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Speaking to this point, Mo Qingze paused, his gaze fixed on the three unsettled figures as he continued, "To demonstrate fairness, I request a public competition in the main hall."
As these words were spoken, the room was filled with shock. No one had anticipated Mo Qingze would make such a request. Just as the three witnesses had said, each examiner’s tastes differed, and their views on the essays varied accordingly—there was indeed an elent of luck in becoming a Scholar.
Now that Mo Qingze had called for a competition in the hall against the three n, while a victory could clear his na, since he had absolute power, who would risk ruining their future prospects by cheating? However, the prospect of winning was by no ans easy, unless he possessed overwhelming superiority over the three n.
The eight chief examiners simultaneously looked toward Emperor Huian; while a competition in the hall was problematic, it was indeed the best way to clear any suspicion. Ordinary people wouldn’t have the courage to propose such a thing, yet Mo Qingze was unexpectedly firm.
Emperor Huian watched Mo Qingze, his face resolute, a flash of intense admiration in his eyes, yet he did not imdiately agree. If Mo Qingze won, his na would surely be acclaid far and wide, but if he lost... the Crown Prince could be implicated!
As if perceiving Emperor Huian’s hesitation, Chu Heng stood up and respectfully said, "Father, Your Humble Son supports the competition in the hall."
Nobody expected that the first to advocate for the hall competition would be the Crown Prince. They all guessed he supported it to clear his own na, but the risks were indeed substantial.
"Your Humble Son seconds the motion!"
"Your Humble Son seconds the motion!"
"Your Humble Son seconds the motion!"
"..."
Seeing this, the Princes couldn’t wait to stand up and second the motion.
Regardless of the outco, there was no impact on the Princes; on the contrary, if Mo Qingze lost, they might have an opportunity to depose the Crown Prince. They were eager to facilitate anything that could make things unpleasant for the Crown Prince, and they didn’t have high hopes for Mo Qingze, doubting he could win the competition under one-against-three circumstances.
Observing this, the Ministers who were still on the fence also began to second the motion, agreeing to the hall competition.
Emperor Huian knew his Crown Prince was not rash and would not do anything detrintal to himself. With a decision in his heart, he addressed the eight chief examiners, "Granted!"
As the word "granted" fell, nearly everyone’s eyes were on Mo Qingze at the center of the hall, except for the three witnesses, whose complexions turned pale as if frightened.
King Heng and Old Master Lin’s expressions were no more pleasant; initially believing that with clear evidence and witnesses, they could topple Mo Qingze and drag Chu Heng down too, they hadn’t expected Mo Qingze to make such a move. Even with slim chances of victory, there was still a possibility of winning.
What was more terrifying was that if Mo Qingze won, pursuing the accusation against the three witnesses could implicate them as well.
No matter how much the grandfather and grandson were unwilling at heart, they couldn’t change Emperor Huian’s decision. They could only curse in their minds, wishing for Mo Qingze to lose and et a disastrous end where his entire family would be ruined.
This hall competition was not a matter of re talk; the test had to be near identical to the imperial examination’s content to ensure absolute fairness and integrity. Naturally, it wasn’t as simple as setting a few questions on the spot for them to compete against each other.
Since setting the questions needed ti, the hall competition also required ti. Eventually, Emperor Huian set the date for the competition to be the day after tomorrow. To prevent any "accidents," Mo Qingze and the three witnesses were taken away by the Ministry of Penal Affairs.
...
"Yanyan, Uncle Mo is not a rash person; since he has proposed the hall competition, he must be fully confident. You should believe in him! Moreover, even if Uncle Mo truly cannot prevail over those three who beca Scholars through cheating, we have ways to prove Uncle Mo’s innocence. Rest assured!"
Outside the palace gate, Xiao Ruiyuan gently comforted a worried Mo Yan, disliking the sight of her upset.
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