The sky is getting brighter and the lantern on the bow of the ship has not yet been extinguished.

A red sun jumped out of the foggy water. When the wind blew, countless broken light spots danced on the deep water.

On the vast lake, mist was rising, and a fishing boat broke through the fog and rode the waves, riding the wind from the depths of the water.

The boat rocked and creaked as it docked at the dock beside the mountain.

Before the young man in green who was rocking the boat could put down the rocker, the little girl standing on the bow of the boat had already jumped out of the boat and quickly tied the cable to the wooden pile beside the dock.

Qingshan Academy is built on the hillside of Nanyang City. There is a road in front of the main entrance. Several carriages are lined up in sequence. The driver holds the reins and waits for the students to get off. As soon as the students get off the car, the driver immediately holds the reins and leads the carriages and mule carts away.

, wait until you reach another fork in the road, then quickly get in the carriage and drive the carriage away quickly.

No matter what your status is, whether you are rich or powerful, or a commoner in white clothes, if you want to enter Qingshan Academy, you must get off the bus at the foot of the mountain, climb the stone steps and walk into the academy.

There are ninety-nine stone steps leading to the academy. The wide and flat stone steps are trampled by countless students every year. The towering trees on both sides of the stone steps block the sky and the sun. There are bursts of pine waves in the forest, and the wind blows like thousands of steps.

Thousands of troops and horses galloped forward.

Today is the exam day for Qingshan Academy, and the usually quiet mountain roads were bustling with activity early in the morning.

I heard that the one who came to invigilate the exam today was Jiao Yu from the Imperial College in Beijing.

I heard that this time the Great Shang Dynasty selected talents in an eclectic way. Members of the Imperial College went to academies across the country to invigilate the exams, hoping to select talented people from the academies to enter the Imperial College.

Students in twos and threes are talking about the big exam of Qingshan Academy, and most of them hope that they can overcome the obstacles in this big exam and be recognized by the wise eyes of the Imperial Academy's tutor Yu Yu.

Three young students were standing on the steps halfway up the mountain. One of them was holding a book in his hand and was talking to another student on the left while tilting his head.

"I heard that the person coming this time is..."

Before he could finish his words, another student on the right pushed him on the shoulder and shouted down the mountain: "Here we come."

The three people hurriedly lowered their heads and looked down. As they went down the steps, the thick fog at the bottom of the mountain dispersed and gathered due to the carriage, making it unclear who was coming.

"Is it really coming?"

The students who were standing on the first step were busy carrying their book bags and looking down along with their gazes.

Before the carriage stopped at the foot of the stone steps, a young man in Tsing Yi flashed out in front of the carriage. He was holding a book bag in one hand and a bamboo basket in the other and was stepping up the stone steps. Behind the young man in Tsing Yi was a boy in his teens.

The little girl, the little girl was walking and talking, her clear voice chirping in the mountains and forests.

The students waiting halfway up the mountain inhaled and sighed together, feeling a sense of disappointment in their hearts.

Seeing that the stone steps were full of classmates, the young man in green clothes walking in front was slightly startled and stopped in front of the steps.

"What's the matter?"

The little girl behind her put her head out and looked up at the students in front of her and asked, "Why are you blocking the road?"

"without……"

The fair face of the student holding the book turned red, and he hurriedly stepped aside: "Miss Lu, please go first."

The little girl immediately held her head high and walked quickly in front of the young man in green. Seeing that the young man was not moving, she shouted coquettishly: "Brother, hurry up."

The little girl has not yet grown her hair, but she is seeing her youth, fair skin, and beauty for the first time. Her voice is clear and hollow, like an oriole. She puffs out her cheeks, and her cheeks are white and pink, as if she has applied the most delicate rouge.

It was so beautiful. She didn't even look at the students standing on both sides who were reluctant to go up the mountain. She just reached out and grabbed the young man behind her and walked up.

Before the young man in green had passed by, the student holding the book spoke again: "Lu Hei, I wish you success in today's exam, and that you will be favored by the teachings and be selected into the Imperial College."

The young student's eyes were full of sincerity, without any trace of jealousy or sarcasm.

Lu Xiangge stood up straight, bowed his hands, and said humbly: "Lu Xiang hopes that several senior students will succeed in their studies and enter the Imperial College. As for me...for this big exam, I will follow my father to Beijing and stop studying."

"What?" The students were shocked, "Why don't you read it?"

Lu He has been in the academy for five years. It cannot be said that he is talented, but he is a person who makes people happy and willing to associate with him.

He is good-looking, has a good family background, and is humble and polite.

Especially his younger sister Lu Qingluan, who followed him to the academy every day to audit. Everyone watched this cute little girl grow up from an ignorant little girl, and they were as affectionate as watching their own younger sister.

Lu Sheige smiled and did not answer. Instead, his sister Lu Qingluan spoke: "Dad said that if my brother doesn't study hard, he will have no choice but to go back and inherit the family business."

"Can……"

The student holding the book still wanted to speak, but his sleeve was lightly tugged by the classmate next to him, and then he said casually, "It's okay, it's okay..."

As for what it was good for, he didn't know.

Whoever comes to Qingshan Academy to study does not want to obtain fame and one day be able to be granted the title of Marquis by the Prime Minister.

No matter how rich the Lu family is, it is still just a family of merchants. How can it be compared with a family of officials?

Not only is there an abyss between these two classes, but there is also an insurmountable gap. For them, the only shortcut they can take is to study and gain fame.

Lu He has been studying at Qingshan Academy for five years. His academic ability is not top-notch, but it is not bad either.

Don't know why he...

Lu Shege did not explain or stop. He only bowed slightly to everyone and walked up to the academy.

The wind on the mountain was a little strong, blowing through the young man's clothes, and through the mist, it seemed as if the man was about to step away through the mist and transform into an immortal.

An unknown voice came from behind: "It's a pity, it's a pity..."

Is it a pity?

Lu Shege shook his head slightly. If she was really a boy, she might give it a try.

It's a pity she is not.

However, there seems to be no regrets in this.

During the five years at Qingshan Academy, she learned a lot and met a group of pretty good classmates.

The Lu family, as well as the close friends and old friends around the Lu family, have made a qualitative leap in the past five years.

These are what she needs.

Lu Qingluan was in front and Lu Shege was behind. The two "brothers and sisters" were walking on the stone steps in the mountain one after the other.

Perhaps I have become accustomed to walking on mountain trails over the years. When I climbed to the end of the stone steps, I was only slightly out of breath and did not feel tired.

Seeing that it was still early, Lu Sheige couldn't help but remind him: "Qingluan, if you are tired, just go sit next to it and rest for a while before going in."

"Just stop."

Lu Qingluan took a breath and looked back at the mountain.

In the mist-filled mountains, autumn is getting thicker. Under the steps, students in Tsing Yi are walking up the mountain together. Along with the waves of pine trees coming from the pine forests on both sides of the stone steps, it looks unusually harmonious.

It was a foggy autumn day. When I looked up, I saw the high gate of the academy. At the end of my sight, a young man in black clothes was walking down from the height.

The late autumn wind was wet and cold, heavy and light. Through the autumn mist, Lu Xiangge watched Song Yunfei walking up the mountain and walking past everyone step by step to reach her.
Chapter completed!