Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 191 Lü Huiqing and Wang Shao [Requesting monthly votes!]

He dragged out the last two words, his hand was already extended forward, and his body was slightly turned to the side, seemingly respectful, but in reality, he had blocked his way out.

The constables in their black uniforms all turned to look at them.

Lu Beigu and Cui Wenjing exchanged a glance, both seeing a look of speechlessness in each other's eyes.

What's this?

However, as the saying goes, "since we're already here," and since the other party only intends to invite them to a banquet, there's no harm in having a free dinner.

"Since that's the case, I'll respectfully comply and trouble you to lead the way."

"That's right!"

The official's smile finally had a touch more sincerity, clearly relieved that he had successfully completed the task.

"Please follow me, gentlemen."

The minor official led the way; the light inside the city gate was dim, and the sound of footsteps echoed hollowly on the stone walls.

Once outside the city gate, they entered the inner streets of Jiangling Prefecture. The afterglow of the setting sun cast long shadows of the massive city walls before them.

The streets were much wider than the docks, and the bluestone pavement had been worn smooth by footsteps. Shops lined both sides, with wine flags fluttering in the breeze.

However, Lu Beigu and Cui Wenjing had no interest in appreciating the bustling scene of this great city in Jingchu.

Carrying heavy satchels and luggage, they walked silently along the street, "escorted" by two yamen runners, standing out from the relaxed and leisurely crowd around them.

The clerk walked quickly, seemingly eager to complete his task.

The alleyways we passed were filled with the aroma of cooking smoke from every household preparing dinner, and occasionally children would run and play by, curiously observing us.

The government office was not hard to find; from afar, one could see the imposing walls and gate towers that were much taller than the houses.

As we approached the government office, the number of pedestrians on the road dwindled, and there was even a sense that the air itself had become somewhat stagnant.

Finally, they arrived at the side gate of the government office.

Two more neatly dressed yamen runners were on duty at the side gate. The junior official who led the way stepped forward, whispered a few words, handed over his waist token, and pointed to Lu Beigu and Cui Wenjing behind him.

The guards on duty scanned the two men, focusing on their backpacks and slightly dusty robes, their eyes filled with scrutiny and a hint of disdain.

"Go in." The guard on duty made way without any expression.

The clerk turned to Lu and Cui and said, "Please come in, gentlemen. Someone will lead you to the banquet."

Stepping through the side gate of the government office, Lu Beigu looked up and saw a deep courtyard with winding corridors, and lanterns hanging under the corridors were already lit.

Officials occasionally hurried past, their eyes fixed straight ahead, their steps light and quick, creating a very oppressive atmosphere inside the government office.

A young clerk in official robes was already waiting inside the door. Upon seeing them enter, he bowed slightly and said, "Please follow me, gentlemen."

His attitude was more polite than the yamen runners outside, but it was only superficial courtesy; he wasn't very enthusiastic.

The clerk led them along the corridor inside.

In the courtyard outside the corridor, the tall ancient trees with lush foliage cast deep shadows in the twilight.

In the distance, the faint sounds of string and wind instruments, along with indistinct human voices, could be heard, clearly indicating that the banquet was already in the works.

As you pass through several courtyards, the sounds of string and wind instruments and human voices become clearer and clearer.

Finally, the clerk stopped outside the side door of a brightly lit, ornately decorated hall. He straightened his clothes, took a deep breath, and then gently pushed open the half-closed door, turning to Lu Beigu and Cui Wenjing in a low voice.

"Please come in."

The hall was brightly lit, filled with the warmth of incense, and the melodious sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air as a musician played his instrument.

The spacious area is furnished with more than twenty dining tables, and what is eye-catching is that there are seasonal flowers and potted plants everywhere.

The head seat was empty, clearly indicating that the host had not yet taken their seat.

There were already seven or eight people seated at the lower end of the table. Most of them were middle-aged men dressed in fine clothes with reserved smiles on their faces. They should be prominent local gentry in Jiangling Prefecture, but their smiles seemed to hide their unease.

Clearly, they "had no choice" to come.

Lu Beigu and Cui Wenjing were led by the clerk to two tables near the corner, where many potted flowers and plants were placed.

Two tables next to the food station were already occupied. Judging from their age and attire, they were the same as the travelers, looking like weary scholars, carrying their bags and with the same helpless expression on their faces, as if they had been forcibly "invited" here.

The clerk whispered, "You may sit here."

He then hurriedly left.

Lu Beigu and Cui Wenjing put down their heavy study bags and bowed to the two scholars who had arrived earlier, as a way of greeting them.

The two men quickly stood up to return the greeting, forcing a wry smile on their faces.

"My two gentlemen."

One of them, of medium build and with a thin face, looked to be in his early twenties. Speaking with a distinct Fujian accent, he spoke first in a low voice: "Were you also 'warmly invited' by the city gatekeeper?"

The other was taller, with broad shoulders and a thick back, and his brows carried a heroic air unlike that of ordinary scholars. He was also in his twenties, but he just kept his head down and didn't say a word.

"Indeed." Cui Wenjing sighed and said with a wry smile, "I am Cui Wenjing from Luzhou, and this is my fellow townsman Lu Beigu. We are both candidates who have come to the capital for the imperial examinations. May I ask your honorable names and hometowns?"

The scholar from Fujian said, "I am a candidate for the imperial examination from Fujian. My surname is Lü, my given name is Huiqing, and my courtesy name is Jifu."

“Wang Shao, courtesy name Zichun, was a scholar from Jiangxi who passed the imperial examination.”

The warrior finally spoke, giving his name in a deep and powerful voice.

Lü Huiqing! Wang Shao!

The moment Lu Beigu heard those two names, his head went blank.

His gaze swept back and forth across the faces of the two young scholars before him, still bearing the marks of their journey, trying to reconcile them with the images of those powerful figures in his mind who had dominated the political and military landscapes of the late Northern Song Dynasty.

Lü Huiqing!
Lu Beigu first looked at the sharp-eyed, thin young man with a Fujian accent in front of him. This was the future "stubborn prime minister's" most trusted assistant.
This is a name that is closely associated with labels such as "treacherous official," "key figure of the New Party," "confidant of Wang Anshi," and "backstabbing villain" in later historical records. He played an extremely important, yet extremely complex and controversial role in Wang Anshi's reforms and is regarded as one of the key figures who led to Wang Anshi's first dismissal as prime minister.

Lu Beigu then turned his gaze to the broad-shouldered, thick-backed, sharp-browed young man from Jiangxi next to him, who looked uncomfortable as if he had been forcibly dragged along as a guest.

Wang Shao was the main executor of the "Xihe Expansion" and could be called the Zhang Qian of the Song Dynasty. As a civil official, he went deep into the Qiang and Tibetan lands, maneuvering and expanding the territory by thousands of miles. He completed the strategic encirclement of Western Xia by the Song Dynasty from the flank. If it weren't for the sudden rise of the Jin people, his strategy to destroy Xia would have been almost completed.

Regardless of their future achievements, at this moment they are nothing more than ordinary candidates who were forcibly dragged here by local officials on their way to the imperial examinations, just to fill in at the banquet.

The torrent of history, at this moment, has temporarily intertwined the fates of these few people in an extremely absurd way.

This made Lu Beigu feel a little dazed, even a bit absurd.

(End of this chapter)