Because of these bloody names, the originally golden statue of the God of Wealth turned red in an instant, and drops of blood kept flowing down the statue, creating a highly impactful scene.
The onlooking citizens of the capital began to whisper among themselves, believing that there was indeed a scandal in this spring examination and that these scholars had been treated unfairly by the chief examiner.
As the video on the Sky Canopy reached its end, Liu Sanqi's figure reappeared in the center of the live stream.
"Good people, don't you find that scene from the video has a strong sense of déjà vu? It feels like it repeats countless times on our internet every year."
"Throughout history, villains are really good at using the kindness of good people to serve their own purposes!"
"Take the demand for a retest of the spring examination, for example. It seems reasonable on the surface, but in reality, it's a double bind!"
"If Emperor Jingwu agreed to hold the examination again, and the results turned out the same, the scholars could insist that the chief examiner was covering up the scandal by keeping the original results."
"If the results were different, they would have even more reason to claim that the first examination was corrupt and demand that Emperor Jingwu execute the examiners, including Li Zeyuan, according to the law."
"If Emperor Jingwu resolutely refused the retest, they would think she was deliberately shielding the examiners of this spring examination."
"If public opinion and popular sentiment couldn't be quelled and continued to heat up, the court situation might become unstable, causing even greater trouble for Emperor Jingwu."
"When I looked up historical materials, seeing how ruthless and malicious Qi Wenyuan and Yin Yi's schemes were, I couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat for Emperor Jingwu. This matter was like moving one hair and affecting the whole body—the implications were too significant."
"If Emperor Jingwu had been forced to order the execution of Li Zeyuan, seeing his fate, others in the court would have been even less likely to side with her."
"Fortunately, Qi Wenyuan and Yin Yi greatly underestimated the boldness of our great Emperor Jingwu."
"If other emperors had encountered such a situation, to maintain the dignity of the Son of Heaven, they would most likely have hidden in the palace and let their subordinates convey orders. This way, even if they had to push out a scapegoat to quell public anger, the emperor could maintain a transcendent status and not bear any responsibility on the surface."
"Qi Wenyuan and Yin Yi judged others by themselves, thinking Emperor Jingwu would handle it the same way. But unexpectedly, just half an hour after the scholars appeared outside the palace gate, Emperor Jingwu herself stepped out of the palace while the scholars were still mentally preparing for a long struggle."
"Next, let's continue watching how 'The Flourishing Reign of Emperor Jingwu' recreates this key historical moment of Emperor Jingwu."
"By the way, I personally think Xu Qihui indeed deserves to be the best serious drama actress among the new generation. I feel that in this drama, she really captured the imposing aura of Emperor Jingwu."
"Alright, enough chatter. Let's continue watching the video!"
Liu Sanqi clicked her mouse, and a new video quickly appeared in the center of the Sky Canopy.
Emperor Jingming and the court officials at the banquet all stared intently at the Sky Canopy. Although they had already learned from Liu Sanqi's words that this 'Emperor Jingwu' was played by a later-generation actor, they still couldn't help but be curious.
When Emperor Jingming saw the image of 'Emperor Jingwu' on the Sky Canopy, his eyes showed a hint of disappointment.
From the costume of 'Emperor Jingwu' on the Sky Canopy, Emperor Jingming could not determine whether the emperor was male or female, because 'Emperor Jingwu' was wearing the same outfit as he was at that moment.
On the Sky Canopy, Emperor Jingwu wore a bright yellow, four-clawed dragon narrow-sleeved everyday robe and a black gauze winged good crown, with all her hair fixed under the hat.
This was one of the most common attires for Great Jing emperors throughout history. So, when the court officials saw the exquisite and handsome features of 'Emperor Jingwu' on the Sky Canopy, they didn't overthink it.
On the Sky Canopy, Emperor Jingwu's sudden appearance naturally caught the indignant scholars off guard. After a moment of shock, they knelt down and bowed in greeting.
Normally, at such a time, even if the emperor was dissatisfied with the scholars, to appease their anger and show goodwill, she should immediately order them to rise. But Emperor Jingwu did not do so. Instead, she quietly looked at them for a while.
Emperor Jingwu's deviation from the expected script obviously made the scholars kneeling on the ground feel fearful. Some even started sweating profusely on their foreheads.
The once noisy area outside the palace gate became so quiet that only the chirping of a few birds could be heard.
As time passed, more and more scholars showed fear on their faces. When their emotions had been high, they felt all their protests were completely justified. But now, cooled as if doused with cold water, their minds cleared, and they began to feel afraid.
At that moment, Emperor Jingwu finally spoke: "Alright, all of you stand up and speak. I imagine after kneeling for so long, your brains should be clear by now."
Noticing that one scholar still wore a resentful expression while standing up, Emperor Jingwu looked directly at him and said, "You seem unhappy. What is the matter?"
The blue-robed scholar clearly hadn't expected to be singled out by Emperor Jingwu while standing in the crowd. His face turned pale with fear.
He had dared to show his displeasure because he thought there was safety in numbers and that Emperor Jingwu wouldn't notice him. But now that he was singled out, he became terrified.
His voice trembling, he said, "Your Majesty, I... I dare not..."
"Do you know that lying to the emperor is a capital offense?" Emperor Jingwu coldly interrupted his attempt to make excuses.
With a thud, the blue-robed scholar's legs gave way, and he knelt back to the ground, frightened by Emperor Jingwu's words.
Below the Sky Canopy, in the Sheng family courtyard.
Seeing that Emperor Jingwu had stepped forward to protect Li Zeyuan, Sheng Jiahua and her children breathed a sigh of relief.
Li Yuecai couldn't help but look at her mother and complain, "With such a weak and incompetent character, it's only natural for him to fail the examination! It's a pity that the court doesn't allow women to take the exams. I'm sure I would achieve better results than him!"
Having been in business for many years, Sheng Jiahua had a good understanding of human nature. She taught her daughter and son, "Not all of those failed scholars truly believe there was a problem with the spring examination's results. But if given another legitimate chance to take the exam, many would certainly be tempted."
On the Sky Canopy, Emperor Jingwu looked down at the blue-robed scholar and said, "I'll give you one last chance. Tell me honestly what you were thinking just now, and I will pardon you."
The blue-robed scholar hesitated for a moment, then spoke in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I simply feel that this spring examination was unfair. All the successful candidates come from distinguished families."
"As far as I know, the top candidate of this spring examination, Song Changqing, comes from a poor family in Jiangnan. He grew up in poverty with his widowed mother. Is this what you call a distinguished family?"
Song Changqing, Jiangnan, widowed mother.
In the Song family's small courtyard, Song Changqing, who had been copying books by the light of the Sky Canopy for a bookstore, suddenly heard his name. He looked up in surprise and exchanged glances with his mother, who was busy with embroidery.
Song's mother said hesitantly, "Changqing, did they just mention you up there?"
She had been focused on her embroidery and hadn't paid much attention to the Sky Canopy. In her view, compared to those distant matters, her immediate task was to finish the wedding gown in her hands before the day after tomorrow. That way, she could get a slightly higher price from the cloth shop owner, and Song Changqing's tuition for further studies at the academy in spring would have some guarantee.
Facing his mother's question, Song Changqing was unsure. After all, he was only a scholar now. The title of top candidate in the metropolitan examination was something he, who was still worried about tuition fees, could hardly imagine.
Song Changqing said, "Mother, it might just be a coincidence of names."
Song's mother nodded lightly. "That's true. After all, there are many people in the world who look alike."
But although she agreed with her son, she still put down her embroidery and turned her gaze to the Sky Canopy.
On the Sky Canopy, after hearing Emperor Jingwu mention the top candidate Song Changqing, the blue-robed scholar's expression became awkward and uncomfortable.
The square-faced man who had taken the lead in the tavern was standing nearby. Sensing that the blue-robed scholar was no match for Emperor Jingwu, he quickly called out:
"Your Majesty, in our opinion, Song Changqing's position as top candidate is just a fig leaf chosen by Li Zeyuan and his ilk, fearing that the public would criticize them. They wanted to shut us up!"
From the earlier video played by Liu Sanqi, everyone already knew that the square-faced man had been secretly bribed by Yin Yi and Qi Wenyuan. Yin Yi had even promised to make him the new top candidate if he became the chief examiner.
Now, hearing the square-faced man question and deny Song Changqing's position, many simple commoners below the Sky Canopy were furious, cursing him as utterly shameless.
However, among the scholars gathered outside the palace gate on the Sky Canopy, many showed expressions of agreement with the square-faced man's words.
"What is your name?"
Hearing Emperor Jingwu's question, the square-faced man showed no fear. "Your Majesty, my name is Cui Jianming, from Hengcheng, Jinan Prefecture."
"I remember your exam paper."
Hearing this, a hint of pride appeared on Cui Jianming's face.
"Among all the scholars, your paper was the most flashy but lacking substance. It appeared ornate like flowers and clouds, but in reality, it was full of empty words, with no soul or backbone. It was no different from rotten cotton. Reading it was a waste of eyesight, and it had no merit whatsoever."
As Emperor Jingwu spoke, Cui Jianming's expression became increasingly ugly. He tried hard to hide his true feelings, but his face turned livid.
The other scholars present were also shocked by Emperor Jingwu's assessment, their eyes wide open.
Emperor Jingwu's evaluation of Cui Jianming was utterly ruthless, completely cutting off his future. If Cui Jianming couldn't overturn Emperor Jingwu's assessment today, his path in the imperial examinations would end here.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me for speaking bluntly, but your words are too harsh!"
Yin Yi, dressed in a blue python-patterned court robe, walked forward with a stern expression.
Seeing the appearance of Yin Yi, the 'virtuous prince,' some scholars immediately showed undisguised joy.
Under the gaze of the crowd, Yin Yi walked slowly to Emperor Jingwu. Looking her straight in the eye, he said loudly:
"Your Majesty, I know you have always valued Minister Li Zeyuan, which is why you appointed him as the chief examiner for this spring examination. But even if the results are now controversial, you should not ignore the facts to protect Li Zeyuan and insult Scholar Cui like this! This is unfair and disheartening!"
As soon as Yin Yi appeared, it was as if he carried an aura of a righteous envoy. He severely criticized Emperor Jingwu, portraying her as a fatuous ruler who perverted the law for personal gain.
From the expressions of the others present, Yin Yi's words clearly resonated with many.
[The examination case partly references real historical examination cases from various dynasties. The quoted poem is from 'Reflections on Reading, Part 1' by Zhu Xi of the Ming Dynasty.]