That day, while the two were waiting for news, Xie, the scholar, arrived at their home.
"Brother Zeng, Brother Fu, it's so good that you're both alright. You've heard about what happened, right? Luckily, we're all safe. I'm also a lucky survivor. Fortunately, I was short of money at the time and didn't dare to buy those exam questions that were circulating in secret."
Fu Changfeng and Zeng Juren hurriedly asked what was going on, and Xie Juren then recounted the events leading up to the exam.
"Three days before the imperial examination, many people in the inn where we were staying started talking about buying exam questions. This was originally a trick by those merchants. In fact, it happened every year, but it was all fake. It was just that people with connections used past years' exam questions to fool candidates from other places."
However, this time it was different. It was said that the questions were prepared by this year's chief examiner, Zhang Huaizhi. Each set cost one hundred taels of silver and included some explanations of the answers. Some people even said that it was leaked before the chief examiner entered the examination room.
It seems many candidates in the inn bought these, probably to see what kind of questions the examiner would ask. Few people thought these were the actual exam questions, so when they saw the exact same questions in the exam hall, they were all surprised.
After I had been bedridden for three days, I heard about the uproar at the inn. Only then did I realize that the exam paper was actually the very one we were supposed to take. Everyone at the inn who had bought the paper had been arrested, and I was questioned before being released.
"It seems this whole thing was a conspiracy from beginning to end. Sigh, we've certainly seen what it's like in officialdom."
"That's right. I only dared to come and see you after I got a little better these past few days. Otherwise, I was afraid of causing trouble for you. But I've heard from others that this incident might actually be a good thing for us."
Thinking of this, Xie Juren couldn't help but say something.
"Oh, Brother Xie, why would you say that?"
"I heard yesterday that there might be a retake, so those who have been arrested are no match for us now, and our chances of passing the exam will be much greater, right?"
"If such a good thing really exists, that's wonderful! We must continue our studies these days and not slack off. We've turned misfortune into blessing."
After the three finished talking, they parted ways. Fu Changfeng was no longer anxious and calmly picked up his books to study again, waiting for the next exam.
"This is good news for us too. Just focus on your studies these days. I'll have someone keep an eye on things outside and see if there's any more trouble." Xi Chun remembered that Fu Changfeng had said that his exam results weren't very good and that he was planning to pack his bags and go home once the results came out. He never expected such good news.
Sure enough, ten days later, the imperial court issued an edict that this year's spring imperial examination would resume in half a month, on the first day of the third month, and all candidates would register again.
The three of them went to the examination hall together and found that there were fewer people there than before. It seemed that some people were still in prison. Those who had caused the most trouble before had not yet been released.
Those scholars who reviewed the exam papers and found that the answers were indeed very similar to those circulating in the market were also interrogated one by one, and now they probably have no intention of taking the exam again.
The weather in March had warmed up considerably, and Xichun no longer needed to worry about Fu Changfeng falling ill again. However, the atmosphere in the capital was not as pleasant as before, because the recent cheating scandal in the imperial examinations had made the atmosphere of the exams even more serious.
Even the chief examiner and deputy examiner were only announced after they entered the examination room on the day of the examination.
The pedestrians on the street were in a hurry, so Xichun and Sister Cao didn't dare to stay any longer and returned home early.
A few days later, the group indeed emerged safely. This time, Fu Changfeng was even more confident because he had accurately predicted the scope of the exam that he, Zeng, and Xie had prepared for.
"I think I should be on the list this time. Let's wait and see the results." Fu Changfeng only said this to Xichun before he went to discuss his answers with the other two.
The atmosphere on the street was once again ignited by the power of the imperial examination. Many people sold snacks for those who had passed the imperial examination and ate pastries for those who had passed. Some people also made plans to go on spring outings in the suburbs. It was a time when the grass was growing and the birds were singing, and the flowers were in full bloom.
The three families went to the suburbs together, and sure enough, there were many young men and women enjoying the spring outing and picking flowers. Even those who love spring can't escape the custom. Sister Cao and I picked a lot of bright flowers to take back and decorate our home.
After playing for a few days, the results of the imperial examination were finally released. The three of them stopped staying at home and went out to see the results for themselves.
There were many teahouses opposite the examination hall, which were usually deserted, but at this time of year, they were so crowded that it was impossible to squeeze in. The group finally managed to find a seat and could hear people around them discussing the imperial examinations.
"I heard that those who cheated last time have been sentenced. The chief examiner, Lord Zhang, was beheaded, and his family members were exiled to the border. Those who sold the exam questions were also all beheaded. As for the candidates who bought the questions, they were stripped of their Juren status and banned from taking the exam for ten years. Alas, what a pity."
"What's the pity? Who told them to take that shortcut? We all got to where we are after years of hard study. If we didn't have that kind of shrewdness, how would we survive in the officialdom?"
"That's right. Now that they're gone, we have a chance too. We're just waiting for the results today."
"Hehe, Brother Ma, you must have a place on this list. I'd like to congratulate you in advance."
"Not at all, Brother Zhang, you're not bad either, you'll definitely pass."
Hearing the people flattering each other, Fu Changfeng and his two companions remained silent. This was just a teahouse, and with so many people, there was a lot of gossip, so they had to avoid saying anything that might cause trouble.
"The results are out! The results are out! Everyone go and see, but don't crowd people." At the entrance of the examination hall, several officials took out two red papers, one for the main list and one for the secondary list. Although those who made it onto the secondary list could also obtain an official position, they could only be county magistrates or assistant magistrates in remote areas, and it would be difficult for them to achieve anything significant in their lives.
Therefore, many people did not want to see their names on it. Fu Changfeng and his two companions also disregarded their reserve and civility and went forward together to see the results.
Unfortunately, there were too many people. Someone pushed him with their butt and he was thrown out. Fu Changfeng tried twice, but he could only squeeze into the middle. He couldn't get in or out.
"The main list has been posted! Quickly check if my name is among these 300." A candidate next to him was also quickly looking for his name. Fu Changfeng naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity. He widened his eyes and looked at each name one by one. Finally, he found his name at number 116.
"Jiannan Circuit, Guangming Prefecture, Weinan County, Fu Changfeng?" He carefully looked through all the place names, afraid that there might be someone with the same name as him.
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