"Wen Boyuan, you immediately arrange for people to put eyeliner around Chunfangyuan." Zhao Yingluo commanded in a low voice, "Remember, I want to know that everyone who enters and leaves Chunfangyuan, whether it is an official or a scholar, cannot let go of their every move." ”

After hearing this, Wen Boyuan nodded with a serious expression, "Yes, Your Highness!" I'll do it. ”

On the second day of the imperial examination, the morning dawn dewed, and the golden sunlight gently sprinkled on the ancient and delicate glazed tiles of Chunfangyuan, as if putting a golden coat on this land of fireworks.

Zhao Yingluo stood outside the gate of Chunfangyuan, took a deep breath of fresh air, and felt the tranquility of the morning.

Today's exam is a matter of strategy, and for most candidates, it is an important opportunity to showcase their political views and ideas about statecraft.

But for Zhao Yingluo, this is an opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of the darkness and injustice behind the imperial examination.

She still chose to dress as a woman, wearing a dark blue robe, a delicate jade belt around her waist, a black hat on her head, and a heroic spirit between her eyebrows.

The maid Xia He followed, and the two walked into Chunfangyuan one after the other.

The old bustard's sharp eyes recognized this "son" who was generous yesterday from a distance, and greeted him with a smile on his face: "Yo, this Langjun, you are here again, are you still here to find Master Zhang today?" ”

Zhao Yingluo nodded slightly, and pretended to say in a deep voice: "Exactly, please ask your mother to lead the way." ”

Under the guidance of the old bustard, Zhao Yingluo and Xia He came to the secret private room on the third floor again.

When Zhang Ruzhou saw Zhao Yingluo coming in, he hurriedly got up to greet him, and then said with a smile, "Today's exam, I have arranged it properly for you, you can rest assured." ”

Zhao Yingluo sat down quietly, took a sip of tea, and then slowly spoke: "Master Zhang, yesterday you said that you could find someone to take the exam for me, I don't know how it was arranged?" ”

Zhang Ruzhou smiled proudly: "Xiao Langjun, don't worry, I'll take you to see the scholar who took the exam for you." ”

The two said that they would go, and walked through the zigzag corridors and courtyards of Chunfangyuan, and came to a hidden corner outside the Guozi Prison.

There is an inconspicuous small door here, and Zhang Ruzhou walked in with Zhao Yingluo with ease.

I saw a tall young man standing at the door, he was wearing a cyan robe, his eyebrows were clear, and his demeanor was calm.

Zhao Yingluo glanced at him a few times, and secretly praised in her heart: This person is indeed extraordinary.

"This is the scholar who took the exam for you." Zhang Ruzhou introduced, "His name is Lu Hong, and he is a talented man who reads poetry and books. In today's strategy exam, he will definitely be able to get you a good score. ”

Zhao Yingluo nodded slightly, but did not show too much emotion. She asked lightly: "What if he can't pass the test?" ”

Zhang Ruzhou laughed: "Lang Jun, don't worry, Lu Hong is talented and will definitely win the championship in one fell swoop." Take 10,000 steps back and say, even if he doesn't play well and doesn't get in, we have a backhand. When judging the papers, it is natural that someone will give a good judgment to the paper with your name written on it. ”

When Zhao Yingluo heard this, she sneered in her heart. This Ruzhou is really cunning, and he even dares to do tricks and feet in the judgment papers.

But she didn't show any emotion on her face, just bowed her head slightly: "In this way, I am relieved." Lord Zhang, please take care of today's matter. ”

"Don't worry, Lang Jun, wrap it up on me." Zhang Ruzhou patted his chest and reassured.

The three-day exam ended in a tense and orderly atmosphere, and the fourth day was the day of the practical exam in agriculture.

This day's exam was personally invigilated by Jiang Laosi, a waiter of the Ministry of Agriculture, and Zhao Yingluo gave full trust to this special exam, so she did not interfere too much.

The process of exams, grading, and counting test results is tedious and detailed, and the final results are not available until the sixth day.

On the afternoon of the fifth day, Wen Boyuan, the commander of the palace and the commander of the Imperial City Division, hurriedly came to the princess Zhao Yingluo with a detailed list in hand.

Zhao Yingluo took the list, glanced at it, and then her eyes became sharp.

The list lists in detail the information of the officials and scholars who have recently entered and exited Chunfangyuan, including the names and official positions of the officials, as well as the names and places of origin of the scholars.

Zhao Yingluo's face became more and more ugly, and she found that there were many officials on the list, such as invigilators and marking officers, who held important positions in the imperial examination.

And the number of scholars in and out of Chunfangyuan also exceeded 100, which is obviously not a normal phenomenon.

"These officials are so unscrupulous!" Zhao Yingluo's voice revealed intense anger and disappointment.

She had always been committed to upholding the fairness of the imperial examinations and the reputation of the imperial court, but the list opened her eyes to the ugly side of the officials.

Wen Boyuan stood aside, understanding Zhao Yingluo's anger over this matter, "Your Royal Highness Princess, this matter is not trivial. According to my preliminary estimates, Zhang Ruzhou and other officials may have been involved in as much as one million taels of corruption through such means as selling official positions and engaging in favoritism and irregularities. ”

"A million taels?" Zhao Yingluo sneered, "I'm afraid it's more than that!" The eleventh Jinshi alone sold 100,000 taels. ”

Wen Boyuan nodded and continued: "These officials used the power in their hands to not only accept bribes on a large scale, but also cheat in the imperial examination for personal gain, promote cronies, and exclude dissidents. Their actions have seriously damaged the impartiality of the imperial examinations and the reputation of the imperial court. ”

Zhao Yingluo looked up at Wen Boyuan, her voice was a little low, "Commander Wen, what do you think about this matter?" ”

Wen Boyuan pondered for a moment, and then slowly spoke: "Your Royal Highness Princess, I think we should start from two aspects. First, we need to thoroughly investigate the corruption of these officials and gather hard evidence to catch them. This requires close cooperation between the secret agents of our Imperial City Division and the Criminal Department, Dali Temple and other departments. Second, we should also strengthen the supervision of the imperial examination, starting from the proposition, invigilation, marking and other links to ensure the fairness of the examination. ”

Zhao Yingluo nodded again and again after hearing this: "Well said!" I'll leave it to you. You lead the secret agents of the Imperial City Division to secretly investigate the corruption of these officials, and at the same time work closely with the Criminal Department, Dali Temple and other departments to ensure that you collect conclusive evidence. In addition, I will look for Lu Yihao and Zhu Shengfei on the side of the imperial examination. ”

"Yes!" Wen Boyuan bowed down to receive the order and turned to leave.

After Wen Boyuan left, Zhao Yingluo ordered Wang Shouen to bring Zuo Xiang Lu Yihao and Zhu Shengfei to meet them, and asked them to bring the list of Jinshi for the imperial examination.

Lu Yihao and the two old ministers soon came to the palace hall, they were smiling, thinking that the successful conclusion of this scientific expedition would give Her Royal Highness the princess a satisfactory result. But when they saw the not-so-good face of Her Royal Highness the Princess, they knew that things were not as simple as they thought.