"I apologize, my lords," Bai Yugang said. "I, the Marquis, am under orders from the Holy Emperor to guard this place. Absolutely no one is allowed to enter or leave."
"This is completely unreasonable. Wasn't the morning designated for everyone to enter and familiarize themselves with the venue, while the official exam doesn't start until this afternoon? Going in now wouldn't affect anyone."
The crowd of officials was growing anxious. If they couldn't go in to take a look around, how would they manage to bribe those blind officials inside into providing some convenience for their children? Having taken the imperial examinations themselves, they naturally understood just how crucial it was to secure a well-placed examination cell. If a candidate was unlucky and drew a poor location, surviving those nine grueling days could easily cost them half their life.
