Chapter 246 - 108: A Loving Hug (2)
The First Madam saw that Song Yunzhao truly didn’t look like she had known beforehand. She asked hesitantly, "Why did you have people ask about the Autumn Examination before, Concubine?"
"Consort Lu lost her title because of me. I knew the Emperor had appointed the Right Minister as the chief examiner, so I wanted to take some precautions in advance. If the Right Minister earns merit from this Autumn Examination, he might petition the Emperor to restore Consort Lu’s title, which would not be good for me."
’So that’s why.’ The First Madam breathed a small sigh of relief. It was a reasonable explanation. The Concubine was meticulous in her affairs; taking precautions was always better than being forced to react suddenly.
"Eldest Aunt, you still haven’t told me what exactly happened with the Autumn Examination," Song Yunzhao said, feigning curiosity.
The First Madam got to the point. "You may not know this, Concubine, but this time, the exam questions were leaked."
"What?" Song Yunzhao looked utterly shocked. "Eldest Aunt, this is no laughing matter."
The First Madam took a few sheets of paper from her sleeve, handed them over, and said, "Take a look at this, Concubine."
Song Yunzhao took them and examined them closely. "From the handwriting on these answers, it looks like my eldest cousin’s."
"Your eldest cousin bought these for a hefty price. He originally thought they were just someone’s predictions, but he never expected them to be identical to the real questions." The First Madam’s voice was filled with indignation. "The questions were sold at exorbitant prices, and most of the buyers are incompetent fools. Doesn’t this mean that truly talented men like your eldest cousin and your cousin-in-law will be trampled underfoot?"
Song Yunzhao looked at the First Madam. "Eldest Aunt, since my eldest cousin bought the exam questions, he should have been confident in his answers."
The First Madam’s expression was pained. "Your eldest cousin turned in a blank paper."
Song Yunzhao was stunned. ’I could applaud my eldest cousin for this, give him a thumbs-up. He’s a truly brilliant man.’
She hadn’t coordinated with her eldest cousin, but his turning in a blank paper was an immense boost to her plan.
’What does one call a godsent teammate?’
’This is it!’
Song Yunzhao immediately said, "My eldest cousin is a true gentleman. Eldest Aunt, please don’t be sad or angry. The Autumn Examination is a major state affair for selecting talent for the court. How can we allow these vermin to scheme for personal gain? I will be sure to bring this to the Emperor’s attention and ask His Majesty to render a decision and bring justice to all the scholars."
Hearing Yun Zhao’s words, the First Madam finally relaxed. "It won’t be enough with you acting alone," she said. "We’ll have to coordinate our efforts from the inside and the outside."
Song Yunzhao nodded at once. "You’re right, Eldest Aunt. Did my cousin-in-law see the questions as well?"
The First Madam sighed. "Your eldest cousin isn’t one to keep things to himself. Once he got something this good, of course he showed it to your cousin-in-law. However, your cousin-in-law had already answered the first day’s questions. It was only later, when they were moving to a different examination hall, that he ran into your cousin. He didn’t write anything on the papers after that."
Song Yunzhao understood. Her cousin-in-law must have been prompted by her eldest cousin.
Still, for her cousin-in-law to follow her eldest cousin’s lead, he must be a man of courage as well.
"I will report this matter to His Majesty. Eldest Aunt, when you return, have my eldest cousin and cousin-in-law expose this affair. The bigger the uproar, the better. Since my eldest cousin decided to submit a blank paper, he must know this is a golden opportunity. He’ll know what to do. Tell him to go ahead with it, and I will handle everything here in the palace. This is a chance for our Song Family to take another step forward. We absolutely cannot miss it."
Song Yunzhao’s words made the First Madam’s heart pound with both fear and excitement. ’Fortune favors the bold,’ and her son’s future was, of course, the most important thing. With Yun Zhao’s assurance, the First Madam knew what she had to do.
"I’ll leave the palace at once. Just wait for good news, Concubine." The First Madam immediately rose to take her leave.
Song Yunzhao nodded. "Eldest Aunt, the Right Minister is serving as an examiner, and the Left Minister is his rival. I wonder if the Left Minister’s son is participating in the Autumn Examination this year. If he is, have my cousin find a way to join forces with him."
’With the Left Minister backing them, the Right Minister will surely be unable to suppress this matter.’
’Besides, with me steering things from the palace, the Left Minister won’t try to steal the credit from my cousin and cousin-in-law.’
’Suppressing the Right Minister has been the Left Minister’s ambition for years. Now that he has an opportunity, he’ll certainly give it his all.’
The First Madam’s eyes lit up. "You’re right, Concubine. I’ll leave the palace and inquire about it right away."
After seeing the First Madam off, Song Yunzhao suppressed her excitement and called Anshun in. "How are the preparations for the task I gave you?"
"Rest assured, Master. Everything has been arranged."
"Leave the palace at once and find the men you’ve scouted. When the commotion starts outside, have them take the lead in finding my eldest cousin," Song Yunzhao instructed Anshun. ’Song Buran can’t do this alone. He’ll need key supporters to rally behind him.’
For the past several days, Anshun had been scouting talent for Song Yunzhao. The targets were erudite and capable men who were also zealous and possessed a strong sense of justice. For such talent, quality was more important than quantity. In total, he had found two such men.