Chapter 108 It’s Time to Change Clothes

These days, the business of brothels and wine shops in Nanchang City is extremely good.

There is no way, with so many scholars pouring in at once, it is impossible for the business to be bad.

Except for the day before the exam, when the business will be much slower, the rest of the time it is always crowded and bustling.

The visitors include not only the scholars who have passed the exam this year, but also those who failed to pass the exam and came here to drink to relieve their sorrow.

Wei Guangde and his party are naturally not frustrated people. After a night of revelry, they don’t know how they got back to the inn. At this time, he opened his sleepy eyes and felt a little headache. He drank a little too much last night.

Of course, it’s not that he doesn’t want to sleep a little longer, but the knocking on the door has been too long and getting more and more urgent.

He got up and opened the door. Although he was a little disheveled, Wei Guangde didn’t care much. He just wanted to deal with it as soon as possible so that he could continue to sleep for a while.

When he opened the door, he saw a waiter looking at him with a pleasant smile, and he kept bowing and congratulating him on passing the examination and passing the provincial examination.

"What's the matter? Keep knocking on the door."

Wei Guangde was disturbed from his sweet dream, and naturally he was in a bad mood. Although the waiter said auspicious words, his tone was also unfriendly.

"The messenger from the yamen has delivered the good news. There should be other things. I will get you some water. Please wash up and go downstairs."

The waiter knew that he had disturbed Wei Guangde's rest, but he still smiled and said to him.

"Good news? The red list has been posted, what good news is there?"

Wei Guangde was surprised.

He didn't know about this. In fact, it was very normal. Whether it was Wu Dong or Zeng Yuanshu, both of them were eliminated in the first round of the college examination, so they left Nanchang City early. What happened next, they didn't know at all, and they were not interested in asking.

The waiter looked at Wei Guangde and felt that the kid in front of him might really not know, so he hurriedly said: "If you pass the exam, the government will send a good news report according to the registered accommodation address, that is, to ask for some wedding money, and they will also bring the order of the education official, so you have to go."

While talking, the door of the room next to him was opened, and Zeng Yuanshu was also standing there with disheveled hair and dirty face, talking to the waiter in front of his door.

Wei Guangde knew what it was, wedding money, that was nothing, but if the official really brought some news, he really had to take it seriously.

Although he has now transformed from a student to a scholar, he is only that capable. His academic qualifications and employment are still in the hands of the education official. The education official can deprive the scholar of his academic title, although it is not often used, and most of the time it will develop to this point if there is a serious fault.

"Hurry up and get some water."

Wei Guangde knew that this matter could not be sloppy, so he immediately said to the waiter.

However, at the moment of turning around, Wei Guangde asked casually, "How many candidates in the store have passed the examination this year?"

I didn't pay attention yesterday, and the students went to different places together, so Wei Guangde really didn't know the situation of other candidates staying in the inn.

Although most of them were unfamiliar, they had known each other for so many days, and at least they had to show courtesy and humility when they met.

"Seven, seven young men passed the examination."

The waiter replied with a flattering smile.

Soon, the waiter brought a basin of water. Wei Guangde quickly washed and went out without rushing downstairs. He just glanced downstairs and saw that two new scholars had received the good news. When Wei Guangde looked down, he saw that the official was saying something to them, and then congratulated them and sat aside.

Wei Guangde didn't have much money on him, just two silver coins and a few dozen copper coins. There were only two officials downstairs, so giving two silver coins was enough, but Wei Guangde still had to ask his cousin how to deal with it first.

But when he looked up, the door was still closed, and it was obvious that no waiter had come to call him. On the other side, Zeng Yuanshu, who had packed up, had already gone out, and the two looked at each other.

Zeng Yuanshu seemed to have guessed Wei Guangde's thoughts, and smiled and said to him: "Let's go downstairs, don't bother your brother."

The two went downstairs and soon arrived in front of the official.

The waiter on one side hurriedly introduced the two of them. The official took out two copies of the congratulatory notice from the several copies in his hand and handed them to the two, smiling, "Congratulations, Mr. Zeng, congratulations, Mr. Wei."

For most scholars, it is not difficult to pass the examination for a Tongsheng. Even if you are unlucky, you will generally pass it after taking more exams.

But the level of Xiucai is different. After all, the number of places is limited, and it is not as casual as the prefectural and county examinations.

"The good news was sent to Jiujiang Prefecture yesterday afternoon. I think your families will receive the news soon.

You two young masters are promising. We will send you the good news in the provincial examination in two months."

The official holding the good news next to them also said to them with a smile.

"Thank you for your good words. Thank you for your trip."

Zeng Yuanshu smiled and said here. He reached into his arms and took out a silver ingot and handed it to the leading official. He continued to smile and said, "This is a little gift from me and my brother. It is not a respect. Please accept it and buy a cup of tea to moisten your throat."

Wei Guangde estimated that the silver ingot was about three or four taels. This was a huge sum of money, equivalent to three or four thousand copper coins.

From the Ming Dynasty to the present, the society and economy have been developed. As long as the average adult man in the city is willing to work hard, he can earn twenty coins a day by selling his strength. After they divided the silver ingot, it was equivalent to the income of an ordinary person for half a year.

Of course, it is not so easy to get the money in the government office. They will probably have to pay a lot to get this silver ingot.

The leading official saw Zeng Yuanshu's generosity and gave the silver directly. He was not like the two poor scholars before. They only took out a handful of copper coins, probably less than a thousand coins. They were a little unhappy because they did not earn two taels of silver for the two good news reports they sent out first.

Fortunately, there are still generous people in this store, so this trip was not in vain.

After happily accepting the silver, the leading official whispered to them: "Let the two scholars know that this afternoon, please go to the Nanchang Imperial Examination Hall to record your household name, which is the name, place of origin, and three generations of resumes. This is customary.

For the scholars, the Imperial Examination Hall and the Education Office must record it for the subsequent provincial examinations."

Then he looked at Zeng Yuanshu and Wei Guangde and whispered: "The two gentlemen are already scholars. When you go to the Imperial Examination Hall, it will be more appropriate to change into student clothes."

After bowing and thanking, Zeng Yuanshu and Wei Guangde went upstairs, talking about going out to buy clothes later.

In the Ming Dynasty, round-necked and wide-sleeved shirts were the clothing worn by Confucian scholars. Like other officials, they had detailed regulations, such as "Students' shirts are made of jade-colored cloth and silk, with wide sleeves and black edges, and black strips and soft towels hanging on the belt. All candidates for the examination do not change their clothes."

For gentry, both round-necked and cross-collared clothes can be worn. Formal official robes are generally round-necked, but there are exceptions, such as the well-known flying fish clothes and bullfighting clothes, including the walking dragon robes, which are cross-collared, and only the sitting dragon robes are round-necked.

As for ordinary people, they can only wear cross-collared clothes.