Chapter 37

The Great Xia Official Road.

The convoy stretched like a long dragon.

The capital itself was at the heart of the Great Xia, with countless merchants coming and going every day.

Especially with the Great Xia Academy's admission process.

What was usually a smooth and unobstructed official road was now packed with people.

Fortunately, Gu Jinnian's convoy didn't need to use the official road.

They took the emergency lane.

A lane specifically used for escorting urgent intelligence.

Ordinary people were not allowed to use this lane, or they would face severe punishment.

But the Gu family was different. With their power and influence, and with the emperor's decree obtained by Gu Jinnian's father, they were allowed to use it temporarily.

Thus,

The carriage sped forward.

Kicking up rolling yellow sand.

A journey of three hundred miles could be completed in three hours with full effort.

At the city gate,

Two figures slowly appeared.

They were Gu Qianzhou and Gu Leng.

Gu Leng was Gu Jinnian's fourth uncle.

They were here to see Gu Jinnian off.

"Brother, if you care so much about Jinnian, why don't you send him off yourself?"

"Why hide and watch from behind?"

Gu Leng spoke, somewhat puzzled by his elder brother's actions.

"Why send him off? He's a grown man, and having the whole family see him off would only make him more pampered."

Gu Qianzhou replied, his tone full of educational authority.

"Alright."

"You're all bark and no bite, but you and Grandfather insisted on sending Jinnian to the Great Xia Academy. Is this place really that good?"

"I mean, Jinnian isn't cut out for studying. Forcing him to read and write won't work."

Gu Leng continued, his concern for Gu Jinnian evident in his voice.

"Hmph, Jinnian has talent, but it's just not being used in the right place. You all spoiled him when he was young."

Gu Qianzhou retorted, not in a good mood.

"Brother, that's not a fair statement. If he's not cut out for studying, then he's not. Do you really believe what Master Xu said?"

Gu Leng also got a bit angry, retorting sharply.

"I don't want to argue with you."

"Just wait and see."

Gu Qianzhou waved his sleeve and left. Although he wanted to argue back, he couldn't find anything to counter with, so he simply walked away.

Seeing Gu Qianzhou leave, Gu Leng shook his head, his gaze on Gu Jinnian filled with pity.

But he didn't say anything and followed Gu Qianzhou away.

At that moment,

Inside the jade carriage,

"Jinnian."

"Don't think I don't care about you. I've roughly figured out the situation in Xiaoxi Village."

"The east, south, and west sides test riddles, poetry, and martial skills, respectively."

"I think we're not good at martial skills or poetry, so the riddles are the best bet."

"I've arranged a few people to line up in front of you, and a few more behind you. They'll deliberately delay the process. The questions are in order, and one of them has excellent eyesight."

"He can help you see the questions in advance. When they guess, they'll tell you."

"If they can't guess, it will at least buy you some time. If you really can't pass, just give them this token."

Gu Ningya spoke, holding out a token.

This was the Great Xia Academy's direct admission token.

Inside the jade carriage,

Gu Jinnian took the token and then shook his head.

"Sixth Uncle, there's no need to prepare anything for me. I'll go to the south side."

He said this calmly, yet with confidence.

"South side?"

"Jinnian, don't be reckless. The south side tests poetry, and it's extremely competitive. Your poetry skills aren't even as good as mine."

"Also, I should mention that the direct admission token isn't very useful now. It only allows you to pass one round."

"The current head of the academy is Mr. Wenjing, not Yang Kai."

"So, guessing riddles is the best option. If you can't guess, use the token. If you can, the first round will be less risky, and there might be a second or third round inside."

"Jinnian, I know your level. Don't be reckless."

Gu Ningya warned.

"Understood."

Gu Jinnian nodded, remaining calm.

Hearing this, Gu Ningya was taken aback.

Just this reaction?

"Sixth Uncle, what's the situation on the north side?"

Gu Jinnian didn't dwell on the topic and instead asked about the north side.

"I'm not sure."

"Those who enter come out the next day, and they don't say a word. I caught a couple of people, but no matter how I interrogated them, it was useless. And as soon as I caught them, the capital's authorities came to take them away, by imperial decree."

"It's probably hiding something."

Gu Ningya said, making Gu Jinnian even more curious.

"It seems this Mr. Wenjing is truly different."

Looking out the window, Gu Jinnian couldn't help but be curious.

But at that moment,

The carriage suddenly stopped.

"What's happening?"

Feeling the carriage slow down, Gu Ningya's gaze turned cold, and he instinctively placed his hand on his sword, ready for battle.

But this was the official road. Logically, even if someone wanted to cause trouble for Gu Jinnian, they wouldn't dare do it so openly.

Soon, a voice sounded.

"Sixth Master, Young Master, it's Master Yang's carriage."

With the voice, Gu Ningya's curiosity grew, and he frowned.

He lifted the curtain and indeed saw a carriage blocking the way not far ahead.

At the same time, Yang Hanrou appeared.

"May I ask if the Young Master is inside?"

Yang Hanrou's voice asked.

"What?"

Hearing the voice, Gu Ningya stepped out, looking at Yang Hanrou with no good expression.

The woman before him was the one who had pushed Gu Jinnian into the water.

"I am Gu Jinnian's classmate and have something to discuss with him. May I come in?"

Looking at Gu Ningya, Yang Hanrou showed no fear and spoke loudly.

Hearing this, Gu Ningya's frown deepened.

But before he could speak, Gu Jinnian's voice sounded.

"Sixth Uncle, let her in. I have something to discuss with her."

Gu Jinnian spoke.

Gu Ningya turned to look at Gu Jinnian, his eyes filled with curiosity.

Gu Jinnian nodded, saying nothing.

Gu Ningya understood and didn't stop her, having someone help Yang Hanrou into the carriage.

As for Gu Ningya, he was considerate enough not to stay in the jade carriage and instead sat with the driver, driving for Gu Jinnian.

He knew that his nephew, though somewhat unruly, was ultimately...

"Little sister Hanrou, greetings to Brother Jinnian."

Entering the carriage and seeing only Gu Jinnian, Yang Hanrou spoke directly and then sat opposite him.

"What is it?"

Gu Jinnian asked, looking at Yang Hanrou curiously.

"This is a thousand taels of gold in silver notes."

Yang Hanrou was straightforward, taking out a silver note from her sleeve and handing it to Gu Jinnian.

"Did you get it so quickly?"

Seeing the silver note, Gu Jinnian was slightly surprised.

Good grief, rich people really are different.

A thousand taels of gold, just like that? It's only been half a month.

"Brother Jinnian was in a hurry, so I had to find a way."

"By the way, is Brother Jinnian heading to Xiaoxi Village?"

Yang Hanrou asked.

"Yep."

"If it's on the way, let's go together."

With this, Gu Jinnian immediately understood Yang Hanrou's intention.

Clearly, she wanted to hitch a ride. As Yang Kai's granddaughter, though from a family of high officials, she didn't have the authority to use the emergency lane.

Seeing Gu Jinnian, she naturally took the opportunity to get in.

"Alright."

"But if someone sees us when we arrive, won't you be worried about gossip?"

Gu Jinnian asked curiously.

"The Lantern Bureau has arrested many people recently."

"There's less gossip in the capital."

"The appearance of the Heavenly Mandate is what everyone is paying attention to. Now that the Great Xia Academy is admitting students, no one in the capital cares about the past."

"Besides, it was all a misunderstanding. Now that I'm taking the initiative to reconcile, and Brother Jinnian is generous enough to back down, isn't that great?"

Yang Hanrou smiled.

Inside the jade carriage,

Gu Jinnian didn't say anything.

For Yang Hanrou, Gu Jinnian had only one attitude.

Find clues from her and trace them back to the real mastermind.

This way, the benefits would be maximized.

She was just a minor character. Clearing her name or punishing her would be meaningless.

It would only alert the real mastermind. Only by catching the mastermind could his safety be ensured.

The carriage sped on.

After a while, Yang Hanrou's voice sounded again.

"Is Brother Jinnian going to the east side?"

She asked.

"No."

Gu Jinnian replied calmly, his mind pondering something.

"Not the east side?"

"Could it be the north side?"

"Brother Jinnian, don't blame me for not warning you. The north side is mysterious. People go in and stay for a day, then come out without saying what happened."

"There's definitely something fishy."

Yang Hanrou warned Gu Jinnian not to go to the north entrance.

"Not the north side."

"Going to the south side."

Gu Jinnian didn't want to talk much, but Yang Hanrou kept talking to him.

"South side?"

"Really?"

"The south side has random questions, not fixed ones. It's extremely competitive, and there are connections..."

Yang Hanrou spoke instinctively, thinking Gu Jinnian had made some arrangements, but then stopped.

Because Gu Jinnian would definitely know about these things.

Hearing Yang Hanrou,

Gu Jinnian looked at her, his gaze calm.

"Does Little Sister Hanrou really think I, Gu Jinnian, have no literary talent?"

His voice was calm, with a questioning tone.

"Uh..."

"Do you want the truth?"

Inside the carriage, Yang Hanrou's beautiful face showed some seriousness.

Gu Jinnian ignored her.

Prejudice is like a mountain in people's hearts.

There was nothing to say.

The carriage sped on, and Gu Jinnian looked out the window.

But soon, he noticed grain carts passing by.

"Grain carts?"

"Is there a famine in the capital?"

Gu Jinnian was curious and couldn't help but ask.

"There won't be a famine in the capital."

"These are grain supplies for Jiangning Prefecture. Haven't you heard about the floods in the Two Rivers?"

"Everyone in the court is busy with this. It involves many people, and if not handled well, it could be very troublesome."

Yang Hanrou, as the granddaughter of the Minister of Rites, had a lot of information.

Of course, it wasn't that the Gu family lacked information, but this kind of information wasn't necessary to tell a playboy.

"Jiangning flood?"

Gu Jinnian frowned. Jiangning Prefecture wasn't on the border, but it was far away.

Transporting grain wasn't a small matter.

The Great Xia Dynasty did have flying machines for transporting grain, but they were few and used for war preparations, requiring a large amount of spirit stones each time they were activated.

But even so, Jiangning Prefecture had a population of over ten million, and there were two other prefectures nearby. If something really went wrong, it could cause a chain reaction, leading to a major disaster.

"But there's no need to worry."

"Such a big matter, the court is paying attention, so there won't be any problems."

"My grandfather said that if something really goes wrong, there's a Heavenly Granary in Jiangning Prefecture with a large stock of grain."

"I've heard that merchants are buying grain."

"At worst, the price will go up, but no one will starve."

Yang Hanrou spoke lightly.

But Gu Jinnian deeply understood what a flood meant in an agricultural era.

However, what Yang Hanrou said wasn't wrong.

When the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up.

Knowing this information wasn't useful. The court had many capable people and should be able to handle it.

"I'll take a nap."

Thinking about this, Gu Jinnian called out and then closed his eyes for a nap.

"Oh."

Yang Hanrou nodded but was a bit unhappy inside.

She was beautiful, and generally, men would try to please her.

But Gu Jinnian gave her a feeling of indifference.

It made her feel uncomfortable.

Looking at Gu Jinnian, though she was a bit angry, she had to admit that Gu Jinnian was indeed handsome.

Unfortunately,

Such a person could only be a playboy.

In no time, nearly three hours had passed.

As the carriage stopped,

Gu Jinnian slowly woke up, feeling refreshed after a short nap.

"Jinnian."

"We're here."

Sixth Uncle's voice sounded.

He entered the jade carriage, glanced at Yang Hanrou, and then looked at Gu Jinnian.

"Alright."

Standing up,

Gu Jinnian looked out the window.

There were quite a few people on the south side of Xiaoxi Village, but not as many as he had expected, which was surprising.

"Wasn't it supposed to be crowded? Why are there so few people?"

Gu Jinnian muttered, surprised.

"More people before."

"But the south side is the most difficult, with only one in a hundred passing. Even if you're talented, if you encounter someone more talented, you'll be out of luck."

"This time, everyone only has one chance. If you don't pass, that's it."

"Brother Jinnian, don't you have a Great Xia Academy token?"

"Originally, according to Mr. Wenjing, this token shouldn't be issued, but my grandfather insisted, and they agreed to exempt one round of the exam."

"Be careful."

Yang Hanrou showed some concern.

But the underlying message was that her grandfather had taken this seriously. The direct admission quota was gone, but it wasn't his fault; the court had changed the rules.

"Understood."

Nodding, Gu Jinnian stepped out of the jade carriage.

At that moment,

At the south entrance of Xiaoxi Village,

Hundreds of desks were set up for the students to take the exam.

The chief examiner gave the questions.

Within the time of one incense stick, whether finished or not, the papers were collected.

Two conditions had to be met to pass: unanimous approval from the five chief examiners or the best poem.

Only one person was selected.

This strict condition led to the fewest students at the south entrance.

But even with the fewest, it still felt crowded.

Most people seemed to be there for the spectacle.

The actual participants were few.

Seeing Gu Jinnian's jade carriage,

Someone immediately came over, a subordinate of Sixth Uncle who had been watching. He reported to Gu Ningya.

After a moment,

Gu Ningya's voice sounded.

"Jinnian, the south entrance is the hardest, but if you pass, you might get something special."

"You can't get that from other entrances."

"I suspect there's something fishy about the south entrance."

"I have an idea. I can force a hundred people to go in with you. If you really want to enter the south entrance, do your best. If it doesn't work, use the Great Xia Academy token; it will definitely be beneficial."

Gu Ningya spoke, giving Gu Jinnian a dubious idea.

"No."

"That won't work. The chief examiners aren't stupid. If they notice a forced group, they'll reject everyone, even with the Great Xia Academy token."

"Mr. Wenjing mentioned before that in some cases, the token could be invalidated."

"According to my advice, just go and try. If it doesn't work, use the token. If it does, you'll have a better chance."

Yang Hanrou immediately spoke, stopping Gu Ningya's idea and sharing her thoughts.

"You're right, little girl."

"But why are you suddenly so nice to our Jinnian?"

Gu Ningya nodded, thinking it was a good idea, but he didn't like Yang Hanrou and was a bit suspicious.

But at that moment,

A sharp gong sound rang out.

Soon, a minor official shouted,

"The 56th poetry competition is over. The winner is Zhang Yun."

"Please remain calm. The 57th competition will start in half an incense stick."

"Those who wish to participate, please take a seat. First come, first served."

The voice echoed.

Everyone's gaze turned to the spacious examination area.

Indeed, Zhang Yun stood in the center of the examination area.

He was full of confidence, his eyes filled with pride, and his smile couldn't be hidden.

The others, however