In mid-April, at the turn of late spring and early summer, the weather gradually warms up.

The sun is getting more and more blazing day by day, and the pomegranate flowers are as red as fire, opening all over the streets and alleys of Chang'an City.

Han Gang has been living in the Chang'an City Post House for almost half a month, waiting for the news from the city of Tokyo. Compared with the busyness on the edge of life and death some time ago, life now can be said to be too leisurely. But this is also what Han Gang dreamed of, and he still wanted to be admitted to the Jinshi. I have been busy for a few months, and my homework has been delayed, and I can only ensure that I will not be rusty when I study the scriptures, but I can only wait until I have a relatively complete free time for further systematic study.

After Han Jiang resigned and Guo Kui succeeded him, the Shaanxi Xuanfu Division had fallen into a state of stagnation before disbanding. Without the right to 'act cheaply', the Xuanfu envoy is an empty name, and Guo Kui's main energy is now focused on his position as the pacification envoy of Jingzhao Mansion and Yongxing Military Road.

He has just taken office, and there are many affairs that need to be handled urgently, and because Wu Kui's life and death are unknown, all the facilities, deployments, and personnel that have been related to him must be changed or inspected, whether it is the fourth road on the edge of the border or the Yongxing military road in the hinterland of Guanzhong, it is the same.

In order to deal with these trivial matters, large and small, Guo Kui was very busy, and he had no time to pay attention to the suspended Shaanxi Xuanfu Division. The only order he gave as an envoy was to move the Shuaifu to Chang'an City.

Prior to this, the counterinsurgency generals from all walks of life on the border had already led their troops back to their stations. There are only a dozen subordinate officials who have been recruited by Han Jiang one after another, and like Han Gang, they all live in the Chang'an Post House, waiting for the fate of the imperial court.

Most of them are invited by themselves, go out every day to travel, during the day they ride horses around the famous places of interest inside and outside Chang'an, and at night go to the famous Pingkangfang since the Tang Dynasty to observe the people's feelings. Han Gang was the only one who lived alone in a remote courtyard in the post house, studying the scriptures day and night. In addition to being conquered by Guo Kui, You Shixiong, who did not return to Pizhou, did not go to see any idle people, etc., but was just studying.

When you are tired from reading, you get up and exercise. After sweating, I changed my clothes and sat down again to continue studying. Such a focus on hard study made Lu Dazhong, who was passing through Chang'an, appreciated.

The four famous Lantian Lu brothers in Guanzhong - Lv Dazhong, Lv Dafang, Lv Dajun, and Lv Dalin, in addition to Lv Dafang, the other three are Zhang Zai's disciples, among which Lv Dazhong is the oldest and follows Zhang Zai the earliest. He is the same age as Zhang Zai, but he still teaches Zhang Zai, and he is the elder brother of Han Gang and You Shixiong. Lu Dazhong was doing it, but after he stepped down from office recently, he did not go to the capital to guard the gate for the time being, but prepared to go to Hengqu Academy to meet Zhang Zai. It was only on the way that I heard about the names of Han Gang and You Shixiong, two junior brothers who had recently become famous, so I stopped by to visit.

Although the Lantian Lu family has never produced a first-class eunuch, they have been official eunuchs for several generations, and they can be regarded as hairpins in previous dynasties. Under Zhang Zaimen, unlike Chong Jianzhong and You Shixiong, who mainly focused on the art of war, the Lu brothers focused on scripture.

Seeing that Han Gang was studying the scriptures hard, Lu Dazhong gave instructions regardless of the fatigue of the journey, and even at the reception banquet held for him by You Shixiong and Han Gang, he was also talking about the interpretation of the scriptures. Although his senior brother is modest, he is profoundly knowledgeable, and he is even more specialized in Zhou etiquette and historical theory, and has given Han Gang a lot of advice.

And when Lu Dazhong heard Han Gang talk about the idea of 'reaching the Tao by numbers', as well as the new solution of 'learning from things', he did not scoff at it, but inquired in detail with great interest, discussed it for several days, and even helped Han Gang make up for several loopholes in the wording when he described the theory, and explained several mechanical theorems in a more practical Confucian language, so that the principles of mechanics and Zhang Zai's qi science were more closely linked.

After this discussion, it was not until the schedule was urgent that Lu Dafang reluctantly said goodbye and left. Before leaving, he also asked Han Gang to continue to study in depth. In his view, the way of nature is an important part of qi science, and if Han Gang's summary of the knowledge of things is more sufficient, he can further improve the theory of this aspect of qi. So when he said goodbye, he was reluctant, but when he left, he was in a hurry, anxious to discuss with Zhang Zai.

Lu Dazhong left, and Han Gang continued to sit down and read peacefully. It's just that he studied hard and studied hard, and when Zhou Nan, who stayed in Suide, was escorted by a reliable cronie sent by Chong Ge, Han Gang would also add a little entertainment in addition to reading and exercising.

In the small courtyard where there were no outsiders, Zhou Nan changed into a light cyan shirt, and the thin layers of silk could not hide his proud figure. Stepping on a pair of clogs, Bai Shengsheng's pair of small feet are exposed. When she sat down, her back was very straight, and the palm-wide embroidered yellow silk belt was tied around her waist, which made her waist slender and her peaks straight.

Han Gang sat at the stone table in the courtyard, the elm tree above his head was shady, blocking the sun that had become blazing. Looking down at the scroll on the table, he silently read the words on the book. After reciting a scripture, close your eyes and recite the commentary. Piece by piece, it seems that he is not in a hurry or impatient.

And Zhou Nan was quietly on the side, holding a light Luo fan, gently fanning the wind. The little hand holding the fan was as smooth as jade, and the cuffs that faded to the elbow exposed the jade lotus-like forearms. When the arm is flaid, it glows with a dazzling white light.

The stunning beauty is around, and a burst of fragrance emanates from the slightly open placket. This scene is intoxicating, but Han Gang is still reading a book in confusion. The focused and attentive look made Zhou Nan look at it stupidly, and he didn't know how time passed by in a flash.

It wasn't until almost noon that someone disturbed the quiet and tranquil atmosphere, and You Shixiong came to the door.

Hearing You Shixiong's voice outside, Zhou Nan hurriedly got up and walked into the house quickly, her clothes could not be seen by outsiders.

And Han Gang put down the book, went over to open the door himself, and welcomed You Shixiong in. The two of them sat down in the courtyard, the faint fragrance was still in place, You Shixiong smiled slightly, and did not make fun of Han Gang's Yanfu, but said: "Yukun, the envoy from Beijing is finally coming." ”

"When?!"

"Tomorrow...... Taiwei Guo has already sent someone to greet him. ”

"Tomorrow?!" Han Gang was pleasantly surprised, "After waiting for so many days, I finally have a game!" ”

"Not necessarily a good thing!" You Shixiong sighed.

He is one of the outstanding disciples of Zhang Zai, Zhongjin Shi is early, and he has much more contact with his classmates than Han Gang, who has just emerged, and now he is under Guo Kui's account, and the news is also a lot better, and he just got a little new information today, so he hurried over.

"In order to judge the merits and demerits of this battle, it is said that Wang Xianggong and Wen Xianggong quarreled so much that the world was turned upside down, and one said that although Luo Wu gained and lost, although it was not without regrets, he won a lot of victories, and his military exploits were the only ones for many years; One said that this war cost the people and money, provoked a mutiny, how can there be half a credit at all. This impeachment and the request for the county are one after another, and I don't know that the side of the road has the upper hand. ”

Han Gang shook his head and sneered: "Junior brother doesn't believe that Wen Shumi dares to swallow up the exploits of the armies participating in the war?" ”

"Of course the Privy Council doesn't dare, so the unlucky ones will be the civil officials in the Xuanfu Division. Han Xianggong's disposition has been decided, and someone must come out to take charge of it - just one Wu Kui can't suppress Youyou's mouth. ”

Even Wen Yanbo and others of the old party were afraid that they would not be rewarded for their merits, so that they would mutiny. What they suppressed was only the civil officials in the Xuanfu Division. The civil officials of the Xuanfu Division are all recruited by Han Jiang, and their ability level is not bad, and most of them are biased towards the faction of changing the law, if they admit their merits, it is tantamount to contributing to the new party, how can Wen Yanbo be willing to do it? !

"Xiucai rebelled, and it didn't work out for ten years. Wen Shumihui is afraid of forcing the generals to rebel, but he will not be afraid of offending the civil officials of the Shaanxi Xuanfu Division, it seems really bad. Han Gang smiled, this was not bad for him.

"Yukun, you are confident......"

"It's the same as Uncle Jing."

In the Xuanfu Division, Han Jiang's many staff, only Han Gang and You Shixiong's credits can be erased. What You Shixiong was worried about before was that he and Han Gang monopolized the merits, and others had no reward, which would make everyone jealous. And Han Gang is relieved, because the civil officials have no merit, and if he refuses to give the reward, he will not let people say that he is selling his reputation.

The next day, Li Xian, the envoy of the edict, came to Chang'an with the edict, and the content of the edict was the same as they expected. Zhao Ji and Wang Anshi failed to suppress the counterattack of Wen Yanbo and other important ministers of the old party, and had to sacrifice Xuanfu Si Wenchen.

The civil officials of the Xuanfu Division only had a meager silver silk to pay, and there was no reward for adding officials to knighthood. Only You Shixiong and Han Gang are exceptions.

There was no room for debate about You Shixiong's merits, and when the rebels were at their peak, they were given a blow to the head, and the thief chief Xie Ji who instigated his subordinates to rescue Wu Kui from the prison saved the weak city of Bizhou. From courage and intelligence, they are only a handful of officials, so they are specially intended to be transferred to officials. From the selection of people to the Beijing official, out of the selection of the sea.

And Han Gang, there are a lot of gold and silver treasures, and the most important one is that, like You Shixiong, he also broke away from Xuanhai and was specially transferred to Beijing officials.

Next, as long as the two of them go to the capital, after meeting the saint according to the routine, they will be official Beijing officials. Since then, he has been on the fast track to becoming an officer. After just one year as an official, he was changed from a candidate to a Beijing official, which is definitely an outlier in the officialdom.

The eyes of the lost civil officials were jealous and jealous, but they were shocked to find that Han Gang did not mean to bow to thank him.

Li Xian urged: "Han Gang...... Don't take the order to thank you yet! ”

"Yukun, you ......" You Shixiong was also shocked.

The onlookers didn't know why Han Gang didn't accept the order. The gap between the election and the Beijing officials is as deep as the abyss of the sea, and the ministers whose hearts are higher than the sky have finally lost all their motivation and sank in the sea of election after failing to change officials again and again. He can become a Beijing official at the age of twenty, and it is only possible when the son-in-law of the Zai Zhi family is made up for it. On the basis of pure merit, Han Gang may be the first in decades.

Why should you hesitate? Or did he rejoice and forget to give thanks?

Han Gang was silent for a while, and finally spoke. It is to refuse, not accept: "Luo Wu's victory lies in the elite soldiers, Han Gang is just an entourage, and he has no dimensional merit." said that the rebels were surrendered, but because the army was outside, not the power of Han Gang. As for the rest of the meager work, it is not worthy of such a reward. There are many beautiful words, and Han Gang is also ashamed. ”

He bowed again: "The subordinates dare not be rewarded!" ”