Promotion and fortune in Song Dynasty

Liu Qi stood there in a trance for a long time, stretched out a hand, and groped back tremblingly for a while.

When his hand touched the back of the cold chair, he moved his body slowly and sat down extremely stiffly.

His face was still blank, and he subconsciously took a big mouthful of tea to relieve his breath.

But the shock in my heart could not dissipate for a long time.

He remembered clearly that only a little over a year had passed since the day when Lu Ci won the triple prize in a row and was admitted to the imperial examinations, rode a horse through the streets, and became famous all over the world.

So far, other people in the first class who are one or two classes lower than Lu Ci, including the second place Cai Qi, Tanhua Xiao Guan, and Liu Qi himself in the third class, have passed the yearly exam more than a month ago. The term is over, and there is still a distance of nearly half.

Don't all officials, big and small, come here step by step?

Even though it is a long and hard work, but with such a solid Jinshi background, it is destined to have a bright future.

Even if they are not compared with the lower ranks, the top four like Liu Qi who are fortunate enough to be directly appointed to official positions, just look at the embarrassment that the fifth rank not only has to wait for the Ministry of Officials to pass the test, but also has to wait for a vacancy before they can join the embarrassment. I am sincerely grateful.

As far as the more than 200 scholars who fell into the top five and came from the same Jinshi background, they were much better than the tens of thousands who were still on the list after the third test and had to return to their hometowns sadly.

Who knew that there would be such a unique and cunning boy as Lu Yuyu, who would take advantage of the right time, place, and harmony, so that he could make steady progress and skyrocket all the way?

Let them be so conscientious, conscientious, and forgetting to eat and sleep to busy with official duties in the same year, they are left far behind and full of depression.

Liu Qigang swiped his pen full of envy, and wrote a congratulatory message, but he didn't seal the letter, so he quickly realized it.

——It’s not right either.

After all, what Lu Ci experienced was not at the right time and place.

On the contrary: every scene is an out-and-out natural and man-made disaster.

However, Lu Ci is extremely capable. Whether it is the sudden fire in Zuo Zangku, or the plague of summer locusts that ravages the four fields, as long as it hits his hands, it will be solved easily.

Among the officials who suffered heavy losses, Lu Ci was the only one who saved himself from danger. If he couldn't stand out, it would be a joke in the world.

If he was just taking care of himself, maybe he would give others a handle, but whenever he had some spare energy, he would go to the people around him to help him. Before the incident happened, he tried his best to hand over the memorial.

The helpless person spoke lightly, and the words he mentioned did not receive enough attention.

What's even more pity is that this ability to see things in a small way, and the courage to speak out, are easily overlooked by others.

I'm afraid that just seeing that Lu Ci looks clean and tidy when other people are exhausted and scolded, he can get many rewards.

Thanks to His Majesty's appreciation for him all the time, he has been promoted repeatedly, and now that he has made such brilliant achievements with vigor, it is in line with His Majesty's wish to dote on him, so this talent has not been buried.

When Liu Qi thought about it, the initial envy and surprise completely faded away.

Instead, there was a bit of affection for Lu Ci who was fighting alone in the capital and was hated by countless people...

After the mentality changed, Liu Qi looked at the congratulatory speech he had just written in cursive, and found that 1 words were not pleasing to the eye.

——Outsiders misunderstood Xiao Taotie and didn't know the difficulty, so let it go.

He is a close friend, how can he write such official nonsense, beautiful articles, and hurt the heart of little Taotie?

Liu Qi has always been emotional, prone to infatuation and madness, and expresses his feelings, so he made a decisive decision, crumpled the congratulatory message, which was mostly ink-stained, into a ball of waste paper, and immediately expressed his thoughts and blessings with the infinite tenderness in his heart. Turned into beautiful words on paper...

Lu Ci has no way of knowing that Liu Qilang, who is bohemian and good at writing lyrics, has already loved him from afar.

It has been several days since he was appointed as the crown prince Zuo Yude, but it was only at this time that he really saw the true face of the crown prince Zhao Zhen.

Zhao Heng, who was extremely extravagant and wasteful in building Buddhist temples and palaces, did not treat the only precious seedling under his knees badly, at least in the repair of the East Palace, it was extremely luxurious and exquisite.

When Lu Ci was in this magnificent palace, he couldn't help but sigh that every detail was exquisite, beautiful and resplendent.

And Zhao Zhen, sitting on the throne that symbolizes the prince, is obviously depressed.

His lips were flattened, his eyelids drooped a little, and there was still a childish look between his mediocre brows, which was only covered by a lifeless solemnity, which could only give people the impression of being young, mature and serious.

Lu Ci suddenly realized that this His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was two years younger than the clever, studious, lively and active little raccoon slave he met in Fenzhou.

After the waiter whispered Lu Ci's identity to Zhao Zhen, who was listening to him, Zhao Zhen nodded lightly, and looked up at Lu Ci, his originally melancholy eyes suddenly brightened.

Lu Ci had already finished his salute at this time, and when he met his scrutinizing gaze, he couldn't help but smile back tenderly.

Zhao Zhen's eyes widened instantly.

After being stunned for a long time, he suddenly woke up, coughed uncomfortably, tried to maintain a serious look, and asked seriously, "Lu Zuoyude?"

He is thin and thin, but he is not the kind of lean and lean little raccoon slave who has run all over the mountains and cultivated a solid body, but weak and lacking in vitality.

She was wrapped in a loose red robe, her back was slightly bowed, her shoulders were also raised, her round hands rested on the armrests, her complexion was very fair due to not being exposed to the sun for many years.

Anyone can recognize at a glance that Zhao Zhen is that kind of very typical son of a wealthy family who grew up well-clothed and well-fed.

Lu Ci nodded with a smile, and bowed his hands again: "Exactly. I have seen His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

Although there are many officials around Zhao Zhen, they are all old men with old-fashioned faces. He needs to respect etiquette and be cautious in words and deeds.

Now for the first time, seeing someone who is only slightly older than him and always has a pleasing smile on his face, I can't help being a little happy.

However, there were still so many people staring at him, and he was usually used to putting on a steady air, so even if he was happy in his heart, he didn't show it on his face.

Zhao Zhen squeezed his palm, and finally just nodded reservedly, then got up from the seat solemnly, walked down the steps, and gave Lu Ci a small salute, every move was impeccable in terms of etiquette: "In that case, please ask Yude."

Zuo Yude's duties were mainly to enter the palace with You Yude in turn to lecture on scriptures and history for the prince, or to share stories with the left and right princes and bastards.

But I don't know if it's a coincidence, or the intention of the emperor and Zaifu. Now only Lu Ci, Zuo Yude, You Yude and Zuo Yude are all vacant.

This meant that there was no one in rotation, and Lu Ci had to go to the palace every day except for holidays to give lectures and history for the little prince.

When the crown prince and this Zuo Yude sat in the lecture hall of the crown prince's womb, the servants had already prepared the "Shangshu" that Lu Ci needed to speak, and put it on the desk.

Lu Ci's eyelids twitched.

Explaining the "Shangshu" is certainly not difficult for him who read it word by word not long ago in order to cope with the imperial examination.

But in his opinion, most of the language used in "Shangshu" is ancient and difficult to read even for adults, so how can it be suitable for a young man like Zhao Zhen who is only ten years old?

Unaware of Lu Ci's little entanglement, Zhao Zhen quietly sat down with rare and secret expectations, looking at him with bright eyes.

Even though Lu Ci sympathized with Xiao Donggong, it is impossible for him to ignorantly dictate the selection of textbooks, make more comments, sigh secretly in his heart, spread out the book, and start without haste.

Fortunately, what he explained was already taught by the Taifu and the others in the morning of the same day.

What he is responsible for should only be to check for leaks and fill in vacancies.

To his surprise, the dignified prince listened very carefully the whole time without any sign of impatience, and politely asked a few questions from time to time.

As for what he asked, Lu Ci could tell that every sentence had something to say, not just random words.

——It is indeed the most elite children educated by the strongest teachers in the country.

Lu Ci was full of emotions in his heart, and when answering Zhao Zhen's question, he was extremely serious and dedicated.

Considering the young age of the other party, the way he cuts into the questions and explains the answers is naturally different from the way he discussed with his friends in the past, and adopts a mode similar to that when he wrote those teaching aids.

Committed to simple, yet humorous.

In this way, Zhao Zhen can not only be absorbed and understood by the other party, but also keep the other party's interest in continuing to listen to the lecture.

The effect of Lu Ci's hard work is also very obvious.

In particular, Zhao Zhen is used to accepting answers that are more difficult and complicated than the original text, and he is ignorant, but now he can understand as much as he can, and he can't help but be very surprised.

One person speaks attentively, and the other listens carefully, and the time flies by without knowing it.

When the servant came in cautiously and reminded the two of them that it was time for the palace to drop the spoon, Lu Ci to leave the palace, and the crown prince to have dinner, Zhao Zhen was still taken aback: "It's really so late?"

The servant did not expect that Zuo Yude, who entered the palace the day before, would be so attached to His Highness the Crown Prince, that His Highness would be immersed in explaining such a boring and profound "Shangshu" until he forgot the time.

Facing Zhao Zhen's question, despite his helplessness, he still gave an affirmative answer.

Lu Ci has been paying attention to the time to ensure the progress of his lecture.

He smiled slightly, got up and saluted, "The minister will take his leave first, and won't disturb His Highness's meal."

Zhao Zhen was very disappointed in his heart, and subconsciously wanted to ask to stay.

However, he was not a willful child, and he knew the rules of the palace, and he didn't want to cause trouble for Lu Ci, so he pursed his lips and nodded obediently: "All right."

Looking at Zhao Zhen's pitiful appearance, which was obviously extremely disappointed but still reluctantly endured, and his white and tender bun face was puffed up, Lu Ci suppressed a smile in his heart: "That's it, I will come back tomorrow."

Zhao Zhen didn't speak, and only followed Lu Ci's figure with his eyes, until the slender figure in the vermilion official uniform disappeared outside the palace gate, and then he sighed inaudibly.

After Lu Ci successfully finished his day's work and confirmed that Zhao Zhen is a considerate and studious child, he was in a good mood.

He left the palace gate unimpeded, got on his horse, and rushed back to his home just before it got dark.

Before entering the door, he glanced at the door of Yan Shu's house and found that the other party hadn't come back yet.

——He is also a busy person.

Lu Ci took a comfortable hot bath and had a sumptuous dinner. When he went to the study that had just been cleaned up, he was not in a hurry to prepare lessons, but wrote letters with great interest.

After finishing writing, he sent it to the post office tomorrow.

Accompanying the letter is "Zuoshi Chunqiu".

——Since the noble crown prince is working so hard, Di Qing, who is two years older than him, should not be too lazy, and should work harder.

The author has something to say: Notes:

1. In addition to the "Zhou Li" in the lecture hall of the emperor's womb, the concubine and Yu Degeng lectured on "Shangshu"

"Song Hui Yao Collection - Officials" 7 of 33

Zhao Zhen's original name was Zhao Yiyi, but I couldn't find any record of when he changed his name, so I assumed it was Zhao Zhen now.

2. When still a prince, the prince should be called the "big king" full of local flavor according to the ranking (for example, the second prince is the second king)

Only after being called the prince will he be called His Royal Highness the Prince. ("Pretending to Live in the Song Dynasty")