A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 119: Taking the initiative to visit (rd update)
As a qualified businessman, Mr. Lei naturally knew how good Song Xuan's accounting skills were.

As long as his family members learn it, no matter how many stores try to cook the books in the future, they will not escape his eyes.

It is very normal for everyone to exchange interests.

Mr. Lei was already prepared to bleed, but he didn't expect that Song Xuan just asked him to find out where he could buy a large amount of mulberry paper.

At worst, I can go to Chengdu myself to purchase a batch.

There is no way you can lose money on this deal.

Then we can see what Song Xuan is up to!

Mr. Lei did not stay long. In order to learn Longmen Accounting as soon as possible, he had to work hard for Song Xuan's affairs.

Song Xuan looked at the information about the entire Dou family sent by Qu Ze, and didn't know how the court would view Dou Chou's behavior of committing suicide by disobeying the emperor's order.

But no matter what, his eldest son had to go into mourning.

This is a system that cannot be changed, and the emperor will not take away his love, so he just needs to observe mourning obediently.

Since his son couldn't take revenge on him in a short time, Dou Chou set his sights on his former students.

Dou Chou had been a Hanlin scholar for many years, and it was difficult to count the number of people who had studied under him.

Lao Cao is not in charge of the Imperial City Department, so he can't devote all his energy to running for himself.

The only one who is clearly visible is Gu Zimo, but there are several potential enemies behind him, and it is really hard to find out.

After Song Xuan memorized the information of Dou Chou's family, he threw it into the brazier beside him.

At this moment, we should still focus on the imperial examinations.

Song Xuan was burning something when he heard someone shouting outside the window:
"Is Shi Er Lang resting at home?"

He walked a few steps and stuck his head out, and found that it was Shi Yannian, whom he had met once, and his drinking buddy.

As for the scholar next to him who looked quite old, there were obvious wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, but.

"I'm here."

Song Xuan smiled and said, "Please come in and try the freshly made cold drink."

He is now famous, and it is normal for people to come to him and make friends with him.

In Songcheng, Song Xuan is now well-known. At least locally, mentioning his name is more effective than mentioning Liu Sanbian.

Who is Liu Sanbian?

He is not a good fellow villager among us!
Shi Yannian, Liu Qian and their new drinking buddy Liu Yong came up together and entered Song Xuan's Sanwei Bookstore.

Song Xuan invited them to sit down and have some cold drink, and everyone introduced themselves to each other.

When Song Xuan learned that the middle-aged man in front of him was Liu Yongwai, he felt incredible.

Song Xuan felt that he still had a preconceived impression that Liu Yong really made a living by his talent, not his looks.

Because he really doesn't look outstanding!

Perhaps it was because he had failed the imperial examinations for many years, which made him look a little sad.

His whole face looked miserable.

Unlike Shi Yannian, who also failed the imperial examinations for many years, he was a pure alcoholic and was a little thin due to drinking. He didn't have a red nose or anything like that, but he was still good-looking.

It would be a shame if those prostitutes who relied on Liu Yong to increase their value had to quarrel with him from time to time.

Maybe after the emotion had passed, he just couldn't stand Liu Sanbian's appearance.

Only a few people have both talent and good looks.

"If I had known Brother Liu was coming, I would have made you a pot of tea. You couldn't just drink cold soup with us, or you'd get a stomachache from the unfamiliar climate."

"Hahaha."

Shi Yannian burst into laughter. He thought Song Xuan was a really interesting person.

He just doesn't like drinking, and I don't know how much he can drink?
"Shi Er Lang is not very old, but the poem he wrote is really good."

As the one with the most say, Liu Sanbian still has to talk to Song Xuan in person.

"I feel a little proud to be recognized by Brother Liu."

"Twelve Lang just wrote a poem he was not satisfied with, so he threw it into the brazier and burned it?"

Liu Qian naturally saw the paper that had turned to ashes on the side.

"Hey, just practicing my handwriting. It's not good enough."

Song Xuan casually covered it up, which made Shi Yannian nod:

"The calligraphy of Twelve Lang is indeed different. It feels somewhat familiar. It's not the standard Tang Dynasty calligraphy."

"I learned this from the cliff carvings, and through practice, I became like this."

Liu Sanbian had seen the inscriptions on the cliffs of Shicong River, and Song Xuan's handwriting was indeed quite similar to that there.

He didn't expect that Song Xuan would go there specifically to observe.

"Shi Erlang is knowledgeable and talented. If he continues to practice calligraphy, he may become a master in his own right and become a trendsetter."

"Hahaha." Song Xuan took the opportunity to praise Liu Sanbian:

"Brother Liu will definitely be remembered in history for his poetry and will also be a leader in the world. Ordinary people will only envy him."

Liu Sanbian smiled bitterly when he heard this.

To be honest, he would rather serve as an official, benefit the people and leave his name in history.

Who wants to leave his name in history by writing lyrics?
Even if Li Bai's poetry is unparalleled, so what?
He never realized his ambitions throughout his life, and during the prosperous Tang Dynasty, he could only become a "lucky minister" and write lyrics specifically for the emperor.

Liu Sanbian even envied Li Bai for being able to write lyrics for the emperor, but the emperor of the Song Dynasty looked down on the lyrics he wrote.

What can I do?

"Hey."

Liu Sanbian sighed deeply:

"Shi Er Lang, to be honest, I actually want to pass the imperial examination and become famous, rather than becoming famous by writing poems. Nowadays, it's hard to even support myself."

Shi Yannian agreed deeply with this statement, as he was also a frequent failure in the imperial examinations.

He is not even as good as Liu Sanbian, but at least he has made himself known to the whole world.

But Li Bai clearly said that only drinkers will leave their names behind.

Shi Yannian was not famous for his drinking capacity.

The most important thing is that he lacks a talented friend like Li Bai. If he had a friend like Li Bai, there would be no problem in replacing Danqiu Sheng and Master Cen with Shi Yannian.

Song Xuan thought for a moment and said, "Brother Liu, haven't you heard that after ten years of hard study, no one cares about you, but when you become famous overnight, everyone in the world will know you!"

"Even if you want to become famous through the imperial examinations, I'm afraid few people know how many Jinshi there have been since the founding of the Song Dynasty, and the names of the top scorers in each session."

"Most people spend their entire lives living a mediocre life, so Brother Liu, don't be discouraged. Everything depends on one's own efforts. There will always be many opportunities to pass the imperial examination."

Liu Sanbian didn't drink Song Xuan's chicken soup, because he was completely attracted by the words "Qi Bu Wen" and began to mutter to himself.

Shi Yannian was also a little surprised that Song Xuan could recite famous quotes off the cuff.

Is this a truly talented person?
Liu Qian subconsciously looked at the pile of ashes. Song Twelve could speak eloquently at will, so what was written in the manuscript that he burned that made him so dissatisfied?
If it hadn't been burned, it would have surely become a legend if it had been spread. Song Twelve was being too strict with himself.

What a pity!

"Shi Er Lang's words are very kind."

Liu Sanbian grabbed the cup in front of him:

"After failing the exam this time, I decided to leave Tokyo and never take the imperial examination again. However, I couldn't get over the hurdle in my heart and refused to give up."

"But after failing the imperial examinations several times, I really lost a lot of energy. Every time I was in the examination hall, I was always hesitant, afraid that this time I would take the exam in vain, wasting both time and money."

"I hope Twelve Lang can give me some pointers."

Liu Sanbian felt that Song Xuan must have some outstanding qualities since he could achieve such good results at such a young age.

He came here today to make friends actively, and he also had some selfish motives, wanting to learn from Song Xuan.

Three people, there must be my teacher Yan.

As long as he could pass the imperial examination, Liu Sanbian didn't think there was anything wrong with asking for advice from people younger than him.

In recent years, more and more people younger than him have passed the imperial examination, but he is still a failure.

Years of failure had long since eroded the pride in his heart.

Now I just want to grab any straw to get ashore!
"Shi Er Lang, me too."

Shi Yannian was the same as Liu Sanbian. From the first time to the last time, they both failed the exam in the same year.

Otherwise, how could fate be so close?
On the other hand, Liu Qian, who was the guest, had never experienced failure in the imperial examination, so he did not feel that anxious.

He just wanted to take a look at Song Xuan's new work, appreciate it more quickly, and have it with his wine.

Song Xuan discovered that those who failed in the imperial examinations had one thing in common, which was their bad mentality.

Perhaps it is because a career in politics is their only pursuit, and it is too heavy. Many people bear too much pressure, making them breathless.

Liu Sanbian was able to pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi because he was old enough. It was a special examination specially opened by Song Renzong Zhao Zhen when he was in power. The admission standards were relaxed for those who had failed in previous imperial examinations. This is why he and his brother passed the examination together.

This was pioneered by Emperor Taizu of Song Dynasty, and was mainly applied to those who failed the provincial and palace examinations for the fifteenth or tenth time or more.

"Brother Liu, Brother Shi, the two of you have the wrong mindset when it comes to the imperial examination.

Too many failures will erode a person's self-confidence. Only a few with strong minds will not be affected."

"Oh?"

Liu Sanbian knew that there was something wrong with his mentality, but he was powerless to change it.

Every time before going to the exam, I would remind myself that I must do this and that.

But when I actually sat down to take the exam, I forgot everything.

"What Shi Er Lang said makes sense. I realize it, but I still can't overcome it."

"Me too!"

Shi Yannian also eagerly wanted to pass the imperial examination to bring honor to his family and prove that he could become an official on his own without relying on his family background.

According to the course of history, Shi Yannian did not pass the imperial examination in the end. Instead, he followed the advice of Prime Minister Zhang Zhibai and relied on his family if he had the conditions, and there was no need to compete with himself.

Do you have to wait until you are in your seventies or eighties and pass the imperial examination before becoming an official? How can you continue the glory of your family and work for the people and the court in the future?
Liu Sanbian knew Shi Yannian's shortcomings:
"Manqing, you only have a general understanding of reading, not a thorough understanding of the chapters and sentences. You are lucky to be admitted to Yingtian Academy. If you want to go further, you still need to study poetry and literature diligently."

Song Xuan looked at Liu Sanbian in surprise. He was indeed a doctor after suffering from illness for a long time, but he couldn't cure himself.

Shi Yannian admitted that Liu Sanbian was right. He was becoming more and more restless and irritable. Whenever something happened, he wanted to drink.

Have fun first and worry about other things later.

He really likes that "tipsy" state!
Song Xuan didn't know their foundation, but according to his stereotype, students who always failed the exam had a problem, that is, they thought they were familiar with everything, but when it came to the real test, everything was unfamiliar to them.

"According to Brother Liu, Brother Shi still needs to strengthen his basic skills before he can make further progress."

After Liu Sanbian finished fiddling with Shi Yannian, he looked at Song Xuan eagerly.

"If Brother Liu's mentality is not good, I think you should first undergo further desensitization training."

Song Xuan drank a sip of cold water and said, "Brother Liu, just take more exams. Once you become numb to them, maybe your mindset will change. If you don't feel nervous when taking any exam, maybe you can pass it."

Liu Sanbian thought about it and it turned out to be an idea.

I originally wanted to gain valuable experience from Song Xuan, and when I go on my study tour, I can also seriously ask Master Fan for some advice.

"How does Shi Er Lang usually review his lessons?"

"My method is a stupid one."

Song Xuan also explained to Liu Sanbian the so-called tactic of doing a lot of questions, which is just doing questions.

Collect the real questions from previous imperial examinations, from the preliminary examination to the provincial examination to the palace examination.

But given his financial resources, he has only collected a little so far.

After all, those test questions would not necessarily be circulated among the people, and all students' test papers were kept by the government.

Even the so-called "full-score essays" will most of the time not be circulated.

For example, how many of those top-scoring examination papers can be preserved and circulated among the people?
Liu Sanbian and Shi Yannian looked at each other. They both knew that Song Xuan was smart.

But I really didn’t expect that smart people would use such a stupid method!
There were some things that they really couldn't understand.

Song Xuan saw the hesitation in their eyes and took the initiative to explain:
"Three of you, don't think this method is stupid, but it is a way to train people. The key is practice makes perfect."

"After reading many of the question types, I didn't feel nervous at all when I encountered them in the exam room. It was as if I was doing the same questions as usual."

"I'll give it a try later."

Liu Sanbian, the old failed student, was desperate and tried every possible means to cure his illness.

He really wanted to go ashore!

Although there was no age limit for taking the civil service examination in the Song Dynasty, once one passed the examination at an old age, his entire life would be spent on it. Even if he passed, his pride would be lost, and he might die earlier.

"Brother Liu is knowledgeable, but do you know this kind of paper?"

Liu Sanbian saw Song Xuan take out the paper and nodded:
"Shi Er Lang's family is quite wealthy. Does he use this kind of paper to write?"

"How can I use these?" Song Xuan said with a smile on his face:
"A friend of mine from my hometown wants to buy a large quantity of this paper and asked me to ask around. It's not a big deal."

Liu Sanbian actually believed what Song Xuan said. It was very normal for fellow villagers to help each other.

"When I was in Tokyo, I saw many bookstores selling Chengdu mulberry paper, but most of them were purchased by the government."

"Ordinary students wouldn't use such expensive paper, but this kind of paper is required for the imperial examinations."

"So many students buy some of this paper before the exam to get familiar with writing, so they can mix it with the right ink for easier writing without smudging and staining the exam paper."

"Oh? There's such a thing!"

Song Xuan thought it was used in large quantities by government offices. He had never taken the formal imperial examination, and the paper used for the entrance examination of Yingtian Academy was not this kind of paper.

Since the imperial examination specified specific paper, it meant that the production would not be in short supply, and purchasing it would be limited by the channels.

Song Xuan put away the paper. He really lacked channels at the moment.

(End of this chapter)