Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, all the officials stood silently with their heads bowed.
The air seemed to freeze, with only the rustling of fabric as the examination paper was passed from hand to hand among the officials.
It circulated among the officials once, and finally returned to the emperor.
Qin Minghuang lightly tapped the sandalwood imperial desk with her fingertips, breaking the suffocating silence:
"Now that everyone has read it, what do you think of this article?"
A complete silence.
Hu Weiqian, the supervisor of the Ceremonial Department, was the first to step forward. He had white hair and beard, a stern face, and a voice as dry and emotionless as an old account book.
"Return to your majesty.
This policy essay is well-written and logically sound. While its insights are not particularly groundbreaking, it is solid and its citations are acceptable. However, its rhetoric is rather unremarkable.
In my humble opinion, their level is just right for the bottom tier of the list of successful candidates, and placing them at the end of the list is not inappropriate.
The Empress shifted her gaze slightly, landing on the head of the civil officials: "What does Prime Minister Pei think?"
Pei Xuanyun slightly raised his eyelids and said calmly:
"Supervisor Hu is in charge of the ceremonial procedures, and his judgment on the essays in the imperial examinations is accurate. This old minister has no objection."
Qin Minghuang nodded. "In that case, let's publish the list according to the original rankings."
"Your Majesty!" A slightly hurried remonstrance rang out.
A man stepped forward from the back row; he was Zhou Yan, an Imperial Censor from the Censorate.
“The original scroll is quite different from this copy. This matter is suspicious and must be investigated.”
Chen Yu's scroll was switched after it was copied. What if someone had switched it before it was copied?
Perhaps... perhaps another volume has also been tampered with!
The room suddenly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop; the air seemed to freeze.
"Are you looking for death?" Countless gazes, some surprised and some suspicious, were fixed on Zhou Yan.
Such outspokenness is risky, almost accusing the entire imperial examination process and even the officials in charge of dereliction of duty.
How could a mere censor like him have such audacity?
Immediately, another middle-aged man dressed in the robes of a fourth-rank official stepped forward; he was none other than Sun Chong, the examiner of the Ministry of Personnel.
"Your Majesty, I believe that what Imperial Censor Zhou said is not entirely without merit."
Although the list of successful candidates has already been posted outside the examination hall, if it were to be revealed at this moment that the exam papers might have been switched, it could cause an even greater uproar and damage the reputation of the imperial examination system.
For the sake of complete safety, it may be necessary to postpone the follow-up matters of the women's imperial examination.
It would be prudent to wait until the truth comes out before making a decision!
These words, like ice water poured into boiling oil, instantly stirred up a storm.
"Master Sun is mistaken!" Hu Weiqian immediately retorted, his voice suddenly rising.
"Procedural fairness is of utmost importance!"
The copying, proofreading, and stamping processes are all recorded at every stage, so how can we doubt them?
Moreover, the transcribed paper bears the signatures and annotations of the clerk and chief examiner; could it be that everyone's eyes were simultaneously mistaken?
His chest heaved, clearly furious.
This matter concerns the authority of the Ministry of Ceremonial Affairs, and personal stance is no longer relevant at this moment. He can only stand firmly on the side of upholding the laws of the court.
Or rather, standing beside His Majesty.
Sun Chong retorted, "Precisely because the procedure is important, a thorough investigation is even more necessary. How can we bury our heads in the sand just because it might cause controversy?"
"The abrupt suspension of courses is the greatest injustice to students who have studied hard for years."
"If there is indeed cheating, it will be a disaster if we do not stop now and wait until the palace examination to select the treacherous officials."
The argument between the two sides gradually escalated, and their voices echoed in the empty hall.
The civil officials blushed and spoke frankly, citing classical texts or pointing out the advantages and disadvantages.
As his sleeves fluttered, his usual dignified demeanor was gradually replaced by anxiety and sharpness.
Just as the argument was getting more and more heated, Qin Minghuang suddenly felt a clear and irritating inner voice explode in her ear without warning:
[Bullshit! 72-ring spinning fart!]
Which idiot with a loose belt is spouting nonsense here?
Pause? Pause my foot!
Do you want to stop as soon as your lips touch?
Using the people as a pretext? Bah! They act like they care so much about the people's lives.
Shameless! Rotten-hearted! May your son be born without an anus!
Qin Minghuang: ...
The insults were indeed quite vulgar.
However, why was Xiao Liu so indignant about the imperial examination system?
She's been slacking off these days, not doing anything productive.
"Zhaoyue."
The voice from the throne rang out again, not loud, but easily suppressing all the noise.
What's your opinion on this matter?
The entire hall fell into a deathly silence in an instant.
All eyes turned to Qin Zhaoyue, the sixth princess of Fengjing, who was known for her outrageous and unruly behavior.
Ask her? What good would it do to ask her at this juncture? What could she possibly know about important court affairs?
Qin Zhaoyue suddenly jolted awake, like a student caught daydreaming in class.
No, she's not Yuanfang, why would you ask her?
Being a conspicuous figure in front of all the civil and military officials is not her persona.
But for the sake of merit points, she really couldn't stay silent.
According to the usual practices of the imperial court, it is nothing more than a game of negotiation and compromise. If it ends up being a dragging-out tactic, when will it ever end?
With a slow exhale, Qin Zhaoyue turned around and looked behind her.
After searching for a while, they found the censor who had spoken first; with a slight lift of her slender finger,
"What's your name again? Never mind, it's not important."
"According to you, if the results aren't cleared up in a day, then the results won't be released for a day? And the exams won't continue for a day? Is that what you mean?"
Upon seeing that it was this woman, Zhou Yan felt somewhat relieved, assuming she was just being silly, and maintained a respectful demeanor.
"I merely believe that we should investigate first, to avoid..."
"Shut up!" Qin Zhaoyue abruptly waved her hand, interrupting him, her brows furrowed with deep impatience.
"He's an official, after all. Can't he understand human language?"
I'm asking you, is it so hard to understand, yes or no, one word or two words?
Zhou Yan was startled by the sudden fierce look in her eyes. Just as she was about to speak, Qin Zhaoyue added a sinister remark.
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