The official documents that everyone was holding in their hands were exactly this thing.
This piece of proof had naturally been prepared in advance by the candidates relatives or friends in the capital before the candidates arrived in the capital.
Only by holding the proof issued by the prefecture and having the candidate confirm it in person could the candidate be taken away.
For candidates whose families had no conditions this was also beneficial. Land in the capital was extremely expensive. Even a place like the Liezhou Guild Hall would find it a bit tight to provide one room per person. With fewer people it would naturally be possible to have single rooms and gain some peace and quiet to prepare for the exam with peace of mind.
For candidates with nowhere to go all expenses here were completely free. The food might not necessarily suit their taste but there was guaranteed provision of three meals a day.
After listening to all this Yu Qing nodded slightly. He finally understood. It had nothing to do with him.
Seeing that he did not even know about this Xu Fei tried asking Young Master Shiheng does your family have no relatives in the capital?
Yu Qing chuckled and shook his head. The truth was not easy to say. From Ah Shihengs standpoint there was indeed a place to go in the capital. It was Ah Shihengs future in laws family. The problem was that this future in laws family did not know that Ah Shiheng was coming to the capital for the exam this year.
In this capital Ah Shiheng had only given him one address. The rest all depended on him.
Xu Fei looked at him with a strange expression in his eyes. This was no longer the time of their first meeting when he would still think this person was poor and feel sympathy for him. After seeing Yu Qings skills he knew he had misjudged. A young person who could reach the upper martial realm in cultivation could not possibly do so without certain cultivation resources to support him. Cultivation resources had to be piled up with money. His family must definitely be richer than his own family.
The bug child on the other hand had eyes full of sympathy.
Xu Fei! The clerk handling documents behind the counter called out. Beside him there was also an old servant dressed as a family servant nodding and greeting in this direction.
Hearing the call Xu Fei immediately went over.
After completing the procedures Xu Fei came over again with the bug child. They had come to say goodbye to Yu Qing. That old servant had also followed along.
Yu Qing noticed that it was an old servant whose clothing and materials were quite refined. It seemed the master behind him indeed had some money. He immediately smiled and asked Has someone from your uncles family come to pick you up?
Xu Fei nodded. As soon as the other party mentioned his uncle he knew what was meant.
He had already written the IOU and had no intention of not repaying it. With the major exam approaching if someone reported to the authorities about owing money and not repaying it it would bring big trouble. The imperial court would not admit people who lacked credit. It might even lead to the cancellation of his exam qualification.
Although he estimated that the other party would not go that far considering this he still said to the old servant Uncle Wei on the way I spent some money due to certain matters. I borrowed four thousand taels of silver from Brother Shiheng. Do you have any money on you to advance it first? I will give it to you later.
Four thousand taels? The old servant was obviously somewhat shocked. He could not understand what they had done on the road to spend so much money. He immediately shook his head and said Young Master Xu you must be joking. This is no small sum. How could I have so much silver on me? How about this? Go back first and inform Lord Uncle. Let this young master come to the door another day to collect it or we can deliver it another day.
Xu Fei looked at Yu Qing with some hesitation not knowing whether this person could agree.
Yu Qing put on a very generous appearance and waved his hand Its fine its fine. You can give it to me when you have time.
Then… Xu Fei said while glancing at the guild hall again. See you another day?
Yu Qing cupped his hands No need to send me off.
Xu Fei cupped his hands in return then turned and left.
He actually felt a bit unwilling to associate with Yu Qing anymore. He had a handle in the other partys hands. In addition Yu Qings ruthlessness and decisiveness made him somewhat afraid.
He still remembered promising to give the bug child to the other party. At that time it was forced by the situation. However the other party seemed unwilling to accept it either. He was happy not to mention it and just treated it as forgotten.
The old servant bowed slightly to Yu Qing in greeting. After retreating two steps he turned and left.
Young Master Shiheng take care! The bug child gave a proper bow then left while looking back every three steps.
As soon as they left Yu Qing covered his face again with a handkerchief made from a piece of cloth curtain. He occasionally coughed dryly putting on an appearance of covering his mouth and nose while coughing…
He dragged it out until it was almost evening. Only then did all the candidates who were supposed to leave finish departing. Only about twenty candidates remained.
Out of more than two hundred candidates only less than one tenth were left. It was very obvious that these twenty or so candidates were all children from poor families. Yu Qing finally experienced firsthand that saying. In this world most people who had the conditions to study properly came from reasonably well off families.
Only at this point did the staff of the Liezhou Guild Hall begin to arrange accommodation for these twenty or so candidates who had waited for nearly half a day.
They arranged lodging. Rooms were in ample supply and they could choose freely.
Three meals were provided but they had to report in advance. If they did not report it would be treated as eating out to avoid wasting extra food prepared.
Each person was also issued a document stamped with the official seal to prove their identity as a candidate. This was to avoid any trouble in an unfamiliar place. If something happened they could present this document. During this period in the capital no one should dare to act unscrupulously towards them.
He walked around his own room to remember the location. Yu Qing tossed down the bundle he had acquired on the way and left.
He had not reported for dinner. He had grown tired of eating big pot meals all the way. Now that he had plenty of money he planned to go out and eat something good. The kind where he could eat however he wanted.
At the guild hall entrance he showed the document and registered before he was allowed to go out.
Walking out of the guild hall and standing outside the main gate he looked at the capital with its lanterns just beginning to light up. He rubbed his hands together facing the oncoming prosperous atmosphere then strode inside with big steps.
It did not matter that he was unfamiliar with the place. He stood on the street and thought for a moment before he had an idea. He asked people he met then headed straight to the nearest carriage rental shop.
He rented a carriage and got a coachman who was familiar with the capital. This saved even asking for directions. In this capital he could go wherever he wanted without even moving his feet.
He tossed a silver ingot as a tip to the coachman. Whichever street they reached the coachman would clearly point out what was to the left what was to the right what street was coming up what good food was on this street which brothels had pretty girls and that a person had drowned under the bridge over there yesterday. The coachman explained everything clearly. There was no such thing as being unfamiliar with the place. Having money made it that simple.
To make it easier to view the scenery outside the carriage he also bought a chair along the way and moved it into the carriage. He completely lifted up the door curtain and window curtains so he could look straight ahead or to the left and right.
When he saw something he wanted to eat he reached out from the carriage window and pointed Buy two portions!
The coachman would stop the carriage take the money and run the errand. He would buy two portions one for you and one for me.
The two of them ate along the way and talked along the way.
With things to eat and things to take the coachman was naturally happy. In his heart however he felt quite disdainful towards Yu Qings nouveau riche behaviour. One look and he knew this was a person who had only recently come into money…
Outside a slightly quiet alley it was like a crossroads. At the corner of the road there was a stall selling mutton noodles.
There were two lanterns two tables for customers to sit at and the busy stall owner beside the stove was a grandfather and grandson pair.
The carriage stopped beside the noodle stall. Yu Qing stuck his head out from the carriage window and said Noodles taste best from an old established brand. Is this an old established brand?
The old man stirring noodles beside the steaming pot said loudly This old mans stall has been set up for five or six years. If the customer says it is an old brand then it is. If you say it is not then it is not. You have an out of town accent. Local flavours may not suit your taste. Whether it tastes good or not is not for this old man to say. It counts only after you have eaten it and given your verdict.
Yu Qing smiled Five or six years is not short. Has the stall always been set up here?
The old man said It has never moved.
Upon hearing this Yu Qing said to the coachman Lets try it.
So the carriage pulled over to the side. The coachman sat with him at the noodle stall and chatted idly…
After slowly finishing one bowl of noodles before getting back on the carriage again Yu Qing gazed deeply into the depths of the alley at that magnificent grand mansion with its bright lights.
That was exactly the address in the capital that Ah Shiheng had given him. Ah Shihengs future father in laws family the Zhong residence!
The carriage swayed forward. This time Yu Qing lowered the door curtain and window curtains and fell into deep thought.
In the time it took to eat one bowl of noodles he had already gotten a rough outline of the Zhong familys situation from the noodle stall old man.
It was not that he was being overly cautious. It was just that so many years had passed. Even Ah Shiheng himself had never been in contact. Even Ah Shiheng himself was not clear about the current situation of the Zhong family. He only said that the Zhong family had now become wealthy merchants. How could he rashly go to their door? He definitely needed to scout the situation first.
The Zhong family could not be considered top tier wealthy merchants in this capital. They counted as third rate but they were still quite extraordinary.
One must know that the capital was full of powerful families. Even a third rate wealthy merchant in the capital had astonishing financial power.
That Squire Zhong had no male heirs in his family only two daughters. Neither of the two had married. The key point was that the noodle stall old man had not heard that Squire Zhongs two daughters had any engagements either.
Outsiders did not know that the Zhong family daughters had been engaged to someone? Yu Qing did not know whether the Zhong family had never announced it or had deliberately concealed it. He immediately felt worried for Ah Shiheng.
Of course these were secondary. Ah Shihengs family also made him feel that something was not quite right.
According to the history of how Squire Zhong made his fortune as told by the noodle stall old man when Ah Shihengs family was demoted and left the capital that Squire Zhong did not yet have todays wealth. It seemed he only had one shop at that time. The problem lay here. What was Ah Jies identity back then? He was the powerful head of the Ministry of Works.
At that time Squire Zhong probably did not even have the qualifications to curry favour with Ah Jie. Yet Ah Jie had actually arranged for his own son to be engaged to the daughter of such a small merchant. What was going on?
It was not that he was too snobbish and overthinking. It was normal for families to match in status. When the gap was too huge it would make people feel something was off.
He considered whether to visit at night but it seemed that Squire Zhong had quite a lot of daily social engagements. According to the noodle stall old man he had gone out in the morning and had not returned home yet. Another thing was that he still wanted to understand the Zhong familys situation more carefully. He was not in a hurry to show his face. After all the information a stall old man knew was rather superficial.
If the Zhong familys situation was rather complicated then forget it. There was no need to definitely go to the Zhong family. He could still find a way to get through the metropolitan exam without borrowing their influence. What he had said to Ah Shiheng earlier about this not working and that not working was actually just trying to push it off. Since he had already come it was another matter.
Furthermore he did not want to bring trouble to Ah Shiheng. If he did not visit the Zhong family then when Ah Shiheng appeared again later he would not need to explain anything.
And by learning a bit more about the Zhong family he could also relay it to Ah Shiheng when he returned…
The old man at the noodle stall kneaded the dough in his hands. As he flipped the dough ball over he suddenly said Little Five follow and take a look.
The young man wiping tables beside him immediately put down his work took off his apron and quickly chased in the direction where the carriage had disappeared…