The fourth examiner was in charge of the Martial Arts Section.
In this domain,
These three questions had long been the examiner's "martial arts block," limiting him for many years. After Jiang Chen's explanation, he felt a great sense of sudden enlightenment.
"Your Majesty, I am a martial artist. I dare stake my own head as collateral for young Marquis Jiang. If his level cannot pass the basic assessment, then I fear no one in the entire young generation of the Royal Capital could pass."
This statement was even more thorough and absolute.
These words from the fourth examiner, when heard by Marquis Long Teng, made his expression darken slightly. Was this a slap in the face? His daughter,
Marquis Long Teng was very displeased.
Du Ruhai immediately jumped out: "Your Majesty, I was entrusted by Your Majesty to oversee this Hidden Dragon Examination. I have been diligent and toiled without complaint. Yet today, I was beaten by this arrogant youth. I beg Your Majesty to judge clearly and uphold justice for this old minister."
"Your Majesty, this boy Jiang Chen is lawless. Even if he has some talent, he has repeatedly committed serious offenses. I believe we cannot shield this child."
Marquis Long Teng finally stepped forward to speak.
His opening represented the attitude of a certain faction.
Sure enough, several ministers in the court followed suit, pleading earnestly for Dongfang Lu to deal with Jiang Chen severely to uphold the law!
"My subjects, this boy Jiang Chen is brimming with talent. How could he possibly produce such a nonsensical examination paper? I intend to dispatch Minister Du to quickly verify whether some incompetent subordinates below pulled some unsavory, underhanded tricks."
Dongfang Lu gave the aggressive memorials a cold shoulder. This statement was essentially an open shield for Jiang Chen.
Marquis Long Teng was about to speak again when suddenly a light sound came from outside the hall.
"No need to investigate! This princess has already uncovered the truth." At that moment, Princess Gouyu, clad in armor and brimming with heroic spirit, walked in.
Behind her followed a group of fierce warriors, obviously royal palace guards.
And these guards were escorting several bound individuals.
The moment Du Ruhai saw the bound people, his expression changed drastically. These were all his trusted confidants. Could it be that these guys had cracked under pressure at the critical moment?
There was also a middle-aged woman draped in gold and silver, adorned with jewels, her face greasy and coated in powder. Wasn't that Du Ruhai's wife?
The moment the woman saw Du Ruhai, she began cursing: "Du Ruhai, didn't they say you committed a crime and were thrown into the Sky Prison? How are you here?"
Du Ruhai jumped up: "Who said I was thrown into the Sky Prison? That's a rumor! You stupid woman, did you run your mouth about something?"
The woman paused: "I... I confessed everything. Didn't they say honesty leads to leniency?"
Princess Gouyu laughed coldly: "Brother King, I have long heard of Du Ruhai's corruption and abuse of power, and have been secretly observing and gathering evidence. This time, with all the various pieces of evidence collected together, the harvest has indeed been great. This Du Ruhai is absolutely a corrupt official! This is the sworn testimony from Du Ruhai's wife, along with her fingerprint. This includes detailed evidence of Du Ruhai's fraud and favoritism during the Hidden Dragon Examination."
"And this one, Ma Datong, is Du Ruhai's confidant. The entire scheme was orchestrated by Du Ruhai for him to carry out. Ma Datong, before His Majesty, this is your chance to atone for your crimes!"
Ma Datong was indeed Du Ruhai's confidant. But with Du Ruhai's wife already having confessed, if he tried to cover things up now, he would be pushing himself into a corner.
Not daring to look at Du Ruhai, he knelt trembling, and like pouring beans from a bamboo tube, he dumped out the entire scheme: how the papers were swapped, how it was all covered up.
The more Dongfang Lu listened, the grayer his expression became.
"Then where is the original examination paper?"
Princess Gouyu took it from one of the guards and presented it: "This Ma Datong is somewhat clever, knowing to keep a copy. Du Ruhai ordered him to destroy it, but he secretly kept it. Consider it a life-saving talisman."
Witness and material evidence were both present.
Next, the clerk who had forged Jiang Chen's handwriting also honestly confessed his involvement.
All the evidence, without exception, pointed directly to Du Ruhai. These people had all been coerced by Du Ruhai and had acted out of necessity.
Following that, a list of charges was continuously presented.
Du Ruhai's eyes went black, his blood pressure skyrocketed, his face turned deathly pale, and he collapsed into a sitting position on the ground.
"How can this be? How can it be like this?"
Suddenly, his eyes glimpsed Marquis Long Teng, and Du Ruhai seemed to grasp a life-saving straw: "Marquis Long, speak for me! I, Du Ruhai, have also rendered service!"
At this moment, Du Ruhai was like a pile of excrement—anyone who touched him would be unlucky. Marquis Long Teng's brow furrowed slightly, he secretly cursed "Nonsense," and with one kick sent Du Ruhai flying.
"In my life, I despise greedy little men like you who are jealous of the virtuous and capable," Marquis Long Teng's tone was full of disgust, as if avoiding a huge, buzzing fly.
"Your Majesty, I,
Dongfang Lu smiled slightly, pondered for a moment, and actually nodded: "Marquis Long's loyalty is truly gratifying. Granted!"