Li Mu wanted to remind Li Si not to say anything out loud, but it was clearly too late.
The Empress couldn't know everything that happened in the Immortal's Capital, but in this courtyard, nothing could escape her ears.
Disaster comes from the mouth. If a person could control their mouth, they would be able to avoid many unnecessary disasters.
Li Si left and everything seemed to be fine, but Li Mu knew that something was brewing in the dark.
Sure enough, just as he approached the courtyard, the Empress walked out of the garden and asked, "What were you talking about?"
Li Mu said nervously, "Li Si can't control his mouth. Your Majesty is a magnanimous person, so please don't lower yourself to his level. Your Majesty, what do you want to eat today? I'll make it for you …"
Zhou Yi glanced at him and said, "I heard Xiao Bai say that there's a dish called Wen Si Tofu. How come I've never heard of it?"
Li Mu said, "I'll go buy some tofu now."
The Empress liked to eat tofu, so Li Mu made her tofu every day, and the dish was different every day.
With the frequency of the Empress coming to Li Mu's residence, it wouldn't be long before all the tofu dishes in Li Mu's mind would be squeezed dry by her.
Although Wen Si Tofu was a test of knife skills, it wasn't difficult for the current Li Mu. A divine ability cultivator could control their body to a very delicate level.
There was no more tofu in the house, so he walked out and prepared to buy a piece on the street. Not long after, he saw a person crawling out of a ditch on the side of the road.
The man's body was covered in vegetable leaves and dirty water. Even from afar, Li Mu could smell the stench.
He immediately held his breath. Just as he was about to leave, he took a closer look and realized that it was Li Si.
Li Mu was stunned. "What's wrong with you?"
Li Si shook his head and said, "I was walking on the road and accidentally stepped on air. I'll go to your house to wash up and change my clothes …"
"There's no need. Let's do it here …"
Li Mu formed a seal with both hands, and a water column condensed in the void. It poured down from the top of Li Si's head and washed away the filth on his body.
How could a mighty Assembled Spirit cultivator fall into a ditch by the roadside for no reason?
Li Si was not surprised by this at all, as if he really treated it as an ordinary accident.
Li Mu couldn't think of anyone else who could do this without anyone noticing.
No one knew better than him how petty the Empress was.
If Li Si were to return to the Li residence, it would not be as simple as falling into the gutter.
He waved his hand to disperse the stench around him and said, "When you see Miss Zhou in the future, don't shoot your mouth off. She has a powerful background. With just a thought, she can make you unable to survive in Fairy's Capital …"
…
In the sky above the Fairy's Capital, the names on the Honor Roll were still shining with golden light.
This list would stay in the air for three days. Every name on it would be bestowed with glory.
At the entrance of the examination hall, countless examinees sighed and left.
The way of the imperial examination was like a thousand soldiers and ten thousand horses crossing a single wooden bridge. Only one out of ten people would be able to make it on the list. This was only the first year. In future imperial examinations, the various counties would be able to recommend more talents. It would probably be one out of a hundred, or even one out of a hundred …
Those who made it on the list naturally had limitless glory, but they were in the minority. Most of the examinees were just accompanying them.
After the examinees left, the officials of the various ministries walked out of the examination hall.
An official from the Ministry of Revenue shook his head and said, "The competition for the imperial examination is too cruel. Many examinees who scored full marks in mathematics could only miss the list because of criminal law."
Another official said, "The questions on criminal law are too difficult. I've seen the test paper. Even if I did it myself, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to pass. Who knew that there are so many twists and turns in criminal law?"
An official sighed and said, "Lord Li was able to score full marks in the criminal law exam paper. This is simply unimaginable. He really is worthy of being the person that the Emperor values."
The director of the Ministry of Justice was also somewhat regretful. He said, "The majority of the examinees put their focus on policy questions. There aren't many who are truly willing to settle down and study criminal law. It's so hard to find someone who only answered one question wrong. His mathematics and policy questions are too mediocre. He has no chance of making it onto the list. What a pity, what a pity …"
At the entrance of the examination hall, Wei Peng raised his head and looked at the list in the sky. He shook his head and left.
Suddenly, a voice came from behind him. "For the criminal law exam, Li Mu scored full marks. You scored 95. Do you know where you went wrong?"
Wei Peng turned his head and bowed to Zhou Zhong. He said, "Please enlighten me."
Zhou Zhong said lightly, "A woman was walking at night and met the villain Zhang San. He wanted to rape her. This woman pretended to agree and first tricked Zhang San to the river. While he was undressing, she pushed him into the river. Zhang San wanted to go ashore many times but was stopped by the woman. In the end, Zhang San was washed away and drowned. Zhang San's family reported this woman to the Ministry of Justice and asked her what crime she committed. If you were an official of the Ministry of Justice, how would you judge the case? "
Wei Peng said, "Excessive self-defense is the crime of murder. But considering that Zhang San committed the crime first, the woman could be given a lighter sentence."
Zhou Zhong said, "Li Mu's answer is not guilty."
Li Mu scored full marks for criminal law. This meant that the Ministry of Justice also believed that the woman was not guilty. This was far from Wei Peng's judgment.
Wei Peng raised his head and said, "I don't understand. The law says that a human life is greater than the heavens. That woman had already defended herself. There was no need to stop Zhang San from saving himself. In the end, he drowned. Even if it wasn't intentional murder, it was negligent homicide."
Zhou Zhong asked, "If you were that woman, what would you have done?"
Wei Peng thought for a moment and said, "After pushing Zhang Shan into the river, I would immediately run away."
"Run?" Zhou Zhong looked at him and asked, "When Zhang San comes ashore, it won't be long before a weak woman like you, even if you run a few dozen steps ahead, what can you do? He will still catch up to you. When that time comes, what do you think will happen to you?"
Wei Peng was stunned. Clearly, he didn't think of such a situation in the examination hall.
After he came to his senses, he lowered his head and said, "I, I would be raped."
Zhou Zhong said lightly, "If you were Zhang San and were tricked by a weak woman, pushed into the river and almost drowned, what would you do when you crawled out of the river and caught up to her?"
In the past, Wei Peng was just a bit of a playboy. He would never rape a woman. With his status, he could have as many women as he wanted.
When he told Wei Peng about his identity as Zhang San, Wei Peng was suddenly startled awake. For a villain who would block a woman's way in the middle of the night and attempt to rape her, if he was plotted against instead and almost lost his life, after he escaped from the trap, he would fly into a rage out of humiliation. His original plan to rape her might turn into murder.
He finally realized where he was wrong.
He protected the law, while Li Mu protected the people.
In his heart, there was only the law and that one life. He didn't consider the actual situation of the case. In that situation, the only way for the woman to save her life was to stop Zhang San from going ashore.
Zhou Zhong said lightly, "There are many officials in the Ministry of Justice who can recite the 'Law of the Great Zhou' backwards, but they still can't be good officials. This is because they are too proficient in the law. They only know how to use the law to judge cases, and thus lose their humanity. For this kind of case, if you judge it from the perspective of hindsight, you will get the same result as you."
Wei Peng bowed and said, "This student understands."
Zhou Zhong suddenly asked, "Why do you want to study the law?"
Wei Peng thought for a while, then shook his head and said, "I don't know. At first, I wanted to protect myself and not be bullied by Li Mu. Later, I felt that the law was quite interesting …"
"Interesting …"
Zhou Zhong looked at him lightly and said, "If you want to be an official, come find me at the Ministry of Justice tomorrow morning."
…
The results of the first imperial examination held by the court were announced today. Until night, the hundred golden names were still shining in the night sky.
The name of the top scholar, Li Mu, was the biggest and the brightest. As the top scholar in both civil and military affairs, he was naturally the topic of the people's discussion the most.
He beat up playboys and punished young villains. He dared to question the officials of the Ministry of Justice, and also dared to scold all the officials in the court.
Those who didn't like him talked about him behind his back.
They said that other than his good looks, he had no other abilities.
They said that he only relied on the support of the Empress. Without the Empress, he was nothing.
They said that everything he had today was obtained by flattering the Empress.
In this imperial examination, he once again proved himself to the people of the world.
He suppressed the students of the four great academies, suppressed the talents of the thirty-six counties, and became the top scholar in both civil and military affairs. He completely shut the mouths of those people.
He let the people of the world see clearly why the Empress only favored him out of all the officials in the court.
He could bring peace to the world with his pen and settle the world with his military affairs. This was a true talent. He was worthy of the Empress's special favor. The students of the academies and the future Crown Prince could only serve as a foil in front of him …
Of course, Li Mu becoming the top scholar in both civil and military affairs also proved one thing.
The Empress had a unique insight. She had discovered Li Mu's talent from the very beginning. It wasn't as the rumors said, that she was only interested in Li Mu's manliness.
After the results of the imperial examination were announced, both the officials and the people couldn't help but praise the Empress in their hearts.
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