The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 124 The Absurd Question

Xu Jing is in another courtyard in the capital.

On this day Xu Jing came back from the outside in a hurry, went to the inner house and saw Tang Yin who was reviewing his homework.

"Bohu, don't rush to prepare for the exam, I'll show you something good, the exam questions I found for this session..."

Xu Jing was very excited.

He took out a paper envelope from his pocket, and took out two pages of paper, densely written on it.

Tang Yin put down his pen, frowned and said, "The examiner hasn't decided yet, where did the exam questions come from?"

Xu Jingdao: "You don't know that, do you? I got this exam question back through a channel. After you read the question, you will know it's not fake."

With that said, Xu Jing presented the topic to Tang Yin.

The more Tang Yin looked, the more he frowned.

"How?" Xu Jing smiled.

Tang Yin said with a worried expression: "However, from the intention of the questions, there is also the rigor of the questions, especially the examination questions on economics and history policy and current affairs policy... It shows its standard."

Tang Yin knows the goods.

The topic is well written. It is not a topic randomly found on the street. Perhaps the topics of the Four Books and Five Classics are all from the original text. There is nothing to say, but it is also an idea, and the topic of the question is the most reflective. .

"Bohu, don't talk about anything else. Look at this topic. I read it carefully, but I can't understand it. Do you know what it means?"

As he said, Xu Jing pointed to one of the questions about classics and history in one of the policy questions and asked.

Tang Yin looked over, frowned and said, "Isn't this very clear?"

Xu Jingdao: "It's the last sentence, 'Those who are engaged in "Primary School" and "Great Learning", who are privately acquainted with Zhu Zi, may suspect that they come from old age." Who is this referring to?"

Among the four masters' attainment examination questions, the knowledge of the last son was also a part of Tang Yin's lifelong regret in the 12th year of Hongzhi's general examination.

After reading it, Tang Yin shook his head: "I don't know."

"Even you don't know? It seems... the person who made the question is not simple." Xu Jing admired.

It seemed that he was very proud of getting such an exam question.

Tang Yin asked anxiously: "Where did you come from?"

Xu Jing said with a smile: "It is said that it was written by a scholar of the Hanlin Cheng, do you believe it? Some people are spreading it, but very few people have seen this question. Do you think that everyone can get the question? It seems that this time we will try to be stable. gone."

Tang Yin furrowed his brows deeply and said, "Now that it is still uncertain who the examiner is, there are such examination questions leaked out, can the imperial court not investigate? And these questions will not be leaked anymore? I don't think you are too happy, I am afraid that it will be Someone deliberately cheated, but it was under the guise of Cheng Xueshi's name!"

"Let's wait and see. Bohu, didn't you lose to Zhang Bingkuan in the Jiangnan Township Examination? This is the best opportunity. The topic is here. You can take it back and study it. If you study it well, you will be the best in Chunwei High School next year. Down!"

……

……

This exam question is only circulated in the small circle.

But the matter was not hidden from the censor's official, and the experienced official did not take it seriously when he discovered that there was a topic circulating among the people.

There are many cases of betting questions before the test, but soon some people found that the so-called "vend questions" were very neat, almost unbelievably neat. Come to the court to discuss.

Zhu Youtang heard that there were people leaking questions in the exam, and thought it was absurd.

I haven't even decided on who the chief examiner will be, nor who will write the question. Now what is the examiner talking about based on rumors?Have your brains been kicked by a donkey?

Zhang Chaoyong argued in the court hall: "This topic is neat and perfect, obviously it was written by the Imperial Academy. There are also rumors that this topic was written by Cheng Minzheng, a scholar of the Imperial Academy. Those who have paid homage to him will use it as a test in the next year. Please also ask your majesty to inquire!"

Cheng Minzheng on the side was also dumbfounded.

When did I vent the subject to others?Can our nonsense be more outrageous?

Cheng Minzheng came out and said, "Your Majesty, this is nonsense, please be aware of it!"

It was a great dynasty that day, and people in Fengtian Hall were discussing a lot. What sounded absurd at first seemed to stir up a thousand waves among the civil servants. Many people still thought that this suspicion was "reasonable and well-founded".

Zhu Youtang sized up the three members of the cabinet and asked, "What do you think, the cabinet elders?"

At this time, Zhu Youtang's purpose is actually to let the three members of the cabinet come out to set the tone, and stop spreading such rumors, not to mention that I have not appointed Cheng Minzheng as the chief examiner, even if it is settled, can you find out the clues to this kind of thing?

Besides, it is obvious that there are two chief examiners, and I mentioned earlier that one of the chief examiners should be selected from the cabinet.

The general examination is what Cheng Minzheng said to take the test?

It was Li Dongyang who was secretly surprised when he heard about the questions of this exam, because to a large extent... He was also the main examiner in the 12th year of Hongzhi's exams in history, that is to say, some of these questions were written by him.

What books he is reading recently and what he feels about will be reflected in the questions of the next year's exam.

Some topics, like roundworms in his stomach, were able to hit them accurately, which made Li Dongyang start to wonder...whether someone in his family would leak the books he usually read, and even the Four Books and Five Classics he read The number of pages, where it stopped, and leaked out...

Otherwise, how could it be possible to grasp the focus of his heart so accurately?

But Li Dongyang was also puzzled.

The problem is that His Majesty did not say that I should be the chief examiner. Although among the three members of the cabinet, I was the most popular for the chief examiner, it is estimated that the other two will not compete with me.

But how did the author of the question gain insight into my inner thoughts?

terrible!
With many doubts, it is impossible for Li Dongyang to stand by and watch this matter directly.

He came out to speak on behalf of the cabinet, and said: "Your Majesty, the examination is the foundation of the selection of officials in the Ming Dynasty. We should put an end to rumors about the subject of the civil war and set the record straight."

Zhu Youtang couldn't help laughing bitterly.

You, Li Dongyang, actually feel that you should investigate this kind of out-of-the-box matter and set the record straight?
He couldn't help taking a look at Cheng Minzheng, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly when he thought of what Zhang Zhou said earlier.

It seems that Bing Kuan is right. No one should choose Cheng Minzheng as the chief examiner this time, because his background and experience, as well as his faction in the Imperial Academy, will be very unfavorable to him. The examiner has not yet been determined. Some people began to say that he leaked the question, and even the cabinet thought it should be investigated...

Xu Qiong, Minister of the Ministry of Rites, seemed to have a different opinion on this. He came out and said: "The theory of the title is just groundless, and the main examination has not yet been decided. Why are there such rumors? Where is the majesty of the court?"

Xu Qiong came out to speak the truth.

But because Xu Qiong herself is Queen Zhang's in-law, Queen Zhang's half-sister, but Xu Qiong's concubine, and when Queen Zhang was selected as the princess, Xu Qiong was behind the scenes.

This also makes Xu Qiong, in the eyes of the orthodox civil servants, a person who relies on connections to get in touch with superiors. In addition, when Xu Qiong replaced Ni Yue as the Minister of Rites, the emperor deliberately assigned Ni Yue, who had a high reputation, to Nanjing as a minister. Xu Qiongteng's position made him a public enemy among ordinary scholars.

When he came out to speak to Cheng Minzheng, he would naturally be considered as complicit and cover-up.

Zhang Chaoyong said: "Xu Butang, if there is no such thing, why are you afraid to investigate? Just send someone to read the books Cheng Xueshi usually reads, as well as the calligraphy in his home, don't know everything?"

Cheng Minzheng was so angry that he almost jumped on the spot, and asked: "Just because the folks say that this is a topic written by me, they will go to my house to check, but tomorrow someone will say that this is a topic written by someone else, so they will go to someone else's house to search ? Is there still a king's law?"

What Cheng Minzheng was angry with wasn't that the folks framed him for venting.

It's because it's not true at all.

I have never thought about being the main examiner of the exam. Even if it was me, I would not be able to write the topic in advance. How brave is it that I would write the topic and let others know?

Such a clumsy means of framing, let those market people discuss it, but you are the pillars of Daming, and you actually believe this kind of nonsense, and even brought it to the most sacred court of Daming, you still have such a bully ?
"Old Liu Ge, what do you think?"

Zhu Youtang could only look at Liu Jian as if asking for help.

He hoped that Liu Jian would come out and say something fair, and completely dispel other people's idea of ​​investigating Cheng Minzheng.

The emperor didn't want to be led by the nose by these civil servants, but the problem was... now it seemed that the civil servants wanted to put Cheng Minzheng to death.

Liu Jian said: "Return to Your Majesty, the old minister has no objection."

Liu Jian didn't say he agreed or disagreed, meaning that he could check it or not.

Even he is inclined to check.

Since there is no such thing as what to check?Let someone go to your house to see if it is really the book you usually read, if it is the topic you wrote, isn't it over?
When Zhu Youtang heard this, he also became angry.

He said: "East Factory!"

"Yes." Xiao Jing looked puzzled.

Others couldn't see the emperor's anger. How could they, who accompanied the emperor every day, not see it?
Zhu Youtang said with a stern face: "Send someone to Cheng Xueshi's mansion, and the place where he is on duty in the public office, and report back after checking."

"Yes!"

It is equivalent to saying that the emperor listened to such nonsense under the pressure of civil officials, and really wanted to investigate it.

……

……

Cheng Minzheng was kept in the palace and was not allowed to leave the palace, so he could only wait at the gate of the afternoon.

Dongchang will send people to Cheng Mansion and Hanlin Academy non-stop.

Zhu Youtang returned to Qianqing Palace with a gloomy expression on his face. When he sat down, he threw the memorials in front of him to the ground!
"Your Majesty, calm down." Dai Yi persuaded while going to pick up the memorial.

Zhu Youtang was furious and said: "Bingkuan is not wrong at all, Cheng Keqin is just because he usually gets closer to the scholars, he will be considered as a suspect, I really shouldn't have done it in front of others Propose him to be the chief examiner of this examination!"

At this time, Zhu Youtang felt a little regretful.

His appreciation for Cheng Minzheng is usually not hidden, this is what he feels hurts Cheng Minzheng.

The more the emperor admires a person, the easier it is to kill him.

Cheng Minzheng, as his lecturer in the East Palace when he was the crown prince, was also his mentor in his mind. It was recognized that Cheng Minzheng was the most knowledgeable person in the Hanlin Academy, and Li Dongyang was known for his quaint writing.

Cheng Minzheng's knowledge is so high, and he often wins my favor in terms of edicts. If I want to support my mentor, do I have to get permission from others?

(End of this chapter)