I studied in modern times

Chapter 679: The Emperor's Card is always useful

dong dong dong...

The little bronze man on the clepsydra bestowed by the royal family is beating a small drum.

Time has come!

Brothers Wang Anshi and Wang Anli opened their eyes at the same time, looked outside the study, and waited quietly.

It was unknown how long it had been before a young eunuch in a narrow-sleeved official robe, led by Wang Anshi's old servant, came to the door of the study.

"Your humble servant Tong Guan, in compliance with the imperial decree, requests to see the former prime minister, the minister of works, the envoy of Jixiguan Temple, and the Duke of Jing." The young eunuch bowed outside the door.

Wang Anli stood up, walked forward and opened the door.

"Eunuch Tong, please come in." He said softly, "My brother has been waiting for you in the study for a long time."

Tong Guan nodded, bowed to Wang Anli, and then walked into the study carefully.

At this moment, Tong Guan became nervous, uneasy, and even a little afraid.

There was no way, because the person he was about to meet was the most famous figure in the world today.

He is also the most difficult person!
The stubborn Prime Minister Wang Anshi!

A person surrounded by countless halos, a person with great prestige.

As long as he is alive, even if he doesn't say a word, the scholars and officials all over the world will never forget his existence.

At all times, there were people watching him and Jiangning Mansion.

With a nervous mood, Tong Guan followed closely and walked into the study.

The dim oil lamp illuminates the study.

Tong Guan saw the figure of Wang Anshi, whom he had met this morning.

However, Wang Anshi at this moment had a completely different spirit and energy from that in the morning.

In the morning, he was just an ordinary retired old man and did not look threatening at all.

But now, he was wearing a purple official uniform that only a prime minister could wear, a Diao Chan crown, a purple gold fish bag hanging around his waist, and a jade belt around his waist inlaid with gems, each of which was a secret treasure of the royal family.

His expression was serious and cold; his eyes were wise and profound.

Under the dim light, his voice was elongated, as if a giant was looking down at Tong Guan from above.

This made Tong Guan lower his head involuntarily, not daring to look directly into the other person's eyes.

This made Tong Guan truly feel what the power of a prime minister was.

This is!
The so-called prime minister is one who assists the king above, keeps the people safe below, harmonizes yin and yang, and has all ministers give way to him and treat all officials with respect.

Even if he is the emperor, you should treat him with courtesy and sit down with him to discuss philosophy.

After taking a deep breath, Tong Guan took a step forward and bowed his head.

"Your subordinate..." Tong Guan's teeth clacked, and he bowed quickly: "Your subordinate Tong Guan, I bow my head to the Minister of Works, and ask if the Minister of Works is well."

"I'm fine!" Wang Anshi's accent had a strong Jiangning flavor.

This is not surprising, as he spent his time from the age of seventeen to twenty-seven in Jiangning, Yangzhou and other places.

In his generation, the Wang family of Linjiang also officially moved to Jiangning.

His father and brother were also buried in Jiangning after their death.

After resigning as prime minister in the tenth year of Xining, he retired directly to Jiangning.

He likes Jiangning, the mountains, rivers, customs and people here.

Here are also the happiest memories of his life.

"Eunuch Tong, why do you want to see you so late at night?" Wang Anshi asked.

Tong Guan immediately bowed and said, "Reporting to the Minister of Works, I am acting in accordance with the imperial edict."

"Oh!?" Wang Anshi looked at him and asked, "What's your intention?"

"It was spoken orally..." Tong Guan replied.

Wang Anshi frowned immediately.

Announce the will orally?

Could there be some fraud here?

Could this eunuch be someone else's pawn?
Wang Anshi has always been very cautious on this issue.

Because he has suffered losses in this regard!

The incident of the prime minister being dismissed at Xuande Gate that year almost made him lose all face and feel deeply ashamed.

Tong Guan was startled by his frown and said quickly, "In addition to the oral decree, the emperor also has a book, which he ordered me to bring and give to the Minister of Works."

Wang Anshi then smiled, and then he bowed towards Bianjing and said, "I am Anshi, the Minister of Works, Duke of Jing, and the envoy of Jixi Temple, and I respectfully listen to your majesty's words."

Tong Guan then stood up tremblingly, took a long breath, and began to recite in a rhythmic voice what Feng Jing had told him that day: "Imperial Rescript to Wang Anshi: You have served in three dynasties, served as the Prime Minister of our country, and served the emperor. The emperor bowed and said: It has been a year since you last met, which is very disappointing to me..."

As soon as these words were spoken, Wang Anshi's eyes filled with tears.

Because "the year has come so fast, and I am so different from what I have seen from my teacher." is the text of the poem he wrote when he was appointed as prime minister for the second time in the eighth year of Xining.

That year, he set off immediately after seeing these eight words, traveling day and night to rush to Bian Jing.

It was that year that he wrote the most satisfying poem of his life in Guazhou: The spring breeze makes the south bank of the river green again!

However, after entering Beijing, he suddenly woke up.

An unbridgeable rift had already appeared between him and the king who had once treated him as a teacher and obeyed his orders.

In the end, he had no choice but to resign in disgrace!
But now, the minor official in Bian Jing brought up this sentence of the poem about being appointed as prime minister.

The details of my past interactions with the late emperor came to my mind.

Wang Anshi burst into tears immediately.

Tong Guan waited until his sobbing stopped before continuing to recite: "I am now a young and immature man, inheriting the throne from my father and the foundation laid by my ancestors. I feel as if I am standing on the edge of an abyss, treading on thin ice, and trembling with fear..."

"You were promoted by King Injo, and you assisted the Emperor. Your achievements are outstanding in this era, and your reputation will be passed down through the ages... A wise man is always toiling, and a virtuous man is always worried..."

"I heard Fan Wenzheng say: 'Be the first to worry about the world, and the last to enjoy the world's happiness...'"

After hearing this, Wang Anshi finally understood.

It seems that the young official is unhappy with him traveling around Jiangning every day and wants to find him a job?
really!

Tong Guan quickly recited the plot: "You are a minister of the world, a leader of reputation in the contemporary world. You should use the stories of Confucius, open up the style of Zixia, promote the study of classics in the contemporary world, and pass on the cultural heritage for hundreds of generations!"

After hearing this, Wang Anshi bowed again towards Bianjing and said, "I respectfully obey your orders!"

Then he stood up and looked at Tong Guan.

Tong Guan quickly took out the booklet wrapped tightly in silk from his arms, bent forward and handed it over.

Wang Anshi took it solemnly, but did not open it immediately. Instead, he looked at the young eunuch.

"The eunuchs are the emperor's close ministers?"

Tong Guan shook his head: "How can I be so blessed?"

"And who is the eunuch?"

Tong Guan raised his head proudly, straightened his chest, and for the first time bravely looked Wang Anshi in the eye: "I am the subordinate of Li Gong, the governor of Wuxin Army, and Shi Duzhi."

"Li Xian? Shi Deyi?" Wang Anshi asked.

Tong Guan nodded.

"Oh!" Wang Anshi recalled some past events and bowed slightly to Tong Guan: "Thank you for your hard work, eunuch..."

"I dare not, I dare not!" Tong Guan immediately bowed and said, "It is a blessing that I have cultivated for several lifetimes to work for the emperor."

"I have completed my mission and dare not bother you, Sikong. I'll take my leave..." Tong Guan was very good at observing people's expressions. Seeing that Wang Anshi looked thoughtful, he bowed again and said goodbye.

Wang Anshi nodded and said, "Go slowly, eunuch."

Tong Guan followed Wang Anli out of the study room. At the door, Wang Anli was already waiting for him.

"Thank you for your hard work, eunuch!" Wang Anli stuffed a heavy piece of gold into Tong Guan's hand.

"I dare not!" Tong Guan was shocked after weighing it, and quickly returned the favor: "What virtue and ability have I gained...what merit have I made to deserve such a generous gift from you, sir?" The gold weighed at least four or five taels.

It's far more than the share he should have gotten.

Tong Guan was very smart. He knew that the gold was not easy to handle and would be too hot to handle.

Wang Anli smiled slightly, stuffed the gold back, and said, "This is a thank you gift to the eunuch. Thank you for sending someone to inform me of something the day before yesterday..."

Two days ago, it was Tong Guan who sent someone to notify Wang Anli.

Tong Guan touched the gold in his hand and said weakly, "This is too much!"

"I really can't bear it!"

"I appreciate your kindness, sir!"

As he said this, he stuffed the gold back firmly.

This surprised Wang Anli!
When did the eunuchs in Bian Jing stop loving money?
Even those loyal and devoted ministers around the late emperor did not hesitate when they took benefits from the ministers.

Why not eat the meat that is right in front of you?
How could he know that Tong Guan was now in charge of the Bian Jing Xin Bao, with a daily turnover of thousands of strings of cash.

Although the money only went through his hands once, it would eventually go into the hands of officials from various ministries and departments, and one had to audit it before he could claim the money.

But with so much money flowing through his hands every day, how could ordinary amounts of gold and silver still be enough to stimulate his desire?

Besides, Tong Guan believed that he had a bright future and would not dig a hole for himself on such an issue.

Wang Anli saw that Tong Guan resolutely refused, so he stopped forcing him, put the gold away, and said, "The eunuch is honest, I admire him very much..."

"I have an unwelcome request, and would like to trouble the eunuch to help me..."

Tong Guan raised his head, not quite understanding what was going on.
Wang Anli said: "My elder brother's grandson was once favored by Mr. Zhang, the governor of Guangxi, and was recruited as an official in the shogunate to serve as a clerk..."

"Some time ago, I heard that the governor had appointed my nephew as a student in the Secretariat to study official affairs..."

"Does the unknown eunuch know who did this?"

Regarding this matter, he and Wang Anshi both asked people to return to Beijing to inquire about the news, but there has been no report so far.

But both he and Wang Anshi were very uneasy.

Because they don't know who the person who transferred Wang Di to Beijing is and what his plan is.
We have to be on guard, we have to be on guard!

When Tong Guan heard this, he immediately laughed: "Sir, you have asked the right person."

He was in charge of the Bian Jing Newspaper, and nothing that happened in the city of Bian Jing could escape his ears and eyes.

"Oh..." Wang Anli immediately bowed solemnly: "Please enlighten me, eunuch."

Tong Guan thought for a moment and lowered his voice, "To be honest with you, sir, as far as I know, this matter was done by Right Prime Minister Lu Gong, who bypassed the Ministry of Personnel and directly removed him from office..."

Wang Anli pursed his lips and cursed in his heart: "Okay, it turns out to be you! Uncle Lu Hui!"

Tong Guan continued, "It is said that because of this incident, Minister Wang of the Ministry of Personnel even brought the case before the emperor..."

Wang Anli was stunned: "The lawsuit was brought before the emperor?"

"Ok?"

"Two palaces?"

"No, it was in front of everyone." Tong Guan said: "I heard that everyone was indifferent."

Tong Guan wisely shut up at this point.

He was very smart and knew what could be revealed and what could not be leaked even a word.

……

Wang Anli returned to his study with a heavy heart.

He found that his brother Wang Anshi was standing under the candlestick, holding a booklet, in a daze.

“Third brother… Third brother…” Wang Anli leaned forward and called in a low voice.

Wang Anshi came back to his senses, looked at his brother, and his expression became extremely interesting.

This made Wang Anli curious, and he asked, "Why did your Majesty send that eunuch to deliver your decree so late at night?"

Wang Anshi pondered for a moment and said, "The emperor is a little unhappy to see an old stubborn man like me sitting in Jiangning eating his salary and doing nothing..."

"Well, I was given an errand..."

He handed the booklet in his hand to Wang Anli, but his face showed some hesitation and doubt.

"Call me Xing School!"

"This is a good thing!" Wang Anli didn't quite understand.

Wang Anshi laughed: "Hefu, let's see!"

"This is using my words to do the work of the heavenly family!"

Wang Anli took the booklet and scanned the first page. He was also stunned.

"Your Majesty... How could Your Majesty be like this?"

Let a Confucian scholar give up his studies and career and instead pave the way for others?
That would be more painful than killing them!

No one would ever do that!

Especially since my third brother is still so stubborn!
Wang Anshi did not have any complaints or grudges as Wang Anli imagined. Instead, he said, "Hefu, take a closer look."

Wang Anli nodded and continued reading.

Only then did his frown slowly relax.

This booklet did not discuss any sutras, except for the four words "investigate things and acquire knowledge" on the first page.

The rest of the content basically explains the young master's thoughts.

The young master first praised the development of education during the Qingli and Xining periods.

Then he praised the Imperial Academy.

But at the same time, he also pointed out that it is not good for current Tai students to only learn the meaning of the scriptures.

In addition to the classics, one should read widely and learn a variety of arts.

At least it should be like what Confucius advocated: rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy and mathematics.

Therefore, this Majesty hoped that his elder brother could open a new school in Jiangning Prefecture to enroll students. Besides normal lectures, he could also teach arithmetic, geometry, and talk about calculation and money.

"There is mathematics in Bianjing..." Wang Anli was a little confused: "Why do you go to so much trouble to order my third brother to open a school in Jiangning to teach mathematics?"

Wang Anshi said leisurely: "If I am not mistaken, the government may want to include the art of arithmetic and geometry in the Imperial College examination, and count it as credits... They may even want to put questions on arithmetic and geometry in the examinations for the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Rites, and even the Palace Examinations!"

Wang Anli's eyes widened: "Ah! How is this possible? How can the scholars of the world agree to this?"

The imperial examination was already very competitive.

Now the emperor wants to increase the stakes? Who can bear it?

"That's why you asked me to do this..." Wang Anshi said.

If it were him, the influence would naturally be different.

And because it happened in Jiangning Prefecture, there might not be much reaction from Bian Jing.

At the same time, the three words "Wang Anshi" have sufficient influence and radiation capacity.

At least it can create a trend.

"What does Third Brother mean?" Wang Anli asked.

The oral instructions brought by Tong Guan echoed in Wang Anshi's mind.

His fingers touched the papers of the booklet.

Beneath the words, there are details.