A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 245 Young Di Qing
Yan Shu's question.

Song Xuan did not provide him with an answer.

This was the first time Yan Shu had spent New Year's Day in Nanjing; previously, he had always returned to Tokyo for the New Year.

After all these years, I've long since settled down in Tokyo.

Yan Shu had received word that he would be transferred back to Tokyo the following year, so this was his first time spending the New Year in Nanjing, where he also hosted a banquet for his friends and subordinates.

Song Xuan and Song Xuan have known each other for so long that they've practically become close friends.

Yan Shu watched Song Xuan ride away in a donkey cart. Even if Song Twelve made a mistake, what serious mistake could he possibly make?

At most, I'll sleep with her.

Moreover, at this time, both of them were unmarried, and neither of them was married.

Yan Shu believed that many women would be willing to sleep with Song Xuan, but they just lacked an opportunity, plus Song Xuan was a man of integrity.

"Correct."

With this in mind, Yan Shu felt relieved.

Song Twelve often talked about going to the Northwest to make meritorious contributions, which must mean he wanted to go to the battlefield. Therefore, he kept himself pure in order to hone his "virginity"!
Therefore, there was no need to answer; the former child prodigy Yan Shu quickly figured out the logic behind it.

Song Xuan looked at his sleeping daughter from inside the donkey cart, and then saw that Qian Shishi's face was full of excitement.

She described how those ladies were arrogant at first but obsequious later, but only Madam Yan did not treat her differently.

After the meal, the women came over to try and get information out of her, but she turned them all away.

"Praise me quickly."

Qian Shishi held the child and said with a rather proud expression.

Seeing her like this, Song Xuan went up and pecked Qian Shishi.

"Hmph, all you do is bully me."

Qian Shishi slowly turned her head away, her earlobes turning red.

Even though she was older than Song Xuan.

However, in this matter, Qian Shishi felt that she had absolutely no initiative.

How come he always comes up with so many new tricks!

Song Xuan went to pay New Year's respects to his teacher Wang Zhu, while Fan Zhongyan returned to his hometown of Ningling County.

The teacher-student relationship was quite important in the Song Dynasty.

In particular, as Song Xuan's fame grew, it also boosted Wang Zhu's reputation.

Generally speaking, a scholar's knowledge is an important criterion for choosing a teacher.

Their level of scholarship also became a prerequisite for teachers to establish a teaching institution.

During the reign of Emperor Shenzong, scholars flocked to the school of the Cheng brothers, with Yang Shi and You Zuo traveling thousands of miles from the southeast to study under them.
When Su Dongpo was exiled to the remote and uncivilized lands of the south, there were those who traveled thousands of miles to obtain medicine and those who sailed on rafts to inquire about the Dao, and some of them died of illness along the way.
Wang Xiang then intended to travel a thousand miles to visit Huang Tingjian, who was exiled to Qianzhou.

The fact that someone can attract scholars to travel there despite the dangers speaks volumes about their talent and learning.

Although Wang Zhu's teachings were not systematic, it was still a fortunate thing that he was able to teach someone like Song Xuan.

A relationship that others would beg for but cannot obtain.

Wang Zhu then gave Song Xuan a series of instructions and recounted his experience in the provincial examinations, a topic that was often repeated over and over again.

He knew that Song Xuan's policy essays were excellent, but what he lacked was experience in large-scale examinations.

Based on Song Xuan's past failure in the exam, Wang Zhu didn't think he was being nagging.

"Haha, thank you for your teachings, Master. I will certainly keep them in mind."

Song Xuan stood up and bowed: "Wait for my good news."

"Ah."

Wang Zhu saw Song Xuan off at the door and watched him ride away on his horse.

I reckon I'll still have to visit those few sponsors.

In any case, they all put in the effort!

With the provincial examination just around the corner, Wang Zhu naturally hoped that his students could achieve good results, realize their ambitions, and not always waste their time in the imperial examinations.

Wang Zhu has seen far too many people waste their time.

His former classmates still have to go through the exam again.

Song Xuan rode his horse and carried the gifts quickly, while Wang Bao carried the gifts on his back and walked more slowly.

In fact, it doesn't matter who the teacher Song Xuan visited was.

From now on, he, Fan Zhongyan, and others will all be considered to be students of Yan Shu.

Throughout his life, Yan Shu "enjoyed recommending scholars, and was the foremost among all the gentlemen of the past."

However, Yan Shu was a tactful and cautious person, sometimes even overly so.

Yan Shu's delicate heart couldn't withstand the influence of radicals like Song Xuan and Fan Zhongyan.

Yan Shu even hoped that there would be no "direct remonstrance" and that things could be done in a more tactful way.

To navigate the treacherous waters of the imperial court, one must know how to protect oneself wisely.

During the meal, Song Xuan overheard Yan Shu's words and realized that this was the meaning behind them.

After finishing his work, Song Xuan attended the annual meeting of the sanitation team.

It's all about spending money to have some fun, eating and drinking, and maybe hiring a theatrical troupe to perform on stage.

Not only can family members come, but other people can also watch from a few rows behind.

It did attract many neighbors.

This made the members of the sanitation team extremely happy.

In the past, no one would have given these hooligans a second thought.

Now that Song Xuan has led them onto the right path, they not only have money, but also face.

"Twelfth Brother, I'm getting married in three months."

"Good good."

Song Xuan raised his wine bowl and laughed, "If I return to my hometown after passing the imperial examination, I will definitely attend your wedding banquet."

Everyone knew that Song Xuan was going to Tokyo to take the provincial examination, and if all went well, he would pass and become a Jinshi.

When the time comes, it will be much more prestigious for a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) to attend his own wedding banquet than for Song Xuan (a top scholar in the provincial examination) to attend Ji Hao's wedding banquet.

"Twelfth Brother, I'm still here."

Another person said with a smug grin, "When the time comes, I, Hu Er, will be able to invite the top scholar of our Great Song Dynasty to my wedding banquet. That would be a stroke of good luck for my ancestors."

"Haha, yes, yes, I need to hurry up and look for it too."

These words immediately stirred up everyone's thoughts.

According to the procedure for those who passed the imperial examination, many would return to their hometowns, making it look like they were "returning home in glory," and then celebrate lavishly before taking up their new posts.

In any case, the Song Dynasty treated scholars with great favor from top to bottom, especially those who passed the imperial examination.

That's like a sparrow flying up a branch and turning into a phoenix.

Many people who could not take the imperial examination route were eager to establish relationships with such people so that they could receive some help in the future.

The appearance of Song Xuan not only put them on the right path, but also gave them new hope.

"Hahaha."

Upon hearing this, Song Xuan did not feign modesty. Being modest in front of these people would only make them think that he was really incompetent.

Therefore, Song Xuan chuckled:
"Hu Er, you'd better hurry up. When I return home in glory, I don't know how many people will want to invite me. The sooner you book, the sooner you'll be in line."

"Hehehe, that's enough with Twelfth Brother's words."

"Twelfth Brother, I heard that some brothers want to send their sons to the Song family's private school."

Hearing Zhen Guannan's words, Song Xuan quickly waved his hand:

“The teachers at my Song family private school are quite mediocre. If it weren’t for my exceptional intelligence, Song Shiertian, I would have no hope of passing the imperial examinations. You should not send your children there.”

"It's too far from home and inconvenient. Once I've finished my exams in Tokyo and returned, I'll set about hiring a good tutor to teach my brothers' children, and I'll teach the girls too."

It was not bad that Zhen Guannan reported this matter to Song Xuan.

After Song Xuan went on a study tour and became famous throughout the three capitals, many people wanted to send their children to the Song family's private school.

Moreover, they even offered the money voluntarily, practically begging them to accept it.

After all, the Song family private school used to only teach its own family members, including promising young talents from the surrounding villages.

This fervent pursuit is also a manifestation of "family tradition".

The desire to carry on the family tradition was highly valued by scholars, with the most direct motivation being to ensure the family's continued prosperity and the flourishing of its culture.

There is a saying among the Han people: "Leaving a son a basket full of gold is not as good as leaving him a single classic text."

Du Fu of the Tang Dynasty instructed his son: Poetry is our family's business, and people convey the emotions of the world. Master the principles of literature, and do not seek fleeting pleasures.

After the turmoil of the Tang Dynasty, although family traditions of learning were still valued in the Song Dynasty, most families no longer had any trace of them.

It is extremely rare to find someone like Song Xuan, who is so young yet already has a reputation that resounds throughout the countryside.

The Su family of Meishan and the Cheng family of Luoyang are both examples of this.

The less you have, the more you should pursue it.

After hearing Zhen Guannan's words, Song Xuan originally planned to go back to his hometown to bolster his family's reputation, but he didn't expect this to happen, so he was even less inclined to go back and support them.

"The Song family private school has little to do with me; it's all just hearsay among people."

Song Xuan put down the rough porcelain bowl in his hand: "There's no need to worry about them. Our foundation is in Songcheng. When the time comes, we can go to Yingtian Academy to study. Why should we go to a faraway place instead of going to one that's close by?"

"We will all listen to Twelfth Brother!"

Most of them weren't in a hurry about such private school matters.

Because many people were planning to get married, and while there were instances of people kicking down widows' doors in the past, getting married was out of the question, let alone having children.

There are only three or four families with this need.

"Yeah, let's drink until we drop tonight."

As soon as Song Xuan opened his mouth, everyone burst into laughter.

You can't drink freely on ordinary days.

As Twelve Lang once said, if you fall into a cesspool and drown while drunk, don't blame your brothers for not collecting your body.

Once this matter is settled...

Song Xuan spent his time at home with Qian Shishi, practicing martial arts and reviewing their lessons.

Zhang Fangping stopped living here after Qian Shishi moved in with her child.

Anyway, I should go to Tokyo to take the exam in the next few days.

The month of Chinese New Year has passed by in the blink of an eye.

"Twelfth Brother, it's time to get up."

Qian Shishi patted Song Xuan's head.

Song Xuan then took a shower and led his men to Tokyo by land.

Before he even left the city gate of Songcheng, he encountered monks from Lingtai Temple.

Thanks to Song Xuan's act of leading people there to study diligently by candlelight, quite a few impoverished students actually passed the preliminary examination.

As a result, Lingtai Temple became even more popular with worshippers.

After all, how could such a thing not be popular when it was related to the imperial examinations of the Song Dynasty?

Song Xuan accepted the amulet, not for any special blessing like passing the high school entrance exam, but simply to wish Song Twelve a safe journey.

Song Xuan believes that the main reason Lingtai Temple enjoys its current popularity is because the abbot is truly sensible.

Know which credits you should take and which you shouldn't.

"Thank you."

Song Xuan climbed directly into the donkey cart.

Several monks chanted Buddhist prayers, made way for Song Xuan, and watched him leave Song City.

At this time of year, the Yellow River would have long since frozen over.

During the Tang Dynasty, citrus fruits could still be grown in Chang'an.

But as the climate gets colder, the Central Plains also get colder.

Not to mention the distant north.

People prefer to live in warm places.

This prompted the southward migration of ethnic minorities from the north.

Jin emerged from the corpse of Liao, but it didn't last long. It decayed along with the Southern Song Dynasty, and then the Mongols, who were even more difficult to deal with, emerged from its body.

It wasn't until Liu Bilie led his people to fight against the nomadic tribes that they were finally quieted down for nearly a century.

When dawn breaks, the cycle repeats itself.

Song Xuan was wearing a cotton-padded coat over a fur overcoat, a fox fur hat, and carrying a small hand warmer. He was traveling in a donkey cart and still felt cold.

"Twelfth Brother, let's head to town and stay for the night."

Wang Gui rode back on his horse and said this.

Despite the freezing weather, Wang Gui dared to ride a horse, and his whole body turned red from the cold.

Even though it's the second day of the second lunar month, it's still very cold.

Song Xuan guessed that the temperature must have been below zero at night, otherwise it wouldn't have frozen.

After going inside and warming himself by the fire for a while, Song Xuan smiled and said:
"I've heard that the Northwest is even colder than the Central Plains. To keep their hands warm enough to draw a bow and shoot arrows while riding horses, they tuck them into their crotches."

Song Xuan looked at Wang Gui, who was frozen solid like this:
"Now I'd be frozen solid in the Central Plains, and I feel I can't bear that kind of hardship when it comes to making contributions in the Northwest."

"Twelfth brother."

Wang Gui, warming himself by the fire, was still shivering.

"I shouldn't have come on horseback, wanting to show off in front of my cousins."

"Hahaha."

Song Xuan patted him on the shoulder: "When we get to Tokyo, all the hardships you've endured along the way will have been worth it."

Although Wang Gui was as cold and timid as a grandson, the thought of standing in front of them on horseback made him happy.

I guarantee they'll all be envious!

"hey-hey."

Wang Gui smiled. This was what Twelfth Brother meant by returning home in glory!

Wang Bao and Xu Xianchun remained silent.

During their sparring sessions, Xu Xianchun was often brutally beaten by Wang Bao.

Let him know with his strength how hollow the name of Director Zhou of Guancheng really is!

Therefore, Xu Xianchun is the weakest in terms of martial arts skills in this team.

Then he took a different approach.

Xu Xianchun used to hate scholars, but now he has started reading books himself.

I can't beat you guys in a fight right now, but as long as I can read more, I'm sure I'll become a commander.

It's written in Shierlang's novels: "A scholar should be looked at with new eyes after three days of separation!"

Wang Bao and Wang Gui both expressed disdain for Xu Xianchun's attempt to cover up his mistake.

He still didn't realize that his martial arts skills were mediocre. Instead of practicing diligently, he started resorting to underhanded tricks, which was truly laughable.

Song Xuan didn't care about the others; they were all going to join the Imperial Guard for training anyway.

Whether he can gain a foothold in the Imperial Guard remains to be seen!

Just as the two were talking, two constables brought in a prisoner wearing shackles.

Song Xuan glanced over and saw that it was no different from Lin Chong and Wu Song being escorted.

The tattooed boy in front of them was shivering from the cold.

It was probably because Wu Song received neither the care of Lu Zhishen nor the care of the prefect and the people.

"Young steward, could we also warm ourselves by the fire?"

One of the constables, seeing Song Xuan's luxurious attire, was extremely obsequious.

“Okay.” Song Xuan gestured for three seats to be made available.

The bailiffs then removed the shackles from the prisoner and placed them aside.

The three people huddled together around the stove to warm themselves.

Song Xuan sized up the prisoner, noting from his pale face that he was a bandit and would be exiled to Kaifeng.

"Come on, give each of them a pot of warm wine to warm them up."

Song Xuan's sudden speech delighted the two constables, and even the prisoners looked at him.

"It's not easy being away from home."

Tao Hong responded and asked the owner to bring up some warm wine that had just been prepared.

"Thank you."

After a few sips of warm wine, everyone felt much better.

When Wang Gui noticed that Song Xuan seemed puzzled, he explained it to him.

Soldiers are required to have their characters tattooed on their backs.

Nowadays, it's rare to see imperial guards with tattoos, especially some of the upper four armies of the Three Military Commands.

They all represented the face of the imperial court, so it would be somewhat indecent to tattoo words on their faces.

Therefore, many people in the Imperial Guard camp did not have tattoos. Even if they did have tattoos, they were usually placed in inconspicuous places such as the temples, behind the ears, or even the back of the hands.

Especially after the Imperial Guards became hereditary, the practice of using facial tattoos as a mark became increasingly rare.

However, the large-scale local armies were a different story.

These were mostly able-bodied men recruited from starving people during famine years, who were brought into the army to eliminate destabilizing factors.

Therefore, the practice of tattooing faces among the soldiers was extremely common, and it was often done in a coercive manner.

The writing on the faces of those who have committed crimes and are being punished will be very conspicuous.

Song Xuan looked at the young man opposite him: "Did someone kill someone over a piece of food?"

"No."

The criminal looked up, and one could see a hint of youthful handsomeness.

"It was a case of killing someone in the heat of the moment during a fight."

Seeing that Song Xuan was interested, the constable standing nearby quickly called him a fool.

Everyone knows that it was his older brother who killed him, but he's the one who's taking the blame.

"Di Qing is just a fool."

"Di Qing?"

Song Xuan really didn't expect to run into the young Di Qing in this dilapidated inn.

His shoes were all torn, and he didn't even have two thick clothes.

My hands were covered in chilblains.

"That's right, my name is Di Qing, from Xihe County, Fenzhou, Shanxi."

Di Qing put down the wine pot in his hand and bowed respectfully:

"I haven't yet asked your name, young sir, so that I may repay your kindness in the future."

"Hahaha."

Song Xuan couldn't help but burst into laughter, making Di Qing feel somewhat insecure.

After all, he was now a prisoner, while Song Xuan was clearly not short of money, as he could casually reward the three of them with warm wine, one pot for each person.

"My name is Song Xuan, I am the twelfth child in my family, I live in Songcheng, Yingtian Prefecture, and my hometown is Ningling County."

"Song Twelve!"

One of the constables was overjoyed, never expecting to encounter Song Xuan, who was famous throughout the three capitals.

He overheard people chatting on the street and heard the name Song Twelve.

In addition, the heavy snow blocked the roads, so it became a familiar story.

Di Qing had never heard of it, but judging from the obsequious expression of the constable, he figured it must be an "official".

"I am on my way to the capital to take the provincial examination."

Song Xuan sent someone to bring stewed mutton, and everyone gathered around the stove to eat together.

"Does Twelve Lang think I can't keep my promise?"

Young Di Qing still cared a lot about his reputation, since he didn't have one now.

His household registration was directly cancelled, making him a soldier of lower status.

There were words carved on his face.

How can I still hold my head up?

Along the way, they not only suffered a lot, but also endured scorn from others.

In the Song Dynasty, scholars were treated with preferential treatment from top to bottom, while military men were despised from top to bottom.

With the signing of the Treaty of Chanyuan, peace was maintained between the Song and Liao dynasties for several decades.

The status of warriors is declining.

“I believe that you, Di Qing, are so loyal and righteous, you will surely make a name for yourself in the Imperial Guard in the future.”

Song Xuan ate his mutton and laughed:

"Since you say you want to repay me, then I might as well go all the way. Tao Hong will send someone to the market to buy two thick clothes, along with cotton shoes and ointment for treating frostbite."

The two constables were shocked to hear this, and they really did not expect Song Xuan to treat a "foolish younger brother" in this way!
"There's no one at home to arrange two servants for you, but I'll arrange it for you after dinner."

As soon as Song Xuan finished speaking, the two constables immediately thanked him with beaming smiles, and congratulated Di Qing, who was still in a daze.

Your family is so inconsiderate; they dragged the two of us down with you to Tokyo in the dead of winter to suffer.

Now, a complete stranger you just met has arranged everything for you.

If I were to experience this, I would definitely call him my godfather.

Di Qing stopped wolfing down his food, chewed twice, and then pounded his chest.
"Is Twelve Lang no longer joking?"

"of course."

Song Xuan also swallowed the mutton in his mouth:

"It is fate that we have met. My brothers are also going to join the Imperial Guard. We don't have any connections to take care of each other, so we should help each other and form a good relationship."

Di Qing was aware of his own abilities; he had an extra skill compared to others, namely, the archery skills he had honed through rigorous training.

Only in this way can one stand out among the Imperial Guards.

Di Qing nodded; he could tell that Song Xuan wasn't joking, but was serious.

Di Qing took a few sips of warm wine: "Twelfth Brother, rest assured, if I make it in the Imperial Guard, I will never forget the kindness I have shown you today."

"Hey, stop talking about gratitude."

Song Xuan waved his hand casually: "I don't care about those things."

The two constables and Wang Bao and others admired Song Xuan more and more.

A combination like theirs is bound to be disliked.

Especially for scholars, who would want to talk to a criminal who has committed murder?

They're too busy getting out of the way!
Di Qing didn't know what to say, because he had never actually met a scholar like Song Xuan.

"Twelfth Brother, could you bring some steamed buns?"

Di Qing was determined to repay Song Xuan, so he felt it was perfectly reasonable to ask for more food to fill his stomach. He further explained:

"I was so cold and hungry on the way here."

"Shopkeeper, bring me your pot of stewed mutton, I'll take it all."

"okay."

The shopkeeper truly never expected to encounter such a big customer on this day.

Lamb is really expensive, making it hard for people to afford to eat it.

After calling out to the shopkeeper, Song Xuan smiled and said to Di Qing:

"Young man, why are you eating sesame cakes? There's plenty of wine and meat. If you think it's not enough, I'll have the shopkeeper stew another pot."

Di Qing looked at the pot full of food on the stove, glanced at Song Xuan, then at the iron pot, and pondered to himself:

"According to the two constables, Song Twelve is famous throughout the three capitals, so he certainly doesn't need me to risk my life to kill for him."

Because Di Qing really wanted a few steamed buns to dip in the mutton soup base.

This tastes delicious.

Unexpectedly, Song Xuan didn't give him a chance and forced him to eat his fill of meat.

Di Qing could only admire Song Twelve's boldness; after all, he had nothing to lose, so he only had his own worthless life.

Having figured out the key points, he began to eat heartily.

The guards escorting Di Qing never expected that this would happen at the very last moment.

That silly boy Di Qing actually met a benefactor!
Where the hell can I go to seek justice?
Tao Hong returned quickly.

He placed two thick coats, shoes, and even a medicine bag aside.

"Young master, the doctor said that for his condition, he should first be soaked in hot water, and his feet should also be soaked in hot water before the medicine can be used."

(End of this chapter)