0p0 Chapter 892 The Scholar Who Abandoned His Husband and Children 2
Chapter 892 The Scholar Who Abandoned His Husband and Children 2
The story ends here, and the novel's content seems to have nothing to do with the original owner. But that's not the case. Although the original owner died early, this identity remained until the very end, and the original owner even rose to the rank of a first-rank official in the court after the female protagonist took over.
Yes, the original owner's identity was taken over by someone else.
The original owner was a scholar from Huilan County. His family was a family of farmers and scholars, and his ancestors were all scholars, but none of them had passed the imperial examinations to the rank of Xiucai or above.
The original owner's grandmother and mother were also unable to advance beyond the level of Xiucai (a degree in the imperial examination system). They could only work as teachers in the Xiao clan school. Because they had income and were exempt from taxes, the family owned a hundred or so acres of land, so their family was quite well-off.
It wouldn't be considered exceptionally good; at most, they could afford to send them to school, which would be quite an achievement. After all, supporting even one student at that time was a considerable expense, not to mention that her family had three students in each generation.
However, things changed in the original owner of this body. She was educated by her grandmother and mother and was exceptionally intelligent from a young age. She passed the imperial examination at the age of thirteen and became a subsidized student.
I don't know if she was too happy and excited, but my grandmother just passed away like that.
There was no other way but to observe the mourning period. After three years of mourning, her mother fell ill again. In order to avoid delaying her examination and to bring good luck to her mother, she immediately married the husband she had chosen before.
However, her mother only lasted for two months. When she learned that her son-in-law was pregnant, she couldn't hold on any longer and passed away. At that time, she was only a dozen days away from taking the provincial examination.
Alright, forget about it. Just continue observing the mourning period. He did so until he was nineteen and took the provincial examination. Because he had been studying hard for several years, he passed the provincial examination in one go.
Since her grandfather and father had also passed away from illness long ago, she didn't have to worry about observing mourning again. However, she was also worried about other variables, so she set off early before the New Year to go to the capital to wait. Even if she didn't have any connections, it would be good to find out the examiner's preferences first.
Unexpectedly, she was murdered on her way to the capital for the imperial examination. It wasn't for money or sex, but simply because of her status as a candidate for the imperial examination.
Yes, identity. The original owner was drugged and imprisoned while seeking lodging on her way to take the imperial examination, and was then murdered and buried in the identity of the person who had killed her.
The person who replaced her took the imperial examination in her name and passed as a second-class Jinshi. Later, he entered the court on his own merits. Because he shared the new emperor's political views and was capable, he rose through the ranks to become a first-rank official.
Some might say, if that person is so capable that they could pass the imperial examination as a second-class scholar on their first try, why would they need to impersonate someone else? Why not just take the exam themselves?
This was, of course, because her own status did not allow it. The imperial laws clearly stipulated several categories of people who were not allowed to participate in the imperial examinations, such as those with serious illnesses or disabilities, those who were unfilial and disrespectful to their teachers and ancestors, those who sold themselves into slavery or servitude, and those who committed crimes and their descendants.
Especially the last one. The previous ones only targeted individuals, but this one affected future generations. Of course, it doesn't mean that these people would never have the opportunity to change their family line. Generally, unless there was a special decree from the emperor, it would be fine after three generations.
The person who impersonates the original is the kind of person who commits a crime and whose family members are barred from holding office for three generations, just like the modern civil service examination that reviews three generations of family members.
This man's grandmother had once been a county magistrate. She was implicated in a corruption case, but because she was coerced by her superiors, she did not use the embezzled funds for personal enjoyment or to oppress the local people. So she was not beheaded or exiled, but was dismissed from her post. However, her family was barred from holding office for three generations.
She was the third generation, and she was exceptionally intelligent from a young age. She could recite the Three Hundred Classics by the age of three, was well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics by the age of five, and could write excellent articles by the age of seven. She was determined to pass the imperial examinations, but her social status limited her.
She and her family often felt deep regret about this, and their home happened to be next to the official road, a necessary route for students from the south to go to the capital for the imperial examinations. Whenever they saw those spirited candidates passing by or staying overnight in the village, they felt an indescribable envy and jealousy.
But all we can do is envy and be jealous, since the identity screening for scientific expeditions is very strict, and they have long had their own system in place to prevent identity confusion and impersonation.
Those identity documents and reference certificates contain detailed descriptions, including not only place of origin, parents and relatives, but also height, appearance, weight, and other physical characteristics.
If there is a birthmark, scar, or mole, it should be written down. This can indeed prevent more than 99% of cases. The very few cases are those between brothers or identical twins.
Of course, it's not absolute. After all, there are many people in the world who look alike, which is why the original owner of this body encountered one.
Because this village is located on the south side of Tiger Crouching Mountain, many people who arrive here in the afternoon or evening will not continue their journey and will stay overnight in one of the nearby villages.
Even the most destitute candidates traveling to the capital for the imperial examinations wouldn't be penniless, so they would usually stay overnight without paying and would leave some money behind.
The villages here, especially those near the main road, have gained an extra source of income as a result, and their houses are better built than those further away. The family that killed the original owner of this body is the best among them.
After all, their ancestors had been officials. Even if they were dismissed from office and their property was confiscated, their minds were still sharp and their family's resources were still intact. How could they not leave some backup plans? So the house is a rare example of a large brick and tile house in this area, and it even has two courtyards.
The front courtyard was built specifically to accommodate these students, and it was made to be large enough to park oxcarts and horse-drawn carriages, somewhat like a guesthouse in later times.
Most people who had a choice would seek lodging at her house, and the original owner of this body was no exception. But it was precisely this act of seeking lodging that cost her her life.
Because the original owner and that person had very similar physical characteristics, including age, height, and appearance.
It's not that they look exactly alike, but rather that their facial features, such as face shape, height, the shape of their eyes, nose, and mouth, and even the mole on their wrist, are exactly the same!
After all, these documents are all written descriptions, without any portraits, let alone photographs.
Moreover, even if a portrait is drawn, it's better not to draw one at all. It's like those wanted posters. Without those portraits, you might be able to find the person by reading the description, but once you see the portrait, you can't find them anymore. It's too impressionistic.
If you look at the back of the original body and the other person standing together, you might not be able to tell them apart. If you look at them from the front, they only look about 70 or 80 percent alike. You have to look at their face shape and features separately.
For example, the original body had an oval face, as did the other person; the original body had phoenix eyes, as did the other person; and both had high and straight noses, but their nose shapes were still slightly different.
The original owner's nose was more refined, while that other person's nose was slightly rougher in shape. You can tell the difference if you look at them side by side, so it would be difficult to write about in official documents. They would only describe it as having a high and beautiful nose bridge.
Unless you have a hooked nose or a bulbous nose, I won't write much more about you.
Both of them had diamond-shaped lips, but the other person's lips were thinner, while the original's lips were slightly thicker. They were also the same height and about the same weight.
The weight is usually not listed in detail; it's usually described as something like "slim" or "slightly plump and evenly proportioned," rather than being precise down to the exact weight in kilograms or ounces.
After all, people can gain or lose weight. For example, the journey to the capital for the imperial examination was arduous, so he would definitely lose weight. You can't just say that person isn't the real person, can you?
The most important thing is the mole on their wrists. The two of them have the same mole on their wrists in the same position and size. When the original owner bowed to the other's mother, it was seen. Afterwards, the mother and son discussed it and that's when they started to have this idea.
Of course, the other party couldn't know what was written on the document at first, so they didn't intend to kill them. Instead, they used a sleeping potion to knock the person unconscious and then examined the original owner's document.
If there were other obvious differences between the two, the original owner might have been able to escape this calamity. However, after reading the description, the other party was overjoyed. This was exactly what God had prepared for her; the original owner could only die.
The other party didn't kill the person at first, after all, it's impossible for someone to just suddenly disappear, so they just gave the person medicine and locked them in the backyard.
After the other party went to the capital to take the imperial examination and passed it successfully, they killed him. They told everyone that his daughter had died of a sudden illness. The man loved reading and rarely went out, so no one found out. The original owner of the body was buried in someone else's ancestral grave.
Some might ask, isn't that person afraid of being discovered by their original family or clan? After all, even if others can't find out, their family members who live with them day and night certainly can't miss it.
Once discovered, even if the family members are unable to investigate, the clan will not stand idly by. At this time, they believe in the principle of shared honor and shared loss, and will help out for the sake of face.
These families had already come up with countermeasures, as they were all written in the documents. The original owner's clan was not a large one, nor had it produced any notable figures. Her grandmother, father, and mother had all passed away, leaving her with only a husband and a son.
And these husbands and sons are precisely the easiest to deal with. Countless women, after passing the imperial examinations, would give their husbands a letter of divorce and then marry someone else to marry a better man.