Year 276 of the Tang Dynasty, late autumn.
The final section of the Imperial Examination that took place in the imperial palace would be the last grand event before winter.
Tens of thousands of students from all 3,000 academies of the Tang Dynasty would be paying close attention to the examination outcome and honor roll.
The palace stood majestically within the vermillion walls that stretched to both ends of the horizon.
The palace's Vermillion Bird Gate sat at the end of Vermillion Street. The palace buildings rose proudly with tall spires and high roofs. The students looked unusually vibrant under the brilliant morning rays reflected by the glazed tiles.
Before the Vermillion Bird Gate, troops of Royal Guards in full armor marched orderly with swords hanging on their waist. The intensity in their eyes made people avoid eye contact.
There were also armed guards on horses above the walls, their eyes fixed on the front gates.
