Before long, Gao Demao came running in while wiping cold sweat with a handkerchief, kneeling and saying: “Reporting to Your Majesty, those beating the drum outside Wude Gate are the candidates who failed this year’s metropolitan examination. The candidates claim there was fraud in this imperial examination and beg Your Majesty to give them justice.”

The Emperor’s body stopped slightly, the irritation in his heart dissipated, and his expression became serious: “Do the candidates have concrete evidence?”

“Reporting to Your Majesty, they have no concrete evidence, but the leader is shouting outside saying… among the top ten, seven are already predetermined sons of noble families and eunuch households: Lu Yuanqing, Lu Yuanbao, Wu Anbang, Zhang Ruohuai, Lin Chaodong, Wang Chengyu, and Chen Zhaolu are predetermined to be in the top ten. They dare not question Lu Yuanqing, Lu Yuanbao, and Chen Zhaolu, but for worthless people like Wu Anbang, Zhang Ruohuai, Lin Chaodong, and Wang Chengyu to enter the top ten is impossible!”

Gao Demao raised his head to glance at the Emperor’s increasingly gloomy features, then continued: “The leader also said that before the metropolitan examination ended and the rankings were announced, Wang Chengyu and Lin Chaodong, who bought mansions in the capital city, and Wu Anbang, who is staying at his maternal grandfather’s house, all their households purchased large quantities of celebration supplies and stockpiled rice to prepare for giving out porridge and distributing money.”

Lu Yuanqing, Lu Yuanbao, Wu Anbang, Zhang Ruohuai, Lin Chaodong, Wang Chengyu, Chen Zhaolu – these seven people were exactly the seven among the top ten just now!

The Emperor gritted his teeth and asked: “Where are Wen Zhenkang and the other deputy chief examiners? Have the Imperial Guards detain them and not allow them to leave the palace!”

“Yes!” Gao Demao hurriedly got up and ran out.

As the chief eunuch beside the Emperor, Gao Demao was well aware of examination fraud in previous years. Noble families giving silver to chief examiners and having people go in as substitutes were commonplace.

During the last imperial examination, Gao Demao had felt that if the noble and official families didn’t restrain themselves, they would likely alarm the Emperor. Unexpectedly… this time it indeed happened.

The Emperor suppressed his fury, his voice so cold it made people’s bones ache: “Crown Prince, you go… seal all the examination papers from this palace examination and bring them to me! Send people to summon the Imperial Academy’s Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor… all the Erudite Scholars to come. You supervise them… go through every single paper for me!”

“Your son receives the command!” The Crown Prince hurriedly accepted the order and went to handle the matter.

The Emperor was so angry that his fingers were trembling. If the examination fraud this time was real, Wen Zhenkang deserved to die!

The Flame King of Xiliang hadn’t left yet, and the Yan Emperor was also preparing to return tomorrow. Wen Zhenkang had created an examination fraud case to embarrass him.

Moreover, were the annual imperial examinations meant to select administrative talent for the court? Although he liked treacherous ministers… didn’t like overly capable ministers who might overshadow their master like Bai Weiting, he also knew the court couldn’t truly lack capable people. If there were few truly capable ministers to handle practical affairs, Jin would be in danger.

“Summon Minister of Justice Lu Jin!” The Emperor opened his eyes, his pupils filled with murderous intent.

Outside Wude Gate, more and more failed candidates knelt outside, shouting about examination fraud, begging the Emperor to give them justice. This sudden commotion alarmed almost all the people in the capital city.

The several families that were named were in panic, wanting to dispose of the celebration items they had purchased in advance, yet afraid that any movement would give others evidence against them. They sat restlessly, not knowing how to curry favor.

Even Chancellor Lu couldn’t sit still. He summoned his sons and daughters-in-law over, inquiring whether his two sons and daughters-in-law had sent gifts to the chief examiner, whether they had prepared celebration supplies in advance, and whether they had purchased rice in advance to prepare for giving out porridge.

Lu Yuanpeng, who had just been released from the ancestral hall, had leisurely drunk a cup of tea when he heard his parents being called by grandfather.

Lu Yuanpeng worried that his grandfather was going to come up with some other idea to discipline him. His eyes rolled around as he put down his teacup and followed, peering through the window crack of the study.

“You bastards!” Chancellor Lu was so angry that he smashed the teacup in his hand. “Are you four out of your minds! Yuanqing and Yuanbao’s talents and learning are both outstanding. Even without sending gifts, they would be within the second rank! What kind of thing is that, Wen Zhenkang? Would my dignified Chancellor’s mansion send gifts to that kind of lapdog?!”

“Father, you can’t say that. Other families all sent gifts, and we didn’t… Originally, they could be within the second rank, but maybe they’d be squeezed to the third rank! Maybe that surname Wen would even play dirty tricks, making our two children unable to even pass the metropolitan examination. This kind of thing has happened in previous years!” Lu’s eldest daughter-in-law spoke faintly.

“A woman’s narrow view!” Chancellor Lu was so angry his brain hurt. “I am the dignified Right Chancellor. Would that surnamed Wen dare?!”

Chancellor Lu’s third son, Lu Yuanpeng’s father, frowned and spoke: “What kind of person Wen Zhenkang is… others may not be clear, but don’t you know, Father? The sage said it’s better to offend a gentleman than to provoke a petty person. Now that His Majesty favors Wen Zhenkang, my elder brother and I are just following the wind direction. We don’t ask Wen Zhenkang to help, but only ask that he doesn’t trip up the two children!”

“Yes, Father. Moreover, you also said the two children would be within the second rank. Precisely because of this, your daughter-in-law discussed with the third sister-in-law afterward and sent people out of the mansion to make purchases! After all, having two tribute scholars in the family is already a great joy!” Lu’s eldest daughter-in-law added.

Lu Yuanpeng’s mother rolled her eyes at her sister-in-law. This sister-in-law of hers… never thought of her for good things, but would definitely drag her down for bad things.

“Yes, Father. Your daughter-in-law also thought this way, so when your sister-in-law brought it up, your daughter-in-law agreed with your sister-in-law’s idea. Who would have thought it would cause great trouble? Please, Father, advise how we should remedy this.” Lu Yuanpeng’s mother curtsied to Chancellor Lu, looking guilty.

Chancellor Lu, being a person as shrewd as a fox, could see what his eldest and third daughters-in-law meant, and his fury grew even greater.

“When trouble arises, instead of joining forces to find solutions, you instead shift blame to each other. What can you accomplish? You are truly good daughters-in-law of our Lu family!” Chancellor Lu’s face darkened. “In this matter, I can only personally enter the palace and honestly confess to the Emperor early!”

“But… what about the two children’s scholarly honors?” Lu Yuanpeng’s father was greatly alarmed.

“If your old man goes, the two children still have a chance to retake the exam. If I don’t go… the two children’s futures might be completely ruined!” Chancellor Lu gripped the armrest of his chair tightly, gritting his teeth. “In this matter, the Emperor will have Minister of Justice Lu Jin preside over the investigation. You two… go to the Ministry of Justice now to find Lu Jin and confess to bribing the chief examiner! The faster our family acts, the more leniently the Emperor will deal with us.”

“But Father, this way… our family will offend all the other noble and official families who also bribed Wen Zhenkang!” Chancellor Lu’s eldest son frowned. “Moreover, those candidates already said that if our family’s Yuanqing and Yuanbao are within the top ten, they will accept it!”

“Precisely because these candidates all accept it, but we committed bribery, our Lu family must go confess to the Emperor and the Ministry of Justice even more!”