I'm not a fortune teller.

Chapter 116 Military Order!
This is the only possibility.
Although the monster's abilities are terrifying, if it wants to sneak in with the Four Spirits guarding it, there must be a powerful force behind it. As for what kind of force it is, it is unknown.

"Let's not talk about this for now. Whatever that monster is planning to do, and which important person he wants to replace, it has nothing to do with us. Even if he wants to become the Empress, that is something Your Majesty should worry about, isn't it?"

"What if His Majesty is replaced?" Zhang Rui asked.

"Unlikely." Wei Jiaming shook his head. "I was promoted by His Majesty, so I know very well what kind of person His Majesty is. Perhaps no one knows that Yuchi Peng, who is known as the invincible half-step master, has never defeated His Majesty once. That monster has defects in direct confrontation, so there is no way to replace His Majesty."

"In the palace, the most powerful person it can replace is only the Empress."

Zhang Rui was silent.
"Let's not talk about this for now. If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince attacks you tomorrow, how are you going to deal with it?"

"this one"
-
Day 2.
Before daybreak, the thin scholars got up early in the frosty weather and headed for the city center.

In those days, Taizu felt pity for the scholars going to take exams, so he set up the Confucius Temple to take care of these foreign students so that they would have a place to stay and would not have to suffer from hunger and cold while taking the exams. But after all, the imperial city was the most prosperous place in the world, and no matter how much he sympathized with the examinees, it was impossible to set up the Confucius Temple in the city center. They were all in remote suburbs. Given the size of the imperial city, even if one took the court's exclusive carriage, it would take two hours to reach outside the Suzaku Gate!

The time for the imperial examination is at the end of the Chen hour. If you want to be absolutely sure and not delay the examination, the candidates have to set out at the Yin hour.

"Qi Xuan, we have been in Beijing for so many days, why don't we go visit Lord Zhang? I heard that Lord Zhang was so powerful the other day that he made the Qi family's dandy ancestor cough cough..." The fat man who was speaking suddenly remembered something, choked, and smiled awkwardly: "I forgot, you are also a member of the Qi family."

"Not really," Qi Xuan rolled his eyes at the other person.

"How can it not be counted? I saw it that day. The Qi family's housekeeper came to ask you to enter the Qi residence to prepare for the exam. Qi family, Qi Xuan, you hid it very well."

Qi Xuan didn't even bother to pay attention to the talkative fat man. If Zhang Rui was here, he would definitely recognize that these two people were one of the scholars he met in the strange temple in the capital at that time, and this Qi Xuan was the scholar who was willing to follow Zhang Rui away at that time.

This fat man was Qi Xuan’s good friend at that time.

"It's not an identity to be proud of. If I don't hide it, why do I have to show it off?" Qi Xuan glanced coldly outside the carriage. At this time, snowflakes were floating under the night sky. Most examination rooms were ventilated on all sides, and the candidates had to endure three days in the examination room. This weather was not good for them.

"Isn't the Qi family a proud identity?" The fat man was stunned and a little curious.

Qi Xuan didn't say anything else, but continued to look at the snow scene outside in silence.

His mother is the eldest daughter of the Qi family. Women from sorcerer families are basically tools for marriage alliances. Except for a very few with high sorcerer talents, the rest will become tools for families to marry each other and give birth to sorcerer bloodlines.

Her mother was unwilling to accept this, and fell in love with a poor scholar who went to Beijing to take the imperial examination that year. Just like the plot in the storyteller, the daughter of a wealthy family eloped with a poor scholar who was penniless.

Fortunately, except for Old Man Qi, the rest of the second and third generations of the Qi family were all idlers, so they really let a little girl run away like that. Just when they were about to get angry and want to catch her, they were stopped by Old Man Qi, who had the most prestige.

Now, he has been raised by his mother and is going to Beijing to take the imperial examination. He thought that the Qi family had long forgotten about them, but he did not expect that the housekeeper would come to invite him as soon as he arrived in Beijing.

This shows that the Qi family knew the whereabouts of her and her son from beginning to end.

She also knew that her mother was later beaten and abandoned by that unfaithful scholar.

After all, there was no matchmaker or agreement, and they got engaged privately. If the man is reliable, it's fine. But if he is not, won't she have to suffer in silence?

But the Qi family knew clearly that his mother had lived such a miserable life over the years, but still did not offer any help. Blood is thicker than water. In the eyes of these families, he seemed like a joke. As for why they suddenly invited him.

He didn't think that the Qi family was being kind-hearted, and it was probably not a good thing.

"Without the candidates, we are nothing." Qi Xuan closed the curtains and looked at the restless fat man and said, "You want to visit Master Zhang, but Master Zhang is so capable at such a young age. If you can't even pass the imperial examination, how can you have the face to visit him? If you are not even worthy of being used, how can you enter the gate of Zhang's mansion?"

Fatty: "."

"Brother, don't be so realistic."

"This world is inherently realistic." Qi Xuan said as he closed his eyes and rested.

He went to bed very early yesterday, but after all, he disrupted the jet lag. Now that he had to get up so early, he had to seize the time to rest, otherwise he might not have that opportunity when the exam started later.

"His Majesty has an order!" After an unknown amount of time, the team escorting the examinees was stopped. They were still on the way to Suzaku Gate, and the air was cold and empty. Many examinees were shivering with cold even with blankets. They did not expect to be stopped outside after waiting for several hours and could not go in. They were filled with resentment but dared not say a word.

At this time, inside the Suzaku Gate and in the Chengde Hall, a censor righteously accused the person in charge of a case.

"Master Zhang, according to the latest news, another candidate has died. Now that the exam is approaching, do you have any explanation for delaying such an important event for the country?"

"What does this case have to do with Lord Zhang?" Wei Jiaming stepped forward to support him. "A few days ago, the palace changed drastically. Everyone thought that the murderer of the Tanhua case had been identified, and it was the Master of the Painting Spirit. Now, His Majesty has sent all the princes to various noble families, but there are still candidates who get into trouble. Isn't it possible that the noble families can't keep an eye on the princes they are guarding?"

"Are you talking about me, Lord Wei?" Minister Qi said coldly, "I guarantee with my life that the Fourth Prince is safe with me. I just don't know if the one in Lord Wei's hand is safe or not."

"Minister Qi knows that the Fourth Prince is infallible?" Wei Jiaming sneered, "Now everyone says that His Royal Highness is infallible in his own family, but it is a fact that something happened to the examinee, and it is also a fact that the method used was the same as the Tanhua case back then. If it's not this family that has the problem, then that family will have the problem. Now they want to let a junior who just came to Beijing bear the responsibility. Isn't that a bit too shameless?"

"Lord Wei is good at protecting the junior. I'm afraid you had a very pleasant conversation with this junior in the Golden Sparrow Tower yesterday?" Jiang Linfeng said with a faint smile.

"So what?" Wei Jiaming said coldly, "Mr. Zhang and I have similar interests and are friends regardless of age. What's wrong with that? I'm not the only one who is friends with Mr. Zhang regardless of age, right?"

Lu Chengfeng, who was hiding among the officials, rolled his eyes immediately. He was really an innocent victim.

"No matter what, it is a fact that Lord Zhang was responsible for the Tanhua case, and it is also a fact that he failed to live up to the emperor's trust. Does it mean that he does not have to bear responsibility just because he is a junior? There is no such thing in the world, right?" Jiang Linfeng said coldly.

Zhang Rui secretly glanced at the other person. This guy had sold his father, so he had no grudge against him, right? Why did he have to bite him?

The grandson of the Qi family didn't target you even after he was exiled by you, but you were so happy about it.

"I am incompetent," Zhang Rui said bluntly in the palace: "I have failed your majesty's trust, please punish me!"

The emperor finally looked at Zhang Rui with a complicated look in his eyes.

He was the first to know that this guy had gone to the Golden Sparrow Tower yesterday, which was exactly what he expected. However, he had thought too much that he could become the second Hong Lie.

"What did the prince say?" The emperor turned to look at the prince who was listening to government affairs on the left side of the hall.

"I am ashamed." The prince came out and said, "I recommended Lord Zhang to take over this case because of his help in Beihai, but I overlooked the fact that Lord Zhang was too young and inexperienced. As a result, the Spring Examination has been delayed. I am willing to be punished together with Lord Zhang!"

"Well, you are quite responsible." The emperor nodded, and finally looked at Zhang Rui: "Although this matter cannot be blamed entirely on you, it is a fact that since you took over the case, the case has not made any progress. It is also a fact that the Spring Examination has been delayed. Now another candidate has died tragically. All the candidates who are about to take the exam are waiting outside the palace. The cold wind is howling, and those weak candidates are waiting for an answer. What do you say, Lord Zhang?"

"I am ashamed!" Zhang Rui bowed again, but then stood up straight again: "Although I have failed to live up to the trust of the emperor and caused another candidate to die, I am derelict in my duty, but I will not delay the Spring Examination."

"What do you mean, Lord Zhang?" Minister Qi sneered at the words: "Now that the murderous monster has not been caught, are we going to force the exam? If another student dies tragically during the exam, do you know the consequences? How will the people of the world view the court?"

"It won't happen!" Zhang Rui said directly.

"Huh?" All the civil and military officials in the court looked over immediately after hearing this, somewhat surprised.

This guy, why doesn't he keep a low profile at this time and try to get away with it? He is so aggressive, is he trying to...
"I guarantee this with my own head!" Zhang Rui said directly to the emperor: "No more candidates will die in this spring's examination!"

"Are you sure?" The emperor narrowed his eyes and said, "Think carefully, all the civil and military officials are here. If you dare to issue a military order, if something goes wrong, no one can protect you!"

At this time, even Wei Jiaming and other new-school people were looking at Zhang Rui in great surprise. They never expected that Zhang Rui's way of dealing with the situation would be like this?

Crazy?
"I'm sure!"

"What if that monster appears again?"

"Then I will find that sneaky thing for your majesty!"

The whole hall fell silent. The emperor was also silent for a long time. Finally, he looked at Zhang Rui and nodded slightly: "My dear minister, you are so brave!"

(End of this chapter)