One day at the end of February, a rumor suddenly began to circulate among the officialdom of the capital. The reason why the spring examination fraud case had been so quickly and accurately solved was all because the Overwatch Council had a list of students who had bribed the examinees. And this list had been provided to the Overwatch Council by Master Fan junior, who was known as the immortal poet. It was said that Sir Fan Xian deeply detested the accumulated abuses in the imperial examinations. He was abnormally angry that the diligent scholars of the world could not obtain a fair promotion after ten years of hard work. That was why he ignored the layers of traps in the officialdom and bravely wrote a memorial to the Emperor. He did not hesitate to sell himself to corrupt officials in the court in order to obtain that important list.
In short, the rumor was bizarre. It was said that Fan Xian was a man of great wisdom and courage. That list was clearly not a secret, but it was said to be the most sinister piece of paper in Qing officialdom. Fan Xian could tell at a glance that this was the work of those from the Eighth Bureau of the Overwatch Council.
As soon as this rumor spread, Fan Xian immediately became a thorn in the side of the officials of the Board of Rites, a thorn in the flesh. But on the other hand, his reputation in the eyes of the common people and the scholars of the world took another step forward. Although the Imperial College and the Tongwen Pavilion maintained their silence, Fan Xian had now become the spiritual leader of the scholars.
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Fan Xian straightened his collar and sleeves. "Isn't this leader a little too new?" He then gently patted his sister's worried face. "What are you worried about? My brother is one of the most powerful princes in Qing. " His voice was very soft, and his words were very strange. But Fan Ruoruo still understood, even though she did not understand the deeper meaning hidden within.
Lin Wan'er did not hear. Even if she had, she probably would not have understood. In any case, she was not as worried as her sister-in-law. Smiling, she tied the jade ruyi that the empress had given her to her husband's belt. Pretending to dust it, she said, "Come back soon."
It was as Count Sinan had said. Fan Xian was too immature, and had left behind too many problems. Once the rumor spread, Jingdou was shocked. Everyone's gaze fell on Fan Xian. Although the people behind the officials who had fallen from power because of the corruption case were wary of Fan Xian's background, they still began to move. That morning, a young censor from the Imperial Censorate had already sent a letter to the palace, accusing Fan Xian of fraud and immoral conduct.
Fan Xian had left to go to the Ministry of Justice to be tried. Originally, the cheating case had been investigated by the Overwatch Council, but the officials who had suffered greatly from the scandal were not willing to let the Overwatch Council deal with Fan Xian, so they used the Ministry of Justice's route. The Ministry of Justice had never been on good terms with the Prime Minister, nor did they have any friendship with Fan Xian.
The Ministry of Justice had never been on good terms with the Prime Minister, nor did they have any relationship with Fan. Fan Xian looked at the serving girl, whom he hadn't seen much in recent days, and laughed. "When I was little, I told you that the words' go well 'were not very auspicious." Sisi pursed her lips and smiled. "Then I hope the young master will leave early and return early."
"Alright. Cook a bowl of millet porridge for the young master to drink. Put in some sweet millet from Danzhou. I haven't tasted your cooking in a long time." Fan Xian suddenly turned his head and asked, "How are the things I asked you to copy?"
These days, Fan Xian didn't know how to deal with Sisi, who had grown up with him. He also didn't want her to continue being a servant girl in the Fan manor, so he arranged for her to go to the study to help him copy books. Sisi had rarely spoken to her young master these days, and her heart was naturally uneasy. Hearing her young master's question, she cheerfully said, "I'm almost done copying."
"That's good." Fan Xian nodded and walked out. He smiled at his wife and sister. "Look, the servant girl I brought up is different. She's even calmer than you, Ruoruo."
Fan Ruoruo whispered worriedly, "That's because Sisi doesn't know how serious today's matter is."
It was indeed serious. Fan Xian had offended too many people by exposing the corruption case. Seeing how the court officials were willing to go against the Prime Minister and Count Sinan in order to bring him to the Ministry of Justice, it was obvious how serious the matter was.
Exiting the main gate of Fan Manor, the usually quiet street in the south of the city seemed very crowded today. The officials from the Ministry of Justice who had come to arrest him had a worried expression on their faces. They hid behind the stone lions like thieves. At the main gate, Fan Sizhe was leading a group of guards and servants from Fan Manor, beating up the officials with long brooms in their hands.
On the street, many scholars and commoners who had heard that Fan Xian was going to be put on trial had swarmed in. They already knew that Fan Xian had something to do with the scandal that had shaken the capital's officialdom. The commoners' simple minds didn't care about what was behind the scandal. They only knew that Fan Xian was talented, kind, and a good man. But a good man was going to be put on trial today, so they all felt wronged on Fan Xian's behalf.
Fan Xian stood at the gate and smiled as he looked at the crowd outside the manor. He saw that most of them were young scholars, and he knew that Chen Pingping's trick had worked. He whispered to Teng Zijing, who was beside him. "Where are Shi Chanli and the other three now?"
"According to the young master's orders, they are currently being secretly protected by the Overwatch Council. Sir Wang Qinian suggested that the four should be sent to King Jing's manor, lest the court officials use this matter to frame you. But I believe that the young master doesn't want to have anything to do with Crown Prince Jing, so I declined, "Teng Zijing replied in a low voice.
Fan Xian looked at Teng Zijing with some surprise. He hadn't expected the man to guess the situation he least wanted to see. If he sent the four scholars to King Jing's manor, it seemed safe, but in the eyes of the Eastern Palace, exposing the scandal would no longer be purely out of a sense of justice and His Majesty's edict. Instead, it would be to stand on the side of the second prince and attack the crown prince. If that happened, the relationship between him and the Eastern Palace would be irreconcilable.
Seeing Fan Xian walk out of the manor gate, the surrounding scholars burst into cheers. They all surged forward and shouted something. It was nothing more than to express their admiration and support for Sir Fan junior's righteous shoulders.
Fan Xian smiled like a star from his previous life and waved his hand. He said quietly to Teng Zijing, "The biggest problem with scholars is that they are too simple."
Teng Zijing smiled and didn't say anything. Fan Xian suddenly laughed happily. "If there's a chance in the future, do you want to leave the capital and become an official? With the power of your family, it's not a problem to make sure you become a sixth or seventh-level parent. "
Teng Zijing was surprised. Although he had been educated, he had always been a guard. Why did the young master want to become an official? But then he remembered that the young master might need someone he could trust in the provinces of the Kingdom of Qing. After a pause, he replied, "It's all up to you, young master."
"Up to me?" Fan Xian laughed. "It's a pity that the Kingdom of Qing doesn't have Baling County."
Fan Xian's face had always been clear and beautiful. Now that he was laughing heartily, it was even more radiant, like a spring breeze. The scholars who had come to support him felt very gratified. The immortal poet Fan Xian should look like this.
He rubbed Fan Sizhe's head and told his brother not to cause trouble. Only then did he politely bid farewell to the officials of the Ministry of Justice, get into his own carriage, and head for the Ministry of Justice.
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…
The crowd gradually dispersed, and the scholars who were rushing to take the exam also chased after the yamen of the Ministry of Justice. No one noticed that Fan Manor's valiant guards were escorting another carriage out of the southern street of the city, heading in the direction of the royal palace. Lin Wan 'er sat in the carriage. Last night, she and Fan Xian had discussed this in bed. Today, she had to go to the palace to explain things to the Eastern Palace and the other palaces.
Elsewhere, Fan Xian was alone. He walked into the main hall of the Ministry of Justice. The hall was a little gloomy. The wind whistled in, and the early spring weather made him feel a little cold. But he still smiled and cupped his hands in salute to the three people sitting high above. "Greetings, sir."
The spring examination fraud case was a big deal, and Fan Xian was a key figure in it. So other than the Minister of Justice, there were also two high-ranking officials from the Supreme Court and the Imperial Censorate. On both sides of the hall, there was a row of officials from the 13 yamens. It was a frightening sight.
Fan Xian frowned, realizing that the other party had not replied. After a while, he suddenly heard a shout. The Minister of Justice, Han Zhiwei, asked coldly, "Is the person standing in the hall the fifth-level Imperial Scholar Fan Xian of the Imperial College?"
Fan Xian was no longer the young calf who had just entered Jingdou with a smile on his face in the Jingdou government. He glanced at the Minister and lightly said, "That is me."
"I called you here today to inquire about the spring examination."
Fan Xian smiled and said, "As far as I know, the spring examination fraud case was handled by the Overwatch Council by imperial edict. I didn't know the Ministry of Justice was involved."
Hearing this rude reply, the three officials sitting high above were furious. But they knew that the man in front of them was at the height of his popularity. He had the Prime Minister and a minister behind him. After the fraud case, he had gained the respect of the scholars, so they couldn't do anything to him. The Minister of Justice, Han Zhiwei, had always prided himself on being sober and honest. He couldn't stand such arrogance. He snorted and said, "I am handling this case under imperial edict. Don't make excuses."
Fan Xian shook his head. "I am not making excuses. I just don't know why you have summoned me here. If you are asking about the details of the spring examination fraud case, I am sorry. The Overwatch Council has strict orders that before the case is closed, I am not allowed to reveal it. "
The Minister of Justice was so angry that he laughed. "Are you not going to answer the court's questions?"
"The Overwatch Council is a part of the court, and the Ministry of Justice is a part of the court." Fan Xian sighed. "As you know, this matter involves too many people. I really don't know how to handle it. The laws of Qing do not make it clear."
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