flstandardbreds Chapter 141 Favors
Chapter 141 Favors
Sun Cheng's heart skipped a beat and an ominous premonition came to his mind.
He didn't understand why the examiner had no reaction. Could it be that the servant didn't deliver the note?
Or did the examiner simply not believe such groundless accusations? Sun Cheng frowned tightly, his eyes full of confusion and anxiety.
Shen Huaichuan followed the crowd out of the examination hall, with a hint of tiredness on his face, but more of a sense of satisfaction.
He knew that he had performed to his best in this exam, and no matter what the result was, he would be worthy of his years of hard work.
Shen's mother and Shen Tangan had already been waiting outside the examination hall. When they saw Shen Huaichuan coming out, they hurried to greet him.
"Brother, you look like you're in great shape."
Shen Tangan said with a smile.
Shen Huaichuan nodded, "Well, the test went pretty well."
Mother Shen looked at her son lovingly and said, "No matter what the result is, just do your best. Let's go home and have a good rest while waiting for the announcement of the results."
Just as they were about to leave, an attendant beside the examiner hurried over.
"Mr. Shen, please stay."
Shen Huaichuan was shocked and didn't know what the examiner wanted to see him about.
He signaled to his mother and sister to wait for a moment, then followed the attendant to where the examiner was.
When Sun Cheng saw this scene, his eyes suddenly lit up. He thought that the examiner had finally discovered the so-called "cheating" and was going to punish Shen Huaichuan on the spot.
He followed quietly behind, hiding in a corner and eavesdropping.
The examiner saw Shen Huaichuan coming over with a gentle smile on his face.
"Mr. Shen, I have read your test paper today. It is very brilliant and has unique insights. It is truly a rare masterpiece."
Shen Huaichuan hurriedly bowed and said, "Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Examiner. I am just doing my best."
The examiner nodded slightly, then changed the subject, "However, during today's exam, something unpleasant happened. Someone anonymously accused you of cheating. Are you aware of this?"
Shen Huaichuan was shocked. "Sir, I definitely did not cheat. Please be careful."
The examiner looked at Shen Huaichuan's sincere eyes and made a judgment in his mind.
"Mr. Shen, of course I believe you. Your character and talent are well-known in Kyoto. When this note was handed to me, I felt that something was fishy. So I secretly sent someone to investigate and found that the person who accused you was Sun Cheng. Moreover, the so-called cuff that contained the answer was also a figment of the imagination."
A surge of anger surged in Shen Huaichuan's heart. He didn't expect Sun Cheng to be so despicable as to use such means to frame him.
"Please be careful, sir!"
The examiner sighed, "He must be jealous of your talent, and because he was humiliated by you outside the examination room today, he resorted to this desperate measure. However, cheating in the examination room is a serious matter, and he cannot be forgiven for maliciously accusing others like this."
At this moment, Sun Cheng, who was hiding in the corner, heard the examiner's words and realized that the truth had been revealed. He was so scared that he trembled all over.
He tried to sneak away, but was discovered and grabbed by the examiner's attendant.
"Mr. Sun, where do you want to go?"
The attendant sneered.
Sun Cheng was brought before the examiner. He knelt down with a plop. "Sir, please spare my life. I was just confused for a moment. Please have mercy on me."
The examiner said sternly, "Sun Cheng, as a candidate, you have no ambition to make progress, but you use such despicable means to frame others. Your character is really low. You have been disqualified from this spring exam, and I will report this matter to the court. You just wait to receive the punishment you deserve."
When Sun Cheng heard this, his face turned pale and he collapsed to the ground.
He knew that his future was completely ruined.
Shen Huaichuan looked at Sun Cheng's miserable appearance and did not feel much pleasure in his heart.
He just felt sad, sad for Sun Cheng's narrow-mindedness and stupidity.
"Sir, although Sun Cheng did such an unjust thing to me, I still hope that you can give him a chance to reform and not report it to the court."
The examiner looked at Shen Huaichuan in surprise, "Mr. Shen, he framed you so badly, why did you still plead for him?"
Shen Huaichuan sighed, "Sir, I just think that everyone makes mistakes. If he can learn a lesson from this and turn over a new leaf, it would be a good thing. Besides, I don't want to create a deeper hatred because of this incident."
After hearing what Shen Huaichuan said, the chief examiner was even more impressed with him. "Mr. Shen is indeed a broad-minded person. Since you pleaded for him, I will give him a lighter sentence. Sun Cheng, although you have been disqualified from this spring examination, I will not report it to the court. I hope you can take care of yourself."
Sun Cheng didn't expect Shen Huaichuan to plead for him. He raised his head and looked at Shen Huaichuan with shame on his face.
"Why are you helping me?"
"Mr. Sun, you must remember that you owe me a favor." A sneer flashed in Shen Huaichuan's eyes.
The examiner watched all this and secretly admired Shen Huaichuan's strategy.
He was well aware of the power struggles in Kyoto City. Behind Shen Huaichuan's seemingly generous plea, there were actually deeper considerations.
Sun Cheng is the son of the prime minister, who has extensive influence in the court. If he reports this matter to the court, he will undoubtedly create enmity with the prime minister.
Shen Huaichuan chose to do this favor. On the one hand, it could make Sun Cheng feel guilty and he would not dare to embarrass him easily in the future; on the other hand, it was equivalent to planting a chess piece in the prime minister's place. If necessary, he could use this matter to threaten the prime minister and gain the upper hand in this treacherous officialdom struggle.
Sun Cheng sat on the ground in a daze, feeling mixed emotions.
He knew that he was able to escape the severe punishment of the imperial court today, all thanks to Shen Huaichuan.
He originally thought that Shen Huaichuan was simply kind-hearted, but now from the sneer that flashed across Shen Huaichuan's eyes, he realized that things were not that simple.
He felt both grateful and a little scared. He was grateful to Shen Huaichuan for giving him a chance to start over, but he was afraid that he would never be able to hold his head up in front of Shen Huaichuan again and would have to let him control him.
Shen Huaichuan turned around, bowed and said goodbye to the examiner, then walked towards his mother and sister who were waiting anxiously.
Shen's mother asked worriedly, "Son, what does the examiner want to see you about?" Shen Huaichuan smiled and said, "Mother, nothing, just some small matters about today's exam."
Shen Tangan was keenly aware that there seemed to be something hidden behind her brother's smile, but she did not ask much and just followed her brother and mother back home obediently.
After returning home, Shen Huaichuan went back to the study alone.
He sat at his desk, quietly thinking about what happened today.
He knew that although his approach today seemed risky, it was the best choice under the current circumstances.
He knew very well that his talent would not be buried, but in Kyoto, if he wanted to realize his ambitions, talent alone was far from enough. He also needed to know how to weigh the pros and cons and utilize the relationships between various forces.
Today, he let Sun Cheng go, which was a clever move in the chess game of officialdom.