A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 263 On the Eve of the Battle to Win the Son-in-Law

Seeing Ouyang Xiu adopt a debating stance, Song Xuan put down his drink:
"So where do you think I went wrong?"

"My twelfth brother enjoys reading the Spring and Autumn Annals, so he knows that although Guan Zhong was virtuous, Confucius still criticized him for being 'small-minded'; even if Dao Tuo had good deeds, how could that cover up his evil deeds?"

"If one cannot distinguish right from wrong, how can one bring order to the world?"

Ouyang Xiu stared intently at Song Xuan, making him look into his eyes and think it over carefully before speaking.

Zhang Yuan was also somewhat bewildered.

He agreed with Song Xuan's words, but he didn't expect Ouyang Xiu to question them directly.

After all, they wouldn't easily say something like that to you if the relationship wasn't close enough.

Has he gone stupid from reading the classics?

Do you really think that all the words of the sages in the book are correct and can be applied in real life?
In Zhang Yuan's view, the imperial examination was the stepping stone to entering the court as an official. Even if Prime Minister Zhao Pu said he could govern the country by reading half of the Analects, did he really act in accordance with the words of the sage in the Analects when handling government affairs?
Throughout the entire city of Tokyo, and indeed throughout the world, who doesn't know that he has acquired numerous houses for rent, competing with the people for profit!
Wen Yanbo held the drink in his hand, remaining silent.

He didn't want to get involved.

When you're out and about.

Do not make enemies over trivial matters that are not worth arguing about.

Song Xuan and Han Qi were both just over twenty years old, while the other three had already undergone their coming-of-age ceremonies.

I'm an adult now!

In Wen Yanbo's view, adults only screen, but do not provide any education.

He doesn't have the inclination to be a know-it-all.

He just felt a sense of helplessness that Song Twelve sometimes felt when he was driven to tears by the stupidity of some people, and had to step in and participate in the debate.

Can't carry it!
Wen Yanbo began to rethink.

When everyone is in a high position in the future, should we try to bring Ouyang Xiu into our clique?

He might not be the right fit.

Based on Ouyang Xiu's remarks, Song Xuan didn't need to refute them.

Wen Yanbo then retracted the misconception that the five of us would be stronger if we united.

Perhaps kicking out unsuitable people and sending them to the opposing team will make our own team stronger.

Sometimes, a teammate who is as stupid as a pig is more "terrifying" than a more cunning opponent!
Song Xuan nodded, familiar with the Spring and Autumn Period, and then asked in return:

"Have you read Xunzi's 'Youzuo' chapter?"

"Of course I've read it."

"Then are you, Ouyang Xiu, a sage?"

"How can I be so virtuous?"

"it is good!"

Song Xuan looked at Ouyang Xiu and smiled:
"Was Confucius's killing of Shaozhengmao to settle a personal score a stain on his life?"

Ouyang Xiu was taken aback.

Shao Zhengmao was also an extremely capable person.

His school attracted all of Confucius's students, except for Yan Hui.

Seven days after Confucius took office, he listed five major crimes and directly executed his colleague, Shao Zhengmao.

It can be said that from then on, when scholars were belittling and killing each other, they would not list the specific crimes committed by the other party, but would directly report to the emperor, requesting that this person be punished with the same severity as Shao Zhengmao.

This means that this person is spreading falsehoods and deceiving the world, and Confucius believed that killing such a person was unnecessary.

Li Ding then requested that this method be used to kill his political enemy, Su Shi.

Su Zhe, on the other hand, requested that this method be used to kill his political enemy, Lü Huiqing (the second most important figure in Wang Anshi's reforms).

When it came to Zhu Xi, even his political enemies demanded the same treatment.

The "five evils" listed by Confucius became an important weapon for Confucian scholars to attack each other.

You may not use it, but you can't be incapable of knowing how to use it!
"Ouyang Xiu, even Confucius could use his position to settle personal scores, so would you call him black or white?"

Hearing Song Xuan's question, Ouyang Xiu fell into deep thought.

No matter how you look at it.

Confucius was not absolutely right in this matter!
Wen Yanbo had expected Ouyang Xiu to utter some earth-shattering remarks and to debate with his twelfth brother for a long time.

Did these few rhetorical questions kill the game?

When Wen Yanbo was studying in Luoyang, he witnessed Song Xuan defeating multiple opponents.

None of the students at Taishi Academy dared to raise their heads in their rebuttal.

Ouyang Xiu is still too inexperienced.

The inexperienced Song Xuan didn't need to be put through the multiple-choice question of switching tracks.

"Zizzizi."

Han Qi finished the fragrant drink in the bamboo tube, and looked at Ouyang Xiu with a somewhat blank expression.

No?

Why did you stop after only saying a few words?

I thought you could come up with some strong arguments to refute Twelfth Brother's statement.

As a result, this is it?
That "I won't give up" attitude from just now.

Han Qi was all ready to watch a good show and wanted another cup of fragrant drink.

Finished?
Ouyang Xiu had his own set of standards and criteria for judgment.

Even though Confucius listed five crimes in the execution of Shao Zhengmao, the fact is that Confucius abused his power for personal gain in this matter.

This is beyond doubt.

Moreover, the fact that Shao Zhengmao was able to attract so many of Confucius's students to listen to his lectures is enough to prove that he was not an incompetent person.

Was Confucius jealous of talented and virtuous people?
Ouyang Xiu no longer remained on guard; instead, he leaned forward, lowered his head, and looked rather unpleasant.

"The world is not simply black and white."

"Then tell me, was Confucius black or white?"

Could it be that what Twelfth Brother said is correct?
However, such remarks challenged his worldview, outlook on life, and values, which he had developed through years of studying classical texts.

These three elements are interconnected and together constitute an individual's perception of the world, the pursuit of life goals, and the standards for value judgments.

If Ouyang Xiu were to agree with Song Xuan's values, it would be tantamount to murdering his former self!

Wen Yanbo put down the bamboo tube in his hand and remained silent.

"It's alright, take your time to think about it."

Song Xuan called the shopkeeper to settle the bill, but Zhang Yuan took the initiative to pay.

"Twelfth Brother, let's go check the results together again tomorrow."

"it is good."

Song Xuan nodded slightly.

Watching Wen Yanbo leave, Zhang Yuan also walked away silently.

"It's getting late."

Song Xuan patted Ouyang Xiu, whose face showed signs of pain:
"You should prepare well for the next imperial examination."

Ouyang Xiu nodded dejectedly, then stood up to take his leave.

Han Qi watched his departing figure:

"It's good, better than him being impacted after becoming an official and then having to doubt himself."

Song Xuan nodded in agreement:
"Time will tell. If he never changes his ways, then I'll really admire him."

Han Qi felt that such stubborn people must be a minority in the world.

Was Ouyang Xiu one of the few?

Han Qi had no idea and was too lazy to think about it.

He was simply surprised that his unintentional act today had yielded such a result.

"Twelfth Brother, to be honest, do you believe in that divination?"

At this time, Daxiangguo Temple was still bustling with people.

It seems that Tokyo is full of people every moment, as if people are constantly leaking out.

"To be honest," Song Xuan said, walking slowly with his hands behind his back.

"I believe it!"

Han Qi was stunned.

Because of what he said at the fortune-telling stall, Han Qi believed that Song Xuan would definitely not believe it.

That old swindler just wanted to make some money to spend, so he deliberately said some nice things.

Even if this group of people passed the imperial examination and became prime ministers, it would still take them a long time.

So many years have passed, if the old man who set up the stall is still alive, he must be extremely old.

Are you going to punch him?
According to the laws of the Song Dynasty, people over eighty years old who committed crimes, except for crimes such as treason and murder, were almost never punished!

These two offenses alone require the emperor's personal review and judgment.

Emperors often issued edicts to pardon minor crimes committed by the elderly in the name of "respecting the elderly and honoring filial piety." During the reign of Emperor Zhenzong, prisoners aged eighty and above were pardoned.

Song Xuan glanced at him, then continued walking slowly forward:

Is that unbelievable?

"really."

Han Qi sighed softly:
"I'm so stupid, really!"

"I thought you wouldn't believe it even a little bit."

"Hahaha."

Upon hearing this, Song Xuan couldn't help but burst into laughter a few times.

Han Qi is still easily influenced by the people around her.

"Are you really that insecure about yourself?"

Hearing Song Xuan's question, Han Qi was stunned again.

"How can you even begin to talk about that?"

Han Qi subconsciously tried to cover it up.

In fact, he was somewhat surprised and delighted when he heard that he could become prime minister.

But reason told him that he couldn't possibly trust the words of a street Taoist priest about whether he could become prime minister.

If everything really turns out as he predicted.

He should have become an immortal long ago, or at least had a respectable Taoist temple.

Instead of being reduced to setting up a fortune-telling stall on the street.

Song Xuan didn't press further, but instead looked at the burning incense sticks:
Why do you think people burn incense and worship Buddha?

Han Qi pondered for a moment, then carefully said:
"They want to gain something or are afraid of losing something."

"That's what it means."

Song Xuan ignored the believers who were kowtowing and burning incense in the courtyard:
"They burn incense and worship Buddha because they have something to ask for."

"The poor ask the rich, the rich ask about the road ahead, and those who have the road ahead will ask about their fate."

"Most people come to this temple not to worship Buddha, but to worship their own desires."

"What you don't have, you want; what you already have, you want to keep."

"Sometimes, the deepest desires in a person's heart are hard to fill, even if they become emperor!"

Han Qi nodded in deep agreement. It's human nature to always want something better.

Song Xuan changed the subject:

"As for fortune telling, people want to get a response to their deepest desires and give themselves some motivation."

"Besides, why can't we scholars aspire to become prime minister?"

Han Qi remained silent again.

He hadn't actually thought that far ahead.

My biggest goal right now is to pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi.

Otherwise everything is empty talk.

However, after Bao Zheng predicted the exam questions, Han Qi felt that he would have no problem passing the provincial exam.

As for the palace examination, we still need to deal with it carefully.

“You, me, and him all have the opportunity to become the prime minister of the Song Dynasty.”

Song Xuan stepped aside to let the surging crowd pass:

"I don't believe what the fortune teller said; I'm just confident enough in myself to become the prime minister of the Song Dynasty."

Song Xuan stepped over the outermost threshold of the Great Xiangguo Temple and walked out:

"I don't think you, Han Qi, are any less than a sparrow."

Han Qi smiled gently.

After completing the imperial examinations, it is indeed necessary to set a new goal for oneself.

We absolutely cannot let Twelfth Brother be the only one to shine.

"By the way, Twelfth Brother, I've always felt that Zhao Shouyi is a bit strange."

Han Qi shook his head again: "But I can't quite put my finger on what's strange about it."

"Perhaps he was bullied by Zhao Yundi in the past, which is why he is so enthusiastic towards you?"

Song Xuan nodded:

"What the hell is this Zhao Shouyi? That must be a fake name he made up on the spot. I won't believe a word of it."

"They were too enthusiastic; their enthusiasm made me very wary."

"And when it came time to settle the bill, I felt that the servant next to him looked like a eunuch."

"eunuch?"

Han Qi thought it was quite normal; members of the imperial clan also had eunuchs at their disposal.

"Twelfth Brother, you should be careful. You should take Wang Bao and the others with you when you go out in the future."

Han Qi lowered his voice again and said:

"The main reason is that I think that although many ordinary people did not know it was you who publicly rebuked Zhao Yundi, a member of the imperial family, the powerful and wealthy will find out eventually. Those rich and powerful young men in the capital city will certainly not let this go."

"They might be deliberately getting close to you so they can take advantage of you unexpectedly."

"it is good."

Song Xuan did not take others seriously just because he was good at fighting.

On the outskirts of Tokyo.

There's no need to show off if you're not familiar with many of the roads.

The two finally walked out of Daxiangong Temple.

On the way, some people were discussing who would win the Huiyuan Conference tomorrow.

Will we see a scene of people vying for a son-in-law under the post?

People in the Song Dynasty are too restless now; they find it hard to wait until the results of the imperial examination are announced before looking for a husband.

By then it would be too late.

Once the provincial examination results were released, the battle for the "ideal son-in-law" began.

They will use every trick in the book.

……

Cao Yong didn't even wait for his shift to end before heading home in high spirits.

He paced back and forth in his study, still very excited.

If Song Xuan really did achieve the highest honors in all three categories.

As his father-in-law, he has to help him make the wedding happen.

As for showing off...

In the Song Dynasty, that was an extremely common occurrence.

Cao Liyong had witnessed Kou Zhun and others flaunting their wealth and putting on a show.

No matter what, one's own daughter and son-in-law's wedding should not be too simple.

It must be luxurious, luxurious, and even more luxurious!

It far surpassed the scale of all weddings in Tokyo in recent years!

In any case, it couldn't compare to the scale of the emperor's wedding, but Cao Liyong was still extremely ambitious and wanted to dominate the rest.

As for Song Xuan's father, that gambling addict, Cao Yong didn't want him to participate.

If all else fails, we can invite the patriarch of the Song family to come to Tokyo for a banquet.

So that Song Xuan's gambling-addicted father wouldn't be disrespectful.

"Husband?"

Madam Cao was summoned by a servant, went into the study, and then closed the door.

"You're here."

Cao Liyong quickly asked:
How much money do we have left?

Didn't we withdraw a lot of money a few days ago?

Madam Cao knew that her husband had sent someone to buy the bet that her son-in-law could win the imperial examination.

Could it be?

"of course not."

Knowing what his wife wanted to say, Cao Yong said rather smugly:

"As expected, Twelve has passed the imperial examination with top honors. The Emperor, the Empress Dowager, the chief examiner, and several prime ministers have all passed him."

Madam Cao's eyes lit up, and she immediately smiled and said:

"You weren't deliberately making fun of me?"

Why would I make fun of you?

Cao Liyong chuckled:
"I wanted to ask you how much money our family has left. We need to prepare for Qingyao and her husband's wedding and dowry. What will happen if we don't have enough?"

"Good good."

Madam Cao spoke repeatedly:

"After we collect all that money tomorrow, I'll have someone calculate how much we can afford for the wedding and Qingyao's dowry."

"Yes, don't be stingy."

Cao smiled, his hands behind his back:

"Even if we have to borrow money, we must make the wedding a grand affair. I, Old Cao, will have a son-in-law who will pass the imperial examinations three times in a row."

As a military general, he desperately needed to become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) to bring glory to his family.

Especially since he was the top scholar who achieved the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations!

Cao Liyong was certain that, despite Wang Zeng's arrogant demeanor, he was actually younger than his own son-in-law when he achieved the triple crown of the imperial examination!

Who is more powerful?

It's clear at a glance.

I'll definitely outdo him in the future!
Madam Cao remained silent upon hearing the mention of loans.

With so many years of family salary and money invested in lending at the Daxiangguo Temple to collect interest, the family wouldn't be in debt just because they married off their daughter.

"Did you tell Qingyao about this?"

"No." "Then did you tell Twelfth Brother?"

"Never."

Madam Cao was very puzzled:
"Such good news, how did you manage to keep it a secret? Were you just here to tease me?"

"The truth will be revealed tomorrow. If I had told him earlier, how could Twelfth Brother have been so excited?"

"I think my son-in-law is a calm and steady person, so he certainly won't shout or yell."

Cao Liyong chuckled a few times:
"Never mind, tomorrow morning, our whole family will set off for the outside of the examination hall to secure a good spot and see what's going on."

"That's good."

Madam Cao responded.

Generally, it was only when the list of successful candidates in the imperial examinations was announced that many powerful and influential people in the capital city would come to watch.

The main purpose was to arrange a marriage between the newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination).

In this way, once the family is bound together, the newly appointed officials will have nepotism and will be able to receive preferential treatment in the officialdom.

A win-win outcome.

During the Song Dynasty, a policy of valuing literature and suppressing military affairs was implemented, and the status of literati and officials was elevated to an unprecedented level. Often, a short poem or a short essay could make them famous throughout the world.

However, talent and fame alone are not enough to easily enter the bureaucratic class.
Even if one obtains an official title through luck or the blessings of one's ancestors, one will still be ridiculed and despised for achieving fame and fortune too easily.

Therefore, for scholars to enter high society with dignity and become a member of the elite, they had to pass the imperial examinations. At that time, this was the only way, with no other path.

Some arrogant scholars, even after receiving official appointments through imperial favor, still insisted on participating in the imperial examinations, disdaining to sit back and enjoy the fruits of others' labor.

Once a scholar passes the imperial examination with flying colors, he will live a life of luxury and ease, with his back straight and full of pride.

However, as things have become increasingly competitive, wealthy families in the capital city are no longer satisfied with waiting until after the imperial examination results are announced to choose a son-in-law; instead, they want to lock in their targets well in advance.

The provincial examination is an excellent way to pass the exam.

By passing the provincial examination, a candidate had already taken one step into the officialdom of the Song Dynasty.

They naturally wanted to do their best to find a promising husband for their daughter, and at the same time, they were thinking about the future of their family.

While commoners in the Song Dynasty achieved upward social mobility through the imperial examinations, the descendants of the bureaucratic class were also engaging in social mobility.

Among them, some may have been blessed by the emperor, or their families were stronger with each generation, thus enabling them to maintain their family fortunes and even continue to move upwards.

However, as the saying goes, "wealth doesn't last three generations."

Most families of officials inevitably experience downward social mobility.

For example, Lü Duan, who served as prime minister at the end of Emperor Taizong's reign, was known as "Lü Duan was never confused about important matters".

Because he strongly supported Emperor Zhenzong's ascension to the throne, Emperor Zhenzong took good care of him after his accession.

This was a senior official who, after passing away in the third year of Xianping (1000), saw his family rapidly decline and become heavily indebted within just five years, until the second year of Jingde (1005). His sons, grandsons, and brothers were forced into marriage and had their residences pawned.

Emperor Zhenzong used money from the imperial treasury to redeem the debt, and also bestowed gold and silk upon the debtor to repay the debt.

Another prime minister during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong, Bi Shi'an, served in a prominent position for many years. After his death, "he had no fields or residences in the four directions, and before the mourning period was over, his household expenses were already exhausted."

Fortunately, Wang Dan mentioned it to him, and Emperor Zhenzong then bestowed five thousand taels of silver upon his family and granted official positions to his two sons and one grandson.

This situation was prevalent not only in the Northern Song Dynasty but also frequently in the Southern Song Dynasty.

Therefore, some of the more clear-headed scholars at the time already deeply felt the difficulty of maintaining family businesses for generations.

Li Hang, who once served as prime minister alongside Lü Duan, built his residence inside the Fengqiu Gate. The hall in front of the main hall was only wide enough for a horse to turn around, and someone suggested to him that it was too cramped.

Li Hang replied, “A residence should be passed down to one’s descendants. This is indeed cramped for the Prime Minister’s office, but it is spacious enough for the office of the Grand Sacrificer or the Minister of Rites.”

Even Li Hang, who was honored with a place in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, was truly as he described.

His sons died young, and now his son is only a Dali Pingshi, a rank of eighth grade.

But this kind of official is a rank-based official!

(He was a high-ranking official, and his family relied entirely on his son-in-law, Wang Zeng, for support. The key issue was that Wang Zeng had no children, so his decline was inevitable.)

Indeed, there is absolutely no information about the grandson of the famous prime minister Li Hang; he didn't even hold an official position.

The widespread occurrence of such situations led the people of the Song Dynasty to lament, "How swiftly things change from prosperity to decline!"

Song Dynasty officials enjoyed generous salaries and hereditary privileges, so the decline of the bureaucratic class could not have been so rapid.

Even though the Song Dynasty had a strong system of hereditary privilege, officials could not use this system to ensure that their descendants would hold official positions for generations, thus preventing their family's social standing from declining.

In the Song Dynasty, not only were the official positions granted through hereditary privilege lower, but promotions were also much slower compared to those who passed the imperial examinations.

Even the son of a prime minister, who held the highest position in the court, was only appointed as the assistant director of the Imperial Workshops, a position of the eighth rank.

Most of the officials' relatives could only be given minor official positions such as trial titles or study room attendants, which were not allowed to be selected for official positions for a long time and had no specific assignments.

A minor official's salary is enough to make ends meet; if there are too many people in the family, then they have to be frugal and thrifty.

Compared to those who passed the imperial examinations, officials who received hereditary privileges were promoted much more slowly.

He entered politics young and returned home in his old age.

Most people spend their entire lives struggling in the "selection process" and never manage to enter the ranks of officials in Beijing.

Bian Xun, the maternal uncle of Lu Dian, entered officialdom through his father's influence during the early reign of Emperor Renzong. He served as an official for several decades, and before retiring, he was still only a minor official in the selection of personnel.

Shen Kuo, a famous politician and scientist, was appointed to an official position through hereditary privilege in the first year of the Zhihe era of Emperor Renzong (1054).

Despite his outstanding political achievements, he was still only a county clerk.

Later, when recalling this experience, he said: "I studied under a teacher for twelve years, but I did not achieve anything in my studies; I took the civil service exam for ten years, and I was on the verge of being dismissed three times, but I managed to survive."

Not only is a promotion a distant prospect, but even minor official positions are almost impossible to maintain.

However, after Shen Kuo passed the imperial examination in the eighth year of Jiayou (1063), his official career was smooth sailing.

Excluding the three years of mourning for his mother, it only took him ten years to rise from a selected official to a Hanlin Academician and acting Minister of the Three Departments, becoming a powerful minister.

His rapid promotion was a stark contrast to his ten-year probationary period!
This is why, among the 134 prime ministers of the Song Dynasty, only 3 rose to power through imperial favor (all in the Northern Song Dynasty, and none in the Southern Song Dynasty), while almost all the rest were graduates of the imperial examination system.

This shows that in the Song Dynasty, the only way for officials to ensure that their descendants maintained their family fortune and lineage was through the imperial examination system.

Otherwise, after their death, it is rare for their family to decline, and their descendants to sell their land and houses.

This is another form of social mobility under the Song Dynasty's imperial examination system, namely, the movement from the bureaucratic class to ordinary people and even the poor.

If the bureaucratic class wanted to maintain their family's wealth and status for generations, they had to constantly accept new scholars and arrange marriages.

However, even though the Northern Song Dynasty had already expanded its enrollment twice during the reign of Emperor Renzong.

One instance was in the fifth year of the Tiansheng era, and the other was when Zhang Yuan rebelled against the Song Dynasty and surrendered to the Xia Dynasty. As long as one entered the palace examination, they would not be dismissed.

Even so, faced with a massive bureaucratic system, the number of successful candidates in the imperial examinations was still far more than the number of available positions.

Although Cao Liyong held a high position, he still had this concern.

Therefore, he especially wanted to find a son-in-law who had passed the imperial examination to help him maintain his family's reputation.

Otherwise, relying solely on marriage alliances between military generals, the family would inevitably continue to decline.

Unexpectedly, he met Song Xuan, such a promising son-in-law. Cao Yong was willing to borrow money to hold a grand wedding for Song Xuan that would cause a sensation throughout the entire capital city of Tokyo.

Otherwise, wouldn't we just become a laughing stock?
Day two.

It was the day the Ministry of Rites announced the results at the examination hall.

Before dawn, many idlers gathered again to grab good spots.

Then, by cooperating with the others, they can sell the front seats.

There are only so many places anyway.

This method of making money usually only happens once every three years, and it requires a very high price.

Even if someone were to announce the names on the list publicly, with so many people gathered together, it would be difficult to get the correct names to everyone's ears.

In addition, there's the issue of accents.

This business still has a very large market.

The government wouldn't bother with these idlers.

Anyway, as long as you pass the provincial examination, you're going to enter the officialdom of the Song Dynasty, so this little bit of money isn't worth worrying about.

Song Xuan woke up from his sleep.

He was brushing his teeth and washing his face there.

However, Zhang Fangping and the others had already packed up and were just waiting for the others to finish washing up before going together.

"There's no need to go so early."

Song Xuan was still feeling a bit sleepy:
"The main reason is that not only will more than 7,000 candidates gather there to watch the excitement, but also the rest of the idlers in the city of Tokyo, and even ruffians, will go to join in the fun. It's best not to carry any money or valuables with you."

"There are quite a few thieves in Tokyo."

Zhang Fangping chuckled:
"I've kept everything Twelfth Brother said in mind. Even though I know I have a high chance of passing, I'm still very nervous because I didn't hear it with my own ears."

"Then drink less water later, so that you won't wet your pants when there are too many people and you can't find a toilet."

Song Xuan was deeply concerned about the government's decision to allow people to gather.

With so many people, it is very easy for a stampede to occur.

"Hahaha."

Zhang Fangping laughed a few times.

Even though his twelfth brother often tells him that a true man should stand firm even when facing immense pressure, Zhang Fangping still feels that he cannot completely control himself.

Even the usually composed Bao Zheng was extremely excited at this moment.

The excitement stemmed largely from the fact that they had predicted the exam questions correctly, which significantly increased everyone's chances of passing the provincial exam.

Today we will find out the result.

Song Xuan was eating his breakfast at a leisurely pace. Although it was mid-March, the weather was still quite cool.

Fan Xiang was quite excited; he couldn't sit still and paced back and forth in the room.

Even knowing that it would take another hour or two to climb the mountain if he went so early, he still wanted to go soon.

Song Xuan asked a servant to brew a pot of hot tea. He sat in the front hall and casually took out a copy of the Spring and Autumn Annals to pass the time.

"Twelfth Brother, what time is it? How can you still concentrate on reading?"

Fan Xiang looked at Song Xuan sitting in a chair, with a freshly poured cup of tea beside him.

"Both of us are capable of making the list, so what difference does it make whether we go to see it sooner or later?"

Hearing Song Xuan's words, Fan Xiang was happy inside and smiled on the surface: "But since I haven't seen it with my own eyes, I feel like my heart is overgrown with weeds."

"Brother Bao has already guessed the exam questions correctly. If you still can't make it onto the list..."

Song Xuan looked up and glanced at Fan Xiang:
"That's definitely your problem, it's not the problem of us members of the Azure Dragon Mutual Aid Study Group."

"Hahaha."

Fan Xiang couldn't help but laugh a few times, waving his hands repeatedly to indicate that he couldn't.

Lü Lejian went to see his cousin Lü Yijian, intending to ask about the names on the list.

However, Lü Yijian said that he did not see the list; the chief examiner showed it directly to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager.

Lu Lejian didn't press further, but simply mentioned that they had predicted the exam questions correctly.

This matter greatly surprised Lü Yijian, who immediately inquired about Bao Zheng's family background.

After questioning them to the end, Lü Yijian could only say that they were really lucky. A large group of people made a guess, someone guessed correctly, and they even managed to find all sorts of information.

Lu Lejian hadn't expected this, but after his cousin told him, he realized what was going on.

Unexpectedly, Song Xuan had such connections in the capital city of Tokyo, not to mention that he was staying at the home of Privy Councilor Zhang Qi.

Lu Yijian also found it very strange, not understanding how they had gotten together.

However, Lü Yijian had already made up his mind that when the results were announced tomorrow, he would first try to find a son-in-law for Song Xuan right there on the list, so that no one could compete with him.

He didn't tell his cousin about this either.

In fact, as prime ministers, they all wanted to recruit Song Xuan as their son-in-law after learning that he had become the top scholar in the imperial examination.

There was a precedent set by Wang Zeng, who was the son-in-law of Prime Minister Li Hang. Moreover, Li Hang married two of his daughters to him, intending to keep him in the Li family.

Wang Zeng, having achieved the highest honors in all three imperial examinations, donned a purple robe at a young age.

If Wang Zeng had been childless, he would have considered Song Xuan as his son-in-law.

Moreover, the newly appointed top scholar is a promising talent that the prime ministers compete with each other for, ensuring the orderly succession of the family and the continuation of wealth and status.

Although Vice Chancellor Zhang Zhibai's prediction that Song Xuan would not achieve the triple crown of the imperial examination was wrong, after returning home, he began to examine whether his granddaughter could bewitch Song Xuan.

You don't even need to wait for the imperial examination results to be announced; many young women will be throwing handkerchiefs at you on the provincial examination list.

At this moment, Lü Lejian helped to ask the question that was on Lü Yijian's mind:
"Twelfth Brother, was it all thanks to Privy Councilor Zhang Qi's connections that we were able to stay at his house, and that we were able to come up with the information for the strategy debate?"

Song Xuan slowly put down his teacup and glanced at Lü Lejian:
"how?"

"I'm just curious how Twelfth Brother got to know Privy Councilor Zhang, who is currently the most favored minister in the court."

Wang Tai glanced at Lü Lejian, this classmate who always pretended to be carefree and curious, but was actually testing others.

He could guess that it was on behalf of his cousin, the current prime minister Lü Yijian, who was asking the question.

"You want to know?"

"Yes I do."

Lü Lejian said with a grin:
"I suspect that you have already been betrothed to the Privy Councilor as his son-in-law. Today, many people want to seize him as their son-in-law. If Twelfth Brother really passes the imperial examination with top honors, he will probably be torn apart by five horses."

"Then I won't tell you."

Song Xuan continued to look at the Spring and Autumn Annals as if he were reading it.

"Hahaha."

Wang Tai then chuckled a few times:

"Old Lu, your cousin is now the prime minister. When we were preparing for the exam and looking for materials, why didn't you ask him for help?"

"As the prime minister, he should naturally avoid suspicion."

Lü Lejian quickly defended his cousin:

"What if some bad rumors emerge in the future, saying that my cousin influenced the examiner Sun Zonggu to set the questions, causing all of us to pass with high marks? Wouldn't that be a huge problem?"

Wang Tai didn't say much, but instead held up two fingers with a forced smile, urging Lü Lejian to look into his eyes before speaking.

Your cousin needs to avoid suspicion.

Does the relationship with Twelfth Brother mean there's no need to avoid suspicion?

Especially with your big mouth, what secrets can you keep?
Moreover, the two of them are related.

Lü Yijian's second son, Lü Gongzhu, was Wang Tai's fourth brother-in-law.

Lu Lejian immediately fell silent, fearing that Wang Tai would reveal the truth.

Han Qi also picked up his teacup, not participating in the matter; he wasn't curious about many things.

Instead, he was thinking about how to become an official after passing the imperial examination and quickly rise to the position of prime minister.

Once a person has a new goal, they become indifferent to many other things.

Moreover, Han Qi was destined to serve as prime minister for three dynasties and support two emperors.

Now it's just that he's been shown the way earlier.

Zhang Fangping chuckled twice:
"I know what Twelfth Brother is thinking. Anyway, there are too many people now, and we can't squeeze in. After the results are released, there will be news everywhere. We can go and check then, which will be much better."

"Brother Lü just mentioned that there must be many wealthy families who want to find a son-in-law through the imperial examination. Anyone who wants to experience it can go and wait as soon as possible."

"At that time, my classmates and I will be able to attend your wedding banquet soon."

"Hahaha."

Hearing Zhang Fangping's words, the group burst into laughter.

Fan Xiang stood up and smiled:

“I have been poor since childhood. That day at Sun Yang Zhengdian, I heard that there are quite a few people in the capital city with a fortune of a million strings of cash. If a wealthy family were to come along and take me as their son-in-law, I would definitely agree!”

If a newly appointed scholar is not married, he will usually get married soon after passing the exam and then take up his post with his new wife.

"That's not a bad choice."

Song Xuan put down the book in his hand:
"In this way, you will not have to worry about money in the future, and you will not have to do anything corrupt or illegal because of some financial difficulties. After all, even if you pass the imperial examination, your salary will not be high in the first few years."

Fan Xiang nodded repeatedly.

Although he used to be dark-skinned and thin, he studied at Yingtian Academy, where meals were provided.

In addition, Song Xuan found him a way to get free meals: eating vegetarian food at temples.

He ate breakfast and dinner at the academy, and at noon, so he never went hungry again.

Although his skin tone hasn't recovered from working in the fields, he's gained some weight and isn't as malnourished as before.

As a widower, Bao Zheng was following his family's arrangements and was to return to his hometown to get married, regardless of whether he passed the imperial examination this year.

"Then, Twelfth Brother, you're not short of money, what kind of woman are you looking for?"

"Of course, it is the perfect balance of richness and delicacy."

Several people nodded slightly upon hearing this. This is an original line from the Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River, which refers to being just the right amount of fat or thin.

"I see."

Fan Xiang nodded. What was there to criticize about his family background?
However, Zhang Fangping understood Song Xuan's very subtle words, because he knew that his twelfth brother had long been keeping a mistress in his room.

And they already have children.

Others might not know, but Zhang Fangping noticed that the girl's features were very similar to Song Xuan's.

Of course, the Twelfth Brother's aesthetic sense does not currently conform to the aesthetic sense of the Song Dynasty's scholar-officials.

She wasn't exactly fair-skinned and thin, but her fingers were like tender bamboo shoots, and she had a slender waist like a willow branch.

The group then let Song Xuan go; his request sounded quite demanding.

In any case, if Song Xuan really becomes the top scholar in the provincial examination, his goal will be to become the top scholar in the imperial examination.

At that time, I wonder if the families in Tokyo who want to marry off their daughters, whether they are wealthy merchants, hereditary families, or even the current prime minister, will pull out all the stops.

"Zhang Dalang, stop grinning like an idiot, what about you?"

Hearing Wang Tai's question, Zhang Fangping shook his head:

"I am still young, my family is poor, and I have no money to marry."

"If you pass the imperial examination, you will have no need to worry about money. You only need to open your mouth, and many wealthy families in the capital will send their beautiful daughters to your bed. The dowry will be extremely generous."

Wang Tai, however, understood the intricacies of the matter. His father was the prime minister Wang Dan, and he had spent a considerable amount of money on his daughter's marriage.

Zhang Fangping shook his head and said, "I haven't thought it through yet. Even if you snatch me away, I'll still have to politely decline."

"Hahaha."

Wang Tai laughed a few times, "If it really came to that, you should have panicked long ago."

I didn't know you had the guts to refuse.

"Fifth Brother Han, what are your thoughts on getting married?"

Hearing the question, Han Qi, who was deep in thought, finally snapped out of her reverie: "Huh? What?"

"Of course, it's about getting married."

Han Qi pondered for a moment:
"These kinds of things are usually arranged by my family. I don't have the right to decide who I marry. I just hope that my wife will be virtuous in the future. She doesn't need to be too beautiful, after all, I'm not a handsome man either."

Anyway, everyone subconsciously wants to marry a woman who is extremely beautiful, and they have never even heard of a requirement like Han Qi's.

If Zhong Wuyan came, you wouldn't be able to see her even if you blew out the candles, so how could you possibly bring yourself to kiss her?

Han Qi was indeed very loving towards his wife, and they had six sons and five daughters.

His eldest son, Han Zhongyan, also became prime minister, but later fell out with the right prime minister Zeng Bu (Zeng Gong's younger brother) and was sent to a post outside the capital.

"Brother Han is being far too modest."

Song Xuan pointed to Lü Lejian standing to the side:

"Even he can claim to be handsome. If you're not handsome, how is Lü Lejian supposed to live?"

"Hahaha."

The group burst into laughter, but Lü Lejian angrily slammed his hand on the chair:
"Twelfth Brother, how can you speak like that?"

"Twelfth Brother is telling the truth, and you can't stand it?"

Wang Tai added insult to injury, causing everyone to burst into laughter.

Song Xuan was well aware that Lü Lejian always used his carefree nature to probe others and gather information, so he waved his hand and said:
"It was just a joke, why do you take it so seriously?"

(End of this chapter)