Go back 20 years. At that time, Xiao Zhengyu was awarded the Hanlin Academy to edit the list, elegant and handsome, with a good demeanor, and it was at the time of his head.

Zhao Xuan is the granddaughter of Taizu Zhao Kuangyin, that is, the daughter of the eldest son Zhao Dezhao, and Xiao Zhengyu are childhood playmates, and they have a childhood friendship. When they first met Xiao Zhengyu, the two were still dissatisfied with the yellow-mouthed children. When he was thirteen years old, Xiao Zhengyu's father, Xiao Shouwen, served as a scholar in Shangshu, and served as a squire in the Criminal Department, acting as the commander of the Diqing military camp, garrisoning Pizhou, and had already led his family out of Bianjing to garrison northern Xinjiang, and Xiao Zhengyu and Zhao Xuan had since said goodbye.

Although Xiao Zhengyu and Zhao Xuan are childhood sweethearts, although they have the childhood marriage contract of Taizu Zhao Kuangyin, when they were children, most of them were ignorant lovers of boys and girls, how much love would there be?

When I saw Xiao Zhengyu again, it was just in time for his first day of service at the Hanlin Academy. Hanlin Yuan sits on East Chang'an Street, the gate is open to the north, is the place of raising talents and storing hope, responsible for repairing books and writing history, drafting edicts, serving for members of the royal family, serving as an examiner of the imperial examination, etc., its status is noble, but it is a stepping stone for the old ministers and even local officials.

On the same day, Zhao Xuan came back from the imperial mausoleum sacrifice, and then accompanied by the maid, he took a carriage to the Hanlin Academy to find the first assistant to ask about the history of the book, although he has not been here for many years, but he is still familiar with the road, when he was young, he accompanied the imperial brother out of the pavilion to study, that is, he invited the Hanlin Academy to speak, and the cold and summer were endless.

The sound of the rolling carriage slid like rain over the crystal white marble of the palace, accompanied by the sound of ticking wheels, lonely and monotonous. The carriage was covered in silk on all sides, and the windows inlaid with gold and silver filigree were obscured by a curtain of pink crepe, so that no one outside the carriage could see the dignity of the passengers in the carriage.

Originally, the Hanlin Courtyard, as an important place for the government, did not allow women to enter and leave. Zhao Xuan's carriage was naturally stopped, and the armored guards at the gate of the Hanlin Courtyard saw the luxury of the carriage and asked carefully: "Who is coming?" The little maid who was about sixteen or seventeen years old with the carriage replied: "Princess Lin'an's Mansion, the eldest princess visited Lord Yin Zheng, the first assistant, and reported the trouble." ”

After the chief of the armored guards saluted, he informed the eldest princess and her party: "The triennial imperial examination has ended, and the top three of the Golden List and Huangbang High School have just been sent to the Hanlin Academy by the imperial court to serve as a compiler. After hearing this, the maid was a little displeased, and said: "This is not appropriate, the eldest princess is here, but you have to wait for you?

The armored guards were neither humble nor arrogant, and hurriedly explained: "The subordinates are dull, not to embarrass the princess, but the adults set the rules, and idlers are not allowed to disturb them when they are deliberating." ”

"What? You mean that we are idlers? What a presumptuous!" The little maid who followed the car had just entered the palace and followed the master, and she was not familiar with the master's temperament, and she was young and vigorous, and shouted.

"It's you who are presumptuous, you are so unruly that you don't know the number of etiquette, the status of the Hanlin Academy is noble, and you are known as the 'private son of heaven'. The eldest princess came to visit Lord Shoufu and asked about the reason for repairing the book, and originally she also came to the Hanlin Academy to take a walk in the Qing Qing Dynasty and ask about the Shengshi book repair, which was naturally 'idle'. The maid tassel saw that Princess Lin'an gave herself a look, and immediately understood, stepped out of the carriage and shouted, her tone was fierce and cold, scaring the little maid who was following the car to shrink down, hurriedly knelt down, and slapped herself to admit her mistake. This made the captain of the armored guard at the door a little at a loss, and hurriedly asked the guards on the side to enter the door to report and inform Tonghan Lin Shoufu.

This move is exactly what Zhao Xuan wants, on the one hand, she wants to show that the rules of Princess Lin'an's Mansion are strict and disciplined, and on the other hand, she is also embarrassed by Hanlin Mansion in disguise. A maid of the palace kneeling in front of the gate of the palace in the blue sky and daytime is not a glamorous thing in itself, attracting attention and provoking idlers to watch the excitement, not to mention that she still kneels in the Hanlin Academy, where she raises talents, and insults not to men, it is easier for people to mistakenly think that the Hanlin Courtyard is tainted with something about men and women, so that the young palace maid kneels on the street.

At this time, Xiao Zhengyu, accompanied by the eunuch Jia Gonggong, was coming out of the imperial study, and had already walked less than five zhang away from the gate of the Hanlin Academy, and happened to bump into the scene of the palace maid kneeling.

asked the reason, why Xiao Zhengyu did not go to the Hanlin Academy with the other top three, because Song Zhenzong Zhao Heng summoned the Xiao father and son in advance on a whim, on the one hand, to inquire about the affairs of northern Xinjiang in person, because the military affairs of northern Xinjiang are busy and important, there are Khitan people in the north, there are Jurchen people in the northeast, and there is also the Western Xia regime established by the Dangxiang clan in the western half of the north. On the other hand, I wanted to see Xiao Zhengyu, I heard that his face was like Song Yu, his appearance was like Pan An, and he was quick-witted, and because of his talent and intelligence when he was young, he was married to the eldest princess Zhao Zhaoxuan by Taizu Zhao Kuangyin. Sure enough, high school is on the list.

The style of painting returns to the scene of the summons. After some greetings between the monarchs and ministers, Song Zhenzong Zhao Heng was quite satisfied with Xiao Zhengyu. When I saw him, I actually remembered the four sons and eight sages who were demoted to the border of Yanmen Pass, the commander of the light car, and I missed it for a while. They are equally personable and energetic.

Thinking that Xiao Zhengyu had just passed the list in high school, Song Zhenzong Zhao Heng had a whim, and temporarily came up with an exam question, stared at Xiao Zhengyu, and said to Xiao Shouwen with great interest: "Ling Lang is talented, and he won the Toad Palace in the imperial examination, do you know what is the biggest in the world?" As soon as the words fell, the face of Gonggong Jia, who was waiting on the side, showed a happy expression, Song Zhenzong raised his eyebrows, turned his head and asked: "Gonggong Jia, does it seem that you have an answer immediately?"

Father-in-law Jia smiled brightly, looked sycophant, and replied respectfully: "It's not that slaves have the answer, it's that everyone in the world has the answer!"

"Oh, then you can first tell me what is the answer of the people of this world?" Song Zhenzong asked curiously.

"The emperor has the greatest power in the world, and the emperor is the greatest!" said Gonggong Jia with a smile on his face. After hearing this, Xiao Shouwen's face sank, and he also echoed: "What my father-in-law said is very true!"

"Really?" Song Zhenzong glanced at Xiao Zhengyu with his eyes, and asked with some beauty in his heart: "Is this the answer for the people of the world?" As an emperor, he has never seen any rare treasures in the world? What flattering words have he never heard? However, he is full of expectations that Xiao Zhengyu can give him a better answer.

Sure enough, Xiao Zhengyu shook his head in a low voice, expressed his denial, and replied in a fixed voice: "The minister thinks that the truth in the world is the greatest!"

"Why?" said Grandpa Jia with a smile on his face.

"The avenue is invisible and gives birth to all things, the avenue runs all things ruthlessly, and the avenue nourishes all things namelessly. Xiao Zhengyu explained unhurriedly: "Because of this, even the emperor has to be reasonable, knowing right from wrong, so the reason is the greatest!"

After hearing this, Song Zhenzong laughed and said happily to Xiao Shouwen and Jia Gonggong and the others present: "Do you hear? This is the difference between the top three and the others in the title of the gold list, and only the Hanlin Academy can accept you talented and handsome talents." ”

Many years later, recalling this scene, Xiao Zhengyu felt that from the first day he came into contact with the imperial power, he may have been destined to be unsuitable for the stage of officialdom, because many people are acting, sometimes it is the acting skills, sometimes the stage effect, and more importantly, whether it can enter the play. If you can't hold your breath, you may play cards randomly, once the cards are played, and then want to change back, there is very little room for maneuver.