Chapter 63 Scheme

Chapter 63: The Plot

"Chi Mengsheng said that Brother Hu was asking for trouble, offending him again and again, so he wanted revenge," Wen Tongpu stammered, looking at Wei Yan's murderous expression. "He said Brother Hu was decent-looking... and told me to... to knock him out so he could take him away..."

Wen Tongpu didn't dare say more, because he realized that with every additional word, Wei Yan's face grew darker, looking as if he wanted to kill.

"Go on," Wei Yan ground his teeth, feeling a fierce impulse to wipe out someone's entire clan.

Wen Tongpu shook his head. "That's all."

"That's not all," Lu Jiming suddenly spoke up. "There's another reason." This incident had also occurred in his past life, but the difference was that Wen Tongpu had died in the fire back then, which was why he had never heard of this person.

In his past life, he hadn't known Chi Mengsheng or Wen Tongpu, so Chi Mengsheng beating Wen Tongpu and causing the oil lamp to tip over hadn't been on his account. There must have been another reason.

Wen Tongpu hung his head. Seeing his silence, Wei Yan pressed, "This matter is no small matter. I will report it to the authorities later. If Chi Mengsheng is apprehended and turns on you, by then it will be too late to defend yourself, and no one will believe you."

"I'll talk!" Wen Tongpu was scared out of his wits and hurriedly said, "This matter is too significant. I didn't dare tell anyone casually, and I was afraid that if you knew, you'd also be targeted."

Lu Jiming offered a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. The one who should be in trouble is Chi Mengsheng."

"He... they wanted me... to help them cheat." After speaking, Wen Tongpu's gaze instinctively darted between Lu Jiming and Wei Yan. Seeing both men fall silent with dark expressions, Wen Tongpu grew frightened again.

"I didn't agree, I really didn't..." Wen Tongpu explained frantically, terrified that Wei Yan might drag him to the authorities without another word.

Cheating in the imperial examinations was a serious offense. Even without actual participation, the slightest hint was enough to ruin one's future. That's why Wen Tongpu hadn't dared to speak up.

It implicated himself and implicated others.

"Them? Besides Chi Mengsheng, who else?" Wei Yan asked. Excellent. Coveting the Empress, assaulting an imperial examination candidate, arson in the capital, and now cheating in the imperial exams. This person's whole clan really should be wiped out.

Wen Tongpu lowered his head and named a few fellow locals. "But Chi Mengsheng's family is the wealthiest. This group has always followed his lead."

Wei Yan's eyelids twitched upon hearing this. One or two of the names sounded somewhat familiar; they must have entered officialdom in his past life.

"You're from Shu?" Wei Yan asked. "Jincheng? And those others are too?"

Wen Tongpu nodded, answering whatever Wei Yan asked, not daring to utter an extra word.

He could sense that both Wei Yan and Lu Jiming were people of high status, but he had no time to figure out who they really were now. He remained anxious throughout, especially fearing it might ruin his own exam.

"How could cheating in the imperial exams be so easy?" Lu Jiming asked. "It's not an ordinary test where you can just cheat at will."

"They said I didn't need to worry. When the time came, someone would take the exam paper I had written."

So, these people had an inside contact at the exam compound?

"Do you know who you were supposed to help?" Lu Jiming asked Wen Tongpu in a soothing tone. "Don't worry. Since you didn't participate, you won't be implicated."

"Brother Hu, I really don't know," Wen Tongpu was almost in tears. "Back at the academy, they always bullied me. Even if I had agreed to cheat for them, they wouldn't have told me everything about such a matter, especially since I never agreed at all."

Wei Yan, concerned that Lu Jiming might get too tired, didn't press Wen Tongpu further. He called Ning Zhifei in and instructed him to find him a place to stay and personally escort him to the examination hall the next day, ensuring his safety.

When they were alone, Wei Yan said to Lu Jiming, "Shu, Jincheng... I hope I'm overthinking it." That was the Empress Dowager's hometown. If the Empress Dowager was truly involved... given Wei Yan's understanding of him, it wasn't impossible.

The Empress Dowager had never been one to give up easily or accept fate. In his past life, he had colluded with Chancellor Chen to control the court. After Chancellor Chen's downfall, he managed to retreat almost unscathed.

At that time, Wei Yan hadn't seen through the Empress Dowager's facade and didn't fully understand his cold-hearted, ruthless true nature, which allowed him to make constant underhanded schemes for many years afterward.

Later, Wei Yan summoned Lu Jiming back to court and secretly dealt with many people before finally purging the Empress Dowager's faction completely.

But most of the Empress Dowager's people were attached to the Chen and Wei families, with few holding high positions. Wei Yan couldn't remember exactly who they were.

"These are matters for later. Let's deal with the cheaters first," Lu Jiming understood Wei Yan's implication and comforted him. "It might not be what you think."

After all, the Empress Dowager was Wei Yan's birth father. Lu Jiming wouldn't comment casually, just as Wei Yan had always let Lu Jiming make decisions back in Mingzhou.

Feelings towards one's parents are always unique. Others cannot help; only one can reconcile with oneself.

"What should we do? When the time comes, I'll dispatch the entire Imperial Guard and the Golden Guard, posting one guard per room. I refuse to believe it then," Wei Yan was angry. After all, for such a major event as the Imperial Special Examination, someone actually attempted to cheat.

This year, Lu Jiming was the chief examiner. If this matter wasn't handled properly, it would also implicate Lu Jiming.

Lu Jiming shook his head. "To catch a thief, you must catch them in the act. If someone truly attempts to cheat, and Wen Tongpu doesn't cooperate, there will naturally be others willing. Moreover, Wen Tongpu's word alone isn't necessarily credible."

Wei Yan understood Lu Jiming's meaning. "Then we'll send out several teams from the Imperial Guard. Without raising the alarm, have them hide in the shadows and closely monitor the examination hall. We need to catch them red-handed."

"Exactly."

"But that Chi Mengsheng cannot be let off so easily."

Lu Jiming's eyes curved into a smile. "Shi Xia, do you know how to make someone fall into despair?"

Wei Yan remained silent, signaling Lu Jiming to continue.

When Lu Jiming schemed against others, he loved to smile, his eyes narrowing like a crescent moon. But there was only one moon, and Lu Jiming's smiling eyes surpassed it.

In his past life, Wei Yan had despised this side of Lu Jiming, but now, he only felt an insatiable fondness.

When scheming, Lu Jiming possessed a dangerous aura completely different from his usual proper and gentle demeanor, continuously attracting Wei Yan and making him involuntarily fascinated.

The corners of Lu Jiming's mouth lifted into a smile that could even be described as brilliant. "That is, when the other party is smug and confident, on the verge of realizing their ambition, to personally push them off the cliff."

Those who have never seen the dawn do not know the length of the night. Only failure at the brink of success brings bone-deep agony.

"Shi Xia, do you think I'm ruthless?" Lu Jiming asked. He had always been clear that he was by no means a kind-hearted person and had not refrained from unscrupulous means.

Lu Jiming used to believe that as long as his conscience was clear, he would act without looking back. But facing Wei Yan, he couldn't help but worry—worried that letting Wei Yan see the truest depths of his heart would make Wei Yan despise him.

Wei Yan lowered his head, taking Lu Jiming's hand into his palm, and said very seriously, "Showing mercy to enemies is true foolishness. Xuping, don't use such words to describe yourself." What he had hated was never Lu Jiming's ruthlessness, but Lu Jiming abandoning him again and again.

Even if Lu Jiming dragged him into hell, Wei Yan would accept it gladly. It was just a pity that Lu Jiming always let go too early, unwilling to go anywhere with him, be it the heavens or the underworld.

The candidates would enter the examination hall tomorrow, so Lu Jiming indeed didn't need to stay outside the palace anymore. After confirming his body had recovered, he returned to the palace with Wei Yan.

Wei Yan originally wanted Mr. Zheng to enter the palace with them, to stay until Lu Jiming's health was fully restored before letting him leave. But Mr. Zheng was unwilling; he only wanted to guard this small courtyard.

Ning Zhifei used Feng Qingyue to vouch for Mr. Zheng, assuring Wei Yan that Mr. Zheng would definitely not disappear suddenly. Only then did Wei Yan give up on the idea of bringing Mr. Zheng back to the palace.

Wei Yan couldn't bear for Lu Jiming to take an extra step, so the carriage took him directly back to Chongyuan Palace.

Leaning against the carriage window, Lu Jiming teased, "People from the Witch Doctor Valley are hiding right here in the capital, and the Imperial Guard doesn't even know."

The Imperial Guard was established by imperial decree, intended to supervise officials and regulate the martial world.

Many of the earliest Imperial Guard officers came from the martial world, each with their own unique skills from various backgrounds, and their strength was truly formidable.

But as the Imperial Guard's status rose, internal conflicts increased, and it gradually became a stepping stone for promotion for the sons of prominent military families.

Today's Imperial Guard, compared not only to a hundred years ago but even to thirty years ago, pales in comparison.

Wei Yan couldn't speak. The decline of the Imperial Guard was, after all, an undeniable fact. And it wasn’t just the Imperial Guard—by the time the Great Qi came into his hands, it had already appeared peaceful on the surface, while internally it was riddled with holes like an ant nest.

In his previous life, Wei Yan had done his utmost, yet he still couldn’t restore it to its true golden age. Lu Jiming’s seemingly casual remark touched on a longstanding sore spot of his.

“Don’t worry,” Lu Jiming said, looking out the window. “There will be a way. If we're of one mind, we'll find a way through anything.”

Though the words seemed vague and intangible, they felt like a promise. Wei Yan actually felt much more at ease. He wrapped his arms around Lu Jiming’s waist and said, “Even if we can’t do it, there’s still the little one.”

Lu Jiming looked down at his belly, which had gained some weight, and the hand Wei Yan had placed on it, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth. “He'll be up to it.” He had raised A-Luan for twenty years and knew his talent and capabilities.

Lu Jiming believed that A-Luan could accomplish everything he and Wei Yan were unable to do.

“As for the Imperial Guard, I have an idea, though I’m not sure if you’d be willing,” Lu Jiming said.

“What is it?”

“Let Zhifei take it on. When he’s a bit older, have him go among the people to find suitable orphans with the right aptitude, bring them back to the Imperial Guard, and train them from a young age. At the same time, restrict the rules allowing children of major clans to be pushed into the Imperial Guard. Regardless of background, everyone who enters the Imperial Guard must undergo training in the imperial city from childhood. Perhaps this way, the Imperial Guard might have a chance to regain its former glory.”

Wei Yan neither agreed nor disagreed. Ning Zhifei’s identity as the crown prince of the fallen Southern Ping made him actually ill-suited for such a task. But putting all that aside, he was indeed an excellent choice.

He was highly skilled in martial arts, diligent in his work, and had no ties to the former dynasty’s major clans. Moreover, as the adopted son of both him and Lu Jiming, no one could threaten or bribe him.

“I’ll think about it some more,” Wei Yan said. “For now, let’s focus on handling this Imperial Special Examination.”