Chapter 86: Luring the snake out of its hole – a chilling prospect…
"This is not a student's exam paper."
Xu Lan felt a huge weight lifted from her heart. She had thought Zhang Ting had some way to deal with it. She was smug and disdainful, thinking that the top scholar from Tongzhou Prefecture was nothing special and could be easily crushed with just two fingers.
"This is the exam paper found in your cell. The black and white writing on it—isn't that your handwriting? Zhang Ting, do you still dare to deny it now?!"
Han Bingyue had corresponded with Zhang Ting before, and she recognized that the handwriting on this exam paper was indeed Zhang Ting's.
What is there to argue about?
She looked at Zhang Ting with disappointment; such a promising talent had been wasted.
It is solemnly announced: "Zhang Ting of Lütian County, Tongzhou Prefecture, is hereby stripped of his official rank..."
Zhang Ting bowed to Han Bingyue calmly and said, "Your Excellency, I can testify that this is definitely not my handwriting."
This surprised Han Bingyue. "What method do you have?" But the exam paper clearly bore her handwriting...
The two examiners glared at him coldly, turning their heads away impatiently to watch this shameless madman continue his fabrication.
"Please, sir, grant me paper and pen."
Seeing that Zhang Ting was calm and composed, as if he had everything under control, Han Bingyue's pupils contracted slightly. She suddenly realized that Zhang Ting's panic just now was deliberate.
Why do this?
The four words "luring the snake out of its hole" flashed through her mind!
Then it becomes clear who this snake is.
Han Bingyue's gaze fell on Zhang Ting, and she unconsciously softened her breathing. Yes, how could someone of such extraordinary talent, whom even she had to stop and admire, possibly be a petty thief?
That's exactly how it should be! Just as I expected!
A gentle expression appeared between Han Bingyue's brows. She suddenly turned to the two examiners beside her and asked, "What do you two think?"
Since their opinions were being sought, it was clear that Lord Han had no doubts. Although the two disliked Zhang Ting, they dared not object, saying, "Your humble servants will obey your orders, sir."
This Lady Han is a close and favored minister whom His Majesty greatly values. His Majesty even went against public opinion to appoint her as the chief examiner for the imperial examination. It should be noted that throughout history, the chief examiner for the imperial examination has always been a third-rank official. What is Han Bingyue's rank? Fifth-rank!
"Then bring paper and pen." Han Bingyue gestured with his chin towards the clerk.
"yes."
The candidates in the examination cells were completely baffled by the commotion. Could there be something else going on?
Xu Lan stared intently at Zhang Ting, his hands clenched into fists, completely baffled by her intentions. Her handwriting was clearly the result of him taking the letter from his cousin's room and diligently practicing copying it; there was no way it could be wrong!
Soon, two minor officials brought over a hardwood square table with a sheet of Xuan paper spread out on it, and a brush placed next to a polished inkstone.
Zhang Ting walked straight to the table, picked up a pen, and slowly wrote a few large characters on the paper. After a moment, she stopped writing, looked up, and smiled, "Gentlemen, please take a look!"
The two examiners, who had been standing nearby watching Zhang Ting finish writing, suddenly realized what had happened. They grabbed the exam paper from before and compared it to the original, their expressions changing drastically. They exclaimed in disbelief, "This...this really isn't it!"
Han Bingyue stared intently at the large characters Zhang Tingcai had written, her brows furrowed. Compared to her handwriting three years ago, it was a world of difference; without close inspection, it was difficult to even distinguish that it was written by the same person. Calligraphy requires diligent practice and is not something that can be achieved overnight; her progress was truly astonishing!
All the candidates stared wide-eyed, belatedly realizing that they had wronged Zhang Xianshi.
Xu Lan rushed forward in disbelief, her hands gripping the table, her eyes wide with shock. "Impossible! This is impossible!" Zhang Ting's handwriting was clearly the result of her painstaking practice with someone comparing it to other letters. That letter was written last May, so how could it be so different in just nine months? It's like someone else has practiced for four or five years!
She knew that her scheme had been exposed and there was no way to undo it. She felt that everyone in the room was staring at her with contempt and disgust, as if to say, "You're just resorting to underhanded tactics because you can't compete with others."
Xu Lan could hardly accept this fact. She frantically clutched her head with both hands, muttering incoherently, "This isn't real! This isn't real..." Suddenly, she rushed in front of Zhang Ting and roared, "Did you deliberately write the letter from last May wrong?! Did you deliberately lure me into this trap?!"
The letter from last May? Zhang Ting finally understood; it turned out that Xu Lan had copied the letter she had written to Xu You.
“Those who do many evil deeds will surely perish. I, Zhang, have always been upright and honest, and have never done anything wrong. Miss Xu, you'd better not drag me into this.” Zhang Ting turned to the pale-faced examinee kneeling on the ground and said, “My fellow student, are you aware of the crime of ‘false accusation and retaliation’?”
False accusation and retribution is to punish the person who made the false accusation. Anyone who falsely accuses a candidate of cheating will be punished according to the crime alleged: one hundred strokes of the cane and stripped of their academic title.
The examinee who framed Zhang Ting trembled with fear, stammering, "Sir Zhang, sir, I didn't mean it! My elderly mother is seriously ill and urgently needs money. Xu Lan threatened me with money, so I had no choice but to do it." Originally, she would have only had to relinquish her academic title if she had confessed voluntarily, but now, with a hundred strokes of the cane, how could she possibly survive?
“The exam paper on your desk was also copied by me, but I had no choice! Zhang Xianshi, Lord Han, please spare my life for the sake of my elderly mother who needs to be supported!” She cried and kowtowed to the two men.
The two examiners were furious at this shocking reversal. Their hands trembled as they pointed at Xu Lan. They never expected to be fooled and played like fools by the accuser!
Now that things had come to this, Xu Lan calmed down. Suddenly, the drumbeat signaling the end of the exam sounded, and she abruptly threw her head back and laughed twice. "The imperial examination is over. Zhang Ting, do you still have your results?"
Xu Lan knew the answer perfectly well: Zhang Ting's real exam paper had already been secretly torn up by the clerk she had bribed. How could she possibly have any ranking?
She herself was from an official family; her mother worked in the Ministry of Revenue and had a wide network of connections. She only needed to smooth things over with the officials in the Ministry of Justice to avoid punishment. Next time, she wouldn't let Zhang Ting be so lucky!
"That's right, without the exam papers, Zhang Ting's exam results would be invalid, wouldn't they?" Everyone present held their breath.
However, upon hearing her words, Zhang Ting showed no pain or anger, but instead appeared to realize something. "You did remind me." He turned to Han Bingyue and bowed. "My lord, my exam paper is under the desk. Please check it."
This time, without waiting for Han Bingyue's instructions, the clerk went to retrieve it after hearing her words, and sure enough, he found the well-preserved examination paper under the table.
This was even more painful for her than killing Xu Lan. "This is impossible! Impossible!!" Her eyes were bloodshot, and the blood-red veins seemed as if they were about to ooze venom.
In a flash, Xu Lan suddenly awoke, his sinister gaze shooting towards Zhang Ting. "You did this on purpose! Didn't you? You knew all along that I intended to harm you, so you deliberately set a trap to lure me into it, didn't you?!"
I finally realized it; I'm not hopelessly stupid.
But this preemptive precaution would inevitably damage her flawless image, so how could Zhang Ting admit it?
“Miss Xu, I have no grudge against you, so there’s no need for me to be on guard against you. If you ask why the exam paper was under the desk, it was accidentally blown down by the wind, and I mistook the draft for the exam paper and put it on top of it.”
Zhang Ting wasn't lying; what she handed in was indeed a draft. However, she had meticulously copied the draft paper onto the exam paper, and she was the one who swept the exam paper. This is why she answered the final history and policy essay question very slowly.
"If you hadn't reminded me, I wouldn't have remembered."
The scholars present sighed with relief that Heaven had finally opened its eyes and had not allowed an honest and kind person to suffer an injustice!
This is clearly a lie! Having been tricked by the person she hated and loathed, Xu Lan completely broke down. Her heart was filled with rage, and she wanted nothing more than to pounce on her and tear her flesh apart!
There was no suspense left; this was an extremely egregious case of false accusation and coercion.
A noble lady from a prominent family has actually committed such a shameful and despicable act! Han Bingyue's eyes were filled with deep contempt as she coldly pronounced her sentence: "Xu Lan is hereby stripped of her academic honors and banned from taking the imperial examinations for life. She shall be given one hundred strokes of the cane and three years of exile!"
Xu Lan felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, his mind went blank, and then he came to his senses and roared, "You have no right to judge my crimes, I'm going to the Ministry of Justice!"
Han Bingyue's eyes narrowed, his voice as cold as frost: "I am the chief examiner appointed by His Majesty. His Majesty ordered me to supervise the imperial examination and specifically instructed that if any villains commit crimes, they should be sentenced on the spot! What? You dare to disobey!"
Your Majesty, Your Majesty? !
Xu Lan was horrified, breaking out in a cold sweat, and collapsed to the ground, completely disoriented. She murmured, "No, no, no, it can't be like this! It can't be like this!" Her eyes widened in terror as she crawled forward and grabbed Han Bingyue's robe. "Lord Han, my mother is a junior official in the Ministry of Revenue! You can't do this to me!"
Han Bingyue kicked her away and coldly said, "If you're not satisfied, then have your mother argue with His Majesty!"
Xu Lan finally realized that he had reached the end of his road. His shoulders slumped, and his face looked as if he had aged more than ten years in an instant.
But she was unwilling! She was so unwilling!!
Why is it that Zhang Ting, a poor scholar from a humble background, could so easily become the top scholar in the provincial examination, so easily be admired by thousands, and so easily win the heart of the one she loved?! It's unfair, it's unfair!
She was so close, so very close, she could have plucked the moon from the sky and held it in her arms!
She used to only be able to look up at the bright moon on the mountaintop from afar, watching it hang in the sky, watching it be bright and pure. But suddenly one day, the bright moon fell and plunged into the valley, and Zong Suyi could finally be hers! But why did Zhang Ting get there first!
How could a lowly, inferior person be stronger than her and possess everything she could only dream of?
She was unwilling to accept it! So unwilling!!
Zhang Ting felt as if a sinister and ruthless venomous snake was coiled behind her, as if it wanted nothing more than to tear her apart and devour her. She blinked casually, but a fierce glint flashed in her calm eyes.
As the matter came to an end, her fellow female classmates and close friends gathered around to show their concern, and Zhang Ting smiled gently and waved to them.
It's okay, she's good at dissecting snakes.
Xu Lan, who was behind her, suddenly felt an indescribable fear gripping her heart. Her hair stood on end. She hadn't seen or heard anything, but every part of her body was screaming for danger and trembling instinctively.
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