The struggle for the throne during the Jiajing reign

Chapter 114 The Falling Board

"Practice until your body resembles a crane, and you can read two volumes of scriptures under a thousand pine trees."

I came to ask, but there was nothing more to say; the clouds are in the blue sky, and the water is in the bottle.

Holding a jade ruyi scepter, Jiajing slowly walked to the throne. He did not sit down, but simply rested one hand on the side of the throne while the other hand held the ruyi scepter, gazing indifferently at the crowd.

The three cabinet members, along with the six ministers, made up a total of nine people in the hall. The other eight stood with their hands at their sides, while Xu Jie was practically prostrating himself.

"This is quite a show of force, Xu Jie. As the Minister of Personnel, you are in charge of the selection of officials throughout the country. You have been strictly enforcing regulations to rectify the examination process and prevent cheating every day."

Now your eldest son dares to hire someone else to write for you, breaking the law himself. You discipline people every day, but now your family member has broken the law. Tell me, what crime should he be punished for?

Xu Jie choked back tears and said, "I have failed in my duty to educate and discipline my son, and have failed Your Majesty's grace. My son is foolish and ignorant, all due to my lack of proper upbringing. I deserve to die a thousand deaths, and I beg Your Majesty to punish me severely!"

He knew that the more disheveled he looked, the lighter the blow would be; under heaven, thunder and rain were not governed by law, but only by the divine heart.

Cheating in the imperial examinations, though seemingly a major issue, was also a minor one; it happened every year and was not uncommon.

It all depends on whether His Majesty wants this matter to be of moderate importance or overwhelmingly heavy.

Jiajing snorted coldly, but he was actually quite pleased. It was amusing to see his usually dignified and respectable officials groveling on the ground, revealing their most primal fear and pleas.

His gaze fell on the Minister of Justice: "According to the law, what is the sentence?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the student's academic title should be revoked, the student should be put in cangue for one month, given eighty strokes of the cane, sent back to his place of origin as a commoner, and banned from taking the imperial examinations for life."

This is already an exaggeration; after all, it wasn't a major case of examiner cheating, but rather the work of an individual candidate, and it didn't shake the foundation of the imperial examination system.

Normally, if he weren't Xu Jie's son, the local examiners would have dealt with it, and it wouldn't have even come to this point.

For example, the punishment for cheating in the Zhejiang provincial examinations a few years ago was that the candidate would be stripped of their student status and flogged, while the writer who wrote the cheating would be stripped of their scholar status.

The official in charge was put in shackles for half a month, and his salary was deducted.

There are even precedents of only banning someone from taking the exam for two years, or only canceling their score for this particular exam.

Xu Jie suddenly raised his head, his face no longer showing his usual composure and gentleness, but only the fear and pleading that the emperor loved to see.

"Your Majesty, my son has been frail and sickly since childhood, and cannot withstand the shackles. He lost his mother at a young age, and I was exiled to Fujian in my early years. All of this is my fault. I only hope that Your Majesty will have mercy and allow me to take the punishment in my son's place."

Upon hearing this, the entire hall fell silent. For a Minister of Personnel to volunteer to take the punishment in place of his son in front of all his colleagues was no longer a plea for forgiveness; it was tantamount to stripping himself naked and placing himself at the emperor's feet, leaving him to be dealt with at will.

Ouyang Bijin suddenly stepped forward. He was not young, of medium build, with a square face, and his eyes still carried a scholarly air.

"Your Majesty, I have something to report."

As the newly appointed Minister of Rites, in charge of etiquette and education and overseeing the imperial examinations, he had a duty to offer advice on this matter.

"The imperial examination is the foundation for the nation to select scholars. It is clear that cheating and corruption have corrupted the literary style. The laws are clear and should be punished in accordance with the law to ensure that scholars are well-educated."

The speaker first emphasized upholding national laws and principles, setting the tone, and everyone in the hall nodded in agreement.

Ouyang Bijin then changed the subject, looking at Xu Jie who was lying on the ground, and added a touch of pity to his tone: "However, Minister Xu has been in the court for a long time and has served in many positions. He is known for his integrity and prudence."

Xu Fan lost his mother at a young age, and his father was exiled to Fujian. He lacked proper upbringing and discipline from childhood, which led him to make mistakes, and his situation was still somewhat pitiful.

Now, Minister Xu has volunteered to take the punishment in place of his son, and in front of all the civil and military officials, he humbles himself and begs for mercy, which shows his remorse.

He raised his head again to face Jiajing: "I believe that the law should be upheld and benevolence should also be preserved. Xu Fan's fraud is true. His academic achievements have been revoked, he has been banned from taking the exam for life, and he has been demoted to a commoner. This is already a punishment in accordance with the law. I humbly request Your Majesty to show leniency and pardon Minister Xu."

Jiajing glanced at Ouyang Bijin and nodded slightly, finally sitting on the throne: "Grand Secretary Yan, what do you say?"

Yan Song sighed: "I second that opinion. The man is weak. If he is further shackled, there may be unforeseen circumstances. This would not be in line with the court's original intention of caring for the people."

As for Minister Xu, holding the important position of Minister of Personnel and overseeing the selection of all officials, if he were truly ordered to take the punishment in place of his son, it would dishonor the dignity of the court and cause anxiety among officials at all levels, thus hindering the administration of state affairs.

Their words were well-rounded, neither violating the law nor failing to plead for Xu Jie's life. They also pointed out the crucial point that punishing a minister would damage the court's reputation, giving the emperor, who originally did not intend to do anything to Xu Jie, a way out.

The other six ministers, seeing this, naturally joined in pleading for leniency. They didn't care about Xu Fan's fate, but they couldn't just stand by and watch their ministers be tortured.

As the saying goes, fortunes change. Today, Old Xu was tricked by his son. Does that mean they won't be one day? Nobody dares to make that promise, so everyone should try to save face for each other.

At the same time, everyone sighed inwardly, thinking that Grand Secretary Yan was still mature and prudent, able to maintain the overall situation. Under such circumstances, he did not completely destroy Xu Jie, and even spoke up to save him. He truly had the magnanimity of a prime minister.

Jiajing shook the Ruyi scepter: "Xu Fan, strip him of his academic title and demote him to a commoner. He shall never participate in the imperial examinations again. Considering his weak health, he shall be spared the punishment of cangue and caning, and shall be imprisoned in Nanjing prison for half a year."

As for Xu Jie, he failed to properly discipline his son. He was fined one year's salary and suspended from receiving merit awards for two years. If he still cannot manage his subordinates and educate his son, then he should go back to his hometown to farm.

Xu Jie kowtowed heavily, his forehead hitting the cold floor tiles with a dull thud.

"Your Majesty, I kowtow and thank you for your boundless grace!"

This was the best result he could ask for. Xu Jie was very calm at this moment. He did not resent his son, nor did he blame others. He simply wanted to continue on his path.

The Qingliu faction still needs him, and so does the balance of power in the court. In the end, he himself has not crossed His Majesty's bottom line, so nothing will be a big problem.

However, with his reputation greatly damaged, his control over the Qingliu faction will be even weaker.

At the same time, Prince Yu was so restless that he had no interest in listening to Yin Shidan's lecture. He also received news that Xu Jie had come to apologize, and he felt that everything was over.

Tao Xianshi's sudden passing had already dealt him a heavy blow, making him doubt whether his lucky star was still shining. He never expected that Xu Jie would also run into trouble.

"Your Highness, Minister Xu will be fine, please don't worry too much."

Yin Shidan's dry words of comfort had little effect; Prince Yu was still sighing and lamenting, and the fighting spirit that Tao Zhongwen had inspired in him had completely vanished.

Looking at the books on the table that were far too many to read and thinking about the endless coursework, Zhu Zai felt annoyed and his anger grew. He wished he could tear everything in front of him to shreds.

He should run away to a place where nobody knows him and nobody asks him for anything, and just eat, drink, and have fun every day!

Seeing Prince Yu's reaction, Yin Shidan could only put down his textbook and carefully analyze the situation for him: "Your Highness, Grand Secretary Xu has been deeply involved in court affairs for decades and is well-versed in the Emperor's mind. He acts with thoroughness and caution. This time, his apology is mostly to take on a lighter responsibility to appease the Emperor and protect the overall situation. It may not necessarily be a disaster."

Your Highness, the best course of action is simply to remain calm, stay focused, and fulfill your duties.

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