Zhu Li was even more outrageous. Banking on her status as the overworked and invaluable First Mansion Official, she had simply flopped onto Zhao Ci's back and fallen asleep, drooling all over him.
Before they knew it,
this Prefecture Examination had raged on from the crack of dawn until the sun dipped below the horizon.
Only then were the final one hundred fifty-eight candidates chosen.
Then came the selection round.
The Ninth Prince's Mansion, the Tenth Prince's Mansion, and Prince Ying's Mansion swiftly selected their candidates, all of whom appeared to have been chosen in advance.
The other Mansions, however, squabbled endlessly. There were only a few top performers, and those candidates had also earned the right to choose a Mansion in return.
Their reasoning was simple: prioritize Prince Lie's Mansion, and be flexible with the rest.
In less than fifteen minutes,
seven of the Mansions had already filled their ranks.
All except for one...
