Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

The capital city, the office of the Magistrates, and the official residence of Zhou Junxing.

When Zhou Junxing heard Zheng Yingquan mention Zhou Yan, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

On that day, his nephew Zhou Yan went to Beijing to take the imperial examination. Because he was greedy for his power, he came to visit him several times, but Zhou Junxing did not take it seriously at first.

But during an accidental conversation, Zhou Yan mentioned the matter of paying a visit to the officials who were to be selected for the Spring Examination. At that time, Zhou Junxing was looking through the blue booklet but failed.

After listening to Zhou Yan's words, he came up with an idea. He treated this nephew as a spy among the candidates and tried to win him over. Not only did he bring him to live in his villa, he also asked his son Zhou Zian to take care of him.

Zhou Zi'an drank with Zhou Yan several times. When he heard Zhou Yan talking about Wu Liang and Lin Zhaohe after drinking, he casually told his father about it. It was just an unintentional act at the time.

Zhou Junxing and his son did not expect that as things developed bizarrely, Zhou Yan would eventually play a big role...

Zhou Junxing finally set a trap, using wine and women to lure Zhou Yan into his trap, and then set a trap for Wu Liang. He also decided to use Zhou Yan to file a complaint to trigger a major case of cheating in the imperial examination.

Unexpectedly, when the morning court session came, Sun Shouzheng, the censor of the Censorate, got there first and impeached the emperor in court, revealing a major fraud case.

This also put Zhou Junxing in a more advantageous position, saving him from the risk of pushing Zhou Yan in public and bringing himself into trouble.

Before Sun Shouzheng's impeachment memorial, Zhou Yan's complaint seemed insignificant. Even without Zhou Yan's accusation, Wu Liang would have found it difficult to escape prison.

Therefore, as major fraud cases became more and more rampant, many people ignored Zhou Yan's existence.

Later, when seventy-three candidates jointly filed a complaint against the imperial examination, Zhou Yan was no longer noticed by the public.

This situation was exactly what Zhou Junxing wanted, as it could minimize the risk of him being involved in the fraud case.

However, Wu Liang committed suicide, allowing Lin Zhaohe to escape punishment. Yang Hongbin, the chief of the Dali Temple, was meticulous and experienced, and he noticed that Lin Zhaohe was imprisoned because of the accusation filed by the candidate Zhou Yan.

Zhou Junxing secretly became alert...

Zheng Yingquan continued, "Yang Hongbin called up Zhou Yan's statement, read it carefully, and asked me about the matter I had reported on the day under the pretext of sorting out the case.

Fortunately, in his statement, Zhou Yan only suspected Lin Zhaohe of fraud because of his close relationship with Wu Liang, but did not provide actual evidence, so Zhou Yan's statement did not leave any handle.

Yang Hongbin once wanted to interrogate Zhou Yan. His subordinates estimated that he seemed to have noticed something, but there was no solid evidence, so they wanted to find the flaws.

However, since Lin Zhaohe was acquitted and Xu Liangxiong confessed and signed his name, the case could be closed. Yang Hongbin probably had some reservations, so the matter was temporarily shelved.

However, you have always been highly regarded by His Majesty. In the past, His Majesty relied on you to investigate and handle several major cases in the capital, which was an overstepping of the authority of the three judicial departments.

The Dali Temple has no good feelings towards our Magistrates' Court. I am worried that after the imperial examination cheating case is settled, the Dali Temple will trace the source and bring up the old matter again.

They are using Zhou Yan's case to find faults in our court of magistrates, in order to weaken your majesty's favor. You must be on guard."

Zhou Junxing looked gloomy and said, "What Yingquan said makes sense. The various government offices in the court have always been rising while others are falling. When we prosper, naturally someone will suffer.

However, there were no mistakes or omissions in Zhou Yanju's complaint, and Wu Liang and Xu Liangxiong had already been convicted, which was enough to show that the statements in the complaint were not false.

Moreover, the candidates who had landed in the front left Beijing in large numbers, causing unrest in the city. Zhou Yan had also left Beijing and returned home. Yang Hongbin could not easily cause trouble..."

When Zheng Yingquan heard this, he was a little surprised. According to Zhou Junxing, Zhou Yan had left Shenjing a few days ago.

Although the major fraud case has been roughly settled now, it has not yet been concluded and announced.

According to common sense of the criminal justice system, as a person related to this case, Zhou Yan is not allowed to leave the capital until the case is concluded, so that he can be summoned at any time.

However, as the fraud case took a drastic turn, Wu Liang died, Xu Liangxiong pleaded guilty, and Sun Shouzheng of the Censorate was credited with the main credit, Zhou Yan was no longer considered an important witness, and it was reasonable that no one was monitoring his movements.

But since the Lord knew that he was leaving the capital, why didn't he stop him, but let him get away...

The day before the morning court session, Zhou Junxing had instructed Zheng Yingquan to arrange for the arrest of Wu Liang. It was also on the morning of that day that Zhou Yan went to the Court of Magistrates to file a complaint.

Zheng Yingquan has worked in the gloomy office of the Magistrate's Court for many years, and he doesn't believe that there is no coincidence in the world.

However, he was able to stay in the Magistrate's Court for many years without any trouble, and was even regarded as a confidant by Zhou Junxing.

Because he has a clear basis for his progress, he never asks about things he shouldn't know, let alone intentionally pry into them. This is his way of protecting himself.

Moreover, now that the major fraud case has come to an end, there is no need to know some private matters, otherwise you will be implicated too deeply and suffer the consequences.

As for whether Zhou Yan had really left Shenjing, and whether Yang Hongbin would hold on to the matter, it had nothing to do with Zheng Yingquan, and he would not easily get involved...

……

The capital, the Dali Temple.

The two officers guarding the gate bowed in greeting when they saw Yang Hongbin, the director of the Dali Temple, walk out of the yamen.

Behind Yang Hongbin followed two servants carrying a sedan chair on which sat Lin Zhaohe, whose injuries had not yet healed.

Ever since Wu Liang committed suicide, the Dali Temple Minister Wei Guanyao rushed to the palace to report the news. Jia Cong saw the opportunity and spoke up to exonerate Lin Zhaohe, who was imprisoned, finally got a chance to turn things around.

Recalling the emperor's special attention to Lin Zhaohe, and considering Lin Zhaohe's reputation as the third on the list, Wei Guanyao and Yang Hongbin later speculated that the emperor must have selected this person into the first class.

Otherwise, the emperor would not be so surprised and angry about Lin Zhaohe's involvement in a major fraud case.

When Wei Guanyao recounted what Jia Cong said in the palace that day, Yang Hongbin also felt that it was extremely pertinent and reasonable.

The two officials in charge of this case at the Dali Temple are both wise and insightful people. The reaction of the current emperor is enough for them to reach a consensus on this matter, and it is clear how to deal with it.

In order to be on the safe side, Wei Guanyao personally interrogated Lin Zhaohe several times. After taking notes and signing his signature, he asked Yang Hongbin to lead people to search Lin Zhaohe's residence to make sure that there was no danger.

Early this morning, Wei Guanyao personally signed an official document, acquitting Lin Zhaohe and notifying his family to come and pick him up.

Yang Hongbin became the chief of Dali Temple and personally escorted Lin Zhaohe out of the government office, which was considered sufficient courtesy to him.

The reason why Yang Hongbin did this was not only because he was entrusted by Jia Cong.

Moreover, he participated in the trial of the case and witnessed Lin Zhaohe refusing to yield under torture and Wu Liang committing suicide because he did not want to taint the evidence. He had his own thoughts on right and wrong, loyalty and treachery, which needed to be made clear.

When Lin Zhaohe's sedan chair, accompanied by Yang Hongbin, walked out of the government office, it attracted the attention of many passers-by.

Yang Hongbin personally sent Lin Zhaohe to be released, and also in the name of the Dali Temple, to show the world that Lin Zhaohe was innocent, and naturally to show and explain to the current emperor...

A more important reason was that Lin Zhaohe was not only a suspected tribute scholar, but also an important weight in the struggle between the Dali Temple and the Court of Inquisition.

The Magistrates' Court framed Lin Zhaohe for cheating in the imperial examination, and the main culprit Wu Liang committed suicide due to torture. In contrast, the Dali Temple was able to see through the details and unravel the mystery, clearing Lin Zhaohe of the charges.

The scholars and people of the world and the officials of the court are all under the watchful eyes of the public. Who is loyal and who is treacherous, who is a just official and who is a cruel and corrupt official will now be clearly revealed!

……

The moment Lin Zhaohe's sedan chair was carried out of the Dali Temple, an expression of relief clearly appeared on his pale and calm face.

He clasped his fists to Yang Hongbin beside him and said, "Since Zhaohe was imprisoned, thanks to your keen insight and mediation, otherwise I would have died under torture and would not have lived to see this day."

Yang Hongbin smiled slightly and said, "I am just doing my duty. When Wu Liang committed suicide, the Minister of the Temple noticed that the case was suspicious and went to the palace to ask for the emperor's opinion and to help you.

It so happened that Earl Weiyuan came to the palace to meet the emperor. Earl Weiyuan and you are of the same age and have the honor of being on the list. He will analyze the doubts to the emperor in the palace and exonerate you.

The emperor and the minister of the temple both agree with this, and with all these factors combined, your case has taken a turn for the better."

Lin Zhaohe looked solemn and said, "How could Zhaohe be so worthy to be favored by the three adults, to escape death and clear his name. I will always remember their great kindness!"

He then said, "Sir, Zhaohe has a favor to ask. Now that Wu Liang is dead, his crime has been forgiven.

I want to hold a funeral for him, take good care of the coffin, and wait until this winter to send his coffin back to his hometown and bury him in peace, so as to fulfill the friendship between us classmates. "

Yang Hongbin sighed: "Although Wu Liang's behavior was improper, he took advantage of opportunities to gain fame and caused great disasters, but he did not want to falsely testify and committed suicide. He had good intentions and was brave, which was very respectable.

His coffin is placed in the East City Cemetery. I will report to the Lord Temple Minister and issue an official document to let you dispose of his remains."

Lin Zhaohe was excited, clasped his fists and said, "Thank you very much, sir, for your help."

Yang Hongbin added: “The examination fraud case is about to be finalized, and the court will soon reopen the palace examination list.

The nine candidates involved in the fraud were found guilty of irrefutable evidence. According to the law, they should be stripped of their titles and banned from officialdom forever. It is a pity...

You have been cleared of your grievances, but you are still on the list of honors, which is a blessing in disguise."

Lin Zhaohe smiled bitterly and said, "Zhaohe's reputation has been tarnished by the Court of Magistrates. Even if he achieves fame, it will be difficult for him to achieve anything." Yang Hongbin sighed in his heart after hearing this, because what Lin Zhaohe said was correct, although Lin Zhaohe was cleared of suspicion in the Three Courts.

However, the tribute scholars who were detained by the Court of Inquisition and the Supreme Court and subjected to severe interrogation were seen by the world as mixed with mud and sand, and it was difficult to distinguish between the good and the bad.

What kind of words will those unsuccessful candidates spread out of jealousy? As the saying goes, people's words are scary.

For people entering officialdom, the most important thing is to have a good reputation. Others will not care whether you are innocent or not, they only care whether you have a tarnished reputation.

Yang Hongbin said: "In life, ups and downs are inevitable, and Lin Jieyuan should not be discouraged.

Your classmate, Earl Weiyuan, was just a bastard who had a hard time surviving in the Jia family. But now he is famous all over the world and has become the master of two mansions in the Jia family.

Success or failure in this world depends on both heaven and man.”

After hearing this, Lin Zhaohe murmured to himself: "It depends on God and man..."

At this time, a messenger came to tell Yang Hongbin that the Minister of Temple had important matters to discuss.

Yang Hongbin thought that the evidence of the criminals in the fraud case was complete and the Dali Temple Minister Wei Guanyao was about to enter the palace to report. He thought that he wanted to discuss the details with him before entering the palace.

Yang Hongbin and Lin Zhaohe said goodbye and hurried back to the government office.

Lin Zhaohe's sedan chair was carried down the stone steps in front of the Dali Temple. He looked back at Yang Hongbin's departing back, his eyes thoughtful...

……

The palace of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Qianyang Palace.

Wei Guanyao, the Minister of Dali Temple, stood by with his head bowed. Emperor Jiazhao was sitting behind the imperial desk, carefully reading the documents from Dali Temple.

The people involved in these cases include the main culprits and accomplices in the examination fraud case, as well as a number of officials who were convicted of corruption, returned from questioning, and so on.

The contents of the case documents include the confessions and signatures of the criminals, the review and judgment of the Dali Temple, the sentencing standards of the Three Law Courts, and the opinions of the Ministry of Personnel on how to deal with officials who violate the rules.

When Emperor Jiazhao saw Xu Liangxiong's confession, his face became cold and gloomy, and he asked, "What is the basis for sentencing Xu Liangxiong?"

After hearing the question from Emperor Jiazhao, Wei Guanyao's heart suddenly jumped. Among all the confessions in this case, the most difficult one was how to deal with Xu Liangxiong.

Wei Guanyao went to the palace several times to meet the emperor and report the case to Emperor Jiazhao in order to listen to the emperor's will and grasp the scale of the judgment.

In this major fraud case, the candidates who took shortcuts to commit fraud will be severely punished, and the officials who embezzled and ruined the party will not be tolerated.

These measures can correct the morals of scholars and clarify the administration of officials, and there are legitimate reasons and excuses for them.

The only thing is that Xu Liangxiong, as the chief examiner of this joint examination, has a special status, which is related to the dignity of the imperial examination in the Great Zhou Dynasty, and is quite debatable.

The fraud case has fallen into a very embarrassing situation because the main culprit Wu Liang committed suicide. The officials of the court, scholars and common people are full of doubts and discussions.

If Xu Liangxiong is proven to have committed deliberate fraud, in the eyes of scholars and people all over the world, the imperial examinations of the Great Zhou Dynasty are so corrupt that the prestige and reputation of the imperial court will be completely destroyed.

Emperor Jiazhao, who had always been diligent in governing the country and was quite proud of himself, could never tolerate such an embarrassing situation.

The Dali Temple finally collected evidence and determined that Xu Liangxiong was guilty of dereliction of duty and leaking the test questions, not of intentional fraud.

Although both cases were based on imperial examinations, the severity of the crimes varied greatly.

Only by judging that although Xu Liangxiong committed dereliction of duty in the imperial examination system, it was an unintentional mistake can the imperial examination system of the imperial court be made clean and the last bit of dignity be preserved.

The result that Emperor Jia Zhao wanted was to put an end to the imperial examination fraud case as soon as possible, let it go lightly, let people forget it quickly, and stabilize the government and the people's hearts.

In accordance with the emperor's wishes, Wei Guanyao privately discussed and deliberated with the heads of the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Justice. Before reporting to the palace, he also discussed the details with Yang Hongbin, who was familiar with the case.

In the end, a plan was decided to deal with Xu Liangxiong. He was dismissed from his post and demoted, and moved to Yunnan and Guizhou as a seventh-rank county magistrate.

After all, Xu Liangxiong was not an ordinary official, but a senior official of the third rank. Such treatment was tantamount to a disaster for him.

No one in officialdom can guarantee that his career will be in turmoil and he will end up in a miserable state in the future.

Therefore, as long as the official is not guilty of a heinous crime punishable by death, the three judicial departments will leave some leeway in their handling of the case, leaving some decent way out for both the official and others.

According to Wei Guanyao, the punishment was severe enough...

But the fact that Emperor Jiazhao asked this question shows that the emperor felt that this was not enough!

……

Wei Guanyao replied: "Your Majesty, this judgment method proves that Xu Liangxiong was negligent in his duty and leaked the test questions, but it was not intentional fraud.

To keep his official position is to preserve the good reputation of the imperial examination system and to keep it in the heart of admiration of scholars all over the world."

Emperor Jiazhao looked gloomy and said, "Wei Qing's judgment was correct. Xu Liangxiong was guilty of dereliction of duty and leaked the test paper, disrupting the selection of talents for the imperial examination. His crime is unforgivable and he is not worthy of being an official.

I have shown special mercy by not taking his life. Even if he is a seventh-rank county magistrate, he is a public official of the imperial court and will not be given to those who act recklessly.

I have made up my mind. I will demote Xu Liangxiong to the eighth rank of the Ministry of Revenue. He will retire immediately and be expelled from the capital within three days. He will never be employed again.

The nine tribute scholars involved in the fraud were handed over to the Ministry of Rites, stripped of their honors, given 50 strokes of the cane, and banned from officialdom forever.

The rest of the officials involved in the Spring Examination will be punished according to the penalties of the Three Law Departments and the performance evaluation of the officials of the Ministry of Personnel, and will be dealt with according to the law, and no leniency will be shown..."

After hearing the oral instructions from Emperor Jiazhao, Wei Guanyao felt a chill in his heart.

The emperor's treatment of cheating tribute students and officials who violated regulations was all expected.

But the treatment of Xu Liangxiong was extremely strict.

According to the Dali Temple's method of handling, Xu Liangxiong was exiled to a remote area in Yunnan and Guizhou and became a seventh-rank county magistrate. Although he kept his official position, he was actually ruined.

His Majesty deeply detests this imperial examination fraud, and as long as the Majesty is alive, he will never be employed.

The emperor is only in his early forties, and may have the honor of ruling for twenty years. Xu Liangxiong may have trouble surviving even ten years in a desolate place like Yunnan and Guizhou.

But even so, His Majesty still thought that the sentence was too light.

It is not enough to demote a third rank to the seventh rank, but it must be demoted to a lower eighth rank, and not to an external post, but to an eighth rank assistant in this yamen.

The eighth-rank Zhaomo was a minor official in the Zhaomo Division of the Ministry of Revenue who was in charge of paperwork. Rather than being called an official, he was actually no different from a minor clerk.

How can a third-rank left vice minister be reduced to a minor clerk in his own office overnight and face his colleagues and the world?

The severity of the punishment and humiliation is so severe that for an official, it is less painful than immediate execution.

But the Holy Heart's punishment was not limited to this. Even though Xu Liangxiong was demoted to the eighth rank, he had no chance to continue serving as an official.

Instead, he will retire immediately and be expelled from the capital within three days...

Moreover, the oral instruction to Xu Liangxiong also included the four words "never use him again", which means that even if a new king ascends the throne, Xu Liangxiong will never turn over.

Wei Guanyao was also a high-ranking official of the third rank. He put himself in the other person's shoes and wondered what he would do if he fell into such a situation. He did not dare to think further and only felt a chill on his back.

Emperor Jia Zhao glanced at Wei Guanyao and said quietly, "Xu Liangxiong was also a proud scholar in the imperial examinations, with great talent and became a high-ranking official in the government. He has great talent and strategy.

It's not that I'm cruel, but I dare not treat it lightly. If the imperial examination is not stable, the country will be unstable. Whether it's an official or a candidate, I want to warn those who come after me. If you cross the line, you will be doomed!"

Wei Guanyao looked solemn, bowed and replied: "I will obey the imperial edict."

Emperor Jiazhao ordered Guo Lin to summon the Hanlin Academy to draft an imperial edict based on the oral instructions just given, and to announce it to the inner and outer courts to serve as a warning to others.

He also gave some explanations on the details of the criminal sentencing documents. After receiving the imperial edict and bidding farewell, Wei Guanyao left the palace to deal with the follow-up matters of the imperial examination cheating case.

……

After Wei Guanyao left the palace, Emperor Jiazhao ordered Guo Lin to fetch and copy the imperial edict of the palace examination. This imperial edict had been sealed by the Ministry of Rites for many days since the cheating case broke out.

Emperor Jiazhao looked at the top of the class with a complicated look.

He thought for a moment and said, "Guo Lin, pass on my oral order that the imperial examination fraud case has been settled and the imperial examination list for the spring exam must be reopened and announced.

He ordered the cabinet minister Wang Shilun, the minister of the Ministry of Personnel Chen Mo, and the minister of the Ministry of Rites Guo Youchang to come to the palace immediately to discuss the selection of the top three candidates for the palace examination..." (End of this chapter)