It was not yet dawn, but a faint stirring could already be heard in the examination hall.
Zhao Jing was roused by the noise, his head still in a fog when he awoke.
He lay on his cot for a long while before it dawned on him: this was the examination grounds.
And just like that, the fog in his mind cleared.
In the middle of the night, the temperature had finally cooled.
His skin no longer felt sticky. Zhao Jing simply splashed some cold water on his face before starting a fire to cook some congee.
The stove quickly heated up. Zhao Jing unhurriedly added a handful of millet. Just then, the leisurely toll of a bell sounded in the distance.
The examination had begun.
The first session of the Provincial Examination had a very standard format. The questions were mostly drawn from the Four Books, and this time was no exception.
