0p0 Chapter 157 Lin Shiming Denies Everything
Chapter 157 Lin Shiming Denies Everything
Huangji Palace, Xuanzheng Hall.
The sun is about to set, and the sunlight is gradually dimming.
Li An led the young eunuchs to silently and methodically light the candles of various sizes, casting a hazy light through the white lampshades.
By the light of a lamp with a newly trimmed wick, Emperor Longyun wrote the last word on the imperial edict and set the pen aside.
"Li An, take it down and use the seal."
Li An accepted the order, held the imperial edict in both hands, and slowly withdrew.
The hall fell silent. Lin Shiming, who had been amusing himself in a corner for a long time, finally came forward and asked, "You really agreed?"
"Hmph." Emperor Longyun slowly picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then glanced at Lin Shiming. "We must not let Her Highness the Crown Princess get what she wants."
"What do you mean by 'granting my wish'? This is my sixth sister-in-law's wish, and it has nothing to do with me."
Installed.
I don't know who wanted to watch the show, but today they risked being kept behind to review memorials and stubbornly stayed in the Xuanzheng Hall without moving an inch.
However, Emperor Longyun was too lazy to argue with him today.
"Fine. It's none of your business." Emperor Longyun slowly rubbed his wrist. "The matter of the sixth prince is indeed beyond my expectations. When Hua Min was still alive, he was a loyal younger brother who always stood behind his elder brother, putting his elder brother first in everything and helping Hua Min avoid a lot of harm from that old hag. But I never expected that now..."
Emperor Longyun's voice gradually faded.
He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. After a long while, he weakly waved his hand.
"...After all, the world is ever-changing and people's hearts are unpredictable. The allure of the throne is understandable."
"Never mind, never mind... It's a done deal, there's no point in thinking about it."
Lin Shiming had a wealth of modern theories he could have used to debate this issue, but seeing that Emperor Longyun seemed to be affected and his mood was low, he had a rare moment of conscience and swallowed his words, changing the subject instead.
"Then what does Father Emperor plan to do?"
That's a very pertinent question. Emperor Longyun finally gave up reminiscing about the past and began to think carefully.
"The evidence is still insufficient, and the investigation will take time, so we can't touch him for the time being. Besides, the Crown Prince only has these few brothers left. If we depose and imprison all of them except for the seventh prince, it will ultimately damage his reputation."
Not everyone is reasonable, and not everyone shares the same principles.
Emperor Longyun placed his hands on the armrests of the chair, leaned back, and looked somewhat tired.
"Let's use the matter of the Sixth Prince's Consort as an excuse to confine him to his quarters for now. We should secretly cut off his communications with those outside the capital and not give him any chance to get involved in what happens later."
As for the future, the Sixth Prince's Consort is indeed intelligent.
Right and wrong have their own causes and effects, which cannot be determined by outsiders.
"Don't go to the imperial palace every day these next few days! Important matters are at hand, so you should stay in the Eastern Palace and save your energy to handle the court examination for me at the Ministry of Justice."
"...Father, don't spread rumors! I didn't go."
"Hmph." Emperor Longyun snorted again, "Zhao Lei went looking for you today, and it took him most of the day to come back. Does he think I'm a fool?"
"I didn't go. I just didn't go."
Lin Shih-ming refused to admit it.
"Ha! I can't be bothered with you!" Emperor Longyun sneered, grabbing the tea and snacks beside him and throwing them at him. "Go back to your Eastern Palace! I'm warning you, if you mess things up, you'll be sorry!"
The harmless hidden weapon was easily caught by Lin Shiming and swallowed into his stomach.
"My son, I obey."
Finally, he added, "I really didn't go."
"roll!!"
Having learned to be a rogue, General Lin quickly rolled back to the East Palace.
*
The imperial examinations began on the tenth day of the fifth lunar month, with one subject per day, and the Ministry of Justice's examinations only on the third day.
Early in the morning, the Crown Princess, who was filled with resentment from being alone for several days, arrived at the examination hall with a dark face. She ignored everyone and swiftly used her light-footed skills to climb onto the roof and look out.
At the entrance of the examination hall, the crowd was bustling. Perhaps because Lin Shih-ming's advertisements and "endorsement" tactics had worked, the number of people seemed unusually large this year.
Lin Shiming squinted and scanned the area, then his gaze settled on a corner.
He casually pointed to one of the proctors guarding the courtyard, "Go and see who's in that carriage over there."
Sneaky behavior, highly suspicious!
I'll find you all and punish you severely!
No one dared disobey the orders of the "infamous" and "fearsome" Crown Princess. The unfortunate examiner whose name was called was no exception.
Despite being over forty years old, with a broad build and short legs, he somehow managed to run at lightning speed under Lin Shiming's formidable reputation, bouncing out of the gate like a basketball constantly bouncing on the ground.
Before long, the man bounced back, drenched in sweat.
“Return…huff…return to the palace…huff huff…Your Highness…” the examiner replied while panting heavily, “Outside the carriages…huff…are the officials from the Ministry of Justice who have come to take the exam…huff…”
A very niche language.
Lin Shiming tilted his head and pondered for a long time before a flash of inspiration struck him, and he slapped his forehead.
How could he forget about those people!
In order to clean up the Ministry of Justice, he made those officials take an exam and "compete" with the newcomers. If they couldn't beat the newcomers, they would have to leave the Ministry of Justice.
However, "why aren't they hurrying inside? What are they doing hiding in the carriage?"
This time, the proctor, who had caught his breath, stammered and couldn't utter a single word. His eyes darted around and he seemed unsure of how to begin.
Lin Shiming was very annoyed. "What can't be said!"
The proctor was startled.
But he immediately realized what was happening, and instead of looking around, he lowered his head deeply.
"The adults didn't say anything. But I suppose they're afraid of losing face."
These words immediately made Lin Shiming laugh.
"Shameful?"
"What's shameful about taking an exam? It's shameful to lose to a novice!"
The proctor didn't dare to reply and just lowered his head again.
"Forget about them. They'll come down eventually anyway, so what's the harm in a little longer?"
The culprit flicked his sleeves, leaped off the roof in an instant, and disappeared.
"I have important matters to attend to, so I'll leave this to you."
*
The Crown Princess, who claimed to have important business to attend to, happily entered the room where the exam questions were stored. After a short while, she came out again and flew away, heading straight for the imperial palace.