Hearing the news of the assassination of Kitayama Province, Zhuo'er was taken aback and asked, "You had such a good opportunity to work with the princess, but you didn't do anything?!" While her class may be far beyond our alliance, I'm sure no one can turn you down as long as you work hard enough!

Shaking his head, Ning Que said firmly: "Impossible, Your Highness looks smart and resourceful, but she is really just a naïve and stupid idiot." Following her lead could easily kill me.

They parted in the dining room, and Ning Que and Sang Sang left first. They asked again and again to return, and when they were about to reach the market where their hostel was located, it started to rain.

Zoom! The large black umbrella spread out above their heads like a black lotus, blocking the falling rain. Sangsang held the handle of the umbrella tightly and asked, "Why do you always call the princess an idiot?" Isn't she a nice person?

"Really good?" Ning Que looked at the path in the rain and slowly shook his head.

The vermilion tree-boulevard leading to the Imperial Palace to the north was originally gray, but it turned black after being soaked in rainwater. From the perspective of Ning Que and Sang Sang, it was like a long, straight and black ribbon, they stood on the side of the path, wearing it on the chest of the vast Chang'an, it looked so pure and solemn, it made people's hearts throb. Particularly striking was the scarlet bird statue carved into the middle of the avenue, its eyes staring at them, staring at them, almost feeling that it could fly out of the rock and destroy them instantly.

Both felt that ancient and ferocious intensity, a sense of terror oozing from the deepest part of their bodies, and when they held each other's hands, it felt so cold that they could barely move an inch of their muscles.

So they stood with difficulty on the path, in the shadow of the big black umbrella, because God knows how long, and they did not regain consciousness until the storm stopped, the sun shone on the street, and pedestrians reappeared.

Finally able to look back, they didn't notice anything unusual from the vermilion bird statues deep in the royal road.

The next morning, after washing, the young master and the maid quickly prepared. This is because, on this day, they are asked to go to each hall to register to receive a certificate for the upcoming college entrance exam, and they feel the need to dress themselves up for such an event. Ning Que sat by the window, facing the direction of the early morning sun. He holds a book in his hand and looks at it abstractly. Then he closed his eyes, ready to enjoy the moment when Sangsang combed his hair. Unexpectedly, his hair was pulled violently, which made him suddenly feel pain. Then he turned around, looked helplessly at his maid, and said, "Is it so hard to comb your hair?"

"Young master, why don't you comb your own hair? In the past, in Weicheng, you just asked me to comb your hair and tie it in a bun, but today, you want to have the same hairstyle as those scholars. I'm not that skilled. Sangsang withdrew the comb in her hand and put it behind her back, and she replied with a sullen expression.

"Look at your attitude, do you remember to call me young master!" Ning Que was very annoyed, and he added, "Who is the young master and who is the maidservant now?" I only nagged you for a while, and you ordered me to comb my own hair! You have to understand that your young master is the one who is going to enter the academy and is considered a serious scholar. If you don't know how to groom, pick up this skill. I hope you'll be able to groom this style for me every day in the future!

After seeing this painting on Vermilion Bird Avenue yesterday, both the master and the maidservant had emotional problems. However, they don't know how they felt at the time, and they are certainly not sure if their feelings are real. And, for some obscure reasons, they haven't discussed it with each other yet.

Ning Que glanced at Sang Sang's grumpy face and said with a smile, "Okay, okay." When we're done dealing with these things, I'll take you to Chen Jinji's cosmetics store.

Hearing this, Sang Sang raised his face and grinned. Then she turned around and took a knife from the bag and handed it to him. Ning Que picked up the knife, walked towards the courtyard behind the inn, and began his morning martial arts practice. His movements are swift and powerful. However, his messy hairstyle also shakes with his every move, making him look funny.

The Tang Empire was the heart of the world, and Chang'an was an excellent place. As a result, the academy was considered to be the core of the Tang Empire to some extent, and was a place of respect and worship for many commoners. Sometimes, it is even slightly more influential than the royal family.

Since he was young, Ning Que knew about this academy, and he had already been brainwashed by many people and knew the power of its existence. He never understood why the Tang Dynasty would allow it to exist, or rather, why the imperial family would allow such a place to exist. As the saying goes, "Above man is the sky, and there is only one sun in the sky". If that's the case, how can an empire allow two voices to exist?

Regardless of whether he could quickly understand the logic behind it, at least, after a day of bureaucracy, he finally realized the high status of the academy in the Tang Empire. He also experienced the court's respect for the academy, and even fear. The simple task of retrieving the certificate for the upcoming academy entrance exam already required him to obtain three of the six confirmation seals from various departments, and the stamping could only be performed by officials at Lang Zhong (ancient official rank) and above.

On this day, Ning Que saw many officers of the fifth rank and above, officials from the military department, the official personnel department, and the Ministry of Rites, much more than he had seen in the past sixteen years. If it weren't for the fact that his military status had not yet been converted into citizenship, he might even need to go to the Yamen (government office of feudal China) in the Ministry of Taxation. Although the weather in spring was warm and comfortable, a trip to the northern city of Chang'an left him a little tired because his forehead was covered with sweat. He couldn't help but think silently in his heart, "Even if the imperial court sends troops to deal with the Southern Jin Kingdom, I'm afraid it will be so troublesome."

The office of the empire was so strict that Ning Que originally thought that a border city soldier like him with no background would be ignored or looked down upon indifferently. He never expected that when the officials saw his name, although there was no special treatment for him, they would not embarrass him. Instead, all they do is wave their hands and let him pass gently. This is completely different from what General Ma Shixiang told him!

Ning Que thought about it carefully and realized that this might be the princess's masterpiece. Ever since the princess returned from the steppe and was assassinated on her way back to Chang'an, she was welcomed by all the officials of the city, and great feasts and celebrations were held in the palace. Moreover, she also needs to rush to investigate this assassination attempt in the dark. However, she still remembers helping him. If the person she helped was someone else, that person would definitely be grateful. However, this is not the feeling of Ning Que. For him, he had already mentioned this matter to Her Royal Highness the Princess before. Even though he mentioned it around the campfire, Her Royal Highness is still Her Royal Highness, so the location doesn't matter.

After the last stamp is stamped at the Ministry of Rites, the sun is about to set. Fortunately, the official organization of the Tang Empire was not too bureaucratic, so the yamen and the Ministry of Rites were not far from issuing certificates for the upcoming college entrance exams. Also, when it was still open, two or three young people who had just received their certificates could be seen gathering at the entrance and discussing some topics in a whisper.

"There's no way I'm going to stay in the inn for long. It's hard for a classmate like this to get closer.

"It was a good idea to move into the college early. Maybe I can get to know more seniors.

"What's the point of saving so little money? I still think it's better to go to the academy a day earlier. At least we can be more familiar with this field, which gives us a higher chance of passing the college entrance exam. I heard that the military department has gone crazy this year. They recommended more than 70 students to take the exam......"

Just as Ning Que was about to walk in the door, he stopped when he heard their words. Then he looked at the young scholar, bowed to him, crossed his hands in front of him, and asked, "Brother, can I clarify what you mean...... Do you mean that the academy now no longer provides free accommodation and food? ”

The three of them stared at Ning Que as if he were an idiot. They were probably thinking why he would take the test if he didn't even know these things.

Ning Que's favorite thing to do is to laugh at others for being an idiot behind his back, in front of Sang Sang. However, when he was treated like an idiot in front of others, he naturally couldn't accept it, so he turned around and walked into the office.