noffsinger Chapter 1178 The Battle for the Top Case
Chapter 1178 The Battle for the Top Case
Throughout the entire banquet, Xin Ji felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.
He had assumed that Fang Ziyan and Shen Zheng's relationship was limited to "knowing each other," but he never expected that they were very familiar with each other, extremely familiar, even "overly familiar."
Midway through, Shen Zheng raised her glass to him separately to thank him for taking care of Fang Ziyan at the Examination Yuan.
The strong liquor went down his throat, and Xin Ji gave a bitter smile.
He thought that Fang Ziyan might not need his care at all.
The things Fang Ziyan said, such as "I am the only scholar in my family" and "I cannot fail the exam," were probably just casual remarks, but Fang Ziyan took them seriously.
The banquet ended at 9 PM.
Several lanterns hung high, casting a warm glow over the quiet street.
Before getting into the carriage, Shen Zheng specifically told Xin Ji, "Come to the yamen tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM) to pick up what you want."
The night breeze dispelled the effects of the alcohol, and Xin Ji nodded sullenly.
For some reason, he didn't seem to want the microscope as much anymore.
"Things?" Fang Ziyan waved goodbye to Shen Zheng's carriage and then leaned forward to ask, "Xin Ji, what did you ask Sister Shen for? When did you ask for it? Did you know each other before?"
“…” Xin Ji exhaled a breath of stale air, his eyes almost rolling to the sky: “You only just realized we know each other? I told you long ago, my surname is ‘Xin,’ the same as the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner stationed in Fuzhou.”
After saying that, a small glimmer of hope appeared in his heart.
Surprised, fat man!
"You mean, the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner knows you?" Fang Ziyan was indeed surprised, but he didn't ask any further questions. Instead, he said, "I see. I have to go back to the examination post station with everyone. Goodbye, Xin Ji. Remember to visit Tong'an County when you have time; I'll treat you!"
"..." Xin Ji's expectations vanished like smoke.
He took the reins from the attendant and mounted the horse without saying a word.
He thought he would never go to Tongan County in his lifetime.
......
The results of the second round of interviews will be released in seven days.
Seven days is a long time for test takers, as they are eager to know their scores as soon as they hand in their papers.
But for the examiners, seven days passed in the blink of an eye, far too short for them to review the papers.
Therefore, Zhao Chengye, the chief examiner, sent people to find Shen Zheng several times, hoping that Shen Zheng could extend the time for reviewing the papers, but Shen Zheng refused each time on the grounds that she was "busy with official duties".
In the marking room, the answer sheets were piled up like a mountain. As time went by, the "peak" got lower and lower until the day before the results were released, when only two answer sheets remained on the table.
The examiners had a heated argument over the two answer sheets, each sticking to their own version of events.
"How can this paper be worthy of being ranked first?" The examiner, Meng Hanshan, pointed to the answer sheet on the left, his face showing dissatisfaction mixed with a hint of contempt: "Every word is crafted with a mechanical touch, lacking in spirit! Such a paper is a laughing stock!"
In his eyes, those who could write such answers were mostly poor people who had never seen the world, and whose minds were full of things like land and fields.
But the other answer sheet was different. Its arguments were grand and impressive, revealing the family's rich heritage. Only such an answer sheet deserved to be the top choice in his mind.
Today, he is determined to fight for this, and to fight for the integrity of scholars!
"Can integrity feed you?" Chief examiner Zhao Chengye grabbed the answer sheet on the left, held it high, and said, "Who talks about integrity in front of the people? What our Great Zhou needs now are practical policies, real and tangible measures for the people's livelihood! You want integrity, don't you? Did the Marquis of Jiade, who was stripped of his title, have any integrity? Huh? What contributions has he made to the people of our Great Zhou? Huh?! Speak!!!"
The lingering sound resonated around the beam.
"..."
Knowing that his voice was not as loud as Zhao Chengye's and his official position was not as high, Meng Hanshan chose to avoid the limelight after careful consideration.
But "avoiding the limelight" does not mean "giving up the fight," but rather "fighting slowly" and "fighting indirectly."
His legs trembled, his eyebrows drooped, and he braced himself on the desk, his face showing distress: "You are the chief examiner, your decision is naturally fair, and I will follow your advice..."
“…” Zhao Chengye laughed in exasperation.
What a brilliant example of using retreat as a means of advancement! It makes him seem like an unreasonable, power-abusing brute!
The atmosphere inside the room suddenly became subtle.
Two breaths later, the examiner Zhu Shanjiong joined the fray at the opportune moment, speaking up for Zhao Chengye: "Lord Meng is wrong to say that. The way you are acting makes it seem as if Lord Zhao is using his power to force you to comply."
Having his thoughts exposed, Meng Hanshan choked for a long while: "...I absolutely did not mean that. I merely thought the other answer sheet was of high caliber, with profound writing skills, fully demonstrating..."
"Alright." Before he could finish speaking, Zhu Shanjiong interrupted him: "Lord Meng, since that's the case, let's stick to the facts. Please don't say that Lord Zhao is abusing his power."
"..." Meng Hanshan choked again.
The next moment, the argument resumed, filling the entire marking room.
......
As the morning light began to illuminate the streets and alleys, the entrance to the Examination Yuan was already bustling with activity.
The people waiting for the results were not only anxious candidates, but also curious members of the public.
But the common people were sensible and didn't push forward to squeeze in with the candidates. Instead, they gathered at the back and discussed, "We've finally waited for this day. I'm going to take a good look at whether these scholars in our mansion have real talent!"
Those around him nodded in agreement, but then couldn't help but ask in confusion, "I wonder... what criteria do the examiners use to screen the papers? What kind of answers are considered failures? It can't be like the last prefectural examination, where only a few dozen out of hundreds of candidates were selected, can it?"
Upon hearing this, the onlookers gasped in shock, and their murmurs fell silent.
If this happens, won't the number of scholars in their Liuyang Prefecture be reduced by more than half?
This can't happen!
"Absolutely impossible!" Just as everyone was filled with curiosity and worry, someone suddenly said, "I heard from the scholars who took the exam that there are no quotas for this second round of testing. As long as your answers are excellent enough, you can pass!"
It turned out to be the case.
Just as the people were beginning to feel more at ease, another question arose: "But... although I don't know many words, I understand that poetry and policy essays aren't as straightforward as 'a pound of rice costs ten coins, two pounds costs twenty coins.' If there's no unified answer, what kind of answer can be considered excellent?"
These words struck a chord with everyone, and before they knew it, a hint of worry had crept into the eyes of the common people.
They had heard that the examiners for this exam were all officials from the surrounding prefectures.
The judging criteria of the examiners from the outer prefectures are hard to fathom, and it's really difficult to say whether the students from Liuyang can truly catch their eye.
"When-when-when-"
Three gong sounds emanated from inside the Examination Yuan, and the crowd immediately fell silent.
Under the watchful eyes of many, Jiang Zhiming stepped onto the steps and headed towards the notice board pavilion on the gate of the Examination Yuan. Two buglers followed behind him, carrying the red notice board that everyone was looking forward to on their shoulders.