The merchant's rebirth led to the complete downfall of the Marquis's mansion.

For several days in a row, Jiang Su was in high spirits.

He now felt as if he had returned to the time when he ascended to a high position in his memory.

The people around him looked at him with admiration and fawning.

He is increasingly enjoying his current life.

It was just a hardship for the soldiers on the river.

The money I applied for from the dean is almost gone.

He tried to tell the young master in a tactful way, but was scolded and told to continue looking for Qin Yao.

In Jiang Su's view, Qin Yao was like a gold mine, inexhaustible and boundless.

Little did he know that this mountain of gold and silver no longer belonged to him.

Jiang Zu racked his brains for a solution.

He can't really go and ask for money, can he? Given the Qin family's attitude, they'd probably beat him up and throw him out, wouldn't they?

I thought about it all night but couldn't come up with a solution.

The next day, Jiang Zu took the last of his silver coins and went out, walking dejectedly down the street.

The Qin family gave us enough silver for a month's expenses, and only five days have passed, yet the silver is already gone.

Today is bearable, but what about tomorrow?

After buying his things, Jiang Zu did not take the oxcart this time, but walked back.

Of course, it would take longer, but he couldn't care less; he was out of money.

As Jiang Zu was climbing the slope, he heard the sound of a carriage approaching from behind.

He hurriedly moved aside, but the carriage stopped right next to him.

Just as I was wondering, the carriage curtain was lifted, revealing a handsome and refined face.

"Excuse me, young man, how long is it from here to Kangshan Academy?"

Jiang Zu looked at this man who was about the same age as himself, but exuded an air of nobility.

For a moment, I forgot to respond.

"Young man?" the man asked, puzzled.

Jiang Zu then came to his senses and looked away.

He responded with his head down.

"It's not far; it only takes a quarter of an hour for the carriage to get there."

The man glanced at the path leading up the mountain, then looked at Jiang Zu.

Asked casually:

"Are you going up the mountain too, buddy?"

Jiang Zu nodded, but still didn't dare to look up.

The man glanced at him, nodded to the driver, and then the driver invited him:

"Come on! Young man, get in the car, we'll take you up."

Jiang Zu then looked up in surprise.

The driver, a middle-aged man, laughed heartily. Seeing the incredulous look in his eyes, he explained:

“My young master has agreed, come on up! It’s a bit of a walk up here! I heard the academy has meal times, by the time you get up there you might have missed it.”

Jiang Zu knew this situation all too well; he was simply out of money.

It's better to go hungry for two meals than to be punished or scolded by the young master.

Touching his trembling legs, Jiang Zu decided to accept the offer.

We've already started down the mountain and covered most of the way back, so it's good to be able to rest for a bit.

"Then thank you, young master, and thank you, uncle."

Jiang Zu sat next to the uncle, who cracked his whip, and the carriage sped forward.

The carriage moved quickly, arriving at the academy gate in less than a quarter of an hour.

Jiang Zu was about to take his leave when the young master in the carriage stopped him.

"Young man, we're new here and don't know anything about the academy. Could you show us the way and tell us about it?"

The man's expression was sincere, and he was very polite to Jiang Zu. This was the first time Jiang Zu had felt respected, and he agreed without hesitation.

Jiang Zu led them to the dean's courtyard, recounting everything he knew in detail along the way.

Whether it was just his imagination or not, Jiang Zu noticed that he was very interested in his young master's affairs.

Whenever his son was mentioned, he would ask a question or two.

Although it's not much, it doesn't apply to others.

On the way back, Jiang Zu pondered for a while, but was still captivated by the young master's gentle and refined demeanor and noble air.

I think I was just overthinking it.

When he returned to his residence, Jiang Su was not there.

Jiang Zu should be out of school and going to eat by now, so he put down what he bought and went to the canteen as well.

The place he went to was separate from where the students ate, so he wasn't worried about running into his young master.

Unexpectedly, he ran into the uncle who had just been driving the carriage.

The older man also saw him and warmly joined him for a meal.

Jiang Zu was infected by his enthusiasm and started smiling more.

After eating, the two walked back together.

The report showed several students discussing academic topics together, with other people watching nearby.

Jiang Zu and the uncle also stopped.

Jiang Zu immediately spotted the person in the middle; it was his young master.

"Brother Jiang Su, your scholarship is truly remarkable; I admire you!"

"Yes, yes, yes, I'm afraid only Brother Jiang is qualified to win first place in this year's autumn imperial examination!"

"Brother Jiang is extraordinary!"

……

The constant stream of compliments made Jiang Su, who was in the center, very pleased.

He looked down on these people, but he had no other choice but to rely on them to make a name for himself so that his success in the imperial examinations wouldn't be so abrupt.

Before Jiang Su could even be modest, a different voice came from the other side.

"I wonder... if the Dean could introduce such a capable person to Jinghong?"

"Haha, come, come, it's a good opportunity for you to make friends through literature and exchange ideas."

Everyone looked over and saw the dean stride away, followed by a man in a blue brocade robe with gold trim.

Jiang Su thought for a moment and confirmed that he had never seen this person before. He immediately relaxed and thought to himself, "He's just another ordinary person."

"Come, let me introduce you," the dean said, stroking his beard.

"This is Jiang Su, the top student in our academy, a rare talent whom all the teachers praise."

Jiang Su nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

The dean nodded and continued his introduction.

"This is a student who has just arrived at the academy. He comes from Liangzhou Academy and his name is Yang Jinghong!"

Yang Jinghong quickly returned the greeting.

Brother Jiang!

He then clasped his hands in greeting to the students beside him, saying, "We will all be classmates from now on, and I hope you will all take good care of me."

Yang Jinghong suddenly turned his head and looked at Jiang Su.

"Is Brother Jiang's name a single character, Su?"

"Yes!" Jiang Su replied, though he was puzzled.

“That’s strange!” Yang Jinghong frowned as he looked at him.

"Brother Yang, what makes you say that?" Jiang Su asked.

Yang Jinghong hesitated for a moment, then looked at the dean and said:

"I heard that the heir of the Marquis of Jinglin's mansion also has this name! It's probably just a coincidence! Even if the heir has been stripped of his title, it shouldn't be like this, it shouldn't be like this..."

Upon hearing this, the crowd immediately became excited.

"Brother Yang, are you referring to the one who broke off the engagement with the Qin family and married a disgraced concubine's daughter from the Xia family?"

"That's right! Who in Kyoto doesn't know?"

"Isn't that like losing the watermelon to pick up a sesame seed? This former prince is really confused."

"That's right. The Qin family is so prestigious. Their ancestors were imperial merchants. They have more money than they can spend. Isn't that better than that illegitimate daughter?"

……

The discussion continued.

The dean's face had darkened.

He remembered that it was Vice Minister Xia who introduced Jiang Su!

Moreover, he had just shown the list of sponsors to Yang Jinghong, who was puzzled by the name Jiang Su.

He hadn't thought much about it at the time, but now that it's been pointed out directly, he can't help but think about it.

A former nobleman's son! Now the son-in-law of Vice Minister Xia, would he be short of money and need financial assistance from a poor scholar?

Thinking of this, the dean suppressed his anger and said to Jiang Su:

"Jiang Su! You're coming with me!"