On the same day, after the Li family settled down temporarily, they couldn't care about the detailed arrangements and stayed for one night. The next morning, I went to go through the house transfer procedures, and in the afternoon, I began to prepare gifts to get married.

According to the etiquette system, there should be six ceremonies for men and women to get married, but the people of the Song Dynasty thought it was cumbersome, so they gradually simplified. Later, the authorities also believed that there was a need to reform marriage customs, for example, Sima Guang wrote a book specifically for this as a theoretical basis.

Therefore, in the middle and late Northern Song Dynasty, both official and non-governmental, men and women passed the three rites when they got married. That is, Nacai, Na Yuan, and Qin Ying, and the corresponding gifts are fixed gifts, dowry gifts, and bride prices. This set of etiquette has been inherited until the time of Li Ang's previous life, and many fourth- and fifth-tier cities and villages were still intact.

Although Kang Yunzhi explained to Li Bai and his wife through He Guan that everything was simple, as long as he had a meaning, there was no need to be extravagant. But Li Bai still insisted on his own thoughts: Yu Gong, you are a serious jinshi and a local magistrate, and I am just an idle petty official from a special background. But as sons and daughters, we are equal, and we can't let you look down on you.

Therefore, he and Meng made a special trip to Lingyin Temple to buy sixteen boxes of "Xianglin Tea", which was famous in Jianghuai at that time, as well as a number of fresh fruits, dried fruits, and candied fruits with beautiful meanings, and then attached a gift money, and invited a matchmaker to send it to Zhizhou Yamen with dignity.

Kang Yunzhi gladly accepted, and in the name of sponsoring his son-in-law to go to Yangzhou for the palace examination, he returned the gift money.

At this point, the marriage contract between Li Ang and Kang Xiyue is officially concluded, and unless the West Lake is dry and the Yellow Concubine Pagoda falls, there will be no remorse.

After the marriage, there is nothing more important than going to the exam. The Li family packed up their bags, and the Kang family sent a vehicle to send Li Ang to Yangzhou early in the morning of the third day of August.

It is said that the mother-in-law loves her son-in-law, and she is an old hen, but Kang Xiyue's mother is far away in her hometown of Wuchang, Ezhou, so Kang Yunzhi, the old father-in-law, can only do it for her.

He was afraid that his son-in-law would have no one to take care of him, and now his identity was different, so he sent him a clever little girl he bought after arriving in Hangzhou. However, although Li Ang had traveled for more than two years, he still had no habit of being served, so he politely refused his kindness and went to Yangzhou alone.

Before leaving, Kang Xiyue begged her father to send it in person, but Kang Yunzhi considered that although the Li family was not rich, she was quite particular about everything, so she refused ruthlessly in order to prevent her in-laws from looking down on her.

At this end, Li Ang went all the way north, crossed the river from Guazhou when he arrived at the Yangtze River, and finally arrived at the capital of the Great Song Dynasty on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Yangzhou, known as the "famous capital of Huaizuo" in the Song Dynasty, and people with a little knowledge of history know that as early as the Sui Dynasty, Yangzhou was already a well-known big city. After the death of the Sui, the prosperity of Yangzhou did not decline because of it, from the Tang Dynasty to the Song Dynasty, Yangzhou has always been the leader of the two Huai.

But now that he has seen it with his own eyes, Li Ang feels that the current Yangzhou is more of a military fortress than a metropolis.

Outside the city, there are camps all over the field, and even the post road can be seen galloping military horses at any time. When they entered the city, the first thing they saw was not the comfortable and prosperous inhabitants, but the heavily armed soldiers.

On the way to find accommodation, he was stopped five or six times because he was carrying his suit. But fortunately, as long as he shows his identity as a "Jinshi to be strategized", whether he is an official or a soldier, he is polite and enthusiastically guides him.

However, this is not useful, the official family is stationed in Yangzhou, and the number of civil and military officials and their families who come with them is quite large, and it is still increasing. In addition, the people of the Central Plains of Lianghe, who have the conditions to move south, have already occupied all the places that can be occupied in the city.

In order to cope with this palace test, the Yangzhou government sent people to clear a few inns, and also vacated some rooms in the hall for the Zhengsheng famous scholars to stay.

Li Ang's family kept running around, and the answer they got was full without exception. Moreover, it is said that there is no one named Xue Huiyan who stays.

Thinking about it, there are more than 500 people in this test, plus their entourage, it is a lot of pressure on the already overcrowded Yangzhou City.

Seeing that the sun is setting in the west, and there are fewer and fewer pedestrians on the streets, there is no longer a place to live, so I can only sleep on the streets. Although there is a letter written by the old man to his old friend in the baggage, it is better not to cause trouble to others until it is absolutely necessary.

After thinking about it, Li Ang decided to try his luck at the temple and Taoist temple. Because these places are generally larger, and they are leisurely and quiet, and outsiders are willing to be convenient with others.

As soon as I wanted to ask for directions, I saw a young man with a burden on his back and a hitch on his arm rushing to the inn. Seeing that he might also be a jinshi who came to participate in the palace examination, Li Ang reminded: "This room is full. ”

When the young man heard this, he stopped, glanced in, and really didn't go in to look at it, looked at Li Ang a few times, and waved his hand: "Isn't this official also here to respond?" ”

"Exactly, Shouchun Li Ang, the cursive word Xunchen."

"Fortunately, Jizhou Hu Quan, the cursive word Bangheng."

After reporting his name and everyone was in the same year, Li Ang told him his plan and invited him to go with him. Hu Quan is also a cool person, so he followed without saying a word.

On the way, Hu Quan suggested: "Brother Li, I have heard that there is a Daming Temple in Yangzhou, Ouyang Wenzhong served here in the past, and built a 'Pingshan Hall' in the temple, why not try it?" ”

Li Ang shook his head and said: "Brother Hu is from Jizhou, and he still knows the Pingshan Hall of Daming Temple, let alone others?" In my opinion, the only way to find that small temple is to give more money to see if I can take you in. ”

Hu Quan didn't think so, so he had to try. Li Ang also let him, the two asked all the way, to the Daming Temple to see, sure enough, it is worthy of nearly 700 years of famous temple, the mountain gate is majestic, the momentum is extraordinary. But there is no need to go in at all, people put up a notice on the outer wall, saying that recently, because of the monks of the Taoist Dynasty, the monks in the temple have even vacated the meditation room, and there is no empty room.

Hu Quan smiled bitterly and apologized: "I regret not listening to Brother Li's good words, and I ran for nothing." ”

Li Anghun didn't care, and quipped: "It's okay, no matter how bad it is, there is still a military camp outside the city." ”

"You and I are also provincial scholars, how can we live with those soldiers who are in the army? Brother Li is joking, right? Hu Quan immediately exploded.

Seeing that he looked serious, Li Ang knew that this was a difference in concept and cognition, and it was useless to say it, so he made a haha and passed it perfunctorily.

I searched all the way, and finally found a small ruined temple in the northeast of the city when it was dark. There are no monks, no Taoist priests, only a dazzling old temple wish.

Hu Quan spent a long time, but he couldn't say clearly. In the end, it was Li Ang who made a comparison, and finally made Miao Zhu understand what they meant. Then he led the two of them to a room in the east corridor with an oil lamp, and took the key to open the door tremblingly, and when the door opened, Hu Quan and Li Ang swore that they saw something fly out of it......