"The exam is over. Hand in your papers."
As the three incense sticks burned down, the proctor called out to everyone.
The candidates' papers were collected one after another.
"Phew."
Xiao Mo finally let out a breath of relief and used his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
Compared to the others, Xiao Mo had actually fared pretty well.
Quite a few scholars didn't even have the strength to stand after finishing the exam.
Even those who managed to get to their feet walked unsteadily, their pale faces as though every woman in a brothel had taken her turn with them.
Xiao Mo collected a token and headed to a separate courtyard at the Academy to rest. The list of those who passed the first round would be announced tomorrow at the hour of the Dragon.
That night.
The Academy's teachers were marking the candidates' papers.
Whether or not the candidates had held out to the end, their papers still had to be reviewed.
Those who hadn't lasted to the end, however, had little chance of passing the first round.
But handing in their papers last didn't mean all those scholars would pass, either.
Among the candidates who had persevered for the full three incense sticks,
some had started out with neat, dignified handwriting, but clearly ran out of steam later on, their characters growing wild and unruly.
Some had held on until the incense burned out, but hadn't even finished answering the questions.
Some had written neatly from beginning to end and answered every question, but their thoughts had clearly grown muddled toward the end.
Of course, there were also scholars who had truly completed their papers. There weren't many—around fifty, only a tenth of all the candidates.
"This scholar answered the questions quite well." Sima Yun,