Everyone silently glanced at Yu Dayin, who remained completely unaware. This man was likely the last time they would see him in this court.
The next meeting would probably be at the execution ground.
[And this Yu Dayin, along with Zhao Xu, were both manipulated by Prince Kang, the mastermind behind it all.]
Prince Kang? Emperor Mingxi narrowed his eyes. Another member of the Xie family!
His two younger brothers, Prince Ming and Prince Qi, were still alive and well, but those in the know understood they had already been sentenced to death. Dealing with them was just a matter of time.
First his brothers, and now it's his uncle's turn?
"Prince Kang? Who's that? Not another one of the emperor's brothers, is it? What's the point of having so many sons? Not a single one is trouble-free. What about him, does he also want to rebel?"
[Prince Kang is the emperor's uncle, only a few years older than the emperor. He does harbor dreams of being emperor, but only dares to think about it.
After all, during his elder brother's—the late emperor's—struggle for the throne, he was too young to participate. By Emperor Mingxi's time, although he legitimately ascended as the Crown Prince, his brothers all had their own schemes. So, on his path to the throne, many brothers fell by his sword.
Prince Kang values his life. He desires the throne but fears death, so he can only fantasize in secret, indulging in daydreams.
His involvement in this imperial examination fraud case differed from Cai Yi's motive for wealth; he did it for 'talented individuals.'
This Prince Kang has great ambition but little talent. Someone whispered in his ear about a bloodless strategy to seize the throne, and he actually believed it.
He was obsessed with cultivating more of his own people within the court. But who of real talent would pledge allegiance to an idle prince?
They might risk incurring the emperor's suspicion and losing their futures. In the eyes of these people, the sons of the late emperor were like cold stoves with no promise.
If they truly wanted to back a rising star, weren't there plenty of 'hot stoves'? Emperor Mingxi, while not as prolific as his father, wasn't far behind.
There were many choices among the hot stoves.]
The hot stoves—the Crown Prince, the Second, Third, Fifth, and Sixth Princes: O Divine Artifact, could you please just talk about Uncle Prince Kang? We beg you, don't bring us up. Being invisible is really quite good, and safe!
"Looking at Emperor Mingxi's sons, who among them could be that 'hot stove'?"
[If the Crown Prince hadn't died young, he might have been usable, having received imperial education since childhood. Pity he died too early.
As for the Second, Third, Fifth, Sixth, and the later princes... tsk tsk tsk. Their intelligence is like printer ink, getting fainter with each generation. No wonder the new emperor led the country to ruin within two years of taking the throne. While a rotten court was one factor, intellectual deficiency was also a fatal flaw!]
The early-deceased Crown Prince: Should I say thank you? At least the evaluation is higher than my brothers'!
The Second, Third, Fifth, and Sixth Princes: They might not understand what 'printer ink' means, but they certainly understand 'tsk tsk tsk'!
[Although truly talented scholars looked down on Prince Kang, there were naturally those with 'keen eyesight,' unfortunately, their scholarly abilities were somewhat lacking.
To help these allies succeed, Prince Kang, mingling with others, bribed Cai Yi and obtained part of the exam questions.
His two key subordinates, Zhao Xu and Yu Dayin, also had their own petty schemes at the time, both fortunate enough to participate in that particular examination.
Coincidentally, the obstacles in their own career paths were also among the candidates, leading to the subsequent frame-ups. Prince Kang lent them manpower, as the higher their official positions rose, the more beneficial it was for Prince Kang.
The result? One was beheaded, the other exiled.]
"So, we need to remind Wei Ping that there are still fish that slipped through the net? Clear Chen Ping and Liang Shen's names, then arrest Yu Dayin and Prince Kang, and it's done.
Although Prince Kang is the mastermind, he probably won't get the death penalty. Should we... take care of him ourselves?"
[That's not impossible. But wouldn't it be a shame if Emperor Mingxi never learned what harm this Prince Kang truly brought to Dayan?]
"What harm could he bring? Not every poor student is incompetent in governance, and not every top scholar makes a good official. Otherwise, where do all those corrupt officials and treacherous ministers come from?
They were all selected through the rigorous imperial examination!"
[No, Master. The greatest harm Prince Kang caused in this examination fraud case wasn't sending a few mediocre scholars into the court.
His biggest problem was planting the seeds of future chaos in the Dayan court.]
"Seeds of chaos? Who? What did they do?" These three consecutive questions hit the mark. Yue Fuguang silently gave herself a thumbs up for being such a professional straight man.
[Prince Kang successfully promoted four people that time: Qian Yi, Li Shang, Chen Boyuan, and Qu Tongwen. These four formed an interest group, later known by posterity as the 'Qian-Shang-Bo-Wen Society.'
Two years later, Qian Yi, recommended by someone, gained the emperor's favor and from then on rose meteorically through the ranks, his promotions faster than a speeding train.
Later, he used his authority to whisper in the emperor's ear—promoting Li Shang, Chen Boyuan, and Qu Tongwen alongside him.]
Emperor Mingxi: Divine Artifact, explain clearly. What do you mean 'whisper in the ear'? Who's whispering in my ear? Qian Yi?
You're spreading rumors! You're slandering me! Won't anyone speak up for me? Stretching out hand dramatically
Little Immortal Lord, say something! Aren't you going to correct its inaccurate wording?
Yue Fuguang: Sorry, I'm eight years old and haven't been to school yet. I'm illiterate!
Emperor Mingxi's desire to send these two ancestors to school immediately was now more urgent than ever!
[The four formed a clique, later secretly recruiting some frustrated scholars from humble backgrounds and low-ranking members of noble families' side branches.
Before Emperor Mingxi's sudden death, Qian Yi had already successfully ousted the Minister of Personnel, Ji Hongming. Once Qian Yi took that position, half the control over the annual evaluations of officials fell into his hands.]
Ji Hongming, who now knew he would be overthrown by an upstart in the future: His current mood was complicated. Putting everything else aside, first he must thank the Little Immortal Lord and the Divine Artifact. Without them, I... blah blah blah—not an acceptance speech, but it sure felt like one!
Yue Fuguang quietly used her new skill to scan Ji Hongming. His current virtue was light red, his fortune normal. She just didn't know how he was later taken down.
"Did Ji Hongming later do something bad and get reported by Qian Yi, or was he framed?"
Ji Hongming immediately grew tense, his face turning slightly pale, both wanting to know and afraid to find out.
[Qian Yi used some underhanded methods. The six ministers and other high-ranking officials currently serving under Emperor Mingxi, while they all have their own agendas and are not perfect, are overall loyal to Dayan and the emperor.
Some met bad ends not only because they stood in someone's way but also because the later court became incredibly difficult to navigate. Without being part of a clique, going it alone meant a quick demise.
In the three years before Dayan's fall, just among the capital's officials—not counting the lower ranks, but these mid-to-high-level ones—there were seven or eight small factions.
Qian Yi, as Minister of Personnel, became the chief troublemaker, with his subordinates fanning flames and sowing discord everywhere.
They turned the already chaotic court into a complete mess. The morning court sessions no longer served to handle state affairs but became a marketplace for mutual accusations and quarrels.
The emperor was incompetent, his power hollowed out. Those standing below him, especially in the mid-to-high ranks, had been replaced by more than half.
Qian Yi and his three key members were responsible for half of that damage.
One could say Prince Kang really had an eye for talent. He only successfully sent up four people, but the destructive power of these four was greater than forty mediocre officials.]
