A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 284 Serving the Emperor is the Greatest Loyalty!

Liu E looked at Fan Zhongyan's speech.

He was extremely dissatisfied with the court's direct criticism of his conservatism and corruption.

"The whole world knows that I am ruling as regent."

"Isn't he directly targeting my policies and actions since I took office?"

"Did this chronic illness appear immediately after I took over the case?"

Empress Liu was very dissatisfied with Fan Zhongyan's aggressive memorial.

It seems that all the problems of the Song Dynasty arose from the fact that I, the Empress Dowager, came to power.

This is utter slander.

However, with Lü Yijian's rebuttal, Liu E's brows relaxed slightly.

Lü Yijian still knew how to protect himself.

However, as the conversation deepened, Liu E astutely discovered that Fan Zhongyan's memorial was being taken seriously by the young emperor.

This could become an excuse to push for the emperor to take control of the government.

She felt a sense of worry and unease.

In fact, Liu E's reaction to Fan Zhongyan's reform proposals stemmed from her anxiety about the potential loss of her power.

She was well aware that the legitimacy of her ruling from behind the curtain was extremely fragile.

There was no precedent in the Song Dynasty for an empress dowager interfering in politics for an extended period.

After all, the emperor will grow up over time, and the voices from the outside world will become more and more complicated.

Liu E sneered:
"Fan Xiwen is just an official outside the capital. Why is he making such a fuss about state affairs during his period of mourning? Could it be that someone is instigating him behind the scenes?"

Song Xiang did offer some explanation to Liu E.

As a disciple of the emperor or a civil official, one has the right to submit memorials directly to the emperor.

Liu E was dissatisfied with Song Xiang's official and bureaucratic approach, but she also knew that Song Xiang was a man of principle.

He was not as adaptable as his younger brother, Song Qi.

I chose it myself!

What else can be done?

Liu E held her breath and focused her mind, trying not to think about this troubling matter, and then asked:
"Then what about his overstepping his authority and violating filial piety?"

The weight of filial piety weighed on Song Xiang, leaving him speechless.

Since ancient times, loyalty to the emperor and filial piety have been difficult to reconcile, but it also depends on the situation.

Fan Zhongyan was currently observing mourning for his mother in Ningling County when Yan Shu invited him to teach in Songcheng District, which was already considered "unfilial."

After all, according to tradition, they all had to live in thatched huts next to the earthen graves.

But very few people actually do that.

No matter how you look at it, Fan Zhongyan still has two months left before his mourning period ends.

Empress Liu could openly use this incident to criticize Fan Zhongyan.

"In my opinion, this is nothing more than seeking fame and fortune, and empty talk from a scholar."

At that moment, Zhao Zhen requested an audience.

Liu E carefully put away the daily records and had Song Xiang stuff them into his own arms, at least to maintain a facade.

Otherwise, if it were written by a mere court attendant, the emperor might not be allowed to read it, but the empress dowager could.

Song Xiang had serious character flaws.

How could one be appointed to such an important position as the Imperial Diarist?
So after Song Xiang had covered it up, Zhao Zhen came in. But as soon as he saw Song Xiang there, he knew what was going on.

Zhao Zhen didn't mind; he understood his mother's intentions.

After the customary greetings, Zhao Zhen explained his purpose.

It concerns the appointment of Song Xuan, the youngest scholar in the Song Dynasty to achieve the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations.

As for the positions of Dali Ping Shi and Zhi Shi Guan, these two honorary titles will not be discussed.

However, he considered the positions of Prefectural Judge and Military Advisor of Kaifeng to be inappropriate.

Liu E also knew that it was the influence of the Chen brothers that made her want to place Song Xuan under their command.

We'll polish it up properly then.

Anyone with eyes can see it.

She doesn't intend to interfere.

After all, Song Xuan was appointed by the emperor himself, which had little to do with her, the empress dowager.

Ability is not important; loyalty is the top priority.

Empress Liu did not know much about Song Xuan, but she knew that he was a clever and quick-witted man.

Moreover, the record does not fully agree with Fan Zhongyan's ideas; in fact, it contains criticisms, as he had his own thoughts.

This made Liu E very satisfied.

Who says students have to be completely obedient to their teachers?
When this ten-thousand-word petition once again sparks discussion in the court, Empress Liu needs Song Xuan, who is Fan Zhongyan's student, to take the lead.

Even your students oppose you, which shows that your lengthy memorial is just a publicity stunt.

"Where does Your Majesty intend to place Song Xuan?"

"Your Majesty, I would like to appoint him to the position of magistrate of Kaifeng County."

Zhao Zhen directly proposed it according to Song Xuan's request.

"Magistrate of Kaifeng County"

Liu E pondered for a moment. Although this position was not of high rank, unlike Song Xiang who was promoted exceptionally, it was under the jurisdiction of Chen Yaozuo, the Prefect of Kaifeng.

For a moment, she was unsure what Song Xuan meant.
Liu E then heard Zhao Zhen talking about things that were not recorded in the daily records.

This refers to their discussion before Song Xiang arrived.

Empress Liu found some of the arguments reasonable, and she even brought up the ten-thousand-word memorial.

It seems the emperor is extremely satisfied with Fan Zhongyan!
In order to prove that his teacher was right, Song Xuan voluntarily entered the game and became a county magistrate.

"Your Majesty, my regency is solely for the sake of the Zhao family's empire. If Your Majesty finds Fan Zhongyan's words to be entirely correct, I may relinquish my regency and return power to you tomorrow. What do you say?"

Zhao Zhen was stunned.

He clearly hadn't expected his mother to say that so suddenly.

The opinion put forward by Fan Zhongyan.

He thinks it's great!

Could it be that the Empress Dowager truly doesn't want the Song Dynasty to become increasingly powerful?

As Song Xuan said, could it be that if the vassal state of Western Xia were to provoke border conflicts in the future, it would ultimately have to pay tribute?
In an instant, Zhao Zhen remembered that Song Xuan had once mentioned that his mother's political skills were superior to both of theirs.

Especially women.

Sometimes what you say isn't what you really mean.

Therefore, at this moment, the Empress Dowager was not speaking from the heart, but rather speaking out of anger.

Given her mother's usual practices, she certainly wouldn't easily relinquish the power she held.

"Your Majesty, how could you say such a thing?"

Zhao Zhen stood up abruptly:

"This puts me in a dilemma!"

Liu E's strategy was to retreat in order to advance.

Even if Emperor Zhao Zhen were to declare it a deal now, Empress Liu would not accept it.

She simply wanted to gauge the extent of Zhao Zhen's ambition to rule personally before deciding whether to further tighten his grip on power.

To be honest, Liu E was quite helpless with these scholars.

She's already secured her position, so naturally she wants a good reputation.

The last time Kou Zhun was demoted, it caused a stir with many scholar-officials protesting.

Now that Fan Zhongyan's lengthy memorial is being discussed so enthusiastically, if Empress Liu punishes him severely again, it might just trigger a second uproar.

In particular, Yingtian Academy made a name for itself in the examinations of the fifth year of Tiansheng.

Then Fan Zhongyan, as the dean, would have an even greater reputation!
"So what do you think of Fan Zhongyan's memorial?"

"Your Majesty, I am wise to judge. I simply find the points about the people's suffering, the army's weakness, and the corruption of officials to be reasonable."

Liu E was aware of these matters, but she currently had no good means to deal with them.

Moreover, she didn't believe that Fan Zhongyan, a minor official who was good at teaching students and building dikes, could handle such a thorny matter!

Liu E doesn't want to change anything; she just wants to maintain the status quo.

Moreover, if any major changes occur, it could easily prevent her from continuing to govern.

This is the real reason why she harbored deep-seated hostility towards Fan Zhongyan.

What position do you plan to assign him?

"Your Majesty, I intend to appoint him as the collator of the Imperial Library, responsible for the collation and organization of the royal books and records."

Empress Liu glanced at the emperor.

This position is not high-ranking; it's only a rank 8.

It belongs to the Zhimi Pavilion.

Their main responsibilities included drafting documents for the emperor, providing suggestions, and managing books and records.

Although the official rank was not high, the position was important and allowed frequent contact with the emperor.

In today's terms, that would be "Secretary Fan".

As a close confidant of the emperor, he held a position that various factions in the court were willing to associate with.

Liu E nodded:
"Since the Emperor has already made arrangements for the master and his disciple, there is no need to concern yourself with this matter further."

She was just waiting to see what other tricks Fan Zhongyan could pull.

Zhao Zhen's identity alone makes him invincible.

Many officials in the court preferred to gravitate towards the emperor rather than the ruling empress dowager.

"Since the Empress Dowager is ruling as regent, I have come to ask for her opinion."

Zhao Zhen said with utmost respect, "If the Empress Dowager does not agree, how can I disobey?"

Hearing this, Liu E expressed her satisfaction and then told Zhao Zhen to go and rest, indicating that Lady Lin should see him off on her behalf.

Lady Lin accompanied Zhao Zhen outside the hall, then whispered:

"Your Majesty, before the late Emperor passed away, he said that mother and son were of one mind. Your Majesty must not disappoint the Empress Dowager."

"The Empress Dowager works tirelessly day and night to protect the Emperor from harm."

"I am merely telling Your Majesty what I have seen, so that you will not be misled into sowing discord among the imperial family."

Lady Lin was Liu E's most trusted confidante in the palace.

Many things were told to Liu E by her.

Zhao Zhen simply nodded; he understood who had instructed him to say those words.

"okay, I get it."

Lady Lin bowed to Zhao Zhen and watched him leave.

Fan Zhongyan and Song Xuan, who had also left the palace, remained silent inside until they boarded the donkey cart.

Fan Zhongyan then took the initiative to speak:

Why were you causing trouble in the hall just now?

Because Song Xuan was too unconventional, this discussion didn't seem to be aimed at reaching a better outcome; rather, it was a deliberate attempt to sow discord. Song Xuan was stirring up trouble from both sides.

“Song Xiang is an informant sent by the Empress Dowager to keep a record of her daily activities. The Empress Dowager will definitely want to see it. Since she likes to see it, let her have some fun.”

Hearing Song Xuan's reply, Fan Zhongyan sighed:
"Even something as important as recording the emperor's daily activities requires the Empress Dowager to send people to openly supervise the emperor, which shows that she has no intention of returning power to the emperor."

"Is that hard to guess?"

Song Xuan extended his hand and smiled:
"Whether male or female, once people have tasted the power, it is probably very difficult for them to let go."

Fan Zhongyan glanced at Song Xuan; this kid was too extraordinary.

"That's not how power is used."

"Does the dean naively believe that everyone is like you, wanting to use their power to benefit the people?"

Fan Zhongyan looked at Song Xuan's sneer:
"So you did it on purpose!"

"Of course, no matter how much you say, Dean, if it can't be implemented in the end, it's all just empty talk."

Song Xuan glanced at him:
"The Empress Dowager is now in charge of the court; she doesn't have the courage to reform."

"So that's why you wrote a conservative policy essay in the palace examination?"

Fan Zhongyan understood Song Xuan well; this guy's ideas were even more radical than his own.

As a result, the essay in the palace examination was written in an unusually conservative manner.

That's definitely not his style.

However, Fan Zhongyan felt that it was possible that Song Xuan did this on purpose to avoid being recognized by those people in his usual writing style and thus being targeted!
"It's just a few minor tricks, but we have to be careful. I just didn't expect that the Emperor would directly appoint me as the top scholar in order to prevent any accidents from happening again."

Fan Zhongyan nodded slightly; this was the Song Xuan he knew and was familiar with.

Even though it was a conservative approach, Fan Zhongyan thought Song Xuan's policy essay was quite good.

"So, you really think my governing statement isn't good enough?"

In the history of the Song Dynasty, Fan Zhongyan's letter to the emperor was compared with Zhuge Liang's Longzhong Plan, which shows how highly it was regarded.

It indeed pointed out the problems of the Great Song Dynasty's strange cases incisively, and at the same time became the blueprint for the Qingli Reforms.

However, at this point, the opinions and insights expressed in this lengthy memorial still had many shortcomings.

Fan Zhongyan's main goal was to rectify official corruption, with other matters being secondary.

Only when officials improve can the court's policies be effectively implemented.

Or perhaps Song Xuan at this point completely failed to understand the deeper meaning behind Fan Zhongyan's words. His proactive advice was actually a reflection of his own values.

That is "to be loyal to the emperor!"
Old Fan once praised Kou Zhun, who inspired Emperor Zhenzong of Song to go to the front line to boost morale during the Treaty of Chanyuan, saying that he was able to influence the emperor, remain unmoved like a mountain, repel the barbarians, and protect the ancestral temple. The world called him a great loyalist!
Or rather, Liu E is now the emperor's right-hand woman, and can be called a great patriot.

However, in the view of scholar-officials such as Fan Zhongyan, the empress dowager's rule was not a good thing.

They were political collaborators with the Song emperor, not with the Song empress dowager.

Even if Liu E did not have Wu Zetian's heart, her actions had already led the scholar-officials to imagine that she was in Wu Zetian's situation.

"Does the dean think his written report to the government is comparable to the Longzhong Plan?"

"Of course it can't compare!"

Fan Zhongyan learned about the stories of the Three Kingdoms not only from Song Xuan, but some busybodies even claimed that the story of Guan Yu passing five passes and slaying six generals was a fabrication.

This is all perfectly normal; he also reads the Records of the Three Kingdoms.

"The Longzhong Plan was suitable for Liu Bei at the time, but it was not very well implemented in practice."

Song Xuan changed the subject:
"Besides, are the six solutions to the problems of the Song Dynasty that the Dean himself wrote truly feasible?"

"I only see the key point of consolidating the foundation; the other five points lack specific measures. How can such a broad plan be considered a good plan?"

Fan Zhongyan was stunned upon hearing this.

He had just thought that Song Xuan was putting on an act to torment the court attendant.

Song Xiang also came from Yingtian Academy, not to mention that he was a distant relative of Song Xuan.

Fan Zhongyan did not understand Song Xuan's true intention in deliberately targeting Song Xiang. It couldn't be simply because he was the Empress Dowager's man, could it?
"Are you kidding me?"

Why would I joke about something like this?

Song Xuan leaned against the inside of the carriage:
"Dean, have you perhaps gone a little dazed from teaching?"

"Huh?" Fan Zhongyan was surprised that Song Xuan would speak so rudely when no one else was around.

Or did he get cocky after winning three consecutive titles?
"Now that the emperor is not in charge of the government, the reforms cannot proceed, and the government cannot simply implement a few reform policies issued by the court."

"The Song Dynasty will not become as good as you imagine."

"Throughout history, reform has always been accompanied by bloodshed and sacrifice; this is a very serious matter."

"The reforms of the Duke of Zhou, Guan Zhong, Li Kui, and Shang Yang, the Kaihuang era of Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han, the reforms of the Two-Tax System of the Tang Dynasty, and even Chai Rong carried out reforms in military affairs, economy, and the suppression of Buddhism."

"Economically, the land system evolved from the well-field system, the equal-field system, and the two-tax system."

"Politically, the system has shifted from centralized power to weakening the aristocracy and strengthening imperial power, and the selection of officials has evolved from hereditary succession to recommendation and then to the current imperial examination system."

"Militarily, the system has evolved from the Fubing system to the current volunteer system."

"Given our current situation, we should remember the lessons of Shang Yang's reforms and Wang Mang's failure even more."

"We need to both make a living and work. I never doubted the dean's loyalty, but reform is not something that can be easily achieved by risking one's life."

Fan Zhongyan was completely overwhelmed by Song Xuan's barrage of words.

To tell the truth.

He hadn't really thought that much about it before; he had only observed the problems of the Song Dynasty through his own eyes.

However, even if Fan Zhongyan were to find a truly suitable solution, he currently doesn't have a very good one.

Fan Zhongyan was convinced.

Song Xuan genuinely had objections to the policy document he had proposed.

And it's not just any ordinary size.

After a while, Fan Zhongyan told himself that Song Xuan was different from ordinary people. Since he had said so much, he must have already prepared a plan.

Moreover, it wasn't said in public, but only in private, and Fan Zhongyan understood Song Xuan's good intentions:
"So what are your real thoughts?"

Song Xuan first "suppressed" Fan Zhongyan's somewhat unrealistic ideas before revealing his own thoughts:
"Dean, we must unite a large number of like-minded people and surround the Emperor so that we can have the opportunity to carry out reforms. There are quite a few people in the Empress Dowager's faction, and they are now in high positions."

“When we are not in power, we should accumulate more experience, and even let the government collect the difficulties of officials in various places, as well as the good methods of their achievements, and summarize them.”

"It's normal not to be able to think of a solution right away, so we can brainstorm together."

"When the time is right, if we really want to make changes, we won't have a situation where the higher-ups issue a policy and the lower-level officials pay lip service to it, making it impossible to implement, or we'll have it implemented in the exact opposite direction."

Fan Zhongyan remained silent.

Because Song Xuan's opening remarks immediately violated a taboo of the Zhao family.

Who gave you permission to form a party?

This kind of thing.

But anyone who touches anyone else will be demoted.

Song Xuan did not urge him, believing that Fan Zhongyan would figure it out.

Even Kou Zhun, who was praised by Fan Zhongyan, did he not form factions?
After Kou Zhun was dismissed from his post as prime minister, Zhou Huaizheng, a eunuch in Kou Zhun's faction, took a desperate gamble and plotted a coup to depose Empress Liu E and kill Prime Minister Ding Wei.

Ding Wei went to see Cao Liyong late at night. Cao Liyong went to see Liu E to ask for her permission before taking the initiative to arrest Zhou Huaizheng and all his accomplices.

Subsequently, Zhu Xun, a trusted confidant of Kou Zhun in the Yongxing Army, refused to sit idly by and wait for his death, and directly raised an army in rebellion. He was soon defeated and killed.

Even though Kou Zhun was praised by the literati as a model of the literati, he had many confidants both in the court and in the army.

How can a prime minister accomplish anything without help?

Look at them, if they don't want to fail, they just start an army.

Unfortunately, they couldn't even come up with a pretext like a "secret edict in a belt."

That can only lead to failure.

So the master and apprentice stopped talking and waited until they arrived at Song Xuan's residence. "Dean, Han Qi and the others also live here. Why don't we have a meal together? It's probably going to be difficult for us to get together like this in the future."

Hearing Song Xuan's words, Fan Zhongyan abandoned his intention to go straight back and got out of the carriage.

"Gentlemen, look who I've brought with me?"

When everyone saw that Fan Zhongyan had arrived, they all came out to greet him.

After all, they all genuinely admired Fan Zhongyan's teaching abilities.

Moreover, I have achieved good results in the provincial examination, and I am just waiting for everyone to go to the East Gate the day after tomorrow to wait for the emperor to personally announce the list of successful candidates.

In any case, they enjoyed the glory of being envied by everyone in front of the crowd.

This time, instead of singing about the bottom of the charts, we'll start from number one.

Looking at these outstanding students, Fan Zhongyan estimated that quite a few of them would pass the imperial examination with flying colors.

The only one to worry about is Fan Xiang, a member of our clan who came in last place in both the provincial and prefectural examinations; he is the most likely to fail.

However, Fan Zhongyan was pleasantly surprised that Fan Xiang was able to pass the provincial examination.

As a teacher, Fan Zhongyan still encouraged everyone, hoping that they would pass the imperial examination with flying colors and that after becoming officials, they would not forget the school motto and would do practical things for the people.

Do not go astray.

Fan Zhongyan also talked with Han Qi for a while, learning about his experience, but there was no need to worry because the hatred had been completely transferred to Song Xuan.

That kid is incredibly enviable, and he's also thick-skinned and tough; he wouldn't be so much more than you.

Han Qi was somewhat at a loss for words after hearing Fan Zhongyan's words.

After all, this whole thing started because of him, and as a result, his twelfth brother has to bear the consequences.

"Don't blame yourself. Dean Fan is right. Who knows, I might do something even more outrageous than you in the future. Too many lice won't bite."

"Hahaha."

Zhang Fangping couldn't help but burst into laughter a few times.

I reckon Twelfth Brother still wants to get revenge.

After all, he wouldn't let the fact that he was ambushed during the imperial examination go unpunished.

Fan Zhongyan also knew that Song Xuan liked to cause trouble and had a vengeful nature, so the Chen brothers probably couldn't withstand his antics.

Fortunately, I am also an official in the capital, so I can keep an eye on Song Xuan to prevent him from causing a huge mess.

"We have all heard of Dean Fan's ten-thousand-word letter, but we have never seen it."

Wang Tai took the initiative to ask, "I wonder if Dean Fan could also inform us?"

Fan Zhongyan glanced at Song Xuan, knowing he hadn't easily shown the letter to anyone else, and nodded slightly.
"Alright."

"That's wonderful." Lü Lejian said with a smile, "I happen to have some questions, so I can ask the teacher."

Lü Lejian learned of his place on the list through his cousin Lü Yijian, and was therefore unusually excited these past two days.

Anyway, it's perfectly normal for a prime minister to want to know if his family members are on the list.

Fan Zhongyan simply nodded. Although he had not yet taken concrete measures regarding many of Song Xuan's ideas, he was quite experienced in instilling some viewpoints and the way of being an official in these students.

Fan Zhongyan genuinely hoped that these students would be able to shoulder great responsibilities in the future.

To make his own contribution to the reform of the Song Dynasty.

Or perhaps, in that instant, Fan Zhongyan suddenly understood.

Regardless of whether he wants to form a party or not.

These students all passed the imperial examinations on their own initiative, which naturally leads others to believe that they are "forming a clique"!
That's it.

Fan Zhongyan didn't want to think about those things at this time.

Liu Yun, the examiner in charge of the provincial and palace examinations in the fifth year of the Tiansheng era, along with Feng Yuan, Shi Zhongli, and Han Yi, presented the list of 377 successful candidates to the emperor.

They needed to prepare for the grand ceremony of announcing the winners in the Golden Hall the following day.

The top ten were all ranked by Zhao Zhen himself, and Liu E no longer cared about these matters.

In her view, it would take at least twenty years for these students to enter the central government and become officials, and to come into contact with her.

For the past twenty years, she has lacked confidence that she can continue to govern.

After all, when an emperor reaches the age of twenty, it becomes a significant hurdle for her rule.

Or rather, before Zhao Zhen turned twenty, countless ministers would have wanted her to return power to the emperor.

Zhao Zhen was indeed very excited, as everything in the second year of the Tiansheng era was done by his mother.

This was his first time doing this, so he was extremely excited.

After Emperor Zhao Zhen personally ranked them, he returned the list to Liu Yun and instructed him to act according to custom.

Every time the results were announced, a large crowd would gather on one side of Donghua Gate.

However, only those students with credentials were allowed to enter the palace. They entered through the first palace gate and stood in the square waiting for the emperor to announce the emperor's message.

At this time, all five city gates of Donghua Gate were opened.

The Donghua Building above has seven bays and is decorated with glazed tiles, making it dazzling.

At this time, Song Xuan and the others passed through the cave entrance using their identity tokens and stopped in twos and threes on the square.

Today is March 30th, the Great Court Meeting.

Civil and military officials would walk or ride in oxcarts or donkey carts to attend court.

As they passed by the spot where the students were standing, they all felt a pang of sadness.

Many of them once stood here, waiting for the emperor to announce their names.

Standing here, it would normally take twenty or thirty years before we entered the palace for the grand court assembly.

In a short time, he went from being full of vigor to becoming a frail old man.

Only Wang Zeng, at a very young age, wore a purple robe and served as an official in Tokyo.

And then there's Yan Shu, whose participation in the imperial examinations for children was something to be envied.

At this time, Wang Zeng, as the prime minister, was not in a hurry to come, after all, he lived close to the palace.

They usually enter their work through the main gate, Xuande Gate, but today is a special day.

A palace separated many people.

Ouyang Xiu had already made up his mind that after seeing Song Xuan's new official appointment, he would say a few words of blessing to him, and then he would return to his hometown and visit Yingtian Academy.

Finally, he went home and studied hard, hoping that in the next imperial examination he could also "see all the flowers of Chang'an in a single day"!
Because the emperor's voice would not reach the square where the newly appointed scholars were gathered, nor would it reach outside.

Most of the time, the emperor would finish reading it, and then the voices would relay it outwards, one note at a time.

Even on the palace walls, there were human voices announcing the names and rankings of the newly appointed scholars to the onlookers.

This was also part of the Song Dynasty's national policy of governing the country with the scholar-official class, so naturally they were to be given more honors.

Passing the imperial examination with flying colors is one of the greatest joys in life.

However, among the more than a thousand scholars gathered in the square, apart from Song Xuan, who had already been designated as the top scholar, they were all somewhat excited and anxious about losing the opportunity.

Having come this far, who can guarantee that they will definitely be on the list?
Moreover, among these thousand or so people, it's not that no one has ever stood here before, but they just didn't reach the point of passing the imperial examination and had to wait three years to take the exam again.

Yan Shu strolled along leisurely, and seeing Song Xuan standing in the corner, he naturally approached him with a smile:

"Scholar Song, how are you feeling?"

"I'm very calm right now, and I don't feel like I want to pee in the inner moat."

"Hahaha."

Yan Shu stroked his beard and laughed heartily a few times, then pointed at Song Xuan and said:
"For at least the next ten years, today will be the most glorious moment of your life, kid. You'd better remember this feeling!"

Are you so sure?

Hearing Song Xuan's question, Yan Shu pointed at Song Xuan:

"What a loud tone."

"Hey hey hey."

Yan Shu lowered his voice again and reminded him:

"You'll be under the watchful eyes of all the civil and military officials in the hall soon, so don't lose your composure."

"Thank you."

Yan Shu then encouraged the other students from Yingtian Prefecture before walking over.

Then Cao Yong swaggered over. He had taken a bath and changed his clothes today, and even his official robes were newly made.

In short, we can't let the son-in-law lose face!

"Hahaha."

Laughter rang out before the person even arrived.

"Good son-in-law."

"Father-in-law," Song Xuan quickly bowed.

Cao Li stood with his hands behind his back:

"When we get to the main hall, stand tall and proud, and let those people have a good look at your handsome face. Make them jealous to death."

"must."

"Hahaha."

Cao Li laughed twice, quite pleased with Song Xuan's arrogant demeanor.

Can a young person be called a young person if they don't have a strong sense of pride?
Moreover, he is my son-in-law, and he passed the imperial examination at a young age. Those people still want to intimidate and embarrass their son-in-law.

Let them dream their pipe dreams!

Therefore, Cao Liyong was extremely satisfied with Song Xuan's answer: "After you bow in a moment, just stand next to me."

"it is good."

Cao Liyong acted as if he was afraid others wouldn't know that Song Xuan was his son-in-law.

According to custom, newly appointed scholars should be given a separate area to stand together.

Song Xuan didn't have to wait long before the palace was filled with the sounds of bells and drums.

Then the palace gates opened one by one.

The Imperial Guards, clad in imposing armor, stood on both sides of the imperial road.

The civil and military officials had already lined up on both sides of the main hall, waiting for the arrival of today's protagonist.

When the sound of bells and drums changed, the eunuch's shrill voice pierced the silence, coming from afar.

"In the fifth year of the Tiansheng era, Song Xuan, the top scholar from Ningling County, Yingtian Prefecture, was granted an audience with the emperor!"

Then a special official from the Ministry of Rites guided Song Xuan to verify the "identity card" in his hand!
Guided by Cai Qi, an official from the Ministry of Rites, Song Xuan walked onto the imperial road.

Cai Qi was no ordinary man either; he was also the top scholar in the imperial examination of the Song Dynasty.

Moreover, he had a dignified appearance, and Emperor Zhenzong believed that he had the qualities of a prime minister.

Therefore, an imperial edict was issued ordering the guards of the Imperial Guard to clear the way and summon the messengers as a sign of imperial favor.

The honor of the top scholar in the Song Dynasty being "paraded through the streets on horseback" began with Cai Qi.

Today, as an official of the Ministry of Rites, he doesn't need to go to such lengths, but he is being targeted because he frequently impeaches Empress Dowager Liu's relatives by marriage and targets the eunuchs around her.

Song Xuan strolled leisurely along the imperial road.

The soldiers of the Imperial Guard, fully armored and clad in helmets, stared at the young man passing in front of them.

This truly made them envious.

Many of the Imperial Guards on duty were sons of military families.

Even if their ancestors were founding heroes, especially military generals, they would not dare to do something as taboo as walking on the imperial road.

Most of them ended up standing guard in the palace, and few of their families continued to command troops.

How could one not feel envious of Song Xuan, this young "scholar"?
As a human being, Di Qing also stood guard steadfastly.

He watched Song Xuan walk past him calmly, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly.

Recalling the scene of their first meeting, Di Qing never imagined that Song Xuan could pass the imperial examination so easily and become the top scholar.

To receive such an honor.

You should know that the imperial road in the middle was reserved for the emperor.

Everyone else can't walk; they can only walk on either side.

But today, the top scholar is the most important, and the emperor has granted him special permission to walk on the imperial road.

The other successful candidates, even the second-place winner, did not have this honor.

This can be seen as Zhao Zhen setting a precedent for Song Xuan, just as his father set a precedent for Cai Qi.

Song Xuan climbed the steps and stepped over the Nine Dragon Steps.

One step at a time.

From this day forward, behind me lies the solitary lamp and tattered books of ten years of hard study, before me lies boundless wealth and glory.

It can be said that from this moment on...

Song Xuan was no longer an ordinary citizen; his status had changed from commoner to official, making him one of the "superior people" of the Song Dynasty.

This scene is truly:
"When the first announcement was made in the palace hall, the tens of thousands of people in front of the hall were astonished."

"His name is listed on the Golden List of Dragons and Tigers, and he is in the Jade Palace of the Immortal Realm."

Song Xuan steadily stepped into the main hall.

At this moment, both sides turned their gazes toward Song Xuan.

There was scrutiny, envy, reminiscence, and joy.

All sorts of gazes were focused on Song Xuan's tall and straight figure.

It must be admitted that Song Xuan had a handsome face and a tall stature, which shows that he did not suffer in his childhood.

Looking at Song Xuan's appearance, Chen Yaozuo realized that he was truly valued by the Emperor to be able to walk on the imperial road today.

As for the official position that Song Xuan would hold, Lü Yijian had already informed him of it beforehand.

Although it does not have direct jurisdiction, it is generally under its own control.

He has offended the military families represented by Empress Guo. In the future, when he serves as an official in Tokyo and as the magistrate of Kaifeng, he will inevitably face all sorts of trouble. He just needs to keep an eye on things.

Chen Yaozi's expression was stiff. He was very unhappy to see Song Xuan so smug.

However, there is no concrete solution at the moment. Instead, Prime Minister Lü and his second brother have asked him to remain calm, as someone will inevitably come looking for trouble for him.

"This poor kid actually managed to rise up."

Chen Yaozi sighed inwardly. If he hadn't cheated in the palace examination, perhaps the emperor wouldn't have named him the top scholar on the spot!

Lü Yijian squinted, his knuckles gently tapping the jade tablet.

Cao Liyong smiled gently as Song Xuan walked steadily towards him.

As expected of Cao Liyong's son-in-law, he has guts.

Under such intense public scrutiny and so-called "intimidation," they showed no fear whatsoever and remained completely open and uninhibited.

"The newly appointed top scholar, Song Xuan, greets Your Majesty and Your Highness."

The young Emperor Zhao Zhen sat upright on the dragon throne, his gaze deep beneath the crown, his imperial brush hanging above the golden list, the vermilion ink still wet and the fragrance of ink lingering.

Empress Dowager Liu sat to one side, also sizing up Song Xuan.

"No gift."

Then, the titles of Dali Ping Shi (a high-ranking official in the imperial court), Zhishi Guan (a historian), and Kaifeng County Magistrate were announced, and Song Xuan was also granted the title of Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) and the official robes.

Zhao Zhen put down his imperial brush, his face serious.

"I have read the essays of the top scholar in the imperial examinations. His governance is as firm as metal and stone, so strict. Do you know that such remarks will offend the officials of the court, and their families will be heartbroken and weep? What do you intend to do?"

Song Xuan bowed again, his voice clear and resonant:
"Your Majesty inquires, and I dare not lie. But is it better for one family to weep than for the whole nation to weep?"

(The road is equivalent to a province)
Song Xuan finished speaking.

This immediately caused everyone in the court to start whispering among themselves.

However, the voices of many people gathered together in the main hall, making it even noisier.

It's like two students whispering in the classroom, but if the whole class talks together, the sound can be heard all the way to the principal's office.

This made even Lu Zongdao, who insisted on attending the grand court assembly despite being sick, take notice.

Wang Zeng's eyes lit up; he hadn't expected Song Xuan to respond to the Emperor's questions in this way.

Cao Yongli quickly pointed to the people on his left and right, indicating that they should take a good look at his son-in-law.

Even his speech is so domineering!

Even Empress Liu E thought that Song Xuan truly deserved to be called the top scholar; he really knew how to speak!

Moreover, placing these words on an edict he himself compiled to prevent powerful officials from having their offspring commit crimes was also very effective in deterring such behavior.

Zhao Zhen was very satisfied with Song Xuan's answer. He stood up from his seat and walked down the steps leading to the capital.

Zhao Zhen approached Song Xuan, personally adorned his hair with a gold flower, and smiled.

"Your courage and insight greatly please me!"

Song Xuan simply thanked him, and then Zhao Zhen spoke up:

"Go and fetch my golden belt."

Starting from the Northern Song Dynasty, the power to bestow gold and jade belts as rewards was exclusive to the emperor.

Moreover, only officials of the fourth rank or above were qualified to wear gold belts.

In particular, the Song people revered etiquette and emphasized the use of colorful patterns on clothing to distinguish between noble and common people, and wearing a belt was a very serious matter.

Even Emperor Taizu of Song was criticized by his subjects. They said, "If your belt isn't fastened properly, it means you're disrespecting me as your subject. I can't see you then."

Song Xuan didn't care, but the other officials all looked on with extreme envy.

There was even some jealousy!
But who could argue with the fact that he was the youngest top scholar in the history of the Song Dynasty, and also the one who achieved the triple crown of the imperial examination?

Chen Yaozuo's face turned even uglier.

Given the emperor's "favoritism" towards Song Xuan, his chances of achieving great success in the future are extremely high.

If he fails to become prime minister, the Chen family will surely face Song Xuan's furious revenge!

Chen Yaozi was also furious, but he couldn't say that the emperor's bestowal of the gold flower and gold belt on Song Xuan was against etiquette.

When the emperor bestows a gift upon someone, does he need you, as his subject, to influence the decision?

“Oh, look at me, my son-in-law.”

Cao Yong nudged Zhang Qi with his finger, and when Zhang Qi ignored him, he nudged Yan Shu, the Deputy Privy Councilor.

Yan Shu said with a sense of helplessness that he had seen it.

"Ziqiao, my son-in-law."

Cao Liyong then boasted to Xia Song, who had just been transferred to the position of Deputy Privy Councilor.

Xia Song nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.

He never expected that Cao Yongli would actually find a son-in-law who had passed the imperial examinations and achieved the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations. Moreover, Cao Yongli was not intimidated at all and had a dignified appearance.

Could it be that Cao Liyong's daughter is truly a beauty of unparalleled grace, capable of captivating Song Xuan?

After the belt arrived, Zhao Zhen smiled at Song Xuan and said:

"Go change your clothes first, and then put on my golden belt so that I and all my ministers can see the majesty of the new top scholar."

Song Xuan accepted the gold belt: "Your subject will obey your command."

(End of this chapter)