Chapter 190 Preliminary Results

The Minister of Rites, Wen Fengli, stepped forward at this moment and said, "Your Majesty, the special imperial examination is approaching, and scholars from various regions are already flocking to the capital."

"However, the topic for the policy examination has not yet been decided. I implore Your Majesty to make a decision as soon as possible."

After Wen Fengli finished speaking, the hall became lively again.

Because of Jiang Chen's grand purge, the Great Wei court was now rather empty. Even the main hall wasn't completely full during morning court.

And with almost two years until the triennial autumn examination, Jiang Chen specifically instructed Wen Fengli to draft an edict to hold a special imperial examination.

"Is everything prepared?" Jiang Chen asked.

Wen Fengli replied, "Everything has been prepared according to Your Majesty's requirements."

"Mm."

Jiang Chen nodded. "As for the topic of the policy essay, I will give it careful consideration. Your main task is to ensure that every scholar can enter the examination hall normally."

"Your subject obeys the decree," Wen Fengli said.

After the court session, Jiang Chen pondered the topic for the policy essay as he walked towards the Hall of Diligent Governance.

In Jiang Chen's view, the Four Books and Five Classics and the writing styles of this era were rather superficial.

The only thing that was truly useful was the final policy essay.

Because being able to only recite poetry and write prose while governing a region was of no benefit to the people. On the contrary, it could lead to a miserable life for the local populace due to arrogance and high-mindedness.

Only the policy essay could truly reflect a person's abilities.

This topic had to be considered carefully.

Back at the Hall of Diligent Governance, Jiang Chen was pleasantly surprised to see that Jing Yue was already waiting for him.

"Have the investigation results come out?"

Jing Yue nodded, then shook her head, and finally said, "The preliminary investigation results have come out."

Preliminary investigation results?

Jiang Chen was somewhat surprised. This phrase had never been uttered by Jing Yue before.

In the past, Jing Yue had always given a definite answer.

If there were results, there were results. If there were no results, there were no results.

The ambiguous wording today made Jiang Chen's heart sink.

Even the Dark Guards couldn't be sure. It seemed that this impeachment incident was definitely no small matter!

"Tell me what you've found out so far," Jiang Chen said.

Jing Yue said, "According to the current investigation by the Dark Guards, Feng Chengen and Chu Mingxing are from the same hometown and knew each other long ago."

"However, their contact was broken after Chu Mingxing entered the Imperial Observatory. They should have had contact once a month ago."

Jiang Chen was greatly surprised after hearing this.

Two people who had known each other long ago, had no contact for many years, but a contact a month ago was enough for them to decide to jointly impeach Xu Changqing?

How could that sound so unreliable?

"There are no other connections?" Jiang Chen asked.

Jing Yue knelt on one knee and said, "Your subordinate is incompetent and has not yet found out."

Only then did Jiang Chen understand what Jing Yue meant by preliminary investigation results.

In Jing Yue's opinion, this conclusion was definitely not reasonable enough, but no other conclusions had been found yet, so it could only be said to be the result of a preliminary investigation.

"Several more people impeached Xu Changqing today. Add them to the investigation as well," Jiang Chen said.

"Yes!"

Jing Yue's spirits were immediately lifted.

It was indeed difficult to find the most important connection between two people.

But with so many people involved, there would always be something in common!

As long as the common connection between these people was found, the answer could be found.

Watching Jing Yue leave excitedly, Jiang Chen rubbed his temples.

This time's opponent was more formidable than ever before.

In the past, whether it was the Mei family, the Su family, or several garrison commanders, or even the Xiongnu and Quanrong, Jiang Chen knew who the opponent was.

But this time, he hadn't even figured out who the opponent was.

It was said that it was easy to dodge an open spear, but difficult to guard against a hidden arrow. Jiang Chen was a little worried about who the opponent's real target was.

Jing Yue quickly had results from the investigation of the ministers from that morning. After Jiang Chen read them, he was even more surprised.

The connections between these people were not as irregular as those between Chu Mingxing and Feng Chengen, but the patterns between these people were a bit too mixed!

First of all, these people usually knew each other, and some of them even had quite good relationships.

Second, three of these people were from the same hometown, but the other two were from two different places.

Most importantly, the three places these five people came from were not the same as the hometowns of Chu Mingxing and Feng Chengen.

It could be said that there were patterns, but they were not clear at all.

After reading it, Jiang Chen frowned deeply.

"Jing Yue, what did you find on these lists?" Jiang Chen asked.

Jing Yue shook her head and said, "Your subordinate doesn't see anything special."

"If there's a common point with the previous two people, it's that both groups know each other."

Jiang Chen shook his head. Knowing each other couldn't be taken as a common point.

Xu Changqing was not only the Minister of Revenue, but also his brother-in-law.

Any minister with a little discernment would not rashly impeach him.

Was it worth them taking such a big risk based solely on a relationship that couldn't be called a relationship?

Jiang Chen couldn't care less whether others believed it, but he definitely didn't believe it.

There must be a relationship that hadn't been found yet!

Jiang Chen thought for a moment and said, "What about Zhao Liting?"

Jing Yue shook her head again and said, "According to the investigation, Zhao Liting has absolutely no connection with these people."

"No connection?"

Jiang Chen was a little surprised. "Not even good or bad?"

"None."

Jing Yue nodded. "Zhao Liting has no interaction with these people."

"What about Xu Changqing?"

Jiang Chen asked again, "Does he have any connection with the seven people who impeached him? Does he have any grudges with Zhao Liting?"

Jing Yue had thought of these things and investigated them all.

"Almost no connection. As for Xu Changqing and Zhao Liting, there are no grudges between them. After Xu Changqing took office as Minister of Revenue, Zhao Liting was very supportive."

This answer surprised Jiang Chen even more.

No hatred, no grudges. These seven people risked being beheaded to impeach Xu Changqing. Why?

Jiang Chen didn't believe that these people really stood up to impeach him for the future of Great Wei, as they claimed.

Even if they really had such thoughts, why would they be happy about Zhao Liting's plight?

This was something Jiang Chen had seen with his own eyes.

"Strange."

Jiang Chen looked at the investigation results on the table and fell into deep thought.

His fingers tapped rhythmically on the information of the people involved. At some point, Jiang Chen's gaze suddenly fell on the birthplaces of these people.

He immediately turned around and searched for the locations of these people's birthplaces on the Great Wei map behind him.

Jiang Chen's sudden action surprised Jing Yue. She asked curiously, "Your Majesty, what are you doing?"

"Help me mark their birthplaces on the map," Jiang Chen said.

"Yes!"

Although she didn't know Jiang Chen's intention, Jing Yue still stepped forward to help.

Soon, seven marks appeared on the map.