Early the next morning, Sun Lei, Lu Fang and Guo Sheng were ready to go out for a walk.
"This brother, stay here!"
A young scholar came forward with a smile, and behind him were several other young scholars of the same type.
"Who are you?"
Sun Lei looked at the person in front of him and frowned, he didn't know this person.
"I'm Jiangling Cui Yulin! I've met the senior!"
Cui Yulin cupped his fists and saluted Sun Lei.
"Oh, from Jiangling!"
Sun Lei looked at Cui Yulin in surprise. Although Jiangling was not far away, it was not easy to come to Tokyo. Moreover, Jiang Yulin was polite in his words and started to make friends when he got there. It seemed that he had some agenda.
"I wonder where the senior is from?"
Cui Yulin looked at Sun Lei and asked.
"My name is Sun Shi, I'm from Haizhou."
Sun Lei said.
"It turns out that seniors from Haizhou, we are all students from the south. The big exam is about to take place. A few of us have jointly established a reading club. We exchange poems and songs with each other on weekdays and study past exam questions. I wonder if Senior Sun would be willing to give us some advice?"
Cui Yulin and others cupped their fists at Sun Lei.
"book club?"
Sun Lei was a little surprised. He didn't expect these candidates to have such an organization.
"Sorry, I have other things to do, I'm afraid I don't have time to communicate."
Sun Lei really wanted to participate. Anyone who could stand out from the local provincial examination must have good literary talent. Sun Lei also wanted to go to Arty, but unfortunately he had limited ink, so he was afraid that he would be cheated.
"Senior Sun, is this your first time to take the exam?"
Cui Yulin looked at Sun Lei and asked with a smile.
"Have you noticed this? Is this not your first time?"
Sun Lei looked at Cui Yulin and the others and asked. These people looked to be in their early twenties. This test is held every three years. It should be the first time for these people.
"Senior Sun has a keen eye. This is our first time to take part in the examination, but we all received guidance from our seniors in Honshu before coming here."
Cui Yulin said.
"Oh, senior, give me some advice?"
Sun Lei looked at Cui Yulin and the others curiously.
"Senior Sun, since the founding of the Song Dynasty by Taizu, there have been a total of sixty-six champions, including nineteen near the capital and ten in Shandong. That's nearly half of them!"
Cui Yulin lowered his voice and said to Sun Lei.
"Is there such a thing? I thought we were the only ones in Haizhou who did not do well in the exam, but it turned out that everyone is the same?"
Sun Lei asked unexpectedly.
"Senior Sun, you don't know something now. It's not that we didn't do well in the exam! It's that the Gyeonggi region clings together to exclude others! Every major exam is held in Tokyo. Those who are closer to the water, first come first, can prepare early, and can be the first to go. Get to know the examiner in one step, and you can easily know the examiner’s preferences through relationships, so you can answer the questions in a targeted manner!”
Cui Yulin said angrily that this is unfair to their out-of-town candidates. They often need to spend two, three months or even half a year on the road, traveling through mountains and rivers, sleeping in the open air, and if they are unfortunate enough to encounter bandits, poisonous snakes and beasts, even small ones. Life is not guaranteed.
"The candidates from all over the Gyeonggi Province have also formed a large reading club. They only accept candidates from all over the Gyeonggi Province and we are not allowed to enter, so we students from other places can only join the group to keep warm!"
Cui Yulin looked at Sun Lei and explained.
"Is there such a thing?"
Sun Lei suddenly realized that cliques seemed to be serious in this area.
"The examiner this year is said to be Cai Jing. So wouldn't calligraphy be very important?"
Sun Lei looked at Cui Yulin and asked.
"The senior is right, Taishi Cai's calligraphy is unparalleled in the world. Nowadays, many people are practicing Cai style hard and writing in Cai style when preparing for the exam!"
Cui Yulin nodded.
"Senior, we are in the private room No. 7 upstairs. You can come and communicate at any time when you are free!"
After Cui Yulin finished speaking, he hugged Sun Lei and left with a smile on his face.
"Brother, I think this person is quite sincere!"
Lu Fang looked at Sun Lei and said, this Cui Yulin is polite in words, behaves appropriately, and is full of sincerity in his words.
"Sincerity? It's just because those people who I repaired yesterday thought I had some power and was an outsider, so they wanted to unite."
Sun Lei shook his head. He and Cui Yulin were strangers to each other. Only one champion is selected every three years. Why would Cui Yulin help him like this?
"With my brother's talent, it's no problem to be number one!"
Guo Sheng said with a smile.
"Forget it, I can't even get through the Imperial Academy door!"
Sun Lei laughed. His identity was fake. There was no problem in entering the city. However, on the day of the examination, the inspection was extremely strict. His name, place of origin, appearance, Mr. Enlightenment, which academy he studied at, which Mr. he studied under, and who Classmates, provincial examination results, provincial examination examiners... Sun Lei didn't have any of these things, so it was impossible to sneak in.
After leaving the Zhuangyuan Building, Sun Lei smiled and wandered on the street.
All the way to the Suzaku Gate.
"It looks like there's no movement at all!"
Sun Lei looked at the empty city wall and said with a smile, Fang La made an agreement that all parties can leave marks on the wall outside Zhuque Gate to indicate their arrival.
"Brother, when will we paint it?"
Lu Fang looked at Sun Lei and asked, Liang Shanbo's symbols are mountains and water, Tian Hu is a tiger head, Fang La is the sun and moon, and Wang Qing is a knife.
"Let's talk about it tonight, there are so many people out there now!"
Sun Lei shook his head. The Suzaku Gate is the most important gate in the inner city. Countless people come in and out every day. It is easy to be stared at when painting in broad daylight.
"This is your first time in Tokyo, let's go, my brother will take you around!"
Sun Lei smiled and greeted Lu Fang and Guo Sheng to enter the Suzaku Gate.
…
"Tokyo is better!"
Cheng Wanli looked at the bustling streets and sighed, there is no need to worry here anymore, no need to be afraid of Liangshan bandits.
Cheng Wanli finally successfully transferred back to Tokyo from Dongchang Mansion. Although he was only a seventh-grade idle official when he came back, he was satisfied to be away from Liangshan.
"Wan'er, this year is just in time for the National College Entrance Examination. When the time comes, my father will find you a good marriage. You will always be satisfied with all the students in the world!"
Cheng Wanli, who was riding a horse, looked at Cheng Waner in the carriage with a smile and said.
"Father, I told you I won't marry!"
Cheng Wan'er irritably lowered the car curtain on one side and opened the other side of the car curtain, staring blankly at the crowded street.
"Humph, it's not up to you. Marriage is the order of your parents and the matchmaker! You don't have to think about the thieves!"
Cheng Wanli was furious. His daughter was so obsessed that she was still thinking about the rebel Sun Lei.
"Father, he is actually not bad!"
Cheng Wan'er argued that she never thought Sun Lei was a bad person, and Liangshanbo was not a gathering place for bad people.
"Not bad? If he's not bad, are there still bad people in the world? It's impossible for you and him. After the national examination is over next year, I will find a marriage for you. It will only take a few months."
Cheng Wanli said.
"I won't marry!"
Cheng Wan'er's irritable voice came.
"Still thinking about the rebel? Well, don't say that my father won't give you a chance. If the rebel dares to come before the exam is over, I can consider it!"
Cheng Wanli said with some pride, this is Bianliang, Tokyo, even if Sun Lei had the courage to come, he wouldn't dare to come.
"you……"
Cheng Wan'er wanted to shout angrily, but she suddenly saw Sun Lei wandering among the crowd on the roadside. At this time, Sun Lei was eating a piece of mutton kang bun and looking at the sideshow stall on the roadside.
(End of chapter)
