Film and TV: Traveling through countless worlds at the same time

Even the only son of a noble Duke must rely on real talent and knowledge, let alone others.

So, even if there is some shady dealings in the imperial examinations, they won't be that serious.

Now, Lu Xiao was confident in his plan, so he informed Sheng Wei of his plan in advance.

Sheng Wei had been able to build the Sheng family business to such a large scale, so he was certainly no mediocre person. He immediately understood the profound meaning behind Lu Xiao's words.

He just asked solemnly.

"Oh, Tuizhi, are you confident about this provincial examination?"

Lu Xiao smiled slightly and said, "Eighty to ninety percent."

As soon as these words came out, Sheng Wei's breathing suddenly became much heavier.

He understood Lu Xiao's personality.

He is usually very humble.

To say it is eighty to ninety means it is absolutely certain.

Lu Xiao had passed the imperial examination at the age of fourteen, so his talent for studying was naturally undeniable.

As long as he continued to study hard, Sheng Wei believed he would definitely be able to pass the imperial examination.

But he didn't expect it to happen so soon.

Of course, all of this presupposes that Lu Xiao must first pass the imperial examination, and only then will he have a chance of passing the imperial examination next spring.

Since there is hope, he will try to help his son-in-law no matter what.

Sheng Wei thought for a moment and then said.

"How about this. After the provincial examination results come out, I'll write a letter to Bianliang. A few years ago, my cousin hired the great scholar Zhuang Xuejiu to be his tutor. He can't even write two characters for "Sheng" in one stroke. You can go to Kyoto and study with the second wife. With Zhuang Xuejiu's guidance, it will at least give you a better chance of success in next spring's examination."

Zhuang Xuejiu is a famous scholar in the Song Dynasty.

When Second Householder Sheng Quan was the magistrate of Yangzhou, he saved Zhuang Xuejiu's mother's life.

So we can ask them to teach our own children.

Otherwise, even those high-ranking officials in the court would not be able to invite such a great scholar.

Lu Xiao's original plan was to use the Sheng family's connections to study under Zhuang Xuejiu after passing the imperial examination.

Although he was confident that he could pass the imperial examination even without Master Zhuang's guidance, he didn't look down on Master Zhuang.

When three people walk together, there must be one who can be my teacher.

What's more, he is a great scholar.

Therefore, no matter what, being able to become a disciple of Zhuang Xuejiu is a rare blessing for Lu Xiao's future development.

Not to mention the knowledge gained, the network of contacts alone is extraordinary.

You know, Master Zhuang taught countless students throughout his life, and there are definitely quite a few officials in the court who have received his teachings.

　 If this network is used well, it will be an invaluable treasure.

Once these two things are settled, the rest of the chores won't be that important.

After chatting with his father-in-law for a while, Lu Xiao said goodbye and left.

Chapter 6 The Provincial Examination Begins

The next day, Youyang Wharf.

The merchant ship, bearing the name of Sheng Family, set sail.

On the dock, my wife Sheng Shulan kept waving.

"Husband, remember to take good care of yourself when you go to Suzhou."

"You should eat the cakes I made for you as soon as possible. They won't taste good if they get cold."

"Don't study too late every day. It will damage your mind if you study too late."

"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. It's okay even if you don't do well on the exam. I'll be waiting for you at home."

Listening to his wife's chatter, Lu Xiao agreed to everything.

Honestly, ever since marrying Sheng Shulan, he's been treated like a giant baby with everything provided for him.

Behind Sheng Shulan, her father-in-law and his family also looked at the two of them with smiles on their faces.

Seeing their daughter and son-in-law so loving, the old couple felt very comforted.

The merchant ship slowly set sail and gradually disappeared in the distance of the canal.

Then my father-in-law and his family left.

Three days later, a merchant ship with the Chinese character "盛" (Sheng) on ​​its flag docked at Suzhou Wharf.

As soon as we got off the boat, the carriage was already waiting for us.

Although most of the Sheng family's business is in Youyang.

But there are also a few stores in Suzhou.

Therefore, Lu Xiao didn't have to worry about the things in life at all.

As early as a month ago, my father-in-law had already asked the people here to start preparations.

We got on the carriage and drove along, and soon arrived at the inn we had booked in advance.

It must be said that Suzhou is indeed prosperous. Although it is not as prosperous as the capital Bianliang, it is still better than most places in the world.

At least it is much more prosperous than Youyang.

Over the past decade, Lu Xiao has never left Youyang, so today he has broadened his horizons.

The inn his father-in-law booked for him was called "Huixianlou".

It is the most famous restaurant in Suzhou City.

Speaking of restaurants, the most famous one in the world is naturally the "Fanlou" located in Bianliang, the capital.

It is said that Fanlou has three stories high and five stories facing each other, with flying bridges and railings, connecting the light and the dark, and pearl curtains and embroidered eaves, and bright lights and candles.

The "Fan Tower Lights" were a major spectacle in Bianliang City.

Lu Xiao had never been to Fanlou, but in his opinion, visiting Huixianlou today was probably not much different.

The entire restaurant covers an area of ​​at least several thousand square meters.

It was evening when we got off the carriage.

Outside the Huixian Tower, the lights were bright and there were crowds of people.

Inside the building there was a scene of singing and dancing.

Honestly, with this scale, even if it were to be moved directly to Lu Xiao's previous life, calling it a "five-star hotel" would be a bit underrated.

At this time, there were still ten days left before the provincial examination, and most of the guests in Huixianlou were scholars who had come to take the examination.

Lu Xiao was already considered to have arrived relatively late.

Many students arrived early, even before January.

Of course, those who could live in Huixianlou must be wealthy scholars.

Children from poor families and students from impoverished families cannot afford to live in such a place.

And he got the blessing of his wife.

After completing the check-in formalities, Lu Xiao rarely went out for the next few days.

Although I have the soul space, I am sure of winning the provincial examination.

But the habits formed over the past decade are hard to change.

Therefore, during the period before the provincial examination, Lu Xiao still spent most of his time studying hard every day.

In order to put myself in the best condition to face the upcoming provincial examination.

Time flies and it's the exam day.

Do you know that there are three provincial examinations in the world?

One day per session, three days in total.

During these three days, all candidates had to eat, drink, defecate, urinate and sleep in the Imperial Examination Hall.

Although it is autumn now, the weather is still very hot.

In such an environment, three days alone is an extremely severe test of one's physical fitness.

People with poor health simply can't make it to the end.

Fortunately, Lu Xiao had never forgotten that the body was the capital of revolution, and he had always insisted on exercising.

No need to worry about this anymore now.

Before the hour of Mao arrived, there was already a huge crowd outside the Suzhou Imperial Examination Hall.

When Lu Xiao arrived, there was no place for the carriage to stop.

"Son-in-law, please study hard. I will be waiting for you outside."

After getting off the carriage, the Sheng Mansion's housekeeper handed the backpack to Lu Xiao and said with a smile.

The backpack was not big, and in addition to the necessary writing brushes, inkstones, there was also enough food to last three days.

Although food is provided in the Imperial Academy during the provincial examination.

But the taste is really hard to describe.

But no one who has eaten humans has ever said anything good about it.

Therefore, most people prepare their own food.

After taking the backpack, Lu Xiao smiled and said, "Okay."

Then he came to the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall and lined up.

When the time came, the gates of the Imperial Examination Hall opened, and two lines of soldiers emerged with swords draped over their waists, beginning to maintain order.

The people who came to see him off were slowly driven away.

All the candidates lined up in a long queue, and the officials beat gongs and drums, announcing the start of the provincial examination.

Lu Xiao followed the team and slowly entered the Imperial Examination Hall.

Then comes the stage of identity verification.

The provincial examination was very strict.

After entering the Imperial Examination Hall, in addition to verifying your identity, you will also be required to check your belongings and undergo a body search.

Things like cakes, steamed buns, and pancakes will be broken into pieces one by one.

Seeing his wife's pastries ruined beyond recognition, Lu Xiao felt heartbroken.

However, these necessary procedures cannot be avoided.

After all, this is to ensure the fairness of the exam and prevent cheating.

After the items are checked, they are searched.

Lu Xiao didn't want to recall this part.

You can imagine the specific scene yourself.

It's similar to when you have hemorrhoids and go to the hospital for treatment, surrounded by doctors and nurses.

Even more embarrassing.

After all, if you have hemorrhoids, you just need to take off your pants.

And here we have to take it all off.

After everyone had finished checking, the official in charge of the provincial examination began to read the imperial edict.

The contents of the imperial edict are all clichés and inspirational words.

After listening to this expressionlessly, Lu Xiao began to organize his writing brushes, inkstone, and inkstone, preparing for the exam.

This time he was lucky, and was assigned a good location, not a "bathroom number".