Great, it's just a lackey, we're saved!

Chapter 97 I guarantee with my life that there was absolutely no cheating!

Zhou Wei remained calm, seemingly unfazed by Zhao Wuji's agitation.

"Lord Zhao!" Zhou Wei raised her voice.

This call made Zhao Wuji stop, but his eyes, fixed on Zhou Wei, remained as sharp as copper bells.

"What kind of literary sect is it that can be so easily destroyed?"

"Destroy it if you want, what are you going to do about it?"

These words, spoken lightly and with contempt, only fueled Zhao Wuji's anger.

Even Chen Wenyu was somewhat displeased.

“Zhou Dianjun, please show some respect for the matter of cultural heritage, otherwise I will have to impeach you.”

“Minister Chen, you are mistaken!” Zhou Wei shook her head. “It was precisely because I respected the matter of literary tradition that I released that thief.”

After Zhou Wei finished speaking, she bowed to the Crown Prince again.

"Your Highness, if our Great Zhou truly has a literary traitor, a traitor who uses his fabricated talent to deceive the world and the Emperor, what do you think should be done?"

There are no hypothetical characters in this question, so Jiang Yueshan can answer it easily.

He immediately said, "Such a shameless person should naturally be beheaded to appease the world!"

"Your Highness is absolutely right! That is why I am doing this to find out this traitorous scholar for the Great Zhou."

Zhou Wei walked to Chen Wenyu's side and took out the stack of Xuan paper from the brocade box.

With a gentle flick of the wrist, the Xuan paper was unfolded.

Chen Wenyu was somewhat surprised after just one glance!

“Zhou Dianjun, what’s written on this Xuan paper seems to be a policy essay?”

Zhou Wei smiled and nodded, "Indeed! This policy essay was written by a talented scholar. Both the Princess and I believe that this scholar's knowledge far surpasses that of the third-ranked scholar, Chu Tiance."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wuji scoffed.

He scoffed, "Zhou Dianjun, you should be responsible for your words. What do you, a mere woman, know about strategy?"

Zhou Wei looked at him and said, "I don't understand, and doesn't the Princess understand either? The Princess's studies are all taught by His Majesty himself. Does Lord Zhao mean to question His Majesty's learning?"

Zhao Wuji's face turned pale, and he quickly apologized to the Crown Prince.

"Your Highness, I had no such intention! It was Zhou Wei who deliberately slandered me."

The Crown Prince waved his hand: "Lord Zhao, please rise. I know you are an upright official."

Zhao Wuji wiped his sweat and glared at Zhou Wei.

I had only heard that this woman was ruthless in her attacks, but now that I've met her, I realize she's truly a formidable opponent!

I am a dignified censor, and my job is to engage in verbal battles.

It's so frustrating that I can't win an argument with Zhou Wei even once!

"Chu Tiance's strategies are unparalleled in the world. Not only me, but all the Grand Secretaries in the court highly praise his articles."

"Zhou Dianjun, Chu Tiance's examinations in the provincial and palace examinations were both conducted on the spot, and those two articles were truly amazing! His Majesty even ordered them to be posted at the entrance of the Imperial Academy so that students from all over the country could see them."

"Such talent, yet Zhou Dianjun disdains it; I find it hard to agree."

This time, Zhou Wei did not refute, but instead looked at Zhao Wuji with a smile.

Zhao Wuji was a little confused. He looked down at himself and found nothing wrong.

He didn't understand what Zhou Wei meant by looking at him like that.

But the smile on Zhou Wei's face conveyed a tacit understanding and something unspeakable.

This made Zhao Wuji uneasy!

Suddenly, Chen Wenyu, who was standing beside him, knelt on the ground, trembling, and begged the Crown Prince for forgiveness.

Only then did Zhao Wuji understand Zhou Wei's "unspeakable" nature.

"Your Highness, I swear on my life that there was absolutely no favoritism or cheating in this imperial examination!"

"As the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, I have been entrusted with important responsibilities by His Majesty, and I will certainly devote myself wholeheartedly to this task."

"The imperial examination is a matter of national destiny for the Great Zhou Dynasty. How could I possibly have any selfish motives?"

"Although Zhou Dianjun did not say it outright, his words implied that Chu Tianze's academic achievements were suspected of being obtained through cheating!"

"Your Highness, I would rather die than be slandered like this. I swear on the lives of my entire family that if I have committed any fraud, may my whole family suffer a terrible death."

Chen Wenyu's solemn oath moved even the Crown Prince.

He personally helped Chen Wenyu up and comforted him, saying, "Please get up, sir. This matter has not reached that point yet. There is no need to be so resolute."

Chen Wenyu kowtowed to the ground, tears streaming down his face.

"Your Highness, it is not that I am reckless, but this matter is of utmost importance!"

“Cheating in the imperial examinations has always been a major case. Once it is confirmed, it cannot be contained without a bloodbath.”

"Although General Zhou did not explicitly say that there was any cheating in the imperial examination, questioning Chu Tiance's talent is just like questioning the imperial examination itself!"

Zhou Wei smiled and glanced at Chen Wenyu, but didn't blame him for changing the subject.

Chen Wenyu, as the chief examiner for this imperial examination, considered himself to be honest and incorruptible, and believed it was impossible for him to leak the exam questions.

But he didn't know that there were spirits in this world who could steal the exam questions without anyone noticing.

Therefore, he dared to swear an oath, risking his life and fortune.

In the original storyline, Chen Wenyu was considered a loyal subject, and Zhou Wei did not intend to make things difficult for him.

Therefore, Zhou Wei cupped her hands and said, "Your Highness, the matter of cheating in the imperial examinations is of great importance, and I have not said that there is any suspicion of cheating in this year's examinations."

"Furthermore, who says that questioning Chu Tiance's talent is the same as questioning the cheating in the imperial examinations?"

"Lord Chen, there's no need to be so agitated. Please get up first, otherwise the students will start gossiping."

The students have already started discussing it!

The platform was some distance from where the students were gathered, and no one could hear what the dignitaries on the platform were saying.

But everyone could see Chen Wenyu kneeling on the ground, trembling all over.

Some people were already getting impatient, complaining about why the ceremony hadn't started yet.

But after seeing Chen Wenyu kneel down, everyone shut up!

For a Vice Minister of Rites to kneel trembling on the ground, something serious must have happened.

Chu Tianze, sitting in the special seat below, also looked completely bewildered.

He had already memorized Xie Yuan's article perfectly, and was just waiting for today to write it out brilliantly and give Jiang Yueli a good slap in the face.

Why haven't any exam questions been delivered after waiting for so long?

The examiners, including Chen Wenyu, were actually chatting with the princes and princesses on the high platform.

This……

That's incredibly rude!

Did they actually take him, the literary patriarch of the North, seriously?

Reminded by Zhou Wei, Chen Wenyu could only slowly get up in order not to escalate the situation.

But his expression remained one of grief and indignation, as if someone had insulted his innocence!

Zhou Wei sighed. This old man was so confident, as if he wasn't afraid of being crushed to pieces.

If they knew that Hu Youniang had stolen the exam questions, would they be so angry that they would faint on the spot?

The situation was somewhat delicate, and the Crown Prince could only say, "Gentlemen, the imperial examination is a matter of great importance, and we cannot discuss it further today."

"If anyone has any objections to the imperial examinations, they can submit a petition directly to His Majesty. I am here today not to accuse anyone of cheating in the imperial examinations."

Jiang Yueli also signaled to Zhou Wei that the matter of the imperial examination should be left unresolved.

A few preventative shots are enough!

The main purpose is to leave an impression on the people present.

To avoid the situation where Chu Tiance's true colors are exposed and the matter extends to the imperial examinations, which would be difficult for the public to accept.

Chen Wenyu is already in his sixties, and the princess is worried that the old man might have a heart attack.

Zhou Wei smiled and nodded, thus putting the matter of the imperial examination behind her.

But you can't hide fire with paper; if you try to cover it up, it will burn even more fiercely in a short time!

The Crown Prince asked, "Zhou Wei, you presented this article, claiming it was written by a talented scholar. What is its connection to the theft of the exam questions?"

Zhou Wei didn't keep them in suspense and said directly, "Your Highness, as I just mentioned, this talented scholar's literary skills far surpass those of Chu Tiance."

"With Chu Tiance's talent, it would be useless for him to steal the exam questions in advance, so he needs someone to take the exam for him. This person who takes the exam for him is the talented person I mentioned."

"I can guarantee that the essay written by the third-ranked scholar in a moment will be identical to the one I have in my hand..."

"Not a single word is different!"