The dim light faltered, and so did the figures cast on the cellar walls.

Less than a foot long or wide, only seven feet high, in a small cellar, there was only one person with a table and bookshelves lined with walls.

In the foul air, after staring at the manuscript in front of me for a long time, the words on the page seemed to have a free life, swimming around like tadpoles in water.

Sima Guang worked hard for a long time, but he couldn't see what the next sentence on the manuscript paper was. Although he could still remember a little from memory, he couldn't read the words clearly, so he didn't want to write anymore.

I can only go here today, Sima Guang thought. In the cellar, you can't see the time, but judging by the air in the cellar, it's only two hours.

As I get older, my eyes are getting worse and worse.

In compiling the Zizhi Tongjian, Sima Guang's practice was to first arrange the subtitles, then compile the found historical materials into a long compilation according to the chronological method, and then select suitable entries from them, and delete and describe them. Tens of thousands of volumes of historical materials and tens of millions of words of originals must be verified and screened by a pair of dizzy old eyes.

It's really overused.

The editor-in-chief of Shiji Tongkan took off his glasses clipped to the bridge of his nose and blinked his sour and dry eyes vigorously. In the process of compiling the "Zizhi Tongjian", he changed from a high-spirited Hanlin bachelor in his forties to a dying old man sitting in the cellar today, and he was about to be sixty in the blink of an eye.

It's over the year. Under the dim oil lamp, Sima Guang smiled silently. How the hell has he spent the past ten years?!

Writing books also requires a quiet environment, and Sima Guang dug a cellar in the garden a few years ago to write books, which was publicized as a strange story. But the reason why Sima Guang hid in the cellar was because it was warm in winter and cool in summer, and the other was quiet enough, quiet enough for him to throw away all the torment that made people's hearts burn.

Put on his glasses again, clean up the desktop with his own hands, put away all the manuscript papers that he had written and proofread today, and carefully took off his glasses and put them into a small box filled with silk wool.

Crystal glasses are indeed a good thing, and since Sima Guang had them, he has cherished them as treasures. Although his eyes become uncomfortable after using it for a long time, it is still much more convenient than the magnifying glass he used in the old days.

Just like the treatment of a disease requires the right medicine, these glasses also depend on the person to wear, there are myopia glasses, there are reading glasses - these two names seem to be given by Han Gang - not only everyone is different, but the situation of the two eyes is also different, to find a suitable lens, you have to try it piece by piece.

In today's Tokyo city, the ministers choose glasses from dozens of polished lenses, and then let the craftsmen create the right frame for the lenses. Some are clipped to the nose and some are put on the ears.

Sima Guang's glasses were given by the Son of Heaven two years ago. At that time, he reported to the Son of Heaven that the "Zizhi Tongjian" compiled by the orders of the two generations of emperors had been completed more than 170 volumes, and the Son of Heaven Zhao Ji was delighted to hear it and gave a batch of property, including this pair of crystal glasses. This naturally does not match Sima Guang's vision, but it can only be improved slightly. His son Sima Kang suggested that it would be more suitable to change to a pair, but it was not realistic to go to Tokyo City to get glasses, and the price was a little too high.

With the glasses of the gentry who are now popular all over the world, Sima Guang can't help but praise Wang Anshi's son-in-law's ability is really not small.

Walking up the stairs from the cellar, you can push open a small low wooden door, and the fresh air is invigorating. Although the cellar below is not without a ventilated exit, it is still stuffy after staying in it for a long time.

"Junshi Xiucai, came up so early today?"

Lu Zhi, an old servant who had served Sima Guang since childhood, was guarding the door of the cellar, and when he heard the movement inside, he immediately stood up from the pestle.

"Early?" Sima Guang looked up at the sky, and after sitting in the gloomy cellar for a long time, the sunlight of the setting sun still seemed extremely dazzling. Now the bright red sunset has not completely sunk to the west of the mountains, "Not yet?" ”

"It's almost there." Lu Zhi immediately replied, "Junshi, you've been down for an hour and a half." ”

Earlier than expected, Sima Guang was in a bad mood: "Are there any guests coming?" ”

Although the normal visits between scholars and doctors will first write a post and determine the time, there are always exceptions, and Sima Guang does not ask too much.

The old servant bowed his head and replied: "Xing Xiu has just arrived, and he is talking with Da Lang in Dihua Zhai. ”

"Uncle Xinghe is here."

The paradise is on the east side of Sima's house, and there is a dock called Liuwu in a pool of water, and a small bridge is connected to the shore. To the southeast is Wuxian Pavilion, which is directly opposite Wuxian Mountain. After Wu Xianxie is the Book Pavilion, and the books that are not needed for a while are placed in it. Sima Guang's residence was in a small pavilion on the east side of the main pavilion in the garden.

Sima Guang was originally going to take a nap, but when he heard about Xingshu's visit, he turned around and walked out. The place where his disciples study is the Di Hua Zhai outside. Xing Shu is his protégé, otherwise Sima Kang would not have received him in Di Hua Zhai.

Leaving the paradise where there were no famous trees and flowers, Sima Guang walked towards the front yard. There was no one in the building, only two familiar voices coming from the hall downstairs.

"Han Gang's hand is really unexpected!"

"It should be said that it is wonderful, Lu Guogong didn't give gas and had a stroke."

Hearing that his son and Xing Shu were talking about something, Sima Guang secretly said again, Wang Anshi's son-in-law is really not small.

A piece of news that made Luoyang boiling, Sima Guang couldn't be ignorant no matter how much he hid in the cellar. For this incident, the cause is naturally that Wen Yanbo did a bad job - Sima Guang didn't appreciate Wen Yanbo's poverty and luxury, and the two did not get along in terms of personality, but they just had common political opponents.

Sima Guang will not be biased towards Wen Yanbo, but after that, although Han Gang's actions can't be faulted in terms of reason, no one can point out what Han Gang did wrong - Han Gang has even claimed that he took the initiative to resign from the government office, let me ask him where is still wrong?!

But looking at the actual results, Sima Guang felt that Han Gang had something to do. After watching so many years and so many things, Sima Guang has long understood that Wang Jiefu's son-in-law is an extremely smart character.

deliberately put his pace down, and the conversation immediately stopped. When they saw Sima Guang appear at the door, Sima Kang and Xing Shu both stood up and saluted.

"Uncle He's here." Sima Guang said calmly, sat down in his seat, and immediately handed a cup of tea to him.

Sima Guang took a sip of tea and asked casually, "What are you talking about?" ”

"It's still a matter of Lu Guogong and Han Gang." Torture replied.

"What's going on again?" Sima Guang asked, the previous sentence said that Han Gang did a wonderful job, and said that Wen Yanhui was so angry that he had a stroke, which made Sima Guang curious about what Han Gang had done.

"Han Gang handed over the post to Henan Mansion in the morning, saying that he was going to visit Duke Lu Guogong tomorrow."

Sima Guang frowned: "Tomorrow?" ”

"It's tomorrow!" Xing Shu nodded vigorously.

"What a Han Gang!!" Sima Guang raised his face, shook his head, and sighed for Wen Yanbo's situation.

As a former prime minister, the veteran ministers are not able to meet if they want to. People are also busy, calling friends, chanting poems, inviting the wind and admiring the moon, what the five elders will be, the same Jiahui, all occupy most of Wen Yanbo's daily time, occasionally he has to deal with official business, and fulfill the obligation to judge Henan Mansion and Xijing to stay behind, how can it be a 'small' transfer envoy who wants to see it?

Han Gang visited Wen Yanbo for the first time, it was a business matter, Wen Yanbo had done something wrong before, and he could only give him a face. If you want to come to the door again, let's go to the queue first! In Wen Yanbo's scheduled itinerary, the status of the friends who came and went was not low, all of them were old and senior, and it took decades to upgrade the official's grade to the third, fourth, and fifth grades, and they would not make way for a young junior in Han Gang.

It's just that when this incident is encountered now, Han Gang said that he would come to the door tomorrow, and Wen Yanbo would have to stay at home and wait. Because he came to help clarify the misunderstanding that Wen Yanbo had received before, people gave such a big face, Wen Yanbo didn't say no, but if he saw it late, his reputation would be even worse.

"That's why the student said that Wen Lugong will definitely be angry with Han Gang this time." Xing Shu shook his head and smiled bitterly, as if he was deeply touched by Wen Yanbo's situation.

But when he did this, outsiders seemed to be helping Lu Guogong break the siege. Tolerant and generous, he is a rare gentleman. If you dare to say that Han Gang is not, then it is the heart of a villain and the belly of a gentleman. Sima Kang said, "Fang Cai and his uncle also said that he had just come from Cheng's mansion, and Cheng Bochun also heard that Han Gang was going, and praised him for his rare quantity. ”

Xing Shu is also Ercheng's disciple, defending them: "Mr. Bo Chun and Uncle Zheng have always been loyal and don't know tricks, and Han Gang is good at disguise, so they are deceived by him. ”

“…… Who let Wen Kuanfu have a first. "Sima Guang felt sorry for Wen Yanbo, he was really old and confused, if it had been decades ago...... No, even ten years ago, Wen Yanbo would not have made such a mistake, "Han Gang's son is cunning and treacherous, simple on the outside, and treacherous on the inside, Wen Kuanfu missed it for a while, so he got a chance." ”

"But Lu Guogong still has to accept his favor, and it will be inconvenient to get along with him in the future." Xing Shu said with a bit of righteous indignation, but in his private heart, he admired Han Gang's methods.

To put it mildly, Wen Yanbo's arrogance was suppressed, which was completely in line with the right path, and there was no fireworks. It was so difficult for Lu Guogong to speak, it was really just what he told Sima Kang, it was good to have a stroke if he didn't get angry.

Next, Han Gang went to the south to preside over the construction of the Xianghan Cao Canal, if Luoyang dared to drag his feet on money and grain, Wen Yanbo's old face would not be seen.

"When Duke Lu sees Han Gang tomorrow, he will have to sit for at least an hour to wash away the rumors outside." Xing Shu shook his head as if he was sighing, but he gloated with a little schadenfreude, "This hour is not good for ......"