The four businessmen behind Zhao Mengqi chatted a few words and then checked out and left.

The young people in the restaurant are also quick with their hands and feet, and they will clean up the position in an instant and welcome the next batch of guests.

It is five scholars, judging from their clothes, they should have different family backgrounds, and even some disparities, which is somewhat strange to get together.

One of the brocade robes and jade belts, eighteen or nineteen years old, was probably a ya, and the young man who was "held" by him on his shoulders and backs should be a few years older than him, and the coarse linen robe on his body was not torn but very old.

The brocade robe pressed the young man in sackcloth on the chair, "Brother Hongguang, sit and sit!"

The young man in Mai smiled wryly, "Jing Shen, why are you inviting me to dinner today? It's always like this, but the foolish brother can't repay him, and his heart is really worried."

Jing Shen sat down next to him, but he seemed to be still guarding against him from escaping, "Brother Hongguang, you think too much, today is not to invite you to dinner, but to have a casual meal in our fasting house."

"That's right, I've been waiting for five people to live together for more than two years, and after this government test, we should go our separate ways, and it won't be easy to get together in the future." Another little round face helped.

Hongguang was a little surprised, "Even if you have a meal, shouldn't you also release the list?"

Jing Shen said disapprerovingly, "Originally, among the five of us, Brother Hongguang has a chance to win, but when you took the exam, you were not well yet, and you didn't finish answering the papers, so you must be unsuccessful, so where do we need to wait for the list."

"Besides, you're not going to read it anymore, so we don't want to mess around anymore......" The little round face spread his hands.

Hongguang was shocked, "Huh?! I was forced to stop reading it out of desperation, Jing Shen, Cong Yi, Chi Ze, Liang Miao, why are you!?"

Jing Shen said calmly, "I know my own affairs, I am not the material for reading at all, if it weren't for my father's compulsion, where would I enter the school, haha, fortunately, I entered the school, met Brother Hongguang, and benefited a lot, so I am no longer as muddy as before, since Brother Hongguang is leaving the school, then it doesn't make sense for me to stay, it just so happens that my father has found me a future, just go and try."

"Oh? Could it be that Uncle has found you a shadow official?" Hongguang was a little puzzled.

Jing Shen shrugged, "My father is just a judge, and he hasn't made any contributions, how can he be crowned a wife and a son, and thanks to Brother Hongguang's teachings, I have also read some books by heart in the past two years, although the poetry and books have not made much progress, but the arithmetic is still handy, no, the Royal Bank has just been established and is short of manpower, my father asked His Royal Highness King Yan for personal favors and asked me to go to the trial."

When Zhao Mengqi heard this, he reacted, it turned out that this kid was the son of Zhou Chengji, the general judge of Pingjiang Mansion.

A few days ago, Zhou Chengji mentioned it to him, and he was still a little surprised at that time, admiring Zhou Chengji's vision was very advanced, you must know that in later generations, many officials love to arrange their children into the bank.

No matter when, nepotism cannot be avoided in the power field, as long as he can be qualified for the position, Zhao Mengqi is not very exclusive to this, after all, he also needs to win people's hearts.

At this time, Hongguang was sincerely happy for Zhou Jingshen, "Royal Bank, that's very good, although you don't have an official title, you are actually stronger than many idle officials, so what about the three of you?"

Li Congyi, who had a small round face, said with a smile, "Actually, I'm still staying in Fuxue, but I want to enter the medical school, and I have passed the interview of Chongtai Doctor a few days ago, and I can enter next month."

"Medical school? You're twenty-one, and it's too late to study medicine?" Hongguang was stunned.

Li Congyi blinked, "I used to read some medical books, I know a little bit about it, and the trauma department does not have high requirements for the basics, anyway, everyone learns from scratch, what they want is to be bold and careful, hehe, when I was a child, I was playful, and I learned a hand of embroidery from my mother, but I didn't expect it to be used in medical skills......

"I'm still studying." Cheng Chize interfaced, "But what I want to enter is an agricultural college, you also know, my family is in the flower business, and I have been fiddling with flowers and plants since I was a child, and I have some foundation to learn this, and even if I don't have any interest in the future, it's a big deal to go home and inherit the ancestral business."

In the end, it was Yue Liangmiao's turn, and he said sullenly, "What my family means is to let me stay in Fuxue and try another scientific examination, but I don't want to."

"And what are your plans?" All four of his classmates looked at him.

Yue Liangmiao's face turned red, and after a while, he spoke, "I... Actually, I want to go to Dongwei to apply."

"What?! You're going to be a soldier!?" All four were surprised.

"When... What's wrong with being a soldier?" Yue Liangmiao stiffened his neck, "Why don't you take Wu Hook and collect Guanshan Fifty Prefectures? Please go to Lingyan Pavilion temporarily, if you are a scholar and a marquis? His Royal Highness King Yan has said many times that it is wrong to emphasize literature over martial arts, and those who can protect the family and defend the country are real men and heroes! Now that the Central Plains is in ruins, the Tartars are bullying, it is the time to promise my life for the country, I have the honor to have the same surname as Yue Wumu, and I should take him as a model and be a good man who stands up to the sky!"

"The soldiers under the command of King Yan look unusual, the military discipline is strict, and they are very kind to the people, and the spirit is also very high-spirited, which is very different from the soldiers I have seen before. Hongguang is full of feelings.

Immediately, Zhou Jingshen said, "Liang Miao, don't get excited, let's not say it's bad to be a soldier...... However, I heard that the Eastern Guard recruits soldiers as long as they are fifteen or sixteen years old, and you are eighteen years old, so you shouldn't be able to go, if you go to other armies, I'm afraid it will be difficult to get ahead, and you and I have heard of the vices in the army."

"I know that." Yue Liangmiao nodded and said in a low voice, "I've inquired carefully, Dongwei recruits are generally only about fifteen years old, saying that they have avoided too many vices, but if they are proficient in writing and can pass the assessment, they can appropriately relax the age requirements, and I think there should be no problem with me."

"Actually, it is said that after the science of trauma is completed, there is a high probability that I will also serve in the army, called a military doctor, so I can be regarded as a soldier." Li Congyi patted Yue Liangmiao's shoulder, "Hehe, maybe you will have to rely on me to save your life in the future......

"Crow's beak!" Cheng Chize smiled and scolded and pushed Li Congyi, and then looked at Yue Liangmiao, "Everyone has their own aspirations, Liangmiao, it is definitely not a bad thing for you to choose to join the army, but are you sure to convince your family?" After all, your family has thousands of acres of land, and you don't have to worry about eating and drinking, and you definitely don't want to let you live that life of licking blood from the knife edge."

Yue Liangmiao shook his head, "My father is stubborn, and he talks about restoring the glory of his ancestors every day, and hopes that I can enter high school, so I don't dare to open this mouth with him at all, I plan to secretly go to the recruitment, and if I don't get selected, it's just fine, but if I enter Dongwei, I don't believe that he dares to come to the barracks to arrest me."

When Zhou Jingshen heard this, he slapped the table excitedly, "Okay, Liangmiao! I usually look at you wilting, but I didn't expect to dare to be so decisive! Admire!"

"Come on, come on, let's have a drink." Cheng Chize raised his glass, "Now, Brother Hongguang is going to Grange Primary School to be a teacher, we all have our own visions, maybe the future will be separated, I hope our friendship will always be solid, drink this cup, I wish you all a bright future and great ambitions!"

The five of them were enthusiastic, drank to the end, and were full of infinite hope for their future.

And Zhao Mengqi, who eavesdropped, was surprised by the choice of the five people, but also full of relief in his heart.

Shinong industry and commerce, scholars are ranked first, and scholars have a strong sense of superiority, and they despise people in other industries in their bones.

Now that Zhao Mengqi is trying to change the Great Song Dynasty, talents are indispensable in all walks of life, but most of the smart people in this era are crowded on the single-plank bridge of the imperial examination, and it is actually difficult to reverse their concepts.

At present, these five students, perhaps because they belong to the level of "scumbags", but they are more self-aware, so they gave up the imperial examination and re-chose the path of life passively or actively, which is naturally what Zhao Mengqi likes to see.

Although the vast majority of scholars still hold the traditional concept, these five people may be just a small non-mainstream, a drop in the ocean, but at least this change has given Zhao Mengqi hope.

..