The group, after a long and arduous journey of more than a month, arrived in the capital.
"It's so cold! I feel like I'm going to freeze!"
Jiang Shuwen shrank his hands; this was the first time in his life he had known what cold meant.
"It's cold, isn't it? Our clothes are thick enough. Let's move around a bit, and then we'll find an inn to stay in for a few days to get used to it."
Jiang Shuyun was also cold. In his previous life, he had traveled for three years after graduation and had also been to the northernmost part of the country, where the snow was really heavy.
Although I experienced it, I've forgotten the cold after spending so much time in warm places.
"Master, the carriage has been arranged. Let's head to the inn first."
Butler Li was very efficient, so Mu Yi'an trusted him completely to arrange everything.
Before parting ways with the caravan, Steward Li had already inquired with them about which inns in the capital were quieter and had better security.
Jiang Shuyun needed to rent a house near the examination hall to participate in the imperial examination.
There were six of them, all men, so it was quite convenient for them to stay together.
Jiang Shuwen has already learned to cook simple home-style meals and has brought a lot of seasoning packets for hot pot, making cooking much easier. Li Li has also learned to cook simple meals these past few years at the academy with Jiang Shuyun.
We found the inn we had inquired about, and the six of us booked three rooms.
"Second brother, this inn isn't cheap!"
Jiang Shuwen often traveled to other places on business before, and the inns he stayed in were quite nice, but not this expensive.
"Living in the capital is not easy!"
Jiang Shuyun had always known that the more prosperous a place was, the higher the cost of living, especially since the capital was the center of political power.
Think about the housing prices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen in your past life, and you'll understand why.
"That's true. As we've come this far, the people on the street have been very different."
Some people rode horses and sat in sedan chairs; their clothing and appearance clearly indicated their different social status. Others were dressed in rags, their faces sallow from hunger, clearly suffering from starvation.
Jiang Shuwen quietly shared some of his thoughts, noting that this place was quite different from their hometown.
“Poverty and wealth, nobility and lowliness are the same everywhere, but it’s more obvious in the capital because there are more officials and powerful families.”
Throughout history, most powerful and influential figures resided in the capital. Their families were also connected by marriage and old friends, creating a complex web of relationships.
"We're new here and have no connections, so we must be careful and avoid getting into trouble. Don't meddle in other people's business."
The capital is a dangerous place; if anything happens, I can't save you. Listen more, observe more, speak less, and absolutely do not meddle. Taking care of yourselves is the most important thing.
Jiang Shuyun wasn't trying to scare them. This was the capital city; if you threw a brick here, you could hit four or five officials.
As a student who came to participate in the imperial examination, he really had no say.
"We understand. Don't worry, Shuyun. Your third grandfather repeatedly told us not to cause you any trouble."
Before Uncle Jiang Qin left, his father and uncle repeatedly gave him instructions.
"That's good. Everyone should get some rest today. The journey has been bumpy and you must be tired. We can discuss what to do tomorrow; there's still time."
Jiang Shuyun and Jiang Shuwen shared a room, Butler Li and his son shared another, and Jiang Qin and Jiang Shuhai shared a third. With nothing else to do, everyone went back to rest.
The next day, Jiang Shuyun and the others slept until noon before gradually getting up.
"Let's go, it's a good time to have lunch."
Jiang Shuyun invited the group downstairs to have a simple meal.
"Sir, I'm going to the brokerage firm now to rent the house first."
"Alright, Shuwen, you go with Steward Li."
"Understood, Second Brother."
"Li Li, take Uncle Jiang Qin and the others for a walk around the area, but don't go too far."
Jiang Shuyun needed to go back to her room to study and didn't have time to keep them company.
Knowing that his master didn't need him to serve him while he read, Li Li felt at ease taking the two elders of the Jiang family out for a stroll.
In the evening, Butler Li and Jiang Shuwen returned.
"Sir, we looked at a few houses near the examination hall this afternoon. Two of them were quite nice. We'll go take another look tomorrow. If we don't find anything more suitable, we'll choose one to rent."
"Okay, the main thing is to find a reliable dental clinic to avoid any trouble."
"Yes, we found a relatively large brokerage firm near the examination hall that is registered with the government."
Butler Li knew this and knew he couldn't be greedy for small gains and find those unreliable middlemen.
Butler Li and Jiang Shuwen spent another two days running around before they finally managed to rent a house.
It's already the end of December, and the provincial examination will be held in February next year. After the examination, we'll wait for the results to be released. If we're on the list, we'll have to take the palace examination. After all that, it'll be around April.
The housekeeper, Mr. Li, signed a six-month agreement for the house, which is enough time.
Jiang Shuyun and her group checked out of the inn and moved to a rented house.
The house is neither new nor old, it's a detached house with its own yard. Although it's not big, it's small but complete in every way.
This small courtyard has three main rooms, two rooms each in the east and west wings, and a small yard. It's spacious enough for six people to live in.
Jiang Shuyun lived in the room on the east side, which included a study. Jiang Qin lived in the room on the west side of the main house, with the middle room serving as the living room.
One of the two east wing rooms was reserved for Jiang Shuwen and Jiang Shuhai, and the other for Steward Li and his son. The two west wing rooms served as the kitchen and bathroom.
After settling into their accommodations, Jiang Shuyun wrote a letter home, and Jiang Qin and the others also wrote letters to their families to let them know they were safe. They didn't know if the letters would be delivered to their families before the New Year.
Jiang Shuyun then spent her time reading and exercising, and didn't participate in anything else.
In the capital, with the imperial examinations approaching, candidates from all over the country are arriving one after another.
When he was in the prefectural city, Jiang Shuyun did not participate in any gatherings among the students, let alone in the more treacherous capital city. He would rather stay put.
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