There were still quite a few people standing outside the entrance to the examination hall. Most were scholars dressed in long robes with bookcases strapped to their backs—some were young men with childlike faces, while others were elderly men with white hair and hunched backs.

Lin Yue took a close look. The youthful-looking young man was clearly from a wealthy family; he was accompanied by a pageboy and an elder who appeared to be a steward or servant. He was the youngest person Lin Yue could see. There were also a few who looked to be around Shen Huaizhi’s age, while most of the rest were past forty, their hair streaked with gray.

“Let’s go. We’ll find an inn to stay at first, then come back tomorrow.” 

“Alright.”

The Provincial Examination Hall was on East City Street, and there were inns in Dong’an Alley diagonally across from it. Before Lin Yue even stepped inside, he spotted several signs. The Anping Inn at the entrance of the alley was the largest, with four massive wooden doors. Four attendants stood at the entrance—two men and two women—all wearing identical smiles that instantly put people at ease.

Lin Yue almost gritted his teeth and walked in, but in the end, he held back. Never mind—next time. Next time for sure.

Seeing him standing motionless, Shen Huaizhi leaned in and asked, “What’s wrong? Can’t walk anymore? Or did you get sunburned?”

“No, let’s walk a bit further in and pick a quieter inn.”

Dong’an Alley was incredibly spacious. On the left stood a row of neat inns, while on the right were all sorts of eateries and taverns, their vendors’ shouts rising and falling in a constant chorus.

“Ruyi Inn—a first-class room for just one hundred wen a night, with hot water available anytime.”

“Yingchun Inn—only eighty wen a night, just eighty wen!”

Lin Yue had to pinch the palm of his hand to keep a straight face. Just looking at these two inns from the doorway, they didn’t seem much different from the ones in town, yet they were charging nearly one hundred wen a night. Lin Yue dared not even think about how much the Anping Inn at the intersection must have cost.

Walking all the way to the end of the alley, the inns he encountered along the way charged anywhere from fifty wen to a hundred wen per night. Lin Yue hesitated. “Why don’t we just stay at the one that’s fifty wen a night? It’s not far from the Provincial Examiner’s Examination Hall, and it’s convenient to grab a meal right outside.”

Shen Huaizhi had also taken the prefectural examination in the prefectural capital, but not at this location. Besides, that was four years ago. At the time, he had come with several classmates, and they hadn’t stayed near the examination hall that night. Instead, they’d stayed at an inn two streets away, in a large dormitory-style room where ten people shared a single room and were provided with just a pot of hot water. Still, the price was reasonable—only eight wen per night.

Lin Yue had come this year as well, so naturally, they couldn’t stay in such poor conditions. But the nearby inns were simply too expensive. Shen Huaizhi whispered, “Let’s look around elsewhere first. We arrived early, so perhaps there are cheaper inns. If we don’t find anything, we can come back here.”

“Alright, I’ll take your lead,” Lin Yue replied, then added, “Let’s just look along these two nearby streets. If we stay too far away, we might miss any news that comes up. Besides, the bookstore you want to visit is also nearby—it wouldn’t be good to be too far off.”

The two of them turned left as they exited the alley. This street was also lined with food vendors, but in addition to the shops, there were all kinds of small stalls—offering rice dishes, pastries, dried fruits, beverages, steamed buns, and noodle soups. The variety was even richer, and the aromas were even more intoxicating.

Lin Yue looked on with great interest, thinking that if they could find a place to stay soon, they would have dinner right here tonight.

Before they had even walked halfway down the street, Lin Yue spotted another alley. Inside, there were a few signs hanging, though not many. Lin Yue grabbed Shen Huaizhi’s arm. “Let’s go take a look. The inns here should be cheaper.”

Sure enough, there were four inns in this alley, ranging from fifty wen a night for the most expensive to just twenty wen for the cheapest. Lin Yue walked in excitedly, but the moment he asked, the corners of his mouth drooped.

“Landlord, are you saying it’s twenty wen to stay tonight, but seventy wen tomorrow night?”

“That’s right. Are you staying? The city’s crowded these days. Let me warn you—if you don’t find a place now, and you’re still out after curfew, you might just end up at the magistrate’s office.”

The innkeeper, dozing behind the counter, gave Lin Yue and his companion a casual once-over. Though both young men looked well-built, their clothes and appearance made it clear they were short on cash and likely couldn’t afford a room.

Sure enough, hearing no reply from Lin Yue, the innkeeper closed his eyes again.

Lin Yue had been considering whether to stay, but now he had completely lost interest. He snorted and turned to leave.

“Let’s go. If there aren’t any more, we’ll just stay at the one that costs fifty wen—it’s a thousand times better than this place.” 

Worried he might be upset, Shen Huaizhi hurriedly added, “There’s another one right next door. Let’s go take a look; that one looks like an old establishment.”    

“Really? I hadn’t even noticed. Come on, let’s go right now.”

The place next door was called the Yuelai Inn. The sign above the entrance looked quite old, and the main hall had six tables, with two tables of guests seated in the corner…with two waiters standing nearby, presumably taking their order.

No sooner had Lin Yue and his companion stepped inside than a servant—who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere—approached them with a smile. “Gentlemen, are you stopping for a meal or staying the night?” Lin Yue asked, “We’d like to stay the night. May I ask how much a room costs?”

The attendant waved the cloth in his hand. “This way, please. Our inn offers Heaven-class, Earth-class, and Human-class rooms. Heaven-class rooms are fifty wen per night—spacious with top-quality bedding, plus two meals are included. For example, if you check in now, that covers dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow. Earth-class rooms are thirty wen per night; they’re slightly smaller, with medium-quality bedding, and meals aren’t included. However, both room types provide hot water. The human-class rooms are dormitory-style, accommodating six people per room. A single night’s stay costs just ten wen per person, and two buckets of hot water are included.”

“Since you two appear to be a married couple, if you were to stay in the ‘Human-class’ room, you’d have to sleep in separate beds. I recommend the ‘Earth-class’ room—it’s only ten wen more per night than the ‘Human-class’ room, which is quite a bargain.”

“Also, the guest who stayed in Heaven-class Room No. 1 six years ago won first place in the imperial examinations, and the one who stayed there three years ago also passed. If you two wish to stay in that room, it’s an extra ten wen per night. Earth-class Room No. 1 has also produced two Xiucai; staying there costs an extra five wen.”

Lin Yue nodded repeatedly; the “Earth-class” rooms did sound quite appealing. “Is the ‘Earth-class’ Room thirty wen per night? We’ll be staying for three days—will the price go up later?”

He actually wanted to ask about Room No. 1 in the “Earth-class” section, but fearing it might put pressure on Shen Huaizhi, he held back in the end.

The reply came from Manager Qian behind the counter. “Don’t worry, young ger. The price won’t go up. I said thirty, and it’s thirty. Not just for three days—even if you stay five days, it’s the same price. And if you stay for a month or so, it’ll be even cheaper.”

Accommodations were a different matter. Lin Yue thought for a moment before speaking up: “Could you please take us to see the ‘Earth-class’ rooms? Don’t worry, we’ll just look from the doorway—we won’t go inside.”

“No problem at all. Xiao Li, take these two guests upstairs. Room No. 3 on the second floor is still vacant—let’s go take a look at that one. It’s quieter and better suited for scholars.”

“Alright, you two, follow me.”

Room 3 was located at the very back of the second floor. The clerk pushed open the door and stepped aside. “This is the ‘Earth-class’ room. If you don’t like it, I’ll take you to see the ‘Heaven-class’ rooms.”

Lin Yue thanked him and peered inside. What met his eyes was a square table, with a wooden bed on the left. It wasn’t large, but it was big enough for two people, and it even had a mosquito net. Beside the bed stood a small cabinet and a clothes rack, and to the side was a bamboo screen; the area behind it must be the bathing area.

The room was indeed small, but it lacked nothing. Lin Yue looked up at Shen Huaizhi; seeing him nod, he turned to the clerk. “We’ll take this room. Three nights.”

“Alright, please follow me to the front desk.”

As they descended the stairs, Lin Yue pulled out his money pouch. Inside were one hundred wen he’d set aside specifically for the inn; he now counted out ten more and tucked them into his robe. Upon reaching the front desk, Lin Yue emptied the entire contents of his pouch onto the counter.

“Here are ninety wen. Please count them, sir.”

“Alright then. Here’s the key to Room 3 on the ground floor. Keep it safe. If you go out during the day, be sure to lock the door, but it’s best to keep your valuables with you just in case.”

“By the way, young sir, are you here to take the Xiucai examination?”

Shen Huaizhi nodded. “That’s correct. Is there a problem?”

Proprietor Qian stroked his beard and shook his head. “Not at all. Whenever there’s a provincial exam, if someone staying at our inn passes the Xiucai exam, we waive one night’s lodging fee for a three-night stay, half a day’s fee for a two-night stay, and a third of the fee for a one-night stay. And if they come in first place, that’s something else entirely—not only do we waive all room charges for three days, but this old man will also treat you to a banquet. Judging by my eye for talent, you two might just qualify for a free stay as well.”

Lin Yue was taken aback. Was this the secret to running an inn in the prefectural capital? He was far too shrewd a businessman.

Shen Huaizhi, however, remained composed. He clasped his hands and said, “Thank you for your kind words, innkeeper. However, the results of the provincial exam won’t be posted for five days after the test. As I come from a poor family, the journey to the prefectural city was no easy feat. It might be more prudent to hire a messenger.”

“Not at all, not at all. Word has been circulating early this year: the very next day after the results are posted, the education commissioner’s attendants will deliver blue robes with a finial crest to all the Xiucai. Two days later, the education commissioner will host a banquet at the prefectural office—you simply must attend.”

Lin Yue and Shen Huaizhi were hearing this for the first time and hurriedly thanked the innkeeper.

“Thank you for the information, innkeeper. We’ll return to your inn in five days’ time and look forward to your good fortune.”

“No problem. Even if I hadn’t mentioned it, someone will be announcing it at the examination hall early the day after tomorrow. It’s getting late; if you two plan to go out, you’d better hurry. The curfew in the city begins at the hour of Xu. It wouldn’t be good if you returned too late.”

Lin Yue thanked him once more, then returned to their room with Shen Huaizhi. The square table, which had been empty moments ago, now held a pot of hot tea, and a “Guests Inside” sign hung on the door.

It was getting late, and having just arrived in the capital, Lin Yue had no desire to go out. He suggested, “We have a lot of odds and ends with us, so it’s not convenient for us to go out together. You wait for me at the inn while I go buy some food. Once you’ve finished your exams, we’ll go out and explore on the ninth day.”

Shen Huaizhi was a little worried. “I’ll go get it. You’ve been running around all day and must be tired. Go rest in the room for a bit. I’ll be right back.” 

Lin Yue said, “Okay, then go to the stall we passed earlier. I saw one selling rice noodles—they smelled so good.”

Shen Huaizhi was quick to oblige. “I’ll get a bowl of that. Is there anything else you’d like to eat? We can buy a few different things and share.”

Lin Yue immediately replied, “Then let’s get another bowl of red-threaded dumplings. I asked the owner earlier, and he said that if you live nearby and bring the wooden token from the inn, you can take the bowl back to eat, then return it to them after you’re done.”

“Alright, I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes.”

As soon as Shen Huaizhi stepped out the door, Lin Yue called over a waiter and ordered two pots of hot water. After riding in a mule cart for most of the day, he was covered in dust and needed to wash up right away.