Chương 542: Cheating

Liu Ce smiled slightly.

Famous scholars? He's seen plenty of them.

The key is whether or not one can get things done.

Then, when Liu Ce and the others reached the third row of the liberal arts exam room, Liu Ce stopped.

Sitting in the examination room was a young gentleman dressed in a brocade scholar's robe. He had a fair complexion and delicate fingers, and was clearly a scion of a noble family who had never done manual labor.

He appeared to be answering questions with his head down, but his right hand was hidden under the table the whole time. His eyes would occasionally dart towards the door, and a hint of smugness played on his lips.

That look in his eyes was like that of a cat that had stolen a fish.

Lu Bing followed Liu Ce's gaze, his eyes suddenly turning cold.

He didn't alert anyone, but simply gave a wink to a Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) inspector not far away.

The Imperial Guard understood immediately and walked over without making a sound.

"This candidate, please raise your head."

The young man in the brocade robe froze, abruptly raising his head, a flicker of panic crossing his face: "M-Sir, what's wrong?"

"Take your right hand out." The Imperial Guard's voice was devoid of any warmth.

The young man in the brocade robe turned deathly pale instantly. He clenched his right hand tightly, refusing to let go, until his knuckles turned white.

"Take it out!"

The Imperial Guard stepped forward and grabbed his wrist.

With a "whoosh," a stack of slips of paper covered in tiny writing fell out of his sleeve and scattered on the ground.

The book is densely covered with classic quotes from the Analects of Confucius, Mencius, etc., the characters are so small they look like ants, and you can't see them unless you look closely.

There were even several pre-prepared outlines of current affairs policies, with answers already written out.

The commotion drew the attention of the examinees in the surrounding rooms, who peeked out with expressions of shock on their faces.

"fraud!"

"How dare they cheat on the imperial examination! They're incredibly audacious!"

The young man in the brocade robe's legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly. His forehead struck the gold bricks with a resounding thud.

"My lord, spare me! My lord, spare me! I am from the Yang family of Hongnong. My uncle is an official of the imperial court. Please, have mercy on me this time! I'll give you money, lots of money!"

"The Yang family of Hongnong?" Lu Bing walked over, looking down at him with a cold smile.

"His Majesty has decreed that everyone is equal before the imperial examinations. Even members of the imperial family will be severely punished for cheating! Don't think that just because you're from the Yang family..."

He waved his hand: "Guards! Drag this man out, disqualify him from the exam, and ban him from taking it again for life! Confiscate his cheating materials and post them outside the exam hall as a warning to others!"

Two Imperial Guards immediately stepped forward, lifted the slumped young man in brocade robes, and dragged him away.

His cries and pleas for mercy echoed in the silent examination hall, sending chills down the spines of all the candidates.

"No! I won't do it again! I'll never do it again! Please..."

The sound grew farther and farther away, fainter and fainter, until it finally disappeared.

Liu Ce stared at the note on the ground, his face so dark it seemed to drip water.

He crouched down, picked up a piece of paper, glanced at the words on it, and sneered, "It's copied quite neatly, but unfortunately, it's used in the wrong place."

He stood up and said coldly, "I have given everyone a fair chance to compete, but some people still choose to take crooked paths."

Wenfu, increase manpower and thoroughly investigate all examination rooms. Anyone found cheating will be severely punished according to the law, without exception! I want everyone to know that the imperial examination is not a game, and no one can afford the consequences of cheating.

"Your subject obeys the decree!" Lu Bing bowed and accepted the order, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

Then, Liu Ce said to Xun Yu, "When we get back, tell Yang Biao about this and see what he does. He has to give an explanation for his own clansmen cheating."

Xun Yu replied, "Yes."

Liu Ce walked to the engineering exam hall and saw Ma Ping.

Ma Ping was hunched over the table, intently drawing blueprints.

His face was smeared with ink, making it look black, and his hair was a bit messy, with ink stains all over his clothes.

However, his eyes sparkled with excitement, like two stars.

He was completely absorbed in his own world, a smile playing on his lips, as if he were talking to the blueprints.

Liu Ce stood outside the window and watched for a long time.

He saw the blueprints drawn by Ma Ping; they were ingeniously structured and rationally designed, and in many ways, they were even better than those drawn by the craftsmen of the Ministry of Works.

Those lines, those markings—every detail has been considered.

This person's skills are absolutely top-notch.

"This man is a real talent," Liu Ce exclaimed.

"The Ministry of Works is in dire need of such skilled craftsmen. Look at his drawings; they're even more detailed than the blueprints in our Ministry of Works."

Liu Ce then went to the agricultural science examination site and saw Li Erniu.

Li Erniu was writing carefully, his head down.

His handwriting was ugly, crooked and twisted, like a crab crawling.

But he was very serious, writing each stroke with great force, as if he were carving it with a knife.

Liu Ce picked up the model of a farm tool that he had placed beside him, examined it carefully, and looked at it over and over again.

Although this model is simple and made of ordinary wood, it is ingeniously designed and can greatly improve the efficiency of farming.

Some of the structures were ones that even Liu Ce had never seen before.

"Great!" Liu Ce said with satisfaction.

"With such talent, how can we worry about the people not having enough to eat? Being good at farming is also a skill."

Liu Ce then went to the medical examination hall and saw Hua Ling.

Hua Ling was sitting in the examination room, quietly looking out the window.

Her expression was calm and composed, with a slight smile on her lips, like a quiet flower.

"Is she Hua Tuo's daughter?" Liu Ce asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Lu Bing replied.

"I've heard that her medical skills are entirely inherited from Hua Tuo. Hua Tuo said that his daughter is even more skilled than he was in his youth."

Liu Ce nodded and said, "Women are just as capable as men. Gender equality is not just a saying. Medical skills are not limited by gender; a good doctor is one who can cure diseases and save lives."

Liu Ce walked around the examination hall and saw all sorts of candidates.

They come from different places, have different backgrounds, and possess different skills.

However, their faces all showed a longing for the future.

Liu Ce felt a surge of satisfaction.

He knew that the imperial examination system he promoted was correct.

It gives all talented people in the world a fair chance to compete.

It will select countless pillars of talent for the Han Dynasty.

It will usher in an unprecedented golden age.

...

On the afternoon of the third day, the bell rang to signal the end of the paperwork.

"Thump—thump—thump—" The candidates put down their pens and walked out of the examination room one by one.

Some of them wore relaxed smiles, some looked regretful, and some were completely bewildered, as if they were dreaming.

"Finally, the exams are over!"

"No matter how I did on the exam, at least I made it through!"

"I'm going to have a proper meal! I've been eating dry rations for three days straight, and my mouth is practically boiling with boredom!"

The examiners began collecting the papers.

Each exam paper was carefully checked for the name and examination number.

Then, a designated person collects the exam papers, puts them into a sealed box, affixes a seal, and stamps it with an official seal.

Just then, Lu Bing led a group of Imperial Guards over.

The Imperial Guards were fully armed, with embroidered spring knives at their waists and black cloaks draped over their shoulders, looking imposing and awe-inspiring.