News of the incident at the Ministry of Justice quickly spread through the city. The expected counterattack by the Overwatch Council, the Prime Minister, and Minister Fan against the Ministry of Justice and the Imperial Censorate had not immediately unfolded, contrary to the expectations of every bureaucrat.
And in the court exams, the Emperor of the Kingdom of Qing had finally quietly shown his attitude. Fan Xian's preferred scholars had entered the 2nd rank of candidates. As for the first, second, and third place titles - zhuangyuan, bangyan, and tanhua respectively - they unsurprisingly went to scholars whose names had long been established. Fan Xian was well aware that these three names had appeared on those pieces of paper, and he had taken that step when he was sealing the names on the exam papers.