"Is that so?" Li Yao said, "Could it be that none of you noticed that the original scroll and the transcribed exam paper weren't actually missing that sentence, but rather it was obscured by a piece of paper stuck over it?"
What?
The examiners hurriedly took a look, and discovered that at the end of both exam papers, there really was a layer of thin white paper stuck on.
The white paper was extremely thin, and the pasting was done very skillfully. Combined with the dim lighting, it was hard to notice if you didn't examine closely.
"Gentlemen, why not peel it back and take a look?"
Cold sweat was already streaming down Liu Teacher's face.
"You... How did you know paper was stuck over it? Could it be you were the one who tampered with it?"
"Teacher Liu jests," Li Yao said, "The exam papers have been sealed in the academy the whole time, under the strict supervision of you gentlemen. I am but a common woman who can't even get through the front gate of the academy, how could I possibly tamper with them right under your watchful eyes? It must be that one of the exam proctors knew about the cheating, and not wanting to be complicit in the wrongdoing, purposely did this. As for how I knew paper was stuck over it, I can only say my eyes are sharp, and I see more clearly than most."
Teacher Liu had no rebuttal.
If he insisted that Li Yao had tampered with it, it would mean he had been negligent in safeguarding the exam papers, providing an opportunity.
But if it wasn't Li Yao's handiwork, then peeling off this paper...
"What are we waiting for?" Magistrate Song yelled, "Hurry up and peel it off!"
At this point Teacher Liu was already weak in the knees. Seeing this, the other exam proctors knew something fishy was going on. To avoid taking responsibility for lax invigilation, they hurried to own up to their crimes.
"Your Excellency, there really is one more sentence at the end! It's there on both the original and the transcribed."
Li Xian gulped nervously, his body already drenched in cold sweat.
It was over, over! What could he do now?
The knot in Magistrate Song's heart finally loosened a little. "Li Xian, what say you?"
"This is...," Li Xian's mind raced, "Reporting to Your Excellency, it was because the student was nervous earlier and forgot to write the last sentence."
"Is that so?" Li Yao said coldly, "Can you remember it now then?"
Li Xian hadn't even glanced at the last sentence, how could he possibly remember it?
"I remember it."
Knowing it was time for his entrance, Wang Er strode forward: "The last sentence of my essay was: Place the worries of the world before your own worries, and the joys of the world before your own joys! This was a teaching my mother always imparted to me, meaning that when I become an official, I must always keep the common people in my heart, and do more for them. Not..."
Wang Er looked back at Li Xian, before continuing: "Not be self-interested and opportunistic."
"Well said, well said!" Magistrate Song exclaimed, "It seems the cheating was done by Li Xian, not Wang Er."
Bang-
Magistrate Song slammed the table, yelling angrily: "Li Xian, confess everything honestly! Just who did you collude with to cheat?"
Thud-
Li Xian's legs went weak and he knelt down on the ground: "County Magistrate, spare me! I will tell everything!" It was Teacher Liu who promised to swap my exam paper for me."
Thud-
Teacher Liu's legs also went weak, and he almost collapsed on the ground.
"Li Xian," Magistrate Song asked, "You have decent learning yourself, why did you do this?"
"It was all Teacher Liu's idea," Li Xian said. "He said he would ensure I passed as the top scholar, as that would reflect well on him."
"Scoundrel!"
Magistrate Song was so angry even his whiskers were sticking up.
Li Xian was certainly capable of passing as a xiucai, but in order to take first place, he had swapped Wang Er's paper. Not only that, he made sure Wang Er failed!
This was an extremely malicious deed!
"Zhang Zhan, Hu Ling!" Magistrate Song said, "Do either of you have anything to say?"
Thud-
The two paled, hurriedly kneeling to beg for mercy: "County Magistrate is wise, this was all Teacher Liu's idea! He said that for 50 taels, he would ensure we passed."
Now the truth had come to light.
Just as Deputy Magistrate Zhang was about to have people take away the four offenders, Magistrate Song suddenly said: "Teacher Liu, do you still have all the previous years' exam papers?"
Already distraught, this question made Teacher Liu even more frightened out of his wits.
He didn't say anything, but someone would speak up. Manager He directly said: "According to regulations, exam papers from previous years must all be kept sealed, so I assume Baichuan County should still have them."
"Bring them all out."
Everyone was puzzled, but the exam proctors still turned over cabinets to dig out and bring out the exam papers from the last decade or so.
Magistrate Song had people find Lv Xiucai's exam papers from previous years. After looking through them, he was so angry he slammed the table repeatedly.
"Why don't the handwriting on Xiucai Lv's exam papers match his own?" Magistrate Song demanded sharply. "Teacher Liu, you were deputy proctor every year, and did the sealing and transcribing. How do you explain this?"
Teacher Liu knew he was finished. There was no hiding it this time.
Indeed, he had abused his position all these years, swapping Lv Xiucai's papers with others, and had secretly profited greatly.
He thought that since Lv Xiucai's family was powerless, and he had basically monopolized control over the county exams, it would never come to light.
Yet who could have expected that this year would come a new county magistrate, as well as this Li Yao, plus that He Shanzhang who seemed either truly deaf or deliberately blind. Now everything was exposed.
"County magistrate...I confess..."
"Take him away! Report to the provincial capital for sentencing!"
As Teacher Liu was taken away, Li Xian and the other two naturally could not escape punishment either. Banned from taking the exams for the next three sessions, they would have no eligibility for eight years.
The imperial exams only happened once every two years.
That was to say, if they wanted to retake and become a xiucai, they would have to wait another eight years.
How many eight year periods are there in a lifetime?
Li Xian, who could have passed relying on his own talents, now regretted it to his very guts.
With the three candidates who had passed being taken away, it was time to discuss how to deal with the aftermath.
"Manager He?" Magistrate Song asked. "What do you think, should we gather all the candidates and redo the whole exam?"
"What logic is there in redoing it?" For some reason, Manager He's deafness suddenly cured itself. "Cancel Li Xian, Zhang Zhan and Hu Ling's results, and let the others move up in ranking to fill the spots. Wang Er is the top scholar, Lv Xiucai second, and Song Zhe third, let's do it this way."
"This is..." Magistrate Song hesitated slightly, "Not too good right?"
After all, this would mean his own son Song Zhe became a xiucai.
He knew exactly what kind of character his own son had. How could someone like him pass?
"County Magistrate," the other exam proctors who had escaped implication were now hugely relieved, and hurried to ingratiate themselves with Manager He's words. "Since Manager He has spoken, let's follow his decision."
"We know you want to avoid nepotism, but Young Master Song's essay was truly not bad. If not for the cheating, he would have passed as a third-rank xiucai."
Magistrate Song was a bit stunned. My son is so capable now?