Chapter 63: The rich braised beef sauce packet for instant noodles melts...
Any large-scale civil competition always requires some preparation in advance.
Invite famous chefs, gourmets, and dignitaries to serve as referees, post notices and set up the venue, and do some preheating to build momentum.
Guizhi doesn't need to worry about these things.
Cuiyuanlou was eager to win and made arrangements from top to bottom. Even the silk invitation woven with gold thread was asked to be worked on overnight by the embroidery workshop, for fear that Guizhier would go back on her word.
"It's all my fault. If the young lady had fired me, they wouldn't have troubled you..."
The bean sprout-like boy sobbed, his teeth biting a pale mark on his lower lip, and his eyes were red.
"True gold is not afraid of fire. It's still uncertain who will win or lose." Guizhier patted his head and said with a smile.
When the enemy comes, we will fight them; when the water comes, we will block it with earth.
Based on past experience, this kind of competition is a good time to improve system task progress.
Before the official competition begins, the joint examination will begin first.
The spring examination of the fourth year of Chengshuo was presided over by the highly respected Grand Secretary Lu Hanwen. To prevent cheating, the examination hall was locked after the examiners entered, and they could only leave after the examination was completed.
At the time of Yin, when the sky was just getting light, the entrance body search had already begun.
"You must take off your clothes, shoes, and socks. All stationery, dry food, and other items in your exam basket must be laid out one by one. No other items may be brought in."
The pre-exam inspection was quite strict. The gate officer led the soldiers on duty to meticulously carry out orders and maintain discipline in the examination room.
To prevent cheating, candidates could only wear a single layer of clothing, including jackets, robes, and trousers. The spring breeze was chilly, but the students were both nervous and excited, their hearts ablaze with excitement.
After ten years of hard study, this is the moment I’ve been waiting for.
Wang Pu, a candidate from the northern region, held a bamboo stick tightly in his hand, his body slightly tilted, and he moved limping steadily along the line.
The inkstone cannot be too thick and the pen tube must be hollow.
If cheating is found, the student may be expelled from the examination room at the very least, or even imprisoned at the worst.
Female candidates had separate inspection channels and examination halls, and were supervised by court ladies who were responsible for body searches, and the rules were equally strict.
As the morning light began to break, all the candidates entered the examination room and were called out according to their numbers.
"Seal the gate!" With the order from the gate officer, the examination hall will be unlocked only when the papers are submitted three days later.
Thousands of candidates were huddled in the poorly equipped dormitories. They had no time to deal with the cobwebs in the corners of the walls. They quickly put away their writing materials and dry food.
"Hu." Take a deep breath, and the exam that determines your fate officially begins.
The atmosphere in the examination room gradually became depressing. Some candidates had beads of sweat on their palms and foreheads. They did not dare to dirty their test papers and had to wipe them hastily.
After sitting for a long time, my body ached, but I didn't dare move easily, for fear that it would affect my thinking or attract special attention from the invigilator.
Difficult questions came one after another. The candidates racked their brains, but their thoughts gradually reached a dead end.
Before I knew it, it was noon.
"Gurgle." Feeling hungry, most candidates picked up the dry food they brought with them.
Although it was difficult to have an appetite in this atmosphere, I had to force myself to eat a few bites to maintain my strength. Then I went to the end of the alley where the dormitory was located to get some hot water to moisten my throat.
I didn’t dare drink too much, after all, going to the toilet with a partition that smelled strongly of urine was a torture.
The harsh environment is evident from this.
Li Mi, a student from Yang'an, shook his bogged-down mind and decided to take a break. He took out the instant noodles he'd bought at Guiji Braised Food Shop and walked to the end of the alley.
After being soaked in hot water and fried, the golden-colored dough puffs up.
A large cloud of white mist rises from the bowl, and the rich braised beef sauce melts, the aroma fills the air, tempting you to salivate.
"It smells so good, so good, so good! This exam rush package is worth buying!"
He didn't dare to speak out loud, but clapped his hands madly in his heart, the corners of his mouth curled up. The hardships of the morning were soothed.
Thinking about what he could taste next, such as pickled cabbage and chicken stewed with mushrooms, he suddenly felt that the three days would not be so difficult to endure.
The dehydrated vegetables gradually wake up, the orange carrot cubes become small and exquisite, and the emerald green vegetables stretch out their bodies.
All the eyes in the dormitory were focused on Li Mi.
"It must be another rich young man sitting in the top class, eating so deliciously for the poor students." One candidate muttered in his heart and swallowed his saliva.
"It's already this hour, and you still have the mind to satisfy your appetite, and you are not worried about not being able to finish the test paper." The candidates who were far away could not see Li Mi's behavior.
Just think that he is wasting time and effort cooking by himself.
Li Mi sucked the noodles into his mouth with his chopsticks and chewed and swallowed them quickly.
He took another sip of the soup, which was delicious and fragrant. The warm braised beef juice flowed down his throat into his stomach, warming his whole body and making him look satisfied and happy.
Soon, the other candidates from the North also walked to the end of the alleys of their respective dormitories. They filled the hot water and made instant noodles in one go.
The steamy, chewy noodles are served with a side of toppings.
The plump and round corn sausage bursts in your mouth after being heated, with just the right amount of salty and sweet.
"What's going on? Why are everyone eating so well?" The other candidates were worried.
They stared at the various questions on the test paper, chewed on the broken steamed buns, and couldn't help but take a deep breath through their noses.
Even the rich kids who were treated very well in the "Tianzihao" restaurants were tempted by the aroma and felt that the cakes and preserved fruits in their hands were not as delicious anymore.
One of the young men, who was dressed in a gorgeous brocade robe, even spat out the ginseng slices in his mouth in disgust.
"The old man is stingy. He must not have handed over enough silver. Why do others have the best meals?" He felt indignant.
This person was the rich kid who shouted "My father is the chief judge of Dali Temple" when he was put in a sack and beaten by students from the northern border.
He was usually unlearned and unskillful, and now he was dazed, holding the brush. His right cheek was swollen, and the bruise was particularly glaring.
His swollen cheeks forced his already small eyes to squint into slits.
You have to stay in the pigeon-cage-like cell for a total of five days.
"Tsk, a bunch of useless runners-up, you'll cry someday."
If his father had not promised repeatedly and had not used all his connections to guarantee that he would get a good grade on the test, he would not have been willing to endure this suffering.
At the same time, in the Prince’s Palace in the capital.
Passing through the carved beams and painted buildings hidden in the jungle, you will see the rockery and strange rocks in the back garden arranged in an orderly manner. Some look like tigers emerging from the mountains, and some look like dragons emerging from the water.
The famous yellow stone and blue-black stone of Chuhuai are insignificant here.
The agarwood specially supplied to the royal family was made into a rocking chair. The prince, who was over fifty years old, leaned back with his eyes half closed and looked leisurely.
"Sir, I have confirmed that all the scapegoats have entered the examination room."
A tall, thin man, with a hooked nose and thin lips, was reporting with his brows lowered.
"I followed your instructions completely. I didn't touch the students from aristocratic families. I only picked those who had no background or fame but were diligent and willing to learn."
Cheating in scientific examinations is a capital crime.
But the Lord is different. Even if the Emperor is angry, he will show mercy. Therefore, this business can only be done by their Prince's Palace.
The method is also very simple.
After each exam is over and the papers are sealed, there are special transcribers who will transcribe the original papers word for word.
This is to prevent candidates from conveying information to examiners through special handwriting or symbols.
But this just provides a loophole.
"Everyone in the Sealing Office and the Reading Office has been arranged." The lord spoke in a peaceful tone, rocking on the soft cushions made of fine silk.
The test paper was replaced by these two points.
Taking advantage of the opportunity of transcribing, the names on the test papers of top students and rich kids were swapped.
Although the operation is more complicated, it is easier than bribing those stinky literati who are neither steamed nor cooked and who claim to be incorruptible.
In the early stage, the hook-nosed man targeted the "scapegoat" through the Chu Huai Spring Banquet and other literary gatherings of various sizes.
Especially for Wang Pu from the Northern Territory, this was not the first time that his test paper was replaced.
"It's best to be cautious. A few days ago, the buyers came to our house to ask for an explanation. They said their children were beaten and they were worried." The Lord's face was kind, like the noble and calm Maitreya Buddha. "Perhaps someone is playing tricks."
"I always feel like a storm is brewing..."
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