Promotion and fortune in Song Dynasty

It has been nearly two months since Lu Ci came to Qinzhou to work, but he has never received a letter from his friends in Beijing and China. Just when he was surprised, he received this heavy package that was difficult to carry with one arm, and a thick stack of letters.

It turned out that they were saved together and sent together at the end of the month.

Looking at the heavy package, Lu Ci was both moved and dumbfounded.

As expected of the most sincere brother Zhu, the items sent to him always increase with the increase of salary.

He shook his head and opened it, and what he found were snacks sold on the streets and alleys of Beijing. The varieties were different, but they were all his favorites.

I don't know how long it took Zhu said to observe carefully before he could clearly remember his preferences, and he made a few trips himself before he was able to choose such a wide variety of varieties.

Lu Ci looked at it for a while, and asked his servants to put it away carefully, and then took out the stack of surprisingly thick letters, his eyebrows twitched inexplicably.

Only a few letters were opened, and "unfortunately" confirmed his guess just now: out of every ten letters, at least eight were written by Liu Qi.

According to the order of the month and day written at the end of the folded letter paper, Lu Ci unfolded the earliest letter first.

"The scenery is bleak, the dangerous building stands alone and the sky is clear..."

Lu Ci's eyelids twitched.

"...The sky is wide, the waves are soaked in the setting sun, and thousands of miles melt away. Facing the wind. Think of the beauties, don't be sad..."

The corner of Lu Ci's mouth twitched.

"... Elegant and beautiful, just in harmony, falling flowers and flowing water suddenly east and west. No tiredness and hatred, lovesickness, I will pay Zhenghong as much as I can."

After reading one article, Lu Ci knew Liu Qi's delicate thoughts and rich emotions a long time ago, but the almost miserable and melancholy lovesickness revealed between the lines made him look helpless.

He clearly couldn't help himself, and was relegated to this desolate place.

Liu Qi, who is full of sad tears, is the one who stayed in the capital city full of flowers, so why does he seem to have no interest in life?

He opened the second envelope casually.

It was still Liu Qi's familiar handwriting, with a familiar sadness.

"Thin quilt and small pillow in the cold weather, I feel parted at first. After a few cold shifts, I wake up and sleep again. After all, I can't sleep, and the night is as long as years...Thousands of thoughts, many ways to explain, just feel lonely and bored..."

Lu Ci read until his teeth became sour, silently folded the letter as it was, and put it in the cabinet.

Looking at the thick pile again, and thinking that most of the contents of the letter were similar to this one, Lu Ci was one head and two big.

If people who don't know read it, they must mistakenly think that he has a lady surnamed Liu in Beijing who is suffering from lovesickness and waiting for him to go back.

Over the past few years, Liu Qi, who has good sentences and good articles at his fingertips and writes poems as easy as eating and drinking, has written hundreds of poems with perseverance, and even published several collections of lyrics, but he rarely responds.

Why don't you have to write a song or two?

Although it is very common for literati to write poems to express love, but they have always been avoided when they can, but for him who loves strategy and theory, he should take time to think hard, and return to a few poems seriously, at least not too perfunctory... …

It's really a big problem.

Lu Ci's pen tip hung on the well-ground inkstone for a long time, but in the end he put it down due to lack of inspiration and gave up for the time being.

It's better to wait for the leisure time, and then carefully brew it.

Compared with Liu Qi, who puts his thoughts into words and pours them out almost every day, Zhu's words are much more solid and concise.

Zhu said that he firmly remembered that when he was appointed as the chief secretary of Lingyun County in Yongzhou and brother Lu was serving in the pavilion, brother Lu was always worried about the safety of Yongzhou and sent him some manuscripts.

Now that the situation of the two is reversed, it is his duty to do so.

Whenever he had free time, he would bury his head in the scrolls, looking for scrolls that might help Brother Lu.

Seeing those neat and elegant handwriting, I don't know how much thought was spent on the transcripts specially prepared for him, Lu Ci couldn't help feeling warm in his heart.

He picked out the letters that Zhu said about himself from Liu Qi's "Acacia Essays" one by one, and read them carefully.

Soon I read the last letter I wrote before sending it.

In the first half of the letter, Zhu said that due to his duties, he had a very clear understanding of the ins and outs of the recent situation in the court and China, and when he explained to Lu Ci, he naturally went into detail.

——The official family is seriously ill and will no longer be able to manage politics in the future; Liu E was deposed for murdering the emperor and imprisoned, and the specific punishment is unknown;

When Lu Ci suddenly heard the news that Zhao Heng had suffered a sudden stroke, he couldn't help being startled.

The official who was still angry at his direct remonstrance before, and yelled at him vigorously to refute, is already too sick to get up?

Although since he became an official of the East Palace, because of being too close to the crown prince, he caused suspicion and dissatisfaction among the officials, but Lu Ci never harbored a grudge against Zhao Heng because of this.

Hearing the news now, naturally he didn't feel gloated, let alone happy.

In the final analysis, in the temple where qualifications are the most important, he was able to be promoted repeatedly in just a few years, and he reached this point, all of which are closely related to the support of Zhao Heng, Wang Dan and others.

However, the emperor is old, the prince is young and powerful, and he is full of ambitions, which are related to the power of the court. Conflicts are inevitable.

The luckiest thing about Zhao Zhen was that Zhao Heng was the only one left under his knees, otherwise Zhao Heng's methods would not have been as gentle as they are now.

Zhao Heng had no choice but to be gentle with his only heir, so naturally he didn't have to be polite to the officials who were handpicked up by himself.

Even so, Zhao Heng never made things more difficult for him who went back to his hometown to visit his relatives to avoid the edge.

Only when he returned to Beijing ahead of schedule after receiving the prince's secret letter, did he burst out with sharp dissatisfaction—although he hadn't exploded in place yet, he was pissed off by Lu Ci, who had long been prepared to be demoted.

It is conceivable how confused and depressed the little prince will be at this moment.

Lu Ci sighed lightly.

In a short while, his gaze has swept to the short section at the end of the letter that tells about family affairs.

"...In addition, I got Zijing's book today, and said that the new appointment after the full salary is to assist Brother Lu, and I am very happy. I also said that Brother Lu is full of energy and radiant, but because of the many affairs and entanglements, I am very happy. It is rare to have free time, and often eat and drink disorderly. But please think about it: the sages of the ages are not immune to illness, and they cannot do everything by themselves. When you rest and relax, you can get twice the result with half the effort. What's more, brother Lu's health is not just one person's concern. Although brother Liu His words are often open, and he likes to be romantic and narrow-minded, but he has a sincere friendship with Brother Lu and is very concerned about it. Whenever there is trouble in the northwest, especially when there is a worry, he can't eat. There are often ministers in the East Palace who come to take care of the house. I implore Brother Lu Even if it’s just for relatives and friends, you should take more rest and don’t waste your fundamentals. Today, I’m sending you a few snacks that Brother Lu likes, and I hope that when you reunite with Zijing, you will not forget that there are still two old friends in Beijing.”

——Do you not forget that there are still two old friends in Beijing?

After reading the last sentence with a slightly sour taste, Lu Ci raised his eyebrows unexpectedly, and couldn't help laughing.

The "reminder" that is so tactful and gentle, and that if you are not careful, you will accidentally miss it, is indeed in line with Zhudi's usual style of fluctuating in his heart, but still on his face.

What Lu Ci didn't know was that the gentle and reserved, restrained and humble Zhudi in his eyes was also unknowingly influenced by Liu Qi's "Daily Words", and wrote a poem based on his feelings. .

It's just that he was sensitive, and he knew that Lu Ci didn't like it and was not good at writing words back. When he was hesitating whether to attach it to the letter, Liu Qi saw it.

When she read the contents of the letter clearly, Liu Qi was stunned, and Zhu Di, who was blushing on the opposite side, had to look at her with admiration.

"Leaves are falling and fragrant, the night is silent, and the cold sound is broken..." Liu Qiqing couldn't help reading out: "Every year tonight, the moon is shining like a practice, and the length is thousands of miles away. The heart is broken and there is no way to get drunk. The wine has not yet arrived. Let's make tears first...it's all about this matter, there is no way to avoid it."

The sentences are deep and tortuous, the words are sincere and sincere, and the end is graceful and moving. Among the works of "Huajian" depicting lovesickness and love, it is definitely a rare masterpiece.

If it was someone else's work, Liu Qi probably would have savored it a few more times and praised it a few times.

But in Zhu Shuo, who was serious and serious, it was as bizarre as a bolt from the blue and an ancient tree blooming, which was unbelievable.

It doesn't look like the words Zhu Di can write!

"Brother Zhu," Liu Qi focused on looking at Zhu for a while, and after confirming that my brother hadn't been transferred, Fang was full of emotion and sincerely said: "I just learned today, why a real person doesn't show his face!"

Zhu said that he allowed him to tease him without changing his face, and he kept silent from beginning to end, only covering his red ears, hiding the poem.

From Lu Ci's point of view, regardless of what Zhu said, if Liu Qi, who made no secret of her admiration for Teng Zongliang in her many poems, once she knew the real situation of Teng Zongliang, she would be afraid to shy away and stay away, and would never be so envious .

Since he took office, Teng Zongliang, who was almost used by Lu Ci as two people, was so busy every day that he didn't touch the ground, complaining too much, and there was no time to write letters to his friends to show off.

How could it be that Liu Qi guessed that he was so happy that his long-cherished wish had been fulfilled that he had no time to reply?

Teng Zongliang was so miserable that he couldn't tell.

The abominable brother Lu is good at sweet talk, whenever he wants to put down his burden, he is foolishly coaxed by others, and foolishly promises more work.

Even Teng Zongliang didn't know that he was supposed to be a magistrate who had to be politely dealt with by the magistrate, but how could he be reduced to the point where he was on the saddle of the magistrate, devoting himself to death, and sometimes he was not allowed to return home, and simply stayed in the government office...

Looking up at the hot sun, the sweat dripped down, but I had to smear a handful of bitter tears.

Taking advantage of the short break in the afternoon, Lu Ci replied two text messages to the two friends who were thinking about each other in a good mood. He simply said that everything was fine, thanked them for their kindness, and praised Teng Zongliang along the way.

And even though he knew that the person who supervised the country in the court was now the prince, Lu Ci still temporarily shelved the idea of ​​writing to him to ask for more troops on the border without hesitation.

For Zhao Zhen, this can be described as an eventful year - his father was seriously ill, Liu E was convicted, the government was busy, and he needed to travel around.

Lu Ci thought lovingly, as a teacher, he was deeply regretful that he could not support him during his most difficult time.How can you cause trouble for your disciples by guessing for yourself?

What even Lu Ci never expected was that his kindness as a teacher only lasted for a short month.

Early that morning, he got the good news that the Thunderbolt Fire Crossbow researched by the craftsman had achieved results. It just so happened that the tea tree transplantation also went smoothly, which made him feel quite refreshed.

So when it was time to take a nap at noon, I prepared to pay out of my own pocket to entertain friends who had been working hard recently.

As a result, no one expected that the hot dishes had just been served, and before they even had time to move their chopsticks, they got the news from the captain who was sweating profusely that Li Lizun led [-] Tubo cavalry. , the urgent report that Shaoqing will arrive under the city wall of Qinzhou.

The author has something to say: the poems mentioned in the chapter are all real poems written by Liu Yong and Fan Zhongyan in history. I think there are many people who don’t know them, so let’s list them.

The letter also imitates the form of Fan Zhongyan's family letter to his brother.

Liu Yong's:

Xuemeixiang

The scenery is bleak, and the dangerous building is independent of the clear sky.

Song Yu responded to the sad autumn mood at that time.

The lonely smoke in the fishing market is cold and blue, and the remnant leaves in the water village dance with sorrow and red.

The sky of Chu is broad, the waves are soaked in the setting sun, and thousands of miles melt away.

facing the wind.Think of beauties, don't worry about your face, and calm down your eyebrows.

It's a pity that in those days, there were no traces of rain and clouds.

Elegant posture and beautiful posture are in harmony, falling flowers and flowing water suddenly east and west.

No tiredness, hatred, lovesickness, I will pay Zhenghong as much as possible.

Still from Liu Yong:

Yidijing

The thin quilt and the small pillow are cold weather, and I feel the taste of parting at first glance.

After a few cold shifts, he woke up and went back to sleep.

After all, if you can't sleep, you will grow old at night.

It is also planned to wait for the return of the bridle.It has become a plan to fight against Chennai.

Ten thousand kinds of thinking, many ways to explain, only lonesome and disgusting.

It is my whole life, and I will bear you a thousand lines of tears.

Fan Zhongyan's:

The leaves are falling and the fragrance is floating, the night is silent, and the cold sound is broken.The pearl curtain rolls over the jade building, and the sky is light and the Milky Way hangs down to the ground.Every year tonight, the moon is shining like a practice, and the length is thousands of miles long.The heart of sorrow has been broken and there is no reason to get drunk. Before the wine arrives, tears will form first.The lamp is on and the pillow is flickering, and I know the taste of lonely sleep.Everyone comes to this matter, with a heart between their eyebrows, and there is no way to avoid it.

Fan Zhongyan's family letter:

Fan Zhongyan wrote many letters to his second brother, narrating the family life, which is sincere and touching.Take one:

A certain paid homage to the third brother of Zhongshe: I got a book from Zhangci today, and said that I visited the third brother on the 29th, and saw that his energy was not exhausted.A few spoonfuls of porridge in the evening and two doses of medicine must be true.The third brother Yuan was troubled by his second son-in-law because of this disease, so he became pharyngeal congestion, and more wine hurt his spleen and stomach, so he could eat again, which caused him to vomit.Now that I am seriously ill, and worry about my family and my children, I am even more angry. How can I feel at ease?But please think about it: the sages and sages of the ages cannot avoid life and death, and cannot care about future affairs. They come from nothing and return to nothing. Who is close?Who can dominate?There is nothing to do, that is, feel at ease and be free, and do whatever you want.If it is broken in this way, the heart-qi will gradually become smoother, the five internal organs will be in harmony, the prescription will be effective, and the prescription will be delicious.Just like a happy person, when there is a sudden worry, he can't eat.What's more, when you are sick for a long time, you are more worried about life and death, and you are more worried about your death. In the midst of great fear, can you eat and drink safely?Please be at ease, take your breath away!Today, I will send Guandu official uniforms with fire cinnabar and the orange peel scattered, so it is suitable for you to wear!

This letter was written because I heard that my second brother was haunted by illness.Fan Zhongyan analyzed the cause of the second brother's illness, which was caused by his daughter's quarrel and excessive drinking.During the illness, he was worried about life and death as well as future affairs, poor diet, and sometimes vomiting, which naturally aggravated his condition.Fan Zhongyan persuaded and enlightened from this: even if a sage cannot avoid life and death and take care of his funeral, once he returns, there will be no difference between closeness and closeness.If you can treat life and death in this way, you should be open-minded and open-minded, you don’t have to force things that you can’t do anything about, you feel good, you are at ease, you eat and take medicine normally, and your condition will improve.I sent the medicine along with the letter, and asked my second brother to take it.Few words, unpretentious, thorough analysis of cause and effect.The brotherhood and family affection are all seen in this narration.Such letters also show Fan Zhongyan's strong writing ability.

The letters with his nephew are earnest and earnest.For example, I wrote to my nephew Saburo Xinyun: "You should be careful when you are in the office, and you must not cheat. Be friendly and courteous with your fellow officials. Discuss with your fellow officials when you have something to do, and don't discuss it with your father-in-law. Don't let your folks come to your subordinates to start a business, and you have always been at home. Be an official with a pure heart, and don't seek personal gain. How do you see the old uncle? Has he ever engaged in personal gain? My family is good, and everyone does good deeds to honor the ancestors." Such teaching, the family tradition will not fall. ("Fan Zhongyan Research")