I studied in modern times

Chapter 1016 Results Announcement (2)

Boom boom boom!
Zhao Xu sat upright on the city tower of Xuande Gate, listening quietly as two warriors rang out the deep sound of a bell behind him.

As the bells rang, the already excited crowd below the city gate instantly became even more excited.

This was because Jia Zhongmin, dressed in a scarlet robe, pushed through the crowd and walked to the high wall erected by Emperor Taizong, surrounded by dozens of guards from the Street Office.

At this moment, hundreds of steps outside the high wall, and even on the state bridge, were already crowded with people.

This year's examinees, onlookers, wealthy and powerful people who came to "find a son-in-law" according to the contract...

Crowds of people.

All sorts of noises rose and fell, drilling into my ears.

"Hurry! The government is about to post the results..."

"I heard that the Emperor is paying special attention to this year's list of successful candidates in the imperial examinations, and his entourage is currently at Xuande Gate!"

"You son of a bitch! What are you pushing for? You're stepping on my foot!"

"You motherfucker! Still pushing?!"

"Let me see who the God of Literature is this year?"

These people are all here to watch the spectacle.

"quiet!"

"Anyone who dares to cause trouble will have to face Grandpa's whip!"

"Snapped!"

"Dare to make a sound again, or you will be punished!"

The strong soldiers of Kaifeng Prefecture caught several men who were making a ruckus and cursing in the crowd, as easily as catching chickens.

Then, taking advantage of the situation, they tied these scoundrels up under the Zhou Bridge and into the red lacquered forks that were originally used to separate crowds—a type of obstacle modified from military chevaux-de-frise, which could be seen everywhere on both sides of the main road in Bianjing.

It consists of an upper string, a lattice, a horse bit, a truss, and a connecting ladder.

The soldiers stationed in Kaifeng Prefecture usually arrested people and took them to these places for punishment.

After Jia Zhongmin took charge of the street office, his daily routine consisted of riding a horse and leading people to patrol the streets.

If they saw a scoundrel, they would arrest him, tie him up in a red lacquered fork, or punish him, whip him, or put him in a cangue.

Through corporal punishment, they managed to stabilize the order of the main thoroughfares of Bianjing City.

Nowadays, very few people dare to walk or park haphazardly on main roads.

Without him!

The street officials wielded extremely sharp sticks and whips!
Therefore, today's announcement of the results will still be primarily handled by the Street Offices, with the Left and Right Inspectors serving as assistants, to maintain order in Bianjing.

of course……

Today, more than two hundred elite soldiers have infiltrated the street guards.

They were all burly, strong, and fierce men.

They're the guys who grab people like they're chickens.

Turning his gaze away from the distant commotion, Jia Zhongmin looked back at what was in front of him.

Pairs of burning eyes were fixed on him.

Thousands of scholars were already holding their breath.

Of course, there are also those who are noisy due to nervousness.

"Post the results quickly! Post the results quickly!" someone in the crowd urged. "Your son will surely pass the exam today!"

Jia Zhongmin immediately glared at him, but only saw a blurry figure.

The person immediately disappeared into the crowd.

This made Jia Zhongmin slightly unhappy!

The dynasty revered literature, which led to the arrogance of scholars and officials. Especially during the years of the imperial examinations, there were always people stirring up trouble whenever the results were announced.

In the eighth year of the Yuanfeng era, the imperial examination hall caught fire, and the court held a re-examination. However, since the new emperor had just ascended the throne that year and was in a state of chaos, the palace examination was cancelled, and the provincial examination rankings were used as the final results.

On the day the results were announced, some scholars stirred up trouble, claiming that the imperial examination was unfair or that they had performed very well on their first attempt, but that a villain had set fire to the examination hall, causing them to underperform, and demanded a retake.

These scoundrels then started a disturbance on the spot, besieging the Kaifeng Prefecture soldiers who were there to post the results of the imperial edict, and even clamoring to beat the Dengwen Drum.

In the end, it was Cai Jing, the prefect of Kaifeng at the time, who sent people to disperse them.

Even so, it was considered by some to be the most peaceful imperial examination since the Taiping Xingguo era.

These wretches!

Relying on the nation's favor, they became increasingly arrogant!
Jia Zhongmin cursed inwardly!

He believed that if these wicked and murderous individuals were not restrained, they would likely become a repeat of the Five Dynasties' warriors.

The only difference is that these warriors kill and rebel at will.

The commander-in-chief gave too little in reward, that's outrageous!

The commander-in-chief was late in distributing the rewards, that's bad!

The promised reward was not delivered, and instead...!

Even though the commander-in-chief distributed the full reward, the brothers felt that he did not resemble a great commander and lacked heroic spirit, so they also wanted to rebel!
Modern scholars and officials are not as frantic.

But their madness is increasingly reminiscent of the warriors of the Five Dynasties period.

They would criticize the court's policies if they didn't suit their tastes.

And it was an open and aboveboard insult!
A few poor, pedantic scholars dared to write eulogies, make voodoo dolls, and curse the prime ministers of the court with short lives or even childlessness.

They even wrote letters and cursed people in front of them.

Back in the day, Lord Jie Fu was attacked by these poor scholars quite a bit!

As for the high-ranking officials who served as the chief examiners or acting chief examiners during each imperial examination, they were all scolded and attacked.

Back then, Ouyang Xiu was ruined in his later years by these wicked people spreading rumors about him.

Lord Wenzhong was a romantic!

But he's not a pervert!

How could they do such immoral things?

Jia Zhongmin grew angrier the more he thought about it, and his face turned increasingly ashen.

Although he was also a scholar-official, he came from a prestigious family: the Jia family of Zhending!
Moreover, they had long been expelled from the scholar-official class!

In recent years, because he strictly enforced traffic order in Bianjing, he was always leading a large group of people, either beating people or on their way to beat people.

Therefore, public opinion gave him a nickname—Jia Cangying.

The previous person with the nickname "Azure Eagle" was named Zhi Du.

A notorious cruel official!
He was once ordered by Emperor Jing of Han to force the deposed Crown Prince Liu Rong, the Prince of Linjiang, to commit suicide. As a result, he was hated by the Dou family and was executed by them after Emperor Jing's death.

More importantly—Zhi Du was a Legalist.

This is tantamount to expelling him from his gentry status.

Jia Zhongmin was naturally filled with resentment.

Hey!
Does it make it seem like I need your approval?
A group of poor bastards who constantly preach benevolence, righteousness, and propriety, but in reality, they are thieves and prostitutes, obsessed with fame and fortune!
If Confucius were to be reborn, or Mencius were to be resurrected, they would all be expelled from the Confucian tradition—you few might as well beat the drums and attack them!
Fortunately, people today don't find these wicked creatures appealing either.

Jia Zhongmin's eyes swept over the elite soldiers who, although mixed in with the soldiers of the Kaifeng Prefecture and the guards of the Street Office, could still be recognized at a glance.

"It's only right that you lot are subdued by sticks today..." Jia Zhongmin thought with a hint of smugness.

He had long looked down on those scholars who spent their days spouting classical phrases and were full of scheming and plotting.

Didn't they claim to be eagles? Are they Legalists?
it is good!
Very good!

I, Jia Zhongmin, will vote for the law!
Let me be a disciple and grand-disciple of the two sages, Shang and Han!

Of course, Jia Zhongmin didn't dare say these things aloud; he could only keep them to himself.

However, he had already quietly put it into practice—over the years, he had repeatedly used the pseudonym "Zhen Ding Sanren" to submit articles to the Bianjing Yibao newspaper.

Explain the law, enforce the law, and discuss the law.

Of course, it was packaged using the Confucian principles of benevolence, righteousness, and morality.

It's outwardly Confucian but inwardly Legalist.

The same old tricks that were already worn out during the Han Dynasty.

Moreover, contemporary scholars advocate the idea that "I interpret the Six Classics, and the Six Classics interpret me."

I have understood the profound meaning behind the sage's words!

So they confidently and boldly stuffed their own opinions into the books of the sages, which is called—speaking on behalf of the sages.

The teachings of Laozi and Zhuangzi, as well as Buddhism, were all incorporated into it.

Adding Shang and Han would also be fine.

“And…” He looked up at the ten-foot-high wall in front of him.

More than a hundred imperial guards stood in front of the high wall, forming a human wall to keep the crowd ten steps away from the wall.

"More than 20% of the successful candidates in this imperial examination came from the civil service examinations held in Kaifeng Prefecture!"

This is the kind of person Jia Zhongmin truly recognizes as one of his own.

They are all experienced, capable, and skilled at getting things done.

Instead of those corrupt scholars who, in their daily lives, sway their heads and recite the classics, only know how to write poems and songs, and only know how to shout about propriety, law, benevolence, and righteousness, but when they actually become officials, they can be easily manipulated by a few clerks, or even be ridden on by them and act arrogantly!

In Jia Zhongmin's eyes, these are the people who are on his side!

Only those who are truly talented deserve respect and care.

Rather than those so-called 'scholars' whom we've never even met and with whom we share no common goals or interests.

It's laughable that Prefect Qian Xie was unaware that he was inside a treasure trove.

He actually hid in the government office and dared not come out!

What a scoundrel!

He has utterly disgraced Qian Wenxi (Qian Weiyan)!

But this is fine...

Jia Zhongmin strode to the high wall, raised the imperial edict in his hand, and, surrounded by dozens of guards, entered the human wall formed by the imperial guards.

Then, he announced loudly: "By imperial decree and with the approval of the imperial edict, the officials and commoners of Kaifeng Prefecture hereby post a public notice announcing the list of successful candidates in the Ministry of Rites' metropolitan examination of the third year of the Yuan You era!"

At his command, the prepared soldiers had already set up ladders, climbed up the wall, and brushed the pre-cooked glutinous rice paste onto the wall surface.

Then, a specially made piece of hemp paper, rolled up and placed in a long lacquered wooden box, was solemnly taken out.

At this moment, the soldiers who had already climbed up the wall accepted the firecrackers handed to them by the people below.

And then it was hung on the bamboo pole that had already been erected.

Accompanied by the crackling and popping of firecrackers.

The huge, long roll of yellow hemp paper had already been neatly pasted onto the wall by the soldiers.

Instantly, countless eyes focused on the notice on the wall.

"List of those who passed the provincial examination in the third year of the Yuan You reign (1008)..."

"First place: Xie Qian!"

Second place: Xu Guangning!

Third place: Shi Gongfu!

Amidst the smoke of firecrackers, countless scholars read aloud the names on the proclamation.

Then… “Who is Xie Qian?!”

"Who is Shi Gongfu?!"

Two of the top three names were names I'd never even heard of!

In particular, Xie Qian, who came in first place, did not even have any articles or poems circulated among scholars.

As a result, everyone started discussing it.

But thankfully, the ranking in the provincial examination is important in some ways, but not in others.

Because, in fact, you only need to pass the provincial exam.

If you pass the exam, you'll become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations)!

This effectively opened the path to officialdom, but for the Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), the final palace examination was still the one that truly determined their future and destiny.

Throughout history, there have been many examples of people who ranked low in the provincial examinations but made a comeback in the palace examination.

Therefore, many people were shocked to see a large number of unfamiliar names appear in the top three, and even the top ten.

But they were just shocked.

Everyone's energy was still focused on finding their own names.

After all, this is a provincial examination!

Now that the palace examination no longer rejects anyone, simply having your name appear on the provincial examination list is like a carp leaping over the dragon gate!

Even if one only ranks last in the final palace examination, one will still be removed from the ranks of commoners and become an official, no longer a commoner, and will enjoy countless privileges.

Therefore, the release of provincial examination results is a test of humanity every time.

Those who won the lottery reacted with a range of emotions: some cried, some laughed, and some even went crazy.

The same applies to those who didn't win!

So cheers quickly erupted from the crowd.

"Wow! I won!"

"Ninety-third place!"

Countless eyes turned to him, only to see a scholar in his forties, dressed in imperial robes, dancing and shouting in the crowd: "I passed! I passed!"

Countless people looked at this lucky person with burning envy in their eyes.

Especially those who know this person.

"Wang Daoan!"

"Damn it, how did you win?! Why did you win?"

On the outskirts of the group of scholars, hyenas that had caught the scent immediately came running towards the sound.

These men dressed in blue robes and wearing headscarves are brokers from Bianjing City.

When they saw the scholar from afar, they looked at each other and their faces lit up with joy.

A newly appointed scholar in his forties?
They definitely didn't go to the Elephant Maiden's House.

Because the Elephant Maiden Pavilion only caters to young people.

So, perhaps it was a fish that slipped through the net—there were always such fish that slipped through the net in every imperial examination, and then someone else took advantage of them.

So someone tried to step forward and ask, "May I ask, sir, are you married?"

The man shook his head blankly.

Then, with a cheer, a dozen or so tooth workers surrounded them.

……

Similar things happen from time to time.

Cheers rose and fell from the crowd.

Even more remarkable are the young talents who, upon confirming their success, are immediately bound and taken away by gatekeepers sent by noble families—all of whom had their dowries arranged and contracts signed beforehand at the Xianggu Pavilion.

As long as one passes the exam, regardless of the ranking, the marriage contract will take effect immediately, and the dowry will be presented in full.

Although it's just acting, the people of Bianjing love watching it.

Even Jia Zhongmin was no exception.

Moreover, he saw several familiar young men, former officials of Kaifeng Prefecture, who had been kidnapped and run away by members of the Cao, Yang, Xiang, and Gao families.

"These murderers!" Jia Zhongmin laughed and cursed, "They're quite clever!"

The direct descendants of maternal relatives are naturally not to be married off—unless they can be among the top fifty in the provincial examination or squeeze into the second class in the palace examination.

However, there were many daughters from collateral branches.

For relatives of the maternal family, it meant spending several thousand strings of cash to marry off a woman from their clan.

It falls under the category of investment.

It would be best if that scholar-official could have a successful future.

Even if you can't amount to anything, at least you can gain a good reputation.

They were much better off than the royal family members who sold their daughters.

Of course, the Jinshi officials also benefited.

Zeng Bu, the current ruler, was able to rise through the ranks precisely because he was related to the Xiang family by marriage and thus received their support.

Therefore, Jia Zhongmin was very happy that his family member had found a good marriage.

……

Some are happy and some are sad.

As time went by, the cheers grew louder and louder.

The atmosphere among the crowd began to become tense.

It will happen very quickly, probably in a little over fifteen minutes.

Among the crowd surrounding the list, someone burst into tears, sobbing, "Waaaaah..."

"Waaaaah... I failed again!"

"I have failed again!"

Jia Zhongmin looked over and saw an old scholar in his fifties squatting on the ground, wailing loudly.

Jia Zhongmin chuckled, a slight smile playing on his lips.

He was over fifty years old and still hadn't made it out of the provincial examination.

The only path awaiting him is special recognition.

As the old scholar wailed, more and more people followed suit, shedding tears as they stared blankly at the list of successful candidates, searching for their own names again and again.

Li Changning is one of them.

However, he craned his neck, widened his eyes, and searched the list again and again.

But his name was never mentioned.

The cries around me grew louder and louder.

Li Changning's emotions became increasingly unstable.

In a moment, the string in Li Changning's heart snapped!

He suddenly looked up to the sky and roared, "This year's imperial examinations are unfair!"

"Thieves Zhang, Wang, and Fan have arbitrarily altered the ancestral methods for selecting officials!"

They launched a direct attack on the imperial examination examiner who should have been their mentor.

"Gentlemen!"

"I intend to go to the Dengwen Drum Court to beat the drum and appeal for justice!"

"Go to Jingling Palace and weep for the holy spirits!"

"Anyone willing to come along?!"

Jia Zhongmin squinted and looked in Li Changning's direction.

"Is this how it begins?" Jia Zhongmin sneered twice.

Then, he recognized Li Changning—there was no way around it, Li Changning was too famous.

He was from Kaifeng Prefecture and began his journey through the imperial examinations during the Jiayou era.

As early as the year Jia Zhongmin participated in the imperial examination, Li Changning was already a veteran of the examination.

More than thirty years have passed, through four emperors, and he is now nearing sixty, yet he still cannot pass the imperial examination.

Therefore, it is understandable that this person was depressed.

Naturally, his outburst was not unexpected.

we can even say……

His outburst now is an unexpected event.

And as soon as Li Changning raised his arm, people quickly responded—

"Lord Anbang! I will go with you!"

Jia Zhongmin looked in the direction of the sound and saw a scholar in his thirties.

And it was someone I knew!

"Uncle Li Fang?"

"A student of Su Shi?"

"Interesting! Interesting!"

The malice on Jia Zhongmin's face was almost overflowing.

Because he had never liked Su Shi!

It's not just partisan strife!

It's not just a difference in political views!
Furthermore, it was because Su Shi had criticized him and his family—when Su Shi was demoted to Huangzhou, he wrote a poem entitled "Granted the Title of Acting Assistant Minister of Water Resources and Deputy Military Commissioner of Huangzhou".

One of the lines goes like this: "Though the horses may return to the border in the future, the young roosters of the city will no longer fight."

This story comes from Chen Hong's "The Story of the Elders of Dongcheng". It tells of a minor figure named Jia Chang who gained the emperor's favor and became wealthy during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. Later, when the An Lushan Rebellion broke out, Emperor Xuanzong fled to Sichuan. Jia Chang, having lost his patron, had no choice but to hide in a temple. Meanwhile, he and his family's wealth were looted by the rebel soldiers.

In Jia Zhongmin's view, this was absolutely disgusting.

They're insulting him to his very face!
Those who curse him and his family are all petty scoundrels who will be punished by heaven sooner or later!

Because Jia Zhongmin has two elders, one named Jia Changchao and the other Jia Changheng.

Meanwhile, in the imperial court, some people were using Jia Chang's affair as a pretext to indirectly criticize Jia Zhongmin's two elders.

Su Shi's poems are so eccentric and unconventional.

Jia Zhongmin naturally thought this was an insult directed at his elders.

So from then on, whenever someone tried to discredit Su Shi, Jia Zhongmin would always lend a hand!
Now, I have met Su Shi's students.

Moreover, even a student with a reputation for virtue was making a fuss in the crowd.

Jia Zhongmin was overjoyed: "Su Zizhan!"

"How much favor do you have left?"

As a trusted confidant, Jia Zhongmin knows all too well the mind of the current officials—it seems vast, but in reality, it's no bigger than the eye of a needle!

(End of this chapter)