Zheng Yi got the timing wrong, and the imperial examination finally came to a happy outcome. Zhu Yunxi was unwilling and would not choose to listen to someone at this time and punish a third-rank minister.
The imperial examination will naturally cause a stir in the court. The power of the Qingliu officials will be attacked. At this time, Zheng Yi chose to secretly stumble Xia Yuanji. It can only be said that the criticism between officials was really pervasive and exploited every opportunity.
~~~~
It was already bright, but the light in the prison was still weak.
The prison in Dali Temple is far more decent than the prison of Jinyiwei. Although it is still in the shape of a prison cell, it is quite clean and tidy, and there are many tables and chairs furnished.
Zhang Xin, a bachelor's degree lecturer in the Hanlin Academy, sat blankly on a stool, motionless looking at the palm-sized window and the faintly bright sky outside the window, his expression numb.
He was originally an extremely noble Hanlin, responsible for explaining the meanings of saints' scriptures to the emperor, revising imperial edicts, and compiling daily life. If nothing unexpected happens, in a few years he will be the censor of the capital and be promoted to a bachelor. In a few years, he will be an official.
Minister of the Ministry, Doctor Guanglu.
But now, in just one day, he became a prisoner. He couldn't accept this result no matter what, he just felt like he was in a dream.
Suddenly, his numb expression relaxed, and he turned his head to look behind him in surprise. There were faint footsteps there, and he quickly stood up and straightened out his wrinkled official uniform and straightened out his somewhat messy temples.
There was a sound of footsteps, and Liu Sanwu, dressed in civilian clothes, slowly appeared.
"Teacher! Teacher!" Zhang Xin saw the savior, knelt down across the prison railing, and swallowed, "Save the student!"
Liu Sanwu stood outside the prison, his back slightly hunched, and the faint light shone on his face, which made him look particularly old.
"Teacher!" Zhang Xin stretched out his hand from the railing and shouted, "Save the student!"
"Hey!" Liu Sanwu just sighed, then turned back to the jailer, "Thank you, please open the door!"
"Sir, you don't have to be so polite!" The jailer smiled.
Then he opened the cell door, put a food box on the table with his own hands, waited for Liu Sanwu to enter, bowed and exited, locked the cell, and quietly stepped aside.
"If you need something, please call me!"
Liu Sanwu nodded in thanks, sat down at the table, opened the food box, took out the food and wine and put them away. His movements were so slow and light that Zhang Xin could clearly see the trembling of his arms.
"Teacher!" Zhang Xin knelt in front of Liu Sanwu and kowtowed, "You have to save the student! The student was wronged, but the student was right!"
"That's right?" Liu Sanwu poured two glasses of wine and suddenly smiled, "Is that really right?" He said, sighing sadly, "In the beginning, you were wrong! In the end, you were completely wrong!"
"From the beginning, your heart was biased towards the Jiangnan scholars. Later on, not only did you stick to your own opinions, but you also joined forces with your colleagues to refuse to admit your mistakes because you were afraid of being implicated. Don't you think you were right?"
"Student!" Zhang Xin choked with tears, "Student, you are right! You are the examiner, and you have also read the papers. The papers of Jiangnan scholars are indeed superior!"
"In the imperial examination, the test is not just about the seal! When the state selects scholars, it is not just about the seal. Don't you know this?" Liu Sanwu said, helped Zhang Xin up, pressed him on the seat, and sighed again, "Actually, this time
, I was also wrong, a big mistake!”
As he spoke, his cloudy eyes inevitably shed a few old tears.
"When I was reviewing and ranking the papers for the first time, if I had been more stubborn and selected a few northern students on the list, it wouldn't have been like this! Later, when I reviewed the papers again, if I hadn't been afraid..." said
At this point, Liu Sanwu closed his eyes, and turbid tears fell down his wrinkles, "The emperor asked for a retrial, so I should have thought of the emperor's thoughts. But like you, I am also afraid that the order will be changed overnight and my reputation will be lost!"
"Reputation! Reputation!" Liu Sanwu almost cried, "My whole life's reputation has been ruined now. The scholars in the capital always say that Sanwu is a southerner who lives in his own country when they meet others!"
"I studied in Guangxi during the Yuan Dynasty. In addition, after thirty years of imperial rule and nearly fifty years of official career, I ended up with the reputation of living alone in my hometown! What a sin!"
Having said this, he drank the wine in one gulp, then filled it up again, "Come, have a drink with me!"
Zhang Xin didn't have any thoughts about drinking. He sat in a daze, as if he had lost his soul, and murmured.
"It's obvious that people from the south have better papers, obviously! For the sake of balance, the court asked me to wait..."
"I only think of the word balance now, it's too late!" Liu Sanwu said again, "It's my fault too. When the emperor asked for a retrial, I should have guessed what the emperor was thinking. But after all, I am old and I am afraid of making mistakes and being criticized.
But we walked into a dead end and didn’t know how to advance or retreat!”
"Not only did I harm myself, I also harmed others!"
What he said was right. They understood. To be precise, they woke up too late. If it had been earlier, there might not be no chance of recovery.
"Didn't you say that if the results of this scientific examination are overturned, someone will be the scapegoat?" Liu Sanwu continued, "No one is willing to be the scapegoat and take the blame. In the end, everyone is a sheep and everyone has to bear the blame.
Pot!" He said and paused, "If I had known this, I, Liu Sanwu, would be the scapegoat, so why not?"
Suddenly, Zhang Xin shuddered and asked in a trembling voice, "What does my teacher mean by this? In addition to students, are there others...?"
"The seventeen examiners who are in charge of this examination will be put in jail. The rest, except Dai Yi, will be assigned to Guangxi and Yunnan as county academic officials. I myself will be assigned to the northwest to promote Sinology in a place where Han and Chinese people live together.
Set off tomorrow!" Liu Sanwu looked at the other party and said.
"Everyone is a scapegoat?" Zhang Xin was completely lost.
"Actually, deep down in my heart, I have thought of this result for a long time!" Liu Sanwu sighed, "When the first time the imperial examination results were announced and the scholars made a fuss, I thought that if there were no northerners, someone would naturally come out to show the world.
An explanation!"
"The court's examination questions cannot be wrong, the imperial examination method cannot be wrong, and the emperor cannot be wrong. We are the ones who are wrong. No matter whether we are wrong or not, someone must stand up and bear the consequences!"
"It's just that I was still lucky at that time and thought that the new king was kind! Alas!"
"Teacher! Teacher!" Zhang Xin knelt down again, bursting into tears, "Do you know how the emperor will punish the students?" He said, pulling Liu Sanwu's trousers, "Should he be exiled to the army or sent to the capital? Will he be able to return to the capital in his lifetime?"
Liu Sanwu looked at him and lowered his eyes, "The blame for the imperial examination is all on you now. You colluded with your colleagues to get the examination papers for your own benefit, deliberately deposed the northerners, taught without reform, deceived the examiners, and used bad examination papers.
Submit it to Your Majesty!"
"I..." Zhang Xin's body trembled uncontrollably.
"What the Emperor means!" Liu Sanwu helped the other person up again and pressed him heavily on the chair, "Ling Chi!"
"Ah!" If Liu Sanwu hadn't pressed down, Zhang Xin would have slipped off the chair immediately. His face was pale, his breathing was rapid, and his whole body was like mud.
"Your Majesty is so kind, I will cut you in half instead!" Liu Sanwu pressed Zhang Xin hard, "You and I are master and disciple, don't worry. I will collect your body and take care of your posthumous affairs!"
"No..." Zhang Xin shook his head desperately, "I don't deserve this, and I don't deserve to die!"
As he said that, he suddenly twisted his body crazily, "I want to see the emperor! I want to see the emperor!"
Then he seemed to have found some hope, his eyes brightened, "I am not the only one who thinks of favoring the southerners, everyone has the same thought. If no one has such a thought, no matter what I say, it will be in vain!"
"If they didn't look down on the Northerners, they wouldn't really have any Northerners on the list? I just said what everyone is thinking, why should all the sins now be mine?"
"Am I connecting them? Beguiling them? No! No! I didn't read the paper alone!" As he said, he held Liu Sanwu's hands and said loudly, "Besides, teacher, you read the paper and the rankings.
It was also your decision, and you also favored the southerners in your heart. Otherwise, why didn't you say it the first time?"
"I am not solely responsible, why should I bear all the responsibility now?"
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This chapter has been completed!