The results of the Provincial Examination were typically announced in the autumn when the sweet osmanthus was in full bloom, filling the city with its fragrance. For this reason, the results list was also known as the Autumn Roll or the Osmanthus Roll.
And because the rank of scholar was the first major achievement in the imperial examinations, the list was sometimes called the First Roll or the Second-Tier Roll.
This year, the autumn seemed exceptionally cold.
But the students awaiting the results couldn't feel the slightest chill.
Despite wearing only thin, unlined robes, their faces were flushed. A closer look would reveal tiny beads of sweat on their foreheads and the tips of their noses. It was hard to tell if it was from the heat or from anxiety.
But these scholars, so concerned with saving face, would never admit to being nervous about their exam results.
They stubbornly insisted, "It's really hot today, isn't it?"
