The first prince of Song Dynasty

Chapter 165 Couplets and Officials

You still ask what the old man does?Just now, if you, Shi Baoji, didn't say that his father could have such a thing.

Zhao Xu was also considered to be more considerate of the commander of the patrolling battalion, and the fifth-rank officials were really nothing in this capital.

Anyone who walks out casually may have a higher official position than him. It's just that he doesn't know his official position is small when he doesn't come to Bianjing.

Besides, Zhao Xu was an old acquaintance with him and understood his difficulties, so he asked him to escort these people to Jin Yiwei's prison.

When they got there, they were locked up properly. Zhao Xu was relieved of Jin Yiwei's first point. As long as he didn't go, no one would be able to release them.

Even if Zhao Kuangyin went, I'm afraid he would have to spend some time talking. This is his Jin Yiwei, who turned a deaf ear to other people's orders.

However, there is also a shortcoming that ordinary people can't adjust them, and because of this, they almost have accidents later.

Xu Qiushi and the others also bowed their heads but did not look up, and they also drank together several times on weekdays.

These small yamen are still good to him on weekdays, so Xu Qiushi can't tell them Xu's identity, but it's okay to hint.

"I said a few sons, it's not that I don't take care of you, and I have no choice. If I don't do this, my head will be moved. It's not just a matter of his old man's words."

"I can't say his specific identity, but I can tell you that his father is the most powerful and honorable person in Song Dynasty."

There is absolutely no one, there is no one, there is only one, the incomparable one.

"At the same time, this Taoxiang Tower belongs to him." Xu Qiushi is quite interesting, is there anything he doesn't understand after talking about this?

At this time, Shi Baoji, who was beaten, also knew who the person he insulted was, and he was sweating continuously.

Their fathers also knew that their son had insulted the crown prince outside the Taoxiang Tower, so they all hurried to the palace.

And Zhao Xu here, after dealing with those dandy yamen, went to dinner as if nothing had happened. He didn't take his brother-in-law and his wife to the Lao Shizi poetry meeting.

The prime minister's mansion is full of joy today, and there are lights and festoons everywhere, as if there is some important day, but in fact it is also considered an important day.

The Poetry Club is not just an exchange meeting for literati. You can explain many talented people here. If a poem written by Zai spreads from here, it will be difficult for you not to be famous.

You will ask what is the use of this, you need to know what the literati pay attention to, learn good articles, goods and emperors.

Besides, this place was held by the old Prime Minister Fan Zhi, the prime minister of the current dynasty. Fan Zhi was a scholar, and he liked this thing when he was not a prime minister.

Now that the prime minister is delayed, he still likes it. Every year he likes to hold a poetry meeting or something. Even if the dynasty has changed now, I don't have any impression of his mood.

The people he admired at the poetry meeting eventually became officials in the court. This attraction is not insignificant, especially for literati.

Although he is not the emperor and has no power to directly appoint officials, he can recommend it, which is very important.

But there are also some people who come here specifically to build relationships with some future upstarts from the DPRK and China. After all, it is impossible not to have a good relationship with officials in the capital of the empire.

There are also some high-ranking officials and dignitaries of the court, all of whom were invited by Prime Minister Fan Zhi, which looks similar to the court meeting.

When the three of Zhao Xu arrived, the gate of Zhang's house was already full of water. There were all cars, horses and sedan chairs. Of course, these were just for giving off.

There was an endless stream of people at the door, all of whom were greeting each other. When they entered the door, Zhao Xu saw a familiar figure.

Hu Yanzan.

That's right, Hu Yanzan, I didn't expect that this black guy would also come here, and he would come here anyway.

He also saw Zhao Xu, and ran to Zhao Xu quickly, regardless of the people around him.

Joy was written all over his face:
"Haha too..." Before Hu Yanzan could call out the prince, his mouth was covered. Zhao Xu wondered how he could still be recognized in this way.

Although I didn't go through a lot of disguise, but not everyone can recognize it, I didn't expect this guy to recognize it at a glance.

"I said, Old Hei, how did you recognize me? This is after some dressing up."

"Prince" Huyan Laohei said it in a very low voice this time. He knew that Zhao Xu probably didn't want others to know his identity.

"Prince, can I not be familiar with you, plus there is Mr. Gao's son, I know it is you at a glance"

Forgot about this one, familiar people can still recognize him at a glance, but it doesn't matter, probably not many people pay attention to him.

Zhao Xu and Hu Yanzan entered the gate of the Zhang Mansion together, and he was really shocked by the scene before him:

The huge hall is full of people. It seems that there are still many literati. Some people are dancing and talking, and some people are sitting and drinking tea.

At this time, most of the people who are in the mood to sit down are dignitaries in the court, and those who are talking should be white.

The so-called white bodies are scholars who have not achieved fame or have not yet taken the exam. This is also a place for them to show their talents, so naturally they have to perform well.

"The prime minister is here," someone shouted at this time.

Then an old man with a red face came in, and the lively hall just now suddenly fell silent, and everyone watched the old man come in.

The old man should be more than 50 years old now, but he is still walking like a tiger, and he can't be seen as an old man at all.You must know that in this era, over 50 is indeed an advanced age.
This old man is Fan Zhi, the Prime Minister of the dynasty. He has stood in the political arena for more than 30 years, but he did not expect that this old man is still a warrior.

"Meet the prime minister".Everyone in the hall saluted Fan Zhi in unison.

"Everyone, don't be too polite. According to the past practice, you can do whatever you want." Prime Minister Fan Zhi said kindly.

Although this is said, no one is really casual. After all, this is the chief minister of the dynasty, so one must be careful.

After speaking, he sat at the main seat in the hall, and the host was an official from the Ministry of Rites. He also became famous here in the past, and then he won the favor of the chief examiner in the big exam before he became famous.

He cleared his throat and went to work:
"First of all, I would like to thank you all for participating in this poetry meeting, and also thank Prime Minister Fan Zhi for organizing it. Although it is a poetry meeting, according to the usual practice, the first step is matching."

At this moment, Zhao Xu was really speechless for these people. There was still a pair, so it was still called a poetry meeting, it might as well be a literary exchange meeting.

This is the old prime minister, standing up:

"This year's door-opening couplet was released by an old man. Do you want to know why the question of door-opening couplet is set?" After speaking, he looked at the people below.

There was a lot of discussion.

"Could it be that the old prime minister likes couplets?"

"Could it be that the old prime minister wants to test everyone?"

……

"What's there to say about the couplets, isn't it just that the battles are neat and tidy? It should be the same," General Huyan muttered.He's a rough man and doesn't like this place.

But when Fan Zhi invited him, he had no choice but to come, every time he didn't say anything about this kind of thing, this time he just said something.

But this sentence happened to be heard by Fan Zhi, he waved his hand and the hall fell silent instantly.

"The general is right," Huyan Laohei was very surprised. He said he was right, and scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Couple is to pay attention to the neatness of the antithesis, the number of words on both sides is the same, the form is the same, the consciousness is similar or different, but the most important thing is to be the same outside and inside, this time the foundation of being a human being."

Fan Zhi said very seriously.

This is what I want to say. As a literati, although we cannot go to battle to kill the enemy, we literati are indispensable for governing the country.

We cannot replace the soldiers to fight on the battlefield, nor can the soldiers govern the country and the localities instead of us. This is the strength of our literati.

But when we literati first started, we were always upright and selfless, but gradually we became corrupt and corrupt, disregarding the life and death of the people.

Such a literati becoming an official is to discredit us literati, and such a civil official should be shredded into thousands of pieces.

Couplets pay attention to the neatness of the battle, why not be an official? To be a good official is to be neat and tidy, and you have to learn from those honest and honest officials who have been hurt in history.

Like Lord Wei Renfu in my dynasty, he was honest and dedicated to public service all his life, abided by the law, and benefited the common people.This is our role model.

The battle against neatness requires us to learn from such predecessors. We must use such a good and honest official as Lord Wei Renpu, and we must use such people as the top couplet, so that we can be neat.

Wouldn't it be better for the country, the people, and yourself to have such a confrontation? "

Fan Zhi said so much in one breath.The face is not red, and the breath is smooth.Look at the people in the hall again, some with their heads upright, some with their heads down.

It seems that the prime minister is pretty good, and it seems that this is the focus of the poetry meeting to educate those who are about to or can enter the official career through couplets.

Hu Yanzan below, his blood boiled, he was a big boss, and he would be able to hear what the old prime minister meant by then, no wonder the people of the imperial capital loved him so much?
Fan Zhi looked at the reactions of the people below and continued
"The so-called "consistency between the outside and the inside" in the couplet is to ask us to always adhere to our own heart. We can't do one thing in front of the other, and we can't be a gentleman in front of us or a villain behind us." His sharp eyes swept over the people in the hall.

Many people bowed their heads guilty.

"Only by sticking to one's own heart can one truly govern the country well and do things that benefit the people. Otherwise, one will harm others and oneself."

Yang Guozhong, the prime minister of the former dynasty, was also a scholar with backbone at the beginning. After being blocked from the official position, his appearance gradually became worse, and he deceived his superiors and his subordinates.

"He appeared to be a humble gentleman in front of people, but he embezzled huge sums of money behind his back. He actually stopped embezzling the relief supplies and caused a large number of victims to starve to death."

In the end, he himself was executed by the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty Ling Chi, and he ended up with no bones left.

Fan Zhi was in a state of embarrassment at this time.

Zhao Xu would also admire this old prime minister very much now. The key to governing the country is to employ people. Zhuge Liang was smart all his life, but he misused Guan Yu and Ma Di. This was a lifetime of pain for him.

Fan Zhi didn't talk about how to use people, but talked about how the politicians themselves maintain their original intentions and how to keep themselves from deteriorating, which is also very important.

All of this is closely related to a couplet. It seems that I really misunderstood the purpose of this poetry meeting. The communication between literati is certainly one aspect, but I want to talk more about it.

(End of this chapter)