Of course, the streets were filled most of all with scholars, wearing the square caps and long robes of their station.

They spoke with a medley of regional accents, but their faces all shared a look of curiosity and wonder, a clear sign they too had come for the examinations.

When their eyes met, they would nod to one another in greeting.

As they walked onward, Huang Chen remarked, "The people here live prosperous and peaceful lives. The Magistrate has clearly done a fine job governing. By the way, what was the Magistrate’s surname again?"

De’an was speechless. "Sheng. We went over this multiple times in the carriage just a moment ago."

"After all these days stuck in a carriage, my head is so full of horse hooves and brass bells I can’t hear anything else. How old is Mr. Sheng?" 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

De’an buried his face in his hands. "Stop making a fool of yourself out here. You’re here for the Prefecture and Academy examinations, for heaven’s sake. If you don’t even know the life and career of the local Lord Prefect, what sort of test do you think you’re taking? Just stop asking. If anyone overhears how clueless you are, we’ll be implicated too. I’ll tell you everything you want to know in detail when we get back."

It was no wonder De’an was giving Huang Chen such a hard time. The Magistrate was not only the highest administrative official in the prefecture, but he was also responsible for overseeing all examinations held within its jurisdiction.

The Prefecture Examination, as its name suggests, was held in the Prefecture City and was invariably overseen by the Magistrate. You come all this way for an exam without even knowing who the examiner is? If you can’t cater to his preferences, you haven’t got a ghost of a chance of passing.

Knowing he was in the wrong, Huang Chen wisely held his tongue.

De’an nudged Zhao Jing with his elbow. "What are you thinking about? We’ve been out for ages, and you haven’t said a word. You’re not getting homesick again, are you?"

Zhao Jing gazed at the sights along the road and said in a quiet voice, "No. I just think the night scenery here is breathtaking. If I ever get the chance, I should bring my sister to see it."

De’an rolled his eyes, utterly defeated.

They had been on the road for only a few days, yet Jing never missed an opportunity to mention his sister. ’Honestly, is she his sister or what? I’ve been with my own sister for over a decade, and I don’t go on about her like he does.’

Chu Xun chuckled as he overheard the pair’s conversation. But his smile faded as he thought of Li Cun, lying at home—face gaunt, body frail, and unable to make the journey for the exams—and he couldn’t help but sigh.

The group walked on a bit further and saw that a tall tower of lanterns had been erected in front of a shop, even at this late hour.

The tower was adorned with all kinds of lanterns: goldfish lanterns, jade rabbit lanterns, Lotus Lanterns, Beauty Lamps, and more. A red banner hung from each one, a riddle written upon it.

A neatly dressed attendant stood smiling before the lantern tower, announcing, "Solve a riddle and win a lantern! Furthermore, if any of you great talents are willing to leave a sample of your calligraphy for our humble studio, you will be gifted a set of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone!"

De’an felt like this was just a loss leader to draw a crowd. "Giving away lanterns for solving a riddle is one thing, but they’re also gifting a full set of writing supplies just for a piece of calligraphy?"

He all but said aloud, ’This shopkeeper has to be an idiot.’

Huang Chen came from a merchant family and knew their true nature. A businessman might lose face, but never money. If it looked like they were taking a loss, it only meant they were making a killing elsewhere.

Huang Chen said, "They’re casting a wide net to catch more fish."

"What do you mean?"

"It means they’re building goodwill. Among all the calligraphy they collect, if just one of the writers passes the exam to become a Scholar, the shop gains an influential connection. If any of those people later find success and become scholars or even Advanced Scholars, that’s even better. This studio will have powerful patrons."

Furthermore, this stunt will surely spread the studio’s reputation far and wide among the scholarly community.

Their entire business caters to scholars. When scholars hear about this, they’ll flock to the shop, and business will boom. The writing supplies they give away will come back to them, in both tangible and intangible forms.

The owner of this place is a truly shrewd individual.

That was the thought that occurred to all of them at once.

As they looked past the layers of lanterns to read the shop’s name, they saw the words "Moxiang Pavilion" written in large, powerful script that shone brightly under the vibrant glow of the lights.

The four of them broke into knowing smiles. "So this is the main branch."

Thanks to the excellent reputation Mr. Wang had cultivated in Qingshui County, the local scholars held this fairly priced and generous shop in very high regard.

De’an’s thoughts, however, ran deeper.

’Mr. Wang of Moxiang Pavilion recognized Zhao Jing back when he was a nobody,’ he thought. ’And the owner of this main branch recognizes even more scholars from their humble beginnings. This philanthropic spirit is consistent throughout the business. No wonder Moxiang Pavilion is so successful.’

"Since we’re here, we might as well join the fun."

With that, the four of them went to try their hand at the lantern riddles.