Tang Dynasty: The seventh rank of official residence, and you will be given the Ten Thousand People

The imperial examinations in the Tang Dynasty continued the practices handed down from the Sui Dynasty.

After entering the Gongyuan, the candidates, together with the invigilators and the soldiers stationed on site, are not allowed to leave the Gongyuan.

You must wait until the exam is over and the exam papers have been sealed and handed over to Fengge Luantai before you can leave the exam room.

But for Fan Xin, there was nothing difficult about the Jinshi examination.

Because both the invigilator and the soldiers who were responsible for patrolling had opened up their plagiarism network.

While the candidates were racking their brains to answer the questions, an operation against imperial examination fraud was quietly launched...

"Quick, quick, quick! Rush in, surround the Governor's Mansion, no one can escape!"

Early in the morning, hundreds of internal guards wearing cloaks and holding swords rushed into the Lanzhou Governor's Mansion.

They surrounded the Lanzhou officials who were talking about the imperial examination.

Yang Feihong's face darkened, he stepped forward and yelled loudly.

"How dare you be rude to Governor Duan? Why don't you take your people and retreat immediately!"

"Prince Duan?" The inner guard sneered and slapped Yang Feihong on the face.

"Open your dog eyes and see, I am from the Inner Guards Mansion!"

"What, you are the inner guards!"

Hearing that the other party was an internal guard specializing in arresting officials, Yang Feihong was so frightened that his face turned pale.

The whole person collapsed on the ground, shivering.

After all, Duan Jishi was the official of Lanzhou's parents, so he had some determination and asked with a sullen face.

"So what if you are internal guards? Lanzhou is under my jurisdiction. Who told you to break into the Yamen without permission?"

"Prince Duan, do you really think that our internal guards are just for free?"

As soon as he finished speaking, more than a dozen Lanzhou officials were escorted into the lobby.

"See clearly, these are the people who bought an official position from you not long ago."

"The witnesses and material evidence are all there, what else do you have to say?"

"take away!"

With an order, dozens of internal guards swarmed in to escort the ashen-faced Governor Duan, while Yang Feihong walked towards the prison car.

Behind them, hundreds of officials hung their heads and had their hands tied.

Everywhere along the way, the people of Lanzhou applauded and cheered loudly.

It wasn't until they left Lanzhou City and headed towards the official road that the inner guards breathed a sigh of relief.

"Catch corrupt officials like Yang Feihong, and we can finally explain to the chief minister."

Wang Hua breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

"Yeah, I thought it would be a lot of trouble to arrest the Lanzhou officials, but I didn't expect these corrupt officials to be so useless. Their legs would weaken as soon as they were frightened."

Another inner guard echoed with a smile.

At this time, a billowing smoke suddenly appeared in the distance, and thousands of heavily armed sergeants rushed towards them.

"Shut up!"

When he came near, the general commanding the troops suddenly tugged on the reins and glanced at Wang Hua.

"Did you arrest him?"

"Humph, of course we caught him. I would like to advise you to act as internal guards and stay away, otherwise you will not be able to bear the consequences!"

Wang Hua finally figured out that this group of unidentified troops came for the corrupt officials behind them.

"It's good that you caught him. Thank you for your hard work. Leave the prisoner to us."

Saying this and waving his hands, hundreds of sergeants walked toward the prisoners.

"Wait a minute!"

Wang Hua pulled out the knife, narrowed his eyes and said gloomily.

"What if I don't make friends?"

These people are the key witnesses to identify Cui Ti, and naturally he cannot hand them over easily.

"It's easy to handle without surrendering. Brothers are used to licking blood with the tip of a knife. They don't care about a few more lives."

The commander-in-chief chuckled lightly and said indifferently.

As soon as these words came out, the inner guards all changed their expressions and pulled out the sabers from their waists.

They finally heard that the other party was planning to rob him.

Wang Hua was a smart man. Seeing that the opponent's force was several times his own, he weighed it in his mind and gritted his teeth.

"Okay, let's admit defeat today! Let's go!"

A few prison cars were left behind, and the guards shook their horses and ran towards the distance.

"Brother Zhao, these prisoners will be handed over to your Dali Temple. We must not disappoint His Highness King Yan's expectations."

Withdrawing his gaze from the inner guard, the general in charge looked at a young official.

"General Huo, don't worry. I will do my best to investigate the case and try to give the prince an explanation before returning to Luoyang."

The commander-in-chief nodded: "That's it, please!"

Then his eyes turned to Yang Feihong.

"I heard that you stole a piece of copper fish charm. How can such a precious thing be owned by a humble official like you?"

"Bring it to me!"

"Hey, hey, I'll give it to you right now. I hope the general spares my life."

After taking the copper fish charm, the general in charge looked up in the direction of Luoyang and murmured.

"I guess the big drama over there must be happening."

……

Prince Yan's Mansion.

A guard ran into the hall in panic.

"Your Highness Princess Qizhen, what's bad, our people have sent word that all Lanzhou officials have been captured by the internal guards!"

"What! Such a thing could happen?"

Princess Taiping stood up suddenly, her face extremely gloomy.

Everyone knows that the Lanzhou officials are her people, but now the inner guards have arrested them without saying a word, obviously for her.

Who is the one…

emperor?

Li Dan?

No! There is absolutely no way it could be them. There is only one person who has a close relationship with the Chief of the Interior Guard.

That is Li Longji, Minister of War!

Thinking of this, Princess Taiping turned pale and suddenly took a picture of the big case.

"Okay, okay! I didn't cause trouble for you, but you took the initiative to stir up trouble. Do you really think that I am a vegetarian?"

"Come here! Give it to me..."

"Wait!"

Dou Huaizhen stood up from the futon and said solemnly.

"Your Highness, please do not be angry. Although the internal guards have arrested Yang Feihong and others, they will not involve you."

"We must rush to protect Cui Ti before the internal defense. Only in this way can we have room for change."

Xiao Zhizhong on the side also said.

"Dou Xiangyan is right. Cui Ti knows that we have too many things to do. Once he falls into the hands of the inner guards, no one here can escape."

Faced with the analysis of the ministers, Princess Taiping took a deep breath and said coldly.

"General Huang, I order you to immediately lead the Jinwu Guards to blockade Gongyuan."

"Once the exam is over, arrest Cui Ti and student Yigan immediately!"

"I only obey His Highness's orders!" General Huang strode out of Prince Yan's Mansion with his fists in hand.

Not long after, the gate of the camp opened wide, and hundreds of golden-armored guards poured into the streets, driving away the crowd while running towards Gongyuan.

Looking at the Jinwu Guards rushing past, Zhou Tong sneered in the crowd.

"I didn't expect Princess Taiping to react very quickly, but it's a pity that she was a step later than us."

"Tell Zeng Tai that as soon as the exam is over, Cui Ti and Yi Gan will be arrested and brought to justice."

"I want to see how long Princess Taiping can remain arrogant and domineering."

"Yes!"

The subordinate clasped his fists and disappeared on the street.

Arriving at Gongyuan, the Jinwu guards immediately replaced the Luozhou officials and guarded the two south gates.

And barricades were erected on the road.

"General Huang, the Gongyuan is guarded by our Luozhou Prefecture. What are you doing?"

Luo Governor Shi Chentie said in confusion.

A disdainful smile appeared on Huang Xiaoyan's lips.

"Who do you think the Luozhou government is? We have sealed this place under the orders of Her Royal Highness the Princess."

"No one is allowed to stay here!" "Oh, your Excellency, you have such a strong tone. When did Jin Wuwei become so domineering!"

As soon as the words fell, hundreds of cloaked inner guards rushed over.

The two sides stood facing each other with swords in their hands, and there was a faint murderous intent in the air!

"Who did I think it was? It turns out to be Zeng Tai, the leader of the Interior Guard Pavilion!"

"What, do you want to try the blade of our Kingo Guard?"

Seeing that the person coming was the third master of the inner guard, Huang Xiaoyan coldly snorted and pulled out the Qingfeng Sword.

"Zeng really wants to learn Jinwuwei's sword skills!"

Bang!

A cold light flashed, and a long knife emitting cold light appeared in Zeng Tai's hand.

Seeing the other party fighting to the death, Huang Xiaoyan also became angry.

"Third brother, please inform His Highness of this immediately and ask for reinforcements!"

"I will obey your orders!"

The messenger named Lao San jumped on his horse, flicked his whip and headed towards Prince Yan's Mansion Juechen.

The wind is biting and snowflakes are falling.

As time passed, the earth suddenly shook.

The next moment, thousands of fully armed Jinwu Guards with shiny armor came towards Gongyuan in neat steps.

The momentum was so great that people along the way retreated.

Seeing the arrival of reinforcements, Huang Xiaoyan's confidence suddenly soared.

said contemptuously.

"Zeng Tai, do you still dare to talk shamelessly in front of this general?"

"Hmph! You Jinwu Guards have reinforcements, don't we inner guards have any?"

bang bang bang!

As Zeng Tai finished speaking, a group of internal guards of the same size appeared at the end of the street.

For a time, there was a tense atmosphere outside the gate of Gongyuan.

Just when both sides were clenching their swords and preparing to fight, the Gongyuan bell suddenly made a dull sound.

Then the courtyard door opened wide, and hundreds of shaking candidates walked out of the Gongyuan carrying small baskets.

Seeing this, Huang Xiaoyan and Zeng Tai's eyes lit up and they urged at the same time.

"Quick! Get these people!"

In an instant, thousands of guards poured into the Gongyuan like tigers entering a flock of sheep.

In just half an hour, more than two thousand people were arrested.

"How to find Cui Ti?" Huang Xiaoyan asked anxiously.

Compared with ordinary candidates, Cui Ti is their focus.

"Go back to the general. I searched inside and out but found no trace of Cui Jijiu in the Imperial Academy."

"What, missing?"

Huang Xiaoyan was shocked and quickly looked at Zeng Tai opposite.

It was a pity that the other party had the same expression as him and found no trace of Cui Ti.

"What should I do?" His eyes rolled twice in his circles.

Huang Xiaoyan stamped his foot hard.

"That's all, take these candidates and teachings back first!"

"This general wants to report to Her Royal Highness the Princess!"

...

Prince Yan's Mansion.

"So, the inner guards have found no trace of Cui Ti like you?"

In the main hall, Princess Taiping asked with a gloomy face.

"Back to Your Highness, I have asked the soldiers and the invigilators stationed there, and they all said that on the night of the exam, Cui Jijiu was gone."

"They originally wanted to report it to the police, but they couldn't get out, so they had to suppress the matter for the time being."

Indicating Huang Xiaoyan to stand up, Princess Taiping frowned.

"It's strange. Where would you go if you weren't in Gongyuan? Could it be that Cui Ti escaped without authorization?"

All the officials looked at each other, and Dou Huaizhen stood up and said.

"Your Highness, I think the most urgent task is how to explain to the court."

"Such a big conflict between the Jinwu Guards and the Nei Guards outside the Gongyuan Gate will definitely cause a huge shock."

“If we don’t have a suitable excuse, I’m afraid we won’t be able to explain.

"That's easy to say. I just said that I received the news in advance that there is a lot of fraud in the Gongyuan. With the emperor's love for me, I will not do anything to me."

"The key is to find Cui Ti and let him keep the secret forever!"

At the end of the sentence, Princess Taiping's eyes turned cold.

The next day, early morning.

The big bell of Shangyang Palace rang again after two months. Officials walked into the hall one after another.

In a solemn atmosphere, Li Xian and Princess Anle walked onto the Golden Luan Terrace.

"I see your Majesty, long live my emperor!"

"My lords, please make peace."

Li Xian waved his sleeves and glanced at the ministers.

"Yesterday I received a secret report that a large number of internal guards rushed to the streets, blocked the Gongyuan, and almost started fighting with the Jinwu Guards.

"I want to ask what is going on!"

Feeling the emperor's anger, the leader of the inner guard walked out of the team.

"Your Majesty, I have recently solved an earth-shattering imperial examination case."

"This case involves the Imperial Academy offering wine to Cui Ti. The minister was panicking and was about to lead his troops to the Gongyuan to capture it, but he didn't want to be stopped by the Jinwu Guards on the way."

"I hope your Majesty will be aware of this!"

Looking at the ministers kneeling at his feet, Li Xian frowned.

"You said Cui Ti was involved in the case, where is the evidence? Who gave you the right to block the Gongyuan?"

"this…"

The leader of the Ministry of Internal Affairs hesitated for a moment, not knowing how to answer. In fact, before the operation yesterday, someone took away the relevant people involved in the case.

So much so that he only had an insignificant Li Ci left in his hand.

"Your Majesty, I asked the internal guards to go to Gongyuan to arrest someone. This matter was indeed too hasty, and I am willing to bear the responsibility."

Li Longji walked out of the queue and knelt on the ground to apologize.

After all calculations, he never expected that a third party would intervene in this matter.

Instead of waiting for Princess Taiping to attack, it is better to admit her crime frankly.

Li Xian looked at his nephew quietly, his eyes full of complexity.

After a long time, he sighed.

"King Linzi, you have disappointed me so much. From now on, you will be dismissed from the Ministry of War as Minister of War. You will go back and think about it behind closed doors for three months. You will not take a single step without my decree!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone on Princess Taiping's side showed joy.

However, before they could be happy for too long, Li Xian said to everyone again.

"Since the reign of Emperor Taizong, the laws of the Li family have been clearly stipulated. Anyone who uses weapons at the emperor's feet will die!"

"Huang Xiaoyan, Zeng Tai, you two commanded the army to disrupt the imperial city without authorization, causing panic in people's hearts. It is truly an unforgivable crime."

"Each of you will receive eighty military sticks from now on, and you will be demoted to three ranks and retained in your original post!"

"His Majesty!"

Their expressions changed and they fell to their knees.

"Okay, retreat!"

Li Xian flicked his imperial sleeves and left the main hall of Shangyang Palace.

Surrounded by ministers, Princess Taiping came to Li Longji with a proud face.

"King Linzi, I am not telling you that you are so old, why are you still acting recklessly?"

"Look, I'm going to suffer a big loss this time."

Faced with the condescension of everyone, Li Longji suppressed the hatred in his heart and gave a polite salute.

"My nephew has learned a lesson!"

"Okay, you can reflect on it at home, and my aunt will go to the Luoyang Chamber of Commerce to have a look."

Looking at the backs of Princess Taiping and the ministers, Li Longji clenched his fists.

"Gao Lishi, who do you think ruined our good deeds?"

"Back to your lord, this old slave thinks that he must be a powerful man who can take someone away in the Gongyuan."

"There are only four people who can do this, namely Your Majesty and you, as well as His Royal Highnesses King Yan and Princess Taiping."

(End of this chapter)