Chapter 97 Academy Preview List

"Lanlan, look, there's a letter here!" Qiao Youyou picked up a piece of letter paper from the window and opened it with Zhu Lan to check.

After reading it, Zhu Lan couldn't help but laugh and shook his head.

In the letter, Ji Wuya said that he really couldn't bear to continue being fed by this group of students. After only a few months, his weight increased rapidly like riding a horse carriage, and he was already out of breath after walking two steps.

Ji Wuya learned from his mistakes and decided to go on a long journey for a while. He would come back to see them next time he wanted to drink Jiangzhou Moutai.

"This old man Ji is really unrestrained and loves freedom. Even delicious food and fine wine can't hold him back." Qiao Youyou shrugged and said with a smile.

Zhu Lan said: "No matter how delicious the food is, you will get tired of it if you eat it every day. Mr. Ji likes to travel to famous mountains and rivers. He has stayed in Jiangzhou to help us for so long, his heart must have flown away a long time ago."

Zhu Lan carefully put the letter away, hoping to meet this great poet again in the future.

…

Soon, the day for the announcement of the college entrance examination results arrived.

The students set out from their homes early in the morning and gathered at the Imperial Examination Hall.

Xiao Wan and Zhao Sicheng walked together. Zhao Sicheng was still wearing the clothes of the mansion's gardener. When no one was paying attention, he joked to Xiao Wan:

"Wan Wan, if I get the title of scholar now, can I propose marriage to your family?"

Xiao Wan smiled and covered her lips, indicating that she had to find an opportunity to test her parents' opinions first.

…

On such an important day as the announcement of the results, Zhu Yuanou naturally went there with his whole family in a horse-drawn carriage in a grand ceremony.

Pei Yue and Zhu Lan were chatting and laughing along the way, but Old Man Zhu was the only one who kept rubbing his hands, obviously extremely nervous.

"Acai, are we almost there?" Zhu Yuanou asked for the thirty-eighth time.

Ah Cai was driving and turned back to answer, "Master, there are many carriages parked ahead. We are a little late. We probably need to park the carriage farther away!"

"It's okay, it's okay!"

As Zhu Yuanou spoke, he thought to himself, we had set out at dawn, so how come we were still late?

Ah Cai drove the carriage slowly closer and heard many complaints coming from the front.

"How can your carriage take up so much space and leave others to park?"

"Make way, make way, don't block the road!"

Zhu Lan, who was sitting in the carriage, heard the noise, opened the curtain, and was startled by the scene in front of him.

This area looked like a modern parking lot, with dozens of carriages parked densely.

These carriages were lined up all the way from the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall to here, pushing and shoving each other, almost filling up the entire road.

Zhu Yuanou didn't want to argue with these people, so he simply asked Acai to park the carriage farther away. It was just a matter of walking a few more steps.

The Zhu family got out of the car and started walking along the road.

The carriages parked in a row on one side of the road were like a wall. Due to limited space, the distance between two carriages was not enough for even one person to pass.

I wish Mr. Zhu was not surprised by this.

After all, only on the day of the imperial examination would the government mobilize a large number of manpower to maintain order.

As for the day when the results are announced, the management will be much more lax.

The line of carriages almost surrounded the entire Imperial Examination Hall. People on the road could only walk in the outer circle. Some people with extremely thin builds had to find a gap to squeeze in through the gap between the carriages.

After walking for about an incense stick of time, Zhu Lan's legs felt a little sore, and Old Man Zhu began to pant, and everyone felt a little irritated.

These carriages were parked so closely together that adults of normal size couldn't get through and could only circle around the periphery. It was truly unfair!

At this moment, Zhu Lan's eyes lit up as he saw a gap in the carriage queue ahead, and people were squeezing through the gap towards the Imperial Examination Hall.

Finally there is a way!

Several people quickened their pace and walked towards the gap.

"Get out of the way, everyone!"

An arrogant voice was heard, accompanied by the sound of wheels and horse hooves, and pedestrians hurriedly avoided it.

Zhu Lan and his companions also moved a few steps to the side, and saw a tall horse pulling a carriage with a flag on it, which looked quite majestic.

The carriage passed through the crowd and stopped directly at the gap where people entered and exited.

The size of the carriage was just right, blocking the only entrance and exit.

Zhu Lan was also blocked outside.

For a moment, all the people who were blocked became angry and started to make noise.

"Hey, your carriage is blocking this place, how can we get through?"

"This is the only place around here where people can pass through. You can't be so overbearing, right?"

"Do you have any public morals?!"

The driver jumped off the carriage with an arrogant look on his face.

"How are you going to get over there? I don't care whether you crawl over there or fly over there.

There is only one empty seat, why don't you stop here?"

People were dissatisfied and said, "Why don't you park farther away? It's just a few more steps. Will you be exhausted to death?"

The driver sneered and tugged at the flag on the cart, his tone full of contempt:

"Open your eyes and look carefully, this is Lord Hu's carriage!

Young Master Hu came to see the list today. You guys are a bunch of low-class people, and you have thick skin and flesh, so it’s no big deal if you break your legs.

But what is Mr. Hu's status? Are you worthy of being compared with him?"

When they heard the three words "Lord Hu", the people who were filled with righteous indignation just now suddenly felt like they had been hit by a dud, and their momentum quickly weakened.

The coachman was very satisfied with everyone's reaction. He opened the curtain of the carriage and respectfully asked Mr. Hu to get out.

A young man in a white gown with gold threads got off the carriage, holding his head high with two big nostrils showing, as if he looked down on everyone.

He dusted off his clothes, and without even looking at the common people who dared to be angry but not to speak, he walked towards the Examination Hall.

Zhu Lan was curious, which Hu family was this that was so arrogant?

Zhu Yuanou shook his head. "The Hu family? Who else could it be? It must be the Minister of War, Hu Shangli."

This young Master Hu is the nephew of Hu Shangli, and he is also a little bully in Jiangzhou City.

Now the only entrance was blocked, and everyone was angry but there was nothing they could do. After all, not everyone could afford to offend the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.

Zhu Lan also held his breath and looked around, but was there any other entrance?

If we keep going around like this, there’s no telling how long it will take!

At this moment, a long black shadow suddenly flew out from the crowd, like a long snake, and wrapped around the bulge on the Hu family's carriage.

“Wow!”

The long whip was tightened suddenly, and it actually lifted up the roof of the carriage!

"Someone, smash the Hu family carriage for me!"

With a scream, three ugly men walked forward, drew their knives and started slashing.

In a short while, the Hu family's exquisitely crafted carriage without a roof was chopped into a pile of scrap wood!

The incident happened so quickly that everyone present was stunned.