Transmigrating to the Ming Dynasty’s Imperial Examination

bar the way.
Among them, a sergeant donning a large crimson cloak and a six-petaled felt cap shouted loudly to ask: “Is there a candidate Cui Xie from Qian’an here? If so, please come with us, our da-ren has some questions to ask you.”

Several of the students turned their heads to look at each other.
Cui Xie’s heart skipped a beat.
He didn’t know what had happened when all he had been doing was obediently and taking the examinations— could it be that those parents of his had done something wrong, and he was forbidden from taking the Imperial examinations in the future?

In a split second, a gushing river of messy and ruinous thoughts flooded his mind, and it seemed as if the coldness in his body weighed even heavier.
He stood up and replied, “This student is Cui Xie.
I wonder which da-ren is looking for this student?”

That soldier’s expression was not very stern, but rather it was as if he had already heard of Cui Xie’s well-known reputation for a long time and was deeply moved after finally seeing the real person.
The sergeant sighed, “So you are Cui Xie.
Come with us.
Our Colonel and Imperial Censor Liu da-ren request your audience.”

The students who had left the gates with him immediately scattered and put ten feet between themselves and Cui Xie.
The stream of people who had blocked up the road in front automatically parted and it seemed as if Cui Xie was walking on a red carpet.
Treading on the absolutely empty road, he went up to that sergeant’s side and asked in a soft voice: “But just where are we heading to? Just which Colonel is it that the da-ren mentioned earlier?”

As he walked, the sergeant replied in a low voice, “Of course it is our Colonel Xie.
Could it be that you know any other Colonels? Imperial Censor Liu da-ren is waiting at the yamen and wants to ask you a few questions.
You will know what is happening once you get there, let us hurry up.”

So it turned out to be Colonel Xie, then Cui Xie could rest assured…..
Wait, wait, Jinyiwei! An Imperial Censor took the Jinyiwei with him to handle a case in the countryside, just what sort of crime had the Cui Residence committed? To the point that even his child banished to the countryside had to have a Jinyiwei Colonel personally investigate him?

While his thoughts were churning into a mess, he was hurriedly pushed into a small palanquin and carried towards the yamen.
The government office and the temple were established on the same street.
The temple was in the north while the yamen was located in the south.
They were only separated by about half a street’s distance.
It only took a few steps before the palanquin chair was carried to the doors of the yamen.
That Jinyiwei who had shown the way asked him to come down and led him through the smaller gate, towards the Second Hall.

Inside the hall, there were two officials seated inside, both dressed in black muslin government robes.
However, one had blue accents while the other had green accents.
On the left hand side, the embroidered plaque of mandarin ducks on the black robes indicated that the wearer was a 7th-rank official, which should be Imperial Censor Liu; on the right hand side….there was no need to look at the embroidered mandarin plaque, just by looking at the other’s face, Cui Xie knew that it was a Jinyiwei Colonel of the fifth-rank.
Sitting below Xie Ying, there was an official dressed in the same color robes as him, but his embroidered square contained a silver pheasant, and was a fifth-ranked tongzhi[3].

Although Cui Xie knew that Colonel Xie’s role here was to search houses, confiscate possessions and cause some difficulties,  after seeing the other’s face, Cui Xie felt an indescribable sense of security.
The mind and heart that had turned rushed and muddled on his trip here firmly settled down.
Cui Xie walked to the center of the hall, and with a stable and firm posture, he cupped his hands and greeted: “Qian’an County’s Confucian scholar, Cui Xie, greets the two da-ren.”

Cui Xie’s height had indeed grown, but the person had also thinned.

The first time Xie Ying had met Cui Xie, it was when the other was injured, and while Cui Xie had been ill, his face had still contained some traces of baby fat and because he had a fever during that time, his two cheeks were flushed, but it had complemented his complexion and seemed harmonious.
But this time, Cui Xie had just exited the examination room, and his entire figure seemed to emulate a sense of exhaustion and haggardness.
One didn’t know if his complexion was the result of being in the cold for too long or from exhaustion, it was pale to the point that it almost had a few tinges of green.

But Cui Xie’s figure was more slender, tall and straight than before.
Wearing layer upon layers of jade-colored robes, it was as if there was a jade plant that had been planted inside the hall, its soft glow illuminating the hall a little bit.
His face had become thinner and his chin had become more pointed, but it was not the kind where it was morbid or sunken in.
Rather, it was like a thread of heroic spirit had sprouted out of the cuteness of a child.
Only that pair of eyes had not changed too much.
The outer corners of the eye were slightly raised and when the other lowered his gaze, the eyes appeared gentle, delicate and pretty.
But as soon as he lifted his gaze, it revealed a scorching brilliance.

Xie Ying had come with the purpose of investigating the other, not to see the other give his greetings.
When he saw Cui Xie bowing, he said, “No need to be so polite.
Liu da-ren, Zhang tongzhi and I are not people who pay particular attention to such etiquette.
You are not a criminal, no need to stay standing and sit in the seat next to Zhang da-ren.”

Liu da-ren gave Cui Xie a glance.
Acting as if he hadn’t noticed anything, holding a teacup, he ordered, “Give Young Master Cui a cup of tea.
The Holy command did not say we had to seize and interrogate him.
As such, he should be given the respect deserving that of an official’s son and a candidate of the prefectural examinations.”

There had even been an Imperial decree? But if it wasn’t to arrest him, then he would be a witness? Could it be that the White Lotus Society was making trouble again…..

With Cui Xie’s barren experience and poor imagination, he could only think up to this point.
Besides, as long as they weren’t here to arrest him, then it was good.
He walked over to sit beside the tongzhi, Zhang Gui, but didn’t sit down immediately and bowed respectfully: “I do not know what the da-rens are going to ask, but Cui Xie will explain everything I know without reservations.”

Liu Zan was actually quite fond of Cui Xie’s face, but was afraid that the others’ ethics and ability would not live up to that face.
He hated that he could not just test Cui Xie on the spot and confirm to see if the three examination papers had been really written by him.
Or is it that the other had predicted the topics ahead of time and had someone ghostwrite on his behalf?

But, he was the Imperial Censor ordered to investigate the case.
If he wanted to ask, then he would have to endure it until the case was resolved.
Consequently, he didn’t wait for Cui Xie to sit down and take a sip of tea before directly asking, “The Qian’an library located behind this street, it was originally your family’s property? Did you really donate it to Qian’an County?”

It wasn’t about the White Lotus Society? Rather, it was about the library?

Cui Xie had been momentarily stunned and this appearance had landed in the eyes of Imperial Censor Liu.
He suspected that Cui Xie had not even known of this donation in the first place.
He slightly rose and looked at Cui Xie and warmly coaxed, “Just tell us the truth.
This official and Colonel Xie are both here on the Emperor’s orders.
No matter what grievances there are, we can call the shots for you.”

Xie Ying also smiled and added, “Liu da-ren is right.
If you have any injustices, please say it here.
The Son of Heaven’s enlightened grace illuminates us even thousands of miles away.
As a person who carries the responsibility of Imperial benevolence,  is it possible that we would tolerate those treacherous persons and allow such schemes to harm good people?”
Cui Xie came back to his senses and hurriedly took a step forward, looked at the two Imperial envoys and resolutely said, “That library’s courtyard was donated to the county on my own initiative and I have never been wronged.
For the two da-ren to come here to ask about this matter, could it be that I was not allowed to donate such a property?”

Footnotes:

Linsheng (廩生, lit.
“granary student”), the first class of shengyuan, who were the best performers in the college exam, and got to receive government-issued rations and pay for their academic achievements.
The top performers within this class would get accepted into the Imperial Academy as gongsheng (貢生, lit.
“tribute student”), who will then be eligible to sit the provincial or even the national exam directly. Jieyuan: first placed candidate in provincial examinations; Huiyuan: provincial imperial examination graduate who ranked 1st in metropolitan examination; All three yuan: to rank first in the imperial examinations at the provincial capital, the national capital and the palace successively; Eighteen Scholars of the Tang Dynasty: renowned group of advisors who had served Tang Emperor Taizong before he assumed the throne.
The scholars each pursue various cultivated pursuits, like chess, calligraphy, warfare and painting.
They are a group of famous ministers and scholars in ancient China. Tongzhi: otherwise known as Vice-Commissioners (rank 2b) of the five Branch Regional Military Commissions under the bigger institution of the Five Chief Military Commissions that supervised professional military affairs with the Ministry of War.