When the carriage left the city, the bustle at the bulletin board grew louder, as officers posted the list.
Examinees scrambled to the front, searching for their names.
Those outside who couldn't see shouted, "Who is the Top Scorer?"
"Meng Yunzheng!"
"Oh my, it's him again."
"I heard he ranked first in the county and prefecture exams. Now he's the top scorer in the academy exam too; isn't that a clean sweep of the small three laurels?"
"Where did this Meng Yunzheng come from anyway? I've never heard of him before. It seems he hadn't taken any exams before; this is his first time, right? And he's won the small three laurels on his first attempt?"
"They say he's quite handsome too."
People chatted intensely; some found their names, shouting and laughing, while others, unable to locate theirs, collapsed in tears.
Meanwhile, the prefecture officers began drumming and preparing to deliver the good news.
