The First Examination of the Imperial Examination

Shao Hongzhang's fingers brushed over the mottled doorpost, his fingertips picking up flakes of peeling red lacquer. In a daze, he seemed to see the scene from twenty years ago.

His grandfather's warm hand rested on his shoulder. Outside the Imperial Examination Hall, crowds bustled as talented scholars from every corner of the realm strode into this sacred place that would decide their fates.

The air was filled with the scent of ink and the sweetness of osmanthus wine. Even the cries of vendors along Vermilion Bird Street carried a note of celebration.

"Plop!"

A raindrop struck the lintel, shattering the illusion. All that remained before his eyes were wild mugwort stalks growing rampant among the crumbling walls.

The plaque that had once gleamed with gold and splendor now hung crooked. The words "Imperial Examination Hall" had been eaten away by moss until they were barely legible.

He sank onto the flagstone platform, nettles stinging his thighs. The pain brought him back to his senses—the status of a venerable minister who had served three reigns could not withstand the turning of Heaven's Dao.

"You went to all this trouble just to look at this pile of ruins?" Xiao Ran's voice rang out. Pale blue ripples of spiritual energy flowed between his fingers as he swiftly swept every corner of the Imperial Examination Hall, inside and out. He couldn't find anything unusual about the place.

Shao Hongzhang looked up and asked, "Do you have anything to eat?" His voice was as raspy as sandpaper.

Xiao Ran took a loaf of bread from his space and handed it to Shao Hongzhang. The moment Shao Hongzhang took it, he began stuffing it into his mouth in great mouthfuls. It was clear he was genuinely hungry.

"Huang Chao has turned Chang'an into a Ghost