After being reborn as a man, the woman improved her family's fortunes through education.

The provincial examination was held in the provincial capital, with the provincial education commissioner serving as the chief examiner.

Many dynasties held their provincial examinations in the prefectural city, but because there were not many places where the literary style flourished in the previous dynasty, the examination halls were not very large.

The previous emperor did not value education, and during the later chaotic period, he allowed military generals to burn many rare ancient books. During his thirty-year reign, he abolished the imperial examinations for twenty-three years.

Most of the officials in the court were appointed through hereditary privilege, and their clans were deeply entrenched, practically rendering the emperor powerless.

Learning from past mistakes, the emperor of this dynasty commissioned the compilation of books and history and the establishment of schools after ascending the throne.

But after only a short period of a dozen years, it was not enough to change the deep-seated problems of the previous dynasty, to the point that the examination halls for the provincial examinations had to be squeezed together by several prefectures.

Many prefectural examination halls could not accommodate all the local students taking the provincial examinations, so those with the title of "student" were grouped together and taken to the provincial examinations.

This indirectly raised the bar for the imperial examinations, since people who didn't have a carriage or couldn't afford to rent one wouldn't participate.

Otherwise, if even the provincial examination hall couldn't accommodate them all, wouldn't the imperial court lose face?

The provincial capital was far away, so the students from various places who were going to take the provincial examinations would set off at the end of May for those who were closer to the capital, and even at the end of April for those who were farther away.

"Taking the exam, taking the exam" means you have to get up early to take the exam.

Arriving in a rush, just before the last minute, there was no time to adjust, rest, or recover from the fatigue and exhaustion of the journey.

Without a good physical condition, how can one cope with answering exam questions in the examination room for several days and nights, and eating, drinking, and relieving oneself in a confined space?

Jiang Xiaoqi, along with his grandfather and father, decided to set off in early May, which was neither too early nor too late.

Xinghe Prefecture is not close to the provincial capital, so it's safer to set off earlier to avoid being delayed by unforeseen events on the way.

The three of them were in good physical condition. Even the oldest, Landlord Jiang, was full of energy under the effect of the Marrow Cleansing Pill.

Jiang Wenqing has also shed his pale and frail appearance. Although he has no time to practice martial arts, his physique still looks more robust.

Jiang Xiaoqi... has grown a little taller, though it's not very noticeable.

The provincial examination will last for three days. During these three days, you will eat and sleep in the examination room. You can bring some food and other necessities, but you still cannot bring quilts or padded clothes.

The blankets were provided by the examination center and are not usually washed often. After this year's use, they were stored away and will not be aired out next time; they will be distributed directly for use.

The process went on and on until the quilts in the examination hall were moldy and filthy. The official in charge of the matter, adhering to the principle of "better to do less than more," didn't bother with it.

After all, doing this won't bring any reward, and doing it less won't bring any punishment, so why make trouble for yourself?

After all, it's something you only use once a year or so. Who would make a big deal out of a blanket?

We just made do and got by~ The blanket became a fixed decoration in the examination room.

Fortunately, most of the college entrance exams were not held during the cold winter months, so the candidates assumed that the blankets in the exam room were just props, and that they would simply pile them up in the corner without daring to use them.

People who weren't sick to begin with will develop health problems from the fumes.

When the Jiang family arrived at the provincial capital, the inns near the examination hall were already packed with people.

I searched several inns not far from the examination hall, but all they had were communal sleeping rooms available.

How could that be? Letting his grandson sleep in a communal room? What a joke! Landlord Jiang was the first to disagree. He reached into his pocket and fumbled for the silver notes hidden in various places on his person.

"Mingfei, let's find a broker and rent a courtyard."

Jiang Xiaoqi thought it was feasible, "Okay, I'll listen to Grandpa!"

Their group was large, consisting of eight servants, six guards, and two martial arts instructors, making a total of sixteen people.

The family consisted of three generations: Wenbin, Wen Lao Er, and the housekeeper, plus Li Mo and his son Li Shan.

Finally, there were the three masters: Landlord Jiang, Jiang Wenqing, and Jiang Xiaoqi, making a total of twenty-four people.

From a distance, they didn't look like people taking the imperial examination; they looked more like a caravan of镖师 (bodyguards/escorts).

After making some inquiries, I finally found a dental clinic that looked quite legitimate. I asked the dentist and learned that all the small courtyards near the examination hall had been booked well in advance.

However, there are none available for rent, but some are for sale, though the prices are sky-high.

Just as the group was hesitating about whether to buy a school district house just for an exam, a familiar voice of Jiang Xiaoqi rang out.

"Mingfei! You've arrived at the provincial capital!"

"Tan Hao, Zhao Hongxuan! You've arrived too!"

"Yes, we just arrived today, but the inn is fully booked. We're planning to rent a small courtyard."

“Hehe, if that’s the case, you don’t need to bother. We just asked the broker, and all the nearby courtyards have been reserved. There aren’t any left.” Jiang Wenqing chimed in from the side.

"What? What are we going to do? Are we really going to have to sleep in a dormitory?" Zhao Hongxuan asked anxiously, sweat beading on his forehead.

"Mingfei, are these the elders who came to see you off to the imperial examination?"

"Oh, look at my memory! This is my grandfather, and this is my father. We've also come to ask about the courtyard."

Jiang Xiaoqi introduced them one by one, without specifically mentioning that the two were also test takers.

Tan Hao's gaze fell on Landlord Jiang and Jiang Wenqing, and he gave a slight bow as a junior.

Zhao Hongxuan didn't care about such things. There weren't many people who would make him bow. These two were probably commoners, so he wouldn't bother to do so.

Tan Hao had a different idea. These two men exuded a scholarly air and were dressed like students of the novice level, so they must also have the status of students of the novice level, and were not entirely commoners.

“Mingfei, it’s fate that we met. We’re neighbors in the prefectural city, and in the provincial capital, where land is even more expensive, why don’t we buy a bigger house together to settle down and prepare for the exam?”

"Actually, that's what I was thinking too, but with so many of us, it might disturb your peace and quiet."

"It's nothing. No matter how many people there are, can they all be as many as Ah Xuan's entourage? He brought everyone from the prefectural city this time. I only brought my page."

Tan Hao and Zhao Hongxuan reported the number of people on their side, and Jiang Xiaoqi also reported the number of people on her side.

“Mr. Jiang, what do you think? Both families are here to take the imperial examination. If we buy a larger courtyard together, we can look after each other when we are away from home and don’t know anyone.”

Landlord Jiang thought it was a good idea; more people meant more safety, and it would also save a lot of money. He nodded and said, "That's excellent."

Yes, elders should maintain their dignity. When out in public, they should be reserved and quiet so as not to be looked down upon.

Landlord Jiang felt that he himself was the only one who could keep things in check! Just look at his son's reaction after seeing that luxurious carriage—it was simply unbearable to watch!

After discussing it, the group returned to the brokerage firm they had just visited and chose a three-courtyard house that was closest to the examination hall.

Jiang Xiaoqi's group was smaller, so he led his people to live in the backyard, while Tan Zhao's group was twice as large, so they occupied the front yard and the second courtyard, which were adjacent to each other.

Of course, Jiang Xiaoqi contributed one-third of the silver, and Zhao Hongxuan contributed two-thirds.

Jiang Xiaoqi didn't bring a cook, so Zhao Hongxuan generously suggested sharing his cook. The five of them could eat together, which would only require adding three pairs of chopsticks.

The three agreed, but still insisted on paying for their own meals, not wanting to take advantage of others.

Zhao Hongxuan didn't care about that, but he did change his opinion of Jiang Xiaoqi's elders.

Although Mr. Jiang had been staring intently at his own carriage, it was probably just curiosity, not greed. I had misunderstood him.

It wouldn't be appropriate to put either name on the property deed, and there was no precedent for a property deed to have two names on it at that time.

After some back and forth, the name of the person who offered more money was written down. However, Zhao Hongxuan pawned one of his jade pendants to Jiang Xiaoqi.

This jade pendant is actually worth more than a third of the house price. As for why they would buy it together if they have the money, you'd have to ask Tan Hao, who initially proposed the idea.