Some things, when pressed for too long, erupt in an instant.
Countless students had questions in their hearts, the timid didn't dare speak up, those who did were silenced by "donations", and more and more emotions accumulated in their hearts, fermenting into anger that was hard to restrain.
Until someone took the lead to ignite it.
The simmering marsh gas exploded into dazzling fireworks.
The formerly harmonious and warm Wenchang Pavilion today was filled with passionate indignation, faces flushed red.
"It was just last year that the imperial examination fraud was exposed, and this year there's a double first place, isn't this trying to fool us too much?" Someone spoke ardently, "If even the imperial examinations are no longer fair, what use is there for this glorious era!"
"Either the top scholar or second place, there must be fraud involved."
"The top scholar got first place in the provincial examination, it doesn't seem like he cheated, given his background, he wouldn't be able to cheat anyway."
"Shh, stop talking, are you saying Young Master Fang cheated?"
When these words came out, the students looked at each other, as if the answer in their hearts was affirmed.
They didn't dare offend the Fang family, but they had their own judgement.
Right now there weren't enough voices, the fermentation wasn't intense enough, they were just waiting for all the scholars in the country to be filled with righteous indignation, the unique and proud spirit of the literati to arise, and have the courage to pour out even the ugliest words.
Someone also weakly asked, "Why can't it be that Xū Mò cheated instead? Just because his background is poorer means he must be innocent?"
A student immediately retorted, pointing at the wall, "Have you heard of Young Master Qingzhu? Look at this poem, look at this literary talent, does he need to cheat?"
From before the provincial examination until now, a full seven masterful quatrains were hung up, filled with great love in their ideas and outstanding literary talent, enough to make countless students admire him.
Even a white-bearded old scholar remarked, "This Young Master Qingzhu will leave his name in the annals of literature and become a master of literature."
Could anyone suspect such a person of cheating?
Ridiculous, ridiculous.
With this, the public opinion in Wenchang Pavilion shifted towards Xǔ Mò, and the bolder ones directly pointed their fingers at Fang Yuan's nose, while the meeker ones used their eyes to imply it.
This seemingly long-brewing case of imperial examination fraud fermenting finally tripped up the Fang family.
In the crowd, Qí Huái and Ān Jùn looked at each other, then both turned to leave, heading for the inner second courtyard.
Today was the day off for the Hanlin Academy, so Xǔ Mò was writing a letter by the window, carefully blowing on the ink to dry it before sealing the envelope.
The handsome, upright youth was standing in front of the wide and sturdy wooden desk. The breeze coming through the window lifted his hair. His originally narrow cotton robes had been switched for long wide sleeves, giving off more of a scholar's elegant air than that of a youth.
Even though Qí and Ān hurried over, upon seeing this scene they couldn't help but pause in wonder, switching to whispers.
"Brother Xǔ," Qí Huái lowered his voice. "Are you aware of what's happening at Wenchang Pavilion?"
"The case of imperial examination fraud finally erupted, countless scholars are protesting the unfairness." Ān Jùn's eyes were moist. "Justice lies in the hearts of the people, the students across the land are restoring your innocence."
He had made it to the provincial examination in his first year, yet had to suffer injustice, kneel before the golden steps, just to beg for a chance to retake the exam.
If not for absolute ability, if his state of mind wasn't unruffled, another person might have collapsed into madness already.
A sixteen year old zhuàngyuán was already astonishing, now there was a fifteen year old one.
What the Fang family did infringed on Xǔ Mò's interests after all.
"Fortunately justice is finally served." Qí Huái was still feeling emotional.
But Xǔ Mò put down the envelope with no joy visible on his handsome face.
"Brothers Qí and Ān," he sighed. "I, Xǔ, didn't actually do anything."
The two friends who had hurried over to deliver good news were stunned.
"I didn't do anything for myself, nor clear my name of disgrace," Xǔ Mò enunciated word for word. "Even more, I didn't get involved with the timing of when the case of imperial examination fraud erupted."
He didn't know why it happened now, at this critical moment.
He also didn't know why the scholars' opinions leaned towards him.
"But...everyone is on your side." Ān Jùn was bewildered. "Doesn't having their support work in your favor? The Fang family set themselves up for failure, they deserve the humiliation from scholars across the land."
Qí Huái's face was cold and he didn't speak, still thinking over the key point.
"Brother Ān," Xǔ Mò gave a bitter laugh. "It seems you've forgotten, the Fang family's might is far above ours."
On the surface, the imperial examination fraud case erupting now was from extreme forbearance, it was the will of the people, it followed a natural course.
But if the Fang family could cheat, and even use donations to suppress when the case erupted, how could they just watch as Fang Yuán was denounced by scholars across the land, their reputation ruined?
"Never underest underestimate the ability of a powerful clan." Qí Huái squeezed the words out from between clenched teeth. "But I also can't see what the Fang family is trying to do."
Xǔ Mò shook his head with a regretful look in his eyes.
He couldn't comprehend what was going on this time either.
But it was fine, he could handle whatever schemes came at him.
"Heavens, could it be that the Fang family wants to build up Brother Xǔ only to bring him down?" Ān Jùn cried out. "Would they truly be so vicious?"
Whether it's to inflate his name only to destroy him later remained to be seen.
In the next five or six days, the voices of the students grew louder and more extreme.
Public opinion went from criticizing Fang Yuán, to insulting him, then shifted to implicate the entire Fang clan, with stinking eggs, rotten vegetables and even some fresh dog feces getting thrown at them from time to time.
The previously bustling Fang estate had suddenly become deathly quiet.
There was no movement from Fang Yuán or the Fang family.
This infuriated the scholars even more, to the point where they were about to gather and stand outside the Fang manor gates to heap abuse on them, and force them to restore Xǔ Mò's innocence.
With things escalating like this, even those of the Imperial clan within the palace walls took notice and began to waver, considering whether they should summon the Fang family patriarch to inquire into the truth.
But before the Emperor could speak, the Fang family made a move.
First was refuting the rumors, with the Fang family patriarch leading the older generation to pour out their bitterness to friends, expressing that Fang Yuán and the Fang clan were suffering injustice.
Then some students spread the word that not only was Xǔ Mò's achievement in the provincial examination unjust, even his previous examination achievements were plagiarized.
In short: this man is a habitual offender!
"I heard all his qualifications of xiǔcái and jǔyǔan were plagiarized, needless to say his jiěyuán, he relied entirely on ghostwriters to forcibly seize the spot."
"This man is extremely sly, putting on the appearance of a poor scholar with nothing to his name, when he's actually a county magistrate's son. His corrupt county magistrate father was stripped of his official hat. Like father like son, utterly dishonest."
"I heard the person he plagiarized was in poor health, which gave him the opportunity. It's truly a pity that what belonged to that young master, the credit and fame, was all stolen by a hypocrite."
"And now he still wants to shift the blame onto Young Master Fang. He's gone too far with deceiving others!"
Of course these words didn't represent the mainstream opinion.
The scholars were indignant, but weren't fools, they could still distinguish the difference in difficulty between cheating once versus habitual cheating.
It was already outrageous with only one instance of cheating in the provincial examinations. Chronic cheating, wasn't that smearing the Integrity of the entire Dayu Dynasty's Imperial Examination Hall?
The Imperial Court had specifically kept officials out and left the examinations solely in the hands of the Imperial Examination Hall in order to ensure fairness, even preventing examiners from proctoring exams in their home provinces. That was to prevent favoritism towards relatives and leaking of exam questions.
No matter if Xu Mo's father was a county magistrate, it was impossible for him to cheat that many times in a row.
What's more, that county magistrate had died early on.
Until a young master named Zhū Sīhuán stepped forth, "I can prove that Xǔ Mò is a skilled 'ghostwriter'... He not only ghostwrote for himself, he has even ghostwritten for me before. The famous poetic lines that made my name...were actually written by someone he found on my behalf."
