Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 98 The Dagger Revealed

Prince Teng's Mansion.

That day, Wang Yi was beaten up by Jia Cong and fell ill after returning home.

Jia Cong's thunderous blow of the sword did not kill him, but it really broke his heart.

At that time, Wang Yi thought he had been beheaded by that knife. He would never forget the horrible feeling of the icy cold blade scraping against his scalp.

The knife not only frightened him to the point of incontinence, but also almost broke his spirit, and brought unspeakable humiliation.

Since the day he returned home, Wang Yi would announce bad news whenever he closed his eyes. The evil look of the steel knife flying in the air followed him like a shadow, and he could not sleep for a full hour every day.

In just a few days, he lost a lot of weight, his eyes turned black, and he was in terribly miserable.

The doctor examined Master Wang and said that he was too shocked and his mind was hurt. Medicine can only provide a temporary solution and the disease can only be cured slowly by nursing him.

When Wang Zhang saw that her once strong and vigorous son was frightened into a state of being inhuman by the beast raised by the whore of the Jia family, she felt heartbroken, but she did not realize that all this was caused by herself.

At this time, a maid came to report that it was Zhou Rui's wife, the companion of the second wife of the Jia family, who came to visit the cousin's illness at the second wife's request.

Zhou Rui's wife went in to check on Wang Yi's condition, and then asked about Wang Zhang's diagnosis results, and also expressed her condolences.

It was inevitable that he would mention that Cong had really gone too far this time. Even out of consideration for the master and mistress' kindness, he should not have treated the Wang family relatives like this.

It was also said that Cong was fortunate to be born into a noble family like the Jia family, otherwise, with his background, he would not even be allowed to study for the imperial examinations, let alone win the title of first place.

Wang Zhang's heart skipped a beat when she heard this. Zhou Rui's wife continued to nag about other family matters, and then she told the cousin to take good care of the child, and she would go back to report to the Second Madam so that she could rest assured.

After Zhou Rui's wife left, Wang Zhang thought for a long time, then asked her maid to call the teacher in the mansion to come and question her.

The teacher was hired by Wang Ziteng to teach his son. He was a poor scholar who had studied for half his life and knew the most about studying for the imperial examinations.

After Wang Zhang learned the truth from the teacher, her previous sadness and depression disappeared. She called her trusted maid and asked her to ask her elder sister to come over and talk.

……

That evening, in an alley four or five blocks away from Ningrong Street.

A tall and thin young scholar walked into an old inn.

The waiter in the hall came up to greet him with a big smile on his face: "Scholar, you are back."

When the young scholar heard the word "Xiucai Gong", a look of pride appeared on his face. A few days ago, the results of the Ministry of Rites examination were announced, and he had ranked first. After years of hard work, he finally got what he wanted.

Having become a noble scholar in the eyes of the common people, he felt so happy that words could not express it in words. In the past few days, many of his peers came to visit him and praised him as the top scholar.

The feeling of being the most powerful among his peers and having everyone following his lead really intoxicated him.

He already felt that this small inn was a bit shabby, as if it was not worthy of him, a top scholar.

The waiter said, "Scholar, today a woman named Qiu brought you a letter."

The young scholar raised his eyebrows and asked, "Did the lady surnamed Qiu leave any message?"

The waiter said, "She didn't leave any message. She said you'll know after you read the letter."

The scholar took the letter and went into the room. He opened it and read it carefully under the candlelight, with a gleam in his eyes.

How unfair is the creation of human beings. I am full of talent, but I was born in poverty. My family became penniless in order to support my studies. I wear shabby clothes and can barely get enough food.

However, those sons of noble families live a leisurely and extravagant life, doing nothing, yet they can enjoy wealth and prosperity!

If I hadn't received financial support from a noble person, I would have spent half my life busy and struggling to make a living. How could I have concentrated on my studies and gotten the top score in the college entrance examination?

Since the way of heaven is unfair, one's destiny is determined by oneself. If I had not tried to rely on others in the beginning, I would not be where I am today.

Good winds come with the help of force, victory is sought in danger!

A look of determination and madness flashed across the scholar's face. He lit the letter in the candlelight, and it turned to ashes in a moment.

...A few days after the results of the Yongzhou Academy Examination were announced.

In recent days, there have been relatives coming to congratulate Jia Cong on his top spot in the imperial examination, so Jia Zheng set up several banquets in the flower hall of Rongguo Mansion to thank the guests.

Although Jia Cong did not like these social engagements, these people came for him and he could not ignore them, so he could only follow Jia Zheng and socialize with them one by one.

The weather was bleak and the autumn chill grew heavier. In the afternoon, the sky was covered with blood-red clouds, which looked eerie and mysterious.

At the gate of the South Courtyard of the Ministry of Rites in the east of the city, a dozen students in blue shirts came. The leader was tall and thin, with slightly raised cheekbones, and an expression that was a bit aloof and arrogant.

The group marched in a mighty procession to the gate of the South Courtyard of the Ministry of Rites, startling the runners guarding the gate.

The tall and thin student in the lead walked to the dusty drum at the gate of the yamen and took out the drumstick that had not been used for a long time.

He beat the drum head which was as big as a millstone, "dong dong dong".

The loud and deep drum sounds spread along the east wall of the South Courtyard of the Ministry of Rites like a surging tide, and passers-by on the street stopped to watch in panic.

The sound of drums soon resounded throughout the East and West Yamen of the Ministry of Rites, and everyone in the courtyard was shocked!
It was the time for court meeting in the morning, and the Minister of Rites, the left and right vice ministers and other fifth-rank officials all came to the court to see the emperor.

There was only one doctor in charge of the four Qingli Departments of the Ministry of Rites, namely, Ceremonial Departments, Ancestral Sacrifices, Hosts and Guests, and Fine Foods. When he heard the drum, his face showed surprise.

There were drums at the gates of the six ministries and provincial government offices in the Six Kingdoms period, which was also a long-standing practice.

The drums of the Ministry of Justice, the Dali Temple, the Censorate, and the provincial government offices would occasionally sound, usually when the common people wanted to appeal for justice.

The drums in other government offices are basically just for decoration. For example, the drum at the entrance of the Ministry of Rites has not been sounded for at least ten years.

When something is out of the ordinary, it must be something wrong!
The doctor who stayed in the clinic did not dare to be negligent and sent a director from the Ministry of Rites to investigate the matter.

More than a dozen students gathered at the entrance of the Ministry of Rites, and the momentum was quite large.

Among them were students, and many of them wore square scarves and long shirts, and they were the scholars on the list this time.

The head of the Ministry of Rites was also a shrewd man. Before leaving the house, he had ordered the yamen runners to guard the gate to prevent these students from breaking into the gate.

Passing the imperial examination and becoming a scholar meant entering the scholar-official class, and having privileges such as not having to kneel before an official, being exempt from corvée labor, not being arbitrarily punished, and being able to report to the emperor on official business.

These people could only stop them, but they could not touch or hit them, let alone in front of the Ministry of Rites, a noble government agency that presided over the ethics and rituals of the world.

The head of the Ministry of Rites asked sternly, "You are all scholars, and you should know that the government office is strictly guarded. Why are you gathering here to make a noise?"

The tall and thin student in the lead, wearing a square scarf and a long shirt, should be the scholar who passed the college entrance examination. He said in a clear voice:
"Sir, I am Liu Wenxuan, a student from Deqing Prefecture. I have learned that the Yongzhou Academy Examination violated the rules and regulations, so I went to the Ministry of Rites with my classmates to file a complaint. This is the complaint."

The head of the Ministry of Rites was filled with doubt and uncertainty. He took the complaint from Liu Wenxuan, unfolded it, and couldn't help but gasp.

"You are going to sue Jia Cong, the first place winner of this Yongzhou Academy Examination!"

Liu Wenxuan replied, "That's right. We all know that the biological mother of Jia Cong, the first suspect in the case, was Du Jinniang, the most popular prostitute in Yunyan Tower in Shenjing ten years ago!

The ancestral system of the Great Zhou Dynasty: prostitutes, actors, soldiers, and slaves were considered untouchables and were not allowed to take part in the imperial examinations within three generations!

Jia Cong was the son of the courtesan Du Jinniang, and his family was not selected for the imperial examination within two generations.

The Shenjing County Government did not keep a strict watch, allowing the filthy son of a menial servant to enter the Confucian imperial examination, and he was actually selected as the top candidate in the Yongzhou Academy examination. This has damaged the reputation of the academic community and violated the etiquette of the country, and has brought shame to us, the students of the same science!
I now petition the Ministry of Rites to enforce the law, remove Jia Cong's scarf and robe, remove his academic title, and reset the first place in this year's Yongzhou Academy Examination!"

Liu Wenxuan's words were sharp, his tone was powerful, and every word he said was like a hammer. He spoke eloquently, attracting many passers-by to stop and watch.

At this time, some students in Confucian robes gathered from both sides of the street, some of them wearing square scarves and long robes. It seemed that they had made an appointment in advance, but they arrived a little late.

The head of the Ministry of Rites had already shown panic on his face. At this time, there were more than thirty or forty students gathered at the gate of the South Courtyard of the Ministry of Rites. Looking around, it was crowded with people wearing Confucian robes!
Although compared with the thousands of candidates taking the Yongzhou Academy Examination, this is only a small number of people, but the momentum cannot be underestimated.

The head of the Ministry of Rites had been on duty in the yamen for several years and knew how serious the matter was.

The top ten candidates for the Yongzhou Academy Examination were nominated by more than 30 examiners from various ministries, and then personally selected by Guo Youchang, the Yongzhou Academy Director and Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites.

If Jia Cong, the top candidate in the case, was dismissed because of his status as the son of a prostitute, then the minister who personally appointed him as the top candidate would also lose his job, and the more than 30 officials who participated in the review of the papers would not be able to escape responsibility!
The Ministry of Rites will also be brought to shame because of this, disaster is coming!
(End of this chapter)