Three months! He walked for three months and finally arrived in the capital!
Zeng Zhui stood in front of the towering city gate, about to shout excitedly, but the dust raised by the passing carriages and horses hit his face and mouth.
"Ah, bah, bah, bah!" He spat out the sand in his mouth, then put the book box on his back, straightened his clothes, took the pass and followed the caravan into the city.
Chang'an, he's coming!
After entering the city, Zeng Zhui parted ways with the caravan and headed towards Pingkangfang.
Pingkangfang was under the jurisdiction of Wannian County, very close to the Imperial College and the Ministry of Rites Examination Hall in the imperial city, and surrounded by many officials' residences, so most of the candidates who first entered the capital would go to this place.
When Zeng Zhui was hiding in the caravan, he had already asked the leader of the caravan for directions, so as soon as he entered the city, he went straight to Pingkangfang without hesitation.
It was dusk when we arrived at Pingkangfang. Countless luxurious carriages and horses, under the newly lit lights, stopped in front of various restaurants, brothels, and eateries. Those waiting in front of the restaurants to serve customers were not only waiters and prostitutes, but also many scholars.
They bowed and nodded, helped these nobles down from the carriages with their sleeves raised, and then smiled and said nice things to make the princes and nobles who got on and off the carriages even more proud. Even the proper servants were afraid that they could not do such flattery.
I once watched it and was amazed.
As the closing drum sounded, the number of carriages and horses on the street gradually decreased, and the restaurants and brothels on both sides of the street were filled with guests. In the brothels, there was singing and dancing, red sleeves fluttering, and the sounds of playful laughter and flirting were endless.
Zeng Zhui looked up all the way and couldn't help feeling a little dizzy, but the feeling didn't last long. In his mind, the teachings of the teachers in the academy, the Zeng family motto, and the bamboo stick in his eldest sister's hand rang out.
He immediately gathered his thoughts, shook the heavy bookcase on his back and continued walking forward. He had to find a place to stay first.
All the inns and restaurants on both sides of the main street were full. Even if there were rooms available, the waiters would wave them away as soon as they saw Zeng Zhui's poor and shabby appearance.
"A restaurant like ours isn't something someone like you can afford to stay in."
"You look down on me! How do you know I can't afford it?"
"Ten thousand dollars a night, is that okay?"
Zeng Zhui really couldn't afford to live there. He walked away dejectedly with his bookcase on his back. After walking a short distance, he turned back and asked, "Then where is a place that someone like me can afford to live?"
The waiter thought this man was interesting and pointed him in the direction, "Go to Caowu Lane. It only costs a hundred coins to stay there."
One hundred coins would be enough to afford a place to stay. Zeng Zhui asked again, "Which way does this Caowu Lane lead to?"
The waiter didn't hide anything. "Go straight along the street to the end, then turn right into the side street. Go to the third fork and turn left. It's in the fifth alley after that."
Zeng Zhui thought about it several times before he remembered the location. He took out a bag of dried sour plums from his pocket and stuffed it into the waiter's pocket as a thank you for showing him the way, and then went in the direction the waiter pointed.
"What a piece of junk."
The waiter wanted to throw away the paper bag, but was tempted by the sour aroma. He looked around, peeled a piece and threw it into his mouth, and his face immediately wrinkled.
acid!
There was still a lingering taste after the sourness. He hesitated for a moment and put the paper bag into his arms.
Keep it to wake you up.
Zeng chased along the alley entrance and finally arrived at the Caowu Lane that the waiter mentioned.
He stood at the entrance of the alley, looking at the scarlet lights inside, and slowly walked in with hesitant steps.
Caowu Lane is not as prosperous as the main street, but it also has many restaurants and elegant houses.
I chased deeper into the alley. The alley was narrow and dark, with many secret doors on the side of the road and red lanterns hanging in front of them.
When someone enters the door, the lantern will be taken down and will be hung up again after the person leaves.
"My dear, you must be tired from the journey. Would you like to come in and sit for a while?" A voice came faintly from behind the door.
Zeng Zhui felt a tightness around him and his back skin went numb. Then he felt as if nails had grown under his feet and he ran away in a daze.
The people inside the door fell silent.
He chased the man until he stopped in front of a restaurant and was almost strangled to death by the rope of the bookcase.
He took a few deep breaths, looked up at the lanterns in front of the restaurant, and saw that they were proper lanterns to welcome guests. Then he straightened his clothes and walked in.
The waiter came up to him, looked him over and asked, "Where are you staying, sir?"
Zeng Zhui nodded and asked, "Are there any guest rooms?"
"Yes, sir, how long will you stay?"
"How much is it per day?"
"It depends on what kind of room you want to live in. There are first-class rooms, small rooms, humble rooms, and even large shops. The prices are different for each room."
"What are the prices?"
"Two thousand coins for the first room, one thousand coins for the second room, five hundred coins for the humble room, and one hundred coins for the big room."
It turned out that the one hundred coins were for a bed. Zeng Zhui had just arrived and didn't dare to sit with strangers, so he reluctantly said, "I'll stay in this humble room for one day and then see what happens."
"Yes, sir."
The room was indeed simple, with only a bed, a table, and a mat, and nothing else. It was also very low and narrow. Zeng Zhui's head would barely touch the ceiling when he stood up straight, and he could hardly turn around when he entered the room carrying his bookcase.
Zeng Zhui felt the pain again. Five hundred coins were enough to buy a good room in any guesthouse he passed by during his journey, but in the capital, it was only enough for such a shabby room.
Fortunately it's clean.
He put down his bookcase and luggage, lay down on the bed, and stared at the gray ceiling, thinking.
There are still three or four months before the imperial examination in December. A trip to this place would cost five hundred coins a day, and he also needs food, clothing, and socializing. How can his travel expenses be enough?
Tomorrow he would have to ask around to see if there was a place to live that didn't cost him any money. He also had to find some work to do. Spending without earning was not a long-term solution...
As I was thinking, I fell asleep in a daze.
In the middle of the night, Zeng Zhui suddenly opened his eyes and felt something wrapped around his body. He reached out to touch something and felt a warm body.
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