On the eve of the Spring Festival, Luo Jin frequently came looking for Zhao Xuan, and every three words would inevitably turn to Hu Mingkui and the ongoing investigation.
Wishing for some peace and quiet, Zhao Xuan simply made the excuse of returning home to visit family, left the Martial Academy, and checked into an inn.
What investigation? Was he supposed to investigate himself?
During this period, he rented a frail old horse from the horse market for the price of one silver coin a day, rising early and sleeping late to practice his horsemanship.
The County Examination arrived even faster than he had anticipated.
Barely had the Spring Festival passed, and the Lantern Festival had yet to arrive.
The County Yamen sent officials to post notices all over the city: County Examination registration would begin on the seventh day of the first lunar month and close on the day of the Lantern Festival.
The examinations would commence on the seventeenth day of the first month.
The rush, it was said, was because the newly arrived magistrate found things too tedious and wanted to use the County Examination to pass the time.
Even the three subjects of physical strength, archery, and horsemanship—which in previous years were overseen separately by the county vice-magistrate, the county military lieutenant, and the registrar—were now to be personally overseen by the magistrate himself.
Chapter 25