I would like to wish you all a happy new year in advance on New Year’s Eve. I wish all my friends and family happiness, good luck in everything, a happy new year, and lots of money.
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Wen Zhenmeng was also surprised and asked, "Can you even know the food supplies in advance?"
Chen Juzi rubbed his chin ostentatiously, though his beard hadn't grown much yet. He coughed dryly and said, "Let me start your question from the beginning..."
Bidding and competition existed in ancient times, but the forms and names were certainly different. Zhu Youxiao adopted a similar approach to provide meals for the candidates this time.
Hearing that the meal was to be provided to the candidates taking the exam, after receiving the notification from the Royal Food Supervisor, dozens of large restaurants in the capital came to compete for the quota.
It doesn’t matter how much money you can make, the key is the reputation!
Look, after eating the food in my house, a certain scholar became full of vigor and energy, with ideas flowing like a spring, and he won the top spot in the imperial examination.
Well, we can’t just talk about the top scorer, but also the top three and the Jinshi, they all passed the exams by eating the food at my house.
There was advertising in ancient times, too, although it was not as developed as in later generations. However, the ancients also knew how to spread the word and knew the benefits of fame.
Therefore, even if you have to pay out, it is worth it to fight for this spot. You have to take a long-term view!
What's more, this is a great opportunity to establish good relations with the royal family.
As long as the emperor can remember the name of our restaurant and say "not bad", wouldn't our ancestors' graves be filled with joy?
To put it another way, the emperor may not be able to remember them, but if he can talk to a few of the eunuchs and become familiar with them, they may be of great use in the future!
After fierce competition, Zhuangyuanlou and Kuixingge won the spots with their low prices and delicious dishes.
After all, the school was providing three meals a day for hundreds of people, and the dietary habits of the candidates from both the north and the south had to be taken into consideration. A small scale and too monotonous a menu would not be good either.
Next, the two restaurants took out their predetermined menus and asked the candidates to choose from them to determine the number of people so that they could purchase and prepare the ingredients.
"I think the food at Zhuangyuanlou is delicious, and the combination of meat and vegetables for breakfast, lunch, and dinner is reasonable. I have decided to choose this place for my meals. If you two brothers are unsure, you can go to the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall to read the notice and register."
Chen Juzi was staying with a relative in the capital, who was also an official and well-informed. After he had finished explaining the whole story, he felt quite pleased with himself and consulted his two friends.
"Brother Wen..." Mr. Wang was a little impatient and looked at Wen Zhenmeng with obvious urging.
Wen Zhenmeng smiled, stood up and said, "For this belly, I have to go to the Imperial Examination Hall."
Chen Juzi smiled and said, "If they don't register or miss it, it will be considered that both families can have food, and the food will be shared equally between the two families."
Wen Zhenmeng hesitated immediately and said, "I'm not picky about food. I like both northern and southern cuisines."
Candidate Wang rolled his eyes at Candidate Chen, then stepped forward to try to pull Wen Zhenmeng aside, saying, "You just agreed to go, and going back on your word is ungentlemanly. It's just a one-off trip, how much time can you waste? Will it even delay your chance to take the imperial examination?"
Wen Zhenmeng's sleeve was pulled, and he could only say helplessly, "Okay, okay. Don't pull me, I'll let you go."
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The wind was not strong, but galloping on horseback made it even colder. When it blew on my face, I had to squint my eyes slightly to feel comfortable.
Sun Degong, the guerrilla commander of the central army, slowed down his horse and looked around.
The outline of Guangning City has appeared in the distance, and the setting sun is half hidden and half visible behind the city walls, dyeing Guangning City a deep red.
The closer they got to the city, the more confident Sun Degong became.
Because Guangning looked unchanged from when he led his troops to provide support, which meant that the news of the defeat at Shaling had not yet been reported back.
This was expected, as Sun Degong had colluded with the Eastern Tartars, secretly marked his flag, and fled first. Meanwhile, General Liu Qu and Deputy General Qi Bingzhong's troops were engaged in a fierce battle with the Eastern Tartars, making it difficult for them to quickly escape.
According to Sun Degong's inference, if Wang Huazhen knew that Shaling had been defeated, he would either strengthen his vigilance and urgently call for reinforcements from all directions; or he would abandon the city and flee, which would cause chaos.
It was so peaceful now, obviously neither of those things, but it was exactly what he wanted.
The fact that Sun Degong did not surrender to the Eastern Tartars on the battlefield shows that he was a very thoughtful guy.
The battlefield is in chaos, and it is still possible to flee in defeat, but if you switch sides and change your flag, the Eastern Tartars may not believe you, and your friendly forces may attack fiercely.
What's more, Sun Degong's family was still in Guangning. If he didn't rush back, and waited for the defeated soldiers to report the news, how could Wang Huazhen let his wife and children go?
Of course, if they could swindle Guangning City, it would be a great achievement, and high official positions and generous salaries would be a given. If they could also capture Wang Huazhen, that would be icing on the cake.
Although Guangning City still had 15,000 to 16,000 soldiers, they were a reserve force with low combat effectiveness. All the elite troops had been sent by Wang Huazhen to reinforce Xiping Fort, which was also the strategy proposed by Sun Degong.
He planned it without any intention. As long as he could stir up chaos in the city, with the elite troops he led and the servants of the Sun Mansion in the city, he would be able to seize Guangning City with 1,200 to 1,300 people.
Sun Degong thought about it again, and when he raised his head, his face was determined. He looked left and right at his trusted captain Zhou Guozhi and garrison commander Lu Jinyong.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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