A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 219 The Arrogant Song Jieyuan
Zhao Zhen fell into deep thought.

What he was sure of was that Song Xuan definitely didn't know about his attention to him!

The people in the Imperial City Bureau may have poor work abilities, but Zhao Zhen will not doubt their loyalty.

These people are all descendants of meritorious families, and most of them are tied to the royal family of the Song Dynasty.

Zhao Zhen stood up and walked around a few times.

He had a vague guess, but he also thought, what if his twelfth brother didn't remember what happened back then?
There was no way he couldn't remember such a thrilling thing.

After we parted that year, we never saw each other again.

"Twelve Brother has been in his hometown, Lema Town, all his life. He's only moved to Songcheng two years ago. What friends could he possibly have who could share his moonlight with him even from afar?"

Zhao Zhen stopped and said, "Could it be me?"

When he thought of this, Zhao Zhen couldn't help but clap his fist.

The more I think about it, the more likely it is!

After we parted ways that year, we did make a promise that we would not forget each other if we became rich and powerful.

Then Song Xuan took those beggars and left Tokyo City in a leisurely manner.

"It's me!"

Zhao Zhen immediately laughed out loud: "Besides me, who else could he have as an old friend?"

"Yes, it's me!"

"Twelfth brother hasn't forgotten me."

"Hey Hey."

The young emperor Zhao Zhen felt very proud.

Perhaps it was the thrilling experience in his childhood that remained in his mind like a knife and an axe.

So even if he had a nightmare, Zhao Zhen would always see someone reaching out to help him out of the predicament.

Even if you are very scared in a nightmare, the feeling of fear will not last long.

Zhao Zhen went back again and looked at the Water Melody Song he had copied. The more he read, the more satisfied he became.

Compared with the records in history books, Zhao Zhen was also happy to have his name appear in poems.

One song in particular looks like it will be passed down through the ages.

Zhao Zhen also memorized the other two popular poems of his twelfth brother.

In particular, the poem about the frog, which was rumored to have been written by his twelfth brother when he was eight years old, sounded extremely domineering to Zhao Zhen.

But in terms of beauty, Zhao Zhen felt that it was not as good as the poem in front of him.

"Oh My God."

Zhao Zhen started to walk around a few more times, and felt more and more that only when the time was long enough could they be called old friends.

Zhao Zhen felt that he and Song Xuan had a life-and-death relationship, and they were still old friends no matter how you looked at it.

He couldn't help laughing and said, "Who else in this world could it be except me?"

Zhao Zhen finally calmed himself down and sat back in his chair to continue watching what was happening.

After that it was all routine stuff, nothing too interesting.

Then Zhao Zhen's eyes widened.

"Twelfth brother actually passed the Liyuan exam?"

"Twelfth brother has become Song Jieyuan!"

Zhao Zhen jumped up from his chair again. He had seen Song Xuan go to the academy to study today.

I will go to the academy to study tomorrow, and practice martial arts to exercise in the evening.

From these letters, Zhao Zhen could tell that Song Xuan was very serious about his studies.

However, the fact that Song Xuan actually passed the imperial examination and became the top scholar in Yingtian Prefecture really surprised Zhao Zhen.

"Twelve brother failed the exam last time, but he passed directly this time?"

Zhao Zhen carefully read Gao Zunfu's report and found that this was the case.

He was also sure that Gao Zunfu would not take such things for fun.

As for the fact that seventy-two students from Yingtian Prefecture made it to the list of the imperial examination, it was naturally ignored by the young emperor Zhao Zhen.

Zhao Zhen wanted Song Xuan to pass the imperial examination as soon as possible.

It would be best to pass the imperial examination and become a top scholar and serve in the imperial court.

When I take power, I will be able to make him the first number one scholar I choose.

But judging from the speed at which Song Xuan passed the imperial examination and became the top scorer.

He will be able to come to Tokyo to take part in the palace examination next year.

Zhao Zhen sighed slowly.

According to what my mother said, I won't be able to rule the country next year, right?

My old friend is making continuous progress, but I am still in the process of learning government affairs.

He had no decision-making power at all regarding important court affairs.

When the time comes, my twelfth brother will take part in the palace examination. What if the Queen Mother follows the idea of ​​selecting the top scholar in the second year of Tiansheng?

If I don’t choose Brother Twelve as the top scholar, how can I fight for my old friend?
Thinking of this, Zhao Zhen became a little worried again.

Even though Zhao Zhen felt that he was not able to rule the country himself, he should still practice on one or two government affairs, instead of having his mother handle them all and then sending them to him for observation.

Afterwards, the Queen Mother would take the time to check and ask herself why she did so.

If the answer is not good, she will explain it again.

Zhao Zhen was a filial man and did not dare to go against his mother's wishes.

You can only swallow all the suffering yourself.

He didn't even know that Liu E was not his biological mother.

In the palace, whoever says that will die!

Liu E was extremely powerful, otherwise she would not have thought of cosplaying Wu Zetian's behavior.

"Twelfth Brother, it seems that I am the one who is lagging behind."

Zhao Zhen sighed again. He never thought that Song Xuan's progress would be so fast.

……

Song Xuan woke up from a hangover, but he wasn't really drunk.

At most, they forced him to drink, but he was not afraid of any of them. After knocking them all down, he felt a little tired.

After Song Xuan got up and flushed the toilet, he stood by the window and watched people coming and going outside.

I also have to attend the banquet hosted by Prefect Yan this afternoon.

Song Xuan picked up the boiled water that had been prepared long ago, drank it all in the cup, and breathed a sigh of relief.

There were also quite a few people gathered outside.

"Master, wake up."

Tao Hong shouted:
"Several matchmakers came this morning, but I rejected them all."

"Ah."

Song Xuan nodded. He was now attracting too much attention and it was not convenient for him to take the lead in some things.

Tao Hong then placed a few scrolls on Song Xuan's desk:
"These are portraits of their young ladies sent by some families who were determined to give up. Please open your eyes. I really can't refuse."

In the past, Song Xuan acted like a prodigal son, but at least he was rich and had property.

Although some people came to propose marriage, they were all rejected and no one came again.

But now that Song Xuan has passed the imperial examination and won the title of Jieyuan in Yingtian Prefecture, this has changed the perceptions of many people.

Money is not as useful as power.

Especially since Song Xuan is a potential student for the imperial examination, his chances of passing the examination and becoming a Jinshi in the future are extremely high.

Both the people and the government in the Song Dynasty were willing to become relatives with those who had not yet passed the imperial examination.

It is generally common to get married after passing the provincial examination and before the palace examination.

For someone like Song Xuan who is already a top scorer at a young age, we should grab him first without waiting for him to pass the provincial examination, so as to gain an advantageous position of being close to the water and getting the moon first.

If he were allowed to go to Tokyo, how could the gentry in his hometown compete with him?
Song Xuan became interested, picked up the scroll, untied the rope, and slowly unfolded it.

"Hey, this girl draws well, but I don't know how much real color there is."

Tao Hong also nodded: "Not bad, especially the side view. What if there is a mole on the other half of the face?"

He knew that Song Xuan didn't like this type. He could tell from the album that the girl's breasts were not big.

After all, traditional scholars prefer small Lei. Even if they know that their daughters' Lei are big, they will ask the painter to deliberately draw them smaller.

Song Xuan read through them one by one and then put them aside:
"Put it in the closet. After all, you're still an unmarried girl. It wouldn't be nice if others saw it."

Tao Hong asked as he packed up:

"Master, logically speaking, I don't have the authority to make the decision for you on this matter of life and death. I just want to ask, do you really want to marry the daughter of a warrior?"

He has been in business for so many years and has broadened his horizons.

For the officials of the Song Dynasty, it was clear that marrying a military official in the court would not lead to a smooth career.

Using culture to control military power is the national policy.

As long as the Song Dynasty exists, it will not change!

Cao Liyong had been in the central government for so many years. He used to have a straightforward temper and was never nice to anyone. He must have offended many people.

There are countless villains in the court who want to trip him up.

Especially when Song Xuan truly climbed to a high position, he would still have a father-in-law who was a scholar-chancellor, who would provide him with more support. In the officialdom, the chances of gaining the emperor's favor were extremely slim.

If you want to get promoted quickly, besides having some ability, you also have to rely more on your connections and relationships.

There are only so many important positions in the court. If there is no one at the center to support you, how can you make better and faster progress?
Tao Hong felt that Cao Liyong was very dangerous, and although Yan Shu had the opportunity to enter the core, he was a good-natured person and it would be difficult for him to stay in the position of prime minister for a long time.

In particular, Tao Hong felt that Yan Shu was too smart and that this kind of person knew how to protect himself.

After so many years of contact, Tao Hong felt that although Song Xuan was smart, he had a mindset of being able to take on responsibilities. At worst, both sides would be destroyed!

Of course, what Song Xuan often told them when they were young was that we all go barefoot, so why should we be afraid of wearing shoes?
Anyway, we all have one head on two shoulders.

He felt that Song Xuan had just run out of time. If he had lived in the turbulent era of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, his martial arts might have been useful.

It is not known whether the Song Dynasty is really named Song!

"Marry him. It doesn't matter who you marry. You should try to marry a father-in-law who shares the same ideals as you."

Song Xuan waved his hand indifferently:
"What's more, Lao Cao looked up to me when I was still a nobody. Now that I've just passed the imperial examination, how can I agree to marry someone else?"

Tao Hong nodded, that makes sense.

But sometimes, the operation of social rules does not make sense.

He has been struggling for so long, and if he had followed the rules, he would not be where he is today.

We are not pedantic people.

"What should I wear to the banquet today?"

"There's no need to be too ostentatious about student uniforms. After all, we're all classmates from now on, and we can't let others hold grudges against us over such a small matter."

Tao Hong said he understood and he would prepare in advance.

Jealousy is an emotion that is sometimes hard to describe.

Even if you two have no grudge against each other, but I am jealous that you live better than me, then I have to find ways to make you not as well off.

It’s almost the agreed time.

Song Xuan and Zhang Fangping went straight out and headed to the Yingtian Prefecture County Government Office.

At this time, red lanterns had been hung above the county government office as a contrast.

However, many students have arrived early.

After all, it was a banquet hosted by the local officials, and the prefect was Yan Shu.

With the double buff added, everyone is looking forward to gaining Yan Shu's favor.

As soon as Song Xuan arrived, many students came over to greet him.

Everyone can get to know Jie Yuan and establish a relationship with him.

After all, we will be taking the provincial exam together in the future.

If they pass the imperial examination together, they will be officials on the same list in the future, and they will inevitably take care of each other.

In the officialdom, how could there be so many old friends?

It’s all due to interpersonal relationships!
Song Xuan behaved extremely politely, especially when it came to social etiquette. It was not difficult for him to control this group of candidates who had never even entered the officialdom.

Instead, it made everyone feel as if they were basking in the spring breeze, and they did not feel superior just because they passed the imperial examination.

Han Qi was a quiet person, so he was secretly gossiped about by those who passed the test with him.

Lu Lejian nudged Wang Tai next to him and said in a low voice:

"Look at Song Twelve. He's from a commoner family. How can he handle such a situation without appearing timid?"

Wang Tai glanced at Lu Lejian in surprise, because he found that the boy surnamed Lu was paying too much attention to Song Twelve.

Could it be that he likes men like in the story books?

To be honest, with Song Xuan being a man with both good looks and talent, I wonder how many young ladies he would have charmed.

It's probably normal for a man to like him, right?
Wang Tai was secretly speculating in his heart.

"What's your look?"

"nothing."

Wang Tai did not express his doubts, but asked:

"Why are you paying so much attention to Twelfth Brother?"

"Hi."

Of course, Lu Lejian couldn't tell the truth to Wang Tai. It was his cousin who was the prime minister who asked him to pay attention to Song Xuan.

"My twelfth brother is so outstanding. My family asked me to learn from him. Of course, I need to observe his every word and action. Otherwise, how can I make progress in the officialdom in the future?"

"hehe."

Wang Tai was sure that Lu Lejian was not telling the truth.

Don't forget, you also come from a prime minister's family. How can you not tell whether someone is hiding something?
"Twelfth brother is a genius. He has been a child prodigy just like Mr. Yan since he was young. You, Lu Lejian, have grown up so much, but you haven't even developed the shadow of a smart person."

Wang Tai commented bluntly, "Don't be too impatient, or you'll end up imitating others and then turn around and criticize Twelve Brother."

"You!" Lu Lejian said, flicking his sleeves. "How could I be that kind of villain?"

"Oh, what a misunderstanding."

Wang Tai saw Lu Lejian's face change, and then lowered his voice and said:
"I'm not doubting your character, I just feel that your brain is not as smart as Twelve Brother's. What he can accomplish with a good method, you may not be able to replicate and accomplish."

Lu Lejian took a while to react.

He then realized that Wang Tai was finding various ways to criticize him for not being smart enough.

But at this time Wang Tai had already returned to his seat.

Everyone's position is arranged according to ranking.

It hadn't officially started yet, everyone was walking around and talking.

But at this time, Prefect Yan and some officials entered the room, so everyone returned to their seats obediently.

Song Xuan and Zhao Gai looked at each other and did the same.

He was a classmate of Bao Zheng, and he came to see Song Xuan because he was catching up on Journey to the West.

In short, I am a person who likes vernacular novels.

Just now, Zhao Gai came to ask about the subsequent story of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, but he didn't know whether it could be completed after the exam in the fifth year of Tiansheng.

Song Xuan felt that based on the current progress, combined with the time he would spend studying abroad, it would probably be impossible to complete the task.

Zhao Gai felt it was a great pity.

After all, Zhao Gai felt that there was nothing surprising about him and Song Xuan passing the imperial examination.

The only thing is who ranks higher and competes for the title of top scorer.

Once you pass the imperial examination, the court will grant you an official position. How much time will you have to write these things?

That's why Zhao Gai felt it was a pity all along.

Yan Shu sat in the main seat, looking at the young students below.

Most of them were in their twenties, which meant Song Xuan was a little younger, just like Han Qi from the previous session.

They are the same age.

Many students stood up and saluted Yan Shu respectfully.

After all, they were able to make the list because Yan Shu was optimistic about the poems and essays they wrote.

Otherwise, we will all be failures.

Yan Shu was not modest and asked someone to bring the wine jug first.

I won’t drink much today, just a small drink will be enough.

At this time, everyone eats separately and no one sits together.

"Everyone, you are the pride of Yingtian Prefecture."

Yan Shu put down the small celadon wine glass in his hand and smiled again:
"The test is just a small step, so don't be too proud."

The students below naturally held their breath and concentrated, fearing that they would miss Yan Shu's teachings.

"The imperial examination is like rowing a boat against the current; if you don't advance, you will retreat."

"You are all the pride of Yingtian Prefecture, but the Great Song Dynasty has dozens of prefectures. When the time comes, all of them will gather in Tokyo to take the provincial exam. I estimate that there will be around 7,000 people taking the exam twice, and all of them will be the best among them."

When Yan Shu thought of this, his expression became serious.

"You will have to compete with thousands of students who are good at studying and taking exams in the examination hall to win fame. There will only be a few hundred, at most a thousand people participating in the palace examination, and many students will be eliminated by the time the palace examination is held."

"Every time I think of this, I feel the hardship faced by students all over the world. However, there are already enough officials in the imperial court. How can there be so many positions for new Jinshi to train?"

"So I hope you all won't let up and will strive to improve. I hope I won't see you again at the next Fajie Examination Banquet."

After Yan Shu finished speaking, he laughed himself.

Of course, many students understood what Yan Shu meant, and hoped that they could all pass the provincial examinations. Even if they could not win the palace examinations, they would not be sent back to start over.

That would be too much torture for a student!
Of course there were some who didn’t understand, but if everyone else was laughing and I didn’t laugh, I would seem out of place, so I just joined in the laughter.

Yan Shu waved his hand and then said with a smile:
"I've finished all the serious stuff. Now let's get together and have some fun. You've been so tense for so long, it's time to relax."

Although Yan Shu said this, many students still maintained their composure and did not act too relaxed.

In such a situation, no one dares to act rashly.

Instead, Song Xuan asked someone to bring him a stool to lean on, and he enjoyed himself for a while.

Seeing Song Xuan acting like this, Lu Lejian and others were so shocked that they didn't know what to say.

"How dare he, Twelfth Brother?"

Wang Tai also widened his eyes immediately. He didn't hear what Lu Lejian said, but saw Song Xuan's behavior and was also at a loss.

"Twelfth brother, by acting like this, aren't you looking down on Prefect Yan?"

(End of this chapter)