Shocking! Five men are in love with the same woman!

Since Xiao Muyao was made crown prince, he has been so busy that he is often nowhere to be seen.

Lingyan was not the kind of resentful woman confined to her chambers; she did not complain or feel wronged in the slightest.

She didn't react much to the fact that she had become the Crown Princess.

Since it was something we had anticipated, the reaction was naturally minimal.

It's not just Xiao Muyao who's busier now; she's busy too, okay?

Countless people deliver invitations to my door every day.

It's either admiring flowers or burning incense; it's either a birthday banquet or a wedding banquet.

Banquets of all kinds are popping up everywhere.

She also carefully attended several banquets.

It's impossible for her not to visit any of them, lest people think she's become arrogant after becoming the Crown Princess.

But we can't visit every single one.

Otherwise, she would be exhausted.

So she selected several companies to participate in based on their status and the closeness of their relationship.

Besides the banquet, people also came to deliver congratulatory gifts in an endless stream.

Moreover, they are all extremely valuable and priceless.

I receive so many gifts every day that my hands are sore from carrying them.

However, he doesn't accept gifts from just anyone.

We will not accept any requests for favors or bribes.

You can accept messages from people trying to build a relationship or simple congratulations.

I will not accept anything that is too valuable, anything that is difficult to get along with, or anything that suggests ulterior motives.

With so much busy receiving gifts every day, there was no time to wallow in melancholy.

As for the ceremony for establishing the heir apparent, it was scheduled after the imperial examination.

Speaking of the imperial examinations, during this period, students gradually arrived in the capital.

They were all doing their best to collect the scrolls.

The imperial examination was a crucial way for countless students to change their destiny and realize their ambitions.

The tradition of submitting examination papers before the formal imperial examinations came into being.

Because the candidates' names were not covered on the examination papers during the Dazhao imperial examinations, the examiners' prior knowledge and impressions of the candidates were very important, which led to the gradual rise in the practice of submitting papers and making recommendations.

Candidates preparing for the imperial examinations would compile their best literary works into long scrolls and submit them to high-ranking officials or literary celebrities in hopes of gaining their appreciation, thereby increasing their visibility and chances of passing the examination. This was known as "presenting scrolls."

These scrolls are usually the candidates' most proud poems and essays.

They needed to prepare scrolls, letters, calling cards, and gifts. The process of presenting the scrolls was roughly divided into steps such as inviting the audience, thanking the audience, reviewing the scrolls, and expressing gratitude. Each step had specific etiquette and letter format.

To deepen the impression of high-ranking officials and literary masters on the candidates' work, candidates would often visit them every now and then to present their new works.

The practice of presenting scrolls became a powerful boost for them on their path to the imperial examinations.

A single word of praise or recommendation from someone who comes to collect the examination papers can leave a deep impression on the examiners and increase their chances of passing the exam.

As the exam approaches, candidates will also try to find out the truth from the examiners and what the examiners have told the chief examiners.

When grading papers, the examiners' subjective impressions come not only from their own reading and communication, but also from the recommendations of their colleagues (especially superiors) and literary figures. This is known as "general ranking".

However, Lingyan felt that the system of submitting memorials and making recommendations was very unfair.

The so-called "passing the scroll" actually only looks at family background, wealth, and connections.

In order to get a recommendation, some candidates have to humble themselves and send out manuscripts everywhere, but most still find it difficult to get a recommendation.

Most of these people are students from poor families.

They had no money, no connections, and no status.

Most of them ended up being turned away.

This results in many talented people not being able to showcase their abilities or get ahead, and ultimately failing to make it to the top.

On the other hand, the reason why it is difficult for students from poor families to get ahead is also because they have too little experience and too narrow a perspective.

The imperial examination required essays on policy, and since they had no way to access information about the court and current events, they were naturally inferior to the students of noble birth who had been exposed to such things for many years.

That's so unfair!

In the past two months, many candidates have come to Prince Rui's residence to submit their examination papers.

But they all turned away and refused to get involved.

The reason, of course, is that only by accepting their examination papers and recommending them to the chief examiner can the candidate become one of their disciples.

Whether before or after the establishment of the crown prince, Xiao Muyao did not want Emperor Jingzhao to harbor any resentment, thinking that he was forming cliques and secretly cultivating his own power.

Therefore, even after being made crown prince, when countless people came to their door with petitions, they all refused them.

Xiao Muyao felt that his father would be displeased if he tried to win over the emperor's protégés as soon as he was made crown prince.

Besides, if someone truly has the talent and ability to serve the country and its people, that's enough; there's no need to become his disciple.

Therefore, those candidates who were turned away turned to others.

Emperor Jingzhao was indeed very pleased when he learned of this.

As expected of the crown prince he chose, he is indeed clear-headed.

Lingyan had been waiting and waiting for a long time, but she never heard from Emperor Jingzhao about his handling of the Second Prince and Consort Shu. There was no further news.

I don't know what he was thinking.

Even if the handling of the Second Prince is still under consideration, what about Consort Shu? Why is there no reaction at all, no movement whatsoever?

What about the three ministers and other officials?

Where are the private soldiers?

Are we just going to leave it at that?

Emperor Jingzhao shouldn't be that muddle-headed.

Several days later, news finally came.

It turns out that it wasn't that they were ignoring it, but rather that Emperor Jingzhao had already secretly sent people to deal with the 20,000 private soldiers hiding in the mountains.

The fear is that dealing with Consort Shu and the Second Prince might leak the news prematurely, causing the 20,000 private soldiers to escape prematurely, making it like searching for a needle in a haystack.

That's why Emperor Jingzhao kept his temper in check.

They secretly sent people to deal with the 20,000 private soldiers without their knowledge.

Emperor Jingzhao was kind to his children, especially his sons, but he showed no mercy to others, especially his private soldiers.

They actually dispatched troops to wipe out all 20,000 private soldiers, leaving not a single one alive.

After dealing with them, they seized all the privately manufactured weapons and also emptied the silver, jewelry, and jade hidden in the cave.

Finally, they also seized and took control of Consort Shu's entire clan and brought them to the capital.

It wasn't until Consort Shu's entire clan was escorted to the capital that Emperor Jingzhao began a thorough purge.

This series of actions reveals his profound foresight and ruthless methods as a ruler of a country.

First, there were the three officials controlled by poppies.

Xiao Muyao's investigation did not mention poppies.

Therefore, the second-rank military officer was charged with embezzling military funds, corruption, and forming cliques for personal gain.

The other two were also guilty of disregarding human life, embezzling public funds, and forming cliques for personal gain.

All three were sentenced to have their entire families executed.

All of his family property was confiscated.

As for the other officials involved, regardless of their rank, they all received their due punishment according to the severity of their crimes.

They might be beheaded and displayed to the public, have their homes confiscated and be exiled, be stripped of their official positions, have their property confiscated, or be demoted to a distant place.

The women who were sent to various mansions and the wealthy merchants who were recruited were also dealt with accordingly.

Those wealthy businessmen who were exploited were dealt with accordingly.

Those who are aware of the situation and collude with the perpetrators will be executed immediately.

The same goes for the women who were trafficked.

They hadn't broken the law, but were simply sent home against their will; they were all pitiful people.

However, those women who colluded with the criminals and became executioners themselves all received the punishment they deserved.

But this is only a small part.

And then there are the children who were kidnapped from all over the world.

They were all boys, the oldest being only nine years old and the youngest only three.

The final count revealed a staggering eight hundred people.

This doesn't even include those who didn't survive.

In ancient times, it was common for young children to die prematurely.

So these damned people actually kidnapped so many children.

They deserve to be torn to pieces!