After leaving Linyang City, the journey took a long time. By the time the two of them arrived in the capital, it was already the cold winter and twelfth lunar month.
Needless to say, the prosperity of the capital, but compared with Lin Yangcheng, it is more orderly. After all, it is at the feet of the emperor, and there are more rules and regulations. What you can see on the bright side is always the bright side.
The people who went to Beijing to participate in the examination came from all over the world, and there were not a few people who came a few years ago. You can see men with a bookish atmosphere all over the street. Some look young, and some have white temples.
Many of those who could enter the court as officials were recommended, and most of the people who took the imperial examination were ordinary people from ordinary backgrounds, especially the elderly, who could see their poverty and poverty.
Bai Li didn't understand this, but You Qing told him all the way, saying that there are more than 10 million people who have studied hard in the cold window for ten years, and how many people can reach the first place in one day
These weak scholars all over the street, the older they get, the harder they get. Some have to read books for many years to get the qualifications for the exam, and some have failed to pass the exam again and again, and they have to do it again and again. Test.
Bai Li was frightened after hearing this. Although he knew that You Qing would definitely be the champion in high school, he couldn't help but ask, "If Ah Qing can't make it this time, will he take the test again next time?"
"No." You Qing replied without hesitation.
"Why not?" Bai Li was a little puzzled, and then laughed again, "Are you sure that Ah Qing can pass the exam?"
You Qing smiled, shook his head and said, "I'm 90% sure, but there are people outside people, there are heavens outside, and there is no absolute justice in the world, so I don't have much hope."
Bai Li was even more puzzled when he heard it: "Then why do you say you will no longer take the test?"
"Fool, there are thousands of ways to survive in this world, why am I so obsessed with this single-plank bridge?"
Bai Li's eyes lit up, grabbed his sleeve and smiled brightly: "Aqing, since you don't want to be a high-ranking official, then we can go back and do some other business, the exam is so hard, day and night. Stay inside, I can't even go in and take care of you..."
You Qing looked at him amusingly: "How do you know that you have to stay in the exam day and night?"
Bai Li's heart skipped a beat, and only then did he realize that he had missed the point. He quickly calmed down and said, "I walked all the way before and listened to what others said."
You Qing didn't think much, smiled and said, "You have good ears, but I didn't hear it."
Bai Li looked proud: "I have good ears and good eyesight!"
You Qing looked at his smug look with a smile in his eyes, and couldn't help raising his hand to touch his head.
Although Bai Li is a book boy, he has never acted as a book boy. He has a simple hair bun and a light-colored streamer draped over his shoulders and back like black silk, which is very eye-catching no matter which way he looks at it. Coupled with the handsomeness and extraordinary temperament of upstream Qingfeng, the two of them walked on the street and attracted a lot of attention. At this time, You Qing showed an indescribable intimacy towards his actions, which attracted the attention of pedestrians.
You Qing noticed the sight that fell on her body, and then she regained her senses. She quickly took her hand away, but she didn't feel any annoyance. Instead, it was a little funny because of her gaffe. She thought that since she took in this fool, she often lost her mind. I can't wait to hold his face up and rub and pinch it.
He sighed helplessly, turned his eyes away from him, and smiled softly: "Let's go, find a place to stay first."
Bai Li nodded, followed him two steps, and suddenly remembered that the previous topic was inadvertently diverted, and his heart started to itch again, and he tugged on You Qing's sleeve and asked, "Aqing, since you don't want to be a high-ranking official. , why are you still here for the test? Why don't we go back?"
You Qing was a little surprised at his persistence and looked at him suspiciously: "Do you want me to go back?"
"It's not..." Bai Li lowered his eyelashes to cover his guilty conscience, "If Ah Qing can become a high-ranking official, he won't have to live in such a poor life in the future. I'm not happy enough, why would I be unwilling? But... the exam is so hard. , I heard that some people will faint in it, I'm worried... "
You Qing felt warm in his heart, picked up his hand that was hanging by his side, and immediately thought of the current situation, he squeezed it twice and released it, smiling: "I'm different from other scholars, I have done simple things since I was a child. Farm work, how can I be so weak? Besides, I am not obsessed with exams, but for the long-cherished wish of my mentor."
"Ah?" Bai Li's attention was still on the palm of his hand that had been pinched. Hearing his words, he woke up suddenly and looked up at him suspiciously, "Teacher?"
Seeing the confusion and surprise in his eyes, You Qing suddenly felt amused: "Could it be that you think my knowledge was brought out from my mother's womb?"
"So Ah Qing also went to school?" Bai Li laughed. Although he had known You Qing for so long, he didn't know anything about what happened before the two met. At this moment, it sounded that You Qing was close to him. Taking a step, I couldn't help but feel joy in my heart.
You Qing nodded with a smile, thinking about the past and couldn't help sighing: "You need to pay tuition fees to go to school, I was not qualified to go in to study, I was hiding out and secretly studying for a year and was discovered by my teacher, thinking that I would be punished. Unexpectedly, after he let me write two poems, he was very happy, and he made an exception to let me in."
Bai Li listened carefully and nodded: "My teacher is a good person!"
You Qing couldn't help laughing and laughing at his simple determination of people as good people and bad people over and over again. Thinking that this was originally his precious simplicity, he didn't say anything, and continued: "My teacher has treated me a lot. Take care, saying that he has spent his life teaching and educating people in this remote rural area, and finally saw hope in me, and he still warned me repeatedly before his death, looking forward to me, but his wish for many years."
Bai Li didn't expect that he took the exam for this reason, and stared at him blankly. Although he already knew what he was like, he couldn't help but think: I really didn't see the wrong person...
"If I can really be fortunate enough to be named on the gold list, my teacher will be able to smile Jiuquan. Even if I fail, I will not regret it."
"No, Ah Qing will definitely go to high school."
You Qing thought he was encouraging himself, smiled indifferently, and then saw that his eyes were crystal clear, and his dark eyes seemed to be covered with a layer of water mist, and he couldn't help but wonder: "What's wrong?"
Bai Li opened his mouth, tears falling uncontrollably.
You Qing was startled, confused by his reaction, and hurriedly pulled him to the empty alley next to him, raised his hand to wipe his face, and said anxiously, "What's the matter? Why are you crying? "
When Bai Li comforted him, he cried even more fiercely, sniffling with tears in his eyes: "Aqing, will you not want me if you are admitted to the top spot?"
You Qing didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so he hurriedly wiped his face and said softly, "I won't leave you alone if I pass the test. What are you thinking about?"
"I don't know anything, but Ah Qing is going to be a high-ranking official..." When Bai Li thought of the champion, the princess, and the concubine, his heart felt like a knife, and he cried even more, and he couldn't stop.
You Qing was suffering from both headaches and heartaches, holding his face and not knowing how to comfort him, his heart was in a mess, he hurriedly hugged him in his arms, and kept calming his breath on his head and back: "Okay. Well, don't think about it, I won't leave you alone, I will take you with me if I fail the test."
Bai Li was hugged by him coldly, his heartbeat almost stopped, and suddenly he forgot to cry, a light blush appeared on his tear-stained face, and his breathing was a little chaotic.
Seeing that he was quiet, You Qing hurriedly looked at him from a distance, raised his hands to hold his face and wiped his tears with a helpless expression: "I usually look at you stupid, why are there so many twists in your mind? When did I say Are you going to leave you alone?"
Bai Li looked at the tenderness in his eyes, his heartbeat was fast and slow, and he was stunned for a long time with his mouth open and aggrieved before he made a voice: "You didn't say it, I thought..."
You Qing couldn't help laughing out loud, seeing that the blush on his cheeks had not disappeared for a long time, a pair of smart eyes were moist, and the long raised eyelashes were still dripping with tears, like two curtains of dew, this pair of pear flowers. With the rain, he didn't look delicate at all, but instead showed a unique stubbornness, which made him lose his mind again.
Being so close to him, Bai Li lost all his sadness. He sniffed, thinking that he was also a nine-tailed spirit fox. If he really reached the point where he had nothing to do, he would use a spell to call the emperor down. No purpose, tell that princess to like the ugliest and oldest minister in the court!
Thinking of this, the people who were crying so hard that they couldn't find the south, east, north and west suddenly burst into laughter, grabbing You Qing's hand and asking, "A Qing, where are we staying today?"
You Qing was about to comfort him a few more words, but he didn't expect him to be healed again. After being stunned for a long time, he felt a pain in his head, so he freed up a hand to squeeze his face: "This face has become faster than the day in June, I will rush Can't make it in time."
Bai Li didn't care what he said at all, he made him feel happy, and his smile became brighter.
After that, the two walked around the street for another hour, and found a relatively cheap inn to live in. They said that it was cheaper, but it was still a bit more expensive than Linyang City. After all, this is the capital, no better than other places.
Seeing Bai Li's distressed face, You Qing buried his head and counted his purses, smiled and pulled him to his side, comforting: "I'm just staying here temporarily, I'll go to the Gongyuan tomorrow and submit a famous post to report. There are still a few months for the exam. You can go to find a home outside the city and rent an unused house from them for a few months, and you can save a lot of silver taels.”
Bai Li looked happy: "Really?"
"Of course." You Qing nodded, "Of course it's a good idea to rent a room for a long-term stay. Even if you rent it in the city, it's much cheaper than staying in an inn."
"Got it!" Bai Li nodded with joy, turned around and carefully put away his purse, walked back and put his arms around You Qing's waist, smiling, "It's clean outside the city, how about we live outside the city?"
You Qing stared straight at his bright eyes, froze for a moment, then raised his hand to wrap his arms around him, and said softly, "Okay."
Bai Li's heart was beating wildly, unable to control the overflowing joy in his heart, he looked at him stupidly for a long time, then leaned in and kissed him on the lips, and he was suddenly startled by his actions after the kiss.
Along the way, he was used to raiding a kiss every night before going to bed, but he never did that during the day. At this time, he forgot the time when his mind fainted, and he couldn't pretend to be asleep any more. Turn around quickly.
You Qing grabbed him tightly with his hands, turned him around again, and looked at him deeply, until he saw that his breathing was confused, he raised his hand to touch his face, and the palm of his hand was tightly aligned with the delicate line on the side of his face. Fittingly, he lowered his eyes and approached him for a few minutes, but stopped again, the eyebrows of the two were extremely close.