Chapter 11 Thunderbolt

The sliver of paper with a very small difference in length when the name was pasted on, if you look at it casually, you will definitely not see any oddities, but if the official who copied it has something in mind, he will definitely be able to distinguish it. Fan Xian watched Yang Wanli’s roll become in an excellent mood for no apparent reason after a short piece of paper was pasted on it, shook his head with a smile, and couldn’t help but open his mouth to ask: “Even if it’s picked out, how do you mark it when transcribing it?”

The official beside him smiled with some difficulty, knowing that this newly promoted red man still didn’t quite understand the rules, and answered with a small intention, “Lord Fan, when transcribing, just work on the strokes of certain words, and the lord who approves the scrolls, will naturally understand.”

Fan Xian suddenly realized and exclaimed, “That way, even if the lord who grades the scrolls doesn’t know who it is, he only needs to know that it’s the right person.”

“Yes, my lord.” The official from the Ministry of Rites replied politely, but in his heart, he was bellyaching about this young man whose talent was astonishing the world, yet he didn’t even know these old rules in the official world.

Unbeknownst to him, Fan Xian was also cursing these people’s stupidity in his stomach at this time; if the officials of Qing were not so arrogant, this old rule with so many loopholes would have actually been able to be followed for so many years, and he himself would not have been able to take advantage of the loopholes in it and do something for those who were truly readers of the books.

Of course, he also understood that the reason why the entire bureaucratic power structure had always acquiesced to this method was because in this matter, whether they were political opponents or not, they had already acquiesced to this means of dividing the watermelon, and apart from the lunatics, none of the officials within the system dared to cause more trouble.

In fact, the Eastern Palace and those few great lords, even including Lord Chancellor, had other means to arrange this matter, but they all coincidentally found him, one reason being that Juzhonglang’s mastery of the paste name was an important step in the chain, and on the other hand, it was because, apart from Chancellor Lin, all these other parties wanted to see what kind of an attitude Fan Xian had in the end.

Fan Xian’s attitude was actually very simple: fuck you. After all, not everyone is as idle as Fan Xian, after all, not everyone is as good as Fan Xian has a good father, Iron Fan Princess cow mother.

One night busy, can decide the life of countless scholars of the spring exam finally put a stop sign. Many officials rubbed their sleepy eyes and gathered in the main hall, listening to Guo Youzhi, the president of the Chunxun exam and the Minister of Rites, as he lectured.

After a few uninspired speeches and lies for the sake of the country, Guo Youzhi waved his hand somewhat sleepily for the lower officials to disperse, and then looked amiably at Fan Xian and said, “Little Lord Fan has worked hard these past few days as well.”

“I don’t dare.” Fan Xian forced himself to smile, “Your honor doesn’t dare to speak of hardships, not to mention that my humble servant is young.”

Guo Youzhi smiled, “Everyone has worked hard.” In fact, several senior officials present at this time understood how the inside story of this spring exam was, and it was not only Guo Youzhi and the two seat masters who had gained benefits from it, even Fan Xian didn’t know that a few days ago, someone had sent a share of the silver that he was entitled to to the Fan Mansion. The amount was even more frightening than the half-yearly income of Tanyu Bookstore.

For several days in a row, the entire examination center was filled with the rancid smell of yellow and white things, and Fan Xian stood on top of the stone steps, covering his nose with his hand as he took one last look at the darkened examination center, a very contented smile appearing on his face. He had been in this world for many years now, only knowing that he had to live, but not knowing how he should live, and it was only after he had made up his mind to do this that he realized that it felt really good to be a good person in the universal sense of the word.

Of course, good man does not mean pedantic good old man.

The three ministry officials have already assembled the test papers, led by the yellow door eunuchs in the palace, under the protection of the inner guards and inspectorate spies, a group of people through the night sky of Kyoto is about to turn white, to the Imperial College and go. Within a few days, this batch of paste name after transcription of the examination paper will be read, so as to draw up the three a candidate, and then sent to the Imperial Palace Examination, so as to assess this time the first prize winner, the first prize winner, the scout ……

Fan Xian left the smelly examination center, and there was a carriage from the Fan family waiting at the entrance. After getting on the carriage, he took the towel handed over by Fuji Zijing and wiped his face haphazardly, asking with some fatigue, “Does father have any opinions on what I did?”

“No.” Fuji Zijing moved his injured thigh a bit and replied softly, “It’s just that his lordship seems to be a bit unhappy, and he always feels that young master should have informed Lord Chancellor in advance, and that this matter is too wide-ranging, so if it really stirs up the public’s wrath, I’m afraid that it would be extremely difficult for both the ministers and his lordship to come back to your defense.”

Fan Xian smiled and didn’t say anything, thinking that he still had a Supervisory Yuan behind him, and more crucially, Chen Pingping had asked Wang Qinian to pass the word that His Majesty was going to overhaul the rule of government this year, and that he was just going along with the trend. It is estimated that Chen Pingping is scolding herself for causing trouble on the surface, but in her heart she is secretly happy to finally have a reason to do it.

Fan Xian is only giving the Supervisory Yuan a reason, and then the Supervisory Yuan will put this reason in front of His Majesty, so that the Emperor will make a decision. As for the Crown Prince and Ning’s side, Fan Xian had made other arrangements, and when the names were mixed up earlier, whether it was the Eastern Palace or the Grand Prince’s trustees, Fan Xian had chosen a few names with talent to hide them, and protected them a little bit, which was also considered to give the other side an explanation.

When things come out, Fan Xian wants people to feel that he is not doing this thing in which side of the dynasty politics have a bias, but just a pure literati, based on some kind of sour obsession, made a “noble” and crazy decision.

After a few days in Kyoto calm, since Fan Xian has already exploded, the Supervisory Yuan hidden in the dark power began to cooperate, at least in the three a list before the cage, there has not been any shocking news in the official circle, and the final three a, Fan Xian secretly stuffed in those people actually have not been eliminated, it is very clear that in the Imperial College and the Ministry of Rituals, there are Chen Pingping that horrible old man’s eyes, in the dark to help Fan Xian! The government has been trying to hide it from the public.

As for Guo Youzhi’s senior officials, perhaps they had been doing too well in the previous years, and there was a big master behind them such as the Eastern Palace, so they didn’t pay enough attention and didn’t see any obvious problems.

February 22, the road on both sides of the spring branches gradually show, birds on the branches into happy pairs, it is the spring of the good time of the joyful. Located in the west side of Kyoto not far from the Imperial College in the inn, waiting for news of students from all over the world are panicked gathered downstairs, the table did not set what wine and food, so these students at this time simply do not care about food and drink, will be minded to listen to the news above.

“No chance.” A student from Shandong Road smiled bitterly and shook his head, “I guess there’s still no chance this time.”

“What makes Brother Jia Lin say that?” The student sitting next to him with a slightly darker complexion was none other than that Yang Wanli who had locked eyes with Fan Xian at the examination center.

He was from Quanzhou, and often made his living by the sea, and was very different from those talented scholars who came from noble backgrounds and spent the first half of their lives in the halls of study. It can be seen that his mood is extremely relaxed, from the table clip a chopstick old aldehyde soaked peanuts ate, one side chewing, one side vaguely said: “Jia Lin brother is a famous figure in Shandong Road, a hand of strategic writing is wonderful to the extreme, a few days ago everyone read it is full of praise. As for the little brother was not good at this way, the word kung fu is not, although confident if the pastor of a county is enough, but certainly there is no possibility of on the list.”

That Cheng Jia Lin from Shandong Road, this is already the third time to participate in the examination, he smiled bitterly and lowered his voice and said: “These things are not you and I are not clear? There are only so many people taken in each section, the court officials entrusted a few, the palace set a few, and the Imperial College took a few students. Like us from abroad, we may have some fame in our hometown, but what are we in the capital? Even if the court wants to find a few talented people as a companion to plug the mouth of the world’s scholars, there are also a large number of famous Beijing students to choose, how can not turn our head.”

Above the wine table another reader with a lean face, does not look blessed people, perhaps drinking too much, chest and depression can not send, so speak extremely bold, sneer: “Jia Lin brother say good, I see this examination in the future or do not test good, lest the two of you have to waste this much silver to do the travel expenses. What bullshit will test, but is just the high officials in the dynasty to pick their own dog!”

Cheng Jialin’s face darkened, but then he was slightly afraid and advised, “Brother Ji Chang, keep your voice down, if the spies of the Supervisory Yuan hear you, not to mention how you and I are going to be in our careers, I am afraid that even our lives will be in question.”

That seasonal brother surnamed Hou, is also a very do not love to go the way of power and nobility of the strange people, although in the capital thin have talent, always with the He ZongXi flush, but because of his sharp tongue, that nature, so has been a little lonely, at this time listening to friends worried about the words, can not help but laugh out loud and said: “The Supervisory Yuan although the horror, but those spies will not be able to afford to look down on you and me, these small people? If they are really powerful, why don’t they go to keep an eye on the cheating cases on the court?”

Yang Wanli shook his head and said, “Although the Procuratorate has always had a very bad reputation, it is indeed extremely useful in overseeing the rule of officials.”

Hou Jichang wagged his finger and said, “How can there be any innocent people in the government? If we pin our hopes on the Supervisory Yuan, wouldn’t we be seeking the skin of a tiger.”

Yang Wanli retorted: “The official is also elected in the readers, where it is possible to be all bad people, I see …… “For a time he was actually in the Kyoto famous officials can not find a figure known for its reputation for innocence, can not help but be a bit mumbled, after a long time, suddenly eyes lit up and said: “I see the Imperial College Fengzheng Fan Xian adults, is a very good official.”

Next to him, two friends naturally know Yang Wanli in the clothes of the belt was small Lord Fan out of the matter, can not help but make fun of the voice: “The original let you finish the examination, is a good official, this good official is also really simple.”

Three people and joked a few sentences, wine gradually on the head, can not help but begin to whisper cursing the ills of the court, and pull back to the front if the Supervisory Yuan is really willing to thoroughly investigate the case of fraud, the atmosphere of this field may also be possible to change for the better.

At this time, suddenly heard a clamor outside the inn, the three curious stood up, listening to a scholar outside the ecstasy hissed: “Section of ills case hair, the Ministry of Rites, Guo Youzhi take away the post into prison!”

Boom! Spring thunder exploded in the sky above Kyoto, and a refreshing spring rain showered the students inside and outside the inn.