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

Chapter 592 My Son is the Best
Although Chen Xinjian was confused, he immediately replied, "I will take care of it as soon as I get back."

Pei Yuan glanced at the sky and said, "Let's hurry. Spread the word as soon as possible, to places with many candidates."

"Such things are bound to attract the attention of the candidates, and the news will spread very quickly."

"By the way, you can mention it to those prostitutes more often. What do they know? It's rare to have a topic to talk about with those scholars, so they'll definitely take it to heart."

Chen Xinjian thought for a moment and said, "The Yun family has close ties with all sorts of people in the capital. I'll take Yun Buxian with me to handle this matter later."

"Firstly, those guys can get things done quickly. Secondly, those shady characters are always loose-lipped, so using the Yun family's connections will prevent any clues from being revealed later."

Pei Yuan repeated his previous statement, "Let's do it as soon as possible."

After Pei Yuan returned to Zhihua Temple, thinking about the imperial examination that was the day after tomorrow, he went to visit the temple where his younger brothers were staying.

Before leaving, he also visited the courtyards of Tang Gao, Huang Chu, and Cai Ang.

The three of them showed extraordinary respect when they met Pei Yuan.

Seeing that Pei Yuan seemed lost in thought, Tang Gao asked, "Is there anything else you wish to say, Commander?"

Pei Yuan sighed softly, "I wonder if the three of you still remember what happened at Chongwu Water Station."

Tang Gao quickly replied, "If it weren't for the help the commander at Chongwu Water Station, the three of us wouldn't be where we are today. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the commander has given us a second chance."

Pei Yuan was satisfied, but waved his hand and said, "It's not for that. There were about ten other people who were trapped with you at Chongwu Water Station back then."

These three were exceptionally intelligent individuals, and they immediately understood the implied meaning behind the music.

They exchanged a glance, and Tang Gao asked again, "Could it be that those friends have already arrived in the capital?"

Pei Yuan's expression was not good, and he said indifferently, "Yes, he also said some unpleasant things."

"It's my fault for acting impulsively and only taking a liking to the three of you. Now, I'm going to cause you some trouble."

Tang Gao quickly replied, "Commander, you flatter us by saying that. We all know what's good for us."

Pei Yuan said, "As a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, I naturally don't care about my reputation. But the three of you have bright futures and shouldn't be implicated by me. I've already arranged for you to stay in a quiet temple. You can go there to stay for a while."

Tang Gao's expression remained firm upon hearing this. "Chief, there's no need for that. I, Tang Gao, am not an ungrateful wretch, and I'm sure my two virtuous brothers, Huang and Cai, will not avoid suspicion either."

Cai Ang had already secretly pledged allegiance to Pei Yuan, so he naturally had nothing more to say, and Huang Chu nodded silently as well.

Pei Yuan said with relief, "My dear brothers, don't overthink it. I'm just doing this for the sake of the Ming Dynasty, valuing talent. Besides, our friendship isn't about formalities. I'll celebrate with you all when you three achieve the highest rank."

Tang Gao and the others were deeply moved upon hearing this.

After the results of the imperial examination were announced, all three of them ranked only averagely. They themselves didn't even dare to dream of having a chance to become the top scholar, but unexpectedly, Pei Yuan was the one who was most confident.

Especially considering that this person in front of him could casually make more than ten people pass the imperial examination, such recognition and praise from a powerful figure became all the more precious.

Faced with such a great favor, Tang Gao even became somewhat obsessive about staying.

Fortunately, there was Cai Ang, the mole.

Seeing Pei Yuan's resolute attitude, he became the weak link in the trio.

Pei Yuan personally escorted them to a nearby temple and then instructed them, "The day after tomorrow is the day of the palace examination, so don't put too much pressure on yourselves."

"At this point, there's no point in just studying blindly."

"The palace examination tests your policy essays, and you must make judgments based on your years of experience."

Although Pei Yuan's words were nonsense, the three of them listened quietly.

Pei Yuan casually asked Tang Gao, "By the way, what do you three think of this year's imperial examination questions?"

Tang Gao pondered the contradictory and divisive examination questions and cautiously remarked, "I'm afraid there's a deeper meaning behind them."

Pei Yuan offered no comment, and continued, "You should all know the questions from last year's imperial examination, right?"

The three nodded in agreement. Although they had been eliminated during the provincial examination, anyone with a dream would take these kinds of past exam questions seriously.

Tang Gao took the initiative to speak, "Last year's palace examination question was about the difference between the way of the king and the way of the hegemon. It's just a pity that the three of us failed to step into the threshold of the Wenhua Hall."

After Tang Gao finished speaking, Pei Yuan did not respond, but instead slowly led them inside.

The Taoist priest, who had been waiting, did not dare to be negligent when he saw that it was his second-in-command who personally led the three people over. He accompanied them and escorted them into the quiet courtyard that had been prepared in advance.

Tang Gao, Huang Chu, and Cai Ang clearly sensed Pei Yuan's pause just now.

They were all shrewd individuals. Thinking about the dozen or so people who made the list, the speculation that this person could manipulate the imperial examinations, and Pei Yuan's firm belief that they could rank first, they were all excitedly trying to figure out the deeper meaning behind Pei Yuan's words.

After the monks and the monks of the temple had all left, Pei Yuan asked Tang Gao, "What is the difference between the way of the king and the art of the hegemon?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Gao, unsure of Pei Yuan's own inclinations, immediately said conservatively, "The top scholar of the previous imperial examination was Yang Shen. According to Yang Shen, the way of the king is to govern the people with virtue, while the way of the hegemon is to intimidate the people with force. The way of the king lies in sincerity, while the way of the hegemon lies in deception. He believed that the essence of governance lies in restoring the purity of the Three Dynasties."

Tang Gao's answer demonstrates comparative skill.

The top-scoring exam paper is the official exam paper, representing the dominant ideology.

Tang Gao's own opinion is not important; the court's opinion is what matters.

Pei Yuan smiled and said, "Yang Shen, the proud son of the Grand Secretary."

Tang Gao didn't dare to interrupt, while Huang Chu and Cai Ang were also quickly doing reading comprehension exercises.

Pei Yuan asked Tang Gao, "What do you think of Yang Shen's writing?"

“This…” Tang Gao hesitated for a moment before replying, “Of course it is good.”

Pei Yuan laughed and said, "Last year, as soon as the top scholar was announced, someone impeached the chief examiner, Hanlin Academician Jin Gui, for leaking the exam questions through his servant. It's obvious who the accusation was directed at."

"Does everyone in the literati really admire Yang Shen?"

Tang Gao said somewhat embarrassedly, "I was short of money last year. Not long after I finished the exam, I went back to my hometown. I didn't pay much attention to what happened afterward."

Seeing that Tang Gao was no longer capable, Huang Chu, who was usually quiet, stepped in.

He spoke softly beside him, “Since the Han Dynasty, the governance of the country has not distinguished between the ways of the king and the ways of the hegemon. Just as Emperor Xuan of Han said, ‘The Han system was originally a mixture of the ways of the king and the hegemon.’”

"Yang Shen spoke highly of the way of the king and despised the art of hegemony. Yet he was ranked as the top scholar, which really surprised many people."

Such remarks, which depart from pragmatism and turn to idealism, are nothing unusual if they appear in discussions of classical texts, since it's just a matter of academic debate.

However, if it appears in a practical policy discussion topic, then that would be quite out of line.

What are the practical policy essay questions?
That was geared towards people's livelihood and the social problems that needed to be addressed, and it aimed to provide theoretical support for the court's policy direction.

In other words, the imperial court already had a stance when it presented the examination questions.

The reason it was presented as an exam question was to seek broader recognition and more support.

So what was the imperial court's attitude?

The fact that the debate between benevolent rule and hegemonic tactics is unfolding in a problem-solving discussion rather than a free-flowing discussion of classical texts suggests that the court may be about to introduce a series of sweeping policies. This, combined with the traditional practice that "the Han dynasty's system was originally a mixture of benevolent and hegemonic principles"...

Huang Chu's meaning is quite clear.

The top scorer... we've gone off-topic!

Yang Shen, a brilliant scholar, rejected all related ideas when the court needed to prepare to use forceful and decisive measures.

But... well, it's Yang Tinghe's son who's gone off-topic.

The chain reaction brought about by Yang Shen's strong performance in becoming the top scorer is immeasurable.

After listening to Huang Chu's analysis, Tang Gao and Cai Ang understood the strangeness of the previous exam.

Seeing that Huang Chu had spoken, Pei Yuan simply ignored Tang Gao and asked Huang Chu, "Is Yang Shen's article illogical?"

Huang Chu thought for a moment and said, "Not really. Things on paper can always make sense. Mencius advocated respecting the king and despising the hegemon. Yang Shen also believed in his writings that the essence of governance lies in restoring the purity of the Three Dynasties."

Scholars throughout history have always cherished the sentiments of the Three Dynasties. The Three Dynasties of antiquity can be considered an ideal world for scholars.

This made each of the names Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, Wen, and Wu a model of benevolent rule.

Pei Yuan nodded upon hearing this, and a brief silence fell over the courtyard once again.

Then, Commander Pei said a few seemingly unrelated things.

“If I were Yang Tinghe, I would also be proud to have such a son.”

“Those messy controversies are not only an insult to my son’s talent, but also an insult to me personally.”

I want him to win!

The three of them felt their hearts pounding.

The thought from before resurfaced in the minds of the three of them.

—The mastermind behind Enko has struck again.

All three of them were perfectly clear that Commander Pei was definitely leaking the questions! Moreover, not only was he leaking the questions, he had almost even given out the standard answers!

What will this imperial examination revolve around?

It will inevitably be a continuation of the previous imperial examination questions and the debate surrounding Yang Shen's strategy essay.

Chief Minister Yang's goal was to suppress anyone who disagreed with him.

Combining the questions from the previous subject, Yang Shen's policy essay, and Pei Qianhu's earlier hint, the general direction of the strategy becomes clear.

The essays for this palace examination will inevitably be confined to the most advantageous arena for Yang Shen to fight and expound on the way of the king: the ancient Three Dynasties!
The correct answer will either support Yang Shen's point of view or try to justify Yang Shen's position.
The first answer would please Chief Minister Yang, while the second answer would delight him.

If we were to separate the reforms and hegemonic tactics being brewing in the court from the concept of benevolent rule, and forcefully pair them with the principles of benevolent governance, thus creating a powerful complement to Yang Shen's article, that would be the perfect answer that would make the Grand Secretary Yang slam his fist on the table in admiration.

Seeing the three of them overjoyed, Pei Yuan glanced at them one by one before saying calmly, "Prepare well."

The three insisted on seeing him off for several blocks before reluctantly turning back.

In a short time, even a middle-aged man like Tang Gao, who had experienced many hardships, gained a concrete understanding of the phrase "kindness as if reborn".

After bidding farewell to Pei Yuan, Tang Gao, and the other two, he remembered to inform Yan Song.

Yan Song had previously stayed at Wang Shouren's place.

However, Wang Shouren's father, Wang Hua, was currently serving as the Minister of Rites and was one of the examiners for this imperial examination.

Yan Song's brother-in-law, Ouyang Bijin, was also a college entrance exam candidate, so after Ouyang Bijin moved out of Huo Tao's place, Yan Song temporarily rented a house near the Wang family.

When Yan Song left last time, he left his address so that Pei Yuan could notify him in time.

Pei Yuan originally wanted to send his subordinates to inform them, but considering the importance of tomorrow's matter, he went there himself.

When Pei Yuan arrived at Yan Song's place, he simulated a question-and-answer session with Yan Song.

Yan Song was indeed a treacherous and cunning man, whose adaptability far exceeded Pei Yuan's expectations. Even after mimicking Zhu Houzhao's leaps of thought, Pei Yuan couldn't find any major flaws in Yan Song.

He truly deserves to be called... a political animal capable of suppressing a generation of powerful figures.

When Pei Yuan returned to Zhihua Temple, it was already dark.

Not long after, Chen Xinjian came to report the rumors.

This time, Yun Buxian followed behind Chen Xinjian, which can be considered as the beginning of the transition to succession.

Chen Xinjian reported on the results of the day's work, and he was surprised that the rumor-spreading had been so effective.

The fact that the three candidates managed to pass the imperial examinations by joining the Embroidered Uniform Guard caused quite a stir.

Those who failed the imperial examinations no longer cared about the demolition of brothels and markets; their attention was immediately focused on this matter.

After all, if a corruption scandal really does occur this time, then perhaps we can still demand an explanation from the imperial court.

Didn't the imperial court eventually come up with an explanation for the North-South examination scandal back then?

When it comes to matters concerning the future of the family, who cares about a few breaths?

With Chen Xinjian and Yun Buxian stirring things up from multiple angles, the incident spread extremely quickly, even bringing to light several people who were actually at Chongwu Water Station at the time.

Those few candidates who missed the special imperial examination are feeling depressed.

It was a pity that they were late for the exam, but seeing their companions ranked high on the list made them even more miserable.

Recalling the ugly face of the Imperial Guard officer who rejected him back then only fueled his anger.

Pei Yuan was very satisfied with this.

As for whether there will be any gains... that depends on whether that scoundrel is as good as he thinks.

Early the next morning, Pei Yuan led the Imperial Guards to pick up Yan Song and they went to the Great Ci'en Temple together.

When they arrived at the teahouse that Zhu Houzhao usually frequented, Pei Yuan looked around and, sure enough, found that the Embroidered Uniform Guards had already set up a perimeter.

And it was someone I knew—the same hater I'd met before.

The little black-clad man was overjoyed to see Pei Yuan, even forgetting that he was on a special mission. He came over to Pei Yuan and said, "Commander, we brothers of the Embroidered Uniform Guard have all heard about what happened yesterday."

As he spoke, he raised two thumbs and said with a fawning smile, "The commander truly lives up to his reputation as the number one fierce man in our Embroidered Uniform Guard."

Pei Yuan had already endured countless rumors and gossip, so he remained indifferent to them.

He was about to say that this was nothing more than a little hardship.

Then you see the little black-faced guy raise his two thumbs, bend them together, and his smile is extremely lewd.

(End of this chapter)