I traveled back to the Qin Dynasty, and the First Emperor begged me to become his empress.

Chapter 336 Imperial Examination Paper Grading

The two chatted enthusiastically, discussing one topic after another. They ranged from the current state of healthcare to future development directions. Time flew by, and before they knew it, it was almost afternoon, and the afternoon medical exchange meeting was about to begin.

Although Ying Wuyou still had many thoughts she wanted to discuss with Wei Chang, she knew that now was not the right time and could only put them aside for the time being. After thinking for a moment, Ying Wuyou turned her gaze to Wei Chang and asked softly, "Dr. Wei, after this medical exchange meeting ends, do you have any urgent matters to attend to?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Chang pondered for a moment, then shook his head and replied, "Your Highness, there is nothing of particular importance. May I ask why you ask? Is there something you have planned?"

Ying Wuyou nodded gently and said with a smile, "Well, that's good. After the exchange meeting, I hope that Doctor Wei can stay in Xianyang City for a few more days. I have some matters concerning women's fertility that I would like to discuss with Doctor Wei."

Upon hearing this, Wei Chang's eyes flashed with surprise, but he quickly regained his composure and solemnly nodded in response, "Since it is Her Highness the Princess's request, I will certainly obey."

After speaking, the two turned and left. A short while later, the afternoon medical exchange meeting resumed, the atmosphere exceptionally lively, everyone immersed in this feast of knowledge. Ying Wuyou also continued to fully engage in this atmosphere.

Before they knew it, the second day of the medical exchange meeting had come to an end. After pondering for a moment, Ying Wuyou finally decided to go and take a look at the courtyard.

Nine days have passed since the imperial examinations ended, and she pondered: "How is the review of those exam papers progressing? At the normal pace, will half a month be enough to complete all the grading?"

With these thoughts in mind, Ying Wuyou boarded the carriage. Along the way, the carriage swayed and rocked with the undulations of the road. Although the cement road was now very smooth, the wooden wheels were still somewhat bumpy. However, it wasn't long before the carriage slowly came to a stop outside the small courtyard. This place was heavily guarded; even Ying Wuyou, in his capacity, could not ride directly into it.

After alighting from the carriage, Ying Wuyou walked on foot, passing through a series of heavily guarded checkpoints. He entered the heavily monitored courtyard, which was completely deserted. All around was quiet, save for the occasional rustling of leaves in the breeze. Following the cobblestone path, Ying Wuyou headed straight for the examination room.

As soon as I approached the marking room, a slightly tense atmosphere enveloped me. Inside, several elderly men with gray beards sat huddled together, their brows furrowed, engaged in a heated argument. They didn't even turn their heads, completely absorbed in the debate.

Ying Wuyou couldn't help but become curious. What kind of question could have stirred such strong emotions in these highly respected seniors? She quietly took a few steps closer and listened intently, finally understanding the content of their argument. It turned out that the examiners were currently expressing their opinions on an essay, and had a huge disagreement about how many points it should be awarded.

With his white hair and kind face, Lord Wang slowly stroked his beard, cleared his throat, and spoke in a steady and powerful voice: "Gentlemen, in my opinion, this article is truly a masterpiece! Its theme is profound and unique, directly addressing the core of the issue; its structure is rigorous and orderly, with clear layers; the language is fluent and natural, and it cleverly incorporates many classic poems, making the entire article exceptionally elegant and radiant. All of this is sufficient to demonstrate the student's solid and profound literary foundation. Therefore, after comprehensive consideration, I personally believe that awarding it 95 points is appropriate."

However, the slightly younger and more impetuous Lord Li, sitting opposite Lord Wang, frowned slightly. He straightened up a bit and bluntly voiced his objection: "Lord Wang, what you say certainly has some merit, and this article does indeed have many commendable aspects. But if I may be so bold, some sentences are clearly overly polished, appearing somewhat contrived, and thus losing their natural simplicity. Furthermore, the reasoning behind some of the points is somewhat weak, lacking sufficient persuasiveness and depth. Therefore, in my opinion, a score of 78 would be more appropriate."

Just then, Lord Zhang, who had been quietly listening to the debate, couldn't help but interject, expressing his agreement with some of Lord Li's points. He nodded thoughtfully and said slowly, "Hmm, Lord Li's words are not without merit. I also think that although this article is quite good in some aspects, it does lack innovation. The overall style is relatively conventional and lacks any unique highlights that catch the eye. However, if judged solely on the overall writing level, giving it 80 points wouldn't be unreasonable."

Upon hearing this, Lord Wang gently shook his head, a hint of disapproval on his face. He looked firmly at the crowd and solemnly retorted, “My lords, how can we deduct so much from the score simply because it lacks a little innovation? This essay is flawless at its fundamental level; its theme, structure, and language are all exceptionally well-handled. Even among numerous exam papers, it is undoubtedly a top-tier work! Giving it only below 95 points would be truly unfair to this student who put so much effort into writing.”

Upon hearing this, Lord Li hurriedly replied, "That's absolutely unacceptable! Innovation is a crucial indicator in this scoring system, and it cannot be easily overlooked! Furthermore, even the slightest flaw in language can negatively impact the overall impression of the entire article. Therefore, after comprehensive and meticulous consideration, giving it 78 points is quite reasonable."

At this point, seeing that the two sides were deadlocked, Lord Zhang tried to mediate. He said, "In my opinion, how about this? Let's just take a middle value and give it a score of 82. In this way, we can fully affirm the article's strengths and advantages, while also appropriately considering some of its potential problems and shortcomings."

However, despite Lord Zhang's painstaking efforts to propose a seemingly balanced and compromised solution, unexpectedly, Lord Li and Lord Wang did not seem to appreciate it at all, and could even be said to completely reject it. These two stubbornly adhered to their initial views and positions, showing no intention of backing down or compromising.

The situation suddenly became tense. The three of them argued back and forth, each refusing to back down, as if a fierce debate was underway. Everyone was doing their utmost to explain their thoughts and reasons, trying to persuade the others to accept their views. Unfortunately, no matter how hard they argued, so far, none of them had succeeded in changing the other's mind.