Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 496 Too many coincidences are not coincidences
The backyard of Chen’s house.

Li Hongqing was teaching Jingjing how to practice sword, Xiao Miaochen was making tea on the side, and Chen Qingsi was sitting leisurely on the side, listening to Qianyan talking about the most popular gossip at the moment.

Don’t even mention how leisurely our life is.

"What's interesting today?"

Gossip is human nature.

Most people love to listen to it, and Qianyan is one of the best.

When she had nothing to do, she would chat with the shopping maid and the cook in the house, learn from them the most popular topics in Beijing, and then share them.

If you want to understand the trends in Beijing, you can always ask Qianyan.

Chen Qingsi had been busy with the military's dispatches, and had heard about Di Renjie from Qianyan.

Di Renjie's performance over the past two months can be described in one sentence: he was born to be the protagonist.

Even though the script had already been changed because of his appearance, Di Renjie's abilities, personality, and standards in dealing with people made him be treated like a protagonist at any time and in any place.

Di Renjie was sorting out the accumulated old cases in the Censorate. The first case he took on caused a sensation in Chang'an as he uncovered a cheating case in the imperial examination in the first year of Qianfeng.

The imperial examination system has been rife with shady manipulation since its inception.

For example, the imperial examinations of the Sui Dynasty were not much different from the recommendation system of the Han Dynasty. Candidates had to be recommended to be eligible to participate, and there were only a small number of officials who were qualified to recommend.

What is this? It is obvious that it is to provide benefits to the nobles in the court and to give their descendants and nephews the qualification for promotion.

The imperial examination system in the early and middle period of the Tang Dynasty was not much better.

It is true that the imperial examination system made great progress in the early Tang Dynasty, allowing all students in the country to apply for the examination. However, the overall atmosphere of the imperial examination was full of insider trading and the circulation of papers became a trend.

Students submitted their own applications and took their essays to the examiner in the hope of getting a good ranking.

Those powerful people even decided who would be the top three before the exam...

Take Wang Wei for example. It is undeniable that Wang Wei is a talented scholar who is not inferior to Li Bai, but his status as the top scholar was really obtained through the back door of Princess Yuzhen.

At that stage, without connections, there was no way you could pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi.

It was not until the middle and late Tang Dynasty that the poor began to rise and the trend of holding internal examinations for imperial examinations began to improve.

The Song, Ming and Qing dynasties attached great importance to cheating in the imperial examinations and cracked down on it strictly, but cheating still occurred frequently...

Therefore, there is no complete fairness in the imperial examination.

But then again, the reform presided over by Chen Qingsi can be said to be the most fair one.

After all, he had the full support of Li Zhi, and he brought various systems of the Song Dynasty to this era.

The new system filled the loopholes in the imperial examination of this era. It does not mean that the system adopted by Chen Qingsi is perfect. There is no truly perfect system in the world. As long as it is a rule set by people, there will be loopholes. It's just that Chen Qingsi took out something that transcends the times and did not give the world extra time to think about it and find loopholes.

This leads to relative fairness.

As all the details of the imperial examination system reform became known to the world, people would immediately study and ponder them, looking for loopholes.

There were minor problems in the second reform of the imperial examination after Chen Qingsi, but they were not serious.

As time goes by, the system will be studied more thoroughly, and as various problems accumulate, they will once again promote the reform of the imperial examination system.

When it came to the spring imperial examination in the first year of Qianfeng, big problems arose.

The current imperial examination system seems to have eliminated the problem of proxy examination. By taking advantage of this loophole, some people can obtain the title of Jinshi by proxy examination, or become a Jinshi and thus be eligible for promotion.

It is a recognized fact that Li Zhi likes to promote Jinshi.

Luqiu Huan, the attendant, wanted his youngest son to enter the officialdom. He often accompanied Li Zhi and knew that a future official would be promoted faster if he had the status of a Jinshi. So he arranged for someone to take the exam for his youngest son, and after he passed the exam, he would recommend him to an official position.

For some unknown reason, this matter was known to others, who reported it anonymously to the Censorate.

Xu Jingzong had a very good relationship with Lu Qiu Huan, so he suppressed the matter, determined it to be a false accusation, and closed the case.

Di Renjie had a sharp eye. When he was reviewing the files, he smelled something fishy. He reopened the case and uncovered the inside story of the cheating practice in one fell swoop.

When Li Zhi heard this, he was furious and eliminated all the people involved.

This case was a major one for Di Renjie, and the process was not as smooth as it was described.

When Di Renjie decided to overturn the verdict, he encountered various obstacles. He used his talent and persistence to successfully solve the case and bring the people involved to justice.

This case made Di Renjie famous...

Chen Qingsi was initially worried that Di Renjie would not be able to handle the affairs of the Censorate, after all, the Censorate was not the Dali Temple.

In history, Di Renjie served as the Dali Temple Secretary. He adjudicated a large number of backlog cases in one year, involving 17,000 people, and no one complained unjustly. This ability was shocking. However, no matter how difficult these cases were, the subjects of the adjudication were the common people. As the Dali Temple Secretary, he had a certain status advantage. The subjects of the cases of the Censorate were officials. There was a certain power behind the cases that could become old cases or hidden in the completed cases.

Di Renjie may not be worthy of this power...

Therefore, Chen Qingsi always asked people to keep an eye on Di Renjie and would come forward to protect him when necessary.

But Di Renjie proved with facts that he did not need anyone's care.

Di Renjie has a very high emotional intelligence. When he followed his father around as an official, he learned a lot and became well versed in the ways of being an official. He knows how to build good relationships with his superiors, how to win the hearts of his subordinates, and when to stop when handling cases.

If this fraud case is really investigated in detail, the Imperial Censor Li Anqi and Xu Jingzong are both involved.

If Di Renjie really wanted to bite them, Chen Qingsi might not be able to protect him.

Di Renjie did not delve into the crime of harboring a criminal, but simply rounded up all the people involved in the imperial examination cheating.

For this reason, Xu Jingzong also hosted a banquet for Di Renjie to express his appreciation for him.

Xu Jingzong was naturally not afraid of Di Renjie, but he was about to step half into the coffin and was most concerned about his reputation. Di Renjie's restraint saved him from a storm, so he had to show off his reputation.

Li Zhi valued talent and made an exception to meet Di Renjie.

Di Renjie did not take credit for himself in front of Li Zhi, but shared his achievements with his superiors, making Li Anqi and Chief Censor Fang Rugong feel favored by him.

As a result, Di Renjie, who was supposed to have offended Xu Jingzong and Li Anqi because of the case, turned around and admired this subordinate.

Fang Rugong was originally worried that Di Renjie would cause trouble for himself, so he disliked this subordinate and even decided to be indifferent to him. However, after this incident, Fang Rugong put aside his prejudices and had a tentative relationship with him. He was shocked by his talent and learned, and discussed teachings with him as an equal.

It was just one case, but Di Renjie had established his foothold in the Censorate. Chen Qingsi didn't believe that he was not the protagonist. Because of this, Chen Qingsi no longer cared about Di Renjie, and focused on the dispatch of the Ministry of War. He only learned about what Di Renjie did through Qianyan's gossip.

Qian Yan smiled and said, "There is nothing unusual today..."

Chen Qingsi asked in surprise, "Didn't you say yesterday that Di Renjie is a master at solving cases and will definitely be able to uncover the case of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Junior Secretary Lin Renji, attempting to murder Bingzhou Sima Li Xiaolian? How come there is nothing strange about it?"

The case of Lin Renji, the Junior Secretary of the Ministry of Puppetry, attempting to murder Li Xiaolian, the Sima of Bingzhou, was a case that happened a month and a half ago. Because Di Renjie performed so well and was appreciated by Xu Jingzong and Li Anqi, Fang Rugong also became friends with him, and he was able to take over the new case.

Lin Renji was once the Chief Clerk of Bingzhou, the top official in Bingzhou, while Li Xiaolian was the Sima of Bingzhou, the second-in-command of Bingzhou.

Taiyuan, which was under the jurisdiction of Bingzhou, was the birthplace of the Li Tang Dynasty. The Chief Clerk and Sima of Bingzhou had extremely high status. Although they both served in the Bingzhou Governor's Office, they did not work together. Instead, due to various situations, they were at odds with each other, and they held each other back, almost ruining the state.

Until half a year ago, when Lin Renji was transferred to Chang'an for a post, they no longer met. Unexpectedly, not long after Lin Renji left, Li Xiaolian was attacked by thieves and nearly died.

All the blame was directed at Lin Renji, but he refused to plead guilty and kept protesting his innocence.

Xiao Miaochen snickered at the side: "Qian girl is speaking up for her husband."

Chen Qingsi was even more puzzled and asked, "How did it get involved with me?"

Xiao Miaochen said, "Qian has been talking about this for almost a day, saying how can Di Renjie be compared to you, my dear?"

Seeing that Chen Qingsi was even more confused, she continued, "The Imperial Censor Di has already caught the real murderer and cleared Lin Renji of all charges. Lin Renji was very grateful to Di Renjie and praised him, saying, 'Di Gong is as virtuous as anyone else in the world.'"

Chen Qingsi squinted his eyes. Why did this sound so awkward? Shouldn't it be "Di Gong is as virtuous as anyone in the south of the Big Dipper, and there is only one person?"

Later generations thought that this saying gave rise to a phrase called "Dou Nan Yi Ren", which is a metaphor for unique talents in the world.

These are the only two?
Does it sound weird?

"These are the only two. Is the other person talking about me?"

Chen Qingsi understood.

Qian Yan said: "Of course it is. Tell me if it's unfair or not, Lin Renji praised Di Renjie all he wanted, and even involved Lang Zhu..." In her eyes, her Lang Zhu was the most powerful, how could Di Renjie compare with him?
Chen Qingsi waved his hand carelessly and said, "Don't be angry, don't be angry, I won't fight for this false reputation."

Chen Qingsi sipped his tea and watched Li Hongqing and Jingjing practicing together, feeling relaxed.

The more famous Di Renjie was, the more sensational the effect would be when he caught mice.

If it was really Li Yifu, then it would be the biggest case since the Tang Dynasty.

I just don’t know what the news is from Yizhou.

Chen Qingsi waited for another month and finally received news from Yizhou.

"My Lord, you guessed it right. The person buried in Li Yifu's tomb might not really be Li Yifu."

Chen Qingsi frowned and asked, "Maybe? Can't be sure?"

This possibility made him feel uncomfortable.

Zhou Kui shook his head and said, "It's impossible to be sure. It's been too long. The coroner we hired was introduced by the lady from the West Courtyard. He is a well-known coroner. He said that if the other party faked his death, there is an 80% chance of it."

The lady in the west courtyard is Li Hongqing.

Chen Qingsi married two wives without distinguishing between the older and younger ones, but it was inappropriate to call both of them the eldest wife, and it was also inappropriate to call them the second wife.

It just so happened that one of them lived in the East Courtyard and the other in the West Courtyard, so they were called the East Courtyard Lady and the West Courtyard Lady.

Zhou Kui has made many friends in Chang'an over the years, and Chen Qingsi has made use of them, but there is no one who is good at autopsies, and he can't find a reliable coroner in an emergency...

Being a coroner is a lowly profession. An unknown coroner may not be reliable, and a famous one may not be trustworthy either.

Chen Qingsi and Zhou Kui were very troubled. After learning about this, Li Hongqing introduced him to someone named Sang Donghua. In her early years, she followed Qiu Douke and traveled around the world, and got to know many strange people in the market.

Chen Qingsi asked: "How do you say that?"

"Sang said that according to reason, when people are buried, they would choose a dry place, and then light candles inside before sealing the tombstone to prevent the body from rotting too early or being eaten by insects and ants. Although Li Yifu's tomb is in a dry place, they cut corners when burying and sealing the tombstone, so that the body rotted too early, leaving only bones."

"Judging from the analysis of the bones, the deceased is indeed as tall as Li Yifu, and of similar age, with a short time interval between their deaths. However, the two toes of the bones are thick, which means that the deceased must have been a person who traveled all year round. Xizhou is mountainous, and most hunters in the mountains are like this. Of course, he did not rule out the possibility that Li Yifu was also like this, and it is possible that he was afraid that someone would really dig up his grave, so he intentionally let the body rot..."

"The foot bone is one of the suspicious points, and cutting corners is the other. With the wealth of Li Yifu, he shouldn't be so stingy when it comes to funerals. Of course, Sang the coroner also said that it is not ruled out that someone did something wrong. But the connection between the two suspicious points can probably prove something."

Chen Qingsi nodded slightly.

I feel a little regretful, but also think it is reasonable.

This matter is too big. If we don't make sufficient preparations, even if Li Yifu is willing to take the risk, Empress Wu may not dare to do so.

Chen Qingsi even felt that Li Yifu might be like Fan Yao, the Right Protector of Light in Jin Yong's novel "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber", who destroyed his own appearance and even changed his voice, becoming a completely different person.

Even if Li Yifu stood in front of him, he might not recognize him.

Otherwise, based on his prestige in Chang'an in the past, how could he dare to enter Chang'an?

Just as Sang the coroner said, one doubt or two doubts can prove something.

Although there is no evidence now, all the blame points to Li Yifu, which is definitely not a coincidence.

There are not so many coincidences in this world.

Chen Qingsi reorganized the useful information and said, "You arrange for someone to falsely accuse Li Chongde and shift Di Renjie's target to Li Chongde. Let him investigate what secrets Li Chongde is hiding. Also, continue to build a good relationship with Cui Zhao and continue to lurk."

Chen Qingsi has two clues in his hands. One is Li Chongde, who is the core figure. As long as he is defeated, Li Yifu will be found.

As for Cui Zhe, he is a small figure on the margins, but a small figure who cannot be ignored.

Cui Zhao's situation is special. He has put too much pressure on his wife, and her personality is a little twisted. Although this kind of person is not completely useless, he is not presentable either.

But it is strange that Empress Wu would win over such a person. There must be some unknown profitable reason for him.

One is still, the other is moving, two-pronged approach.

It was not convenient for Chen Qingsi to investigate, nor did he have enough time to investigate. The most important thing was to defeat the Arabs.

This matter can only be left to Di Renjie.

"Huaiying, don't let me down!"

(End of this chapter)