Wang Bing was frightened. He was just a small yamen runner and had no idea of the pros and cons of the matter. But now that he was frightened by Song Chi, he immediately felt scared.
"Tell me, do you want your entire clan to be exterminated?"
Song Chi shouted again, and Wang Bing was frightened. He pointed at Li Dong and said, "It was him. He ordered me to do it."
The academy examination was a local examination, which was organized by the Jiangzhou Rites Office. Li Dong was an official of the Ministry of Rites and a small person in charge. The yamen runners were also transferred from the yamen, so of course he had the final say.
There was an immediate uproar around.
Now it is confirmed.
Li Dong was no longer as calm as before, but appeared a little panicked. Being exposed in public, even the governor could not protect him.
"See? This is what you did. In previous years, I don't know how many candidates were falsely accused because of this!"
Song Chi did not mention himself, but aroused the indignation of all the candidates. Public opinion was boiling, and the candidates were about to make a fuss. At this time, Ma Jingming, wearing a green robe, walked out.
He is not tall and looks old, but he has a certain dignity and majesty.
As the local education commissioner appointed by the emperor, Ma Jingming was also a powerful figure.
"I am Ma Jingming, the Jiangzhou Provincial Education Commissioner. Li Dong, the clerk in the etiquette office, has dared to frame the examinees. This is a heinous crime. I will arrest him as a warning to others!"
"Someone come!"
Ma Jingming waved his hand and the yamen runners behind him came forward and took the two men away without giving anyone time to react.
"I promise you, this will never happen again. To ensure fairness, this academic official will be here personally to see you through the inspection!"
He put his hands behind his back and spoke in a voice as loud as a bell, immediately stabilizing the situation.
"Examinees continue to enter the examination room. If you have any objections, please come to me. If you are causing trouble and refusing to take the exam, you can leave immediately!"
The college entrance examination is held every two years. No one dares to waste time, so they all obediently line up in a long queue.
Song Chi also consciously lined up and just played slowly.
Ma Jingming looked at him coldly. Although they hadn't mentioned it to each other, they both knew what the other was going to do.
He wanted to pass the college entrance examination, but Ma Jingming would not let him.
In the first round, Ma Jingming lost.
This is their usual method, to exclude some candidates and students in order to ensure that their own people can get in.
Unexpectedly, Song Chi saw through it.
This guy has some skills.
Ma Jingming put away his contempt, but didn't think it was a big deal. He was the academician in charge of the college examination, and he had the final say in the entire examination room. He had a hundred ways to make sure Song Chi failed the college examination.
No, he couldn't even finish the test.
Now there is someone behind Song Chi. If Song Chi has already answered the test paper but they tamper with it, it will cause some trouble. The safest way is to prevent him from answering.
What’s the use of having talent if you can’t make use of it?
Ma Jingming was personally guarding nearby, and nothing else happened during that time, so Song Chi and the others entered the examination hall smoothly.
There is still a long queue inside, and the candidates' exam baskets have to be checked one by one to see if there are any smuggled items inside.
At this time, Ma Jingming went to the front to check in person, and Song Chi knew that he was going to cause trouble for him.
Sure enough, when it was Song Chi's turn, he picked up the examination basket and opened it in public.
On the top layer were the exquisite pastries and other food prepared by Su Mingyue.
Ma Jingming smiled and said, "Song Kuishou is in for a treat. This pastry looks quite exquisite and delicious. However, you certainly wouldn't have hidden anything in it, so I won't check."
At this time he pretended to be friendly and amiable.
Song Chi watched his performance quietly with an expressionless face. Ma Jingming took out the second layer, where the pens and ink were placed.
One had to prepare one's own writing brush and ink for the imperial examination, and the academy examination required Mo Yunxiang's writing brush and ink.
"Well, it's Mo Yunxiang's writing, there's nothing wrong with it." Ma Jingming nodded.
You can only use Lin's Mo Yunxiang to take the college entrance examination. You can't use anything else because it will easily stain the handwriting. This is obviously nonsense. Mo Yunxiang's inkstone and inkstone boxes are very expensive, so there is obviously a huge conflict of interest.
Ma Jingming picked it up and looked at it. At this time, a candidate came running over in a hurry. He seemed to have something urgent to do. He just ran with his head down and didn't notice Ma Jingming, and then bumped into him directly.
The collision was not a serious matter, but it knocked the pen, ink and inkstone box in Ma Jingming's hand to the ground. The pen was stepped on and broke, the ink was spilled, and the inkstone box was also dirty.
"Are you blind? Can't you see there is someone here?" Ma Jingming shouted loudly, and the candidate lowered his head and listened to the scolding.
"Oh, someone has ruined your pen and ink. But don't worry, we have prepared some ink for the candidates."
Ma Jingming smiled apologetically.
Song Chi just smiled but said nothing. It was obvious that this was a deliberately arranged farce, the purpose of which was to destroy the pen, inkstone and ink box he was carrying.
If my guess is correct, the ink prepared for him might not be usable at all, or there might be something wrong with it.
"Song Chi, don't be angry. We were wrong. Please don't let it affect your exam." Ma Jingming apologized in public. He was the academician in charge of the college examination. Being able to apologize to the examinee was already a sign of condescension.
Moreover, everyone saw clearly that it was just an accident. Song Chi couldn't get angry even if he wanted to. He took a step forward and walked in front of Ma Jingming, looking down at him.
Ma Jingming was short and had an ugly face, with a pointed chin and two protruding buck teeth. Song Chi looked down at him and asked in a voice that only the two of them could hear:
"You, the academician, are using such tricks to embarrass a student. Is this how you read the sage's book?"
Ma Jingming was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I don't understand what you are saying. If you think it will affect your exam, you can wait until next time."
His meaning was very clear. He was the chief examiner this year and would never let Song Chi pass the college entrance examination.
"You've really wasted your time reading the sage's books. It's a shame you were born into the Imperial Academy."
Song Chi put his cakes in the exam basket and walked forward. The pen, inkstone and ink box were on the ground, but he didn't even pick them up because they were all unusable.
"How can you answer the paper without any writing materials?" Wang Wen quickly caught up and said, "There must be something wrong with the ink they gave you. Why don't you use mine?"
"Then what are you going to do?" Song Chi didn't expect that Wang Wen was so loyal.
"At worst, I can just take the test next time."
"No need, I have my own preparations."
Song Chi didn't use an ink pen. He used a charcoal pencil and placed it in the baking basket, but Ma Jingming didn't notice it.
"Put what I taught you into practice, and I guarantee you'll pass the entrance exam."
"I understand." Wang Wen nodded, and the two of them walked to the examiner in front.
Looking at Song Chi's back, Ma Jingming's face showed some confusion.
He was also at this age, and he took part in the imperial examination with high spirits. After going through so much hardship, he finally passed the exam. After failing the palace examination, he entered the Hanlin Academy and became a Hanlin.
He read the books of sages and learned great principles.
But the great principles in the sage books could not help him realize his ideals and ambitions.
Song Chi, if you want to blame someone, blame yourself for offending someone. This world is full of injustice. If there was really fairness, I would have been a tutor in the palace long ago. How could I have been the academician in Jiangzhou for three years?
If I go back to Beijing, you won't be able to pass the college entrance examination.
For the sake of my own future, I can only ruin your future!
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