The East Hall Banquet.
This year's successful examination candidates would have the opportunity to attend Cao Mao's banquet.
The fabled East Hall Banquet.
As these young men sat on either side with their heads lowered, unable to suppress the wild joy and sense of honor on their faces, even Cao Mao could not help feeling wistful.
He still remembered establishing the East Hall Banquet more than ten years ago.
Back then, the East Hall Banquet had yet to take shape. Although his own reputation had provided a foundation and the results had been quite good, only Cao Mao himself knew how arduous the process had been.
In those days, Cao Mao had looked helplessly at the imposing famous scholars before him, his eyes almost brimming with ingratiation. He had dealt with them stiffly and uneasily, always on tenterhooks, afraid that Sima Shi might suddenly burst in with troops from some direction.
But now, these elites from the very greatest clans sat before him with perfect docility, regarding the East Hall Banquet as the highest honor... It truly gave him much to reflect on.
Cao Mao looked at them with a smile and first offered them some encouragement.
"You are all outstanding talents of the realm. Today I honor you with this banquet; henceforth, you must not disappoint me!"
They rose and bowed. "We obey Your Majesty's command!"
Only then did Cao Mao have Pei Xiu, who stood beside him, announce the results.
Pei Xiu rose. Unsurprisingly, Liu Yuan had taken first place-in the terminology of later ages, he had become the top graduate. His essay had been judged the best.
Next came Liu Hong, followed by Pei Kang, Xun Fan, Pan Yue, Lu Hao, Cui Can, Yang Quan, Xin Gui...
Once the final name, Guo Ping, had been read out,