My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

Seeing the unusual expression on his face, Zhu Cilang knew that something major must have happened, so he waved his hand to dismiss the formalities and asked in a deep voice:
"No need for formalities! Just tell me, what happened this time?"

Li Ruolian opened her mouth, about to speak, but her gaze involuntarily drifted to Hong Chengchou, who was sitting uneasily to the side, and her face showed obvious hesitation and difficulty.

He hesitated for a moment, but finally steeled himself and cautiously said to Zhu Cilang:

"Your Highness, this matter is closely related to Lord Hong. Do you think we should ask Lord Hong to recuse himself for the time being?"

Upon hearing this, Hong Chengchou felt a chill instantly rush from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and his face, which had just regained some color, turned deathly pale again!
His intuition told him that something new must have happened again!
He stood up instinctively, his voice trembling as he said:
"Your Highness, since this matter concerns your subject, it would be best if I excuse myself."

Zhu Cilang's brows furrowed even more, but after a moment's hesitation, he waved his hand and said firmly:
"No need! Minister Hong is about to join the cabinet and will be a trusted advisor to both Father Emperor and me. What can't be said in front of him? Li Ruolian, please speak freely! There's no need to be coy!"

Seeing the Crown Prince's clear stance, Li Ruolian dared not insist any further. She could only grit her teeth and, with a strained tone, report, word by word:

"Your Highness! I just inquired with the Imperial Guard captain who came to report the news. According to him, a very malicious rumor is spreading like wildfire in the capital, especially in inns and teahouses where scholars gather!"

He paused, as if gathering his courage, before continuing:
"Rumors say that the two Jurchen scholars, Wu Shouren and Chang Yong'an, were able to pass the Liaodong provincial examination not because of their actual talent and learning, but because Lord Hong Chengchou accepted huge bribes from them!"

"Then Lord Hong leaked the provincial examination questions to them in advance, which allowed them to pass by sheer luck! This...this is a complete and utter case of cheating!"

"what?"

As soon as Li Ruolian finished speaking, Hong Chengchou was struck as if by a thunderbolt from the heavens! He sprang up from his chair, his vision went black, and he swayed violently, almost falling to the ground!
Fortunately, he managed to steady himself by grabbing the coffee table beside him, but his face was ashen and his lips were trembling, yet he couldn't utter a single word.

This is an outrageous lie!
This is a horrific slander!

As a high-ranking official of the second rank in the imperial court, the former governor of Liaodong, and a future cabinet minister, Hong Chengchou held a high position and great power. Why would he collude with the Jurchens and leak the imperial examination questions for a mere sum of money?

This not only tramples on his personal reputation, but also disregards the laws of the imperial court and the solemnity of the imperial examination system! This is utterly absurd!

Meanwhile, Zhu Cilang, who was sitting upright, reacted quite differently from Hong Chengchou after his initial surprise.

He was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but burst out laughing, his laughter filled with absurdity and disbelief.

no way!
He was genuinely amused by this outrageous rumor.

In his view, such accusations were utterly absurd and illogical.

But Zhu Cilang quickly suppressed his smile, then shook his head and said to the still-shaken Hong Chengchou with a hint of mockery:
“Minister Hong, look at this, these rumors from the streets are so ridiculous! I, for one, will never believe them.”

It should be noted that the Jurchens in Liaodong had just surrendered, and their intentions were still uncertain. They were the focus of the court's vigilance and appeasement efforts. Hong Chengchou consistently used a combination of kindness and severity towards the Jurchen tribes in Liaodong, with prevention and assimilation as the main themes.

If he really wanted to cheat, why would he choose the Jurchens, whose identities are so sensitive and easily attract controversy?
Wouldn't this be asking for trouble and giving others a handle to use against us?
Secondly, and most importantly, Hong Chengchou devoted himself to Liaodong for several years, working tirelessly to reorganize the army, strengthen military capabilities, and pacify refugees. This was a great achievement that was witnessed by both the court and the public!

Moreover, Zhu Cilang had clearly informed him that he would be allowed to join the cabinet as an advisor on state affairs after returning to Beijing.

Why would a promising official, about to enter the core of imperial power, do something so foolish and risky at such a crucial moment for a bribe of dubious authenticity?

What is he planning?
This makes no sense at all, neither logically nor emotionally!

Thinking about this, Zhu Cilang felt the rumor was utterly absurd, and he turned to Li Ruolian to press her for an answer:

"Where did this absurd claim come from? What is its origin?"

Seeing that the Crown Prince did not believe her, Li Ruolian felt slightly relieved, but her expression remained unpleasant as she replied:
"Your Highness, according to the captain who reported the news, the source of this rumor is the manager of the 'Yuelai' Inn who was punished! In the heat of the moment, when he was arguing with the two Jurchen students, he blurted out something like 'Your academic achievements were obtained by buying exam questions' in order to slander them."

"At that time, there were many people watching inside and outside the inn, and many people heard these words."

"Although the people of the Five Cities Garrison managed to shut him up in time, the rumors had already spread."

"In addition, with tens of thousands of candidates from all over the country now gathered in the capital, there are many people and a lot of gossip. News involving high-ranking officials' corruption or related to the sensitive Jurchens spreads extremely fast. Now, it's the talk of the town and everyone is talking about it."

"It's all over, it's all over now."

Upon hearing Li Ruolian's words, the glimmer of hope that Hong Chengchou had just felt due to the Crown Prince's trust was instantly shattered!

He felt a sudden dizziness, his whole body turned ice-cold, as if he had fallen into a bottomless ice cave!

If it only circulates within a small circle, it might be possible to suppress it.

But now, this vicious rumor has spread among the people of the capital and tens of thousands of candidates, which is a completely different matter!
Hong Chengchou knew that a ruler could sometimes ignore the slander of a few officials, but he could never ignore the surging public opinion of the common people!
Because the support or opposition of the people is the foundation of governance!

This is why Zhu Cilang insisted on establishing the "Da Ming Daily" despite opposition; his aim was to guide public opinion and control the discourse.

Once public opinion gets out of control and creates enormous public pressure, even a monarch sometimes has to compromise.

How many loyal ministers and generals in history have been driven to their deaths by rumors?

Thinking of the terrible consequences, Hong Chengchou felt his vision go black and he almost fainted.

After listening to Li Ruolian's report, Zhu Cilang finally realized the seriousness of the problem. He no longer found it laughable, but felt a sense of unease and headache.

He couldn't help but raise his hand and pinch his brow hard, his face filled with helplessness and frustration.

He never imagined that what was originally a simple security incident would snowball into such a complex and thorny political storm, and might even drag his promising future cabinet ministers into it.

Just as Zhu Cilang took a deep breath, pondering how to deal with this sudden public opinion crisis, Ma Bao's figure appeared once again at the entrance of the warm pavilion, his face showing an even more anxious expression.

Before Ma Bao could speak, Zhu Cilang asked somewhat impatiently:
"What? The Embroidered Uniform Guard again? What 'good news' do you have this time? Tell us all at once!"

Ma Bao was startled by the displeasure in the Crown Prince's tone, and quickly bowed, cautiously replying:
"Your Highness, this time it wasn't the Embroidered Uniform Guard who came, but...the Grand Secretary Xue Guoguan. He said he has extremely urgent business and must see Your Highness immediately." "Xue Guoguan?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang's brows furrowed even deeper.

He was in a state of turmoil and really didn't want to see anyone, especially important officials like Xue Guoguan.

But then he thought that Xue Guoguan's visit at this time was most likely for the sake of this escalating rumor storm.

As the Grand Secretary, he could not possibly ignore such a major event in the capital that concerned the reputation of high-ranking officials and could even affect the fairness of the imperial examinations and the stability of the border regions.

Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang, though unwilling, had no choice but to wave his hand and say to Ma Bao:

"Fine, let him in."

"The slaves obey."

Ma Baoru was as if he had been granted a pardon, and hurriedly withdrew to deliver the imperial decree.

During this brief wait, the atmosphere inside the warm pavilion was so oppressive it was almost suffocating.

Hong Chengchou's face could no longer be described as pale; it was ashen and bloodless.

Xue Guoguan's arrival undoubtedly means that the situation has become so serious that the Grand Secretary needs to intervene personally!

This was a hundred times worse than he had imagined!
He could no longer sit still. He abruptly stood up, walked to Zhu Cilang, lifted the hem of his robe, and was about to kneel down, his voice trembling with despair:
"Your Highness! I...I am innocent! I swear to Heaven, this is absolutely not true! This is a complete frame-up by villains, a murder committed through rumors! Please, Your Highness, you must do justice for me!"

Seeing him like this, Zhu Cilang sighed inwardly, rose and gently helped him up, comforting him with a firm tone:

"Minister Hong, rise! I believe you! I am well aware of this matter and will not allow a loyal minister to suffer an injustice. Rest assured, I will investigate the situation before making a decision."

Hearing His Highness the Crown Prince reiterate his unwavering trust, Hong Chengchou felt somewhat comforted.

He stood up shakily and sat back down in his chair, but his body was trembling slightly uncontrollably.

Not long after, a steady yet slightly hurried sound of footsteps approached from afar.

Immediately afterwards, Grand Secretary Xue Guoguan appeared at the entrance of the warm pavilion.

He wasn't wearing formal court attire today, only a dark purple casual robe, but his brows were shrouded in an unyielding solemnity and worry.

Clearly, upon hearing the news, he rushed over without even having time to change out of his official robes.

Upon entering the warm pavilion, Xue Guoguan's gaze quickly swept over Zhu Cilang and Li Ruolian, finally settling on Hong Chengchou, who was pale and distraught. His eyes paused for a moment with a complex expression.

He then straightened his clothes, bowed to Zhu Cilang, and said in a weary voice:
"This old minister, Xue Guoguan, pays his respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

"No need for formalities, Grand Secretary Xue. Please take a seat."

Zhu Cilang waved his hand, signaling Ma Bao to bring over a chair, and then asked directly,
"Grand Secretary Xue has come in such a hurry, presumably because of those rumors circulating in the city about Minister Hong?"

Xue Guoguan slowly sat down, nodded heavily, and then sighed and said:

"Your Highness is wise. This old minister has come precisely for this matter. This matter has already caused quite a stir in the capital and is known to everyone."

As he spoke, his gaze turned to Hong Chengchou again. This time, his eyes became unusually serious, even carrying a hint of interrogation, and he asked in a deep voice:
"Lord Hong, since there are no outsiders present, I will get straight to the point. Tell me the truth: are the rumors circulating in the market that you accepted bribes from the Jurchens and leaked exam questions true or false? Did you do such a thing?"

Upon hearing this direct question, Hong Chengchou felt as if he had been pricked by a needle. He abruptly raised his head, his eyes filled with unspeakable injustice, and then he spoke in a hoarse voice:

"Grand Secretary Xue! How can even you doubt me? I am entrusted with the important task of Liaodong by His Majesty's trust. Although I dare not say that I have devoted myself to the cause, I have never dared to slack off in the slightest!"

"Even if I were the most foolish and blinded by greed, I would never do something that would alienate me from the court and ruin my future!"

"Let alone mountains of gold and silver, even with a knife to my throat, I would never do such a thing that would bring disaster to the country and disgrace our ancestors! This matter is completely fabricated; it is malicious slander by someone! I beg Your Excellency to investigate thoroughly!"

He was extremely agitated, his chest heaving violently, clearly indicating that these successive blows had brought him to the brink of collapse.

Xue Guoguan listened quietly to Hong Chengchou's extremely agitated defense. His solemn expression remained unchanged, but his tone softened slightly. He slowly said:
"Lord Hong, please calm down. Although we are not close, we are both officials in the court, and I have heard about your way of doing official duties and your character."

"To be honest, even I, an old man, don't want to believe you would do such a horrifying thing, but..."

He abruptly changed the subject, his tone becoming extremely heavy:

"However, this matter is no longer just about your personal reputation! The speed and breadth of the rumors are far beyond imagination! Now, not only are ordinary people talking about it, but more troublesome is that the tens of thousands of scholars from all over the country gathered in the capital have also heard about it!"

"Many of them, young and hot-blooded and righteous, have already believed it to be true! They are currently gathered near the Imperial Academy and the Examination Hall, indignant and clamoring for the court to thoroughly investigate the matter, severely punish the cheaters, and give justice to all the scholars in the world!"

They claimed that if the court did not give a clear answer, they would submit a joint petition, and might even take more drastic measures!

"Your Highness, the current situation is no time to investigate the truth of the rumors. The most urgent task is to quell public anger and stabilize the overall situation!"

Students gathering? Signing a petition?
Upon hearing this, Hong Chengchou felt as if the last bit of strength supporting him had been drained away.

He never imagined things would escalate to this point! It had sparked a collective protest from the students! It was like putting him on the hot seat!
After listening to Xue Guoguan's account, Zhu Cilang also felt an unprecedented headache.

He rubbed his temples hard, his heart filled with helplessness and anger.

How did a simple conflict that could have been easily resolved escalate into such an unmanageable situation? And how could it possibly implicate his carefully crafted future cabinet? (End of Chapter)