Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 736: Even Entering the Palace Is Uneasy
Hanyuan Hall, inside the main gate,
It was quiet, with only Zhang Jinyu's cold voice asking questions.

The three princes also looked over, only to see that the two of them were pale and sweating profusely, especially the looks of the three princes. It was bad, if my father knew, I would not know how to suffer. With an ugly face, he replied with difficulty;

"Yes, yes, the student is here!"

The two of them were a little nervous and walked out with trembling legs. Luan Yiqing accidentally slipped and fell to the ground. Fortunately, Sun Huaizhong, who was beside him, was quick to help him up and avoid making a fool of himself.
After a short pause, the two of them came closer and bowed.
"Student Luan Yiqing, (Sun Huaizhong) greets all the adults."

"Well, tell me, was there anyone who insulted Xue Pan? Who started it first?"

Zhang Jinyu asked directly, his words were concise and to the point, without any dragging and fooling around. The corners of their mouths trembled. Luan Yiqing looked at Yang Mingan's face, which looked like a human being. He gritted his teeth and replied;

"My Lords, I did not insult Master Xue. I just saw Brother Yang being scolded and wanted to come over to enforce justice. My words were too aggressive and I made too many accusations. Brother Yang was so angry and could not stand the humiliation that he started fighting. However, it was Xue Pan who threw the first punch."

Anyway, he could just quibble as he wished. His old friend Sun Huaizhong also nodded quickly.
"My Lords, that's it. The two of us wanted to comfort him, but his words were so vicious that we couldn't bear to watch. Of course, the two of us didn't lend a hand to help him."

His face was not red and his heart was not beating, as if he was doing a good deed, which made Xue Pan's face red and furious. Only Zhang Jinyu didn't care at all and asked in a low voice;
"Your Highness, do you understand?"

The eldest prince Zhou Ding's eyes widened. He couldn't understand why the two of them were biting back at each other.

"My Lord, I don't understand."

"Your Highness, explanations are just quibbling, and quibbling is just a lie. Please listen to me and ask more questions."

What they said, even dogs would not believe.
"Since you two came to comfort them, why didn't you come up to stop the fight? Since you are old friends, today is a rare opportunity. You should know the seriousness of the matter. Not only did you make excuses, you also fanned the flames, so that they couldn't save face and got angry and started fighting. The people around should have seen clearly that it was right and wrong!"

"This this"

The two of them trembled with their lips, unable to say anything. They were so frightened that they quickly knelt down and kowtowed, begging for mercy.

"My Lord, I was impulsive and made a mistake out of loyalty. Please forgive me, gentlemen."

"Yes, Lord Marquis, it was all because of our ignorance that we made the mistake. Please forgive me, Lord Marquis."

After saying that, he kowtowed heavily.

"I see,"

The three princes suddenly understood. They didn't expect that the two of them were so cunning. The eldest prince Zhou Ding also frowned. They really brought shame to the Saint and were not worthy of being reused. They were hypocrites.

Zhang Jinyu saw this and understood the situation. He should ask Lord Shen who was silent beside him how to deal with it.
"Master Shen, according to the Dawu Law, how should anyone who causes trouble or fights in the Enke examination hall be dealt with?"

Shen Zhongxin was stunned. The Marquis wanted to punish these people severely. These people, not to mention the Xue family of Rongguo Mansion, these three people were the disciples of the Prime Minister. What was the Marquis doing?
"My Lord, according to the Dawu Law, anyone who causes trouble during the Enke will be punished with fifteen strokes of the cane and will not be allowed to take the imperial examination for six years. The followers will be punished with ten strokes of the cane and will not be allowed to take the imperial examination for three years. This will be recorded in the case."

"Well, in that case, then we will follow the law. There will be no caning, but I will hang all of them outside the palace and whip them for the world to see. The masterminds Yang Mingan and Xue Pan will be whipped twenty times and will not be allowed to take the imperial examination for six years. Luan Yiqing and Sun Huaizhong, the two accomplices, will be whipped fifteen times and will not be allowed to take the examination for three years. After the execution, they will be driven out of Hanyuan Palace."

Zhang Jinyu's face condensed, looking at the many candidates trembling around him, killing a chicken to scare the monkeys, it was just that, he scolded in a teaching tone;

"You all came to participate in the special examination, and you all want to be on the list, but the premise is to abide by the rules. This marquis, no matter who you are or what your background is, it's useless to me. This marquis only respects the laws of Dawu. Everyone, take care of yourselves. Come on, drag them out and execute them."

"Yes, Lord Marquis,"

Ning Bian waved his hand, and the soldiers behind him tied up all the people who were crying and shouting about injustice. They tied ropes around the beams outside the main gate of the palace and hung the four people up. Then, there were soldiers who took out whips and stood opposite the four people.
Just wait for the captain's order,
"Ready, execute, draw!"

The four soldiers brandished their whips and whipped them fiercely. Suddenly, there were wailing sounds everywhere, especially Luan Yiqing and Sun Huaizhong, who had never suffered such pain before. Tears streamed down their faces. Yang Mingan was also wailing from the whipping, but after all, he had experience in being beaten. Although it hurt, he had been hurt before. He just felt unwilling and even a little afraid. How would he explain it after returning home? He also implicated his two brothers. He was afraid that his father would not let it go. Deep in his heart, he had a vague sense of fear.
Xue Pan was not afraid. This was not the first or second time he had been beaten. It was unknown whether the military officer showed mercy or the marquis had really instructed him to do so. The sound of the beating was the loudest, but it was painful, but not that much. He wailed twice, looked at Yang Mingan beside him, and did not spare him.
"How was it, Yang boy? How does it feel to be whipped? Grandpa likes to see you being beaten. Your uncle Xue feels happy and satisfied. The whip of the master was not in vain, haha!"

Xue Pan, who was hanging there, panted heavily and laughed out loud. Just after he laughed, he suddenly felt pain on his body. The whip fell heavily and blood immediately appeared on his body. Seeing this, Yang Mingan laughed with the bleeding corners of his mouth.
"Good fight, men like those who talk tough, cough cough."

The wailing sounds of several people being beaten could be heard from far away. The princes who were entering the palace to take the exam all turned pale when they saw this. They lowered their heads and trembled as they walked into the hall. They stood there in line honestly, not daring to move at all. The whole hall was silent.

"Stop, the execution is over,"

The captain raised his hand, and all the guards put away their whips.
Zhang Jinyu, who was standing at the entrance of the palace, led the three princes to watch for a long time. When they saw the four people being beaten, their wailing became much quieter. The third prince Zhou Long shrank his head.

"My Lord, these four people, could they have been beaten to death by your men? It's so tragic!"

"Don't worry, Third Prince. The people under my command know their limits. Only the beginning and the last few whips are real. The rest are fake, just for show. I will beat you, but I will only do it for others to see."

Zhang Jinyu smiled. He couldn't really kill them. He just wanted to kill them as an example to scare the monkeys. As for the four of them, he would send them back for treatment.
"Ningbian, tell the guards to find a few carriages and take the four of them back to recover from their injuries."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

Ning Bian turned around and told the Marquis' words to the captain of the personal guards. The latter arranged for people to put the four people down first, find a frame to carry them, and settle them in the side hall first. The rest went to the main tent to find a carriage.
The eldest prince Zhou Ding's face changed again and again. Although several people committed crimes, it was not too serious to not be able to take the imperial examination for six years. Especially since they were all descendants of court officials and children of aristocratic families. At that time, these people would definitely not let it go, and the court was afraid that there would be another disturbance.

"My Lord, I just thought about whether the punishment you gave was too severe. After all, these people are considered young talents in the capital and have great reputations. Will such a punishment cause controversy and cause losses to the court?"

Zhang Jinyu didn't say anything first. Thinking back, it seemed that what His Highness said was not wrong. The father of Yang Mingan and the other two held a high position and was also a close confidant of the Prime Minister, Lord Li. If this got out of hand, it would be enough to make the court lively for a while.
But then again, if you are right, you can go anywhere in the world, but if you are wrong, you can't go anywhere. I am right.

"Your Highness, you should know that the court is not short of young talents. These so-called young talents are just the children of these aristocratic families who flatter each other. How many of them have real talents and knowledge? Have they left behind works, poems and essays that will be passed down through the ages, or have they made any significant achievements? If there are, then they are worthy of the name. If not, in my opinion, they are just people who seek fame and reputation. What is there to regret?"

Zhang Jinyu shook his head, watched the four people in front of the hall being carried away, and said;

"As for the punishment, it's neither too severe nor too light. They are still young, so it's good for them to suffer more losses and gain some experience. If they really pass the imperial examination and become officials, with their temperaments, they will never stop offending others. Your Highnesses, let's go back and rest. There are still many people outside."

"Well, my Lord, you have a unique opinion. I have nothing to say."

The three princes blinked their eyes, really admiring the eloquence of Marquis Luo Yun. Looking outside, they could only nod and followed Marquis Luo Yun back to the east window and sat down. But what the three princes didn't see was that General Ning, who was beside the Marquis, went back into the hall after handling the matter, found Jia Lan, and took him directly to the corridor, checked him first, took his examination number, and arranged for his personal soldiers to escort him all the way to the back hall to rest.

In the palace,

The examination was still smooth, with candidates waiting in long queues.

Inside the corridor screen, Chu Nian sat on a high platform at the east end of the corridor, surrounded by officials standing around him. Three candidates entered one by one, and six examiners came over immediately. They first checked the test signatures, and then three inspectors stretched out their hands and touched the candidates from head to toe. The other three opened all the packages and bags brought by the candidates and checked them one by one. Even the naan and steamed buns they brought had to be crushed for inspection. After all the inspections were completed,
Chu Nian also asked the three men to take off all their clothes, and then let the six inspectors check their bodies. Although it was a bit shameful, all the imperial examination officials went through this process. After everything was checked and confirmed, Chu Nian distributed new examination tickets.

"Here are your exam numbers. They correspond to the beds in the back hall. When the exam starts tomorrow, take your seats according to your numbers. Have you memorized them clearly?"

"Your Excellency, I have made it clear to you,"

Several examinees blushed and put on their clothes. They quickly took the examination number, put it in their arms, and held it tightly. Why is it different from the examination rules of the Imperial Academy? But they didn't dare to ask more.
He lowered his head and took his bag and went into the back hall.
Front Hall,

Zhang Jinyu had just taken the three princes back to their seats and had not even taken a sip of tea when he looked out the window and saw Jia Baoyu from Rongguo Mansion, walking in wearing a straw raincoat, holding an oil umbrella, and carrying two bags on his back. Why did he recognize it as Jia Baoyu at first glance? It was because among the many students, only he was wearing a straw raincoat and holding an umbrella, which was quite an oddity.

Zhang Jinyu was speechless after watching this. Jia Baoyu's actions are always different from those of ordinary people, and it is hard to say whether they are good or bad.

This scene was also seen by the three princes. Several pairs of eyes were fixed on Jia Baoyu, wanting to laugh but trying hard to hold it back. When the second prince Zhou Long was about to say something, a person behind Jia Baoyu stood in the middle of the courtyard gate for a long time without moving. The candidates who came in walked around this person and looked back at him from time to time. What was going on?

"Your Highness, there is a person standing at the gate, motionless. Do you know which family he is from?"

Hearing Marquis Luo Yun's question, the three princes turned their gaze away from Jia Baoyu in the courtyard, but saw a man standing there, motionless. The eldest prince asked;
"My Lord, that person is very strange. Why is he standing there motionless? I am far away and cannot see his appearance clearly."

"Brother, what's so strange about this? Look at that person, he is standing there stupidly. He must have forgotten to bring something and was too scared to come in."

The second prince, Zhou Long, didn't care at all. He had heard that many people in the past were too anxious to bring the Imperial Examination Hall and didn't bring the things they were supposed to bring. Naturally, they were scared.

The third prince shook his head and disagreed.
"Second brother, what you said is wrong. Look at the back of that person. His raincoat is bulging. He must be carrying a bag. In my opinion, he is just too nervous and a little scared."

The three people's comments were all reasonable. Zhang Jinyu was also confused as to why this person was behaving strangely. He wanted Ningbian to send someone to check it out, but he suddenly knelt down in front of the door, knelt on his knees, and walked forward.
This scene made everyone dumbfounded.
"My Lord, why is this?"

The eldest prince obviously didn't understand, so he asked anxiously,

Zhang Jinyu was also confused at this time. How could he know why? It was strange. He looked into the yard again and saw the man walk forward three steps, stop and kowtow, then walk three more steps and kowtow again, as if he was worshipping.
This strange behavior had already alarmed the inspectors at the entrance of the palace. The examiner who just discovered it first ran to Lord Shen and reported breathlessly,
"Sir Shen, there is a candidate in the courtyard who kneels and kowtows. I don't know why."

Shen Zhongxin was still thinking about what had just happened. The Marquis's punishment was too severe. Should there be a way to remedy this? They should discuss it later. But they hadn't come up with a solution yet.

Hearing the voice, he looked up and saw the inspector who had just come. He was startled. What happened again? He asked with a gloomy face:

"Do you know who it is?"

"Replying to the adults, I don't know,"

"Why don't you ask?"

"Yes, Lord Shen,"

Shen Zhongxin shouted angrily, frightening the inspector so much that he shuddered. He responded and hurried back to the entrance of the hall. Shen Zhongxin sighed heavily, called a few people, stood up and followed behind.

The inspector, suppressing his anger, returned to the corridor at the entrance of the palace and shouted at the examinees who were kneeling in the distance.

"Who enters on his knees?"

The sound was so loud that many people heard it and looked back from afar.

The candidate who was kneeling in the courtyard also stopped moving forward, straightened up, and replied loudly;

"I am from Linshan County in the south of Jing, and a relative of the Marquis of Jingnan Mansion, Su Wenliang."

Just one sound,
The inspector who had been so arrogant just now fell silent, as if he had choked on his food. Isn't the Marquis of Jingnan Mansion in Jingnan the husband's home of the Princess? What's going on? Seeing that everyone around was thinking and talking, the inspector who was asking questions was sweating profusely. No one dared to speak when it came to the palace and Jingnan.
Suddenly, another inspector came from the palace gate. It was none other than the censor Cao Guangzheng. He had always wondered why he was inferior to Yan Cong, as they were both Jinshi candidates who passed the imperial examination together.

He simply mustered up his courage, stood up and asked sternly;

"Nonsense, I just didn't ask the person behind you why you kneeled down to enter the hall this time, what's the reason?"

"Your Excellency, under the bluestone slabs of the Hanyuan Hall, there is the blood of my uncle Su Yuankui. I dare not step on it even if I die. Today, I can only wear mourning clothes and kneel down to enter the hall to participate in the special examination."

Su Wenliang knelt on the ground, letting the rain soak his legs. He did not flinch and spoke righteously, causing the examiners and candidates around him to talk about it. Everyone knew that Su Yuankui, Marquis of Jingnan, was a confidant of the former crown prince, who committed suicide in a rebellion.

The censor Cao Guangzheng who was blocking the way knew that the matter was serious and would not give in.
"Humph, everyone knows that Su Yuankui, Marquis of Jingnan, was unworthy of the emperor's grace and was ashamed of the court. He secretly raised troops to rebel and committed suicide at the East Gate. Everyone knows this. How can you talk nonsense? If you don't follow the rules of the special examination, then don't take the exam. Come on, drive him out."

Cao Guangzheng also cut the Gordian knot and immediately had the man dragged out, but Shen Zhongxin had already followed.
"Wait, Lord Cao, why are you chasing this man away?"

"Replying to Lord Shen, this person is a relative of the Marquis of Jingnan Mansion, and he has violated the rules of the imperial examination. It is impossible for me to let him in, both morally and legally."

Cao Guangzheng didn't know where he got the confidence from, but he just fought back, which made Shen Zhongxin look unhappy.
"Master Cao, how did you know that this person is a relative of the Marquis of Jingnan? Have you checked? In addition, the rules of the Enke exam do not allow you to say whatever you want. How can you insist on doing it without asking for the reason?"

In the court, there were not many people who could speak against Lord Shen. The censor Cao Guangzheng was obviously not convinced. As long as the word "official" was used, anyone could say anything.
"Sir Shen, this is just your opinion. If you follow what Sir Shen said, then the four people who just made trouble and cracked down on fakes were dealt with so strictly, which should be regarded as a precedent. This person did not respect the law and dared to enter the palace to express filial piety. Where does this person put the court and the emperor? If he really wants to be filial, he can just go home and pay tribute. Why is he here, pretending to be like this? Is he up to something, or does he want to overturn the case for Marquis Jingnan, or does he have other purposes? I have to ask."

Cao Guangzheng's speech was so grand and impressive that Shen Zhongxin was speechless for a while.
(End of this chapter)