Amidst the intertwining of family vendetta and personal hatred, Benjamin Hughes, overwhelmed by grief and rage, composed poems and essays about his ordeal, singing them all the way to the capital.

On the way to the capital, he encountered an official under Brian Parker. That official, after some consideration, secretly reported the matter to Brian Parker in advance.

The Minister of Personnel, Michael Lewis, was the father of the Crown Prince’s consort, and this case was inextricably linked to the Ministry of Personnel. Naturally, Brian Parker didn’t mind causing some trouble for the Crown Prince.

Moreover, with the imperial exam scandal involving identity fraud and the added element of family blood feud, it was only right to give the victim justice. So Brian Parker arranged for Benjamin Hughes to meet a famously upright and incorruptible senior censor at court.

Sure enough, that old censor did not disappoint Brian Parker, and the very next day, he reported the matter to the emperor in open court.

Now that the issue had been blatantly brought to the attention of Emperor Charles, it could not be ignored.

Of course, relying solely on the censor’s words would not suffice, so Brian Parker also exerted some influence in Jiangnan.

After Benjamin Hughes’s case spread through the capital, it quickly made its way back to Jiangnan.

In Jiangnan’s prefectures and counties, including Zhongzhou, a large group of poor scholars united to fiercely criticize the incident, composing numerous essays and poems to openly and covertly satirize the court’s negligence and other issues.

Jiangnan was renowned for its scholars; in this generation, it was the region with the highest reputation among all scholars in Great Qi. With the scholars rallying together and making a scene, even if Emperor Charles wanted to downplay the matter, he could not.

At present, if a satisfactory response could not be given, it would surely chill the hearts of scholars across the land.

But if he intervened recklessly, he would risk offending the Minister of Personnel, which meant offending the Crown Prince.

So when Emperor Charles sought the opinions of his ministers, no one dared to speak lightly.

Seeing the atmosphere grow tense, the Right Chancellor Samuel Reed stepped forward.

“Your Majesty, in my opinion, dealing with William King and the negligent officials involved in this identity fraud case is simple. The real difficulty lies in how to appease the scholars of Jiangnan and convince the scholars of the realm of the court’s fairness.”

Emperor Charles nodded and immediately pressed further.

“Does Chancellor Reed have any suggestions?”

“I believe, Your Majesty, that you could tour the south to comfort the scholars.”

He bowed as he spoke.

Matthew Lee, standing nearby, immediately objected.

“Your Majesty’s health is precious; how can you leave the palace and travel far so lightly? It is far too dangerous. Though Chancellor Reed’s suggestion is good, it lacks due consideration.”

Right after, Charles Faulkner also stepped forward.

“Yes, for Your Majesty to leave the palace on an inspection tour would involve endless formalities and great expense in mobilizing guards, and it would endanger Your Majesty’s safety. If such a measure must be taken, it would suffice to send someone in your stead.”

Their objections to Emperor Charles leaving the palace happened to align perfectly with Brian Parker’s intentions.

At this moment, Brian Parker stepped forward at just the right time.

“Royal Uncle, your nephew is willing to go to Jiangnan on your behalf to comfort the scholars.”

As his voice rang out, all eyes turned to him.

After a brief silence, the Crown Prince Steven Parker also immediately stepped forward and bowed to Emperor Charles.

“Father, this journey is fraught with unknown dangers. Your health is precious, and my royal brother is the heir apparent; he too should not be put in harm’s way. Why not let your son go instead?”

By rights, Brian Parker was his cousin, but the two had grown up together. Back then, to show closeness, Emperor Charles had allowed Brian Parker to address him as “your son” in front of him, and had his two sons call Brian Parker “royal brother.”

However, though the Crown Prince’s words sounded respectful and seemed to be for Brian Parker’s sake, in truth, he simply did not want to give Brian Parker the chance to gain prestige.

After all, this trip to Jiangnan was a golden opportunity to win the hearts of the scholars there.

Seeing this, Matthew Lee also chimed in at the right moment.

“What the Crown Prince says is very true. I also believe that if someone is to be sent on a southern tour, the Crown Prince is the most suitable.”

“Your Majesty, I disagree.”

Samuel Reed immediately retorted in a deep voice.

Emperor Charles frowned and looked at him. “Chancellor Reed, what do you have to say?”

Clearly, he had realized that he was favoring his own son a bit too much. But since this whole matter had been orchestrated by Brian Parker, how could he let the Crown Prince reap the benefits?

So Samuel Reed replied calmly.

“Your Majesty, this scandal concerns the Ministry of Personnel, and Minister Lewis is the father of the Crown Prince’s consort. If the Crown Prince were to take charge, people might suspect favoritism. With the autumn exams approaching, if the Ministry of Personnel cannot clear its name, it would not bode well.”

Chapter Fourteen: The Southern Tour

Mentioning the in-law relationship, the Crown Prince’s expression immediately changed.

At this point, he really should avoid suspicion, but to hand over such a great opportunity for fame to Brian Parker was something he was unwilling to do.

So he immediately cast a pleading look at his maternal grandfather, the Left Chancellor Matthew Lee.

The old fox Matthew Lee instantly understood and quickly tried to remedy the situation.

“Your Majesty, Chancellor Reed does make a valid point. However, as the Crown Prince said, His Highness the Heir is the designated successor. For him to tour the south alone would indeed be dangerous. He is still young and somewhat inexperienced. If such an important matter is mishandled, it could lead to further trouble. Therefore, I believe that even if His Highness the Heir personally goes on the southern tour, several capable people should be sent to accompany him.”

This clearly matched Emperor Charles’s wishes, and he immediately nodded in agreement.