The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 193
Gongyuan.

Xiao Jing led people to enter it, but in order not to disturb the normal work of the inner curtain examiner, before entering the last door that separates the inner curtain from the outer curtain, he arranged all his followers at the door. The little eunuch in the study room of the inspector of ceremonies who delivered the news went in.

After Li Dongyang learned about it, he came out to greet him in person, but also did not bring anyone else with him.

The two first went to the Sixian Academy next to the marking room.

"Eunuch Xiao, all the notes were handed in earlier. The grading of the Zhu Juan has been completed. It has not been opened yet, and no one has been verified. The scholar Cheng has not participated in the grading of the papers. As mentioned, there is an intersection between the outer and inner curtains of the case..."

What Li Dongyang said was equivalent to a debriefing.

He thought that Xiao Jing just came to ask about the situation, and then he would go back to report to the emperor.

Xiao Jing listened to Li Dongyang's summary of the review work in the past few days, and said with a smile: "Mr. Li Ge has worked hard. Today, our family is not here to supervise Kai Mifeng. The re-examination of Zhu Juan is still worthy of discussion. "

As soon as Li Dongyang heard it, he probably understood that Xiao Jing was investigating the case in the name of Dongchang, instead of being a messenger after Neilian examiner finished his work.

They say they are here to supervise, but they are actually here to investigate the case.

Otherwise, what are we discussing?With whom?

Xiao Jing took out something from his bosom, which was the memorial written by Zhu after the invitation from the Ministry of Rites.

"This is?" Li Dongyang was puzzled.

Xiao Jing said sternly: "The Ministry of Rites invites you to review the review of the school as the examiner of the inner curtain. Let us convey a message... You don't need to get up. This is not a will, but a transfer of official letters. What are you unclear about?" Just look at this thing, His Majesty has ordered that the release of the list be postponed for five days, until the second day of March."

"Ah."

Li Dongyang looked somewhat regretful.

Since it takes five days to review it, it means that this matter has already received the attention of the emperor and the court, and it is not easy to make a big problem into a small one.

Xiao Jing said: "I wonder if I can meet the examiners in Neilian?"

Li Dongyang originally wanted to say, I will send a message to them myself, and let us review it ourselves, but knowing that Xiao Jing is the emperor's special envoy, it is obvious that Xiao Jing presided over the review.

As the chief examiner, Li Dongyang can only help Xiao Jing.

Li Dongyang, who understood the rules, didn't emphasize anything, and immediately asked someone to summon the examiner to meet in the south room of the Gongyuan.

……

……

There are more than 50 fellow examiners who are involved in inner curtain matters, and they all gather together at one time.

Most of them still don't know what happened outside the Gongyuan. These days, they have been grading papers, commenting, and reporting the best ones. After putting it together, fill in the list and release the list.

They all felt that the most difficult thing was done, and they would be able to leave the Gongyuan in two or three days. Who knew that what they were waiting for at this time was not the news that they would leave the inner curtain on time, but the Dongchang Changgong.

The room was not very big, and more than 50 examiners couldn't all sit down, so they just stood together in the end.

There was only one chair prepared, only Xiao Jing was seated, and even Li Dongyang was standing to show that the examiners of Nei Lian went forward and retreated together.

Li Dongyang made a summary and conveyed it first.

"... There is a matter of Zhonghua Chang, who used rumors to play the matter. He said that Cheng Minzheng, the chief examiner of Neilan, and Jiangnan scholars Tang Yin, Zhang Zhou, Xu Jing, etc., related to the topic of vend, and the scholars had a lot of discussions. The imperial order The inner curtain will review the matter again, and Zhu Juanfan in the field will review it again through Cheng Minzheng...the release of the list will be postponed to the second day of March..."

"what?!"

The fellow examiners present couldn't help talking.

We're doing so well here, but we've come up with a problem?
A fellow examiner standing in the front row asked: "It doesn't make sense. Cheng Xueshi didn't participate in the examination because he was ill in the morning. Why do you want to read his selected Zhuju?"

"Yes."

Many people present responded.

Li Dongyang introduced to Xiao Jing: "This is Hu Kezuo, Hu Yi."

"I've met Mr. Xiao." Hu Yi, as the leftist of the household department, is considered a colleague of Hua Chang. He does not represent the official of the sixth department, but the examiner who has worked hard for more than half a month.

Xiao Jing smiled and said: "Nei Lian knew about this matter, but the people in the Gong Yuan didn't know about it, that's why they have this suspicion. I don't know where Cheng Xueshi is now?"

Li Dongyang raised his hand, meaning to invite Cheng Minzheng out.

Someone immediately sent a message, and after waiting for a while, Cheng Minzheng reappeared in front of people after many days with steady steps.

All the examiners were still very puzzled, looking at Cheng Minzheng like this, he didn't show any signs of illness, is this recovery?Or is there another secret?
"Eunuch Xiao."

Seeing Xiao Jing, Cheng Minzheng cupped his hands, but looked back at so many people present, his mood was also very complicated, entering a tribute court seemed like a world away.

He was also thinking in his heart, why did I come here to exert all my strength and suffer this crime?Wouldn't it be over if you didn't come to the main exam because of your illness?
Xiao Jing got up and said to Cheng Minzheng: "Bachelor Cheng, here is a decree from His Majesty, please go to the curtain door by yourself after you get the decree, someone will accompany you back home to recuperate."

It means that your errand, Cheng Minzheng, is over, you can go home and wait for news.

Hu Yi asked again: "What is this for?"

Someone next to him immediately pulled Hu Yi's clothes, which probably meant that he didn't understand this?Cheng Minzheng was involved in the problem, the emperor asked him to go home and wait, what's so hard to understand?Do you still have to ask Admiral Xiao Jing from East Factory to give you a reasonable explanation?

Cheng Minzheng had learned the whole story from Li Dongyang earlier, but he had no choice but to walk towards the curtain door under the guidance of the little eunuch in the study room of the Supervisor of Rites.

It is better to say that he is going home to live idle, and he is under house arrest after being dismissed from his post.

……

……

Cheng Minzheng was invited out of the inner curtain, and the same examiners present, no matter how dull they were, could tell that the imperial court's examination of the inner curtain was going to be true.

Another fellow examiner came out and asked: "Now that Zhu Juan has just been reviewed, should we just unseal it and find out the examination papers of Zhang Zhou, Tang Yin, and Xu Jing for comparison?"

This time without Li Dongyang's introduction, Xiao Jing knew that this was Lin Tingyu, who was given by the engineering department, after all, he could often see it in court.

"For the matter of Lin, there is no rush to open the seal. You need to check the vermilion scrolls first to see if there are any suspicious scrolls." Xiao Jing said.

Lin Tingyu said: "Scholar Cheng has neither participated in the review of the test papers, nor has he selected candidates who are superior, nor has he connected the inner and outer curtains. What's the point of such a re-examination?"

"Okay, don't talk about it!" Li Dongyang hurriedly stopped when he saw that the group of examiners were about to show the attitude of fighting for reason in the court.

You people are terribly stubborn.

Xiao Jing came here to do things according to orders, what's the use of questioning his behavior?Don't you think it's unreasonable to tell him that he can stop doing it against the emperor's will?

Xiao Jing said with a smile: "For things like Lin, it is necessary to inspect the ink scrolls with their real names, but the time is still early, so don't be too eager. As for the three people's papers you mentioned, let's put it this way, Tang Yinhe Xu Jing's can be reviewed in particular, as for Zhang Zhou's...he can dispel his suspicions, and there is no need to involve him in it."

This time Li Dongyang didn't understand anymore, he looked at Xiao Jing and frowned: "Why?"

"Mr. Li Ge, our family forgot to tell you earlier that when it happened, His Majesty had asked Zhang Zhou to go to Fengtian Hall to confront Hua Chang in front of the Minister of Civil and Military Affairs, and he had already stated that Zhang Zhou was involved in the investigation There is no real evidence to catch wind and shadows, so His Majesty has already stated that if there is no actual evidence, this matter cannot be brought up again."

"What matter?" Li Dongyang frowned and asked.

They are all candidates who are involved in the examination questions. The emperor will now conduct a strict investigation in the inner curtain, and Zhang Zhou will be selected first?What's the point?
Xiao Jingdao: "Naturally, Zhang Zhou was involved in the matter of the vend. You don't have to be surprised. Zhang Zhou has done a lot of things for the court before, and his achievements are outstanding. The news of the Northwest victory has come. Wang Weining has obtained the decree to be promoted to Marquis of Weining..."

"what?"

The people present all entered the inner curtain around the eighth day of February, and they knew nothing about the outside world. Now it has been 20 days before they knew that something big happened in the northwest.

Li Dongyang was also shocked and said: "Marquis of Weining? Is it..."

He was embarrassed to say, how much credit did Wang Weining have to make him jump directly?
"In detail, please finish the errands at hand, and you will naturally know when you go out. Zhang Zhou's contribution in this battle is not small. In addition to what he did before, His Majesty specially ordered him to go to Hua Changting to fight with Hua Chang. , and make it clear in person, there is nothing to be surprised about. Please also distinguish between priorities."

What Xiao Jing meant, I'm here to convey the mission to you, you guys are more likely to ask questions, do I want to tell you everything that happened outside in the past few days?

Lin Tingyu asked: "Since Zhang Zhou was cleared of the suspicion of making the title during the court discussion, what about Hua Wenguang?"

"He has been ordered by Xiabei Township! Together with Tang Yin and Xu Jing."

The group of examiners present couldn't help it now, the difference in emotional treatment was so big.

The reported Cheng Minzheng and Zhang Zhou are fine, but the whistleblower Hua Chang was imprisoned?
Xiao Jingdao: "Mr. Li Ge, why don't you start reviewing earlier, find out all the scrolls, and check to see if there is anything doubtful or questionable?"

Li Dongyang nodded and said: "Yes!"

……

……

The inner curtain is busy again.

It is equivalent to saying that the same examination paper needs to be marked twice.

The second time is not so troublesome, there is no need to add comments, etc., just need to check whether these papers may involve subtitles.

The examiners were re-divided into areas and areas of responsibility. Those who were in charge of the four scriptures before may now need to consult the five scriptures and policy questions. In short, the main items of the previous examination papers were changed to ensure fairness.

After all, it is impossible for Xiao Jing to live in Neilian forever, he has to leave before nightfall.

Li Dongyang and Xiao Jing met again alone in Sixian Academy.

Xiao Jing asked: "The grading of the previous Zhu Juan is over, and the ranking and selection of tributes have all been decided, right?"

"Yes." Li Dongyang nodded.

Although the results of the three exams are separate, I don't know which ink scrolls these ink scrolls correspond to, and I don't know who the examinees behind them are.

However, the examinee's ink scrolls are all numbered, which means that the examination papers corresponding to the three exams of a candidate can be bound together without comparing the ink scrolls with the ink scrolls, and the rankings will be determined. After opening Mifeng, just compare and know who this person is.

It would be unfair if the ink rolls were sealed and then the three test papers of a person were summed up before the grades were determined.

Xiao Jing asked: "Then does Mr. Li Ge have any plans, after discovering suspicious papers, even if he is selected, he will be dismissed?"

"Ok?"

Li Dongyang frowned, "Eunuch Xiao, what do you mean?"

Xiao Jing smiled and said: "No, no, our family is just curious, so I asked casually. Mr. Li Ge probably hasn't read the memorial of the Ministry of Rites in detail, right? There is an item in Zhu Zhu's approval, saying that you are not allowed to dismiss the examination paper at will, even if If there is any doubt, it must also be recorded in the record, and it will be reviewed later, especially after the seal is opened."

Li Dongyang was shocked in his heart.

Not for anything else, just because when he learned that Cheng Minzheng was impeached and the candidate was involved in the question, he thought that if after the seal was opened, it was found that the person who was impeached was indeed selected, and he would also be imprisoned. Brush down.

In his opinion, the so-called fairness of the examination room is far less important than calming the discussions of scholars.

Only by letting scholars no longer doubt the fairness of the examination is the greatest fairness.

Under this premise, for the sake of the overall situation, the interests of one or two candidates appear to be insignificant.

But now, the emperor was able to warn him not to do this in advance, as if he was a roundworm in Li Dongyang's stomach, how could this not surprise him?

"How could this be so?" Of course Li Dongyang wanted to deny it. After all, it didn't happen, so he didn't need to admit it. "How did your majesty learn from other sources?"

Xiao Jing smiled and shook his head, meaning that there are some things that I can't explain to you.

Li Dongyang suddenly felt that he had no secrets in front of Xiao Jing, and his manner of speaking was much more humble and respectful: "Eunuch Xiao, I might as well make it clear that I have discussed with Cheng Keqin alone from the beginning about the questions for the test. Others, he was not biased when he came up with the questions, and many questions were considered among several questions, and most of the questions were selected by the subordinates."

"I know." Xiao Jing smiled.

You, Li Dongyang, and Cheng Minzheng are the examiners together. It seems that you have the same authority, but who doesn't know that you, Li Dongyang, have more power?Who made you official?
It's just that no one dares to attack you, saying that you are a problem.

Li Dongyang said again: "Then if there is no evidence in the end, what should we do?"

Xiao Jing said: "Just fill in the list and release the list as usual."

"Then..." Li Dongyang wanted to say, since that's the case, what's the fuss about now?
I told you, Cheng Minzheng didn't write the question alone, and he didn't participate in the examination papers. Can this question find out some ghost evidence?Others don't know, I, Li Dongyang, wrote the question together with him, and I know the reason behind it best.

Xiao Jing sighed: "Everything is like this. If there is no evidence, it is good. What you are talking about now is that Cheng Minzheng talked to the visiting scholars about possible problems before the exam, or It's in the topic he suggested you to ask, and it's also his fault that he can't avoid suspicion."

"Oh."

Li Dongyang seemed to understand instantly.

Whether there is evidence is not important, what is important is to shut up the scholars who talk nonsense outside.

Xiao Jing continued: "After the list is released, everything will be finalized. Mr. Li Ge, you have completed the review and review of the inner curtain, and the rest...you don't need to bother, just follow orders. No matter what happens, the court will discuss it again of."

(End of this chapter)