Bai Yugang announced, "Apologies, my lords. By order of the Holy Emperor, I am posted here on guard. No one is to enter or leave."
"That's unreasonable! The morning is supposed to be for everyone to enter and get acquainted with the layout. The exam doesn't officially begin until the afternoon. Going in now won't bother anyone."
Everyone was growing anxious. 'If we can't go in and make our rounds, how will those unperceptive officials inside know to give our sons special treatment?'
As men who had gone through the imperial examinations themselves, they understood better than anyone the importance of a well-positioned examination cell.
If one was unlucky, they'd be half-dead by the time they endured the nine days.
