Xie Jian opened the letter and found the calligraphy written by the county magistrate, Lord Lu.
"Even the county magistrate asked us to start over, so the academy has no reason to reject us again. Is that right?" Xia asked.
"That's right, sister-in-law." Xie Jian nodded and put the letter in his arms.
"Aheng, don't worry." Seeing that her sister-in-law's face was not very good, Xia thought she was worrying too much.
Shen Heng was uncomfortable from the bumpy ride, and just when she was about to accept this beautiful misunderstanding, little Xie Min pointed to the back and shouted excitedly: "Mom, what a beautiful carriage."
Soon, an exquisite carriage rushed past them. There were two horse-riding attendants in front and behind the carriage. It was obvious that the person sitting in the carriage was a person of very high status.
Perhaps it was because Xia, Chen Heng, and Xiao Xie Min were looking too intently, the horse-riding attendant glared at them fiercely.
Xia was startled and hurriedly looked away. She also turned her son over. Seeing that her sister-in-law was still looking at her, she pulled her.
"Sister-in-law, they shouldn't be from Nanqi County." Chen Heng looked curious. There were horse-drawn carriages in Nanqi County, but the horses were not so spirited and tall, and the carriages were also very ordinary.
"It should be from another place." It was the first time in Xia's life that she had seen such a tall horse, so she looked at it for a long time.
Xie Jian looked at the carriage that had disappeared from his sight. He hoped that one day he would let his family ride in such a carriage.
When they arrived at Nanqi Academy, they found that the carriage they had just seen was also parked outside the academy.
The academy is built beside the mountain. The first thing you see is an octagonal pavilion. A hundred steps back is the quiet and elegant gate. Inside the gate are towering ancient trees. From a distance, you can see the well-arranged and antique buildings.
What a beautiful academy with an elegant environment and beautiful scenery.
"The headmaster has distinguished guests today. Please come again next time." The gatekeeper did not let them in.
"We can wait until the distinguished guest leaves before we meet the headmaster." Xie Jian said. Since they were already here, they must meet the headmaster.
The gatekeeper looked them over, but he didn't look down on them. After all, there were many common people from poor families who took the imperial examinations and became officials. They also understood the principle of not looking down on the poor young. "You can wait in the octagonal pavilion over there. Wait until the noble leaves, then you can go in."
Xie Jian glanced at the unobstructed octagonal pavilion and said, "Uncle, it's cold, and my nephew is still young. Can you let us wait in the pavilion in the woods?"
The gatekeeper looked at the young man in front of him. He was dressed in coarse cloth and had an upright figure. He did not look like a dusty person. He did not make things difficult for him. After all, there were people guarding inside and they could not get in. "Go ahead."
Chen Heng was surprised to see such a large fir forest inside. There were winding corridors in the forest, connecting several small corner pavilions. In the middle was a rockery made of jade with words engraved on it. They were two sentences from "The Family Instructions of Zhu Xi": "When studying, one should aspire to become a sage; when serving as an official, one should keep the emperor and the country in mind."
Xia couldn't sit still and paced back and forth, while little Xie Min curiously counted the squirrels scurrying around in the trees.
Xie Jian sat quietly, his cold gaze fixed on the main gate of the academy not far away. He listened to the faint sound of reading, his hands clenched tightly on his knees.
Shen Heng didn't mind, after all, she knew Xie Jian would definitely take part in the imperial examination. Seeing Xia's worried look, she also became a little nervous.
I don't know how long I waited before I heard a sound.
The three of them looked at the same time and saw an old man with a shaggy beard and an old man with brocade clothes and stained hair coming out of the main gate, talking and laughing as they walked towards them.
At this moment, little Xie Min exclaimed, "Mom, uncle and aunt, the lotus crest on my forehead was painted by that old man." He happily waved to the elder in gorgeous clothes and called out, "Old man."
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