☆, Chapter 143: The Emperor's Personal Arrival – A Blessing or a Curse?
"Zhao Yunjing, congratulations, you've won your gamble. His Majesty is wise and has agreed to allow all twenty of you to retake the exam. I hope you will all give it your all and not let His Majesty's kindness go to waste."
Retake the exam?
Is it really possible to retake the exam?
Chen Liangjin was somewhat incredulous and asked several times in a row until the middle-aged man in black clothes entered amidst a crowd and sat in the chief examiner's seat. The Sixteenth Prince led the shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" before he finally snapped out of his daze.
It turns out Zhao Yunjing really made the right bet.
He silently wondered if he himself would have the same strategy and courage, now that Zhao Yunjing was the one being accused of cheating.
—Probably not.
Twenty tables were arranged in five rows. The proctors began distributing writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Then, a guard stood behind each person, ostensibly for protection, but in reality for surveillance.
With someone watching you so intently, someone with a weak will will definitely break down. If you break down, you won't even be able to hold the pen properly, let alone answer the questions.
Not to mention, there were also local residents and other local test takers watching from outside.
Before the exam even started, someone shook their head and said, "Retaking the exam like this is worse than just giving up. With so many people watching, everything you write will be garbage. How could it possibly catch the Emperor's eye?"
Some people muttered, "They say it's a re-examination, but actually it's to convince these twenty people. The imperial examination is a matter of national importance; how can they do whatever they want with it? It's only because the current emperor is wise that he has given them a chance. If you ask me, the emperor should just send them to the army!"
"That's right. So many people can't afford to go to school, but these people have gone and made it to this stage, yet they don't know how to cherish it and just waste it. It's really disgraceful. They should be given a good beating and thrown out!"
Of course, the common people outside and the local examinees did not know that the emperor was present, otherwise they would not be speaking so freely.
The person in the main seat listened for a while and, seeing that the evaluations of him were all adjectives like "wise" and "benevolent," was quite satisfied.
The Emperor looked around and fixed his gaze on Zhao Yunjing in the very center: "You are the Zhao Yunjing who tripled the grain output of Peach Blossom County in just two years?"
Zhao Yunjing stood up and replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Yes, Your Majesty."
"You're not being modest," the Emperor chuckled. "What made you think of planting autumn rice?"
“Our Peach Blossom County has four distinct seasons, abundant rainfall, and fertile soil. Rather than leaving the fields to lie fallow and going hungry, we decided to give it a try. Unexpectedly, it actually grew.” Zhao Yunjing cupped his hands in greeting. “This student dares to ask His Majesty for a promise.”
A collective hissing sound filled the examination room, both inside and outside.
Young Master Chen couldn't hold back any longer: "Zhao Yunjing, just shut up!"
Now the Emperor noticed Young Master Chen: "And who are you? Why did you tell Zhao Yunjing to shut up? Are you afraid he'll make exorbitant demands, or that I'll just pass you all? Don't worry, since I've asked you to retake the exam, it's not just empty talk."
"Your Majesty, I am not worried that Zhao Yunjing will ask for an exorbitant amount. He knows his limits, and I believe he will not be reckless. What I am worried about is that he will once again lead us all into an unknown future, a life of wandering and hardship."
"What if Zhao Yunjing really drags you down with him, causing you a lifetime of wandering and hardship? What are your thoughts then?"
Chen Liangjin shrugged: "There's nothing we can do about it. We can't beat him. The winner has the power to make decisions, and the loser has to obey unconditionally."
The Emperor asked Zhao Yunjing, "Zhao Yunjing, tell me, what promise do you want from me? If it's not excessive, I will grant it."
Zhao Yunjing first greeted the Emperor with "Long live the Emperor!" and then said, "Your Majesty, if I fail the re-examination, I request that Your Majesty grant me the opportunity to promote autumn rice throughout the Great Liang Kingdom and grant me the privilege of having local officials unconditionally obey my orders."
"Asking me for an official position before even taking the exam? You're the first person in the world to do so." The Emperor laughed heartily. "Alright, if you fail the re-examination, I'll give you the position of Agricultural Extension Officer. If you pass the re-examination, then you'd better behave yourself during the spring imperial examination, okay?"
The question was "Is it alright?", but the tone was unquestionable. The authority of the superior pressed down, and everyone inside and outside the examination room dared not breathe, feeling as if they had suddenly become much smaller.
Zhao Yunjing wasn't truly audacious, especially since the other party was the emperor, the most prestigious person in this land, who held the power of life and death over everyone here.
After careful consideration, Zhao Yunjing spoke frankly: "Your Majesty, I will do my best."
The Emperor's face darkened: "You dare disobey my orders? You're truly an ignorant child!"
"If it is His Majesty's decree, I will naturally obey. But just now it seemed that His Majesty was asking for my opinion, so I spoke the truth. If I have misunderstood, please forgive me, Your Majesty."
The emperor remained silent.
Lord Luo and Prefect Zhao felt a chill run down their spines again. This Zhao Yunjing was perhaps too arrogant!
The Emperor waved his hand sharply: "Let the exam begin!"
Everyone fell silent.
The onlookers and examinees outside the examination hall suddenly tensed up, and the guards standing behind them also became alert.
If others were so nervous, the candidates in the examination hall were naturally even more nervous. They subconsciously looked at Zhao Yunjing in the middle. When Zhao Yunjing made a gesture, he calmly began to grind ink. Suddenly, everyone's tense hearts seemed to be soothed, and their nervous emotions gradually faded away.
Soon, everyone started answering the questions. Once they got into the zone, their mindset became completely stable, and they had no other thoughts on anything but answering the questions.
Outside the examination hall, a group of people had gathered, and the one leading them was Zhou Mujiao.
Headmaster Liang kept clicking his tongue: "These little brats, they really can retake the exam!"
Headmaster Wang was not so optimistic: "I'm afraid this re-examination is just for show. The court will only collect their papers, but won't actually open them to grade them."
“I don’t think the Emperor would go back on his word,” Zhou Mujiao said calmly. “He would travel all the way to Yuzhou Prefecture just to put on a show of being wise. That’s the kind of thing only a tyrant would do. But as far as I know, although the current Emperor’s harem is a bit chaotic, he hasn’t made any major mistakes. Overall, he is a wise ruler. He wouldn’t do something so pointless.”
Uncle Zhao and Aunt Zhao were not very knowledgeable and were already uneasy. Knowing that the Emperor was coming in person and watching over them, they became even more frightened and almost fainted. After listening to Zhou Mujiao's analysis, the two held hands tightly and kept trying to convince themselves.
Those outside the examination hall felt that each day was an eternity, while the examinees inside felt that time flew by in the blink of an eye.
Soon, three days passed, and all the exams were over.
"Send these twenty people's exam papers to me separately."
"Oh, after I finish reading them, will I grade them directly, and then, half a month later, post their papers below the list for the people to read? Their graders will not be any examiner, but all scholars in the land. Only in this way can the fairness and impartiality of the imperial examination be demonstrated."
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