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"Isn't he the Martial Arts Grandmaster who attempted to assassinate the Minister of Justice's family last time? There was a court reward for him back then, though the bounty wasn't as high. Are these nobles he killed too?"

"It's possible. Last time he tried to kill the Minister of Justice, it might have been to rid the people of a scourge."

"Fortunately, he didn't succeed. If he had assassinated the top scholar, where would our lives be now?"

"However, killing these nobles was the right thing to do. I hope this hero doesn't get caught..."

...

The murderer of the nobles has been found, and the rumors about the Emperor blood-sacrificing his kin for longevity naturally collapse.

In just two days, discussions in Chang'an about that matter have gradually subsided.

Some of the populace chose to believe.

And those who did not believe, also dared not discuss it further.

Regardless of whether the killer was Zhao Wuji or not, this move by the Ministry of Justice was clearly to silence the populace and prevent any reckless discussion of the Emperor.

Anyone who still cannot see the situation clearly and dares to offend at this time deserves to be caught and convicted by the Spiegel Bureau.

The only ones still daring to speak on these matters are the academy students.

The court has always been lenient with academies. Though the Minister of Justice, Li Xuanjing, holds immense power and kills nobles as if they were dogs, when the academy students united to protest in front of the Ministry of Justice, he only detained them for a few days without harming them a bit.

However, at this time, there are no students discussing this matter in the academies.

Their minds are entirely captivated by another issue.

Early in the morning, outside the walls of all academies in Chang'an, a notice was posted.

The Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice, the Scheeren of the Secretariat, also the Imperial Censor and the past Six Subjects' Scholar, Li Nuo, is preparing to start an Imperial Examination tutorial class in Chang'an, teaching students the Six Arts of the Imperial Examination.

Such tutorial classes are not uncommon in Chang'an. Some are run by academy teachers, others by those who have repeatedly failed the Imperial Examination, and even some court officials use this method to legally earn money, among them former top subject scholars.

Before the Imperial Examination, many students spend a fortune seeking their guidance.

A tutorial class opened by the Six Subjects' Scholar Li Nuo would surely interest every student.

Since the inception of the Imperial Examination system, only two individuals from across the continent have been Six Subjects' Scholars, both from the Li Family. One is Li Nuo, the other was his father.

And the only excellent Six Subjects' Scholar is him alone.

It is said that during his time in Zhao Country, just giving some guidance to students at a certain academy led to half of that academy's students being admitted as Advanced Scholars this year, with five being Six Subjects' Scholars.

This year's Imperial Examination is the most likely for the majority of students to achieve success, missing it means there will be no next time. Who wouldn't want such a prestigious mentor's guidance?

There is a world of difference between being on or off the Golden List.

No matter how expensive the tutorial class is, they would sell everything they own to attend.

However, the Six Subjects' Scholars' class is not open to just anyone.

Only those ranking at the top of their respective academies have the chance to be taught by a Six Subjects' Scholar.

With this news, the top students in all major academies became restless.

Some students have outstanding achievements, yet they are still a bit away from being on the Golden List.

A single decision this time could change the course of their entire life.

Thus, they will certainly go to great lengths to apply.

Once these individuals apply, those with the strength to potentially achieve high rankings but are only at the bottom of the Advanced Scholars won't sit idly by.

When those less capable than them significantly improve in the Six Arts, they will surely be pushed aside.

Meanwhile, even those at the very top, the cream of the crop, cannot help but feel anxious.

Being on the list isn't difficult for them; they aim for a higher ranking.

The higher their ranking, the better their start in officialdom. If they do nothing and the ones behind catch up, they might just waste several years or even longer in official circles.

As the Saint says, "Learning is like rowing upstream; not to advance is to fall back."

When others advance, it means you regress.

For a time, every qualified student eagerly applied, whether from a famous family or a poor one.

Chang'an.

Chen Mansion.

Chen Tieniu lay comfortably in his chair, with two young and beautiful maidservants standing behind him, gently massaging his shoulders, and two more equally charming ones kneeling by his feet, softly kneading his thighs.

The physical comfort was undeniable, yet a touch of worry lingered in his heart.

This year, the court suddenly enforced mandatory tax reform, limiting the tax-exempt land of officials. The land he had attached under the local County Magistrate's name was forcefully returned by the County Magistrate.

He didn't dare accept the returned lands either.

He had attached those lands under the County Magistrate's name to evade court taxes. If he took back those lands, and the tax officials discovered his tax evasion over the years, wouldn't it spell disaster?

The Chen Family had risen from mere peasants to their current standing, able to afford a three-entrance residence in Chang'an City, by risking their lives, conducting business between Daxia and Zhao, and accumulating today's wealth.

However, despite wealth, without power, they must still act according to the whims of others.

Fortunately, his son proved himself, not only entering one of the Four Great Academies of Daxia, Qingfeng Academy, but also excelling in his studies there. Moreover, with the court's expanded admissions over the past three years, it was certain he would become an Advanced Scholar next year.