Episode 17 recap: Fan Xian conducted a thorough investigation into the dark underbelly of the Spring Examination.
From Li Hong Cheng, Fan Xian learned that every year, tens of thousands of candidates take the Spring Examination, but only a handful succeed in obtaining an official position. The high-ranking officials in the court recommend a few spots, the palace allocates a few, and the Imperial Academy selects a few more, while a few positions are reserved for famous scholars - leaving very few genuine opportunities for the vast majority of candidates who are essentially just there as decoration.
Before the examinations, Li Cheng Qian sent gifts to Fan Xian and recommended a few candidates to him. When Wang Qi Nian discovered that Shi Chan Li was staying at the Tongfu Inn, he had Deng Zi Yue send people to guard the inn, fearing that Shi Chan Li might be silenced.
He Zong Wei knelt in the Fan residence and begged to be accepted as Fan Xian's disciple, but was rejected. He then shamelessly sought to become Fan Xian's adopted father, hoping it would help him succeed in the examinations. Disgusted by He Zong Wei's fawning behavior, Fan Xian forcibly drove him away.
Fan Xian then went to the Tongfu Inn with Wang Qi Nian to meet Shi Chan Li. Deng Zi Yue reported on Shi Chan Li's every move and also gathered information about three other candidates staying there - Yang Wan Li, Cheng Jia Lin, and Hou Ji Chang. The four of them were currently working to repair the walls of the examination compound, which piqued Fan Xian's curiosity, so he took Wang Qi Nian and Deng Zi Yue to the examination compound.
The Minister of Rites, Guo Zheng, had assigned the wall-rebuilding task to the candidates, allowing impoverished ones to earn some money. Shi Chan Li was also there working to make ends meet. Guo Zheng would come to the worksite every day, even carrying lumber so an artist could paint his portrait.
Posing as a candidate, Fan Xian approached Shi Chan Li, who then introduced Hou Ji Chang to him. Shi Chan Li also revealed to Fan Xian that the new bricks were of poor quality, inferior to the old ones. Yang Wan Li also noticed the problem with the bricks and wanted to report it to Fan Xian, but Hou Ji Chang persuaded him not to, for fear of jeopardizing their own prospects.
Hou Ji Chang and Shi Chan Li told Fan Xian that the names of all the candidates working there were recorded, and that if they could gain Guo Zheng's favor, their exam papers would receive priority review. Hou Ji Chang also exposed the dark secrets of the Spring Examination - how high-ranking officials, the palace, and the Imperial Academy all secured spots for their favored students, while the wealthy and well-connected candidates used their influence to gain an advantage, leaving little opportunity for the thousands of ordinary candidates who were just there as decoration. Yang Wan Li also provided Fan Xian with many more details.
Fan Xian learned about the inside story of the Spring Exams from Hou Ji Chang, Yang Wan Li, and Shi Chan Li, and was shocked. Fan Xian came to find Guo Zheng to understand the situation of using inferior materials, and Guo Zheng firmly declared that he was a clean official who had recorded all the replaced wood and stones and stored them in the Ministry of Revenue's warehouse. Guo Zheng took out the list of candidates working at the Examination Bureau today, insisting that they were all trying to cheat, and Fan Xian decided to burn the list to ensure fairness for all candidates.
On the street, Fan Xian saw the candidates who couldn't find lodging sitting on the ground diligently studying, and felt bad that they would become victims of the Spring Exams. Li Cheng Ze had Xie Bi'an send people to follow Fan Xian but found nothing unusual, so he had Xie Bi'an monitor Shi Chan Li instead.
When Fan Xian saw his doorway crowded with officials bringing gifts, hoping he would help their students, including the incognito Xin Qiwu, Fan Xian pulled Wang Qi Nian aside to avoid them. Fan Jian ignored the officials, who then left the gifts and lists behind.
Li Cheng Qian brought a large gift and entered the manor from the back door. Fan Xian was not home, and Li Cheng Qian was very interested in Fan Xian's water wheel car, accidentally disassembling it. When Fan Xian returned, Li Cheng Qian presented the student lists, asking Fan Xian to help them get special treatment.
Lin Ruo Fu summoned Fan Xian to help pluck his beard and select red fruits for his son, puzzling Fan Xian. Lin Ruo Fu warned Fan Xian to be careful in this Spring Exam, or he would face dire consequences. He had strategist Yuan Hongdao strictly review the candidate lists received by the manor, and selected a few for Fan Xian to pay extra attention to.
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