The Demon Prince

Xie Yuheng looked at the mess of ink on his paper, his throat went dry, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Several renowned scholars gathered around Shen Yan's article, passing it around for review. Some members of the Hanlin Academy wanted to point out errors, but the more they read, the more silent they became.

This article is clearly in the same style as the top scorer's paper that day, but this one is the one that truly reveals its full brilliance!

The emperor took the article, read only a few paragraphs, and his face darkened completely:

"Xie Yuheng."

As these three words fell, the emperor crumpled up Xie Yuheng's examination paper and threw it at his face, shouting, "Speak! Who wrote your examination paper for you?"

Xie Yuheng knew he couldn't hide it any longer, and knelt down with a thud: "Your Majesty, I..."

"Then you'll have to ask Scholar Cui of the Hanlin Academy." Xiao Xingyue looked at Cui Daoyuan: "Cui Daoyuan, you were the supervisor of this year's imperial examinations. Why were the exam papers switched?"

Cui Daoyuan's knees buckled, but he still stubbornly insisted, "Your Highness, please do not slander this old man!"

Xiao Xingyue ignored him and looked at Lu Chengzhang: "Lord Lu, why is the Hanlin Academy so eager to bring Xie Yuheng into their camp? A fake top scholar, and you're protecting him like your own son, what's the point?"

Li Miaoqing suppressed a smile and stared at Xiao Xingyue with admiring eyes. She finally understood what he wanted to do. In one fell swoop, he tied Xie Yuheng, Cui Daoyuan, and Lu Chengzhang together and roasted them over a fire!

Could it be that Xiao Xingyue... he wanted to avenge me? Was he blaming those people for almost making us a pair of doomed lovers? What a good man he is!

Thinking of this, Li Miaoqing felt a warmth in her heart, but her romantic mind quickly cooled down, and she immediately shook her head!

Calm down! Why am I being so infatuated?! Could I be falling for Xiao Xingyue?

Before the hall, Lu Chengzhang did not reply immediately, but instead gave Xie Yuheng a disdainful look.

In just one glance, all color drained from Xie Yuheng's face!

That look wasn't meant to make him explain, it was meant to shut him up, shut him up forever!

He suddenly laughed, a laugh more grotesque than a cry: "Xiao Xingyue! Don't ask! It was me... it was all me! I was jealous of Shen Yan's talent, so I bribed a minor official and switched the papers in the chaos..."

Lord Cui was unaware, Lord Lu was unaware; it was all my doing, blinded by greed and utterly unilateral.

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly stood up, and before the guards nearby could react, he had already crashed into a pillar in the palace.

boom!

Blood splattered everywhere, and the person collapsed limply, lifeless!

Xie Yuheng collapsed, and chaos immediately ensued in the hall.

The eunuch shouted for help in a shrill voice, and the imperial guards rushed forward, surrounding the blood-stained palace pillar, afraid of frightening the emperor.

Cui Daoyuan collapsed to the ground. When he saw Lu Chengzhang looking at him, his trousers immediately became wet. He stared at Xie Yuheng's corpse, his teeth chattering.

Lu Chengzhang's gaze felt like it had struck his chest!

"Me too? I can't die!" Cui Daoyuan trembled and shrank back, "Your Majesty, I knew nothing, I really knew nothing!"

The emperor sat on his dragon throne, his expression grim: "Whether you knew about it or not, you are undeniably responsible. Issue an edict to dismiss Cui Daoyuan from his post and order him to receive eighty strokes of the cane! Imprison him in the Ministry of Justice's jail to await trial! The case of the switched examination papers will be jointly tried by the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate. I want to know the truth!"

Cui Daoyuan's throat tightened, and his whole body went limp: "Your Majesty, spare my life!"

Before he could shout again, the guards grabbed his arms and dragged him outside.

Lu Chengzhang stood there, now that Xie Yuheng was dead, there was no way to verify the story. He knelt down voluntarily, "This old minister failed in his duty! I am willing to accept my punishment!"

The emperor looked at him. Politics is about balance. A first-rank official who also serves as the head of the Hanlin Academy is not someone to be easily moved... So the emperor softened his tone and said, "Lu Chengzhang."

Lu Chengzhang immediately bowed and said, "Your subject is here."

"The Hanlin Academy failed in its oversight, and the Ministry of Rites also bears responsibility for failing to investigate. They shall be fined half a year's salary."

Lu Chengzhang's eyes remained cold and unwavering: "Your subject obeys the decree!"

Half a year's salary is not a heavy amount, but in front of all the civil officials, Qin Zhenyue, Beitang Jimin, and Xiao Xingyue, the emperor's punishment was a message to everyone.

This matter ends with Lu Chengzhang, or at least, tonight.

The emperor then looked at Shen Yan:

"Shen Yan is not lacking in talent and learning, and his character is also commendable."

"The top scholar of this imperial examination should have been you. Today, I hereby officially recognize your title and appoint Shen Yan as the top scholar of this imperial examination. He shall be appointed as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, concurrently holding the position of a refined official, and holding the rank of fourth grade."

Shen Yan froze, the pen in his hand falling onto the table and rolling halfway around.

As he knelt, his wound reopened; he gritted his teeth and kowtowed.

"Your subject, Shen Yan, thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness."

The voice was hoarse, and all of them were vibrato.

The emperor waved his hand:

"All of you, step back."

The group bowed and took their leave.

Shen Yan did not leave, but immediately bowed deeply to Xiao Xingyue: "Your Highness's great kindness will never be forgotten in my life. If it weren't for Your Highness, I would have died in the rainy night long ago!"

If it weren't for the Crown Prince, my writings would have remained buried in the mud!

"Your talent and righteousness are like a mighty river flowing endlessly in my heart, or like the Yellow River overflowing its banks, unstoppable..."

"Stop, or you'll sound like a treacherous minister. I, Xiao Xingyue, am a respectable person." Xiao Junlin smiled: "From now on, make good use of your talents for yourself, your family, your country, and your people."

Shen Yan was still in high spirits when Lu Chengzhang walked up to the two of them and stopped, saying, "Your Highness, you've done a remarkable job today."

He then looked at Shen Yan, "Congratulations, Scholar Shen."

Having said that, he turned and left.

Shen Yan's face quickly showed worry. "Your Highness, we've offended Lord Lu today. Will he target you in the future?"

Xiao Xingyue raised an eyebrow. "You should worry about yourself first. Go to Beitang Mansion and get some medicine there. The medicine there is good and free."

The people in the main hall gradually dispersed.

Xiao Xingyue was about to leave when the emperor's personal eunuch suddenly caught up with him, "Your Highness, His Majesty requests your presence!"

"Are you inviting me alone?"

"yes!"

……

After a cup of tea.

Inside the Imperial Study.

Xiao Xingyue stood obediently before the emperor.

"You've caused quite a stir today." The emperor was reviewing the memorials, not even looking up; only his voice could be heard.

Xiao Xingyue cupped his hands and said, "Father, you are wise. Your son was merely upholding justice."

The emperor put down his pen, looked up, and sneered, "Don't give me that. I am not Consort Shu."

Xiao Xingyue shut up. It seems the couple are in cahoots. Consort Shu has been whispering sweet nothings in his ear.

The emperor's gaze was deep: "Very well, you have done a good thing today, uncovering the cheating in the imperial examinations for me."

Xiao Xingyue originally wanted to ask for a reward, hoping to get something for free.

The emperor then abruptly changed the subject, saying, "However, Cui Daoyuan doesn't have the guts to control the imperial examinations, Xie Yuheng is just a pawn, and Lu Chengzhang may not be clean. The power dynamics in the court are complex and intertwined; if one part is touched, the whole situation will be affected. If I were to take action openly, it would be easy for others to deceive me and cover up the truth."

The emperor stared at Xiao Xingyue: "Only you are different. In everyone else's eyes, you're just a troublemaker..."

Xiao Xingyue's lips twitched: "Could you use a more elegant way of saying it?"

The emperor sneered and flicked his sleeve: "I want you to investigate who's behind the cheating in the imperial examinations!"

Xiao Xingyue kept his head down, his mind racing with calculations.

Consort Shu ordered him to investigate, and the Emperor also ordered him to investigate; they both treated him like a horse that broke the herd.

But horses need to eat grass: "Your subject can investigate, but I have conditions."

The emperor looked at him and said, "Speak."