The two scholars looked at each other, and one of them looked him up and down, then looked at Ayu and Ahong behind him, and then sighed softly.
"Comparison is the root of death. Young Master, you have a very good family background and you are accompanied by so many people to take the exam. Giving gifts is definitely not a problem. Unlike us, we can't even afford to eat. How can we afford to give gifts? Sigh!"
The other scholar shook his head in disagreement.
"People can't choose their birth, but they can choose their own life. The young master's good family background is naturally the result of his ancestors' hard work. We can't envy them. If they try to climb to a high position through the backdoor, we can't envy them either."
After saying this, he sighed with some disdain, then looked at Leng Yu,
"Every day at the hour of Xu, a certain Lord Jiang will appear at Desheng Tea House. It's said that he receives an endless supply of scholars. Of course, whoever brings the most silver will get to leave their name card, which will give them preferential treatment during the exam. There are still two days left, so if you want to go, hurry up! Oh, and there's a code word, something like... If you don't visit Desheng Tea House, your trip to the capital will be in vain."
Desheng Tea House?
Leng Yu remembered this name in his mind. He must investigate this place thoroughly.
Thinking of this, he instructed Ayu behind him:
"Give me ten taels of silver."
A Yu took out some silver from his purse and handed it to him, and he pushed it directly to the two scholars opposite him.
"Here are ten taels of silver. Five taels for each of you as payment for the information you just provided me."
Seeing this, the two men waved their hands and refused.
"It's just a few words, but I dare not accept such a generous gift from you. Although we are poor, we will not accept such ill-gotten gains. Please take it back, sir!"
Leng Yu had no intention of taking it back. He looked at the two of them with a serious expression.
"As fellow scholars, this can't be considered ill-gotten gains; it can only be considered mutual support. Besides, you'll need money to return home after the exam. These ten taels of silver are like a drop in the bucket to me, but they're very important to you. Take it and use it! If you really feel embarrassed, you can tell me your names. When the results are announced, I'll see your names and come to collect the debt."
The two men looked at each other, and one of them clasped his fists towards Leng Yu and said:
"Since you are so sincere, we will not refuse. However, we will consider it as a loan. We do not expect to be among the top three. If we can pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi, we will definitely return the money in full."
Another person also clasped his fists and said:
"My name is Dong Jin, from Jiangzhou."
"My name is Hong Hai. I live in Hongjiatun. I guess you haven't heard of it either."
Speaking of this, Hong Hai scratched his head a little embarrassedly.
Leng Yu nodded and repeated,
"Hong Hai, Dong Jin, I hope to see your names on the list of successful candidates."
After saying this, he stood up and clasped his fists.
"You two, I have something else to tell you in advance. By the way, tomorrow at 11:00 PM, you can go to Shengde Tea House. There might be something exciting to see."
After saying this, he looked at the scholars here,
"Everyone, tomorrow at 11:00 PM, you can all go to Shengde Tea House and join in the fun."
After leaving these puzzling words, he stepped forward and whispered to Luo Lan:
"Ma'am, let's go."
Luo Lan nodded, stood up, and left with him.
On the way, Leng Yu's face looked extremely ugly. A Yu took two steps forward and said:
"Should we send someone to tear down Shengde Academy? And what about that Jiang guy? There's no official with the surname Jiang in our court."
Leng Yu waved his hand directly.
"Why are you in such a hurry? This Jiang guy actually has such magical powers. We should go meet him."
Ayu glanced at the sky and replied:
"There's still half an hour until the hour of Xu."
"Okay, let's go there and test the waters first, then wait."
Someone dared to do this kind of thing under his nose, which was equivalent to touching the taboo of Tai Sui. They were really too bold.
When the four of them arrived at Desheng Tea House, the waiter guarding the door stopped them and said, "Everyone, the tea house is booked today and is not open to the public."
Hearing this, Ayu stepped forward impatiently and questioned,
"Not for public viewing? What's going on with the people inside?"
The waiter glanced inside and waved his hand dismissively.
"If you don't understand, don't come in. Go away."
At this moment, Leng Yu suddenly remembered the code words that Hong Hai had said to him. He cleared his throat and said loudly to the waiter:
"If I don't visit Desheng Tea House, wouldn't it be like coming to the capital for nothing?"
As soon as he said this, the waiter's expression changed immediately. He bowed hurriedly.
"You are honored guests. Please come in."
Looking at his different attitudes towards people, Ayu glared at him fiercely and wanted to go up and beat him up.
Leng Yu and the other three found a seat by the window, ordered a pot of tea, and began to observe the people here.
There are only three or four tables of guests here, with only one or two people at each table. They look towards the door from time to time, as if waiting for someone.
Luo Lan lowered his voice and said:
"Are they all waiting for this Lord Jiang?"
Leng Yu frowned and nodded.
"That should be it. It seems that this Lord Jiang has been amassing a lot of wealth during this period. I will definitely deal with Leng Ming after I return."
"Leng Ming probably doesn't know about this, otherwise he wouldn't condone it."
"Even if he didn't know, why didn't he investigate something so easily discovered? I specifically assigned him to the Ministry of Rites to prevent this kind of thing from happening. Now, these people dare to blatantly accept money from the examinees, and he's so blind that he can't see it. This is really... really too much."
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