"The inn is called Qunying Building, and it’s the place where all the scholars coming for the examination want to stay," Xiao Sanzi said with a touch of pride, feeling a sense of honor.
"Oh? Does the inn have anything special?" Gu Chengyu’s interest was piqued upon hearing this, and he asked curiously.
"Inside, it’s about making friends through literature. If you can answer the question posed by the innkeeper, you get half off. As for what the question is, I don’t know! You gentlen are aware I can’t read, and besides, I can’t enter the inn. I don’t know the situation inside," Xiao Sanzi said, scratching the back of his head, a bit embarrassed.
"Let take you there! The Qunying Building is a little further in, closest to the examination hall," Xiao Sanzi said while walking forward, motioning for Gu Chengyu and the others to follow.
Gu Chengyu and his companions discussed and thought it would be good to take a look. After all, it’s closer to the examination hall, and if they could answer the innkeeper’s question, they might pay less for the room. They just weren’t sure about the room rates at Qunying Building; if they were too expensive, they’d find another place.
They followed Xiao Sanzi for about half a stick of incense’s ti before reaching their destination.
Gu Chengyu looked up, observing the inn. It was indeed large in scale, with definitely many rooms inside, lavishly decorated. As the first in the Capital, it should be even more luxurious inside.
However, at this mont, the inn’s entrance was crowded with people. Gu Chengyu glanced at their attire and found they were likely all students coming for the examination.
"Gentlen! We’ve reached the inn; I’m heading back now. My father is still ill, and I’m worried," Xiao Sanzi said, seeing them arrive. He wasn’t sure how his father was doing, so he had to rush back.
Originally, he had co out late today and hadn’t earned a single penny. He could only head back first.
"Hold on!" Gu Chengyu stopped Xiao Sanzi, taking out a five-tael silver ingot from his pocket, "Take it!"
Xiao Sanzi was taken aback, then looked at Gu Chengyu. Seeing Gu Chengyu smiling at him, he wanted to take it but ultimately withdrew his hand.
"Take it! I’ll hire you for a few more days. I plan to wander around the Capital these two days. Don’t guide anyone else these two days," Gu Chengyu thought about his plan, feeling that having Xiao Sanzi as a guide was good. He could help Ming Mo and the others find a shop. The silver solved Xiao Sanzi’s imdiate problem, a win-win situation.
"Alright! But I don’t need that much!" Xiao Sanzi only earned around sixteen wen a day, and that was on good days. Besides, not every day was a business day, and five taels of silver was indeed too much. However, he didn’t pretend; his father indeed needed money, and he would repay it by doing more.
Gu Chengyu inferred from Old Jue’s words that it should be a bone fracture, which didn’t cost much to fix. Yet, a fever was another matter, especially since it had been delayed for many days.
He gave the five-tael silver not out of pity, but because he was moved by Xiao Sanzi’s resilience and diligent spirit. Although deceiving at the docks was wrong, who hasn’t made a mistake at so point?
"Chengyu, you’re too kind-hearted. How do you know he’s telling the truth? Why did you give him five taels of silver?" Sun Xian hurried to stop Gu Chengyu, worried that being young, he might easily be deceived. Just arriving in an unfamiliar place, getting conned would leave them without recourse.
"It’s alright!" Gu Chengyu trusted his judgnt. He hadn’t ntioned giving silver before, yet Xiao Sanzi had still co, so the five taels of silver were his way of testing Xiao Sanzi’s character.
Seeing Gu Chengyu hand the silver again, Sun Xian could only stop advising. Such experiences are lessons learned the hard way.
"I owe it to you, sir. I’ll be back early in the morning, waiting for you at the entrance," Xiao Sanzi was moved that Gu Chengyu trusted him, promising to return the next day. However, he couldn’t enter the inn, only wait at the door.
He was excited at this mont, as his father’s dicine expenses were covered. He looked around, seeing no one paying attention, quickly pocketed the silver.
Gu Chengyu nodded, and Xiao Sanzi took the silver before swiftly turning to leave.
After Xiao Sanzi left, Gu Chengyu and his companions focused back on the inn.
"Hey? Did that gentleman in front really solve that couplet? That couplet was quite challenging!" a scholar asked the one ahead of them.
"Didn’t you see him go inside? He got a room and only has to pay half for it! I’ll squeeze in a bit more and see if I can match it," the student ahead excitedly squeezed forward, eager to try.
"That couplet’s too hard. I think I’ll check out the others!" another scholar, shaking his head, moved to the other side of the inn.
Gu Chengyu observed carefully, noting that the candidates were divided into three groups, corresponding to upper, middle, and lower rooms, each with different questions.
"Huh? There’s a set of rules here." Just then, a student moved aside, revealing a wooden board on the outside wall displaying the rules.
"Let’s go take a look!" Sun Xian grew interested, as literati liked to test knowledge against each other, essentially a contest of skill.
Gu Chengyu stepped forward to have a look, finding it largely as he expected, with more detail in the description. At the low tiers, answering one question grants half off, answering two grants a free stay; the middle tier follows similarly but ntions first co, first served, with ten rooms each for low and middle levels till answers suffice. Gu Chengyu thought the questions must be hard, or they wouldn’t be this confident; if easy, the twenty rooms would have been booked quickly.
Would rchants do unprofitable business? Certainly not, such things are gimmicks. They earn money and gain reputation.
The final rule was harsher. There were ten upper-tier rooms, only one available per day. Answering the question leads to a first-place selection on the day, granting a room, and this question is definitely harder.
Yet how to know who’s first? This was interesting. The inn invited two great scholars to preside, and they would judge who’s first.
One great scholar was the Mountain Master of the renowned Boshan Academy in the Capital, the other the Assistant Lecturer Mr. Fang from Hanlin Academy, a standard fifth-rank official.
Rankings got announced late afternoon, picking the first place to exempt completely from room charges. Gu Chengyu found they arrived just in ti, today being the first day. But he doubted the possibility of solving the question!
"Chengyu! Look, more people are on the right side. It seems easier; let’s go check it out," Ye Zhiqiu eagerly suggested. The classical way of making friends through literature was enticing for all scholars.
Gu Chengyu followed Ye Zhiqiu into the right-side crowd, but being young, he was shorter than those ahead, unable to see the posted questions. Standing back, he could only see half of the question.
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