Fangzhou Xier, starting with failing the art exam

"What happened?" Lacey asked bluntly.

Lin Yue didn't stand on ceremony. He presented the case summary he had just compiled, along with the note about black ink that he had obtained from the Celestial Master's Mansion.

"Your Highness, please take a look."

"I believe something big is about to happen in the capital."

Lacey took it, her eyes immediately falling on the note.

“Tribute Wujiuqi] Liujiu 1 San) Ba VI Chuan Jinmo…” he read softly.

He then unfolded the case summary and read it word by word.

The only sound in the study for a moment was the rustling of papers turning.

Lin Yue sat in the chair, his hands pressed tightly against his knees, feeling nervous.

He didn't know how the King of Qin would react.

Cases of cheating in the imperial examinations have always been among the most intractable, as a slight misstep can lead to serious consequences.

Moreover, this time the target is a key supporter of the eldest prince Yanwu—the reformist officials led by Grand Tutor Xun Huiming.

Wang Qinian, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, was one of the key figures in the three orders (nine) of the first month of the year.

Your Highness, you have just made an enemy of the Grand Tutor's faction in the Grand Canal case. Is it too risky to open up a new front now?

However, Lacey's reaction was unexpected.

Throughout the entire process, Lacey's face showed no surprise or embarrassment whatsoever; his expression remained calm and composed, as if he were looking at an ordinary dossier.

After reading the last line, Lacey gently placed the case file on the table, looked up at Lin Yue, and asked a seemingly unrelated question:

"Minister Lin, what do you think is the biggest difference between the work-for-relief program I implemented and the Equal Transportation System implemented by the Grand Tutor?"

Lin Yue was taken aback, not understanding why His Highness would suddenly ask this question.

He pondered for a moment and cautiously replied, "Your Highness, in my opinion, the work-for-relief program directly distributes money and grain to the people, allowing them to reap the rewards of their labor."

"Although the original intention of the Equalization of Transport Law was to stabilize prices, in practice, the power fell into the hands of officials, which easily led to corruption, and the people did not really benefit."

“Well said.” Lacey nodded.

"One is to benefit the people, the other is to compete with the people for profit."

"The root of the corruption case in the Grand Canal lies in the fact that the Transport Commissioner's Office and the Tongda Chamber of Commerce, under the guise of the state, actually competed with the people for profit, turning the distribution channels into tools for accumulating wealth."

He paused, then tapped the case file on the table lightly with his fingers.

"The same applies to cases of cheating in the imperial examinations."

“They have turned the talent selection process into a tool for making money.”

"The Grand Canal is crucial to the national economy and people's livelihood; the imperial examination is crucial to the inheritance of the nation's foundation."

"Both of these are the lifeblood of a dynasty."

Lin Yue was shocked upon hearing this and sincerely said, "Your Highness is wise. This is exactly what I was worried about."

"This case involves Wang Qinian, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, and is also backed by the Grand Tutor and the First Prince. Without a foolproof plan, I'm afraid..."

“Your concerns are valid,” Lacey interrupted him.

“If we go directly to investigate Wang Teng, he will have a million ways to get away with it. What we need to do is to first lift a corner of this net and show it to everyone.”

"Your Highness means..." Lin Yue was somewhat puzzled.

“Start with the priceless calligraphy,” Lacey said, turning around.

"The rumor your sister heard is the best starting point."

"If there are buyers, then there must be sellers, and there must be even more victims."

Lacey's thinking was crystal clear: "I need you to do a few things."

"First, secretly protect Liang Yuan's family and those students who are willing to testify; they must not be harmed."

"Second, have your men disguise themselves as wealthy young men who failed the imperial examinations, and search the market for channels to purchase priceless calligraphy works. Find out the details of this underground trading network."

"Price, contact person, transaction method, the more detailed the better."

"Third, we should focus on those students who made remarkable progress in this year's provincial examinations, or those who were of average talent but unexpectedly passed with flying colors." Lacey's tone became more serious.

"Investigate their financial situation, check their financial transactions, and see if they are the buyers of the calligraphy."

Lin Yue nodded repeatedly as he listened.

He suddenly understood: "I understand now!"

"Once we have enough evidence of buyers and transactions, we will have a grasp of the scale of the entire fraud."

"At that time, even without direct evidence of Wang Teng's murder, it will be enough to completely expose the corruption case within the Ministry of Rites!"

“Yes.” Lacey gave him an approving look.

"At that time, it won't be us who sue him, but the public opinion will force His Majesty to thoroughly investigate the case."

Lin Yue had already witnessed this tactic of leveraging existing momentum to ignite public opinion once before in the Grand Canal case, and hearing about it again now still sent chills down his spine.

His Highness the King of Qin seems to have been born with the ability to manipulate people's hearts and the times.

“There’s one more thing,” Lacey added.

"Your sister, Lin Qingyan, deserves great credit for this."

"But that also made her the most dangerous person."

“From now on, I will send Yang Wei’s personal guards to secretly protect the Lin residence. You must make sure she stays at home and does not get involved in this matter again.”

Hearing this, Lin Yue felt a warmth in his heart and bowed deeply: "This humble official thanks Your Highness on behalf of my younger sister!"

“She is your sister, and also the future pillar of our Great Yan. I can’t let anything happen to her.” Lacey waved her hand.

"Go, and remember, be quick and discreet."

"Before the Grand Tutor and the others can react, thoroughly investigate this network."

"Yes!"

Lin Yue accepted the order and left. The worries he had when he arrived had now transformed into soaring enthusiasm.

The study returned to silence.

Lacey sat back down at the table, but didn't look at the water system map again.

He picked up the case file about the drowned student and looked through it again, his gaze falling on the name "Liang Yuan".

A young student with a heart full of justice, who tragically suffers a terrible misfortune.

His death stirred Lin Qingyan's chivalrous spirit and also provided him with an excellent opportunity to influence the Ministry of Rites.

Lacey felt no remorse whatsoever for taking advantage of the dead.

His thought was that if he were to actually sit in that position in the future, he would definitely establish a truly fair system.

May countless "Liang Yuans" be able to change their fate with dignity through their own talents, instead of dying in despair like they do now.

He closed the case file, his eyes becoming incredibly resolute.

He has already gotten involved in the canal transport.

Now, it's time for the imperial examinations.

The six ministries—Personnel, Revenue, Rites, War, Justice, and Works—are the pillars of the nation.

Xun Huiming and Yan Wu controlled the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Rites, so he decided to start by cracking down on the most corrupt parts of these three ministries.

Break their pillars one by one!

He picked up a pen and wrote the words "Ministry of Rites" on a piece of white paper, then drew a heavy circle around it.

……

Wherever the sun and moon reach, it is scorching earth: Chapter 252: Following the clues, the initial signs of cheating in the imperial examinations are revealed.

Inside the Dali Temple, Lin Yue summoned several of his most trusted subordinates overnight.

These people were all promoted by him. They either came from humble backgrounds or were upright and abhorred the cheating in the imperial examinations.

When Lin Yue briefly explained the details of the case, everyone was filled with righteous indignation.

"My lord, please give the order!"

"These parasites are absolutely lawless!"

"Yes, they even dare to tamper with the imperial examinations, what else wouldn't they dare to do!"

Lin Yue gestured for him to speak, conveying the details of His Highness the Prince of Qin's plan.

“Zhang San, your family comes from a merchant family, you have many connections. Take some men and investigate the clues about the priceless calligraphy.”

"Pretend to be a rich man with a useless son, go to those casinos and teahouses and say that you are willing to spend any amount of money just to get a spot as a scholar."

"Zhao Si, you're quick-witted. Go to the academy and get the list of all the successful candidates this year, especially those who are usually unassuming but have made a name for themselves."

"Check their financial records, check their expenses for the last three months, and see if there are any sudden large expenses."

"And Wang Wu, you're in charge of leading your men to keep a 24-hour watch on the residence of the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, especially that Wang Teng."

"Don't get close, just observe from a distance and record who he meets and where he goes each day."

“The most important point!” Lin Yue’s tone was extremely serious.

"This matter is to be kept absolutely confidential. Report any suspicious activity to me immediately! Do you all understand?"

"Understood!" everyone responded in unison.

……

Meanwhile, in the study of the Prince of Qin's residence, Lacey was meeting with another person.

Zhang Cheng, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works.

"Your Highness, you summoned me so late at night, is there some problem with the project?" Zhang Cheng asked with concern.

He is now completely convinced of Laixi's abilities and has almost regarded the Qin Prince's Mansion as his second government office.

"The project is progressing well and is nearing completion. The people are very enthusiastic," Lacey said with a smile, handing him a report.

"I called you here to discuss the next steps in our plan."

"What's next?" Zhang Cheng asked, somewhat puzzled.

Lacey walked up to the map of the capital's water system and pointed to the dense network of canals on it.

“Lord Zhang, you see, we have solved the sewage and flooding problems in the east of the city by dredging, but the water system of the capital is a whole.”

“Once one area is cleared, the blockage problem in other areas will become even more prominent.”

"Managing water is like governing a country; you can't just focus on one aspect, you have to consider the whole picture."

Zhang Cheng nodded in agreement: "Your Highness is right. I have been thinking about this for the past few days. The water system in the capital has been in disrepair for many years. Many waterways have the dual functions of transporting grain and discharging sewage. If this continues, it will inevitably lead to big problems."

“Therefore, I intend to submit another memorial to my father,” Lacey said.

"I request the establishment of a General Bureau of Water Conservancy for the Capital Region, led by the Ministry of Works, to conduct a thorough survey, planning, and repair of all the rivers, ditches, and wharves in the capital."

"This will not only continue to promote the work-for-relief program and resettle more unemployed people, but also fundamentally improve the canal transport and people's livelihood in the capital."

Zhang Cheng's eyes lit up when he heard this.

This was simply his lifelong dream!

As a craftsman-type official obsessed with construction, nothing is more appealing than a platform where he can unleash his talents and systematically transform the infrastructure.

"Your Highness! This is a great thing that benefits the country and the people! This humble official... this humble official is willing to die for Your Highness!" Zhang Cheng's voice trembled with excitement.

“You don’t need to die for me.” Lacey patted him on the shoulder.

"You must immediately organize a team and prepare a preliminary plan for the survey, without waiting for the imperial decree."

"Once I meet with my father, the Empress, I can implement the plan."

"Yes! Your subject obeys!" Zhang Cheng bowed deeply, wishing he could return to the Ministry of Works immediately to work through the night.

Watching Zhang Cheng's excited departure, a profound meaning flashed in Lacey's eyes.