1) The problem of anonymity.
It is certain that the names will be blurred, but after the five classics are decided, all the names will be separated. The next step is the ranking of the top five, and of course the most important thing is the ownership of the first place.
In real history, the specific operations in different dynasties and different periods are definitely different. Anyway, this is how this article is understood and set up. Interested readers can go back and read it. When I wrote about the provincial examination, I also decided on the economics and then took it apart. name.
2) Xu Mu’s plot problem.
First of all, we need to clarify a few prerequisites.
First, Xu Mu and Xu Lin are not close friends on the surface, but they are indeed related five, six, or seven or eight generations back.
The second is to pay a visit to the emperor.
That is to say, bringing an article to meet the examiner in private before the exam. This behavior was practiced in the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. From the beginning of the imperial examination system until the imperial examination system was completely abolished, it has not been eradicated from the beginning to the end.
Third, fraud in imperial examinations was repeatedly banned.
The fraud cases of Qian Hui, the Minister of Rites in the Tang Dynasty, the fraud cases of Chen Yaozi and Liu Shidao in the Northern Song Dynasty, the fraud cases of Qin Hui in the Southern Song Dynasty, the Jiachen Examination Case in the Ming Dynasty, the Dingyou Beiwei Examination Case in Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty, and during the Guangxu period, Zhou Shuren's grandfather also engaged in bribery for the provincial examination Examiner matters.
Fourth, the cost of being exposed for imperial examination fraud is not as high as some readers imagine.
In the aforementioned fraud case of Chen Yaozi and Liu Shidao in the Northern Song Dynasty, Chen Yaozi, the chief examiner of the Ministry of Rites examination, was demoted to the deputy envoy of Shanzhou Tuanlian because he collaborated with Liu Shidao to cheat for his younger brother. However, he was soon reinstated and even served again later. Passed the imperial examination examiner.
Of course, this is only the situation in the Northern Song Dynasty.
In the Ming and Qing dynasties, especially in the Qing Dynasty, once caught cheating in the imperial examinations, they were beheaded at every turn. That was another story.
Fifth, the imperial examination was unfair.
There are many ways for high-level officials in the DPRK to influence the results of the imperial examinations without being labeled as fraud. Various "definitely selected number one candidates", "backdoor number one candidates" and "right-selected number one candidates" emerge in endlessly.
For example, the great poet Wang Weineng won the first prize and followed the path of Tang Xuanzong's sister Li Longji.
Another example is Tang Ruji, the number one scholar in the imperial examination during the Jiajing period who relied on currying favor with Yan Song and his son.
Another example is the famous Zhang Juzheng. Among his sons, there is one number one scholar, one number two, and one Jinshi. Moreover, Zhang Juzheng also served as the examiner for his second son...
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After clarifying the above points, let’s look at the examiner Xu Mu in this article.
Xu Mu must have selfish motives. He hoped that Xu Lin would become Huiyuan, but what he did was neither fraud nor bending the law for personal gain.
First of all, Xu Mu and Xu Lin are from the Xu family in Tonglu and the Xu family from Qingjiang. On the surface, they do not appear to be directly related. This has been explained in the article.
Secondly, Xu Mu never clearly stated his attitude from beginning to end. He also acted to avoid suspicion and did not interfere in the discussion with the examiners.
Perhaps after Wang Wenqing found out Xu Lin's parentage, his fellow examiners had already guessed Xu Mu's attitude, but Xu Mu had no relationship with Xu Lin on the surface, and he never said a good word for Xu Lin from beginning to end.
Even if someone files a petition for impeachment, if he impeaches a Crown Prince Shaobao, Minister of Rites, and Bachelor of Longtuge without any basis, he may have to be prepared to lose his official title first.
The guess is just a guess and cannot bring any substantial threat to Xu Mu. However, once this kind of guess is made, it will make fellow examiners throw a tantrum.
The fellow examiners will weigh in their minds, if this speculation is true, how can they stand on the opposite side of Xu Mu, and what will be the consequences?
With this level of concern, even if they did not directly oppose Xu Mu, they did not dare to speak casually, and then they became the silent majority.
This is why, in the early stage of the discussion with the examiners, Zhang Maoxiu and Qiu Zhongyi easily dominated the situation on the court.
Suppose, if the young Hanlin had not come forward to speak up, would the opinions of a few people such as Zhang Maoxiu and Qiu Zhongyi have become "public opinion".
At that time, Xu Mu only needs to do what Wang Wenqing did when he selected Wei Chen as his Yuan in the provincial examination, half-referring and half-accepting, and acting in accordance with "public opinion", and he will be able to justifiably choose Xu Lin as his Yuan, and no one can fault him.
Compared with Wei Chen, what Xu Lin lacked may be a little bit of hard power, and Zhang Maoxiu and Qiu Zhongyi were responsible for making up for this with public opinion and momentum.
You must know that before the candidates were discussed for the audition, Xu Lin was already the top manager of the Book of Poetry room as agreed by the examiners. This also meant that even if Xu Lin's articles were worse than Wei Chen's, they would not be much worse.
As the same saying goes, writing is not first, and martial arts is not second. When the level of writing is good enough to a certain level, which one is better is just a subjective judgment.
The Hanlin Academy said that Wei Chen's articles were superior, but Zhang Maoxiu and Qiu Zhongyi just like Xu Lin's writing style. This is also my freedom.
Although it's a bit unreasonable, that's what Li'er is.
The two of them are just fulfilling their duties as co-examiners. As co-examiners, they are just recommending the papers they like. Is that wrong?
Of course that's true.
In the final analysis, Xu Mu's status and power played a role in the whole thing.
Even if Xu Mu doesn't say a word, others can still feel the invisible pressure brought by this power, and then unconsciously act according to Xu Mu's wishes.
Is this considered fraud?
Of course not.
