My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

Even though they tried to straighten their backs and appear calm, their slightly trembling fingertips, tightly pursed lips, and pale faces inevitably betrayed the immense pressure they were under.

Some of their classmates from Liaodong standing nearby cast complex glances at them, a mixture of sympathy and unspoken scrutiny.

At Chen Shi (7-9 AM), accompanied by three deep and resonant chimes, the two heavy vermilion gates of the Imperial College were slowly pushed open, creaking and groaning.

Led by Grand Secretary Xue Guoguan, four Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, the Ministers of the Six Ministries, and several Vice Ministers, a total of more than twenty high-ranking officials of the court, dressed in solemn court attire, entered in single file with steady steps.

Their arrival brought with it an invisible pressure that immediately silenced the previously slightly noisy scene.

No matter how excited they were, all the students immediately straightened their clothes, bowed, and the atmosphere instantly became extremely solemn and respectful.

Xue Guoguan slowly ascended the high white marble steps in front of the hall, turned around, and swept his calm yet sharp gaze across the entire room. Then he cleared his throat and said in a deep voice:

"Today's test question was jointly decided by me and all the officials, and there is absolutely no possibility of it being leaked. The question is: 'Discuss the methods of border defense and the stability of people's livelihood!' You have one hour to spare, and the bell will be the signal. Let's begin now!"

When the question was announced, a barely suppressed murmur of commotion arose among the students in the audience.

This question closely addresses the balance between the severe border troubles and the people's livelihood currently facing the Ming Dynasty, which is a major issue that the court wants to solve.

It can test students' understanding of classics such as the Four Books and Five Classics, and also examine their ability to cite classical texts and combine them with practical situations to propose strategies for governing the world. The difficulty and depth are both extraordinary.

After a brief commotion, the students, guided by the clerks, found their seats, spread out their official examination papers, began grinding ink and picking up their brushes, and concentrated on composing their ideas.

Wu Shouren and Chang Yong'an exchanged a glance, both seeing a resolute determination in each other's eyes, as if they were determined to burn their boats.

They took a deep breath of the cold air, trying to clear their minds of all distractions and fears, and began to write furiously.

For a moment, the only sound in the vast open space was the soft scratching of the brush tip across the rice paper.

On the high platform, senior officials such as Xue Guoguan, Fan Jingwen, and Ni Yuanlu sat upright in the prepared grand chairs, silently surveying the entire examination hall.

Their gazes also frequently fell on Wu Shouren and Chang Yong'an.

Although these two people looked slightly different from the Han Chinese, their focused posture while answering the questions was no different from the Han Chinese students around them. The concentration and composure between their brows made them appear more calm and confident than some of the restless and distracted students.

Time flew by during the intense and focused writing session.

Not long after, the melodious bell rang again, echoing over the Imperial College, announcing the end of the examination.

Students must stop writing regardless of whether they have finished or not.

The clerks who had been waiting immediately stepped forward and collected all the exam papers in an orderly manner. They then proceeded to anonymize and number the papers in full view of everyone. This involved covering the parts of the papers with thick paper, which contained the candidates' names and places of origin, and then stamping them with seals to ensure that no one could identify the authors of the papers before the marking was completed.

Subsequently, the sealed examination papers were quickly sent to a heavily guarded hall inside the Imperial College.

The doors and windows of this hall were tightly closed, and it was guarded both inside and outside by Imperial Guards.

More than twenty high-ranking officials of the imperial court, divided into pre-arranged groups, sat down around several long tables pieced together and began a tense and serious collective review of the examination papers.

The charcoal fire burned brightly in the hall, making it warm as spring, but the atmosphere was so oppressive that it was almost suffocating.

The only sounds were the rustling of exam papers being turned, the soft scratching of brushes on draft paper, and the occasional murmur of a few ministers discussing a particular point of view.

The review of the papers lasted for nearly two hours. All the ministers were graduates of the imperial examination system, with extensive knowledge, and their evaluation criteria were extremely strict, even harsh.

You could even occasionally hear a renowned scholar, such as a Grand Secretary or Minister, tapping their fingers on the exam paper and uttering a low sigh of admiration.

"Yes, this paper has a precise and insightful analysis, getting straight to the point, and the argument progresses step by step. It's a rare find!"

"This young man has unique and insightful views on practical matters such as land reclamation and border defense!"

As the chief examiner, Xue Guoguan carefully reviewed each exam paper that had been initially rated as excellent by each group, daring not to slack off in the slightest.

Finally, around 3:30 PM, after several rounds of cross-review, repeated evaluation, and debate, the preliminary ranking of all the exam papers was determined.

Next comes the most exciting and crucial part!
That means opening the sealed envelopes and verifying the identities of the individuals!

The atmosphere in the hall instantly reached its most tense moment, because this was a crucial point concerning Hong Chengchou's future political career and the fairness of the imperial examination!
Under the watchful eyes of all the high-ranking officials present, as well as several commanders of the Embroidered Uniform Guard who served as neutral witnesses, Xue Guoguan solemnly walked to the table and picked up the examination papers arranged according to their rankings.

He carefully cut open the area where the name was to be pasted with a knife, then dipped his fingertip in water and slowly moistened and tore off the thick layer of paper covering the name.

Each time a document was opened, a special clerk would step forward, check the name and place of origin, turn to face the crowd, and loudly announce the ranking and name.

"First place goes to Zhang Mingyuan, a student from Liaoyang Prefecture!"

"Second place goes to Li Sicheng, a student from Guangningwei!"

The sound of names being called echoed in the hall, so quiet that even breathing could be heard clearly. Each name called out touched the hearts of everyone present.

When he opened the third exam paper, Xue Guoguan's hand paused slightly because he saw the "Jurchen household" label showing under the name-covered paper.

Taking a deep breath and steadying his slightly trembling fingers, Xue Guoguan carefully tore open the name-covering paper.

The clerk leaned closer for a careful look, then straightened his back and sang in a louder voice than before:

"Third place, Wu Shouren, Commander of Liaodong!"

"What? Third place?"

An uncontrollable gasp and gasps of shock immediately filled the hall!
Many ministers, including several usually prudent ministers, showed expressions of disbelief and astonishment on their faces!

A Jurchen!

How could a "barbarian" with such a sensitive and questionable identity stand out among more than eighty candidates who could be considered the elite of Liaodong and rank among the top three?

This is beyond many people's imagination!

Xue Guoguan was also deeply shocked, but he suppressed his excitement and signaled the clerk to continue.

When the sixth exam paper was opened, the result once again shocked everyone present!

"Sixth place, Chang Yong'an, Commander of Liaodong!"

A strange silence fell over the hall, as if time had stood still for a moment, before an even more heated discussion erupted!
"Incredible! Absolutely incredible!"

"I have read the article, and it is indeed exquisite and full of substance!"

"It seems that Hong Chengchou was indeed impartial and showed no favoritism in selecting officials in Liaodong!"

"These two are indeed truly talented! All the previous rumors have been dispelled!" Xue Guo looked at the two exam papers in his hands, the ink still seemingly wet and the writing quite remarkable. His face, which had been tense like a bowstring, finally broke into a relieved smile.

He glanced around at his colleagues, who also wore expressions of surprise and approval, and said with considerable satisfaction:
"Gentlemen! The results are clear! Wu Shouren and Chang Yong'an have ranked third and sixth respectively, based on their genuine talent and learning! Their outstanding achievements are evident to all! This proves that their success in the provincial examination in Liaodong is well-deserved and absolutely genuine!"

"The allegations that Hong Chengchou accepted bribes, cheated, and leaked exam questions are completely fabricated and malicious slander! We must immediately announce this result to the world to set the record straight and clear Hong Chengchou's name!"

"What Grand Secretary Xue says is absolutely right!"

Everyone nodded in agreement, their faces showing relief and approval.

This outcome is undoubtedly the best possible result. It upheld the fairness and dignity of the imperial examination with irrefutable facts, thoroughly cleared the name of the high-ranking official, prevented potential turmoil in the court, and gave scholars across the country the most powerful explanation.

However, quite a few people still feel a bit awkward!

Because these two were not Han Chinese, but Jurchens.

But no one dared to bring it up again at this point. After all, Liaodong had already submitted to the Ming Dynasty, and the Jurchens there were also citizens of the Ming. If they were to bring up their identities again, it would inevitably raise suspicions of splitting the country.

Soon, the officials copied the list of rankings onto a large sheet of yellow paper in neat regular script, according to the final rankings. They also copied the original text of the top twenty outstanding exam papers.

Amidst the eager anticipation of numerous students, the notice and examination papers were solemnly posted on the giant blue brick screen wall outside the Imperial College, a wall specifically used for announcing important matters.

The thousands of students who had been anxiously waiting in the cold wind for several hours immediately surged forward like a tide, completely surrounding the screen wall.

When the crowd saw the prominent words "Wu Shouren - Third Place" and "Chang Yong'an - Sixth Place" on the list, and then squeezed to the front to see the original text of the two exam papers with neat and clear handwriting, precise answers to the questions, and quotations from classical texts, bursts of heartfelt amazement and discussion erupted from the crowd.

"Excellent article! The opening line, 'The strength of a border town lies in the hearts of its people, and the peace of the people's hearts lies in the border town,' demonstrates mastery!"

"This section on policy proposals, including suggestions on land reclamation, trade, and military training, is all reasonable and could only be written by someone well-versed in the classics and history and concerned with current affairs!"

"It seems we have indeed misunderstood Governor Hong and these two students! We are ashamed! We are ashamed!"

"Although these two are not Han Chinese, they have been well-versed in Confucian classics since childhood, and are no different from Han Chinese!"

"You can't judge a book by its cover! I almost got misled by the rumors circulating in the marketplace!"

The indignation that had been stirred by the rumors was quickly overturned by the irrefutable facts and outstanding talent before him, replaced by sincere admiration and shame for his genuine talent.

A public opinion crisis that could have escalated into a bigger uproar has thus vanished.

The fairness of the imperial examination and the prestige of the imperial court were also consolidated and enhanced through this public test.

Almost immediately after the results were announced, the news was relayed to the Crown Prince's Palace by the Imperial Guards waiting outside the Imperial Academy.

At this moment, Zhu Cilang was sitting behind his desk, bored out of his mind, flipping through an ancient book. But every now and then he would unconsciously look out of the hall, clearly waiting for news from the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Before long, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside.

Li Ruolian strode into the hall, her face beaming with barely concealed excitement and joy, and bowed to report:

"Your Highness, great news! The results of the Imperial Academy's review are in. Wu Shouren is ranked third, and Chang Yong'an is ranked sixth!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang suddenly stood up from his seat, his tense body instantly relaxing. He then let out a long sigh of relief, and a relieved smile appeared on his face!

The gloom that had been hanging over my heart for the past two days was swept away at this moment!

"Good! Good! Good!"

Zhu Cilang said "good" three times, his joy overflowing. Then he thought of Hong Chengchou and asked:

"Has anyone been sent to inform Hong Chengchou?"

"Your Highness, as soon as I received the news, I immediately dispatched my capable subordinates on horseback to Lord Hong's residence to deliver the good news!"

Li Ruolian quickly bowed and answered, her face full of smiles.

Zhu Cilang was finally relieved.

Meanwhile, in a relatively secluded inn in the western part of the capital, Hong Chengchou paced back and forth in his study like an ant on a hot pan, unable to sit still at all.

He was also worried about the results of today's exam.

However, to avoid suspicion, he could not personally go to the Imperial College to investigate the results.

Just then, a sudden, unusually rapid sound of horses' hooves came from outside.

Then a member of the Imperial Guard rushed over. Seeing this, Hong Chengchou knew the result was in, and naturally asked anxiously:
"What was the result? Tell me quickly!"

The Imperial Guard was not to be outdone, and immediately said with a smile:

"Congratulations, Your Excellency! The results are in. Wu Shouren is third! Chang Yong'an is sixth! Your Excellency has been proven innocent!"

Upon hearing this news, Hong Chengchou burst into tears, looked up at the roof, and sighed deeply, his voice choked with emotion:
"Heaven has eyes! Heaven has eyes!"

The sudden, overwhelming joy and complete relaxation left him almost exhausted, and he staggered to a chair, unable to calm down for a long time.

He knew that his political life, and even his life and fortune, had finally been saved in this turbulent storm!

After calming his excited emotions, Hong Chengchou did not dare to linger for a moment and immediately went to the Eastern Palace to express his gratitude.

Upon seeing Zhu Cilang again, Hong Chengchou bowed deeply with great emotion:

"Your subject Hong Chengchou kowtows to express his gratitude for Your Highness's divine grace! Your Highness's discerning judgment and resolute opposition have ultimately restored my innocence! This kindness and virtue are like a second birth to me, and I will never forget it. Even if I were to give my life, I could not repay even a fraction of it! I will repay Your Highness with all my might!"

Zhu Cilang smiled and quickly stepped forward, personally helping him up, saying:

"Minister Hong, please rise! I have long said that I will never allow a loyal minister to suffer an injustice. Now that the truth has come to light, it is a blessing for the country and also what I have always wished for! I am sorry that you have suffered these past few days."

After the two were seated, Zhu Cilang continued:

"Now that the rumors have been debunked and the truth has come to light, what do you think should be done with the instigator, Minister Hong?"

The so-called instigator was naturally the innkeeper!
This is a delicate issue concerning the display of Hong Chengchou's personal character. At this moment, Hong Chengchou could have taken this opportunity to demand that the manager be severely punished.

He even used his connections to make the shopkeeper suffer more in prison, to vent his anger. (End of Chapter)