Compared with Liu Deshi, this 70-year-old Zhang Tan is a truly pitiful person. His life is not much left, and the opportunities in life have long disappeared. He only came to participate in the 31st spring examination in his life out of the instinct of "living". Except for those years when Chang'an City had to stop tribute due to war, all the meaning of his life has been lost in the narrow corridors and atrium of the South Court of the Ministry of Rites. When the end of the day came, Zhang Tan would dissipate in the dust of the chariots and horses of Chang'an City, along with other names that he had been constantly re-issuing in this life, and completely obscured.

So Zhang Tan, who was about to finish the first game, felt a cruel and despair that was so painful that he followed the crowd in a daze, walked from An to the street and stumbled. He could still remember the road back to Wubenfang: Follow Zhuque Street and turn from the southwest corner of Xingdaofang.

But when he reached the corner intersection, Zhang Tan couldn't help but hunched over, and half of his arm was curled up in pain, and his body was like a bent dead tree, and he could no longer move forward.

Now Liu Deshi didn't cry anymore. He, Duke Wei and Gao Yue hurried over, "Brother-in-law, father-in-law" shouted at Zhang Tan who was kneeling on the ground.

Zhang Tan raised his face, looked at the sky above the hustle and bustle of the yellow dust, and shouted in an old and hoarse tone, "The ancients had a last word, the world is as broad as the palm. I have been walking for thirty years, but the road to the sky has not reached the sky. My body is like grass on a stone, and my roots are shallow and hard to live. Everyone loves spring, and I am worried about the flowers..." After saying that, Zhang Tan was anxious, his mouth and nose were crooked, his chest was undulating, and his phlegm surged up like thunder, and he immediately fell in Gao Yue's arms.

Gao Yue held Zhang Tan, with almost no weight, and was thin and bony. He immediately felt sad, as if he was holding his grandfather.

Liu Deshi cried, and he stretched out his hand, stroking and patting Zhang Tan who had only breath and only appeared in, "Brother-in-law, you can't die. I'm so happy. Even if we are the grass on the stone, we have to find a way to survive. There will always be one day when we get the support of noble people, father-in-law!"

The Duke of the Guards there also shouted, but Zhang Tan was already like a candle in the wind. Today, the cold wind in the Ministry of Rites completely extinguished the remaining fire. Zhang Tan's eyes were hung, his mouth was drooling, his hands and feet were stiff, and he died in Gao Yue's arms.

Gao Yue gritted his teeth and touched Zhang Tan's dry and pale strands of hair with his fingers, without saying a word for a long time.

On the Zhuque Street in Chang'an City, officials in Zhuzizhang's uniform had already gone to court, riding horses and walking around the houses of various buildings, no one was thinking about the death of this poor old man who was 70 years old and still lost his first place. Only Gao Yue, Liu Deshi and Wei Duke, three poor students, were hugging Zhang Tan's skinny body in the rolling smoke and dust, trembling in the cold wind of early spring in Chang'an City.

In the southwest corner of Xingdaofang, in a pavilion next to the street, the girl with black and white hair and black hair stood there quietly, watching what happened below, seeing Liu Deshi's crying and Zhang Tan's death, she couldn't help but feel some mutual sorrow. She held the whisk in her slender hand and said nothing for a long time.

"I'm afraid my father-in-law has no relatives in this world. What should I do after he dies?" Liu Deshi has now temporarily thrown his pain aside and covers his face with his sleeves.

The Duke of the Fighter didn't know what to do, but in the end, Gao Yue spoke out, "Don't cry! I'll pay immediately to bury my father-in-law's body."

Liu Deshi immediately widened his eyes. Only he knew that Gao Yue had the only two assets around him now, one was the seven-treasure agate cup given by Wang Tuantuan, and the other was the Qishui Bianye, which had been pawned for the mysterious old man.

The latter will not be able to see the reward value until October this year, so if Gao Wen wants to bury Zhang Tan, the money can only be obtained by selling the agate cup.

"Yi Song..." Liu Deshi means that Gao Yue will consider it again. After all, he has to leave some money to give himself a way out. This time, the spring exam will be lost and will be held again next year. There is still a whole year to stay in this "poor hell" Chang'an City.

But Gao Yue's expression was very serious. He calmed down and continued to hug the dead Zhang Tan and said to Liu Deshi, "Tomorrow, I and Congzhou will continue to take the second test in the spring examination of the Ministry of Rites. Brother Fangzhai, find a place to stop the body of my father-in-law for the time being. You can't just ask him to fall on the street like this. After I get the money, find a place to bury my father-in-law."

"Okay." Finally, Liu Deshi understood Gao Yue's determination and agreed.

"What should we do if Yi Song gets off this year?" At this time, the Duke of the Fighting asked this question involuntarily. He had already asked Gao Yue to make a decision in his subconscious mind.

Gao Yue looked at the two of them and said in a deep voice, "Let's stay in the Imperial Academy, don't be as confused as before. Zhu Sui's imperial examination has a backer and a reputation for taking the imperial examination like Zheng Zhi's imperial examination. What about us? As Brother Fangzhai said, there is nothing, and there is only the last way left."

"The last way?"

"Yes, the last way is unity." Gao Yue said seriously, "Looking for food and accommodation, investment banking, striving for fame, and studying the scriptures, poetry and essays. In this way, we unite closely and try our best to show our strengths. This is the last magic weapon for us to win this cruel war."

When Gao Yue said this, the Duke of the Fighter widened his eyes, as if he had heard of the pattern that Gao Yue said before, "You mean, we are a group of fellow people, forming a 'shelf'!?"

"Sheel?" It was Gao Yue's turn to be confused.

"Among the candidates who went to Beijing to take the exam, some people were in unison and joined forces with each other to support each other. Those who came to compete for fame and fortune were called friends. In order to avoid the suspicion of "clipart", they were called "pen" and those who were in charge were called "pentou." The Duke of Wei explained.

"Very good, then let's build a shed. We must also make up our minds to compete for this Jinshi in the Spring Examination of the Tang Dynasty. We must make up our minds to fight for it. Those who always look down on us will wash their eyes sooner or later." Gao Yue ignited confidence and ambition at this moment.

The sound of this was loud and reached the building near the street of Zhide Nuguan.

So the female crown heard all this. She raised her red lips slightly and smiled, "This student has a great ambition, but is it really that difficult to get a Jinshi? Poor this father-in-law, who seems to be over 70 years old, but in the end he is trapped in the literary world without any actions."

Then he looked at Gao Yue's appearance who lowered his body and rectified Zhang Tan's body. The female crown smiled again, "This man looks like a middle-aged and superior figure, much better than the two." After sighing, she had a bold idea...
Chapter completed!