Chapter 61 - 57: First Test
The atmosphere during the drinking games was excellent. Glasses clinked and cups were exchanged, and everyone stayed late into the night before the banquet finally ended. They then boarded carriages rented by the Yang Family and checked into an inn located in Huai De Square, west of the West Market.
Yang Yu had clearly taken to heart what Li Ang had said during the day. The inn he chose was a complex of courtyards, situated on higher ground and away from any canals. Furthermore, the Yang Family had already sent someone to retrieve the luggage everyone had left at the hostel outside the city and had it neatly arranged.
Such meticulous planning and decisive action earned Yang Yu even more respect from the group. According to a servant at the inn, the Yang Family of Chonghua Square ran a large-scale silk business in Chang’an City.
Yang Yu was the fourth direct-line son of the Yang Family. His late great-grandfather had once been an Academic Palace Disciple and an Honorary Doctor, which had led to the family’s prosperity. However, in recent decades, no one from the Yang Family had become an Academic Palace Disciple. They had only managed to marry their daughters to men from the Academic Palace. If Yang Yu’s generation failed to produce another disciple, the power within the family might slip to another branch.
The woes of the wealthy elite. Li Ang muttered under his breath as he picked up a towel to wipe his face.
From the study, Chai Cuiqiao’s voice came, "Young Master, what did you say?"
"Nothing. Is the ink ready?" Li Ang wrung out the towel, hung it up, then left the bedroom and entered the study.
Chai Cuiqiao had already ground the ink, laid out the Xuan paper, and arranged the brush holder, Paperweight, and stacks of books neatly on the desk.
Feasting and entertainment were merely temporary diversions; the true goal was to pass the Academic Palace’s entrance examination.
First, Li Ang practiced his calligraphy. Once he felt calm and focused, he had Chai Cuiqiao randomly select a few thick books, flip to arbitrary pages, and read out passages. He would then write down the context surrounding those passages from memory, along with their various annotations.