dognovel Chapter 312 Finding the Imperial Examination Venue
Chapter 312 Finding the Imperial Examination Venue
In the afternoon, the clouds parted slightly, and sunlight shone through the gaps, casting dappled patterns on the ground. Ying Wuyou, dressed in a simple and elegant long dress, walked down the bustling street. Several attendants accompanied her; they were searching for a suitable place to serve as the examination hall for the imperial examinations.
Ying Wuyou followed the broker, walking slowly along the bustling street. Her bright eyes scanned the houses and open spaces on both sides of the road like a scanner.
He traversed several bustling streets and alleys, admiring numerous different locations along the way. However, regrettably, none of these places satisfied Ying Wuyou. Time slipped by unnoticed, and as the sun gradually sank in the west, a sense of anxiety and impatience welled up within Ying Wuyou, his initial anticipation slowly giving way to disappointment.
Just as she was about to lose her patience, the broker in front suddenly stopped and pointed to the distance ahead, saying, "Honored guest, please take a look at this courtyard. It is quite spacious!" Following the direction the broker pointed, a dilapidated garden came into view.
The garden appeared rather dilapidated and messy, overgrown with weeds and littered with stones of varying sizes, as if it had been abandoned for a long time and neglected. However, it is worth noting that it occupies a considerable area and is located in a relatively secluded location, with an exceptionally quiet environment where almost no noise can be heard.
Upon seeing this, Ying Wuyou's heart skipped a beat. Without saying a word, he strode straight toward the garden, wanting to examine more closely whether it met his ideal standards.
Upon entering the garden, it was a mess, with weeds taller than a person and stones piled haphazardly on the ground. However, the garden was generally square and regular; if tidied up and slightly renovated, it could easily be transformed into a large and bright examination hall. Thinking of this, Ying Wuyou couldn't help but show a hint of joy on her face.
Ying Wuyou felt uncomfortable thinking about the examination halls of ancient times, especially the small, cramped cubicles of the Qing Dynasty. She had heard that candidates back then had to complete the entire exam in those tiny cubicles, even eating, drinking, and relieving themselves there. Every time she thought about it, Ying Wuyou felt extremely uneasy. Therefore, she made up her mind that she absolutely could not arrange the examination hall like that of the Qing Dynasty.
Looking at the garden's excellent location and spaciousness, Ying Wuyou grew increasingly fond of it. She immediately decided to buy it and promptly summoned craftsmen, carefully explaining her ideas for renovating the site. The craftsmen listened attentively to every word Ying Wuyou spoke, nodding and taking notes. Only after everything was explained clearly did Ying Wuyou leave, filled with anticipation that she would soon see a brand-new examination hall.
After leaving the garden, Ying Wuyou hurried to prepare the necessary items for the examination. She thought for a long time and decided to have Mo Li and the others help make a large batch of low tables. Because in the Qin Dynasty, people were accustomed to kneeling, many would certainly find it difficult to adjust if the examination hall chairs were suddenly replaced with modern ones. Low tables would meet modern needs and be convenient to use.
Once everything was arranged, Ying Wuyou returned to Chaohua Palace. Upon her return, she immediately began to consider the layout of the examination hall. She divided the entire examination hall into several sections, each with numerous examination booths, and each booth was furnished with a suitable number of seats. These seats were separated by sturdy wooden partitions to ensure that each candidate was not disturbed by others and could not cheat. Furthermore, a proctor was stationed at the entrance of each booth, and the booths were equipped with warm stoves and bright oil lamps—all essential for the examination.
As Ying Wuyou pondered various details, he kept writing on the paper and occasionally sketching out design plans for the examination hall. After a while, a series of exquisitely drawn examination hall plans were laid out before him. However, looking at his own layout plan, Ying Wuyou couldn't help but sigh. Because from a certain angle, this examination hall layout resembled the small and oppressive spaces of the Qing Dynasty.
However, she knew perfectly well that, given the current situation, this was undoubtedly the most ideal strategy she could devise. In ancient times, an examination often lasted for several days. During this long period, candidates had to take care of all their needs, including food and lodging, within the examination hall. If measures weren't taken to prevent cheating, the examination would inevitably lose its fairness and authority. The arrangement presented before her was a brilliant plan that Ying Wuyou had come up with after racking her brains and thinking deeply.
Moreover, Ying Wuyou had an even more far-reaching plan. She planned to further increase the number of exam sessions. Specifically, after each subject's assessment, candidates would be allowed to return home for a short rest before continuing with the other subjects the following day. This method would prevent candidates from becoming overly exhausted from continuous exams, thus allowing them to demonstrate their true knowledge and abilities to the fullest extent.
Thinking about all this, Ying Wuyou couldn't help but feel a surge of pressure. She knew that to ensure the smooth running of the entire exam, there was still a lot of tedious and crucial work waiting for her to complete.
While the current proposed exam room layout might create a slightly oppressive atmosphere, the ancient imperial examinations cannot be compared to modern college entrance exams. Given the limited resources, she could only do her best to make the exam environment as spacious, bright, and well-ventilated as possible, so that each room could comfortably accommodate many candidates.
However, simply arranging the examination room layout properly is clearly far from enough. The next crucial issue to be addressed is how to properly position the invigilators. Only by rationally planning the invigilators' locations can the fairness and impartiality of the examination be guaranteed to the greatest extent possible, and any cheating be prevented. Therefore, Ying Wuyou had to rack his brains again, pondering how to design this aspect even more perfectly.
In addition, the safety and hygiene of the examination venue are equally important. WinWorry must do everything possible to ensure the safety of all candidates during the examination period, while also maintaining the cleanliness of the examination venue at all times, thereby creating a healthy and comfortable examination environment for everyone.
These seemingly insignificant little things are actually quite troublesome to do. Ying Wuyou was busy formulating various plans and perfecting various details. Before she knew it, it was dark outside the window. She had been working on the table, exhausted. She slowly put down her pen, stretched her stiff body, stood up and moved around for a while, then dragged her heavy steps to bed early.