Without money, what is the point of being a traitor?

Chapter 576 I won! Brothers!
In other words, whether all those who had pledged allegiance to Pei Yuan could pass the entire imperial examination depended entirely on Zhang Fan.

At first, when these candidates learned that they had passed the imperial examination, they were inevitably proud and overjoyed.

But as more and more people get on the list, and some are even just one short of getting all of them on the list.

They all came to their full senses.

They had all witnessed the brutality of scientific expeditions.

In previous years, only twelve or thirteen people from the entire Shandong province would pass the imperial examination.

A large number of scholars were eliminated.

They have little background or qualifications, and are usually just one of the large numbers of people eliminated.

Even if someone gets incredibly lucky and happens to catch the eye of the examiner, it's absolutely impossible for such a high acceptance rate to occur.

So as more and more people made the list, the initial excitement cooled down, and one by one they gradually realized that none of this had anything to do with them.

What has truly been proven is Pei Qianhu's strength!
The trio of Tang Gao, who were clear-headed bystanders, were completely dumbfounded by the show.

Tang Gao and Huang Chu, who had failed the exams multiple times, could clearly sense that the painting they had seen before was already showing its fangs.

The thought that the Ming Dynasty's officialdom was so corrupt diminished their joy at being on the list, replaced by a strange sense of insecurity.

Then, they suddenly remembered that Pei Yuan had once said that the three of them would be the top three in this special imperial examination.

Whether it's a case of one top-ranked player or two, I feel like my fate is being manipulated by someone.

Just then, Yao Qian and Zhang Fan, whom they had been longing to see, also arrived.

The two were staying at the same temple, so they agreed to go and check the list together. However, they got lost on their way back and ended up being the last two to arrive.

Yao Qian stepped inside, about to happily announce his achievements to everyone.

Unexpectedly, everyone said in unison, "Step aside and let Zhang Fan speak."

Yao Qian was a little confused.

No.

I won!

I'm about to take the imperial examination again at the Golden Hall to get a degree!
Brothers, you guys...

Yao Qian was momentarily stunned, and his brothers shooed him away like flies, saying, "Get out of the way! Let Zhang Fan talk!"

Zhang Fan never expected that he, who had always been somewhat unknown, would be so popular.

He said, flattered, "I only ranked 118th, which is far inferior to Brother Yao's ranking."

When Yao Qian heard Zhang Fan mention him, he quickly puffed out his chest, waiting for everyone's attention.

To his surprise, everyone ignored him completely, and instead rose from their seats, bowing deeply to Pei Yuan with tears in their eyes, exclaiming, "Brother, you are truly our second parents!"

Yao Qian and Zhang Fan, who arrived later, were bewildered. They carefully inquired with acquaintances and finally understood what was going on. They then belatedly offered their congratulations.

Pei Yuan laughed heartily, finally feeling relieved.

The fact that all twelve of his younger brothers made the list gave the small team an unparalleled boost to their confidence and morale.

In the past, Pei Yuan relied on favors and righteousness to win over people. Now, Pei Yuan single-handedly raised the twelve of them to the list of candidates for the special imperial examination, making them feel the profound background and powerful strength of their own camp.

In an instant, even those who had been coerced by Pei Yuan through his paintings and harbored some resentment in their hearts became extremely loyal.

Pei Yuan looked at everyone and laughed, "What's this? As long as I, Pei Yuan, am here, I guarantee that you will all enjoy wealth and luxury!"

"Don't leave today, everyone! Let's have a proper celebration!"

After saying that, he laughed and said, "Just don't get me drunk, because I still have to work hard for your bright future later."

"Afterwards, you will first enter the Censorate, then be sent to the Provincial Surveillance Commission and the Military Commission, and then you will be sent to patrol the border towns to gain experience for a few years. Within ten years, at least one of you here will become a Minister of the Seventh Rank."

Everyone who heard this was so moved they almost cried.

"I can never repay my brother's kindness!"

Pei Yuan laughed heartily, but when it was time to take his seat, he didn't hold hands with his two trusted confidants, Huo Tao and Tian Fu, but with Tang Gao and Huang Chu, who seemed a little uneasy. He then had them sit on either side of him.

Tian Fu was more attentive and took the initiative to warmly greet the remaining Cai Ang so that he wouldn't feel neglected.

Seeing that Tang Gao and Huang Chu had already been pulled away by Pei Yuan, Cai Ang chuckled at Tian Fu, "Brother Tian, ​​no need to be so polite, I'm one of our own."

Tian Fu was slightly taken aback, then smiled.

Once at the banquet, Huo Tao remembered something else, "Commander, should we go and ask Ouyang Bijin about it?"

A while ago, Ouyang Bijin had been living with Huo Tao. After finishing his exams, he went to see his brother-in-law and then never came back.

Pei Yuan thought for a moment and said calmly, "No rush, let him be."

Back then, Pei Yuan was the one who went barefoot, while Ouyang Bijin was the one who wore shoes. Of course, he was afraid of getting covered in mud by Pei Yuan.

Now that Pei Yuan has such influence, that little bit of leverage has shifted from offense to defense.

Although the chubby younger brother is suitable to be a beast of burden, he doesn't seem to be a very clever person.

The changes that occurred in the middle were very likely related to his good brother-in-law, Yan Song.

As for Yan Song...

His current situation is similar to Jin Xianmin's. As an official who was sent home during Liu Jin's chaotic rule, he has now caught a good opportunity to be exonerated.

However, this would force them to passively join Yang Yiqing's faction.

There are probably two reasons.

First of all, Yang Yiqing was the key figure in suppressing Liu Jin. From a purely political and moral standpoint, they had no choice but to side with Yang Yiqing, and it was not easy for them to gain the trust of other forces.

Secondly, Yang Yiqing was the Minister of Personnel. If anyone wanted to return to their post, regardless of who they sided with, they would have to go through him.

If Yang Yiqing were still in power, it would be one thing, but his two political allies, Grand Secretary Xie Qian and Grand Secretary Li Dongyang, had both retired one after another. Yang Yiqing was clearly at a disadvantage when facing Yang Tinghe's huge faction.

Therefore, Jin Xianmin was not very willing to return to the court, and Yan Song was also hesitant, still observing the political climate.

According to the original history, Yan Song, who had been lying low and waiting for the right opportunity, would decisively buy at the bottom three years later after a special event, only to buy at the halfway point of the mountain.

As for this special event, we'll discuss it later.

Then, Yan Song remained a minor official in Nanjing until, after serving there for eighteen years, he finally regained the opportunity to return to the capital by currying favor with Xia Yan.

Pei Yuan did consider bringing Yan Song over, but thinking about the clever little devil's actions, he felt it would be a real shame to let Yan Song miss out on a part of his life experience.

Without that dramatic turn of events, Grand Secretary Yan's mental journey would not be complete.

Commander Pei wasn't seeking any gain; he just wanted to have some fun.

Everyone then drank heartily, laughing and chatting happily.

Pei Yuan was also in a good mood.

His political cronies are finally about to take center stage in the Ming Dynasty court. Although these people are few in number, they are powerful fulcrums for his intervention in the court.

Once these people are trained to maturity, then Commander Pei will not only be able to sit at the table and eat, but he will also be able to order his own food.

The most crucial person to put them to use as soon as possible is Li Shishi, the Left Censor-in-Chief.

Although Pei Yuan had made it clear beforehand, the crowd, caught up in the drinking, didn't care about such things anymore.

After rounds of toasts, Pei Yuan only took one round before falling into a sweet sleep.

It wasn't until the next day, after Pei Yuan woke up at Zhihua Temple, that he remembered to go find Li Shishi to finalize the terms as soon as possible.

I don't know if it's because I'm in high spirits when I'm having a good time, but even though I drank quite a bit this time, I felt much more energetic after waking up.

Pei Yuan had someone summon Chen Xinjian.

Before he could speak, Chen Xinjian said, "Yesterday, I arranged a time for the commander and the governor to meet. The governor said that he was on leave and would not go anywhere today, but would just wait at home for the commander to come."

Pei Yuan said with satisfaction, "Well done."

Then, Chen Xinjian handed Pei Yuan a folded piece of paper.

Pei Yuan casually asked, "What is this?"

Chen Xinjian said, "These are the rankings of the successful candidates from yesterday. Tianfu compiled them and brought them over this morning."

Pei Yuan smiled and unfolded it, "He is indeed meticulous."

After glancing through it once, he folded the paper and said with satisfaction, "It'll come in handy today."

Pei Yuan ate something simple.

He then took Chen Xinjian to Li Shishi's residence.

When Li Shishi saw Pei Yuan, he smiled and said, "As soon as the results were announced yesterday, I knew you would want to see me. Sure enough, Chen Xinjian sent me a visiting card."

Pei Yuan laughed heartily, "My older brother understands me best."

Li Shishi, thinking about the agreement between the two, knew that Pei Yuan had come to fulfill the follow-up agreement.

While pondering what he could ask Pei Yuan for, he inquired about the specific requirements, "How many of your disciples made the list this time, my worthy brother?"

"One or two is fine, but more than that is a problem. It's not just about paying more money."

Fortunately, Pei Yuan had prepared enough items to exchange, so he generously handed over the list, saying, "The people on this list are all here."

Li Shishi took the unfolded document, and before even reading the contents, just looking at the rows of names and rankings, he subconsciously glanced up at Pei Yuan and asked, "What does this mean?"

After he finished speaking, his gaze returned to the paper.

Looking at those names, rankings, and hometowns.

It doesn't sound like a joke.

Li Shishi finally couldn't sit still any longer. He stared wide-eyed at Pei Yuan, "Is this true?"

Pei Yuan nodded and said truthfully, "Twelve people from Shandong and Liaodong made the list, and two from Guangdong, for a total of fourteen. Brother, name your price."

Li Shishi looked at Pei Yuan's serious expression, opened his mouth a few times, and then his gaze fell back on the paper.

He glanced at Huo Tao, who was first in the imperial examination, and was surprised to find that he was the top scholar in the provincial examination.

Li Shishi took a deep breath, stood up, and gestured, "My place is too small to handle such a big job. Commander Pei, turn right after you leave, and go straight ahead through the Daming Gate. There are houses with glazed yellow tiles there. Go and find someone to discuss this with."

Pei Yuan said speechlessly, "Are you kidding me?"

That's the imperial palace.

Li Shishi retorted angrily, "You were the one who started this joke!"

Pei Yuan knew that if he told anyone about this, no one would believe him, and it might even cause a major scandal involving the imperial examinations. So he could only laugh awkwardly and say, "Please help me out, let's make a plan."

Li Shishi, unusually, lost his temper. "Get out! I wouldn't dare get involved in this!"

Pei Yuan quickly offered some good news, "Don't worry, I won't trouble you with anything else. I'll handle everything myself. All I need is a little push from you at the last minute. Even if you're unwilling to help, as long as you tacitly agree, I'll appreciate it."

Li Shishi was slightly tempted by Pei Yuan's words.

After all, Li Shishi still believed in Pei Qianhu's abilities when it came to handling such a major undertaking.

But Li Shishi's expression only changed slightly before he shook his head, "This is not about adding money."

"There are only 110 censors in total, across the thirteen circuits. Excluding those who inspect various regions, I only have 40 or 50 people on duty at the Censorate every day. And you dare to stuff 14 of them into my account?"

"Will you be able to take on the position of Left Censor-in-Chief from now on?"

Pei Yuan immediately expressed his respect for the Left Censor-in-Chief, saying, "Rest assured, Grand Censor. Just let them transition to the position of Inspector-in-Chief. What use do I have for these seventh-rank civil officials? I have to find a way to send them out to other places so that I can recoup my investment."

"Besides, we brothers have always been of one mind. With them in the Censorate, wouldn't the Grand Censor be even more at their beck and call?"

Upon hearing Pei Yuan's words, Li Shishi assumed that Pei Yuan was just like those nobles who relied on lending money in the capital to remotely direct officials sent to the provinces to exploit the local population.

They were somewhat relieved about Pei Yuan's involvement in this imperial examination.

Li Shishi wasn't surprised that Pei Yuanhui thought of sending people to the Censorate.

After all, the Censorate is a fast track to officialdom, and everyone knows the benefits of becoming a Censor.

But how did Pei Yuan manage to get so many people on the list?

Taking advantage of Pei Yuan's need for his help, Li Shishi couldn't help but ask, "May I ask, my worthy brother, how did you manage to do that?"

He pointed his finger at the list.

"Fourteen tribute students!"

Li Shishi recalled the scene of the meal that day, and it seemed that there were about seventeen scholars present.

Pei Yuan proudly straightened his back. "To be honest, the Grand Commandant might not believe it, but I've always had a good eye for people, so this result was within my expectations."

Li Shishi looked at Pei Yuan with disbelief, "You're just bragging."

Unexpectedly, Pei Yuan remained unmoved and continued, "Not only do I have a keen eye for talent, but I also have excellent luck. Does the Grand Commandant still remember Tang Gao, Huang Chu, and Cai Ang?"

Li Shishi glanced at the list in his hand, but couldn't find the names and rankings of the three people. He then asked in his memory, "Could they be those three who didn't quite get along at the banquet that day?"

Pei Yuan smiled and said, "Not bad."

Li Shishi glanced at the list again. "So, those three didn't make the list? Even so, your success rate is too high."

Pei Yuan said, "Among the three of them, Tang Gao is ranked fifty-second, Huang Chu is ranked fifteenth, and Cai Ang is ranked thirty-ninth."

Even though Li Shishi had already suffered greatly at Pei Yuan's hands, he still wanted to curse when he heard this.

In other words, all the underlings Pei Yuan showed him that day had qualified for the palace examination, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, they would definitely pass the imperial examination.

An uncontrollable thought flashed through Li Shishi's mind: This is fucking shady! I'm going to expose them!
(End of this chapter)