Chapter Twenty-Three: Methods of Cheating

Zhao Dezhao’s decision to invite his own uncle, He Huaipu, to take charge of guarding the examination hall once again caught Zhao Guangyi completely off guard. After his expression remained somber for a long while, Zhao Guangyi sneered and remarked, "Who would have thought he was so adept at utilizing people? He Huaipu may not be much of a military commander, but when it comes to this matter, he would sacrifice his very life to ensure his nephew’s provincial examination goes smoothly."

"It is, after all, He Huaipu's only choice," Chen Congxin chimed in, before hurriedly adding, "There is one more thing. The Prince has also successfully obtained an imperial decree from the Emperor to move the candidates' entry time from tomorrow night to tomorrow noon, specifically the Hour of the Sheep. However, the reason for his request to move the entry time forward remains unknown for now."

Zhao Guangyi was surprised once more, yet no matter how he racked his brain, he could not fathom the purpose behind his good-for-nothing nephew's actions. He could only grunt and say, "Leave him be. We shall remain unchanged to meet all changes. No matter how he stirs things up, we will focus solely on rooting out those candidates who are using impostors or smuggling in cheat sheets."

Chen Congxin agreed and then added, "Your Highness, in order to make amends, I have carefully analyzed the entire process of this provincial examination. I have discovered that there is significant room for maneuver in another often-overlooked link. If handled well, we can not only indirectly strike at the faction of Minister Zhao, but we also have the opportunity to sow discord between the Prince and Minister Zhao’s camp, providing us with a chance to exploit the situation in the future."

"Explain it to me in detail."

At Zhao Guangyi’s decisive command, Chen Congxin smiled craftily and whispered his plan. Zhao Guangyi was overjoyed upon hearing it and said, "A brilliant scheme. This opportunity must not be missed. Go and make the arrangements at once; we shall act according to plan."

Chen Congxin immediately acknowledged the order. Zhao Guangyi reached up to touch his injured forehead, his eyes glinting with malice as he muttered to himself, "My dear nephew, the contest between your uncle and you has only just begun. Do try your best; pray you don't lose too quickly."

Under the gaze of the masses, the day for the re-examination arrived quickly. On the morning of the twelfth day of the fifth month, Zhao Guangyi arrived early at the Qisheng Academy, accompanied by Chen Congxin and several Kaifeng Prefecture officials disguised as servants, ready to assist Zhao Kuangyin and his son in overseeing the provincial examination as a deputy.

As the official in charge of the examination, Zhao Dezhao had naturally arrived at the Qisheng Academy earlier with his confidants, including Liang Zhouhan. Upon hearing of Zhao Guangyi’s arrival, the "imposter" nephew Zhao Dezhao personally came to the main gate to welcome him, bowing respectfully as he ushered Zhao Guangyi into the examination hall.

By this time, thanks to the joint efforts of He Huaipu and his son, the Qisheng Academy was heavily guarded. There were sentries every three steps and patrols every five, with imperial soldiers stationed at various vantage points, overlooking the entire hall. The atmosphere was far more solemn and tense than it had been three days earlier under Zhao Guangyi’s supervision.

Sneering inwardly at his nephew’s fussiness, Zhao Guangyi laughed and said, "My dear nephew, is this an examination hall? Why does it feel like I have entered an army camp? One prepared for battle at any moment?"

"Replying to my uncle, a clumsy bird must start early," Zhao Dezhao replied straightforwardly. "As this is my first time taking on such a heavy responsibility and I lack experience, I must be as cautious and careful as possible to avoid delaying the court’s important affairs."

"Indeed, that is how it should be," Zhao Guangyi said with feigned praise and a sigh. "If I had been as cautious and careful as you, nephew, three days ago, such a farce would not have occurred."

During the exchange, an unexpected event occurred. The long, resonant cry of "The Emperor has arrived" echoed before the gates of Qisheng Academy. Both Zhao Dezhao and Zhao Guangyi were startled and hurriedly turned to welcome Zhao Kuangyin at the entrance. Meanwhile, Zhao Guangyi felt a sense of extreme vigilance, knowing full well that his brother was placing increasing importance on this good-for-nothing nephew, Zhao Dezhao.

Zhao Kuangyin appeared before them in plain clothes. Waving his hand to stop his brother and son from performing full courtesies, he stated, "I wanted to get out of the palace today, so I came to take a look. However, I will not interfere with the examination itself; the searching and screening of candidates remain under your charge, Dezhao."

Zhao Dezhao quickly complied. Zhao Kuangyin walked in with his hands behind his back and sat directly in the center of the main hall, waiting patiently to see his son's performance.

At this point, the other three deputy examiners—Yang Zhaojian, Wang Hu, and Wang Yisun—arrived at the hall. Upon seeing that Zhao Kuangyin had arrived in person, they immediately understood that the Emperor was there to observe his son. Consequently, none dared to steal the limelight, obediently following Zhao Dezhao’s commands and acting as mere background figures.

The Hour of the Sheep soon arrived. Following Zhao Dezhao’s direct order, thousands of candidates began to line up to enter. The imperial soldiers led by He Huaipu split into teams, opening ten entry channels to carefully inspect the candidates' belongings.

Seeing this, Zhao Guangyi and Chen Congxin were secretly delighted. Zhao Guangyi thought triumphantly, "My dear nephew, let your uncle’s crude soldiers search all they want. I want to see exactly what these uneducated brutes can actually find!"

"Seize him!"

To Zhao Guangyi’s surprise, only ten candidates had been searched when He Lingtu—Zhao Dezhao’s cousin, who was leading the search team—issued the order. A candidate was promptly dragged out in public. The soldier responsible for the search revealed a hollowed-out inkstone and a small book, shouting to Zhao Dezhao in the courtyard, "Reporting to the Prince, we have caught a candidate attempting to smuggle! He hid the book inside the inkstone!"

"Those brutes actually found it?!"

Zhao Guangyi and Chen Congxin were both stunned. They had never expected He Huaipu’s soldiers to discover a cheater so quickly. Zhao Kuangyin, meanwhile, waved his hand calmly. Wang Ji'en, who was serving nearby, understood the gesture and hurried forward to take the inkstone and book, presenting them to the Emperor for inspection.

After casually flipping through the inkstone, Zhao Kuangyin snorted, "Who would have thought these petty mice would rack their brains to such an extent just to cheat? Guangyi, when you conducted the search last time, did you find any similar cases?"

"This..."

Zhao Guangyi’s face fell. He couldn't help but regret that, in his desire to win over the scholars, he had not put more effort into preventing cheating. Even more caught off guard, Zhao Guangyi watched as another candidate was pushed out of the search area at the gate. The soldiers had torn his clothes, revealing a piece of white cloth covered in tiny characters, and shouted, "Reporting to the Prince! We caught someone with hidden layers in their clothing!"

Before the words had faded, He Lingtu personally dragged out another candidate, revealing a broken piece of pastry with a note hidden inside. "Prince, we caught another one! This time, the note was hidden inside the pastry!"

This time, it wasn't just Zhao Guangyi; even Zhao Kuangyin was visibly shocked. "So rampant? Hidden layers in clothes, notes in pastries—how could these petty mice come up with so many ways to cheat?"

What left Zhao Kuangyin even more dumbfounded was yet to come. As the search continued, more and more unbelievable methods of cheating were exposed on the spot: books hidden in hats, notes tucked into shoes, hollowed-out brushes and candle stands, and false bottoms in bamboo baskets. Some of these methods had never even been heard of by the experienced Kaifeng Prefecture officers.

"Can cheating methods deceive me? In terms of exam cheating, my techniques and experience are a thousand years ahead of you all!" This was Zhao Dezhao’s triumphant boast.

Furthermore, a short while later, He Huaipu and Zhao Dezhao approached Zhao Kuangyin together. He Huaipu presented a variety of cheat sheets, saying, "Reporting to the Emperor, these were all discarded quietly on the ground by candidates outside the hall. How shall we deal with them? Please, Your Majesty, give your instructions."

Never having dreamed that the imperial examination he valued so highly would be plagued by so many cheaters, Zhao Kuangyin’s expression was, naturally, extremely grim. Suppressing his anger, he asked Zhao Dezhao, "Dezhao, what is your opinion?"

"Replying to Father, I believe we should prioritize the dignity of the court. Perhaps we should turn a blind eye and give them a chance to turn over a new leaf," Zhao Dezhao immediately replied. "With the lesson of this examination, I trust future candidates will not dare to be so unscrupulous."

Since his own reputation was at stake, Zhao Kuangyin, despite his boiling rage, decided after much thought to show leniency. "My son is benevolent. In consideration of their willingness to repent, we shall not pursue those who quietly discarded their cheating materials."

"Father is wise."

Zhao Dezhao’s flattery did not improve Zhao Kuangyin’s mood. With a livid face, he turned his gaze toward Zhao Guangyi and sneered, "Guangyi, with the same batch of candidates, how is it that you did not discover any of these issues during the search you conducted?"

"How was I to know these candidates had so many ways to cheat? Many of these methods I have not only never seen, I haven't even heard of them!" Zhao Guangyi roared inwardly, but he was helpless. He could only bow respectfully and plead, "Brother, please forgive me. I was incompetent and gave these petty mice the opportunity to exploit the loopholes."

Zhao Kuangyin snorted heavily again. "Record these cheating methods in the archives and have the officials discuss how to prevent them in the future. If such a farce happens again in the next examination, I will surely punish the offenders without mercy!"

After Zhao Guangyi, Zhao Dezhao, and the others agreed, the efficiency of the entry search began to improve. Realizing that their previous cheating methods were now completely ineffective and fearing punishment, the candidates waiting in line quickly took action, doing everything possible to discard their cheat sheets. The imperial soldiers under He Huaipu and his son, following Zhao Dezhao’s orders, deliberately turned a blind eye at this moment, giving the candidates a chance to turn back from the brink, which also helped save face for Zhao Kuangyin.

When the Hour of the Monkey was halfway through, the last batch of candidates had been searched and entered the hall. With Zhao Kuangyin’s permission, Zhao Dezhao stood in the courtyard and announced loudly, "Candidates! Entrusted by my father, I am responsible for supervising this provincial examination. For the sake of fairness and to prevent the use of impostors, I have decided to hold a preliminary examination. Only those who pass this preliminary test may participate in the official provincial examination tomorrow morning."

Having never heard of a preliminary examination, the candidates already in the hall broke into an uproar. Zhao Guangyi secretly glanced at his brother’s expression and, seeing that Zhao Kuangyin was also full of astonishment, realized that the Emperor had been kept in the dark as well. He gathered his courage and advised, "Brother, isn't Dezhao being a bit inconsiderate? Since ancient times, there has never been a preliminary exam for provincial candidates. If we suddenly introduce this, will it affect the official examination?"

Zhao Kuangyin finally began to change his impression of his precious son. Although he was also puzzled as to why Zhao Dezhao had come up with such a ploy, he hesitated for a moment before deciding to give his son a chance. "It is no matter. Let us see how he conducts this preliminary test."

By this time, Zhao Dezhao had already ordered the candidates to cease their clamor and announced loudly, "Listen clearly! My preliminary test questions today are: your name and place of origin, the name of the examiner who passed you in the prefecture examination, and the first three sentences of the essay you submitted at that time!"

The vast examination hall suddenly became deathly quiet, with only Zhao Dezhao’s voice echoing within. He continued loudly, "Finally, you must use red ink to press your thumbprint on the answer sheet for future verification."

Suddenly realizing Zhao Dezhao’s true intention, Zhao Guangyi’s face turned pale. He thought to himself, "Disaster! Why didn't I think of this screening method before? Now the limelight is going to be stolen by this brat once again."

As a founding emperor, Zhao Kuangyin naturally understood his son’s purpose immediately. He couldn't help but reveal a slight smile, praising, "Not bad. I never thought my son had such ability to devise a method to prevent the use of impostors."

Meanwhile, some candidates in the hall had changed color, their hearts racing as they quietly lamented, knowing they were now trapped with no escape.

Fortunately, Zhao Dezhao once again gave these candidates a chance to reform. He announced loudly, "Listen clearly! If any candidate is feeling unwell, or feels they lack confidence in this subject, you may abandon the preliminary examination now, leave the hall, go home to rest, and wait to take the exam next time! Your names will not be recorded, and you will not be held accountable!"

After a pause, Zhao Dezhao added, "However, if anyone fails the preliminary test or if their thumbprint does not match upon later verification, then they can look forward to being exiled to the remote, harsh military districts! The Zunyi Army welcomes you; the mountains there are high, the forests are dense, and the population is sparse—it is the perfect place for warriors who enjoy catching venomous snakes and fighting tigers!"

Zhao Kuangyin finally could not help but laugh out loud. He decided to join in and spoke loudly, "Did you all hear my son clearly? If you turn back now, you still have a chance. If you remain obsessed and refuse to repent, my horse farms in the Northwest are currently in need of soldiers to feed the horses and shovel manure!"

The combined intimidation of the Zhao father and son worked. After hesitating for a moment, a candidate who had already sat down at his desk stood up and gathered his courage. "Prince, this student suddenly feels very unwell. I wish to return home to rest and wait for the next examination. I beg for your grace."

"Go," Zhao Dezhao said with a wave of his hand, adding, "There is no need to record his name or origin. He will still be given the opportunity to take the exam next time."

The candidate was overjoyed, bowing and scraping to thank Zhao Dezhao before gathering his belongings and leaving the hall. With someone taking the lead, two more candidates stood up, pretending to be unwell and requesting to abandon the exam, all of which were immediately granted by Zhao Dezhao.

Seeing this, Zhao Kuangyin nodded slightly, satisfied that his son had both tightened the discipline of the examination hall and preserved the dignity of the court. Zhao Guangyi, however, could not help but close his eyes, feeling a sense of agony as he thought, "There is no help for it. This unfilial nephew is destined to be my greatest threat!"