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The white-clothed Baiyi Lane at night was bustling with people flowing over the bluestone-paved road like a shuttle through a loom.
Today was the Autumn Imperial Examination, and many Qingyin Small Class establishments had hung lanterns painted with green bamboo branches and leaves, which exuded an air of slender elegance.
These lanterns held a secret.
Scholars and literati could pay fifty taels of silver to buy a lantern and write their "bet" on the topics that might be examined under the category of "current affairs". If someone guessed the topic correctly, they could go to the Qingyin Small Class on the day the results were announced and be celebrated as the "top scorer" for the night.
Tonight, Baiyi Lane was as lively as the City God Temple Fair during the Lantern Festival, with brilliant lights illuminating the stone-paved streets.
