The Splendid Medical Concubine: The Journey of a Concubine

Chapter 429 Extra Chapter 20 Opening

The two yamen servants immediately brought two armchairs to Gu Jue and Shen Qianchen. After the couple sat down, Gu Jue calmly gave Jing Zhaoyin a series of instructions:

"This case will be tried by the Jingzhao Mansion. The examination papers of the Business Association are related to the country, and students all over the world must be given an explanation!"

"Go to the Ministry of Rites and find the Minister of Rites and the left and right ministers!"

"I want to see how many people are involved in this case!"

From the beginning to the end, Gu Jue's attitude was very calm, but the others did not even dare to take a breath. It can be imagined that a **** storm is coming.

Judge Zhang Huahuan and Young Master Wei both knelt on the ground and remained motionless.

The Yamen servants of Jingzhao Mansion quickly accepted the order and hurried to the Ministry of Etiquette to invite people.

When the two government officials left the gate of Jingzhao Mansion, the common people and students gathered outside also heard that they were going to the Ministry of Etiquette, and they were in an uproar again, especially those who had just finished the first exam today.

They were all exhausted and had to take the second examination tomorrow morning. At this time, they should have gone back to their residences to rest and prepare for the exam, but after hearing the news about cheating in the examination, they hurried over.

After all, the fraud case affects the future of all students!

The students gathered together and looked increasingly excited:

"How audacious, how audacious, someone actually secretly sells exam papers!"

"Selecting scholars for the country through examination must be open, fair, and impartial. If such despicable people with no talent and no character succeed, won't my court in Daqi be invaded by villains in the future!"

"Yes, Jingzhao Mansion must deal with it impartially and investigate this case thoroughly!"

“…”

The students were talking a lot, and many of them were shouting to invite their classmates and old friends to come here to cheer.

After a stick of incense, when Yang Xuanshan, the Minister of Rites, arrived at Jingzhao Mansion with the left and right ministers of the Ministry of Rites, there were at least twice as many people outside. It was the government servants who opened the way in front, and they reluctantly squeezed in. There was a lot of noise in their ears. The impassioned shouts of the students.

Yang Xuanshan was sweating profusely and his face was very ugly.

As early as two days before the examination began, the new emperor ordered him to temporarily revise the examination papers and did not allow him to tell the Hanlin Academy. He had guessed that something must have gone wrong.

In the past two days, Yang Xuanshan's eyelids have been twitching, always having a bad premonition.

really!

Yang Xuanshan, still in shock, walked up to Gu Jue and Shen Qianchen with the left and right ministers of the Ministry of Rites, and first bowed to the emperor and empress.

Gu Jue raised his hand to signal them to excuse themselves, then looked at Jing Zhaoyin and said, "Master Hong, you will be the presiding judge of this case, and the Ministry of Rites will be in attendance. There must be a result today."

"This case concerns students all over the world. We must give them an explanation and invite a few more students to come in and observe."

After listening to Gu Jue's instructions, Jing Zhaoyin's head was as big as a bucket, and he thought to himself: This case is too involved and it is not easy to try it in the first place, and the new emperor also requires that the result must be found today!

Jing Zhaoyin is probably the most difficult parent official to be in. Anyone he meets in this huge capital may be a relative of the emperor or a high-ranking official. If a case comes up, he will try to cheat!

Jing Zhaoyin said hesitantly: "Your Majesty, do you think this case can be investigated by your ministers first, and the witnesses and physical evidence, as well as the ins and outs, can be verified before the trial?"

He didn't mean to shirk the case, he just hoped to follow the normal procedures of the case. After all, he was still confused about the case.

"No need." Gu Jue gave no room for negotiation at all, pointing to Zhang Huahuan who was kneeling on the ground, "Wei Er has already pleaded guilty in court to selling examination papers, and Zhang Huahuan also heard about it!"

The general judge is a fifth-grade official, and it is more than enough to serve as a witness.

Gu Jue's half-smiling gaze fell on Zhang Huahuan, which made Zhang Huahuan's heart skip a beat. He nodded repeatedly and repeated what the second young master Wei had just shouted at Gu Jue.

Before knowing Gu Jue's identity, Zhang Huahuan of course favored the Wei family, but with the new emperor and queen here, the crime of selling the examination papers of Wei Ergong could not be denied at all, and he would not be able to bear much witness.

Now that he is helping to testify against the Second Young Master Wei, he can still be regarded as meritorious. Even if the new emperor liquidates him afterwards, he will be demoted and fined in the end.

Zhang Huahuan quickly weighed the stakes in his mind.

Yang Xuanshan listened and the cold sweat on his forehead became more intense. According to Mr. Wei Er, the examination questions were leaked twice, which meant that there must be a thief in their Ministry of Rites who leaked the questions.

Jing Zhaoyin was more nervous than Yang Xuanshan. He always felt that Gu Jue asked him to hear the case in court because he suspected that he was also an official of Wei Jingze's party and wanted to exonerate the Wei family.

At this moment, Jing Zhaoyin felt that he was even more unjust than Dou E. Although he was not a straight minister who would rather bend than bend, he would never be involved in the examination fraud case, which was a serious crime that required beheading.

Jing Zhaoyin bowed quickly and solemnly responded: "I obey, I will start hearing the case now."

So, two rows of government officials stood on both sides of the courtroom, and amid bursts of loud and neat "mighty" sounds, Jing Zhaoyin opened the courtroom.

Jing Zhaoyin was sitting behind the case, feeling completely uncomfortable, but he still started to examine the case. His first sentence was to question: "Wei Yuanzhi, you sold the examination papers, can you plead guilty?!"

"..." Wei Yuanzhi gritted his teeth and said nothing. His face was whiter than paper. He was so frightened that his three souls and seven souls flew away. He only hoped that his father Wei Jingze would come to the rescue as soon as he got the news.

Jing Zhaoyin held the exclamation wood tightly with one hand and hesitated, not knowing how to judge. After all, the identity of this defendant is not simple, and the identity of the person hearing the trial is not simple either. He is the only one with the lowest status, Jing Zhaoyin!

At this moment, Gu Jue said calmly: "Aren't you going to fight?"

According to the laws of Daqi, when trying a case, one must "first listen to what he has to say and then write it down."

In other words, the presiding officer must give the prisoner a chance to state the facts of the case first. Even if his confession is false, he must let the prisoner finish his sentence, and then the presiding officer will question the prisoner based on the doubtful points of the case.

If the evidence of guilt is clear but the prisoner refuses to plead guilty, then the presiding officer can use torture methods, such as caning, clamping sticks, etc.

Under normal circumstances, the prisoners who were tortured to extract confessions were usually ordinary people. For people like Wei Yuanzhi, who was born in an aristocratic family and did not look at the monk's face or the Buddha's face, the presiding judge would usually not use torture methods.

But now Gu Jue is at the scene. Gu Jue says to fight, does Jing Zhaoyin dare to say no? !

Everyone in the civil and military circles of the dynasty knew that the new emperor Gu Jue was a dictator, dictatorial and did not allow anyone to question his decisions. Gu Jue had the kind of hegemonic temperament like the founding emperor.

Besides, Jing Zhaoyin is a smart man, and he can also see that Gu Jue will use this matter to not only thoroughly investigate the loopholes in the scientific examination, but also to clean up the bugs in the court.

And he is the sword in the hands of the new emperor. He has no other choice. If he doesn't side with the new emperor, why should he side with Wei Jingze? !

In a very short period of time, Jing Zhaoyin made a decision in his heart. He knocked on the gavel and said loudly: "The evidence of the crime is conclusive, Wei Yuanzhi, but you still refuse to plead guilty and refuse to repent. Come, someone, Give me twenty sticks!"

After receiving the order, the government officials immediately dragged Wei Yuanzhi up from his knees, and then made him lie prostrated on the ground.

Then, the thick water and fire stick hit Wei Yuanzhi on the buttocks one after another.

"ah!"

"Ouch!" Wei Yuanzhi screamed, the pain in his buttocks making him miserable.

Every blow seemed to take half his life.

The yamen officials were beating and counting at the same time. At the same time, the five students who had been selected by the yamen officials to observe the case also entered the courtroom and stood silently watching the scene.

They all guessed that the beaten criminal must be the person suspected of selling exam papers.

Wei Yuanzhi was beaten with such a strong stick that he cried for his father and his mother, with tears and runny nose falling from his eyes. He had lived for twenty years and had never suffered such a crime. He cried bitterly: "Stop beating me!" "Stop!" Hit, I admit it!”

"I'm the one selling exam papers!"

"I know I was wrong..."

However, even after Wei Yuanzhi admitted his crime, the sticks did not stop.

Since the new emperor agrees with twenty sticks, then these twenty sticks must be used enough. Who makes Wei Yuan ignorant of current affairs? If he pleads guilty early, he can avoid this punishment of sticks.

When the students heard this, they were all shocked and angry.

They study hard for more than ten years or even decades in order to one day enter the official career.

The imperial examination is like thousands of troops walking across a single-plank bridge. Only a handful of people can successfully cross this single-plank bridge to the other side.

A scholar is only one in ten thousand, and a scholar is one in a hundred thousand. When it comes to the general examination, it is already one in a million. The examination is only once every three years. There is a quota limit for each admission. This is equivalent to, Those who spend money to buy test papers are taking away the seats of other candidates. How can this be done?

But any scholar with ambition and backbone cannot bear it!

If it weren't for the fact that no noise was allowed in the court, these scholars would have pointed at Wei Yuanzhi and started scolding him.

After the twenty stick beatings were completed, Jing Zhaoyin said again: "Wei Yuanzhi, since you have confessed, please sign and post it!"

The master next to him had already written the confession document and showed it to Jing Zhaoyin first. Then the master sent the confession document to Wei Yuanzhi, read it over and asked him to sign it.

Wei Yuanzhi was in an extremely embarrassed state, his hair was half messy and loose, and there was some blood seeping out under his clothes, which showed that the twenty-roller beat him really hard.

At this moment, he was like a useless person, with all his energy and energy gone. He blindly signed his name on the confession document and pressed the red thumbprint.

The master presented the signed confession document to Jing Zhaoyin again. After Jing Zhaoyin looked at it, he began to hesitate again. Should he be sentenced next, or...

While he was still hesitating, there was another commotion outside the house.

"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!"

A tall and strong servant opened the way in front, and Wei Jingze, the official minister, finally arrived, panting from running. He, who was usually calm, now showed a rare look of anxiety.

More than half an hour ago, Wei Yuanzhi learned from Big Beard that a Juren who bought the first test paper was causing trouble because the test questions were wrong, so he sent his confidants to the official office to tell Wei Jingze about the matter, and he He took people to the tavern.

After Wei Jingze heard the news, he was afraid that his second son would not be able to handle the matter, so he went to the tavern in person. However, he learned from the waiter that his second son had been taken to Jingzhao Mansion by the troublemaker, who said he would sue him. Zi sells exam papers.

At that moment, Wei Jingze felt a little panicked, feeling that things were getting a little tricky.

He immediately rushed to Jingzhao Mansion, thinking that he would seal the accuser's mouth at all costs and try to calm the situation.

The panic and anxiety he felt along the way turned into distress and anger when he saw his second son who had obviously been beaten with a cane in the courtroom.

"Master Hong, you tortured a child without any evidence, you really have such great official authority!" Wei Jing raised his voice and scolded, trying to suppress Jing Zhaoyin as the minister.

In anger, Wei Jingze only saw Jing Zhaoyin directly in front of him, and did not even notice that Gu Jue and Yang Xuanshan were sitting on both sides of the courtroom.

"Dad!" Wei Yuanzhi almost cried when he saw his father. Father is finally here!

"Yuanzhi, don't..." Wei Jingze wanted to comfort his second son, but he only said a few words. When his eyes swept to the left side of the courtroom, he finally saw Gu Jue sitting there drinking tea, and the rest of his words stopped abruptly.

His eyes widened and he couldn't believe his eyes.

Why is the new emperor here? !

Wei Jingze seemed to be frozen for an instant, standing frozen on the spot, his head buzzing.

Before seeing Gu Jue, Wei Jingze was 70% or 80% sure about this matter, but when he saw Gu Jue here, all his confidence was suddenly shattered.

Countless clues were strung together like beads, and he understood that he might... no, he had definitely fallen into Gu Jue's trap.

He originally thought that the person who bought the exam papers was an ignorant foreigner, but he didn't know until now that the accuser turned out to be Gu Jue.

The person who bought the exam questions turned out to be Gu Jue!

Therefore, Gu Jue discovered that someone was stealing and selling test papers as early as last month, but he endured it and waited until the first session of the examination was over before taking action.

Gu Jue is really far-sighted. He endured until today probably in order to catch all the main culprits involved in the case and the candidates who participated in the fraud. Moreover, he wanted to kill two birds with one stone and arouse the students' anger.

The candidates who have just finished the first exam are at their most excited. At this time, when they know that someone is selling the exam papers, they will feel that they have worked hard, but they have been cheated by those in high positions and opportunists. Those who stepped on the soles of their feet.

In this way, those scholars will only become angrier, and they will unite together and attack in groups.

If these scholars together write thousands of petitions, asking the emperor to severely punish the culprits of the fraud case, then the new emperor will have a legitimate reason to clean up the civil servants.

Wei Jing was startled and even more panicked. He even forgot to salute for a moment, looking totally different from the arrogant look he had just now.

"Wei Shangshu is really good at teaching his children." Gu Jue smiled lightly, with no trace of anger on his handsome face, as if he was chatting with Wei Jingze about everyday things.

"..." Wei Jingze felt as if he was being stared at by a wild beast, a chill rising from the soles of his feet.

Originally, he had not planned to let his eldest son take part in this year's examination. The eldest son's qualifications were still a little low. It would be too early to be a Jinshi now. A twenty-six-year-old Jinshi would be too eye-catching.

However, because the new emperor killed a third of the generals in one fell swoop during the autumn hunt, he changed his mind again. His current position is like a raging fire, and he may be raped by the new emperor at any time. Then the Wei family will fall into a situation where there is no one in the court. Therefore, he wants his eldest son to become the first batch of Jinshi after the new emperor ascends the throne, so that The eldest son first stayed in the Hanlin Academy for a few years and separated from his side.

This move is totally wrong!

Now, the Wei family is involved in the case of selling exam questions, which means that his eldest son is also involved, and anyone will think that the eldest son has cheated.

He and his two sons will be involved in this case!

Until now, Wei Jingze still couldn't figure out that all of this was Gu Jue's plan.

He was wrong.

He thought that Gu Jue was just a warrior who would only suppress the courtiers with the Xuanjia Army. He did not expect that Gu Jue would be so cunning and scheming at such a young age. He had put down the examination papers for so long and did not take action until now.

At this moment, Wei Jingze felt deep awe in his heart. Gu Jue not only spoke the truth, but was also a strategizing king.

Wei Yuanzhi, who was standing next to him, saw that Wei Jingze had stopped talking. He was so frightened that he trembled all over and shouted with tears and runny nose: "Dad, please save me!"

Wei Jingze looked at his second son's hopeless appearance and became even more irritated, thinking desperately about what to do.

At this moment, he really regretted selling the exam questions.

Originally, Wei Jing planned to set up a game. When the exam results were announced, he would break the news about the exam questions, and then add some true and false rumors to emphasize that the exam questions were sold by the queen's family. By then, students would There will inevitably be anger among the people, and they will ask Gu Jue to deal with the queen, and then Gu Jue will be in a dilemma.

He could use this to make Gu Jue bow his head and suppress Gu Jue's arrogance.

(End of chapter)