At the head of the procession was a man in crimson robes, round-bodied and round-faced, plump all over. Though only forty, his hair was already entirely gray-white. He was the emperor who had begun the latter half of his life—Zhao Zhen.
Naturally, a whole host of court ministers followed behind Zhao Zhen. The first among them, lagging slightly behind, was thin in build, his face covered in deep wrinkles. He was Wen Yanbo, the court's civil chancellor and leader of the conservatives.
This was the first time the two had met. When their gazes met, Wen Yanbo smiled amiably and nodded.
As for the other prominent figures Wang Yan had visited, such as Old Bao and Zhang Fangping, none of them had come. Just as Wang Yan had not visited Wen Yanbo, this was to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.
Zhao Zhen slowly walked up to the high platform and took his seat. No one needed to call out any slogans; everyone promptly performed the grand rite of kneeling in unison.
However, the Song Dynasty did not have quite so many rules. Under ordinary circumstances, one did not need to kneel upon seeing the emperor, unlike in the Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty, where people knelt far more frequently. Kneeling was mainly required during major ceremonies, as part of "ritual."
Clearly, the palace examination was a major event. These men were the emperor's students, and in the order of Heaven, Earth, ruler, parents, and teacher, it was necessary for them to kneel. They would have to kneel again when taking part in the palace examination, when the results were announced and names called, and when they attended the grand court assembly to receive their appointments.
"Rise, my ministers."
As Zhao Zhen's words fell, Wang Yan and the others rustled to their feet.