Since last month, there have been many more candidates in the capital who came to take part in the palace examination.
For a time, the guild halls of various state capitals in the capital were overcrowded.
The imperial examination is not only the country's official ceremony for selecting scholars, but also the highest goal that these scholars dream of throughout their lives.
As the old folk saying goes, if you learn martial arts, you will sell them to the emperor's family.
Scholars in their own minds cultivate their families, govern their country, and bring peace to the world.
The candidates who came to Beijing used their place of origin as the key, either to visit classmates and seek connections, or to study hard together and exchange knowledge.
Talents from all over the world gathered in the capital, where the writings of the Six Dynasties were popular, adding to the gathering of humanities.
However, there are also rich and poor people in Juzi. The rich can naturally appreciate the prosperity of the capital while studying. The poor can only stay in guild halls or inns.
In a small room in the west wing of the backyard of the Jinan Guild Hall near the West Fourth Archway on Chengxian Street, Han Kezhong, a scholar from Shandong Province, was holding a lecture note in his hand and frowning as he read hard.
It doesn't look like he comes from a wealthy family. The Confucian shirt he is wearing is a bit old, and there are no bookboys or servants around him.
Beside the desk, there are a few steamed buns, a pot of water, and half a bowl of pickles.
"The Way of University"
While he was frowning and making decisions, a young man came in from outside and walked straight to the window.
"Brother Han, are you still studying?" The judge was a few years younger than Han Kezhong. He had a smile on his face and looked like a lively person.
This is Han Kezhong's fellow villager, Jiang Hongye.
"Well!" Han Kezhong raised his head, with a simple and honest smile on his square face, "I'm about to take the imperial examination, but I always feel unsure. If I think about sharpening my skills before the battle, I'll be unhappy!"
"You, care leads to chaos!" Jiang Hongye said with a smile, "Teacher often said that you should be calm when dealing with big things. The sooner you go to the palace, the more calm you have to be. A person with a frown like you will really be in the Wenhua Palace.
, even 10% of your knowledge can’t be used at 20%!”
"That's right, my dear brother!" Han Kezhong said with a smile, "I also know this truth, but I just don't know what to do with it!" He said, sighing slightly, "I have studied hard for ten years, just for this. You also know
In order for me to come to the capital to take the exam, my father sold three acres of paddy field, and everyone in the clan helped to raise money. When I left the city, the county magistrate personally sent me thirty miles away.
The old mother is looking forward to the door, the wife is crying, the children are waving frequently, hoping that the kiss will come back to high school. If you don't get it, how can you face the elders in your hometown!"
Jiang Hongye said, "Brother Han, you're serious. The more you think about these things, the more you can't let go!" As he said that, he rolled his eyes and said, "Let's go, the exam will start the day after tomorrow anyway, so don't read these things and just follow
Little brother, let’s go out for a walk. Since you came to the capital, you haven’t gone out for a walk!”
"No, no!" Han Kezhong waved his hand and said, "Living in the capital is not easy, and going out for a walk costs money!" He pointed to the steamed buns on the table and said, "Look at these steamed buns, they cost a penny for two here.
It costs a penny each! Besides, we are all students from poor families, so why go out and show off?"
"Students from poor families can't be arrogant! The capital of the Ming Dynasty is the capital of the world. No matter how rich or poor you are, you can go around and look around!" Jiang Hongye said with a smile, "Rich people have their own ways to change their lives, and those who don't have money can do it."
Money, let’s go!”
With that said, regardless of whether the other party wanted it or not, he entered the room and directly took the other party's arm and walked out.
"Okay, okay, can't you do it? Maura!" Han Kezhong had no choice but to smile bitterly to this little fellow countryman.
~~~
Because the nobles from all over the world gathered together, the capital became even more prosperous.
The guild hall is where poor scholars live. There are many people who come from wealthy families and take the exams with their maids and servants. They all live in the best inns in the city.
And scholars love romance, and the imperial examination is about to happen, so the business of the restaurants and singing houses in the city is much better than in previous years.
It was just after noon, and the streets were already full of tourists, many of them Confucian scholars.
Among the bustling crowd, Jiang Hongye said to Han Kezhong, "Brother Han, there is a Zuixian restaurant in front of us, which serves authentic Shandong Shandong cuisine. Come on, I'll be the host, and we'll get drunk before resting!"
There were too many people around, which made Han Kezhong feel a little uncomfortable. He hurriedly grabbed Jiang Hongye and said, "No, no, that's too expensive. I heard that a bottle of wine costs twenty yuan. A table of good noodles costs three silver dollars. Tsk tsk.
, in my hometown, three yuan can buy an acre of land!"
"Hey, I'm treating you to a treat, please open your mouth."
Before Jiang Hongye finished speaking, Han Kezhong said again, "This is not a matter of treating anyone. It's not easy for a good brother to knock on the door and come out. I know your family is better off, but you don't spend money like this. There is no need to waste it on food and drink."
Go. If you have this money, bring some things to your home and buy some specialties!"
"Look, you finally came out," Jiang Hongye muttered, "you didn't eat at noon and you're hungry!"
Han Kezhong looked at his classmates who had not grown up, smiled, and said, "Well, I heard that the scenery by Xuanwu Lake is pretty good. Since we are out to relax, we will go to a place with less people and better scenery."
"It would be nice to go over there and buy some cooked biscuits and sit by the lake for a picnic!"
Jiang Hongye thought about it and said with a smile, "Okay, let's buy more Feiji wine!"
I didn’t buy the fat chicken wine after all.
The two bought four sesame sesame pancakes and half a pound of braised pork head. When passing by a vegetable stall, Han Kezhong also bought a few green onions.
Xuanwu Lake was originally a restricted military area before the founding of the Ming Dynasty, probably because all the warships were docked there. After the founding of the Ming Dynasty, some people suggested that it be designated for the exclusive use of the royal family, but the old man rejected it.
As the saying goes, the beauty of the world cannot be enjoyed exclusively by the Zhu family.
It is early summer, the warm breeze is pleasant and the grass and trees are fragrant by the lake. The lake surface is sparkling and ripples.
"That's it!"
Han Kezhong and Jiang Hongye came over carrying paper bags and chose a place under a big tree to block the sun and not delay the view of the lake.
"Brother Xian, sit down!" Han Kezhong sat cross-legged on the grass casually and opened the paper package.
"What's there to see here?" Jiang Hongye was quite disappointed with the lake view. "If I had known, I would have gone to the Qinhuai River!"
"Going to the Qinhuai River, are you still thinking about scientific research?" Han Kezhong teased, pointing to the lake, "This Xuanwu Lake was the place where the emperor of this dynasty trained his troops. At that time, Chen Youliang's navy had tens of thousands of warships, and the ships were strong and powerful.
But in Ming Dynasty, we only have a few sampans."
"But in the end, the great emperor defeated the strong with the weak and became the dominant one in the world."
"Speaking of which, this place can be regarded as the blessed land of my Ming Dynasty. You and I, brothers, are here today and are blessed by this blessed land. If it works, we, the poor students like us, may not be able to leap over the dragon's gate!"
Hearing what Han Kezhong said, Jiang Hongye laughed and sat down cross-legged, "What Brother Han said is absolutely true!" He said with a wink and a smile, "If you win, Brother Han, do you want to be a Hanlin scholar or a censor?"
tower?"
Han Kezhong broke the sesame cake in his hand and said seriously, "If I win, it's not that I don't want to be an official in Beijing."
"Why?" Jiang Hongye asked curiously.
"Being in the capital has cost a lot of money, and my family can't afford it!" Han Kezhong looked at the lake and said, "Besides, instead of being a noble writer in the capital, I would rather go to the local area and do some facts!"
Jiang Hongye said with a smile, "That's true, whether it's the Hanlin Academy or the Yushitai, it sounds good, and the road will be broad in the future. But that will all happen in a few decades. If it is placed locally, it will only take three years to clear the prefecture.
, one hundred thousand snowflakes of silver"
"Nonsense!" Han Kezhong scolded with a smile, "You know I'm not that kind of person!"
"I made a mistake, brother, don't blame me!" Jiang Hongye opened the cork of the wine bottle, poured wine into the bowl and said, "Have a drink, and I will apologize to my brother!"
"Do it!" After the two clinked glasses, they both frowned.
"Why is this wine so sour?" Jiang Hongye curled his lips.
"I drank quite well!" Han Kezhong laughed, then put the pig head meat into the sesame seed cake, peeled off the skin of a green onion, and handed it to the other party, "Eat it!"
"Hey!" Jiang Hongye said loudly as soon as he took a bite of green onions, "Why are they not as sweet as the green onions from our hometown?"
At this time, before Han Kezhong could speak, there was a burst of noise behind him.
"Just this, leisurely and quiet!"
"Come here, put the food and wine on the table!"
"Today you and I, classmates, are drinking in this beautiful place by the lake, and Miss Xiuqin is playing the piano to entertain us. How happy it is!"
Behind Han and Jiang, several proud scholars with warm jade purses on their waists came with their servants and boys, chatting and laughing.
Several boys and boys carried their burdens and ran quickly not far from Han and Jiang. They put down their burdens and started working, leaving Han and Jiang stunned.
The folding tables, chairs and benches are so exquisite that they seem to be made by nature. The dishes taken out of the food boxes are pleasing to the eye. The exquisite porcelain and exquisite tableware.
Moreover, those few scholars were accompanied by beautiful women with slight smiles.
Jiang Hongye opened his mouth wide, "So generous!"
Han Kezhong looked over there and said, "Brother, please eat. Let's go back after eating!"
