As the premier educational institution in Yangzhou, the Yangzhou Prefecture Academy saw a multitude of officials attend its mobilization ceremony for the Prefectural Examination.
On the side of the local civil administration, the three principal magistrates—the Yangzhou Prefect, the Vice Prefect, and the Assistant Prefect—were required to be present. In addition, the two salt-trade yamen stationed in Yangzhou, the Lianghuai Salt Inspectorate and the Lianghuai Salt Distribution Commission, were also obliged to send delegates to demonstrate their commitment to local education.
As one of the wealthiest government bodies in the Great Qing, the latter contributed an annual "sponsorship" of twelve hundred taels of silver to the Yangzhou Prefecture Academy, making them a major financial patron of the school.
Chapter 101