The two yamen runners immediately brought two ring chairs to Gu Jue and Chen Qianchen. After the couple sat down, Gu Jue gave a series of instructions to Jingzhao Yin with a calm expression:

"This case will be tried by Jingzhao Prefecture. The transaction test papers are related to the country and must be given an explanation to all students in the world!"

"Go to the Ministry of Rites to find the Minister of Rites and the Ministers of the Right and Right!"

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

From beginning to end, Gu Jue's attitude was very calm, but the others didn't even dare to breathe. It was imagined that a bloody storm was coming.

The magistrate Zhang Huahuan and the second young master Wei both knelt on the ground and did not move.

The yamen runners of Jingzhao Prefecture quickly took their lives and hurried to the Ministry of Rites to ask for someone.

When the two yamen runners left the gate of Jingzhao Prefecture, the people and students gathered outside also heard that they were going to the Ministry of Rites, 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 exam tomorrow morning. At this time, they should have returned to their residence to rest and prepare for the exam, but after hearing the news of fraud in the exam, they rushed over.

After all, the fraud case is related to the future of all students!

The students gathered together and their expressions became more and more excited:

"I'm so bold, so bold, there's really someone who secretly sells the exam papers!"

"If the imperial examination is chosen as a country to win the scholars, it must be open, fair and just. If it is successful by such a despicable person who has no talent and no character, will the court of our Daqi be occupied by villains in the future!"

"That's right, Jingzhao Prefecture must deal with it impartially and investigate the case!"

“…”

The students were talking nonsense, and many people even shouted that they would invite their classmates and old friends to cheer here.

After one 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, at least twice as many people outside, and the yamen runners were driving the way forward, they barely squeezed in, and the students' passionate shouts were heard one after another.

Yang Xuanshan had already sweated heavily and his face looked very ugly.

Two days before the start of the imperial examination, the new emperor ordered him to temporarily revise the test papers, and he was not allowed to tell the Hanlin Academy, so he guessed that something must have happened.

In the past two days, Yang Xuanshan's eyelids have been pounding, and he always has any bad premonitions.

really!

Yang Xuanshan was still shocked, so he walked to Gu Jue and Chen Qianchen with the left and right ministers of the Ministry of Rites and saluted the emperor and empress first.

Gu Jue raised his hand to signal them to avoid the gift, then looked at Jingzhao Yin again, and ordered: "Mr. Hong, you will be the judge of this case, and the Ministry of Rites will listen. There must be a result today."

"This case is related to students all over the world. They must give them an explanation and invite a few students to come in and listen."

Listening to Gu Jue's instructions, Jingzhao Yin was so imposing that he thought to himself: This case is too much involved and it is difficult to be tried, and the new emperor also asked that a result must be found today!

Jingzhao Yin is probably the most difficult parent official to be. Anyone who runs into this huge capital may be a royal relative or a nobleman. If you want to have a case, you will be a test of fraud!

Jingzhao Yin said hesitantly: "Your Majesty, can you check this case first, confirm the evidence and physical evidence, and then come to the trial?"

He was not deliberately shirking responsibility, but just hoped to follow the routine procedures of the case. After all, he is still confused about the case now.

"No need." Gu Jue gave no room for negotiation and pointed at Zhang Huahuan who was kneeling on the ground and said, "Wei Er has already admitted the crime of selling test papers in court, and Zhang Huahuan also heard it!"

The magistrate is a fifth-rank official and is more than enough to be a witness.

Gu Jue's eyes fell on Zhang Huahuan with a smile, which made Zhang Huahuan's heart skip a beat. He nodded repeatedly, repeating the words that Mr. Wei had just shouted at Gu Jue.

Before knowing Gu Jue's identity, Zhang Huahuan was of course a part of the Wei family, but the new emperor and the queen were here, and the second prince of Wei's crime of selling test papers was not tolerated. There were not many more evidences for him.

Now he is helping to prove that the second son of Wei is barely considered to be a meritorious person. Even if the new emperor settles the matter later, he will eventually be demoted to the official and pay the salary.

Zhang Huahuan measured the interests quickly in his heart.

Yang Xuanshan listened to the cold sweat on his forehead became increasingly dense. According to Mr. Wei Er, the examination questions were leaked twice, which means that their Ministry of Rites must have issued an internal thief who leaked the questions.

Jingzhao Yin is even more nervous than Yang Xuanshan. He always feels that Gu Jue asked him to try the case in court because he was suspected that he was also an official of Wei Jingze's party, and that he wanted to waive the Wei family.

At this moment, Jingzhao Yin felt that he was even more unjust than Dou E. Although he was not a straight minister who would rather betray him, he would never be involved in the test fraud case. This is a serious crime to behead him.

Jingzhao Yin quickly bowed and responded solemnly: "I obey the order, I will start to hear the case now."

So, two rows of yamen runners stood on both sides of the court, and amid the loud and neat "magnificent" sounds, Jingzhao Yin opened the hall.

Jingzhao Yin was sitting behind the case and felt uncomfortable, but he still started to investigate the case. The first sentence was to question: "Wei Yuanzhi, can you admit your guilt by selling the exam papers?!"

"..." Wei Yuanzhi gritted his teeth and did not speak, his face pale than paper, his three souls and seven spirits were so scared that he flew halfway, hoping that his father Wei Jingze would come to save the scene as soon as possible after he got the news.

Jingzhao Yin grabbed Jingshen Mu tightly with one hand, hesitating, not knowing how to interrogate. After all, the identity of the defendant is not simple, and the identity of the person being heard is not simple. He is the lowest in Jingzhao Yin!

At this moment, Gu Jue spoke lightly: "Don't you fight?"

According to the laws of the Great Qi, when reviewing cases, you must "first listen to their words and write them."

In other words, the presiding judge should give the prisoner the opportunity to state the case first. Even if his confession is false, the prisoner must finish his words, and then the presiding judge will question the prisoner based on the suspicion of the case.

If the evidence of the crime is clear and the prisoner refuses to plead guilty, then the presiding officer can use torture methods, such as pokers, sticks, etc.

Usually, the prisoners who are tortured and forced to confess are ordinary people. For children from aristocratic families like Wei Yuanzhi who came from the Shangshu Mansion, the presiding officer usually does not use torture methods without looking at monks and Buddhas.

But now Gu Jue is on the scene. Gu Jue said he was fighting. Will Jingzhao Yin dare to say no?!

All the civil and military officials in the court knew that the new emperor Gu Jue was a decisive master, dictatorial and arbitrary, and no one was allowed to question his decisions. Gu Jue had the same overlord temperament as the founding emperor.

Moreover, Jingzhao Yin was a smart person, and he could see that Gu Jue took advantage of this matter not only to thoroughly investigate the loopholes in the scientific investigation, but also to clean up the borers in the court.

And he is the sword in the hands of the new emperor, and he has no other choice. If he doesn’t stand in the new emperor, would he still stand in Wei Jingze?!

In a very short time, Jingzhao Yin made a decision in his heart, and he rang the hawk with a "slap" and said loudly: "The evidence of the crime is conclusive, Wei Yuanzhi, you still refuse to plead guilty and never repent. If you come, I will punish me twenty rods!"

After the yamen runners received the order, they immediately dragged Wei Yuanzhi up, and then let him lie on the ground with a provocation.

Then, the thick water and fire stick hit Wei Yuanzhi's buttocks one by one.

"ah!"

"Ouch!" Wei Yuanzhi screamed in pain, and the pain from his buttocks made him feel in pain.

Every stroke seemed to cost him half his life.

The yamen runners were fighting and counting. At the same time, the five students who were selected by the yamen runners to listen to the case also entered the court and stood by and watched the scene silently.

They all guessed that the person who was beaten must be the one who was suspected of selling the exam papers.

Wei Yuanzhi was beaten by this strong stick and cried and cried, and his tears fell down. He lived for twenty years and never suffered such a crime. He cried bitterly: "Stop beating!"

"Stop hitting, I agree!"

"It's me who sells the exam papers!"

"I know I'm wrong..."

However, even Wei Yuanzhi confessed his sin, the stick did not stop.

Since the new emperor agrees that he has 20 sticks, these 20 sticks have to be beaten. Who would have made Wei Yuan know the current affairs? I would have pleaded guilty early to avoid this stick.

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

They studied hard for more than ten or even decades just to one day enter the official career.

The imperial examination is like a thousand troops walking on a single-plank bridge. There are only a handful of people who can successfully walk to the other side through this single-plank bridge.

A scholar takes one in a thousand miles, and a Juren takes one in a hundred thousand miles. When it comes to the imperial examination, it is already one in a million. The imperial examination only takes one in a three-year period. Each admission is subject to a quota limit. This is equivalent to those who spend money to buy the exam papers robbing other candidates. How can this be done!!

Any scholar with ambition and backbone cannot bear it!

If it weren't for the noise in the court, these scholars would have pointed at Wei Yuanzhi and scolded him.

After twenty sticks were beaten, Jingzhao Yin said again: "Wei Yuanzhi, since you have pleaded guilty, then sign and seal it!"

The master next to him had already written a confession document and also gave Jingzhao Yin a review. Then the master sent the confession document to Wei Yuanzhi. After reading it, he asked him to sign and seal it.

Wei Yuanzhi was in a very embarrassing state, half of his hair was scattered, and some blood sensation vaguely under his clothes, which showed that the twenty rollers were hit so hard.

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

The master submitted the signature confession document to Jingzhao Yin again. After Jingzhao Yin looked at it, he began to hesitate again. Should he be sentenced next, or...

He was still hesitating, and there was another commotion outside the mansion.

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

A tall and strong servant was leading the way in front of him, and Wei Jingze, the Minister of Personnel, finally arrived and ran out of breath. He had always been calm on weekdays and showed a rare look of anxiety in his expression.

More than half an hour ago, Wei Yuanzhi learned from the bearded man that a juren who bought the first test paper came to cause trouble because the test questions were wrong, so he sent his confidant to the Ministry of Personnel to tell Wei Jingze about the matter, and he himself took people to the tavern.

After hearing the news, Wei Jingze was afraid that his second son would not be able to handle the matter, so he went to the tavern himself, but learned from the little brother that the second son had been taken to Jingzhao Mansion by the person who caused trouble. The other party said he wanted to sue the second son for selling the examination papers.

At this moment, Wei Jingze was a little panicked, feeling that things might have become a bit tricky.

He immediately rushed to Jingzhao Mansion with great speed, thinking that he would block the plaintiff's mouth at all costs and try his best to calm down the situation.

His panic and anxiety along the way turned into heartache and anger when he saw the second son who had obviously been blamed in the court.

"Mr. Hong, you have tortured your child without any evidence. You are such a great official power!" Wei Jingze shouted in a high voice, trying to suppress Jingzhao Yin as the Minister of State.

In a rage, Wei Jingze only saw Jingzhao Yin in front of him, and did not pay any attention to Gu Jue and Yang Xuanshan sitting on both sides of the court.

"Dad!" Wei Yuanzhi was almost crying when he saw his father. His father finally came!

"Fuanzhi, don't..." Wei Jingze wanted to comfort his second son, but after saying a few words, his eyes swept across the left side of the court, he finally saw Gu Jue sitting there drinking tea, and the words behind him ended abruptly.
To be continued...