The Bookish Scholar of the Red Mansion

Chapter 171: End of Volume: A Rider Flies Into the Capital

Probably because he was too bored at home, Lin Ruhai not only wrote a letter to Jia Min, but also to his good friend Wei Yinghong.

Today is Xiu Mu, and the left minister of the Ministry of Rites has some free time. He is sitting at home and opening Lin Ruhai's letter. Wei Yinghong only read a few lines and muttered to himself in the study: "Who is he? Really."

Perhaps because he felt too helpless, Wei Yinghong laughed out loud after he finished speaking. After laughing, he angrily picked up the chess record given to him by Ruhai from his book bag, and slapped the stinky face that he regarded as a good friend several times, "When you go to Beijing, I will let you know what it means to know." After three days of separation, we should look at each other with admiration."

After saying that, he threw the chess record aside. But just after a while, he bent down and picked it up from the ground. It was Lin Ruhai who was wrong. What does it have to do with the chess records handwritten by his friend?

The stuff is good stuff, so let’s make do with it and take a look. After thinking about it this way, Wei Yinghong took a sip of tea and was sitting on a chair watching with gusto, when suddenly an order from the palace came out outside, saying that he was summoned by His Majesty.

Wei Yinghong didn't dare to delay, so he immediately changed into his official robe and rushed outside. Not long after he walked out, he hurried back to the study, picked up the chess book written by Lin Ruhai, put it in his arms and hummed before going out.

On the way, he briefly chatted with Xia Shouzhong who came to guide him. Knowing that His Majesty was in a good mood today, Wei Yinghong's mind was set.

Summoned so suddenly, he was also worried that His Majesty would come up with official business again and he would need to report it on the spot. After passing the palace gate, Xia Shouzhong escorted Wei Yinghong all the way to the imperial study. After informing him, he smiled at Wei Yinghong and said, "Master Wei, please."

This is His Majesty's personal attendant. Wei Yinghong returned the courtesy politely. As soon as he stepped through the door, he quickly walked to the front of the imperial court, making a gesture of saluting: "Your Majesty, minister..."

"Okay, okay. It's not like you're going to attend a meeting, so what are you doing with these false etiquettes?"

Li Zhi is only forty-five this year, although he is not old. But before he ascended the throne, he had been dormant for a long time leading troops to fight at the northwest border. The wind and frost on his face has not faded much even though he has been pampered for many years.

His appearance was upright and resolute, and coupled with the baptism of wind and frost, his movements and movements were even more decisive in killing on the battlefield. Even though he is not wearing royal robes, his majestic aura makes others dare not peek easily.

Wei Yinghong is also a wonderful person. He has been an official in Beijing for some time and knows very well what His Majesty likes about him. He was also the number one scholar who was favored by His Majesty in the first year of Wu Ding. He immediately straightened his back with confidence and said with a smile: "Then I will be disrespectful."

Li Zhi followed Wei Yinghong's example. He was unlucky. After seizing the throne as his direct descendant, his relationship with the Supreme Emperor became very tense. He was probably not seeking a good reputation for filial piety. Therefore, the harmonious relationship between king and minister is one of the few emotions he longs to pursue. It is also a place where I hope future generations of historians can write a note for themselves.

Li Zhi picked up a white scroll from the table in the imperial study room. He looked at Wei Yinghong standing in the audience, shook his hand and asked with a smile: "Do you know what I am holding in my hand?"

"Your Majesty, you haven't given me a seat yet." Wei Yinghong replied.

Li Zhi laughed loudly, half helpless and half reprimanded: "It's your first time here, and I told you to find a place to sit by yourself." Even so, Li Zhi only knew that Wei Yinghong did not dare to make independent decisions. However, there were many people in the palace who were very observant. Xia Shouzhong had already moved a chair for Wei Yinghong before His Majesty could say anything.

Although the monarch and his subjects were far apart, the atmosphere was more relaxed and harmonious than before.

"What your Majesty is holding should be the examination paper for this Yangzhou Academy Examination." Wei Yinghong pretended to think for a moment, and then said, "If I am not wrong, it should be the examination paper for Chen Heng, the head of the case."

"Your guess is correct." Li Zhi's eyes brightened slightly, and he looked at Wei Yinghong with a vague look. The original smile on his face faded a bit unconsciously.

Wei Yinghong smiled and told the truth: "Ruhai has just written to me in the past few days. Besides, I know something about Yangzhou."

Li Zhi heard this with amusement and couldn't help but poke his head in, "Then how do you know? What I took was Chen Heng's test paper."

"Your Majesty, have you forgotten? During his imperial examination, he was still the head of the case assigned by the minister. Although there are many talented people in Yangzhou, he, Du Yunjing and Cui Youdaoke are the three outstanding talents."

Wei Yinghong began to brag about himself, hinting both inside and outside his words that he had contributed to the selection of talents.

After hearing this, Li Zhi laughed again, picked up his hand and tapped Wei Yinghong, "You, you, you have the best luck." He handed Chen Heng's test paper to Xia Shouzhong, "Go and show it to Master Wei. Let him see with his own eyes the talent he has chosen.”

"Yes." Xia Shouzhong quickly took it with both hands.

After Wei Yinghong took the exam paper, he read it carefully from top to bottom. Li Zhi had already picked up the tea and drank it. Seeing that the other party had finished reading, Li Zhi asked him what he thought, "How do you feel after reading it?"

"The diction is elegant and the style of writing is upright. This is the road to Danshan Mountain with Tung Blossoms. The young phoenix is ​​clear and the old phoenix sounds." Wei Yinghong, as half of Chen Heng's disciple, congratulated Li Zhi and said: "Your Majesty, I have found another one." What a great talent, what a blessing.”

Li Zhi also nodded with satisfaction. Although he preferred military affairs, he could not distinguish between good and bad articles.

These examination essays written by Chen Heng have "righteousness" as the title and "righteousness" as the backbone. They are rare coherent works written in one go. The first article discusses why a gentleman is a group rather than a party, which is refreshing to read.

"Everything in the world is for profit." Chen Heng started with the words of Tai Shigong and elaborated on the nature of human beings. Three types of people are distinguished from them: the gentleman is for the great benefit, the common man is for his own benefit, and the villain is for the selfish interest.

The great interests of a gentleman are the interests of the world and the people. Only when he is wholeheartedly for the public. Can he be a group without a party, be proud without fighting, and regard personal honor and disgrace as external things.

Ordinary people value their own interests because they are forced by life. Although they are short-sighted, they will not hinder the people around them. This is human nature, and we should not criticize or make things difficult for them. We can only give them a better living environment and gradually guide and educate them, which is the right way for the world.

Only the selfish interests of villains are the most hateful. For their own selfishness, they regard others as playthings. Harming others and benefiting themselves is selfish.

"The Master said: A gentleman loves money and gets it in a proper way." Chen Heng used this remark as an introduction, pointing out that a gentleman who does not talk about interests must be an empty talker. It is easy to be dignified, but it cannot fill the stomachs of the people of the world. Therefore, a gentleman must not talk about interests, nor can he talk about small interests.

If you can consider the great interests of the people of the world in everything, it is the great righteousness that Mencius said, and it is the style of a gentleman. At the end of the article, Chen Heng borrowed an allusion from history books.

It was a story during the reign of Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty. A minister discovered a talented person and intended to recommend him. He wrote a letter and asked him to take it to Han Qi, who was then the deputy envoy of the Privy Council.

The talented person knew that Dong Weng and Lord Han had always been at odds, so he hesitated. After the minister knew it, he smiled and explained to him: "Han Qi and I just disagree. Talented people like you will benefit the country and the people after serving as officials. As long as he sees you, he will definitely use you."

This is the so-called benefit of literati and righteousness of gentlemen.

Who can read such an article and not say it's good?

Li Zhi sighed with emotion. Compared with the style and rhetoric praised by Wei Yinghong, he appreciated Chen Heng's pragmatic attitude more. If you just talk about the virtues of gentlemen in general, it's just some empty words to educate people. Only those who can see the pros and cons can write such an upright article.

"What a pity." Li Zhi walked down from his seat and said regretfully, "I have to wait a few years before I can see him." Li Zhi suddenly became interested and wanted to walk around the garden. He wanted to see the flowers that were already in full bloom or not.

Wei Yinghong saw His Majesty walking by, and he quickly stood up and followed Li Zhi, counting on his fingers, "He is thirteen years old now, and I think it won't be long."

"Yeah." Li Zhi nodded without comment, and then looked at Wei Yinghong sideways and asked with a smile: "Will you play another game with me today?"

This is one of the few old hobbies that Li Zhi has retained after ascending the throne.

Wei Yinghong was overjoyed when he heard this, and immediately said: "I have no objection."

The two walked to a pavilion, and in the flowers, they fought back and forth, and it was hard to tell who was better.

In the middle of the game, Li Zhi said with great enjoyment: "It would be great if Lin Qing was here, so that he could see our rapid improvement in chess skills."

"That's right, Your Majesty, do you know what Ru Hai wrote to me?" Wei Yinghong nodded continuously, holding the white piece, thinking for a moment before making his move.

Li Zhi had been curious for a long time, so he asked, "What did he say?"

"He asked me to find him a house in the capital, so that his wife and children can visit him in the future. Ha, Your Majesty, I am still a homeless person." Wei Yinghong complained, "Ru Hai must have thought of this, so he used this to ridicule me. He also gave me a chess manual, saying that it was a reward for me. He really looked down on me."

"His family is different from Wei Qing. His ancestors left him some savings." After saying this, Li Zhi laughed and had to shake his head, "I know about this, so don't worry. I have given Lin Qing a marriage, so I can give you a house."

"Your Majesty, you are not kidding." Wei Yinghong was overjoyed. He didn't expect that he could get a house by playing a game of chess.

"Humph." Seeing Wei Yinghong talking nonsense, Li Zhi didn't bother to pay attention to his cuteness. The emperor and his subjects had been together for nearly twenty years. He knew Wei Yinghong's temperament and only warned him, "Be careful not to spread it out. The censors will report you and accuse you of a crime of misconduct in front of the emperor."

"If they want to sue, they can always find fault." Wei Yinghong took the opportunity to point out the recent criticisms of the censorate against him.

Li Zhi used him to make the symbols go free in Yangzhou. This made the censors very angry and felt that Wei Yinghong was insulting the saints. They went through Wei Yinghong's experience over the years, and the impeachment memorials were piled up.

Some of the things were true and some were false, some were exaggerated, and some were careless mistakes. Wei Yinghong was also worried that this matter would affect His Majesty, so he took the opportunity to find out. But planning so carefully is also a difficult thing for Beijing officials. It is far less comfortable than when he was the prefect of Yangzhou.

"Don't worry, I know you've been wronged." Li Zhi said, and after dropping the flag, he continued, "Just do your own thing."

"I obey your order." Wei Yinghong breathed a sigh of relief.

The monarch and his ministers exchanged opinions invisibly. Both of them were smart people, and they spoke naturally and carefully.

After a while, after playing chess for a few times, Li Zhi suddenly asked curiously: "Did Lin Qing really send you a chess manual?"

"Yes." Wei Yinghong knew that Li Zhi would ask this question, and hurriedly took out the things he brought from his arms, "Your Majesty, do you want to take a look?"

"Just take a look." Li Zhi laughed, took the chess manual and flipped through it, and forgot to play chess for a while.

Wei Yinghong did not urge him, but just held the teacup on the side, waiting for His Majesty silently. When Li Zhi reacted himself, he closed the book and smiled: "The more I read, the more I want to ask Lin Qing to come back to play chess."

Wei Yinghong raised his eyebrows. He was the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites and had some power to decide the matter. But after all, it was about a good friend. He thought about it and said frankly: "Your Majesty, you should still act with caution."

"Yes." Li Zhi nodded. The current situation in Yangzhou was no small matter. The plans of the monarch and his ministers were all made here. When Wei and Lin were sent out, they had long-term plans. Naturally, he did not want to ignore the overall plan for his own selfishness.

"Leave this chess record here with me first. I will teach you when I understand it."

"Ah... Oh, okay." Wei Yinghong smiled. He was not surprised that His Majesty would take it away. He just felt that His Majesty's chess skills were comparable to his own, and they had always won and lost against each other. Your Majesty, can you really teach him?

The two of them talked about disaster relief in various provinces while playing chess. The court had already made arrangements for this matter. Wei Yinghong took the opportunity to mention his views on the candidates. Li Zhi listened silently and only commented occasionally. After a general discussion, the topic turned to the undecided Jiedushi of the Beijing Camp.

After Wang Ziteng was promoted, this position was vacant for several months and became a place for all officials in the court to pull. Li Zhi was also happy to use it as an introduction to continue to involve the hearts of the ministers.

As the young people he selected, such as Wei Yinghong and Lin Ruhai, gradually gained experience in the officialdom, Li Zhi had more and more people to use. Compared with the old ministers left behind by the emperor, most of them, the new party members, were young and strong.

Time was on their side.

"No hurry." Li Zhi's expression became more and more relaxed, "It's not too late to decide after Ruhai's affairs are done." He already had a candidate in mind for this position.

Wei Yinghong was just chatting, and nodded when he heard it. They waited so long to get through the most difficult time. Now they can't act in a hurry.

They were enjoying it, but a light cavalry galloped into the city. The officers and soldiers on the street saw that he was wearing an urgent flag with an order of 800 miles, and they dispersed the people on the street and let him pass quickly.

Soon, Li Zhi, who was sitting in the pavilion, received an urgent report of military intelligence at the border from Xia Shouzhong.

In the early spring, the eighteen grassland tribes often allowed people to harass the border. After several months of pulling and testing, they found out the military defenses of various places in Dayong, and recently raised an army of 200,000 and launched an attack.

The one who should not come has come. Faced with a powerful enemy, Li Zhi's eyebrows were stern, and he rushed to the imperial study with this military intelligence. He wanted to summon the ministers of the court to discuss this matter immediately, and Wei Yinghong was naturally present.

I don't know what was discussed in the end. That night, several palace guards took the secret letter and rushed to Yangzhou City, thousands of miles away, overnight.

When Lin Ruhai received it, he was still fishing at home in a raincoat. The leisure on his face disappeared in a blink of an eye. He walked for a while in the same place, then returned to the study and closed the door, and did not come out for several days.

…………

…………

At the end of the month, the Chen family received Chen Heng's first stipend as a student on government stipend, which made Chen Gaishan and others very excited. This joy was far greater than the first time Chen Heng brought money home.

The old man was conservative and felt that his grandson was eating the emperor's food. He was indescribably happy in his heart. He kept clamoring to go back to his hometown to worship his ancestors for several days, and his two sons could not dissuade him.

This time, even Zhou stood on the side of the grandfather, and chose a day to return home with Chen Gaishan that night. Chen Heng saw that he could not dissuade him, so he said no more. As long as the road was safe, he would let the two elders go back to their hometown to visit relatives, just as the old people went out to relax.

Chen Heng did not care much about this matter, and continued to study at the academy as usual. Now he finally jumped out of the Tongsheng class and came to the Xiucai class with a higher degree of freedom. His life can be said to be very comfortable.

Leyi Academy will no longer be so strict with these scholars. As long as they can pass the regular exams every three months, they don't care whether they attend classes on weekdays or whether they come back to live at night.

At this stage, whether they want to continue to take the exam for the Juren depends entirely on their talents and ideas. If they just muddle through, it will be useless for the teachers in the academy to try hard. So the teachers in the academy are quite open to them.

Qian Dayou was a little hesitant to pass the exam for the Xiucai with the tenth place. He originally wanted to make a living after passing the Xiucai exam. As a result, he got such a good ranking this time that he was a little confused about whether he should continue.

The process of studying is inevitably hard and hard, and the years of studying hard are always inevitably less fun. Qian Dayou, who was hesitant, finally found Chen Heng. He wanted to hear his friend's opinion.

Chen Heng listened to Dayou's thoughts silently, thought about it carefully, and turned back to ask him, "If many years later, we pass the Juren and Jinshi exams. Will you alienate us because of fame?"

Qian Dayou was shocked when he heard this. He wanted to tell Chen Heng that he didn't know, but as soon as he said it, he was blocked by an inexplicable emotion.

With complex emotions, after thinking carefully, Qian Dayou said frankly: "It's not alienation. I think it's more of a self-abasement. I feel that if I had continued to work hard, I wouldn't be so far away from you."

Chen Heng was also silent, this is a certainty. We are all ordinary people, watching our friends work towards their goals step by step. It's natural that people who stay where they are don't need to say what their feelings are.

Chen Heng didn't want to make a decision for his friend. Qian Dayou had his own life. If he stopped here, how to face the gap in status in the future was a problem that Qian Dayou had to think about. After all, whether it was him, Xue Ke, or Jiang Yuanbai, they would continue to take the exam. The imperial examination was a road that could not be returned.

Life is urging people. After many years, Qian Dayou is still a scholar. Can he really get along with everyone calmly like now? Chen Heng did not dare to think about this question carefully.

So Chen Heng could only say: "Brother Qian, no matter what, don't let your future self regret it. Think about it for a while, I'll be back soon."

Pei Huaizhen just sent a student to find him, saying that he had something to discuss. Chen Heng did not dare to keep the elders waiting for a long time, and immediately rushed to the headmaster's room. Seeing Xu Jinhou was also there, Chen Heng, who was a little surprised, saluted the two teachers.

After he sat down, Xu Jinhou took the lead and explained Pei Huaizhen's intention. It turned out that the academy was going to officially promote punctuation. In this academy test paper, Chen Heng used the most standard symbols, and Xu Jinhou and Pei Huaizhen both intended to let him come out as an assistant.

Chen Heng was stunned when he heard it, and asked quickly: "Will people outside not criticize it?" The way he originally thought was to take the route of moistening things silently. Relying on the subtle influence of day by day, gradually changing people's concepts.

Pei Huaizhen thought differently. He knew that if there was no literary leader to take the lead in this matter, it would take a long time to wait until the Four Books and Five Classics were compiled. He wanted to take the lead and set an example while he still had some strength.

The headmaster waved his hand, indicating that his children did not need to worry, and said directly: "If there is anything, just push it to me, you just follow Master Xu. I will make the notes for the Four Books and Five Classics myself. If they have any opinions, just come and discuss with me."

Seeing that there was a big tree like the headmaster in front, Chen Heng was immediately overjoyed. He also admired the other party's painstaking efforts. At the age of seventy, Pei Huaizhen could spend his old age in peace, and now he is willing to do some thankless things for the people of the world. He said sincerely: "Shanzhang, people all over the world will praise you in the future."

Hearing the words of admiration from his students, Pei Huaizhen showed no joy, but said calmly: "Let's talk about the future later. If you really want to be praised, you have to be scolded for a few years first." At this point, even he laughed, and couldn't help but sighed, "Even if there is, I'm afraid I won't see it."

After hearing this, Chen Heng was speechless and didn't know what to say for a while. He could have learned some words from the younger generation and said some empty words about longevity. But he felt that Shanzhang's temperament would definitely not be able to hear these. He was afraid that if he said it out loud, Shanzhang would ridicule him.

Only those who are mediocre will lament the decline of life. Most people are chasing time and rushing, and Shanzhang is also such a person.

"Go. Go." Pei Huaizhen didn't have enough energy, and he was sleepy after lunch, so he simply waved his hand and let Xu Jinhou take Chen Heng away.

The two discussed several matters about the classes tomorrow and the day after tomorrow in the hallway of the academy before they parted ways.

When Chen Heng met Qian Dayou again, the latter had already made a decision. He said, "Whether it succeeds or not, you have to take the exam once. Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll regret it when I think about it later."

Chen Heng laughed and said nothing else. He just patted Dayou on the back and said, "It's okay, let's work hard together."

The third volume has finally come to an end. Hahahaha, awesome, I give myself a thumbs up. The name of the fourth volume is "The Wrong Golden Knife", I'm awesome, right?

Chapter 169/335
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