[Imperial Palace · Taiji Hall · 7-9 AM]
"Petition! Petition! PETITION!"
The deafening chants penetrated the thick palace walls and echoed through Taiji Hall, rattling the tea cups on the imperial desk.
The young Emperor's face went pale. He rose from the dragon throne in alarm: "Wh-what's happening out there?"
A eunuch came tumbling in to report, barely keeping his feet: "Your Majesty! Outside the palace gates... outside the gates, more than three hundred scholars are kneeling! They say they've come to petition!"
"Three hundred?" The young Emperor's voice trembled. "Wh-what do they want?"
"They say... they say they want Your Majesty to revoke the Regent's appointment as Chief Examiner..."
The young Emperor froze, instinctively turning to look at the Regent beside him.
Xie Qingyan's expression remained unchanged. "Your Majesty need not be alarmed," he said mildly. "Scholars petitioning is a common occurrence."
Prime Minister Zhou Yanling seized the opportunity to step forward, his face a mask of concern: "Your Majesty, the scholars are emotionally agitated. If this is handled poorly, it could lead to disaster. In this old minister's humble opinion, perhaps the Regent should resign from the Chief Examiner position to calm the scholars' hearts."
Yin Wuwang stood among the military officials, watching Zhou Yanling's hypocritical performance with cold disdain. His fingers twitched with the urge to stride over and deliver a few well-placed punches.
This old fox! He incites the scholars to riot, then plays the concerned minister!
It was almost impressive, really. Three thousand years of observing cultivator politics had shown Yin Wuwang plenty of scheming and backstabbing, but there was something uniquely irritating about mortal officials. At least in the cultivation world, when someone wanted you dead, they had the decency to attack you directly. These court snakes preferred to smile while sliding the knife in.
Little Deer Assistant 9527's voice crackled in his mind: "Suggestion: Support the Prime Minister's motion. Yield to public sentiment and pressure the Regent to resign as Chief Examiner. Protecting the scholars of the realm—this is the noble bearing of a great general!"
Yin Wuwang snorted coldly in his mind. Protect the scholars? These bookish fools have clearly been manipulated by that old fox of a Prime Minister! And you want me to help him? Dream on.
He ignored this "righteous" suggestion and remained standing in cold silence.
"This minister requests permission to go out personally and speak with the scholars." Xie Qingyan suddenly spoke.
The young Emperor started. "Imperial Uncle wants to go personally?"
"Indeed." Xie Qingyan's expression was calm. "The scholars have concerns. This minister will explain matters to them directly."
A glint of satisfaction flashed through Zhou Yanling's eyes. The Regent going out personally? Perfect! Those scholars had been whipped into a frenzy—the moment they saw the Regent, wouldn't they swarm him? Whatever incident occurred, the Regent would be the one left holding the consequences.
"The Regent is truly courageous," he said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "However, the scholars are quite agitated. This old minister worries..."
"The Prime Minister need not worry." Xie Qingyan's tone was level. "This King knows what he's doing."
He turned and strode toward the palace gates.
Yin Wuwang hesitated for a moment, then followed.
[Outside the Palace Gates]
The palace gates slowly swung open, and the Regent's figure appeared in the doorway.
More than three hundred scholars knelt before the gates, their white robes like a field of snow, an impressive display of force. At their head, the blue-robed scholar Liu Siyuan held aloft a blood petition. Upon it, seven characters were written in crimson: "Justice for All Scholars Under Heaven." The sight was shocking.
The moment the scholars saw the Regent emerge, a wave of agitation swept through them.
"It's the Regent!"
"He's come out!"
"Regent! What right do you have to abolish the examinations? You're cutting off the roots of every scholar in the realm!"
Curses and accusations rose in a chaotic chorus. The scene threatened to spiral out of control.
Xie Qingyan stood before the palace gates with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze sweeping across the three hundred kneeling scholars. His expression remained utterly serene.
He said nothing. He simply stood there in silence.
Yin Wuwang watched from nearby, curious despite himself. What is he planning? Three hundred angry scholars, all convinced he's their enemy, and he just... stands there?
Strangely, the longer he remained silent, the quieter the scholars became. An intangible pressure radiated from him, chilling the very air. It wasn't cultivation pressure—Fuguang was suppressing his true power, as they both must in this world. But three thousand years of commanding respect had left its mark. Authority radiated from him like heat from a flame.
The scholars in the front row instinctively wanted to retreat, but their kneeling position made movement impossible. They could only lower their heads, unable to meet his gaze.
After a long moment, Xie Qingyan finally spoke. His voice wasn't loud, yet it carried clearly to every ear: "Who said this King intended to abolish the examinations?"
The scholars exchanged bewildered glances.
Liu Siyuan steeled himself and said: "Isn't the Regent planning to abolish the eight-legged essay format and replace it with policy essays? If that's not abolishing the examinations, what is?"
"Abolish the eight-legged essay?" Xie Qingyan raised an eyebrow slightly. "When did this King ever say such a thing?"
Liu Siyuan faltered. "This... Scholar Chen at the Imperial Academy said so..."
"Scholar Chen?" Xie Qingyan's voice was level. "Did he hear this King say it personally, or is this hearsay?"
Liu Siyuan's face changed. He stammered, unable to answer.
Xie Qingyan descended the steps slowly, moving toward him.
With each step, the pressure intensified. Liu Siyuan felt like prey being stalked by a tiger—every hair on his body stood on end. The scholars behind him lowered their heads one by one, not daring even to breathe heavily.
Xie Qingyan stopped before him, looking down from above: "This King will ask you again. You kneel here to petition—have any of you personally seen any official document from this King? Have any of you personally heard this King say he would abolish the examinations?"
The scholars fell silent as death.
"You have not seen it. You have not heard it. Based solely on a few rumors, you come to cause a disturbance at the palace gates." Xie Qingyan's gaze cut like a blade. "Is this what ten years of diligent study has taught you? Is this the wisdom you've gained from reading the classics of the sages?"
Shame colored the scholars' faces. Some had already bowed their heads.
"The sage said: Think thrice before acting." Xie Qingyan continued, his voice turning colder. "You made no effort to investigate the truth. You heard rumors and acted on impulse. If you enter government service in the future and encounter cases involving life and death, will you also believe every wind that blows?"
These words left the scholars with no place to hide their shame.
Liu Siyuan's face flushed red. He argued stubbornly: "But... but the Regent truly intends to serve as Chief Examiner! And you invalidated the entire examiner list from the Ministry of Rites!"
"Correct. This King does intend to serve as Chief Examiner." Xie Qingyan spoke slowly. "But when did this King say he would abolish the examinations? When did this King say he would eliminate the eight-legged essay? This King merely wished to replace examiners implicated in cheating scandals and give all scholars under heaven a fair chance to compete. Is there anything wrong with that?"
The scholars stood stunned.
"Ch-cheating scandals?" Liu Siyuan stammered.
"Do you not know?" Xie Qingyan countered. "In the past three years of examinations, six of the top ten candidates were children of the powerful and privileged. This King has read their essays—they were utter garbage. Meanwhile, many truly talented scholars from humble backgrounds were pushed off the rankings. Do you think that is fair?"
The scholars' expressions shifted dramatically. Many among them came from humble origins themselves, and they had long heard whispers of examination fraud—they simply hadn't dared voice their anger.
"This King is personally serving as Chief Examiner precisely to eliminate cheating and give scholars from humble backgrounds a chance to rise." Xie Qingyan's voice softened. "You have studied diligently for ten years, hoping to serve the court. This King will not destroy your futures—this King will only destroy the path of those who use connections and back doors to advance."
After these words, the scholars' attitudes visibly softened.
Someone murmured: "So the Regent wasn't going to abolish the examinations after all..."
"I knew those rumors couldn't be trusted..."
"We misunderstood the Regent..."
Liu Siyuan's face alternated between pale and flushed. Kneeling there, he found himself in an impossible position. The blood petition in his hands—he couldn't hold it, but he couldn't throw it away either.
Xie Qingyan's gaze fell on the blood petition. His voice was calm: "Who wrote this blood petition?"
Liu Siyuan's expression changed. He instinctively hid the petition behind his back: "It was... this commoner wrote it himself..."
"Is that so?" The corner of Xie Qingyan's mouth curved slightly. "Then this King would like to see what your blood petition says."
He extended his hand.
Liu Siyuan hesitated, but ultimately didn't dare refuse. His hands trembling, he offered up the petition.
Xie Qingyan unfolded the blood petition, scanned it briefly, and his smile deepened.
"Excellent prose." He said quietly. "Unfortunately, this handwriting doesn't appear to be yours."
Liu Siyuan's face went white as a sheet: "This..."
"This King has read your essays." Xie Qingyan tucked the blood petition into his sleeve. "Your calligraphy is upright and regular. The characters on this blood petition are flowing and elegant. Unless this King is mistaken, this should be the handiwork of a certain scholar-official, yes?"
Liu Siyuan's entire body shook. He could no longer speak.
"Rise, all of you." Xie Qingyan waved a hand. "Return and continue your studies. If you demonstrate true talent at this session's examinations, this King will personally select you. As for this blood petition..."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the crowd: "This King will investigate thoroughly."
The scholars rose one by one, bowing in gratitude to the Regent. The confrontation that had seemed about to explode moments ago had been defused just like that.
Yin Wuwang stood to the side, watching this scene unfold, silent admiration stirring in his heart.
Without deploying a single soldier, without harming a single person, he dismantled a three-hundred-man protest with nothing but words. Fuguang's tongue is truly formidable.
In the cultivation world, disputes were settled with swords and spiritual energy. Yin Wuwang had never needed eloquence—when you were the Demon Sovereign, your fists did the talking. But watching Fuguang systematically dismantle an angry mob using only logic and presence... it was like watching a master swordsman at work, each word a precisely aimed strike.
This is what three thousand years of wisdom looks like, he realized. Not just power, but the knowledge of when and how to use it.
He watched Xie Qingyan's composed, unhurried figure, and the corner of his mouth lifted involuntarily.
Fuguang, oh Fuguang. You're remarkable in every way. It makes a person want to keep watching you forever.
...Did I just think something disgustingly sappy? Forget it. No one heard.
[Taiji Hall · Shortly After]
Xie Qingyan returned to the hall and reported to the young Emperor.
The young Emperor exhaled in relief: "Imperial Uncle is truly amazing! So many people causing trouble, and Imperial Uncle resolved it with just a few words!"
"Your Majesty is too kind." Xie Qingyan's tone was level.
Prime Minister Zhou Yanling's face, however, had turned utterly sour. He had schemed and plotted to incite the scholars, expecting to see the Regent humiliated and forced to resign in disgrace. Instead, the Regent had defused the situation with a single speech—and even used the opportunity to promote the "legitimate reasons" for serving as Chief Examiner.
The scholars who had arrived ready to tear the Regent apart were now bowing in gratitude. Some were even looking at the Regent with admiration. How had this happened?
Worse still, that blood petition was now in the Regent's hands. If the investigation traced it back to Scholar Chen, there would be serious trouble...
Damn it! He ground his teeth internally. How is that whelp's mouth so persuasive?
He drew a deep breath, suppressing his fury. Losing this round didn't matter. There would be another.
Though the scholars had been convinced by the Regent, surely some among them remained dissatisfied. If he could find those people and incite them again...
At this thought, a sinister smile curved his lips.
He summoned his trusted aide: "Go investigate. Among today's scholars, find out whose eyes showed the most resentment."
The game was far from over.
[End of Chapter 16]
Next Chapter Preview:
The blood petition leads to arrests. The interrogation begins. And somewhere in the dungeons of the Ministry of Justice, three terrified scholars are about to discover that lying to the Regent is a very, very bad idea.
Chapter 17: Rumor-Crushing Machine Online—Where Can the Mole Hide?