It's easy to be a villain, but hard to be a princess

"It seems that the lord doesn't care about being an official at all." Han Zixiao sighed, "It's because the life of an official is hard, and the good-looking one actually married off as a man, not to mention cutting off children and grandchildren, and even getting the infamy of being a dragon and a phoenix. Now , the prince doesn't care about being an official, it's really a crime."

Chu Muqing raised her eyebrows in displeasure, "Why, you still want to marry a wife and have children?"

"How dare you, I'm afraid that in this life, I will only watch the prince marry a wife and have children."

Chu Muqing was about to say something, but didn't say it.Immediately said: "Han Zixiao, your ability to pretend to be pitiful is a step up."

"What the subordinate officials say is the truth. The power, status and martial arts of the subordinate officials are not as good as those of the lord. The lord says one and the same. The officials dare not disobey. They just dare to vomit their bitterness in front of the lord."

Chu Muqing looked at him with complicated eyes, knowing that he was pretending, but she couldn't harden her heart, "Today is New Year's Eve, and the atmosphere has been ruined by you."

Chu Muqing got off Han Zixiao's body and lay down beside him. Han Zixiao realized that he had overplayed his pity just now, and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty knows your mistake, my lord, don't be angry."

"Do you still want to do it? If you don't do it, I will rest."

Han Zixiao paused, raised his hand to caress his chest, put his palm into the skirt of his clothes, half-raised himself up, and kissed him between the eyebrows.Chu Muqing untied the clothes on Han Zixiao's body, and pulled the quilt to cover him, so as not to catch the cold.

The candles in the room were dimly lit, and there were occasional low groans from behind the bed curtain, and two lingering bodies under the slightly swaying quilt.

In the early morning of the first day of the new year, many ministers from the court sent gifts to the palace to congratulate the new year. Han Zixiao followed Chu Muqing and stood in the front hall to greet the officials who came to pay New Year's greetings. The gifts they received piled up a hill.

Han Zixiao was calculating while receiving the gift, and when he was eating at noon, he leaned into Chu Muqing's ear and said, "My lord, the gift I received this morning is estimated to be worth thousands of taels, maybe I can receive it in the afternoon." Thousand taels."

"What do you want to do?" Chu Muqing looked at him meaningfully.

Han Zixiao smiled, put away his abacus and said: "I can't continue to be an official, I will resign in a few days, I want to do some business, and I can also make up for the family's expenses on weekdays."

"What if you lose money?"

Han Zixiao touched his nose, "If I lose money, it will be my father's fault."

Chu Muqing scolded with a smile: "You really are a prodigal."

"His family has a lot of money around him, and he can't use it up."

"You are now my king's man, so you can no longer ask your father for money. If you want to do some small business, you still have some savings in the treasury. You can use it. If you lose money, it will be on my head."

"Thank you, my lord."

The first morning court after the year was on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, and the court was closed for a few days because of the Chinese New Year, so there were many things to discuss on the first day of the morning court.Chu Muqing mentioned something about the Northwest War, Chu Ruihong changed his previous attitude of disapproving of Chu Muqing, and felt that what Chu Muqing said was reasonable, so he nodded his head.

At the end of the discussion, Fan Youcheng came forward and said: "Your Majesty, I have something to play."

Chu Ruihong said: "Aiqing, please tell me."

"The imperial examination system has lasted for thousands of years, and has recruited wise men for Da Qi over the years. However, I recently discovered that there are many injustices in the imperial examinations, so that the court missed good talents."

Chu Ruihong asked, "Why did Aiqing say that?"

"Back to the emperor, I found out that in the past, candidates often borrowed money to bribe the examiners, and the examiners took bribes and manipulated them in secret to help those without talent and virtue to get on the list, which is unfair." Fan Youcheng said.

Chu Ruihong frowned upon hearing the words, "Master Fan has evidence."

"Returning to the emperor, after many days of investigation by the ministers, we have obtained evidence of bribery by the examiners."

"Where is the evidence?"

"Just wait outside the hall."

Chu Ruihong raised his voice and said, "Come on!"

It was a scholar wearing a plain robe who passed in. After he entered, he knelt down to pay respects, bending his body and not daring to raise his head.Fan Youcheng said: "Your Majesty, this person is Wu Jing, who participated in the imperial examination last time. After taking the examination, he lost his reputation because he did not pay bribes."

Chu Ruihong looked at the scholar kneeling on the ground, and said, "Is this really the case?"

The scholar knelt on the ground, leaned over and said: "Return to the emperor, there is indeed such a thing. After the grassroots took part in the examination, they thought they would be on the list. But the examiners approached the grassroots and said that the grassroots said that if they want to be on the list, they can only rely on their talents and learning." No, you have to be filial and filial to the old man, the grassroots family is poor and can't afford filial piety, so they have to be named Luosunshan."

"How unreasonable is that? Who is the examiner who said this to you?" Chu Ruihong asked sharply.

"Yes, it's the Minister of the Ministry of Officials, Mr. Huang." The scholar promised.

Chu Ruihong's eyes fell on Huang Yinhe, the minister of civil and military officials under the jade steps, and asked coldly: "Master Huang, is what he said true?"

Huang Yinhe, the servant of the Ministry of Officials, immediately came out and knelt down, his body trembling, "I was confused for a while, I beg the emperor to show mercy..."

Chu Ruihong's eyes were sharp, "You disturbed our court system, undermined the fairness of the imperial examination, and you still have the face to ask me to forgive you?" He said loudly to the people outside the hall: "Come on, get rid of Huang Yin and his official robes, and put him in the sky prison! Wait a minute! My hair falls!"

Huang Yinhe was taken down by the officers and soldiers, and Han Zixiao, who was among the civil servants, had a thin layer of sweat on his forehead. At this moment, Fan Youcheng's eyes fell on Han Zixiao, "Master Han and Wu Jing are in the same batch of participants. I don't know if I can be blackmailed by Huang Yinhe?"

For so long in the past, he had already forgotten about this matter. In order for him to become an official in the court, Han Yunyin did spend a lot of money on all the way, but he thought it was a common thing, but he didn't expect to be dug out by Fan Youcheng.Han Zixiao pretended to be calm, "Thank you Uncle Guo for your concern, I have never been blackmailed."

"Master Han can be on the list, but he hasn't been blackmailed yet. Could it be that he took care of it early in the morning?"

Han Zixiao's heart tightened.

Chu Muqing said at this time: "When speaking in the hall, you must pay attention to evidence. It is against the rules for Mr. Fan to ask such a question."

Fan Youcheng looked at Chu Muqing and smiled apologetically, "What the lord said is that the official was rude."

Fan Youcheng clasped his hands again and said to Chu Ruihong: "Your Majesty, as far as I know, Huang Yinhe once served as the examiner for the two imperial examinations. The title of the gold list. I would like to ask the emperor, if it is found out that there is an official from the court who paid bribes to become an official in the court, how should he deal with it?"

Chu Ruihong said: "I have learned to bribe before entering the official career, and I am a corrupt official at most. If I disturb the imperial examination, I will not take my court's laws into consideration. If I do not punish severely, it will be difficult to convince the public."

"Your majesty is wise." Fan Youcheng said loudly, when he entered the queue, his gaze swept over Han Zixiao, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Returning to the palace, Han Zixiao sat in the carriage absent-mindedly, thinking about the court affairs, Fan Youcheng made it clear that he believed that he had bribed him for the test.

Corruption of the examiners is just a common thing, but the corruption of the examiners is corruption, but they dare not write people with no talent and morals on the list, otherwise the candidates will be exposed as officials when they enter the court, and they will be asking for trouble.

Fan Youcheng should have been familiar with the unspoken rules of the imperial examination, but he brought it up at this time. Judging from his performance in the court today, it seems that he had premeditated it. He obviously arrested Huang Yinhe, but secretly it was aimed at Han Zi Xiao came.

Han Zixiao clenched his fists, he had no grievances with Fan Youcheng, why did he try to harm him in every possible way?

The clenched hand was surrounded by a warm palm, "What's wrong?"

Han Zixiao looked at Chu Muqing with a guilty conscience. He wanted to tell him the matter, but he hesitated and shook his head: "It's okay."

Since Fan Youcheng came here for him, he will definitely not let it go. The emperor said today that he will be severely punished. I am afraid that even if he can be pardoned for death, he will not escape life.The festive atmosphere of the New Year has not yet passed, but Han Zixiao is frowning.

Back in the study, Ye Qing saw that his expression was not right, so he asked: "My lord, what's wrong with you?"

Ye Qing has been friends with him for many years, and he is not an outsider.Han Zixiao looked at him, and said: "The matter of bribery in the past has been found out."

Ye Qing was startled, looked out the window, sure no one asked in a low voice: "Then what should I do?"

"What else can I do, I can only resign myself to fate." Han Zixiao looked at Ye Qing, "If I am arrested, do you want to stay in the palace or go back to Suzhou, it's up to you."

Ye Qing came over with red eyes and hugged Han Zixiao's arm, "My lord, no, we have been together since childhood, I will go wherever you go."

"Say something stupid."

Ye Qing said: "My lord, why don't we run away."

"No, if I escape, what will the lord do? If you don't talk about the lord, your father will definitely be implicated. It's better for me to take the blame and give them a leisure." Han Zixiao said.

"But, but..." Ye Qing burst into tears as he spoke.

"Why are you crying? It's not a major crime of beheading. Even if I'm found out, I'll be in prison for ten or eight years." Han Zixiao said coolly, ten or eight years, he is now twenty-one, Ten or eight years later, it will be the year of thirties.

After ten or eight years in the cell, I'm afraid it won't look good when he comes out. At that time, will Chu Muqing want him?

At this time, there was a knock on the door outside the study, Ye Qing hurriedly wiped away tears, Han Zixiao called out to come in.

It was Tie Feng who came in, he cupped his fists and saluted, "I have seen the princess before."

Han Zixiao looked at him, "What's the matter?"

"The Ministry of Criminal Justice has not found any news about Lin Manxu's whereabouts, and there is no clue that Lin Manxu escaped from the capital. I guess that he is still in the capital." Tie Feng said.

Han Zixiao was thoughtful. When Zhang Zhu fell into the hands of others, Lin Manxu had already absconded, which meant that he had known that the matter would be exposed, and he disappeared in just a few hours. Where would he be hiding?

"Has the Criminal Department searched in the capital?"

"Yes, the Secretary of the Ministry of Punishment asked the emperor to send more people. He searched inside and outside the capital, but he couldn't find Lin Manxu."

Lin Manxu is a corrupt official, and Han Zixiao's bribery is not much better. He sighed softly and said, "Forget it, you guys have worked hard these days, and the rest will be handed over to the Ministry of Punishment."

Tie Feng hesitated to speak, but in the end he just cupped his hands and said, "Resign from the humble position."

As soon as Han Zixiao saw Chu Muqing, he had the urge to tell him what was in his heart, but he hesitated for a moment, and still didn't say it.With Chu Muqing's temperament, he might be able to personally send him to the Ministry of Punishment once Han Zixiao speaks out.

Han Zixiao thought, since the storm hasn't officially come, it's better to enjoy a moment of peace.

But the peaceful time cannot last long after all.Han Zixiao didn't go to court the next day, he didn't want to be taken away in front of civil and military officials like Huang Yinhe was yesterday.

Sure enough, before Chu Muqing came back from the court, the newly appointed minister of punishment had already approached the palace, still holding the emperor's token in his hand, saying that he was ordered to arrest Han Zixiao.