The old man stepped down the steps of the hall first, and walked slowly along a bluestone-paved fork to the side of the rockery, Wang Yuan hurriedly followed him, his heart was full of doubts, and after thinking for a long time, he really couldn't remember that he knew this person, could it be that this person was also the missing part of his memory? It turns out that Ben and himself know each other?

The old man walked slowly, came to the side of the rockery that was more than one person high, stopped, stretched out his hand to touch the thin snow cover above, turned around and smiled: "Wang Gongzi, how is the scenery of Zhao Fangzheng's courtyard?" ”

Wang Yuan didn't know what this brainless sentence meant, and said with a smile: "It's good." Can you tell me what's going on here? ”

The old man smiled and said, "Prince Wang, although you don't know me, I know you." ”

Wang Yuan was surprised: "There is a grass man in Xia, and he should be a noble person when he looks at his dignity, how can he know him?" ”

The old man tapped on the rockery and said slowly: "The shadow of the mirror is still there, but the shadow of the mirror is gone." Ask the person in the mirror, where are you going? ”

Wang Yuan was stunned for a moment, and said in amazement: "How can Zunjia know this poem?" ”

The old man smiled and said: "This is Wang Gongzi's poem, that day he sold mirrors in the West Market, and he occupied this poem, yes or no?" ”

Wang Yuan frowned and said, "But in my next impression, I didn't see the honorable driver on the spot at that time." ”

The old man smiled and said, "The old man was not on the spot, but afterwards you read this poem, and the noble man who bought your mirror recorded this poem and circulated it to the old man." ”

Wang Yuan suddenly arched his hand and said: "Shame and shamelessness, it's just a clumsy work, how can it get into the eyes of people." ”

"Wang Gongzi is too modest, after this poem was circulated by the old man and a few friends, they all thought that it was very well written, and it was very rare for Wang Gongzi to have such a poetic talent. By the way, does Wang Gongzi know who bought your mirror and this poem that day? ”

Wang Yuan shook his head and said, "That noble person doesn't want to tell his name, and it's inconvenient for me to ask." He spent two dollars on my mirror, which was so generous that I really deserved it. ”

The old man smiled: "Why be ashamed? The noble man you are talking about is just a matter of love and cherishment. Wang Gongzi, in fact, the old man came today because he entrusted him to see you. ”

Wang Yuan was surprised: "Entrusted by him? Who is this nobleman? ”

"It doesn't hurt to tell you, he is Li Shizhi, the prince of Qinghe County, the official worship of the left minister and the secretary of the military department."

Wang Yuan was taken aback, how could he have thought that the middle-aged man who appeared in Xishi that day was actually Li Shizhi, the prime minister of the left dynasty and the secretary of the military department. Datang officials have a hobby of wandering around, and Li Shizhi is one of the officials who love to hang out.

The officials of the Tang Dynasty had a lot of leisure time, working in the morning, and basically doing things such as eating, drinking, playing and chanting poetry in the afternoon. Li Shizhi that day took his entourage and wanted to go to the West Market Orchid Wine Shop to drink some wine and watch the orchid dance, and happened to see Wang Yuan selling mirrors, Li Shizhi, who liked to join in the fun, stopped to see the excitement.

Hearing Wang Yuan say that he is a scholar, Li Shizhi, who is also a scholar, moved with pity, but he didn't expect Wang Yuan to occupy a good poem in a few words, Li Shizhi loves talent, so he spent a high price to buy a bronze mirror, and the intention is also to cherish talent, hoping to help Wang Yuan tide over the difficulties.

Wang Yuan was surprised when he heard the old man's narration, but he didn't understand why Li Shizhi had sent the old man to see him now.

"Wang Gongzi, the old man is the steward next to Li Zuoxiang, the old man's surname is Liu, you can call me Liu Steward. Li Zuoxiang brought your poems back to the house, and the old man and several gentlemen under Zuo Xiang all felt that Gongzi was a talent after reading it. Today, the old man came to see Wang Gongzi and wanted to invite Wang Gongzi to participate in the Pear Blossom Poetry Meeting in February. ”

"Ewha Poetry Club?" Wang Yuan asked in surprise.

"Yes, the person who hosts this pear blossom poetry meeting is the current right prime minister Li Linfu, every year on February 2, this poetry meeting is held in the pear blossom hall garden of Pingkangfang. Although there is no first article, every time a famous article is released and recited all over the world, many people become famous overnight at the poetry meeting. ”

Wang Yuan was startled, shook his head and said, "I, a grass citizen, how can I be lucky enough to participate in such a grand event?" I'm just a small square man in Yong'an Fang, although I have been reading for a few years, where can I be on such a scene? ”

The old man smiled and said: "Talent and background have nothing to do, how many celebrities in the dynasty are from poor backgrounds, but as long as there is a chance, the wind and clouds will go straight to the clouds." Wang Gongzi seems to lack this opportunity. ”

Wang Yuan thought about it and shook his head and said: "Forget it, don't be ashamed of my vulgar talent, it's okay to lose your own face, I can't afford to lose Zuo Xiang's face." ”

The old man smiled and said, "Could it be that the prince is afraid?" Or is that poem of the mirror not your poem at all, and you are just stealing someone else's verse? If that's the case, the old man hasn't been here today. ”

Wang Yuanxin said: You really guessed correctly, the poem is indeed pirated, but the person who pirated it has not yet been born.

"Steward Liu, don't provoke me, I don't want to go because I'm afraid that I don't have that ability, but because I think this matter is a bit incredible. Thinking of me as a common person, I am just a one-sided relationship with Li Zuoxiang, and the bronze mirror poem is just an ordinary work; If Li Zuoxiang invited me to participate in this grand event because of this, I don't believe it. I am a practical person, and I never believe in gold ingots falling from the sky. ”

Steward Liu frowned and said, "What is the suspicion of this?" Li Zuoxiang has always cherished talents and loved talents, how many young talents are recommended by the hands of Zuo Xiang to the imperial court as officials, although your bronze mirror poem is not the top work, but Li Zuoxiang and I all think that this poem is quite meaningful, timeless and remembrative, lingering for a long time, it can definitely be called a masterpiece. Therefore, it is impressive, otherwise why do you think Li Zuoxiang spent two treasures to buy your bronze mirror? Isn't it because you cherish your talents and love your talents, so that you don't waste your talents? ”

Wang Yuan bit his lower lip and frowned silently.

Steward Liu sighed and said: "Okay, you don't believe in Li Zuoxiang's sincerity, and the old man doesn't have to persuade you, but the old man feels quite a pity." Everyone knows how difficult it is to take the imperial examination in the Tang Dynasty, how many people like you are buried in the people, this poetry meeting may be an opportunity for you, the poetry will become famous, and then you have to be recommended by the left minister, the imperial examination will be much easier. If you just want to be a baker for the rest of your life, the old man doesn't say anything. ”

Wang Yuan's heart was pounded, maybe this was indeed an opportunity, but the opportunity came so casually and sloppily, which made Wang Yuan feel that it was a trap. For more than a month, Wang Yuan has seen and learned a lot of things that should not be seen, and he feels that things are not so simple.

In fact, Wang Yuan's premonition is not superfluous, and the reason why Steward Liu has been hiding and not revealing the truth is indeed because there is another hidden reason in this matter.

But there is one thing that Liu Guan is not exaggerating, that is, the Tang Imperial Examination is indeed very difficult.

The Tang Dynasty Imperial Examination is divided into more than ten subjects, such as the Ming Sutra, Jinshi, Ming Fa, and Ming Calculation, but the scholars value only the two subjects of the Jinshi Ming Sutra. Among them, Jinshi is the most difficult, and it is also the most recognized after Dengke, so if you want to carp to climb the dragon gate, Jinshi is the king.

Although the threshold of the Tang imperial examination is not high, the children of ordinary people and officials can sign up for the imperial examination if you think they have the ability, and the scientific examination is also frequent every year.

Every time there is an imperial examination, only one or twenty people can enter the Shike, and it is the so-called rare that thousands of troops can cross the single-plank bridge. The reason why it is difficult is that the Jinshi Department needs to take the poetry test. Especially after the Kaiyuan Dynasty, the level of poetry has almost become the biggest standard for Jinshi to take scholars, and this item is precisely the most test of true ability. Assessments such as the Tijing Moyi may only need to be memorized by rote, and writing poems depends on the accumulation of literary spirituality and talent, which is where it is difficult to enter the Shike.

And because of the limited number of places, even if you write poems well, there are people outside the sky, a basket of people outside the sky, who are better than you, or even if they are as good as you, or even not as good as you, they may be ranked in front of you, the reason is very simple, if they are more famous than you. The Tang Imperial Examination is not famous, the examiner has heard of your fame and read your poems, and your chances of becoming a jinshi are much greater than those who are unknown.

In view of this, many scholars think of ways to increase their popularity before the imperial examination, because the higher the popularity, the greater the likelihood of success. How to increase popularity, the common practice in Datang is called 'throwing rolls'. The so-called submission of the scroll is to dedicate one's masterpiece to the dignitaries of the current dynasty or the literary world, hoping to get their appreciation, get their recommendation, and even use their power to improve their popularity and increase the chance of winning the promotion.

In the nineteenth year of Kaiyuan, Wang Wei, a famous poet in later generations, won the championship in one fell swoop through the method of submitting scrolls, and was recommended by King Qi and the nine princesses of Ruizong, which shows the good effectiveness of this method. There are many other unknown people who have passed through this method.

In what Steward Liu said to Wang Yuan, it was implied that Wang Yuan could participate in the poetry club in the name of submitting Li Zuoxiang, so as to achieve the opportunity to become famous, and Li Shizhi recommended it again, and the opportunity of Zhongjinshi increased hundreds of times.

If these words reveal a little bit to other readers, those people will immediately understand the key to it, and they will all be overjoyed. It's a pity that the object of Steward Liu's seduction is Wang Yuan, and Wang Yuan doesn't know much about it, so the effect is not great, which makes Wang Yuan think calmly and doubt Li Shizhi's motives.

Of course, Steward Liu couldn't say why Li Shizhi thought of Wang Yuan, a nobody, and specially sent him to see Wang Yuan. In fact, Wang Yuan is the twenty-third person that Steward Liu has seen in Chang'an City in the past few days. Some of these people are readers who took the initiative to submit scrolls to Li Shizhi to worship the dock, and some of them learned about his poems occasionally like Wang Yuan and thought they wrote well, so they were on Li Shizhi's list.

And the reason for visiting these people is really to screen out some people who are really literate, but it is not to cultivate them sincerely, but to solve a problem of coal burning.