Chapter 362: The Ministers’ Thoughts
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you!" Yin Hanzhang bowed.
Zhao Xing waved his hand and asked, "How is the investigation going on regarding the Wizard Cult? Does that store have any connection to the Wizard Cult?"
"Your Majesty, I am afraid of alerting the enemy, so I was very careful when investigating. I am not completely sure yet, but according to my investigation, the pens, ink, paper and inkstones sold in that shop are all imported from Jiangnan. And the workshops that supply the goods, like that shop, secretly worship similar Buddha statues. Judging from the current clues, that shop is very likely related to the Wizard Cult." Yin Hanzhang said.
Zhao Xing's face turned cold when he heard this: "I don't want to hear any speculations. I just want to know if that shop has any connection with the Wizard Cult. If so, what is the purpose of the Wizard Cult?"
In fact, Zhao Xing also knew that the Wizarding Cult should be behind that shop.
What he wanted to know most was the purpose of the Wizarding Cult. Was it because he had ordered a thorough investigation of the land, which affected the interests of the Wizarding Cult, that they wanted revenge, or did they want to rebel?
If it was just revenge, it wouldn't be a big deal. It proved that the power of the Wizarding Cult was limited and there was nothing to be afraid of.
But if you want to rebel, the problem will be serious.
This kind of cult is very good at inciting people.
There are also many wealthy families in Jiangnan that have connections with the Wizarding Cult.
There are even people in the court who have connections with the Wizard Cult.
If there is a real rebellion, we will be in big trouble.
Jiangnan is an important tax-collecting area of the Song Dynasty. Once chaos breaks out, it will have a great impact on his future goals.
However, Yin Hanzhang's identity has not yet been confirmed, let alone any useful information.
"Your Majesty, I am not only investigating the Wizard Cult, but also the identities of those who enter and exit that shop, including the people they come into contact with. According to my investigation, the Wensheng family has had frequent contacts with some officials' families in Bian Jing in the past one or two months. And the third son of the Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion has been to that shop very frequently recently." Yin Hanzhang said.
"What's the point of you telling me this? I don't want to know the process, I only want the result, do you understand?" Zhao Xing said coldly.
This information only proves that there is something wrong with the store, but it is still unknown what the problem is.
"I give you five days. If there is no progress, you don't have to come to see me. In addition, there was a rebellion in Jiangzhou, which is very likely related to the Wizard Cult. Gu Jiasanlang will soon join the army to quell the rebellion. You should send someone to monitor him. At the critical moment, you can arrest people directly!" Zhao Xing directly issued a notice to Yin Hanzhang.
"I obey your order!" Yin Hanzhang replied.
"Go!" Zhao Xing waved his hand.
"I'm leaving now!" Yin Hanzhang bowed and walked out.
Zhao Xing frowned slightly. His requirement for the intelligence agency was to be as omnipresent as the Jinyiwei of the Ming Dynasty.
But the effect never met his expectations.
He didn't know whether it was because Yin Hanzhang was not capable enough or because he was not given enough power.
After all, the earliest Jinyiwei of the Ming Dynasty were the emperor's personal troops scattered across the country.
Those who could become the emperor's personal army all had clean family backgrounds. After being dispersed to various places, there were Jinyiwei people in all walks of life.
These people have taken root in various places, and some have even passed down their traditions from father to son, and from son to grandson for several generations.
However, Zhao Xing did not provide many people to Yin Hanzhang, but instead asked him to recruit idle personnel from various places.
These people are naturally not comparable to the Jinyiwei during the Ming Dynasty.
Zhao Xing considered whether to increase his support for Yin Hanzhang and give him some power.
However, if this were to happen, the existence of the secret guards would be exposed, and would inevitably encounter resistance from all officials.
Moreover, giving Yin Hanzhang too much power is also a hidden danger.
Zhao Xing shook his head. This would definitely not work for the time being. He could only wait and see.
"Your Majesty, the Prime Minister requests to see you!" Sanshui reported.
"Pass it on!" Zhao Xing came back to his senses and said.
After a while, Han Zhang walked in. "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you!"
"No courtesy, please sit down!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Han Zhang bowed in thanks, took out a folder from his sleeve and said, "Your Majesty, this is the ranking of the imperial examination. Please take a look!"
Sanshui stepped forward to take it and handed it to Zhao Xing.
Zhao Xing unfolded it and started reading. Han Zhang and several other gentlemen tentatively decided that the top scorer was Wei Ye, a person he had some impression of, while the second place was Li Qihou, and the third place was Zhou Luyuan.
Zhao Xing had no impression of Li Qihou and Zhou Luyuan.
Wen Yanjing falsely ranked 15th in the second class.
Zhao Xing took a quick look at it and put it down, saying, "Wait until I collect the candidates' answer sheets before making a decision!"
"Yes!" Han Zhang responded, and said, "Your Majesty, the questions for this palace examination are different from the past. In previous years, the top scholar and runner-up were both from the first and second places, but this time the top scholar is from the second place, and the runner-up is from the third place. Once the questions are announced, I am afraid that it will cause quite a stir."
The first, second and third places in the provincial examination are different from those in the palace examination.
There are only three people in the top three of the palace examination, namely the top scholar, the second scholar and the third scholar.
There are only more than 20 people in the second class, and the rest are all in the third class.
There are usually more than a dozen people in the first place in the imperial examination, and more than thirty people in the second place.
Since the founding of the Song Dynasty, the three top candidates in the palace examination were all from the dozens of top candidates in the metropolitan examination, with no exception.
However, among the three people who took the top place in this imperial examination, none of them were from the top three, and the second place was from the top three.
Once the rankings are announced according to what is decided now, it will inevitably cause an uproar and will make scholars all over the world question its fairness.
Zhao Xing said calmly, "Just because there was no such thing before doesn't mean there will never be such a thing. Some people don't perform well in the examination but perform exceptionally well in the palace examination. What's so strange about that?"
"As for the disturbance that the great lord mentioned, I'm afraid someone wants to see it, right?"
As the saying goes, there is no first in literature and no second in martial arts.
The first place in martial arts is easy to judge, but the first place in literature is difficult.
In every imperial examination, the top two candidates would be determined after much debate.
Because everyone's preferences and judgment criteria are different.
Zhao Xing didn't believe that no one among the first and second class examinees could compare with Li Qihou in performance in the palace examination.
But in the end, the second place was chosen from the top three in the examination.
Isn't the purpose to provoke conflict?
If cheating is suspected in the imperial examination, it is the chief examiner's fault.
However, the list of candidates for the palace examination had to be reviewed personally by Emperor Zhao Xing.
If its fairness is questioned, it will naturally be blamed on Zhao Xing.
In addition, Zhao Xing had punished many scholars before. It is conceivable what kind of turmoil would be caused once this list was announced and secretly instigated by someone with ulterior motives.
Han Zhang fell silent after hearing this. He had noticed this.
It was just that Li Qihou's answer sheet was indeed good, and more of the prime minister and deputy prime minister who were reviewing the papers supported him, so even if he opposed it, he could not change it.
"Your Majesty, there are several candidates who answered well in the first and second places of the imperial examination. Your Majesty, why don't you wait for the examination before selecting one person?" Han Zhang said.
"I will take a look at the answers, but as long as the gap is not too big, I don't plan to change the list. I would like to see how much of a disturbance will be caused if the list is announced as it is." Zhao Xing sneered.
(End of this chapter)