The Results Were Posted
Meanwhile, Zhang Li, the prefect of the capital, was also feeling uneasy as he delayed posting the notice. He kept people watching the intersection in Beining and the movements of the Earl of Suiping's Residence.
He then received several pieces of information: Grand Princess Shangde had brought a large object into the palace in two carriages; shortly after she left the palace, Eunuch Xie took the imperial edict to the Earl of Suiping's Residence; Eunuch Xie was escorted out by the Earl of Suiping, and the two were all smiles and chatting happily, clearly indicating that the imperial edict that Eunuch Xie came to read was good news rather than bad news.
Zhang Li could no longer sit still. After much deliberation, he personally rewrote the list and posted it in front of the government office.
The clever servant of the Earl of Suiping's Residence had been waiting in front of the government office since early morning, but there was no movement. Just as he was dozing off, he heard a commotion and heard that the government office had posted a notice.
He immediately darted into the crowd like a monkey and spotted his daughter's name prominently displayed on the list, ranking second.
He quickly squeezed through the crowd and went back to share the good news.
Upon hearing this news, the three elders of the Earl of Suiping's Residence all looked at Zhao Ruxi.
"Miss Xi, this ranking... seems pretty good." Lady Zhu carefully comforted her daughter.
"Yes, being the top scholar is just an empty title. Passing the exam and obtaining official rank is the most important thing," Zhao Yuanxun added.
Zhao Ruxi heard the system announcement the moment the list was posted, learned her ranking, and received a system reward of 600 points.
Seeing her parents comforting her, she waved her hand and said, "I'm fine."
She then glanced in the direction of the capital's government office and chuckled softly, "This Prefect Zhang is not a smart man."
Zhao Yuanxun was about to become an official, and the fighting spirit in his heart tightened.
Upon hearing Zhao Ruxi's words, he quickly asked, "What do you mean?"
"Since he made a mistake, he should have just gone with it and ranked me third or fourth, then no one could say anything. But he insisted on correcting his mistake and went too far. Now, some candidates are definitely making a scene demanding to see the exam paper."
Zhao Yuanxun frowned and thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I don't think so. In the first round, because the top scorer was a woman, they were dissatisfied and made a scene, which everyone thought was understandable and didn't hold it against them. But if they make a scene now, the nature of the matter changes. This is disrupting the imperial examination, a serious crime that will get them arrested and imprisoned, and their academic achievements will be revoked. With such severe consequences, who would dare to make a scene?"
"They wouldn't dare. But what if someone in higher up encourages them to go?"
Zhao Yuanxun was startled. He looked around and, seeing that the servants had all been sent away, lowered his voice and asked, "Who?"
Zhao Ruxi didn't point it out, only saying, "You'll just have to wait and see."
Zhao Yuanxun immediately sent that clever servant to stand guard at the entrance of the government office, instructing him to return and report any movement.
Sure enough, half an hour after the list was posted, someone was shouting at the entrance of the yamen, saying that Zhao Ruxi was seventh in the third round, so why was she chosen as second in the end? It was unfair, and they demanded to see the exam paper.
Just as Zhang Li was about to arrest the man, Wu Huaisi, who happened to be passing by, overheard the conversation and said to Zhang Li, "Then let's post the exam papers."
Wu Huaisi was the Minister of Ministry of Personnel and Zhao Zhiwei brother. When he heard that someone was slandering his junior sister, it was perfectly reasonable for him to demand that the exam papers be posted to protect her reputation. Zhang Li racked his brains but couldn't think of any reason to refuse.
In the end, he had no choice but to post the exam papers.
There were already quite a few people coming to see the list, and this commotion drew even more onlookers; even passersby craned their necks to look at the wall.
"Hey, I think Zhao Zhiwei's essays and poems are much better than the first place winner's?" someone said.
"I agree. Don't let the Layperson Zhiwei is a woman, and still quite young, fool you; her writing, like her paintings, is grand and powerful. Most importantly, it's substantial, incisive, and hits the nail on the head. Such an essay, let alone in the county exam, would surely rank among the top in the provincial or metropolitan exams, wouldn't it?"
"That's your opinion. I think the first-place article is better; the writing is mature and the style is simple. Layperson Zhiwei's article is a bit too sharp and aggressive; it's not as comfortable to read as the first-place article." Someone, wanting to flatter the prefect, quickly defended him.
No one else spoke.
The first-place winner's writing style was indeed as the person described—mature and straightforward. However, this style is usually written by older writers; it's steady and flawless, without a single fault. But because of this, it lacks distinctive features and doesn't stand out. Such an article is fine for a middle-place finish, but they weren't entirely convinced that it deserved first place.
The second, third, and fourth place winners followed a similar style to the first place winner. They appeared to be playing it safe, but were actually quite unremarkable.
Compared to their articles, Zhao Ruxi's writing style and content are both novel and unique, making them a refreshing read.
This Prefect Lord Zhang has rather peculiar tastes. Although you yourself prefer radishes and cabbage and dislike abalone and sea cucumber, everyone generally agrees that the two are vastly different in both taste and nutritional value. You, Lord Zhang, insist that radishes are better than abalone, and while you may have your reasons, it's simply unconvincing.
"Layperson Zhiwei ranked seventh in the third round, even if her rankings in the first two rounds were good, she shouldn't have been ranked second, right?" someone raised a new question.
"Perhaps the Prefect regretted ranking her seventh, after all, the essay by Layperson Zhiwei was indeed excellent. So he raised her ranking by one or two places when the final list was recorded," someone explained on Zhang Li's behalf.
"Given the reputation of Layperson Zhiwei, he certainly deserves second place," someone else remarked.
"On what grounds? That's painting, not scientific research or writing. How can you compare them?"
"What's wrong with painting? If you're so capable, why don't you paint as well as I do?"
Upon hearing this, they realized that the argument had gone off-topic, with people debating whether famous scholars actually gained an advantage in the county examinations. The Imperial Guards and servants from the Earl of Suiping's Residence stopped listening and squeezed out of the crowd to report back to their respective masters.
Xiao Ge had received the exam papers long before they were posted. As an emperor, he naturally preferred Zhao Ruxi's essays. In his opinion, the top six essays were, to put it nicely, plain and simple, or to put it bluntly, mediocre.
He recalled the imperial Imperial Guards he had sent out to investigate Zhang Li and asked, "How is the investigation into Zhang Li going? Which faction is he closest to?"
"Your Majesty, after being transferred to the capital, Lord Zhang frequently visited the Crown Prince's retainer, who was from the same hometown. He didn't go anywhere else. However, our subordinates discovered another detail: Madam Zhang has been extremely close to the wife of Chen Yunnan, the head of the Ministry of Personnel. Further investigation..."
The Imperial Guards paused slightly before continuing, "I've discovered that Chen Yunnan is one of the Third Prince's men."