The Farm Girl's Charismatic Fortune-Chapter 315 - 311 Dust Settles

Every candidate was thoroughly searched upon entry, and every single item they brought into the examination hall, including accessories and the number of clothing layers they wore, was meticulously examined and recorded.

The stringent examination and record-keeping were to prevent cheating as well as to protect candidates from being falsely accused of such.

There was one examiner responsible for the search, another for the recording, and a third ensuring that nothing was overlooked.

Hence, anyone who brought peace charms, amulets, or any similar items had it noted in the records.

When the Crown Prince saw in the register that someone had peace charms or amulets, he instructed the officials from the Protocol and Administration Office to discreetly call these individuals out, one by one, to avoid alarming the other candidates.

The Protocol and Administration Office felt relieved upon hearing this; it wasn’t an end to the imperial examination but merely a few extra tasks. It didn’t require overtime, just a small increase in the workload.

If the examination had been invalidated and needed to be rescheduled, it wouldn’t have just increased the workload slightly, but massively.

"This official will call them out now!" he replied cheerfully, his spirits high as he ordered his subordinates to summon the candidates with the excuse that a noble had decided to conduct a spot test and had randomly selected their names for a chance to gain extra points if they responded well.

Perfect!

This way, the other students wouldn’t be thrown into a panic!

Indeed, the reason concocted by the Protocol and Administration Office left the candidates in the surrounding small rooms envying those who were being called out.

Ruo Shui and Ruo Jiang were among those summoned.

The candidates called out were separately placed in different rooms, ensuring they wouldn’t encounter each other, leading many to indeed believe they were selected for a spot test by a noble.

Only Ruo Jiang and Ruo Shui felt that wasn’t the case.

Over seventy individuals were called out in total. From atop the high building, Ruo Xuan observed, "A few mistakes were made, and a few went uncaught."

Xuanyuan Que nodded and said to the old shopkeeper, "Go let Big Brother bring out the candidates from Room One, Room Two Hundred and Four, Room Three Hundred and Sixty... to Room Four Thousand and One, and release those from Room Thirty-Three, Room Four Hundred and Nineteen, Room Six Hundred and Sixty... to Room One Thousand Four Hundred and Four."

"Moreover, have the Emperor instruct that the candidates in Room Two, Room Seventeen, Room Thirty... be allowed to return to continue their examination as they are victims," Xuanyuan Que said in one breath, naming thirty people.

"Yes!" The shopkeeper quickly left to carry out the orders.

In less than an hour, all the individuals were apprehended and taken away, while those whose fortunes had been stolen were bewilderingly returned to their examination cells.

Wasn’t it a random spot test? Why were they only questioned about who gave them the peace charms?

Unable to figure it out and without time to dwell on it, since they had already lost an hour, they had one hour less to write their answers than the others. Even though the examination lasted for three days and there was ample time, everyone buckled down and hurriedly started answering questions.

These were all individuals with profound scholarly knowledge, and they soon calmed their minds, entering a state where ideas flowed like an abundant spring.

~

Imperial Palace

The Crown Prince reported the cause of the recent supernatural occurrences to the Emperor.

The Emperor learned that the cause of the celestial anomaly was some candidates, lacking sufficient knowledge, resorting to sorcery to steal the luck of other candidates in hopes of passing the imperial examination and securing an official position at the Imperial Court, which enraged him greatly.

"Investigate thoroughly! Not one can be missed; kill all those implicated without mercy!" he commanded.

The imperial wrath spread, and blood ran through the streets.

While the candidates were diligently writing in the Imperial Examination Court, the skies outside had changed!

Xuanyuan Que’s remark made the situation much simpler, "Heaven has eyes; those struck by lightning are surely not innocent!"

The Crown Prince deeply agreed, as it was not an auspicious sign from the heavens; such audacity and treacherous intentions wouldn’t have been discovered otherwise!

It took the Crown Prince three days, and the case was settled.

Everyone who was interrogated confessed clearly, as if aided by divine power!

The Empress was deposed and sent to the Cold Palace, by the Empress Dowager’s will. Having been scorched by lightning inside and out, being sent to the Cold Palace was akin to awaiting death.

The Empress Dowager did not wish for the tenth Prince to harbor resentment as he grew older, as it would be detrimental to brotherly harmony and national stability. By deposing her now, her longevity was left to fate, unrelated to anyone else.

Furthermore, the Empress Dowager believed that if Heaven spared the Empress while on death’s brink, it must’ve had its reasons. Presumably, she had committed too many wrongdoings, and it was time for her to endure some suffering.

Both the Su head of the household and the High Priest Su, along with their descendants, were executed. The female members and servants of the Su family were exiled to the frontier.

Other officials involved in this affair were either executed or exiled as well.

All the examinees who took part in this were flogged with ten heavy strokes, stripped of their titles, banned from taking the imperial examination for three generations, and condemned to servitude for ten years.

Ten heavy strokes were not excessive, but for the delicate scholars, it was almost half a life taken. Immediately after the beating, they were seized for servitude, which was lethal. The reason they were punished with ten strokes instead of fifty was for fear of taking their lives, which would have prevented them from fulfilling their servitude.

Ten strokes were just right! It wouldn’t claim their lives, but the blossoming of their buttocks was guaranteed to be unbearable.

After the end of the provincial examinations, when the candidates came out, the matter had already been resolved. They were extremely shocked to hear about it!

"No wonder there was some ’noble person’s random selection’ going on during the examination; the selection was a sham! The real goal was to arrest people!"

"Truly, Heaven has opened its eyes this time! Those who’ve committed terrible evils deserve to be punished!"

"Banned from the examination for three generations? Ha-ha! Good! They deserve it!"

"The Emperor has been too lenient; he should have sent them to the frontier!"

"I think servitude is better than exile. Ten years of grueling servitude is no small ordeal; the tasks are dirty, tiring, and tough. Hardly anyone survives ten years of servitude and comes out unscathed!"

The Imperial Court was at the time greatly engaged in water conservancy projects and city wall construction, requiring lots of stone. Quarrying stones was exhausting and filthy, mostly left for the convicts to do, as it saved silver.

Many commoners also worked in the quarries, as the pay was exceptionally high, but it was dangerous as well. There was always the risk of being crushed by large rocks, and people often got their toes shattered.

Broken legs were the least of it; many lost their lives.

...

The examinees were gathered around the announcement board, buzzing with discussion.

Ruo Shui and Ruo Shan were also looking at the board. After reading it, they decided not to join the discussion and planned to return home.

Just then, the examinees who had used sorcery to cheat were escorted out by the officers, to be taken to the quarries for servitude.

Jia Shijie saw them and immediately shouted, "Brother-in-law! Fellow Ruo, Ruo Shui! Save me! I’ve been wronged! Please save me!"

Ruo Shui and Ruo Jiang both glanced at him, then turned their heads away in unison as if they hadn’t seen anything, stepping away together in step.

Jia Shijie tried to dash forward, only to be kicked in the buttocks by an officer.

Falling to his knees with a thud, Jia Shijie’s tears came out from the pain. Pointing towards Ruo Shui, he said, "I’ve been framed; that man is Princess Wuyou’s biological father, and I am Princess Wuyou’s uncle! I demand justice! Ruo Shui, save me! I’ve been deceived!"