Chapter 528 - 198: The Ranking is Set (Part 2)
Chapter 528: Chapter 198: The Ranking is Set (Part 2)
No matter how much Zhao Jing had displeased the Empress Dowager, as long as he possessed true talent, Sheng Mingchuan would protect him. If a scandal erupted because this candidate for top scorer failed to even pass the Provincial Examination, the fallout would surely be no less severe than if Tao Yanxun had been named the top scorer.
Cold sweat streamed down Gong Yuanxiu’s forehead. He pushed himself up straight with his hands on the table, then turned to the kneeling constable in the room.
"Go out and disperse the crowd. Tell them that as the chief examiner for this province, I will handle matters with impartiality and will not bring shame upon His Majesty. The results of the Provincial Examination will be posted tomorrow. They can see for themselves who is on the list. They are all students of the court; how can they simply follow hearsay and be manipulated by rumors? They can come make trouble for me once they have proof that I have acted unjustly. For now, tell them to go back where they came from. Do not mistake my patience for weakness. If they dare to surround the examination hall again, I will charge them with threatening an examiner and coercing an official."
The constable departed. All the examination papers were unsealed, and the scribe in charge of recording the draft list had finished filling in the names, hometowns, and other details for each candidate’s rank.
The draft list was complete.
After it was checked once more to confirm there were no errors, Gong Yuanxiu stood up, walked to the center of the room, and cleared his throat. "The draft list is finalized," he announced. "The scribe will now read it aloud. If there are no objections, we will proceed with writing the official list."
The scribe rose to his feet and began to read the names one by one, starting from the top scorer in the provincial examination.
This year, Heyuan Province would accept a total of seventy-eight scholars.
Although verifying everyone’s names, hometowns, and ranks had been a massive undertaking, reading the draft list aloud was a remarkably simple task.
It was all read out in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
No one raised any objections, nor did anyone dare to question the results. The list for this Provincial Examination was thus finalized.
The next step was to write out the official list.
First, the names were written from sixth place down to the last. Then, they were filled in from fifth place up to first.
Three points were worth mentioning.
First, while Gong Yuanxiu himself was not much of a man, his calligraphy was truly outstanding.
No wonder he was able to serve as an attendant scholar, drafting edicts for the Emperor. His calligraphy alone was impressive enough to command respect.
Unfortunately, the man himself did not live up to his script. Just thinking about him was vexing.
Second, Tao Yanxun, the candidate Gong Yuanxiu had praised to the heavens, did in fact appear on the list. However, he was ranked ninth, not even high enough to be a Jingkui. And with that, he’d fantasized about becoming the top scorer in the provincial examination?
He’d have a better chance of that dream coming true if he were reincarnated.
Third, Gong Yuanxiu had earlier mocked Sheng Mingchuan, saying it would be a huge joke if not a single candidate from Xinghuai Prefecture placed in the top ten. He had even threatened to report to His Majesty that there was something suspect about Xinghuai Prefecture’s qualifying examinations.
And the result?
Xinghuai Prefecture took three of the top ten spots.
The top scorer in the provincial examination was Zhao Jing. Another, Ding Shutian, was the fifth-place Jingkui, and yet another, Huang Chen, placed exactly tenth.
Heyuan Province was not a large province, but it had eight prefectures under its jurisdiction. For Xinghuai Prefecture alone to take three of the top ten spots was an incredible political achievement.
In any evaluation of administrative and cultural achievements, it would be inexcusable if Sheng Mingchuan didn’t receive the highest possible rating.
Once the official list was complete, the other officials all turned to congratulate Sheng Mingchuan. He was gracious and replied with perfect decorum, "Everyone must come to the Lu Ming Banquet. I will have the finest wine and food prepared. I guarantee you will not be disappointed."
"In that case, we will certainly take you up on that!"
"You have to bring out your treasured Pear Blossom White and let us drink our fill. You were so stingy last time, only bringing out two jars. Xu and I nearly came to blows over it!"
No one mentioned Gong Yuanxiu’s blunder again, but they also pointedly ignored him.
The group rose and prepared to leave.
Just as they were about to step out of the room, they suddenly remembered that the governor was still asleep.
So they went back to rouse him. "Your Excellency, the official list is all filled out. It’s time for us to head back."
Mr. Zhou opened his cloudy eyes and looked from side to side, for a moment unable to discern where he was.
Only after Mr. Xu repeated the words did Mr. Zhou finally speak. "I’m getting too old for this. I just don’t have the energy anymore. Let’s go back. I must get some rest."
He shuffled unsteadily toward the door, looking ancient and exceedingly frail.
And yet, during the exam, this old governor’s gaze had been sharp enough to catch cheating students with a telescope. Looking at him now, however, his advanced age didn’t seem like an act.
It just goes to show, once a person has no pressing matters left on their mind, their vitality drains away. Becoming old can happen in an instant.
The officials quickly left the examination hall. Only a few of the examiners remained behind, as they had to wait for the results to be officially posted before they could depart.