Chapter 195: Professional Consultant for the Proposal Case
Chapter 195 Professional consultant on the project
Author: Silent
Chapter 195 Professional consultant on the project
February twenty-nine.
Zhang Zhou hurried out of Xishan, but had to go back under Xiao Jing's repeated urging.
Without entering the palace, he went directly to the gate of Gongyuan. Xiao Jing found a temporary courtyard here, just like his meeting hall. When Zhang Zhou arrived, in addition to Yang Peng, there were also the commander of Jin Yiwei Mou Bin and Beizhen Fu.
Guo Ang, the governor of Sizhen, and Zheng Sui, the chief of Qianhu in Dongchang, were also there.
There were only two chairs. Xiao Jing could only sit on the Huanghuali armchair, and the other one was prepared for Zhang Zhou. After they sat down, even Mu Bin had to stand and listen.
"Eunuch Xiao, what kind of urgent matter is this, that I have to tell you?"
Zhang Zhou thought to himself, the battle you have created is quite big. I don’t know, I thought you were going to interrogate me together.
Xiao Jing sighed: "Mr. Zhang, the results will be filled out soon. His Majesty has ordered that the inner curtain should be summarized and reported before then. He also specifically stated that he would listen to your opinion. Our family has no choice but to do so.
I can ask someone to invite you back as soon as possible. Have you had a hard journey?"
Zhang Zhou smiled.
It’s not too far back from Xishan, but it’s a long and tiring journey.
"What opinions can I, a candidate, have on the inner curtain?" Zhang Zhou didn't think it was a good thing for the emperor to let him get involved.
But there are some things that seem to require his intervention.
Should you protect Cheng Minzheng, Tang Yin and Xu Jing? How? How can you still change history without being deeply involved?
This all requires skills.
Xiao Jing took out several recent detailed files on Cheng Minzheng's case and gave them to Zhang Zhou to read. While Zhang Zhou was flipping through them, he also gave a verbal explanation: "As you said before, give Bachelor Cheng a reminder.
, they did send someone, but he refused to write a word on the confession. Even if he was given a chance, he wouldn't know how to seize it."
Zhang Zhou didn't take his eyes off the files and chuckled: "A staid old scholar was wronged and repaid twice. No matter how many reminders he was given, he didn't want to admit any of his mistakes."
"ah?"
Xiao Jing looked at Zhang Zhou in surprise.
Since you can guess Cheng Minzheng's strong character, you actually asked someone to remind him?
"You don't have to be surprised, Eunuch Xiao. He is angry now and feels that he has been greatly wronged, which is why he behaves like this. In a few days, or even after he is caught in Beizhen Fusi, he will figure it out."
Zhang Zhoudao.
Xiao Jing smiled bitterly: "This means that if he refuses to admit his fault on his own, then we will torture him for his crime?"
Zhang Zhou shook his head and didn't explain much.
The character of a literati is very strong, but it also coexists with the weakness of the literati. Even if it involves national justice, there are not a few literati who grovel. What's more, Zhang Zhou's reminders to Cheng Minzheng are all real. Cheng Minzheng will gradually
Feeling scared and wanting to escape from the sea of suffering as soon as possible.
The general meaning is that the pressure on Cheng Minzheng is not enough now, and Cheng Minzheng feels that he can still bear it.
"Our family is about to enter the inner curtain. Do you have any reminders? Please give me some advice."
Xiao Jing now regards Zhang Zhou as his staff advisor.
In fact, even if the emperor didn't say it, Xiao Jing would still do it. Although Dongchang was very experienced in handling other matters, there was no precedent for imperial examination fraud.
"Eunuch Xiao, wouldn't it be inappropriate for you to ask my opinion first when you enter the inner curtain?"
"It's okay, it's okay. This matter will definitely not be known to outsiders. We are here here. Besides, you are not allowed to interfere with the grading of the inner curtain. You only need to make a few comments. We thought it was just a matter of entering the inner curtain.
Just ask around the curtain and keep an eye on it, but you won’t know until you go in... the situation inside is very complicated... it’s hard to explain.”
Xiao Jing looked embarrassed.
Zhang Zhou knew what Xiao Jing was in trouble for.
The inner curtain officers inside, headed by Li Dongyang, and a bunch of Yanguan and Hanlin officials below, are all eloquent and unwilling to admit defeat. Now even if the emperor wants to check the inner curtains, Li Dongyang will not be defeated.
The prestige of the crowd, and the Hongzhi period was a period when the power of civil servants was almost at its peak. Xiao Jing, as a layman, naturally felt that he was unable to do something as professional as the examination papers.
to be honest.
Xiao Jing needs a professional "consultant".
But in both the government and the public, who knows the imperial examinations dares to make some casual comments and disturb the affairs of the inner circle? Do you still want to hang out in the civil service circle in the future?
Both the emperor and Xiao Jing could see that the only person who could break the monopoly of civil servants on imperial examinations and put forward some valuable opinions was Zhang Zhou, who was born in Confucianism but dared to step out of the comfort circle of Confucianism.
"Oh, since Eunuch Xiao is willing to listen to what I have to say, I can just say a few words casually and don't break the rules of marking papers behind the curtain."
"Please tell me! Except for Commander Mou, the rest of the people can wait in the yard first..."
…
…
After Xiao Jing received Zhang Zhou's face-to-face advice, he became much more confident. This time, he took Mou Bin and other Jin Yiwei directly into the inner curtain.
Li Dongyang was still waiting for the news of the unsealed seal, but when he saw Xiao Jing bringing in the Jin Yiwei, he immediately felt that there might be a big problem. After all, Xiao Jing had been very low-key the past few times, and he looked like he was the boss of Dongchang Factory.
It seemed like he had to abide by the rules, but now, Xiao Jing didn't seem to want to endure it anymore.
"Eunuch Xiao, Commander Mou, what are you two?"
Li Dongyang glanced at the Jin Yiwei behind the two, meaning you are not here to arrest people, right?
Cheng Minzheng has already gone out. Does Dongchang still suspect that there is an accomplice in Cheng Minzheng's scandal?
Xiao Jing smiled and said: "We are just here to supervise the opening of the seal on the order of the emperor. By the way, Mr. Li Ge, the re-examination of the Zhu Juan is over. No problems were found, right?"
Li Dongyang waved his hand, and behind him Liu Chun, the Hanlin editor who was also the examiner, came over holding a wooden tray with four stacks of papers arranged horizontally.
"What is this?" Xiao Jing looked over.
Li Dongyang said: "During the re-examination of Zhu Juan, we found four questionable papers. Three of them have been selected as tribute students who have passed the examination, while one has not been selected. However, it is questionable because it meets Eunuch Xiao's requirements."
The prerequisites are specially selected together.”
"oh."
Xiao Jing nodded, thinking to himself.
Mr. Zhang was right after all. Li Binzhi is very independent in his work.
Did this happen without incident?
Xiao Jing asked: "Then Mr. Li Ge, what criteria do you use to judge whether there is any doubt in these papers?"
Li Dongyang said respectfully: "The examination questions proposed by Cheng Minzheng were mostly based on the Five Classics topics. Then we re-examined the Five Classics articles in various files, involving the general principles and general introductions, to see if there were any traces of chiseling. Three or more colleagues were asked
The examiner thought that there were reasons worthy of discussion, so he reported it. Below, he selected these four papers from more than a dozen papers and specially took them to Eunuch Xiao for detailed discussion."
This involves a very professional issue.
After all, Xiao Jing had never taken an exam before, so he didn't know the rules behind the questions. He didn't even know what was being tested in each of the three exams.
This was also the reason why he felt so anxious.
How can a layman manage this case if he comes to take charge of other people's professional affairs?
Xiao Jing smiled and said: "Our family doesn't know much about it. When it comes to doubting questions, it means knowing the test questions in advance. It should be that the article is well written, or it should not be an article that he can write in his capacity, so it is worthy of suspicion.
.right?"
"No." Li Dongyang explained seriously, "If there is an inscription, most of it was not written at one time. There must be traces of long-term deletion and deliberation, which is the result of chiseling. The use of some allusions will also be too neat. In addition,
It just means that many people have different understandings of the meaning of the scriptures, and there are many mixed elements.”
Xiao Jing seemed to understand something and said with a smile: "It means that if I know the test questions in advance, I will not write this article with one person's efforts. I will find different people to refer to the details, but different people will write the article."
There must be some confusion in the article, and there are obvious signs of careful consideration and deliberation, so it will be considered suspicious?"
"Yes." Li Dongyang nodded.
Xiao Jing said: "Then if the candidates involved in the case are not among these, can they be cleared of suspicion?"
Li Dongyang frowned and looked at Xiao Jing, shook his head and said, "You can't say that."
Xiao Jing smiled again and said: "Is it almost certain that there is something wrong with the people involved in the case?"
Li Dongyang didn't like to answer such direct affirmative or negative questions. Civil servants talked about moderation, saying that everything could be discussed, and that people and things could not be generalized... To put it bluntly, civil servants like to be troublemakers. This is something that is in the bones of scholars.
thing.
He is not like Xiao Jing, the admiral of the East Factory, who likes to make clear conclusions about right and wrong, guilt or innocence.
"If he is among them, then the suspicion will be greater." Li Dongyang said.
"That's it, let's open the seal."
Xiao Jing stopped talking nonsense and directly asked someone to get the ink scroll.
Moreover, it must be opened under the supervision of Jin Yiwei, and then the names on the examination papers must be compared.
…
…
Four to five thousand examination papers must be opened at once and detailed comparisons must be made. This is a large amount of work.
But the inner curtain officer not only has examiners, but also subordinate officials sent by Shuntian Prefecture to help. But even if there is help, it will take at least two hours to complete all the paper comparisons.
This time it is not just about selecting the three or four hundred candidates who were selected, the papers of all the candidates must be compared with the ink scroll and the ink scroll, and some will be selected as the "secondary list".
Those who would enter the Imperial College in order to pay tribute, and some would be given teaching positions, such as the official position of Imperial College Provost and Principal that Zhu Youtang had previously arranged for Zhang Zhou, did not deprive these people of the qualification to participate in the imperial examination in the future.
However, if officials are promoted by paying tribute and directly appointing local officials, then these people will basically have no chance of participating in the examination in the future.
"Mr. Li Ge, what did Eunuch Xiao mean before? It sounds like your majesty has no intention of embarrassing the candidates here, so why did you stage such a big battle?"
Liu Chun and Li Dongyang went to meet Xiao Jing and Mou Bin.
While waiting for Kai Mi Feng, the two of them arrived at the marking room first, and Liu Chun couldn't help but ask Li Dongyang for his opinion.
Li Dongyang seemed to be in low spirits and said: "It's over early, it's time to go back and rest. We can't afford to bother!"
Others want to target Cheng Minzheng, but Li Dongyang is not interested in this.
He just wanted to put the matter to rest, go back as soon as possible, continue to be his pavilion boss, and resume his normal life.
