After bidding farewell to Ye Zongliu, Shen Yichen's journey afterwards was comparatively much more dull, and in order to save time, he seldom got off the boat to stay in inns, and could be said to have traveled day and night.
After traveling for more than twenty days, Shen Yichen finally arrived at Tongzhou, the end of the Grand Canal and the gateway to the capital.
Although it is now the lean season, there are still many grain transport ships from the south docked at the docks on both sides of the Tongzhou Canal, piled with rice and ready to be unloaded.
Shen Yichen's status as a scholar gave him the advantage of convenient travel, but he did not have priority in passing through the canal, so he had to wait in line to go ashore.
"I didn't expect that there would still be so many canal transport vessels gathered here at this time of year. If it were during the autumn harvest or winter canal dry season, I can't imagine how congested it would be."
Listening to Shen Yichen's sigh, the boatman smiled and said, "Mr. Shen, wait until autumn this year, and you will be able to see the real grand occasion of the canal transportation. With the addition of scholars going to Beijing for the spring imperial examinations, there will be a queue scene similar to the Ten-mile Long Corridor on the canal."
"Excuse me, boatman, how long do we have to wait in line?"
"If it's fast, it can take an hour, if it's slow, it could take a day. It depends on the speed of the military inspection at the gate."
Whether it is a canal transport ship or a cruise ship from other places, if they want to enter the capital, they must undergo military service inspection, which is very similar to the permit to enter the capital in later generations.
It is not a dry season, and the ships are running smoothly. There will be no accidents such as grounding. In theory, the passage speed will be very fast. But in fact, the so-called military service inspection is more of a bribe. If you pay the money quickly, you will pass quickly.
If you meet someone who is reluctant to pay and there are no high-ranking officials passing behind, then just drag it out and see who can outlast the other.
The queued boats moved slowly forward. After about two hours, it was finally Shen Yichen's boat's turn.
There were more than a dozen soldiers standing at the gate, led by a junior officer. The inspector simply verified the pass of Shen Yichen and others without searching them carefully. He just held out his hand and said, "The toll is 20 cents per person."
Hearing the price, the boatman started to argue: "Sir, wasn't it only ten cents a person a few years ago?"
"You know it was a few years ago. The price is this now, but it's waiting in the back."
The inspector of military service had no interest in bargaining for the boatman's objection and refused to tolerate it at all.
As for Shen Yichen's reputation as a scholar, it might be of some use elsewhere, but in a place like the capital where there are so many high-ranking officials, a scholar is just like what later generations think, he is really worse than a dog...
After all, the scholars who come to Beijing to take the imperial examinations in spring every year are already juren at the beginning. What are you, a scholar who takes the imperial examinations in autumn?
"But sir, this price is too..."
The boatman wanted to argue, but Shen Yichen waved his hand at him, took out a string of copper coins from his bag and handed it to him, saying, "Sir, this is the toll for the three of us."
Seeing Shen Yichen paid the money readily, the captain's expression became much better. He nodded and said, "Scholars still know the rules. Let's go."
After saying this, he called on his soldiers to let them go.
After passing through the gate and docking at the pier, the boat meant that the journey of thousands of kilometers had come to an end, and Shen Yichen officially stepped into the capital of the Ming Dynasty.
"Boatman, thank you for your care along the way. Thank you for your hard work."
After getting off the boat, Shen Yichen first expressed his gratitude to the boatman. He, as a single boatman, felt exhausted after the journey of thousands of kilometers, and one could imagine how tired the boatman must have been.
What's more important is that when he encountered the Jingkou Gang in the Zhenjiang section before, the boatman also picked up the oars to protect himself, which far exceeded the money he earned from the boat fare.
"Mr. Shen is so polite. It is because of you that I understand what a true scholar is."
"I also hope that Mr. Shen will pass the imperial examination this time, so that the people of the world will have one more good official."
The boatman was also deeply moved. During this journey, Shen Yichen did not have the slightest airs of a scholar. He always treated a rough man like himself with courtesy. Such self-cultivation and magnanimity were something he had never seen in others.
If Shen Yichen can rise to prominence and take charge of the Ming Dynasty in the future, it may be a good thing for people all over the world.
"Thank you for the boatman's good words. Goodbye."
"Mr. Shen, take care."
After waving goodbye to the boatman with a fist salute, Shen Yichen led Aniu to the carriage and horse shop.
Because Tongzhou’s canal transport terminal is still a long distance away from the real “urban area” of the capital.
There are many carriages going to the capital. After all, it is a popular route. After getting on the carriage, A Niu asked, "Brother Chen, are we going to the master's place now?"
"Not going today."
Shen Yichen shook his head. Although he and Zhu Yong were father and son in reality, they were not in name.
When arriving at the Duke Cheng's Mansion in the capital, one cannot enter and leave as freely as returning to one's own home. One must follow the procedure for outsiders visiting, first submit a visiting card, and then obtain permission from the doorman before entering.
Of course, it is also possible that Duke Cheng had specifically instructed that he did not need to go through this process.
But no one can predict such things, and Shen Yichen can't control Zhu Yong's mentality. Instead of being turned away late at night, it is better to follow the normal process.
"Then shall we find an inn to stay in?"
"Um."
Shen Yichen nodded, thought for a moment and continued, "Let's go to Yingtian Guild Hall first."
In ancient times, big cities like Yingtian and the capital would have hometown associations to provide a place to stay for scholars and gentry from afar.
Compared to ordinary inns, the biggest advantage of a hometown association hall is naturally that the language is fluent, the food suits your appetite, and you can also get some help and convenience.
Shen Yichen was completely unfamiliar with the capital of the Ming Dynasty and didn't know which inn was suitable, so he simply stayed at the Yingtian Guild Hall in the capital, saving himself the trouble of choosing.
Accompanied by the "creaking" shaking sound, it took more than an hour to reach the destination, a journey of just over ten kilometers. Even Shen Yichen, who was not prone to motion sickness in later generations, was dizzy from the shaking of the carriage, which only showed that the land transportation conditions in the Ming Dynasty, even in the capital, were not much better.
The carriage stopped in front of Dongzhimen. Shen Yichen got off the carriage and looked at the majestic city wall. A sense of grandeur came over him.
The ancient city wall of Beijing has basically been demolished in later generations. If you want to see a similar outer city wall, you can only go to a place like Xi'an to experience it.
But at this moment, Shen Yichen was able to witness the city wall of the capital with his own eyes, which gave him a different feeling.
Entering from Dongzhimen, you have officially arrived at the inner city of the capital. Later generations divided Beijing in the Ming and Qing dynasties into four cities, namely the outer city, the inner city, the imperial city, and the Forbidden City.
However, the outer city was not expanded until the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, after the capital's population increased substantially. Therefore, the current Beijing city only has three cities: the Inner City, the Imperial City, and the Forbidden City.
Walking along the main road in the capital, one feels completely different from the Jiangnan water town like Yingtian, with a bleak and solemn atmosphere.
Of course, in addition to climate change, there is also a psychological factor. After all, it is the emperor's territory and the center of power of the Ming Dynasty.
The Yingtian Guild Hall was located in the North City District, which was also a place where merchants and traders prospered. As the secondary capital of the Ming Dynasty and one of the two capitals, the Yingtian Guild Hall was also extremely large and looked extremely luxurious from the outside.
Shen Yichen and the other person walked into the guild hall. Because it was not yet the spring examination season, there were only a few guests sitting and chatting in the spacious lobby, and it was not very lively.
The shopkeeper was standing at the front desk counting the bills. When he saw Shen Yichen coming in, he immediately came out to greet him, "My two guests, are you here to eat or stay?"
"Stay in a hotel."
"Well, I wonder what kind of room you would like?"
"Just two ordinary single rooms will be fine. Please prepare some food for us first."
Shen Yichen had originally arrived in Tongzhou in the morning, but he had to queue at the canal and transfer by horse-drawn carriage, so he didn't arrive at Yingtian Guild Hall until nightfall. His stomach was already growling with hunger.
"No problem, I'll prepare it for you right away."
After saying that, the shopkeeper asked the waiter to deliver the luggage to the room, while Shen Yichen and Aniu sat down in the lobby and waited for the food to be served.
"By the way, shopkeeper, please prepare towels for us and boil some hot water."
After sitting down, Shen Yichen added to the shopkeeper that he was tired after the journey and needed to take a hot bath before going to bed.
Hearing what Shen Yichen said, and considering the long shirt he was wearing, the owner of the guild hall said, " Sir, are you coming to the capital to take the imperial examination?"
Shen Yichen nodded and said, "Well, I guess so."
"The gentleman is well prepared. There is still more than half a year before the Spring Examination, but he has already set off for the capital."
Generally speaking, scholars would go to the capital to take the spring examination in the autumn or winter after the autumn examination, which was just the right time.
Of course, some scholars were more cautious and would choose to set off earlier. After all, delays in taking the exams were common, and there had been cases where candidates had missed the Spring Examination.
However, it is quite rare for someone like Shen Yichen to set off in spring half a year early, so the shopkeeper was a little surprised.
"I am not taking the spring exam, but the autumn exam."
Shen Yichen explained with a little embarrassment that he was still a scholar and had not passed the imperial examination, so how could he be qualified to take the spring examination? He could only take the provincial examination in the autumn.
"Oh, there is a Jiangnan Imperial Examination Hall in Yingtian Prefecture. Why do you have to travel thousands of miles to the capital to take the exam?"
To be honest, almost everyone who asked Shen Yichen this question was curious, but he couldn't answer it, so he could only cover up and say, "It's a long story."
How could someone who runs a hometown association not have the ability to read people's expressions? When Shen Yichen said this, Zhan Gui immediately understood that the other party didn't want to say it.
So he changed the subject and took the initiative to introduce himself: "My surname is Wang, and I have been in charge of this club for more than ten years. What is your name, sir?"
After all, those who can come to Yingtian Guild Hall are all from the same hometown, and they already have connections. Making friends with people who are preparing for imperial examinations is a sure-win business.
Who knows whether among this group of people there will be a prime minister in the future?
"My surname is Shen, my given name is Yichen, and I haven't chosen a courtesy name yet."
Shen Yichen?
Hearing the name, Shopkeeper Wang felt it sounded familiar. Looking at the young appearance of the guest in front of him, he suddenly remembered that a merchant had mentioned it recently.
The most outstanding scholar in Yingtian Prefecture today is Shen Yichen, the first in the Little Three Prizes case. Could it be the young man in front of him?