Prime Minister.

Chapter 89, Chapter 088: [A Worthwhile Trip]

As the saying goes, the bystander sees most of the game, and Fan Dongyang naturally understood what Xue Huai was doing.

The imperial examination opened a path to success for scholars, but this path was full of thorns. They not only had to study the Four Books and Five Classics diligently and compete with thousands of others for a single spot, but they also had to face the injustices and obstacles created by the powerful and wealthy.

Fan Dongyang understood the principle that "if the water is too clear, there will be no fish," as did Sun Yan and Yue Zhongming, and of course, the two bigwigs in the cabinet also understood it.

The emperor in the palace understood this even better, so he appointed Sun Yan as the chief examiner and Yue Zhongming as his deputy, so that the two could check and balance each other. With Fan Dongyang keeping an eye on things, he could at least ensure that the imperial examination would end successfully.

Even if some favoritism and corruption occur during this process, as long as it is not a large-scale case involving multiple individuals, most people at all levels will pretend not to see it. After all, letting someone off the hook today will make things easier for themselves in the future.

As for the fact that this would harm the interests of some candidates, no one seemed to care.

However, Xue Huai cared.

This was Fan Dongyang's strongest feeling when he first stepped into the Zhigongtang. He had been in the Censorate for more than ten years and had seen countless people's hearts and minds. He could tell at a glance that Xue Huai was filled with an indomitable determination.

Actually, he was a little worried at that time. Everyone said that Xue Huai was the kind of person who would not turn back even if he hit a wall. If he made too much of a fuss, it would inevitably affect the success or failure of this year's imperial examination.

To everyone's surprise, Xue Huai gave Fan Dongyang a huge surprise.

The hall fell silent. Sun Yan looked at Xue Huai, who was bowing respectfully, and said solemnly, "Xue, I wholeheartedly agree with your suggestion."

"Thank you for your support, Your Excellency."

Xue Huai, who was sparing with words, straightened up.

Looking at Xue Huai's restrained demeanor, Sun Yan realized at that moment that he had indeed grown old.

Because he knew he was already under Xue Huai's control, he simply didn't have the authority of an examiner to deal with this young scholar.

As Xue Huai dragged him and Yue Zhongming into the mess, a delicate balance was formed in the room. If he followed Xue Huai's advice and tried his best to maintain the fairness of the imperial examination, then Xue Huai would not pursue the matter relentlessly, whether it was cutting the papers or using connections, and the emperor would make the final decision after the examination.

If Sun Yan insists on recommending those candidates who have used connections, Xue Huai will definitely join forces with Yue Zhongming and Fan Dongyang to thoroughly investigate the matter of cutting up exam papers. At that time, it will be difficult for Sun Yan to remain uninvolved.

Therefore, Sun Yan could only solemnly say, "Gentlemen, you have all heard Xue Shidu's heartfelt words, and I wholeheartedly agree with them. The imperial examination is for selecting officials for the country, and it should be handled impartially, without favoritism, fraud, or disregard for the laws of the court. Since the deliberation has just begun, I would like to emphasize that the review, recommendation, verification, and rejection of papers this year must be based on the quality of the answers themselves. Any paper suspected of fraud must be rejected!"

The examiners rose and bowed, saying, "We respectfully obey Your Excellency's command!"

Xue Huai was among them, and the tension in his heart could finally be eased a little.

He has been under tremendous pressure these days.

Initially, he did not want to get involved in the struggle between Ning Hengzhi and Ouyang Hui, because such factional strife was endless and once involved, it would be difficult to extricate oneself.

He certainly wouldn't side with the Ning faction, but he also didn't want to become a tool in the hands of the Second Assistant Minister.

Unexpectedly, Yue Zhongming used the secrets of the Eastern Palace to blackmail him, and Gao Tingbi also pressed him step by step. The two sides were constantly pulling each other, forcing Xue Huai to have no choice but to stand idly by.

Given this situation, he had no choice but to struggle out a way out.

To be fair, Xue Huai never thought he had the potential to be a saint. He might stand up for what is right, but only if he could ensure his own safety. Only then could he do more, instead of being like the original owner who would disregard everything for the sake of justice.

So he thought a lot about it, from the emperor's attitude, the Ning Party's ambitions to the gains and losses of the Second Assistant Minister's faction, and finally decided on a strategy that made them hesitant to act.

During this process, Shen Wang's message reassured Xue Huai.

Xue Huai recalled that morning when the servant entered the room and quickly said, "Xue Shidu, the Grand Minister of Works asked me to tell you that Chief Minister Ning knows that Vice Minister Yue is ambitious and prone to acting on his own, yet he is all talk and no action, so he has suppressed him for nearly ten years. In addition, no matter how big the storm is at the examination hall, as long as Vice Minister Fan is in charge, there will be no worry about capsizing."

These two simple sentences helped Xue Huai understand many things instantly, allowing him to approach the situation with a light heart and a completely rational attitude as he navigated between the two forces.

He composed himself and looked at Yue Zhongming, who had been described by his mentor as ambitious but incompetent, awaiting his reply.

Yue Zhongming is furious.

He finally realized that Xue Huai had tricked him this time, using the conflict between him and Sun Yan to maneuver and accomplish what outsiders would consider a stunning feat—ensuring the fairness and impartiality of this year's imperial examination without breaking ties with any of the various factions.

The difficulty of this matter is self-evident. Both Sun Yan and Yue Zhongming wield far more power than Xue Huai. Asking them to bow down to Xue Huai, relinquish their power, and give up the candidates who are connected to their personal networks is something no one thinks is impossible.

But Xue Huai accomplished it without making a sound.

Yue Zhongming's inner frustration was indescribable, and this frustration fueled his anger, yet he was powerless to do anything about it.

Xue Huai used the incident of cutting up the examination papers to hand over Sun Yan's secrets to him, and then released a second batch of examination papers obtained through connections, pointing the finger directly at Liu Yu. Sun Yan, of course, knew that this was Yue Zhongming's secret.

In short, both examiners now have leverage over each other, and neither dares to act rashly. If they try to collude and temporarily set aside their conflict, Xue Huai will flip the table, and then neither of them will be in deep trouble.

For a fleeting moment, Yue Zhongming even considered joining forces with Sun Yan to deal with Xue Huai, this troublesome problem, but he immediately noticed Fan Dongyang's meaningful gaze. Never mind.

Yue Zhongming finally gave up his illusions and said blankly, "Xue Shidu is loyal and devoted, how could I refuse? The Grand Secretary's words are golden advice, and this year's imperial examination will not tolerate any favoritism, otherwise we would be betraying His Majesty's trust."

Xue Huai looked on with admiration and cupped his hands, saying, "I believe that under the leadership of the Grand Secretary and the Junior Minister of the Imperial Academy, the Guiwei examination will surely be as famous as the Gengchen examination and become a model of fairness and justice in the history of the imperial examinations of our dynasty."

The other examiners also offered their praise.

Except for a very few who had not yet grasped the situation, most of the rest had already judged the situation and figured out the intricacies and ultimate purpose of Xue Huai's grand scheme. They couldn't help but sigh inwardly that this third-ranked scholar was truly someone they hadn't seen for a day. He used to be the object of isolation and ridicule from his colleagues, but in just half a year, he had undergone earth-shattering changes.

He single-handedly thwarted the others' attempts to show favoritism, forcing not only the two chief examiners to comply, but also other examiners with hidden motives to behave themselves.

In doing so, they would break their promises to their respective networks and inevitably harbor resentment towards Xue Huai. However, after careful consideration, they would also develop a sense of awe towards this young colleague.

Such is the way of the world: corrupt officials are not afraid of honest officials, but only of honest officials who are cunning and resourceful.

After the turmoil subsided, the deliberations continued.

Fan Dongyang did not stay to continue observing. He had to hurry up and find out about the matter of cutting the scroll. Although it would not involve Sun Yan, he could not let the officials in charge of copying get away with it.

He saw Xue Huai again five days later in the morning.

"Xue Shidu".

The two met by chance in the canteen of the courtyard. Fan Dongyang looked at Xue Huai's tired face and gestured for him to sit down in a corner where no one was around. Then he asked with concern, "Did Grand Secretary Sun and Vice Minister Yue make things difficult for you?"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Excellency."

Xue Huai knew what Fan Dongyang was concerned about, so he smiled and said, "The two examiners were very polite to me, but when it came to judging some of the answers, there was a lot of arguing in the inner chambers these days, and I was also involved."

"This is normal."

Fan Dongyang understood Xue Huai's unspoken meaning: this dispute arose purely from academic matters, without any personal motives or interests involved, which was why Xue Huai could still laugh.

He also said with a smile, "As long as we can give an explanation to the thousands of test takers, a little arguing is nothing."

"Yes, that's what the Grand Secretary said too."

Xue Huai said easily, "Fortunately, after everyone's discussion, the two chief examiners filled in the list last night. After they submit the list of the top ten candidates to His Majesty for review, the results will be announced tomorrow."

Fan Dongyang was deeply moved upon hearing this, as the nearly month-long ordeal was finally coming to an end.

He could see that Xue Huai was exhausted inside and out. This young man had indeed had a tough time, so he changed the subject and said, "It's been almost three years since you entered officialdom. Do you have any plans for where you'll go in the future? Or do you want to continue staying in the Hanlin Academy?"

These words seem a bit too forward for someone you don't know well, but some things are understood without being said. The reason why Xue Huai was able to force Sun Yue and his companion to act with caution was largely due to Fan Dongyang's presence and intimidation.

Even if he did this because of the emperor's arrangement, the two of them could still be considered to have formed a bond of camaraderie.

Xue Huai was not arrogant because of this. He humbly said, "Thank you for your concern, Chief Censor. I will naturally follow the arrangements of the court."

Fan Dongyang smiled and went straight to the point: "Are you interested in coming to the Censorate? I think you'd be perfect for it."

Xue Huai remained silent.

After a moment, he looked up at Fan Dongyang and said somewhat awkwardly, "Your Excellency, I have done my best this time. If I am demoted to the position of Supervising Censor, it will inevitably cause controversy."

Fan Dongyang was taken aback, then burst into laughter.

The official structure of the Censorate is quite interesting. From the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief to the Left Censor-in-Chief, they are all high-ranking officials of the fourth rank or above, while below them are the Supervising Censors of the seventh rank.

Xue Huai is now a sixth-rank official, serving as a tutor. He cannot be directly promoted to the position of Grand Censor, nor can he be demoted to the position of Supervising Censor.

Fan Dongyang knew that this was Xue Huai's tactful refusal. Although he felt it was a pity, he did not insist. He simply said gently, "Then I wish Xue Shidu a successful career. If you have any free time in the future, you are welcome to visit my residence."

Xue Huai said respectfully, "This humble official will certainly pay a visit to you, sir."

The two looked at each other and smiled.

The following morning, as Sun Yan and Yue Zhongming led the examiners to fill in the imperial edict, the gates of the examination hall finally opened.

As Xue Huai walked through the crowd, he looked up slightly at the clear spring sky, then glanced back at the solemn and majestic examination hall. A faint smile appeared on his face.

(End of this chapter)