Jiajing Chengming

Inside the Forbidden City, in the imperial study, the flickering candlelight illuminated Zhu Houcong's pensive face.

He held in his hand a copy of the examination results that had just been delivered, his brows slightly furrowed, his eyes scanning the list, as if looking for a certain name.

After a moment, he raised his head and looked at Zhang Cong beside him, with a hint of doubt in his tone: "Did Hu Zongxian pass the examination this time?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Cong immediately stood up, clasped his hands and replied respectfully: "Your Majesty, no!"

Zhu Houcong was slightly stunned, with a hint of surprise in his eyes: "Really?"

At this time, Xia Yan also stood up, bowed and added: "Your Majesty, I am also paying attention to this young man. For this reason, I also specifically asked the chief examiner, and found out that his test paper was rejected because it was stained with mud before it reached the examiner's hands."

After hearing this, Zhu Houcong couldn't help but chuckle, with a hint of ridicule in his tone: "He is so careless?"

Xia Yan smiled awkwardly and nodded, his expression showing some helplessness: "I didn't expect that he would be so careless. I think it was his fate." After a pause, he continued: "However, I specially asked someone to copy his essay and I think if there hadn't been such an accident, he would have won the first place. Good things come to those who wait. I believe that next time, he will definitely win the first place."

Zhu Houcong nodded, his eyes revealing a hint of deep meaning: "That being said, this may not really be just an accident." He paused, with a bit of doubt in his tone, and then asked: "Is it only his paper that is dirty?"

Xia Yan bowed slightly and replied, "Not only him, but also six other candidates' examination papers were stained with yellow earth."

After hearing this, Zhu Houcong's eyes flashed with a hint of coldness, and his tone became serious: "We still have to investigate. After all, Hu Zongxian just became famous for the land survey, and then he encountered such a thing in the exam. Those who don't know would think that the powerful officials in the court are doing bad things."

After he finished speaking, he turned his gaze to Huang Jin and ordered, "Let the people from the Pacification Office check to see why the test papers of Hu Zongxian and others were stained with yellow soil."

Upon hearing this, Xia Yan couldn't help but reveal a trace of uneasiness on his face, but he didn't say much. He just lowered his head and stood there silently.

Zhang Cong frowned, his eyes deep, as if he was thinking about something.

……

A month ago, in an inn outside the capital, Hu Zongxian was busy packing his luggage, preparing to return home early.

Luo Longwen stood aside, with a look of regret on his face and helplessness in his tone: "I have long advised you not to get involved in this matter, but you refused to listen."

Hu Zongxian stopped what he was doing, looked up at Luo Longwen, and said firmly: "That being said, I don't regret it! Now is a good time to return home early to assist the court in measuring the land and prevent the new governor from not taking the villagers seriously. At the same time, it is also a good time to help the court lead the villagers who have become refugees to the place where the track is built, so as to prevent them from being offered up as slaves."

He paused, and said with some emotion: "On our way to Beijing, didn't we see that Tongzhou and Nandu and other places were recruiting refugees to participate in the construction of the railway? In order to allow more refugees to survive through this work-for-relief method and then resettle their families, we need the help of local gentry like us."

Luo Longwen sighed and shook his head: "I hope that during the next imperial examination, there will be changes in the court and they will not embarrass you anymore."

There was a hint of helplessness in his tone, and he seemed not optimistic about Hu Zongxian's future.

At the same time, in Huizhou Prefecture, Nie Bao was sitting in the government office, holding a letter of self-defense that had just been delivered to him in his hand, with a look of disdain on his face.

He had long known that Hu Zongxian and others had reflected the actual situation of the land survey in Huizhou Prefecture, but he did not take it to heart. He simply wrote a letter of self-defense, accusing Hu Zongxian of wrongly accusing him of being dissatisfied with the land survey.

However, when he received the imperial decree to arrest him, Nie Bao's face turned pale instantly. He took the imperial decree with trembling hands and his voice became stiff: "I accept the decree."

His footsteps were heavy, as if every step was in mud, making it difficult to move forward.

When the gentry and dignitaries of Huizhou Prefecture learned of this, they gathered together with anger and anxiety on their faces.

Someone slammed the table and stood up, shouting angrily: "Who made Hu Zongxian so nosy! What does it have to do with him whether there is a problem with the land survey? Doesn't he know how to protect the reputation of the local officials and gentry?" Another person frowned, with a bit of anxiety in his tone: "What's the point of saying this now? Let's quickly find a way to stop the new officials sent by the court from really doing the land survey seriously."

"There is no other way. We can only try and see if we can bribe them with a large sum of money."

"What if you can't?"

"Then we can only cut off our tail and save our lives. After all, the example of Suzhou is not far away. If we break the rules and bring trouble to the new prefect, I'm afraid he will also be forced to pay the traitor's penalty."

"Yes, in that case, we who have dealings with the government should shut up and stop recognizing that the land under their names is ours."

"And those who have been forced to leave, we need to make them shut up too!"

After a long discussion, everyone finally decided to test the attitude of the new prefect Fu Hanchen first.

After Fu Hanchen took office, he immediately summoned the government officials and the county magistrates of Huizhou to discuss the re-measurement of the land. Halfway through the meeting, his trusted aide Ma Shiye quietly walked up to him and whispered, "Your Excellency, they sent someone to find me and said they are willing to pay 500,000 silver dollars. Please show some mercy and save Mr. Nie in the land measurement!"

Hearing this, Fu Hanchen raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a meaningful smile: "I guess it's not about saving Nie Bao, but saving them, right?"

Master Ma nodded quickly, with a bit of flattery on his face: "Your Excellency is wise!"

Fu Hanchen tapped the table lightly, his tone was a little sarcastic: "Five hundred thousand silver dollars, they are really generous. As far as I know, the annual salary of an ordinary prefect is at least five thousand, which is equivalent to what I have earned in a hundred years." He paused, and his tone suddenly became firm: "However, this prefecture cannot agree to it. The land survey must be carried out again."

Master Ma showed a trace of embarrassment on his face, and whispered: "But this is against the public opinion of the scholars."

Fu Hanchen sneered, his eyes sharp: "It is better to offend public opinion than to offend the emperor!"

However, when the gentry and wise men of Huizhou Prefecture learned that Fu Hanchen had refused, they began to stir up a bloody storm in Huizhou Prefecture.

At one time, many servants of wealthy and powerful people died suddenly, and the atmosphere inside and outside the city became extremely tense.

But these servants would naturally not sit idly by and wait for death. Many of them who had received the news in advance took the initiative to come to the government and accuse their masters of instructing them to collude with officials to seize land and embezzle taxes and silver.

However, these gentry and wise men denied it, claiming that these servants were slandering them, and asked the government to severely punish these people who committed insubordination.

Fu Hanchen did not say much about this, but just said coldly: "Whether it is slander or not, we will know after the survey." He immediately ordered these slaves to be temporarily imprisoned, and at the same time organized people to re-survey.

The first stop of the land survey was a paddy field by the river outside She County. Fu Hanchen personally led the team to the field and asked the local tenants. One tenant replied tremblingly: "We are tenants of the Ding family and we cultivate the Ding family's field. We didn't know that this field belonged to the Ge family."

The village chiefs present immediately became embarrassed when they heard this, and they all lowered their heads, not daring to look at Fu Hanchen. Fu Hanchen sneered and immediately ordered the Ding family to come for questioning.

Ding Yikui arrived quickly, with a respectful look on his face. He walked up to Fu Hanchen, cupped his hands and whispered, "Master, can you please spare me a moment to talk?"

Fu Hanchen nodded, and walked to a deserted place with Ding Yikui. At this time, Ding Yikui lowered his voice, with a tentative tone: "Is the Lord really so serious?"

Fu Hanchen's eyes were stern and his tone was firm: "The land survey is the national policy of the court. How dare this government be perfunctory?"

Ding Yikui's face suddenly turned gloomy, and a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes. At the same time, he asked in a deep voice: "It seems that the governor intends to let refugees and thieves in this town arise!" (End of this chapter)