This time, as usual, no one paid attention to the students' requests. Just when they thought it would be fruitless again, an eunuch appeared before the crowd, holding an imperial edict in his hands.
With a resounding proclamation of "The Imperial Edict has arrived," thousands of students knelt down en masse to listen to the decree, their excitement undiminished by the cold, hard floor tiles that made them incredibly uncomfortable.
"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees... The examination fraud case is of great significance. I shall hold a public trial in the Hall of Supreme Harmony today at the third quarter of Si Shi. All the students from Jing City may enter the palace to observe, to witness and hear the truth—Such is Our command—"
