Chapter 2276: The Academy Begins

Chapter 2276: The Academy Begins

June 25th, the weather was clear.

A line of horse carriages and people formed a long procession on the road outside the city, slowly moving towards a nearby hilltop.

Sitting in a carriage, Kang Shi exclaimed, "I never expected so many people to come. This is quite extraordinary."

Sitting in the same carriage with her, Hou Shi smiled and replied, "With the Emperor's bestowed plaque, two prominent scholars presiding, the recent talk of the town, the top scorer in the imperial exams, and Master Shanju's two landscape paintings on display, it's no surprise that so many people are coming. It's just that the time is tight, and those coming from farther away might not have arrived yet. If we had more time, I'm afraid even more people would have come."

Kang Shi nodded, "That's true. My husband came all this way just to see the two scholars."

"Didn't Young Master Yao return yesterday?"

Kang Shi sighed, "Yes, Yunzheng is taking care of him. When he went to pick up the two scholars yesterday, he took Yao Bo with him. But since then, he hasn't returned. It seems he's forgotten about us."

Hou Shi teased, "Is he trying to pass the imperial exam as soon as possible and earn you an edict? How could he forget about you and your son?"

Kang Shi couldn't help but smile, not bothering to argue.

Their carriage arrived at a midway point on the mountain, conveniently located for parking. This place used to be bustling with people coming and going to the black market, all of whom were wealthy and influential. Therefore, this area halfway up the mountain was quite spacious, and carriages could easily find a place to park.

Kang Shi's group was met by attendants as they reached the midway point.

Coincidentally, the person leading the way for this group of people was Shu Rui.

Dressed in scholar's robes, Shu Rui looked smart and neatly dressed, not very tall but still proper, courteous, and well-mannered.

Seeing Kang Shi and Hou Shi, Shu Rui greeted them with a smile and then turned to address the others. "Ladies and gentlemen, please follow me. We'll have to walk for the final stretch up the mountain. If anyone has any difficulty, please let me know in advance, and I'll arrange for assistance."

Indeed, among the crowd, some people didn't want to climb the mountain. They gazed at the winding road uphill and wished they could find someone to carry them.

In the past, there were such services available in the black market, and even some temples and monasteries located on the mountain would employ porters for this purpose.

However, there were no such services here. The students admitted to the school would not only have to climb the mountain but also participate in physical education classes, extracurricular activities, and even cultivate vegetables and fruits on the land at the mountain's base.

So, everyone had to climb the mountain themselves. Even though today's attendees were not all students of the academy, there were no exceptions.

Among the crowd, one person raised their hand, wanting to inquire if they could find someone to carry them.

But before they could speak, Kang Shi smiled and asked, "Mu Mu, are you planning to climb yourself, or do you want assistance?"

Yao Mumu, a very determined young child, declared proudly, "I can climb it myself. I may be small, but I'm strong! This little hill? I'll reach the top in a flash. Mother, don't underestimate me; I'll be too embarrassed if you ask someone to carry me."

Everyone else chuckled at his confident declaration.

The person who had raised their hand to ask for assistance quietly withdrew it.

Shu Rui smiled and said, "Since no one needs assistance, let's continue our ascent. However, we have a particularly brave young child with us today, so we'll take it slow."