No war in the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 4: Little Fan Laozi
The spirit of cultural context?

Su Ze looked at the paper in his hand and the crooked words on it, but there was order in the chaos and it had its own style.

Su Zecai then remembered that in addition to being a writer and politician, Wang Anshi was also a famous calligrapher.

Later generations called his calligraphy style "anxious and hurried". His unrestrained words, like the wind and rain, wrote down his address in Bianliang.

Since the Tang Dynasty, scholars have liked to use stationery as business cards. Those with official positions would write their official positions on it. In addition, some scholars without official positions would write their masterpieces in tiny calligraphy on stationery as business cards to promote themselves.

Among them, the paper from Shu is the most valuable. The nobles would even press gold foil on the paper, calling it "Golden Flower Paper". Such a piece of paper could be worth half a string of coins.

Of course, Wang Anshi, who lived in Bianjing City, was also very short of money, and the writing paper he used was just ordinary white paper.

Compared with Wang Anshi, Su Ze's life was more difficult.

It is reasonable to say that scholars should give each other paper when making friends. Su Ze could only laugh dryly and said:

"Brother Wang already knows where I live, so please save me the money for this piece of paper."

Wang Anshi laughed after hearing this, and felt that Su Ze was a wonderful person. The two said goodbye at the tea stall, and Su Ze also walked towards his home.

How to use the "cultural energy" obtained?
Su Ze was walking while thinking about this question, and the red shadow that flashed by at home. At this moment, a scolding voice suddenly sounded on the road:

"No going ahead. What's the penalty for bumping into your carriage?"

Su Ze hurriedly stopped and saw that the street in front had been blocked, with soldiers standing on both sides of the road like wolves and tigers. Which important official was traveling?

Living in Bianjing City, you would encounter such things several times a year.

Sure enough, a pure white military horse passed by, and Su Ze saw the saddle on the horse, knowing that it was a trip for an important official from the "two systems" or above.

Marmoset is a kind of ape in the north that is not much bigger than a mouse and can be up to six inches long. The smaller the thing, the more valuable it is. The saddle made of marmoset's tail is called marmoset seat. They all come from the Liao Dynasty and were traded from the Liao Dynasty at a high price in the trade between the two countries.

This thing cannot be enjoyed just by having money. It also depends on your status. You must be a civil official of the "two systems" or above, or a military official of the Jiedushi or above.

There are also strict regulations on the usage period, which is from September to February every year.

The "two systems" are: one is the "internal system" in which the Hanlin academician is in charge of drafting imperial edicts; the other is the "external system" in which the Zhongshu Sheren is in charge of drafting imperial edicts.

The two systems were responsible for drafting the emperor's edicts. It was an extremely noble position and was also considered a preparation for the prime minister.

Su Ze secretly thought that he was unlucky. He encountered such a situation where a high-ranking official blocked the road. He had to take a detour to get home, and he wasted a lot of time.

But Su Ze was also a little curious about who was the high-ranking official from the "two systems" or above who was traveling at this time. You know, most of the high-ranking officials from the two systems lived in the neighborhoods near the imperial palace. Su Ze's home was in the southern part of the city close to the Bian River, and very few high-ranking officials from the two systems would pass by here at this time.

And judging from the direction of the convoy, it seems to be heading from outside the city to the imperial city. Is it some high-ranking official who responded to the imperial edict and returned to the court?
The citizens of Bianjing City were all well-informed people, and Su Ze quickly got the answer from passers-by who were chatting.

"Xiao Fan, my father is back in Beijing!"

Hearing this title, Su Ze immediately knew who the important official who was blocking the way back to Beijing was.

There is a "Big Fan Laozi" and a "Little Fan Laozi" in the Northwest.

Da Fan Laozi is Fan Yong, the former governor of Yanzhou. This "Da Fan Laozi" is a typical civil official and border commander.

A few years ago, Yuanhao of Western Xia proclaimed himself emperor and sent troops to attack Yanzhou. "Big Fan Laozi" ordered his deputy generals Liu Ping and Shi Yuansun to provide support.

Yuan Hao's original intention was to surround the city and attack its reinforcements. At the Battle of Sanchuankou, Liu Ping and Shi Yuansun's armies were completely annihilated, and the two knowledgeable generals were captured. However, the incompetent "Big Fan Laozi" managed to save Yanzhou. The Battle of Sanchuankou nearly destroyed the Song Dynasty's northwestern military power, and it was no longer possible to contain the Western Xia.

Under such circumstances, "Big Fan Laozi" Fan Yong even reported the good news after the death, saying that the Song army received help from the magic soldiers of Xiling Mountain in the battle, so Yuan Hao withdrew his troops.

The imperial court believed this absurd statement, and Emperor Renzong even issued an edict to confer the title of Duke Weixian on the mountain god of Xiling Mountain.

However, the battle in the northwest finally exposed the true situation. The important officials in the court also knew that "Big Fan Laozi" Fan Yong was not capable, so they dispatched Fan Zhongyan to the northwest to serve as the deputy envoy of Shaanxi Economic Management and Pacification and the governor of Yanzhou.

However, this young Mr. Fan did not achieve any good results in the northwest.

Last year, in the first year of the Qingli reign, the Western Xia invaded Haoshuichuan again. Han Qi, the deputy envoy of Shaanxi's economic development and pacification, who was strongly recommended by Fan Zhongyan, led his troops to fight, but was defeated again.

The only bright spot in this battle was that Fan Zhongyan defended Yanzhou to the death and prevented the Western Xia from expanding their victory. Later, due to a sudden heavy snowfall, Yuan Hao's logistics were tight, and he finally withdrew his troops, so he did not occupy much land.

The elder Fan was not good enough, and the younger Fan Zhongyan was not good enough either, but the imperial court also needed to save face, so they promoted Fan Zhongyan's journey as a typical example in Bian Jing, and almost promoted Fan Zhongyan as Zhuge Liang who used the empty city plan to make King Sima Xuan withdraw his troops.

He also said that there was a song sung in the northwest: "There is a Fan in the army, and the western bandits are frightened when they hear him."

In addition, Fan Zhongyan was good at writing poetry. His poem "Fisherman's Pride" was popular in Luoyang. The line "The Qiang flute plays long and frost covers the ground, people are sleepless, the general has white hair and the soldiers are crying" made many families of the border troops cry. This saved some face for the Song Dynasty after two disastrous defeats on the western front.

The war in the northwest was relatively peaceful, and Fan Zhongyan, who was in charge of the war on the western front, returned to the court to report on his work. It is no wonder that the soldiers blocked the streets.

Su Ze really wanted to meet Fan Zhongyan, the famous official of the Northern Song Dynasty. Unfortunately, perhaps because he was tired from the long journey, Fan Zhongyan did not ride a horse into the city. He only saw a tightly covered carriage passing by.

After this brief episode, Su Ze set out on his journey home again.

But this time he had a new idea.

This time Fan Zhongyan returned to the court, perhaps not just to report on the military situation in the northwest.

According to the history he knew, in the third year of the Qingli period, that is, next year, the Qingli New Deal led by Fan Zhongyan will begin.

Of course, the court's new policies had little to do with a small figure like Su Ze, but he knew that one of the new reforms might have an impact on his life.

That is naturally the reform of the imperial examination system.

In the provincial examination to be held this year, poetry and prose will still be the key content of the imperial examination.

Su Ze knew his talent in poetry and prose, and was afraid that it would be difficult for him to compete with the ancients in this regard.

However, in the New Policies of the Qingli Period implemented by Fan Zhongyan, the original emphasis on poetry and prose in the Jinshi examination was changed to policy essays. In this regard, he could compete with the level of later Internet politicians.

If there were no major changes in history, the New Policies of the Qingli Period would have begun in the third year of the Qingli Period next year and would have been abolished by the fifth year of the Qingli Period, and the imperial examination would have returned to focusing on poetry and prose.

If we wanted to wait until Wang Anshi came to power and reformed the imperial examination system more than 20 years later before taking the policy essay exam again.

The provincial examinations in the Song Dynasty were held every two years. However, during the Qingli New Deal, in order to select talents, a special examination was held every year, which means that I only have these three years of opportunities.

A cold wind blew and Su Ze shivered.

There are so many things to think about, I'd better go home and talk about it first.

(End of this chapter)