Prime Minister.

Chapter 82, Episode 081: The Man in the Case

"This humble official is dull-witted and truly does not understand what the Junior Minister of Rites meant by 'being entrusted by someone.' What does this mean? And who entrusted you with this task?"

Xue Huai stared at Yue Zhongming, his face full of confusion.

In life, we inevitably have to act.

Although Xue Huai's acting skills are not top-notch, he can naturally be very composed and at ease in this situation where they meet in a dark room and he is only facing Yue Zhongming.

He was born with a handsome and refined appearance, and even after several years of experience in officialdom, he still retained his elegant and unconventional demeanor, giving people a sense of absolute sincerity and frankness.

At this moment, he frowned slightly as he looked at Yue Zhongming, making it hard not to believe that he was indeed unaware of the situation.

Yue Zhongming's eyes darkened.

A moment ago, before Xue Huai appeared, he sat here confidently, certain that he could break through Xue Huai's defenses with just a few words.

Although Xue Huai was renowned for his tough and unyielding nature, Yue Zhongming knew his weakness well—as long as he could uncover the deepest secret hidden in his heart, he would naturally crumble.

Someone like Xue Huai, who prides himself on being a loyal and upright official, must be incredibly conflicted and in pain to be forced to go against his conscience and principles and help the Crown Prince cheat in the imperial examinations.

At this point, Yue Zhongming would cut to the chase and take the fall in one fell swoop.

However, he clearly underestimated Xue Huai's mental fortitude.

This man not only remained unfazed, but he could even set a trap in the heat of the moment. If Yue Zhongming answered his questions seriously, it would be tantamount to handing over his own weakness.

The conversation was out of Yue Zhongming's control from the start, which made his tone turn colder: "Xue Shidu, there are no outsiders here, so why pretend you don't know? Since I'm meeting with you privately, it's naturally because I know about your relationship with that person."

"Your words, Junior Minister, have only confused me more."

Xue Huai shook his head and asked again, "Who exactly is that person?"

"Ah."

Yue Zhongming disdained to continue beating around the bush with him, his voice laced with sarcasm: "The Spring and Autumn Annals have begun, and the Kingly Way is renewed. I wonder if Xue Shidu still remembers this saying?"

Xue Huai certainly remembered that the character "攸" was one of the key words that Jiang Li had told him in advance.

Recalling the first round of grading, there were two more papers with bribery than the five Jiang Li had indicated.

Judging from Yue Zhongming's current attitude, the two extra copies must be related to him.

While his mind raced, Xue Huai calmly replied, "I remember now, this is a sentence from an answer sheet. Why did the young master specifically mention it? Could it be because there is a problem with this answer sheet?"

"Of course there's a problem, but it's not the test paper itself that's the problem; it's related to you."

Yue Zhongming put aside his arrogance and said meaningfully, "Xue Shidu, the reason I brought up this sentence is to tell you that we are now in the same boat and should help each other instead of suspecting each other."

In fact, when he made the first move, Xue Huai had already begun to consider the role the other party played in this matter.

There are only two possible answers. One is that the Crown Prince has spies planted by the Ning Party, and Yue Zhongming learned of the Crown Prince's plans in advance through this relationship and took the opportunity to intervene.

Secondly, Yue Zhongming was ostensibly a confidant of Grand Secretary Ning Hengzhi, but in reality, he had already pledged allegiance to the Crown Prince.

His explicit statement to Xue Huai that they should weather the storm together undoubtedly confirms the second possibility.

Seemingly to further gain Xue Huai's trust, Yue Zhongming took out a jade cicada from his sleeve and smiled, "Xue Huai is learned and has a broad perspective; he must know the origin of this little object."

Xue Huai said calmly, "This belongs to the Crown Prince's Palace."

"Now, Xue Shidu should believe that what I said is true, right?"

Yue Zhongming put away the jade cicada and then said, "I can understand your caution. After all, things can go wrong if they are not kept secret. If people find out that you are acting on someone's behalf to pull strings, it will inevitably affect your reputation."

"Young Master Zongbo, please be careful with your words."

Although it was a private meeting in a dark room, Xue Huai dared not be careless, for who knew if there were eavesdroppers?
Since he had a clear conscience, he said solemnly, "I would never have done anything to favor anyone or engage in bribery. Young Master, I respect you as the chief examiner for this year's examination, and that is why I have come here to listen to your teachings. If you continue to spout these nonsense, please forgive me for not keeping you company any longer."

"Fine, I won't say anything more."

Yue Zhongming sighed, then got to the point: "I invited you here today because of the argument between Gao and Liu last night."

Xue Huai appeared puzzled. Previously, Yue Zhongming had clearly stated that their argument wasn't about right or wrong, but simply a difference of opinion; why was he now acting differently?
Yue Zhongming continued, “Actually, I didn’t want to bother you. They asked you to handle this matter and then came to me, but I was afraid you couldn’t handle it alone, so I was asked to assist you. You don’t need to recommend all five answer sheets. Even if you reject two, I can find them among the rejected ones. However, I didn’t expect that Grand Secretary Sun would dare to break the rules this time. Not only does he want to secretly exchange answers during the imperial examination, but he also wants to kick us all out of the competition.”

At this moment, he finally stopped talking about fairness and integrity, and stopped mentioning Ning Hengzhi in every sentence.

Xue Huai felt that Gao Tingbi was right about one thing: Yue Zhongming was an extremely ambitious, bold, and ruthless person.

He remained silent.

Yue Zhongming was now fully awake. Although he was surprised that the Crown Prince could command Xue Huai, he also knew that Xue Huai's personality had not changed drastically and that there was probably another reason for this.

Therefore, he had to strike while the iron was hot and persuade Xue Huai.

"When Liu Yu reported to me about last night's conflict, I initially thought it was just an ordinary argument. But today, many strange things have happened inside the palace. Grand Secretary Sun's confidants are frequently conspiring and discussing things in secret, which means they are definitely plotting a conspiracy."

Yue Zhongming solemnly said, "I had Liu Yu recount the details of last night's conflict, and I discovered that Gao Tingbi was deliberately provoking trouble. Clearly, his intentions were not Liu Yu but me."

Xue Huai calmly said, "This humble official does not understand why the Junior Minister of Rites would say that the Compiler Gao is targeting you?"

Yue Zhongming stared intently into Xue Huai's eyes and asked, "What did Gao Tingbi say to you after Liu Yu and the servants left last night?"

Xue Huai replied, "He was still angry, so I offered him a few words of advice."

"I know even if you don't tell me."

Yue Zhongming sneered and said bluntly, "He must have slandered me in front of you, saying that I was putting on an act but actually wanted to do favoritism and corruption, and then persuaded you to stand with him. In other words, he wanted you to be the sharp knife in Grand Secretary Sun's hands, and that you two would join forces to deal with me, right?"

Xue Huai remained silent.

Yue Zhongming understood the meaning behind his silence. He picked up his teacup to clear his throat and said in a deep voice, "Xue Shidu, you are a smart man and should understand that Grand Secretary Sun and Gao Tingbi have ill intentions. You are not on their side. If you really help them, you will inevitably fall into their trap. I cannot be sure whether they know your secret, but it's better to be safe than sorry. It's possible that they know about what you were asked to do, but they haven't acted yet. Once you help them deal with me, you will be the next one to be settled."

On the surface, Yue Zhongming's words made sense. He and Xue Huai had both been asked by the Crown Prince, and once the incident occurred, they would both be implicated. No matter who was caught red-handed, the other would not be able to escape unscathed.

but……

Xue Huai suddenly looked up at the other person and asked calmly, "Young Master, why does Compiler Liu insist on recommending that answer sheet?"

"You suspect that Liu Yu has ulterior motives?"

Yue Zhongming frowned slightly and said, "I can tell you clearly that Liu Yu simply admired the talent displayed in that answer sheet. Perhaps you don't know Liu Yu well, but he loves literary elegance and was previously captivated by your poem about plum blossoms. Therefore, he can't help but be moved when he sees such articles and poems. It's normal for you to suspect him, but you might want to think about it: if Liu Yu recommended this answer sheet because of personal feelings, why would he make such a fuss? Couldn't he have waited until after the discussion to search the answer sheet?"

"What the Junior Minister says makes sense."

Xue Huai's answer seemed to indicate that he agreed with Yue Zhongming's statement, but for some reason, Yue Zhongming's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

He vaguely sensed that something was wrong at some point, and a sharp glint seemed to flash in Xue Huai's eyes.

The next moment, Xue Huai said thoughtfully, "Young Master, I have never done anything to favor or abuse my power. Since you and Compiler Liu have no such intentions, then we have a clear conscience, so why should we care about Grand Secretary Sun's plans?"

"You're still too young."

Yue Zhongming composed himself, realizing it must have been his imagination. He then said solemnly, "The officialdom is rife with deceit and treachery. Your willingness to back down will not gain your opponents' understanding, but will only invite more ruthless tactics. I hope you understand that if we do not retaliate this time, after the imperial examinations, there will probably be no place for us in the capital's officialdom."

Xue Huai remained calm. Although seeking a posting outside the capital was his predetermined path, actively seeking experience outside the capital was a completely different situation from being driven out of the capital in disgrace.

He seemed to be persuaded by Yue Zhongming and asked, "Young Master Zong, what do you intend to do?"

Yue Zhongming felt relieved and said, "Grand Secretary Sun thinks he can keep his secret from everyone, but he doesn't know that I have already discovered his secret. The competition for this year's imperial examination is extremely fierce. In order to win over his subordinates, Vice Minister Ouyang will definitely have Grand Secretary Sun manipulate things behind the scenes to help a few good-for-nothing playboys pass the imperial examination. This is our opportunity."

Xue Huai calmly asked, "Any clues or evidence?"

"Those spoiled brats are good-for-nothings. They can't even pull off bribery because they simply don't have the ability to write a well-written article on the spot that is both cleverly worded and of high quality. So Grand Secretary Sun only has one path to take!"

Yue Zhongming lowered his voice, his eyes slightly eager: "Have someone write it for you in advance, and then cut the papers and switch them at the last minute!"

The so-called "switching of exam papers" refers to the practice of the inner examiner deliberately switching the identities of the two exam paper owners when transcribing the answers. This is extremely risky, but if the two candidates have already made a deal in advance and the examiner is involved, it can be done without anyone noticing.

At this moment, Xue Huai's expression remained unchanged, but he sighed softly in his heart.

(End of this chapter)