At this moment, dawn was still early, with a faint soft light just beginning to show on the eastern horizon. It was almost daybreak, flowers yearning to bloom, and the glazed tiles atop the palaces of the Imperial City reflected a dazzling golden light, illuminating the first rosy clouds of the morning.
Outside the Meridian Gate, there stood a dense crowd of people.
On one side were the Civil and Military Officials dressed in court robes, and on the other side were the newly qualified Jinshi scholars in their brand new scholarly attire.
Compared with when the Tribute Scholars met yesterday, this early morning gathering was a complete contrast to the previous day.
There were those whose faces were animated with joy—these were undoubtedly pleased with their palace examination results; and there were those who were downcast—naturally, these were the ones whose results had not lived up to their expectations. Of these two extremes, none were more so than Li Wenli and Xue Qian!
