"Your Majesty, Gu Zhaoyi is asking for an audience outside the garden." Zhao Fu reported in a low voice from under the stone pavilion, interrupting Emperor Jianing's laughter.
Emperor Jia Ning was in a good mood and waved his hand, "Let her in.
Wang An smiled bitterly and shook his head, "Your Majesty, it's indeed true that Cao Cao has arrived."
[ To speak of Cao Cao, Cao Cao arrives is a popular colloquialism. It describes the unexpected appearance of the other party in front of the speaker, often as a surprise; Speak of the devil and he appears. Speak of the devil and he will come.]
The Emperor was about to reply when the sound of running footsteps sounded. A woman in a pale red jacket rushed into the stone pavilion. With raindrops on a pear blossom, it was unbearable to look at her. She bowed towards Emperor Jia Ning and choked up, "Your Majesty, you must do something for this concubine."
[ like raindrops on a pear blossom (idiom); tear-stained face of a beauty.]
Emperor Jianing frowned, a little embarrassed, "What's wrong? Speak slowly, Zhen will do it for you!"
Wang An turned his head back and pretended not to see it.
Gu Zhaoyi lowered her eyes and her voice trembled, "Your Majesty, This concubine heard a message from her family that the shao qing of the Da Lisi, Ren Anle, had wrongfully accused the younger brother of this concubine and had him tied up in the Da Lisi!"
"Tied up Qi Shan, how is that possible? Imperial concubine must not listen to rumours."
"Your Majesty, that Ren Anle said that Qi Shan was involved in the imperial examination fraud case. This is a big injustice. Qi Shan was raised by father to be naughty and mischievous, but he doesn't have the guts to cheat in the imperial examinations ah!"
Emperor Jianing narrowed his eyes and his expression faded a bit. He lowered his head and looked at Gu Zhaoyi who was crying sadly. He sighed and reached out to help...
Suddenly, the magnificent and ancient sound of bells rang out in the four fields of the imperial city, spreading throughout the capital with a force that could shake the sky.
The complexions of Emperor Jianing and Wang An changed at the same time, Wang An even stood up from his seat in shock.
The Qinglong Bell! The Qinglong Bell, which hadn't been rung for twenty years, had actually been rung!
"Your Majesty!"
A chamberlain ran in from outside the garden and fell to his knees in a terrified voice: "Lord Huangpu, the shaoqing of the Da Lisi, and dozens of officials from the Da Lisi have rung the Green Dragon Bell, imploring Your Majesty to issue an imperial decree to thoroughly investigate the imperial examinations fraud."
"Your Majesty!"
Before Emperor Jianing could respond, almost at the same time, Zeng Hai, the commander of the imperial guards guarding the imperial city, hurriedly entered and also fell to his knees, reporting back in a deep voice, "The candidates of this examination are kneeling outside the Chongyang Gate, begging Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate the imperial examination case and give them justice!"
There was a dead silence in the imperial garden as Gu Zhaoyi remained on her knees, completely losing the momentum she had earlier.
Only after a long time did she hear Emperor Jianing's cold voice.
"Zeng Hai, bring Huang Pu in to me, Zhen wanted to ask who it was that dared to let him ring the Qinglong Bell!"
[ flower tail feathers; plume;top hat and plume]
Ren Anle what have you done.