Prime Minister

Chapter 93, Episode 092: The Stubborn One

Once Ning Hengzhi made his stance clear, the dispute was effectively over.

Not to mention Yue Zhongming's utter despair, Ouyang Hui's mood was hardly any better.

On the surface, he had gained the upper hand today. Although Sun Yan would suffer a setback, the emperor would not expel him from the cabinet. On the other hand, Yue Zhongming was likely in grave danger this time. Ning Hengzhi not only did not protect him but also gave him a push. The emperor was naturally happy to see this happen.

After Xue Minglun, the Ning Party lost another high-ranking official, Yue Zhongming, which can be described as a serious loss and a major blow to its vitality.

However, Ouyang Hui knew that this matter could not be settled in this way.

He finally realized that the emperor's relentless pursuit was not directed at Sun Yan, but rather at his dissatisfaction with Ning Hengzhi and his faction due to the backlog of cases from the Ministry of Works. He wanted to see which way Ning Hengzhi's scales would tip.

Without a doubt, Ning Hengzhi delivered a near-perfect performance. His tactful and measured approach pleased the emperor, further solidifying his position as Grand Secretary.

Ouyang Hui lowered his head and sighed silently in his heart.

The emperor would certainly not distance himself from him because of this matter. After all, no one in the court could replace him in checking Ning Hengzhi. However, after this incident, this state of checks and balances would inevitably continue for a long time, and his dream of becoming the prime minister would still be a long way off.

Ning Hengzhi stood calmly and solemnly, his face devoid of any superfluous emotions, like a silent and resolute stone sculpture.

The Emperor's gentle gaze swept over the crowd, and he said calmly, "As the Grand Secretary suggested, the Censorate shall thoroughly investigate the cheating case in this year's spring imperial examination. Ministers Cai and Fan, you shall be in charge of this matter. You must find out the truth and not let anyone off lightly."

Cai Zhang and Fan Dongyang immediately bowed and accepted the order, saying, "Your subject obeys the decree."

The Emperor then looked at Ning Hengzhi and said, "Regarding all matters concerning the palace examination, the Grand Secretary will be in charge, and the Grand Secretariat and the Ministry of Rites will be at your disposal."

Ning Hengzhi's facial features softened slightly, and he lowered his head slightly, saying, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I will certainly handle things properly."

Seeing his emotional change, Ouyang Hui felt extremely disgusted, but there was nothing he could do.

Until the meeting ended, no one paid any attention to Yue Zhongming's dejected appearance, as if he were a completely invisible person who did not exist at all.

Everyone bowed and took their leave, but Xue Huai deliberately slowed his pace.

As expected, the emperor once again kept him aside for a private audience.

Ning Hengzhi, who was about to leave the Wende Hall, suddenly turned around and glanced at Xue Huai's back, a slight ripple appearing in his eyes.

After a short while, the hall fell completely silent.

The emperor glanced to the side, and Zeng Min understood immediately. He led the palace servants away, while he himself stayed outside the hall to guard the palace.

Upon seeing this formation, Xue Huai immediately focused his attention and became fully alert.

The emperor looked at the young scholar and said slowly, "Although this year's imperial examination had its flaws, it was still a satisfactory outcome, and you deserve great credit for it."

The opening remarks set a high tone, but Xue Huai still dared not be careless. He cautiously replied, "It is thanks to Your Majesty's appreciation that I was able to become one of the examiners for the spring examination. How could I not do my best? Thinking back on the twenty-seven days in the examination hall, I have only done my duty, nothing more."

"It is truly remarkable that you, at your age, can remain humble and respectful without being arrogant."

The emperor's tone grew increasingly gentle as he smiled and said, "But you don't need to be overly modest, especially in front of me. I remember you are only nineteen years old this year. You don't need to learn from those seasoned bureaucrats who have been in the officialdom for a long time. You should have some of the vigor of a young person."

Xue Huai obediently agreed, but couldn't help but grumble inwardly.

When the original owner bravely spoke up for the people a few years ago, why did you have that attitude?
The emperor seemed to have considered this as well. He coughed twice and casually changed the subject, saying, "Just now, in front of them, I only asked you to talk about those two things. Do you know why?"

Xue Huai certainly knew.

Even without Jiang Li's reminder, he knew he still had a hurdle to overcome: how to explain the Crown Prince's request.

In Jiang Li's opinion, Xue Huai should deny the matter to the death. However, Xue Huai felt that it was not that simple. Just by looking at the current situation, he knew that the emperor intended to get to the bottom of it.

How to answer was a skill. Xue Huai knew that pretending to be deaf and dumb would not work, but he was afraid that the emperor would turn against him if he blurted out everything. From his attitude towards Sun Yan and Yue Zhongming, it could be seen that this emperor had a strong desire for control. Xue Huai had already touched a nerve by simply knowing about it and not reporting it.

Is this question difficult to answer?

The emperor asked the question calmly and slowly, his tone still gentle, but a solemn emotion was beginning to brew in his slender eyes.

Xue Huai said, "Your Majesty is protecting me."

"Oh?"

This answer pleased the emperor somewhat, and he said leisurely, "Why don't I understand?"

If you really don't understand, that would be easy...

A look of gratitude mixed with shame appeared on Xue Huai's face as he replied, "Your Majesty has keen insight. I did indeed conceal some things from you at the Gongyuan Hall that day."

The Emperor nodded slightly and said, "Explain in detail."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Xue Huai calmed himself and said truthfully, "The reason I was able to discover the suspicion of collusion in those five answer sheets so quickly was because before the start of the imperial examination, someone sent me a list and a code for collusion. On that day in the Zhigong Hall, in order to lower the guard of Grand Secretary Sun and Vice Minister Yue, I first brought up these five answer sheets, pointing the finger at me and my colleagues Gao and Liu. In fact, I was the examiner who secretly colluded with these five answer sheets, but at the time, for the sake of the overall situation, I had to temporarily conceal this matter."

"I see."

The emperor showed no anger. He calmly said, "When Fan Dongyang reported the details to me, I was puzzled as to why you were able to discover those suspicious points so easily during the arduous and stressful process of reviewing the documents."

Xue Huai said with shame, "This matter is my responsibility."

"Assessing responsibility is not urgent."

The Emperor narrowed his eyes, gazing at Xue Huai and asking, "The entire court and the public believe that you, Xue Jingche, have a heart of unwavering loyalty, and you have always presented yourself to me in this way. Why did you not report to me beforehand, knowing that someone was planning to cheat in the imperial examinations and that you had obtained evidence? Or, if Sun and Yue hadn't caused this commotion and caught you in the middle, how would you have handled the matter? Would you have recommended those answer sheets?"

These two questions are increasingly difficult to answer.

The first question concerns whether Xue Huai's loyalty is feigned, while the second question directly addresses his true character.

Xue Huai clearly felt the pressure exerted by the emperor. He calmed himself and replied, "Your Majesty, although I received the list in advance, I never intended to engage in favoritism or fraud. When I entered the examination hall, I made up my mind that even if I saw those papers that had been bribed, I would only judge them according to their quality."

The emperor slowly said, "So you're trying to tell me that you only seek a clear conscience?"

Xue Huai replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Innocent."

The emperor gave a cold laugh, seemingly feeling that those two words weren't enough to express his attitude, and then emphasized, "Naive!"

Xue Huai cupped his hands and said, "Looking back, I realize that I did something very wrong. I didn't refuse decisively beforehand, and I was dragged into this mess. If this gets out later, I won't be able to explain myself no matter how many mouths I have. Therefore, I am willing to accept the punishment."

Do you think I can punish you?

The Emperor said irritably, "You put on a big show at the examination hall. Now everyone knows that Xue Tanhua cleverly used his methods to corner a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet and a Vice Minister of Rites, ensuring that this year's spring examination was fair and just. Some people praise you for having both the integrity of Minister Shen and the methods of your father. If I punish you, how will the public opinion be quelled?"

Xue Huai was speechless.

Seeing his unusually embarrassed expression, the emperor asked again, "You haven't answered my question yet. Why didn't you report it to me beforehand? Who exactly asked you to do favoritism and corruption?"

To his surprise, Xue Huai fell into a long silence this time, and it wasn't the kind of panicked speechlessness, but a firm conviction that he already had the answer in his heart but couldn't speak it.

"Mute?"

The emperor was slightly displeased.

When Fan Dongyang reported the details of the incident at the Imperial Examination Hall, he immediately noticed the problem with Xue Huai's initial statement.

According to Xue Huai, he first noticed the suspicion on the five answer sheets, and then discovered the splitting of the answer sheets and the connection between the second batch of more than a dozen answer sheets during the investigation. The problem is how could he so easily discover that there were hundreds of answer sheets with similar words during the grading process?
There is only one possibility: Xue Huai is the examiner who connected those five answer sheets.

The emperor had no ill feelings about this. Not to mention that Xue Huai eventually rejected those papers, the emperor would turn a blind eye to his contribution in ensuring the smooth conclusion of the imperial examination.

He just wanted Xue Huai to reveal the identity of the person behind the scenes.

Xue Huai suddenly took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Your Majesty, please forgive me, I cannot say."

Upon hearing this answer, even the emperor, who had seen countless storms in his life, was still stunned for a moment.

"What did you say?"

"Your Majesty, please forgive me, I cannot say."

Xue Huai repeated it again.

The emperor was almost amused by his words, and said quietly, "Xue Huai, is this how Xue Mingzhang and Shen Wang taught you?"

Xue Huai raised his head, bravely meeting the emperor's piercing gaze, and said sincerely, "Your Majesty, this has nothing to do with my late father or Minister Shen. It is a decision I made after careful consideration. Regarding the matter of private exchanges, even if I did not ultimately engage in favoritism or corruption, I am still willing to accept the corresponding punishment."

"absurd!"

The emperor, slightly angered, said, "I now demand that you truthfully explain who is involved in this matter."

A troubled expression appeared on Xue Huai's face, but he kept his mouth tightly shut.

The emperor knew Xue Huai's temperament all too well; he was as stubborn as a mule. In the past few years, even though he knew Xue Huai disliked him, he would still submit a memorial every few days. In the end, he simply instructed Zeng Min to keep an eye on him and throw all of Xue Huai's memorials into the wastebasket.

For the past six months, the emperor had thought that Xue Huai had come to a complete understanding, but he never expected to see him in his former state again today.

Upon realizing this, the Emperor said in a deep voice, "Xue Huai, don't make a mistake. Do you really think I won't punish you?"

Xue Huai remained silent, and finally bowed and said, "Your subject accepts your punishment."

(End of this chapter)