Ten years of hard study, success or failure once rushed to the exam.

Liu Anjiang has experienced nearly 20 years from showing talent to lifting people, and then to participating in the examination.

In 1894, it was the year of the triennial examination.

After the Spring Festival, the Liu family was busy with Liu Anjiang's entry into Beijing to catch the exam.

Liu Yong said to Liu Anjiang: Entering Beijing to take the exam, the road is long, and although the water and land are convenient, it will take half a month at every turn. The child can first go to Yangzhou, turn the rudder, enter the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, then enter the canal section in Shandong, then enter the Hebei section of the Grand Canal, arrive in Tongzhou, and then, ride mules and horses into Beijing.

Liu Anjiang said with a smile: Daddy is relieved, because his son is already an adult, and the route has his own arrangement.

Liu Yong said again: The road is long. You might as well hire a scholar, get on and off the boat, help carry your bags, and have a good look on the road.

Liu Anjiang said with a smile: Don't get in the way, the political envoy's "meeting the test plate fee silver", "fire card" and "post coupon" have all been collected. My son has inquired clearly, with this fire card, you can get a carriage at the post station along the way, and you can take this carriage to the next post station. On the carriage, there was also a yellow flag with the words "Ministry of Rites will test", and the checkpoint guards and even thieves along the way did not dare to provoke when they saw the yellow flag. Moreover, candidates from all over the country flock to the capital, and perhaps, they will meet fellow travelers on the way.

Liu Yong said again: Then you bring more silver taels, and you don't have to cut down on food and clothing on the road.

......

In the early morning, the Liu family came up and down to see him off. Yu Yaqing took Liu Anjiang's hand and said: Husband, I don't know when I will return to Beijing this time, please respect yourself on the way. When it is convenient, report peace, so as not to worry about your wife. No matter how famous it is, there are wives and children at home, so go early and return early.

Liu Anjiang smiled and said: I know for my husband. Self-respect at home for a wife.

......

Liu Anjiang hired a boat to go out of Xunxi, through Gulou Port, and out of Taihu Lake.

Liu Anjiang stood on the bow of the boat, looking at the vast Taihu Lake from afar, the sky and the water, the fishing sails were dotted, and the heart was surging, and then looked back at the hometown town that was gradually moving away, this time going north, I don't know when I will return, it is inevitable that there is some nostalgia.

After a day's sailing, people inevitably felt a little tired, Liu Anjiang returned to the cabin, leaned there to nap, and unconsciously in the evening, the boat had crossed Taihu Lake to Dongcaozi and entered the boundary of Suzhou. Suddenly, a small wooden boat sprang out of the reeds, and there were five or six people on board, holding large knives in their hands, shouting: "The boatman brings the boat closer, and leaves the money to buy the road." Otherwise, I will throw you into the lake to feed the fish.

When the boatman heard this, he knew that he had met a strongman, and he panicked and was at a loss.

Liu Anjiang heard the movement and asked Qing Yuan. Unhurriedly, he came to the bow of the boat and said with a smile: All the heroes have worked hard. In the next is Gui'an County, Liu Anjiang is also, it is to enter Beijing to take the exam. This is a "fire card" issued by the political envoy, don't believe it, you can take it and see.

Liu Anjiang's words didn't matter, but they startled a few strongmen.

Since ancient times, Chinese robbers have usually talked about morality in the rivers and lakes, not robbing orphans and widows, not robbing monks and Taoists, not robbing Qing officials to return to their hometowns, not robbing the imperial examinations, and robbing them will be looked down upon by their peers.

Besides, once the old man knows about it, he informs the state government to investigate and deal with it, it is a crime of murder, so can it be repaid?

As soon as they heard that Liu Anjiang was moving people into Beijing to take the exam, several strong people immediately smiled. One of the leaders said: Master, this is a complete misunderstanding. The villain has eyes and does not know Mount Tai, and your lord does not remember the villain. The villain will never dare next time, never again.

Liu Anjiang said with a smile: If you want a lot of money, I have some broken silver here, you take some of it, and the brothers will buy some wine to drink.

The first word: No, no. May the lord have good luck and rise step by step.

With that, he turned the bow of the boat and got into the reeds.

......

The boatman was frightened into a cold sweat, and he didn't know how Liu Anjiang sent this group of strongmen, but fortunately, there was a false alarm.

Liu Anjiang returned to the cabin and said to the boatman with a smile: It's okay, it's okay. There is a "fire card" issued by the political envoy in our office, which is equivalent to the 'Shang Fang Sword' of the imperial court, and whoever dares to offend is guilty of murder. Therefore, the ship's family can rest assured.

Only then did the boatman put his mind at ease.

......

On the way, the boat went fairly smoothly.

When he arrived in Yangzhou Mansion, Liu Anjiang offered to stay in Yangzhou Mansion for one night. The boatman's family lives on the boat, and Liu Anjiang can live in the "post station" anyway, where it doesn't cost money to eat and live with "Huopai" and "floating".

Yangzhou Mansion Post Station is located in Guangling, Jiangdu County, Yangzhou Prefecture, which is adjacent to the Yangtze River and has convenient water transportation. It is the main point of traffic on the water to the north.

The cold gradually receded, the willows by the river spit out new shoots, the asparagus also came out of the weeds and let the leaves go green, and the calm water in the river woke up from the simplicity of winter, and was dressed up by nature to be verdant.

When night falls, the lights in the distance are like fireflies flying in the distance, flickering and getting darker and darker, and the whole city seems to be shrouded in dreams. Yangzhou, the ancient city, began to rest. She lay quietly in the bosom of the canal, like a water lily in a silver riverbed.

Liu Anjiang wanted to stretch his mood. Prepare to go to the yard alone for a walk. Passing by the front desk, I saw a scholar carrying a cage and talking to the guy: May I ask your place, do you have any Hakka who went to the capital, and you intend to meet together.

The man smiled and said: There should be one, who is here to stay, whether there is an appointment, the slave family does not know.

Liu Anjiang heard their conversation and made an appointment to go to Beijing to take the exam, which was a common thing. First, you can save a lot of money by sharing transportation, and you can also take care of each other on the road. He saw that he was getting older, so he stepped forward. Dao: This benevolent brother, is he going to Beijing to take the exam?

The other party replied: Exactly. I will meet in the next intention.

Liu Anjiang said with a smile: The younger brother is too. Please ask the name of Brother Ren.

The other party smiled and said: In Xiatongzhou, Zhang Jian is.

Liu Anjiang said with a smile: Junior brother Liu Anjiang, a native of Nanxun, Gui'an County, Huzhou Prefecture. The same is to enter Beijing to take the exam. And the younger brother has called the steering boat, if the brother does not dislike it, he can accompany him.

Zhang Jian smiled: That's something you can't ask for. Anyway, we will share the boat fare equally.

Liu Anjiang said with a smile: Brother Ren doesn't like what he said, how can the younger brother ask you to share the boat fare?

Zhang Jian said: That's the right thing to do.

Liu Anjiang said with a smile: Then you accompany the younger brother, and the younger brother still has to pay you for the work?

The two laughed.

In the end, Liu Anjiang said again: It seems that Brother Ren has not eaten yet, please settle down first, and the younger brother will accompany you for a drink.

Zhang Jian smiled: That also makes it.

......

The bright moon that is not full gradually rises to the sky, a transparent gray cloud, talking about the moonlight, on the field, as if a light smoke is caged, the strands are detached, as if falling into a dream. After the evening clouds drifted by, the smoke and fog dissipated on the fields, and the clear light like water washed away the soft spring light.

Under the pomegranate tree in the courtyard of the "post station", Liu Anjiang and Zhang Jian sat opposite each other, they drank and laughed, and talked about the wind.

Zhang Jian smiled and asked: Brother Xian, Gui'an County should know the person who passed the Feng Doctor Liu Yong.

Liu Anjiang said with a smile: I don't know what Brother Ren asked him to do?

Zhang Jian said with a smile: This person has helped the poor, done good deeds and accumulated virtues, and has built hundreds of hectares of land in Wutongzhou, which is well-known and well-known.

Liu Anjiang said with a smile: Liu Yong is the father of the younger brother's family.

Zhang Jian stood up and said with a smile with both hands: Fortunately, there will be a father, there will be a son. No wonder Brother Xian is so kind.

Liu Anjiang said with a smile: Brother Nairen has won the award. Some of them are basic principles of human beings.

The two of them talked about it, but they didn't realize that the moon had set in the west. I have to continue my journey tomorrow, so let's go to bed and rest.