At night, a cool breeze kept blowing towards the scholar Su Jinghuai who was sleeping under the tree.
At this time, the scholar Su Jinghuai suddenly woke up and looked at the darkness all around. There was no one on the street, and the moon was only more than halfway up.
Looking at the standing horses, scholar Su Jinghuai stood up.
Su Jinghuai patted the dust off his body and walked quietly in the quiet Jinling City.
Because it happens once every three years, there are many scholars sleeping in Jinling City tonight.
However, it seemed that Su Jinghuai was the only scholar sleeping on the street.
Scholar Su Jinghuai walked and came to the river in Jinling City.
Looking at the quiet river and the dark moonlight, the scholar Su Jinghuai recited a poem:
"We studied hard together for ten years, and the business test question was to make a fortune. One person is greedy for money and surrounded by officials, and he suffers for the poor and his parents."
After reciting a poem, scholar Su Jinghuai sighed while looking at the river.
Afterwards, the scholar Su Jinghuai left the river and headed towards the governor's mansion.
"Please let me know. I want to see the governor."
After seeing this, the two guards looked at each other.
A guard spoke: "It's getting late now, and the governor has already gone to bed. You'd better wait until dawn before coming back."
"Xiaosheng is really in an emergency, please let me know." Scholar Su Jinghuai said again.
Seeing how stubborn the person in front of them was, the two guards were very embarrassed.
After all, it's so dark, so how can I disturb the governor's rest?
"You'd better not embarrass us. The governor has taken a rest. Come back after dawn." A guard said.
At this time, seeing that the two guards refused to report, the scholar Su Jinghuai knelt in front of the governor's office.
"This... this, this." A guard said anxiously.
"I would also like to ask you two to inform me that Xiaosheng has something urgent to ask the governor." Scholar Su Jinghuai said again.
At this time, a guard couldn't stand it anymore. He came forward and quickly helped the person in front of him: "Okay, I'll try. Get up quickly."
After hearing this, scholar Su Jinghuai stood up happily and stood in front of the governor's office to wait.
The guard had no choice but to rush in with a knife on his hip.
"Governor." The guard knocked on the door of the governor's bedroom.
"Governor."
After several shouts, the governor's reply was heard: "What's the matter?"
"Governor, there are scholars outside who want to see you." the guard said again.
"What's wrong with him?"
"I don't know. He insisted on seeing you and said it was urgent. The kids can't get rid of him no matter how hard he rushes."
At this time, I saw the governor's bedroom light up.
The governor put on a thin official uniform and walked out.
"Where is he now?" asked the governor.
The governor, whose surname is Cen and whose given name is Ren, is over fifty years old and is about to retire.
The governor hurried to the Yamen, looked at the scholar Su Jinghuai who had not yet fallen asleep, and asked: "It's so late, why do you want to see me?"
"Official! I have important matters to discuss with the official," said the scholar Su Jinghuai.
At this time, looking at the bright moonlight outside, the governor said: "Wailiang, come in and talk."
I saw scholar Su Jinghuai walking in hurriedly.
There was a discussion around a pot of charcoal fire in the house.
"Tell me what you have to say," said Governor Cen Ren.
With his white hair and kind face, he made the scholars feel that he was a good official.
At this time, the scholar Su Jinghuai just started to speak: "Official, when I first arrived in Jinling City, I found someone buying and selling test questions."
"How can I see it?"
"Official. I saw a bearded man in a remote street in the west of the city selling test questions to a scholar. It's in the west of the city."
"How are you so sure it's a test question?" Governor Cen Ren asked.
"Xiaosheng has witnessed that the test questions are completely similar to the provincial examination questions. Xiaosheng participated in the provincial examination two years ago and has some understanding of the question types. Unfortunately, Xiaosheng failed to pass the exam that time, which became Xiaosheng's regret. This year, Xiaosheng decided to do it again When participating in the provincial examination, you can see people buying and selling test questions, which is unfair to the junior students and all the candidates in Jianglaizhong who have no money to buy test questions."
Looking at the man in front of him, he was wearing simple clothes with patches everywhere. Looking at the eyes of the man in front of him, one could tell that he was not lying.
At this moment, Governor Cen Ren stood up and wandered around. After a while, he spoke: "Since you are sure that this matter is true in Jinling, what evidence do you have?"
Listening to the words of the governor in front of him as if he were a magistrate, the scholar Su Jinghuai's eyes became firmer and he said: "Back to the official! Although I don't have sufficient evidence, what I see is evidence. Physical evidence can be disguised, and witness can be disguised. But what the eyes see cannot be faked!”
Listening to what the young man in front of him said, Governor Cen, who was decades older than the young man, seemed to have seen what he looked like when he was a teenager.
"Okay. I promise you, but you have to establish evidence to prove that what you said is true, so that I will not be accused of disrupting the examination room. If what I say is true, it will not do you much harm." The governor said.
After the governor's words, the scholar Su Jinghuai quickly agreed: "Okay. Xiaosheng agrees."
"Come here! Get pen, ink, paper and inkstone!" the governor said.
Then, I saw a yamen servant hurried over with pen, ink, paper and inkstone.
After putting down the pen, ink, paper and inkstone, the governor took the brush and began to write on the paper.
The scholar Su Jinghuai on the side started watching.
"Okay." The governor picked up the written document and started browsing it.
"Please press your fingerprints," the governor said.
Judging at a glance that it is a test question is still very risky for the young scholar Su Jinghuai.
Somehow, Su Jinghuai was convinced that the test questions had been leaked in this exam.
Just when the scholar Su Jinghuai was about to lay his fingerprints, Governor Cen Ren reminded him: "Think carefully. If what you said is not true, you will be responsible for the crime."
Although Governor Cen Ren gave many words of advice, it was like falling deaf ears to the scholar Su Jinghuai.
After thinking about it, scholar Su Jinghuai raised his hand and pressed his fingerprints on the receipt.
"Good! Ambitious!" Governor Cen Ren praised.
Later, looking at the black and white words on the paper, Governor Cen Ren talked about his plan:
"At daybreak, when you candidates enter the venue, I will send someone to search."
"Since you have confirmed that there is a possibility of leaking the test questions in this provincial examination. Candidates with poor memory and rich families will definitely ask someone to prepare the test questions, and then bring them into the examination room to copy them. If so, he will use his hands and feet when the time comes. If you are slow, the flaws will naturally be exposed. When the time comes, we will compare the questions in this provincial examination one by one to prove whether there are any leaks in the examination questions."
Hearing what the governor said, this was exactly what the scholar Su Jinghuai was thinking.
"Okay. Thank you so much, governor." Scholar Su Jinghuai said with a slight smile.
"Serving the people is an official's responsibility and the right thing to do."
"In this way, Xiaosheng takes his leave. The governor has a good rest." Su Jinghuai said with a salute.
"good."
Looking at the appearance of scholar Su Jinghuai, the more the governor looked at this person, the more he seemed to feel what he looked like when he was a boy.
As time goes by, the rising sun has replaced the sleeping moon.
The sky above Jinling City was filled with sunlight.
It seems that these sunshine are encouragement to thousands of candidates.
The scholar Su Jinghuai, like all the candidates who participated in the provincial examination, came to the Gongyuan early.
"Search carefully! You can only bring pens, inkstones, and food, but nothing else!" shouted the deputy examiner in charge of this provincial examination.
In front of Gongyuan, many government officials were searching carefully, seemingly very strictly.
Thinking of the bet he made with the governor, the scholar Su Jinghuai felt a pinch of sweat in his heart.
According to the rules of this dynasty, all candidates who take the exam will be searched. After the search, they will be stripped naked for a second inspection to prevent candidates from cheating.
However, what appears to be a rigorous process on the surface has mysteries hidden behind it.
Su Jinghuai completed the body search with serious cooperation and walked to her examination position.
The examination room is a small room with a wooden board placed inside. The wooden board can be moved upwards. There is a door outside with a gap on the door.
In addition to placing pen, ink, paper and inkstones on the table, there is also a sign beside it.
If a candidate encounters problems with going to the toilet, he can hold up the sign and a yamen servant will come up with the key and open the copper lock before going to the toilet.
"Go in."
The officer called out, and the scholar Su Jinghuai walked in obediently.
After everything was arranged properly, I heard the words of the examiner coming from outside: "I am announcing! This autumn period has begun! It's time to answer the questions!"
After saying that, he put the test questions one by one into the gap in the door.
Other candidates read the entire question as soon as they get it to see if they can answer it.
Su Jinghuai got the test questions and looked carefully for the question he saw yesterday.
Fortunately, the emperor is responsible for his caring people! Su Jinghuai found the same question as what he saw yesterday.
After finding it, Su Jinghuai was overjoyed, but a door blocked her view, so Su Jinghuai had no choice but to listen carefully to the sounds outside while doing the questions.
Because the door completely blocks the candidates, no one can see except the gap.
At this time, a candidate whose family was very wealthy in Jinling but had a very poor memory picked up the test questions he bought and copied them carefully.
This scene is exactly as the governor said.
However, other candidates who also bought the test questions seemed to have read the questions once and then started writing them. It seemed that they had already memorized them by heart.
Just as these candidates who had bought the test questions and knew the test questions in advance were hurriedly answering, Governor Cen Ren hurried in with his people.
However, he didn't yell immediately, but ordered the government officials to open the door.
I saw that the candidate with a wealthy family but poor memory hurriedly stuffed the purchased test questions into his mouth, but he couldn't swallow it without water.
"Spit it up!" the governor yelled at the candidate.
Seeing that the examinee had not vomited out, he quickly sent someone to force him to vomit out.
Sure enough, a piece of light yellow paper curled up into a ball and was thrown on the paper.
"Come here! Spread this out!"
After the governor gave the order, a yamen servant hurried over and quickly spread out the wet paper.
I saw neat words written on it.
"Come here! Get a copy of the test questions for the candidates!"
The governor compared the two and concluded that someone was buying and selling test questions.
After seeing the examiner, the chief examiner and the sub-examiner hurriedly walked down and looked at the candidate angrily.
"This governor announces! This autumn exam is cancelled! Stop answering questions!" After saying that, he looked at the cheating candidate: "Here comes someone! Take him to the Yamen!"
