Frost for a Thousand Years

Chapter 139: The Imperial Examination Questions Contain Hidden Clues

Inside the Dali Temple, Wang Chen was enduring torment.

The emperor did not urge Song Shi'an to be released quickly.

But he wasn't stupid. He clearly knew that neither Song Shi'an nor the Sixth Prince would be guilty and would definitely gain power after their release. He definitely wanted to get Song Shi'an out before the imperial examination.

Therefore, Song Shi'an's numerous crimes were all brought to a swift conclusion.

Those powerful families were all tried and dealt with.

The Zhang Wen family was even sentenced to be executed along with their entire clan.

But Song Shi'an's crimes were so numerous they were simply outrageous.

For example, in the Langya case, what was missing was a crucial piece of paper... no, two signed confessions.

Zhu Qing and Qin Kuo were the highest-ranking officers of the Imperial Guard.

But they are still far away in the north wind.

"The officials from the Dali Temple have already been dispatched, but this journey is over two thousand miles long..." The Dali official was also in a dilemma, "Now, it's uncertain how long it will take to arrive."

The 800-li urgent delivery involved changing horses and riders, and it took more than a dozen official relay stations to reach Sheng'an and Shuofeng in three days and three nights.

But how will the officials of the Dali Temple take over?
We can't just send any random nobody to conduct the interrogation.

In fact, they had already done everything they could to expedite things in order to give Song Shi'an the green light.

Previously, cases like these would take at least two or three months.

"It will probably take another five or six days to arrive. Even if the trial is completed in one day and someone is sent back with the confession at the fastest possible speed, it will still take at least ten days," Dali continued. "In any case, it won't be able to make it in time for the imperial examination that starts in seven days."

"It's impossible to catch up." Wang Chen frowned and shook his head repeatedly.

"So we're closing the case like this? Release the person first, and then complete the case file after they give their statements," said Dali Zhengdao.

"Is this how cases are judged?" Wang Chen retorted immediately. "The verdict has already been handed down, the person has been released, and then you look at their confession? Isn't the Dali Temple just a decoration?"

Indeed, this is truly unprecedented.

Of course, we can't blame them.

With everyone going to Dali Temple to serve their sentences, who has the leisure and elegance to take the imperial examination?

People who don't have that much free time.

“Then we can close the case without their confessions,” Dali Zheng suggested again.

“If it’s purely to release people, then of course it’s acceptable,” Wang Chen denied again. “But in a ‘mutiny,’ are the highest-ranking military officers and civilian officials not interrogated? Is that reasonable?”

This is akin to an unprecedented terrorist attack.

They arrested a few drivers and then settled the case.

"No, Lord Wang."

As a fourth-rank official, Dali Zheng also participated in the court assembly, so he understood the emperor's and Wu Wang's thoughts quite well: "Now, we can no longer avoid trouble."

"When have I ever dodged it?" Wang Chen asked, somewhat annoyed. "Wasn't I trying to come up with a solution?"

"So what's your method?"

The Dali Emperor was no longer as respectful to the acting Dali Temple official as before.

The chief secretary of the Dali Temple was the Minister of Justice, not the Vice Minister.

It's obvious now that Wang Chen has no chance of getting promoted, so this direct subordinate relationship between the two won't last long.

His hope was that this acting leader could clean up the mess before a new leader was parachuted in.

The same applies in the workplace.

It's best to settle all accounts before the handover of power.

"On the day of the imperial examination, we should apply for Song Shi'an to be released from prison for a day so he can participate in the examination." This was the idea that Wang Chen came up with.

This is also the most reasonable approach at present.

This ensured that the Dali Temple was not rendered useless and that procedural justice was upheld.

This would also ensure that Song Shi'an wouldn't miss the imperial examinations.

"Then do it."

Dali thinks this makes sense.

"Wait a minute," Wang Chen said, raising his hand. "What's the rush?"

"There are only seven days left for the scientific expedition, we have to hurry."

“We are anxious, but the King of Wu is even more anxious.”

After Wang Chen said that, Dali Zheng finally understood.

To be honest, this leader isn't bad either.

The difference between the derogatory term "timid" and the complimentary term "cautious" is very thin.

The fact that this was proposed by the Dali Temple clearly indicates a bias towards Song Shi'an and an attempt to create convenience for him, inevitably leading to accusations of flattery and opportunism.

The Dali Temple can flatter anyone, but only the emperor.

However, if it were the Prince of Wu, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review would secretly advise him to do this, and the Prince of Wu would personally submit a memorial to the Emperor. The matter would be accomplished, which would also be equivalent to doing the Prince of Wu a favor. It would be a watertight solution.

But when will the King of Wu arrive?
"Lord Wang, Lord Ye has arrived."

At this moment, an official came to report.

"Lord Ye?" Wang Chen was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. "Is it Lord Ye Changqing? Quickly, go and invite him."

It's truly a case of "speak of the devil, and he appears."

Now that the King of Wu has sent someone, things are much easier to handle.

This was the time for King Wu to gain favor with Song Shi'an, so why didn't he come sooner?
"Then I will go down first." Dali Zheng saw the visitor and prepared to leave.

"No need, let's go together."

Wang Chen respected his decision and allowed him to stay there.

"Then I will obey your command."

Before, the Dali official didn't think there was anything wrong with this Lord Wang, but after letting him act as the Dali Temple Minister for so many days, he completely understood.

This person is not someone you should befriend closely.

If something goes wrong, he will absolutely not take the blame.

Like the rest of the people in the court, they were quite bold in speaking out and echoing the opinions for their own interests, the interests of their group, or their own ambitions.

However, the more you talk, the more likely you are to make mistakes.

Lord Wang is truly a capable official. Soon after, Ye Changqing arrived.

Wang Chen took the initiative to step forward and greeted him with a smile, while Dali Zheng accompanied him from the side.

After exchanging pleasantries and compliments, they each returned to their seats.

Wang Chen sat in the main seat, flanked by Ye Changqing and Dali Zheng.

"Lord Wang," Ye Changqing said, getting straight to the point, "how do you intend to rule on Song Shi'an's case?"

"It's roughly decided, but as for the judgment, we'll follow the instructions of the King of Wu," Wang Chen said obsequiously.

"What was the Dali Temple's original plan?" Ye Changqing asked.

“All those involved in Langya, including the original officials from Shuofeng, numbering over ninety, have been demoted one rank and had their salaries reduced for a year. Therefore, Song Shi’an cannot be treated too leniently,” Wang Chen probed. “Our idea is to demote Song Shi’an from the seventh rank to the ninth rank and reduce his salary for two years. What does Lord Ye think?”

It doubled exactly.

"If you think it's suitable, then so be it," Ye Changqing replied with a smile.

Handling it with care is appropriate.

Basically, it's just for show.

In situations like this where merits and demerits are both present, the demerits must be determined and settled first before rewarding merits separately.

It's a miracle that such a huge incident could preserve its rank.

"When will he be able to get out of prison?" Ye Changqing asked.

"That's what's bothering me."

Wang Chen sighed.

Ye Changqing looked puzzled.

Then, Dali Zheng, who was standing nearby, told him what had happened.

After listening, Ye Changqing also had a headache: "If we really go through all the procedures, then the scientific expedition might not be able to make it in time."

"Lord Ye, this is already the fastest we've ever done," Wang Chen explained. "We've never handled a case like this so decisively before."

"What can we do? Can we think of a solution?" Ye Changqing asked.

“There is a solution, but His Highness Prince Wu must intervene,” Wang Chen said in a low voice.

"How is it?" Ye Changqing asked.

Leaning slightly forward, Wang Chen said, "Close the case as soon as possible, and try to get Song Shi'an released from prison before the results of the imperial examination are announced. On the day of the examination, try to apply to His Majesty to temporarily release Song Shi'an for one day."

"No."

Upon hearing this, Ye Changqing immediately refused: "This would have too much of an impact on Your Highness."

The King of Wu could use his power to intimidate people and influence the trial process and outcome.

However, one cannot blatantly break the rules.

How could prisoners in the Dali Temple with unresolved cases possibly go out and participate in the imperial examination?

The other thousands of scholars who had passed the imperial examinations also couldn't help but complain.

These factors all contributed to the negative impact on the reputation of the King of Wu.

"Then I don't know what to do."

Wang Chen looked troubled.

It makes no sense that the King of Wu would not come forward to shoulder the burden, but instead had to bear it himself.

"Anyway, we're going to take this test, and it has to count."

After careful consideration, Ye Changqing had an idea and looked at Wang Chen: "Lord Wang, what do you think about letting Song Shi'an take the exam in prison?"

.........

Inside the Imperial Academy.

They've started working on setting the questions for the imperial examination.

Because the current examination content of Dayu is not an exam paper, but two exam questions from two major subjects.

Poetry and essays, policy discussions.

Incidentally, the examination for Xiucai (a lower-level scholar) was quite different. It tested memorization of classical texts, punctuation, content analysis, and essay writing, making it more like a modern exam. However, the difficulty and competition were much less.

The imperial examinations for Jinshi (进士) were even more brutal.

Most of the exams in Dayu are taken while employed.

This means you'd be competing with thousands of ancient civil servants to see who has the best literary talent and who governs the country more effectively.

The seven Grand Secretaries and the Prince of Jin, eight people in total, were discussing the examination questions in the Hengjian Hall.

However, it wasn't done from scratch. Each Grand Secretary had to write a proposal beforehand, and then the group would discuss whether it was feasible.

After discussion, they would come up with the exam questions they thought were appropriate, and then the emperor would set the questions.

You only need to confirm three days before the exam.

The reason for such strict measures is to ensure that the questions will not be leaked.

In the morning, the first thing to be determined was the poetry and prose.

The Prince of Jin looked at the proposals written by the learned scholars one by one.

As he watched, he sensed a tacit understanding.

Looking up, I saw that every scholar was sitting calmly and upright.

Ultimately, it's still the civil service faction.

In the end, they are still the most shrewd people in the world.

The emperor does indeed have the power to veto, but what if it's a proposal from seven people...?

They're all pretty much the same, aren't they?
Unless you're the emperor and set the questions yourself.

And everyone here is simply fulfilling their duties, there's nothing wrong with that.

"Master Sun's idea is excellent."

The Prince of Jin smiled and said, “The Chishui River nourishes the entire Liangzhou. Now that the Qi bandits are advancing south, it serves as a defensive line for our Great Yu, protecting against foreign enemies and safeguarding millions of people. To compose a poem on the theme of praising the rivers and streams of our Great Yu is excellent, truly excellent.”

Everyone's thoughts were in agreement, and that was—

They commissioned Sun Qian to become the top scholar.

(End of this chapter)