In the past two years, many major events have happened, the princess, the Liuta River, the kidnapping of the prime minister, the emperor is critically ill, the prime minister has changed, Zheng Lang has returned from the demotion of officials, Bao Zhengzhi Kaifeng Mansion, and the northwest has been peaceful for ten years, and the war has broken out again, although it is a small battle.!

So much so that almost no one paid attention to this imperial examination.

But the imperial examination also caused some trouble, and Zhigong raised several literary masters, Ouyang Xiu, Wang Qi, Mei Zhi, Han Jiang, and Fan Zhen. It was originally a good thing, and these people all liked the new style, that is, they paid attention to ancient prose. There's nothing wrong with that in itself. Even if the language is tasteless, at least it is catchy. What is generally popular now is that kind of sinister body, and it is better for Jinshi to make sentences that are strange, that is, the Taixue style in the mouths of later generations, and even Zheng Lang felt difficult to read the articles they wrote.

Ouyang Xiu's five ministers all hated this kind of strange body.

The five people chose the new style of writers, and as soon as the list came out, none of the people who usually recommended them were among them, which caused an uproar. For a long time, for the sake of the imperial examination, it is better to be dangerous, and if you say you don't need it, you don't need it, and you don't even have a notice, so why should you feel embarrassed. So some arrogant people gathered, waited for Ouyang Xiu's early dynasty, blocked Ouyang Xiu, and gathered to reprimand. Just like the year before last, the common people surrounded several prime ministers, princess, where did you force the princess?

The officials couldn't stop it, and some people were mean, and they made sacrifices and threw them at Ouyang Xiu's house, but no matter how they made trouble, Ouyang Xiu just didn't listen. In fact, at this time, Ouyang revised and innovated the foundation of the style for a better time, and Zheng Lang has been using the new style for so many years, although he did a lot of writing in accordance with the rules during the imperial examination. Driven by Zheng Lang and others, the momentum of the development of new sports and literature is far more fierce than in history.

However, Mei Yaochen and others are relatives in their hearts, fortunately, there was a misunderstanding, referring to an accident that occurred when marking the papers, several examiners were looking at the papers, and saw an article "The Theory of Punishment and Reward Leniency", with strong pen power and fluent language, a typical new style essay.

Several examiners gathered around to watch. Mei Yaochen said: "Good article." ”

Han Jiang and Fan Zhen did not object.

If you use the ancient prose style to select students, this article is undoubtedly the best among the six or seven student articles, but a few people stared at the sentence Gao Tao said kill three, and Yao said that you were a little confused, because they all didn't know the source.

It's not easy to say it, because of the lock test system of the Song Dynasty, they can't go out to look through the history books, and they can't go out to ask people. Where can I remember so many allusions. Moreover, over the years, the sinister body has also had some influence, specifically looking for allusions in unpopular books and stuffing them into articles.

At that time, I only complained about my poor memory.

In fact, the memory of a few people is still okay, at most it is slightly worse than the perverted Zhang Fangping.

So skipping this paragraph, Mei Yaochen said in a low voice: "Uncle Ouyang Yong, I'm afraid this is an article written by your student. ”

refers to another person from Jiangxi, Ouyang Xiu's student Zeng Gong.

Zeng Gongxin's style is not well written. There is no need to question it, one of the eight masters of the Tang and Song dynasties.

Ouyang Xiu pondered, what about his students, the volume was copied, but for fear of controversy from the outside world, this volume was judged to be second. The result was not Zeng Gong, but another person, Su Shi. Zeng Gong is also on the high school list. The rankings are a little behind. Otherwise, it will cause more controversy.

As for Xingyuan, it is a very unfamiliar name, Li Yu.

Su Dongpo visited Ouyang Xiu and Mei Yaochen, Ouyang Xiu was embarrassed to ask, Mei Yaochen didn't care and asked the source of the sentence, there are so many books in the world, maybe it is a book that he has not seen. Su Dongpo replied: "Take it for granted." ”

Later, this matter was rumored to be a beautiful talk, and Mei Yaochen was a little displeased at that time, and the list was out, what should I do? The matter has been revealed.

March temple exam. The champion is still a very strange person. Zhang Heng, but he has a very famous uncle. Zhangdun, the great traitor, but what is loyalty and what is treachery? If the Empress Dowager listened to him, King Duan was frivolous and could not rule the world, would the Song Dynasty go in the other direction?

Zhang Dian also came to the scientific examination, because his nephew was the top student in high school, he was ashamed of the same list, so he went away, and took the provincial examination again for the second time, and the first subject of high school, which is also the only position in the history of the Song Dynasty The Jinshi of the two middle hall examination lists.

The glory of March is all focused on Zhang Heng.

But this Zhang Heng Zheng Lang didn't even look at it, because the Jinshi on this list made him dazzled.

From a political point of view, there are the backbone of the reform faction, Lu Huiqing, Zeng Bu, Jiang Zhiqi, Lin Xi and others, Liang Tao, the leader of the Shuo Party, and the Shu Party supported by a certain brother. From a literary point of view, there are three of the eight masters of the Tang and Song dynasties, including Zeng Gong.

From the perspective of scriptures, there are Cheng Hao, the originator of Luoxue, and his disciple Zhu Guangting, Zhang Zai, the originator of Guanxue, and his disciple Lu Dajun, and Shuxue represents the pair of brothers.

There were nine later prime ministers, Wang Shao, Zheng Yong, Liang Tao, Lu Huiqing, Su Zhe, Lin Xi, Zeng Bu, Zhang Qi, and Zhang Dian. Later, the new party included Lu Huiqing, Zeng Bu, Zhang Dan, Deng Xuan, Wang Shao, Lin Xi, Zhang Qi, etc.; In the old party, there were Su Shi, Su Zhe, Zhu Guangting, Liang Tao, etc. If you add a few examiners, almost half of the elites in the later generations will be concentrated!

The big bull surnamed Wang that Zheng Lang was extremely concerned about was here, of course, he couldn't do it now, Zheng Lang continued to pay attention to see if he would travel to the northwest.

The most famous of these are the brothers. The most surprising thing is the top three, Zhang Heng, Dou Bian, Luo Kai, who knows, who knows who these three are?

……

The saga started with a playboy.

Su Xun, very similar to Zhang Fangping and Zheng Lang's family, was born in a small main family, and did not worry about food and clothing, so the teenager Su Xun has been living a confused and dark life until he saw his second brother at the age of seventeen

Su Huan's scenery in the high school entrance examination, he once hated studying, but three years later, he couldn't even pass the exam, and he relaxed again. It wasn't until his mother's death that he felt guilty and hated again, when he was twenty-seven years old.

Like Zheng Lang, self-taught.

The advantage is that he is out of the current style of writing that is not good for learning, and the disadvantage is that what he learns is a wild way, especially the pair is not what he is good at, for example, he wrote the poem "You Ji in the Wild", there is Ji in the wild, and he is not groaning. If the son is not good, there is no one else. If you keep me in the stable, you will not drive me. If I don't end, it's better to be in the wild. Bald hair is in frost, and meat is in wolves. I'd rather hurt than others? I forgot to have no children.

There is an ancient meaning, but what about the rhyme, right?

Of course, it is very sad, so this test has been nearly 20 years, and every time it is named Sun Shan. Even the family situation is getting worse. In the past 20 years, in addition to the moth-style scientific examination and study, he has only done one major thing, and actually verified that the Meishan Su family is the descendant of Su Wei, the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, and continued to take the test, and found that the Su family originated from the Han Dynasty Su Jian and Su Jia, Su Wu, Su Xian three brothers, and then took the test. According to research, the previous generation of the Su family also had the first saint, Su Qin. With the conditions of the Song Dynasty and the conditions of the Su family, how they were verified, God can only say.

I didn't expect that the previous generation of the Su family had so many sages and powers, and Su Xun hated it even more. But he also didn't expect that in the eyes of later generations, the so-called ancestors of the Su family were only Su Qin and Su Wu who could be compared with their father and son.

Forty was not confused, and when he was disheartened, the noble man he had ordered arrived, Zhang Fangping.

Zhang Fangping has quite a lot of political achievements in governing Shu, and the Song Dynasty has many famous ministers in Shu, and Zhang Fangping can rank among the top five. Not only did he pay attention to military and government affairs, but also education and culture, and he accidentally saw Lao Su's article and was dumbfounded at that time. This is Li Taibai, but Li Taibai writes poetry, and this person writes prose, the same vertical and horizontal, eloquent and powerful. Send someone to bring Lao Su to meet him, and ask for his articles to come over and watch them one by one. After reading it, he asked: "You have this talent to learn." Don't go to the imperial examination? ”

Lao Su can't say. Ge Laozi was scared, and those turtle sons didn't hire me one by one. What to do.

Zhang Fangping talked to Lao Su for a long time, asked him about his embarrassment, and knew that it was not possible to take the normal route, unless the entire department was operated on, otherwise Lao Su would not want to go to high school for the rest of his life. So he personally wrote letters to recommend them one by one, to Ouyang Xiu, Tian Guo, Zheng Lang, Yu Jing, Wen Yanbo, Han Qi, Fu Bi, especially Ouyang Xiu, who has nothing to do with Zheng Lang, he dislikes Ouyang Xiu's big mouth, Ouyang Xiu also thinks that he is not a good person, these two people are political enemies for life, in order to recommend Lao Su, he actually wrote to Ouyang Xiu, which is also one of the few private letters that Zhang Fangping wrote to Ouyang Xiu in his life.

Others don't know, Zheng Lang knows, so he wrote back to Zhang Fangping, you don't have to worry about it, Lao Su is nothing, you have time to talk to his two sons.

Zhang Fangping listened to Zheng Lang's words, called Su Zhe and Su Shi, and told him in person, which was even more startled, and wrote again, it's terrible, the three of the Su family are going to be big.

It was with this belief that Lao Su brought his two sons to the capital.

But it's a pity that he is really self-taught, he is learning from the ancients, somewhat out of reality, the article is a good article, but after a few bigwigs read it, they called it a pity again and again. And there was a very serious dispute with Wang Anshi in Ouyang Xiu's mansion, Lao Su is retro, Wang Anshi attaches importance to innovation, his thinking is different, and in the end he is inextricably contested, or Ouyang Xiu came to persuade him.

This scene was seen by Da Su and Ersu, they were juniors, and they didn't dare to come over to argue, but they kept it in their hearts.

Lao Su has lived his life with his "bald hair in frost and meat in wolves." I'd rather hurt than others? I forgot to have no children. "It's on the list of non-fictional high schools. But it made him realize many problems, and that was the importance of Punwen. After the two sons grew up a little, they all sent Lao Su to a Taoist temple in Meishan and studied with the Taoist priest Zhang Yijian, learning sound rhythm. That year, Su Dongpo was only eight years old, and Su Zhe was only six years old. Although Zhang Yijian is a Taoist priest, he is very proficient in Confucianism, and there are more than 100 students under his disciples. The fate of the big and small Su is good, although Lao Tzu gradually lost the family property, there is still knowledge, and there is a very learned mother, Zhang Yijian will teach them the sound rhythm, and the biggest shortcoming will be supplemented.

Until last year, Lao Su brought his two sons to the imperial examination, and finally let him get his wish, the brothers were on the list, not the top three, nor the top ten, so they could not be awarded the official immediately, plus the Sichuan road is far away, the father and son continued to stay in the capital, and did not go back for the time being.

Zheng Lang shouted the father and son.

By the way, another person was called, Zhang Fangping.

Then waiting at home, the wife is also preparing for another thing, the daughter is getting married.

took a month's leave, otherwise it would be too late to rush to Jingdong Road to take up his post.

suddenly thought of the long list of his wife, and he didn't see the second son of the Su family at all.

But even if I see it, most of it won't work, Su Dongpo was engaged to the local Wang family very early, and Xiao Su was also engaged to his mother's mother's family. Da Su Zheng Lang didn't think about it at all, Xiao Su was not bad, it seemed that the two brothers of Da Su had become a relative together in the winter before last. When the wife was looking for a son-in-law, the two had not yet become married, but could they snatch love with a knife and make the Su family repent of the Shi family's family affairs?

Besides, his wife won't agree, who is Su Zhe? I don't know!

However, children and grandchildren have their own children and grandchildren, and the friendship is also good, Zheng Lang is quite satisfied.

Zhang Fangping's house is close. came first, the two of them were iron buddies, and they were not polite, Zhang Fangping asked Cui Xian for good tea.

Xing'er made tea, and Zhang Fangping said: "Xingzhi, what happened before calling me to come?" ”

"There is one thing to ask, what about the treasury?"

"It's a little better, it's still not very good." Zhang Fangping shook his head. He couldn't figure it out either. How did you lose with so much money.

He also said: "If you want to be good, you still know how to be the prime minister, although Pang Alcohol is good at business, his prestige is insufficient, and his phase will not last long." ”

Zheng Lang was silent, he was thinking about another thing in his heart. Yellow River. In fact, it was really a bit difficult to do, when I returned to Beijing for the first time last year, I was full of confidence, and when I heard Wen Yanbo shouting that the treasury was gradually empty, I was not confident when I returned to Beijing for the second time. Because he didn't hide the dispute between Pang and Forgiveness, there was not much time left for him. If you go up to the Yellow River, you can't take care of the Western Xia, and if you go to the Western Xia, you can't take care of the Yellow River.

Let's go down and take a look first, besides, he was in a bit depressed during this time.

"In addition, I also brought three guests to meet you. ”

"Who?"

"Your old acquaintance."

The two of them were eating tea. While waiting for Zhang Fangping's old acquaintance.

After a while, the three of them came, Zhang Fangping looked at the three of them in surprise, and then looked at Zheng Lang.

Zheng Lang also saw the three of the Su family for the first time, Lao Su and Xiao Su had rectangular faces, slightly thin, and Da Su's face was quite rich, with a little bit of the white taste passed down in later generations.

One of the three Sus didn't dare to slack off, and they still didn't know much about national affairs, but the big guys still knew. Zheng Lang's position is not high now. But if you rank the big guys, Zheng Lang is definitely in the first place. Not high now. An edict entered the two provinces. Moreover, the bigwigs in the capital are running five to six and seven, Zheng Lang is only in his thirties, and there is unlimited room for development. When it comes to merit, it should be the first.

solemnly gave a big gift, and Zheng Lang said: "Su Mingyun, Su Zizhan, and you, do you have any words?" ”

Su Zhe said: "Uncrowned, no word." ”

"Then I'll call you Su Zhe, three, please take a seat."

"Xie," Su Xun sat down with Su Dongpo and Su Zhe very carefully.

can't be seen from the perspective of future generations, at this time, the three of them are not very famous, and their family is not very high, so they are somewhat restrained in the face of Zheng Lang.

Zheng Lang said again: "Xing'er, make tea for the three guests." ”

"Thanks," Su said again.

"Brother Mingyun, my family is not formal, you don't have to be formal."

"Yes."

Zheng Lang looked at Da Su and Xiao Su at this time, and Lao Su was resting, mainly two sons. Said: "Zizhan, what do you think when you come to the capital?" ”

"The prosperity of the capital is far beyond my imagination."

"That is, because of the open-minded policy, in terms of wealth, our dynasty is the first in the number of generations, if the policy is appropriate, there is no serious infighting, fifty years later, the prosperity of the capital will be ten times that of now." Zheng Lang is not exaggerating, if the Western Xia is wiped out, the 300,000 border troops can be reduced by at least half, and the number of 50,000 can be reduced, in fact, there is no need to cut, as long as it is brought back to the capital to reduce the waste of materials, grain and grass transportation, it will be a lot of money, and there are also related incidental people, village soldiers, strong men, archers, and box soldiers who assist in the defense, and this alone can save 15 million yuan for the country a year. If some drawbacks are solved one after another, it will save 10 million yuan.

This is a part of the throttling.

Open source is the increase in commercial taxes brought about by the prosperity of business, the development of banks to the peak, and the safety supervision, so much more than 60 million yuan of financial and silk income. One in and one out, it will reach 90 million. It is practically impossible, there can be 50 million, and in a few decades, the prospects of the Song Dynasty are unimaginable.

But who can guarantee that there will be no serious infighting, and who can guarantee that the policy is appropriate at all times.

The Su brothers were very surprised when they heard this, and when they came to the capital, the prosperity of the capital had dazzled the brothers. What would it be like if it was ten times more prosperous?

Zheng Lang didn't say much, and said to Zhang Fangping: "Brother An Dao, why do you have a political disagreement with Uncle Ouyang Yong?" ”

"Angry." Zhang Fangping replied coldly.

"It can't be regarded as angry, two words, impetuous." Zheng Lang said. deliberately told Xiao Su that Da Su was influenced by Zhang Fangping and belonged to the moderate faction, but when he was young and middle-aged, he was also influenced by Ouyang Xiu, and he was impetuous, which was a fly in the ointment.

Then he turned to the two Su brothers and said, "Zizhan, Su Zhe, let me ask you, can a good article govern the country?" ”

When this question was asked, Su Dongpo replied for a long time: "A good article can't govern the country, but it can take the imperial examination." ”

Zheng Lang couldn't help but laugh and said: "Not necessarily, a good essay can boost the morale of the soldiers, a good persuasion essay can influence the people to be good, a good piece of music, beautiful words, smooth literature and reasoning, it is easier for the emperor to agree, a good article can inspire future generations to be loyal to the monarch and serve the country." This is also considered to be governing the country. However, if you want to be cured, it is more important to make decisions. When I was a teenager, I was fooled by Wang Sanlang and accepted six students who were about the same age as me. In fact, we are learning from each other, learning from each other, the way of being a man, the way of being an official, and the way of governing the country and the people. ”

"This is a legend of the Song Dynasty." Su Dongpo said yearningly.

Although he is not interested in Wang Anshi, this history is indeed the most magnificent time in Zheng Lang's life, and it also opened the prelude to Zheng Lang's legendary life.

"It's nonsense, it's not legendary, but I have an idea to tell you."

"Teaching," including Lao Su all looked at Zheng Lang respectfully, not only Lao Su, but also Xiao Su was also very clever, and they faintly felt that the greatest opportunity in their lives was coming.

"Brother Antao sent me your article to read, I read it, and it was very well written. But I am an official of the Song Dynasty, and what I read is not the article, but whether they are suitable to be a good minister. Therefore, you have been in Beijing for a long time, and I have not kept silent. Now that you are all in high school, you have two choices, the first one is to continue to study the article, with your talent, you will definitely become the most brilliant pearl in the literary history of the Song Dynasty. ”

"Gong Zheng, we don't dare to be," this evaluation was too high, and it scared Lao Su.

That's the case, Zheng Lang smiled and said, "It's not high, Brother Mingyun, even your current article attainments are better than mine." However, a person's energy is limited, and the Tang Dynasty is good at lyrics and songs, calligraphy and painting, and proficient in music and dance, but he is not a good emperor. His Majesty will only have a flying white body, but he is a unique monarch in the world. When I was a teenager, the qin, calligraphy, painting and writing were all thin and famous, since I entered politics, due to limited energy, the words gradually did not write as well as Cai Junmo, the articles were not as good as Brother Ming Yun and Ouyang Yongshu, and the qin was not as good as the student Yihai in Yuezhou, so there is no need to mention the painting. But I asked myself, this official has not done the best, and he can still be called can. ”

Su Xun's father and son both laughed out loud, Zheng Lang was not proud, but modest.

"Zizhan, Su Zhe, if you want to be good at writing, you'd better learn from Uncle Ouyang Yong, your attainments are only above him, not below him. But if you want to be a good official, it's difficult. It just so happens that you haven't been awarded an official for the time being, and I'm going to Jingdong Road soon, I don't know if you two are willing to go with me? ”

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