After the cannon fodder father and daughter married into the family, the whole family regretted it

The trial began amid the noise at the gate of the yamen.

It is called a trial, but it is different from arresting people and putting them on public trial. These people have already signed confessions. The focus is on public conviction and there is a process to follow.

"The Tongzhi has arrived! The county magistrate has arrived!"

Fang Tong asked quietly, "Mr. Tongzhi? What kind of official is this Tongzhi?"

Qin Yan replied in a low voice: "He is one level lower than the prefect, and is considered a deputy."

Fang Tong didn’t know what a Tongzhi was, but he knew what a Zhifu was, which was a very high-ranking official.

The court was in session in the yamen and the doorway became quiet. The superior had arrived in their county and everyone was curious about seeing the high-ranking official whom they had never seen before. This Tongzhi official looked to be in his forties. He sat in the court with a sullen face and looked very majestic.

Fang Tong's family did not live in the county town. This was their first time seeing a court hearing, and they found everything inside strange.

Fang Nanzhi had seen descriptions of government offices in books before, and was even more excited when he saw the scene before him.

Wow, a desk! Is that the gavel on the desk mentioned in the book? A stick holder! Are sticks really all a foot long? Does the stick holder really hold a liter of liquid?

Her curiosity was so strong that she almost went into the hall.

The people from the yamen took the files and first explained to everyone what the case was. Because they discovered suspicion of cheating in the imperial examination, the yamen sent people to arrest the people who resold the papers. Following the clues, they implicated more accomplices, as well as the candidates who bought the papers.

It was almost the same news that had been circulating in the county and surrounding areas these days, and the onlookers couldn't help but talk about it.

"Oh my, it really is cheating in the imperial examination. This is a big deal."

"We've arrested a lot of old people these days, and many of them are scholars. How can it be a big deal?"

"What bad luck! None of the candidates in this exam will be able to rest in peace!"

It’s okay to talk in a low voice, but the crowds of people watching today are too noisy, so we have to control it quickly.

"Alright, silence! Bring up the person who's reselling the exam questions!"

At a command from the hall, people from the yamen came up with a group of people, which shocked everyone: Are there so many old people selling papers?

Sure enough, Qin Yan saw among them the "Scholar Chang" who sold him the exam questions in Donglai Restaurant that day.

Because the trial had already been conducted privately, these people were asked to confess their crimes in the court, including how many papers each person had sold and how much stolen silver they had obtained. Even if they had not remembered originally, the yamen had helped them recall it in recent days.

These people spoke in low voices, with their heads down and their eyes wide open. But it didn't matter. Since they couldn't explain it clearly, the government would naturally help them announce it.

"Zhao Zhengkai sold a total of eight lots, with a total of 853 taels and 600 coins of stolen silver. Chang Zheng sold a total of 32 lots, with a total of 853 taels and 600 coins of stolen silver..."

Qin Yan thought about it and realized that more than twenty of them should have been sold to him.

Fang Tong listened and felt something was wrong: "No, there are so many copies, it seems there are more than thirty people?"

Fang Nanzhi puffed out her cheeks and chewed: "That means there are still people who bought the test papers but didn't pass!"

The little girl's voice was clear and crisp, which made the people watching behind her laugh.

"That's not the case. I thought I would definitely pass the exam after buying the test papers, but I didn't expect that others also bought them, haha!"

"These people who resell the papers are really crazy because they are poor. They use the imperial examination to make money, which harms others and themselves. If this is not discovered, how many people will be harmed if these people become scholars and pass the examination in the future!"

"That's right! It's so unfair to those who really studied hard and didn't get in because of these people!"

The more they discussed, the more angry they became, and the government officials quickly asked everyone to be quiet.

"Next are the candidates who cheated in the imperial examination and bought the exam questions. Those whose names are read will be permanently disqualified from the imperial examination and will not be allowed to enter the officialdom!"

Fang Tong suddenly became alert: "Listen!"

As a result, after reading the names one by one, Fang Jin was not among them.

"Hiss..." He suddenly felt disappointed. "It seems that making a wish to the gods didn't work? Did he really escape from his fate?"

The people watching behind him were cheering. After all, the government had investigated the case and caught the cheating candidates, so the matter had finally been resolved.

Qin Yan remained silent. He felt that things would not be that simple. The imperial examination was a major event for the court. Even if they would not kill everyone at once, they would certainly not want to let anyone go by mistake.

Sure enough, the Tongzhi stood up and the county magistrate reminded the people to keep quiet.

"Furthermore, due to the cheating in this provincial examination, the results of both the county and provincial examinations will be invalidated and postponed to March of next year!"

This time it really caused a stir.

Many of the people who came to watch today were students who had participated in the county and prefectural examinations, and almost all of them failed. When I saw that these people had been permanently disqualified from the imperial examinations, I felt relieved.

When they heard the Tongzhi say that there would be a re-examination next year, a group of people started cheering!

“You can retake the exam next year!”

"Your Excellency is wise! Thank you for giving us a chance!"

"You can take the exam again next year, so you don't have to wait another three years. I wish all my classmates good luck in getting admitted!"

Some students who were truly poor and had a hard time studying even squatted aside and couldn't help wiping away their tears.

The people who came to watch the fun were also infected by their emotions and sighed.

There are so many scholars in the world, and there are always some who are sincere in studying hard. Even if they are not scholars, they don't want others to bring disaster to the imperial examination system.

Fang Tong stroked his chin. "So, Fang Jin's academic achievement is gone, and he has to take the exam again next year? Well, it seems people shouldn't do too many bad things in their daily lives."

But he was still a little curious. Did he cheat? If not, why was he arrested along with He? If so, why did he say in the end that he didn't cheat?

Only Fang Jin and his wife know the truth about this matter.

Of course not!

After the trial, those involved in the case were dealt with accordingly. Those who were not convicted, such as Fang Jin and He, were also released from prison.

Logically speaking, it wouldn't be a big deal to keep people like them locked up for a few more days, as it could be considered a minor punishment.

But this case involved so many people, and the county jail was not very big. It was almost full after arresting so many people, so they were too lazy to lock them up and released them all.

Fang Jin walked out of the prison in a slovenly outfit. When he saw the sun outside, he felt as if he was in another world.

Although I didn't spend many days in prison, it was truly unforgettable.

The food was inedible, the cell was so dirty that there was no place to step, and even the air was filled with a suffocating sour smell. It was so nauseating that I couldn't fall asleep even though I was extremely sleepy.

It's just like a year.

When he saw the sun, Fang Jin burst into tears. He didn't know whether he was happy that he was finally released, or crying because he had lost everything he deserved!

He passed the exam with great difficulty and became a Tongsheng!

Gone! All gone!

It’s because of that test paper that was not accurate at all!