In mid-October, his father-in-law successfully became the lord of Laiwu Outer City, and his second brother-in-law's business He Wentao was also on the right track. Zhang Xun knew that he could calm down and read his book with peace of mind. Zhang Xun is still very unfamiliar with the imperial examination, but fortunately, he knows Lord Qin, and the waiter of the Ministry of Rites usually serves as the dean of the examination institute in the year of the big examination. A few days ago, Zhang looked for Lord Qin and asked for the imperial examination questions for four imperial examinations in the past ten years, to familiarize himself with the imperial examination questions of Lu Guo.

Zhang Xun knows that poetry is just a trail, and the most important thing is the article, and among the arts of literature and Taoism, his worst is precisely the article. Fortunately, there are still more than four months before the college examination starts, and the article is written by itself, and it is adapted to the way of writing ancient texts, so it should not be difficult to make a good article with the accumulation of knowledge in literature. The titles of the imperial examination articles of the state of Lu are all from the Four Books and Five Classics, and the words of the sage are all subtle words, and it is not difficult to write an article from the sage's words, but the difficult thing is to write well to have something to say. Moreover, the people who have always asked questions in the imperial examination have combined practical problems, after all, the purpose of the imperial examination is to obtain scholars for the imperial court. Zhang Xun chose a sentence of the saint as the topic every day and began the training of writing articles, which was done every day for two months. In the first few days, Zhang Xun thought hard almost all day before writing it, but he couldn't read the articles he wrote, and he was completely reluctantly pieced together. When Zhang Xun was resting at night, he lay on the bed and thought, what is his weakness? For a while, he couldn't understand it, so he wondered why the articles of those literary masters in his previous life were so well written? For example, "The Teacher Said", yes! Isn't his weakness that he has never had a teacher? Although he has been inherited by the drunken Taoist, he is just self-taught, and he has not been guided by a famous teacher. Knowing your shortcomings, you naturally have to make up for them. Among the people I know, there is undoubtedly Fu and Chen, who will go to ask them every morning tomorrow. On the second day, Zhang Xun came to the Hanlin Academy, found Fu and Chen, and told the two Hanlin about his thoughts, Fu Hanlin said: "Chen Hanlin is now sorting out rare books and preparing to compile a complete set of books, covering scriptures, history, children, and collections, which contain a wide range of things, and there is no time to take care of the rest of the miscellaneous matters in three or five years." I'm currently teaching a "bachelor's degree" class in "Spring and Autumn", so it's okay for you to go and listen to it. Zhang Xunxian and Fu Hanlin said: "Then thank you Fu Hanlin." Chen Hanlin replied: "Well, I have been a Hanlin for 20 years, and whether or not I can be promoted to a great Confucian depends on whether this compilation can be successful." For the next half month, Zhang Xun went to audit "Spring and Autumn" every morning, and in the afternoon he wrote articles based on what he listened to in the morning. After half a month, Zhang Xun benefited a lot. Hanlin is Hanlin, and the lectures are well-cited and often thought-provoking. After listening to Fu Hanlin's class, Zhang Xun went to the library of the Hanlin Academy to consult the books written by the great Confucians and Hanlin in the past three thousand years, so that Zhang Xun's articles have made great progress in the past two months.

As the year approached, Zhang Xun temporarily stopped his training in writing articles, which was his first year in the world. Zhang looked for the four daughters and asked them to prepare and return to Laiwu tomorrow. When Xin Lan and Wen Xin saw Zhang Xun, they coquettishly said: "Husband, you are willing to give it up! You have ignored our sisters in the past two months." Zhang Xun also knew that he had indeed snubbed the two ladies in the past two months, so he said: "I can't help it! Fortunately, the most difficult days have passed, and I will accompany you more in the future." Xin Lan and Wen Xin didn't really blame Zhang Xun, so they smiled and said, "Okay! People are just complaining! ”

On the twenty-fourth day of the lunar month, that is, at noon on the day of the new year, Zhang Xun and the four daughters returned to Laiwu Zhangfu. Bihe was about to go to the kitchen to cook, but Zhang Xun stopped him and said, "I won't eat at home at noon today, I miss the delicious food in Zuixianlou." Xin Lan smiled: "You picked a good time at this time, this is the last meal a year ago, and it will close in the afternoon." Zhang Xun and the four girls sat in their own private room on the third floor, and said to the four girls before the food was served: "Here, for me, has a different meaning, when I first came here, it was here that I became famous in the outer city; With you, I have happiness. This drunken immortal building is my blessed land, and you are my nobles. Xin Lan and Wen Xin were very moved when they heard Zhang Xun's rare confession, it turned out that they were so important in the eyes of their husbands.

Zhang Xun was rarely relaxed, and Xin Lan and Wen Xin were moved by Zhang Xun's words just now, so everyone ate very happily at this meal. The dishes are still those dishes, but the mood has changed, and it feels very delicious. Back at Zhang's Mansion, Zhang Xun said to Xinlan: "I'll go to the study to think about it, make a study plan after the year, let's go to Hefu in the evening, and you will call me in the study when it's time." Xin Lan said: "Got it, husband go and get busy! There are me and Wen Xin at home, you don't have to worry about it." Zhang Xun went to the study and began to think about how to break through the bottleneck in the two months after the entrance examination. Thinking that I have been in Lu for almost half a year, not in Laiwu or in Qufu, the field of vision is still too narrow, so I will go to various places after the year to understand the customs and folklore. I have learned a lot, but I have not practiced or implemented it. Yes, on paper, I finally feel shallow, and I never know that I have to do it. This poem by Lu You made Zhang Xun realize another point of his own shortcomings. When I went to Hefu in the evening, I asked my father-in-law for advice on how to be an official and how to govern the place. Zhang Xun now knows what he thought when he first entered Laiwu: "After being admitted to the Jinshi, I will enter the first department of the Confucian Temple, and I will do the Qingliu such as editing and editing instead of being an official in the imperial court." "How naïve, but fortunately, it is not too late to wake up in time!

In the evening, Zhang Xun and the four daughters went to Hefu, which was very lively. It's the New Year, and the relatives who are usually busy outside have returned. A large family chatted about the difficulties and gains they had encountered in the past year, and Zhang Xun listened quietly, which was also a good way to listen to the news of the mainland. The He family is a big family, and the juniors are widely distributed, and there are even people who work hard in the neighboring country of Qi. These people are either studying or doing business, and what they see and hear made Zhang Xun firm in his idea of going to various places in the future. When the head of the He family came back, everyone stopped talking and went to the restaurant to eat.

In the study of the head of the He family, Zhang Xun asked his father-in-law for advice on how to be an official. He Jiazi is very satisfied with Zhang Xun's son-in-law, and naturally knows everything and says everything. It took two hours for the two to finish their conversation and go to rest.

It was very late, so I didn't go back, I went to Xinlan's small courtyard, Xinlan and Wen Xin were there, and they were warm. On the morning of the second day, the five people left to return to Zhang's Mansion, and Zhang Xun thought that a few days before Chinese New Year's Eve, he happened to visit the three major academies, whether it was Xu Chao, Zhong Rui, Wang Wenhai or Yang Lao, Ma Lao, Xie Lao, these people are full of learning, but also rare contacts. In the next few days, Zhang Xun visited the three major academies in turn, and the deans of the three academies were very pleased with Zhang Xun's arrival. Of course, Zhang Xun didn't go to the three academies purely to pay New Year's greetings, but also to see the collections of the three academies. The presidents and vice presidents of the three major academies did not refuse when they heard Zhang Xun's request. First, there is friendship, and secondly, they still have to give this bit of face to Zhang Xunsheng's former position. Not to mention, although this Laiwu is only a small border city, after all, it is one of the three major academies, and the heritage is still very deep, with a lot of books, especially the literature about the development and changes of Laiwu for thousands of years, so that Zhang Xun can understand a place in depth, which is very rare. After all, not only breadth is needed to do learning, but depth is also very important.

Chinese New Year's Eve arrived, and the others had given each Zhang Xun a handsome salary and bonus a few days ago to let them go back for the New Year, and there were only five people left in the Zhang Mansion. Five people were sitting in a small pavilion in the courtyard, and Zhang Xun said to the four women: "This is the first Chinese New Year's Eve after we met, and now this Zhang Mansion is just five of us, and the silence is a little quieter, but it is also very warm." How are you going to spend this Chinese New Year's Eve? Xin Lan said: "Sister Wen Xin, you are versatile, will you give us a few shows on Chinese New Year's Eve? Speaking of which, Fujun and I haven't enjoyed your performance since the Mid-Autumn Festival." Zhang Xun felt very good when he heard Xin Lan's proposal, so he said to Wen Xin: "Wen Xin, then it's hard for you, prepare well, we look forward to your performance!" Wen Xin saw that her husband and Sister Xin Lan both wanted to see their own performances, what else could they say, so she went back to her room and took out the box she brought from Yunxiang Pavilion. Wen Xin opened the box, and there was a guqin in his eyes, so let's play a song first. So he asked Yuchan and Bihe to bring a piano case and a chair and put it in the open space of the courtyard facing the small pavilion, and then put the piano on the table, sat down on the chair, plucked the strings a few times to try the sound, and said: "Husband, Sister Xinlan, how about I play a song "Spring River Flower Moonlight Night"?" Zhang Xun and Xinlan naturally said yes, Wen Xin began to play, Wen Xin has been practicing since she was six or seven years old, this "Spring River Flower Moon Night" is one of several famous songs, and she plays a lot on weekdays. After listening to a song, Zhang Xun, Xinlan, Bihe, and Yuchan were fascinated, and Wen Xin was also very satisfied with her piano skills. Zhang Xun was a little tired after seeing that Wen Xin was completely engaged in playing a song, so he said to Wen Xin: "Wen Xin, you sit down next to Xin Lan and rest well, and then I will perform a piece of Tai Chi for you." When the four girls saw that Zhang Xun was going to perform a show, they naturally applauded and welcomed. Zhang Xun boxed according to his understanding of Tai Chi, with Zhang Xun's Yin and Yang Dao heart, the Tai Chi boxing he played was not the fancy frame played by those old men and old ladies before the rise of square dancing in the park in the previous life. It is not moving like a mountain, moving is like a rabbit, and a set of punches is both offensive and defensive. After Zhang Xun finished fighting, the four girls applauded together. Zhang Xun said: "Xinlan, Bihe, Yuchan, the three of you also come up with your own specialty programs! It doesn't matter if you win or lose, it's about participation. So, in this small courtyard, you sang and I appeared, and it became lively. At noon, the five of them each performed a few shows, and they were a little hungry, Zhang Xun said: "We won't stir-fry at noon today, just eat hot pot in this pavilion!" So everyone was busy, and the first hot pot in the Wenchang continent was born. Since everyone participated, it was delicious for several people to eat. In the afternoon, the sky was beautiful, and it snowed heavily, which can be described as a prosperous year of Ruixue! So under the leadership of Zhang Xun, a snowman was built and a snowball fight began, in short, this Chinese New Year's Eve family was very happy.

On the fifth day of the new year, Zhang Xun said to Xin Lan and Wen Xin: "I have decided to go around all parts of the country of Lu from tomorrow, and I will not take you with me." Although Xin Lan and Wen Xin were a little reluctant, they knew that this was the right thing to do, so they agreed. When Zhang Xun accompanied Xinlan and Wen Xin back to her parents' house on the second day of junior high school, he told his second brother-in-law He Wentao that he wanted He Wentao to bring the fourth daughter when he returned to Qufu after the New Year. Zhang Xun can start his journey with peace of mind.