A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 54 The Least Deviant Sentence

In the end, Zhang Fangping just said:
"Twelfth Brother, the entrance exam is about to begin, so we'd better review our lessons."

"Although your theories are correct, they are somewhat unorthodox. I'm afraid the teacher will dislike them. Don't write them down when answering questions."

Song Xuan nodded to show that he understood.

Regardless of Song Shou's opinion of himself, the main examiner should be Fan Zhongyan.

Has little effect.

After reading some books, Song Xuan began to practice calligraphy.

Strive to write more smoothly and avoid contaminating the paper.

Fortunately, Song Xuan had some basic skills, so he didn't have too much trouble with writing.

Seeing that Song Xuan was working hard, Zhang Fangping also began to write policy papers.

These are the questions Song Shou gave him to practice with, and he will have to check them before the exam.

Song Shou valued Zhang Fangping, a rare genius under his rule, very much and planned to introduce him to Cai Qi, the former top scholar.

At that time, Cai Qi would comment on Zhang Fangping's policy proposals.

With this pressure, Zhang Fangping naturally worked very hard.

Song Shou thought that Song Xuan was a man of peculiar talent, but he was definitely not a good student.

Of course, Cai Qi was also demoted and passed by here.

After all, the Empress Dowager's henchmen asked Cai Qi to write an article praising the Empress Dowager's achievements, but he delayed writing it and was dismissed from the Hanlin Academy.

Song Xuan was not a conventional scholar at heart, and he did not agree with many of the ideas of the Northern Song Dynasty scholars.

It was Yan Shu, who was known for his ability to judge people, and Fan Zhongyan, who had a broad mind, who felt that Song Xuan was a man of great talent and would definitely become a good official in the future, that was why they were willing to take a different look at him.

Just as Song Xuan was practicing calligraphy and reviewing his lessons, he heard a knock on the door:

"Master, the captain of the police, Ding Zhete, is here to see you. He's waiting downstairs. Do you want to see him?"

Song Xuan put down the brush in his hand and said with a smile:
"The treat is done. Let me see his choice."

Chief Constable Ding Zhe was very polite. He sat on a round stool with only half of his buttocks empty.

Because the person in front of him is his financial sponsor~Song Xuan.

Every move he makes can bring in a gold leaf. Ding Zhe is definitely not a person who is greedy for money, but in order for his son to study well, he simply puts himself in the position of a hanger-on.

"If Shi Erlang wants his men to open a business on this street in the future, I can't guarantee anything else, but I can guarantee that no poor ruffians will come here to cause trouble."

Ding Zhe patted his chest hard and tried to sell his value to Song Xuan.

"I've long heard that Captain Ding is a man of great character, respected by his neighbors, and that he won't force anyone to confess while investigating a case. I believe what Captain Ding said."

Song Xuan naturally used his flattery skills and laughed unrestrainedly when he heard Ding Zhe's unrestrained smile.

The two parties thus reached a preliminary agreement on cooperation. Song Xuan also wanted to see Ding Zhe's strength and whether he could deal with the hooligans on the street.

Because some ruffians are not afraid of the government.

If a scoundrel has a sense of dignity and abides by the law, it will be difficult for him to continue to stay in this scoundrel business.

For several days, Song Xuan was reading and practicing calligraphy. He looked at the questions Song Shou gave to Zhang Fangping and practiced them himself.

Zhang Fangping went to find Song Shou with his answers.

Song Shou invited Cai Qi, who had been demoted, as well as Yan Shu, Fan Zhongyan and his brother-in-law Zheng Jian.

Among these five people, only Zheng Jian was sent to Yuezhou as a magistrate because he ranked third in the first class.

The reason why Zheng Jian became Fan Zhongyan's brother-in-law was all due to his father-in-law Li Changyan's face reading and son-in-law selection standards.

That is a Jinshi from a poor family. This kind of person is ambitious and has the face to become a prime minister. So he decided to marry his daughter off. Compared with Zheng Jian, Fan Zhongyan's ranking is not high at all.

Because Song Shou asked a lot of questions, Zhang Fangping's essays were read by several of them separately.

Song Shou nodded repeatedly as he looked at the first one, but when he saw the second and third ones, he felt that Zhang Fangping's policy paper was a little distorted.

Not right.

Could it be that the academic genius I admire has been influenced by that eccentric Song Xuan?
"Fang Ping, did you answer all these questions by yourself?"

What Song Shou meant was that you wouldn't let that kid Song Xuan answer you, right?
"In reply to the judge, I answered all these questions alone."

Zheng Jian is the new third place winner in the imperial examination and is getting excited about the imperial examination.

He looked at Zhang Fangping's paper, somewhat puzzled:
"How strange! How could the writing style change so quickly in such a short period of time? It's as if it were the work of two different people."

Fan Zhongyan naturally understood what Song Shou meant: "Did Song Twelve answer with you?"

"No." Zhang Fangping shook his head.

"Twelfth brother has been reviewing his lessons and practicing calligraphy recently. This is the task that Magistrate Song Tong gave me.

After I finished answering the questions, I copied them for my twelfth brother and asked him to practice a few of them.

"Ah."

Song Shou also believed in Zhang Fangping's character. The handwriting was the same, but the logic of solving the problem had really changed dramatically.

Cai Qi pinched his beard and smiled:

"Since you didn't solve these problems on the same day, what happened in between that changed your approach to solving them?"

Zhang Fangping calmly recounted to the five of them Song Xuan's experiences in Songcheng, and said Song Xuan's most unconventional words:

"Twelve Brother said, according to my understanding, the books of sages are for you and me to read, not for doing practical things."

"Do you really believe that Prime Minister Zhao Pu's claim that half of the Analects can rule the world is true? It's just a means to motivate students like you and me to study hard. After thinking about it, I find it is true."

"Forehead?"

Song Shou widened his eyes in shock.

Song Xuan is truly a heretic. He actually views the words of the saints in this way!

Outrageous.

Cai Qi was amazed and said that this student was quite interesting and might be more successful than you and me in the officialdom in the future.

Yan Shu continued to laugh as usual.

Damn it, the world of child prodigies is so complicated.

Yan Shu only realized this insight after he entered the officialdom, otherwise he would not have always adhered to the political philosophy of self-preservation.

So what if Song Zhenzong treated him as closely as a father and son?
The authority of a dying emperor could not compare to that of the living Empress Dowager Liu.

Even if Emperor Zhenzong of Song summoned Yan Shu to ask him to do something before his death, Yan Shu would not be able to do it, let alone do it.

Fan Zhongyan put down the draft paper in his hand and sighed slowly.

Where would a student learn such little knowledge about officialdom? This is a truth that many people cannot comprehend in their entire lives, but Song Xuan saw through it early on.

Now it was the turn of the newly crowned third place winner Zheng Jian to sit there in a daze.

No, I just passed the imperial examination and haven't taken up my post yet.

How could he directly destroy my governing philosophy!

That student named Song Xuan, is it too hurtful for you to say that?
So Zheng Jian, out of his sense of justice,
"Prefect Yan, I'm afraid this boy has evil intentions!"

(End of this chapter)