Quick Wear: Don't Follow the Plot and Feel Good

Chapter 176 The Replaced No. 1 Scholar

Jiang Caihua was truly a brilliant scholar. In that year's imperial examination, he passed the imperial examination three times in a row and was personally named the new top scholar by the emperor.

When the good news reached his hometown, his wife, Qin Lanying, was overjoyed. At this time, Qin Lanying was already eight months pregnant.

After waiting for a long time at home, my husband finally came back.

When Qin Lanying gave birth to a son, they named him Jiang Yingjun. Jiang Caihua had already been assigned by the emperor to Lin County as magistrate. With plenty of time, the couple decided to take advantage of this opportunity to enjoy themselves while taking up their new post. They rented a boat and sailed on the lake.

In the evening, a group of thieves suddenly appeared, killed a group of servants, pushed Jiang Caihua into the water and drowned him.

Qin Lanying was horrified. She wanted to go with her husband, but she was worried about her son.

At this time, the thieves' leader, Jiang Caihua, came over and found Jiang Caihua's appointment documents and official seal. He laughed out loud, "Hahahaha, Jiang Caihua, these are all mine. Including your wife and children, I want them all. You can go without worry!"

Oh my god! Isn’t this the catchphrase of Prime Minister Cao, “I will take care of your wife and children”?

Eighteen years later, Jiang Yingjun also won the first place in the imperial examination and became a county magistrate. Meanwhile, the thief Jiang Caihua, through his hard work over the years, has become the Minister of War.

Because the thief Jiang Caihua and Jiang Caihua not only had the same pinyin for their names, but also looked very similar, the emperor did not recognize that the number one scholar had been replaced by someone else.

The father and son served in the same court and their story became a legend.

On this day, Jiang Caihua celebrated his birthday, and to show his elegance, he chose to have a drinking party in the mountains and forests by the flowing water. All the important officials in the court came to congratulate him.

On this day, a woman appeared at the banquet with a disabled man. She knelt down on the ground.

"My Lords, the person next to me is Jiang Caihua, the newly crowned number one scholar 18 years ago, and the person sitting here is an imposter!

Eighteen years ago, my father, his wife, and their youngest son were traveling by boat to take up their new post when they ran into a gang of thieves. All the servants were killed, and my father was beaten and crippled and thrown into the water.

For many years, I have been unable to appeal to anyone. Today, I beg you gentlemen to help me clear my father's name!"

Jiang Caihua's face turned pale. "Even if what you said is true, how can you prove that I was the one who arranged that gang of thieves? Without evidence, you are falsely accusing me, and you will be flogged!"

"Of course there is. I have found one of the thieves."

"where is he?"

Jiang Caihua's anxious voice made the ministers around him look at him.

Jiang Xiaoyue's original intention was that among so many ministers, there must be a mortal enemy who disagreed with Jiang Caihua's political views, so Jiang Caihua's revenge might be avenged.

In fact, this was indeed the case, and the Dali Temple Minister was planning to take over the case, but unexpectedly, the Crown Prince showed up.

He wanted the support of Jiang Caihua and a group of ministers behind him, so he tried his best to protect him.

Poor Jiang Xiaoyue and her daughter were accused of slandering the minister and beaten to death with sticks.

"I don't believe there's no place for justice in this world! I must avenge my father!"

"As you wish!" After saying that, Sheng Jiang disappeared.

……

Jiang Xiaoyue is an orphan adopted by Jiang Caihua. She was abandoned by the river when she was born. Jiang Caihua heard her crying and took her home.

The father and daughter depended on each other for 18 years.

Jiang Caihua is a very ambitious man, and Sheng Jiang decided to cure his illness first.

Today is Jiang Caihua's birthday banquet. The Crown Prince will be there. Jiang secretly runs into the palace and gives the Emperor a hint, asking him to go on a private visit in disguise.

A group of people on the platform were toasting each other and fawning over Jiang Caihua. He had a smug look on his face.

Sheng Jiang calculated the time, and when the emperor was about to arrive, he rushed in front of the emperor and directly pulled Jiang Caihua to file a complaint.

The emperor hated it most when his ministers formed cliques for personal gain. Upon hearing about Jiang Caihua's birthday banquet, most of the ministers went to offer their congratulations, their faces turning pale.

Fortunately, although he was the Minister of War, he had not yet been given military power. Taking this opportunity, he directly pulled out Jiang Caihua's followers.

So the emperor hinted to the commander of the imperial guards to go back and mobilize troops, and then they surrounded the entire forest, making it difficult for even a fly to escape.

He took Sheng Jiang and Jiang Caihua to the birthday banquet. On the way, he asked Jiang Caihua about some strategies for governing the country. The emperor was very happy to hear that and promised that after this matter was completed, he planned to appoint him as a tutor to teach the princes.

The emperor suddenly became playful and said, "You two go first. I want to see how many people here are truly dedicated to the people. I can leave An Yi with you. He will protect you in times of crisis."

Jiang Caihua had no objection, so he and Sheng Jiang rushed into the banquet.

"How dare you! Who are you? How dare you intrude upon Lord Jiang's birthday banquet?"

"We're here to file a complaint!"

"Who are you suing?"

"Sue the current Minister of War, Jiang Caihua!"

Jiang Caihua also heard the sound of Sheng Jiang, and came over.

"Who is this person here? How dare you sue me?"

Sheng Jiang looked at him straight in the eyes, "You bastard! Look who's that person next to you?"

Jiang Caihua looked closely and found that the person next to her looked so familiar.

"You are so bold! How dare you look at me like that?"

Who knew that Jiang Caihua would shift his gaze to Qin Lanying at the table again, and excitedly shouted, "Lanying! Lanying!"

At this time, another boy of about 18 years old came over, seething with anger, "How dare you! How dare you, a lowly person like you, mention my mother's name?"

Jiang Caihua looked up and said, "You, you are handsome, right?"

"Who are you? How do you know my name?" Jiang Yingjun was startled. Could this person have some connection with my mother? Also, why does this person look a bit like me?

"I, I am you..."

Jiang Caihua interrupted him, "Are you trying to say you're his relative? What a joke! My Jiang family may not be a wealthy family, but we definitely don't have a poor relative like you! If you're here to beg for money, I can give you something to eat and won't bother with a beggar like you. Go away!"

Let's go. We'll find a way to get rid of him later! Keeping him around will only bring trouble. I wonder how those people did things back then? They're not going to get rid of the roots.

Fortunately, that group of people are already dead, and no one knows that it was me who ordered it.

Jiang Caihua was furious. "You're such a heartless wretch! I met you seriously injured at the foot of the mountain, and out of pity, I treated you. I thought you'd turn to goodness, but I never thought you'd become a thief. When I was the top scorer in the imperial examination and was on my way to Lin County to take up my post, you arranged for your men to kill several of my servants, drowned me, and took possession of my wife and children! You stole my official seal and robbed me of my life!"

"What nonsense!"

Jiang Caihua shouted, "Do you know what the crime is for slandering a court official?"

"I didn't slander!"

"What evidence do you have?"

Jiang Caihua looked at his colleagues with strange eyes, thinking that once this matter was confirmed, he would be at their mercy, and he could not help but feel irritated.

"You said I took possession of your wife and children. I'll call your wife over to see if she recognizes you."

"Jun'er, go to the women's side and call your mother over!"

After a while, Qin Lanying came over. She was still thinking about her son's words.

"Mom, if that man outside is really my father, then the wealth and glory you have enjoyed for the past 20 years will be gone, and my son's future will be ruined too."

At first, she was still very angry, "Asshole! That's your biological father! How can you deny him?"

"My biological father? Has he ever raised me for even a single day in all these years? So what if he was once the top scorer in the imperial examination? He, a top scorer, was brutally murdered by thieves. This shows that he is not suited to the current officialdom! How can he survive in this world if he has no sense of defense at all?"

"But don't forget, you were able to pass the imperial examination and become the top scholar because of the study notes your father left behind!"

"So what? My adoptive father has been in the officialdom for 18 years and has been doing very well. Even if I pass the imperial examination, I will only be a small county magistrate. If I want to return to the capital in the future, I will have to rely on him to take care of things in the officialdom."

Qin Lanying looked at her son as if she didn't know him: It was understandable that he had no feelings for his biological father, but he was also using his adoptive father. "How did you become so cold and heartless?"

Jiang Yingjun changed the subject, "Now that things have come to this, it depends on what you choose, mother. Do you want to live in wealth and glory, or live in poverty with a beggar?"

Qin Lanying was stunned. She had just spoken righteously about her son, but now it was her turn, and she felt very embarrassed.

Eighteen years had passed, and to be fair, Jiang Caihua had treated her quite well. He had never taken a concubine, and always prioritized her. This had made many noble ladies in the capital envious.

"Madam," Jiang Caihua looked at her, "this man said he was your husband. He wasn't killed by the thieves back then. Now, he's come to the capital. He also said that I was the thief. Madam, do you know this man?"

Qin Lanying looked at Jiang Caihua, his eyes were still affectionate, and then looked at his son, his eyes were full of expectation. He looked at Jiang Caihua again, his eyes were full of excitement,

"Lanying! Lanying!" Jiang Caihua shouted excitedly, "I'm Caihua. It's been 18 years, don't you recognize me?"

"Mom, do you know him?"

Qin Lanying closed her eyes and said, "Sir, I have never met you before."

"What did you say?" Jiang Caihua was struck by lightning and stood still.

Ginger: Tsk tsk, you’re still a love-brained person.

"My dear colleagues, have you all heard this? My wife doesn't know this man. This man is full of lies. He dares to defame me under the Emperor's feet. His crime is unforgivable! Come! Drag him away and give him 80 lashes!"

80? Wasn’t that person beaten to death?

The officials present were all cunning men. Wasn't this clearly a murder to silence the witnesses? However, since it was none of their business, no one spoke up.

"Master Jiang is right. Everyone in this imperial city is like this person. If they slander the ministers like this, how can we have the authority to discipline the unruly people?"

A group of people echoed and spoke.

Jiang Caihua looked at Jiang Caihua smugly: Humph! You couldn't beat me 18 years ago, and 18 years later, you still can't beat me.

A guard came up to drag Jiang Caihua away. Sheng Jiang looked at Qin Lanying and said, "Madam, is this your choice? I hope you won't regret it."

Qin Lanying didn't look at her, and her nails dug into the flesh with difficulty.

At this moment, someone shouted, "The prince has arrived!"

Everyone knelt down.

"Master Jiang, I heard someone was slandering you, so I came to see you."

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I was just about to deal with this matter. I'm sorry to have caused you such a commotion."

The prince smiled and said, "But you have to handle it properly, don't let anyone catch you."

Jiang Caihua knelt on the ground again in fear, "Your Highness, as long as I handle this matter, Your Highness will be the only one who matters to you from now on!"

The prince nodded with satisfaction.

Jiang Caihua gave the order for the execution again, and someone shouted, "The Emperor has arrived!"

Everyone was so frightened that they fell to their knees.

"Father, why are you here?"

"What? Can't I come?"

The prince said, "That's not what I meant."

"Then what do you mean?"

"..."

Emperor, "I always feel that there are always villains who want to harm me, so I went on a private visit today. The prince really gave me a big surprise!"

The prince fell to the ground in fear, "I don't understand what the emperor means."

"I don't understand? Jiang Caihua is having a birthday party, what are you doing here? And I heard that he is called the top scholar, but in fact he is a thief. He killed people to seize the seal, and took his wife and children. How did such a person, who has committed so many evil things, get promoted step by step by the prince? I asked you to be the regent before, and this is how you governed?"

The Crown Prince trembled with fear, but still insisted, "Father, since I became Regent, I have been conscientious and have never dared to form a clique for personal gain. Now, it is merely Lord Jiang's birthday banquet, and I am only here to take a look."

"Really? Then how does the prince plan to deal with this matter?"

"The case will be handed over to the Dali Temple for trial. I believe that an explanation will be given to the people of the world."

"Very good, this is the attitude that a crown prince should have."

Soon, the Dali Temple held a public trial of the case, with one of the thieves testifying. The case quickly came to a conclusion, causing a nationwide sensation.

Jiang Caihua was sentenced to beheaded in the autumn and executed in public.

Because of forming a clique for personal gain, more than a dozen ministers were implicated. Some were dismissed from office, while others were sentenced. For a time, people were in a state of panic.

Jiang Caihua's house was raided. The raid was even more brutal than the raid on the Jia family in Dream of the Red Chamber. Everything of even the slightest value was swept away.

Because Jiang Yingjun recognized a traitor as his father and behaved badly, the emperor personally issued an edict, revoking his title of top scholar and demoting him to a commoner. He was also no longer able to serve as a county magistrate.

Qin Lanying sat on the ground and cried bitterly. She didn't know whether she was crying for the loss of her wealth and glory, or for her greed and vanity.

"Taifu, there is a woman and a young man outside the palace who want to see you."

"not see"

Qin Lanying couldn't believe that Jiang Caihua, who had looked so desperate because she didn't admit that she knew him some time ago, actually didn't want to see her now.

"Jiang Caihua! Even if you don't recognize me, you don't want your own son anymore?" Qin Lanying shouted loudly outside the house.

After a long while, Jiang Caihua appeared and said, "I don't have a son, only a daughter.

Madam, you were the one who said you didn't know me. How could I have a son with you? Have you forgotten?

Also, please leave here immediately. If you keep making noise, I don't mind going to the Dali Temple to sue you for harassing decent women and men!"

"Dad! Dad!" Jiang Yingjun rushed over and knelt down. "Dad, I have never had any impression of my biological father since I was a child. If one day someone suddenly told you that dad is not your dad, what would you think? Would your first reaction be that the other person is lying?

So, Dad, I am innocent. Mom has never told my dad your true identity."

Jiang Caihua was too lazy to listen to his excuses. "You're very smart. In fact, you believed me the first time I told you the truth. It's just a matter of weighing the pros and cons. You just don't want a beggar father."

Now that I'm not a beggar, you're putting the blame on your mother. How can a selfish person like you be worthy of being my son? Get out of here! Don't let me see you again."

Jiang Caihua refused to acknowledge anyone and refused to listen. Qin Lanying and Jiang Yingjun began to blame and accuse each other. This resentment reached its peak when both of them had no money to spend.

The mother and son killed each other and both died. This became a big news in the capital.

Jiang Caihua took up the position of Taifu, specifically teaching the emperor's sons.

Five years later, the emperor's other sons had grown up, and the emperor finally found a reason to depose the crown prince and appointed the smart and wise third prince as the crown prince.

The prince could not bear the fact that he had to bow to his third brother, whom he once looked down upon, and felt humiliated.

Moreover, because of the difference in treatment, he could not bear the huge gap and committed suicide by drawing his sword.