vstars Chapter 327 Entering the Provincial Examination: A Body Search Interlude
Chapter 327 Entering the Provincial Examination: A Body Search Interlude
In order to prevent cheating during the provincial examinations, various measures were taken in the examination halls to prevent unauthorized materials from being brought in.
The body search upon entry is to prevent candidates from hiding cheat sheets in their clothes, shoes, socks, or writing implements.
Clothing with linings, specially made inkstones, pen holders, and even pen tubes with a hollow center can all have space inside to hide cheat sheets.
Even more impressively, some people were willing to spend a lot of money to use advanced techniques to write words on grains of rice. Dozens of words could be written on a single grain of rice. Oh, and this technique was later called "micro-carving."
However, only a few people would be foolish enough to come up with such a method, since those who could reach the provincial examination were all quite talented.
Before taking the plunge, I asked myself: With such a rigorous body search for the provincial examination, is it really worth the risk? Should I gamble my entire future?
Admittedly, there are very few gamblers among students, not necessarily because they have particularly sound values, but because they fear the truly severe punishment system.
Cheating in the provincial examinations, once discovered, could result in the loss of one's academic title and a lifetime of ineligibility for officialdom, or even execution.
However, there are always those who take chances.
There's no other reason than the sheer size of the population—or rather, the sheer number of scholars.
Especially in this year's provincial examination, it seems that those who had no intention of continuing to take the imperial examinations before were given a shot in the arm and suddenly had the motivation to keep trying.
Jiang Xiaoqi noticed outside the examination hall that there were many more elderly people with graying temples, or even completely white hair and beards, this year.
Looking at the elderly scholars who were even older than his grandfather, Jiang Xiaoqi couldn't help but marvel at the allure of taking the civil service exam.
However, the autumn imperial examination is the autumn imperial examination; this is not a place for showing respect for the elderly and care for the young.
What he didn't know was that it was precisely because of the precedent of the previous landlord Jiang passing the imperial examination in his old age and achieving a fairly high ranking that the elderly scholars were motivated to improve.
After arriving in Beijing, Landlord Jiang passed the provincial examination and the palace examination, becoming a second-class Jinshi. After passing the examination for Shujishi, he directly entered the Ministry of Revenue, which undoubtedly put immense pressure on his peers who were Xiucai and Juren.
Countless people have their ears pulled and they're nagged by their wives at home: "Look at that landlord, Lord Jiang!"
You're both in your fifties or sixties, how come they didn't give up, but you gave up so easily?
Are you missing eyes, a nose, or a mouth compared to others? Go! Study hard! Don't come back until you pass the imperial examination and become a scholar!
Thus, we have the mottled faces and gray hair that Jiang Xiaoqi just saw.
“DUANG! DUANG! DUANG!”
Three gongs were struck.
The provincial examination has begun.
The last scholar to exchange vows arrived late, but luckily he made it in time.
"Old Wang, why are you so late?"
"No, don't even mention it! One of my tires fell off on the way, so I had to walk. Luckily, I made it in time. Is there any water? Can I have a sip?"
Wangchuan promptly handed over the water bag, and the scholar, referred to as "Old Wang," gulped down several large mouthfuls without displaying any of the refinement expected of a scholar.
"Okay, stop drinking. We're queuing to get in. If you drink too much, you'll be thinking about going to the bathroom when they hand out the tickets."
Jiang Xiaoqi snatched the water pouch and threw it back into Wangchuan's arms.
"Okay, okay, I'll do as Afei says!"
Old Wang was a very easygoing person, and he looked to be in his early twenties. Among scholars, that age wasn't considered old.
He was just a little older than the teenage scholars from the Jiang family.
Jiang Xiaoqi shook his head, straightened his clothes, and checked his cousins and Old Wang for anything amiss.
From the moment they arrived at the examination hall, they were surrounded by guards. No one was allowed to approach them, nor could they get close to their people or their examination baskets.
Old Wang arrived later, so naturally he checked more thoroughly.
"What is this?" Jiang Xiaoqi picked up a red string.
"Huh? This is a peace charm that my mother got for me. What's wrong with it?" Old Wang pulled the peace charm out of his arms.
"Take it off first. There are words on the talisman, so it can't be brought into the examination room."
"Huh? This isn't allowed? Nobody said anything. I brought it last time too."
"Well, this time it might be stricter. Just to be on the safe side, take them off now and have my attendant keep them for you. I'll return them to you when you come out."
"Okay, fine, whatever you say."
Old Wang took off the amulet, wrapped it in a plain-colored handkerchief, tied it tightly, and handed it to Wangchuan.
Jiang Lin admired his younger brother's caution; he checked himself before searching him to avoid mistakes and to prevent others from secretly framing him.
When it was almost their turn, they had already checked everything themselves.
Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out ahead.
The bailiffs searching a young scholar found a piece of paper as thin as a cicada's wing in his sleeve. There was not a single word on the paper, but the bailiffs still singled him out.
The scholar turned ashen-faced, collapsed to the ground, and cried out for mercy.
Actually, it would have been better if he hadn't shouted. The fact that he shouted means there's really a problem. What are you shouting about on a thin, blank sheet of paper? What's the big deal? Something's definitely fishy!
The constables' mental radar immediately went off, and with grim expressions, they reported the matter to higher authorities.
Before long, an adult in charge of the body search came over, picked up the blank paper, and looked at it from left to right.
One minute they put it on a fire to roast it, the next they sprayed water on it, and in the end, no one knows how it happened, but densely packed small characters appeared on the "white paper".
The young scholar's face was already ashen, and he lay slumped on the ground, his eyes vacant, as if his soul had been ripped away.
This scene silenced the candidates behind them, who were afraid they might have inadvertently brought something taboo.
Oh dear, I should have checked it myself when I was outside. What if some malicious person framed me?
If you use some underhanded tactics outside the examination hall and randomly eliminate a few hidden rivals, wouldn't your chances of passing the exam increase?
Some people were eager to strip down and check themselves on the spot, while others still clung to wishful thinking, believing that others' methods were outdated and that their mental fortitude was poor.
If it were me, I certainly wouldn't have done that.
"Ah! Your Honor, have mercy! I'll never do it again! Please give me another chance!"
The middle-aged scholar, tears streaming down his face, was carried out by two constables, leaving a trail of unidentified pale yellow water stains.
Sigh~ If only I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have done it in the first place. What a disgrace!
One after another, people were crying and wailing at the entrance of the examination hall, leaving Jiang Lin and his two companions, along with Lao Wang and his friends, feeling completely numb.
Good heavens, there really are some people who are fearless!
When it was their turn, for some reason, even though they had nothing to hide, their hearts started pounding.
That heart seemed ready to break free of the shackles in its throat at any moment, leap out of its mouth, and see the outside world.
However, they were all innocent and were able to enter the venue without incident.