Cheng Yao invited the Duan family and his family into the study. After the maid and the mother-in-law served tea, Cheng Yao approached Qiao Lan and asked softly: "My lady, can you take a step to speak?"
Qiao Lan nodded, and the two of them went behind the screen in the inner room.
Cheng Yao bowed his hands and saluted again, and said to Qiao Lan with a sad expression, "Today is the day when the queen is setting off, so it would be rude to stop her like this. But there is a reason why the official has to stop her, so why not?"
Please forgive me, lady."
Qiao Lan looked kindly and said comfortingly, "It's okay, Mr. Cheng, to just tell you..."
"There is an examination fraud case in Tongzhou. The official received the news this morning. It means that all the candidates in Tongzhou this year will be arrested for questioning, especially those who passed the exam..." Cheng Yao directly told the reason.
.
The Duan family has two candidates, both of whom were passed in this examination. Cheng Yao believes that with the virtue of the queen and the family background of the Duan family, the children of the Duan family will not cheat in the examination.
It's just a big matter like cheating in the examination room. Everyone must investigate and understand it. He doesn't just have to believe it.
Because of Qiao Lan's identity as a queen and tight time, he did not go to the Duan family to get someone. Instead, he ordered the clerk at the city gate to stop the Duan family. It was not that Cheng Yao was bending the law for personal gain, but Beijing's law.
The regulations stipulated that he could only detain the family members of officials whose rank was higher than his own, and could not directly put them in prison, so he asked the people below to "stop" them.
Those who should be detained should still be detained. If this case is not handled well, he will be held accountable!
Qiao Lan suddenly realized, she said, why the Du family was also at the door.
"Mr. Cheng, can you tell us more about this case?" Qiao Lan asked.
Cheng Yao nodded and explained the whole case to Qiao Lan.
Things have to start when the results are released. Your Majesty, Enke, admitted many more candidates this year than in previous years, but there are still many who did not make the list.
The scholar who failed the exam was drinking to drown his sorrows in a restaurant when he heard someone next to him drunkenly telling the truth, saying that if he had money, he could pass the exam!
The speaker has no intention, but the listener has intention.
A group of scholars who failed to pass the examination were furious and went to investigate the identity of the drunk man and found that he was actually on the list of candidates.
A group of people investigated the man thoroughly and even made a plan. They used the reputation of admiration to get the man drunk. They thoroughly understood his knowledge and even found out when the man was there.
I bought the test papers from anywhere and from whom, even the scholars bought them!
Immediately, a group of students were so angry that their eyes were red. They had been studying hard for ten years and could not get ahead, but some people could use money to buy exam questions. How could there be fairness at all?
So he gathered a large group of young students and complained to officials from various places in the south!
That's how things started!
There are many literati in the south, and many of the students are descendants of Qingliu. Many of their families have elders who are officials in the court, and some are officials in the local area. Once this matter becomes a big deal, it will be no small matter.
I don’t know if there is any buying and selling of test questions. This matter is still being reported to the capital. The above message is to arrest these candidates first and investigate the talents who will take this year’s exams.
"... I don't know if there are many lower officials, but what I heard from above is that there is indeed the matter of buying test questions with three thousand taels of silver. There are both witnesses and physical evidence. I am going to find out which candidates bought the test questions and how to communicate with them.
Businessmen who have close contacts will also be arrested and interrogated." Cheng Yao said slowly.
Hearing this, Qiao Lan immediately felt relieved.
When Duan Mingqing and Duan Mingchen went out for the exam, Qiao Lan only gave Mo Qiming ten taels of silver to use for food, clothing, housing and transportation for the four of them. All the items were brought from home, as long as they were not taken out.
Money, it can be said to be completely free.
The two of them had to take the exam, and Mo Qiming had to watch over them at the inn, so they still had to spend money for food, drinks and accommodation. The four of them went out for half a month, and when Mo Qiming came back, he refunded Qiao Lan more than eight taels of silver.
Their family is so poor that they can’t afford to buy a test question even if they lose all their money! Even if their two sons have private money, they can’t afford a test question!
Poverty makes her confident!
"I can guarantee with my wealth and life that my two children will definitely not cheat." Qiao Lan said firmly.
Cheng Yao was naturally willing to believe Qiao Lan, but he said, "Nvjun, this case is of great importance and must be handed over to the capital for investigation. There is nothing I can do on my side. The two young masters..."
"Are we sending them both to Tongzhou?" Qiao Lan asked.
Cheng Yao nodded.
"Then take them over." Qiao Lan was still willing to trust her two sons. Qiao Lan then turned around and shouted into the hall, "Qing'er, Chen'er, you two come here..."
Duan Mingjing was carefully tasting the tea snacks in the county government office. He had not eaten snacks like this for a long time. When he was eating with gusto, he heard Qiao Lan calling Duan Mingqing and Duan Mingchen away!
The snack in Duan Mingjing's hand suddenly lost its flavor!
They are both mother's sons, why not call him?
What words can only be heard by the two of them, not by themselves!
Duan Mingqing and Duan Mingchen were called behind the screen, greeted Cheng Yao, and then heard about the fraud in Tongzhou.
Cheng Yao's arrangement is, "The queen and several young gentlemen will stay in the county government office for one night first, and tomorrow, I will send them to Tongzhou. Maybe they will stay in Tongzhou for some time, but the two young gentlemen are not involved in the fraud case."
, there won’t be any problems…”
"Thank you for your trouble, Sir." Duan Mingqing thanked him with a cupped hand.
In this way, the Duan family was left in the backyard of the county government office.
Qiao Lan was a straight talker, so she called her whole family, including Mo Qiming and Uncle Sun's family, and told them about the fraud case in Tongzhou and why her family lived in the county government office.
inside.
"...Don't worry too much. This matter has nothing to do with our family. We just have to wait until the case is settled before we can enter the capital." Qiao Lan sighed.
I don’t know if I chose a good day to enter Beijing or not.
It was said that it was a good choice, but as soon as they started their journey, the family was implicated in a fraud case and had to be detained for investigation.
It's not a good choice. If the family didn't have Qichen, they might still have to live in fear in the old house and go to Tongzhou from time to time to visit the two brothers who were detained.
Qiao Lan could only sigh, being a female monarch still has some uses.
If she were not the queen, their family would not be drinking tea and eating snacks in the county government office, but would be wiping tears at the prison door.
Qiao Lan thought and sighed!
The atmosphere inside the house is extremely solemn!
Only Duan Mingjing's face softened a lot, not as sad as before.
He said, why did my mother only look for the third brother and the fourth brother just now, but not him? It turned out to be not a good thing!
Hahaha, fortunately he is not a student!
It’s not his turn to cheat!
Duan Mingjing felt a lot more relaxed, but he didn't dare to show his relaxed expression.
If he becomes happy, he might be taught a lesson by his own mother!