After tucking away the silver, Wang Jinzhong walked a little farther and reached the hall.
Luo Pei, the chief examiner for these Spring Examinations and Junior Guardian of the Crown Prince, was already standing in the hall, waiting for the two deputy examiners and fourteen assistant examiners to arrive so he could call the roll.
In this dynasty, the Spring Examinations sometimes had eighteen assistant examiners and sometimes fourteen, while there were generally two or three chief examiners.
For these Spring Examinations, two chief examiners had been appointed, one principal and one deputy, along with fourteen assistant examiners.
Luo Pei was the chief examiner overseeing everything, while the deputy examiner was Liu Shiquan, who had been promoted to Vice Minister of Personnel only a few months earlier. He, too, watched everyone with a smile, looking calm and composed.
When Wang Jinzhong entered, the civil officials around him all bowed. Luo Pei nodded and continued calling the roll. Thirteen assistant examiners had arrived, but Liang Yuyin was still nowhere to be seen.
As for Wang Jinzhong, not only Luo Pei but the other examiners merely nodded to him without speaking, as though they did not see him.
Although the eunuch represented the emperor in supervising the examinations, the civil officials had no liking for him.
Luo Pei frowned, showing no other sign that anything was amiss, and asked, "The candidates have already begun entering. This is the Examination Compound, a place of utmost importance. Once its gates close, they cannot be opened without an imperial decree."
"Why has Liang Yuyin still not arrived? Does anyone know where he went?"
For an examiner not even to have shown his face at this hour was to treat his duties for these Spring Examinations with contempt. That alone was grounds for punishment.
Luo Pei