At the beginning of the 14th year of Jiajing, in addition to the imperial examination, another major event was the completion of the new Nine Temples. Emperor Jiajing was keen on reforming the etiquette system, and this was another major achievement of his.
According to the normal time, the palace examination is usually scheduled for March 15th, which is half a month before the end of the examination.
Qin Dewei secretly complained that this was probably to give the court bosses enough time to play in advance.
However, the palace examination that Qin Dewei was waiting for in the 14th year of Jiajing was even later. Because the dragon body was not in good condition, the palace examination was postponed to the second day of April.
This made Qin Dewei remember it again. According to historical data analysis by later generations, Emperor Jiajing who grew up in Hubei may not be adapted to the northern winter climate and suffered from chronic bronchitis, which often occurred during social interactions in winter and spring every year.
This is good, and the big guys will have more time to play the game in advance.
If you want to understand the game process, you must first understand the basic game rules of the imperial examination.
After all the examination papers are sealed, they are evenly distributed among the dozen or so examiners.
Due to limited time, each boss only looked at the twenty or thirty unknown test papers in his hand, and rated the first-class test papers before handing them over to the cabinet.
Then the chief minister and the cabinet will select a list of three people from the first-class examination papers and submit them to the emperor as candidates for the Sanding A. The remaining first-class examination papers will be the top two.
The whole process creates a huge space for games and interest exchanges. The true power of a minister can be directly reflected in the imperial examination.
I don’t know why, but according to statistics, there is a high probability that the top pick and the second-place winner will be in the same province as a powerful minister, especially the chief minister. It’s probably a chance phenomenon.
If we say that before the general examination, thousands of candidates made blind guesses and did not know who the examiner was until the end.
But before the palace examination, everything became clear.
He has a bachelor's degree, six ministers, and a royal censor. He knows where his family lives. If you have the ability, go in and pay homage to the dock.
This is the reason why Qin Dewei appeared at the home of Wang Tingxiang, the Minister of Punishment tonight, for the imperial examination, not to be shabby.
There was another person who came earlier than Qin Dewei, named Guo Pu, a candidate from Henan, and Wang Tingxiang was also born in Henan.
Both were candidates for the modern imperial examination, so Qin Dewei and Guo Pu must be considered to be of the same age.
The two young men smiled awkwardly but politely at each other, and then Guo Pu left.
Looking at Qin Dewei, Wang Tingxiang was also worried, mainly because Qin Dewei provoked too many people.
In terms of official ranking, he, Wang Tingxiang, the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, is ranked behind several great scholars, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Husbandry, the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of War.
Among the people in front of him, you, Qin Dewei, have offended four, and next to you is Huo Tao from the Metropolitan Procuratorate.
So Wang Tingxiang sighed truthfully: "I really feel powerless."
Qin Dewei pretended to be stupid and replied: "Are there too many folks who came to ask for help, making it beyond the reach of the Junchuan government?
In fact, Xu Shangshu of the Ministry of Revenue is also from Henan. His hometown registration is more authentic than Mr. Junchuan, and he is more powerful than Mr. Junchuan. Just let the folks go to Xu Shangshu.
After all, I am the inheritor of your retro style. Whether your name is still famous after your death depends on whether you are bright or not!"
Wang Tingxiang was speechless, did he mean this?
He also revealed the rumor and said: "Do you know that Huo Tao has already said that this time you will be ranked below 300."
Qin Dewei felt that Huo Tao was too unprofessional: "Why didn't he think of ways to promote his own people during the palace examination ceremony and only focused on me?"
Wang Tingxiang explained the inside story and said: "In the last palace examination in the 11th year of Chenghua, the number one winner was from Guangdong. It was all a favor from Huo Tao and Fang Xianfu.
So this time it’s Huo Tao’s turn to offer favors, so he simply doesn’t want to take care of others and just uses all his resources to suppress you.”
Qin Dewei was indignant: "As for holding grudges so much!"
Wang Tingxiang couldn't help complaining: "Two years ago, outside Chengtian Gate, in front of more than a dozen ministers, Huo Tao was so angry that he passed out on the spot. After that, he also lost his official position. Who can forget this hatred?"
Qin Dewei still said dismissively: "Huo Tao is just a small character, don't pay attention to him!"
Wang Tingxiang shook his head: "Don't pretend to be stupid, Huo Tao's behavior must have been tacitly approved by Zhang Fujing, the chief minister.
In the palace examination, it will be difficult for me to compete with the first assistant, and it will be difficult for me to even collect the papers in the first step."
Here we have to explain the paper collection system of the Imperial Examination. In theory, the Imperial Examination is sealed. The person who reads the examination paper cannot see the name of the person on the examination paper, so it is absolutely fair. But the secret lies in the examiner.
When the examiner collects the test papers, if he recognizes the candidate who submitted the paper and remembers it carefully, he can assign the candidate's test paper to a designated boss.
But there were more than 300 candidates, and the examiner couldn't remember them all. So how many people could he remember in the end?
Therefore, paper collection is also a scarce resource, and whoever gets Qin Dewei's test paper will determine his final fate.
Qin Dewei knew that Wang Tingxiang was telling the truth, and sighed: "In the final analysis, the problem in my imperial examination still lies with the chief minister."
Wang Tingxiang nodded and said: "It is true. Although Huo Tao behaved the most fiercely, he was just taking advantage of the power of the chief assistant."
Qin Dewei showed a fierce look in his eyes and said sternly: "Since we can't solve the problem, we'll solve the person who caused the problem."
Wang Tingxiang was surprised: "You want to solve yourself? You are still young!"
Qin Dewei: ""
Wang Da Sikou, when did you learn to tell funny jokes?
Then I heard Wang Tingxiang continue to say: "After much deliberation, I can only show my face and go ask Xia Guizhou. He is the only one in the court who can resist the chief minister.
Zhang Fujing and Xia Guizhou have been scheming against each other recently. I wonder how much energy Xia Guizhou still has to take care of you.
Speaking of which, you, a young man, are too angry. Xia Guizhou just treated you a little unintentionally in his busy schedule, and you haven't even come to the door of Xia Mansion yet. "
Qin Dewei said dissatisfiedly: "The tomb master was rude first, how can I belittle myself?"
Wang Tingxiang taught him a lesson: "You are about to enter the officialdom, and you can't stand such a small thing?
There are differences between superiors and inferiors, is it possible that you can still get the officials and heavenly officials to ask to see you?"
Qin Dewei smiled confidently: "Let's not talk about this for now. In fact, I am not here today to talk about the imperial examination."
Wang Tingxiang: ""
Thinking about it carefully, it seems that Qin Dewei didn't mention the exam at all after he came in. He did bring it up on his own initiative.
Qin Dewei did not continue to lie, and said directly: "Actually, I am here to surrender to the Minister of Punishment!"
The Minister of Punishment was confused: "Why did you surrender?"
Qin Dewei said: "The list of five people rumored before the audition was actually drafted by me.
I heard that the imperial court sent factory guards to investigate, and I was unwilling to deceive the emperor, so I voluntarily surrendered."
Wang Tingxiang's old eyes were as wide as bells, and you, Qin Dewei, suddenly turned into a fool?
Before the general examination, candidates speculate on the candidates for the examiner or the questions. That is not a big deal at all. Which examination does not have this kind of thing?
In fact, from a legal point of view, as long as there is no private exchange, guessing the examiner or guessing the questions is not illegal.
Even if the so-called investigation is just a formal sentence expressing the court's attitude, in fact, nothing can be found at all.
So from filing a report to factory guards investigating, it was a formality formality from beginning to end.
And you, Qin Dewei, jumped out to surrender and turned the formalism into something real. Did you take the wrong medicine?