Phi-Fic Chapter 292 Rejection
Chapter 292 Rejection
Tang Yichen discussed with his family and decided that it would be best to rush to the capital as soon as possible to prepare for the imperial examination.
He had been busy bidding farewell to his teacher and classmates these days. His teacher had asked him to share his experience with other students in the academy and to review the examination papers.
The teachers gave his answer sheet a very high evaluation. He did not become the champion this time because his left-handed calligraphy was not stunning enough, which dragged him down in the ranking.
However, the teachers comforted him. This time, when he went to take the provincial examination, not only were outsiders not optimistic about his performance, but even the teachers who were optimistic about him were not confident. All they could say was that this result was beyond everyone's expectations and was a blessing in disguise.
After bidding farewell to his teacher, Tang Yichen began to collect things for the capital. First, Qin Huiyin asked him to choose a servant and a pageboy. The servant had to be skilled and skilled, as he would protect him throughout the journey. The pageboy had to be intelligent and clever, and know how to teach him the ways of the world.
Qin Huiyin accompanied Tang Yichen to several dental clinics. After a few days of selection, she asked the dental clinics to provide better candidates. On the ninth day, they finally picked two people.
The indentures of these two people were in Tang Yichen's hands and were registered with the government.
Qin Huiyin asked Shouhou and the others about the origins of the two men and learned that the follower used to be a security guard for a wealthy family. Because the wealthy family committed a crime, their house was raided, their property was confiscated, and their slaves were sold. Only then did she feel relieved.
As for the servant, he was young, having once been a student's servant. He had rosy lips and white teeth, and was clever and well-behaved. However, his former master had other ideas. He was unwilling and made a fuss, making it known to everyone. In anger, the master sold him out.
Qin Huiyin observed for two days and found that the attendant Zhang Zhen and the servant Chen Yu were both doing quite well, so the matter came to an end.
The rain was pouring down. Tang Yichen stood at the door of the bookstore, looking at the storm with embarrassment.
Chen Yu said, "Sir, please stay here. I'll go buy you an umbrella."
At this time, Zhang Zhen drove a carriage to the door of the bookstore. He took out an umbrella from the carriage and jumped out to greet Tang Yichen and Chen Yu.
Tang Yichen had grown from a poor peasant to a well-to-do young master, and he was a little uncomfortable being served. He got on the carriage with the help of Zhang Zhen and Chen Yu.
Suddenly, the horse kicked its hooves, splashing water, and the master and servant who happened to be passing by exclaimed in surprise.
Tang Yichen and the two new servants looked at the master and servant who were splashed with water by the horse.
He had already boarded the carriage, but he immediately got off and apologized to the master and servant, saying, "I'm sorry, it rained so hard today that the horses got frightened. I'm sorry for causing trouble for the two girls."
"Master Tang..." the maid said, "My young lady's clothes are all wet. How can she face people like this?"
Only then did Tang Yichen realize that the master and servant were actually Gong Qianyue and her maid.
He learned from his younger sister that Gong Qianyue and her servant had come to the county town. However, it had been ten days, and he had never met them. He didn't think that this daughter of the prefect had anything to do with him. The so-called friends were just a few exchanges of poems, and they did have some common language in poetry. However, how many scholars couldn't write poetry? If he said they were friends because of this, then his friends might not even be able to accommodate the entire county. He didn't take Gong Qianyue's polite words to heart, and naturally never paid attention to her.
I heard that Miss Gong has been eating at the Food City every day recently, and she orders a lot of food every time. The leftovers go into the mouths of the poor.
"Miss Gong, there's a clothing store just up ahead. How about I take you there to buy you a new set? I'm so sorry to bother you."
"Actually, there's no need to go through so much trouble." Gong Qianyue said softly, "Although it's a little wet, it's not dirty. It will dry out after a bake. It's just that the inn I booked is a bit far from here. If I rush back, I'm afraid..."
"That won't do. My young lady is delicate. If she wears wet clothes for so long, she will easily catch a cold. Is your house not far from here? Why don't we go to your house to warm up? Mr. Tang, is that convenient?" asked the maid.
Tang Yichen said calmly, "It's my fault, and I should be responsible. If you don't mind, please go to my humble abode to dry your clothes."
"I was in a hurry to go out today and didn't arrange a carriage to pick me up..." Gong Qianyue lowered her head.
"Miss Gong, if you don't mind my carriage, you can ride with me." Tang Yichen held an umbrella for Gong Qianyue, watched her get on the carriage, and then let the maid get in.
After the maid got on the carriage, Tang Yichen followed.
The master and servant entered the carriage, and the servant Chen Yu had no choice but to sit outside the carriage with Zhang Zhen. The rain was so heavy that the servant was soaked to the skin in no time.
Zhang Zhen was fine, he was wearing a straw raincoat just to withstand the rain.
The little servant boy was trembling beside him.
After Gong Qianyue entered the carriage, she took off her veil, revealing a pure and otherworldly face.
She looked at Tang Yichen shyly: "Is Mr. Tang going to Beijing to take the exam?"
Tang Yichen said seriously, "From the county to the capital, even if we go fast, it will take two months. If there is any delay along the way, it will be three months. I am indeed preparing to go to the capital. After all, I know nothing about the capital, so it is better to go sooner rather than later."
"Speaking of which, I have to go back to the capital." Gong Qianyue said, "Mr. Tang, you don't know that although my father is an official in a remote place, my grandfather and uncle are both in the capital. They sent a letter asking me to return to the capital as soon as possible. Since we are all going to the capital, why don't I go with you? We can go by water and reach the capital in just over a month at most."
Most people don't like traveling by water because pirates are a hassle. If you encounter pirates, those who can't swim won't even be able to escape. On the other hand, traveling by land at least offers a chance of escape.
However, for the Gong family, they have official ships to pick them up, and no matter how powerful the pirates are, they dare not rob the official ships, so the safety index is still very high.
Tang Yichen knew that following Gong Qianyue into the capital would be much safer. If the Gong family wanted to send Miss Gong back to the capital, they wouldn't just have a few attendants; they'd probably need a whole convoy of escorts. A wealthy family like the Gongs would have taken care of all the food and drink along the way. If he agreed, not only would his safety be saved, but he'd also save on travel expenses.
but……
"Thank you for your kindness, Miss Gong. However, I've already discussed with a few friends that we plan to travel to the capital together, enjoying the scenery and learning about the local customs along the way. If I take Miss Gong's motorcade, I'm afraid I'll miss a lot of the scenery." Tang Yichen finished speaking, raising the curtains and looking outside. "We're here. I'll get off first, Miss, please wait."
The maid curled her lips and lowered her voice to ask, "Miss, is this Mr. Tang a wooden idiot?"
During this period, their young lady had met so many scholars, but so far, there were only two people who had not impressed their young lady: Tang Yichen and Meng Shushen. Their young lady had already made such a gesture of goodwill, but Tang Yichen still didn't understand what she meant.