Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 292 Completing the Case

At the entrance of the Yan residence, Yan Shifan jumped off the carriage.

They stopped pretending to be injured and hurried inside.

Yan Song sat upright in the main hall, calmly brewing tea.

Hearing such hurried footsteps, I knew who had returned, without even looking up.

"father!"

When Yan Shifan reached the door, he finally slowed down and called out softly.

Yan Song ignored him completely.

Yan Shifan said in a low voice, "I know I was wrong, please forgive me!"

Still no response.

Yan Shifan couldn't hold back any longer and asked the question that was currently on his mind: "Now that Huo Tao has fallen, Father should have taken control of the cabinet. How come Xia Yan was allowed to reap the benefits?"

Upon hearing Xia Yan's name, Yan Song finally raised his head and said calmly, "What do you think?"

"So it's true?"

The two had a minor disagreement back then. Yan Shifan looked down on his fellow Jiangxi native who had gained the emperor's favor only because of his handsome looks and pleasant voice.

Upon hearing that Xia Yan was about to take the position, his eyes darted around, and he said coldly, "Why don't we also throw Xia Yan into the imperial prison? I think he was also involved in the cheating in the imperial examination!"

Yan Song stopped making tea and stared intently at his son.

Yan Shifan felt a little flustered under his gaze, and shrank back, slowly saying, "Shouldn't we wait a bit... so as not to anger His Majesty?"

Yan Song smiled enigmatically: "So you still remember His Majesty?"

"of course I remember!"

Yan Shifan was in the southern tour group and witnessed the fate of Wang Zuo, the former commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, firsthand. He was very clear about the emperor's temperament.

However, this time the Embroidered Uniform Guard was also personally dispatched by the Emperor.

Having received the emperor's order, why not seize this opportune moment to eliminate dissidents...?

Are we waiting for our political enemies to become too powerful and bring down the Yen family?

Yan Song immediately saw through his son's thoughts and said calmly, "Since you can see the Emperor's checks and balances on his ministers, you should know that the position of Grand Secretary is not easy to hold!"

"Zhang Conggui'e had the merit of 'discussing the rites,' yet he was still suspected by His Majesty. He was dismissed and sent to a post after only half a year in the cabinet. After being exonerated and exonerated, he returned to the court, but he was already walking on thin ice!"

"Why didn't I experience this?"

"It's not that I'm more trusted, it's just that I'm not as domineering as Zhang Cong, who commands all officials!"

He suddenly stood up, his slightly thin body exuding immense pressure, and said, word by word, "In this position, one must first kneel to receive the blow before standing to receive it!"

Yan Shifan's expression changed several times as he bit his lip.

The Grand Secretary is the head of all officials, second only to the emperor, and above all others.

Why speak in such a humble manner?
Yan Song, however, did not feel humble at all, and continued, "You only see my show of weakness, but you don't see that with the implementation of the new policies, the people I employ have all taken advantage of the performance evaluation system to gain real power in key positions!"

"Only when I have my men in the two capitals and fourteen provinces of my Great Ming, and in all the prefectures and counties of the three ministries, will the position of Grand Secretary be truly secure!"

"At that time, His Majesty wanted to maintain a balance of power, but the newly appointed cabinet ministers were far from being able to compete with me!"
"But you were so eager to launch your attack that you forced me to launch mine prematurely, which ruined everything..."

"But now you think Xia Yan is reaping the benefits?"

"Ha! You personally handed over this profit. If he knew the inside story, he would come to thank you in person!"

Yan Shifan finally understood, his face turning pale: "Father, why didn't you tell me sooner..."

"Are you the father, or am I the father?"

Yan Song instantly flew into a rage, his sleeves billowing up as he violently threw the teacup in his hand away.

Yan Shifan instinctively stepped aside, and saw a dark shadow fly past overhead in a flash.

Bang!
It shattered on the screen, and porcelain shards mixed with tea leaves scattered all over the floor.

Yan Shifan turned pale with fright, then saw his father pointing at him, furious: "With your impetuous and narrow-minded nature, you take risks at the first sign of setback, like a brute in the marketplace, with no vision whatsoever. How will you ever amount to anything?"

"father……"

This was the first time Yan Shifan had ever seen his father so angry, berating him so harshly. Only one thought occupied his mind.

Hurry and go find your mother.

"stop!"

However, Yan Song did not let him leave: "Are you still hoping that His Majesty will intervene on your behalf and make you pass the imperial examination this year?"

Yan Shifan's heart sank, and he said in a hoarse voice, "Is it not possible?"

"Of course not!"

Yan Song said decisively, "I advise you to give up on that idea as soon as possible!"

Yan Shifan panicked: "But I really did very well on this exam, so my failure must be due to someone sabotaging me! It was Huo Tao! It was Huo Tao who sent people to do this!"

“If it were Huo Tao, he wouldn’t have had Liu Shuxiang keeping an eye on you…”

Yan Song coldly exposed: "If we really want to investigate this case thoroughly, it is a complete miscarriage of justice. Others are kept in the dark, are you going to deceive yourself as well?"

"Failure is failure. No matter how many hidden reasons there may be, it cannot change the fact that the examination paper has already been stamped with the seal of the Ministry of Rites!"

"Instead of getting entangled in the already settled examination scandal, you should think about how to make the officials of the next examination hall tremble with fear at the sight of your name card, so that those petty scoundrels won't even dare to have any crooked thoughts!"

This has actually already been achieved.

After this ordeal, I believe no one will dare to cause trouble here again in the next trial.

"no no!!"

However, Yan Shifan shook his head repeatedly: "I am unwilling to be confined to the examination hall any longer. I want to enter officialdom, and I want to do it now!"

In fact, the imperial examination system was a fierce competition, with countless candidates vying to cross the Dragon Gate, and many white-haired scholars dying with regrets.

For Yan Shifan to pass the imperial examination and become a Juren was already a remarkable achievement for many scholars.

Many who went from being a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination) to a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the metropolitan examination) took the exam multiple times, failed repeatedly, but still persevered and refused to give up.

Even Yan Song himself didn't pass the provincial examination on his first attempt and then become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). But Yan Song knew how agonizing it would be for his son, who was obsessed with officialdom and power, to wait another three years, so he simply said, "Then you should enter officialdom!"

Yan Shifan's eyes widened.

Yan Song continued, "You will be selected as an official through the provincial examination, starting as a seventh-rank county magistrate. After three years of passing the examination without any mistakes, I will personally send you back to the capital to serve as an official."

"Father, are you trying to send me away?"

Yan Shifan groaned, "You only have me as your son!"

Yan Song was naturally reluctant, and he knew that the Ouyang family also did not want their only son to be away from home. Moreover, the countryside was not like the capital, where the struggles were often more naked. He then said, "Then you should prepare for the exam for another three years. If you become the top scholar in the next exam, it will be a great achievement after years of hard work!"

Yan Shifan's eyes were already red: "These are the only two paths we have. Is there no other choice?"

"no!"

Yan Song composed himself and said calmly, "If you can't endure the hardships of your local post, you can resign and come back to take the exam again!"

In principle, serving officials in the Ming Dynasty were not allowed to participate in the imperial examinations, but candidates who had not actually taken office or those who had resigned could have the opportunity.

This is also a well-intentioned act.

Go to the local areas to gain experience and understand the hardships of ordinary people before taking the imperial examinations.

Upon hearing this, Yan Shifan's face turned ashen, and he staggered around, stepping on the broken pieces on the ground.

He swayed, seemingly oblivious, and walked listlessly toward the door.

Yan Song watched his son's staggering figure, his sparse white eyebrows furrowing. He brewed another cup of tea and took a small sip.

That astringent taste is just like the current situation.

Those who rely on favor are in danger; those who wield power are doomed.

As the Grand Secretary's power grew, the undercurrents of intrigue within the court became increasingly sinister.

As the son of a prime minister, he was destined to endure countless open and covert attacks.

Flatterers flock to him like ants, while those with predatory eyes wait for their chance to strike.

Given this child's temperament, he could easily fall into a trap if he is not careful.

So this is both a choice and a test.

"If we can't even get over this hurdle..."

"I'd rather be a carefree person, live out the rest of my life in peace, and continue to produce offspring for my Yan family!"

……

When Yan Shifan returned to the inner quarters, he was scolded by Madam Ouyang again.

This mother was also doing it for her son.

I don't want to live in fear anymore, and I don't want to see anything happen to him.

But Yan Shifan clearly didn't listen to a single word of those rambling words.

Back inside, he collapsed onto the bed and stared blankly at the ceiling.

In fact, a few years ago, he didn't have such high aspirations.

At that time, the junior chief minister had never even considered taking the imperial examinations, let alone becoming a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).

He only waited until he came of age to enter the Imperial Academy through imperial favor, becoming a student of the Taiping Academy, holding a leisurely position in one of the Six Ministries, and living a carefree life thereafter.

However, the human heart is the most subtle thing.

Once you've tasted the anticipation of reaching the pinnacle of success and poured your heart and soul into it, trying to return to the mundane past is like forcing a river to flow backward.

Having already taken half a step up the ladder to the clouds, even if faced with mountains of knives and seas of fire, it would be difficult to willingly retreat to the plains!
"Three years later, then another three years..."

"Now that Xia Yan has taken office, who knows if he will be fighting fiercely with my Yan family in three years? And whether the examiners of the imperial examination are his henchmen? If they are even slightly biased, I will fail the exam?"

If I were to say that I failed to make the list for that subject three years ago because of my own negligence,

Today's experiences have made Yan Shifan no longer trust the fairness of the imperial examination system.

He clearly has the ability to pass the exam.

It is clear that Hu Zongxian and Zhao Zhenji also agree with it.

In the end, it all ended up like this.

"Ah……"

"What a brilliant idea to select talented individuals for the country!"

His breathing suddenly became heavy, and blood vessels spread across his eyes like a spider web.

When his fingertips touched the secret letter in his pocket, a ferocious smile suddenly tore through his pale face.

Just three days ago, when Yan Shifan was studying diligently at the Taoist temple in Chaotian Palace, a letter flew in through the window and landed precisely on his desk.

Curious, he unfolded the letter and read its contents, but the contents made him immediately put it away close to his body, without even telling Tao Dianzhen.

Because that was a supplement to this major case.

All the outside world's attention is focused on the prison.

Was Grand Secretary Huo Tao plotting against the Yan family father and son in order to seize power and profit?
How many more people will be implicated in this round of arrests by the Imperial Guards?
What is His Majesty's attitude? After fasting and leaving the pass, will he be able to forgive the prisoners in the imperial prison?
Only Yan Shifan knew the truth.

There is still a major question surrounding this case.

How did Hong Chang, a student of the Imperial Academy who claimed to have connections to obtain the examination questions in advance, die?
The answer is revealed.

The letter unfolds.

The ink was as red as blood.

Hong Chang has passed away.

"Your hatred remains unresolved."

"The road to success is cut off."

"Our school is within our reach."

(End of this chapter)