My best friend is wearing a double body! Marry the emperor! Help me win the throne

Harem.

Qingliang Palace, Wangyue Pavilion.

Song Jingsi was sitting at the desk plucking the strings of the zither.

Her personal maid, Han Qiu, ran in excitedly, "Master, good news! Terrible news!"

Song Jingsi glanced at her, then lowered her head and continued to play her zither, "Why are you so happy?"

Han Qiu immediately told her the latest news she had gathered, "I heard that Concubine Xue's second brother, Xue Wuyang, was arrested for cheating in the imperial examination and thrown into jail! Concubine Xue is frantic, and many palace maids and eunuchs saw her run to the Emperor to plead for mercy!"

Song Jingsi couldn't help but sneer when she heard this. "Cheating in the palace examination is a capital crime. If the news is true, Xue Youli's career in the harem has come to an end."

Han Qiu also looked very proud, "I also heard that the essay Xue Wuyang copied for the palace examination was written by our eldest son!"

"What? You said he plagiarized my brother's article?" Song Jingsi paused, a trace of doubt in his heart.

She didn't know what level Xue Wuyang was at, but she knew exactly how capable her elder brother Song Jingqian was.

If he really wanted to cheat, why did Xue Wuyang choose to copy the answer sheet of someone who couldn't read or write?

Han Qiu nodded confidently, "I spent ten taels of silver to get this information, so it's absolutely correct! The teachers at the academy have all praised our eldest son for his talent. I think Xue Wuyang is in great danger this time!"

Hearing this, Song Jingsi plucked the strings of the zither with her fingertips again, and a hint of gloating appeared on her red lips.

That's right, although her elder brother likes to play tricks on others, he is also a man who knows what is important and would not make a joke of the palace examination.

People like Xue Wuyang, who came from a small family, probably mistakenly believed that her elder brother, as the grandson of the Grand Tutor, must be talented and knowledgeable, so he took the risk in the palace examination.

The Xue family has done such a shameful thing that brings disgrace to the family. What can Xue Youli use to compete with her in the future?

She just didn't know how the emperor would deal with Xue Youli, so she could just wait and see this good show!

Of course, she was not the only one in the harem who received the news. Most of the concubines had the same mentality as her, waiting for Xue Youli to fall out of favor.

?

Zicheng Palace at this moment.

Murong Che immediately ordered people to bring tables and chairs and prepare pens, ink, paper and inkstone.

In preparation for the palace examination, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet had originally prepared more than a dozen alternative test questions.

Now they picked out a question from these test questions and asked Xue Wuyang and Song Jingqian to sit back to back in the middle of the hall to write the answers.

The six cabinet ministers were divided into two groups, staring at the two of them in a three-to-one ratio.

When Xue Wuyang got the test paper, he buried his head and began to write furiously.

Song Jingqian looked at the blank rice paper in front of him and scratched his head anxiously.

How to do?How to do?

He can't write at all!

However, when he heard the sound of Xue Wuyang writing the answer sheet behind him, he made up his mind, grabbed the brush dipped in ink, and began to write.

Whatever! Just write down whatever’s in your mind on the rice paper. It’s better than handing in a blank paper!

An hour passed quickly, and the process of Xue Wuyang and Song Jingqian writing their answers was seen by the six university scholars.

Even before grading the answer sheets, they were certain that Xue Wuyang was wrongly accused.

Murong Che gave the Grand Secretaries some time to review the answers. After they had circulated Xue Wuyang and Song Jingqian's answers, he asked, "What do you have to say about the two answers?"

Grand Secretary Qin was the first to answer, "Your Majesty, although Xue Wuyang is young, his writing is brilliant and insightful, which is admirable. As for Song Jingqian's writing, many parts are poorly written and contain many typos. It is truly unbearable to read."

"This humble official agrees with Grand Secretary Qin."

"So does this humble servant."

Just as everyone was expressing their opinions, Grand Secretary Cui coughed lightly and expressed his own dissenting opinion. "Well, Xue Wuyang's article is indeed good, but Song Jingqian's article is not entirely without merit either. Look here, he quoted from the classics, and although he made four mistakes, it's still relevant."

When the others heard that Grand Secretary Cui was trying hard to make amends for Song Jingqian, their expressions became a little subtle.

There are only eight words in total, and you got four of them wrong. Don't stick to the topic, stick to your brain.

However, no one pointed out the truth to Grand Secretary Cui. After all, he was the son-in-law of Grand Tutor Song, and Song Jingqian was Grand Secretary Cui's nephew. With this relationship, he had to say a few words to save his nephew's face.

Murong Che did not express his opinion immediately, but handed Xue Wuyang's article to Song Jingqian. "Since you have accused Xue Wuyang of cheating, I will give you a chance to comment on his article today."

Song Jingqian has been sweating coldly since he handed in the paper.

He was not stupid. He knew from the look in Murong Che's eyes that if he continued to act like a troublemaker, he would lose his head.

So, after he finished reading Xue Wuyang's article, he bravely commented, "Xue Wuyang's article today is very well written. It's really amazing."

In fact, he doesn't like studying and is a poor student. However, the Song family is a scholarly family with a profound cultural heritage and has high hopes for him.

He was under too much pressure. When he heard someone in the academy mention that Xue Wuyang was expected to become the top scorer this year, he became malicious and set up a trap to frame Xue Wuyang in an attempt to steal his fame.

He recognized every word in Xue Wuyang's article, but the combination of them had a profound meaning that he could not understand.

I can only give such a pale and powerless review.

Murong Che had no intention of letting him go. "Your essay on the palace examination paper was profound in purpose and every word was brilliant. Several university scholars praised your talent after reading it. So, I'd like to know what you think is so wonderful about Xue Wuyang's essay?"

Song Jingqian had no idea what to say in his head and he couldn't think of any good words to praise the article no matter how hard he tried.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "This...that...the beauty of it is that it is really wonderful."

Grand Secretary Cui could no longer bear to see his nephew being so foolish. He sternly said, "Song Jingqian, why don't you confess the truth to the emperor? Do you still want to deceive the emperor?"

Song Jingqian was terrified from the moment he was watched by several university scholars while writing an article.

At this moment, his legs instantly went limp after being yelled at by Cui Daxueshi.

He fell to his knees with a thud, "Your Majesty! I know I was wrong! Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

Historically, anyone found cheating in the imperial examinations was severely punished.

Murong Che glared at the person kneeling at his feet and said in a deep voice, "Song Jingqian slandered his classmates, wasted his time reading the books of sages, and framed others for cheating in the palace examination. His crimes are heinous and he deserves death."

Song Jingqian originally thought he would win this round for sure, but who would have thought that he would end up being sentenced to death.

Even the candidates who testified for him were implicated and their careers were ruined.

He was so frightened that his heart and liver were broken. He kowtowed and apologized, "Your Majesty, please spare my life... I was just confused for a moment... Please spare my life..."

Grand Secretary Cui immediately knelt down and pleaded for Song Jingqian, "Your Majesty, Song Jingqian is as stupid as a pig. I don't think a scheme to frame Xue Wuyang could be devised by a pig-like mind like his. If there is someone else behind this, wouldn't killing him let the real culprit go unpunished?"

Murong Che said sternly, "The imperial examination is to select talents for the imperial court. It is true that Song Jingqian slandered his classmates. If he is not severely punished, won't it encourage the evil trend of favoritism and fraud?"

Scholar Cui knelt down and kowtowed, speaking earnestly, "Your Majesty, this fraud case is full of doubts. I beg the Dali Temple to assist in investigating this case!"

The test paper just now is enough to prove that Xue Wuyang was wrongly accused.

In order to give an explanation to the candidates and to show the world the fairness and justice of the imperial examination, Song Jingqian could not give a light sentence.

But everyone present could see that Song Jingqian was a fool, and he really didn't have the brains to frame Xue Wuyang.

Murong Che glared at the man kneeling on the ground, his eyes heavy, each word revealing a chilling sense of oppression. "Song Jingqian, are you an accomplice in this fraud?"