Chapter 2 Strange Case 1: The Injustice Case of Hongwu Dingchou Examination

In the late spring of the 30th year of Emperor Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty (AD 1397), in the city of Nanjing, a place of prosperity in the Six Dynasties, the willows are green and the flowers are red, singing and swallows are dancing.From the Qinhuai River down, tourists are like weaving, and the string songs move the ground. Standing on the restaurant on the north bank, looking around, you can see a clear stream, meandering eastward, with ten miles of spring flowers competing for beauty. It is really an intoxicating spring. In the past, in the restaurants on both sides of the Qinhuai River, literati gathered, singing poems and chanting, which made the restaurants overwhelmed.But today, people seem to have lost interest in restaurants, no matter those who take boats, sedan chairs, or walk, they all rush to Gongyuan Street on the north bank of the river.It turns out that today is the fifth day of March, the ninth imperial examination since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, and the results will be released before the application time.

According to the regulations of the imperial examination system in the Ming Dynasty, the general examination was held only once every three years. Those who participated in the examination were selected from the provincial examinations.Once selected in the palace examination, they will be awarded the title of Jinshi. Those with good grades will enter the Imperial Academy, and those with poor grades will be sent to various places to serve as officials above the county magistrate.Therefore, the examination is the most anticipated event in the world.The applicants from various provinces, after three years of painstaking planning, are full of fantasies about their future, and they are all eagerly looking forward to the day when the list will be released.Today is about to release the list, how can it not be exciting.I saw those examinees, some of them were burning with enthusiasm, striding towards the tribute courtyard, some with reserved faces, pacing and walking slowly, but their eyes were staring straight ahead, as if there was an invisible thorn The hook seemed to be hooked around his head and neck.The children of the rich family are accompanied by brocade clothes and ladder gowns, while the poor are disheveled. They go on the road alone or together, and they all have a little rabbit in their hearts, "boom boom" jumping around, hope-fantasy-worry ——fear intertwined, just waiting for that yellow list to determine their own fate.

The Gongyuan is on the north bank of the Qinhuai River, next to the Confucius Temple built in the first year of Jinghu in the Northern Song Dynasty (1034).It is still early now, and the wooden fence at the gate of the Gongyuan is tightly closed. From the Mingyuan Building inside, there are bursts of gongs from time to time, telling people that the selected yellow list has been used and the big seal is waiting for the final proofreading by the chief examiner. One click and it's ready to post.In front of the gate, there were already crowds of people looking at the list. Those who arrived first chose the best place to stand still, while the people behind kept coming, making the people in front unable to stand still, so they had to move forward. The soldier in charge of the guard, with a stern face and a straight sword, drove back the people who came up.The crowd was bustling with people complaining, cursing, persuading, and guessing the results of the exam. No matter how much the suppressed soldiers yelled, they couldn't calm down.

At Chensi time, the gate of the tribute courtyard was wide open, and the officials of the supervision field held the rhubarb list, and the field guards surrounded the small officials who posted the list, and walked out of the gate.All of a sudden, firecrackers were fired, and the yellow list with the list of candidates was hung high in front of the gate.All of a sudden, the disciples rushed forward, with tens of thousands of heads and tens of thousands of eyes, looking for the yellow list, nervous and anxious faces, looking for their names on the list.A total of fifty-two tribute scholars were selected for this test, and the list is clear, with red letters on yellow paper, and it is clear at a glance.I saw that the pilots were ecstatic and the losers were downcast.There are also those who are not reconciled, for fear of missing their own names, repeating the names of the pilot candidates in front of the list.It was almost noon, and some frustrated people had already left, but there were still many candidates gathered in front of the list to comment on the knowledge and character of the pilot candidates.Suddenly, a failed candidate seemed to have discovered a loophole in the list, and shouted to himself: "It's strange, strange, the fifty-two tributes are all from the south. Could it be that there isn't even a single one from the north who is qualified? His shout attracted everyone's attention. After a closer look, the list was arranged from the first down, "Song Cong, Chen Tan..." until the last Liu Zixin, they were indeed all southerners.At this time, someone shouted: "The chief examiner Liu Sanwu is from Chaling, the deputy chief examiner Bai Xinwu and the examiners in each room are also from the south. They use their hometown feelings to suppress the northern talents. It is unacceptable." This cry does not matter, Those who were already disappointed were like inflated balls, stomping their feet and jumping around, calling their parents and mothers, and the crowd was in an uproar.Many candidates from the north, who had had great hopes, shouted together and threw mud balls and stones at the yellow list. In just a moment, the high-hanging yellow list was completely smeared with mud balls.The candidates became more and more noisy, and simply surrounded them in groups. They came from the tribute courtyard to the yamen of the Ministry of Rites, declaring that they would meet the examiners and ask the truth.Officials from the Ministry of Rituals hastily summoned the Jinyi Guards to suppress them, but the crowd was full of words and anger, and there was no way to suppress them. In less than two hours, the city of Nanjing was already covered with posters, accusing the examiners of choosing candidates for selfishness. The discussion is all about taking all the southerners in this meeting, and it is a public opinion that cannot be tolerated by heaven.When the officials of the Ministry of Rituals saw that the matter was getting serious, they did not dare to hide it, and hurriedly wrote down the opinions of the disciples in a memorial book and reported it to the case of Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang.

Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang had a habit of reviewing some urgent official documents sent in the morning after lunch.The weather is a bit hot today, so he specially ordered to read the book in Fengxian Hall.The eunuch, the supervisor of ceremonies, has placed a thick stack of memorials on Long's desk.In order to prevent the hot wind from outside the palace from blowing in, several court ladies gently closed the gate of Fengtian Palace, wisps of sunlight slanted in through the window lattice, and sprinkled mottled gold on the ground made of oil-soaked mud bricks. point.Because the hall is tall, there is no heat in the house.Standing high on the throne, Zhu Yuanzhang picked up the memorials one after another, with a pen as fast as flying, and approved while watching. After a while, more than half of the set of memorials had been approved by Zhu.At this moment, he raised his head from the pile of files, breathed a sigh of relief, and gently combed his well-maintained beard with his hands.Long ago, a court lady brought a cup of Lushan Yunwu Fragrant Tea and put it gently on the desk.The faint fragrance of tea seemed to have dispelled Zhu Yuanzhang's tiredness, and he reached out for another memorial and read it carefully.Watching and watching, his brows gradually wrinkled, and an angry look rose from his broad face, and finally he ruthlessly threw the memorial on the dragon case.

The emperor was suddenly furious, frightening the eunuchs who were waiting on the sidelines and the maid standing behind the emperor playing fans.They knelt on the ground together, and said in a low voice: "Long live, calm down." Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at the kneeling people, as if realizing his impulsiveness, he waved his hand and said, "Everyone, go out." The waiters were eager for the emperor's order, kowtowed in unison, and tiptoed out of the hall. Tranquility returned to the hall, Zhu Yuanzhang suppressed his emotions as much as possible, and turned his attention to the memorial that was thrown.That's exactly how the Ministry of Etiquette declared for the undergraduate examination to cause trouble.Zhu Yuanzhang would never have thought that under the emperor's chariot, there would be mistakes in the dignified court test.Ever since he raised troops in Huaixi, Zhu Yuanzhang paid the most attention to recruiting intellectuals. His founding heroes Liu Bowen, Li Shanchang, Song Lian and others were all famous literati for a while.It is precisely because of the assistance of these people that the Ming Dynasty was able to wipe out the heroes, expel the Yuan captives, and unify the world.Therefore, after establishing the capital in Nanjing, he immediately improved the system of opening subjects and taking examinations, and soon discovered a group of talents.Therefore, he regards the selection of talents through trials as an important way to select talents for governing the country, and especially emphasizes that the chief examiners must be honest and fair, and there must be no trace of fraud.Today, a list of gongshi will be tested, but all of them are occupied by southerners, which obviously has disadvantages.However, the shortcomings in the examination room will affect the mood of scholars all over the country, which is obviously not good for the consolidation of the Ming Dynasty. This is why Zhu Yuanzhang is furious.However, after all, Zhu Yuanzhang is an emperor who has been in power for more than 30 years, and he was not impulsive under his anger. He thought about it carefully for a while, and criticized in the memorial: "The southerners all occupy the yellow list, and the members of the public are excited. Officials of the Ministry of Rites Read the test paper again and report."This instruction is still very objective, but it also implicitly expresses that all candidates from the north should not be excluded.After commenting on this memorial.Zhu Yuanzhang made an exception and ordered the servants to send the edict to the Ministry of Rites quickly. He knew that troubles caused by the disciples were not easy to deal with.

Liu Sanwu, a scholar of the Imperial Academy and chief examiner of the Hongwu Dingchou Division Examination, is already eighty-five years old this year, but he is still hale and hearty, quick in thinking, and capable in handling affairs.There will be a trial release of the rankings on March 5th, and he has already known about the riots that afternoon.In the past two days, the riots have become more and more impulsive. Not only has the news spread in Nanjing that Liu Sanwu and the deputy examiner Bai Xinwu are protecting the villagers and rejecting the northerners, but even in the whole Jiangnan and Jiangbei, many people cursed The examiner's malpractice for personal gain is contrary to the grace of God.Liu Sanwu ignored these accusations and abuse, and still followed the routine every day, meeting the examiners who should meet the examiners of various subjects, and the candidates who should meet the candidates of the pilot test. The old bachelor was filled with righteousness.Although some people were worried about him because of raising troubles, they didn't dare to mention it again when they saw his unmoved expression.

Liu Sanwu was indeed righteous. This old Hanlin was recommended to Zhu Yuanzhang when he was seventy-three years old. At that time, he was famous all over Jiangnan for his profound talents and knowledge.After Zhu Yuanzhang summoned him, he was deeply impressed by his foresight and sagacity, and immediately decreed to grant him a Hanlin Bachelor.In the past 12 years, Liu Sanwu has made great efforts to formulate a complete system for Zhu Yuanzhang to select scholars, and personally revised "Huanyu Tongzhi" and "Ritual System Collection" and other books for the Ming Dynasty, becoming a respected scholar. The academic veterans who look up to him.In the undergraduate examination, Zhu Yuanzhang personally appointed Liu Sanwu as the examiner.After receiving the decree, the old man, regardless of his old age and frailty, personally invigilated the examination, and repeatedly said to the examiners in each room: "All the talented people in the world have been in three examinations to determine their pros and cons. If we play favoritism and cheat, we will not let the lofty ideals serve the country. Heart?" After the exam started, many dignitaries from famous families sent him gifts, but he refused them all.After the three tests, he personally presided over the marking of the papers, and all the papers that were admitted were circled by him.Even so, fearing that there might be omissions, he ordered dozens of test papers that failed the test to be taken out for comparison, and he did not make a yellow list and report to the Ministry of Rites until he believed that the test papers that should be passed the test were indeed worthy of the name. Said well.As the saying goes: "Don't do bad things, don't be afraid of ghosts calling the door."Liu Sanwu presided over the meeting with a selfless and open mind, so even though the city of Nanjing was full of storms, he always took it calmly.

This day he had just received Yuan Song Cong, the Xinkehui, in the Hanlin Academy. He felt a little tired when he returned to the mansion, and was about to take a nap on the rattan chair in the flower hall, but he was getting old, and not long after leaning on the rattan chair, he felt hazy fell asleep.Seeing his master falling asleep, Liu Zhong, an old family member, hurriedly took a brocade quilt and was about to cover him when he heard a commotion at the door. It turned out that it was an official from the Ministry of Rites who came to deliver the oracle, and Liu Sanwu immediately went to the palace to report the situation of the undergraduate examination in detail. .Liu Zhong sighed, and thought to himself, "It's hard to be a court official. Poor old man, who is over eighty years old, can't even rest for a moment."At this time, he heard Liu Sanwu's call: "Liu Zhong, prepare your court clothes quickly." It turned out that he had heard everything.

Zhu Yuanzhang has always been in the Fengtian Hall of the imperial palace when he received his ministers.But today he met Liu Sanwu in his bedroom.The courtyards of the harem are full of flowers and trees, a thriving scene.Liu Sanwu was led by the servants to the door of the imperial study to wait for the summons. After a while, the curtain of the study was raised high, and two eunuchs came out and let Liu Sanwu into the study respectfully.Zhu Yuanzhang didn't wear court clothes, but because of the hot weather, he only wore a large yellow satin dragon robe. After the visit, he didn't wait for Liu Sanwu to speak, and asked directly: "The physical examination, all the people from the Central South, I have Zhu approved the Ministry of Rites to check, Mr. Liu will take care of all matters in reply to Shuyun from the Ministry of Rites, so please let me know about the admission situation." Liu Sanwu replied: "The test results will be released, and there will be a big uproar among the candidates in the north. I already know everything, but I am reviewing the papers. At that time, I only decided the rankings based on the quality of the articles, and I didn’t know who the recorders were..." Then I reported in detail how I graded the papers, how I weighed them, and how I repeatedly deliberated with the graders.Zhu Yuanzhang nodded after hearing this, but then said: "It's just that all the people in the list are from the south, it's just a coincidence."Liu Sanwu bowed and replied: "Actually, this is not surprising. Under the rule of the Yuan captives in the north, the people were in dire straits, and the literati and writers were devastated. If the candidates take the same test, naturally the ones from the south will have the upper hand."Zhu Yuanzhang said a little dissatisfied: "It's just as what you said, but since you know this, why don't you specially recruit a few northern scholars to encourage the hearts of the northerners?" The quality of the test papers can be used as the standard, and the southerners and northerners cannot be used as the basis." Zhu Yuanzhang was blocked by Liu Sanwu, and he was speechless for a while, but he was very unhappy, saying: "Northern people have been suppressed for a long time. There is a sense of resentment, and if you don’t take one of the undergraduates, it may be difficult to appease his heart. In my opinion, you might as well choose a few candidates from the northern candidates, so as to calm people’s hearts and quell the grievances.”

Liu Sanwu is a straightforward person, and he talks about the word "reason" the most in his life. Hearing that Zhu Yuanzhang asked to add a few more northerners to fill the number, he felt stubborn and replied: "The ranking of the test has been determined. The elected person is worthy of the name and cannot be replaced. It's gone." Zhu Yuanzhang became angry, and said, "Sir, if you insist on not changing, I think there must be some private interests in it." Liu Sanwu stood up, bowed deeply to Zhu Yuanzhang, and said, "Long live, I suspect that the old minister has selfish interests in the trial. You might as well appoint another senior officer to re-examine the test papers, and if any mistakes are found, I am willing to accept the crime of deceiving the emperor for selfishness." Seeing that Liu Sanwu dared to confront him face to face, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help being furious, and sternly shouted: "I asked you to change the yellow list, you To change or not to change!" Liu Sanwu said categorically: "This time the yellow list was selected by all the examiners after repeated weighing, and the veterans should not change it lightly." Zhu Yuanzhang trembled with anger, pointed at Liu Sanwu and said, "Do you know how powerful I am? "Liu Sanwu got up and knelt down and replied: "Your minister is for the country, why are you afraid of death!" Zhu Yuanzhang took the case and said, "Liu Sanwu, I will suspend your post as a Hanlin scholar from today, and go back to the government to listen. I will send you an undergraduate examination Let's investigate to the end!" After saying that, with a wave of his hand, several waiting guards came in and escorted Liu Sanwu out of the imperial city. The chief examiner, Liu Sanwu, was expelled from Miyagi by the emperor. The news that Zhu Yuanzhang personally decreed to re-check the exam papers spread throughout the city of Nanjing within a few hours.There are different opinions in the streets and alleys. Everyone knows that the emperor loves to kill, and it is inevitable that Liu Sanwu will be sent to prison and beheaded.People guessed that this time only Liu Sanwu was killed?Or kill the deputy chief examiner Bai Xinwu and the examiners in each room?There are also people who feel sorry for Liu Sanwu, but everyone understands that Liu Sanwu has offended the emperor, and no one can save him.Just when people were discussing, there was new news that Bai Xinwu, the deputy chief examiner, had also been suspended from his post. The emperor personally summoned Zhang Xin, the minister of the Imperial Academy, in the harem, and ordered him to preside over the review of all the test papers. report in time.Zhu Yuanzhang's resolute actions made the candidates who failed the ranking very happy. The northern candidates gathered in front of the yamen of the Ministry of Rites and shouted long live, expressing their support for the emperor.However, the officials of the Ministry of Rites seemed to be very disgusted with this gathering, and they called in hundreds of soldiers to disperse them.This series of events seems to have added another fire to the hot oil pan, making the reconsideration of the meeting a household name. The dusk in late spring seems to be very long. When a bright moon quietly climbed to the middle of the sky, it was already three quarters of the day.Liu Sanwu paced in the back garden with his hands behind his back.The moon was shining brightly, the ground was full of brilliance, the shadows of the trees were whirling, and the begonias that bloomed late gave off a burst of fragrance, but he didn't care to appreciate the moonlight on March 15th.Ever since he was kicked out of the palace by Zhu Yuanzhang, he plunged into the study, closed the door to thank the guests, and waited for Tiqi to come and arrest him.The old family member Liu Zhong was afraid that his master would be depressed and sick, so he kept comforting him, but Liu Sanwu never said a word.Since yesterday morning, some "vendors" buying miscellaneous foods suddenly appeared outside the gate of the mansion. They only hang around in front of the gate and do not solicit business.Therefore, Liu Sanwu was also worried that that friend would step into his house recklessly.Just today, a colleague from the Imperial Academy who is not afraid of death came here, tactfully persuaded Liu Sanwu to write this chapter of apology as soon as possible, and according to the emperor's wishes, randomly selected a few northern scholars to deal with this disaster.Liu Sanwu resolutely refused, he firmly believed that the tribute he had chosen could withstand the review.But that good friend had some new worries. He pointed out that Zhang Xin, the new school minister appointed by Zhu Yuanzhang, is a person with extremely low talent and knowledge but good at catering to his superiors. He has a bad reputation in the Imperial Academy. After gaining the trust of the emperor, he got the official position of an imperial servant. Would such a person be willing to uphold justice regardless of his own safety?What's more, there is no certain standard for commenting on articles. It is normal for the examiners to have their own opinions. It is impossible to expect to fully maintain the original opinions.So no matter what, the situation is always unfavorable to Liu Sanwu. If he wants to be free, the only way is to apologize.Liu Sanwu knew very well that what his friend said was the truth, but this old gentleman was very righteous, and would rather die than admit his mistakes, so he politely thanked his friend.Now, when I think of the scene where my friend shed tears and other things, I feel a sense of sadness in my heart.It was late at night, and the ice-like moon had moved to the middle of the sky, and the night wind was blowing, which made people feel a chill.Liu Sanwu supported a pomegranate tree and stood silently. Under the moonlight, his thin face and slightly bent body looked like a statue.He decided to meet this huge storm with indomitable integrity. Zhang Xin, the attendant of the Imperial Academy, took back the imperial decree from Zhu Yuanzhang to preside over the examination papers of the review meeting, and immediately called the officials participating in the review to hold a meeting overnight, and told everyone the emperor's intentions.In the end, he specifically pointed out that "the key to making troubles is that the northerners feel unfair. Therefore, we must read the northern test papers carefully, and we must not miss good articles."Everyone understood what the presiding officer meant, but it was just inconvenient to point it out.In order to quickly close the case, Zhang Xin also announced that from today onwards, all officials participating in the examination papers are not allowed to go home, and are not allowed to leak information about the examination papers.Although the people who participated in the marking were very unhappy, they had no choice but to complain behind their backs and express their grievances. Since Zhang Xin presided over the examination papers in mid-March, Liu Sanwu's old housekeeper Liu Zhong secretly went to the Gongyuan three times to inquire about the examination papers.But the gate of the Gongyuan was closed tightly, and Jinyiwei's personal army guarded it tightly, so they couldn't even hear the wind.This loyal old man even took the risk to visit the home of Zhang Xin, the chief examiner, but he didn't even let him in.It was one of Zhang Xin's family members who saw Liu Zhong's pity that he revealed that Zhang Xin hadn't been home for several days.This made Liu Zhong even more anxious. Today, he came to the Gongyuan quietly under the pretext of going shopping on the street, but saw a notice posted in front of the gate, saying, "The review of the test papers is coming to an end, and the quality of the papers is up to everyone. Stay calm and wait for the list to resume."From the content of the notice, it can be seen that the trial result has completely overturned the original judgment. The so-called re-listing means that it is different from the original list.As if a basin of cold water had been poured on his head, Liu Zhong staggered back home.Along the way, I heard a lot of rumors, such as "Zhang Xin followed the emperor's order and appointed more than 20 new candidates from the north", and "review officials have already impeached Liu Sanwu, and Bai Xin is playing favoritism to protect his neighbors", Hearing "It is now found out that Liu Sanwu and Bai Xindao have taken bribes", and "The emperor is furious in the palace, he must punish Liu Sanwu and other examiners severely", he was dizzy and could hardly hold himself.But when I got home and saw Liu Sanwu's calm demeanor, I got a little comfort in my heart. In the city of Nanjing, the discussion these days is all about the news of the re-examination. Many failed candidates are waiting for the announcement of the re-examination with a glimmer of hope. Of course, they hope to overthrow all the original rankings.Some businessmen in the market hope that the bigger the trouble, the better, so that there will be excitement to watch.There are also some honest scholars who sometimes speak a few words of justice for Liu Sanwu, but no one dares to speak too seriously.The overwhelming public opinion said that Zhang Beiwei would not go against the emperor's wishes, and some even confidantly used the news from the palace as evidence, saying that Zhang Xin had already expressed his position to the emperor on the day he received the decree. Must "do all the hard work of dogs and horses to embody the profound meaning of seeking talents from the Holy One".Although some people looked down on Zhang Xin's welcoming attitude, they never doubted the outcome of the trial.Everyone agreed that Zhang Xin would definitely put many northerners on the list, and then played a hard one, labeling Liu Sanwu and Bai Xinwu as ministers of malpractice and selfishness. Sure enough, on April 12th, an imperial decree came from the palace.At Maoshi tomorrow morning, the emperor came to Fengtian Hall in person to listen to the results of the examination papers reported by the chief judge Zhang Xin, and to reveal the new list in public.He also summoned deposed Liu Sanwu, Bai Xindao and other former chief examiners to enter the palace to listen and participate.This news was like cooking oil in a raging fire, causing the whole of Nanjing to boil, and people rushed to tell each other, waiting to see what would happen tomorrow, an explosive new news since the founding of the Ming Dynasty. April 13th was a gloomy day.In the early hours of the morning, a spring rain fell hazily. The rain flowers were very light, like a thin mist, covering the entire capital of Nanjing in a layer of misty water vapor.In front of the palace, the atmosphere seemed very tense. From the Wulong Bridge, Chengtianmen, and Duanmen in front of the Meridian Gate, there were all guards standing there. Because it was raining, all the ceremonial guards were not carried out, which added to the gloomy atmosphere.The officials who were summoned gathered in front of the Meridian Gate at the beginning of Yinshi. In order to prevent everyone from getting wet, the emperor was extra merciful and ordered the inner palace eunuchs to lead the officials to the Meridian Gate and Chengtian Gate in batches to avoid the rain.At the beginning of Maoshi, the Jingyang bell in the palace rang, and the news came that the emperor had come to Fengtian Palace.Then, the ministers of the Six Ministries and the Nine Ministers also entered the Fengtian Hall under the guidance of the eunuchs and eunuchs.Due to the large number of ministers summoned today, the spacious Fengtian Hall seemed a bit crowded.Naturally, the seats could not be arranged, so the officials had to stand and listen to the orders. Zhu Yuanzhang looked very serious today. He sat on the throne and said in a very loud voice after all the officials finished their worship: "The undergraduate will try to take all the southerners, and the whole country is outraged. In order to calm people's grievances, I must not Zhang Xin is not allowed to re-read the test papers. Opening a subject to obtain a scholar is a long-term plan of ours. How can we tolerate selfishness and fraud! But candidates can only be judged by their essays, which is my standard for selecting scholars. Now Zhang Xin and other twelve people, After half a month of reading, the results have been ascertained. I want to reveal the conclusions in public to show justice. You, the six departments, Jiuqing and Liu Sanwu, need to listen carefully. If you are unclear, you can ask for justice in the hall. To convince the world." After Zhu Yuanzhang finished speaking, he glanced at Zhang Xin who was standing aside, signaling him to report the results of the retaliation trial in public. Everyone's eyes suddenly focused on Zhang Xin.This Zhang Xin was only over forty years old, with a broad face and piercing eyes, giving people a capable and intelligent impression.He unhurriedly gave Zhu Yuanzhang a great gift, then walked to a public case specially set up for him, picked up several carefully reviewed test papers, and presented them to the eunuch standing under the steps of the throne. The eunuch brought it to Zhu Yuanzhang's case.Zhang Xin played clearly and slowly: "According to Long live's will, this review, in addition to carefully reviewing the test papers of the previous candidates, I also paid special attention to the failed test papers of the northern candidates. The test papers are all those who failed the previous rankings. The ministers and others repeatedly studied and thought that the essays are smooth and the strategy is feasible. They are actually the best among the northern exams. These candidates cannot be regarded as talents of the country." After listening to Zhang Xin With these comments, the officials of the Manchu Dynasty realized that the original list was indeed overthrown, and they felt that they were all sweating for Liu Sanwu, Bai Xinwu and other original examiners. Zhu Yuanzhang didn't seem to listen to what Zhang Xin said, but read the test paper on Zhang Xinfeng seriously, nodding frequently while reading.He glanced at Zhang Xin with approval, and then turned to Liu Sanwu and the others standing on the right. He seemed to be a little angry, and said in a low voice: "Go on!" The ministers thought that these papers could all be selected..." The ministers were a little uneasy, and even some upright people showed obvious dissatisfaction on their faces. They felt that the words above Zhang Xin were all following the path drawn by the emperor. , the re-examination is actually designed to deny the original list.Seeing that Zhang Xin's words were suddenly interrupted, Zhu Yuanzhang urged him, "Zhang Qing, let's continue!" Zhang Xin said: "Rong Zuo". Set a tone for Liu Sanwu and others.However, Zhang Xin did not continue to speak, but turned back to the public case to take another stack of test papers and presented them, and then said calmly: "The minister compared the test papers just now with the test papers of the previous candidates. , only to find that there is a huge gap between the scores of candidates from the north and the south. That is to say, Liu Zixin, the 52nd candidate in the previous list, is far higher than the best in the north. When judging the pros and cons of the articles, the ministers deeply understand the meaning of long live, and have discussed with the officials of the same exam. The first place will still be selected according to the original list. It can be listed as the fifty-third place, but the number of candidates is limited, so I have to fail." Zhang Xin's conclusion, like a blockbuster, stunned all officials at once, and no one thought that a The imperial court attendant has such courage, such courage, such lofty moral character, and has spent such painstaking efforts to maintain the reputation of the examination.To be honest, Zhu Yuanzhang was also stunned by Zhang Xin's argument. He never expected that Zhang Xin would stand up in front of the six ministries, nine ministers and hundreds of officials to speak for the minister who was deposed by him. It would never have occurred to Zhang Xin to get a few papers from Beiren to refute himself.So he stared blankly at the papers in front of him, didn't say a word for a long time, and after half a bag of cigarettes, he regained his senses and said with a sneer, "Zhang Aiqing really knows how to act!" At this time, the ministers transferred their worries for Liu Sanwu to Zhang Xin.Zhu Yuanzhang said slowly: "Just as you were reviewing the test papers, I have received a secret report that Liu Sanwu and others deliberately handed over the inferior papers of the northern candidates to you for review, and asked you to use them to deceive the lonely family. You are right." Isn't it?" Zhang Xin debated calmly: "Before I checked the papers, I expected that there would be criticisms, so this time I read all the papers through, and there was no selection or omission. Since Liu Sanwu and others were deposed, I have never been involved in the matter of marking papers, and I have been ordered since March 12th. I have not met Liu Sanwu so far, so where did the matter of handing over inferior papers come from?" Zhu Yuanzhang was even more annoyed by this confrontation, and said: "It is Liu Sanwu who went Your family will teach you the opportunity." Zhang Xin immediately continued: "I am afraid that I am against the grace of the tribute court. I have not returned home for more than 20 days, and the same is true of the officials who inspected the papers. This is evidenced by all the inspectors. How can Liu Sanwu come to the minister's house to give advice face to face?" Zhu Yuanzhang said: "There are so many evidences of crime, and you still dare to quibble, Liu Sanwu's family and your family had a secret discussion in front of your house, is this also false?" Zhang Xin said: " I don't know that the family members of the two governments met, but there was a strict order in the Tribute Court that all reviewing officials were not allowed to have contact with their family members during the review period. The inside and outside of the Tribute Court were strictly guarded, and the minister had never seen the family members of the court. Besides, if the family member kept secret If you want to discuss, you should find a place of concealment, why do you have a secret meeting in front of the minister's house in broad daylight?" Hearing these words, Manchu Wenwu was deeply impressed by Zhang Xin's straightforward defense.The officials who participated in the review of the papers did not understand the deep meaning of the chief examiner's refusal to let him go home until now, and they couldn't help but respect Zhang Xin.Zhu Yuanzhang was so arguing by Zhang Xin that he could no longer speak, so he had to yell at the case: "Officials of the Imperial Academy have been protecting each other for a long time. Reviewing the test papers does not take justice into consideration, but instead shields each other. It is really against my will." Arrested Zhang Xin, Liu Sanwu, Bai Xindao and other examiners and sent them to jail, and questioned them strictly. The result of Zhang Xin’s re-reading was contrary to the facts, and it was still invalid. The Ministry of Rites submitted all the test papers to Da Nei, and I will read them in person to decide whether to choose or not, and leave the court. With a flick of his sleeves, he left angrily, and Liu Sanwu, Zhang Xin and more than 20 people were thrown into the prison of the Ministry of Criminal Justice. The Ministry of Punishment in the early Ming Dynasty was a powerful tool for Zhu Yuanzhang to carry out autocratic rule.Since the founding of the dynasty, under the direct instruction of Zhu Yuanzhang, many unjust prisons have been created. Among them, only the prime minister Hu Weiyong was killed in the 13th year of Hongwu, and the so-called "Hu Party" was arrested, and the so-called "Hu Party" was killed in the 26th year of Hongwu. The two unjust cases of the "Blue Party" killed nearly 30,000 people.The Ministry of Criminal Justice has a special method for trying cases, which is to use severe torture to extract confessions, such as "scrubbing", "weighing poles", "pumping intestines", "peeling", and "stabbing", "" "cutting", "picking". "Knee", "Snake Swimming" and other tortures can make people peel off their skin even if they don't die. Therefore, those who go to the prison of the Ministry of Criminal Justice generally can be convicted of any crime they want. After Liu Sanwu and others are thrown into prison, it is natural that Torture was used to extract confessions, but these ministers were tough guys. Although they used all kinds of torture, none of them bitten nonsense. Therefore, it was difficult for the Ministry of Punishment to charge them with the crime of "communicating with bribes and privately buying tribute students".The case had been tried for more than ten days, and there was still no confession, but Zhu Yuanzhang kept sending people to press for the result. The judge panicked, and after repeated secret discussions, he came up with a more vicious method. At the end of April, the Ministry of Punishment suddenly sent people to arrest a large number of people who had contacts with Liu Sanwu, Zhang Xin, Bai Xinwu and others, and arrested all family members from various prefectures and imprisoned them.While extorting a confession by torture, they also tried to hint and induce, so that some people who could not stand the torture began to confess all kinds of misdemeanors of Liu Sanwu and others according to the content of their inducement.In less than three days, many crimes were laid. Liu Sanwu and Bai Xinju had a deep relationship with the slain general Lanyu. This time they were accused of being the "Blue Party". More than a dozen people including Wang Huahua, Zhang Jian, and Yan Shuzai, who had nothing to do with Lanyu, were charged with "rebelling against the imperial court for wanting to complain for Hu Weiyong's rebellion".Fortunately, as long as there is a confession of charges in the treason case, it can be convicted without self-confession, so the Ministry of Punishment quickly reported the forced confession to Zhu Yuanzhang. After Liu Sanwu and others were imprisoned, Zhu Yuanzhang's life was not easy.He was originally an entrepreneurial emperor, and he made decisions on all major events after careful consideration.After the trial incident, he keenly felt that although the northerners had been under the rule of the Yuan Dynasty for decades, although they had suffered all kinds of oppression, they were still the adherents of the Yuan Dynasty. In the process, if the relationship is not good, it is very likely that the northerners will equate the new dynasty with the Yuan Dynasty, creating a feeling of hostility, and then it will be difficult for the north to rule.And the north is precisely the military center of the Ming Dynasty. If you lose the hearts of the people in the north, you will lose the stability of the northern border, and the new dynasty will be threatened at any time.Therefore, the use of imperial examinations to win over the hearts of intellectuals in the north is conducive to consolidating the foundation of the new dynasty.From the perspective of the interests of the entire Ming Dynasty, it is absolutely necessary to recruit more northern candidates.But Liu Sanwu, a nerd, only depends on the text of the examination paper to make decisions, lacks strategic vision, and has no political acumen, which has made Zhu Yuanzhang feel dissatisfied.However, he was very stubborn, relying on the meticulous grading of papers, he didn't even pay attention to the emperor's will.The most hateful thing is Zhang Xin, who not only complained for Liu Sanwu in public, but also dared to confront the emperor unscrupulously, which made Zhu Yuanzhang almost unable to step down. The dissatisfaction in the middle, and at the same time prepare the conditions for the next step to change the admission list and network the North.So he repeatedly urged the Ministry of Criminal Justice to step up the interrogation. Today, when he read the Ministry of Criminal Justice's report on the conviction of Liu Sanwu, Zhang Xin and others, he was very happy.He never believed that Liu Sanwu and Bai Xinju were the "Blue Party". What was especially absurd was that the Ministry of Criminal Justice charged Zhang Xin and others with "claiming grievances for Hu Weiyong and rebelling against the imperial court". No one would believe this charge. .Because Hu Weiyong has been killed for seventeen years, how can there be any reason why Hu Weiyong's remnant party did not rebel at that time, but rebelled when Hu Weiyong's body had already decayed?However, he still commended the Ministry of Criminal Justice against his conscience, and only used a red pen to tick off Zhang Xin's charge of "rebelling against the imperial court" and changed it to "Hu Party".试官司宪、王侈华、张谏、严叔载、周衡、王揖等都凌迟处死，刘三吾因为担任过东宫讲官，与皇太子有师生之谊，且年事已高，免去一死，发往边塞充军。由张信、刘三吾等人选取的贡士，全部罢黜，其中列在榜前的陈，有行贿的嫌疑，也拟斩罪，与同科考官同日执行。圣旨公布后，南京城为之默然，就连那些闹事的北方举子也感觉皇帝的这个处理未免过重了。 四月底，白信蹈、张信等二十余人，被糊里糊涂地绑赴法场处死了。五月初，朱元璋公布了由他亲自阅卷后评点出来的六十一名贡士，河北韩克忠获第一名、山东任伯安获第二名，所取六十一名贡生，全是北方人，南方举子无一人入选。榜文公布后，北方举子欢呼雀跃，奔走相告，南方举子辛辛苦苦参加了三次考试，尽管许多人文章精美、才华出众，却全部被刷下榜来，明知不公却敢怒而不敢言，一个个悻悻离去。 这场轰动全国的大科场案到此就算结束了，朱元璋也在处理了这个案子后的第二年死去。但这场大案，却在明初的文坛上留上了极深的印象，并给明朝近三百年的科举考试制度留下了十分不好的影响。从这以后明代屡屡发生科场案，不能不说朱元璋开创了乱点鸳鸯谱的先例。由于这场科场案是以录人的籍贯划线的，所以被历史学家称为“南北榜”或“春秋榜”，明代人则干脆称它为“南北榜糊涂案”。