After bidding farewell to Liang Kuan and Li Ruiwen, it was past noon, Xu Jin simply found a clean inn in Tongzhou City for lunch, rested for one night by the way, and then set off to Beijing the next morning.

It is worth mentioning here that in order to take care of the children in remote areas such as Guizhou in Yunnan, the imperial court deliberately set the deadline for registration for the general examination on the last day of the first month.

There was nothing to say all night, on the morning of the tenth day of the first lunar month, Xu Jin and others left Tongzhou City too early, and drove along the official road for nearly an hour, and the majestic city wall of the capital was in sight.

Beijing City, east of Liaojie, west of Taihang, north of Shuo desert, back to the military capital, south of the Central Plains, the geographical position is extremely superior, has always been called by feng shui scholars "around the mountains and water must have gas" ideal capital. It is a pity that the environment around Beijing in later generations was seriously damaged, most of the time it was full of haze and desert, although it was still a prosperous political and cultural center, it was definitely no longer a livable city, and people who were able to and paid attention to health were fleeing.

Looking at the clear blue sky above his head, and then thinking of the Haze of Sijiu City in the future, Xu Jin couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

The layout of Beijing City is square, and it is divided into four levels: the outer city, the inner city, the imperial city, and the Forbidden City (imperial palace). Xu Jin and the others drove into the outer city from Guangqu Gate, then walked along the street, and then entered the inner city through Chongwen Gate.

Since the examination was held in the Gongyuan in the southeast corner of the inner city, in order to facilitate Xu Jin to participate in the examination, Dabao specially bought a house in Mingshifang near the Gongyuan.

It is worth mentioning here that the house in the capital is usually more expensive the closer it is to the imperial city, if it is a house in the outer city, a few dozen taels can buy an ordinary yard, and the price of the same type of house in the inner city will be doubled.

The house that Dabao bought in Ming Shifang has an area of more than 300 yuan, and it costs nearly 500 taels of silver even with the deed tax, which can barely be regarded as a small and medium-sized mansion. If it is a prime location such as Xiaofang and Xiaoyongfang, the house can easily cost thousands of taels, or even tens of thousands of taels, and it may not be possible to buy it if you have money, because those who live here are all powerful figures in the DPRK and China.

At this time, the two carriages that Xu Jin and others were riding were moving slowly on the streets of Ming Shifang, and the horses' hooves hit the granite paved ground, making a clicking sound.

In the carriage, Xie Xiaowan folded her hands on her lap and sat quietly and obediently on the seat, while Mei Wan Yue'er accompanied Xiao Mazha sitting next to her, peeking out of the gap in the curtain like a curious baby.

Xiaowan, this girl, wore a set of palace pink cardigan skirts today, with a peach heart bun, and she looked delicate and lovely. This Nizi originally had a slightly dark skin, but in the past few years, her skin has become fair, especially after being moistened by someone's rain and dew, her face is even more crimson and pink, delicate and beautiful.

It is said that on the way from Tongzhou to Beijing, Xie Xiaowan leaned on the car window, watching the scenery outside with great interest, but at this moment when she entered the capital, she lowered the curtain and sat on the seat like a baby. There are people coming and going on the street, and Xiao Nizi is obviously worried that she will be laughed at and embarrass her father-in-law.

Seeing this, Xu Jin couldn't help but smile and said: "If the lady wants to see it, let's see it, our family doesn't have so many rules." ”

Xie Xiaowan shook her head and said: "Don't do it, the streets here are full of scholars, if you are seen by the same year that you are familiar with each other, Xiaowan will be rude, and she will be embarrassed." ”

Before the Tang and Song dynasties, the atmosphere was open, and women were relatively free, but in the Ming Dynasty, Cheng Zhu Lixue was popular, and the feudal etiquette system became more and more perverted to women. For example, the bad habit of foot binding is extremely harmful to women's bodies, Xu Jin hates it, the bullshit three-inch golden lotus, the woman's feet that are wrapped into a deformed (triangle) look crazy enough, where is there any beauty at all, and I don't know which perverted man came up with this bad idea in order to satisfy his bad taste.

Fortunately, Xiaowan was born poor and had to help the family work, so she didn't bind her feet since she was a child, and Ruyi was entangled for a while when she was a child, but fortunately, her father Fei Dian regarded it as a pearl in her palm, and she was very spoiled.

Although Xu Jin hated this feudal system that bound women, in a patriarchal feudal society, the status of female vassals was obviously difficult to change unless the entire system was overthrown.

"Then after settling down, Xianggong will take you around." Xu Jin held Xie Xiaowan's small hand and said softly.

Although Xu Jin does not have the ability to liberate the women of the world, he can still liberate his own women, and he wants to let Xiaowan live happily and freely under the protection of his wings.

Xie Xiaowan hummed sweetly. Looking at the happy lady, Mei Wan Yue'er looked envious, and glanced at the old man with watery eyes, obviously with a trace of resentment.

Xu Jin couldn't help but sweat secretly, since she had a round house with Xiaowan, Yue'er's eyes became more and more resentful when she looked at her.

At this moment, someone on the street asked loudly: "Dare to ask if it is Xu Ziqian and Xu Xie Yuan who are sitting in the car?" ”

Xu Jin listened to the voice a little familiar, hurriedly lifted the curtain and looked out, when he saw the two scholars standing on the side of the street, he couldn't help but say happily: "Brother Shaoyun...... Erniu, park! ”

Hearing this, Erniu hurriedly ordered the horse, and Xu Jin immediately lifted the curtain and got out of the carriage. At this moment, the book standing on the side of the street is mellow and honest, it is Huang Dacan of Yiyang County.

When Huang Dacan saw Xu Jin get out of the car, he stepped forward happily and said, "It's really Ziqian!" ”

Since the end of August last year in Nanchang Tengwang Pavilion separated, it has been more than four months in a hurry, and now in the capital to see the same year, Xu Jin is also quite happy, smiled: "When did Brother Shaoyun arrive in the capital?" ”

Huang Dacan said with a smile: "I entered Beijing with Wei Yuanzheng and them, and I arrived in Layue last year, and now I live in Jiangxi Hall." As he spoke, he turned around and pointed to a building behind him.

Xu Jin raised his eyes and saw a mansion with a magnificent façade, two stone lions were placed at the door, and the plaque above the door read "Jiangxi Hall" four big characters, the handwriting was somewhat familiar.

Because the examination is held in the Gongyuan, so the people who enter Beijing to take the exam will generally gather in the area of Mingshifang, but the housing prices here are not generally expensive, and not everyone can afford to live, especially the poor people, who live in the inn here for a few months, I am afraid that they will have to even lose their underwear.

Fortunately, there are many guild halls here, almost all provinces in the country, all of which are set up with donations from gentry and businessmen from all over the country, and are specially provided for the people who enter Beijing to take the exam, or the villagers who go to Beijing to do business, and the rent is extremely low, similar to the nature of the townspeople's association.

Huang Dacan glanced at the two gorgeous carriages behind Xu Jin and asked, "Did Ziqian only arrive today, why is it so late?" ”

Xu Jin replied: "It happened to be the time of King Xing, so I stayed in Anlu Prefecture for nearly a month, and there was a little accident on the road. By the way, did Fei Min receive it? ”

Huang Dacan nodded and said: "It's here, our Jiangxi people are basically here, Fei Minshou and Wei Yuanzheng are all living in the hall, let's go, let's go in, there are still empty rooms in the hall." ”

Because the guild hall is not only low in rent, but also convenient for fellow villagers to communicate with each other and enhance each other's feelings, so even if the wealthy people choose to live in the guild hall, they are not short of money such as Fei Maozhong and Wei Yang, but they also live in the Jiangxi guild hall.

Xu Jin smiled and waved his hand: "I am clumsy Jing to enter Beijing this time, so it is inconvenient to live in the guild hall, and I have already decided on a place to settle down, and I will come here to meet you again when I am settled." ”

Huang Dacan couldn't help but suddenly said: "No wonder, hehe, Ziqian and his wife are deeply affectionate, and their husbands sing and follow their wives, which is enviable!" ”

Xu Jin and Huang Dacan chatted a few more words, and were about to return to the carriage to leave, but they heard a slightly joking voice sound: "Hey, isn't this our Jiangxi Township Trial Yuan Xu Jin Xu Ziqian?" ”

Xu Jin turned around and looked, his sword eyebrows couldn't help frowning slightly, the person who came was Gong Xiang, the son of Qingjiang County, who debated "Xinxue" with him at the Luming banquet and was finally painted with two brushes! ”