Chapter 395 The Imperial Examination Fraud Case (2)
Zhang Qinian, the censor of Qiandu, saw a scholar beating the drum of injustice.
In his heart, he felt that this case was safer.
When Zhang Qinian joined the Metropolitan Procuratorate, he often encountered unexpected incidents.
Some people who don't understand anything come to beat the drum of grievance when they hear a few words from others.
The officials who complained about the injustice only tried to dissuade the people.
When encountering a case that the lower-level Metropolitan Procuratorate is responsible for, they will not hold the person who reported it accountable.
As long as it is not a false accusation, the person who reported it will not be punished.
Once a false accusation is confirmed, the penalty of false accusation and rebellion will be triggered.
The lightest crime is to be exiled to Nanyang for five years.
Scholars understood the law and principles better than illiterate people.
They usually don't go to the wrong yamen. There are only two possibilities: a big scandal did occur and a false accusation occurred.
With little evidence in hand, I would not sound the drum of grievance at all, but report directly.
Huang Songwen saw an official coming out of the Metropolitan Procuratorate.
From the official uniform on this official, he could tell that he was a third-grade censor of Qiandu.
Huang Songwen immediately knelt down and said sincerely: "Huang Songwen, a humble citizen, I am a scholar who took part in the imperial examination this year.
The common people have great grievances, and they should ask adults to make decisions for the common people."
Zhang Qinian saw Huang Songwen kneeling down, and he immediately stepped forward to help Huang Songwen up.
"This is impossible. Your Majesty has repeatedly issued orders not to allow people to kneel down and worship officials.
Huang Songwen, if you really have a serious grievance, I will definitely make the decision for you.
You follow me into the Metropolitan Procuratorate and explain to me clearly how you have been wronged."
Zhang Qinian's tone was calm and his reception was pleasant.
He and Zhang Shengbei are known as the two men of the Metropolitan Procuratorate. He is not like Zhang Shengbei who always puts on a bad face.
He was called Bai Wuchang by some officials who had evil intentions, and Zhang Shengbei was called Black Wuchang.
Zhang Qinian took Huang Songwen and Wei Bogu to the Metropolitan Procuratorate.
They came to a very simple room.
Zhang Qinian and his subordinates were sitting in front of the long table.
There is a small table next to the long table, and there is a person responsible for recording files.
This is a person from the General Affairs Department, who is responsible for the records of the Metropolitan Procuratorate.
Previously, the files of the Metropolitan Procuratorate were recorded by the Metropolitan Procuratorate’s own personnel.
In the past few years, several cases of molestation have occurred in the Procuratorate.
This caused His Majesty to be furious and asked the General Affairs Department to send personnel to take charge of file records.
It will be very difficult for people from the Metropolitan Procuratorate to engage in corruption for personal gain.
Huang Songwen and Wei Bogu sat on stools in front of the table, waiting for the Metropolitan Procuratorate's questions.
Zhang Qinian asked: "Huang Songwen, what are your grievances? Explain it to me in detail. The clearer you explain it, the easier it will be for me to handle the case."
It’s best to provide evidence that allows us to establish the case.”
Huang Songwen's eyes were red, and he choked and said: "I am a scholar who took the scientific examination this year, and I found out that I failed.
Suspecting that my paper was lost and my score was wrong, I went to Gongyuan to check the paper.
The officials of Gongyuan tried every means to obstruct me and did not allow me to check my papers.
I was very confused, so I looked up Jinshi's scientific examination articles with my friends.
I discovered that the test paper of Liu Zongyi, the 83rd Jinshi, was my test paper.
Liu Zongyi pretended to be someone else and replaced my name."
When Zhang Qinian heard this, he exerted force with his right hand and broke the pencil in his hand.
This was a huge case of fraud in the imperial examination. He didn't expect that this scholar would report such a case.
Zhang Qinian concentrated all his energy and became meticulous in the execution process.
Every detail of this kind of big project, especially the establishment process, will be severely criticized by civil and military officials, and no mistakes will be allowed.
Zhang Qinian asked in a stern tone: "Huang Songwen, do you have any evidence?"
Huang Songwen directly picked up the newspaper recording the contents of the scientific examination with trembling hands.
"Sir, the content of the test paper is the evidence.
A person's other things can be faked, but knowledge cannot be faked.
If there is another test paper, I will be able to answer something similar to this one, but the impostor will not be able to answer it."
When Zhang Qinian heard Huang Songwen's remarks, he frowned. With just this little evidence, it couldn't be confirmed.
This bit of evidence is not even enough to establish the case.
It's just that this is imperial examination fraud, even if it's just based on rumors, the Metropolitan Procuratorate must establish it.
Special cases such as imperial examination fraud and rebellion can be established only with clues and without the need for detailed evidence.
This is the first imperial examination fraud since the founding of the People's Republic of China. If he can do this well, his future career will be smooth.
Huang Songwen said excitedly: "Of course I have other evidence."
Wei Bogu, who was waiting nearby, suddenly blurted out: "Sir, look at the handwriting, everyone's handwriting is different.
If you want to forge handwriting, you can fool ordinary people, but you can't fool experts who are good at it.
As long as we find the original examination papers, this matter will come to light."
When Wei Bogu said this, he also pulled Huang Songwen with his hand.
When Huang Songwen saw the strange look in Wei Bogu's eyes, he immediately broke into a cold sweat.
He still doesn't know the position of this censor and cannot tell all the evidence.
Once the imperial examination fraud is exposed, it will be a shocking incident, and Emperor Su He will definitely be involved in this case.
Emperor Su He would not interrogate him personally, but would ask Prime Minister Wang Zhongce or Zuo Du Yushi Li Yuanzheng to interrogate him.
Zhang Qinian heard what Wei Bogu said. His family was from a scholarly family, and he knew that Wei Bogu's words were accurate.
A person who is good at forging handwriting will not be able to do it flawlessly. There are experts in this field in the Metropolitan Procuratorate.
As long as the original manuscript of the examination paper is found and the censor Liang Ying judges the handwriting, it can be confirmed that there is indeed imperial examination fraud.
Once it is confirmed that imperial examination fraud has occurred, it can be brought to an end.
Zhang Qinian was very envious of the previous dynasty, when they could directly hear about the incident and investigate directly without providing any evidence.
Nowadays, the new dynasty pays more attention to evidence when doing things, and it must have ironclad evidence when doing things.
Zhang Qinian turned to his subordinates and ordered: "These two scholars, let them stay in the Metropolitan Procuratorate and enjoy the highest level of treatment.
No one is allowed to take them away from the Metropolitan Procuratorate until I come back."
After Zhang Qinian gave the order, the officials of the Metropolitan Procuratorate immediately took Huang Songwen and Wei Bogu to the reception room of the Metropolitan Procuratorate to rest.
Cases before the Metropolitan Procuratorate often involve powerful officials, and this is done to protect the plaintiffs.
Zhang Qinian personally wrote an investigation order, and he took more than fifty officials and several carriages to Gongyuan.
He asked his subordinates to bring Jinshi Liu Zongyi directly to the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and at the same time collected articles written by Huang Songwen and Liu Zongyi before.
The carriage whistled urgently, and people and vehicles on the road gave way to the Metropolitan Procuratorate's carriage team.
"The people from the Metropolitan Procuratorate are acting like crazy. I don't know which yamen will be in trouble."
"The imperial censors of the Metropolitan Procuratorate should act every day to catch the big rats and let us have fun too, so that we can have something to talk about after dinner."
Zhang Qinian directly led the team into the Gongyuan Academy. He took out the investigation order and announced loudly: "The Metropolitan Procuratorate is in charge. Now the Gongyuan Academy is sealed off and the examination papers of today's scholars are seized."
The officials of Gongyuan saw the censor of Duchayuan rushing in like a wolf.
Everyone was trembling. When they saw this situation, they knew that something major must have happened.
They looked at the pistols and ropes in the hands of the Metropolitan Procuratorate officials, and everyone was very scared.
Following the instructions of the officials of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, they quickly found all the examination papers for all the scholars in this year's imperial examination.
The original examination papers and the official examination papers are kept on file.
Among them, the examination papers for Jinshi are mainly preserved.
Zhang Qinian looked through it briefly and saw that all the examination papers of Huang Songwen and Liu Zongyi, two scholars, were not lost here.
Only then did he feel relieved, this was the key evidence.
If these two pieces of evidence are lost, it will have a great impact on the case.
Zhang Qinian personally took the two examination papers, and he immediately asked his subordinates to take all the examination papers to the Metropolitan Procuratorate.
These key pieces of evidence cannot be left in the Gongyuan Court, but must be kept in the Metropolitan Procuratorate.
When he arrived at Gongyuan, he had already alerted the enemy.
If fraud in the imperial examination is real, Zhang Qinian believes that if there is one case of fraud, there will be many cases of fraud.
These are key pieces of evidence, and when the time comes a fire will burn all the exam papers.
This can easily turn into a lake, which is not conducive to their deep digging.
Zhang Qinian led his subordinates to load the examination papers into the car and was about to leave Gongyuan when a fourth-grade official came over.
"This is the censor of Qiandu, I am Zhao Bainian, a member of the Ministry of Rites, Wailang, responsible for managing the Gongyuan.
What's the problem with the Gongyuan? You all have inspected the Yuan and mobilized troops.
This time you actually took away the original examination papers for Jinshi, what are you doing?"
Zhang Qinian said coldly: "The Metropolitan Procuratorate is handling the matter, and those who are not involved should get out of the way."
He simply ignored the official and led the carriage outside.
Zhao Bainian looked at the pistols in the hands of the Metropolitan Procuratorate officials, but he did not dare to intercept the carriage convoy.
He can impeach the Metropolitan Procuratorate in court, but he dare not stop the Metropolitan Procuratorate from carrying out the execution. These cruel officials really dare to shoot.
Zhang Qinian and others hurried back to the Metropolitan Procuratorate.
He was very careful along the way, fearing that someone would jump over the wall, cause a traffic accident, and burn the test papers on the carriage.
His worries were completely unnecessary. No one in the capital dared to do this. This was just to provoke His Majesty.
Zhang Qinian returned to the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and his subordinates also finished their work.
"Sir, I found Huang Songwen's previously written letters and manuscripts of copied books in the inn."
"Sir, I caught Liu Zongyi in Cuiyun Tower, and at the same time, I collected the articles he wrote before at his home."
Zhang Qinian immediately ordered: "Let Huang Songwen and Liu Zongyi copy the Analects of Confucius under our supervision.
Their previous writing and the writing they just wrote will be compared with the writing on the original exam paper."
Zhang Qinian told his men what to do.
He waited until the two of them had finished writing more than 200 words, but the ink was still wet.
He immediately took the key evidence to find Liang Ying, the old censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate who was best at handwriting appraisal.
Liang Ying wore reading glasses and was piecing together several notes on a piece of white paper.
Zhang Qinian said respectfully: "Mr. Liang, I have a big eucalyptus in my hand and I need you to confirm the key evidence."
The Metropolitan Procuratorate needed to confirm that imperial examination fraud had indeed occurred and had key evidence before reporting the case to Emperor Su He.
Under the emperor's instructions, the three judicial departments jointly examined major cases.
Liang Ying glanced at Zhang Qinian, who took off his glasses and placed them beside the table.
While sorting things on the table, he said:
"The glasses from the glass factory are really my savior. My old bones can still use their remaining heat.
It's this thing that makes your eyes tired if you wear it for a long time.
You are so arrogant and anxious about me, it seems that this thing is not small."
Zhang Qinian saw that the table in front of Liang Ying had been tidied up.
He placed the evidence in his hand on the table in front of him.
"Mr. Liang, this may be imperial examination fraud, and this is the key evidence.
Please help me take a look at these two examination papers and who wrote them."
Before Zhang Qinian came, he briefly looked at the evidence.
Huang Songwen's handwriting is very similar to Liu Zongyi's. It's hard to tell who wrote the exam paper.
Liang Ying heard that this evidence was related to imperial examination fraud.
His expression was very solemn, he put on his reading glasses again, and carefully reviewed the examination papers and the letters and manuscripts he had received.
Liang Ying used a brush from time to time to copy some handwriting on blank paper that he thought was distinctive.
Time passed slowly, and Zhang Qinian was extremely anxious, but he did not disturb Mr. Liang's movements.
It was completely dark, and whale oil candles had been lit in the room, illuminating the whole room.
Liang Ying's face was a little tired. He took off his reading glasses and said happily: "Liu Zongyi seems to have been prepared for it. His handwriting is very similar to Huang Song's.
After a long period of training, he copied Huang Songwen's handwriting in an attempt to mislead others.
But he didn't know that some writing habits could not be learned by copying.
This is indeed imperial examination fraud.
The original manuscript of Liu Zongyi's examination paper was written by Huang Songwen.
When I was checking the test paper, I also took a look at the place where my name was registered.
There are obvious traces of splicing here. It was done by masters and ordinary people can't tell it at all."
Zhang Qinian was very excited when he heard what Mr. Liang said.
Quickly organize the evidence on the table and put it back into the evidence bag.
He also kept saying thanks: "Thank you Mr. Liang, I can't sleep tonight, I have to do the work all night.
When this incident is over, I will invite Mr. Liang to have a big dinner."
Liang Ying said with a smile: "I still need a meal for you, so hurry up and get married!"
It’s not just you, many people will not be able to sleep today.”
Zhang Qinian walked out of Liang Ying's room with a smile on his face.
He saw a group of people standing outside the door.
Zhang Shengbei, the censor of Qiandu, said enviously: "Zhang Qinian, if I were on duty today, this big eucalyptus would fall into my hands."
Li Yuanzheng, the censor of Zuodu, said with a serious expression: "Zhang Qinian, what do you think of this case?
It’s really imperial examination fraud.”
When Zhang Qinian saw this formation, he knew that things were getting serious.
The Ministry of Rites must have put a lot of pressure on the Metropolitan Procuratorate, so Mr. Li led a team to wait for him at the door.
Mr. Li wants to get the exact results as soon as possible.
This is a mistake, Mr. Li wants to protect him.
Mr. Li is very protective of his shortcomings, according to past situations.
He will be sent to a remote area to conduct his work, far away from the current whirlpool of the capital.
Once the evidence is conclusive, the Metropolitan Procuratorate will act immediately to fix the evidence as soon as possible.
Zhang Qinian said confidently: "Master Li, the key evidence has been confirmed by Mr. Liang.
This is the examination paper of the eighty-three Jinshi Liu Zongyi, a fraud in the imperial examination, and it was written by Huang Songwen."
When Li Yuanzheng heard the exact news, a smile appeared on his face.
"Zhang Qinian, please quickly write a report on the case, and I will go to the palace immediately to meet the saint.
Call everyone in the Metropolitan Procuratorate and don't take any rest tonight.
When I came back from the palace, everyone immediately took action to make this case a reality.
I do not allow any flaws in the handling details of this case.
You must be prepared and explain to your family in advance that once the arrangements begin, you may not be able to go home in a short period of time."
Li Yuanzheng issued an order, and all the censors of the Imperial Procuratorate, together with their subordinates, began to make preparations.
Zhang Qinian returned to his room and wrote furiously, trying his best to use concise words to explain the key evidence of imperial examination fraud. This chapter has been completed!