Chapter 561 - 209: Paying a Visit (Part 2)
Chapter 561: Chapter 209: Paying a Visit (Part 2)
Mrs. Sheng also took the opportunity to meet De’an in private.
She took an immediate liking to De’an.
’This child has such a pure gaze and a shy look about him. Anyone can see at a glance that he’s a good boy with an upright character.’
’He was just too nervous in her presence, and once he started talking, he couldn’t seem to stop, which made him come off as a bit of a smooth talker. But as long as his intentions are pure, so what if he’s a bit of a chatterbox? It just proves the boy is lively, his family’s atmosphere is relaxed, and his parents are kind. If our Yan’er were to marry him, she would surely be happy.’
The family stayed at the Sheng residence for about an hour before they left.
Mrs. Sheng had intended to have them stay for a meal, but Xu Su Ying politely declined.
Now that the examination results had been posted, the students were also beginning to collect their failed exam papers. At times like this, students would invariably stir up trouble for one reason or another.
’Although De’an failed, any trouble stirred up by the students shouldn’t involve him. But then there was Jing.’
’His title as top scorer in the provincial examination had not come easily.’
’She couldn’t risk some bizarre rumor spreading just because they spent a little extra time at the Prefectural Magistrate’s Office, prompting students to travel to the capital and file a formal complaint with the emperor.’
After leaving the Sheng residence, the group headed straight for the Zhao Family’s home.
Xu Su Ying’s suspicions proved correct. It was a sensitive time, and some people were indeed paying close attention to the comings and goings at both the Prefectural Magistrate’s Office and the inn where the examiners were staying.
And so, the frequent meetings between Mr. Sheng, the deputy examiner Xu Yanlin, Zhao Jing, and Chen De’an were seen by someone with ulterior motives.
The student in question had failed the examination and was filled with resentment. Upon returning to his inn, he loudly broadcast what he had seen for all to hear.
Among the students in the inn, some had passed the examination, while others had failed.
The students who had passed were more level-headed. "Perhaps there’s another reason for it," one said.
The failed students, however, were far more hostile. One spoke recklessly, "What business could two exam candidates possibly have with a deputy examiner and the local Magistrate? I bet Zhao Jing paid them a huge bribe..."
"That’s absurd! The final rankings for the Provincial Examination were decided by the chief examiner, Mr. Gong, and him alone! Mr. Sheng is just the local Magistrate; he isn’t even permitted to read the exams. Mr. Xu can only grade papers and act as a proctor, but the final ranking has nothing to do with him. Slinging mud at Zhao Jing won’t get your names on the pass list. It just makes you look petty and vile, like a bunch of clowns."
"Alright, alright, everyone calm down. There’s no way an examiner would collude with a student to cheat. For one, Mr. Sheng and Mr. Xu don’t even have the authority. For another, on the day the rankings were finalized, Chen Yan Nian’s father, Mr. Chen, was also there. He must have reviewed Zhao Jing’s examination paper himself before agreeing to Mr. Gong’s proposed ranking. Otherwise, if Zhao Jing were to surpass Chen Yan Nian and snatch the title of top scorer, he’d never have made it past Mr. Chen."
"That makes sense."
"If you’re still suspicious, just wait a little longer. The collection of top essays is always published before the Lu Ming Banquet. We can all read Zhao Jing’s work then and see for ourselves whether he truly deserves to be the top scorer in the provincial examination."
"Good point."
"Let’s do that, then."
But while the other students all agreed this was a reasonable course of action, the failed candidate remained unsatisfied.
His face dark and his body radiating resentment, he returned to his room. As he sat at the desk, the musty smell of the room only made him more agitated.
It was a triple room, a "Yellow"-grade room, the lowest tier in the inn’s ranking system.
The room was crude and cramped, barely large enough to fit one large bed, a writing desk, and a round table. Yet three people were expected to share it, making it only a marginal improvement over the large communal sleeping platforms.
Tucked away in a corner that never saw sunlight, the room was filled with a perpetual musty odor that one could never get rid of.
And yet, for a room like this, the price was always hiked during the Provincial Examination. A single month’s lodging, not even counting food and expenses, cost five taels of Silver.
The scholar was over thirty and had failed the examination time and time again, completely exhausting his family’s meager funds. He had sold his own children to pay for his studies, and for this trip, he had gone so far as to sell his wife, just to scrape together enough for travel expenses.
And yet, he had failed. Again!
The scholar snapped.
The thought of Xu Yanlin’s friendly behavior toward Zhao Jing and Chen De’an returned to him, and a wave of furious injustice crashed through his chest. It compelled him to stand, walk out of the inn, and storm into the street.
’But what could he do, now that he was in the street?’
’All officials were corrupt, self-serving dogs who abandoned their principles at the first sight of profit. Where could he possibly go to find justice?’
The scholar wandered aimlessly down the road like a lost soul. Not watching where he was going, he walked straight into someone.
It was a wealthy-looking, middle-aged man. He was dressed in fine silks and satins, with a Jade Pendant hanging from his waist to weigh down his robes. On his finger, he wore an archer’s ring made of a fine, translucent black jade.