Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 791: Tips for Marking Papers
Inside the palace,

Outside Chongwen Gate,

Zhang Jinyu secretly touched his red fist and cursed inwardly. It seemed that he had used too much force just now. He punched him without noticing that the skin on the surface was red. That guy had thick skin and tough flesh. If someone else fought against him without weapons, he would probably find it difficult to resist.

"My Lord, what moves did you just use? It was so neat. I saw that General Yang was no pushover. His moves were very powerful and it was obvious that he had been taught by a famous teacher. How could he be so vulnerable?"

This was also the question of King Zhou Ding of Jin. Whenever two people faced off, not to mention the generals in the army, even those people in the martial arts world would need to test each other with their moves one by one, and finally fight for a hundred rounds before using their killing moves to determine the winner. How could anyone come up and use all his strength?

"Yes, Lord Marquis, it is said that when the heroes of Jianghu fight, it is not only about who is better but also about life and death. Dodging the moves is a sign of extreme caution. The sect's top-secret killing moves cannot be used lightly. How come I just saw Lord Marquis using the claw hand of Buddhism and the long fist of Longhu Mountain, and he knocked the man out within ten moves."

The second prince Zhou Chong was obviously shocked. When the fight just started, he thought that Yang Shixiong should have the upper hand and that Luo Yunhou should have to fight for about fifty moves before he could turn the tables. Unexpectedly, General Yang was defeated within fifteen moves. He was really vulnerable and like a waste.

The two looked at each other, and it was unclear whether their words were praise or question. Zhang Jinyu was speechless. He stopped and shook his head.

"Your Highnesses, a battle between two people is like a battle between two armies. The bravest will win when they meet on a narrow road. Even if it is a swordsman in Jianghu, no one will flee without drawing his sword when he sees the opponent. No matter what moves you use, as long as they are useful, how can you be defeated if you stick to the form? A person who can move a thousand pounds with a little force must have a thousand pounds of force."

As soon as he finished speaking, he took another step and entered Chongwen Gate.

At this time, the imperial guard commander Yu Dingzhi was already resting in the attic, leaving only the captain Sun Shan guarding the door. When he saw Marquis Luo Yun and his party coming back, he wanted to go over and say hello, but the Marquis seemed to not see him and led his people into the palace.

Sun Shan was left alone, unable to speak, and pointed at the door and shouted;

"Falling door."

With a loud bang, Chongwenmen closed, leaving only the lights of thousands of homes outside the palace.

Back to Hanyuan Hall,
At this time, many of the inspectors, chief examiners, and examiners had already eaten and rested. Many of them returned to the hall and sat there to rest. Some were still discussing how to mark the papers. After all, there were quite a few people, and the criteria for selection also needed to be considered.
"Sir Shen, how do you think the first and second places should be decided for this year's imperial examination?"

The person asking the questions was Lord Chu Nian. He just casually flipped through a few answer sheets and found that the answers were more or less the same, which was nothing more than suppressing the interior and keeping the enemy out. So, according to common sense, all the candidates in the hall would be able to pass.

This is also the dilemma for Lord Chu Nian. If all the students of Hanyuan Hall pass, it will be a big trouble. Compared with the number of students in Lord Nan's Imperial College, the difference is huge. If the students make trouble, how will it end?
So these,
Have to think about it properly.

Shen Zhongxin was sitting next to Lord Chu. He already understood what Lord Chu had asked just now. Just now, he had also flipped through at least ten exam papers with his hands. The essays were almost the same. This was obviously common sense and reasonable. After all, the court's internal and external strategies had already been determined, and these candidates were just describing the papers in general, so they were almost the same.

However, I am afraid that there are too many people on the list.

"Master Chu, I haven't really thought about how to review the papers. According to the current writing of policy essays, it may not be easy to determine the list. Therefore, we need to control the number of people and have a reasonable assessment. So, these really need to be carefully considered."

"Haha, Lord Shen is sensible. It's easy to read and correct the papers. It's hard to tell you how to decide. I don't know what the Marquis will decide."

Lord Chu was extremely surprised as to why His Majesty would set this test question. It was neither difficult nor easy, but at least he could write several times according to the court's wishes. In this case, how would the top list be determined and how would the top three be decided?

Let’s take a look at the answer papers that have not been covered. These answer papers in the palace are all from noble families. If there are any difficulties, they are these people. Marquis Luo Yun doesn’t care about that.

The conversation between the two obviously aroused discussion among other officials. Feng Yongwen and Meng Li looked at each other and obviously knew the crux of the matter, especially the papers in front of them.

The sons of the assistant ministers, the disciples of the ministers' residence, and the children of the big families, not to mention many people from the nobles' houses, also came to refer to the exam. In addition, the students from the major academies and those in the Imperial College, it is impossible to make a decision.

That is how it is. With Luo Yunhou in charge, if it were anyone else, how would they dare to be left out when they were named on the list?

While the people in the hall were discussing,
Zhang Jinyu had already led his men to the main hall entrance. Hearing the buzzing sound in the hall, he found it somewhat amusing.

"I just left for a while. The examinee didn't say anything, but they started chatting. Let's go in and take a look. Your Highness, please."

"My Lord, please,"

Several people were polite to each other.
Zhang Jinyu felt that the business was urgent, so he did not refuse and pushed the door open. The three princes and Ning Bian and others fell behind him.
When they got to the palace, someone with sharp eyes saw the Marquis coming back and shouted,
"Your Highness and Marquis Luo Yun are back,"

Just this one sound,
The hall was suddenly silent.

No one dared to speak out. Zhang Jinyu nodded. He knew the rules. Sometimes, the censors were more useful than those people.
I walked straight to the platform and picked up a test paper. The handwriting was clear and perfect, but the idea was too shallow. It could only be considered a B at best.

Looking at Chu Nian and Shen Zhongxin sitting on the stage, he asked;
"My Lords, have you decided on the A and B rankings?"

After asking the question, the two people on the opposite side shook their heads, and Chu Nian clasped his fists and replied;

"My Lord, no, the test questions this time are a bit tricky, and many of the test takers have similarities, so I dare not make a decision on my own. In addition, please let me know how to determine the number of people."

"Well, any questions?"

Zhang Jinyu nodded slightly, then looked at Marquis Xiangyang and Shen Zhongxin. Marquis Xiangyang shook his head first, and the rest of the people set their sights on Lord Shen.
But Shen Zhongxin was not in a hurry. He picked up a paper and asked;

"My Lord, please take a look. The answer sheets used this time are not covered by the name system. How can we avoid unfair grading? In addition, there are 3,000 papers for 1,000 people. How should we grade them? After all, although there are many of us, how can we grade them all in one night?"

At this time, Shen Zhongxin said what the Marquis shouldn't have said, so that the censors would be prepared. Sure enough, after Lord Shen finished asking the questions, all the officials present changed their expressions. This was, they were reviewing the papers so quickly without resting at night.

Everyone looked at Luo Yunhou with suspicion, wondering how to answer.

Zhang Jinyu smiled slightly. He was indeed a capable person. He said what he wanted to say.

"Everyone, this is easy. The first page of the answer sheet is the candidate's household registration. So, when marking the papers, fold the first page and put it at the bottom so that it cannot be seen. Also, the candidates' desks are not yet down, so you can put all the candidates' answer papers at the bottom, not in order. One table can hold three people's answer papers, so one third is enough."

Zhang Jinyu pointed to the table below that had not been moved yet. He said that only one-third of the space could be used. After all, there were about 200 examiners, so it was enough.

"Also, how to determine the A and B rankings? All those who continue to write according to the court's policy, unless the article is extremely brilliant, can be ranked in the A category, the rest are all ranked in the B category, divided into upper and lower categories, the upper ones pass, and the lower ones fail. Those who have other ideas should be carefully reviewed and sent in. If the article is acceptable, it can be ranked in the A category, and the best ones can be ranked in the top three."

This was the tone set by Zhang Jinyu. Anyone who followed the court regulations and copied the rules would be allowed in if they wrote well, but those who didn't would all be kicked out. The only thing he wanted was a word of wonder.
However, these words made all the officials in an uproar. They couldn't believe it. In the past, there were no such messy rules and no such selection method.
Censor Cao Guangzheng gritted his teeth and stepped out,

"Your Excellency, I have something to say," he shouted.
Many censors especially looked over here. They didn't know when censors began to regard strict obedience as a virtue. Now, Cao Guangzheng even had a place in this.

"You said, as the saying goes, the wisdom of many people is greater than the wisdom of one person, so you can speak freely."

Zhang Jinyu also found it a little funny. The nature of censors is to confront people. There are only two types of censors: the bolder ones and the less bold ones. This person is quite bold, so he can be used. As for Yan Cong, it's a pity. Lord Lu's people can be used, but they cannot be used as a trump card.

Cao Guangzheng straightened his clothes, took a step forward, and bowed;

"My Lord, everyone, I have something to say. Although your opinion is well-considered, it is unfair. The test questions are all about breaking the eight-part essays. They are all about the imperial court's policies. There is nothing out of the ordinary. Why can't they be rated as A, but ranked B? This is unfair."

Cao Guangzheng disagreed with this point. It was clearly the current practice of the court, so how could it be suppressed? Wouldn't that mean that he believed that the court's decree was wrong?

This point obviously aroused the approval of many officials, and discussions arose;
"Yeah, if this doesn't work, then why send troops south?"

"Even if there is no way to filter them, we shouldn't deliberately suppress them. How many people would not be able to pass the test then?"

"Could it be that the palace instructed that the Marquis does not have enough quotas, or is there some other reason?"

Zhang Jinyu felt dizzy after hearing your conversation.

"Well, isn't it a small matter? What's there to discuss? The imperial court's decree is correct. Safeguarding is the priority. But we can't answer the question accordingly. One is the quota issue. The other is the number of people on the list. How can we rely on the public? So, what is my solution?

Having no selfish motives means opening up the channels for people to express their opinions and sharing the worries of the court. If everyone sticks to the old ways, how can we act in an unstable situation? We can only change our ways and take risky moves."

This is also what Zhang Jinyu has always disliked. Those pedantic officials in the court want everything to be stable and to follow procedures. It is not a big deal when they encounter bandits, but they will suffer losses when they encounter opponents of equal strength. If they encounter a shrewd lord, victory or defeat will be just a matter of a moment. Therefore, the more the court's methods are, the more likely they are to be second-rate.

"this,"

This speech was not without reason, which showed that the Marquis must have another way. Cao Guang wanted to speak again, but he didn't know how to respond. After all, the Marquis's words were a bit bold and presumptuous coming from the court. If it were an ordinary person, he would definitely refute it. Unfortunately, the Marquis had never been defeated in a battle.
"Your Majesty, what you said makes sense, but your view is a bit extreme. Perhaps you should be more lenient."

The person who spoke this was not someone else, but Yan Cong who had remained silent. Yan Cong clasped his fists, walked out of the crowd, and then spoke carefully.

Zhang Jinyu nodded. It was a bit strict, but unfortunately, we had to control the number of people.

"That's right, but as the chief examiner, I want to consider not only the results, but also the overall situation. The number of admissions is limited. In addition, you also have to consider the candidates from Master Nan. Most of them are from poor families. How many of them are here to take the exam sincerely instead of just for the two taels of silver?"

One word and silence,
All the officials in the hall were silent, thinking about the Imperial Examination Hall, where nearly four thousand students were taking the exam. If only a few people made the list, and there were too many on their side, then there would be another disturbance.

Seeing that the officials were silent, Zhang Jinyu was not afraid of these things. As the saying goes, it is better to have less trouble than more. He just strictly controlled it, kept the answer sheets, and could review them at any time.

"Everyone, it's not that I don't like trouble, it's that I don't want to cause trouble for the court. It's not that I'm afraid of these things. As long as we are strict, we will have a clear conscience. All the answer sheets will be kept for reference and verification. Even if there is a problem, if we take out the answer sheets for comparison, won't the scholars in the world understand it better?"

Asking back,

This is also what Zhang Jinyu is worried about. With so many people around, even if no one causes trouble, there are many people who want to cause trouble behind the scenes. And the man who sold the test questions was intercepted by him and his source of income was cut off. How could the person behind the scenes let it go? What is coming will come.

When the officials heard the Marquis' explanation, they thought it made a lot of sense. There were more than a thousand candidates in Hanyuan Palace. If half of them were admitted, but only a hundred were on the list from the Imperial Examination Hall, then it would probably cause indignation among the candidates, just like last year, and that would be troublesome.

"Your Majesty is right. I was not thoughtful enough."

Yan Cong's frank admission of his mistakes surprised many censors. Even Zhang Jinyu felt unfamiliar. Looking at Yan Cong's half-smile, he felt something in his heart. This was considered as a way to help the marquis out of trouble. Good boy, your move is extraordinary.

"Okay, in that case, let's get started."

He pointed to the pile of answer sheets behind him and felt a splitting headache.
Zhang Jinyu stood up, walked to the high platform, and sat down there. The other officials came forward one after another, holding the papers and walked down. According to the Marquis's instructions, they spread out the papers on the table. It took at least two hundred tables to spread out the papers. Then the officials sat down and began to examine the papers with red pens in hand.
Lord Chu and Lord Shen were not idle either, and followed along below to check and answer any questions they had.

Only Zhang Jinyu was half lying there. He saw that it would take him half the night to correct the papers, so he leaned back in his chair and took a nap.

As for the three princes, after sitting there for a while, they felt bored, so they led their people and sneaked back into the big tent to rest.

The moon and stars are sparse, and the magpie flies south,
I thought there would be a downpour of rain, but as night fell, the sky became clear and the dark clouds dispersed and disappeared.

Jiaofangsi,
The three princes drank in silence and called Yun Niang, who had just served Luo Yunhou, over.
Yunniang had seen the world and had received all kinds of people. She was unfamiliar with the three gentlemen in front of her, but she had a distinguished temperament and an air of wealth. She smiled with a charming and charming look on her face. She used her hand to push open her hair and bowed.
"Greetings to the three nobles. I wonder if the three nobles have any advice for Yunniang."

Yunniang blushed. These three gentlemen were not only handsome, but also had a temperament that ordinary people would never see.
I just encountered the bad things with Marquis Luo Yun and General Yang, and I haven’t recovered yet.

"Oh, you are Yun Niang. They say that even middle-aged women still have charm. It's true. You are full of femininity. Come, I will give you some money."

Zhou Yewen was well aware of this, and after a round of praise, he took out a silver ingot of ten taels of silver and placed it on the table to dazzle the eyes. His demeanor was so cool,
Even Yunniang was a little surprised. She took the silver without saying a word. She had never met anyone so generous. She thought he wanted to ask her something, so she didn't refuse and quickly took the money from the table, put it in the purse around her waist and hid it.

"Oh, you are so generous, I have never met such a noble man before. May I ask you, what do you want to ask?"

Seeing the woman coming up, the three of them looked much better, no longer as annoyed as before. Zhou Yewen smiled and asked;
"Nothing else. I just want to ask, why did Luo Yunhou, who was fighting across from me, and the guy lying down, fight over a woman? Is there any explanation? For example, the origin of that woman?"

This question caused Zhou Yunfu and Zhou Lianghao to look over. The woman's identity and origin must be extraordinary.
Although Marquis Luo Yun is extremely lustful, his preferences are different from others. Generally, we have never heard of him staying overnight in brothels. However, he ordered a woman to sing at the Jiaofang Bureau, which is quite rare. Is there something to be said about this?

Yun Niang was startled. What was going on? What good fortune had the Xu family lady had today that made her come looking for her one after another? Could it be that there was some connection? Thinking of Marquis Luo Yun's instructions and the humility of the eunuch in charge, how could a weak woman like her dare to interrupt?

"My three lords, I don't know much, and I don't know how to answer. She is just an ordinary woman, why are you so concerned about her?"

Seeing Yunniang didn't speak, Zhou Yewen's face flashed with anger. He was shameless. Seeing this, Zhou Lianghao, who was sitting opposite, smiled and took out another banknote and put it on the table.

"Don't be anxious, Yunniang. Just take your time. The three of us brothers are just curious. We have no other intentions."

Yun Niang stared at the silver bills on the table with her eyes wide open. He spent a lot of silver bills at once. This person was probably not the son of an ordinary wealthy family. Even if he was a son of a noble family, he wouldn't be able to do this!
(End of this chapter)