Chapter 364 Lady Sui Requests an Audience
The number of participants decreased sharply in the second round of the provincial examination.
Cheng Wanwan escorted Cheng Zhao and Shen Zheng into the examination hall and was about to go for a stroll when she turned around and saw Lu Yingxue running over in a panic.
"Sister Wanwan, something's happened!" Lu Yingxue grabbed Cheng Wanwan's sleeve as if she were grasping at a lifeline. "Just now, during the identity verification for the second round of the prefectural examination, the examiner found cheat sheets on Xiao Zhan, and he was kicked out in front of everyone... Xiao Zhan isn't that kind of child, he couldn't have done such a thing, Sister Wanwan, please, please think of a way to help me..."
"Yingxue, calm down." Cheng Wanwan's expression also turned serious. "Let's go check over there first."
Afu immediately drove the carriage over, and the two of them got into the carriage. Soon they stopped at the entrance of the prefectural examination hall. The examination had not yet officially started, and the candidates were entering the hall in an orderly manner.
Yu Zhan stood outside the fence with his bundle in his hand, his face tense and his emotions unreadable.
People walking past him pointed and whispered about him.
"It's him."
"Tsk tsk, how embarrassing."
"At such a young age, he is doing such despicable things."
"I heard he's Yu Qingsheng's son, so there's nothing surprising about that. Like father, like son..."
Yu Zhan stood quietly, without any reaction.
Lu Yingxue burst into tears. If the cheating was confirmed, she would no longer be eligible for the imperial examinations, and that path would truly be cut off.
She saw how much her son loved reading and how much he wanted to clear Old Yu's name.
How she wished...
"Sister Wanwan, Xiaozhan was framed..."
Lu Yingxue was just a woman and had no idea what to do; tears streamed down her face.
Cheng Wanwan patted her shoulder, walked to Yu Zhan's side, and asked slowly, "Where are the cheat sheets we found?"
Yu Zhan said in a low voice, "The examiner put it away and said that a thorough investigation and conviction will be conducted after the exam is over."
Cheng Wanwan sneered. It seemed that the examiner had also been bribed. The physical evidence was simply put away, and if they investigated later, many things would become unclear.
Once the charge of cheating was pinned on Yu Zhan, the boy's future was completely ruined.
Master Yu was a woman of great learning, and she imparted all her knowledge to Si Dan and the others. She had witnessed Si Dan's progress over this period of time.
How could she just stand by and watch Master Yu's son be ruined like this?
With a thought, Cheng Wanwan held the Lady's Seal, which was in her storage space, between her fingers.
She stepped towards the entrance of the Dragon Gate, where a guard blocked her way: "No unauthorized personnel allowed. Please wait outside!"
Cheng Wanwan handed over the item in her hand and said calmly, "Is this exam being personally supervised by the Prefect? I have important business to discuss with the Prefect. I'll give him this token, and he'll understand. Of course, you don't have to go in to report. But if you delay this important matter, I'd like to see how many heads you have to beg the Prefect's forgiveness!"
Her voice gradually became sharp and cold, and her piercing gaze was like an icicle fixed on the guard's brow.
The guards, who had seen many distinguished guests, felt somewhat apprehensive at this moment.
He weighed the token Cheng Wanwan handed him; it looked like a seal, which is generally a symbol of status.
Many thoughts flashed through the guard's mind, but in the end, he took the token and hurriedly ran towards the examination hall.
At this moment, the candidates were entering the examination hall, while the examiners were drinking tea in the back, discussing this year's exam results together.
The prefect, who was the chief examiner, was sitting in the main seat, drinking tea.
At this moment, a guard rushed in to report: "Reporting to Your Excellency, there is a woman requesting an audience outside the examination hall. This is her token."
The servants in the room immediately went over and presented the token.
Inside a silk pouch was a seal. The prefect took out the seal, opened the lid, and saw four characters.
Seal of Lady Sui.
Is it Lady Sui who requests an audience?
The prefect was somewhat astonished.
Although Lady Sui was only a seventh-rank official, it should be noted that she had risen two ranks from the ninth rank to the seventh rank in just half a year.
This lady is very talented, and I'm afraid she will be promoted again soon.
He would naturally not offend a court lady who was likely to be promoted in the future.
The prefect stood up and walked straight out.
He walked to the entrance of the examination hall and immediately saw Cheng Wanwan standing outside the fence.
Cheng Wanwan knelt down in greeting: "Greetings, Your Excellency the Prefect!"
"No need for such formalities, Madam Sui."
This was the first time the prefect had officially met Cheng Wanwan. He had visited Dahe Village before, but Cheng Wanwan was "seriously ill," so he only heard her voice but did not see her. This time, the prefect finally saw the elegance of Lady Sui. Although she was a farmer, her aura was undeniable, and her noble air seemed to be innate.
"I implore Your Excellency Prefect to uphold justice for the students of Dahe Village!" Cheng Wanwan remained kneeling, head bowed, her voice resounding, "Yu Zhan is ten years old this year. He ranked thirty-fifth in the first round of the prefectural examination. If nothing unexpected happens, he will also be on the list in the second round. So, please tell me, what is the point of his cheating? Even if he made a mistake and didn't make the list, he is still young, and he has many more opportunities to take the exam. One act of cheating, and he is banned from taking the imperial examination for life. No normal person would resort to such a drastic measure. This is clearly a deliberate frame-up!"
Lu Yingxue pulled Yu Zhan over and knelt down with a thud, tears streaming down her face. "Please, Your Excellency, do us justice and clear our child's name. We can forgo the prefectural examination, but we cannot lose our eligibility for the imperial examinations. We implore Your Excellency to investigate this matter thoroughly..."
The prefect was completely bewildered, having no idea what had happened.
He turned to look at his advisor behind him, who went over and asked the guards at the door. The advisor quickly found out the whole story and went to the prefect's ear to tell him the whole story.
The prefect's eyes immediately narrowed.
Yu Zhan... He had thought the name sounded familiar; it turned out he was Yu Qingsheng's son.
He had naturally heard about what happened to Yu Qingsheng back then, but who was right and who was wrong was long gone, and there was no point in pursuing it now.
But Yu Qingsheng's son...
The prefect looked down at Yu Zhan, who was kneeling on the ground. At such a young age, he had the confidence to come to the prefectural examination. He must indeed have some knowledge.
He didn't know whether the child cheated or not, but since the incident happened in Huzhou and Lady Sui personally demanded a thorough investigation, it couldn't be ignored.
The prefect turned his head and asked, "How much longer until the exam?"
The aide replied respectfully, "There is still a quarter of an hour before the second round of the prefectural examination officially begins."
“Fifteen minutes is enough,” Cheng Wanwan said. “Take out that cheat sheet and compare the handwriting one by one. If the handwriting belongs to someone in the exam room, then it will be obvious.”
The prefect countered, "What if the handwriting doesn't belong to any one person?"
“Then, we admit to cheating.” Cheng Wanwan raised her eyes. “As long as the handwriting doesn’t match anyone else’s, Xiao Zhan will admit to cheating.”
Yu Zhan looked up in disbelief.
He will never admit to anything he didn't do, so why should he admit to it!
Cheng Wanwan gently patted his shoulder and secretly shook her head. She had her own plans for this matter.
The prefect, however, had already figured out the crux of the matter.
Yu Zhan ranked 35th in the first round, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will also be on the list in the second round. If Yu Zhan is eliminated, it would be equivalent to having another chance to be on the list.
In such a serious environment as the entrance examination for the prefectural examination, anyone who dares to frame someone must be doing so for personal gain, and therefore must be one of the candidates.
The more people involved in such a framing scheme, the greater the risk. It's highly likely that it's done secretly, and while the handwriting might change, the underlying principle remains the same.
Cheng Wanwan has some experience in handwriting analysis, which should be enough to deal with these students who lack experience.
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