Dadongshan is located in the northeast of Kyoto. It is a long distance away and spans almost half of the Qingguo territory.
After leaving the city, Zhou Chen mounted his horse and galloped. When the horse was tired and the sky had turned dark, he found the nearest town and found an inn to stay.
Along the way, I was not in a hurry, and my horse was not very fast. I looked around and appreciated the beautiful rivers and mountains as I walked. I also walked with others and drank at the same table.
Five days have passed, and not even half of the journey has been passed.
On this day, the sky has turned dark, and there are no towns around. If you want to go to the town, you have to take a detour, so Zhou Chen doesn't want to bother and plans to rest in the wild for a night.
He was about to find a place when he suddenly found a pavilion on the roadside in front of him. There was a person sitting in the pavilion, so he walked over.
The person in the pavilion was an old man. Zhou Chen took the initiative and said, "Hello, old sir. I've been on my way here and want to take a rest here. Please don't blame me for disturbing you."
The old man who was reading under the moonlight slowly raised his head.
But he saw that the person who came was wearing a dark brocade gown, which was embroidered with complicated cloud patterns. The hem was trimmed with golden silk thread, making him look noble and gorgeous. There was a gold-trimmed ribbon tied around his waist, which showed off his heroic appearance.
To the fullest.
Suddenly, the old man's expression became cautious and he stood up hurriedly.
"Young Master, please do not offend me. This is not my place. You can do whatever you want here."
"Thank you."
Zhou Chen tied the horse, sat down next to the old man, took a look at the books and coarse grain cakes on the table, and the boxes and cages on the ground, and understood.
"Old sir, are you going to Beijing to take the exam?"
"Yes, spring is coming. Because my home is far away from Beijing, I set off a few months in advance. It's better to go sooner rather than later."
Looking at the gray-haired, skinny old man in front of me, his face was as pale as a vegetable, and he was haggard and tired, probably because he was on the road, but when he talked about spring, his cloudy eyes seemed to light up, and his whole person also
It seems like I have energy.
Zhou Chen bowed his hands with respect: "It turns out that the old gentleman is a student attending the Spring Festival. I met him in Zhou Chen."
The old man waved his hands hurriedly: "I don't dare to take it, I don't dare to take it. The young master is so majestic that he must be the best among men. I am still taking the scientific examination at such an old age. I am ashamed, I am ashamed."
"Old man, you don't have to belittle yourself. The right way is to have great ambitions regardless of your age. I admire you very much for your lofty ambitions."
"You are not worthy of it. I have been taking exams for decades in my life. I have failed so many people just to take the exams. How can I still have any ambition?"
The old man looked melancholy, and there were few people he could talk to along the way. Zhou Chen's attitude made him feel respected, so even though it was the first time he met Zhou Chen, he couldn't help but start chatting.
"To be honest, young master, the imperial examination is not easy. I have been taking the examination for more than 20 years and am over fifty. I have long understood that I do not have that destiny. I should have given up long ago, but I am not willing to give in. I am not willing to give up."
"Han Chuang has been studying hard for decades. I have dedicated my whole life to the saints. I know nothing but studying. The scientific examination is my only way out."
Zhou Chen was silent. He had seen many people like this who worked hard all their lives for scientific examinations and could persist for decades without giving up. Unless they were crazy, they would not be uneducated.
He couldn't help but think of the current situation in the Qing Dynasty. With such a scientific examination system, Chunwei was cheating. For an old man like this, who had no background, no connections, and no gold and silver to pave the way, it was really normal for him to fail the exam.
"Old sir, have you ever regretted it?"
"I don't regret it. I learned literature and martial arts and sold them to the emperor's family. The biggest wish of our generation of scholars is to take the high school entrance examination, show our ambitions, and pray for the people. Why should we regret it?"
Zhou Chen was silent again. Times are different, and people's thoughts are also different. The old man's thoughts may not be empathetic to modern people, but this is the characteristic of scholars in this era.
He took out two wine bottles and handed one to the old man.
"Old sir, I respect you, please."
"I can't do it, sir, I can't do it."
"You're welcome, sir. We are destined to meet each other. The old gentleman's words touched me deeply. I must give you a toast."
The old man hesitated for a while, but finally agreed cautiously, picked up the wine bottle and touched it with Zhou Chen.
After drinking, he lost his restraint and laughed heartily.

Chapter completed!