CH 33.2

The Crown Prince standing next to Ji Mingxi has a baby face and a slightly chubby figure. Seeing that his father didn’t speak, he asked on his behalf: “Is there any evidence for this?”

Feng Qishi hurriedly said: “Replying to the Crown Prince, there is really no evidence for this matter. This minister should not have reported this matter to the holy Emperor, but I have received too many secret reports. Just a few hours after the announcement of the Spring Imperial Examination’s list, I have already received more than two hundred secret reports, suspecting that Master Ji has used his position to leak the test questions to Master Wu Qi’s eldest son. In my opinion, all the secret reports were written by scholars. So, I’m afraid that if we don’t pay attention to this matter and do not investigate it thoroughly, it will arouse dissatisfaction among scholars, and it will be detrimental to the reputation of the Dayu Dynasty. “

Scholars, as a group, have always been difficult to provoke.

Because they have a pen, they can write poems, engage in literary writing, and can even turn dead things into living things. And if we are not careful, these poems will be passed down and it will leave a stink for ten thousand years.

The Crown Prince understood this truth too, but he believed in Ji Mingxi: “Father, what Master Feng said is indeed reasonable, but Mingxi would not do this kind of thing.”

The Emperor raised his head and said: “I have the same thought as the Crown Prince. I saw Mingxi grow up from childhood to adulthood, and I know his character best. However, what Master Feng said is right too. Since the scholars have doubts about the results, they have to be relieved of their doubts. Does anyone of my dear ministers have a way?”

As soon as the Emperor said this, all the officials in the imperial study began to discuss it.

While Ji Mingxi, who was at the center of the incident, stood aside in a very Buddhist way, saying nothing and making no excuses for himself.

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Everyone present was also accustomed to Ji Mingxi’s way of doing things, and he usually wouldn’t speak on occasions like this.

He would only speak when they asked him. Moreover, what he says is generally equivalent to him not saying anything.

Basically, everyone can guess what Ji Mingxi will say——it’s all fine, all are acceptable, and so on and so forth.

But the Crown Prince is different.

The prince has always been serious in his work, and he must understand everything. For example, that matter at the end of last year, about the kind-hearted person who swept most of the alleys in the capital. Up until now, the Crown Prince still went to the City Mayor’s Mansion every now and then to ask whether the Mayor had found the kind-hearted person. As a result, the Mayor wanted to avoid the Crown Prince when he saw the Crown Prince from a distance.

Not to mention that this matter now is related to his best friend. The Crown Prince was very concerned about it and quarreled with several ministers so much that even his face blushed, looking like he was protecting his cub.

And Ji Mingxi, who was being protected by him, was standing beside him and listening to him as if this matter does not concern himself personally.

It’s just that once or twice, his eyes will always fall on the tea cup by the Emperor’s hand, and then he would withdraw it back again.

Finally, it was the Minister of Punishment who came up with a good method: “Your Majesty and Crown Prince, as far as I know, Duke Jiang came to the capital from Lifeng not long ago and is still in the city.”

Emperor: “Duke Jiang is here? Why didn’t I know about this?”

The Minister of Punishment said: “Duke Jiang’s most beloved eldest disciple suffered a serious illness a few years ago, but he was cured and has been recuperating in the city. Duke Jiang said that he missed this eldest disciple, and he came to the capital on a whim. But Duke Jiang kept a low profile and didn’t mention it to anyone at all. This matter was mentioned by the youngest son in this Minister’s family, and only then did this Minister know about it.”

The youngest son of the Minister of Punishment is a student of Duke Jiang’s eldest disciple.

Duke Jiang is now eighty years old. He is highly respected and knowledgeable. He is the most admired old scholar by all the scholars in the world.

Not only that, he was also the teacher of the late Emperor. After the death of the late Emperor, Duke Jiang resigned from his position and returned to Lifeng to open a private school.

Speaking of it, the current Imperial Preceptor is also a student of Duke Jiang.

The Minister of Punishment continued: “As soon as Duke Jiang came, many old scholars came from all over the world in order to see Duke Jiang. Therefore, this Minister’s opinion is to let these old scholars set the questions for this year’s Palace Examination. Whether the candidates’ knowledge is real or not will be known after a test. Then all the scholars in the world will certainly have no doubts anymore.”