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Zhao Hongwei gave Zhao Hongjie a disapproving look. Among the many officials in Xuan empire, only the former Prime Minister could be considered upright and honest. Hearing his brother’s words now was surely a blow to the former Prime Minister’s reputation. No wonder the former Prime Minister’s expression looked so grim.
“I failed to discipline him properly, which is truly regrettable,” Zhao Hongwei apologized, not wanting his brother to be resented at this moment.
Although the former Prime Minister had retired, he still had many disciples in the court. If his brother entered officialdom in the future, he would surely encounter them. If the former Prime Minister spoke ill of his brother to those people, it would ruin his future prospects.
The former Prime Minister glanced at Zhao Hongwei but chose to chat with Wang Jingyu and the others, gradually showing a more cheerful expression as they conversed.
Seeing the former Prime Minister’s cold attitude towards him and warmth towards Wang Jingyu, Zhao Hongjie felt extremely embarrassed.
“Brother…”
“Shut up.” Wasn’t this humiliation enough?
Upon hearing this, Zhao Hongjie harbored a deep resentment towards Wang Jingyu. He glared fiercely at Wang Jingyu and lowered his head when their eyes met.
As they chatted, dawn broke, and it was almost time for the exam results to be announced.
“Aren’t you going to check the results?”
“No need. Our servant has been waiting in line there since early morning,” Wang Jingyu shook his head.
“In that case, you don’t need to go.”
This time, Yuan Ji was the one checking the results, accompanied by Wang Jingyu’s servant. When the results were posted, they exclaimed, “The results are out!”
“The results are out. Let’s go see them quickly.”
“Please don’t push. The results aren’t even fully posted yet. What’s the rush to see?”
Once the results were up, Yuan Ji quickly made his way to the front. When he saw that Wang Jingyu had secured the first place, a slight smile tugged at his lips. Just as the young master had predicted, Wang Jingyu had indeed achieved the top scholar position.
Qin Lang took the second place.
As for Luo Su, he ranked sixth, with others in their group placing within the top twenty, which was quite commendable.
While they were still looking at the results, the messengers of good news had already arrived at the tavern below.
“Congratulations to Wang Jingyu for achieving the top scholar position.” Several voices from upstairs could be heard congratulating him.
“It seems like there’s a messenger coming to deliver good news to Jingyu. I heard they said you’re the top scholar.” Luo Su said excitedly.
“It seems so.”
Zhao Hongjie and his brother also heard the news, but the revelation sent shivers down their spines. If Wang Jingyu had indeed become the top scholar, then they had lost completely, with no chance for redemption.
“How is that possible?” Zhao Hongjie angrily questioned, refusing to believe it was true.
Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at him. “Are you doubting the Emperor and his officials?”
Zhao Hongwei furrowed his brow slightly, about to speak when the messenger of good news approached, “Which one is Wang Jingyu, the top scholar?”
“I am.” Wang Jingyu stood up and smiled at them.
“Congratulations on being the top scholar. You will participate in the palace examination in three days.”
“Thank you.” Wang Jingyu handed them a prepared purse, which they accepted after some initial refusal and then left.
As they departed, another round of congratulations was heard downstairs, this time for Qin Lang.
Following him was the announcement of the third-place scholar.
Shortly after, Yuan Ji and the others arrived. “Congratulations to all of you for passing. Master Luo, you are in sixth place.”
Upon hearing their rankings, everyone was delighted. “That’s great.”
“We all passed. It would be even better if we could be assigned to an official position together.”
“Yes.”
Zhao Hongjie’s expression darkened even more as someone who had previously clashed with him remarked with a smile, “Looks like Jingyu and his group are sure to win.”
“By the way, what place did Zhao Hongjie get?” Luo Su curiously asked.
“Failed.” Yuan Ji bluntly replied.
Upon hearing the words “failed,” Zhao Hongjie’s eyes turned red with anger. “You’re lying! How could I have failed? This is all nonsense from you.”
“Wait until your family returns, then you’ll know,” Yuan Ji said cryptically.
“You…”
Zhao Hongwei glanced at Zhao Hongjie. “Enough. You…”
At that moment, Zhao Hongwei’s attendant returned. Judging by their expression, Zhao Hongwei knew that what they had heard was true.
“How did the young master perform in the exam?” Zhao Hongwei still held onto a glimmer of hope.
“The young master… the young master failed.”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Hongjie stared at Wang Jingyu intensely. “Did you have something to do with this?”
“What are you talking about?” Wang Jingyu frowned at Zhao Hongjie. Was this person, who easily succumbed to anger, truly a scholar?
Seeing him in this state made Wang Jingyu even more incredulous.
“Isn’t it true? You’re Wang Jinhe’s brother. She is the Princess Yu, and her husband is a prominent figure. He was the chief examiner and involved in setting the questions. He must have leaked the questions to you, right?”
“He know that you want to compete with me, so he had my exam paper placed in the list of failures? Am I right?” Zhao Hongjie kept nodding, convinced that he was correct.
Upon hearing Zhao Hongjie’s words, everyone furrowed their brows.
“What nonsense are you talking about? Jingyu and his group arrived just a few days before the exam and indeed stayed at the Wang residence.”
“See, even you mentioned that they stayed at the Wang residence. This means they had even more opportunities to access the exam questions.”
“Zhao Hongjie, stop spreading lies. How dare you defame a prominent figure?”
“And let me tell you, Jingyu ranked first in the County Level, Xiucai, and Juren exams.”
“Furthermore, my father holds a position in the court, as you all know. He told me that a few days before the exam, the Prince suddenly moved into the palace and stayed there even after the exam to review the papers. It takes ten days to review the papers, followed by several days for rechecking, and then they need to be presented to the Emperor. Until last night, the Prince had not returned to the residence, and no one from the Princess Yu’s residence had entered the palace to deliver any messages to him.”
“I am aware of this matter as well. The officials from the Dali Temple are at the Wang residence to monitor if anyone is secretly passing messages to the palace or entering the palace. The Prince raised this issue during the morning court session,” another candidate nearby added.
“My father is a Ministry of Revenue official. When the Prince proposed this measure, my father even asked him why he was doing it. At that time, the Prince explained that the Princess’s brother and a few classmates had come to participate in the imperial examination and were staying at the residence. To prevent any mishaps, he needed to take precautions. Therefore, for the past month, the Prince had spent most of his time in the palace without leaving. All the ministers who attended the morning court sessions can testify to this.”
Candidates whose families held official positions came forward to speak.
Their fathers had mentioned this incident while having dinner.
They praised the Prince as their role model, admiring his dedication to taking precautions.
TN: I Researched and I seems that in ancient China, these are the levels of examination
1. County Level Examination (or Prefectural Level Examination): An initial examination in the traditional Chinese imperial examination system held at the local level to assess basic knowledge of Confucian classics and literature.
2. Xiucai Examination: The second level examination in the imperial examination system, also known as the “Budding Talent Examination,” testing a deeper understanding of Confucian teachings and literature.
3. Juren Examination: An intermediate-level examination following the Xiucai Examination, examining a higher level of knowledge of Confucian classics and literature, granting the title of Juren upon passing.
4. Jinshi Examination: The highest level examination in the imperial examination system, requiring profound knowledge of Confucian texts and literary works, and granting individuals the prestigious title of Jinshi.
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