Turbulent Times Chapter 203: So ambiguous

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Xu Jingzong read it twice again from the beginning to the end, carefully considering each word, to ensure that the words are clear, and the language is gorgeous and exquisite, and at the same time, the meaning expressed is accurate and correct, making sure that there are no typos or omissions. Words, and at the same time, there is no taboo.

After a long time, the newly replaced candles were half burned, and the second watch drum was already beating outside, Xu Jingzong handed the paper to the little official waiting in front of him, and said proudly : "My paper is worth tens of thousands of gold. If you lose it or make a mistake, be careful with your heads!"

"Don't dare, dare not." The clerk came up and carefully put away Xu Jingzong's test paper, and one of them hurriedly sent the paper out. What Xu Jingzong didn't notice was that the little official turned around with a sneer and sarcasm on his face.

Xu Jingzong walked out of the examination institute, and it was already the climax of the moon. The stars in the sky were obscured by the moonlight and dimmed a lot.

It may be the last few candidates who handed in their papers. When Xu Jingzong came out, the surrounding area was already silent, and there was no one around. A number of lanterns were hung under the eaves, illuminating the bright lights inside and outside the examination hall. Stepping on the lights on the road, Xu Jingzong walked slowly in the examination hall. He had absolute confidence in his examination results, and let the patrolling soldiers in front turn a blind eye to their surprised gazes. At this time, I was imagining the honor and fame I would get on the day when the exam results were announced. He believed that by then he would no longer be an aide of the Eastern Palace, and he would never become an official of the Eastern Palace. He would, like Yang Su, become a big shot that His Highness the Crown Prince would try to win over.

Xu Jingzong walked out of the gate of the examination institute step by step. There was a carriage and two guards waiting for him in front of the gate. If the other party saluted him, he would smile and nod in return, but at this time, he ignored it with a haughty face, and got into the carriage directly.

According to Xu Jingzong's speculation, in order to make the first imperial examination deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, today's son will not only have a high official position, but also may be granted a title and a reward of food. In this way, he will immediately enter the ranks of the top nobles of the Sui Dynasty . As long as he wins the first place, the younger generation may only be able to compare with him, the illustrious Qin Anhou.

After Xu Jingzong boarded the carriage and left, two figures followed quietly in the darkness, one on the left and one on the right, the Nighthawk envoy on the left and Shen Guang on the right.

Xu Jingzong will be the most critical link in Wang Junlin's plan. The two of them will stare at Xu Jingzong to death in the next few days, and there must be no omissions or mistakes.

…

…

Suddenly a gong sounded in the examination hall. The sound of the gong was crisp and clear, as if it wanted to wake up the night that covered the sky over Kyoto.

"The time is up, all candidates stop writing and hand in the test papers immediately."

With a shout, the subordinate officials of the Ministry of Rites and Yushitai began to clear the field, and drove the few candidates who were still holding on to their brushes to the outside of the examination hall. There was an examinee who looked to be in his fifties, his hair was already grey, but he hadn't finished his thesis yet, crying and refusing to leave his desk, and in the end he was brutally held up by several officials from Yushitai Throw it out.

After a long time, everyone seemed to be able to hear the candidate's ugly voice like a ghost crying, echoing inside and outside the examination hall.

Wang Junlin sighed, but he didn't have any sympathy in his heart - there must be rules in everything, let alone such a major event as the imperial examination, which is related to the fate of the country.

He remembered that one year in the college entrance examination in later generations, a candidate was wearing a metal ring and couldn't pass the examination equipment, so he couldn't enter the examination room for a long time, but the ring couldn't be taken off life and death. A group of parents and enthusiastic people gathered around to try their best They found a way, and the parents even knelt down to the staff in charge of checking the entrance to the examination room, but in the end they still did not allow the candidates to enter the arena. The candidates were not allowed to enter the arena until half an hour later when the ring was taken off.

Let’s not talk about half an hour less time at this time. After a lot of tossing, with the psychological quality of an eighteen-year-old boy, it’s not bad to be able to play half of his level in this situation. Some people say that the staff is too stiff. , Unreasonable, but the people who say these words don't know how many cheating devices are found out every year in the college entrance examination, among which there are Bluetooth headsets made into earrings and information screens with myopia glasses. Wouldn't it be unfair to more people if we didn't conduct strict investigations like this and didn't abide by the rules? You can only blame the student wearing the metal ring and his parents for not thinking well.

…

…

For Wang Junlin, the exams for these students are over, but his own exam...has just begun.

On the night of the exam, it is Wang Junlin's duty to seal the test paper immediately. Gao Ying and Zhou Chengyan both sat in the back hall and did not dare to leave, waiting for Wang Junlin to lead the people to complete the obfuscation and transcription After these two procedures, the scroll can be sealed and marked.

Bright candles are brightly lit, and the entire middle hall of the examination institute is a busy scene. Outside, dozens of palace servants and senior officials from the Ministry of Rites are dividing and sorting the test papers. In another small room, Wang Junlin is leading a Officials from the Ministry of Rites and a supervisory censor from the Yushitai were obfuscated.

All test papers had to be sent to Wang Junlin for a pass before their names were affixed. After a while, he had already picked out dozens of papers and put them unobtrusively on his right hand.

The two officials beside him lowered their heads and looked at each other. Knowing that the dozens of papers were greeted by various big figures or various forces, they secretly breathed a sigh of relief. I thought that no matter how strong this person is, he would not dare to be against everyone, he could only join forces with everyone, and he would never be exempt from it.

Only after two hundred papers were selected, Wang Junlin ordered the two officials to start obfuscating their names. The two officials did not dare to be negligent, and hurriedly began to cover the candidates' names and borrowings on the test papers with paper . Although it was the first imperial examination, the two officials clearly had done serious research on how to hide their names before, and had done enough homework.

After observing carefully for a while, Wang Junlin realized that the reason why the two of them had done their homework beforehand was to name the two hundred papers he picked out in a different way—the paper strips they used were much different than other papers. The note with the examinee's name was a little short, and if you didn't consciously observe it carefully, you wouldn't be able to find it.

Wang Junlin couldn't help laughing as he watched the two officials solemnly pasting short notes on the test paper he picked out, thinking that if Yang Guang, Yang Yong, Gao Ying, Zhou Chengyan When someone knows, these test papers are not all the names of people arranged after the division of various forces, but more than a dozen of them are the papers of really talented and poor scholars that Wang Junlin likes, such as that guy named Fang Qiao—I don’t know them How would you feel.

If you look at the scrap of paper with very little difference in length when the name is pasted, you will definitely not see anything weird, but if the official who transcribed it knows it well, he will definitely be able to tell the difference. After Wang Junlin saw Fang Qiao's papers being pasted with short paper, his mood became very good for no reason. He shook his head with a smile, and couldn't help but ask, "Even if it was picked out, how do you do it when transcribing?" mark?”

The official of the Ministry of Rites beside him did not expect Wang Junlin to speak directly, and smiled a little embarrassedly, and replied in a low voice: "Don't worry, Lord Hou, in order not to spoil the matter entrusted by the nobles, we will I have studied it carefully, as long as I work **** the size or strokes of certain words when transcribing, the adults in that batch of papers will naturally understand."

Wang Junlin suddenly realized, and praised: "In this way, even if Gao Gong and Master Zhou who approved the papers don't know who they are, as long as they know they are the right people."

"Yes, my lord." The official of the Ministry of Rites replied very politely, but in his heart he knew that this vicious and poisonous general was a vulgar general after all.

Who doesn't know that at this time Wang Junlin was also sighing in his stomach, the first imperial examination, even if it was cheating for personal gain, was full of loopholes, and as a result, he easily took advantage of the loopholes and achieved his goal.

Of course, Wang Junlin also understands that the reason why these people relax their vigilance and are not rigorous enough in doing things is that besides the lack of experience in doing this kind of thing for the first time, it is probably because the entire bureaucratic and powerful organization has already acquiesced in this method of dividing up the cake. , in their view, even Wang Junlin did not dare to cause more trouble.

After a busy night, the first autumn imperial examination, which can determine the lives of more than 3,000 scholars, has finally entered the most critical stage of marking papers. Many officials in charge of the preliminary work rubbed their sleepy eyes. Gathered in the main hall, listening to Gao Ying, who is in charge of this autumn test, give a lecture.

After some righteous words, sacred and solemn words, and lies about collecting materials for the country, Gao Ying waved the lower officials away in a bit of trouble, then looked kindly at Wang Junlin and said, "Qin Anhou has also worked hard these few days. Already."

"Don't dare." Wang Junlin said with a smile: "Mr. Gao dare not speak bitterly, let alone be an official."

Zhou Chengyan smiled at the right time and said, "Everyone has worked hard."

Actually, several senior officials present at this time knew the inside story of the imperial examination. Aristocrats.

While Zhou Chengyan secretly ensured that the members of the East Palace Department could go to high school, he gained a lot of benefits from it. Of course, other officials would not lose their own benefits. The day before, someone had already sent a share of the silver that he deserved to Qin Anhou's mansion. That amount was actually more than half a year's income from Wufu Tea House, and Wang Junlin accepted it with a smile.

During several days of examinations, the entire examination hall was filled with a foul smell of yellow and white matter. Wang Junlin stood on the stone steps. Holding his breath, he took a last look at the dark examination hall, thinking that after finishing this matter, he would have a good reason to leave the capital and return to his own territory in Gaotai City, Yongzhou. At that time, if Yang Jian still doesn't let him go, he has no choice but to think of some drastic measures.