After bidding farewell to Ye Zongliu, Shen Yichen's next journey was much more dull, and in order to hurry, he rarely got off the boat to stay at the inn, which can be described as a starry night.

After driving like this for more than 20 days, Shen Yichen came to the boundary of Tongzhou, which is the end of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the gateway to Beijing.

Although it is now in the season of green and yellow, there are still many ships from the south docked at the wharves on both sides of the Tongzhou Canal, which are full of rice and grain, ready to be unloaded here.

Shen Yichen's talent and fame have the advantage of convenient travel, but he does not have the priority of canal passage, so he has to wait in line honestly to go ashore.

"I didn't expect that at this time, there are still so many ships gathered here, if there is an autumn harvest and a dry period in the winter, I dare not imagine what the congestion will be."

Listening to Shen Yichen's emotion, the boatman said with a smile: "Shen Xianggong will be able to see the real grand occasion of Cao Yun when he enters the autumn of this year, plus the scholars who enter Beijing to take the spring exam, there will be a queue similar to a ten-mile promenade on the canal." ”

"Dare to ask the boatman, how long does it take to wait in line?"

"If it's fast, it's an hour, and if it's slow, it's possible in a day, mainly depending on the speed of the inspection of military service at the gate."

Whether it is a transport ship or a pleasure ship from other places, if you want to enter the Beijing Division, you have to go through a military service inspection, which is very similar to the permission to enter Beijing in later generations.

At present, it is not a dry season, the ships are running smoothly, there will be no grounding and other accidents, and the speed of passage will be very fast in theory. But in fact, the so-called military service inspection is more about eating and taking cards, and paying money is refreshing and naturally passing quickly.

If you encounter someone who is not happy to pay the money, and there are no big officials and dignitaries behind you, then drag it out to see who can spend whom.

The boats in line slowly moved forward, and after about two hours, it was finally Shen Yichen's turn to be on the boat.

There were more than a dozen military service members standing at the gate, led by a small officer, and the inspection of military service only simply verified the road guidance of Shen Yichen and others, and without a careful search, he stretched out his hand and said: "The toll fee is twenty wen per person." ”

Hearing this price, the boatman opened his mouth and argued: "Master Jun, wasn't there only ten people a few years ago?" ”

"You know it's been a few years ago, and it's the price now, but it's just waiting for it."

As for the objections of the shipowners, the inspection of military service is not even interested in bargaining, and they are not used to it at all.

As for Shen Yichen's fame, it may have a little effect elsewhere, but in a place like Jingshi, where there are many high-ranking officials like dogs, Xiucai is just like the opinion of later generations, it is really not as good as a dog......

After all, the scholars who enter Beijing to take the exam in the spring every year start by lifting people, and you are a show that rushes to take the autumn exam.

"But Master Jun, this price is too ......"

The boatman originally wanted to argue, but Shen Yichen waved his hand at him, took out a string of copper coins from his baggage, handed it over, and said, "Master Jun, this is the toll for the three of us." ”

Seeing that Shen Yichen was about to pay the money, the expression on the general manager's face looked a lot better, and he nodded and replied: "It's still a scholar who understands the rules, let's go." ”

After speaking, he beckoned his subordinates to let them go.

Through the gate, the bird boat docked at the wharf, which means that the thousands of kilometers of travel have come to an end, and Shen Yichen has officially stepped into the capital of the Ming Dynasty.

"Boatman, thank you for taking care of you all the way, hard work."

After getting off the boat, Shen Yichen first expressed his gratitude to the boatman, he felt tired after a thousand kilometers of sailing, and the fatigue of the boatman can be imagined.

There is also a more important point, that is, when he met the Jingkou Gang in the Zhenjiang section before, the boatman also picked up the oars to cover himself, which was far more than his fare.

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"Shen Xianggong is polite, it is also on you that the little man understands what a real literati is."

"I also hope that Shen Xianggong will be able to Jingshi High School this time, and the people of the world will have a good official in the future."

The boat family is also very emotional, Shen Yichen has not the slightest literati frame this way, and he has always maintained a polite treatment of a rough person like himself, this kind of self-cultivation and bearing have never been seen in others.

If Shen Yichen can take charge of the Ming Dynasty in the future, it may be a good thing for everyone in the world.

"Borrow the boatman's auspicious words, farewell."

"Shen Xianggong walks slowly."

After hugging his fists and waving goodbye to the boatman, Shen Yichen led Ah Niu to the carriage and horse shop.

Because of the Caoyun Wharf in Tongzhou, there is still a long distance from the real "urban area" of Beijing.

There are many cars and horses to go to Jingshi, after all, it is a popular route, after getting in the carriage, Ah Niu asked: "Brother Chen, where are we going to go to Grandpa now?" ”

"I'm not going to go for the time being."

Shen Yichen shook his head, although he and Zhu Yong have father and son, they have no father and son name.

When you come to the Chengguo Mansion in Jingshi, you can't go in and out at will like going back to your own home, and you must follow the process of outsiders visiting, first submit a prayer post, and then get the consent of the porter before entering.

Of course, it is also possible that Cheng Guogong specially instructed that he did not need to go through this process.

But no one can say for sure about this kind of thing, Shen Yichen can't control Zhu Yong's mentality, instead of having a closed door at night, it is better to follow the normal process.

"Then let's find an inn to settle in?"

"Hmm."

Shen Yichen nodded, thought for a while and continued: "Let's go to the Yingtian Hall first. ”

In ancient times, big cities such as Yingtian and Jingshi would have hometown halls to provide a place for scholars and gentry who came from afar.

Compared with ordinary inns, the biggest advantage of the hometown hall is naturally that the language is fluent, the food is appetizing, and you can also get some help and convenience.

Shen Yichen was completely unfamiliar with the Jingshi of the Ming Dynasty, and he didn't know which inn was suitable, so he simply went to the Yingtian Hall of the Jingshi to settle down, avoiding the trouble of choosing.

With the sound of "squeaking and crunching", it took more than an hour to arrive in just a dozen kilometers. Even Shen Yichen, who didn't get much motion sickness in later generations, was dizzy by this carriage, which can only show that the land transportation situation of the Dai Dynasty, even the Jingshi, is not much better.

The carriage stopped in front of Dongzhimen, and Shen Yichen got out of the car and looked at the majestic city wall, and a sense of grandeur rushed towards him.

In later generations, the ancient city wall of Beijing has basically been demolished, and if you want to see a similar outer city wall, you can only feel it in a place like Xi'an.

But at this moment, Shen Yichen was able to witness the city wall of the capital division with his own eyes, which was a special feeling for him.

Entering from Dongzhi Gate, it is officially the inner city "downtown" of Jingshi. Later generations divided Beijing in the Ming and Qing dynasties into four cities, namely the outer city, the inner city, the imperial city, and the Forbidden City.

However, the outer city needs to be expanded until the Jiajing Dynasty of the Ming Dynasty, and the population of Beijing will increase significantly, so the current Beijing City only has three cities: the inner city, the imperial city, and the Forbidden City.

Walking along the main road in Jingshi, it gives people a feeling that is completely different from Yingtian, a water town in the south of the Yangtze River, and has a kind of bleak and murderous atmosphere.

Of course, in addition to climate change, there is also a psychological factor, after all, it is at the feet of the Son of Heaven, the center of power in the Ming Dynasty.

Yingtian Hall is set up in Beicheng District, which is also a prosperous place for merchants and trade, and as the capital of the Ming Dynasty and one of the two capitals, the scale of Yingtian Hall is also very large, and it looks extremely luxurious from the appearance.

Shen Yichen and the others walked into the hall, at this time, because it was not yet the spring exam season, so in the spacious lobby, there were only three or three guests sitting and chatting, which was not very lively.

The shopkeeper stood at the front desk and counted the accounts, and after seeing Shen Yichen come in, he immediately walked out and welcomed: "Two guest officers, are you eating or staying in the hotel?" ”

"Stay in the hotel."

"Okay, I don't know what kind of room the guest officer wants?"

"Just two ordinary single rooms, and help us prepare a meal first."

Shen Yichen originally arrived in Tongzhou in the morning, but he queued up in the canal and added carriage transfer, etc., and did not arrive at Yingtian Hall until nightfall, and his stomach was already rumbling with hunger.

"No problem, I'll help the guest officer prepare."

After finishing speaking, the shopkeeper greeted the shopkeeper and sent the luggage to the room, while Shen Yichen and Ah Niu sat down in the lobby first, waiting for the food to come up.

"By the way, shopkeeper, help us prepare towels and boil hot water."

After sitting down, Shen Yichen added to the shopkeeper that he was tired from the boat and car, so he had to take a hot bath before going to bed.

Hearing Shen Yichen say this, coupled with the shirt on his body, the shopkeeper of the hall said, "This guest officer, is he coming to Beijing to take the exam?" ”

Shen Yichen nodded and said, "Well, sort of." ”

"That guest officer can be called a rainy day, and there is still more than half a year to go to the spring season, so he hurried to Beijing early."

Under normal circumstances, the scholars will try the spring festival in the Beijing Division, and they all set off in the autumn and winter after the end of the autumn season, so the time is just right.

Of course, there are also some scholars who are more stable and will choose to set off a little earlier, after all, the delay in catching up with the exam in the canal often happens, and the candidates have missed the spring festival.

However, it is still relatively rare for a spring departure like Shen Yichen, which is half a year early, so the shopkeeper was a little surprised.

"I'm not rushing to take the spring exam, I'm rushing to take the autumn exam."

Shen Yichen explained with a little embarrassment, he was still a showman and didn't win the move, where did he get the qualifications for the Spring Season, he could only take the township test for the Autumn Season.

"Oh, there is a Jiangnan Gongyuan in Yingtianfu, why do guest officials have to travel thousands of miles to Beijing to catch the exam?"

To be honest, almost everyone who asked Shen Yichen was curious, but he couldn't answer it well, so he could only cover it up and reply: "It's a long story about this matter." ”

How could someone who opened a fellow village hall not have the ability to observe faces and colors, as soon as Shen Yichen said this, the showcase immediately understood that the other party did not want to say it.

So he changed the topic and took the initiative to introduce himself: "I have been in charge of this club for more than ten years, I don't know what to call the guest officer?" ”

After all, the people who can come to Yingtian Hall are all fellow villagers, and they themselves contain the attributes of connections, and it is a sure business to make friends with familiar faces and catch up with the exam.

Who knows if there will be a head of the dynasty in the future?

"The contemptible person's surname is Shen, his name is Yichen, and he hasn't taken the table word yet."

Shen Yichen?

Hearing this name, Shopkeeper Wang only felt a little familiar, and looking at the young appearance of the guest officer in front of him, he suddenly remembered that a merchant had mentioned it recently.

Now the most dazzling literati in Ying Tianfu is Shen Yichen, the head of the Xiao Sanyuan case, could it be the young man in front of him?