Daming: Brother, there is no future for monks, let's rebel

Chapter 1491 Blind Spot?

"Scholar Sun, where are you from?"

"Huguang, Huangzhou."

"Huangzhou," Zhu Qiwu repeated, "isn't Huangzhou not far from Wuchang?"

Sun Xiucai's expression changed for a moment, but only for a second.

"Why does the Seventh Prince ask this?"

"Just asking," Zhu Qiwu smiled. "I've heard there's a man in Huangzhou named Zou Tianyou, an advisor to Chen Youliang. Do you know him?"

Sun Xiucai's hand trembled slightly.

It was only for a moment, but Zhu Qiwu saw it.

“I don’t know him,” said Sun Xiucai. “I’m just an ordinary scholar here to take the imperial examination. Who is Zou Tianyou? I’ve never heard of him.”

"Really?" Zhu Qiwu stood up and patted Sun Xiucai on the shoulder. "Then do your best on the exam. You should find the questions for the third round very interesting."

He turned and walked away, but after a few steps he turned back.

"By the way, Scholar Sun. The third question in the third round has been changed. The original question was 'Will you cooperate or not?' Now it's 'How can you cooperate without being discovered?' Which do you think is harder to answer?"

Sun Xiucai's face turned pale instantly.

Zhu Qiwu didn't look at him again and walked straight out of the examination room.

Back at the side gate, Liu Bowen and Song Lian were both waiting.

"How is it?" Liu Bowen asked.

“Sun Xiucai is indeed Zou Tianyou’s man,” Zhu Qiwu said. “When I mentioned Zou Tianyou’s name, his hand trembled.”

"So what do we do next?"

"The third exam will use revised questions," Zhu Qiwu said. "The revised questions are more difficult than the originals. Zhang Shicheng's men received the revised version, and they couldn't answer them well. Chen Youliang's former subordinates also couldn't answer them well. Only those who have truly worked at the grassroots level can answer them well."

Liu Bowen thought for a moment and said, "What about Lu Wenzhao? Can he answer well?"

“He can,” Zhu Qiwu said. “Lu Wenzhao is a man who sees through everything. He can tell at a glance what a revised question is testing. He’ll answer it better than anyone else.”

Song Lian, standing nearby, said, "Seventh Young Master, do you trust Lu Wenzhao that much?"

“It’s not about trust,” Zhu Qiwu said. “It’s about judgment. A person’s answer can’t lie. What he writes reveals what kind of person he is.”

The third exam has begun.

After the questions were distributed, the examination room was quiet for a while.

Zhu Qiwu listened intently, noting that most people were focused on understanding the question.

Then he heard a voice.

It was Scholar Sun.

Sun Xiucai was speaking softly to Qian Tinggui, who was standing next to him.

"...The question has changed...the answer must also be changed...move towards 'maneuvering'...don't write 'cooperate,' write 'maneuvering'..."

Zhu Qiwu's lips curled up.

Sun Xiucai changed the answers on the spot.

He assumed that since the question had been changed, the answer would have to be changed as well. Little did he know, Zhu Qiwu had deliberately changed the question.

The revised question no longer tests "cooperation," but rather "maneuvering."

Those who can write about "maneuvering" are the ones who truly understand officialdom.

Sun Xiucai wrote "cooperate".

This is the gap.

Zhu Qiwu did not interrupt him, but continued to listen.

He heard Lu Wenzhao's pen scratching on the paper. He heard Chen Zilong's pen writing. He heard Zhao Wenbin's pen writing.

Everyone writes at a different pace. Lu Wenzhao writes the fastest, as if he already has the answer in mind and just needs to write it down. Chen Zilong's writing speed is moderate but very steady, with each stroke precise and neat. Zhao Wenbin writes the slowest, pausing to think after writing a few words before continuing.

Two hours later, the third exam was over.

The students handed in their papers and were released.

Zhu Qiwu stood behind the side door and conducted a final loyalty test using the loyalty test card.

The result was the same as the first game: thirteen reds and one yellow.

But this time, it wasn't Sun Xiucai in yellow.

It was Qian Tinggui.

Zhu Qiwu was taken aback.

Qian Tinggui's card changed from red to yellow.

What does this mean? It means that Qian Tinggui's stance has changed.

From traitor to suspect.

Why did Qian Tinggui change? Was it because he realized something during the exam? Or was it because someone said something to him during the exam?

He used his super hearing to recall the scene during the exam.

During the third exam, Sun Xiucai spoke with Qian Tinggui.

"...The question has been changed...so the answer must be changed too..."

Then Qian Tinggui started changing the answers.

But after changing the answer, Qian Tinggui's stance changed.

What does this mean? It means that what Sun Xiucai and Qian Tinggui talked about was not just about the answer.

He said something else.

Zhu Qiwu closed his eyes and thought carefully.

He heard Sun Xiucai's voice—"...align with 'maneuvering'...don't write 'cooperate,' write 'maneuvering'...Zhang Wang said that as long as you pass the exam, he'll give you a county post..."

A county.

Zhang Shicheng promised Qian Tinggui a county.

But after hearing this, Qian Tinggui's stance changed from red to yellow.

This shows that Qian Tinggui has wavered.

He was probably thinking—Zhang Shicheng gave me a county, but what did Zhu Yuanzhang give me? My life.

Zhu Qiwu opened his eyes and watched Qian Tinggui's retreating figure as he walked out of the examination hall.

Qian Tinggui walked slowly, his head down, as if he was thinking about something.

Zhu Qiwu did not call out to him.

Some things can't be forced. If you push them too far, they'll really turn red.

Let him figure it out himself. If he does, the yellow will turn green. If he doesn't, then let him be.

After all the candidates had left the room, Zhu Qiwu put the exam papers away.

Liu Bowen walked over and asked, "Have you finished the exam?"

"The exam is over."

How are you feeling?

"Better than I expected."

Liu Bowen smiled: "That's good. Leave the grading to Jinglian and me. You go and rest; the results will be released tomorrow."

Zhu Qiwu nodded and walked out of the examination hall.

It was already dark outside. Lanterns were lit on the streets of Yingtian Prefecture, and food stalls were open for business again.

Tang He was waiting at the door, holding two sesame seed cakes in his hand.

"Seventeen, five, finished the exams? How did it go?"

"The exam is over. It went well." Zhu Qiwu took the sesame seed cake and took a bite.

"Fourth Brother wants you to come home for dinner. He says he has something to discuss with you."

Zhu Qiwu ate a sesame seed cake as he walked toward the Wu King's Mansion.

Upon arriving at the council hall, Zhu Yuanzhang sat in the main seat, with a table full of dishes laid out before him. Li Shanchang, Xu Da, and Zhou Dexing were also present.

"Seven-five, sit down," Zhu Yuanzhang greeted him.

Zhu Qiwu sat down, and Zhu Yuanzhang placed a piece of food on his plate.

"I heard about the exam from Dexing. How did it go?"

"Better than expected." Zhu Qiwu briefly recounted the exam situation, including the matter of the fourteen people, Sun Xiucai's identity, and Qian Tinggui's wavering. "Zou Tianyou," he repeated the name, "I should have dealt with this person long ago."

"Fourth Brother, Zou Tianyou is in Huguang, which is out of our reach right now. But Scholar Sun is in Yingtian Prefecture; we can arrest him first."

“Don’t arrest him,” Zhu Yuanzhang said. “Let him finish the exam. After he finishes, have him go back and tell Zou Tianyou—the special imperial examination is real, and those who pass will be given official positions. If Zou Tianyou wants to take the exam, let him. I’ll reserve a place for him.”

Zhu Qiwu paused for a moment, then laughed.

"Fourth Brother, you're fishing."

“It’s not a trap,” Zhu Yuanzhang said. “It’s about giving them a way out. Chen Youliang’s old troops have been scattered for three years. Many of them don’t want to rebel; they just have no way to survive. Give them a way out, and they’ll stop rebelling. If you don’t, they’ll keep rebelling.”

Li Shanchang, standing nearby, said, "Your Highness is right. But this path needs someone to walk it. For the Seventh Prince, the imperial examination is this path."

Zhu Qiwu nodded.

Zhu Yuanzhang added, "There's one more thing. I sent Shan Chang to negotiate with Shen Wansan. He agreed to lend 100,000 taels, but on one condition."

"What are the conditions?"

"He wants an official position. Not a high-ranking one, but the position of Director of the Tax Bureau of Yingtian Prefecture. He would be in charge of all the taxes in Yingtian Prefecture."

Zhu Qiwu thought for a moment and said, "Give it to him. The Director of the Tax Bureau isn't a high-ranking official, but he manages the money. Shen Wansan is better at managing the money than any of our own people. He's a businessman; he's shrewd at accounting than anyone else."

"You little rascal, you think the same thing as me."

After finishing his meal, Zhu Qiwu returned to his courtyard.

He sat down at the table and collected his sign-in reward for the day.

Ding, check-in successful. Reward: One Popularity Index Card, which allows you to view the support level of the people of Yingtian Prefecture for King Wu, accurate to every street. Bonus: One pair of night vision binoculars, which allows you to see things within fifty zhang in complete darkness.

Zhu Qiwu took out the public opinion index card and unfolded it to take a look.

The people of Yingtian Prefecture had a 73% approval rating for Zhu Yuanzhang.

Seventy-three.

It was higher than he expected.

He then looked at the data for each street. The highest percentage was in the south of the city, at 85%. The lowest was in the north of the city, at 61%.

The south of the city was the first territory they conquered, and the people there were the most supportive. The north of the city was recovered later, and many former Yuan Dynasty officials were still operating in secret, so its support was lower.

Zhu Qiwu carefully put away the public opinion index card, then took out his night vision binoculars and went out into the yard to test them.

Although it was night, he could see a cat walking on the wall fifty feet away through his binoculars.

As he was looking, he suddenly heard footsteps outside the wall.

It was very light, like someone was climbing over a wall.

Zhu Qiwu put down his binoculars and listened with his upgraded super-hearing ability.

Two people. One in front of the other. The one in front has good agility, the one behind is not so good.

The person in front climbed over the wall and landed in the yard.

Zhu Qiwu looked up by the moonlight and saw that it was Lu Wenzhao.

"Young Master Lu, sneaking up the wall in the middle of the night, is this the 'gentleman' you speak of?"

Lu Wenzhao dusted himself off and smiled.

"Young Master Qiwu, I've brought you a message."

"What news?"

Lu Wenzhao took a letter out of his sleeve and handed it to Zhu Qiwu.

Zhu Qiwu took the envelope and saw that it was unsigned, with only a drawing of a folding fan on it.

It's Lu Wenzhao's mark again.

He opened the letter; inside was only one line—

"The results will be released tomorrow, and Zhang Shicheng will send people to snatch the exam papers. Not the candidates' papers, but the questions you set."

How did you know?

"Because when I was in Suzhou, Zhang Shicheng held a meeting. Someone at the meeting suggested sending someone to Nanjing to steal the exam questions. If they could steal the questions, they would know what the special imperial examination would cover, allowing the Suzhou candidates to prepare in advance."

Who suggested it?

“Zhao Bulan’s cousin, Zhao Wenli,” Lu Wenzhao said. “Zhao Wenli is Zhang Shicheng’s second-in-command, ten times more difficult to deal with than Zhao Bulan. He has already sent three men to Yingtian Prefecture. They will make their move tomorrow when the results are announced.”

Zhu Qiwu carefully put the letter away and looked at Lu Wenzhao.

Why are you telling me all this?

Lu Wenzhao's smile faded, and his expression became very serious.

"Because I've already made up my mind."

"What decision?"

"Which side are you standing on?"

Zhu Qiwu looked at him without saying a word.

Lu Wenzhao said, "After the imperial examination, I thought about it all day. Zhang Shicheng can't give me what I want. He can give me an official position, money, and a house. But he can't give me a reason—a reason for me to willingly risk my life for him."

"What reason?"

“Let the people live a good life,” Lu Wenzhao said. “Your fourth brother can give me this reason. You can too. So I’ve decided. I’ll go see your fourth brother after the results are released tomorrow.”

Lu Wenzhao is going to pledge allegiance to Zhu Yuanzhang.

This is worth more than ten top scholars in the imperial examination.

“Alright,” Zhu Qiwu said. “After the results are released tomorrow, I’ll take you to see Fourth Brother. But before that, you have to do something for me.”

"What's up?"

"Help me identify the three people who come to steal the exam questions tomorrow."

Lu Wenzhao smiled.

"make a deal."

He turned and climbed over the wall, his white figure disappearing into the night.

Zhu Qiwu stood in the courtyard, looking in the direction he had disappeared.

The results will be released tomorrow.

There's still a tough battle ahead.

He turned and went back into the house, placed the night vision binoculars on the table, put away the public opinion index card, and read the letter again.

Then he blew out the candle.

Outside the window, the night breeze from Yingtian Prefecture blew in, carrying the moisture from the Qinhuai River.

The next morning, before dawn, Zhu Qiwu was awakened by a series of urgent knocks on the door.

"75! 75! Something's happened!"

It was Tang He's voice.

Zhu Qiwu scrambled to his feet and opened the door. Tang He stood outside, drenched in sweat, holding a knife in his hand, his eyes wide as copper bells.

"What's wrong?"

"Something's happened at the Examination Hall! Last night, someone broke in and stole half of the exam papers for the third session!"

"How much did you steal?"

“At least fifty copies. All from the third session,” Tang He said. “Xu Da has already led men to investigate, but they’ve searched the entire examination hall, inside and out, and haven’t caught a single person.”

Last night, Lu Wenzhao said that Zhang Shicheng would send three people to steal the exam questions. Before he could even make arrangements, they had already taken action.

"Where's Fourth Brother?"

"In the council chamber. He looked very unwell."

Zhu Qiwu grabbed his coat and ran outside.

Upon arriving at the council hall, Zhu Yuanzhang sat in the main seat, his teacup smashing to the ground. Li Shanchang, Xu Da, Zhou Dexing, and Liu Bowen were all present, their faces grim.

"Seventh Five, you've arrived." Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was cold. "Have you heard about what happened at the Examination Hall?"

"I've heard about it." Zhu Qiwu walked in. "How much did they steal?"

“Fifty-three copies,” Xu Da said. “All of them are from the third exam. The person who stole them was very professional; they bypassed all the guards and climbed over the wall behind the examination hall. The place they climbed over was a blind spot, without any personal guards.”

"A blind spot?" Zhu Qiwu frowned. "Who arranged for that blind spot?"

Zhou Dexing's face flushed red instantly. (End of Chapter)