Bringing the Railway to Daming

Chapter 292: After the results were announced, the candidates protested [Please subscribe]

Some felt they had failed the exam, while others felt they had done well. These candidates, despite taking the exam for nine consecutive days, were still full of energy after leaving the exam room, and you could tell at a glance.

After the joint examination, only the palace examination remains. As long as one can pass the joint examination and become a tribute student, it is almost certain that one will pass the palace examination and become a Jinshi. The only difference is the ranking.

Therefore, candidates who felt that they had done well in the imperial examinations were in a really good mood. After explaining things to their relatives and servants, they would often call their friends, or go back to the inn to wash up, or go directly to the restaurant to eat and drink.

As for the scene of a large number of candidates going to brothels after the exam, this did not happen during the Hongwu period.

Candidates were already reserve officials of the imperial court, so it was okay for them to go to a brothel a few times in private. However, if a group of people went to a brothel together before or after the imperial examination, they would most likely be caught by the censor. At the very least, they would be reprimanded, and at the worst, they would lose their official title.

Not only those who did well in the exams would go out to eat, drink and have fun, but those who did not do well in the exams would go as well.

Among the crowd dispersing from the Imperial Examination Hall in all directions, Qi Tai met Huang Zicheng again.

"How did you do in the exam, Brother Qi?" Huang Zicheng asked first.

Qi Tai smiled bitterly, "Zicheng should have guessed it from my expression, so why bother asking?"

Huang Zicheng also gave a wry smile and said, "Brother Qi, don't be discouraged. The math and natural science questions in this exam are indeed quite difficult. I saw quite a few people crying after leaving the exam room."

"If the vast majority of candidates don't do well in math and science, we still have a chance of making the list."

Qi Tai said, "I've heard that several candidates from the imperial college said the exams weren't too difficult. Perhaps it's just because people like me are not good at math and natural sciences that we find them difficult."

Huang Zicheng was speechless. "The exams are over, why are you saying such discouraging words, Brother Qi?"

"Well, let's not talk about it then."

After Qi Tai finished speaking, he looked hesitant, as if he wanted to say something. At this time, someone in the distance called out, "Brother Qi, we are going to attend the party organized by Brother Yao, and we are waiting for you."

Qi Tai replied, "You go first, I'll follow later."

"Then you better hurry up."

After saying this, the candidates left.

Huang Zicheng asked curiously, "What party is Brother Qi going to? Can you bring me along?"

Qi Tai asked in return, "If Zicheng fails this exam, will he really go to Prince Yan's mansion to apply for the position?"

"That's right." Huang Zicheng nodded affirmatively.

Qi Tai said, "Then it's best for Zicheng not to go to this party. As for why we're gathering together, Zicheng will know in a few days. Take care!"

After clasping his fists, Qi Tai turned and left.

Huang Zicheng subconsciously bowed in return, looking at Qi Tai's departing back thoughtfully...

More than half a month passed in a flash, and it was the fifth day of March, the day when the examination results were announced.

Lu Guicheng, a captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, stood in a corner of the Imperial Examination Hall Square, disguised as a scholar who came to see the list.

The wall where the list was posted was packed with people, and the entire square was even more crowded. There were candidates and their servants who came to see the list, wealthy officials and their servants waiting to find a son-in-law, and idle people who just wanted to watch the excitement.

The results of the Ming Dynasty imperial examination were announced from back to front, with the top three being announced first, followed by the second place, and then the first place.

As the top three and second place lists were posted one after another, a series of wonderful shows that could only be seen once every three years suddenly began to unfold under the wall.

"No. 87 in the top three, I'm on the list, hahaha!"

One person shouted with joy, and then several strong servants immediately surrounded him and took the tribute student, who looked to be in his thirties or forties and was fresh out of the oven, out of the crowd.

An old man who looked like a housekeeper came over and said with a smile, "I wonder if this scholar is married?"

The tribute student was a little confused for a moment, and subconsciously said, "They are married."

The housekeeper's expression changed slightly, but he still smiled and said, "That's fine. My young lady is already in her twenties and still wants to be married. If the scholar is willing to divorce his wife and remarry, my master can offer a house in the capital, a hundred acres of fertile land, and three thousand strings of silver as a betrothal gift."

This tribute student was dressed very simply and came from a poor family. He had never seen hundreds of strings of banknotes in his life, let alone three thousand strings of banknotes and a house in the capital.

Therefore, I couldn't help but feel moved after hearing what the housekeeper said.

But after a struggle between his conscience and his desires, he refused, "To be honest, I have been married to my wife for eighteen years, and my son is about to get married. We live in harmony and I will never abandon her and marry someone else. You should find someone else."

After saying that, he turned around and walked away.

The housekeeper had no choice but to order the servant, "Go and keep an eye on those young people on the list."

"Yes!"

Several strong servants immediately squeezed into the crowd again.

Although Zhu Yuanzhang increased the number of Jinshi candidates in this year's imperial examination, allowing 188 people to be on the list, it was still too few compared to the two or three thousand candidates gathered from more than a dozen provinces in the Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, the vast majority of candidates who came to see the list were not on it and left with disappointment and sighs.

Of course, many people had already prepared themselves mentally. Although disappointed, they didn't leave. Instead, they waited for the first-place results to be released, hoping to find out who the top three were, so they could have something to talk about. After the second-place list was posted, the first-place list was also released shortly thereafter.

After the clerk had posted the notice, everyone below the wall saw that there were only three names written on the huge red paper from right to left - Lian Zining, Hua Lun, and Huang Guan!
"Huiyuan, Lian Zining!"

"Zhejiang Jieyuan Hua Lun and Guichi candidate Huang Guan are also in the first class. Didn't these two brothers even check the list?"

"These two discussed Confucianism, mathematics, and even natural science a few days ago, and they were very knowledgeable. After the exam, they were very confident that they would pass. That's why they didn't come."

"Huiyuan is over there, let's go and share in the joy!"

"What's joyful? That's literary."

"···"

Among the three top candidates, only the top scorer Lian Zining was present. After his identity was revealed by the familiar candidates around him, many people surrounded him immediately.

Seeing that the situation was not good, the officials and patrolmen in the square immediately stepped forward to maintain order to prevent the newly crowned champion from being accidentally injured.

Although Lu Guisheng saw these scenes, he did not pay much attention to them - instead, he paid attention to those candidates who were shaking their heads and sighing, with disappointed looks on their faces, and who had obviously failed the exam.

Seeing seven or eight failed candidates gathered together and talking about something, Lu Guisheng immediately followed them...

The next day.

Tiangongyuan.

Liu Kuan was reviewing official documents in his office. Now that the work of redefining the grades of craftsmen had been extended to the entire Zhili, Tiangongyuan, as the department in charge of this matter, had a lot of official documents that needed to be reviewed by Liu Kuan, the chief officer, every day.

These documents were very important, so he couldn't be lazy. He had to work hard and conscientiously for the Zhu family.

Suddenly, a series of shouts were heard outside.

"Director, Director, something bad has happened!"

As footsteps were heard, a green-robed official rushed into the office. It was Liu Zhengming, one of the current clerks of Tiangong Academy.

Liu Kuan had been the head of the Science and Technology Department for a year or two, and now he was also the head of the Tiangong Academy. He had entered the ranks of the crimson-robed officials and had developed a certain authority. Seeing this, he asked solemnly, "Why are you so flustered? What's wrong with this?"

Liu Zhengming, a young official in his twenties, felt ashamed upon hearing this, then quickly said, "Director, hundreds of candidates are gathered in front of the Meridian Gate, advising the court to abolish science and honor Confucianism!"

"what?!"

Liu Kuan was stunned after hearing this.

He had never imagined that he would encounter a collective riot among the students during the Hongwu reign. How could these people dare to do this? Could it be that they didn't know the sharpness of Zhu's sword?
Liu Zhengming thought Liu Kuan hadn't heard clearly, so he repeated it again, adding, "I counted them when I came over there, and there are more than two hundred of them."

"Some of them were holding banners, and each of them had a white cloth tied around their head. They sat cross-legged in front of the house door, as if they would not give up until the court gave them a favorable response."

"Director, everyone in the court knows that you are the master of science. Our Tiangong Academy is a gathering place for scientists and craftsmen. These candidates are clearly coming for us!"

This was Liu Kuan's first time encountering such a "big event" and he really didn't know what to do, so he asked, "Do you know how the palace reacted?"

Liu Zhengming felt even more ashamed, "I came here in a hurry and didn't know the palace's reaction."

Although Liu Kuan believed that Old Zhu would not be threatened by hundreds of candidates, he still felt a little uneasy, so he stood up and said, "Come, let's go and take a look."

"Yes."

Liu Kuan left the Tiangong Academy and, accompanied by Liu Zhengming and several other officials, as well as fifty Yiluansi guards, soon arrived in front of the Meridian Gate.

Sure enough, I saw hundreds of candidates sitting cross-legged there.

Although these candidates did not shout any slogans in unison, the words on the banners they held clearly expressed their demands: Abolish science! Respect Confucianism!

After seeing the words on the flag clearly, Liu Kuan was speechless.

I thought: "How can this be considered a complete overhaul of the imperial examination system? Is it really that serious? If, like later generations, only a few representative works of Confucianism are preserved, won't these Confucian scholars fight me to the death?"

Just as Liu Kuan was thinking this, he saw the main gate of the Meridian Gate (there were several doors) suddenly open, and teams of the emperor's personal troops rushed out from inside, surrounding the two or three hundred candidates in a few moments.

The last eunuch appeared and shouted, "The Emperor has decreed that Qi Tai, Yao Guan, Zhou Rui, and other candidates, after failing the exam, did not reflect on their own lack of knowledge. Instead, they resented the court, secretly colluded with societies, tainted court policies, and attempted to distort state affairs. They have truly wasted their time studying the books of the sages!"

"You will all be rounded up, stripped of your honors and titles, demoted to commoners, and handed over to the officials for interrogation and a verdict on your crimes. This is my order!"

After listening to the eunuch read out the imperial edict, many candidates were stunned.

They knew that Zhu Yuanzhang was a ruthless and sharp-tongued man, an emperor who would not be threatened, and that he had a stubborn temper.

But they never expected that when two or three hundred people came together to make a remonstration, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered them to be arrested without hesitation and their official titles were stripped away!
Shouldn't the law not punish everyone?
Zhu Yuanzhang acted like this, wasn't he afraid of the world's criticism?
Leaders such as Qi Tai and Yao Shan were the first to react. Seeing that the royal army had already rushed over to capture people, they immediately shouted loudly.

　Second update.

　　Good night~
　　
　　
　
(End of this chapter)