The daily life of a peasant girl taking the imperial examination

Zhuge Yunshu gave a call, and Wang Fuzi, Zhuge Yunchu, Zhuge Yunchun, Zhuge Yunren, Wang Yi, and Zhang Hao quickly got out of the carriage behind.

Master Wang said, “Yun Shu, although your plan is to lure the turtle into the urn, you have put yourself in a dangerous situation, which is too risky. These are all vicious criminals who have killed people and seen blood. You must never do such a thing again.”

Heaven knows how nervous he was sitting in the carriage. He wouldn't have agreed to such an unreasonable request if his young disciple hadn't sworn to ensure his safety.

How can a teacher like him stand behind and let his disciples charge into battle?

Upon seeing this, Zhuge Yunshu chuckled.

"Master, isn't it true that money can be a powerful motivator, especially for such a bandit? So I used a little trick to kill two birds with one stone... However, I will follow your teachings and make thorough preparations next time."

However, Zhuge Yun Chu, Wang Yi, and Zhang Hao looked at her with admiration. In the end, Zhuge Yun Chu's worry prevailed, and she said:

"Yun Shu, although these four bandits are drugged by your medicine, should we tie their hands and feet for safety...?"

Hearing Zhuge Yunchu's words, Zhuge Yunshu gave an awkward smile.

She did want to get into the carriage and tie up the four bandits, but unfortunately, her skills weren't up to par; the incense would take the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before it would have no effect on them.

There's nothing we can do but wait.

After an incense stick had burned, Zhuge Yunshu and the others entered the carriage and used the spare rope in the carriage to tie the four of them together. To prevent them from making noise after waking up, Wang Yi even took a rag used to wipe the carriage and stuffed it into the mouths of the four of them.

After they finished doing all that, the three officers who had left earlier rode their horses and galloped quickly toward them.

Zhuge Yunshu saw that each of the three officers' horses had a bandit who was tightly bound, and there was also a woman who had been carried on a stretcher earlier.

Since they were all going the same way, Master Wang waved his hand and helped the three constables to escort the seven prisoners to the Luoyun County government office.

Inside the carriage, Wang Yi looked at Zhuge Yunshu, holding back for a long time, but finally couldn't help but speak:

"Yun Shu, there's something I don't understand. How did you discover that these seven prisoners had problems?"

It's no wonder she had such doubts, since all seven prisoners had simply disguised themselves and looked like drab, unassuming farm men.

As soon as Wang Yi finished speaking, Zhang Hao continued, "Yes, yes, I'm curious too."

Although Zhuge Yun Chu and Zhuge Yun Ren did not speak, their eyes clearly showed a strong thirst for knowledge.

Upon seeing this, Master Wang coughed once and then said:

"Since everyone wants to know the reason, Yun Shu, you should tell them so they can learn from you."

Looking at the expectant eyes in the carriage, Zhuge Yunshu took a sip of tea to clear his throat before speaking:

"Did you notice that the woman being carried on the bed was lying on her side? Tell me, would someone who is very ill and has been given a death sentence by the doctor lie like that?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the five people inside the carriage shook their heads in unison. Seeing this, Zhuge Yunshu continued:

"This is the first point of suspicion. The second point of suspicion is that the woman lying on the stretcher, although covered by a large floral quilt, was wearing a phoenix hairpin in her hair... How could a daughter-in-law who is not favored by her husband's family have such a precious headdress as a phoenix hairpin?"

Zhang Hao asked, puzzled, "Could it be part of the bride's dowry?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he received disdainful looks from the other five people in the carriage.

Seeing this, Zhang Hao scratched his head, and finally Zhuge Yunren couldn't stand it anymore and explained:

"Farmers simply can't afford phoenix hairpins, and even if they could, they wouldn't be willing to waste their money like that..."

Upon hearing this explanation, Zhang Hao couldn't help but give an awkward smile.

Zhuge Yunshu had no time to consider Zhang Hao's feelings at that moment; she continued:

"Finally, I noticed that the farmers on either side of the stretcher would occasionally tuck the blanket around the little sister on it. Although this was just a normal reaction from a brother who cared for his sister, their eyes betrayed them. In short, to me, this behavior wasn't concern at all, but rather as if they were afraid something might leak out from under the blanket..."

Furthermore, I noticed that they changed the stretcher twice along the way. Think about it, no matter how heavy a seriously ill and frail woman is, it shouldn't be enough to tire two strong men into taking turns carrying her. What does that mean...?

"The stretcher is very heavy."

"There must be many valuable items hidden up there."

Zhang Hao and Wang Yi answered first.

"Yes."

Upon seeing this, Master Wang laughed loudly and addressed Zhuge Yun Chu, Wang Yi, and Zhang Hao:

"Actually, this case is not complicated. As long as you pay more attention to small details, you will soon be able to find clues... You should learn this from Yun Shu."

"Your disciples will humbly follow your teachings!" the three said in unison.

......

An hour later, Zhuge Yunshu and his companions helped the three constables successfully deliver the seven prisoners to the Luoyun County government office, and even took the time to record their statements.

Originally, the magistrate of Luoyun County wanted to invite the seven of them to a small gathering at the county government office, which was actually just to thank them and invite them to his home for a meal.

In general, when such social obligations arise, it is the eldest Master Wang who steps in to resolve them.

"My lord, there's no need for you to be so polite. It is the duty of all the people of Great Xia to eliminate evil and promote good... Moreover, we have to rush to the Han Music Bureau to participate in the provincial examination. Time is of the essence, so we won't bother you any longer."

Upon seeing this, the magistrate of Luoyun County did not try to persuade him to stay, after all, this case of murder for money was heinous, and there were still many follow-up matters waiting for him to handle.

......

On June 10th, Zhuge Yunshu and his seven companions successfully arrived at the Han Music Bureau.

Although the encounter with robbers on the first half of the journey was rather unlucky, no accidents occurred in the following two days, so they managed to reach their destination on time as planned, despite their hurried pace.

In fact, among all the prefectural cities in Linchuan Commandery, Han Yuefu was the most unique. Due to its special geographical location and scale, it could be compared with Pingyang Prefecture, the capital of Pingchuan Commandery, and even had a larger jurisdiction.

As soon as they stepped off the carriage, they were awestruck by the magnificent city walls before them.

The surface of the city wall is ancient and simple, as if it has stood there since ancient times. The blue bricks on the twelve-zhang (more than 40 meters) high city wall are covered with moss, which represents the traces of the passage of time and is the best proof of the vicissitudes of the Han Dynasty.

Standing beneath the city wall, Zhuge Yunshu's expression was solemn. She felt so small, as insignificant as a speck of dust.

"What are you daydreaming about?" Wang Yi turned her head and waved her hand in front of Zhuge Yunshu's eyes.

Upon seeing this, Zhuge Yunshu finally came to her senses. She didn't say much, but simply smiled and followed Wang Yi and the others.

The Han Dynasty Music Bureau enforced a curfew, and the city gates were generally open from 4 a.m. to around 8 p.m.

So, as evening approached, two long queues formed outside the city gate.

The reason for splitting into two teams is that there is an unwritten rule in the Great Xia Kingdom that the officials at the city gate may conduct different checks depending on the person's status.

Generally speaking, nobles, officials, scholars with academic titles (such as Xiucai and Tongsheng) and soldiers often had different ways of passing through the city gates than ordinary people. The officials at the city gates were relatively more lenient in searching these types of people.

However, no matter how lenient the restrictions were, the queue still moved very slowly.

Zhuge Yunshu looked up and saw that their group consisted mostly of scholars who were participating in the provincial examination.

Most of them traveled by horse-drawn carriage, with at least four or five people in each carriage.

There's a reason why things are slow.

With nothing to do, Zhuge Yunshu looked around and surprisingly spotted several familiar faces.

Qin Shuangyu, Qian Wenxing, Wu Mochi, and Xiao An greeted her warmly in her direction.

It's just that the way we express our enthusiasm is different.

Qian Wenxing grinned widely and waved his hand several times. Qin Shuangyu, Wu Mochi, and Xiao Yu, on the other hand, were relatively more reserved. For them, a smile and a nod to someone they knew was already considered very enthusiastic.

Suddenly, Zhuge Yunshu noticed a very unfriendly gaze.

When she looked over, she saw a tall, thin scholar, a short, thin scholar, and a plump, fair-skinned scholar meeting her gaze.

That's right, it's these three.

Zhuge Yunshu looked at the three unfamiliar people and couldn't understand why they were so hostile towards her.

Could it be that these three people had offended her in the past, and therefore she beat them up...?

Following this line of thought, Zhuge Yunshu recalled her past experiences. There was no other way; she really didn't want to have three more enemies for no apparent reason.

Suddenly, a fragment appeared in Zhuge Yunshu's mind.

When Linxi County held cultural and academic conferences in various towns...

Thinking of this, Zhuge Yunshu suddenly realized that this was the trio from Yunze Town's school.

He's tall, short, fat, and thin—he's got it all.

very unique.

It is said that the tall, thin guy in the trio has a special background.

His surname is Qin, and his uncle is a high-ranking official of the third rank in the capital, the kind with real power.

Generally speaking, Zhuge Yunshu's approach to enemies who inexplicably dislike her is to avoid provoking them if possible, but if she is provoked, she will definitely retaliate immediately.

Thinking this, Zhuge Yunshu gave the three a sweet smile, but in her heart she was thinking: Are these three here to participate in the academy examination? Impossible, given their level... Indeed, one cannot be too one-sided in judging a person.

The three students from Yunze Town at the back of the line had no idea what doubts Zhuge Yunshu harbored about their chances of passing the prefectural examination. Suddenly, the three were momentarily stunned by Zhuge Yunshu's smile, but the plump scholar was the first to react, angrily addressing the two beside him:

"Junior Brother Qin, Junior Brother Wu, look at her, how dare she laugh at us?"

Qin Zuliang: "......."

Wu Shi: "..."

Although they both hold grudges and therefore dislike Zhuge Yunshu, they are not blind, are they?

Seeing that the two of them didn't respond to him, Ding Baize assumed they were thinking about how to cause trouble for Zhuge Yunshu after entering the prefectural city. So, thinking himself quite perceptive, he spoke up:

"That brat Zhuge Yunshu is too arrogant. My two junior brothers, how about we go over and humiliate her? What do you think of this idea?"

After saying that, he looked at Qin Zuliang and Wu Shi with a smug expression, his meaning was self-evident, and he had a look of wanting to praise them.

This greasy behavior made Qin Zuliang and Wu Shi feel nauseous.

That's disgusting!

Seeing this, Wu Shi had no choice but to warn, "Ding, you better behave yourself these next few days of the academy exam, and don't cause any unnecessary trouble for me and Qin!"

Qin Zuliang echoed Wu Shi's words, blurting out two words: "Idiot!"

If it weren't for certain reasons, they would have kicked this person out of their trio long ago.

Sigh... they were really helpless with this terrible teammate.

......

Half an hour later, Zhuge Yunshu and his group finally arrived at the city gate.

Then, Master Wang took out his official travel permit from his bosom, which can be understood as a modern ID card, temporary residence permit, and travel pass.

As usual, the officers conducted a thorough inspection and quickly let them in.

The streets of Han Yuefu stretched east and west, extending all the way to the quieter suburbs outside the city gates. Even so, the streets were always bustling with pedestrians. Zhuge Yunshu and his companions saw that among these people were those carrying loads on their shoulders, those driving oxcarts to deliver goods, those riding in horse-drawn carriages, and even a few young couples stopping to admire the beautiful scenery of the city.

Even the taverns, teahouses, pawnshops, and workshops lining the streets were bustling with people.

Exhausted from their journey, Zhuge Yunshu and the others had no interest in leisurely strolling around. So they followed Zhang Hao's coachman to a small two-courtyard house that was relatively close to the upcoming provincial examination.

Zhang Hao's mother, Zhang Shulan, had sent someone to Hanyuefu a month before the imperial examination to rent this quiet little courtyard.

Master Wang lived in the main courtyard. Zhuge Yunshu, Zhuge Yunchu, Zhuge Yunchun, and Wang Yi were arranged in the west wing because there were too many people. Zhang Hao, Zhuge Yunren, and Zhuge Yunjin, who had arrived in the prefectural city earlier, lived in the east wing.

Originally, Zhuge Yunchun and Zhuge Yunren, burdened with a heavy responsibility, intended to thoroughly clean the small courtyard. However, after looking around, they found themselves with no use for their skills. Not only was the courtyard spotless, but even their own rooms were impeccably clean and tidy, with the bedding looking as if it had just been aired out in the sun a couple of days ago.

It has to be said that Zhang Hao's mother, Zhang Shulan, is truly meticulous and has considered every possible situation.