Chapter 446

"Fifty-fifty?"

Lan Juan blinked her bright eyes and said in surprise, "Dog slave, you are quite confident."

Then, the pair of charming peach blossom eyes glanced at Huaiqing and snorted, "If you want to enter the palace, you can find me. Why do you bring some irrelevant people?"

"You have become a lot bolder recently." Huaiqing nodded and walked towards her.

According to the previous situation, Lin An would definitely be scared at this time, jump like a little rabbit, and then slip away.

But this time, she didn't leave. She proudly stuck out her small chest, put her hands on her waist, and chose to confront Huaiqing. She shouted in a clear voice, "What? Am I wrong?"

Xu Qi'an quietly stood between the two and said with a wry smile, "Your Highnesses, don't make trouble. There are outsiders around. Don't let people laugh at you."

Aren't you an outsider? Huaiqing glanced at him lightly.

Huaiqing, who had a well-developed body and temperament like an iceberg goddess, frowned slightly. She realized that the relationship between Silver Gong Xu Ningyan and Lin An had rapidly warmed up in a short time.

For example, Xu Qi'an stood between them with his back to Lin An and his face to her. This was a subconscious move to protect the former.

Another example was that when they came together, Lin An and Xu Ningyan were very close to each other, which had exceeded the etiquette between a subject and a princess.

Obviously, Xu Ningyan had gradually moved closer to Lin An. This discovery made Huaiqing inexplicably irritated and uncomfortable.

"Your Highness, didn't you ask me how to deal with this case before? I didn't say it at that time because I was not sure. Now, what should be done has been done. Man proposes, God disposes. "

Xu Qi'an guided the topic and didn't give the two princesses a chance to quarrel. Seeing that he attracted the attention of Huaiqing and Lin An, he continued to say with a smile,

"At first, I was worried about how to prove Erlang's innocence and prove that he didn't cheat, so I racked my brains. But later I found that it didn't matter whether he cheated or not. "

Xu Xinnian was just a reason for the civil officials to start a political game, a reason, or a knife.

In layman's terms, Xu Erlang was a victim of political struggle.

Therefore, the crux of the problem and the key to breaking the stalemate was "political struggle." Only by winning this battle could Erlang receive a fair trial.

Otherwise, was it important for a guy without a backer in the court to be innocent or not?

Huai Qing slightly nodded and said, "What you need to do is to find him a helper, a helper who can win against the imperial court. That was the difficulty.

"His identity as a student of Yunlu Academy has caused him to be bound to be a rootless duckweed. It's already a great fortune for the Dukes to not kick him when he's down, and it's impossible for them to side with him.

"If Duke Wei were to make a move, then those neutral officials would have to step in as well. No one wishes to see Duke Wei and Clouddeer Academy form an alliance, and Grand Secretary Wang probably won't turn a blind eye. "

Huai Qing could see through these mysteries. What troubled her was the word 'helper'.

Without Wei Yuan, how could Xu Qi 'an find someone in the court who could compete with the Left Imperial Censor, Minister Sun, Duke Cao, and the assistant minister of the Ministry of War?

His only source of confidence was Wei Yuan.

"In this game, the Yuanjing Emperor is only the referee … As long as he doesn't take the initiative to mess with Erlang, I can still give it a try …" Xu Qi 'an thought.

…

The officials entered the throne room and remained silent. After waiting for a quarter of an hour, the Yuanjing Emperor arrived.

The black-haired reincarnated emperor wore a simple Daoist robe with fluttering sleeves. He looked more like a Daoist priest than an emperor.

After the normal reading of the memorials, Minister Sun of the Ministry of Justice suddenly stepped out and said loudly, "I have something to report."

In an instant, all eyes looked at the back of the figure in the scarlet official robe. At this moment, the deathly silent atmosphere of the court seemed to surge with a turbulent undercurrent.

A whirlpool spread and surged among the officials in the court.

The foreplay was over, and the curtains were slowly drawn.

The Left Imperial Censor, Yuan Xiong, and the assistant minister of the Ministry of War, Qin Yuandao, quietly straightened their backs, displaying a strong fighting spirit and confidence.

The officials of the Dali Monastery and the other parties who were involved in this matter raised the corners of their lips. They were waiting for the show to begin, but they also couldn't wait to take revenge on Xu Qi 'an and Wei Yuan.

The Grand Secretary, Zhao Tingfang, was alone and weak. He frowned.

If it were under normal circumstances, he wouldn't be afraid of the provocations between the parties or the assistant minister of the Ministry of War. However, the assistant minister of the Ministry of War had come with the "general trend" and tied the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion to the students of the Yunlu Academy. To clear the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion's grievances was equivalent to clearing the grievances of Xu Xinnian. There would be too many enemies.

Inside and outside the hall, the other neutral parties tacitly watched the show and waited to see what would happen. In terms of their stance, they naturally sided with the Minister of Justice, but not the Yunlu Academy.

"Please speak." The Yuanjing Emperor sat high on the dragon throne, full of vigor.

"I was ordered to investigate the case of Zhao Tingfang, the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, accepting bribes and leaking the exam questions to Xu Xinnian. Now the truth has come to light. There were three people involved in the case: Xu Xinnian, a student of the Yunlu Academy, Zhao Tingfang, the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, and his steward.

"In addition, according to Xu Xinnian's confession, he met the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion through his brother, Xu Qi 'an."

Minister Sun finished his report.

The corresponding confession had already been submitted to the Emperor. Anything that was to be discussed in court was always submitted one day in advance.

The Left Imperial Censor, Yuan Xiong, turned his body sideways and looked at Wei Yuan expressionlessly.

The other officials also looked at Wei Yuan, waiting for his response and counterattack. Minister Sun's move was to drag Wei Yuan into the water, not giving him a chance to stand by and watch.

"Your Majesty, I have something to say."

At this time, an old Imperial Censor with white hair stepped forward. It was Zhang Xingying, who had made great contributions in Yunzhou.

The Yuanjing Emperor's answer did not change. He said in a deep voice, "Please speak."

Zhang Xingying glanced at Minister Sun and said loudly, "I want to sue the Minister of Justice, Sun Min, for abusing his power and obtaining a confession under torture. Your Majesty, please order a joint trial of the three departments, and then investigate the imperial examination cheating case. "

This was a commonly used tactic in the bureaucracy: stalling!

The effect of this tactic depended on the Emperor's will.

That's it? Minister Sun sneered and retorted, "This case was personally ordered by Your Majesty. The Ministry of Justice and the magistrate will jointly investigate and supervise each other. How can there be a confession under torture?

"The three criminals are locked up in prison. Whether or not they have confessed under torture, Your Majesty will know once you send someone to investigate."

The Yuanjing Emperor nodded slowly. He no longer looked at Imperial Censor Zhang and asked, "Everyone, how do you think this case should be handled?"

Zhang Xingying stood there in disappointment.

Minister Sun glanced back at Inspector Zhang with slight disdain in his eyes. Such a weak and feeble counterattack, was he planning to give up?

At the same time, Minister Sun could not help but feel disappointed. His Majesty's attitude was clear. Stalling was useless, but he did not immediately decide on the case.

His Majesty was giving Wei Yuan and Zhao Tingfang a chance to fight back.

But the Left Imperial Censor Yuan Xiong, who wanted to drag Wei Yuan into the water, his eyes brightened. He immediately stepped forward and bowed.

"Your Majesty, I feel that this case is extremely serious. After many days, everyone in the capital knows about it. The scholars are full of resentment, and the people are filled with righteous indignation. If we do not deal with it severely, it will not appease the anger of the people."

At this moment, the Dali Monastery official stepped forward. He shook his head and said, "Xu Qi'an represented the Celestial Commissioner in the duel. He has made great contributions and cannot be punished."

The Dali Monastery official's words were harsh. It gave the Yuanjing Emperor and the officials in the hall an arrogant image of "Xu Qi'an is arrogant because of his contributions".

Once these words were spoken, the Yuanjing Emperor had no choice but to punish him. Otherwise, it would prove the saying of "arrogant because of his contributions" and set an extremely bad example.

Zhao Tingfang's henchmen stepped forward to refute.

The officials in the court waited for a while. They were shocked to find that Wei Yuan did not say anything. The imperial censor under him also stopped.

This … is he going to cut off his trusted aide, Xu Qi'an?

All kinds of thoughts flashed through the minds of the officials in the hall. The direction of the wind slowly changed. The official from the Ministry of Appointments stepped forward and tentatively said,

"The official from the Dali Monastery is right. This case must be dealt with strictly and must not be tolerated. Otherwise, the authority of the court and His Majesty will be lost."

For a moment, the officials from the six departments stepped forward and supported the opinion of the official from the Dali Monastery.

As one of the instigators, the assistant minister of the Ministry of War, who had not spoken, turned his head to look at High Duke Cao.

Now that the civil officials had expressed their stance, and High Duke Cao, as a duke of the first rank, had come to add fuel to the fire, a powerful force could be formed in the hall. His Majesty had no reason to fight against this force for a Grand Secretary.

High Duke Cao stepped forward expressionlessly, attracting the attention of the officials and nobles around him.

High Duke Cao also added fuel to the fire in the "imperial examination cheating case" … If he stepped forward on behalf of the nobles, it would be difficult for Wei Yuan, who had lost the upper hand, to reverse the situation. For him, Xu Xinnian might not be important. However, this would create an irreparable rift between him and his trusted aide, Xu Qi'an … the officials thought.

After High Duke Cao stepped forward, he stood side by side with Minister Sun and bowed.

"Your Majesty, I think that the Ministry of Justice and the government have handled this case too lightly. Zhao Tingfang, the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, has always been honest and has a good reputation. Why would he accept bribes?

"In addition, although Xu Xinnian is only a student, there has not been a 'Huiyuan' in Yunlu Academy for many years. How can the great scholars of the academy let this matter rest so easily?"

High Duke Cao's words were actually very simple: Xu Xinnian was a student that Yunlu Academy focused on cultivating. When dealing with him, the attitude of the academy should be considered and not be too harsh.

Minister Sun stiffened his neck and turned his head bit by bit, staring at High Duke Cao in disbelief.

The expressions of the Left Imperial Censor and the assistant minister of the Ministry of War changed slightly. Before the impeachment, the two of them had a secret plan. Then, High Duke Cao took the initiative to add fuel to the fire, and united the nobles to support the two.

Many parties tacitly formed an alliance and worked together.

At this moment, Yuan Xiong and Qin Yuandao were angry as if their "revolution" had been betrayed.

What was going on?!

The officials in the hall could not hide their astonishment. Did High Duke Cao change sides? Then what was the point of adding fuel to the fire before …

Suddenly, the officials were shocked and looked at Wei Yuan.

When did Wei Yuan persuade High Duke Cao, and what benefits did he promise?

Just as the officials were speculating, Wei Yuan came to his senses and looked at High Duke Cao in surprise.

Wei Yuan seemed to be very surprised. He didn't know about it either … This detail fell into the eyes of the officials and made them even more confused.

For a moment, the situation in the court suddenly became strange.

The officials fell into silence and did not immediately jump out to refute. They chose to watch the development of the situation.

The assistant minister of the Ministry of War could not remain silent. He took three steps forward and said in a deep voice,

"Your Majesty, High Duke Cao's words hit the nail on the head. Think about it, if Xu Xinnian was punished lightly because he was a student of Yunlu Academy, how would the Imperial College feel? How would the scholars of the world feel?

"Back then, Emperor Wen Zu established the Imperial College and kicked the scholars of Yunlu Academy out of the court. Why? It was because the scholars of Yunlu Academy had no respect for the emperor and used literature to mess up the law.

"Cheng Yasheng set up a stone tablet in Yunlu Academy and inscribed it: Be righteous and die to repay the emperor's kindness. It was to tell the future generations how to be loyal to the emperor and love the country.

"Do you want to let Emperor Wen Zu's helplessness repeat itself?"

Yuanjing Emperor instantly narrowed his eyes. He was no longer indifferent and changed into a powerful emperor.

Impressive!

Minister Sun and the Chancellor of the Dali Monastery smiled slightly. This move of changing the concept was extremely clever. It was like drawing a line in the court. On one side were the scholars from the Imperial College, and on the other side were the Yunlu Academy.

How to choose in the battle of orthodoxy?

If any civil officials wanted to speak up for Xu Xinnian, they had to consider their own position. They had to consider whether they would betray the court and the officials because of their inappropriate remarks.

The Imperial Censor of the Left, Yuan Xiong, almost laughed out loud. In this way, Wei Yuan had to step down because some words were not suitable for scholars to say. But he, the leader of the eunuch's party, could do so because he was not a scholar from the imperial examinations.

If Wei Yuan stepped down, what would Wang Shoufu say? What would the other neutral civil officials do?

Drag Wei Yuan down and then defeat him with the momentum. Make him compromise and give up the control of the Imperial Censor of the Left, this was an important plan of the Imperial Censor of the Left.

"Hmph!"

At this moment, a cold snort full of anger sounded in the hall.

Everyone turned their heads and saw that it was the invisible Prince Yu. This prince wearing a dark yellow dragon robe stepped out. His face was livid. His temples were white and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were deep, making him look extremely old.

Seeing him step out, the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War, Qin Yuandao, who was emotional just now, suddenly felt his heart sink.

"In the past two hundred years, I have never heard of a scholar from the Yunlu Academy trying to harm a princess. Is this what you scholars from the Imperial College mean by being loyal to the emperor? "

Prince Yu scolded loudly, "Hypocrite!"

Then, he turned to the Yuanjing Emperor and bowed. "Your Majesty, I don't care about the truth of the imperial examinations cheating case. I just feel that the officials in the Ministry of Justice are muddle-headed and incompetent.

"If they knew how to solve the case, my poor Ping Yang would not have died of injustice. If it was not for Xu Qi'an, the night watchman, who investigated the case thoroughly, I am afraid that I would not have been able to clear my name today.

"The imperial examinations cheating case is of great importance. I hope Your Majesty can reopen the case and let the three departments jointly investigate it."

The Yuanjing Emperor frowned and hesitated.

Prince Yu immediately burst into tears. "Your Majesty, my poor Ping Yang …"

Shameless!

Minister Sun, the Chancellor of the Dali Monastery, the Left Imperial Censor, and the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War were shocked. The case of Princess Ping Yang was a thorn between the civil officials and the Yuanjing Emperor.

The Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War had told the Yuanjing Emperor that the scholars from the Yunlu Academy could not control them. Now, Prince Yu was telling the Yuanjing Emperor that the scholars from the Imperial College also had the intention to harm the royal family and would take action.

Wei Yuan laughed in his heart. He had expected that the lad would ask for help from Prince Yu. However, he had a rough guess as to why High Duke Cao would change sides at the last minute, but he could not verify it now.

Although Xu Ningyan was not good at politics, he was very perceptive and could see the blood on the first prick.

At this time, High Duke Cao and the other nobles echoed, forming a faint confrontation with the civil officials.

Grand Secretary Wang watched coldly from the side, but inwardly, he was rather astonished. The current situation of nobles and civil officials confronting each other was something he never expected.

High Duke Cao and Prince Yu were not on the same side, and neither were they on the same side as Wei Yuan. However, it was an undeniable fact that they were working together.

Who was the mastermind behind all this?

The mastermind behind the scenes clearly knew who his enemy was, and thus launched a strategy to find a force that could contend against his' enemy '.

Prince Yu … the case of Princess Ping Yang … it was him?! A guess flashed across Wang Shoufu's mind. He was stunned for a moment, but then his expression returned to normal.

Minister Sun and the others were shocked by the sudden change in the situation. If the case was retried, and the Yamen was involved, then all the plans would be in vain.

In the end, it would lead to a stalemate.

Although Xu Xinnian could not participate in the court examinations because of this, who would care about a Huiyuan?

As an important member of the Royal Faction, Minister Sun kept giving Wang Shoufu looks.

Brother, what's wrong with you? We are fighting a bloody battle at the front, and you are keeping quiet at the back?

Wang Shoufu noticed Minister Sun's look and frowned. From his standpoint, he did not care about the outcome of the case. Firstly, Wei Yuan did not participate, and secondly, Xu Xinnian could not represent the entire Yunlu Academy.

If he really did not like it, he could just find a reason to send him to a corner.

However, as the backbone of the Royal Faction, Minister Sun was the vanguard. If he were to stand by and watch, it would be disappointing. This was the disadvantage of a party.

Most of the time, it was not up to them.

"Your Majesty, I have an idea that can quickly end this case." Wang Shoufu bowed and said slowly,

"We only need to test Xu Xinnian to see if Zhao Tingfang, the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, has leaked the questions. Your Majesty, you can summon him to the palace and you can test him personally. Then, you can ask him to compose a poem in front of the officials.

"We will know if the poem 'Difficult Journey' was written by someone else. As for the essay, the court examination is around the corner. Your Majesty will decide whether Xu Xinnian is truly talented after reading the essay.

"If he is really an idiot, it means that he leaked the question and cheated. He will be severely punished."

The Yuanjing Emperor stared at Wang Shoufu for a moment and smiled, "Your words make sense. We will do as you say."

Minister Sun and the rest were delighted. Wang Shoufu's words seemed to be trying to smooth things over, but it was obvious that he was biased.

His Majesty personally came up with a question to test Xu Xinnian's poetry. Xu Xinnian was asked to compose a poem in the palace hall. In the entire Daibun, only the best poet, Xu Qi 'an, could do this.

If he could not pass this, how could he enter the court examination?

Prince Yu immediately said, "Your Majesty, this is too rash. How can an ordinary person compose a poem so easily?"

Zhang Xingying immediately agreed.

The Left Imperial Censor Yuan Xiong smiled, "Time is limited in the examination. If Xu Huiyuan can compose a poem, why can't he compose a second one?"

"You are wrong, Prince Yu. Xu Xinnian can compose a masterpiece, which means that he is very good at poetry. When he composes another one and compares the two, it will naturally become clear. "

"Your Majesty, this is a good idea."

The Six Imperial Censors supported the idea and the rest of the officials agreed.

Duke Cao did not do anything. He only promised to give Xu Xinnian a lighter punishment, but he did not intend to let him off the hook.

Prince Yu's face darkened. Just as he was about to continue persuading, the Yuanjing Emperor waved his hand and said, "I have made up my mind. Prince Yu, there is no need to say anything more."

…

After the time it took for a stick of incense to burn, a fully armored imperial guard entered the throne room and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, Xu Xinnian is here."

The originally stagnant atmosphere suddenly became lively. The officials in the imperial court were instantly energized.

The Yuanjing Emperor nodded and said in a dignified voice, "Bring him in."

The imperial bodyguard excused himself. A few minutes later, Xu Xinnian, who was dressed in a prisoner's uniform and had handsome facial features, arrived.

He slowly walked through the scarlet-carpeted passage, past the officials on both sides, and arrived in front of the Yuanjing Emperor.

This, this is the legendary throne room?!

This is the place where the officials of the imperial court go to court?!

Why did they bring me to the throne room … A series of question marks flashed through Xu Xinnian's mind. He was so excited that his hands and feet trembled uncontrollably.

In a very low voice, he gave himself a buff, "I will not flinch even if the mountain collapses in front of me!"

In an instant, Xu Erlang's heart was as calm as water in a well. His eyes were clear and bright, as if he did not care about the officials on both sides.

He bowed and said, "Student Xu Xinnian greets Your Majesty."

The imperial guard immediately said, "Your Majesty, the identity has been verified."

The Yuanjing Emperor scrutinized the unruly young man, nodded slightly, and said in a deep voice,

"Let me ask you, did the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion accept bribes and leak the questions to you?"

Xu Xinnian shouted, "Your Majesty, I am innocent."

No one paid attention to his defense. The Yuanjing Emperor lightly interrupted, "I will give you a chance. If you want to prove your innocence, compose a poem in this throne room, and I will personally set the question. Xu Xinnian, do you dare?"

"I don't dare, I don't dare …" Xu Xinnian's face turned slightly pale.

He did not expect to be brought to the throne room and face such a situation.

"It's Hard to Travel" was written by his elder brother, not him. Although he had changed two words, he could pat his chest and say, "This poem was written by me."

However, it was impossible for him to write another poem, especially one that he had to compose on the spot.

"Only a saint could do this …" Xu Xinnian was in despair. He even thought of confessing everything and begging the imperial court to give him a lighter punishment.

But reason told him that once he admitted that he did not write "It's Hard to Travel", he would fall into the abyss.

No one would care that his elder brother bet on the right question.

"What should I do? What should I do? I didn't expect that my first visit to the throne room, Xu Xinnian, would be my last." He deeply understood the hardships and dangers of officialdom.

"Elder brother, what should I do …"

All the officials and the Yuanjing Emperor saw Xu Xinnian's expression.

Minister Sun's eyes flashed with joy. Xu Qi'an's poem had nailed him to the pillar of shame. Now the tables had turned, and it was time for him to be the 15th.

Qin Yuandao, the assistant minister of the Ministry of War, breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that the outcome had been decided. After toppling Zhao Tingfang, his next step was to plot the position of the Eastern Pavilion University.

The Cabinet was Wang Shoufu's territory, and Minister Sun was the backbone of the Royal Faction. It was almost a done deal.

The Left Imperial Censor Yuan Xiong looked at Wei Yuan. He was in a bad mood because Wei Yuan had not made a move yet. As a result, his plan had fallen through.

However, it was not a loss to make Wei Yuan lose a capable subordinate.

"It has come to this …" Wei Yuan sighed silently. When he first learned that Xu Xinnian was involved in the imperial examination cheating case, Wei Yuan felt that it was not a difficult matter. Later, when Xu Qi'an confessed that he had written the poem, Wei Yuan gave him this advice:

"Strive for a lighter punishment."

"This is a fatal flaw."

"Xu Ningyan seems to have something else to rely on. He didn't say it, but I can feel it …" Wei Yuan had a rough guess about Cao Guogong's betrayal at the last minute, but Wei Yuan had no idea how to solve the matter of the poem.

The Yuanjing Emperor looked down at Xu Xinnian, his voice deep and majestic. "You don't dare?"

"Gulp …" Xu Xinnian swallowed his saliva. It did not matter what he did. He gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, please give me the question."

The Yuanjing Emperor smiled and said leisurely, "To be loyal to the emperor and to repay the emperor's kindness. Hmm, I will use 'Loyalty to the Emperor and Country' as the topic and compose a poem. I will give you the time it takes to burn a joss stick. "

Hearing the Yuanjing Emperor's question, Minister Sun and the others could not help but laugh.

The emperor knew that Xu Xinnian was a student of the Yunlu Academy, but still set such a question on purpose.

Moreover, since ancient times, most of the poems about loyalty to the emperor and country were passed down from generation to generation when the country was destroyed. In times of peace, there were very few masterpieces with this topic.

This question was very difficult!

"Loyalty to the emperor and country …" Xu Xinnian's body stiffened, and he stood rooted to the ground.

That day, his eldest brother drew straws and picked out two questions. One was about aspiration, and the other was about patriotism. The aspiration poem had already played a role in the Spring Examination and helped him become the Huiyuan of the current dynasty.

Therefore, the rest of the patriotic poems were naturally useless.

He never expected that the Yuanjing Emperor's question would be a poem about loyalty to the emperor and country.

Could it be … Could it be that His Majesty was in cahoots with my eldest brother? Otherwise, how could such a coincidence be explained?

The Yuanjing Emperor looked at the Spring Examination Huiyuan in the hall expressionlessly. Observing people's expressions was a skill that he had perfected when he was a prince.

Xu Huiyuan's various expressions and eyes showed the fear and despair in his heart, so he was dumbfounded.

Prince Yu, who was also a prince, coughed and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty …"

"Prince Yu!"

The assistant minister of the Ministry of War raised his voice and interrupted, "Time is limited. Don't disturb Xu Huiyuan's poem. The officials in the court are waiting."

Prince Yu's face darkened.

Regarding this, the officials had different expressions. Some were worried, some were happy, some sneered, and some looked on coldly.

In the silence, Xu Xinnian said in a loud voice, "I don't need time. I thank Your Majesty for giving me this opportunity. My eldest brother, Xu Qi 'an, is the Daibun's best poet, and he can write poems easily.

"Of course, I can't embarrass him."

Huh?!

Suddenly, he was so confident?

The officials in the court, Prince Yu, and the Yuanjing Emperor were all stunned.

Shortly after, a rhythmic voice rang out in the inner hall.

"Dark clouds press down on the city, and the city is about to be destroyed. The light of the armor is like golden scales against the sun."

It was a short sentence, but it drew a lifelike picture of a siege in the hearts of all living beings. The enemies rolled in like dark clouds pressing down on the city. On the city wall, the armor of the defending soldiers shone in the sunlight, ready to fight.

Xu Xinnian looked back and slowly swept his eyes over the officials. He recited, "The sound of the horn fills the sky, and in the autumn colors, the swallow fat is stuffed with purple night."

The officials looked at him in surprise. This scholar had never been to the battlefield, but how could he describe the scene of the battlefield so accurately and deeply?

"Half a red flag rolls over the water, and the sound of the frosty drum does not rise."

"What a good 'the frosty drum does not rise'. I seem to have returned to the days when I was guarding the border with my dead body on the battlefield." The Earl of Wei Hai was intoxicated and loudly praised.

The other officials were also immersed in the charm of the poem.

The civil official furrowed his brows and glanced at the vulgar martial artists in displeasure. He was disgusted by their sudden interruption.

Minister Sun glanced at the Left Imperial Censor Yuan Xiong, who looked blankly at the assistant minister of the Ministry of War, Qin Yuandao, who looked at the Minister of Dali Monastery with a pale face.

The four of them exchanged looks silently, and their hearts sank.

The Minister of Dali Monastery said in a low voice, "This poem … is indeed good, but what does it have to do with loyalty to the emperor? What you wrote is only about the battlefield, the great Huiyuan, but you can't even fit the poem.

"If it's not fraud, then what is it?"

"Exactly!" Qin Yuandao said loudly.

Xu Xinnian turned a deaf ear to him and suddenly turned to the Yuanjing Emperor, bowing with his hands clasped in front. His voice became louder and louder, and it echoed in the hall.

"Reporting the emperor's will on the golden platform, and guiding the jade dragon to die for the emperor."

The Minister of Dali Monastery held his breath and looked at Xu Xinnian in a daze. He felt as if his face had been slapped by an invisible hand, and a wave of anger surged in his heart.

Minister Sun and the others also looked pale, and the veins on their foreheads popped.

Reporting the emperor's will on the golden platform, and guiding the jade dragon to die for the emperor … The Yuanjing Emperor leisurely thought about it, and then he smiled, his face full of joy.

"Good poem, good poem. As expected of the Huiyuan, as expected of the scholar who wrote 'A Difficult Journey'. "

From his tone and demeanor, anyone could tell that the Emperor was in a good mood.

After a pause, the Yuanjing Emperor asked, "But, what is the meaning of the golden platform?"

The golden platform should be a high platform made of gold … Xu Xinnian bowed and explained his understanding, "To be loyal to the emperor, and to die for the emperor, not to mention a high platform made of gold, even a jade platform is within your reach."

The Yuanjing Emperor nodded, and the smile on his face deepened, "That's right. The Imperial Court has always been clear about rewards and punishments, and will never mistreat the officials. The same goes for me. "

He continued, "Xu Huiyuan's poetry is not inferior to my brother's. 'A Difficult Journey' was written by you. As for the scripture and policy, I will read them personally during the court examinations. Do not disappoint me.

"If you can enter the second grade, I can promise to let you enter the Hanlin Academy and become a scholar."

The Hanlin Academy was also known as the Prime Minister's office. While scholars were not as good as the first grade, they were qualified to enter the Imperial Cabinet.

Wei Yuan and Wang Shoufu looked at Xu Xinnian, one to the left and the other to the right.

Xu Xinnian heaved a sigh of relief. He suppressed the joy in his heart, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

The Yuanjing Emperor said, "I am tired. Court is dismissed."

It was over. The imperial examination cheating case had come to a close.

Unless Xu Xinnian performed poorly in the court examinations, the chances of this happening were slim to none. As a student of the Yunlu Academy and the Huiyuan of the Imperial Court, he was definitely one of the most talented scholars.

Most importantly, His Majesty seemed to think highly of this child. This was the most important thing.

The officials in the court had a strange expression on their faces. They did not expect the case to end like this.

Going for wool and coming home shorn … Minister Sun's expression was ugly. After the court examinations and the imperial examination cheating case was over, there would definitely be people who would take the opportunity to accuse him of abusing his power and framing him.

The officials of the six departments, as well as the other third-rank officials, were all disappointed and dissatisfied.

This dissatisfaction reached its peak when they heard the Yuanjing Emperor promise to let Xu Xinnian enter the Hanlin Academy.

What right did a student of the Yunlu Academy have to enter the Hanlin Academy? In the two hundred years since the establishment of the Imperial Academy, there had never been such a thing.

The officials in the hall, as well as the officials outside, dispersed with complicated feelings. As they passed through the square, they saw a silver gong standing with a knife.

He faced the Meridian Gate and the officials.

The two princesses, Huaiqing and Lin An, stood at a distance and did not stand next to Xu Qi 'an.

On one side, there were hundreds of people dressed like beasts and they were officials with real power.

On one side was a coarse warrior who lived alone, and the night watchman played the silver gong.

He single-handedly blocked the most powerful group of people in the Great Consort.

The officials noticed the small silver gong that was blocking the way and recognized his identity. There was no one in the capital who did not know him.

What did he want to do?

Was this crude martial artist trying to be smug and show off his prowess?

The six officials, assistant ministers, the six officials, the royal family, the nobles … Pairs of eyes fell on Xu Qi 'an, examining him.

A mere Warrior dares to block our way?

A man and a knife stood at the Meridian Gate, blocking the officials.

Xu Qi 'an faced the officials and slowly swept his eyes over them. Suddenly, he sneered and sank his qi into his dantian. He slowly said,

"Your body and name will be destroyed, but the river will flow for eternity … Bah!"

He spat out a mouthful of saliva and left with his saber in hand.

The crowd mocked him!

Inside and outside the Meridian Gate, there was a dead silence.