The ancient carriage and horse trading company was somewhat similar to the current transportation company. The next day at daybreak, Zhu Ping'an checked out of the guest room, carried his luggage out of the inn and headed straight for the carriage and horse trading company.
When he arrived at the carriage and horse shop, he handed the engraved horse card he received yesterday to the person in charge of the carriage and horse shop, and then he was assigned to a carriage. A carriage is supposed to seat four people, and there was already a fat merchant in the carriage. When he saw Zhu Ping'an carrying his luggage, he took the initiative to help him, and chatted with Zhu Ping'an with a smile, and got to know him briefly. When he learned that Zhu Ping'an was a scholar who came to Anqing Prefecture to take the prefectural examination, the fat merchant showed more respect on his face.
After a while, a well-dressed young man got on the carriage, holding a folding fan and looking drunk.
After getting on the bus, this person complained that Zhu Ping'an's bag was too big and took up too much space, and then he complained that the fat merchant smelled too much...
The convoy had already set off before the fourth passenger arrived. There were five carriages in total, with about 17 or 18 passengers, one driver in each carriage, and five strong men who served as guards and also temporarily replaced the drivers.
After the carriage set off, the well-dressed young man in Zhu Ping'an's carriage complained again that he was not satisfied with the fact that the carriage company only provided one horse for the carriage, and said that his family usually had two or three horses to pull the carriage... The fat merchant just smiled casually, with a look of disdain in his eyes.
The emperor has six horses, the dukes have five, the ministers have four, the officials have three, the scholars have two, and the common people have one. Two horses, three horses, who are you
Zhu Ping'an just slightly raised the corners of his mouth, looking like a simple and honest student.
The shock absorption measures of ancient horse-drawn carriages were not good, and the road was uneven, so the carriage shook violently. This made Zhu Ping'an give up the idea of reading in the carriage. He just closed his eyes and silently recalled the poems and books he had read.
It is said that merchants are good at socializing. After riding in the carriage for less than an hour, the fat merchant became friends with the young man who looked drunk and had too much sex. However, they mostly talked about wine, sex and women along the way. Just like in modern times, men can easily find topics to talk about these.
Zhu Ping'an is not a very pedantic person. He has experienced a lot in modern times and does not feel any disgust.
The carriage travels during the day and rests at night. Of course, there is also about an hour of rest time for eating in the afternoon.
The carriage and horse guild provides simple food, of course you need to pay for it, you don't have to spend much, only five coins can get two cakes and a bowl of meat soup, which can fill your stomach. After eating, I sat on the grass next to the carriage and asked about the carriage style. I got the answer that I would have to rest here for more than half an hour before continuing on the journey.
It was still early, so Zhu Ping'an opened his cross-body bag, took out a book, and began to read slowly.
"Oh, you are a scholar, but what's the point of studying? You can't eat or spend money. Look at the way you are dressed, you must not have much money. You are really a useless scholar."
The young man in the same car seemed to be full of disdain for the scholar. When he saw Zhu Ping'an sitting on the grass and leaning against the wheel reading a book, he couldn't help but sneer at him.
Zhu Ping'an shifted his gaze from the book to the young man who looked drunk and overindulged. He glanced at him, hummed casually, and then lowered his head to read the book again.
The young man who indulged in alcohol and sex did not seem to anticipate what I would say to the boy who was reading. The boy just hummed and said nothing more. Could it be that this kid has become stupid from reading too much? Wasn’t my contempt obvious enough
"There is a poor scholar near my mansion. Do you know what a scholar is? You are far from being one, judging from your behavior. But even if you pass the exam, what can you do? You have no money to manage relationships. What else can you do except pretending to be a scholar? Those who pass the exam are all from famous and wealthy families. The imperial examination is just a scam for poor scholars like you."
“What’s the point of studying… What’s the point of studying… ”
The young man who was overly drunk and over-sexualized continued to attack Zhu Ping'an, and was full of resentment towards the scholars. This man was like Tang Seng, chattering non-stop, and the fat merchant who was resting nearby tried to persuade him twice but failed to stop. It felt like Sun Wukong in the Moonlight Treasure Box facing the little boy who said not to smash the flowers and plants, and it was also like the modern man who kept chattering about not giving me a hundred yuan, good or bad, which made it impossible to continue reading.
So, Zhu Pingan raised his head, looked at him quietly, and slowly said:
"There are three thousand prosperous people in the world, you can go on, I will drink wine and worship the peach blossoms, even if you have gold, jade, and fine horses, they cannot compare to the red beans and cinnabar between my eyebrows."
The young man was stunned, not understanding what he meant.
It's strange that you can understand it. This is the classical Chinese version of the modern popular saying "You play it, I just want to be a handsome man quietly."
Zhu Pingan glanced at him again, shook his head slightly, and did not give him a chance to speak. He continued speaking:
"Although you have been belittling reading and mocking the uselessness of reading, how can you conceal your identity as a scholar?"
"Yes, I'm talking about you. Looking at your slightly blackened lips, I guess you have the habit of licking the tip of the pen with your lips when you grind ink and write."
"Your right sleeve is worn out. It must be from reading or writing."
"You have such a deep resentment towards studying, probably because you failed so badly in this scientific examination."
"You both yearn for and resent the rich and powerful. I'm afraid you come from a poor family. Well, maybe you are quite interested in a certain lady, but love is unrequited. You failed in this imperial examination, so your hope is slim."
"You smell strongly of alcohol, probably because you're trying to drown your sorrows in alcohol. Hmm, there's also a strong smell of powder, slightly pungent, probably not of high quality. I guess the woman you've been with recently must be a not-so-good prostitute."
"You can take away the commander of an army, but you cannot take away the will of a common man. Get up from where you fell, and if you fail, you can make a comeback."
With every word Zhu Ping'an said, the face of the young man who had indulged in alcohol and sex became more and more pale. In the end, the young man took off his disguise and turned from a proud young man into a frustrated and down-and-out scholar.
"Alas, I have studied hard for thirteen years, and I am sad every year for failing the exam." The young man, who had been overindulging in alcohol and sex, sighed in despair, without any fighting spirit. "After failing the exam this year, I vowed never to touch poetry or books, and go home to sell myself to a rich man to make a living."
He is also a poor man who was harmed by the imperial examination. Zhu Ping'an couldn't help but think of those scholars who were dejected and sad when they saw the list. Since he had encountered such a person, he couldn't just watch a scholar sell himself into slavery.
So Zhu Pingan stood up, closed the book, shook his head slightly, and said, "Although I am young, I also understand the truth that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Without accumulating small steps, a journey of a thousand miles cannot be completed. If you persist, there is always hope of success, but if you give up, there will be no chance at all."
The down-and-out scholar glanced at Zhu Ping'an, sighed, and said, "You are still young, and this is just your first time failing the exam. How can you understand the pain of failing eight times for me?"
Zhu Ping'an stood with his hands behind his back, looking into the distance, and said calmly:
"Where there is a will there is a way. With a desperate struggle, the 120 Qin passes finally belonged to Chu.
Heaven will not fail those who work hard, sleeping on firewood and tasting gall, three thousand Yue soldiers can conquer Wu. "
The down-and-out young man seemed to be struck by lightning when he heard this. He suddenly raised his head and looked at Zhu Ping'an. He silently recited the couplet that Zhu Ping'an said again, and his eyes lit up again.
Where there is a will, there is a way. With a desperate struggle, the 120 Qin passes finally belonged to Chu.
Heaven will not fail those who work hard. With only 3,000 soldiers of Yue, one can conquer Wu.
"My little brother is very talented. Although I failed the exam this time, you will surely pass it in the future. I am not as good as you, but I am also learning. I will work hard and come to Anqing Prefecture again someday." The down-and-out scholar became full of fighting spirit again and bowed deeply to Zhu Ping'an to express his gratitude.
"I am not a great talent, I am just repeating what others have said. I heard this from an elder named Pu Songling."
Zhu Ping'an had a silly smile on his face. He waved his hand and spoke seriously.
"Thank you for your enlightenment, little brother." The man insisted and thanked him again.
After the carriage set off again, the atmosphere inside the carriage suddenly became harmonious.