Qi Xiangchen was persuaded by his friend to come here. In fact, he had expected this, thinking that his father-in-law would not agree, given his character.
But since the words had already been spoken, I had no choice but to swallow my pride and give it a try.
"Father-in-law, please don't be angry. Your son-in-law knows he was wrong."
"Hmph, it's good that you know you're wrong. If there's nothing else, go back."
Lord Li waved his hand to see the guest off.
"Yes, I'll head back now."
Qi bowed to Chen and left.
Now that the prime minister's faction has fallen from power, the emperor directly adopted the previous dynasty's system and restarted the cabinet.
Both imperial power and the power of the prime minister were in the hands of Emperor Jing.
This imperial examination served as a wake-up call.
If anyone makes a mistake, it's a matter of losing their head. There are plenty of people who want to take your place, and the Great Yong Dynasty is never short of talent.
...
Fuyuan Restaurant at night.
Qi Xiangchen was drinking with some friends.
After a few drinks, the group started chatting.
"Brother Qi, how's the matter going? Did it succeed?"
One of the classmates said.
"The matter didn't work out. You all know what kind of person my father-in-law is. How could he possibly agree?"
Qi Xiangchen felt he had lost face in front of his friend, so he took a big gulp of wine.
"No way, Brother Qi, you're his son-in-law! Doesn't he think about you at all?"
Another classmate's eyes revealed a calculating intent, and his tone was even provocative.
Unfortunately, Qi Xiangchen was drunk and felt somewhat aggrieved, and he immediately felt that Li Huai Ren had done something wrong.
"Hmph, he's just too rigid. He doesn't consider us at all, and he doesn't think that if I get better, his daughter will get better too."
"That's right, that's right. But, Brother Qi, I have a connection, but I don't know if you need it?"
Two classmates, one alert to the outside, the other speaking in a low voice.
This setup is clearly a trap set for Qi Xiangchen.
Unfortunately, Qi Xiangchen, already quite drunk, didn't notice anything amiss.
He said in a simple and honest voice, "You are all my brothers, so of course I trust you. If you are true brothers, then tell me the way. This time, I will definitely make them look at me in a new light."
The other two exchanged a glance and took the bait.
And so, Qi Xianglei was taken away so easily.
...
The time came to the tenth day of the eighth month, and the imperial examination was about to begin.
After passing through the inspection, the candidates who were going to take the imperial examination entered the examination hall one after another.
The chief examiner was the Minister of Rites, along with other relevant personnel, such as the supervising libationer.
This time, there was an extra special presence: a white cat.
This was sent by Emperor Jing this morning. He said the white cat belonged to Princess Anle and was sent here to cultivate the character of scholars and poets.
Since Emperor Jing has already said this much, even if you don't believe me, you still have to take good care of this white cat.
Minister of Rites: Sigh, I just hope this white cat ancestor won't cause me any trouble.
Even if others had objections to the arrival of the white cat, they all fell silent once they heard that Emperor Jing had ordered it to be brought along.
The candidates for the imperial examination had to stay in the examination hall for a total of nine days and eight nights, eating, drinking, and relieving themselves all in the examination hall.
By the time the three exams were over, I was practically half dead.
After the candidates finished their exams, it was the examiners' turn to get busy.
First, it is encapsulated using a hidden name.
After collecting the exam papers, the invigilators first handed them over to the sealing official.
Fold up all the candidates' personal information, such as their names and hometowns, on the exam papers, cover them with blank paper, and then seal and stamp them.
This is also the first step: "blurring the names".
This way, the examiners won't know whose paper they are grading.
Then, it was done by designated people who transcribed and reviewed it at each level.
The examiners would go to the deputy chief examiner, who would mark the best papers with a "take" mark, and then send them to the chief examiner.
If you think it's good, add a "δΈ" (meaning "good" or "medium") to it.
Reviewing and checking the papers is also necessary, since examiners have their biases, and sometimes the papers that fail may actually contain genuine talent.
After each step is completed, the results will be released, and those who failed will be allowed to review their papers, which will also let them know why they failed.
Baihu accompanied the examiners throughout the grading process, remaining quiet and unassuming.
No step in the process should be overlooked.
Jing Le told it to keep a close eye on these people.
It took more than ten days to complete the grading of all the papers. There were more than 800 people who participated in the imperial examination this time.
Of the 300 people who succeeded, the best essays were reviewed by the Emperor himself during the final imperial examination.
"Lord Ning, this scholar's essay is quite good."
The examiner standing nearby looked at the exam paper covered in stamps on the desk and said...
"This person's writing is indeed quite good. However, there are several promising candidates among this year's successful candidates. We will present them to the Emperor for his decision tomorrow morning."
With the matter resolved satisfactorily, the Minister of Rites naturally felt much more at ease.
Meanwhile, Li Jijiu was in agony.
But for the sake of his own daughter, he secretly made up his mind.
"Now that things are done, everyone can relax a bit. Let's go to a restaurant and have a good meal. It's on me today."
"Haha, that's great! If the Grand Chancellor is treating us, we can't refuse. What do you say, Minister?"
One of the examiners' eyes flashed, and he immediately chimed in, even bringing up the Minister of Rites.
"Alright, let me lock up the papers first, then we'll go together."
The Minister of Rites was not surprised at all, and even secretly marveled that Li Huai-ren had actually invited them to drink today.
You have to understand that Li Huai-ren is usually a serious person, so getting him to treat them to a meal is something they can brag about for a long time.
The examination papers of several outstanding candidates were locked in a box, while the other papers were placed in a cabinet and locked up.
This was the only method the Minister of Rites could think of that wouldn't go wrong.
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