HLnovel Chapter 1164 The Unexpected Third Answer
Chapter 1164 The Unexpected Third Answer
Shen Zheng had guessed the content of Xin Shunyun's reply several times, and it was nothing more than "yes" or "no".
But to Shen Zheng's surprise, Xin Shunyun had a third answer.
"Lord Xin... has already selected the question setters, examiners, and graders for this re-examination?"
Shen Zheng's gaze swept over the names, but apart from Jiang Zhiming, who was both the chief examiner and the one who set the questions, she didn't recognize any of the others.
For a moment, Shen Zheng was unsure of Xin Shunyun's intentions.
Is it a gesture of goodwill, a deliberate attempt to make things difficult, or... a test to see what she's capable of?
Shen Zheng handed the letter to Xu Yunyan, then looked at Liu Yumin, waiting for Liu Yumin's explanation.
Liu Yumin already knew the contents of the letter and said in a low voice, "Replying to Lord Shen, Lord Xin's actions are intended to save time for the Liuyang government."
Shen Zheng paused slightly, thinking of the endless rice paddies she had seen on her way back to the prefectural city that day.
After thinking it over, Shen Zheng still asked, "What does this mean?"
Liu Yumin said respectfully, "Lord Xin said that many people in Liuyang Prefecture have planted high-yield rice this year. If the students miss the autumn harvest because of the re-examination, it would be unfair to the students from farming families, and it would also cause all the students to miss this annual autumn harvest spectacle..."
Shen Zheng raised an eyebrow slightly.
This is a reason, but it's not a reason that can convince her.
The government office does need to save time and hold the re-examination as soon as possible, but it also needs to be responsible for every candidate.
Let alone the examiners who bear heavy responsibilities, even if any one of the proctors makes a mistake, the entire re-examination will be ruined.
"I do not mean to distrust Lord Xin." Shen Zheng put the pleasant words first, and then said the unpleasant ones: "But in the list provided by Lord Xin, I only recognize the Prefect of Fuzhou, Lord Jiang. As for the others... I want to know, what are Lord Xin's considerations in choosing them as examiners and graders?"
Seeing the undisguised sharpness in Shen Zheng's eyes, Liu Yumin's expression became even more respectful.
"Reporting to Lord Shen, the examiners selected by Lord Xin are all officials from several surrounding prefectures. These officials may not be well-known, but they are renowned for their integrity..."
As he spoke, he looked at the letter in Xu Yunyan's hand and pointed out the names of those officials one by one.
"The deputy chief examiner, Lord Lin Xiuzhi, is the prefectural magistrate of Linjiang Prefecture. He has served as the deputy examiner for the prefectural examinations for three terms. He values 'fairness' the most. Last year, he directly sealed the examination papers and reported them to the provincial judicial commissioner because of the examiners' favoritism. He is known in Linjiang as the 'iron-faced judge'."
"The other examiner, Lord Zheng Xiuyuan, is the Education Commissioner of Jianchang Prefecture, specializing in classical studies and policy essays. Moreover, he has no relatives or friends in Liuyang Prefecture, which fully complies with the rule of 'avoiding suspicion when in a different place.' More importantly, he has compiled a collection of policy essays on people's livelihood, and the exam questions are mostly related to local governance, which coincides with Lord Shen's emphasis on 'people-oriented' principles."
Upon hearing this, Shen Zheng's face lit up with interest, and she raised her chin, saying, "Continue."
Liu Yumin added, “The chief examiner, Lord Qin Zhongshan, is the educational commissioner of Yuanzhou. He comes from a poor family and judges papers only by their quality. Last year, in the Yuanzhou prefectural examination, three of the top ten candidates were from poor families, all of whom were chosen by him despite opposition.”
"As for the other three examiners... they are all Jinshi graduates, proficient in classics, history, policy essays, and poetry, and none of them have any geographical connection with Liuyang Prefecture."
Having discussed the chief examiner and the question setter, the next step is to talk about the examiners.
Shen Zheng poured a cup of tea and handed it to Liu Yumin, smiling, "Liu Qianshi, there's no rush, take your time."
Liu Yumin picked up the teacup with both hands, took a small sip, and continued, "The chief examiner, Lord Zhao Chengye, is the Education Commissioner of Linjiang Prefecture..."
One name after another came out of Liu Yumin's mouth.
As she listened, Shen Zheng understood.
The officials selected by Xin Shunyun covered almost all the prefectural governments and educational administrators of the surrounding prefectures of Liuyang Prefecture. There were three educational administrators alone—Linjiang, Jianchang, and Yuanzhou.
As for why the Prefectural School Supervisor of Fuzhou failed the exam.
Because their prefect, Jiang Zhiming, was already the chief examiner for this re-examination, the educational commissioner of Fuzhou had to recuse himself from the examination.
At this moment, Shen Zheng finally understood Xin Shunyun's intention in including him in this list—he was both showing goodwill and testing the waters.
However, the people he was trying to win over and test were not the same.
Shen Zheng accepted the gesture of goodwill, while the one being tested... was the official on the list.
Although somewhat surprised, Shen Zheng had to admit that Xin Shunyun's actions were intended to test the waters for her, to gauge the officials' attitudes toward Liuyang Prefecture and toward her.
After thinking it through, Shen Zheng composed herself, poured some tea for Liu Yumin, and took the list back from Xu Yunyan, saying, "Lord Xin, why did you go to such lengths?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Yumin knew that Shen Zheng had understood their overtures, and his tense back finally relaxed a little.
“Lord Shen, actually… Lord Xin has another request.” Liu Yumin appropriately made a request that was neither too serious nor too trivial, but it made Shen Zheng frown: “Lord Xin wants… to allow Young Master Xin to also participate in this re-examination.”
After he finished speaking, the room fell silent.
After a long while, Shen Zheng came to her senses: "Lord Xin is joking?"
How could Xin Ji, an "outsider," possibly participate in the examination in Liuyang Prefecture?
Besides, the purpose of this re-examination is to vindicate the students of Fuzhong Middle School. What use is it for Xinji to take the exam?
Unless Xin Shunyun wants Liuyang Prefecture to grant Xin Ji a title of nobility.
Liu Yumin's expression stiffened, and his back, which had just relaxed, tensed up again. "...Lord Shen, I know this request is a bit strange, but I hope you will listen to me..."
After a moment's thought, Shen Zheng nodded: "Liu Qianshi, please speak, but I also hope you understand that, under no circumstances will I do anything against the rules."
Hearing Shen Zheng lay out the unpleasant truth upfront, Liu Yumin breathed a sigh of relief.
He said slowly, "Lord Shen, rest assured, Lord Xin instructed me not to make things difficult for you... In fact, Lord Xin wanted to have Young Master Xin come to Liuyang Prefecture to take the exam as an 'observer'."
"A young student observing the performance?"
Shen Zheng remained silent for a moment.
According to the "Great Zhou Imperial Examination Law", candidates who were not yet qualified to take the exam could apply for the qualification to observe the exam and enter the examination hall and answer the questions together with the candidates taking the prefectural exam. However, their answers were not included in the ranking after being reviewed by the examiners.
In other words, because their status as examinees was not official, they could not obtain the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations) no matter how excellent their answers were.
To put it simply, "observation students" are those who merely go through the motions at the Examination Yuan to get a feel for the atmosphere of the prefectural examination in advance, so as to prepare for the next formal examination.
At first glance, many people would think that this is a good opportunity to learn about the prefectural examination.