"The hour has arrived. Put down your brushes!"
With the head eunuch's shout, everyone silently set aside their brushes.
The officials sitting on the sidelines also put down their teacups. It was finally their turn to take the stage.
Once the eunuchs collected all the exam papers, the candidates filed out of the great hall in succession.
To the side, the eunuchs worked with practiced efficiency. They gathered every ten scrolls into a bundle, meticulously concealed all the candidates' names, and bound them together.
"Review the papers in pairs."
Hua Shunming had long since made the arrangements. He wasn't worried about these examiners recognizing the handwriting and showing bias.
After they finished grading, the papers would be swapped and reviewed again, significantly reducing the possibility of mutual cheating.
