Chapter 31: One penny can kill two masters and servants (Part 1)

The next morning, he woke up from the inn. The master and servant finished washing and then prepared to dress up. Because they were going to various departments to run the procedures today and got the certificate for admission to the academy, they wanted to take care of it. Ning Que sat in front of the window, facing the morning light of the first day, holding a book that seemed to be reading, squinting his eyes to enjoy the combing of Sangsang behind him, but he didn't expect that his hair was pulled to hurt. He turned his head and looked at the little girl helplessly and said, "Is it so difficult to comb his hair?"

"Or, young master, try combing it yourself. In previous years, I would just combed it together at random in Weicheng. But today you have to learn from those scholars, but I have never learned it." Sangsang held the comb's hand and shrank behind him, and said angrily.

"Look at your attitude, you know how to call me a young master!" Ning Que said annoyedly: "Who is the young master and who is the girl? I told me to comb myself after saying a few words! You have to understand, young master, I will go to the academy soon, and that's a serious scholar. You won't just go and study, you have to comb like that every day in the future!"

Since looking at the picture in the rain on the Suzaku Street yesterday, the emotions of the master and servant have been having some problems, but they cannot understand the feelings at that time, and they cannot determine whether the feelings at that time were real. In addition, some very obscure reasons, so they have not communicated on this matter.

Ning Que looked at Sangsang's darker face, and smiled and said, "Okay, okay, after finishing the serious business, I'll take you to Chen Jinji."

Hearing this, Sangsang raised his little face and smiled, turned around and took out a knife from the package and handed it over. Ning Que took the knife and walked into the small courtyard behind the inn, and began to practice the knife with the morning light. His movements were precise and powerful, but his messy and fluffy hair also shook with the movements, looking a little funny.

The Tang Empire is the center of the whole world, Chang'an City is a place that is respected and worshipped by all nations, and the academies are in a sense the center of the Tang Empire, a place that is deeply respected and worshiped by all people, and sometimes even faintly exceeds the influence of the royal family.

Since I knew the academy since I was a child, Ning Que's head, which had been washed by vulgar conspiracy theories, never figured out why the Tang Empire, or the royal family, would allow such a place to exist. The so-called human heads are only one sky above and there is only one sun in the sky. How can an empire have two voices?

No matter whether he could figure it out in the years to come, at least this whole day of experience finally made him feel the academy's lofty status in the Tang Empire, and also felt the court's respect and even awe of the academy. Just a simple academy admission examination qualification certificate actually requires three of the six departments to be stamped and confirmed, and only officials above the doctor are qualified to carry out this work.

The Ministry of Personnel and Rites of the Military Department, Ning Que saw more senior officials of the fifth rank and above on this day than he had seen in the previous sixteen years. If it weren't for the military's status that had not been converted to nationality, he even needed to go to the Ministry of Revenue's Office. Although spring was warm and pleasant, he was exhausted by such troubles in the northern city of Chang'an. He couldn't help but think to himself, even if the court wanted to send troops to the Southern Jin Dynasty, I'm afraid it wouldn't be so troublesome, right?

What a strict class place in the Imperial Department. Ning Que was just a border town soldier without any background. He thought he would encounter countless contempt and cold treatment, but he did not expect that when the officials saw his name, although they did not express any special expressions, they did not make any troubles that General Ma Shixiang had warned. He waved his hand and let him go.

Ning Que thought carefully that it was the princess's mansion who sent someone to say hello. The princess returned from the grassland and encountered assassination on the way. After returning to Chang'an, it must be all officials who greeted each other. The palace banquet was a big banquet and had to investigate it secretly. He still remembered his affairs. If it were someone else, he would be very grateful. But he would not think so, because this was something he had agreed with the Your Highness before. Although he was next to the fire, his Highness didn't look very much like his Highness.

After the Ministry of Rites stamped the last seal, the sun in the sky had begun to set in the west. Fortunately, the bureaucracy of the Tang Empire was not too bureaucratic and was quite efficient. The yamen responsible for issuing the qualification certificate for the admission examination of academy was not far from the Ministry of Rites. At this time, the door was still open, and three or two young people who had just obtained the certificate were whispering at the door.

"It's not a big deal to stay in the inn forever, and I can't get close to my classmates."

"It's good to move to the academy in advance. Maybe I can get to know some seniors."

"It's not cheap to live in a college. It's more expensive than the Yuelai Inn, the best Yuelai Inn in Chang'an City. Speaking of which, Emperor Taizu was better at that time, and the academy was free of food and accommodation at that time."

"Why save these little money? In my opinion, it is better to go to the academy one day in advance. Be familiar with the environment and the chance of passing the admission examination is also higher. I heard that the military department went crazy this time and recommended more than 70 candidates..."

Ning Que was about to walk inside when he suddenly stopped, looked at the young scholar bowing and asked, "Brother, what you meant just now... the academy doesn't include food and accommodation?"

The three of them looked at Ning Que like an idiot, probably thinking that they didn’t even know this, why are you still taking the academy?

Ning Que likes to do the most is to laugh at others as an idiot in front of Sangsang. At this time, he was told to be an idiot in person, so he naturally couldn't accept it, so he turned around and entered the door.

When he came out again, the young scholars at the gate had long disappeared, otherwise they would definitely mock him when they saw the young man's slightly pale face.

Sangsang was waiting outside the door. She held a big black umbrella to block Xishang to prevent her face from getting darker. She was squinting her eyes and was happy that this idea was good. Suddenly, she saw Ning Que's appearance and suddenly became nervous. She trotted to him and asked in a trembling voice: "What's wrong? The academy does not allow students to take maids? Have you ever told the adults inside that I can help the academy, as long as there is a place to live."

"It's not the problem." Ning Que's lips were a little dry, and he looked at her with a slight silence, "I just asked clearly. It turned out that the academy did not include food and accommodation at all, which means that if I pass the exam, I will have to pay thirty taels of silver every month."

"Thirty taels?" Sangsang subconsciously raised his volume and shouted sharply: "Then what else can I read!"

She knew that this sentence was meaningless. She frowned and looked at Ning Que with a grief and said, "Young Master, we have saved 76,200 cents of silver over the years. We have never spent a copper coin along the way. With the money from selling the carriage, the general's funding and the gambling debts he collected in the end, the total amount is less than 200 taels of silver. After arriving in Chang'an, we stayed in the inn for two days and had five meals..."

Ning Que stopped the little maid's mumbling and said uneasy: "The examination will be held one month after the admission test. It seems that we will have to stay in an inn for another month. You have to count the expenses."
Chapter completed!