Qi Family
Qi Huai took the exam paper from Jiang San's hands with some hesitation in his heart, and finally walked towards his father's study.
As the Minister of Rites, Qi Gongzhen was used to getting up early even when he didn't go to court. He was handling affairs in his study.
"Father," Qi Huai knocked on the door, "I have something to discuss."
"Come in," said the person inside.
Pushing open the door, there was the flickering candlelight, contrasting with the piles of paper, which were filled with the arrangements of imperial etiquette events for the past six months. The newest ink strokes were still wet, showing Qi Gongzhen's diligence.
The Qi family was not a prominent family. Their current status was entirely thanks to Qi Gongzhen's position as Minister of Rites.
Qi Huai felt somewhat uncomfortable in his heart. He spoke softly, "Father, I want to ask you for a favor - can you go to the Imperial Examination Hall Archives of Examination Papers and find an exam paper?"
Qi Gongzhen suddenly turned back and stared at this son who made him both proud and headache-ridden, "What are you trying to do? The exam papers in the Imperial Examination Hall are not something you can just casually access. I'm the Minister of Rites, not the Emperor!"
"Father!" Qi Huai was a little anxious. "It's not just casually accessing. It's... it's a case of exam paper switching."
As soon as he finished speaking, Qi Gongzhen stood up with his eyes wide open, as if he couldn't believe it.
But as if remembering something, he soon narrowed his eyes with a long sigh.
Cheating in the imperial examinations, huh.
It had always existed and never ceased.
On the contrary, Qi Gongzhen was even more curious about the person who could make Qi Huai want to help.
"Isn't it that Xu Mo?" He said in a deep voice. "His exam paper was switched?"
"Yes..." Qi Huai nodded. "Brother Xu is much more outstanding than me, but he failed. When we were checking the comments, we found that it wasn't even his exam paper at all."
Qi Gongzhen was not surprised at all.
Outstanding students were more likely to be targeted, while the mediocre ones were ignored.
"My son, this matter is much more serious than catching the assassins last time. If we get involved, even my position may not be protected."
Qi Huai was stunned.
"So, do you still want to help him with determination?" Qi Gongzhen asked.
Qi Huai was silent for a while. Of course he didn't want to lose his status as the Minister's son, but he was also unwilling to watch Xu Mo being wronged. As a friend, he should lend a hand whether out of personal affection or social ethics.
"Father," the youth knelt down on both knees, "your son is unfilial."
He was determined to help Xu Mo.
Qi Gongzhen stroked his beard. Before he could say anything, the study door was suddenly smashed open.
A girl in a long black dress rushed in and knelt in front of him as well, "Father, please help him, I beg you!"
Apparently she had been eavesdropping outside for a while.
Qi Gongzhen shook his head with folded arms, as if laughing at himself for having such good children, and as if helpless, "You kids, Xu Mo is someone Old Dou has his eyes on. The request should be made by him to Old Dou, then Old Dou comes to me. At least I can take advantage of some connections with the Dou family. But you came to me directly. Really... silly!"
After speaking, he blew out the oil lamp and staggered out of the study.
"Even if Old Dou doesn't come to ask me, I still have to take this connection with the Dou family. It definitely cannot slip away."
Qi Huai and his sister Qi Yue looked at each other, bright and delighted.
But when their eyes moved back to the desk full of etiquette arrangements, Qi Huai froze in place again.
That day, the Minister of Rites went to the Imperial Examination Hall and used his authority to search through the exam papers of current examination candidates. After just enough time to drink a cup of tea, he hurried away.
The people at the Examination Hall were puzzled, and so were the Qi siblings.
The imperial examination essays were generally long dissertations. At most one could read the beginning in the time afforded by a cup of tea, let alone find Xu Mo's paper.
Unless, the first book he picked up was it.
With complicated feelings, Qi Huai once again arrived at the study and saw the stunned Minister of Rites as expected.
"Father..." He pursed his lips. "Did you find it?"
Qi Gongzhen slowly nodded.
"Who was it? Whose name was on the exam paper?" Qi Huai turned from shock to joy. "I didn't expect you to find it so quickly. You were right to compare it with the essay Brother Xu rewrote."
"Identical." Qi Gongzhen frowned. "But that exam paper belonged to this session's Top Examinee."
This session's Top Examinee, Fang Yuan of the Fang family.
It really was him.
Father and son of the Qi family stood frozen in place, faces full of disbelief.
How could anyone dare to cheat by switching with the exam paper of the Top Examinee?
But thinking of the Fang family's status, it was not unexpected after all.
"My son, I don't stop you from having a sense of justice, but we cannot afford to provoke the Fang family - as an old prominent family in Fengjing, with countless military achievements backing them, the Fang family's influence is beyond your imagination."
"If you also care about your friend, you must persuade him to give up. He can take the exam again three years later and still has a chance."
"But if he offends the Fang family, there will be no future for him."
Qi Gongzhen's earnest words were still in his ears. Qi Huai gripped the sheet of paper and stood at the small courtyard gate, his heart struggling intensely.
Until Jiang Sheng came to open the door and saw him, happily saying, "Big brother, Qi Huai is here. He must have good news!"
The chubby girl skipped inside cheerfully.
Qi Huai let out a breath, reluctantly walked into the yard, and stood in front of Xu Mo.
"Brother Xu..." His tone was full of difficulty. "This time, it might be a bit tricky."
How tricky was it?
So tricky that even this ambitious person was retreating, thinking to let the matter rest.
So tricky that he didn't dare to drag his family into it.
So tricky that he felt he had let Xu Mo down.
"Brother Xu, I'm sorry, I was useless." He hastily stuffed the exam paper into Xu Mo's hands and hurriedly turned away. "I have wronged you."
