The weather in the Capital has changed.
The late autumn of October arrived with such suddenness that it caught everyone off guard. During the morning court session, Fang Cili impeached Lu Zhi on seventeen counts; merely reading the charges took nearly an hour. In the end, the testimonies and physical evidence presented by Yuan Shu nailed Lu Zhi to the cross.
Imperial examination fraud is a grave crime in any dynasty, let alone when the chief examiner is found to have accepted bribes. There were precedents from previous dynasties—at the very least, it meant the confiscation of one's property; at worst, the execution of one's entire clan. The Emperor did not issue a verdict immediately. Instead, he ordered Fang Cili to lead a team to re-examine the papers, while Lu Zhi was thrown into the prison of the Imperial City Bureau to await further judgment.
Chapter 124