Chapter 51 The Only Forbidden Scale

Chapter 51 The Only Vulnerable Spot

Recently, a major scandal erupted in the imperial court: widespread fraud in the metropolitan examinations. Dozens of examiners and candidates involved were imprisoned.

One of the chief examiners, the Vice Minister of Rites, hanged himself at his residence. By the time the Jinyiwei arrived upon receiving the news, they found only a lifeless body dangling from the beam in his study.

Before taking his own life out of guilt, he left a blood-written letter confessing that he and his subordinate officials had participated in the fraud for profit, selling fourteen exam papers and gaining over forty thousand taels of silver—exactly matching the number of candidates arrested and imprisoned.

"Each exam paper was sold for three thousand taels, mostly to scholars from Jiangnan. These individuals came from wealthy families. After purchasing the exam papers, they hired others to solve the questions and memorize the answers. Among the fourteen, ten passed the metropolitan examinations..."

Yan Weichu listened to Cui Shao's report distractedly. The fraud case was being jointly tried by the Three Judicial Offices, but the primary responsibility for the investigation still fell to the Jinyiwei. So far, this was all they had uncovered.

"Is that all?"

Cui Shao wasn’t entirely sure what the emperor meant. The case seemed clear enough, with all testimonies aligning. Although examination fraud was a serious matter, the case itself wasn’t particularly complex.

Yan Weichu said, "These past few days, I’ve been reviewing records of previous imperial examinations and found that Yunshan Academy on the capital's outskirts is quite remarkable. Over the decades, in every spring examination, at least three or four—sometimes more—students from this academy have passed as *jinshi*, with quite a few even ranking among the top candidates."

"Many of these individuals are now key court officials. For example, the previously executed Junior Grand Secretary Lin Tongfu, the late Vice Minister Xu who hanged himself, and even this year’s Optimus, Young Master Su, are all from this academy."

Cui Shao’s expression turned serious. "Does Your Majesty mean... this academy is suspicious?"

Yan Weichu replied lightly, "I merely think this academy excels in teaching. My mentor, Mr. Zhang, also came from this academy. In recent years, he even returned to serve as its headmaster. He truly is an excellent teacher."

Cui Shao recalled something and said, "I previously saw in Vice Minister Xu’s records that he ranked sixth in the second class during the fourteenth year of the Taichu era under the late emperor. The chief examiner for that year was Grand Tutor Zhang Wenhuan."

Yan Weichu let out a soft "Hah." "I wonder what Mr. Zhang would think if he knew he had taught such a student."

Cui Shao saluted and said, "I shall dispatch agents to investigate Yunshan Academy further. We will proceed discreetly and avoid alerting anyone. Your Majesty can rest assured."

Yan Weichu nodded faintly, though he held little hope. "You may go."

*

Three days later, the chief officials of the Three Judicial Offices submitted their findings on the case to the emperor. After reading it, Yan Weichu said nothing and closed the case.

The involved officials were executed by decapitation with their family properties confiscated. The candidates were stripped of their titles, publicly paraded wearing cangues through the streets, and exiled.

The previous exam results were annulled. All candidates who had passed were required to take a re-examination, which would be combined with the palace examination and still held in late April.

Upon hearing that Young Master Su’s banquet had been postponed, Yan Weichu merely found it amusing.

Losing the Optimus title was no fault of his. If one had true talent, they could compete for the Number One Scholar in the palace examination.

But who would win the title of Number One Scholar? That was for him, the emperor, to decide.

Before that, a new edict was issued, once again sparking controversy.

The emperor decreed that before the palace examination, an additional examination would be held. The syllabus would not cover the classics, history, philosophy, or literature but would focus on practical statecraft and investigation of principles. Participants were not limited to scholars or *juren*—anyone who could read and write was eligible to apply.

Those who passed would enter court service as government officials, with status equal to that of regular *jinshi*.

The first to protest were those scholars who prided themselves on upholding orthodox Confucian teachings.

Holding an additional examination on non-orthodox subjects was not unheard of—it had been done in previous dynasties. However, those who passed such exams had traditionally only been able to serve as minor officials or clerks, inherently inferior in status.

Now the emperor declared that those who passed the additional examination would be equal to regular *jinshi*, and even anyone who could read was eligible to apply. This was seen as undermining the foundation of scholars everywhere. How could they tolerate it?

For a time, public discourse became heated, filled with dissenting voices. After all, those who could speak out loudly were these very scholars. They claimed the emperor’s actions were heretical, absurd, and contrary to tradition. Those who disagreed would not openly argue with them.

The situation escalated half a month later when over a thousand students from the Imperial Academy were incited to gather at Yaotai to protest at the palace gates.

Someone was immediately sent to the capital garrison to convey the emperor’s oral decree, ordering the Divine Machine Battalion troops to be dispatched to the Western Park.

When Xie Xiao received the decree, he realized the emperor meant business—even willing to use the Divine Machine Battalion’s musketeers against mere scholars armed only with words. He couldn’t help but feel surprised.

"Did His Majesty say anything else?" he asked calmly.

The messenger shook his head. "Nothing more. Marquis, please dispatch troops quickly. Do not delay this important matter."

Xie Xiao asked another question. "What’s the situation at Yaotai now?"

The messenger replied, "His Majesty has already sent the Qilin Guard to keep an eye on things. The students are still kneeling and demanding the emperor retract the decree. There hasn’t been any major conflict yet, but it’s hard to say what will happen later."

One of the officers under him cursed, "Goddamn scholars! They are useless at everything except causing trouble. Don’t they have anything better to do? What’s wrong with giving them an extra chance to take the exam? Why make such a fuss?"

Others chimed in agreement.

Upon hearing that the emperor had sent the Qilin Guard to control the situation, Xie Xiao grew worried. He immediately ordered the Divine Machine Battalion’s camp officer to assemble the troops. Given the gravity of the matter, no one dared delay.

Xie Xiao himself couldn’t wait. After giving instructions, he hurried out, mounted his horse, and rode ahead quickly to the Western Park.

Outside Yaotai, the scene was as lively as a marketplace. The Qilin Guard and his men were engaged in a verbal battle with the protesting scholars—back and forth, heated and intense.

Yan Weichu had sent the Qilin Guard to manage the situation, thinking that these imperial clan members had been training for nearly three months. It was time to see what they're made of. If they couldn’t handle others, dealing with a group of scholars who lacked physical strength should be easy, right?

But he had underestimated these young masters’ tempers, especially those led by Yan Biao. Although they had been beaten twice and were much more subdued now, that didn’t mean they would show patience toward these self-important but incompetent scholars.

The first one couldn’t resist retorting, and soon a second and third joined in.

The scholars were vicious with their words, quoting classics and making indirect insults.

These imperial clan members might not be well-read, but they were loud and straightforward. No matter what the scholars said, they retorted with, "You’re just jealous because you can’t pass the exams yourselves and don’t want others to succeed. How shameless!"—enough to make the scholars become furious.

Their behavior was less like the emperor’s Imperial Guard and more like common thugs.

Zheng Shize couldn’t dissuade them and let them continue.

If they could infuriate these protesting scholars, it would be quite satisfying.

Not long after, Xie Xiao arrived on horseback, pulling his horse to a sharp stop. He scanned the crowd but didn’t see Yan Weichu among them.

Dismounting, he bypassed the large crowd and headed into Yaotai.

Yan Weichu was handling government matters when he heard Xie Xiao had come to see him. Surprised, he asked, "He personally brought the Divine Machine Battalion troops?"

"The Divine Machine Battalion troops are still on the way and will likely arrive in about fifteen minutes. The Marquis came ahead alone on horseback," the eunuch relayed.

Yan Weichu smiled. His cousin was worried that he, as the Qilin Guard Commander, might be harmed by the protesters and had rushed over in concern.

He immediately stood up and had attendants help him change.

Xie Xiao entered Yaotai and saw Yan Weichu coming out. He approached and asked, "Are you heading outside?"

Yan Weichu gestured for him not to worry. "His Majesty gave the Qilin Guard the duty to handle this. I’m just going out to see what's happening."

He hadn’t originally planned to make an appearance, but letting those outside continue their arguing wasn’t solving anything. The matter needed quick resolution.

Xie Xiao remained concerned but didn’t try to stop him. Instead, he went outside with him.

The outside was already a complete mess. Most of those causing trouble were scholars, with a few provincial scholars among them, though they were few. After all, once someone passed the provincial exam, even if they failed the metropolitan exam, they still had a chance to be appointed as an official—there was no need for them to come here and cause trouble.

These scholars, however, were different. The emperor’s decision to allow commoners to become officials made them feel their status was most threatened.

As for the argument that they could also take the exam? They knew damn well they couldn’t pass, yet looked down on others who took this "backdoor route."

Of course, Yan Weichu looked down on them even more—these people who only knew how to spout classical texts and cram books were the ones he couldn't stand.

Earlier, when he transferred the official who had promoted Wan Xuanju to Pingjin as governor to oversee ship administration, he had already conceived the idea of opening this special exam. It didn’t matter if they couldn’t write eight-legged essays; as long as they had real skills who get things done, he wanted them.

The recent exposure of imperial examination fraud gave him the perfect chance to issue this edict. But clearly, there were always those who loved to go against him, the emperor.

Opposition in the court was significant. The Office of Scrutiny for Rites wanted to reject the imperial decree. He had anticipated this long ago—these supervising secretaries of the six offices often acted like their small authority was a big deal, frequently giving him grief. This time, he decided to go for the drastic move by merging the six offices directly into the Censorate, taking away their power to do whatever they wanted and indirectly revoking their power to block decrees.

So the decree was smoothly issued. But then, these students from the Imperial Academy started causing trouble. Who would believe no one was behind this stirring up trouble?

The troops of the Shenji Battalion had arrived. Each soldier carried a musket, surrounding the troublemakers in multiple layers.

With a "bang" from a gunshot, the previously chaotic arguments stopped dead, followed by an uproar.

Someone cried out in pain, "Does His Majesty intend to be a tyrant and use violence against us scholars?"

Xie Xiao frowned, also feeling these people were truly ungrateful. Even at such a time, they dared to speak recklessly. Did they really think the emperor would worry about his reputation and not act against them?

Yan Weichu couldn’t be bothered with more words. He simply stated, "According to the laws of Dajing, students are not allowed to recklessly discuss court affairs. Are you rebelling with this behavior?"

Some were intimidated by his words, but the leaders showed no fear, shouting, "We demand to see His Majesty! His Majesty, doing whatever he wants without respecting Confucian teachings, is going against tradition and will inevitably cause great harm!"

"What are you?" Yan Weichu sneered. "Disloyal, unjust, selfish, two-faced, and shameless—you’ve disgraced the teachings of the sages. How dare you make trouble here?"

These accusations were serious crimes for scholars, especially being called disloyal and unjust. These people cherished their reputations most and couldn’t bear such humiliation. The man’s eyes bulged with rage: "You brat, how dare you spout such nonsense!"

Yan Weichu scoffed. "You look quite old—in your thirties, right? Still a mere scholar? No wonder you don’t dare take the exams and only come here to make trouble. You are disloyal and unjust. This is how His Majesty sees you, and how the world will see you!"

The accused man scrambled to his feet from the ground, his face twisted with hatred. "You slander me with your lies! Stop spreading nonsense here!"

Stung by the look of superiority in Yan Weichu’s expression, the man suddenly snapped, charging straight toward Yan Weichu.

It all happened in seconds. Yan Weichu hadn’t expected it. How could he have forgotten? Civil officials in court often got into fights right in court—how could these students truly be weaklings who can't take care of themselves? It was all an act they put up!

See? A few insults and their true nature was exposed.

Xie Xiao moved swiftly, pulling Yan Weichu behind him. In a flash, he caught a glimpse of a sharp glint from the man’s sleeve and instinctively raised his arm to block.

The guards Yan Weichu had brought were too slow. By the time they drew their swords, knocked the dagger from the assailant’s hand, and pinned him down, Xie Xiao’s right forearm had already been slashed. Blood quickly seeped out, staining his sleeve.

Yan Weichu’s face instantly fell.

Zheng Shize was startled but reacted quickly, loudly declaring, "Carrying weapons in the royal grounds is the same as rebellion! Seize them!"

The Qilin Guard moved first, followed by the Shenji Battalion. In an instant, everyone who had been kneeling upright was forced to the ground with their heads pressed down.

*

In a side hall of Yaotai, Xie Xiao’s wound was quite deep. The imperial physician was treating it.

Yan Weichu watched from the side, his brow furrowed at the sight of the mangled flesh.

Xie Xiao himself didn’t mind much. He had experienced far worse injuries on the battlefield and didn’t dwell on it. As long as the injury was on him and not Yan Weichu, it was fine.

He reached out to smooth Yan Weichu’s furrowed brow, but Yan Weichu turned his face away, unreceptive.

Someone entered from outside, glancing at Yan Weichu hesitantly.

"Is it His Majesty summoning me?" Yan Weichu asked, rising directly. "Let’s go."

Xie Xiao watched his retreating back, somewhat helpless.

The assassin had already been taken away by the Imperial Guards and thrown in prison. Cui Shao came to ask how to handle it.

Yan Weichu coldly ordered, "Interrogate him thoroughly—find out who was behind him, whether the assassination was premeditated, and if he knew my identity. Then chop him to pieces and feed him to the dogs."

Merely beheading him wouldn’t satisfy Yan Weichu’s anger. From the moment Xie Xiao was injured, he had been suppressing a massive anger, wishing he could go on a killing spree once more.

Cui Shao accepted the order.

Yan Weichu closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, there was no trace of emotion. "Go handle your duties."

He then signaled to Zhao Anfu: "Go outside and announce my decree. This farce should come to an end."

When Yan Weichu returned, the imperial physician had already finished applying medicine and bandaging Xie Xiao’s wound and had withdrawn.

Yan Weichu walked to Xie Xiao, half-knelt before him, and buried his face in Xie Xiao’s knees, remaining motionless for a long while.

Sensing Yan Weichu’s mood, Xie Xiao raised a hand to gently stroke the back of his neck. "A Li, what did His Majesty say to you?"

"Nothing much," Yan Weichu’s voice was muffled, and he didn’t lift his head. "Just discussed how to deal with those outside. He also said to give you a few days off to recuperate properly. Don’t worry about these matters."

Outside Yaotai, after the assassin was forcibly taken away by the Imperial Guards, the remaining people knelt on the ground, held down by the watchful soldiers. Only then did they belatedly begin to feel fear.

They could never bear the charge of "rebellion." They had only wanted the emperor to cancel the additional examination. None of them had expected the situation to escalate like this.

Zhao Anfu came out to announce the decree. His flat voice read out the verdict quickly, sealing their fates—their scholar status was stripped for good, the ringleaders were exiled, and their families were barred from official service for three generations.

Immediately, cries and begs for mercy broke out. This outcome was perhaps even harder for them to accept than a death sentence.

But the emperor’s wrath was undeniable, and there was no room for reversal.

They had only themselves to blame for being too easily influenced and harboring dark intentions, ultimately leading to this end.

Yan Biao spat a thick glob of saliva toward them. "Pah! You got away easy!"

In the side hall, Xie Xiao gently stroked Yan Weichu’s cheek. "A Li?"

Yan Weichu still didn’t lift his head. He rarely wallowed in self-pity like this. The last time was when he watched helplessly as Consort Zheng was force-fed poison before his eyes. He had been young then, only able to stare wide-eyed and shed helpless tears, not even daring to make a sound. But now was different.

Now he was the true ruler of Dajing, holding great power, yet he still felt moments of powerlessness.

Truly acting as one wished was so difficult.

He was only in his teens, after all.

Xie Xiao noticed something, his fingers moving down to lift Yan Weichu’s chin, forcing him to look up.

Yan Weichu’s eyes were red, tears welling in them.

Xie Xiao was slightly taken aback. "...You’re crying?"

Yan Weichu felt embarrassed, roughly wiping his face with his hand, forcing the tears back. He refused to admit it. "Who’s crying? I’m not."

Xie Xiao hadn’t expected such a strong reaction. He wrapped an arm around Yan Weichu’s waist, pulling him up and onto his lap, looking at him. "A Li, I’m fine."

Yan Weichu glared at him with reddened eyes, "Next time, don't you dare take a hit for me. Out of all those people, you were the most enthusiastic."

Xie Xiao asked, "Who is your husband?"

Yan Weichu raised his voice, "You!"

"So?" Xie Xiao said, "Shouldn't I have blocked for you?"

Alright, Yan Weichu was convinced.

He leaned into Xie Xiao's embrace, still unhappy but had to accept it, "My cousin, you are mine, your life is mine too. You must be more careful with yourself."

If there was a next time, he would really become a tyrant.

Yan Weichu gently stroked Xie Xiao's bandaged forearm with his fingertips, slowly closing his eyes.

The bristling thorns all over his body retracted.

Xie Xiao was his, his only vulnerable spot—absolutely no one could touch or harm him.

No one.