Soon, more and more candidates gathered in front of Qingyun Academy.

Most of the young ladies in the capital knew each other, and their conversations and whispers were constant.

The two men remained aloof from them, standing a short distance away, and showed no intention of getting closer.

Xiao Yunshuo's gaze swept over another isolated person not far away.

It was this person's "praise" that helped her gain fame before she even arrived in Fengjing.

At this moment, she lowered her head slightly, standing alone in a corner, exuding a cold aura that kept strangers at bay, clearly having no intention of engaging in conversation.

Xiao Yunshuo also withdrew his gaze, lowered his eyes and folded his robes, waiting quietly for it to begin.

The auspicious time has arrived at 5:00 AM.

Lin Qiwu, the headmaster of Qingyun Academy, personally took charge of the roster and stood in front of the academy gate, calling out the names one by one in a loud voice.

Those whose names are called must step forward, and a junior official from the Department of Ceremonial Affairs will carefully verify their identity documents and the special floating ticket issued by the court the day before.

Only after confirming that everything is correct can the search and inspection process begin.

Because the preliminary examination only lasted one day, the regulations were slightly simpler than those of the formal provincial examination.

Candidates are not allowed to bring any items into the examination room except for their identification slips.

Writing brushes, ink, paper, and even a simple midday meal of water and pastries were all provided by the imperial court.

To prevent fraudulent activities, the search was conducted in two stages.

The initial inspection was carried out in full view of everyone by several solemn-faced court ladies.

Candidates must stand in the center of the field, and female officials will step forward and deftly remove their hair buns for careful inspection.

Then, symbolically pat the surface of your clothes with your hands to check for any hard objects hidden inside.

The re-inspection was conducted in a specially designated, enclosed inspection room next to the main gate of the academy.

To preserve the dignity of women, this checkpoint requires candidates to enter one by one.

Under the supervision of the female officials, they undressed for a more thorough personal inspection to ensure that no writing or small items were concealed.

Only those who pass both checks can receive their examination number tag and be guided into the academy's examination hall.

After all the candidates had entered the examination room, the invigilators filed in.

The procession included not only officials from the two departments, instructors from the Imperial Academy, and heads of various academies, but also representatives randomly selected from the general public.

At the beginning of the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), a deep, resonant drumbeat suddenly resounded within the academy.

The preliminary examination for the supplementary recruitment of candidates for the provincial examination has officially begun!