Chapter 520 - 196: Ranking
Chapter 520: Chapter 196: Ranking
As the day of the results announcement drew nearer, the atmosphere in Xinghuai Prefecture grew increasingly oppressive.
But beneath the oppression was a fiery heat.
The prefecture was like a volcano on the verge of eruption. Hot magma churned beneath the surface, waiting only for the right moment to explode violently and incinerate all injustice.
The day before the results were to be announced, this fiery atmosphere reached its peak.
Voices of discontent echoed from every street and alley. One only had to step outside and stand on the street for a moment for all their pent-up hostility to be ignited.
"Tao Yanxun is the top scorer in the provincial examination, Chen Yan Nian is the Metropolitan Examination Champion, and Gu Lin is the Jingkui. This news has to be true."
"Where’d you hear that? Have the rankings already been decided? How come I haven’t heard anything?"
"It came from the result-leakers. How could it be fake? Their information is always the most accurate. They want to find out the rankings ahead of time so they can go to the successful candidates’ homes and ask for a reward."
The moment people heard the news came from the "result-leakers," the streets erupted in an even greater uproar.
These result-leakers made their living entirely by seeking rewards.
In the days after the grading was finished, they would hide on the rooftops near the examination hall and eavesdrop to get the information firsthand, hoping to make a fortune.
In all these years, the news that came from the mouths of the result-leakers had never once been wrong.
Therefore, many people believed their information without a shred of doubt.
But in the past, every student who made the list had the ability to win over the public. What about this time?
Setting aside whether Chen Yan Nian was worthy or not, that Tao Yanxun thought he could take the top scorer position just by relying on his powerful father. How could he be so shameless?
He didn’t even take the county, prefectural, or college qualifying examinations in Heyuan Province. With a background like that, who knew how much skill he actually possessed?
It was true that among all the students, he had the most prestigious birth and the most powerful backing. But just because he had connections didn’t mean he should be the top scorer.
They refused to acknowledge a top scorer who lacked real substance.
Then there was Gu Lin. He had barely passed the college qualifying examination and failed the preliminary screening for the Provincial Examination. He only got the chance to participate through a supplementary admission. With that kind of record, he was going to be a Jingkui?
If he could become a Jingkui, then any one of them could be the top scorer.
"We won’t accept it! We won’t accept it!"
"The imperial examinations are for selecting scholars for the empire, not for choosing aristocrats!"
"Throw the results out! Re-rank them!"
"If the examiners are unjust, we’ll go to the Capital City and file an imperial petition!"
Amidst the clamor, there were naturally some level-headed people who hurriedly held back their friends and relatives.
"The results haven’t been officially posted yet. This is all just news from the result-leakers; it might not be true."
"It’s news the result-leakers got. How could it be fake? If it were, would they dare try to fool everyone? They’d be afraid of getting stomped into paste!"
"It won’t be too late to protest after the results are announced. If we cause a scene now, we might anger the examiners and have our qualifications stripped."
"Bah! Am I causing a scene? I’m seeking justice and protecting my own interests! If we really wait until the results are posted to protest, it’ll be too late!"
More and more people gathered, and more and more people learned of the rumored rankings.
Anyone who was skeptical at first couldn’t help but believe it upon seeing the scene before them. And with belief came utter fury. "What a fine display of officials protecting officials, and officials protecting merchants! What future is there for us common students? I’ll fight you crooked officials to the death!"
The students began to storm the examination hall, and the scene before its gates descended into chaos.
Fortunately, the Prefectural Magistrate’s Office was very close by. Some constables sensed something was wrong and quickly went to call for help. With the assistance of soldiers brought by the provincial governor, they managed to temporarily suppress the uproar.
The crowd was brought under control, but they could not be dispersed.
Both sides had their reservations. The constables didn’t dare harm these students, who held academic ranks, for fear of bringing disaster upon themselves. The students, in turn, were afraid that if they took things too far, they would truly anger the examiners and have their qualifications stripped.
And so, the constables stood in formation, attempting to persuade the crowd with placating words, while the students braved the cold wind, demonstrating at the gates of the examination hall for a fair result.
The cold wind howled, but the atmosphere outside the examination hall was even colder, enough to make any observer want to turn and flee.
「Inside the examination hall.」
It was now time to fill out the draft list of successful candidates. The chief examiner was to write down the red serial numbers of the selected examination papers in order of rank. All the other ranks had been filled, but when it came to the final three, the chief examiner found himself in a dilemma.
Gong Yuanxiu was the chief examiner for this examination. He held three exam papers in his hands, comparing, deliberating, and weighing his options. He looked them over again and again, pondering them endlessly, but his heart was still unsettled.
The sheer difficulty of the decision made his withered, gaunt face scrunch up even more, until he resembled a piece of old, decaying wood, weathered by the years and covered in filth.