Chapter 83: Outrageous! The Emperor assisted in cheating! (1 / 2)
Xu Yanmiao experienced the warmth of the bureaucracy.
The Crown Grandson experienced the darkness of the bureaucracy.
Both had bright futures ahead.
“I object!” The Crown Grandson’s eyes were bloodshot, and he gritted his teeth. “Why declare him not guilty?”
The emperor’s smile faded slightly. With a solemn expression, he looked at the Crown Grandson. “Gao Qisheng, do you truly believe that your false accusations of Xu Yanmiao’s exam fraud have gone unnoticed by me or the court officials?”
Surely not? Surely someone wouldn’t genuinely think that the court was only acquitting Xu Yanmiao because they feared their own scandals might be exposed? From Xu Yanmiao’s inner thoughts, anyone could tell he was being falsely accused!
Without the ability to hear thoughts, and if it had been any other official, they would already have been unjustly imprisoned. Any examiner implicated would have suffered the same fate. Such things had precedent in the dynasty’s history.
In the twelfth year of the Tiantong era, a candidate who was close friends with an official surnamed Cheng had been seen visiting the official repeatedly before the exams. These visits, though common and considered harmless during exam season, became problematic because the official later happened to be appointed as the chief examiner.
The situation worsened when the candidate, known for his carefree demeanor and exceptional talent, accurately guessed several exam topics and boasted about it. When the exact topics appeared during the exams, he achieved the top scholar position, but rumors spread that his friend had bribed the chief examiner with money and leaked the questions.