Chapter 383 Going Crazy
Inside the Huangji Palace, all officials stood quietly with their heads bowed.
The air seemed to be stagnant, with only the rustling sound of fabric as the test paper was passed from one minister to another.
It was circulated among the officials and finally returned to the emperor.
Qin Minghuang tapped the red sandalwood imperial desk with his fingertips, breaking the suffocating silence:
"You all have read it. Tell me what you think of this article."
There was silence.
Hu Weiqian, the Director of the Ministry of Ceremonies, was the first to come out. He had gray hair and beard, a stern face, and a voice as dry and flat as an old account book.
"Return to your majesty.
This policy paper is well-written and logically coherent. Although its insights are not surprising, it is solid and has acceptable citations. The language is unremarkable.
In my opinion, his level is just right for the bottom of the list of successful candidates, so there is nothing wrong with placing him at the end of the list."
The empress turned her gaze slightly towards the head of the civil officials: "What do you think, Prime Minister Pei?"
Pei Xuanyun raised his eyelids slightly and said lightly:
"Hu Jianling is in charge of ceremonies and has a precise standard for judging the imperial examination essays. This old minister has no objection."
Qin Minghuang nodded and said, "In that case, let's announce the results according to the original ranking."
"Your Majesty!" A slightly hurried voice of advice sounded.
A man stood up from the back row. He was an assistant censor of the Censorate named Zhou Yan.
"The original scroll and this transcribed scroll are completely different. This is a strange matter, how can we not investigate?
Chen Yu's volume was replaced after transcription. What if someone replaced it before transcription?
Maybe... maybe there are other volumes that have been tampered with as well!"
Suddenly, you could hear a pin drop in the hall, and the air suddenly froze.
Are you looking for death? Countless eyes were fixed on Zhou Yan, either in shock or suspicion.
Such outspokenness is risky and almost amounts to an accusation of dereliction of duty by the entire imperial examination process and even the officials in charge.
How could he, a mere Imperial Censor, be so courageous?
Immediately, another middle-aged man in the uniform of a fourth-rank official stepped out quickly. He was Sun Chong, the examiner of the Ministry of Personnel.
"Your Majesty, I think what Censor Zhou said is not entirely unreasonable.
Although the golden list has been posted outside the Imperial Examination Hall, if it is revealed at this moment that the test papers may have been swapped, it may cause even greater controversy and damage the reputation of the imperial examination system.
To be on the safe side, the subsequent matters concerning the imperial examination for women should be postponed.
It would be safer to wait until the truth is revealed before making a decision!"
As soon as these words were spoken, it was like ice water poured into boiling oil, instantly causing a stir.
"Doctor Sun, what you said is wrong!" Hu Weiqian immediately refuted, his voice suddenly rising.
“Procedural fairness is so important!
The copying, proofreading, and stamping processes are all recorded at every level. How can we allow any doubt?
Moreover, the copied papers are fully signed and annotated by the examiner and the examiner. Could it be that everyone's eyes were wrong at the same time?"
His chest heaved, and he was obviously extremely angry.
This matter concerns the authority of the Ceremonial Department and has nothing to do with his personal stance at this moment. He can only stand firmly on the side of upholding the laws of the court.
In other words, standing beside His Majesty.
Sun Chong refused to give in: "Precisely because the procedure is so important, a thorough investigation is necessary. How can we turn a blind eye to this just because it might cause controversy?"
"Hastefully stopping the course is the greatest injustice to the students who have worked so hard."
"If there really is cheating, it will only be disastrous if we don't stop now and select treacherous officials during the palace examination."
The two sides began to argue, and their voices echoed in the empty hall.
The civil servants blushed and quoted from classics or spoke frankly about the pros and cons.
As his sleeves fluttered, his usual sanctimonious demeanor was gradually replaced by anxiety and sharpness.
Just as the argument was getting more and more intense, Qin Minghuang suddenly heard a clear and violent voice in his ears without any warning:
[Bullshit about the seventy-two rings!]
Which idiot with his belt loose and exposed is talking nonsense here?
Pause? Pause!
Do you want to stop as soon as your lips touch?
They're using the people as a pretext, bah! They act like they really care about the people's lives.
Shameless! Rotten heart! Give birth to a son without an asshole!]
Qin Minghuang: ...
The curse was indeed a bit dirty.
However, why is Xiaoliu so indignant about the imperial examination?
She has been obviously being lazy these days and not doing any serious work.
"Zhaoyue."
The voice from the throne sounded again, not loud, but easily suppressed all the noise.
"What do you think about this?"
The whole hall fell into deathly silence.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on Qin Zhaoyue, the Sixth Princess of Fengjing, who was famous for her absurdity and unruly behavior.
Ask her? What's the point of asking her at this juncture? What can she possibly understand about the affairs of the court?
Qin Zhaoyue suddenly shuddered, like a student caught distracted in class by the teacher.
No, she is not Yuan Fang, why are you asking her?
It was not her character to be conspicuous in front of all the civil and military officials.
But for the sake of merit, she really couldn't help but speak up.
According to court conventions, it is nothing more than bargaining and compromise. If it ends up being dragged out, when will it end?
Huh... Qin Zhaoyue slowly exhaled and turned to look behind him.
After searching for a while, he found the censor who had spoken first, raised his slender finger,
"You, what's your name? Never mind, it's not important."
"According to you, if the results can't be determined in one day, then the results won't be announced? And the exam won't continue? Is that what you mean?"
Seeing that it was this person, Zhou Yan felt relieved and thought she was just fooling around, so he maintained a respectful attitude.
"I just think that we should investigate it first to avoid..."
"Shut up!" Qin Zhaoyue suddenly waved his hand, interrupting him, with a look of deep impatience between his eyebrows.
"You are an official after all, don't you understand what people say?
I ask you, is it or is it not, one word or two words, is it difficult to understand?"
Zhou Yan was startled by the sudden harsh look. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Qin Zhaoyue add a sinister sentence.
"Your Majesty, I would like to ask for a favor." She turned to the throne,
"If Lord Zhou continues to answer irrelevant questions and talk about irrelevant things, please execute him with a sword."
boom!
There was an uproar in the court. This was simply unprecedented nonsense.
Zhou Yan's face flushed red, as if he had suffered a great insult, and his body trembled uncontrollably.
However, at this moment, two words came from the throne:
"Okay."
A chill rushed from the soles of Zhou Yan's feet to the top of his head. His calves became weak and cold sweat dripped down.
No matter how absurd you think it is, it is His Majesty's words.
"yes!"
Qin Zhaoyue seemed satisfied, and glanced at the officials who had just seconded the proposal:
"What about you? Do you all think it's time to stop?"
No one responded.
Some people forced themselves to remain calm, puffed out their chests and tried to show their fearlessness in serving the public interest;
Some people's eyes flickered and they subconsciously avoided her sight.
This time, Qin Zhaoyue no longer asked for death by a sword.
She smiled brightly, "I think what the adults said makes a lot of sense."
She looked around and her voice suddenly rose.
"What is the imperial examination? It is to select talents for the country, and those selected are to become officials.
Holding power that affects the lives of the people and the country, one cannot be too cautious."
So I think that simply suspending the women's imperial examination is not enough, far from enough."
"If you pass the provincial examination, you become a juren, and are eligible to become an official.
If this qualification is not obtained in a legitimate way or the knowledge is not solid, wouldn’t it bring disaster to the people, the court, and the world?
We must not allow someone who is just filling a position and doing nothing to get away with it."
She took a deep breath and spoke loudly amid everyone's incredulous gazes:
"Therefore, I propose that all results of this women's provincial examination be cancelled and abolished!"
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