The Provincial Examination Cheating Scandal had been making headlines for a long time. After the trial, most of the students who had bought the exam questions confessed, save for a few stubborn ones.
The Grand Court had traced the leads, but by the time they went to apprehend the person selling the exam questions, they had long since vanished.
The trail ended there, and the case reached a stalemate.
In the Imperial Study within the Imperial Palace.
"Imperial Father, please entrust this case to your son!" Jun Hui, whose injuries had mostly healed, knelt on the ground, requesting the assignment.
It had been a long time since his Imperial Father had assigned him any duties. Now, he desperately needed an assignment to prove his capabilities to his Imperial Father, and to demonstrate his Imperial Father's trust in him to the ministers.
The Emperor looked at him, frowning, "Your injuries haven't fully healed. Rest for a few more days before we discuss this further."
"Imperial Father, your son truly is well now. Princess Changning's medicine was excellent, and the Imperial Physician also said your son has recovered."
Seeing his persistence, the Emperor relented, "Very well. Then, I shall entrust this matter to you to investigate. But you must not overexert yourself, do you understand?"
Jun Hui bowed, "Yes, thank you, Imperial Father!"
The Emperor nodded, "I still have state affairs to attend to. You may leave first."
"Your son takes his leave."
Jun Hui exited the Imperial Study and went straight to the Grand Court.
Minister Zhang Dehui, the Vice Minister of the Grand Court, promptly came out to respectfully usher him in.
Jun Hui sat at the head of the room, looking at Minister Zhang Dehui, who stood to the side, "Minister Zhang, what is the progress on the Provincial Examination Cheating Scandal?"
Zhang Dehui bowed in response, "Reporting to Sixth Prince, the other students have all confessed. There's one hard nut, though; he refuses to confess no matter what. The exam vendor also fled, and the trail has gone cold."
Jun Hui curled his lips into a cold smile, "A hard nut? Harder than the torture devices in the prison?"
Zhang Dehui wiped sweat from his brow, "Yes, every harsh interrogation method has been tried, but he insists he's innocent."
Jun Hui chuckled, "Bring his exam paper to this prince."
Zhang Dehui went to retrieve an exam paper and presented it.
Jun Hui looked at the examinee's name.
"Zhao, Huai, an?"
"Yes, it's that Zhao Huai'an."
Jun Hui scanned the essay he had written, and his brows furrowed.
"The calligraphy is excellent, and the writing style is fluid, but this essay is identical to the essays of those dozen or so students who bought the exam questions. Is this not cheating? Could it be that those dozen copied his? What a joke!"
"First, the students have no idea what essay topic they will get before entering the Ministry of Rites. Even if they did, it's impossible for them all to write the exact same essay."
Zhang Dehui nodded profusely, "Precisely! Despite this, he adamantly refuses to admit guilt!"
Jun Hui ordered, "Bring the person up. This prince wishes to meet him."
"Yes!"
Zhang Dehui turned and instructed his subordinates, "Bring him up!"
A moment later, the yamen runners dragged a person in.
The man was covered in blood, not a single spot on his body was untouched.
His hair was disheveled and caked in grime, making his face unrecognizable.
Jun Hui said coldly, "Lift your head!"
The man showed no reaction.
Jun Hui picked up the gavel.
"Clap!"
The man trembled all over.
"I didn't cheat! I didn't cheat! I'm innocent!"
Jun Hui saw that the man was nearly delirious, a clear sign of severe torture.
"Go fetch a basin of water."
Zhang Dehui asked, "Clean water or saltwater?"
Jun Hui slanted him a look, "Minister Zhang, interrogating a case isn't just about applying torture; one must use their wits. You've tortured him to this state, how are you supposed to interrogate him now?"
Zhang Dehui bowed, "Yes, yes, Your Highness is right."
He then turned and instructed a yamen runner, "Go, fetch a basin of clean water."
Soon, the clean water was brought.
Jun Hui said, "Wash his face."
The yamen runner stepped forward and haphazardly splashed water onto the unrecognizable man's face a few times.
Jun Hui said coldly, "Wash him properly!"
The yamen runner quickly soaked his sleeve in water and carefully cleaned the man's face.
Gradually, the man lifted his head, his eyes slowly clearing.
Upon seeing Jun Hui seated at the head of the room, his eyes lit up.
"Your Excellency! This humble commoner... this humble commoner is innocent!! I beg... I beg Your Excellency to uphold justice for this humble commoner!"
Zhang Dehui roared, "Audacious! This is His Highness the Sixth Prince! Do not offend him!"
A trace of pleasant surprise flashed in Zhao Huai'an's eyes. He respectfully kowtowed, performing a full bow.
"This humble commoner Zhao Huai'an greets Your Highness the Sixth Prince! I beg Your Highness to uphold justice for this humble commoner!"
Seeing him adamantly deny cheating, his expression genuinely didn't seem like he was lying.
"You say you didn't cheat, so why is your essay identical to those of the dozen-plus students who bought the exam questions?"
Zhao Huai'an was startled, "Your Highness, this humble commoner does not know! This essay was indeed written by this humble commoner myself; I did not buy the exam questions!"
"This is indeed strange. Unless you and those dozen individuals are of one mind, even twins wouldn't be so attuned! How do you prove that you didn't buy the exam questions?"
Zhao Huai'an stated firmly, "This humble commoner can write an essay on the spot, and Your Highness will know that this humble commoner has not lied."
Jun Hui's interest was piqued. He straightened up, "Oh? Minister Zhang, give him paper and brush."
Zhang Dehui had ink and paper brought over.
Zhao Huai'an took the brush, pondered for a moment, then immediately began to write on the paper.
After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Zhao Huai'an put down his brush and said, "Your Highness, please examine it!"
Ye Bai handed the essay written by Zhao Huai'an to Jun Hui.
Jun Hui took it, casually glancing over it at first.
As he read, he gradually became serious.
This essay was indeed well-written. With such talent, there would be no need to cheat.
"Are you willing to write another essay?"
Zhao Huai'an said, "Your Highness, please provide the topic."
Jun Hui stated a topic, and watched as Zhao Huai'an pondered for a moment before putting his brush to paper again.
Jun Hui watched him, his expression growing increasingly serious.
From the looks of it, this person truly might be innocent.
But this matter made no sense; he wrote his own essay, yet those dozen students had somehow acquired this exact essay beforehand.
How could anyone write an essay that was identical to someone else's?
There was another possibility: that those dozen students all lied, and they didn't buy the exam questions in advance. Instead, there was a mole among the invigilating officials of the Ministry of Rites.
The mole secretly copied Zhao Huai'an's essay and then transcribed it for those dozen students.
But this also made no sense. Even if officials from the Ministry of Rites wanted to help students cheat, they wouldn't be so foolish as to give them identical essays.
The answer to all of this lay with the exam vendor.
Yet, this person had vanished into thin air.
Soon, Zhao Huai'an put down his brush.
"Your Highness, this humble commoner has finished."
Jun Hui saw that the essay was indeed well-written.
It was evident that this person possessed genuine talent.
Jun Hui asked a few more questions, and Zhao Huai'an answered them remarkably well.
Jun Hui looked at the others and said, "You all may step out first. This prince wishes to interrogate him alone."
Zhang Dehui bowed, "Yes!"
He then led his subordinates out.
Jun Hui rose, walked around the table, and stopped in front of Zhao Huai'an.
"This prince believes you are innocent."
These words almost made Zhao Huai'an burst into tears.
Zhao Huai'an's eyes reddened, and he choked out, "Your Highness is willing to believe me, then I..."
"But this prince cannot, for now, clear your name."
These words caused Zhao Huai'an's hopes to plummet back down.
"What does that mean? Am I to bear this monumental injustice for the rest of my life?"
Jun Hui looked down at him, "Though this prince cannot restore your innocence, I can find someone to take your place."
Zhao Huai'an murmured, "What good is that? This humble commoner has endured ten years of arduous study, all for the sake of achieving official status through the Imperial Examinations. Now, burdened by this injustice, I cannot participate in the Imperial Examinations, thus I cannot enter officialdom. Even if I were released, I would merely live as a nobody for the rest of my life!"
Jun Hui retorted, "Who says one can only achieve wealth and prestige by participating in the Imperial Examinations?"
Zhao Huai'an looked up at him, puzzled.
Jun Hui smiled, "Sir, would you be willing to serve this prince?"
Being of the same ilk, Zhao Huai'an understood the ambition in Jun Hui's eyes at that moment.
Zhao Huai'an immediately knelt and kowtowed, stating earnestly, "This humble commoner is willing to follow Your Highness and serve you with utmost dedication until my dying breath!"
Jun Hui personally helped him up and patted his shoulder.
"This prince will find someone to replace you as soon as possible. Before then, I must ask you to endure this hardship, sir."
"As Your Highness commands!"
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