The first corruption case since the implementation of the imperial examinations implicated not only the current batch of candidates but also officials from previous cohorts. As the investigation deepened, it threatened to destabilize the court, plunging everyone into fear.
Opportunists seized the chance to muddy the waters, either to evade blame or gain advantages. Forced to halt the public inquiry, the Youning Emperor could only watch as three provincial inspectors were dismissed after heated disputes, five prefects, over a dozen local officials, and more than ten capital officials were punished, alongside hundreds of degree-holders stripped of their titles.
The news sent shockwaves throughout the realm.
During the court assembly, the Youning Emperor was so enraged he could not remain seated. Pacing atop the vermilion steps, he berated his officials until they prostrated themselves, not daring to rise. Only after this outburst did he finally order them to stand and resume his seat on the Dragon Throne, gripping the armrest with a grim expression.
First the tomb-raiding scandal, now the examination fraud—both occurring within six months—seemed to question his competence as ruler.
As silence hung heavy, Minister of Personnel Xue Hui stepped forward: "Your Majesty, the roots of this corruption trace back three years. Upon reviewing the records last night, I found most implicated individuals were disciples of Lord Gu."
Though couched in subtlety, Xue Hui’s words made his intent clear to all present: shifting blame onto the dead.
The Gu clan had fallen less than a year prior, yet everyone remembered their zenith of power. At their peak, the Three Departments had effectively undermined imperial authority, and many involved in the case indeed had ties to the Gus. Framing the deceased Gu Zhao as the scapegoat seemed almost too convenient.
The moment Xue Hui spoke, Xiao Changqing—who had been detached as if wandering in reverie—snapped his gaze toward him. His dark, profound eyes gleamed with piercing intensity.
Grand Secretary Cui Zheng remained silent, while Grand Secretary Xue Heng felt utter disappointment in his nephew. Aspiring to emulate Wang Zheng’s path to imperial favor, Xue Hui failed to realize that Wang Zheng’s sycophancy was artfully concealed and backed by genuine skill. Xue Hui neither examined his own flaws in the mirror nor weighed his limited capabilities.
Everyone understood the imperial examinations had been promoted precisely to counter Gu Zhao’s influence—without them, the Emperor’s authority would not now be absolute. To pin the examination system’s failures on the very man it had destroyed, whose family was ruined by its rise, seemed particularly shameless.
Those aware of the truth found it repulsive, while the ignorant could easily be misled. Another official promptly echoed Xue Hui: "Your Majesty, Minister Xue’s words remind this humble official how Lord Gu repeatedly obstructed the examinations’ implementation and later harassed scholars of humble origins. His longstanding opposition to the system, combined with corruption traces stretching six years or more—and half the culprits being his close associates—suggests he may have orchestrated this to sabotage the examinations."
Had Gu Zhao still been alive when this scandal erupted, he would likely have forced an end to the examinations, allowing aristocratic families to once again dominate the court.
Outspoken officials—often of humble birth, loyal to the Emperor, and long at odds with scions of powerful clans—quickly joined the chorus. Following Xue Hui’s lead, they spun theories until concluding this was likely Gu Zhao’s long-plotted conspiracy from beyond the grave. They praised the Emperor’s wisdom in subduing the Gu clan early, or else the court would now be in peril.No one stepped forward to speak for Gu Zhao. It wasn't because they were unaware of the truth, nor because no one had received favors from Gu Zhao in the past, but because someone had to bear the greatest responsibility for this matter—either Gu Zhao or His Majesty.
His Majesty was their sovereign, and any loss of face on His Majesty's part would also reflect poorly on his court officials. Moreover, they were uncertain of His Majesty's stance. If they spoke out recklessly and provoked imperial displeasure, the consequences would extend to their entire families.
"Your Majesty." Just as the situation seemed overwhelmingly one-sided, Prince Xin, Xiao Changqing, who had not spoken voluntarily in court assemblies for a long time, stepped forward. "The ministers speak with such conviction, as if they witnessed the events firsthand, which truly astonishes me.
The imperial examination system selects officials to serve the court and promotes a culture of rigorous scholarship—a measure beneficial to both the state and its people. Though my talents are modest and I cannot compare to the ministers who endured ten years of diligent study and accumulated vast knowledge, I still understand that those in office must cultivate virtue. How could I be ignorant of the principle that 'the deceased deserve respect'?
All accusations and blame must be supported by evidence. Today, these ministers make baseless claims and shamelessly slander the departed. I am ashamed to be associated with such individuals."
His words left the court officials unable to lift their heads, and everyone suddenly remembered that this Prince Xin, who had remained silent for nearly a year, was the same person who had triumphantly debated Confucian scholars at the Imperial Academy at the age of fifteen.
After casting a sweeping glance at those who had slandered Gu Zhao, Xiao Changqing turned and bowed to the Youning Emperor. "Your Majesty, the Gu family was wrongly accused and executed unjustly once before. Must history repeat itself? Though the Gu lineage has no surviving members, I am still a son-in-law of the Gu family. When someone shamelessly defames my departed father-in-law, I implore Your Majesty to uphold justice for the Gu family and grant me fairness."
The phrase "son-in-law of the Gu family" made everyone gasp in shock. The tangled history between His Majesty and Gu Zhao was an unresolved and intricate matter.
Without Gu Zhao, His Majesty might never have ascended the throne; yet without Gu Zhao, His Majesty would not have spent over a decade as a puppet ruler.
No one could decipher His Majesty's true feelings toward Gu Zhao—such matters were taboo for an emperor. As for whether the Gu family was wrongly framed and executed, it was understood but never spoken aloud. In their hearts, everyone knew: the Gu family was both unjustly treated and not entirely innocent.
Was His Majesty's rehabilitation of the Gu family truly a forced compromise due to circumstances, or did it stem from lingering sentiment? No one could say. But by openly mentioning that the Gu family had been victims of conspiracy, Xiao Changqing was effectively trampling upon His Majesty's dignity.
Some matters were merely concessions made by a ruler out of residual benevolence. To dredge them up was not only ungrateful but also overstepping boundaries.
The Youning Emperor watched Xiao Changqing, who stood bowed in the hall, with an expressionless face and unreadable eyes.
Everyone remained silent. Xiao Changying wanted to step forward and speak but was stopped by a glance from Xiao Changqing.
After a long silence, the Youning Emperor finally spoke, "The imperial examination system has always been a policy I vigorously promoted, aiming to ensure the state has capable officials and the people become literate and courteous. The corruption in this examination is due to my negligence and failure in oversight. The system was established in the previous dynasty and implemented in ours. Flaws can only be identified and addressed after implementation.
I command the Three Departments and Six Ministries to deliberate on how to strictly enforce the imperial examinations and prevent corruption. Draft a proposal and submit it to me. If there are no further memorials for today's court assembly, you are dismissed."
The officials exchanged glances and promptly paid their respects to His Majesty.
After the court assembly adjourned, news of the events quickly reached Shen Xihe. She was furious to learn that Xue Hui had led the effort to pin the blame for the examination corruption scandal on the deceased Gu Zhao.That day, had it not been for Gu Qingzhi's otherworldly intervention when she fell into the river, she would have perished.
OpenNovel