In the Ming Dynasty 1498, my restaurant connects two worlds.

Finally, after finishing a pot of wine, Song Xiaoyi and Liu Kexi reached an agreement on the future development direction of "Jinyi Fast Food" and his support plan.

The fast food dishes will be rotated regularly according to the seasons, and updated every ten days.

Regarding funding and profit sharing, Song Xiaoyi generously stated that he would not take a single penny and would use it all for the expansion of the "Jinyi Fast Food" project.

In reality, Song Xiaoyi didn't care about such a small amount of hard-earned money at all.

Liu Kexi promised that the Embroidered Uniform Guard would do its utmost to ensure the safety of the Song family and related personnel in Yingtian Prefecture, and assist in the advancement of the Song family's Moling Village construction plan and the handling of related procedures.

Furthermore, when Tang Bohu and others went to the capital for the imperial examinations at the end of the year, Mu Bin would accompany them under the guise of supervising "fast food in fine clothes" and coordinate with his colleagues in the capital to secretly help them, which was exactly what Song Xiaoyi needed.

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The next morning, Song Xiaoyi and Song Yunqiu were awakened by the crowing of the rooster next door. After washing up, they went to the restaurant together to open the door. On the second floor, they turned on their phones to check Qiu Ying's life trajectory.

Qiu Ying's subsequent life was indeed uneventful, with everything going smoothly, at least according to historical records.

"Sister, you see? Before seeing it, you were still uneasy; after seeing it, you thought you were at peace, but actually you were even more uneasy. It's mainly because you're too concerned to think straight."

"..."

"You should prepare to open the door first. Together with Miss Miaolan, we should complete the upgrade of the restaurant as soon as possible. At that time, we can grant Xiaoshifu access, which will provide him with an extra layer of protection for survival. I need to go back to Songjia Village in Moling for a while to oversee the renovation of the old house. I'll leave this to Sister Qiu."

Song Xiaoyi returned to Songjia Village in Moling to renovate the old house, guiding craftsmen in building a high-walled courtyard. Based on modern blueprints, he excavated and constructed an underground garage extending into the neighboring mountainside, and also set up several secret rooms on the surface...

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According to historical records, the chief examiner of the Nanjing provincial examination in the eleventh year of the Hongzhi reign was Liang Chu, the then tutor of the crown prince, who was an expert in writing the eight-legged essay.

During the grading process, Tang Bohu's answer was insightful and thought-provoking, and his words were colorful, elegant, and vivid, hitting Liang Chu's sweet spot.

Liang Chu was overjoyed after reading the exam paper, slapping the table in admiration, "Are there really such extraordinary scholars? The title of Jieyuan (top scholar) should belong to him!"

The examiner's words, "I couldn't help myself," sealed the deal, and the subordinate officials understood the deeper meaning behind them.

On the 29th day of the eighth month of the eleventh year of the Hongzhi reign, the results of the autumn imperial examinations were announced at the Jiangnan Examination Hall.

As expected, Tang Yin, who was almost disqualified from the provincial examination by the Imperial Censor, made a stunning debut and won the title of Nanjing Jieyuan in the Wuwu year.

Gu Lan ranked seventy-third and passed the imperial examination.

Wen Bi failed the exam.

"As my virtuous brother Xiao Yi predicted."

Zhu Zhishan and Xu Zhenqing were prepared and led Tang Bohu, Wen Zhengming, and Gu Lan back to the Song residence after they finished reading the list.

"Young Master Wen, this is what my brother asked me to give you."

"Um?"

"Brother Yi said he'll give it to you once you fail the exam."

"Brother Xiao Yi, you're being too inconsiderate. Did he say something wrong?"

"Let me see what it is, why are you being so mysterious?"

Wen Zhengming, who had been in a daze the whole way, remained expressionless upon hearing this and did not take the envelope handed to him by Song Yunqiu. However, Zhu Zhishan took the envelope, and upon seeing the heading and signature, exclaimed in surprise, "A letter from Wen Wenzhou!"

"What?!" Wen Zhengming finally reacted, taking the letter from Zhu Zhishan's hand, confirming it was his father's handwriting, and looking up at Song Yunqiu, "Sister Yunqiu, did Xiao Yi really give this to you? What else did he say?"

"Xiao Yi said he had expected you to fail the exam, which is why he didn't tell you last time, but he made a special trip to Wenzhou for this reason. He said you'll understand once you read the letter."

Wen Zhengming's fingers trembled slightly as he pulled out the letter. Wen Lin had written: "I already know that you failed the exam this time, not because of a lack of talent, but because I was implicated by my political enemies, which affected you as well..."

Wen Zhengming's Adam's apple bobbed, but he remained silent, lowering his eyes to hide the tears welling up in them.

In the letter, Wenlin also stated that he would work as soon as possible to resolve the crisis, and told Wenbi not to be discouraged, and to continue in three years... Finally, Wenlin briefly mentioned how Song Xiaoyi saved him, and told Wenbi to listen to Song Xiaoyi... He also said that he was in good health and not to worry.

Tang Bohu, Xu Zhenqing, and Wen Zhengming all found it unbelievable that it had only been a few days.

I see my brother Xiao Yi almost every day. When did he leave to go to Wenzhou?

Zhu Zhishan knew that there were "cars" in the immortal realm that could run incredibly fast, and "airplanes" in the sky that were as fast as lightning, far beyond the reach of the mortal world.

"Is my uncle a deity? Does he know everything from five hundred years ago to five hundred years into the future?"

Song Yunqiu frowned slightly and turned Xiao Qiuying towards the door, "Don't talk nonsense! Go to the study quickly, don't miss your studies."

As Qiu Ying ran, she kept looking back, "And, did Uncle fly to Wenzhou City?"

"..."

Song Yunqiu took out two gifts from the side room and pushed them towards Tang Bohu and Gu Lan. "Xiao Yi has prepared gifts for you to pay respects to your teacher. He specifically instructed that Young Master Tang should not forget to write a poem to thank his teacher. After you have finished writing it, you can take a carriage to the Imperial Academy together."

"Young Master Xu, you may come along."

"Ah? Oh! Changgu understands!"

After the three left, Zhu Zhishan asked, "Qiu-meizi, where did Brother Xiao Yi go?"

"He said he went to Songjia Village in Moling to renovate his old house and has been gone for several days. Yesterday, a member of the clan came to tell us that he is well and that we should not worry about him."

"Renovate the old house in Songjia Village, Moling?" Zhu Zhishan found it strange. He had a house in the Immortal Realm and such a large mansion in Taoye Ferry. What was the purpose of renovating an old house so far away?

Their gaze shifted to Jiming Temple Imperial College.

According to the conventions of the Ming Dynasty's officialdom, once a candidate passed the provincial examination and became a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination), he had basically already stepped into the officialdom. As long as he didn't do anything reckless, his entry into the officialdom was a sure thing; it was just a matter of personal fortune afterward.

A natural teacher-student relationship was formed between the chief examiner and the admitted candidates, so it was quite reasonable for Tang Bohu and Gu Lan to bring gifts to visit the chief examiner at that time. The candidates' future status in the court also represented the face of their teachers, making things easier for them.

The nature of their mutual exploitation and vested interests is anyone's guess.

Seeing that Tang Bohu's appearance was comparable to Pan An and his talent was on par with Cao Zijian, Liang Chu was even more delighted, and earnestly encouraged him, saying, "With your literary talent and learning, it is only a matter of time before you pass the imperial examination. I will soon return to the capital to report to the emperor, and I will certainly speak highly of you."

"Furthermore, I have ordered several copies of your examination paper to be made and recommended to my friends in the capital. I hope you will do well and strive for even greater achievements."

Just as a discerning eye is needed to recognize a talented horse, Tang Bohu naturally considered Liang Chu to be his discerning eye. Therefore, he was moved to tears, his eyes welled up with tears, and he bowed deeply to the ground, respectfully presenting the manuscript of his poem "Thanking the Chief Examiner After Receiving the Examination" with both hands.

"Thanks to my teacher's kindness, I feel as if I have seen a rainbow after the clouds have parted. I will never forget your guidance. I would like to express my gratitude to you with this poem."

"Thanking the Presiding Judge After Receiving the Examination Certificate": My lofty ambitions refuse to be spent as a woodcutter or fisherman; I long to sweep away the dust of this prosperous era. The sword, weighing a hundred gold pieces, was just broken when I was examined; the jade, having suffered three dismissals, was suddenly sold. I dare not hope for next year's cakes on red silk; I am deeply ashamed of writing this on yellow silk today. My three policies in the examination are not ancient poems; how can Heaven praise them?