Li Ming tidied up his pack and went first to the bookstore, where he selected some books he had never seen back in Linshan Town. He then carried them back home, ready to set aside time to study them thoroughly.
He then purchased all the newspapers from the last two years that recorded significant events, and the examination papers from the last five consecutive court exams.
Afterward, he returned to the courtyard, where he finally began to study earnestly.
The test content of the palace examination was "current affairs policy analysis," which is a style of writing in the imperial examination that tackles strategies to solve practical problems. The "current affairs policy analysis" in the palace examination consists of a major question with three to five sub-questions.