Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne

Chapter 653: Chapter 320 Arriving at Jinling_2

Mr. Meng felt much relieved after hearing that.

"The Emperor takes the civil service examination very seriously; he will never allow anyone to undermine it." Zheng Xilin knew that Mr. Meng’s real concern wasn’t the exams elsewhere, but those in Jinling and Suzhou. "If the officials in Jinling and Suzhou dare to cheat in the exams, their outcome will be the same as Yangzhou’s many years ago."

This was precisely what worried Mr. Meng. He slightly furrowed his brow, his expression somewhat grave, and said, "They have the support of the Crown Prince and Prince Dai behind them; I’m afraid they will still make moves."

"If the Crown Prince and Prince Dai are wise, they should stop their people from playing tricks during the exams," Zheng Xilin said, an indifferent smile on his lips. "If they’re not wise, and they indulge or instruct their people to act recklessly, they will face abolition."

He added, "It will just give the Emperor an excuse to abolish them, which aligns with the Emperor’s intentions."

"Do you think the Crown Prince and Prince Dai will really act recklessly?" Mr. Meng was worried and coughed again, "Cough, cough, cough..." He coughed up blood.

Zheng Xilin quickly took out a handkerchief from his pocket, helping Mr. Meng wipe the blood from his mouth.

"Why are you so anxious? Didn’t I just say that the Emperor will have a countermeasure?"

Mr. Meng panted heavily, his voice weak, saying, "The civil service examination must not go wrong, it must be conducted smoothly, so that all the scholars in the world can have hope."

"The Emperor understands the importance of the civil service examination, so like you, he will never allow it to go wrong. Rest assured."

Mr. Meng still did not feel assured, still frowning, said, "After all, the Crown Prince and Prince Dai are the Emperor’s own sons. Do you really think the Emperor will punish them?"

"If you think the Emperor is a sentimental person, then you are greatly mistaken," Zheng Xilin consoled Mr. Meng. "In the Emperor’s heart, nothing is more important than the Great Zhou. Besides, he has many sons; losing the Crown Prince and Prince Dai, he still has other sons." The person favored by the Emperor is neither the Crown Prince nor Prince Dai. The Crown Prince and Prince Dai are merely pieces in the Emperor’s game.

"Alas... it’s a pity I don’t have much time left," Mr. Meng said, his face full of regret, "Before the introduction of the civil service examination, I thought I could die without regrets. Now, I want to live a little longer, at least until the end of the regional exam." He wanted to witness the civil service examination.

"If you want to live until June or July, then you can’t exert yourself like you are now," Zheng Xilin understood the reason why Mr. Meng wanted to live until the end of the regional exam.

"If I’m alive, I could quell these people, deter them from tampering with the civil service examination." Speaking of which, Mr. Meng sighed deeply, "Unfortunately, I won’t even live to see the county exam."

"If you take care of yourself and relax, you will definitely live to see the county exam," Zheng Xilin encouraged Mr. Meng, "You should enjoy the grand scene of the civil service examination then."

"I’d like to, but my health doesn’t allow it..." Mr. Meng’s words suddenly stopped, his face darkened, "If I had known there would be a civil service examination, I wouldn’t have left the mountains to teach, but stayed to rest."

Zheng Xilin deliberately blamed the Emperor harshly, "It’s all the Emperor’s fault for proposing the civil service examination too late."

Mr. Meng was amused by Zheng Xilin’s words, "Didn’t you say the idea of the examination was the Tenth Prince’s? Why blame the Emperor?"

Mentioning the Tenth Prince, Zheng Xilin’s expression immediately softened a lot.

"He will be here soon. When he arrives, it will become lively here." Thinking of how Zhao Yao always chattered away in letters, Zheng Xilin couldn’t help but feel better. "This child really knows how to make people happy; he can narrate a very small matter in a joyful manner."

"Although I haven’t spent much time with the Tenth Prince, I can see that he is a pure-hearted person, and people like him will live very happily." Mentioning Zhao Yao, Mr. Meng couldn’t help but smile as well, "The Tenth Prince is also quite astute after all; keeping such an important thing as the civil service examination under wraps until last year."

"Like father, like son; he’s hid many things, and the civil service examination is just one of them," Zheng Xilin added, "But it’s one of the most negligible ones."