The sky over the capital city was as blue as ever. However, beneath this seemingly peaceful surface, a tempest was quietly brewing. The imperial examination, an event that determined the fate of scholars across the land and shouldered the crucial task of selecting talents for the country, was shrouded in a dark cloud.
When Li Yi received the confidential report of imperial examination fraud, he was sitting in the Imperial Study, reviewing memorials submitted from various regions. In an instant, his mind felt as if struck by a thunderbolt. He froze in place, and the vermilion brush in his hand slipped unconsciously, falling onto the table with a "snap." Ink splattered everywhere, staining the unfinished memorial.
"How could this be?" Li Yi exclaimed inwardly. His eyes widened in disbelief, and his face was filled with shock. The imperial examination was an important means of talent selection that he had painstakingly built, a cornerstone for achieving long - term stability and prosperity in the country. In his vision, through the imperial examination, learned individuals from all over the world could stand out and serve the nation. But now, this sacred system had been wantonly trampled upon.
After the initial shock, a surge of anger welled up within him. "Bold! How dare they do such a thing right under my nose!" Li Yi stood up, slamming his hands on the table. His voice echoed through the empty Imperial Study, brimming with uncontrollable fury. His chest heaved violently, and a cold killing intent flashed in his eyes. These people were incredibly audacious, openly challenging his authority and the country's laws. Did they ever consider how many scholars' hearts this fraudulent act would break and how many futures it would ruin?
Amidst his anger, Li Yi was more worried. He knew full well that imperial examination fraud was no trivial matter. If not handled properly, it would trigger a series of serious consequences. In the court, those with ulterior motives might take this opportunity to stir up trouble and disrupt the political situation. Among the common people, scholars' trust in the court would be severely undermined, and it might even lead to social unrest. The very foundation of the country was being eroded like never before.
Li Yi paced back and forth, his brows tightly furrowed. He had to come up with a solution as soon as possible; otherwise, the consequences would be unthinkable. After a moment of contemplation, Li Yi's gaze gradually became firm. He had made up his mind. This matter must be thoroughly investigated, and not a single person involved in the fraud would be spared. He wanted the whole world to know that he, Li Yi, would never allow anyone to undermine the country's fairness and justice or shake the nation's foundation.
Li Yi first issued an edict to select capable personnel from the Ministry of Punishment, the Supreme Court, the Censorate, and other government agencies to form an independent and unobstructed special investigation team. All members of this team were honest, upright, and experienced in handling cases. He personally summoned them, solemnly emphasizing the importance and seriousness of this mission, and requiring them to uphold justice and leave no detail overlooked. At the same time, to ensure the smooth progress of the investigation, Li Yi granted the investigation team the privilege to act first and report later. If anyone obstructed the investigation, regardless of their official rank, they could be arrested on the spot.
Li Yi conducted a detailed study of the imperial examination and identified the following flaws:
Although the imperial examination system provided a way to select talents for the country, over the years, many drawbacks had emerged. First, the examination content was limited to Confucian classics, and most of the questions were in the Eight - Legged Essay format. This severely
restricted the candidates' thinking, making it difficult to cultivate their creativity and innovative thinking. Many scholars memorized the classic texts by rote in order to pass the exam, lacking the ability to analyze and solve practical problems.
Second, there was a serious imbalance in the regional distribution of the imperial examination. Areas with developed economies had abundant educational resources, giving candidates from these regions a significant advantage in the imperial examination. In contrast, due to backward education in remote areas, it was difficult for talented individuals to stand out, resulting in a geographical imbalance in the country's talent pool.
Furthermore, the selection and supervision mechanisms for imperial examination examiners were not perfect, giving examiners excessive power and easily breeding corruption, providing a hotbed for fraudulent activities.
Lin Yue's Investigation Process with the Team. After receiving the order, Lin Yue deeply felt the weight of her responsibility. She and the investigation team first conducted a large - scale screening of all candidates' examination papers, using professional handwriting experts to compare the handwriting on the papers. During this process, Lin Yue discovered that the handwriting on the papers of several candidates was similar, further confirming the existence of fraud.
Following this lead, she began to investigate the social relationships of these candidates and found that most of them were intricately connected to some powerful officials in the court. Lin Yue and the investigation team visited the places where these candidates frequently appeared and obtained some key information from local merchants and passers - by. For example, the owner of a stationery store recalled that on the eve of the examination, several candidates had jointly purchased a large amount of special paper and writing utensils. This kind of paper and writing utensils were extremely expensive at that time, far beyond the means of ordinary candidates, yet these candidates spent money freely.
Lin Yue speculated that these special stationery items might be related to the means of fraud. By tracing the clues provided by the stationery store owner, Lin Yue discovered that these stationery items ultimately ended up in a mysterious workshop. On the surface, this workshop produced ordinary stationery, but in reality, it was engaged in some shady business.
Lin Yue and her team disguised themselves and infiltrated the workshop, where they found that it was secretly producing examination papers and cheating tools with special marks. After obtaining these pieces of evidence, Lin Yue began to arrest and interrogate the implicated candidates. At first, these candidates clung to the hope of getting away with it and refused to admit their guilt. But when Lin Yue presented the evidence of their purchase of special stationery and the production of cheating tools in the workshop, their psychological defenses gradually crumbled, and they confessed to the fact that they had colluded with the examiners and used special marks to transmit answers.
However, Lin Yue knew that these candidates were just pawns, and there must be more powerful forces behind them. She followed the clues provided by the candidates and focused on Zhao Hong, the Vice Minister of Rites. After a series of investigations and evidence - gathering, she finally obtained ironclad evidence of Zhao Hong accepting bribes and manipulating the imperial examination, successfully uncovering the mastermind behind the scenes.
During the interrogation of the suspects, Li Yi was well aware that these people might cover up for each other and conceal the truth. He ordered that all the suspects be detained separately to prevent them from colluding. For those stubborn individuals who refused to admit their guilt, Li Yi arranged for experienced interrogators to combine psychological tactics with the threat of
evidence. For example, for a minor official like Wang Fu, they first appealed to his emotions and reason, promising leniency if he confessed truthfully, and severe punishment if he remained obstinate. As for high - ranking officials like Zhao Hong, Li Yi personally inquired about the progress of the interrogation, making it clear to them the gravity of their crimes and that any attempt at chicanery would be futile.
In the imperial court, Li Yi summoned all the officials and severely rebuked the imperial examination fraud in front of everyone as a warning to others. He ordered a comprehensive assessment and review of all officials related to the Ministry of Rites. Anyone implicated in this incident or found to be corrupt would be dismissed from office. At the same time, he also encouraged the court officials to supervise each other, and if they discovered any illegal behavior of officials, they could report it directly to him.
Lin Yue and the investigation team, armed with Wang Fu's confession, went straight to the residence of the Vice Minister of Rites. When Zhao Hong saw Lin Yue and the others suddenly arrive, although he was flustered, he still pretended to be calm. "Miss Lin, may I ask what brings you here today?" Zhao Hong asked with a forced smile.
Lin Yue looked at him coldly and threw Wang Fu's confession in front of him. "Lord Zhao, it's time to stop pretending." When Zhao Hong saw the confession, his face instantly turned pale, but he still tried to defend himself. Just then, Li Yi also learned the news and came to the residence of the Vice Minister of Rites in person. The moment he saw Li Yi, Zhao Hong completely collapsed to the ground. Looking at this subordinate who he had once entrusted with important responsibilities, Li Yi was filled with disappointment and anger.
"Zhao Hong, do you know your crime?" Li Yi's voice was icy cold. Zhao Hong kowtowed repeatedly. "Your Majesty, I know I'm guilty. I was muddle - headed and made a grave mistake. Please spare my life, Your Majesty!"
Li Yi snorted coldly. "Imperial examination fraud concerns the rise and fall of the country. How could I spare you? Guards, take Zhao Hong to prison and await punishment."
Subsequently, Li Yi severely punished the other individuals involved in this fraud and further improved the imperial examination system to prevent similar incidents from happening again. With identified flaws, it was necessary to find ways to rectify them: Li Yi's Reform Measures Li Yi was well aware that the imperial examination system had long - standing flaws, and this fraud incident finally made him determined to carry out a comprehensive reform. Regarding the examination content, he ordered the addition of subjects such as policy discussions and practical affairs, requiring candidates not only to be proficient in Confucian classics but also to have in - depth insights and analytical abilities regarding the country's politics, economy, military, and other aspects, in order to select truly talented individuals capable of governing the country. To address the issue of regional imbalance, Li Yi stipulated a minimum quota for admissions in each region. At the same time, he increased investment in education in remote areas, dispatched outstanding teachers for teaching, built schools, and provided learning resources.
In terms of examiner selection and supervision, in addition to strengthening supervision during the examination period, a regular assessment system for examiners was established to comprehensively evaluate the examiners' knowledge, morality, and other aspects. Those who failed the assessment would be dismissed.
Looking at all this, Lin Yue felt a complex mix of emotions. Although the imperial examination fraud case had been successfully cracked, she knew that the struggles in the court would never cease. In the future, she and Li Yi would face more challenges. But she believed that as long as they worked hand in hand, they would surely be able to safeguard the country and ensure that all
scholars in the world had a fair and just path to advancement.