Fangzhou Xier, starting with failing the art exam

A priceless piece of calligraphy!

When these words are put together, a shocking conspiracy is about to be revealed.

"The imperial examinations were rigged! This is evidence of rigged imperial examinations!"

"Someone destroyed the evidence by sinking the exam papers to the bottom of the river!"

"Good heavens! No wonder I've studied hard for ten years and failed the exam every time!"

"So that's how it is!"

A middle-aged scholar broke down on the spot, knelt on the ground, beat his chest and stamped his feet, and wailed loudly.

His cries ignited the anger of all the students from impoverished families present.

In an instant, cries, curses, and doubts filled the air.

The entire construction site went out of control in an instant.

The foreman was terrified and immediately sent someone to report to the Jingzhao Prefecture and another to inform the Prince of Qin.

This is not something a small foreman like him can handle.

The sky is about to fall!

The news spread rapidly throughout the capital.

When Lacey "happened" to inspect the Wen Canal construction site, it was already surrounded by layers of people.

The yamen runners of the Jingzhao Prefecture held hands and formed a human wall to barely maintain order, but they could not stop the agitated crowd of people and students.

"Make way! Let us in!"

"We want evidence! We want justice!"

"The imperial court must thoroughly investigate this matter! We scholars must be exonerated!"

The shouts shook the sky.

"Your Highness, you've finally arrived!" The foreman scrambled up to Lacey, his face contorted with grief.

"Please take a look, what... what are we going to do!"

Lacey frowned as she looked at the chaotic scene before her.

"What's going on?" he asked in a deep voice.

The foreman recounted the events incoherently.

Upon hearing this, Lacey's face instantly turned ashen.

He pushed through the crowd and strode to the central area, which was a mess of mud and paper.

He crouched down and personally picked up a wet scrap of paper.

The four characters "Priceless Calligraphy" on it, soaked in mud and water, looked particularly glaring.

Lacey's body trembled slightly.

He raised his head, his gaze slowly sweeping over everyone present, his eyes filled with shock, heartache, and a suppressed, overwhelming rage.

"Seal the scene!"

He suddenly stood up and shouted.

"Everything that has been dug up, not even a single piece of paper, must be collected and jointly guarded by my royal guards and the Jingzhao Prefecture!"

"Pass on my order: summon the Prefect of the Capital Region immediately!"

"I want to ask him, under the feet of the true dragon, in broad daylight, why would such a horrifying thing happen!"

Everyone present was awestruck by the awe-inspiring righteousness emanating from him and involuntarily fell silent.

They saw that the usually gentle and refined Prince Qin was truly enraged at this moment.

That anger wasn't feigned; it came from the bottom of his heart—anger for justice and for the common people!

The Prefect of Jingzhao arrived quickly, covered in sweat.

When he saw this scene, his legs went weak.

"This humble official...this humble official greets Your Highness, the Prince of Qin."

“Lord Li, you’ve come at the perfect time.” Lacey looked at him coldly.

"Look at these things! Explain this to me, what's going on here?"

"This this……"

The Prefect of Jingzhao could not explain it clearly; he stammered for a long time, unable to utter a single word.

"I have been ordered by my father, the Emperor, to improve water conservancy for the sake of national peace and prosperity."

"But to our surprise, we dug out something so filthy and disgusting from the bottom of the river!"

Pointing to the fragments, Lacey said with great sorrow, "The imperial examination is a grand ceremony of the nation, the foundation for selecting talent for the country!"

"Now, however, some people are using it as a tool to amass wealth, treating the future and destiny of scholars across the land as commodities that can be bought and sold!"

"This is undermining the very foundation of our Great Yan! This is shaking the very foundation of our Great Yan nation!"

"I will not let this matter rest!"

"Your Jingzhao Prefecture must immediately open a case and investigate it thoroughly for me!"

"No matter who is involved, how high their official rank, or how deep their background, we will never tolerate it!"

"Yes! Yes! Your humble servant obeys! Your humble servant will definitely investigate thoroughly!" The Prefect of Jingzhao nodded vigorously.

Just then, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, a highly respected elder, also arrived upon hearing the news.

He was so angry when he saw the writing on the fragments that he trembled with rage, and his beard stood on end.

"This is unreasonable! This is simply unreasonable!"

When Laisi saw him, she immediately stepped forward to support him: "Chancellor Zhou, please calm down and take care of your health."

While supporting the old priest, he "casually" handed him a fragment of paper, lowering his voice to a volume only the two of them could hear:

“Your Excellency, look at this handwriting… This matter is likely far more complex than we can imagine.”

"I suspect that Liang Yuan's death is also related to this."

“Liang Yuan?” Zhou Jijiu was taken aback for a moment, then remembered the student who had recently drowned.

He took the fragment, brought it close to his eyes and examined it closely. There was a character "王" (Wang) written on it, along with half a sentence: "...overruling public opinion, appointed as the head of the village."

Zhou Jijiu's pupils suddenly contracted.

He instantly understood what Lacey meant.

Vice Minister Wang! Liu Jing! Liang Yuan!

A complete chain of clues instantly formed in his mind.

His face turned deathly pale.

"Your Highness...this..."

“Your Excellency, this is a matter of great importance. Please keep it quiet for the time being.” Lacey winked at him.

"Making wild guesses without solid evidence could cause instability in the court, and it would be unfair to those in high positions of power."

Zhou Jijiu was a man of great stature, and he immediately understood the unspoken meaning behind Laixi's words.

His Highness the Prince of Qin was telling him that the curtain had been lifted, but the enemy was too powerful and needed his help as the leader of the scholar class.

"Your Highness, rest assured, I... I understand." Chief Minister Zhou nodded heavily.

Looking at the indignant yet somewhat bewildered students around him, he had already made up his mind.

Lai Xi comforted the people and students at the scene, promising to investigate the matter thoroughly and bring justice to the world. Only then did he lead his men, escorting the evidence, back to the Qin Prince's Mansion.

No sooner had he left than astonishing news spread throughout the Imperial Academy and the Baizao Academy.

"Have you heard? The things unearthed from the Wen Canal are related to Vice Minister Wang of the Ministry of Rites!"

"More than that!"

"I heard from my cousin who works in the Jingzhao Prefecture that His Highness Prince Qin suspects that Liang Yuan, who died recently, was murdered to silence him because he discovered the corruption in the imperial examinations!"

"What?! Really?!"

"Absolutely true!"

"It is said that His Highness the Prince of Qin has obtained some evidence, but the other side is too powerful, and His Highness will find it difficult to shake them in the short term!"

The news became increasingly fantastical and spread far and wide.

The students were already anxious because of the rumors about the exorbitantly priced calligraphy, and hearing this news was like having a spoonful of hot oil poured on them.

Anger, panic, and unease spread rapidly throughout Shihlin.

Just then, news came from the Prince of Qin's residence.

Three days later, His Highness the Prince of Qin will host a literary gathering at his residence, inviting renowned scholars and student representatives from the capital to jointly appreciate articles and discuss issues related to academic style.

He also stated that at that time, some of the fragments found in the Wenyun River would be handed over to the esteemed scholars for joint appraisal.

This news was nothing short of a bombshell.

Everyone understood that His Highness the Prince of Qin intended to use the literary gathering as a pretext to completely expose the cheating in the imperial examinations!

In no time, many people responded.

Countless students who usually only knew how to bury themselves in their studies spread the word and wrote petitions to participate in the literary gathering.

They all knew that this might be their only chance to fight for justice for themselves and for the poor and needy in the world.

……

Wherever the sun and moon reach, it is scorching earth: Chapter 259: A petition at the literary gathering, public opinion surges like a tide.

Three days later, at the Prince of Qin's residence.

As dawn broke, crowds were already gathering outside the mansion gates.

Representatives of students from various universities and academies in the capital, as well as renowned scholars and literati, had been waiting here for a long time.

They looked solemn and were dressed neatly, as if they were not there to attend a literary gathering.

The side gate of the Prince's Mansion opened, and Yang Wei personally led his men out to greet them.

"Gentlemen, His Highness is waiting in the garden. Please follow me."

The group followed Yang Wei through the corridor and arrived at the back garden of the Prince's Mansion.

In the open space in the center of the garden, hundreds of seats were set up, and the students took their seats in their respective areas according to their academy.

The dozen or so most respected Confucian scholars were invited to sit opposite King Laixi of Qin in the pavilion at the very front.

Lacey was dressed in royal robes today, but his face showed no emotion.

He looked at these future pillars of the Great Yan Dynasty before him, stood up, and bowed deeply to the crowd:

"I am deeply honored that you have taken the time to come."

Everyone quickly stood up to return the greeting.

"I have invited you all here today for what is ostensibly a literary gathering, but in reality, I have a question that I would like to ask you all."

"Our Great Yan Dynasty has been established for a thousand years. Not long after, His Majesty established the national policy of selecting officials through the imperial examination system. The purpose of this policy was to break the monopoly of powerful clans and open a path to success for the poor and humble.

"For thousands of years, countless pillars of talent have emerged from this, assisting the monarch and governing the region, which has led to the prosperous age of our Great Yan today."

"It can be said that the imperial examination is the foundation of our Great Yan Dynasty! It is the basis for us scholars to make a living!"

His words resonated with all the students, who nodded in agreement.

Lacey then changed the subject: "But now, some people want to sever our roots! They want to destroy the foundation of our nation!"

"They turned the imperial examinations into a dirty marketplace! They turned ten years of hard study into a price that can be measured in money!"

"They are the ones who hold absolute power, manipulating the system to eliminate truly talented scholars while allowing incompetent fools to occupy high positions!"

"Such behavior is no different from treason!"

Lacey practically yelled the last four words.