Prime Minister.

Chapter 75, Section 074: [Viewing the Moon in the Water]

"Brother Xie has endured many trials and tribulations, yet his will has never wavered; he will surely achieve great things in the future."

Xue Huai was equally generous with such kind words that cost nothing; after all, praising someone wouldn't hurt him.

He picked up his teacup to moisten his throat and said, "Since Brother Xie is so frank, then I won't beat around the bush. Although I have a little reputation now, I am absolutely no match for those great scholars. It is truly hard to understand why Brother Xie would not submit his essays to those people but come to seek out a junior like me who has just started out."

Xie Jingyun was prepared for this, and he calmly said, "Please forgive my abrupt visit today, my student has three reasons."

"Appreciate further details."

"Firstly, I came to the capital in haste and am indeed short of money. In the past three months in the capital, I have had to write letters for others to earn some extra money. The capital is full of powerful and wealthy families, and I am just an unknown ordinary candidate. I can't even get past the first hurdle. In fact, I have tried before, but because I can't afford the money, all the gatekeepers just do a perfunctory job. They say they will help me get in, but in reality they just turn around and go back to sit and drink tea."

Xie Jingyun looked somewhat embarrassed and sighed, "Only now do I realize how difficult it is to live in the capital. What good is talent if it's ultimately worth less than a few taels of silver?"

Xue Huai knew that what Xie Jingyun said was true. Human greed is hard to avoid. Someone like his doorman Ajiu might not want to do it, but he just didn't dare to violate the family rules set by Xue Mingzhang back then.

Xie Jingyun added, "Secondly, my admiration for Lord Xue Wensu comes from the bottom of my heart. I am especially grateful for the kindness Lord Xue showed to the Xie family back then. I feel a natural affinity for the Xue family. Therefore, as long as you agree, I am willing to become your student."

"Brother Xie, please don't do this."

Xue Huai shook his head and said, "You should be seven or eight years older than me, how can you lower yourself to such a subservient position?"

"There is no order of precedence in learning; those who are accomplished are teachers."

Xie Jingyun's expression was sincere, but he didn't pester her. He clearly understood the nuances of human nature, and then said, "As for this third point, it is actually my greatest wish, but..."

Seeing this, Xue Huai said gently, "Today we are having a private conversation, which will not be heard by any third party. Brother Xie, please speak freely."

Xie Jingyun seemed greatly encouraged and said with a hint of enthusiasm, "Then I will dare to speak frankly. Although I have not entered officialdom, I know that the court is currently a mixed bag, and the Ning faction is growing stronger and stronger, which is the biggest hidden danger to the country."

Xue Huai's expression was slightly solemn, but he thought to himself, "Just as I thought."

He had long anticipated that Xie Jingyun would utter such shocking words. From the moment Xie Jingyun appeared before him, he had been observing and scrutinizing the man's true nature.

As he expected, Xie Jingyun first evoked his sympathy by sharing his own difficult experiences, then narrowed the distance between them by talking about Xue Mingzhang's achievements in Yangzhou, and finally won his resonance with his passionate and righteous attitude.

It must be said that this scholar from Yangzhou knew the Xue family and Xue Huai very well, especially his third point. If the person sitting in the hall today were the same Xue Huai from back then, he would very likely consider him a close friend.

Xue Huai pondered for a moment and said, "Brother Xie, is the talk of hidden dangers... too much of an exaggeration?"

Xie Jingyun was surprised; Xue Huai's reaction was not quite what he had expected.

He suppressed his chaotic thoughts and calmly said, "Your Excellency need not doubt me. I have not uttered a single falsehood today; all my thoughts are sincere. The Grand Secretary is indeed a pillar of the court, but it is an undeniable fact that his officials only know how to fight for power and do not care about the lives of the common people. Take what I have seen and heard, for example: several prefects of Yangzhou were members of the Ning faction, and the corruption scandal in the Ministry of Works two months ago further corroborates my words."

Xue Huai picked up his teacup again and slowly savored the fragrant tea.

Xie Jingyun felt a slight headache. Everyone said that this young Xue Hanlin was impatient and fiery, so why was he so calm in front of him?

Undeterred, he continued, "I know that Your Excellency wishes only to bring peace to the world, but lacks the support to do so. I am not talented, but if I can achieve high honors in this year's imperial examination, I would like to walk alongside Your Excellency in the future."

Having said all that, Xue Huai had to give some response, so he reached out and picked up the documents on the table.

Seeing this, Xie Jingyun felt relieved, thinking that Xue Huai had been persuaded. He pressed on while the iron was hot, saying, "Half a month ago, I happened to hear the poem about plum blossoms written by the Imperial Reader. I felt that only someone with a heart as pure as ice and jade could write such a poem. For those few days, I... could hardly stay up all night."

If someone else had said these words, it would have sounded like flattery, but the burning sincerity in Xie Jingyun's eyes seemed to ignite sparks in the documents in Xue Huai's hands.

Xue Huai remained silent, unfolded the scroll, and saw Xie Jingyun's handwriting standing out like slender bamboo. The first piece was a poem, clearly a poem he wrote in praise of plum blossoms.

"Frosty branches along the post road bloom with blood-red petals, a jade pot shattered into dust. If the spring breeze could understand the intense fragrance of winter, let not this solitary beauty enter the mirror."

Xue Huai read the poem aloud, then paused, and said softly, "Thank you for your work, Brother Xie. It is too tragic and magnificent."

"The student is ashamed."

Xie Jingyun's Adam's apple bobbed as he said with shame, "When I wrote this poem, I was thinking of the poem about plum blossoms written by the Attendant Reader, and recalling the hardships I experienced in Yangzhou Prefecture. I felt that my own experience was in perfect harmony with the Attendant Reader's words, and I was filled with endless emotions. Therefore, I could not hide the tragic sentiment when I wrote this poem."

There's no need to go into the details, as he had already recounted his experiences before passing the imperial examination—the Xie family lived in a rented thatched hut in the wilderness during their most difficult time, Xie's father copied scriptures for an old man who had lost his son in exchange for porridge, and Xie Jingyun's hands were frostbitten while copying scriptures for others in the dead of winter.

Poems and prose written under such circumstances are naturally imbued with the chilling, metallic scent of iron.

Xue Huai turned a few more pages. Xie Jingyun's article, just like his resolute statement earlier, was full of the heroic spirit and integrity of a scholar who wanted to govern the world, help the people, and relieve the distressed.

only……

He slowly put down the scroll and asked somewhat abruptly, "Brother Xie, how confident are you about passing this year's imperial examination?"

Xie Jingyun felt a chill run down his spine, realizing that the matter had reached a critical point. He said with concern, "I have not slacked off for a moment over the years. I have thoroughly studied the Four Books and Five Classics. If the competition is fair, I am confident that I will not fall below the second rank. I am just afraid that fairness will be hard to find in the examination hall."

The implication is that the imperial examination system was rife with unforeseen events and sordid practices; otherwise, how could the practice of submitting examination papers have become so prevalent?

Not to mention that many others possess secret connections. Xue Huai, recalling the list of five people Jiang Li had given him, chuckled inwardly and looked at Xie Jingyun, saying, "Could it be that Brother Xie has heard something?"

Xie Jingyun hesitated for a moment, then made up his mind and said, "To be honest, I have heard that someone has already pulled strings for this year's imperial examination, and even if the essay is mediocre, it will still be able to pass."

"So, Brother Xie, you're using the pretense of submitting your essay to find a shortcut through me?"

Xue Huai's sudden, sharp question caused Xie Jingyun to change color slightly. He barely managed to remain calm and asked, puzzled, "What do you mean by that, Attendant Reader?"

Today, when they met, Xue Huai's impression on Xie Jingyun was not quite in line with the rumors. He was very calm and composed, without showing any aggression. From beginning to end, it seemed that Xie Jingyun had the initiative in the conversation, which made Xie Jingyun lower his guard a little.

Xue Huai gazed into his eyes and asked again, "Brother Xie, when did you learn that I was a co-examiner in the imperial examinations?"

Xie Jingyun was no longer as composed as before.

Seeing this, Xue Huai felt confident.

The chief examiner and vice-chief examiner of the imperial examination have already announced it to the world, but the other inner and outer curtain officials are still keeping it a secret. Only a very few people, such as the crown prince and Shen Wang, know the inside story. This is to prevent these ordinary middle and lower-level officials from being unable to resist the temptation and being dragged into the quagmire of cheating.

As for the chief examiner and vice-principal, if even the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet and the Vice Minister of Rites are incompetent, then no one will be able to withstand the wrath of the emperor.

Xie Jingyun stammered, "I never expected that the tutor would be one of the examiners for this year's exam."

Xue Huai suddenly chuckled softly.

“Xie Juzi, I believe that many of the things you say are true, but I find it hard to believe that your original intentions are sincere.”

Under Xie Jingyun's seemingly puzzled gaze, Xue Huai said bluntly, "According to my guess, you came to my door today to accomplish two things. The first is to make me famous for you. After all, I have recently become the focus of attention in the capital because of a poem about plum blossoms. If I come forward to praise your poetry, the effect will be better than that of those great scholars. Of course, this is only limited to this period of time. After this opportunity, it will not have the same effect."

"Secondly, you ranked twenty-seventh in the Jiangsu provincial examination last year. Judging from the results of the spring examinations in previous years, this ranking gives you a chance to pass the metropolitan examination, but it is not a certainty. So you hope to increase your chances. Although I don't know where you learned my identity, I can be sure that your intentions are not pure."

After he finished speaking, he looked calmly at Xie Jingyun.

To be fair, this person is knowledgeable and shrewd, and may very well become a rising star in the officialdom in the future. However, Xue Huai is unlikely to go along with the other party's wishes.

It wasn't that he was jealous of a newcomer to the imperial examination, but rather that the other party was clearly trying to climb over him to get ahead. Moreover, the fact that he, a poor scholar, knew Xue Huai's identity as a fellow examiner might be hiding some unknown danger.

The veins on Xie Jingyun's hands were bulging. He frowned and said, "Even if you, the Attendant Reader, are unwilling to promote me, you can simply tell me. Why humiliate me like this?"

I know you're resentful.

Xue Huai remained calm, yet his gentle tone carried a sharp edge: "Scholar Xie spoke with such earnestness that I could deeply empathize with him, especially when he spoke of my late father's past in Yangzhou, which left me deeply moved. However, there is one thing I do not understand, and I wonder if you could enlighten me?"

Xie Jingyun said in a deep voice, "Please speak, Your Excellency."

Xue Huai slowly rose and looked at the man, saying, "You said you admired my late father, and that you have a natural affinity for the Xue family. Moreover, you came to the capital after passing the provincial examination last year. In other words, you have been in the capital for three or four months—"

Xie Jingyun's expression changed.

Xue Huai shook his head slightly and said, "For three or four months, why did you refuse to visit the Xue family? I suppose it's because you heard about my situation and knew that I was in a difficult position in the court. You were afraid of getting into trouble, so you didn't want to visit. But now my situation has improved. I have gained His Majesty's appreciation for my meritorious service in investigating the case. In addition, I wrote a famous poem about plum blossoms that has become famous in the capital. I have also been appointed as a co-examiner for the spring imperial examination. That's why you remembered the Xue Wensu Gong that you admire so much."

Xie Jingyun was speechless, his face filled with dejection.

"Alright, I know you didn't get to where you are today. Although your intentions are not pure, you haven't committed any serious mistakes. I won't make things difficult for you."

Xue Huai's expression was cold and stern as he said, "You may leave."

Xie Jingyun was almost embarrassed and hurriedly bowed before leaving.

Xue Huai handed him the document, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Scholar Xie, you are a smart man. I hope you will not make a mistake for yourself."

"Thank you for your instruction, Your Excellency."

Xie Jingyun looked ashamed and dared not linger.

Upon arriving outside the Xue residence, Xie Jingyun suddenly stopped, turned his head to glance at the plaque above the gate, and his expression returned to its usual indifference.

He knew he had underestimated Xue Huai; his manipulative tactics, which had been invincible in Yangzhou, had been seen through at a glance.

After taking a deep breath, Xie Jingyun once again became that silent, humble scholar moving forward.

He recalled all the details from just now and naturally felt some regret. He shouldn't have acted too eagerly, which allowed Xue Huai to seize the opportunity.

But he did not feel sorry for himself; on the contrary, his eyes gradually became firm.

"Xue Jingche, you have turned me away today. I hope you will not regret it in the future."

(End of this chapter)