During the Northern sung, Kaifeng, the capital, played an important role in the imperial examination. Because the literati of Kaifeng natives and the students of the Directorate of Education had privileges in quotas of provincial selection, a lot of aspirants from elsewhere were attracted to the Capital. They tried to establish residence in Kaifeng in order to take provincial examination or to get the entry certificate of the Directorate of Education. Finally, the creation of Imperial University not only provided literati from humble backgrounds access to take examinations in the Capital but a...
