The daily routine of the ancient imperial examination

The carriage drove for several days, and the weather outside was always cloudy and rainy. Lu Xiuyuan calculated the distance, and they traveled several hundred miles.

When the rain outside eased, he opened the curtain and looked outside.

It may be that the distance from Fucheng is getting closer, and there are more and more people rushing on both sides of the road.

Among them, ragged refugees accounted for the majority, and there were many people like him who went to catch the exam, but the other party did not take a carriage, but a few scholars walked together.

After a while, Tian Wu, who went out to inquire about the news, came back, and the other party stepped into the carriage with long legs, opened the curtain and got in.

Lu Xiuyuan noticed that the other party was wet from the rain, so he quickly took out a handkerchief and handed it to Tian Wu: "Brother Tian Wu has worked hard, let's wipe off the rain."

The other party waved his hand and refused: "No need for Lu Xiucai, I will go down after I finish talking in a while."

Lu Xiuyuan could only take back the veil, and then listened to the other party's news about what he had just inquired about.

"A few refugees over there said that they belonged to Wuyun Village. A few days ago, the middle and lower reaches of the canal burst and the whole town was flooded. Later, when they heard that Governor Liu of Fucheng loved the people like a son, they fled here to take refuge. .”

"Although the others are from different villages, they are all victims of the flood." Speaking of this, Na Tian Wu patted his chest and said in fear: "Fortunately, Lu Xiucai told us not to take the land road of the canal, otherwise we This time it will be troublesome."

Lu Xiuyuan couldn't laugh or cry when he heard this compliment: "Brother Tian Wu, don't be like this. Even if I don't mention this, you brothers will definitely go here safely."

Seeing being exposed by him, the other party felt embarrassed: "I was discovered by you..."

Lu Xiuyuan silently supported his forehead.

Here, Tian Wu finished reporting the news, and was about to lift the curtain to get out of the carriage, when suddenly a group of refugees surrounded the carriage.

"Master, please help us, we have been hungry for two days."

"Grandpa, please do me a favor, please show mercy..."

……

Through the gap, Lu Xiuyuan saw that the refugees surrounding them were all unkempt and shabby, and there was a seven or eight-year-old boy among them, staring at the carriage with his fingers in his mouth.

When the guards nearby saw the refugees surrounding them, they quickly drew out the broadswords at their waists and gestured at them.

"Get away from the carriage quickly, or don't blame us for being rude!"

The refugees saw that the guards took out the big knives, swallowed their pleas for help halfway, and hurriedly backed away, fearing that they would hurt themselves again if they really tried.

Seeing this scene, Lu Xiuyuan couldn't bear it, and could only let out a long sigh helplessly.

Tian Wu looked back and saw his sad expression, so he asked, "Lu Xiucai, do you want to give some money?"

Lu Xiuyuan shook his head: "Forget it, even if you give them money now, it won't be able to fill their stomachs..."

"Then our dry food?" the other party tentatively asked.

Lu Xiuyuan glanced at the refugees outside: "No, it's not appropriate to give it at this time..."

If he opens his mouth here, countless refugees will come to beg for food.

What's more, if these people spread the word, all the refugees would come to rob his car, wouldn't it be a big trouble.

Although he has these few guards, he is not very afraid, but if a group of refugees go crazy, the scene is really difficult to control, and he does not want to attack these innocent refugees who have lost their homes.

Lu Xiuyuan thought that he didn't have much food in the first place, even if he extended a helping hand, he wouldn't be able to help them. They haven't arrived in the prefectural city yet, and they are far away from the provincial capital. They may not have enough food in the future. It's better to do less than to do more.

Seeing that he was so rational, Tian Wu also breathed a sigh of relief: "Then Lu Xiucai, I will go down first."

After speaking, he jumped out of the carriage and followed the side of the carriage with a big knife in his hand.

Just as Lu Xiuyuan was about to put back the car curtains, he heard someone outside mocking him.

"It's so unsympathetic! You obviously dress like a scholar, but you don't even help a young child. I don't know if this book of sages is read in the stomach of a dog..."

Hearing this, he lifted the curtain of the car again, and saw a tall and thin scholar among the group of scholars next to him yelling and cursing at this side with his luggage on his back.

Lu Xiuyuan glanced at the other party, with a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks, and looked away again, curled his lips, and ignored the other party.

Seeing his expression, the skinny man immediately exploded with anger: "Having a carriage and guards is great?! The rural examination can only be passed with real talent and learning! Do you think it's great to have stinky money? Do you look down on the poor?!"

No, Lu Xiuyuan was a little puzzled, how could this brother decipher so many meanings with just one look in his eyes?

The other party has been swearing non-stop over there, and the guards on both sides of the carriage are very upset when they hear it, and they are about to go up to warn the other party with a knife.

Lu Xiuyuan quickly stopped him: "Brother Tian, ​​forget it, forget it."

There is nothing to compare with this kind of person.

The skinny man flinched when he saw that the guards were about to rush over, and then he saw that he was stopped by Lu Xiuyuan, so he became more courageous, and continued to act strangely over there.

The people walking next to him couldn't stand it anymore, so they said a few words to the skinny man.

The skinny man was so angry that he simply took out the money bag, groped in it for a while, and then carefully counted out five copper coins.

He clenched his right hand and came to the young boy just now: "Come on, kid, this is money for you."

The toddler looked at the palm in front of him, on which five copper coins were spread, swallowed, blinked his big eyes and shook his head, "Big brother, I don't want money, I'm hungry..."

Hearing this, the thin man's face flashed with embarrassment, and he looked back at his companions, who were watching the situation here.

In the end, the thin man felt that he could not lose face, gritted his teeth, took out a small steamed bun from his package, and handed it to the young boy.

When the child saw the steamed bun in his hand, his eyes shone with astonishing light, and he quickly snatched it from his hand and stuffed it into his mouth.

As soon as the other party took a bite, he was snatched away by the refugees who rushed over from behind, and plausibly said: "The child will be full after one bite! Give me the rest!"

The group of refugees who were watching the situation here rushed up one after another when they saw someone making a move to snatch the food from the original refugees.

The steamed bun was originally small, so in order to avoid being snatched, it was stuffed into the mouth by the other party the moment it was obtained.

The others squeezed to the man's side and saw that nothing was going to happen. Their eyes were red with hunger, and they let out an extremely unwilling growl, and then returned their attention to the thin man.

The skinny man's scalp was numb from the staring eyes of those who wanted to eat people, he panicked inside, his feet were so weak that he could hardly stand upright, he tremblingly said: "You, what do you want to do?"

"We don't do anything, we just want you to give us some food..."

There were about six or seven of those refugees, and they just came slowly and surrounded the skinny man, staring at the package behind the skinny man.

"But I don't have any anymore..." The skinny man wanted to cry, but he shivered uncontrollably after being stared at by so many people with cannibalistic eyes.

"How could it be? There must be food in your package. A kind person like you will definitely help us?"

The leader of the refugees smiled at him, showing his yellow and white teeth, and stretched out his hands to touch his package.

Seeing this, the thin man quickly exclaimed: "It's a robbery, it's a robbery! Everyone, come and help!"

The people around did not speak tacitly, and they were all quietly observing the development here.

Although the thin man is skinny, he can do a little bit of punching and kicking, but his fists are hard to stop. After all, there are so many people on the other side. After being surrounded and pushed a few times, the package on his back was torn apart by these people Divided up.

The package was torn to shreds, and the contents inside immediately spread out, and the round black-faced steamed buns rolled all over the floor.

The group of refugees quickly squatted on the ground and began to grab them, stuffing them into their mouths while picking them up. The situation was so intense that they swallowed without chewing.

The other refugees who had been watching around noticed the movement here and joined in one after another. For a while, the avenue was almost chaotic.

When all the steamed buns were robbed and eaten, and there were a few leftovers who didn't grab them, looking at the refugees who had eaten the steamed buns, their eyes were red as if they were about to bleed!

As if venting their anger, those people went to grab the loose clothes on the ground.

The skinny man just picked up his clothes and hugged them in his arms, but they were snatched away by those refugees again. He was really panicking now, because there was still money hidden in his clothes pocket!

"Don't! Good fellows, you also robbed the food. It's the hot summer season in June. It's useless for you to take the clothes! Why don't you leave them to me?"

The refugee who snatched the clothes was on fire, and he was even more angry when he heard this.

"Your clothes are worthless. If I want to grab them, I will grab them. Can you control them?"

While talking, the other party felt that the weight of the clothes was not right, so he picked it up and shook it, and then found a few hard things in the inner pocket.

With a happy face, the refugee quickly unwrapped the suture, and saw ten taels of silver!It was also carefully fixed on the clothes by needles and threads, so as not to be discovered by making a collision sound.

The thin man saw that the money his family saved for him was taken away by others, he couldn't help but feel a little desperate in his heart, it was his money for the exam!How can he go to the provincial capital to take the exam without money? !

At this time, the thin man couldn't care about the dignity and indignity anymore, so he quickly knelt down and begged the refugee.

"Master! This is Xiaosheng's exam fee, can you please return it to Xiaosheng, and I will definitely thank you when I get to Fucheng!"

That refugee is too lazy to talk nonsense with him, this is money, he can go to Fucheng to buy delicious food if he persists for a few more days!

Looking at the ten taels of silver in his hand, he calculated in his heart that the exam fee must be more than that. Anyway, he robbed it, so why not go to the end!

So he turned around and yelled at the people around him to take off the skinny man's clothes together.

"Come and see if there is any hidden silver in this man's clothes! If there is, we can go to Fucheng to have a big meal in two days!"

When the other people heard the call, they all came forward to feel for it. After a while, the thin man's coat and jacket were stripped off, leaving only a thin jacket.

Sure enough, the refugees found another twelve taels on the clothes he was wearing, and couldn't help whistling happily.

The thin man looked anxious and angry, but he couldn't resist so many refugees by himself, so he couldn't help but look at his companion on the other side.

At this moment, his companions were each holding their own packages, looking towards this side in horror.

The thin man was annoyed in his heart, and his former classmates did not help at this time, but stood by.

He asked angrily: "Liu Er! After all, we are classmates in the same village! Why don't you help me!"

Hearing that he was called by name, Liu Er shook his head helplessly, too frightened to say a word.

Seeing the cowardly appearance of the other party, the thin man couldn't help but yelled: "You wait! When I get to Fucheng, I will definitely go to the Governor's Yamen to ask Governor Liu to uphold justice! Arrest you all!"

It's fine if the skinny man doesn't say anything. Now that he said he wanted to report to the police, he immediately annoyed the refugees who had just led the robbery.

The opponent looked at the thin man's companion.

"Since this kid said that he wants to report to the police to arrest us, let's just do it! Eat enough before talking! Even if you are caught and beheaded, you have to be a full ghost!"

With a wave behind him, the man led a group of refugees and rushed towards the scholars.

Persimmons should be picked softly. If it is a robbery, it must be the most suitable for a scholar who has no strength to restrain a chicken!

When Liu Er saw that he was also being targeted by the refugees because of what he said just now, he was in a panic. The scholars didn't have time to care about the thin man on the ground, and they all ran forward with their packages.

As soon as they ran like this, other refugees who were not robbing and watching around couldn't help but chase after them, and the scene was very scary for a while.

As for Lu Xiuyuan, as early as when the thin man was robbed, he ordered Tian Si to drive the carriage quickly, but due to the rain and the slippery road, the other guards walked on their feet, so their speed was not very fast.

The few scholars who were chased and fled did not exercise much on weekdays, but when they were chased by the refugees, they ran out of breath.

Liu Er saw the carriage not far away, felt a little jealous and resentful in his heart, and quickly pointed to the refugees and said loudly: "The man in the carriage in front is a rich man, if you go after him, he must have money and food! We are all poor scholars , It's useless for you to chase us!"

Hearing this, the guards on both sides of the carriage looked back at the situation behind them, and then asked Lu Xiuyuan for instructions: "Lu Xiucai, do you want to take care of it?"

Hearing this, Lu Xiuyuan opened the curtain and said: "Those refugees are getting red-hot now, and the situation is out of control now, so don't worry about it, just keep going."

They don't care about it now, those people still have a way to survive, if they really turn around, how can they control so many crazy refugees without using a knife?

What's more, this skinny man is responsible for himself. If he can go on his way with peace of mind and don't do such a thing, how can such a thing happen?