Seeing County Magistrate Chen pick up the paper ball with a ashen face, the stunned Qian Pingchao reacted and said in terror, "Sir, this is not the student's. Someone must have framed me!"
"Silence!" With an angry reprimand, County Magistrate Chen unfolded the paper ball without stopping.
This time, County Magistrate Chen didn't need to speak. The middle-aged candidate had gone mad and destroyed three exam papers. Now, a paper ball flew out from Qian Pingchao's sleeve. Constable Fei and another constable quickly stepped forward and pinned Qian Pingchao to the ground.
If another madman appeared to destroy exam papers, the county examination in Shangsi County would truly be disgraced.
"What is this?" Instructor Zhao took the crumpled paper and his brow furrowed.
The paper was densely covered with at least twenty poems, covering a wide range of topics. It appeared to be predicting exam topics, but the topic for the current exam's regulated verse was not among them.
Perhaps to avoid leaving evidence, the handwriting was neat and regular, revealing no personal style. However, with a paper ball flying out from his sleeve in full view of everyone, it was clear evidence of cheating.
"Sir, I am wronged! This is not mine!" Qian Pingchao, kneeling on the ground, shouted in panic, his mind going blank. He had no idea where the paper ball came from.
"Hold your tongue! I saw it with my own eyes, and you dare to quibble?" County Magistrate Chen reprimanded sternly. The paper ball flew from Qian Pingchao's sleeve; this was irrefutable proof.
County Magistrate Chen did not want to delay the other examinees. He said in a deep voice, "The rest of you, continue with your papers. Constable Fei, take Qian Pingchao to prison!"
"No!" Qian Pingchao, kneeling on the ground, struggled violently. As a scholar, he understood the consequences of cheating in the imperial examinations better than anyone.
His gaze inadvertently swept over Zhan Feiyu's triumphant smile, and Qian Pingchao finally realized what was happening.
"Sir, Zhan Feiyu framed me! She planted this cheat sheet on me!" Qian Pingchao shouted angrily. Cheating in the examination hall could result in expulsion, disqualification from the examination, or even being paraded through the streets with a cangue. More severe consequences could include imprisonment and exile.
County Magistrate Chen was upright and impartial. Mao Zhengfeng, who had gone mad in the first exam, was later dragged out of the county yamen, given thirty heavy strokes, and was currently imprisoned. Qian Pingchao could imagine his own fate, perhaps being barred from the imperial examinations for ten years.
"Sir, this student is wronged!" Qian Pingchao repeatedly kowtowed heavily on the ground, filled with both shock and anger, wishing he could tear Zhan Feiyu into a thousand pieces!
Once the charge of cheating in the imperial examinations was established, Old Man Huang would certainly no longer provide him with money to study. Thinking of having to work in the fields, like the villagers, Qian Pingchao could only firmly place the blame of framing on Zhan Feiyu, so that he could escape.
Before County Magistrate Chen could speak, Instructor Zhao, enraged, stood up and rebuked, "Utter nonsense!"
Zhan Feiyu was a student of the county school, and thus Instructor Zhao's student. How could he tolerate such slander from Qian Pingchao? Instructor Zhao suppressed his anger and questioned, "You ten were seated together. In full view of everyone, how could she have framed you?"
In the hall, besides County Magistrate Chen and the chief examiners, there were two constables and two clerks on the sides. With so many eyes watching, how could Zhan Feiyu have slipped the paper ball into Qian Pingchao's sleeve?
After all, one sat on the left and the other on the right, separated by more than two meters. Could she place something there out of thin air?
Using the opportunity to use the latrine to become invisible, then secretly placing the paper ball prepared by Yin Wuyan into Qian Pingchao's sleeve, Zhan Feiyu, who had returned to the latrine, puffed out her cheeks. She stood up indignantly and said, "Sir, this student is the one who is wronged. Qian Pingchao merely wants to drag me down with him. This person is narrow-minded, malicious, and insidious. I implore you to pass a heavy sentence!"
After a round of accusations, Zhan Feiyu, who had concealed her merits and name, sat down and began to copy the text with her brush. Her indignant demeanor appeared very childish.
The other eight candidates looked at Zhan Feiyu, then at the ferocious Qian Pingchao. Although the matter was somewhat suspicious, accusing Zhan Feiyu of framing him seemed too far-fetched.
Before entering the examination cubicles, they were searched by yamen runners. As they were seated together, they were searched again before entering the hall.
Zhan Feiyu was a young girl and had placed first in the main examination. She was the first to be checked and then entered. She had gone to the latrine once, but Zhan Feiyu had not left her seat, nor had she approached Qian Pingchao.
"Drag him away!" Regardless of Qian Pingchao's unwillingness, the facts were laid bare. With a command from County Magistrate Chen, Constable Fei directly gagged him and dragged him out.
The hall returned to silence. County Magistrate Chen glanced at Zhan Feiyu, who was diligently answering the questions, with a complex look in his eyes. A smile flashed quickly in his eyes; the young girl was quite good at pretending!
After the examination ended in the afternoon, over a hundred candidates lined up to exit the Dragon Gate. Afterward, they gathered in twos and threes, discussing Qian Pingchao's matter.
"Did he really cheat?" Candidate A asked in shock. That was the second-place finisher in the main examination. Thinking of one less competitor, his face lit up with joy.
"Are you stupid? There were two searches in total. How could Qian Pingchao have smuggled anything in?" Candidate B replied in a low voice.
Looking around again, Candidate B pulled his classmate into a corner and said, "I've known Qian Pingchao for several years. He is truly talented, especially in poetry. The county examination topics were not leaked, so what's the use of smuggling cheat sheets?"
"Could someone really have framed Qian Pingchao?" Candidate A's eyes widened in shock. To tamper with the county examination, how bold must one be!
"I heard Qian Pingchao shouting that Zhan Feiyu framed him when he was dragged away..." Before he could finish, his classmate covered his mouth.
"Speak cautiously." Other candidates who wanted to discuss were immediately warned by their elders or tutors. If they wanted to talk, they should do so at home, fearing eavesdropping.
Although some people suspected Zhan Feiyu, after all, one was first place and the other was second. By eliminating Qian Pingchao, Zhan Feiyu's position as the county's top scholar was secured.
However, according to the other eight candidates who were seated together, Zhan Feiyu had not interacted with Qian Pingchao since entering the examination hall, so she definitely had no opportunity to frame him. This matter became an unsolved mystery.
When the results of the three-day re-examination were posted, hundreds of people still crowded around the榜. Even those who had failed before wanted to know who had made the list.
Only twenty people were selected for the main list, and the supplementary list was reduced from a hundred to forty. After two examinations, only sixty people remained out of over three hundred candidates.
Among these sixty people, the top ten did not need to participate in the third re-examination or the fourth and fifth consecutive examinations. They could return home to prepare for the prefectural examination in April.
At the same time, in the study in the back courtyard of the county yamen.
Bai Lianqing handed County Magistrate Chen a cup of strong tea to refresh him. "Your Excellency, you need not worry so much. Since Zhan Feiyu is a disciple of Grand Scholar Gu, these insidious individuals cannot harm her."
Since ancient times, it has been difficult for commoners to produce noble sons. Besides the late start in education and insufficient funds for studying and imperial examinations, any minor accident during the pursuit of knowledge could easily cut off their path to the imperial examinations.
Although the news of Zhan Feiyu becoming Grand Scholar Gu's disciple was not public, everyone who should know in the court was aware of it. Before targeting Zhan Feiyu, one had to consider whether they could withstand the retaliation from her teacher, Grand Scholar Gu.
"There have been incidents in consecutive examinations during the county test. These methods, while appearing clever, are actually crude and do not seem to be the style of the Tong or Qin families," County Magistrate Chen mused with a furrowed brow.
During the first examination, Mao Zhengfeng had gone mad and destroyed three exam papers. After failing to destroy Zhan Feiyu's paper, he falsely accused her of hiding cheat sheets in her cubicle.
However, as the parent official, if County Magistrate Chen had favored Zhan Feiyu at the time, he could have easily replaced her destroyed exam paper with a new one.
As for searching for cheat sheets, without any evidence, County Magistrate Chen did not need to heed Mao Zhengfeng's accusation. Should anyone report cheating, should the cubicle be searched? Then the county examination would not proceed normally.
As for the paper ball flying from Qian Pingchao's sleeve, County Magistrate Chen knew at the time that he had been framed. Qian Pingchao's regulated verse in the main examination was a masterpiece.
Moreover, if he wanted to cheat, he could have memorized more poems beforehand. Why bother bringing cheat sheets to the examination hall and being caught red-handed?
"Your Excellency, during the main examination, Mao Zhengfeng falsely accused Zhan Feiyu of hiding cheat sheets in her cubicle. During the re-examination, a paper ball flew from Qian Pingchao's sleeve. Could this be a case of 'treating someone in the same way'?" Bai Lianqing did not believe Zhan Feiyu had the means, suspecting that Grand Scholar Gu had made arrangements behind the scenes.
Bai Lianqing was puzzled as to who instructed Mao Zhengfeng and Qian Pingchao. Did Zhan Feiyu have enemies in Shangsi County?
"It's a matter of inferior skill," County Magistrate Chen's voice turned colder. Tampering with the county examination showed a lack of respect for him as the chief examiner. From this perspective, County Magistrate Chen did not believe the mastermind was in Shangsi County.
"This person probably comes from Nanxuan Prefecture or other prefectures. Zhan Feiyu becoming Grand Scholar Gu's disciple is the original sin." County Magistrate Chen felt deeply about this. Was it not the same reason Liu Jian suppressed him back then? The ones who violated national law were the Liu family members. He had pronounced judgment according to the criminal law, but he was expelled from the capital and served as county magistrate in Shangsi for seven years.
Ordinary people were like ants in the eyes of powerful families. If they were displeasing, they would be shouted at and killed, without any reason.
As County Magistrate Chen's advisor, Bai Lianqing naturally understood Chen County Magistrate's lingering resentment. However, the most important thing at present was the county examination. At a time when the magistrate was about to be promoted, there must be no scandal of cheating in the imperial examinations.
Reviewing everything in his mind, Bai Lianqing said, "Your Excellency is right. With Your Excellency watching over her in Shangsi County, ordinary people would not dare to scheme against Zhan Feiyu. Scholar Zhang has been holed up in the Zhang family's private school for more than half a year, rarely even attending literary gatherings."
Previously, Scholar Zhang had targeted Zhan Feiyu due to old grievances with Tutor Lin. At that time, Zhan Feiyu was just a powerless young child, and anyone could step on her.
But after this series of events, even if Scholar Zhang borrowed courage from heaven, he would not dare to act again. If not for his family's foundation being entirely in Shangsi County, Bai Lianqing felt that Scholar Zhang would have planned to move his entire family.
"Your Excellency, if the move was made by Nanxuan Prefecture, and it wasn't the Tong or Qin families, it's highly likely that Your Excellency blocked someone's path," Bai Lianqing thought of County Magistrate Chen's impending transfer to Nanxuan Prefecture as Assistant Prefect. Many people coveted this position. If Your Excellency were implicated due to the county examination, then others would have a chance to rise.
"The possibility is unlikely. If it were officials from Nanxuan Prefecture, they would not use Zhan Feiyu as a pawn," County Magistrate Chen stroked his short beard and pondered. The rumor of Zhan Feiyu becoming Grand Scholar Gu's disciple was not false. Even if some did not believe it, they would not risk offending Zhan Feiyu.
County Magistrate Chen was indeed worried that this matter was directed at him. Although his former mentor, Lord Liu Jian, had been exiled to the frontier, the Liu family still had some in-laws and old acquaintances in the court. Most importantly, Liu Jian was part of the First Prince's faction. He was previously a seventh-rank county magistrate, and those in the court were too lazy to bother with him.
But now that he was promoted to Assistant Prefect of Nanxuan Prefecture, the First Prince's faction could easily bring about his downfall with a little trouble.
Of course, it was also possible that it was aimed at Zhan Feiyu. However, there were too few clues now, and County Magistrate Chen could not determine anything.
Outside the study, hurried footsteps approached. County Magistrate Chen and Bai Lianqing both looked towards the door.
"Your Excellency, Mr. Bai." Constable Fei bowed and reported solemnly, "Your Excellency, there has been a murder in Hulu Lane on West Street. The deceased, Feng Er, was a habitual thief and suffered from heart disease. Your subordinate originally thought Feng Er died of heart disease, but after the coroner's examination, Feng Er had multiple bruises and traces of a struggle before his death."
Generally, when a murder occurred, Constable Fei would report it to County Magistrate Chen, the parent official. However, County Magistrate Chen had been busy with the county examination these past few days, and his neighbors had all said that Feng Er had heart disease, which worsened with age.
The old doctor from Huichuntang and Doctor Xu from Jishitang had both diagnosed him, concluding that Feng Er would not live past thirty.
Of course, if Feng Er was not careful in his daily life, his heart disease could act up at any time, and once it did, there would be no cure. Therefore, when Constable Fei went to Feng Er's home that morning, he treated it as an ordinary murder case.
"Feng Er's cause of death was due to a struggle with someone?" County Magistrate Chen asked the crucial question. However, he thought it was normal; these scoundrels were always bullies who preyed on the weak. It was quite common for them to be beaten when they encountered tough opponents.
Constable Fei nodded and said in a deep voice, "Your subordinate sent people to inquire on the street. Some said that Zhan Feiyu's father had a fight with Feng Er in the alley three days ago."
The study fell silent. County Magistrate Chen and Bai Lianqing exchanged grave glances. They had just been speculating about who the mastermind was targeting, and now it was clear.
"Send someone to the farm to notify Zhan Feiyu. You will accompany me to the scene," County Magistrate Chen stood up. At this moment, he suddenly felt fortunate that Zhan Feiyu had been adopted.
Even if Zhan Laoda had "accidentally" killed Feng Er, legally speaking, this case had little to do with Zhan Feiyu and would not hinder her imperial examinations.
"Your Excellency," Bai Lianqing walked to County Magistrate Chen's side and whispered, "I will go to Jinlin Village to see Zhan Laoda."
Feng Er's death was very suspicious, but since the mastermind used this to scheme against Zhan Feiyu, they must have had complete confidence. Bai Lianqing planned to first inquire about the details of the matter from Zhan Laoda.
If it was truly detrimental to him, Bai Lianqing could offer some "guidance." This way, even if it went to court, Zhan Laoda's testimony would not be a major problem.
County Magistrate Chen nodded understandingly, "That is for the best. You also need to be careful."
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