northernbook Chapter 135: Solo Provincial Examination
Chapter 135: Solo Provincial Examination
Liu Chunfeng wanted to follow, but Jiang Yue declined.
"Grandma, I'm already thirteen years old, and I have martial arts skills. Ordinary people can't do anything to me."
"But you are just a child after all, so let your brother-in-law go with you." Liu Chunfeng wanted to go, but her health was not as good as before and she couldn't stand the long and bumpy ride.
"Grandma, there's really no need. My brothers-in-law are all very busy." Jiang Yue tried her best to persuade her grandma to give up following her.
As for the travel expenses, Jiang Yue and Shen Fangze earned them together in recent months. She kept thirty taels of silver for herself, thinking it was enough, and gave the rest to her grandmother.
On the first day of her departure, she felt no nervousness but determination.
She walked neither fast nor slow as she passed through the mountain villages.
Passing by Qinghe Town, she went to Yanshan Martial Arts Hall and met her master, his wife, Wu Youyou and five fellow apprentices.
Passing by Chuanshui County, she went to find Master Shen Qing and said goodbye to him.
After leaving Chuanshui County, she started riding her horse at full speed.
Along the way, she encountered some refugees fleeing famine, rushing towards her.
Seeing that he could no longer walk, Jiang Yue waved his hand, threw down a handful of copper coins, whipped his horse whip, and started running wildly again.
The refugees were only concerned with squatting down to pick up the money. After Jiang Yue left, they chased after her, but in the end, they only caught up with a cloud of dust.
Jiang Yue, who was on horseback, frowned slightly.
Normally, we see panicked people, but they are only a few in number. Now, a large number of them have come.
She had a bad feeling in her heart, but she had no time to think about it and just continued on her way.
On the horse, she is like a wild goose set free, enjoying the feeling of riding a horse.
It was almost noon when we arrived at Huai'an County.
Jiang Yue ate quickly and continued on her way.
This time, without her grandmother and eldest brother-in-law accompanying her, she traveled alone and was relatively faster.
On the way, she arrived at a county town. It was already sunset, so she found an inn to stay.
The next morning, we continued our journey.
The horse continued to gallop, and when she arrived at Qingyun Prefecture, it was already dusk one day.
With the experience from last time, she continued to rent the same farmyard.
Living alone inevitably made the old man who owns the homestay curious.
"Young Master, why didn't your grandma and brother come?"
Jiang Yue just said: "Grandpa, my family members are all busy, so it's enough for me to come to the Autumn Examination."
"Young Master is very knowledgeable!"
After reading for a few days in the B&B, there was still half a month before the Autumn Examination. Jiang Yue went shopping alone like last time. Occasionally, when she came across a bookstore, she could not walk anymore.
When you enter the bookstore, you will see quite a few readers inside.
Jiang Yue found a seat, opened one of the books, and prepared to take a look.
From time to time, I would hear scholars around me talking about the Imperial Examination in Autumn.
"Have you heard? There's fighting on the border again. The barbarians of Northern Yan are eyeing us covetously. The imperial court is recruiting soldiers everywhere. Will our imperial examinations be affected?"
"Brother, please don't scare me. We have studied hard for ten years just to get our names on the imperial examination one day."
"That's right, the autumn exam is approaching, so stop talking nonsense here."
"It seems that the imperial court has issued a conscription system. They are going to recruit soldiers on a large scale. You guys should be careful."
"What? Conscription? You and I are both weak scholars. Even if we are conscripted, we will die."
"Don't worry, as long as you are a virgin, you don't have to join the army..."
"..."
Jiang Yue felt her heart tighten when she heard this.
When did the conscription take place? Could it be that she arrived too early and missed it?
Although Jiang Yue felt that conscription was too far away for him, he still felt inexplicably uneasy.
"Jiang Yue, I didn't expect to meet you here."
It was Ye Chen. He met Jiang Yue in the bookstore and greeted her with a smile.
"Since we've met, how about we go sit in a teahouse on the street?"
"Okay." Jiang Yin and Ye Chen left the bookstore together.
Along the way, I was thinking about what the scholar had just said.
She was wondering if it was possible that her brother-in-law had also been conscripted?
Ye Chen: "Don't worry about it, it's just conscription, it can be solved by paying some money."
"The border has been in turmoil for years. I'm afraid money alone can't solve the problem." Jiang Yue thought of his father and uncle.
Ye Chen: "If there is a man in the family, there is no need to join the army. Even if there is conscription, it won't be on you and me. Don't forget, we are scholars and can be exempted from military service."
"..."
After chatting, the two went to a teahouse.
As soon as Jiang Yue sat down, Ye Chen moved closer to her.
"Jiang Yue, guess more questions."
In fact, Jiang Yue had already predicted the questions with Ye Chen in the academy.
"I think it involves current government affairs. Brother Ye, please think about it carefully after you go back."
"I'm not sure about that. I think the emphasis should be on the Book of Songs."
"..."
Jiang Yue and Ye Chen began to discuss the questions for the provincial examination in the teahouse.
At the end of the topic, Ye Chen looked in a certain direction.
"Jiang Yue, after the provincial examination, if we both pass the exam, let's make an appointment to study together in Qingyun. The county magistrate has promised my uncle to introduce us to the academy here. I heard that the Qingshan Academy in the north of the city..."
"I'm not going." Jiang Yue interrupted Ye Chen and then lay down on the table, looking a little lazy.
"Why?" Ye Chen couldn't understand at all. "You know, Qingshan Academy is the best academy in Qingyun Province."
Jiang Yue: “I don’t know.”
Ye Chen: "But your family is in trouble? Are you short of money? If you don't have money, just tell me. Qingshan Shuxiu is only thirty taels of silver anyway. If you are worried about where to live, I can help you. We can live together."
"No, my family's business is still the same, but I don't want to continue to take the imperial examination." Jiang Yue interrupted Ye Chen's suspicion.
"Jiang Yue!" Ye Chen slammed the table and stood up like a patriarch. "You don't even want this opportunity. Are you still the Jiang Yue I know?"
Later, they saw the waiter and some tea drinkers beside them looking at them in confusion, and they quickly sat down again.
Jiang Yue: "Without me, you would be number one."
"Jiang Yue, if you encounter any difficulties, I can help you." Ye Chen put his hands on Jiang Yue's shoulders and looked at her eyes seriously.
Jiang Yue shook her head slowly. She could not bear to be controlled by fate. Unconsciously, she thought of the female prince consort in the opera.
I'm afraid I don't have as much luck as the female prince consort.
Ye Chen continued: "After the provincial examination, it will be the imperial examination. Jiang Yue, I still want to continue to be your classmate."
Jiang Yue: “…” If she passes the imperial examination this time, I’m afraid her life will not be bad.
"We agreed that we will continue to be classmates." Ye Chen really regarded Jiang Yue as a brother, but he didn't expect that Jiang Yue was stubborn and unyielding.
"……Feel sorry."
The conversation ended unpleasantly.
……soon,
Jiang Yue finally ushered in what she thought was a turning point in her life.
The provincial examination was located in the southeast of Qingyun Prefecture. Jiang Yue had already made some research and went there alone before daybreak.