Yao Yao looked at the densely packed and neatly arranged dormitories. The sunlight was completely blocked by the towering Mingyuan Building. There was almost no sunlight in the low east and west dormitories.
The sunshine is warm in the spring, and the wind has lost its coolness, but it is still a bit cold at night, especially in such a dormitory that has not seen the light of day for many months.
Thinking of this, she raised her eyebrows: "Sir, did you have everything ready for the scientific examination that year?"
Han Changmu didn't expect her to ask such a question, he was stunned for a moment and said: "Jin Yu helped me clean it up back then, so it is naturally complete."
Yao Yao pursed his lips and smiled: "Then what kind of dry food and bedding did you bring?"
Han Changmu thought for a moment and suddenly smiled faintly: "Yes, it is indeed not fair."
Not all scholars come from poor families and study hard in the same way, but the backgrounds of poor families and wealthy families are different. Scholars from poor families may have to support the whole family to study hard until they reach the spring stage. But wealthy families don’t have to be so difficult.
Han Changmu was walking in the alleyway, and there were clanging sounds coming from the left and right.
Some of the scholars who found their dormitories were well prepared and even brought cloth curtains, which were nailed to the door of their dormitories and put down when sleeping at night to keep out the wind and cold.
Some scholars also brought elastic cotton, but when entering the venue, the cotton was cut open and carefully rummaged by the soldiers, but it did not affect their use. At night, they spread it on simple wooden boards, and it did not hurt anyone when they lay on it.
Some scholars even brought copper pots and stoves, and the charcoals they burned were all high-quality orchid charcoal. There was no smoke after lighting, and there was a faint orchid fragrance.
It's just that the charcoal has also been broken open and inspected to avoid entrainment.
Of course, there were still only a few scholars who brought these items in. Most of the scholars only brought some cold and hard food, which was broken into small pieces by the soldiers when they entered, and they took a bite when they were hungry.
During these three days in Gongyuan, you should also bring your own water. Those who can afford it will boil it and drink it, while those who cannot afford it will drink it cold.
In the provincial examination held every three years, many scholars failed the examination because they drank too much raw water, which caused gastrointestinal discomfort and diarrhea.
After walking around the east dormitory, Han Changmu followed the soldiers to the west dormitory.
Yao Yao frowned slightly and asked in a low voice: "Sir, why didn't you see Bao Cheng? He must have escaped and ran away."
Han Changmu snorted: "If he dared to run away before the battle, I would admire him. I'm afraid he doesn't have the guts to run, but he has the guts to hand over a blank sheet to someone who threw him into the Imperial College."
Yao Yao chuckled, and after thinking about it carefully, Bao Cheng really had the potential to hand in a blank test.
After inspecting the tens of thousands of dormitories on the east and west sides, the afternoon sunlight has become thinner. The sun is tilted to the west and bleakly slants into the window lattice. The fiery red sun is burning in the distant sky, using its last light to resist the erosion of darkness. .
Returning to the third floor of Mingyuan Building, Yao Yao breathed a sigh of relief: "It seems that the scholars of this year are very honest."
Han Changmu took off his red armor, raised his eyebrows and asked with a smile: "Why do you say that?"
Yao Yao opened the window and looked at each other through the window: "I just walked around and didn't find anyone cheating."
Han Changmu smiled: "Today is just admission, the exam will officially start tomorrow, and the test papers will be distributed. It is too early to say that no one is cheating at this time."
Yao Yao was stunned. He never expected that the provincial examination would be held in the middle of the night. In order to prevent candidates from cheating, the officials of the Jing Dynasty did everything they could.
She laughed dryly: "It's okay to take the exam secretly, haha."
Han Changmu smiled and pointed to the bed: "Sit down and take a rest after using the evening food. There is still a tough battle to be fought at night."
As dusk fell, the lights on Mingyuan Tower were brightly lit, and candlelight gradually lit up in the dormitories on the east and west sides.
The Gongyuan provided two hollow candles for each dormitory, but the scholars also brought their own candles, and of course they were all hollow.
This kind of hollow candle is only half a thumb high, and is hollowed out in the middle to prevent entrapment. However, it is very easy to burn. Two candles can only burn for half a night.
Today is the entrance. There is no need to answer questions and there is no need to light the candle. But after the exam papers are handed out at night, the candle is indispensable. During the day, the dormitory is dark and dark, so the candle needs to be lit.
Each scholar brought a large bundle of hollow candles, which was also a lesson learned from the blood and tears of his predecessors.
It is said that a few years ago, a scholar relied on his good eyesight and did not bring any hollow candles as spares. The candles provided by the Gongyuan were used up the next day. Although the entire dormitory was not blind, it was still so dark that it was difficult to see the handwriting. .
The scholar looked at him during the day and at night, and his eyes turned black and burst into tears. Before he finished answering the exam paper, he was wet with tears.
Not surprisingly, he failed.
He became the first scholar in the imperial examination history of the Jing Dynasty to fail because he did not bring enough candles.
No one regarded matters involving their future as a joke or laughed it off. Ever since that scholar fainted crying at the end of the ranking a few years ago, all the scholars had tacitly brought enough candles.
I'm not afraid of running out, I'm just afraid of not having enough.
The meals in Gongyuan are all cooked by the back kitchen, and the cooks are also served by the internal guards of the Internal Health Department.
Since it is a part-time job, there is no need to mention the taste of the food. I am lucky if it is cooked and warm in the mouth.
Jiang Shen put on a sad face, took a piece of bamboo chopsticks and boiled the kale, and sighed: "It's so good to stir-fry, why does it have to be boiled?"
Wang Jingzong and Ruan Pingan looked at each other expressionlessly, and their mouthfuls of kale, which were not very fragrant, suddenly became more like chewing wax.
On the contrary, Mu Rongjun put a cup of ginseng tea in Jiang Shen's hand, and said with a smile: "Mr. Ge, please use some at least, otherwise you won't be able to bear it. This ginseng tea was just brewed by the lower official. Please try it." "
Wang Jingzong and Ruan Ping'an looked at each other again, seeing how discerning they were.
Ruan Ping'an quickly stood up and added: "Yes, Mr. Ge, you can drink some ginseng tea to refresh yourself." After saying that, he winked at Wang Jingzong and signaled him to say a few words quickly.
Unexpectedly, Wang Jingzong turned a blind eye to his eyes. The tasteless boiled kale on the plate in front of him was quickly cleaned by him, and it tasted like braised pork.
Jiang Shen glanced at Wang Jingzong, sighed, and pushed the plate forward: "That's all, I'm older, and my appetite is no better than your young people."
Mu Rongxun quickly put the ginseng tea into Jiang Shen's hand and said with a smile on his face: "Mr. Ge, please drink some ginseng tea first, and then go to the kitchen to have a look."
Jiang Shen's sigh became even longer: "Now the inner guards are keeping a close watch, what can you see when you go to the kitchen?"
Mu Rongxun smiled and said: "Mr. Ge, you can relax and come back as soon as you leave. You won't offend the internal guards."
Half an hour later, Mu Rongxuan entered the room carrying a three-layer food box, opened it layer by layer, and placed the food on the dining table.
Astonishingly, there was a plate of stir-fried mutton with mountain mushrooms and fungus, a plate of hibiscus tofu, a plate of sesame spinach, and a small cup of minced meat, shrimp and stewed eggs, paired with a bowl of japonica rice. The fragrance lingered and made people salivate.
Jiang Shen's eyes lit up and he looked at Mu Rongxuan with a smile: "Oh Sanlin, where did you get this?"
Mu Rongyun smiled and said: "Mr. Ge, please don't ask so many questions. If you can make Mr. Ge eat more, the lower officials should get their share."
Jiang Shen smiled so hard that he couldn't see his teeth, and the shallow wrinkles on his face became more kind and friendly: "Okay, okay, Sanlin, you are good, good."
Mu Rongxun raised his head with admiration on his face, put a piece of mutton with bamboo chopsticks on the plate, and whispered softly: "Mr. Ge, eat it quickly. It will get cold after a while, which is not good for the stomach."
Seeing this scene, Wang Jingzong wiped his mouth, stood up and saluted: "Mr. Ge, your Majesty has finished eating. I will step back first. Mr. Ge, please use it slowly."
Jiang Shen said hello with a smile. After Wang Jingzong turned around, he narrowed his eyes slightly, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.
Ruan Pingan also hurriedly said goodbye and ran out of Mingyuan Building after Wang Jingzong.
"Baowen, Baowen, Wang Jingzong!" Ruan Ping'an hurriedly chased after him, shouted, stopped Wang Jingzong, and sighed helplessly: "Baowen, why are you doing this?"
Wang Jingzong stopped and said solemnly, "I just can't stand his look."
Ruan Pingan and Wang Jingzong walked side by side and sighed: "People are different. You disdain flattery, but you can't force everyone to be like you."
Wang Jingzong looked at the dark sky in the distance. The dim lights in the dormitory in the distance seemed like tiny stars falling.
He breathed out: "You are right, I am too stubborn." He turned his head and glanced at Mingyuan Tower: "Wen Ran, I just feel something is wrong. The cooks in the kitchen are all sent by the Internal Health Department. Yes, what method did Mu Rongxun use to obtain those?"
Ruan Ping'an sneered disdainfully: "Money can make the world go round."
The two walked side by side and met Han Changmu who came out to eat after eating too much. The two quickly saluted: "Master Han."
Han Changmu also returned the greeting: "Master Wang, Master Ruan." He glanced at the two of them and asked lightly: "Have you used Mu Shi before?"
Ruan Ping'an nodded and said: "I've used it. Is Mr. Han going to inspect the dormitory again?"
Han Changmu pursed his lips and did not answer Ruan Pingan's question directly. Instead, he asked: "Are you two going to inspect the dormitory too?"
Ruan Ping'an smiled and said: "No, let's just walk around and walk around casually."
"The two adults, please go slowly. I will go back first." Han Changmu smiled faintly, and when he passed by the two of them, Wang Jingzong frowned slightly.
He stopped, turned around and asked, "Master Han, how does the fish taste today?"
Han Changmu turned around without knowing what was going on and said calmly: "It's acceptable."
Wang Jingzong bumped into a nail that was neither hard nor soft. His face was a little confused. Without saying anything more, he turned around and left with a sullen expression.
Han Changmu touched the tip of his nose and walked towards Mingyuan Tower with a confused look on his face.
Ruan Pingan glanced at Wang Jingzong worriedly and whispered: "You said you have such a temper. Why are you telling him this? You don't know what the inner guard does?"
Wang Jingzong didn't take it seriously and said: "They dare to do it. There is nothing I dare not say."
