20demayo Chapter 603 Jiang Hao Enters Beijing
Chapter 603 Jiang Hao Enters Beijing
Landlord Jiang returned home early that day and was already waiting in his grandson's yard.
When Jiang Xiaoqi arrived home, Landlord Jiang had already finished a cup of tea in his courtyard.
"Grandfather? Why are you here so early today?"
My grandfather usually practically lives in the Ministry of Revenue, but today it seems like the sun has risen in the west?
"Oh dear, the imperial examinations are almost here, and the Jiang family's children will be arriving in the capital soon. What do you think we should do to arrange things then?"
So that's what it was about. Did Grandfather really need to worry about this?
Jiang Xiaoqi had already instructed Lin Feng to secretly protect the Jiang family members as they entered the capital, not to mention the escort agency they were used to using.
With double insurance, the Jiang family members wouldn't run into trouble on the road, and besides, who would be so foolish as to cause trouble for the scholar-official?
Even the most vicious bandits have brains. They know that scholars wouldn't carry large amounts of money, and they would become the court's most wanted targets. In short, robbing a scholar would have endless consequences.
“Grandfather, don’t worry. I’ve already made the arrangements. If I calculate it now, Jiang Hao and the others will arrive in a couple of days.”
"We'll have Butler Wen and Li Mo go to meet them then. Besides, this isn't Jiang Hao's first time in Beijing; he's leading the team this time, so they shouldn't get lost."
Landlord Jiang was very pleased. His grandson was so thoughtful, he had thought of things before him. "Ah~ I should have known better than to come back so early today."
"Grandfather, don't overwork yourself. Taking a break now and then won't affect your achievements."
My grandfather worked so hard that it made him seem useless.
Nowadays, it seems that only the grandfather has been promoted in the family, which puts a lot of pressure on the younger generation.
"I know, I know. You all have to work hard too, but never be like your father. That's all he amounted to in his life!"
Jiang Wenqing, who was far away in Tongzhou, felt an itch in his nose and wanted to sneeze for some reason.
Could it be that his children miss him? Hmm, I guess so. In a few days, the willows will sprout new buds, and the children should be able to come to Tongzhou for a field trip.
Hehe, luckily I made arrangements in advance, so I won't lose face in front of the younger generation.
When Jiang Hao arrived in Beijing, it was just as the willow trees were sprouting new buds.
Returning to this place where he had once suffered defeat and loss, Jiang Hao felt somewhat dazed.
The imperial examination, which was originally held every three years, was moved up by a single word from the emperor and held a year earlier.
This is a good thing, after all, I have accumulated enough experience in the past two years and have been waiting for this day.
It doesn't matter if it's earlier or later. If I can get to Beijing a year earlier, I'll have wasted less time.
This year's imperial examination was not officially called a special examination, but everyone tacitly accepted that it was.
A year in advance and a month in delay is equivalent to eleven months in advance.
The capital city will be quite lively for a while now, as everyone is rushing to arrive before the imperial examinations, whether to get used to the city, rent a place, or visit relatives and friends. In short, it's better to arrive early than late.
As soon as Jiang Hao entered the city gate, he saw Steward Wen and Li Mo, who had been waiting for a long time.
He knew these two people very well; they were the most trusted confidants of the Chiang family.
"Young Master Jiang Hao, you must be tired from your journey. Please come with us into the city to rest."
Butler Wen is getting older, but he's still just as enthusiastic.
"Butler Wen, Brother Li Mo, we've kept you waiting for a long time!"
"Hahaha, it didn't take long. My master and young master said that you would be arriving in the capital in the next couple of days, so we came here every day to wait for you."
No wonder, otherwise how could they have picked up the person so coincidentally? It turns out they had been waiting for the right person all along. They were really thoughtful.
Jiang Hao was deeply moved and didn't say anything more at the city gate. He simply told the coachman to follow Steward Wen's carriage back to the Jiang family.
Upon returning to the Jiang family, Jiang Hao, along with his disciples, paid their respects to Landlord Jiang and Jiang Xiaoqi.
Although Jiang Xiaoqi is of the same generation, he is currently an official and can no longer act as freely as before.
Jiang Xiaoqi also sensed the change in Jiang Hao. This kid was indeed much more mature and composed than he was two years ago.
Looking at these energetic younger generations, Landlord Jiang couldn't stop smiling. He encouraged them to prepare well for the imperial examinations, bring glory to the Jiang family, and strive to erect more memorial arches for successful candidates in their hometown of Puyang.
Jiang Xiaoqi also took the opportunity to say a few words of encouragement. His words were highly regarded among his peers, and everyone secretly regarded Jiang Xiaoqi as their role model in life and officialdom.
We were all tired from the journey and didn't chat much. Now that we were in Beijing, there was no rush to do anything.
Jiang Xiaoqi had already instructed people to clean up the small courtyard where the Jiang clan members had stayed to prepare for the exams. Everything inside was newly replaced and very well-equipped.
It's still early, so let's have everyone take a hot shower first to wash away the dust of the journey. We can chat, have tea, and enjoy dinner later.
After settling everyone in, Jiang Xiaoqi called Jiang Hao to the study alone.
"Brother Hao, are you absolutely confident about passing the imperial examination this spring?"
Jiang Hao hadn't heard anyone call him "Brother Hao" in a long time. Ming Fei was now an official, so why did he seem no different from before?
"Mingfei, to be honest, I'm 99% sure. The only remaining uncertainty is about my luck."
Jiang Xiaoqi understood; that meant he was very confident. Jiang Hao had indeed been working incredibly hard these past two years; his failure in the exam that year was simply due to bad luck.
"Okay, I understand. These might help you turn 99% into 100%."
Jiang Xiaoqi took out a thin booklet, which was different from the exam preparation booklet he gave to Qiu Feng and the others.
After all, Jiang Hao's situation was different. He had also studied the same exam preparation materials extensively two years ago.
There's really no need to repeat the same actions this year; we just need to refine our skills and create something that stands out.
The Jiang family certainly doesn't lack Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), but they lack a top-ranking Jinshi.
Jiang Xiaoqi initially did not want her family and relatives to get involved in the struggle for the throne, but things are different now.
His Majesty is not the same His Majesty as before, and the Second Prince is not alone in his struggles, after all, the Princess Consort of Xuan Nan will stand behind him with the entire Xuan Nan Prince's Mansion.
It's time for the Jiang family to get involved. No pain, no gain. The same applies to the struggle for succession; effort always pays off.
Offering help in times of need is always better than adding to someone's success; once the second prince ascends the throne, our family will have no chance to show our abilities.
Entering the game now is the perfect timing.
Jiang Hao took the light booklet and, unable to wait until he got back to read it, immediately flipped through a few pages.
"My God, this is!"
"Yes, this is the most important official report from the court in the last two years. It might be useful to you."
What do you mean by "might be useful"? This is incredibly useful!
If it were outside, this booklet would be worth a fortune!
Nowadays, anyone with even a little bit of connections is either pulling strings and running around trying to keep up with current events.
There are only a few channels that can obtain the official gazette, and even those are not necessarily complete. Although Jiang Xiaoqi's booklet is not thick, it concisely records the most important events of the court in the past two years.