Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

The former Director of Studies of the Imperial Academy, a renowned Confucian scholar, was indeed not so easily fooled.

Shang Jingming sighed and helped Zhao Siye sit down, reassuring him: "Mr. Zhao, you are unaware of something."

"This case is of great importance and involves many people. His Majesty is furious, and because the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review are unable to spare the resources, he has ordered my Five Cities Garrison to conduct a thorough investigation. But my Five Cities Garrison has always been responsible for apprehending bandits and maintaining order in the capital. When have we ever handled such a major and thorny case concerning the imperial examinations?"

"The arrest of fourteen candidates during the imperial examination ceremony has already spread far and wide, with countless eyes fixed on our Five Cities Military Command. At the slightest sign of trouble, those petty scoundrels who were ripping off candidates behind the scenes have all gone into hiding. How dare they show their faces now?"

"If I don't blind them, how can I move this case forward?"

Zhao Siye looked at him with suspicion: "So you're just using me as a pawn, feinting a move?"

"I need Mr. Zhao's help. This big fuss will make those who are watching the Five Cities Military Command think that the case has made progress and the main culprit has been caught. Then these 'unimportant' followers will lower their guard. At that time, whether they flee to avoid punishment or destroy evidence, as long as they make a move, I can follow the clues and catch them all in one fell swoop."

"Instead of going to apprehend the real mastermind, you're using this old man as a target to cover your tracks?" Zhao Siye glared, puffing out his beard as if he'd heard a joke. "Commander Shang, we've never met before. I don't recall ever offending you."

Shang Jingming shrugged: "If I could catch the main culprit, would I need to resort to such a tactic?"

"You want my help, and you want me to be your cover? Who knows what kind of rumors they'll spread about me outside?" Zhao Siye was so angry he almost fell over, his chest heaving. He glared at Shang Jingming, his voice rising sharply, "Did I owe you a lot of money in my past life?"

Shang Jingming served Zhao Siye tea and tried to soothe him, saying, "I had no choice but to do this. Please calm down. Once I've finished this troublesome task, my Five Cities Garrison will send a plaque to your residence with great fanfare, inscribed with 'Entering the game with my own body to rid the people of harm.' I will make sure your reputation is not damaged as a result."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Siye nearly spat out his tea. "You think I haven't embarrassed myself enough already?"

"How can eliminating a scourge for the people be considered shameful? The people of the capital will only praise your righteousness!" Shang Jingming stroked his chin. "Then I'll find a few opera troupes to put on a few plays, and everyone will know of your noble character!"

How can there be such shameless people in this world?

Is there anyone who can take him in?

Apart from that rebellious disciple, no one in this life has ever been able to anger Zhao Siye to this extent!

He picked up a teacup intending to smash it at Shang Jingming, but put it down reluctantly because they weren't familiar with each other.

Shang Jingming quickly replied, "I will definitely come to your door to apologize and give you an explanation."

Zhao Siye clutched his chest, finally managing to calm himself down, and looked Shang Jingming up and down: "Why me?"

"There are countless talented scholars in the capital. Commander Shang, finding someone who can distinguish handwriting and understand the style of the imperial examination questions shouldn't be difficult, right? Not to mention others, the two chief examiners for this imperial examination should be no less learned than I am, shouldn't they?"

Shang Jingming sighed: "It is precisely because you are a retired official that I dare to use such a bold and unconventional method. You have been away from the court for many years, so it is not difficult to clear your name. After all, it is truly inconceivable that a highly respected Confucian scholar would do something as disgraceful as selling fake exam questions for petty gains."

"But if the two chief examiners, or other officials in the court, were involved in such a 'cheating case,' the world would probably start to doubt whether the questions being sold were genuine or fake. At that point, things would get out of control, and even if the Five Cities Garrison came out to clarify afterward, they would still be unable to clear their names."

"Since you say it's unbelievable, how could the people selling fake exam questions believe that I'm the mastermind?" Zhao Siye retorted sharply.

"We don't need them to believe us." Shang Jingming smiled slightly. "I'm a military man, and my Five Cities Military Command has never handled a case involving so many scholars before. The higher-ups are also pressuring us."

Zhao Siye's expression changed: "Are you trying to make those people think that you can't find the mastermind, so you've found a scapegoat?"

Shang Jingming nodded: "That's exactly right."

"You've gone through all this trouble just to catch those accomplices who jumped on the bandwagon and sold exam questions?" Zhao Siye stroked his beard. "So, who's the real mastermind? How do you plan to approach them?"

Shang Jingming: "I won't buy it."

Zhao Siye: "?"

"By focusing on the minor offenders and letting the major culprits go unpunished, isn't that putting the cart before the horse? This isn't right, is it?"

Shang Jingming looked troubled.

Knowing full well that it was a poor strategy, they still insisted on doing it, and even said with certainty that they "could not catch the main culprit," and even said unequivocally that they "would not get their hands on him."

A thoughtful look appeared in Zhao Siye's eyes: "Commander Shang, since you're asking for my help, you should at least tell me the truth. Why should I cooperate with you if things are so unclear?"

Shang Jingming bowed slightly to the east without saying a word.

Zhao Siye looked at him with suspicion and uncertainty.

Shang Jingming had no choice but to clarify further, "There is no mastermind in this case."

Under what circumstances would there be no mastermind in this case? No main person involved in selling counterfeit goods?

Unless… Zhao Siye felt as if a thunderclap had exploded in his mind.

Good heavens, so this is some kind of entrapment operation? They even sent the commander of the Five Cities Garrison to investigate accomplices who were just copying and selling exam questions?

This is an attempt to both expose those among the successful candidates who harbored ulterior motives and to round up those who followed suit and made ill-gotten gains.

How are the people in charge of this case supposed to proceed?

They want to catch all the bandwagoners, but they also want to cover up the entrapment tactics employed by their superiors...

Zhao Siye patted Shang Jingming on the shoulder with a sympathetic look: "You've had it tough too."

Shang Jingming: ╮（╯＿╰）╭

"Since you've asked this old man for help, then..." Zhao Siye looked outside, "Where did you take my disciple?"

With a smile, Shang Jingming stood up early to pat Zhao Siye on the back and said, "In jail."

Zhao Siye: "..."

...

Goal achieved, activity continues, double update tomorrow~