Chapter 518 - 195: Competitors, Part 2
Chapter 518: Chapter 195: Competitors, Part 2
There were far too many people in the private room. A table set for ten couldn’t even accommodate them all.
Luckily, the adjacent room was connected to theirs. The two spaces were joined by an ornate, floor-to-ceiling partition, with a beaded curtain of jade and pearls hanging in the doorway, glittering in the sunlight.
A few of them took Sheng Kaolin and moved to the room next door.
Once they were gone, Wang Jun and the others began to talk.
They were discussing Chen Yan Nian.
He was twenty-two years old and from Wantong Prefecture. His father was none other than the Magistrate of Wantong Prefecture himself.
The young man was said to be exceptionally gifted. He had repeatedly placed first in the county, prefectural, and qualifying examinations, a true prodigy in every sense of the word.
Perhaps due to his great talent and proud nature, he was keen to avoid accusations of relying on his father’s influence. During the prefectural and qualifying exams, he specifically asked his father—Mr. Chen, the Magistrate—to petition the provincial governor to allow him to take the tests in a different prefecture.
Even then, he outshone everyone to win the "lesser triple first." His skill and ability were likely on par with Zhao Jing’s.
As Wang Jun finished, Wang Xiao added, "There is a major tea merchant in Heyuan Province with the surname Gu. His family owns vast tea plantations, and their ancestors were on good terms with my maternal grandfather’s family. My uncle came to visit a while ago and mentioned in passing that the Gu family is dead set on securing the title of top scorer in this examination—and they seem confident of their chances. My uncle was suspicious, so he had someone discreetly ask around among the Gu family’s servants. After some difficulty, he learned that the head of the Gu family had stayed at a relay station for several days. During that time, Mr. Gong and his entourage also happened to be resting at the very same station. The Gu Family members only left after Mr. Gong and his party had departed."
The implication was clear: the Gu family had bribed Mr. Gong.
Whether Mr. Gong had actually been corrupted wasn’t certain yet. But based on the information gleaned from the Gu Family, it seemed the two parties had reached some sort of tacit agreement.
This meant that Zhao Jing’s claim to the title of top scorer was now in jeopardy.
Wang Jun and Wang Xiao were overcome with worry. Even Ding Shutian and the others felt troubled on Zhao Jing’s behalf.
They all knew the high caliber of Zhao Jing’s scholarship, and the prefectural academy had great expectations for him.
If Zhao Jing were to lose because someone was simply more capable, that would be one thing. But the thought of someone manipulating the results to steal the top scorer title from him was infuriating.
The trouble was, evaluating essays was a subjective affair with no uniform standard. If the chief examiner simply insisted that a candidate’s writing style didn’t suit his personal taste, what recourse was there?
The friends sat there, their brows furrowed with worry, in no mood to listen to the performance by the popular opera troupe on the stage below.
They huddled together, quietly discussing what to do, but what power did a group of students have against a chief examiner?
But when they looked at Zhao Jing, they saw he was in high spirits, not the least bit bothered by the news. They couldn’t help but chide him.
"You’re taking this way too calmly."
"Have you completely given up on becoming the top scorer? Or do you have some trick up your sleeve that makes you so sure no one else stands a chance?"
Zhao Jing sipped his tea, his expression relaxed and unreadable. Faced with his friends’ pointed questions, he finally said, "Heaven’s secrets must not be revealed... What is not meant to be mine, I cannot seize. And what is mine, no one can take away."
Chen Wanqing and the other ladies said nothing, quietly listening to the men’s conversation.
As they listened, their hearts grew heavy with worry, and they lost all interest in their tea.
Seeing this, Sheng Saya gently tapped Chen Wanqing’s hand. "Don’t you worry. My father is here."
Theoretically, the location for the Provincial Examination was supposed to rotate among the various prefectures in Heyuan Province. However, the government offices of the Governor-General and the Provincial Governor were located in the two prefectures flanking Xinghuai Prefecture.
To make it easier for these two high-ranking officials to oversee the examinations, the Provincial Examination was most often held in Xinghuai Prefecture.
There was likely a deeper reason as well. Mr. Sheng was a senior official who, in his early years, had mentored and helped advance the career of the man who was now the Governor-General of Heyuan Province. Consequently, after Mr. Sheng took up his post, the Governor-General showed him considerable favor.
The Provincial Governor ranked below the Governor-General. Since the Governor-General himself was on friendly terms with Sheng Mingchuan, how would the Provincial Governor dare to put on airs or cause trouble? Staying on good terms was the obvious choice.
Thus, with the tacit approval of these two top officials, the candidates from Xinghuai Prefecture were in a fortunate position.
It wasn’t necessarily more convenient to take the exam in their home prefecture. But with their roots firmly planted here, anyone who thought about causing trouble for them would have to think twice before making a move.
Sheng Saya knew how formidable her father was, so she wasn’t the least bit flustered.
"If Zhao Jing truly lacks the ability, so be it. But if he has the talent and someone tries to push him out for other reasons, my father will not allow it."
Chen Wanqing nodded and squeezed her hand.
Xiang’er’s face filled with gratitude. "Thank you so much, Kaiyan."
The young women made small talk, nibbling on fruit and pastries. As for what was being sung on the stage below, none of them paid it any mind.