that Qingguo officialdom has long been accustomed to it. It is precisely because of this that the Supervision Yuan's investigation of the fraud case will surprise everyone, and no one will suspect Fan Xian's head first for a while.

Listening to his wife's question, Fan Xian's face showed a trace of inexplicability, and said: "Your prince brother is too bold and his means are too poor, this Manchu Dynasty civil and military is also a group of bold fools, what a big deal is the Chunqiu fraud, it is known to the whole world, even if I don't report it, if Your Majesty wants to investigate, do they still want to hide it?"

Wan'er got up from the quilt and looked at his face quietly: "Xianggong, don't be so risky in the future, there is no wall in the world that is not windy, if you really let people know that this matter is related to you, what will you do in the future?"

"What should I do? Fan Xian said another witty thing that his wife couldn't understand, and said with a smile: "Even if you know, what?"

Wan'er sighed, thinking to herself that she was a well-known scholar, full of poetry, and seemed to be stable on the outside, but no one could tell when he would do such a crazy thing.

Fan Xian knew that his wife was worried about him, and said quietly: "The key to this matter is still in the palace. What is the imperial examination? It is a means for His Majesty to gather talents for himself, and an emperor in the previous dynasty once laughed during the imperial examination, saying that the world's heroes have since entered my net. His Majesty can tolerate the use of the quota of the imperial examination by the officials of the court and the central government in exchange for wealth, but cannot tolerate the use of all the quotas in exchange for ill-gotten gains. What's more, the crown prince and the eldest prince both intervened in this matter, and our emperor's uncle had to ask himself...... What the hell do your two sons want to do?"

Wan'er was a little puzzled, and said curiously: "Naturally, I want to cultivate my future power in the court." ”

Fan Xian smiled and continued to ask: "Then Your Majesty is about to ask, what are you doing cultivating your own forces? The eldest prince is a leader of the army, what do you want such a big force to do in the court?"

Wan'er smiled bitterly: "What about the prince's brother? He is the prince of a country, and it is reasonable to cultivate talents, after all, he will also be the son of heaven who will be in charge of the dynasty in the future. ”

Fan Xian shook his head, and said with a faint sneer: "Taifu's article is about good, and the truth must be right, but the problem is that His Majesty is in good health today, and the East Palace has begun to cultivate talents at this time, Your Majesty must not ask himself in his heart: Is the prince in a hurry?"