Prime Minister

Chapter 83, Episode 082: [Using One Tiger to Devour Another]

Xue Huai was not a flower grown in a greenhouse.

In his previous life, without any connections or background, he climbed up step by step, witnessing countless instances of the wickedness of human nature, and was no stranger to these dark aspects.

But he was still very disappointed.

When he was investigating the corruption case in the Ministry of Works, he stayed in that simple and crowded temporary government office and witnessed with his own eyes how the officials of the Ministry of Works exploited the people and embezzled their wealth. Those strings of cold numbers represented countless families that had been torn apart and destroyed. They were the foundation of the Great Yan Dynasty.

Although those officials have been severely punished by the law, most of the money they embezzled went into the national treasury, and a small portion went into the emperor's treasury. Not a single penny returned to the people.

Shen Wang once told Xue Huai that this is how the world is: it is easy to say the words "plead for the people," but it is extremely difficult to accomplish even just one thing.

Today, Xue Huai has a much deeper understanding.

The imperial examination was known as the grand ceremony for selecting talent. Whether enough outstanding and upright candidates could be selected was crucial to the smooth sailing of the imperial court.

Those high-ranking figures certainly understand this principle, but when public justice conflicts with private interests, they mostly choose the latter.

As far as Xue Huai knows, the Crown Prince, the Grand Secretary, and the Second Grand Secretary outside the examination hall all want a share of the pie in the Spring Examination. They only want to consolidate or expand their own power.

Inside the examination hall, the two chief officials and even the examiners below them mostly harbored their own selfish motives.

This is only the extent that Xue Huai can confirm; there may be many dark corners that he is unaware of.

If an ordinary person were in such a quagmire, they might become disheartened or go along with the corrupt practices, but Xue Huai would not do that.

Although he couldn't be as recklessly courageous as the original owner, he still had his own principles and bottom line.

On the other side, Yue Zhongming obviously couldn't guess Xue Huai's inner thoughts. Seeing that Xue Huai's attitude had softened, he began to talk about the little tricks of the chief examiner, Sun Yan.

As the highest-ranking official in the Imperial Examination Hall during this period, Sun Yan must have had many confidants and trusted men, which would help him control the situation within the hall, but he could not control everything.

Yue Zhongming also had some informants. For example, he only invited Xue Huai here because he was certain that Sun Yan was having a secret meeting with a group of trusted subordinates. Moreover, he had already met with several other unrelated examiners before Xue Huai to avoid attracting the attention of irrelevant people.

"Grand Secretary Sun is proud of his status, so he certainly wouldn't personally arrange the cutting of the scrolls. Therefore, this matter was completed jointly by the sealing official and the copying official, and neither of them could be missing."

Yue Zhongming frowned slightly and said frankly, "But this is just my speculation. We lack sufficient conclusive evidence. As the chief examiner, Grand Secretary Sun has the power to decide on all matters in the examination hall. If we cannot produce concrete evidence, this matter cannot be investigated further. Therefore, we cannot act rashly unless we can convince everyone."

Xue Huai maintained his composure and slowly said, "Does the Junior Grand Master want me to investigate this matter?"

"Yes."

Yue Zhongming finally revealed his idea: "If Grand Secretary Sun wants to use you to deal with me, then before I get into trouble, they will only try to win you over, or at least trust you on the surface, so that you will have the opportunity to investigate the truth about the severing of documents."

His efforts to persuade Xue Huai were driven by this purpose, and also by a desire to protect himself.

Xue Huai didn't ask why they didn't just report the matter to the Emperor. First, Yue Zhongming was definitely not clean, and second, Sun Yan currently held absolute power in the Examination Hall. Without his approval, no one else could possibly leave the Examination Hall.

In short, within nearly a month, the examination hall had become a de facto independent space, and Xue Huai could not get any outside help.

Once the imperial examinations conclude and the outcome is decided, Xue Huai, knowing the emperor well, would not take any drastic action even if the emperor knew what had happened during this period. This is because once the news spread, people would inevitably question the fairness of this year's imperial examinations, leading to a great uproar.

Xue Huai could choose to protect himself. No matter how Sun Yan and Yue Zhongming threatened or tempted him, as long as he didn't agree, neither group could force him to take action. But if he wanted to do something meaningful, he had to rely on his own hands to uncover the truth hidden in the darkness.

Yue Zhongming continued, "Besides you, none of us can move. Any movement would arouse the other side's suspicion, so I have no choice but to risk discussing this matter with you."

“I understand the concerns of the Junior Minister of State.”

Xue Huai thought for a moment and said, "I can investigate this matter. If Grand Secretary Sun does have ulterior motives, I will not stand idly by. However, I also have a request."

Yue Zhongming had no doubts and quickly nodded, saying, "Speak freely."

Xue Huai calmly said, "I need to know the people you, Junior Elder, have placed in the courtyard, and they must be able to serve me so that they can cooperate with me in my work."

Yue Zhongming hesitated slightly.

Knowing the Crown Prince's arrangements and Xue Huai's role in them, he was confident he could win Xue Huai over. However, what he said earlier was actually nine parts truth and one part falsehood. The core lie was that he was the Crown Prince's man, and in the end, he was just using Xue Huai to deal with Sun Yan.

He can make countless verbal promises, since there are only two of them here, and he can certainly deny them with a straight face afterward.

Revealing his hand to Xue Huai would undoubtedly involve a certain risk.

Xue Huai, observing the situation, sighed softly and said, "Young Master, there's no need to be troubled. I was just speaking casually. I will help you find out the truth no matter what."

"Cough cough."

Yue Zhongming quickly waved his hand and said, "Jing Che, don't misunderstand. I'm just organizing the list. We've been through thick and thin together, how could I hold anything back from you?"

Xue Huai's expression softened somewhat, and he smiled, "Thank you for your trust, Young Master Zong."

Yue Zhongming was able to take things in stride. He knew that if he continued to hide his true intentions, the young Hanlin scholar in front of him, known for his intelligence, would definitely change his mind. So he whispered a dozen or so names, including inner examiners like Liu Yu, outer officials in charge of inspections, and a few inconspicuous but capable of traveling around.

"So good."

Xue Huai praised sincerely, "With these people helping me, and the fact that they want to win me over, they won't be too wary of me. I think I can find some clues."

"With Jing Che personally taking charge, he is naturally invincible."

Yue Zhongming, unusually, offered a compliment, which, combined with his imposing yet dignified demeanor, created a rather comical absurdity. The two then engaged in a brief, private discussion before Xue Huai rose to take his leave.

Yue Zhongming personally saw him off.

When I returned to that small private room, it was already completely dark, but there was a sliver of candlelight inside.

Xue Huai's heart stirred slightly; he remembered that he hadn't lit incense or candles when he left.

"Brother Jingche."

Gao Tingbi appeared carrying a food box and said with a smile, "I came to find you just now, but the servant said you had to leave, so I asked him to light incense and candles for you and also went to the canteen to get you some food."

"How could I possibly trouble Brother Kuangshi?"

Xue Huai thought to himself, "You've come at just the right time. You've probably been waiting for me here all along, haven't you?"

The two entered the room, and Gao Tingbi placed the food box on the desk, lowering his voice to ask, "Did Vice Minister Yue come to see you?"

"Yes."

Xue Huai did not hide anything and pondered for a moment before saying, "Minister Yue learned of your conflict with Compiler Liu and specifically summoned me to inquire about the details. Brother Kuangshi, please rest assured, I did not side with Compiler Liu, and you were in the right in this matter."

Gao Tingbi observed his expression and asked casually, "Did you notice anything amiss on his end?"

"Brother Kuangshi, do you think my eyes can see through people's hearts?"

Xue Huai chuckled and said, "What kind of person is Minister Yue? How could he possibly reveal a flaw in front of me? However—"

He hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped himself. Gao Tingbi moved closer and asked eagerly, "But what?"

"Vice Minister Yue asked me a question."

Xue Huai paused slightly, then mimicked Yue Zhongming's tone, saying, "Xue, as you finish reviewing the papers, have you discovered any instances of 'pitch black' or... 'fakes mixed with real ones'? Some answers are ornate yet awkward, seemingly deliberately crafted, almost intentionally so. I know you are upright; such suspicions of cheating concern the dignity of the nation and cannot be ignored!"

Gao Tingbi's mind worked quickly. After a moment's thought, his eyes suddenly lit up: "He's testing you! Liu Yu is definitely up to something!"

He did not doubt that Xue Huai was fabricating lies, because Yue Zhongming was undoubtedly a key member of the Ning Party, and Xue Huai's relationship with the Ning Party was like fire and water. A few months ago, he had even helped Shen Wang bring down Xue Minglun.

It should be noted that he was Xue Huai's paternal uncle, who could have been an asset to him in his official career, yet he still acted without the slightest hesitation.

If Xue Minglun receives such treatment, what about Yue Zhongming, who previously had no connection with Xue Huai?
This is precisely why Sun Yan and even Ouyang Hui chose Xue Huai to make the knife without hesitation.

"This possibility cannot be ruled out."

Xue Huai nodded and looked at the slightly excited Gao Tingbi, asking, "Brother Kuangshi, what should we do next?"

Gao Tingbi said, "Minister Yue, or rather the Ning faction, is at a disadvantage in the examination hall this time. At most, they can only use connections and bribery. We only need to find out the results of Liu Yu and others' review of the papers, and then look for the details in the corresponding recommended papers. We can definitely confirm their cheating. What do you think, Brother Jingche?"

"That's what I think too."

Xue Huai followed up on the other person's words, saying, "However, to ensure there are no oversights, I would like to go directly to the copying office to check the ink scrolls."

The so-called "ink scroll" refers to the exam paper written by the examinee himself, rather than the transcribed paper seen by the examiners when grading the papers.

"This……"

Gao Tingbi looked troubled.

Xue Huai's suggestion was clearly against the rules. Generally speaking, the ink scrolls were only unsealed when the numbers were removed and the list was filled out. Unless there was a major controversy, the ink scrolls could only be reviewed with the permission of the chief examiner.

Xue Huai said, "Brother Kuangshi, if we want to confirm whether Liu Yu and others have colluded with the candidates in advance, checking the examination papers will be much more efficient and discreet. Of course, if the Grand Secretary feels it is inappropriate, we will naturally follow the rules of the examination hall. However, I am afraid that Vice Minister Yue will notice something amiss, and he may not insist on selecting those papers."

"Don't be anxious, my dear brother."

Gao Tingbi was persuaded by Xue Huai. The matter is still unresolved. If Yue Zhongming changes his mind and gives up recommending those papers that were secretly manipulated, then this time it will definitely not harm the Ning Party in the slightest.

Thinking of this, he said solemnly, "I will ask the Grand Secretary for instructions in a moment. We will take a break tomorrow, and then you and I will go to the copying office."

"Then I'll just wait for the good news."

Xue Huai smiled slightly and bowed to Gao Tingbi.

Gao Tingbi did not hesitate any longer and immediately went to find Sun Yan.

Xue Huai watched him leave, then closed the door, glanced at the food box on the table, and went straight to the bed to lie down.

He gazed at the empty space above him, took a deep breath, and murmured to himself.

“Sun Yan wants to use me to deal with the Ning Party, while Yue Zhongming deliberately exposed his weaknesses to lure Gao Tingbi into a trap, and then tricked me into doing things for him. I have to say that you two are both very good at making plans.”

"Since that's the case, let's all get involved."

"The more chaotic it is, the better."

(End of this chapter)