Three days passed quickly. After handing in their exam papers, the candidates packed up their belongings and left the examination hall. Unlike when they came in, they were no longer confident and expectant. Instead, they were filled with hesitation and disappointment.
Thirteenth Prince thought that it wouldn't be easy for Fourth Prince to set questions. At this time, the candidate who could still be so confident must be well-prepared and have real talent.
Su Peisheng waited inside the Imperial Academy until the examinations were over before approaching the Thirteenth Prince and the others, saying, "His Majesty has decreed that you gentlemen collect the examination papers and go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation..."
The group was prepared, and after a brief explanation, they followed Su Peisheng directly to the Hall of Mental Cultivation without stopping.
Fourth Master seemed to have waited a long time and was very concerned about the exam. He excused everyone from the formalities and asked, "How did the exam go? Were there any oversights?"
Li Wei clasped his hands and smiled, "Your Majesty is overthinking it. Everything is normal. We just need to wait for the examiners to review the papers, and then we'll know this year's results..."
The Thirteenth Prince smiled and nodded in agreement, while the Fourth Prince breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's good. I was worried that something might go wrong, after all, this is the first imperial examination..."
Tian Wenjing continued, "This time, thanks to His Majesty's thorough planning, everything from the secrecy of the exam papers to the examination process was foolproof. His Majesty can rest assured..."
Hongshi said, "With Father Emperor placing such importance on the imperial examinations, our Great Qing Dynasty is sure to prosper!"
The Fourth Prince said, "This is all thanks to you all. I will certainly reward you handsomely..."
The four men knelt down and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"
When it came to grading the papers, the Fourth Prince hesitated: "In the past, there were countless ways to cheat in the imperial examinations. I don't want any form of cheating to occur in this exam..."
Tian Wenjing quickly explained, "Your Majesty, rest assured, the exam papers were only opened before the exam started. No one had access to the exam papers beforehand, so there was no question of cheating."
Hongshi chimed in, "Yes, Father, rest assured, I have been closely monitoring the examination discipline, and no one has cheated or copied the questions..."
The Fourth Master smiled, leaving everyone puzzled.
The Fourth Prince turned around and patted Hongshi on the shoulder, saying, "You've misunderstood. I didn't mean cheating before or during the exam..."
The Thirteenth Prince guessed, "Your Majesty means that there will be cheating during the grading..."
All four looked at the Fourth Prince, who nodded silently, saying with concern, "I've heard that some people bribed the examiners beforehand to make marks on the exam papers in order to cheat..."
Li Wei suddenly realized and exclaimed, "I understand! This way, the exam papers can be distinguished. As long as the examiner remembers this mark, they will give this paper a high score..."
Thirteenth Master said angrily, "Damn it, even if we're prepared, it's impossible to guard against something like this..."
The Fourth Prince sighed, "Yes, the imperial examinations have been ruined by these corrupt people. The late Emperor tried to prevent such things from happening, but with little success. That's why he was so disappointed with the imperial examinations. So I've decided that this year, any such exam papers found will be invalidated. I will not tolerate anyone who tries to get away with it."
The four men exchanged bewildered glances. While this method would indeed solve the problem, it also meant that some highly qualified candidates, seeking assurance, might be willing to bribe the examiners for psychological comfort. With this new rule from the Fourth Master, the examiners might never even see their exam papers. Furthermore, some candidates, though not intending to cheat, might leave unintentional marks on their papers. If the Fourth Master were to disqualify them based on these careless mistakes, it could potentially ruin their future.
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