At the hour of the Dragon, the gatekeeper of the Confucian Academy Office opened the courtyard gates right on schedule.
Under the guidance of their respective masters, the candidates and students filed into the courtyard, following the order previously determined by drawing lots. There were one hundred and twenty candidates in total participating in the Linjiang County examination. Once everyone had entered the courtyard, the masters and their students naturally separated into two distinct formations.
After a brief period of commotion, silence returned, and everyone stood still, waiting for the Prefectural Instructor, Fang Jinxian, to deliver his address.
Chapter 249