Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World

until

"Jiayan, have any guests arrived?"

The old man's voice was strong and clear; one could hear him before seeing him.

Han Jiayan was startled and quickly took two steps into the mansion, saying, "Jiang Dalang wanted to become Father's disciple and visited three times, but to avoid disturbing him, he refused to enter the room and stood respectfully in the snow for a long time."

"Hmm?" Han Zhang seemed somewhat surprised: "Why didn't you report it sooner?"

As he spoke, he held the bamboo slips in his hand and strode out.

At first glance, he was slender and had a majestic appearance. His sleeves fluttered in the wind, and every move he made exuded authority yet also showed gentleness and kindness, fully embodying the word "temperament".

Han Zhang stepped forward and reached out to help the person.

"Brother, it's snowing and cold outside. Why don't you come inside and rest, or warm yourself by the fire?"

Jiang Zhao looked delighted and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Uncle."

"Jiang Zhao has long admired your talent and learning, and hopes to become your student. I have already bothered you three times. As the saying goes, once or twice is acceptable, but not three times. I am truly ashamed to enter your door. Please forgive me, Uncle."

"Your son's thirst for knowledge is truly astonishing!" Han Zhang said, looking deeply moved.

"Uncle," Jiang Zhao said, making a gesture as if to bow.

Unexpectedly, Han Zhang helped him up and prevented him from bowing.

Jiang Zhao was startled, his body trembling slightly.

He seemed to realize something, glanced back, and his eyes reddened: "Uncle, are you not planning to take me in?"

Before he could finish speaking, the crowd stirred.

Han Zhang came out to greet them, thinking that the good thing was about to happen, but who would have thought that it would not happen?

Anyone could see that Jiang Zhao was in a hurry.

He, who had always maintained a gentlemanly demeanor, was so anxious that he was about to cry.

"My eldest son is quick-witted and became a scholar at the age of ten. It is beyond doubt that he will pass the imperial examinations, become a Jinshi, and a Shujishi in the future. I am currently in exile. If my eldest son were to become my student, I am afraid that he might be implicated. It is not worth it."

Han Zhang hesitated for a moment, then sighed and expressed his concerns.

He also wanted to take Jiang Zhao, the child prodigy, as his disciple, but precisely because of this, he was even less able to do so.

For a time, everyone sighed.

An apprentice should act like an apprentice, and a master should act like a master.

unfortunately

Many people thought the matter was over, but to their surprise, Jiang Zhao shook his head repeatedly and suddenly bowed down.

He said earnestly, "Please accept me, sir!"

"Why would you ruin your future, young master?" Han Zhang was shaken to his core, his fingertips trembling.

Jiang Zhao's eyes were red: "Since ancient times, people have always sought apprenticeship for the sake of pure knowledge. If one can learn true knowledge, what is there to fear even if one's official career is full of setbacks?"

The ground was covered in snow, and Jiang Zhao bowed in reverence, astonishing everyone.

"He is devout in his pursuit of knowledge, displaying the demeanor of an ancient gentleman."

"Xiao Yi is a child prodigy. He was already aware of Lord Han's predicament, yet he chose to become his disciple without any hesitation. He was not only seeking a mentor, but also pure knowledge and learning."

"Well said, worship pure scholarship and knowledge."

"He has visited Han's door three times; hopefully, he will succeed! Such an attitude towards learning is truly rare!"

Han Zhang was taken aback, his eyes reddening: "Elder brother, do you not mind my demotion?"

"Jiang Zhao has always respected you as a person and admired your talent since becoming your disciple. I don't care about official careers or politics," Jiang Zhao said sincerely.

Han Zhang's hand trembled as he helped the person up; deeply moved, tears welled up in his eyes.

"Good good!"

Three "good"s in a row, I was deeply moved.

"Good boy, get up quickly." Han Zhang reached out to help him up: "Come on, let's go into the mansion."

The two walked hand in hand, with Jiang Zhao trailing behind by half a step.

What a wonderful pair of teacher and student!

Han Jiayan stepped forward at the opportune moment and beckoned the servant to carry the six gifts of the bride price.

"Okay, okay!"

Good things are about to happen, and even the illiterate old farmer couldn't help but cheer.

As winter snow falls and the fire burns, the master and apprentice join hands, creating a truly immersive atmosphere.

This prompted many people to chime in with praise and cheers.

At the same time, Han Jiayan hurriedly invited the onlookers to come inside together.

The story has become a legend, and everyone is all smiles.

An old farmer reached out and stuck his finger into the snow, and was greatly surprised. He looked up and said, "He visited Han's door three times, standing in front of the door with the snow a foot deep, seeking knowledge. His sincerity is so great, no wonder Jiang Dalang was able to find a good teacher!"

“Yes!” an old farmer echoed loudly.

This drew gasps of amazement from many, who quickly reached out to wipe away the snow.

A scholar, caught up in the moment, called out, "Servant, bring over a table and chairs. I, Zhao, wish to paint a picture for Jiang Dalang to witness this beautiful tale."

With a few strokes, the outline of "Standing in the Snow" was sketched out on the Xuan paper.

Some scholars, caught up in the moment, decided to discuss it further and even composed poems.

Before an incense stick could burn, dozens of poems about standing in the snow had already been written.

Some scholars, caught up in the moment, decided to write articles to record this extraordinary event.

Everyone was amazed and praised it.

The six gifts of tuition were presented to the emperor to straighten his clothes, worship Confucius, perform the apprenticeship ceremony, offer tea and present the letter of instruction, and give admonitions. All of this was done in one go, witnessed by a thousand people.

Many ship merchants travel far and wide, rarely witnessing truly remarkable stories. Now, with such a rare encounter, they declare they will spread the names of the master and disciple, regarding it as a celebrated tale of learning.

With thousands of people witnessing the event, it was inevitable that some banquets would be set up, turning the streets into bustling streets with people coming and going.

Chapter 4: The books of sages are utterly useless when it comes to practical matters!

The study in the Han residence.

The charcoal fire burns brightly, and the aroma of tea wafts from the tea stove.

Han Zhang held down the paper with one hand and wrote a letter.

Jiang Zhao sat upright by the stove, holding a book in his hand. He patted his sleeves, stared at the book, and turned the pages from time to time, watching the clouds drift by.

The master and apprentice were very harmonious.

After finishing the letter, Han Zhang sighed: "Compared to Jia Yan, Zhao'er is more suited to officialdom. This method of cultivating prestige is truly superior to its predecessor."

There was a hint of relief in his voice during the conversation.

He had three sons. The eldest and second sons were granted official positions due to their fathers' achievements. They were obsessed with their fathers' glory and spent their days either composing poems or indulging in brothels.

Saburo Yoshihiko is a promising student. He will take the imperial examination for the second time after the New Year, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, he should be able to pass the examination and obtain the title of Jinshi.

However, Saburo was too conservative and lacked adaptability.

This kind of personality is suitable for getting things done and governing a region, but it's not suitable for political infighting!

Unfortunately, within the imperial court, there are impeachments and attacks at all times, and factional political struggles at all times.

Without political struggle, there is no power; this is a fatal flaw!

If you're not good at political maneuvering and don't have the talent for it, then everything else is in vain.

Of course, if someone with such a pragmatic personality had a powerful and ruthless political leader backing them up and diligently governing the country, they might very well become a renowned minister.

The son who excelled in academics was not good at political maneuvering and was only good at maintaining the status quo. This meant that none of the sons could reach the level of their fathers and could not become true pillars of society.

Fortunately, if the son is useless, the disciple will be successful, which has the same effect.

"Cultivating prestige among scholars is a last resort." Jiang Zhao sat up straight and smiled modestly: "Scholars have always been good at cultivating prestige and flattery. If I don't find another way, I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to stand out."

"How do you feel?" Han Zhang asked.

Jiang Zhao gently put down the book in his hand, pondered for a while, and sighed, "The books of sages are suitable for reading. But when it comes to doing practical work, they are utterly useless."

He used to only know this one sentence, but now he has a different understanding of it.

After all, who would have thought that such a magnificent story was actually staged?

Yes, it was acting!

In fact, Jiang Zhao had already successfully become an apprentice, but he just kept it a secret.

It should be noted that from the day Han Zhang arrived in Yangzhou, he had already taken the initiative to seek Han Zhang's teachings.

At that time, he was just a six-year-old child.

In other words, Han Zhang watched him grow up almost from the very beginning.

After six years of studying together, the two had already established a teacher-student relationship, though they lacked the formal title.

It's just a matter of becoming an apprentice; it's a trivial matter and not a problem at all.

He put on a show specifically to cultivate his reputation.

Reputation has always been the silent pillar of the officialdom.

Whether they were scholars or officials, they all flocked to it.

Those with high prestige will be among the first to be promoted when selecting officials, even if their political achievements are not particularly good.

Like Sima Guang, who "smashed the water jar to save his friend," he was a rising star in politics with a remarkable reputation. Since passing the imperial examination at the age of twenty, he had not achieved any outstanding political achievements, but he never missed the opportunity to be selected for office. In less than ten years, he had become a fifth-rank official in the capital. If he were to be sent to a post outside the capital, he would be a fifth-rank official in a red robe, with unlimited potential.

Like Han Zhang, "one memorial dismissed four prime ministers" and "Han and Fan were equally famous" were two anecdotes that made his career extremely smooth, and he became a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet at the age of thirty-seven.

The so-called high moral character and prestige are often the product of "reputation".

Therefore, Jiang Zhao planned for a long time in order to enhance his reputation.

Originally, he was somewhat inclined to use classic stories of filial piety, such as "lying on ice to catch carp" and "keeping oranges for one's parents," which have stood the test of time and been passed down for thousands of years.

It's simple and very easy to use.

However, after careful consideration, he chose to give up.

Most of the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars are from the Three Kingdoms and Jin Dynasties, and are well-known stories. Even with some improvements, they are still difficult to satisfy people and fail to achieve the desired dissemination effect.

The values ​​of the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars from ancient times are not very compatible with today's social atmosphere. If not handled properly, it may even lead to a poor imitation, ridicule, and a complete collapse, which is too risky.

Most importantly, he has a better option.

Standing in the snow at Han's door!

Compared to the somewhat outdated Twenty-Four Filial Piety Stories, the story of Han Men Li Xue (Standing in the Snow at Han's Door) is undoubtedly a better choice.

As a story about respecting teachers and valuing knowledge, it is very suitable for an era when literature is flourishing.

A purely "original" script is unlikely to be ridiculed and carries almost no risk; at most, it just won't achieve the desired dissemination effect.

Of course, a purely "original" script has many advantages, but also many challenges.

In particular, original screenplays are inherently less popular than classic screenplays and can't ride the wave of popularity.

The best way to achieve instant success is to leverage the protagonist's popularity to drive the script's popularity. Once the script becomes a hit and widely circulated, it can then be used to support the protagonist.

Either the script is popular, taking the route of reviving a classic script; or the protagonist is popular, taking the route of generating buzz and creating a new classic. Either one of these two is necessary.

Unfortunately, both Jiang Zhao and Han Zhang are highly regarded.

Even as a child, Jiang Zhao had already gained a reputation as a child prodigy due to his academic achievements. The Jiang clan had a strong presence in Huainan and a wide network of connections. Through deliberate promotion, he was even given the elegant title of "Huainan Qilin" and became famous throughout the three prefectures.

With this foundation, it will undoubtedly be much easier to spread one's reputation further.

Han Zhang, needless to say.

From a high-ranking official in the capital to a demotion, a tiger fallen into the plains, many people want to know what the final outcome will be, and the level of attention is only increasing.