Promotion and fortune in Song Dynasty

Lu Ci, who had tutored his friends for many years, and Ouyang Xiu, who had a solid academic foundation but unfortunately failed because he didn't understand the details of the exam, was very familiar with it.

After looking through the books that Ouyang Xiu put in the bookcase, he immediately found out the progress of the new students.

He knew very well that with Ouyang Xiu's talent and his diligent and studious character, what he showed must be the highest level of Suizhou.

To be honest, it should be controlled by the teachers. Compared with the previous 'students' he has taught... it is really far behind.

Xu Shizhou's master knew that he was talented, and he didn't dare to restrain Ouyang Xiu, a rare talent, and mostly let him play; while the assignments for other students were very shallow, and the scope of the propositions was even less focused. to speak of.

Going on like this, even if Ouyang Xiu hadn't been dismissed for breaking the official rhyme in the solution test, he was doomed to fail the provincial test.

As soon as Lu Ci had a score, he wrote down a few questions calmly and asked Ouyang Xiu to do the next one on the spot.

What he believes most is that a good memory is not as good as a bad pen. Instead of repeatedly trying to teach it, it is better to adopt a sea of ​​questions tactic, to deepen the understanding of "non-examination style" into the bone marrow, and turn it into instinct, so that you will not easily make mistakes.

Ouyang Xiu's mind was still ignorant, so he was stuffed with a pen and paper in his hand, and under the smiling eyes of the new master, he started to do the questions logically.

... This Lu Jiedu, who is famous all over the world, is quite different from what he and the world imagined.

When Ouyang Xiu struggled to suppress the urge to be distracted, and spent an hour and a half writing this thousand-character strategy, and respectfully submitted it to Lu Ci for review, something unexpected happened to him.

Lu Ci only glanced at the scroll, then chuckled and shook his head.

Ouyang Xiu asked doubtfully, "What does Mr. Lu mean?"

Lu Ci stopped laughing at some point, and his handsome face, which was always gentle and smiling, suddenly became serious and serious: "I even forgot to write the most basic 'Bong Examination', and you still want the examiners to read and correct the papers?"

If it were the examination field supervised by him, no matter how brilliantly written such a paper was, it would only end in being directly dismissed.

Ouyang Xiu was dumbfounded, and after a while he explained uncomfortably: "The student was wrong. Originally, this was just an exercise, and it ended unofficially—"

After all, it was the first time to teach someone, Lu Ci's expression quickly eased, but his tone did not relax much: "How can people who are used to being loose outside the rules expect to remember many detailed rules under the pressure of the examination room? It is really a big taboo for Gongsheng to treat the exercises and the serious examination room separately."

Thinking deeper, if the examination room is like an officialdom, most of the time the most important thing is not how brilliant the political performance is, but whether the rules can be followed.

Ouyang Xiu's heart shuddered.

He knew very well that this Lu Jiedu, who was not much older than himself, but was far different from him in terms of reputation, was really guiding him with all his heart.

Therefore, although he worked hard to write this article and wanted to get Lu Gong's appreciation, his hidden thoughts were in vain, but he was neither disappointed nor hurt by these unkind words, but it was just because of Ashamed of indiscretion and sophistry.

"What Lu Gong said is very true." Ouyang Xiu silently retracted the article, and bowed deeply in shame: "The student has been taught."

"It's the first time I've asked you to write an essay. Don't blame me for not explaining what I said in advance. I'm too strict."

Lu Ci smiled slightly, glanced at the sky outside, and said, "It's getting late, if you delay for a long time, your mother must be worried, you'd better go home first, come back after school tomorrow."

Ouyang Xiu naturally should be.

Although Lu Ci had just donated a large sum of savings to build a charity village, his salary was extremely generous, so he was not affected at all, and naturally he would not let the newly recruited students walk home pitifully alone in the darkness.

He was smiling, but with a strong momentum that Ouyang Xiu couldn't refuse, he directly sent two servants, riding donkeys and carrying lamps, to send him away.

As far back as Ouyang Xiu could remember, his father had passed away, and he was left alone with his mother to support him. Occasionally, he got a helping hand from his uncle, so he lived very poorly, so naturally he never traveled extravagantly by riding a donkey.

Now he was equipped with a donkey, but he could only stand and stare in embarrassment, not knowing how to ride it.

Fortunately, the servant was careful and saw that he didn't know how to ride a donkey, so he understandingly got on the donkey's back first, pulled Ouyang Xiu up, and held the rope in front of him, making the journey steady.

Because Ouyang Xiu was thin and the donkey was quite strong, it didn't take too much effort to carry the two of them, at most it walked more slowly.

"Really, it's too much trouble for you two."

Ouyang Xiu said with shame.

"Your Majesty's words, I don't dare to accept them." The healthy servant smiled brightly, with a hint of awe in his politeness: "I can't wait to follow the Lord's orders, how can I be worthy of the word 'trouble'?"

Although I don't know how this seemingly ordinary young scholar got the favor of the master...

However, if you look at the proud achievements of those gentlemen who have had a little "teacher-student friendship" with the Lord, and who deeply admire the Lord's ability to know people, it is impossible to underestimate this time. Ouyang Xiu.

Ouyang Xiu opened his mouth, and wanted to ask them something about Lu Gong, but he was too embarrassed to say so, and finally kept silent.

It took less than half an hour to walk on the footsteps of a healthy donkey, and it took less than half an hour to arrive.

The surrounding lights were dim, and the smell of fireworks and rice was wafting. Before Ouyang Xiu arrived at the door of the house, he saw the familiar figure of his mother looking around in front of the door.

Although Mrs. Zheng saw two figures riding donkeys from a long distance, she didn't think of contacting her son Lang at all. It wasn't until the other party approached and revealed the appearance of the person sitting behind her that she was taken aback: " Xiuer?"

"Mother."

Ouyang Xiu wanted to turn over and get off the donkey, but he almost lost his weight and fell to the ground. Fortunately, the servant who was riding the other donkey and carrying the bookcase for him was quick-eyed and quick-handed, and helped him up, and kindly reminded: "Lang Jun, be careful."

"Thank you."

Unexpectedly, when Ouyang Xiu came home, he would make such an embarrassment in front of his mother.

The roots of his ears turned red suddenly, he still forced himself to thank the two of them solemnly, and then went into the house with his mother.

It wasn't until the moment he stepped into the rented house that his family lived, after experiencing the ups and downs of the whole day, that he felt a little sense of reality.

...How can you be so confused that you really worshiped under Lu Jiedu's teacher?

And Lu Jiedu, as long as he is not ignorant, has heard of that famous name.

How could such dragons and phoenixes come to this remote village?

He was full of inexplicable doubts, and he had to explain to his mother who was even more confused and worried, but he succeeded in making Zheng's worries happy.

She also hurriedly put a stick of incense on the memorial tablet of her deceased husband, worshiped devoutly, and thanked him for having a spirit in the sky and blessing her son to meet the noble man.

Ouyang Xiu also bowed to her, and then went back to the room.

Just as he was taking out the book from the bookcase, and was about to continue writing the second policy essay that Lu Ci assigned him, he accidentally found a small can of lamp oil that was tightly sealed and never spilled all the way.

Ouyang Xiu was stunned.

No wonder the healthy servant insisted on carrying the bookcase for him on the way back...

It is conceivable who is such a careful and gentle person.

Ouyang Xiu rubbed his hot eye sockets hard, pursed his lips and turned on the lamp, and just started to write quickly.

What he didn't know was that as soon as he left, Cai Zhizhou rushed in with his back.

"Brother Cai," Lu Ci raised his eyebrows, pretending to be surprised, "Long time no see."

The corners of Cai Qi's mouth twitched slightly when he saw that he was deliberately pretending, and he said angrily: "I didn't know that Yu Yu was here, but it's understandable, and I'm afraid I can't even fool a blind man if I change him to pretend to be ignorant!"

"Brother Cai was joking." Lu Ci made himself a cup of tea leisurely, and seeing Cai Qi sat down directly opposite him without saying hello, he made a cup for him as if reluctantly: "It's clearly me Seeing that brother Cai is the state magistrate, he is inevitably busy with political affairs all day long, and he couldn't bear to add extra affairs for you, so he resisted the joy of reuniting in the same year, so don't disturb him for the time being?"

Cai Qi's eyelids twitched by this instant nonsense.

However, since he entered the door, he saw Lu Ci wearing a linen mourning dress that symbolized the death of his parents, and he was much thinner than he remembered.

He didn't have the heart to continue complaining about this point, and after deliberating what he wanted to ask, he raised his head under distraction, and was about to down the cup of tea made by Lu Ci.

Seeing his boldness, Lu Ci's eyes widened slightly: "Be careful!"

It was too late.

"puff--"

Cai Qi, who was completely focused on Lu Ci's filial attire, didn't pay attention to the heat coming from the porcelain cup in his palm, and took a sip of the cow's drink without defense.

Seeing that Cai Qi was in such a mess just after entering the door for a while, Lu Ci was so embarrassed to continue making fun of him, he could only helplessly pat his back for him who was still coughing, and ordered someone to deliver some of the food stored in the cellar. When the ice cubes came, let Cai Qi hold them in his mouth.

Poor Cai Qi suffered from such an unexplainable misfortune, but he still brought it on himself. While tearing up in pain, he couldn't even blame Lu Ci.

This Lu Qiaotong, in the past he answered the questions quickly and distracted him in the examination room, but now he still doesn't let him go, it really seems to be against him!

He sucked the ice in pain, and it took him a while to recover, and he said vaguely, "Are... are you okay?"

Lu Ci, who received the care of the injured, was a little speechless: "...It's much better than Brother Cai at the moment."

"Don't talk to me anymore." Cai Qi slowed down for a while, and his tone seemed to have added some Buddha-nature: "According to other officials, you have to buy five hundred acres of fertile land in one go, and dozens more It scares people a lot. Why, could it be that he is ready to serve as an official before he is established, and he has taken root here since then?"

"That's not the case." Lu Ci blinked, and said kindly: "I intend to build a Yizhuang, but I am worried that I don't know the place well, so I can't find someone to help me, and I don't know where to start... I thought I wouldn't bother Brother Cai, but unexpectedly Cai Brother is so affectionate and righteous, he made a special trip to come to the door, just to share my worries... Seeing that the kindness is hard to turn down, I have no choice but to be respectful rather than obedient."

Cai Qi: "..."

The moment he came into contact with Lu Ci's warm and enthusiastic eyes, which clearly showed that he had caught a strong man, this dignified magistrate of Suizhou, who has also relied on vigorous and resolute behavior in recent years and has been smooth sailing in the transition, was taken aback. shiver.

Just when Cai Qi was regretting his act of throwing himself into a trap, Ouyang Ye, who had spent two days rushing back to his post, had not had time to recover from the hasty journey, and soon received a letter from his nephew. letter sent.

Xiu'er had always been reserved and reticent, and it wasn't long before their uncle and nephew parted ways, so how could there be a letter?

Ouyang Ye frowned, thinking that something serious happened to the widow's family, and even Xiu'er couldn't handle it well, so he hurried to the government office, and opened the letter on the way.

As a result, I opened it up...

After a subtle change in his complexion, he completely froze in bitter embarrassment.

In this not-so-long letter, Ouyang Xiu succinctly described how he successfully placed himself under Mr. Lu's family, as well as Mr. Lu's true background and identity...

Even at the end of the letter, he first repeated his drunken joke that night in a very worried tone, and then suggested empathetically that when fulfilling the promise, it is better to make a compromise and find a pastry craftsman in the streets and alleys to make cakes. Into the shape of a cup, to replace the solid utensil...

But Ouyang Ye didn't feel moved at all, and even lost his face in an instant.

If he is really an understanding nephew, shouldn't he be a sensible person and deliberately forget his nonsense that day!