When Chang 'an City was in an uproar because of an exam paper, all the civil and military officials in Taiji Palace, after confirming their identities, walked into Taiji Palace, which represented the center of power in the world, with their heads lowered.
At this moment, Li Yuan was no longer wearing a purple hairpin, but a black gauze hat and a royal robe. He looked extremely dignified as he sat on the dragon throne with his hands on the handles. He raised his head slightly and glanced at the civil and military officials standing in two rows. He said in a calm and powerful voice,
"Have the county examinations of Chang 'an County and Wannian County ended this year? Today at noon should be the day of the release of the results. How did the examinees do this year?”
Dressed in red robes, Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui looked at each other, then walked out of the ranks of civil officials with jade boards in their hands. They bowed and said in unison,"
"Your Majesty, I, Fang Xuanling (Du Ruhui), and the twelve examiners have finished reviewing the exam papers of the two thousand and sixteen examinees from the two counties.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Fang Xuanling turned around and walked out of Taiji Palace. The eunuch who had been waiting outside the palace took more than 2,000 exam papers and returned to the palace. He handed them to Li Er, who was standing in front of him, and said with a solemn expression,"Your Highness, here are the exam papers of two thousand and fifteen examinees from two counties. Please pass them on to His Majesty.”
Li Yuan raised his eyebrows and looked at him.
Li Er was also stunned. He stared at Fang Xuanling and then at Du Ruhui, who was standing not far away. He asked in a deep voice,"Xuanling, you just said that there are a total of 216 examinees from Chang 'an and Wannian counties. Why are there only 215 examinees and one more?”
"Let the Crown Prince know." Du Ruhui walked out at the right time. After bowing slightly, he said with a solemn expression,"Two hours ago, I sent someone to post this examinee's examination paper on the wall outside Chongxian Hall. I asked the people of Chang 'an and the examinees of the two counties to go and see this person's pen and ink as a punishment for him!”
Li Er frowned even more.”
"The imperial examination is a system used by the imperial court to select talents. This examinee's answers are different from any other examinee. It seems like he's taking a different path, but in reality, he's just playing tricks to attract people's attention. If he isn't severely punished for such an impure act, there will definitely be people who will learn from him in the future!”
"That's why I posted this examinee's test paper on my own accord to warn him that the knowledge of a saint cannot be unlimited!”Du Ruhui cupped his hands in Li Yuan's direction with a solemn expression, then said firmly,
"The Tang Empire is about to use troops against the Turks. The armies of Puzhou, Jingzhou, and Youzhou have already set out. Everyone in Chang 'an knows about this, but this examinee wrote on his test paper that he should negotiate peace.”
"Peace negotiations?" The civil officials pricked up their ears and looked up at Du Ruhui in surprise. This examinee must be crazy. How dare he write that he should negotiate peace at this time?
"What's his name?" Li Yuan asked in astonishment.”
"Your Majesty, this examinee is called Yang Jingming!" Fang Xuanling hurriedly replied.”
"Your Majesty, this question written by Yang Jingming is simply absurd. The three armies have already moved out, and the war between the Great Tang and the Turks is imminent. Yet, he wrote 'peace should be negotiated' at this time. Isn't he saying that he would lose before the war even started?”The generals were even more unhappy. They walked out in anger and killing intent, cupping their fists and shouting,
"Please kill him as a sacrifice!"
"No." Li Yuan threw out these two words with a straight face and cursed in his heart. Do you know who you want to sacrifice to? I still have ten thousand reasons to wait for Yang Jingming's son to explain. If I kill him now, do I still have the face to ask him in the future?
At the same time, Li Yuan couldn't help but sigh. This Yang Jingming, why did he listen to his son so much? Was everything his son said true?
He had already said that he would definitely be eliminated in the first round if he wrote this answer. Now, not only was he eliminated in the first round, but he had also offended the head examiner and was posted on the test paper. There might be many examinees who wanted to settle scores with him. Now, he had provoked someone to use him as a sacrifice.
It was simply piercing through the sky!
"Your Majesty, why can't we kill this person?”The generals stared at Li Yuan with their eyes wide open and their faces full of question marks. They did not hide the confusion on their faces.
At this moment, an examinee suddenly boasted shamelessly and his test paper was posted by the head examiner, which caused a bigger storm in Chang 'an. If he was not punished at this moment, it would only make the public more agitated. It was even possible that the court would be targeted because of this matter.
He should be severely punished!
"Do you think human lives are child's play?" Li Yuan said with a straight face. How can the laws of the Great Tang be enforced? Moreover, he was killing a candidate who was taking part in the imperial examination. Once he was killed, who would be able to speak the truth in the imperial examination in the future?”
The civil and military officials immediately lost their temper.
It had to be said that Li Yuan's words were indeed reasonable. If he had killed a person who could bewitch others, he would definitely have been killed according to the law. However, this examinee named Yang Jingming was different. If it weren't for the two examiners, Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, who had announced his examination paper, today's incident wouldn't have happened.
Li Er glanced at Li Yuan with a complicated look. Among the people present, no one knew better than him why Li Yuan didn't kill Yang Jingming. At the same time, even he himself was a little confused. How could Yang Jingming make such an obvious mistake?
"Your Majesty, I, Yuchi Gong, believe that even if Yang Jingming is not used as a sacrifice, he should be stripped of his qualifications to become an official!”
At this moment, a burly man with a black face and a beard walked out with a jade board in his hand. He raised his head and said loudly,
" The words 'suitable for peace negotiations' coming out of the mouth of an examinee from Chang 'an County is no different from humiliating all the officials and citizens of Chang' an County! Who doesn't know that our Great Tang is about to go to war with the Turks? I thought that in this world, other than this examinee called Yang Jingming, who else could say the word peace?!”
"Xuan Ling, do you know how to do it?" As he spoke, Yuchi Gong tilted his head to look at Fang Xuanling, who was standing at the side. After seeing him shake his head, he asked Du Ruhui,
"Keming, do you know how to do it?"
When Du Ruhui shook his head, Yuchi Gong looked at Li Er with a solemn expression and cupped his fists."Your Highness, if it were you, would you choose to negotiate peace with the Turks?”
Li Er shook his head.
"Obviously, no one will choose to negotiate peace! What does this mean? This means that the examinee named Yang Jingming is messing with my morale!”Yuchi Gong raised his head as if it was a matter of course. He said to the civil and military officials in a sonorous and powerful voice,
"The Great Tang's war with the Turks was to eliminate foreign aggression. If anyone wishes to negotiate peace with the Turks at this time, please step over me, Yuchi Jingde!”
"Zhangsun Wuji, please negotiate peace, please negotiate peace!!”At this moment, a hoarse shout sounded outside Taiji Palace.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]