"Master Yu, you were bought as an official. Three years ago you ranked first in liberal arts. The emperor has sent someone to investigate your test paper and found that your answers are exactly the same as the standard answers.
This means that you are suspected of stealing the questions. As for who sold these questions to you, we are already investigating.
Anyone who buys or sells official positions should be put to death. Someone drags him down!"
Xiao Liuzi did not tell everything, but made insinuations and conspiracies to make these people think that the emperor had a lot of evidence.
If people panic, they will naturally reveal their flaws. At this time, the big officials who were buying and selling official positions had cold sweat on their foreheads.
After Wang Zhijie knelt at the door and heard what happened, he lowered his head hurriedly, fearing that Mr. Yu would be in trouble.
"There are also Mr. Sun, Mr. Li, and Mr. Zhao. You three were the examiners three years ago. The Emperor has already found someone to investigate. All three of you are suspected of taking bribes. You will be stripped of your official position and your home will be searched!"
The three adults whose names were called fell to their knees on the ground and hurriedly defended themselves.
"Your Majesty, please be aware that this matter has nothing to do with me. I am also being instigated by others!"
Mr. Sun was so frightened that he wet his buttocks and knelt on the ground, kowtowing continuously, even his forehead was left, and he did not stop. He was already timid, but he completely collapsed after hearing what the emperor said.
"I, I have seniors and juniors, so it's impossible for me to do such a mindless thing. No matter how much money I give, I don't dare to do it. I just don't dare to offend that person. Please be careful, Your Majesty!"
Mr. Zhao was so frightened that he knelt on the ground and looked at Baili Qingchen with tears in his eyes. He kept defending himself, "Your Majesty... I have studied hard for more than ten years before I got to where I am today. If I hadn't succumbed to evil
power.
I will definitely not make such a low-level mistake!"
"Your Majesty, this matter has nothing to do with me. I have never accepted bribes. Naturally, I don't know how the test questions leaked out!"
Master Li was confident, kneeling on the ground with his clothes on, showing no fear of heaven or earth. He had no intention of begging for mercy, so he decided that this matter had nothing to do with him. The emperor could not find any evidence, and he had nothing to do with himself.
"You three didn't shed tears until you saw the coffin? Didn't the person who was dragged out just now give you three a lot of confidence?"
Someone will send it over in a while, and then you can go to the Yama Hall to explain it!"
Xiao Liuzi looked at the three of them and smiled helplessly. These three idiots didn't admit their guilt even when they were about to die.
"Your Majesty... I am really forced to do nothing. This was all Mr. Li's idea. I didn't get much money. They told me to shut up and threatened me with my daughter!"
Mr. Zhao was completely frightened. If he didn't admit his mistake at this time, he would have no choice but to blame all the mistakes on others. Anyway, there were only three of them as examiners, so one of them had to take the blame.
Among the three of them, the least powerful one is Mr. Li, and he is also the most ruthless. He is a poor scholar from a poor family and got to where he is today just by being greedy.
"Don't talk nonsense? Mr. Zhao, I have told you that this matter has nothing to do with me. I was not involved at all. As for how the issue was exposed, I don't know. Please let the emperor take a closer look!"
Mr. Li refused to admit it. In fact, he never showed up in this matter from beginning to end. Although he said he took other people's money, it was all taken by the steward next to him.
If you are really caught, the person who will be punished should be your own housekeeper.
Seeing Mr. Li's fearless look, Mr. Sun was very angry and angrily said, "Isn't all this your idea? If your housekeeper hadn't come to my house to send money and my wife was greedy for money, how could I have done it?
Fallen to this!
Mr. Li, this is what happened, if you still don’t tell the truth, I will definitely not let you go tonight. You’d better tell everything!"
Mr. Sun just wanted to save his own life. It didn't matter whether he could become an official or not. Anyway, he had already earned back his coffin. Even if he was kicked out of Fengcheng by the emperor, it wouldn't be a big deal.
"I think you two are the evil ones who complained first. I didn't know about this from the beginning to the end. How could I send the housekeeper of my house to find you!"
Mr. Li looked magnanimous, and then he kowtowed hard to the people in the hall and said in a neither humble nor overbearing manner, "Please make it clear that this matter has nothing to do with Chen Chen. I have never accepted bribes!"
"Master Li... You are about to die now, and you still haven't told the truth. Even if your slave has been forced to death by you, your family's accounts cannot be falsified!
This is Mr. Li’s income based on the previous investigation of your family’s accounts. I’m afraid he won’t be able to earn so much money in this life!”
Xiao Liuzi looked at the man in front of him coldly, and then threw a ledger in front of him.
Master Li was stunned when he saw the familiar account book. How could they get their own account book, and how did the emperor know about it? Who betrayed them.
It's definitely not possible for them to be the two cowards next to them. They are grasshoppers on the same boat. It's absolutely impossible for them to report themselves to the emperor.
The most likely person now is Wang Zhijie kneeling outside the main hall.
This old guy sacrificed several of them in order to protect himself. Did he expect that he didn't dare to tell the truth?
Lord Li, after seeing the account book, lost his previous enthusiasm and hurriedly begged the emperor for mercy, "Please forgive me for your life. I don't know about this matter. I am willing to take responsibility for the mistakes made by the slaves. However, this matter is also
It’s not all the three of us’ fault!
The biggest person responsible should be Mr. Wang. He is the examiner and he was the one who selected the top pick that year.
Mr. Yu just now is his retainer, if someone is said to have been bribed, Mr. Wang will definitely be involved!"
"Li Minghao, are you crazy? You dare to frame Mr. Wang?"
"Your Majesty, Li Minghao, is just talking nonsense. How could this matter have anything to do with Mr. Wang? Mr. Wang was recuperating at home at that time!"
"Please, Your Majesty, be more careful. Li Minghao is so desperate that he wants to drag Mr. Wang into trouble!"
Wang Zhijie still has many supporters. After all, he has not yet fallen. Everyone likes to fawn over him, and what they say is not too excessive, and the emperor cannot blame him.
"You guys are taking advantage of Mr. Wang. I tell you, I am going to die. If I can't survive, then everyone will die together.
Your Majesty... all this was ordered by Mr. Wang. I... never agreed to do this, so Wang Zhijie bribed the minions around me.
They are trying to frame me... Please ask your Majesty to clear this slave's name!"
Mr. Li was in a hurry. He was going to die anyway, so he might as well take a gamble and put all the responsibilities on Wang Zhijie.
The emperor definitely wants to suppress the Wang family now. In this way, maybe it can help the emperor, and the emperor will spare himself if he is happy.