Zhao Kuan picked up the wine glass and smiled slightly: "It is better to resume the imperial examination sooner rather than later. Although it was a bit hasty the first time, it cannot be delayed any longer. I suggest that the autumn examinations in each state should not be held this year, and then allocate the quotas to each state and let each state directly recommend
Scholars will come to the capital to take part in the provincial examinations next spring, and then each state will hold state examinations in September starting from next year, but that is not a matter of the Imperial College, and the Ministry of Rites should be responsible for its implementation."
Li Shi sighed: "Next year will be the first year of the restoration of the imperial examination. The Holy Emperor has decided that the Imperial College will take the lead and the Ministry of Rites will assist. In March next year, the capital will resume its grand splendor that has not been seen in many years. It is very exciting!"
Everyone responded and raised their glasses to drink. The conversation at the wine table became more and more lively.
After taking some time, Li Shi and Guo Song came to the courtyard. Li Shi said to Guo Song: "Today, my father talked about your arrangements. I proposed to my father that I change you to a civil official and take up a military position. Father,
It is said that your qualifications are not enough. If you change your title to a civilian official all at once, it will cause dissatisfaction among many ministers in the court. Or should you take it slow and start by reinstating your general Ningyuan, what do you think?"
Guo Song smiled and said: "Thank you for your kindness, no matter what official position you are given, I will gladly accept it!"
Guo Song's attitude made Li Shi very satisfied. He nodded slightly and said: "Actually, the East Palace is extremely short of talents. My original intention was to keep you as an official in the East Palace, but my father's intention was to let you go. It's a bit regrettable.
."
"Your Highness, it is actually Wei Chen's request to be appointed as an official. Wei Chen is used to freedom and is not used to being restricted by the various rules and regulations of the imperial court. He will feel very aggrieved to be an official in the imperial court."
"That's right, you are too young and lack some qualifications. Many people will not tolerate being an official in the imperial court, but you will be more comfortable when you go out. I can understand!"
Speaking of this, Li Shi smiled and asked: "Do you have any outstanding friends to recommend to the East Palace?"
Guo Song's heart moved and he smiled slightly and said: "Wei Chen really has someone he wants to recommend to His Highness!"
Li Shi suddenly became interested and said with a smile: "Who do you recommend? Tell me."
"Wei Chen recommends Xue Yun, a doctor in the Ministry of Rites. He is a man of integrity and has outstanding talents. He is a great talent who can be used."
Li Shi nodded, "I know this person. He is very principled. He wrote to me not long ago, requesting the establishment of strict imperial examination rules to prevent serious fraud in the first imperial examination. He is quite knowledgeable, but he should not go overboard.
My boss writes to me directly, which can easily offend others."
Historically, Xue Yun offended those in power because he liked to write letters. Now that the imperial examination is about to be resumed, the Ministry of Rites will become the center of the storm. Guo Song just wants Xue Yun to leave the center of the storm to avoid being implicated. Although the East Palace has no power for the time being, it is a place of leisure.
The Ministry of Rites has far less real power than the Ministry of Rites, but if there is a loss, there is a gain. At least Xue Yun will not be demoted, and then Xue Tao will not become a prostitute.
To a certain extent, Guo Song still hopes that he can change Xue Tao's fate. He does not want to see such a beautiful woman fall into the dust of the world.
Li Shi wanted to find this opportunity to win over Guo Song. Since Guo Song made the request, the East Palace happened to be short of people, so he simply wanted to be a favor. He nodded, "I know, I will pay attention to this person."
Guo Song took out a small box and handed it to Li Shi, "These are some nice gems. They are the trophies of Wei Chen's capture of Lu Sigong. I heard that the princess loves to collect gems. This is Wei Chen's kindness."
Li Shi was a little surprised, "How do you know that the princess likes to collect gems?"
Guo Song scratched the back of his head and said, "It was Li An who told me to please the princess. In the future, the princess's pillow talk will be good for my career."
Li Shi burst out laughing, "You are so frank and cute! Okay, I'll leave you with this opportunity to please the princess. I'll accept the gem."
Li Shi was really in a happy mood. Guo Song's frankness was completely different from the hypocrisy of the court officials. He directly told himself that the gem he had snatched from Lu Sigong was given to the princess to please her, which made Li Shi feel a sense of shame.
The fresh air made him full of interest in Guo Song.
Three days later, Li Yu resumed his official appearance at the court. At the same time, he decreed that Li Shi, King of Lu, should be crowned King Yong, and ordered the Ministry of Rites and Taichang Temple to arrange the ceremony for the crown prince's canonization.
At this time, Lu Sigong was secretly escorted to Beijing. Li Yu ordered the Yushitai, the Ministry of Punishment and the Dali Temple to form a joint trial to severely interrogate Lu Sigong for embezzlement of stolen money. In fact, Lu Sigong fully confessed on the way.
After all, this joint review by the Third Division is just for procedural legality.
The news reached Yuan Zai's house, and now Yuan Zai changed from pretending to be ill to a real illness, and the whole Yuan family was enveloped in an uneasy fear.
Wang Jin came to visit Yuan Zai's condition worriedly. He was also involved in Lu Sigong's case. He accepted a bribe of no less than 100,000 yuan from Lu Sigong and put in good words for Lu Sigong. This time Lu Sigong
Gong was caught on his way back, so I don't know if he destroyed the letters he wrote to him in time. Once these letters were found, he would be finished.
Yuan Zai was lying on the hospital bed, listening to Wang Jin begging him to come forward to protect him. Yuan Zai was suddenly filled with boredom. He was like a clay Bodhisattva crossing the river. He couldn't protect himself. How could he protect Wang Jin?
Yuan Zai said slowly: "I'm so ill, how can I still have the energy to ask about Lu Sigong? It's better to ask for help than to ask for yourself. Don't you think of what to do?"
Wang Jin begged: "Now I am so confused that I can't think of anything. I hope Duke Yuan will give me a clear explanation!"
Yuan Zai sneered and said: "Lu Sigong will explain everything sooner or later in order to escape guilt. The best way is for you to bribe the jailer to get rid of him in the sky prison and make him shut up forever. This should be done sooner rather than later. You go back
Just arrange it, there will be brave men under the heavy reward, and there will be jailers willing to take over."
This is indeed a way, but it is by no means a good way, or even a bad idea. Lu Sigong is under strict guard, so how could he be so easy to do it? Once the poisoning fails, Wang Jin will definitely be punished. In order to protect himself, Yuan Zai decided to
Let Wang Jin do this stupid thing.
Yuan Zai knew Wang Jin very well. Although both Wang Jin and his brother Wang Wei were famous for their poems and compositions, this Wang Jin would be confused in major matters and do stupid things. It is a good idea to use him to alleviate his own crimes.
good idea.
It started to rain at night, and it was a steady stream, with a hint of coolness. A middle-aged man carrying a food box came to the Dali Temple Sky Prison. The prison guard greeted him. The two exchanged a few words in the darkness around the corner, and the prison guard
Carrying the food box, he returned to the prison.
In a room next to the first-size dungeon, five jailors on duty were gambling and shouting loudly.
The jailer stepped forward, placed the food box on the table, and opened it. The bottom layer contained five ingots of gold, each weighing about twenty taels. All the jailers were stunned, swallowing their saliva, and looking at the yellow
Gold.
"Each person takes one tablet, then close your eyes and go to sleep. Don't wake up before dawn!"
The jailers all understood what the prison chief meant, but the temptation of gold was hard for them to refuse. It was equivalent to two hundred thousand dollars. It took them three years to earn it without eating or drinking. Anyway, if anything happened, the prison chief would be the one to bear it. The most they could do was get a beating.
, a meal of bread in exchange for twenty taels of gold is worth it no matter what.
The five jailers reached out and took out a piece of gold in unison, then turned around and left. At least they would not show up again tonight.
The cell leader then put a few good dishes and wine into the food box and said to himself: "Eat! After that, I will send you on your way."
"What!"
Emperor Li Yu slammed the table and said angrily: "I didn't say I wanted to kill him, how could he hang himself from the beam?"
Cui Wentun, the Minister of Punishment, and Wang Jiahe, the Minister of Dali Temple, were sweating and in a state of embarrassment. Wang Jiahe wiped the sweat from his forehead and said: "The prison chief admitted that they drank too much and did not take a good look at Lu Sigong.
He tore his clothes into strips and hung himself from a beam in the prison. However, whether it was a suicide or an illusion caused by being strangled is still under investigation, and I dare not draw any conclusions at this time."
"You dare not jump to conclusions. If that's the case, how dare you say that it committed suicide by hanging from a beam?"
"This" Wang Jiahe was speechless for a moment.
Next to him, Cui Wentiao, the Minister of Criminal Affairs, said quickly: "Your Majesty, hanging from a beam is just a superficial phenomenon. If we really think that it is suicide by hanging from a beam, we will not investigate in depth. However, we do not have evidence yet, but we must report it to Your Majesty as soon as possible, so we can only temporarily
This is the saying of committing suicide by hanging from a beam."
After a long while, Li Yu suppressed the anger in his heart and said: "It's not a matter of how he died, but that he shouldn't have died. This was a serious dereliction of duty, and Dali Temple must bear the responsibility."
Wang Jiahe didn't dare to say anything anymore. At this moment, a eunuch said at the door: "Your Majesty, news came from Dali Temple. The investigation results have come out. A jailer reported that Wang Le, the cell leader, strangled Lu Sigong.
Wang Le has fled, and all parties are trying their best to hunt him down!"
Li Yu said coldly: "Now that the reason is understood, I will give you another chance to find out the real culprit behind the scenes within three days. I will not hold you responsible. If you cannot find out, I will ask you for questioning!"