Give you a spring

"Do you think he is reliable?" The environment in the east of the city is not good, and the uneven land made the carriage shake violently. He Zhou said, holding Ping Wei in his arms.

"I'm not sure, but according to what you said earlier, when it comes to the palace examination, cheating is the most likely possibility. We still have to investigate this aspect. Zhang Lingsi is at best a witness," Ping Wei said casually, and he opened the curtain to go outside look.

It is about 40 miles away from where he lives, and it is much backward and dilapidated than his side. Most of them are thatched houses, and there are not many large houses. The restaurants on the street are also very casual. You can start a business simply by setting up a shed. People The clothes he wears are mainly gray, his complexion is dark yellow, and his body is very thin.

"I heard...the people who do the lowest and hardest jobs in Linjing City live here." He said.

He Zhou also looked outside, "For example?"

"Beggars, prostitutes, coachmen and so on," Ping Wei said, his voice weakened as he spoke, "and...scholars who can't get into the exam."

He Zhou raised his eyebrows, "We can't stay here any longer."

"Why?"

"You will get sick," He Zhou said, "Those people are very dirty. I don't know where they have been. They often grow things on their bodies, which can easily infect others. Before I met you, I was in such a place. Stay for a while."

Ping Wei recalled He Zhou's experience of living on the streets before, and felt distressed, "Do you eat and sleep in the open every day?"

"Well, but I'm not sick, I just saw a lot of people like this," He Zhou wrote lightly, and then rubbed Pingwei's neck, "Fortunately, I have you."

Pingwei stroked his hair, but kept looking outside, "Does Huanyi live here?"

"..." Mentioning this girl again made He Zhou a little annoyed. He originally wanted to mention a few words about his miserable life in the past so that Ping Wei would love him more, but instead of thinking of her, he thought of Li Huanyi. He opened his mouth, He bit Ping Wei's smooth neck gently.

"Hiss—!" Ping Wei felt the pain, but didn't push him away.

"You mentioned that girl again," He Zhou muffled.

"Why are you so small?" Ping Wei pinched the back of his neck.

He Zhou didn't answer him, but he didn't let go of the mouth that was biting his neck.

"Okay, I won't talk anymore," Ping Wei said warmly.

Only then did He Zhou let go of his neck, looked at the red tooth marks on it, and then stuck out his tongue to lick it again.Pingwei felt itchy, and the thought of Li Huanyi becoming a little worried was disrupted, and he smiled and wanted to push him away, but He was too strong to let him break free.Fortunately, He Zhou didn't do anything else after that, the two chatted quietly for a while, and arrived at the Yamen at noon.

After entering, he didn't see Qi Zheng in the main hall, but a policeman came over quickly and said that Mr. Qi is in the prison and he won't be here for a while.

Ping Wei raised his eyebrows, "A prisoner on trial?"

"Correct."

Ping Wei didn't speak any more, he thought of someone in an instant, and waved his hand to make the arrester back away.

The two waited in the hall for more than half an hour, and Qi Zheng finally came late - wearing a black official robe, with a clean face, but there was a faint black under his eyes, and his face was as haggard as the night when Shi Qianlin was interrogated a few days ago.

Seeing it, Ping Wei hurriedly asked, "Did something happen?"

He Zhou walked up to him and sat down, took the tea handed over by the other party, did not answer Ping Wei's words, and asked after a while, "Why did Your Highness come to find the next official this time?"

Ping Wei stared at him for a while, Qi Zheng kept lowering his head, as if he didn't want to meet his eyes, so he simply changed the subject, and said softly, "I suspect that the First Prince and Shi Zongxi leaked the questions to the candidates in the palace examination before, and even exchanged questions. part of the candidates' answers."

Qi Zheng almost lost his grip on the tea in his hand, "What did Your Highness say? How did you get it?"

Pingwei told him everything about meeting Zhang Lingsi on Qinghe Street this morning.

After Qi Zheng listened, he had the same doubts as He Zhou, "Are you sure just based on the words of a commoner scholar?"

"It's just a suspicion," Ping Wei said plainly, "Do you have a list of the candidates for the previous two years? Or who are the new officials who have entered the court? Do you have any impression?"

Qi Zheng thought for a while, took a piece of paper and wrote down a few names, "There are only a few of them. The lower official is just a governor, and he doesn't have many opportunities to enter the palace, and he doesn't participate in the early court. These eight people are the newcomers in the past two years. People who join the Ministry of Punishment." He hesitated for a while, then said, "I'm afraid you have to ask the Ministry of Rites about things like the literary examination."

Ping Wei just came here for the first time, and only briefly met the courtiers once. After hearing the words, he asked, "Who is better to discuss with the Ministry of Rites?"

Qi Zheng shook his head, "I have a few good candidates in my heart, but they are all from the two princes." Xie Lianzheng made friends with many officials, and there were very few courtiers he didn't know well.

"Do you want to cooperate with Xie Lianzheng?" He Zhou looked at Pingwei.

Ping Wei asked softly, "Xie Lianzheng is in charge of this imperial examination. Do you think the cheating in the past two years is still possible?"

"If the examiners and graders of this year and previous years have not changed, it is possible." Qi Zheng said.

Ping frowned slightly, "But Xie Shi is obviously being suppressed by Emperor Chong. If he still does this kind of thing at this time...would it be too reckless? If I were him, I'm afraid I won't do it again. Do these shady things."

"But you have to think about it, cheating and leaking questions in the imperial examination is no small matter, one link after another, Xie Shi is just one of the top links, there are many people involved under him," He Zhou said.

"You mean that Xie Shi might not be able to suppress those people?"

"Yes, this matter means that if you participate and give money, you will definitely become an official. After all, you are giving answers and changing test papers. It can be said that it is foolproof. It is very tempting for those rich children. They cannot because this year It wasn't because Xie Shi took the responsibility to cancel this matter, there are still so many examiners and graders behind the scenes, the original method of obtaining the questions and answers has not been discovered, they only need to bribe the relevant officials, and they can operate as in previous years."

He Zhou said calmly.

Ping blinked slightly——He Zhou, who analyzed the matter in such an orderly way...he couldn't help but praise, "That's right."

He Zhou raised the corner of his mouth.

"In that case, I'll go talk to Xie Lianzheng," Ping Wei said, since they didn't find any suitable people to help, there's nothing wrong with going to Xie Lianzheng, after all, he and Xie Shi are political enemies.

The three arranged things well, and He Zhou walked to Ping Wei, as if he wanted to go to the next place with him, but Qi Zheng turned to face the Fifth Prince, hesitating to speak.

"What's the matter?" Mr. Qi seemed to have no energy today, looking very haggard, Ping Wei asked.

"Didn't you tell Your Highness earlier that someone came to report the death of a family member?" Qi Zheng said after a long silence, "The suspect was caught by the police that day. I just came to see Your Highness later. Interrogate her."

Ping paused for a moment, then asked softly, "That person's name?"

"Li Huanyi."

"What are you going to do?"

Qi Zheng didn't answer. It's just a coincidence that things happen. He told the other party before that he didn't know it was wrong when he saw a girl being raped. The police just said that the man was arrested that day, so he went to the prison to have a look— —It turned out to be that girl back then.

"I didn't expect to see you here."

"I've thought about it," Li Huanyi changed into her prison clothes. Someone put on beautiful clothes for her last night, and now she has returned to her original appearance—unbearable and dirty.Li Huanyi sat on the ground, raised her head and looked at Qi Zheng, "We met for a short time back then, and then I heard that there was a new Mr. Fu Yin who took office. I went over and saw it, and I knew it was Mr."

"Why didn't you come to me?" Qi Zheng looked at her miserable appearance after fleeing for a day, and took a step forward, "If you had come to me in the first place, maybe you wouldn't..."

"It's still the same, my lord," Li Huanyi lowered her eyes, but the 13-year-old girl became very pessimistic because of what she had experienced, "There will be no change."

"Then you have solved it now?" Qi Zheng was a little excited, "If you kill someone, you will be beheaded. Although I can change you into exile, but..."

Qi Zheng didn't continue, neither did Li Huanyi. The two were silent for a while, and finally Qi Zheng broke the dead silence and said, "Are you confessing now?"

"Ah."

"..." Lord Qi waved his sleeves and left.

"Qi Zheng."

In the main hall, Ping Wei shouted in a low voice when he saw that the person in front of him hadn't answered for a long time.

"Your Highness, I intend to...delay this case indefinitely," Qi Zheng said with his eyes still deep in thought.

"What reason?"

"There is not enough evidence. Li Huanyi, a little girl killed an old man who was over half a year old, and the other party was still killed with a knife. This sounds unlikely."

"But that person's legs and feet are inconvenient, and his health is not very good. Half of his body is almost buried in the ground."

"Always male."

"There are also witnesses accusing Li Huanyi, saying that she has a sufficient motive to kill."

"She didn't see it with her own eyes."

Ping Wei stared at Qi Zheng, the other party was not timid, and looked straight into his eyes. After a while, Ping Wei sighed, "Do you need to submit this case to the Ministry of Criminal Justice for review?"

"Yes, but most of them won't read it if they don't say so."

"Does it affect you?"

"No," Qi Zheng said without hesitation. Seeing the person opposite frowned, he said again, "It's a little...but it's not in the way. Your Highness, I understand that you also want to help Li Huanyi, but the prince Your identity is always a little troublesome, too many people are staring at you, a little carelessness will inevitably cause trouble, the lower official is only a small governor, not too many people are staring at you, nothing will happen."

But Qizheng and Pingwei arrested Shi Qianlin last week, Fu Yin is also a third-rank official, what's wrong?Even though Ping Wei hadn't spoken to Qi Zheng formally, in front of outsiders, Qi Zheng was on the side of the Fifth Prince.

Ping Wei knew in his heart that the situation was not what Qi Zheng said, but he also saw the insistence in the other party's words, Qi Zheng was determined to show favoritism, how could he stop it?

After a long time, he said, "You've made up your mind, so be it. I'll look into it for you at the Ministry of Punishment."

"Thank you, Your Highness."