The Provincial Examination had ended, but the gates of the Examination Hall remained tightly shut.
Outside, the candidates waited anxiously; inside, the examiners were so busy their feet barely touched the ground.
Thousands of examination papers each had to pass through transcription, proofreading, initial review, secondary review, and grading.
Every stage linked to the next, and not a single link could afford a mistake.
Deep within the Examination Hall, the grading chamber blazed with lamplight from early morning until late at night.
Shi Jie, the chief examiner of the Provincial Examination, a current Hanlin Academician and former minister of rites, sat at the head of the room.
A thick stack of papers that had passed their initial review lay before him, and he was leafing through one.
His brows drew together slightly, then slowly relaxed.
Finally, he lifted his brush, marked a grade on the paper, and handed it to Song Jing beside him.
"Middle first class."
Song Jing took it, glanced over it, nodded, and placed it in the "first class" pile beside him.
"Lord Shi," Song Jing said quietly.
"There are thirty percent more first-class papers this year than last year."
Shi Jie leaned back in his chair, rubbed the space between his brows, and sighed.
"Ah, it isn't that I've been generous. This year's papers really are well written."
As he spoke, he reached for a paper near the top of the first-class pile, opened it, and pointed to a passage.
"Look at this rhapsody. It writes of spring rain, but instead of scenery, it explores principles.
'Before heaven rains, the heart rains already.' I could never write a line like that.
If I cannot write it myself, I must award it first class."
Song Jing took it, read it through, and nodded in agreement.
"And this