"As long as you put in the effort, your business will definitely flourish." Zhao Xiaoshu also mentioned similar things in other stores. However, for Ning Que, there are other hidden meanings in it. Ning Que understood, and the group of people standing at the door of the old brush shop also understood. Chang San and Liu Wu glanced at each other and saw each other's surprised looks. Then they took a step forward and silently bowed to Ning Que.

They all knew what had happened in the spring rain that night, and although they had never seen him, they had already taken a liking to Ning Que. At the same time, they also knew that Chao Xiaoshu valued this young man very much. What they didn't know was that Chao Xiaoshu thought so highly of him that they could feel that their eldest brother was secretly entrusting him with his important tasks.

Chang Siwei looked at Ning Que and said kindly: "Boss Ning, if you encounter any problems in the future, you will inevitably need to be disturbed."

After talking in the palace last night, Ning Que finally understood that these people were the secret guards arranged by His Majesty before and placed among the civilians. Since their identities have been revealed, it is likely that they will soon be summoned and reinstated to their official positions in the palace. Of course, he naturally couldn't refuse their request, but he somewhat felt that something was wrong with their words.

The indifferent Chang San, the ruthless Qi Si, the domineering Liu Wu, the fierce Fei Liu, and the cunning Chen Qi - this is the evaluation of the five generals of the Fish and Dragon Gang by the civilians of Chang'an. Because of Chang Siwei's warm and friendly eyes, Ning Que couldn't imagine that he was indifferent, and he didn't know that Chang Siwei actually had a plan in her heart to hook up with him for a while.

Since they want to keep this relationship a secret, Chao Xiaoshu and the others can't stay in the old brush shop for too long, otherwise they will attract too much attention. After they exchanged a few words casually, Chao Xiaoshu grinned at Ning Que and said three words:

"It's time to go."

It's another drizzly day. The drizzle was so gentle that passengers didn't even bother to put on bamboo rain hats. Ning Que stood quietly in the alley next to Lin Forty-seventh Street, watching the group of people gradually disappear from his sight. Looking at the back of the ever-elegant middle-aged man in a turquoise robe, he felt a trace of regret in his heart.

"It takes time for a person to prove that he is worthy of being another person's brother. Isn't it stupid to me to be your brother just because you want to? I'm thinking, maybe in a few years, if our friendship is still strong, I wouldn't mind being your brother. However, now that you have decided to leave suddenly, you still make me look like a fool.

Ning Que shook his head and sighed. He turned around, grabbed Sangsang's hand, and walked into the alley. Several peach blossom stems grow out of the cracks in the wall. No one knows when, the spring rain cut off their roots, and they fell on the concrete floor.

Similar flowers were found around the concrete floor near the city gates. In one of the wine shops, the Zhao Xiaoshu brothers, who lived and died with him, all celebrated with the peach blossom wine sold in Chang'an City. They drank their fill before saying goodbye.

Spring rains come and go, just like passers-by who enter and leave our lives. The young man from Wei City and his maid unknowingly stayed in the capital for a month. Today was a very important day for Ning Que, and of course, this did not include those days when he had to get rid of those enemies.

Today is the reopening of the Academy. Yes, that's right, it's true that this is the reopening of the academy because the first day of school at the academy is the day of the academy entrance exams. Whoever passes the college entrance exam will be honored to become a student of Chang'an College. And those who fail, at least have the opportunity to attend the solemn ceremony of the reopening of the academy and see the interior of the academy. There is no doubt that their experience on their first day at the academy will leave them with unforgettable memories, which may give them some comfort, despite their failure to be students.

At five o'clock in the morning, Ning Que and Sang Sang woke up and began to prepare for the academy. The first day of the academy was important not only for the Tang Empire, but also for the whole world. For civilians living in Chang'an, this is the day they are looking forward to. Most of the food stalls open earlier than usual, so the young master and his maid were lucky to have a bowl of sour and spicy noodle slice soup in the morning.

Ning Que couldn't help but yawn and rubbed his slightly teary eyes. It was clear that he had not slept well the night before. Sangsang also had two dark circles around her eyes, darker than her facial complexion. She seemed to be much more anxious than her young master.

The Ministry of Rites arranged for horse-drawn carriages to transport candidates from the candidates' locations to the college. However, since Ning Que wanted to take Sang Sang with him, he chose to rent a carriage by himself. After knowing the identity of the customer, the driver of the private carriage did not dare to delay for a minute and was fully prepared in the middle of the night before the big day. So, as soon as the young master and his maid walked out of the old brush shop, they immediately headed south to their destination.

The traffic in the eastern city was not bad, but the moment their carriage entered the southern city, the traffic was already crowded with people. Before dawn, the wide Suzaku Avenue was dimly lit, crowded with hundreds of carriages. A drizzle fell from the sky, the wheels of hundreds of wagons rolled, and countless horses splashed the rain violently on the damp concrete floor.

The horse-drawn carriages sent by the Ministry of Rites were given priority, followed by the candidates who presented their college entrance examination certificates. After some hard work, a long queue leading to the Vermilion Bird Gate was finally cleared. Today, the candidates of Chang'an College are the most important people. Other carriages carrying officers or noble families to the academy for ceremonies were asked to wait aside. And those wealthy scholars, who bought tickets out of curiosity just to attend the ceremony, were impolitely pushed to the end of the line.

Candidates were more important than officers, and even more so than the wealthy merchants who contributed the most taxes in the empire. Although this may seem incredible, in fact, when one sees the quiet and elegant carriage, and the bodyguards who have normal expressions despite this treatment, one can imagine that the academy has been like this for several years.

Ning Que and Sang Sang sat in the carriage, opened the corner of the curtain from time to time, and looked around, which gradually calmed down a little anxiety. When the carriage finally drove out of the south gate of Chang'an, the wide path stretched far to the south, where there were mountains, white clouds, and blue skies, and Ning Que was even in the mood to enjoy the beautiful scenery in front of him.

The spring rains are still falling, but the scenery from the river to the grasslands and mountains has not been affected in the slightest. That's because there is a clear view in front of the peak, and the peak is above the rain clouds. So, when the morning sun rises and casts its first rays, the cliff reflects its light and disperses it into the world, making the landscape look very cozy and warm.

Looking at the wonderful scenery of the carriage slowly driving out in the drizzle in front of him, Ning Que felt extremely calm. Although he wasn't sure why, he found something in the landscape that appealed to him and gave him a sense of liking.

In the southern part of Chang'an, at the foot of the mountain, there is a academy.

It is a place that was built a thousand years ago without any modification of its name. It has a longer history than the Tang Empire, and it is a place that has produced countless world-famous officers. There is no mystery to the degree, but it is considered a sacred academy.

This is also the place that Ning Que longs to enter, even if he has to put in a huge effort.

A mountain may not be known, but it can stand between the prairie and the river because it grows taller.

An academy may not be known, but it can be built in a corrupt mortal world because it has been passed down from generation to generation.

Countless horse-drawn carriages drove to the foot of the mountain. The chuckle coming from inside the carriage stopped when they reached their destination. The candidates who came to take the exam were not pressured at all, but in fact, they were silent because they felt the need to show respect for this holy place.

In the rays of the morning sun, the foothills are covered with large green plateau meadows. The waves of the slope are like frozen waves, and the green of the grass is like a painting. In that drawing, there are more than 10 roads that cross each other in a complex way. Next to these roads, there are several flowers and trees. In the middle of the meadow, there are several flowers and trees gathered together. They are either apricot blossoms or pinkish-white peach blossoms, which are scattered across the plateau in a chaotic but surprising way, which makes them look exceptionally beautiful.