Boom!
Over a hundred people had been listening with bated breath, so quiet that a falling needle could have been heard. None dared breathe loudly on such an occasion, but the moment those words fell, the room erupted, and many could not help discussing them aloud.
The dynasty's spring examinations had three chief examiners, one principal and two deputies, along with fourteen associate examiners, seventeen in all. Vice Minister Liu of the Ministry of Personnel, whom Zhang Modong had named, was one of the two deputy chief examiners for these spring examinations.
Thus, as soon as Zhang Modong finished speaking, everyone was stunned. A deputy chief examiner had leaked the questions-this would become a scandal great enough to blot out the sky!
Having spoken, Zhang Modong finally came to his senses. Shock, fear, and horror washed over him, and his face turned deathly pale. Who was Vice Minister Liu of the Ministry of Personnel? The mysterious man who had threatened him?
That did not seem right. A Vice Minister of Personnel could not possibly stay at an inn for long, nor could he possibly go unrecognized. But if that was the case, why had he suddenly named this man?
He had never known this man before. What was going on? Even with the mysterious man, he had only known that an official was contacting him, not who that official was. Why had he said it was Vice Minister Liu, recklessly implicating him?
Had this affair frightened him into madness? No, impossible. His mind was perfectly clear. Could he have been possessed?
Zhang Modong saw the reactions around him. Terrified, he immediately recanted. "No, I was talking nonsense! It was nonsense! It wasn't true!"
But whatever Zhang Modong said now, no one around him would believe him.
Nonsense? How could he