Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 450 - 286: Requesting Permission to Arrest

"Don’t do it! At such a critical time, don’t stir up trouble!" Zhu Pang wondered if Gu Chengyu had squandered his family fortune to bribe those officials.

Gu Chengyu put down his brush and gave him a sideways glare, clearly annoyed. This man had surely forgotten the reason he came here again.

"Is this what you came to ask about?" He placed his hands in the copper basin to wash them and then returned to his desk, looking at the calligraphy he had practiced early that morning.

His handwriting seemed a bit more scattered than usual, yet it held a sharper edge. It appeared even he couldn’t avoid being swayed; achieving a state of calm and collectedness still required more practice.

"I say, at this moment, you still have the mood to practice calligraphy?" Zhu Pang was truly impressed with Gu Chengyu, practically prostrating with admiration. The blade was hanging over their heads, yet this man seemed unperturbed.

"Being anxious is useless. Is this something you or I can control? Speak now! What news do you bring this time?"

Gu Chengyu was very grateful for Zhu Pang’s interest in the matter. Wasn’t Zhu Pang inquiring about this for his sake? Normally, he wouldn’t meddle in such things.

Zhu Pang furrowed his brows, appearing troubled, "What news is there? The Dali Temple hasn’t extracted any confessions yet. The evidence has already been sent for verification. My father said that Lord Wan and his peers are probably inescapable this time; the evidence is thorough, detailing the locations where the mountain bandits roamed and the gold and silver they intercepted each time."

Gu Chengyu was somewhat surprised. Did the Eldest Prince somehow drop his own ledger? Otherwise, why was it so detailed? Sometimes, blending truth with falsehood makes it more believable; those locations might very well be true.

However, those issues were for Hu Maoshen to worry about; he only needed to focus on the civil examination fraud case.

"Has there been any progress in the examination fraud case?" Gu Chengyu asked casually, knowing that Zhu Pang’s father wouldn’t discuss everything at home.

"I haven’t heard anything from my father, only that they haven’t confessed yet. But my father said, perhaps in two or three days, there will be a result. Those two won’t last much longer; after all, they’re old."

Gu Chengyu nodded. He had already handed most of the evidence to Hu Maoshen, and the rest just required following the leads.

If he couldn’t uncover the truth in two days, it would be too inefficient, unworthy of the position of Left Deputy Imperial Censor, and he wouldn’t earn the Emperor’s favor either.

Before the morning court session, Kuang Zhao Ying went to the Imperial Study Room, intending to imprison the top one hundred candidates from the examinations and search the homes of the examinees. However, considering some were from aristocratic families, he couldn’t bring it up in court to avoid public anger.

Many noble sons participated in the examination, along with many official offspring, some of whom were from Direct Lineage. If his colleagues knew he proposed such a plan, they might just strip him alive.

In reality, some examinees would be taken and only made to go through the motions, staying for two hours before being released. Some might even be ruled out during the search, depending on the examinee’s background.

Even if Kuang Zhao Ying desired political achievements, he couldn’t afford to offend the aristocratic families. After all, noble sons were strictly educated and would never stoop to cheating. Discovery would implicate their family, which wouldn’t permit such actions.

"Emperor! Lord Kuang requests an audience!" De’an helped the Emperor into a bright yellow Dragon Robe and was about to fasten the sash when the little eunuch on duty announced from outside.

The Emperor frowned. Morning court was soon; couldn’t this wait? Despite his unwillingness, on second thought, he changed his mind. Perhaps there were new developments in the fraud and mountain bandit cases?

"Grant him audience!" De’an quickened his pace, tidied the Emperor’s robes, and then respectfully stood aside.

"This minister, Kuang Zhao Ying, wishes the Emperor well!" Kuang Zhao Ying entered the Imperial Study Room and immediately knelt to the ground.

"Rise! Has there been any progress in the case?" The Emperor sipped some tea, trying to refresh himself. His spirits had been increasingly weary recently, and the previous elixir had failed. However, with the Silver this time, he’d be able to procure the necessary herbs.

Thinking of this, his mood slightly improved, and he greeted Kuang Zhao Ying, who disturbed him early morning, with a warmer demeanor.

"Emperor! Wan Xue Nian and Song Shuqing refuse to confess. This humble servant suggests starting from another angle. Since they won’t admit to fraud, those who bribed must be among the examinees this time."

As Kuang Zhao Ying spoke, he glanced at the Emperor’s reaction. Seeing the Emperor nod, he continued, "But then, convincing them to point fingers could take forever. Therefore, I petition the Emperor to detain the top one hundred candidates from this examination, inspect them, and release them afterward, pending your approval!"

The Emperor immediately furrowed his brows, "One hundred? No! These are my disciples; I can’t let them lose heart."

Though an Emperor, he had to consider the intertwined aristocratic family relations in the Capital. Many noble sons had participated in this exam, and if arrested, his Taihe Palace could be overturned by those ministers.

Officials wouldn’t let him off the hook; those stubborn old men dared to impeach even him.

Kuang Zhao Ying cursed inwardly. He knew the Emperor was a cunning old fox. The Emperor’s words sounded nice, but he was just afraid of those aristocratic families causing trouble.

Knowing too many people were involved, the Emperor wasn’t likely to consent. He pondered, and since it involved obtaining the exam questions or cheating during the exams, the rankings must be at the top.

"If the Emperor considers one hundred too many, then arrest the top twenty. Maybe the bribers are among them; there must be quite a few! The rest I can investigate slowly. Once a few are found, Lord Wan and others will have no choice but to confess."

If a few were identified, not even Wan Xue Nian could hold out; the rest would surely confess eventually. It was just a matter of letting them enjoy a few more days of freedom!

The Emperor hesitated for a moment, "De’an, bring me the list of rankings from the recent examination for my review."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I’ll fetch it at once." The list had already been submitted; in fact, in past years, the exam results didn’t require the Emperor’s review. But due to this special situation, he had requested the list yesterday.

Occupied by state affairs yesterday, he hadn’t had the chance to look. The Emperor took the list and began scanning it from top to bottom.

The first name on the list was Gu Chengyu, with Min Feng ranked second. Hmm? The Emperor focused, noting that only one of the top five was from an aristocratic family.

The first name seemed familiar; upon examining the candidate’s origin and credentials, was it him?

"Isn’t Gu Chengyu the one who assisted Vice Minister Jiang in developing the experimental fields back then?" Seeing the origin, the Emperor finally realized why the name was familiar.

"Yes, Emperor, it is indeed him." De’an promptly responded.

Though illiterate, his memory was sharp! The Emperor had mentioned Gu Chengyu’s name a few years back, twice, imprinting it in De’an’s mind. If De’an had no redeeming qualities, he wouldn’t hold the position of Grand Steward.

The Emperor disliked having literate eunuchs near him, lest they read memorials and interfere in court affairs.