Dear All, Does anyone happen to know the precise dates of the various stages of the 進士 examination of 乾道八年. Although Lü Zuqian had to withdraw on the Fourth Day of the Second Month when he learned that his father was seriously ill, he still seems to have participated in earlier parts of the examination, or is the material recorded in the Song History about his reading Lu Jiuyuan’s examination materials just a good story? I am grateful for any more precise information. Michael Fuller