"Not only this year's imperial examinations, but also those from previous years can be let go. As long as they were handled by Lord Wen during his tenure, they must all be verified one by one. Only then can the scholars from impoverished families across the land believe the words of the royal family and His Majesty, and will they have the heart to serve the Great Jin in the future."
He then turned to Wen Jingsong, with a seemingly amiable expression, but his words were as cold as winter snow.
"And if Lord Wen is innocent, can this matter not also serve to prove his innocence?"
"Well said! It should indeed be thoroughly investigated!"
The censors chimed in, and Elder Xu also nodded.
Yin Canwen, the person directly involved, had no objections either!
However, the Wen father and son were in a state of utter turmoil. The matter concerning Yin Canwen had not yet been resolved, and now others were being implicated. Although he had made preparations long ago, who knew if there were any oversights? If something were to be discovered, his life would likely be forfeit!
Just as he was contemplating how to wriggle out of it, he suddenly heard a palace servant loudly announce that the Feng father and his two sons were outside the palace with something to report to His Majesty, requesting an audience.
Emperor Qi frowned. Why was this entanglement spreading wider? What business did the Feng family have here?
But since they were already at the palace gates, it would be inappropriate not to summon them. He nodded in agreement.
At the command of Eunuch Wang, the three members of the Feng family stepped into the grand hall.
Feng Hai walked at the forefront, with Feng Jinxu and Feng Jinlin following closely behind.
All three of them had grim expressions, especially Feng Jinlin, who, upon entering the hall, fixed his gaze on Wen Jingsong and Wen Mengsheng, his eyes filled with mockery.
Wen Mengsheng was furious but knew this was not a place for him to lose his temper. He could only lower his head, concealing the malice in his eyes.
"Your humble servant greets His Majesty, may Your Majesty live for ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!"
"Your humble servant greets His Majesty, may Your Majesty live for ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!"
"Your humble subject greets His Majesty, may Your Majesty live for ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!"
This was the first time the Feng father and his two sons had appeared in court together, naturally drawing many glances.
One was the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, who had served for many years and controlled the nation's finances and grain reserves, a force not to be underestimated.
Another was the newly appointed Shaoqing of the Dali Temple, known for his meticulousness, integrity, and impartiality, bearing the air of an incorruptible judge.
And the third was the sixth-ranked scholar in this imperial examination, poised to enter officialdom, a dashing young man full of spirit, with a bright future ahead.
Seeing the three bow in greeting, Emperor Qi's expression improved slightly. Without further ado, he asked directly.
"My esteemed ministers, please rise. Are you also here today regarding the Wen family's affairs?"
Feng Hai nodded and said to Feng Jinxu behind him.
"Ah Xu, you speak."
"Yes!"
Feng Jinxu looked up. His face showed no eagerness to suppress the Wen family, but his words sent Wen Jingsong plunging into an ice cellar.
"I report to Your Majesty, I was on my way to assume my post at the Dali Temple today, and as I passed by the archives of the Ministry of Personnel, I encountered some suspicious individuals. I initially intended to summon them for questioning, but I saw them scattering in panic. So, I sent men to apprehend them. A thorough search revealed they were carrying many flammable materials. The archives are filled with documents, and fire safety is always a concern. To approach the archives with such ferocity and carry such dangerous items clearly indicates other intentions. Therefore, they were brought back to the Dali Temple for interrogation. Under torture, they confessed that Lord Wen had ordered them to set fire to the Ministry of Personnel archives. The reason is unknown."
As soon as he spoke, Wen Jingsong, who had been radiating fierce energy moments ago, immediately took two steps back. Before he could even accuse Feng Jinxu, he was intimidated by Feng Jinxu's gaze and retreated.
"Your humble servant worried that these individuals might have been deliberately arranged by someone to frame Lord Wen, so I personally led men to investigate the Wen family's residence and confirmed that they were indeed servants of the Wen family. At the same time, I learned from the interrogated steward that there was a secret chamber hidden in the study, the depth of which is unknown. However, as this matter is of great importance, your humble servant dared not rashly search the residence of a second-rank official. Therefore, I have come to report to Your Majesty. Whether to search or not, everything is at Your Majesty's command!"
With that, he presented all the evidence and confessions one by one. These items were like a death warrant for Wen Jingsong.
As they were presented before Emperor Qi, Wen Jingsong was powerless.
Feng Jinxu was indeed the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple; he handled matters so competently at such a young age.
His words were not directly related to the bribery case, but every sentence carried a hidden meaning. Anyone with a little intelligence could deduce the underlying issues.
A secret chamber in the house, perhaps hiding evidence of bribery.
Burning the archives, wasn't that to prevent the documents from being investigated?
Furthermore, he had long been a subordinate of Prince Ding, so apprehending the Wen family's servants attempting arson was naturally easy.
As for extracting these confessions, it was not surprising.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Qi's gaze towards Wen Jingsong changed considerably.
Especially after reading the testimonies, his breathing became noticeably rapid. Eunuch Wang standing beside him felt a sense of dread, anticipating His Majesty's imminent wrath.
If before there was still some confusion, now the evidence was laid bare. All Emperor Qi needed to do was issue an order to search, and Wen Jingsong's acceptance of bribes and manipulation of the imperial examinations would be exposed.
Perhaps having been caught by the throat, Wen Jingsong lost his earlier argumentative demeanor.
After all, Feng Jinxu's cold and ruthless nature and reputation were well-known in official circles. Wen Jingsong found no easy way to counter-accuse him.
Now that the identities of those individuals were confirmed, and they had revealed what they knew, it was uncertain whether they would even survive the Dali Temple's torture chambers.
"Wen Jingsong, do you have anything else to say?"
The address had shifted from "esteemed minister" to his name directly. Anyone could tell Emperor Qi's disappointment in him.
Wen Jingsong swallowed, his legs feeling weak. But he could not panic at such a moment, so he made a last-ditch effort!
However, his men had failed, and the documents had not been destroyed. How could he refute this?
"Your Majesty, regarding this arson, your humble servant truly knows nothing. If my household servants were indeed instigated to set fire to the archives, it was likely to frame your humble servant for this crime. Otherwise, why not burn it earlier or later, but precisely before your humble servant was to enter the palace, and to be caught red-handed by Lord Feng? Is this not too coincidental?"
This trick again!
He was truly slippery, able to push blame onto anything. As long as he wasn't caught red-handed, he could deny it!
Bai Dalang, who had been listening for a long time, had already witnessed Wen Jingsong's glib tongue many times.
He immediately questioned,
"Lord Wen, do you not find your defense too weak? Once might be a coincidence, but so many things are directed at you. Could someone really set such a vast trap just to frame you? You think too highly of yourself."