Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 344 Intending to Inquire
Given the rumors that Shen Li had spoken highly of Sheng Changquan, Shen Shouzhen and Madam Shen did not immediately express their opinion on Shen Li's idea.

The two elders neither objected nor agreed; they simply intended to observe further and see how Sheng Changquan was worthy of their precious daughter.

Among them, Lord Shen was responsible for examining Sheng Changquan to see if he was a good match for her, while Lady Shen was responsible for probing Shen Jun's wishes to see if she had any thoughts.

Whether it's personality or appearance, in short, as long as it doesn't interfere with the overall direction, Lord Shen and his wife are willing to fulfill some of Shen Jun's small wishes.

However, Madam Shen did not expect that she had only just brought up the matter, but Shen Jun on the other side had already exploded, making such a big reaction, as if she could not accept it and was unwilling to agree.

then.

"Oh well, whatever!"

Madam Shen assumed that Shen Jun's reaction represented her attitude and expressed her unwillingness. Therefore, Madam Shen shook her head and sighed, "Since Jun'er is not willing, then let's just let this matter go!"

Because Madam Shen didn't know Sheng Changquan very well, she only learned about him from Shen Li. However, setting aside Shen Li's subjective factors, Madam Shen wasn't actually very satisfied with Sheng Changquan.

In particular, his family background and origins.

In other words, Madam Shen looked down on Sheng Changquan's background. On the one hand, she felt that the Sheng family was not a prestigious family and was not worthy of the Shen family. On the other hand, and most importantly, Sheng Changquan was born out of wedlock!
As the legitimate daughter of the Shen family, if Shen Jun were to marry someone of such low social standing, she would inevitably be ridiculed in the future, especially by her close female friends.

Although it is said that daughters from high families marry into lower families, Madam Shen was unwilling to wrong her daughter, since Sheng Changquan's family was indeed too low-class.

Madam Shen had already made up her mind. Since Shen Jun no longer agreed, she would just let things go with Sheng Changquan and save herself from feeling uncomfortable all the time.

"That's good!"

Madam Shen's expression changed, but she became even more determined in her decision.

However, Madam Shen never expected that in the other front hall, Lord Shen was extremely satisfied.

……

In the lobby.

Lord Shen, seated at the head of the table, looked at Sheng Changquan with satisfaction and admiration. He even praised him, which was rare for him, saying, "Changquan, your articles are all excellent!"

"Although there are still some areas that could be improved, overall it is already quite remarkable!"

Lord Shen held Sheng Changquan's articles in one hand and stroked his handsome beard with the other, feeling quite pleased with himself.

"It seems you've grasped the essence of the imperial examination system and understand how to take it!"

Lord Shen smiled meaningfully, as if he had thought of something else.

"Uncle, you flatter me too much!"

Sheng Changquan hadn't noticed anything amiss yet; he simply shook his head, humbly indicating that he still had shortcomings.

"In fact, Changquan still has many doubts in his heart."

Sheng Changquan cupped his hands in greeting to Shen Shouzhen and said, "Especially this policy essay, which concerns the overall situation of the court, sometimes, even I, Changquan, really don't know how to proceed!"

"I don't know?"

Sheng Changquan suddenly raised his head and looked directly at Shen Shouzhen: "Uncle, in your opinion, do you think there are any mistakes in my articles?"

"And should these writing styles be toned down a bit, lest they seem too forceful?"

A glint of light flashed in Sheng Changquan's eyes as he tentatively asked.

"Ok?"

Upon hearing Sheng Changquan's words, Shen Shouzhen's lips curled up, his expression subtly shifting as if he were giving Sheng Changquan a half-smile.

Sheng Changquan did not offer any explanation. He simply stood honestly in front of Shen Shouzhen, gave a simple smile, and acted very "honestly," as if he had no idea what Shen Shouzhen's gaze meant at all.

On the other side, the truly honest Shen Li didn't understand the confrontation between the two people in the arena. He just stared blankly at the article in his hand, feeling extremely excited.

The article in his hand was a policy essay by Sheng Changquan, which elaborated on the relationship between Liang and the current dynasty. It also discussed the court's preparations to send troops to Liang a few years ago.

"it is good!"

Shen Li was thrilled!
"Chang Quan's 'On Liang' is truly a magnificent piece of writing for all time!"

Shen Li's face flushed red, and he kept thinking to himself, "This one article alone is enough to make everyone understand the shortcomings of Liang Kingdom!"

"If Your Majesty and the officials of the court can seize this opportunity, then we will surely be able to defeat the Liang Kingdom and recover the lost territories of Yanzhou!"

Shen Li's eyes were filled with ecstasy, as if what he held in his hands was no longer just a piece of thin paper. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that it was a deep affection, the old land of Yanzhou that bore the souls of countless soldiers and civilians.

Unfortunately, Shen Li was unaware that the court officials were well aware of what Sheng Changquan had written.
Even if their thoughts weren't as clear as Sheng Changquan's, what they knew was definitely not far off.

After all, how could someone who has reached that level be an ordinary person?
However, those people have more to consider, and their concerns are much more detailed than those in Sheng Changquan's "On Coolness"!

Of course, perhaps they also have their own selfish motives and want to gain some benefits.

It was precisely because of these various considerations that the plan to send troops in previous years was halted at the court level and not announced.

In the room, Shen Shouzhen suddenly smiled, instantly warming up the atmosphere.

"Hehe, Changquan, you're not bad, kid!"

"That's really great!"

Shen Shouzhen praised Sheng Changquan with great curiosity, and a genuine expression of admiration appeared on his face.

Sheng Changquan didn't seem too surprised by this; he just smiled sheepishly as if he didn't know what Shen Shouzhen meant.

"Uncle, you flatter me too much!"

Sheng Changquan remained as modest as ever, showing no intention of pointing out the truth.

In fact, the deeper meaning behind Shen Shouzhen's expression is easy to understand; it was because of Sheng Changquan's question!

Sheng Changquan appeared to be exploring whether his writing style was appropriate, but in reality, he was secretly consulting Shen Shouzheng, asking him to reveal the mainstream will of the chief examiner of this provincial examination, or rather, the imperial court.

In the provincial examinations, besides tests of hard skills such as composing poems and lyrics and expounding on the classics of ancient sages, the most difficult to pass was the policy essay.

The most important thing about this policy essay is to have a loyal heart that follows the imperial court. In other words, if you want to pass the provincial examination, you must understand the imperial court's intentions and the ins and outs of its policies.

Of course, some might argue that the chief examiner is the most important figure in the provincial examination, since he is in charge of the first step in selecting papers. If your essay doesn't align with the examiner's ideas, it will be in vain, even if you write the essay that best suits the official's wishes.

However, here's the point: don't forget that the chief examiner was appointed by the emperor himself. If he didn't meet the emperor's expectations, why would he have chosen him as the chief examiner?

Therefore, everything is understood without words.

"hehe!"

In the arena, Shen Shouzhen looked at Sheng Changquan's appearance and a thought suddenly struck him. For the first time, he felt that Shen Li's idea was quite good. "Perhaps, this little guy pretending to be stupid is really a good match for Jun'er!"

Shen Shouzhen's mind raced, and he offered some advice.

"Since that's the case, Changquan, then let me share my own insights!"

Shen Shouzhen was used to being an official, and even at home, he still spoke with impeccable discretion: "Of course, this is just my personal opinion, and there are bound to be errors and omissions. Changquan, you should not believe it completely!"

Shen Shouzhen glanced at Shen Li, who was still in shock not far away, and raised his voice slightly: "Of course, and Li'er too, you must keep that in mind!"

"what?"

Shen Li was startled and immediately came to his senses.

"Yes, Father!"

Shen Li, who had already honed such a skill at home, replied without hesitation.

Shen Shouzhen was well aware of this, but he didn't say much. Instead, he turned to Sheng Changquan and continued to explain: "In fact, there has been another surge of military activity in the court recently. Many dukes and marquises are eager to send troops to conquer, but their target is not Yanzhou, but various small countries in the south!"

"..."

Shen Shouzhen first explained the situation in the court to Sheng Changquan and the other man, and then carefully analyzed the attitudes and political pursuits of various parties under this situation. Of course, the most important thing was the attitude of the emperor.

However, Shen Shouzhen did not explicitly state the Emperor's attitude, but instead indirectly described the Emperor's expression when receiving memorials from various court officials, in order to enlighten the two younger men.

This explanation gave not only Sheng Changquan a general understanding, but also Shen Li, who was not very familiar with the situation, a clear picture of the current state of affairs in the court.

Finally, Shen Shouzhen specifically pointed out the temperament of the chief examiner of this provincial examination and the reasons for the dispute.

After a long while, when Shen Shouzhen's mouth was getting dry from talking, he finally managed to vaguely say everything.

"So, has Changquan made any progress?"

Shen Shouzhen picked up the Jianzhan (a type of Chinese teacup) beside him and took a small sip.

"Thank you for your guidance, Uncle. Changquan understands now!"

Sheng Changquan didn't pretend to be stupid at this time, but immediately accepted the situation.

"Yes, that's good!"

Shen Shouzhen didn't ask Shen Li about his gains. After hearing Sheng Changquan's reply, he also moved slightly and then said, "Changquan, since you have already gained something, take this opportunity to think about these things again!"

"I believe that after you think about it carefully again, you will definitely have a different perspective!"

Shen Shouzhen made a pointed remark, then stood up, turned to Shen Li beside him, and instructed, "Li'er, since Changquan is your good friend, then take him to your courtyard!"

"You two young people should have a good chat and discuss what you've learned from what I just said!"

"Yes, father!"

Seeing Shen Shouzhen stand up, Shen Li immediately became serious and nodded in agreement.

He knew that his father meant by saying this was to ask him to take Sheng Changquan away. It seemed that Lord Shen must have something to do right now.

However, that makes sense. After all, Shen Shouzhen was the Minister of Revenue, who controlled the purse strings of the imperial court and even the entire nation. How could he possibly be so leisurely?

Therefore.

"Chang Quan!"

"Yes, Uncle!"

Shen Shouzhen looked at Sheng Changquan with some guilt and said, "Uncle still has some official business to attend to right now, so I can't entertain you any longer."

"Uncle's words are truly shameful for Changquan!"

Sheng Changquan immediately understood the implied meaning and replied, "This was Changquan's fault. It was Changquan who disturbed Uncle. How could Uncle speak like this?"

"hehe!"

Shen Shouzhen didn't say much, but just smiled and shook his head: "It's alright. Since you are Li'er's good friend, then you are my nephew. Why would I bother you?"

"Thank you for your kindness, Uncle. I am truly ashamed!"

Sheng Changquan first sincerely thanked him, and then said, "However, since this is a matter of court politics, it must be of great importance. Please make the decision yourself, Uncle!"

"We must not let the matter of extending power interfere with important matters of state!"

"In that case, Li'er, you should take Changquan and leave first!"

Shen Shouzhen looked at Shen Li, who rarely spoke even at home, and felt speechless. In the end, he waved his hand and gave a weary instruction.

"Yes!"

At this moment, Shen Li suddenly perked up!
"Father, then I shall take my leave now!"

Shen Li bowed to his father, then hurriedly pulled Sheng Changquan out, looking like he was fleeing in a disheveled manner.

In the end, Sheng Changquan could only give Lord Shen a perfunctory greeting before leaving with Shen Li.

"Sigh, this gift..."

Behind him, Shen Shouzhen looked at his son with a melancholy expression, silently suffering in his heart...

……

"Whoo~"

"We're finally out!"

As soon as he came out, Shen Li cheerfully made a comment.

"hehe!"

Seeing this, Sheng Changquan smiled but didn't say anything more. After all, he clearly understood what Shen Li was thinking.

It's nothing more than the "dog son" not wanting to see the "tiger father"!
"Oh, right, Changquan!"

Shen Li had no idea that his good brother would be thinking such things about him. He turned around and asked his friend, "Now that you're back, how has Uncle Sheng arranged things for you?"

Shen Li planned to take this opportunity to implement his own small plan, and at this time, he had already begun to secretly gather information.

(End of this chapter)