They've all become top scholars in the imperial examinations, and you're telling me this i

Chapter 57 Marriage?

The guard knelt on the messy ground, panting heavily, his voice trembling with disbelief.
"Report! Your Highness! It's been found! The documents stolen from the palace a few days ago... have been found!"

This report was like throwing a boulder into a still-raging storm.

The crowd, still reeling from witnessing the transformation of a human into a blue-haired lion demon, was instantly captivated by this sudden news.

Li Shimin's gloomy face suddenly hardened, his sharp gaze sweeping over the guard, his voice low and imposing, "Explain clearly! Where did you find it?"

The guard lowered his head even further, his tone filled with confusion and a hint of inexplicable fear. "Your Highness! They're not outside the palace, nor are they hidden in some secret place... They... they're still in the archives of the Eastern Palace's Chamberlain's office! Right there... right there in the wooden cabinet where they were originally stored... the third shelf! They haven't been moved at all!"

"What? They haven't moved?"

Fang Xuanling gasped in shock, his wrinkled face revealing undisguised astonishment for the first time.

Changsun Wuji narrowed his unfathomable eyes, his fingers unconsciously twisting a corner of his robe as he murmured repeatedly, "The original place? The original place..."

This bizarre, almost mocking outcome sent a chill down his spine, even for someone as composed as Mount Tai who would remain unmoved even if Mount Tai collapsed before him.

The military officers were in an uproar. Cheng Yaojin's eyes, as big as copper bells, widened in disbelief. He slapped his thigh hard, making a loud cracking sound.

"Damn it! Is it haunted? Stole it and then returned it? Is that demon just bored and wandering around doing nothing?"

Although his words were crude, they expressed the sense of absurdity in the hearts of most people present. Wasn't today's event just a ghost story?
Li Shimin, who was sitting upright, leaned forward slightly. Even his usually composed and unwavering demeanor was somewhat shaken by this bizarre fact. He took a deep breath, trying to suppress the turmoil in his heart, and his gaze swept slowly across the entire scene, past the chaos before him.

Finally, his gaze fell on Chen Guangrui, who was being helped up by the guards in the center of the room. His eyes were complex, containing scrutiny, doubt, and above all, disbelief and shock.

The core of the entire event became clear to Li Shimin instantly.

The most important documents in the palace, those of the former Crown Prince, were stolen, pointing the finger at Wei Zheng and almost causing a major case.

However, just when the situation was at a stalemate, with even Wei Zheng unable to defend himself and everyone at a loss, it was Chen Guangrui who risked his life to force a lurking blue lion demon in the palace to reveal itself and flee.

He tore open the gap in this strange and mysterious fog!

The bizarre "return" of the documents further confirms that all of this is extraordinary!

This is no ordinary theft or political struggle; it is the work of evil forces operating in the shadows!

It was only at this moment that everyone suddenly realized that it was Chen Guangrui who solved this cold case.

In an incomprehensible way, he diverted the attention from Wei Zheng and pointed it at the real monster who was manipulating the winds and clouds!

Although the monster escaped and the documents returned to their original place like ghosts, the value of Chen Guangrui's life-risking stab was self-evident!

The expressions on everyone's faces instantly changed.

Sun Fujia, who had been used as a pawn, knelt a short distance away, his face ashen and his body trembling slightly.

He has always believed that Wei Zheng was behind it and has refused to let go of the matter. Even just now, he was still desperately accusing Chen Guangrui of being Wei Zheng's accomplice and plotting to murder the crown prince.

The truth at this moment was such a bizarre and evil thing. He felt as if an invisible whip was lashing his face, burning with pain, and he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

All those impassioned accusations he had made earlier now felt like the loudest slaps to his own face. He was not only incompetent, but also utterly wrong.

I wonder if those who asked him to do things will still care about him under these circumstances?
Chen Guangrui's gaze paused for a moment as it swept over Sun Fujia's pale, almost lifeless face. There was no victor's triumph in his eyes, but rather a calm tinge of pity. He straightened his slightly disheveled clothes, his voice not loud, yet clearly piercing through the crowd's murmurs, striking Sun Fujia like a thunderclap.

“Lord Sun is dedicated to sharing His Highness’s burdens, and Chen Guangrui admires him. However, solving cases and catching criminals does not rely on conjecture or misrepresentation. Although I, Chen Guangrui, am the top scholar of this imperial examination and have received His Highness’s favor, my heart is set on sharing Your Majesty’s burdens and relieving your troubles. Even if it means facing mountains of knives and seas of fire, I will speak frankly.”

He paused, then his tone suddenly sharpened, pointing directly to Sun Fujia's deepest wound.

"Unlike some of our predecessors who, after passing the imperial examinations, only know how to study and guess the emperor's intentions, either presenting a sycophantic article about 'the imperial cause floating in the storm,' or like that muddled memorial from a few days ago that criticized all three schools of thought—civil and military—yet devoid of any real insight! Such behavior is hardly what we scholars should do."

"The imperial enterprise floats on the waves!" This was the very concluding line of Sun Fujia's sycophantic poem! Chen Guangrui mercilessly tore away Sun Fujia's last fig leaf once again.

What's even more ruthless is that he mentioned "that muddled memorial that criticized all three schools of thought, the civil and military!"
You see, this matter isn't over yet, and the purge of the Crown Prince isn't completely finished. If no one brings it up, it will fade from people's memories, but what if it is?

Sun Fujia suddenly looked up, opened his mouth, but only made a "hoarse" sound in his throat. His face turned from ashen to deathly pale, and his eyes were unfocused, as if his soul had been taken away in an instant.

He looked at Chen Guangrui, then at the high and mighty Crown Prince, and was completely overwhelmed by immense shame and fear.

Li Shimin's gaze lingered on Sun Fujia for several breaths. The coldness and undisguised disgust in his eyes pierced Sun Fujia's body like a tangible force, almost causing him to collapse to the ground.

The crown prince said nothing, but his silent gaze had already signaled the end of Sun Fujia's political future. He was finished.

However, the heavy atmosphere in the room did not last long. When Li Shimin's cold gaze shifted from Sun Fujia and finally settled on Chen Guangrui, the disgust vanished, replaced by a strange enthusiasm and admiration, as if dispelling all the unpleasantness from before.

"Ha...ha...hahaha!"

Li Shimin suddenly looked up and laughed loudly. His laughter was loud and cheerful, echoing in the garden. It seemed particularly abrupt, yet it was also very inspiring.

He stood up, strode down from the main table, and went straight to Chen Guangrui. His somber imperial majesty had vanished, replaced by a youthful boldness and uninhibitedness.

"Well done! Chen Guangrui is truly remarkable!"

Li Shimin patted Chen Guangrui's shoulder heavily, his eyes gleaming.
"Fearless of evil spirits, with keen insight, and even more commendable is this unwavering loyalty and courage to risk one's life to protect the emperor and capture the thieves! I admire him greatly!"

After praising him, Li Shimin's smile widened, a mischievous glint in his eyes, as if he were discussing something extremely interesting and lighthearted.

He turned his head and looked at Prime Minister Yin Kaishan, who had also recovered from his shock and had a complex expression.
"I have heard that your daughter is gentle and virtuous, talented and beautiful, and famous throughout Chang'an, but she has been unmarried for a long time."

Li Shimin smiled warmly and spoke affectionately, "Look at this young man before me, a brilliant young talent, unparalleled in wisdom and courage, who has made such a great contribution. He is a pillar of the state personally selected and valued by me! Is he worthy of being a guest of the Yin family?"

Yin Kaishan's white beard trembled slightly. In his old eyes, which had seen the vicissitudes of life, countless thoughts flashed by in an instant: surprise, scrutiny, and weighing, which ultimately turned into the shrewdness of an old minister and a hint of barely perceptible joy.

He stepped forward, bowed deeply, his face already beaming with a joyful and respectful smile, and spoke in a loud voice.
"Your Highness has a discerning eye! Your Highness's kindness moves this old minister to tears! Scholar Chen is young and promising, intelligent and brave, and it is a blessing for the country that he can share the burdens of His Highness the Crown Prince! It is a blessing for the Yin family that Your Highness has acted as matchmaker for my daughter, and it is a blessing that my daughter has accumulated over many lifetimes! This old minister thanks Your Highness for your great kindness!"

Yin Kaishan's statement was swift and decisive, without any hesitation. He showered Chen Guangrui with compliments and flattered the Crown Prince, as if he had prepared these words for a long time, but unexpectedly, he said them so easily and fluently.

"Excellent! Excellent! Prime Minister Yin is truly righteous!"

All eyes instantly turned to Chen Guangrui, the absolute protagonist of the incident.

Li Shimin, beaming, turned to Chen Guangrui, his eyes gleaming with an undeniable intimacy and a hint of teasing.

"Scholar, look, even the Prime Minister has given his approval. Today, I'll act as matchmaker and introduce you to a good marriage. Would you like to?"
(End of this chapter)