Transmigrated into a minor official in a county government, with children at home waiting for rice t

"I've never seen him. I've only heard people talking about it privately. They say that Zhang Silang often goes to the professor's residence and sometimes doesn't leave until dark."

Song Qi paused, then lowered his voice even further, "I even witnessed it once with my own eyes. Last autumn, it was already dark when I went to the backyard to empty the swill. I saw Zhang Silang come out of the back door of the professor's house and climb over the wall back to the school dormitory."

Kong Youan didn't reply, he just looked at Song Qi.

Thinking he didn't believe him, Song Qi quickly added, "More than once. I've seen him at least two or three times. There was even a time when he came back over the wall just before dawn, his clothes disheveled and his hair loose."

Kong Youan looked down at him. "You just said that someone rumored Zhang Silang passed the imperial examination because of his connections with the professor. Who said that?"

Song Qi thought for a moment, "Many people have said this. Some people also said that this year's exam questions were obtained in advance from the examiners by the headmaster's grandfather. The headmaster got first place, and Zhang Silang and a few others also benefited from it."

"Zhang Silang usually followed Wang Zheng, the head of the dormitory, around, serving him tea, water, and towels. He was even more attentive than the proper pageboys in the Wang family."

Kong Youan's expression changed slightly. "Is that so?"

"I only heard it from others." Song Qi swallowed. "The old man of the head of the study, Wang Zheng, is named Wang Boyong. He served as a prefect for two terms and is now retired."

"The Wang family is the most powerful in Puzhou. Their farmland and shops are spread throughout the counties. I heard that some members of the Wang family hold official positions outside the city and have connections in the Ministry of Personnel."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "After the results were announced, several candidates were dissatisfied and jointly filed a complaint with the state government, accusing the examiners of cheating and colluding with the Wang family. The commotion lasted for more than a month, but in the end, nothing was found."

"The prefect suppressed the matter, and the seven people went to the capital for the provincial examination as usual. I'm just a cook, and I only heard about these things from the students' casual conversations."

Kong Youan picked up his teacup and took a sip. The tea had gone cold. He frowned, and his trusted aide quickly took it away.

"Would you be willing to write down and sign what you just said?"

Song Qi's expression changed.

He opened his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. He stared at the ground for a long while before speaking, "Sir, I was just saying it casually. Write it down... I'm afraid..."

Kong Youan didn't urge him. He simply pulled a piece of paper from the corner of the desk, laid it out in front of him, and picked up a brush. The brush was fully dipped in ink, and the nib hovered above the paper, waiting.

The room was quiet for a moment.

Song Qi's forehead was covered in a fine sheen of sweat, which he wiped with his sleeve.

He finally nodded. "I am willing. But could you please put in a good word for me and let me leave sooner? I have an elderly mother at home, she is over seventy years old and there is no one to take care of her."

Kong Youan glanced at him, twitched the corner of his mouth, and said, "Let's make things clear first, then we can discuss it further."

Song Qi gritted her teeth and recounted the story again.

Kong You'an wrote with great speed and precision, noting down every single word. When he wrote, "Zhang Silang scaled the wall into the professor's house, and only came out when it was almost dawn, his clothes disheveled," he paused for a moment, then continued writing.

After he finished writing, he turned the paper over for Song Qi to see.

Song Qi was illiterate and just stared blankly at the ink marks.

Kong Youan handed him the pen and pointed to the blank space at the end of the paper.

Song Qi found it more difficult to take the pen than to hold a spatula. He clumsily gripped the pen, made a mark, and then pressed his fingerprint.

Kong You'an tucked the confession into his sleeve and gestured with his chin towards Clerk Sun. Clerk Sun stepped forward, pulled Song Qi up, and escorted him back to his cell.

A man in his thirties came in from outside the door, wearing a slightly worn blue cloth shirt and carrying a cup of hot tea.

His name was Liu Cheng. He was originally a nominal clerk in the criminal justice department. Kong You'an brought him along when he was transferred to the prison city. Nominally, he was a scribe in the prison camp, but in reality, he was a trusted confidant.

"Clerk, what did Song Qi say?" Liu Cheng put the teacup on the table, still using the old form of address.

Kong Youan sat down behind the desk, pulled Song Qi's confession from his sleeve, and pushed it over.

Liu Cheng picked it up and looked it over. His eyes lit up. "Clerk, this is a good handle. Zhang Silang has just been released from prison. If this confession is submitted to the prefectural government, he may lose his qualification for the provincial examination."

Kong Youan picked up the freshly brewed hot tea, blew on it leisurely, and said nothing.

Liu Cheng leaned forward. "Clerk, we have a grudge against Zhang Sanlang. Although he has severed ties with the Zhang family, who knows if it's a real break or just a pretense? Maybe it's just a cover-up for outsiders."

"If Zhang Silang passes the imperial examination, Zhang Sanlang will have a powerful backer. If we don't suppress Zhang Silang now, it will be difficult to make a move once he actually passes the examination."

Kong Youan put down his teacup and looked at Liu Cheng. "Who set the exam questions?"

Liu Cheng was taken aback. "An examiner sent by the Transport Department."

"Can a state university professor handle this?"

Liu Cheng thought for a moment, "No. The examiners are from out of state; professors can't even get into the exam room."

"Is Song Qi's claim that Zhang Silang passed the imperial examination because of his connections with the professors valid?"

Liu Cheng fell silent.

Kong Youan leaned back in his chair. "Song Qi also said that someone filed a joint complaint, alleging that the examiners colluded with the Wang family and that Wang Boyong bought the exam questions. If this is true, it involves more than just Zhang Silang."

"Wang Boyong served two terms as prefect, and was even a guest of honor of the prefect. The Wang family held absolute power in the prefecture. If I submit this kind of case, am I helping the prefectural government investigate, or am I just creating trouble for myself?"

Liu Cheng's expression changed. "What does the clerk mean..."

"I'm not getting involved in this mess." Kong You'an picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Even if the affair between Zhang Silang and the professor's wife is true, it's just a matter of personal moral failings, not cheating in the examination. The prefecture won't strip him of his academic title because of this."

Liu Cheng was somewhat unwilling, "So we're just going to leave it at that?"

A cold smile crept onto Kong Youan's lips. "Who said it's over?"

Liu Cheng looked at him.

"Song Qi's confession doesn't need to be sent to the prefectural government. Just send someone to Juancheng to find a few gossipy people to talk about it in teahouses, taverns, and docks."

Kong Youan tapped his fingers twice on the table. "Just say that Zhang Silang passed the imperial examination because he had an affair with the professor's daughter, and the professor helped him with the exam questions. Don't make it too true; half-truths are best. The more it's spread, the more believable it becomes, and the more believable it becomes, the more it'll spread."

Liu Cheng thought for a moment, "But Clerk, Zhang Sanlang has already severed ties with the Zhang family. Even if Zhang Silang's reputation is ruined, it won't really affect Zhang Sanlang, right?"

Kong Youan glanced at him, his smile deepening. "Think about it. When the Zhang family hears these rumors, who will be the first person they suspect?"

Liu Cheng paused for a moment, then suddenly realized and laughed, "Zhang Sanlang. The Zhang family must think that Zhang Sanlang is just jealous and deliberately spread rumors."

Kong Youan shrugged easily, "Whether the break in ties is real or not, there's a high chance they'll fight each other. They might even end up with their brains turned into dog brains. I'd be happy if either of them died."

Liu Cheng nodded with a smile, "The clerk is quite skilled. He didn't need to lift a finger; he let them fight like dogs."

Kong Youan waved his hand, "Go. Find someone reliable, and don't leave any loose ends."

Liu Cheng responded and turned to leave. The door closed behind him.

Kong Youan read Song Qi's confession again and tucked it into a folded page of a case file on the table. He picked up his teacup; the tea had gone cold. He frowned, but still drank it.