The moon had set, and Zhao Hao had also finished this long lesson.

"Ah, Master, is it over?" The two were in high spirits and pulled the tired Zhao Hao, not wanting him to finish.

"We still have a lot of questions that we don't understand. For example, if the earth is round, we and the Taixi people are on opposite sides. Either we fall off or they fall off."

"Yes, Master, why didn't they fall down?"

"Because of the existence of gravity." Zhao Hao smiled and threw the ball in his hand into the air. "That's why the ball fell to the ground instead of flying directly into the sky."

The two disciples watched the ball fall to the ground, and then asked in unison: "Master, what is gravity?"

"This is the content of the next class. Want to learn? Wait until you pass the exam and become the top scorer."

Zhao Hao laughed and walked downstairs with his hands behind his back.

Hua Shuyang and Wang Wuyang looked at each other, but fell into a long daze.

~~

The candles on the lampstands went out at some point, and the observatory was completely dark...

Amid the chirping of autumn insects, Wang Wuyang could be heard saying in a trembling voice, "If it is true as Master said, then the round sky and square earth are wrong. Then wouldn't the words of the saints be untenable from the very beginning?"

"Yes, the sky is round and the earth is square, heaven and man are the same, heaven and man are one... If the foundations are all wrong, then the Confucian doctrines that came from them will certainly not stand." Hua Shuyang nodded in horror.

The two of them didn't dare to think about it, otherwise the world before their eyes and the principles of this world would fall apart...

After a long while, Wang Wuyang sighed and said, "No wonder Master didn't teach us these things before the provincial examination. It really makes us doubt all the principles in this world. How can we believe in the words of the saints now?"

Hua Shuyang hurriedly shook his head and said, "That won't work. We still have to go to the next lesson!"

"That's right. Even if we have to throw away the sage books, it's not the right time." Upon hearing this, Wang Wuyang regained his energy and said, "Then let's work hard in the last section and get the top score in the exam first!"

"Okay, let me be the top scholar this time!" Hua Shuyang stood up with a smile.

"That won't do. I'm your senior, how can I be behind you?" Wang Wuyang also stood up, and the two of them rushed downstairs.

~~

The master and his two disciples returned from Yuhuatai and rested for a day.

On the 19th, Zhao Hao and his sons, master and apprentice returned to Caijia Lane to attend a farewell banquet held by the neighbors for the four of them, wishing them success.

The next day, it was time to head north.

Everyone gathered at the Jiangdongmen official ship wharf again and reluctantly sent the four people onto the passenger ship full of yellow flags.

This day was an auspicious day. Not only was it the day when Zhao Shouzheng and other new candidates went north, but also a larger number of candidates from previous years went to Beijing to take the exam.

The dock was packed with people, and carriages and horses coming to see them off stretched all the way from Jiangdong Gate to Bailuzhou.

On the passenger ships hoisting yellow flags, the high-spirited candidates smiled and waved goodbye to their teachers, leaders, relatives and friends who were seeing them off. The scene of thousands of people seeing them off was truly a magnificent sight.

But the more spectacular scene was yet to come. The scholars standing on the boat suddenly spotted a team of colorful and oil-painted carriages, which struggled through the farewell carriages and approached the pier.

Before the carriages reached the dock, all kinds of fragrance, such as orchid and musk, some elegant, some rich, had already been delivered to the candidates by the river breeze.

"What a nice smell..." The candidates were overjoyed, patting each other's shoulders and saying in great surprise, "It's Miss Qinhuai who came to see us off!"

"Whose old lover is this?" The candidates were so excited. How could they call themselves talented men without a beautiful woman to see them off?

Today will surely become a good story!

"There must be about 30 or 40 of them. Oh my God, I saw Zheng Yanru and Qi Jingyun's car..."

Every year, there is a flower appreciation contest on Qinhuai River. The winner of the flower contest will receive a pure gold flower as a prize. This flower will be placed on a carriage and paraded through the streets, making all the other beauties jealous.

Zheng Yanru was the most popular courtesan last year, and her carriage was decorated with a golden peony. Qi Jingyun was the most popular courtesan the year before last, and her carriage was decorated with a golden crabapple.

When the two men's carriages arrived, no one dared to say who the old lover was.

But the candidates soon thought of another possibility and became collectively excited.

"Ms. Qin Huai loves and values ​​talents so much that she is here to give us a test!"

"How can I be worthy of them if I don't bring back the top scholar?"

So the candidates shouted together, ordering their family members who were seeing them off to get out of the way and not to cause trouble for the ladies...

Today, the candidates' words are particularly effective.

At their shouting, a group of fancy cars soon arrived at the dock.

The candidates then saw clearly that in addition to Ms. Qinhuai's carriage, there were also sedan chairs belonging to some wealthy scholars in the convoy.

What was even more incredible to them was that the person who got off the first carriage was actually a bald man...

The beautiful monk Xuelang, wearing a snow-white monk's robe and a colorful cassock embroidered with gold, slowly stepped out of the car and immediately outshined all the men in the audience...

Soon after, the young men of Wuling and the young men in black clothes also got off their respective sedan chairs. Then Qi Jingyun, Zheng Yanru and a group of Qinhuai ladies who looked like fairies from the Yaochi Lake appeared gracefully on the dock.

~~

Seeing Ms. Qinhuai looking at them, the candidates on the boat were extremely excited. Many of them saw the Oiran for the first time, and some wanted to get off the boat on the spot...

Unexpectedly, these people's eyes went beyond them, as if they were looking for someone.

"Donor Zhao and his son are there!" Xuelang was sharp-eyed and pointed at the largest, most luxurious, and most flagged Wuji passenger ship, and loudly reminded his companions.

On the passenger ship, Zhao Hao, who was watching the fun, knew that things were going to get bad when he saw the bald head. He turned around and wanted to hide in the cabin, but was held by his father and Wu Kangyuan on his left and right.

"Father, let me go." Zhao Hao struggled hard.

"Silly child, how many times can you have such a glorious life? Others can't even ask for it, why are you hiding?" Zhao Shouzheng smiled and didn't let go.

"Yes, my dear brother, when you are happy in life, you should enjoy it to the fullest, and don't let the beauty face the river alone." Wu Kangyuan also said with a smile.

Zhao Hao looked at his two disciples for help again.

Er Yang shook his head helplessly. Hua Shuyang whispered, "How dare you be violent to your master?"

"Master, you have to get used to this kind of scene. My uncle's fans were even crazier than this back then..." Wang Wuyang also comforted him.

As he was speaking, the men and women had already rushed to his boat, shouting in unison: "Mr. Zhao, the Red Mansion Poetry Society is here to see you off..."

"What Red Mansion Poetry Society?" Everyone on the boat was stunned.

"After the publication of "The Collection of First Encounters", all the scholars and ladies in Jinling bought a copy. Because they loved Young Master Zhao so much, they spontaneously organized the First Encounter Society and elected me as the first leader. Now there are nearly a hundred members." Xuelang smiled and said:

"As for the name of this poetry club, it naturally comes from the young master's line, 'I realized last night that I was dreaming about the Red Mansion, and I was surrounded by thousands of peach trees.'"

Zhao Hao rolled his eyes when he heard this, thinking that it would be more appropriate to call it "Qinglou Poetry Society".

"Of course, if Mr. Zhao doesn't like it, we can change it to another name, such as 'Bamboo and Rock Poetry Society', but it seems too lonely and does not fit the temperament of us Jinling people..."

Xuelang ignored Zhao Hao's depression and chattered for a while, then introduced him to the two courtesans who respected their status and did not come forward to join in the fun:

"In order to better support Mr. Zhao, Miss Qi was nominated as the Left Lantai of our society, and Miss Zheng was nominated as the Right Nanyan of our society. Today, we have come to meet Mr. Zhao."

Qi Jingyun and Zheng Yanru both bent their knees slightly, nodded their heads, bowed slightly, and bowed to Zhao Hao.

ps. The third update has been sent, and the following is the time for additional updates. Please give me monthly votes and recommendation tickets~~~~