Chapter 563 - 210: Brother and Sister Meet
Chapter 563: Chapter 210: Brother and Sister Meet
The scholar cursed, recounting everything he had seen over the past two days.
He had been following Zhao Jing for the last two days.
He couldn’t believe a young man who hadn’t even come of age could become the top scorer in the provincial examination.
The world has never been short of young prodigies, but which of them didn’t come from a noble background, with an entire family pouring all its resources into their education?
But Zhao Jing? What did he have?
Oh, right. A wife skilled at making incense and a family fortune.
’Since Zhao Jing had money, his title of top scorer must have been bought.’
’It had to be!’
The scholar bitterly accused Zhao Jing of being a man who, despite his noble and pure appearance, was actually despicable and rotten to the core, willing to stoop to any dirty trick for fame and honor.
"Zhao Jing must have bribed Vice Examiner Xu Yanlin. He might have even bought off the Lord Prefect himself! On the surface, Mr. Gong decided the rankings for the Provincial Examination, but all the staff in the examination hall were appointed by the Lord Prefect. Who’s to say the Lord Prefect didn’t manipulate things behind the scenes?"
Gong Yuanxiu asked calmly, "Manipulate them how?"
The scholar tore into his meat and gulped down his wine. His mood had improved, but he was still cursing nonstop.
"There are countless ways. My friend, you’re a merchant, so you wouldn’t understand the world of us scholars. When one of us wants to play dirty, the methods are endless. For example, just consider the order in which the exam papers are delivered to the examiners. Imagine you’re forced to read one mediocre paper after another. Then, suddenly, a halfway-decent one is placed in front of you. An essay that was merely ’passable’ would suddenly seem brilliant, wouldn’t it? What’s more, wouldn’t an examiner grade a paper seen in the dead of night differently from one he reads when he’s wide awake and full of energy? If you ask me, the Lord Prefect must have used tricks like these to secure Zhao Jing’s title as top scorer."
"Is that so? You make a good point."
Gong Yuanxiu just kept flattering him, not bothering to point out that after the candidates submitted their exams, the papers were sealed to conceal their names right before their eyes.
These anonymous papers were then sent to a transcription office, where dedicated officials would copy them out in full. Only then were the copies sent "behind the inner curtain" to be graded by the chief, vice, and associate examiners.
There was no rhyme or reason as to which examiner received which paper. The constables responsible for distribution were all hand-picked and, crucially, illiterate.
They would grab papers at random and place them on the examiners’ desks. Rigging such a system would be next to impossible.
But Gong Yuanxiu said nothing of this. He simply gave the scholar an encouraging look, acting as if they shared a common enemy, and joined him in cursing Xu Yanlin and Mr. Sheng.
His curses only added fuel to the fire.
He then lamented how a man like Mr. Fan—who had clearly read ten thousand scrolls and carried the very air of scholarship—was repeatedly suppressed simply because he lacked connections. It was a true loss for the imperial court.
By encouraging, instigating, and fanning the flames, Gong Yuanxiu successfully stoked the bitter resentment in Fan Ju’s heart to its absolute peak.
Perhaps it was the two cups of wine going to his head, but the man suddenly flipped the table. Face flushed red, he declared he was going to the Capital City to file an imperial petition.
Gong Yuanxiu feigned concern, saying thoughtfully, "You should drop the idea. Commoners can’t fight officials. Even if you go to the Capital City, what can you really do?"
"Even if I have to beat my head against a wall until it bleeds, I will expose their despicable deeds! I’ll risk my life to make them face the punishment they deserve and clear a path of justice for all the scholars of this land!"
"Just forget it. It’s better to live a wretched life than to die a good death. If you lose your life over this, it’s just not worth it."
"What’s one worthless life? If I can go down in history for this, it would be my honor."
"Mr. Fan, please, reconsider..."
"There’s nothing to reconsider..."
The more Gong Yuanxiu tried to stop him, the more indignant Fan Ju became. The more Gong Yuanxiu feigned concern for his well-being, the more Fan Ju’s hatred for the greed and shamelessness of officials grew.
Finally, standing amidst the shattered porcelain, Fan Ju declared passionately, "My friend, there’s no need to persuade me further. Once I’ve made up my mind, not even ten oxen could drag me away. My life is worthless anyway. I have no wife, children, or parents to care for. I will risk it all to demand justice for every scholar in this land!"
Gong Yuanxiu put on a display of profound admiration, sighing with emotion. Finally, with a look of guilt, he took out his own coin purse and offered it to Fan Ju. Then, steeling himself, he pulled two hundred-tael silver notes from his sleeve.
"My dear friend, I truly admire your resolve. Alas, I am just one man with little power, so I cannot truly help you. The most I can do is offer a little financial support to aid your cause."
Fan Ju’s eyes widened. He quickly waved his hands in refusal. "How could I possibly take your silver, my friend?"