Chapter 43: The Fall of the Prime Minister

Word had already spread across the capital that Su Ze had beaten the Attendant Drum and presented a painting depicting the scenery along the river during the Qingming Festival, exposing the crimes of scions from powerful families—including Lü Gongbi, son of the Grand Chancellor—who colluded with Feng Shiyuan, head of the real estate guild, to hoard properties in Bianjing for speculation and amass massive fortunes.

This incident infuriated the Emperor, who dispatched Supervising Censor Bao Zheng to lead the investigation. Lü Gongbi and the other young nobles were immediately detained in the imperial prison of the Court of Judicial Review, where Bao Zheng interrogated them personally.

Wang Anshi could not help glancing back toward the Examination Hall. During the period of strict seclusion, all news from the outside was cut off. He wondered what the chief examiner, Lü Yijian, would think when he finally emerged and learned of this news.

Seclusion during the imperial examinations was an ironclad law of the imperial court. Although the Lü family members were anxious, none dared to risk their lives by entering the examination compound to deliver the news.

Two days later.

Lü Yijian was currently engaged in a debate with Ouyang Xiu.

Holding a test paper in his hand, Ouyang Xiu confronted Lü Yijian, saying, "Chancellor Lü! This poem blends poignant sorrow with heroic grandeur, and its rigorous structure radiates magnificent spirit. Why cannot it be ranked first?"

As the chief and deputy examiners, Lü Yijian and Ouyang Xiu naturally did not grade the papers directly. In the imperial examinations of the Song Dynasty, a panel of preliminary readers reviewed the scripts, selected the passing ones, and handed them over to the chief examiners to determine the final rankings.

Upon laying eyes on this particular paper, Ouyang Xiu could not tear his gaze away. As a pioneer of the Classical Prose Movement, his favorite works were poems and rhapsodies that reflected on history through the lens of the present. Furthermore, this piece contained deep undertones advocating for reform, which closely aligned with the ideology of the reformist faction.

However, Lü Yijian, who oversaw the examination, had selected a completely different paper. To Ouyang Xiu, the essay favored by Lü Yijian was ornate in phrasing yet utterly hollow in substance—merely a conventional, formulaic examination piece.

Remaining utterly calm, Lü Yijian pointed to the paper in Ouyang Xiu's hand and remarked, "This piece misuses classical allusions, and its tonal meters have flaws."

Ouyang Xiu was instantly silenced. After all, Lü Yijian was the chief examiner, leaving him no choice but to lower his head.

"Seal off the names and copy the ranking list to be sent into the palace."

Junior officials stepped forward one by one to uncover the sealed names. Looking at the revealed name on the paper favored by Lü Yijian—the top candidate of this Ministry of Rites examination—Ouyang Xiu saw it was a scholar named Yang Zhi.

Ouyang Xiu had heard of this man's name before.

Lü Yijian, possessing an even sharper memory, noted, "Yang Zhi was the top scorer in the Directorate of Education examinations, wasn't he? To achieve first place in both the provincial and metropolitan examinations in succession is unprecedented in our dynasty."

Only then did Ouyang Xiu recall who Yang Zhi was, adding, "This man is the younger brother of Yang Cha, the runner-up in the first year of the Jingyou era. If the brothers both attain top honors, it will truly make a wonderful tale for the ages."

Ouyang Xiu continued reading down the list. The candidate who wrote the essay he had favored was named Wang Anshi.

Ouyang Xiu memorized the name. The third and fourth places went to Han Jiang and Wang Gui, both renowned talents in the city of Bianjing.

Ouyang Xiu let out a long sigh. Su Ze, the talent he valued the most, had been suspended from his eligibility as a recommended scholar due to the previous malpractice case involving Song Qi, rendering him unable to participate in this Ministry of Rites examination.

Stealing a glance at Lü Yijian beside him, Ouyang Xiu suspected that Song Qi's case had likely been orchestrated by this very chancellor. The mere thought that these men would delay a talent like Su Ze merely for the sake of factional strife made Ouyang Xiu unwilling to exchange another word with him. He ordered the scribes to copy the ranking list, applied the official seals of the chief and deputy examiners, and immediately dispatched the results into the palace.

With this, the period of seclusion came to an end.

The moment the gates of the examination compound swung open, a servant from the Lü household rushed inside.

Lü Yijian felt a trace of displeasure. As a chancellor, he demanded decorum in all matters and maintained strict discipline within his household. Yet this servant, who had served him for many years, was acting utterly flustered.

Disregarding all propriety, the servant dashed straight up to him and whispered an urgent report into his ear detailing everything that had transpired over the past few days.

Abandoning all pretense of scholarly composure, Lü Yijian's pupils contracted violently as he gripped the servant's arm and demanded, "Is this true?!"

"Master! How would your humble servant dare fabricate such a thing? Please return to the residence immediately!"

Lü Yijian's body suddenly trembled, and he began to pitch backward.

With lightning reflexes, Ouyang Xiu caught Lü Yijian and hastily summoned the medical officer stationed within the examination compound.

"Close the gates of the examination compound! Send someone to the palace!"

After all, Lü Yijian was a chief chancellor of the state; any decline in his health would trigger a massive tremor throughout the imperial court. Although Ouyang Xiu despised the man's character, he stepped forward to control the situation for the sake of the greater picture.

Lü Yijian's face was ashen, and his breathing was feeble. After checking his pulse for a long while, the medical officer turned to Ouyang Xiu and stammered, "Academician Ouyang, the Chancellor... the Chancellor..."

"What has happened to the Chancellor?"

"The Chancellor has suffered a stroke."

Ouyang Xiu was equally startled. For years, rumors had circulated about Lü Yijian's frail health, which Ouyang Xiu had previously assumed to be merely a tactical smokescreen by the old scoundrel. But a sudden stroke must have been brought on by severe shock. Summoning the Lü family servant once more, Ouyang Xiu demanded to know exactly what had been told to Lü Yijian.

"What?! You say Su Ze, a scholar from Kaifeng Prefecture, beat the Attendant Drum to present a petition and impeached your second young master?"

Ouyang Xiu felt his head spin as well. Scarcely five days of seclusion had passed, yet so many earth-shattering events had occurred?

Immediately afterward, a wave of elation washed over him. Lü Gongbi's imprisonment and Lü Yijian's stroke meant the conservative faction had collapsed overnight. What did this bode for his ideals of implementing a new governance?

Being a man of noble character, Ouyang Xiu suppressed these thoughts when he looked at Lü Yijian, who was stricken with a stroke, and instructed the servant:

"Hurry back to the Chancellor's estate, fetch a stable carriage, and take Chancellor Lü back home."

"I shall enter the palace immediately!"

***

Inside the palace chambers of Imperial Beauty Zhang, her maidservant was helping her apply makeup.

Using a pair of tweezers, the maid picked up tiny pearls and pressed them one by one down the sides of Zhang's brows onto her cheeks. This was the most popular pearl makeup style among aristocratic women at the time.

Because the primary production areas for pearls were controlled by the Liao Dynasty, these gems were imported through cross-border trade between the Song and Liao, making them exorbitantly expensive. Only women of the imperial harem and high nobility adorned themselves in this fashion.

The maid then arranged Zhang's hair into a high coiffure, securing it with a jade hairpin, finally completing the exquisite and peerless noblewoman's look.

Outside the screen, Zhang Yaozuo waited quietly. He had come to report the downfall of Lü Yijian to Imperial Beauty Zhang.

"Uncle should not have helped Su Ze in such a manner."

Startled, Zhang Yaozuo heard Zhang say, "Su Ze is merely a commoner; how could he possibly investigate the owners of properties across Bianjing and compile such detailed data? The Emperor must realize by now that it was all due to Uncle's assistance."

Cold sweat broke out across Zhang Yaozuo's body. Though he considered himself a cunning and sycophantic man, he was all the more adept at guessing the Emperor's mind. The Emperor might harbor grievances against the Empress and Lü Yijian, but he certainly would not appreciate anyone colluding with Imperial Beauty Zhang to hatch political plots, as he detested political interference from the harem.

With a calm tone, Zhang Yaozuo's niece continued, "Uncle, tell the Emperor the inside story of the fake book case. It is not too late to beg for His Majesty's clemency now."

Zhang Yaozuo hurriedly replied, "This subject will return and submit a memorial confessing my guilt! The fake book was entirely my own arbitrary doing and has nothing to do with you!"

Lifting his head, Zhang Yaozuo asked, "And what of Su Ze?"

With a placid expression, the imperial consort replied, "Such talent naturally deserves to be befriended. Furthermore, I must trouble Uncle to step forward and finalize his marriage with Chu Lan."

"This subject understands!"