Hao Cheng put down the pen in his hand and watched these people coming over as if they were doing a routine inspection.
Logically speaking, the exam was checked so strictly that she really couldn't imagine how these people could cheat.
Even if there was, it must be extremely clever, or it must have been arranged through arrangements. How could it be suddenly reported and investigated
When a successful report like this leads to a large-scale mobilization, there must be evidence. In that case, it would be enough to target one examination room or a certain candidate. Why search all of them
There are doubts in everything these people say, but looking at their official uniforms and the invigilator's reactions, there is no doubt about their identities.
After everyone had been checked one by one, Fang Yu, who was in front of Hao Cheng, was also safe and sound. When it was Hao Cheng's turn, the people who checked were particularly careful.
Although she had no guilty conscience, she was still very nervous because of this person. After the inspection, there was no problem, so Hao Cheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief. But the inspector still stayed where she was and did not leave.
Hao Cheng's heart began to hang in the air. At this moment, a man came over and suddenly took the pen on Fang Yu's desk. He unscrewed it in front of everyone, and then pulled out a roll of thin paper with densely written words on it.
Hao Cheng's angle was just right for him to catch a glimpse of the content above, which were all objective questions, the kind that required reciting poems.
Fang Yu's blood rushed to her brain, and her fair and pretty face turned red. She argued: "That was not the note I put in there!"
Looking at her expression, Hao Cheng believed her words 80%, but the other candidates were skeptical.
The inspector had a cold face and said, "This thing was found from you, so it's definitely not you who hid it, who else could it be?"
Someone in the same examination room shouted a few words: "That's right, you must have hidden it. You are a lowly person in the Fang family, but I didn't expect you to be such a scum. My Lord, you must punish him severely and don't let this person tarnish the innocence of the scholars!"
Hao Cheng felt the voice sounded familiar and turned around to look. It was indeed the scholar who had spoken to her before and whose words were full of contempt.
Fang Yu was wronged, veins bulged on her forehead, and she looked like a beast devouring people in anger. She looked terrifying at this moment, but in Hao Cheng's opinion, the scholar's face was distorted by his pride, which was even more hideous and terrifying.
Just as she and other students were attracted by the chaotic scene, the official who was standing beside her desk and refused to leave took the opportunity to raise his sleeve and gently brushed her desk.
Taking advantage of Hao Cheng's distraction, she switched the pen on her desk with the identical pen in her sleeve in just a moment.
When Hao Cheng came back to her senses, she also pretended to say, "Since Mr. Fang thinks we are framing him, then please unscrew your pens and let us see if there is any note inside!"
The scholars were still afraid of power, so they tried to unscrew the pen tremblingly. One of them was brave enough to say, "We can't unscrew this pen."
After the first sound, there were the second and third. It is natural that the brush cannot be twisted open. Who would make a brush hollow and twistable for no reason? Only those who want to cheat would do so.
If the pen is normal, then she is innocent. Fang Yu's face, which had turned red with anger, suddenly turned pale, even with a hint of despair.
She knew without even thinking that this was a trap set against her. And the people who set this trap to ruin her reputation were none other than those people in her family.
She said that the Fang family had suddenly treated her well during this period. She originally thought that the other party had a change of heart, but she didn't expect that they had set up a trap to wait for her.
Fang Yu's teeth were chattering, and Hao Cheng reached out to pick up the pen on the table. The woman standing next to her didn't dare to breathe, her triangular eyes staring closely at the movements of her hands.
Hao Cheng felt uncomfortable being stared at, and looked at the woman strangely. The latter said impatiently: "Hurry up!"
She just held the tip of the pen and tried to twist it gently, imitating the movements of others. Without using too much force, she felt the pen loosen. She suddenly stood up with the pen in her hand and said, "I have something to report to you, my pen has been replaced by someone else!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the woman standing next to her hurriedly said, "Where did you get a replacement pen? Could it be that your pen is the same as Fang Yu's? You made up this excuse temporarily to get away with it."
After saying that, she snatched the pen from Hao Cheng's hand, and then successfully unscrewed the pen in front of everyone, and of course, she also shook out a white slip of paper covered with small words.
There was an uproar on the spot, and the woman who was checking suddenly raised her voice a little: "Let me tell you, you are indeed an accomplice, what else do you have to say now?"
If this kind of thing happened to someone else, they would probably be extremely panicked, and their momentum would be suppressed all the way, and that would be the end of them.
Hao Cheng was originally very nervous, but she calmed down when she really encountered the problem: "Didn't I just tell you that this pen is not mine? We don't have the opportunity to bring the pen in. If someone replaced this pen, only you and a few other adults can bring pens into the examination room. Can you let the students see what you have hidden in your sleeve?"
She was certain that her pen would never unscrew. This was due to her habit of playing with pens when writing. The pen she just handled had a tiny crack, but the original pen was completely intact.
Although the other party's work was indeed very careful, with the ink on the brush not even dry yet, and the ink used was from here, that brush could definitely not be hers.
If this person had changed, the pen must have been hidden on her body. Perhaps it was the first time she had done this, and she was not very skilled, with some ink on the edge of her sleeve, so the replaced pen must have been hidden on her body.
Hao Cheng's eyes moved to the examiner in charge of the exam, and he directly dragged the examiner into the water: "This pen was issued by the examiner. I have never taken it. The previous inspection was also done according to the rules. If there is any cheating method, the examiner must have known it in advance and specially issued the pen to me. You mean, the examiner and I cheated
If she was weak at this time, she would be accused of favoritism and corruption!
The State of Jin was extremely strict against cheating in the imperial examinations. Once someone was found to have cheated, they would never have a chance to pursue a career in officialdom again.
Unless the verdict is overturned later, there have been few cases of favoritism and fraud in history where people have been wronged and redressed. Hao Cheng, who is powerless in the eyes of others, has even less hope.
Even if there was, it seemed that it would be more than ten years later, by which time the opportunity had faded, and the originally wronged candidate was tortured both physically and mentally, and his future was almost ruined. Even if the case was reversed, no one could make up for the damage and loss.
When Hao Cheng said this, Fang Yu's eyes lit up instantly. She reached out and snatched the pen that accused her of cheating, then drew an arc on it. Her eyes, which were as bright as stars, dimmed again in an instant - unlike Hao Cheng's, her pen was indeed the original one.
The people who targeted her had planned carefully, but Hao Cheng's was just a spur-of-the-moment plan, so naturally there were many mistakes and omissions. After being caught with such a mistake, the man with triangular eyes who originally wanted to slander Hao Cheng was sweating on his face.
Several people looked at the invigilator and said, "Candidate Fang Yu cheated in the exam room, so he must be taken away. However, although there are doubts about Hao Cheng's matter, there is no evidence to prove that you did not cheat. Take him away for interrogation together."
Hao Cheng was not a martial arts hero, so she had to survive in this society as a good citizen. Under the powerful regime, she was naturally imprisoned with Fang Yu and locked in the same cell.
The prison cell in Jin State was similar to what Hao Cheng had seen in TV dramas in his previous life. It was dark and damp, with only some straw spread in the corner as a bed. There was a small skylight in the wall, and mice occasionally ran through it.
When Hao Cheng lowered her head, she saw a mouse covered with long brown hair standing at her feet. It stood upright, holding a small piece of rotten apple covered with green hair in its two fat front paws.
Seeing Hao Cheng looking at him, the rat in the cell rolled its small black eyes around, not afraid of people at all.
Hao Cheng and Hao Zi were staring at each other. Fang Yu took two steps over and comforted Hao Cheng as if he was just chatting with him: "Your cheating case was full of mistakes and omissions. The people who framed you didn't really want to ruin you. I believe you will be able to walk out with a clean slate soon."
Hao Cheng shook his head: "If she confessed under torture, that's not certain." There were obviously so many suspicious points just now, but those people didn't listen to her arguments at all and insisted on bringing her in. It was obvious that they had colluded.
But there was no point in being desperate, so she asked Fang Yu: "From your expression, it's obvious that you know who is plotting against you. Can you tell me? If I'm lucky enough to get out, maybe I can help you."
Fang Yu's face showed resentment again: "It's my biological father, and maybe my mother too."
She refused to reveal any other information, probably because it was another unresolved family debt.
At this time, the jailer knocked on the cell door and brought in the food for the two people: "It's time to eat!"
The meal was for the examinees, two dishes and a soup, and it looked quite rich. Hao Cheng really had no appetite, so he put his own meal in front of the rat.
The fat rat finally put down the apple in its hand, turned around, smelling the delicious food, and then picked up a piece of brightly colored fat meat.
Hao Cheng turned her head and observed the situation outside through the cell door. When she turned around, her face turned pale instantly. The mouse that was alive and kicking before now fell to the ground with foam at the mouth!