Palace Fighting Naive Concubines’ Ascent to Power
Chapter 563: What a Great Nerve

Chapter 563: Chapter 563: What a Great Nerve

At his age, he guaranteed that the Imperial Heir was absolutely unharmed. As early as the day before yesterday, when Commander Han had presented Lian Mu’s exam papers for reporting, he had noticed something unusual.

At that time, the Young Eunuch spoke twice, once to instruct that the exam papers be temporarily sealed and placed on the imperial desk, and another that His Majesty would see no one.

If the Imperial Heir had truly been in trouble, how could His Majesty still care about the exam papers, to specifically instruct that one phrase?

Knowing subtly and seeing clearly, he concluded that the Imperial Heir was fine. Yesterday morning, His Majesty had specifically reprimanded Chen Bian’s leadership, further confirming his judgment.

If his guess were not wrong, His Majesty was now fishing, and whoever jumped out would be the fish.

Now, the exam papers had already reached His Majesty’s hands, and he was probably looking at them right now.

His Majesty could deceive others, but he couldn’t deceive him, which was why he was not in a hurry.

Alas, it was a pity he could not see the exam papers firsthand, truly a pity, and he still had to avoid suspicion; the matter of accepting disciples had to be delayed.

He shrugged off the person supporting him and said spiritedly, "Let go of this old man, I am not dizzy anymore, I can still walk."

After saying this, he ignored the stunned expressions of those around him and leisurely walked toward the exit of the palace.

As the Minister of Revenue thought, the Emperor had left those trifling matters behind and returned to Canglan Court.

The box holding the sealed exam papers was now on his desk, along with the dossier of the person who had come forward today, detailing their background and promotions, all laid out on his desk.

He had already arranged for the Internal Guard Bureau to follow along to the morning court session, and the reactions of all present were noted down.

The Emperor picked up General Zhao’s dossier and opened it.

That Zhao Zhong would jump out today had truly been unexpected.

This man came from a humble background, starting as a minor official, shrewd and capable, having been promoted many times, and never making mistakes over the years; otherwise, he couldn’t have become the Assistant Deputy Censor-in-chief.

His past records showed no interactions with Xue Ping, yet he could be used by Xue Ping, hidden very deeply.

He put down the dossier, summoned someone, and ordered a thorough investigation into this person’s life, wanting everything clean and turned upside-down.

He wanted to see if more people would jump out afterward.

After handling these matters, he looked toward the dressing table across from him, where some petals were still scattered, but the charming figure was missing, truly leaving an empty feeling.

His Little Concubine had said she couldn’t disturb him and had gone to play at Nanny Qi’s.

With an indulgent shake of his head, he withdrew his gaze and focused on the box containing the sealed exam papers, a box that affected all scholars across the land. Once opened, the matter of the Taiyuan Prefecture local examination would be settled.

His impression of Lian Mu was still quite favorable; he hoped this young man would not disappoint his expectations.

The Emperor reached for the box, opened it, and looked inside.

He spread out the rolled-up paper, which was thicker than usual.

At first glance, the small script was still refreshing to read, and the level of writing was very impressive.

To be able to write so steadily under those circumstances, improving rather than declining, was indeed commendable.

As he continued to read, the Emperor became more and more interested. This young man indeed had talent. A single "public" was eloquently discussed, ranging from governance to public welfare, integrating the sage’s explanations of "public" from ancient times into the text, complemented by his personal insights. His views were unique and innovative, engaging to the reader.

This paper differed from his previous exam writings, containing no flowery prose, and even being plain to the point of being unadorned. Yet, it was very comfortable to read, and anyone who saw it could feel the palpable talent coming forth.

Soon, the Emperor had finished reading the document and couldn’t help but praise enthusiastically, "Excellent!"

It has been a long time since I last read such a compelling essay. Just by this paper alone, one can affirm that Lian Mu from Taiyuan Prefecture truly deserves the title of Jieyuan.

If the Minister of Rites and the Minister of Personnel were to see this essay, delighted by the talent displayed, they would undoubtedly fight over acquiring this disciple.

However, he always felt that this essay differed somewhat from the practicality expressed in the same candidate’s provincial exam essay, prompting him to review it carefully once again and affirm his suspicions.

The Emperor slightly furrowed his brows. It was the practicality demonstrated in the provincial exam’s essay that had piqued his interest, thus he had orchestrated this re-examination specifically to test this candidate’s character, to see if he could truly handle the responsibility.

There are many who can write splendid essays; this one was indeed among the best, but it was not what he was looking for.

He felt slightly disappointed but then relaxed his mind.

This re-examination was focused on whether the candidate could withstand the test, not on his literary style.

Given this context, it was understandable for the essay to be written this way. After undergoing thorough reviews by several scholars, the essay should be published as a public document, and sticking to the provincial exam style might have been inappropriate, potentially leading to various issues.

Having understood this, the Emperor rolled up the document again, but something felt off as he reached the end.

He pinched the edge of the document and suddenly teased out two sheets—there had been another sheet folded underneath, the two sheets nested perfectly together, almost as if glued, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

No wonder this document felt much thicker than the usual examination paper—it had another layer altogether.

The Emperor’s expression turned stern. Talent was good, but engaging in undue manipulation was unacceptable; he was always ready to assume the worst in people.

With his mood spoiled, his impression of this person worsened significantly; he tossed the document back into the box, unwilling to look at it further.

Since the topic was "Public," he would grant the candidate fairness, a virtue he upheld as an Emperor, but he would no longer consider him for special employment. He disliked those who were too clever for their own good.

Just as he was about to call someone to return the box to the Star Palace, the Emperor paused.

The candidate’s demeanor and writing style were both generous and dignified, unbecoming of such actions—there must be a reason.

Drumming his fingers on the desk, he chuckled softly. "Well, might as well have a look, let’s see what this candidate stirs up."

He spread out the document again, lifting the first sheet to reveal the second, which indeed had been sealed together with a drop of ink.

Compared to the well-rounded fluency of the first sheet, the second sheet’s characters, though similar in form, possessed an added sharpness, like a sword drawn from its sheath.

It truly concealed a deeper message.

The Emperor realized something as he slowly read on.

After just a few lines, his expression hardened, his breathing quickened, and he read on swiftly, his heart pounding and his face shifting through various expressions.

The style of the second document was starkly different from the first—it was incisive, striking at the core issues, tightly arguing about "injustice," exposing the nation’s festering sores, yet also pointing out solutions, undoubtedly revealing its sharpness.

This was written explicitly for him!

The candidate had audacious courage—how could he presume that writing this document would allow him to escape unscathed?!

Even as an Emperor, there were things clear to him that he could only store in his heart, planning slowly—how could he speak rashly, raising others’ vigilance?

It involved the interests of too many, especially those of the aristocratic clans.