Chapter 738: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 738: A Perfect Counterattack at the Trial (3)
At this point, Mo Qingze paused and added, “To ensure fairness, I request a public contest in the hall.”
This proposal shocked everyone in the room. No one had anticipated that Mo Qingze would make such a request. As the witnesses had stated, each examiner had different tastes and views on essays, so there was an element of luck involved in passing the examination.
Now, with Mo Qingze proposing to compete publicly, even if winning could clear his name, it was a daunting task. To succeed, he would need to have skills far superior to the three witnesses.
The eight examiners looked to Emperor Huian in unison. While a public contest would be troublesome, it was indeed the best way to prove his innocence. Few would dare to make such a bold request, but Mo Qingze had taken the unexpected step.
Emperor Huian, observing Mo Qingze’s resolute demeanor, saw a flicker of admiration in his eyes but did not immediately respond. Winning would undoubtedly enhance Mo Qingze’s reputation, but if he lost... it could implicate the crown prince.
Seemingly sensing Emperor Huian’s hesitation, Chu Heng stood up respectfully and said, “Father, I support the public contest.”
Everyone was surprised to see the crown prince be the first to support the contest. It was clear that he, too, sought to clear his name through this method, though it carried significant risks.
“I concur!”
“I concur!”
“I concur!”
“…”
Other princes and noblemen quickly voiced their support as well.
Regardless of the outcome, this would not affect them directly. On the contrary, if Mo Qingze lost, it might provide an opportunity to undermine the crown prince. They were eager to see the crown prince face difficulties, and they did not believe Mo Qingze could win against three opponents.
Seeing this, the undecided officials also voiced their support for the public contest.
Emperor Huian knew that his crown prince was not impulsive and would not do anything detrimental to himself. Having made his judgment, he addressed the eight examiners, saying, “Granted!”
With the Emperor’s approval, all eyes were on Mo Qingze in the center of the hall, while the three witnesses appeared pale, seemingly frightened.
Prince Heng and Lin Dalao also looked displeased. They had expected to topple Mo Qingze with the evidence and drag Chu Heng down with him. Now, with this new twist, even if Mo Qingze’s chances were slim, there was still a possibility of winning.
What was even more alarming was that if Mo Qingze won, the accusations against the three witnesses might implicate them as well.
No matter how reluctant the grandfather and grandson were, they could not change Emperor Huian’s decision. They could only wish that Mo Qingze would lose, leading to his complete downfall.
The public contest was not something that could be arranged hastily. It needed to closely resemble the examination questions to ensure fairness and impartiality. Therefore, it was not as simple as just setting a few questions for the participants to answer.
Given the time needed to prepare the questions, the contest was scheduled for the day after tomorrow. To prevent any “accidents,” Mo Qingze and the three witnesses were taken away by the Ministry of Justice.
…
Outside the palace gate, Xiao Ruiyuan gently reassured the anxious Mo Yan, “Yan'er, Uncle Mo is not someone who acts recklessly. Since he proposed the contest, he must be confident. You should trust him! And even if Uncle Mo truly cannot match the three witnesses who cheated to pass, we still have ways to prove his innocence. You should not worry!”
(End of Chapter)
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