Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 240 Purple-Robed Official
Song Tang's teaching style is very passionate.

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, veins bulging on his forehead, and spittle almost sprayed onto the faces of the students in the front row.

When he got excited, he slammed his hand on the desk in front of him, and the books on the desk jumped, startling a dozing student who almost fell off his chair.

The students in the lecture hall either lowered their heads like ostriches or glanced absently at the somewhat bare ginkgo tree outside the window, hoping that "Crazy Song" would finish his lecture soon.

Lu Beigu and the two Chengs sat in the back row.

Cheng Hao listened attentively, nodding occasionally, while Cheng Yi frowned slightly, seemingly disapproving of Cheng Hao's harsh and almost reprimanding tone.

Lu Beigu was quite interested. Although his fellow townsman's teaching style was very "unique", the content he taught contained real knowledge and was very helpful for him to improve his current affairs strategy.

Just as Song Tang was lamenting the students' "lack of knowledge of the hardships of farming and the dangers of border defense," preparing to launch his discourse on the impoverished lives of people in the border regions in his "Northwest Folk Sayings,"

The creaking wooden door of the lecture hall was pushed open with a loud bang!
A chill of late autumn air, carrying fallen leaves, rushed in.

An elderly official, dressed in a purple robe and wearing a turban with right angles, stood at the entrance.

He was of medium height and had a very imposing official air about him. His round face was taut at the moment, and he was followed by two clerks.

This sudden intrusion instantly interrupted Song Tang's impassioned lecture. All the students in the hall, including Lu Beigu and his two companions, looked at the door in astonishment.

A high-ranking official in purple robes?

The official robe was so intimidating that Lu Beigu seriously considered who this person was, that he would appear in the deserted Imperial Academy at this time.

When Song Tang was interrupted, his face immediately darkened, and a hint of displeasure at being disturbed flashed in his eyes.

He recognized the man, but was clearly very unhappy that his superior had barged into the classroom so recklessly.

"I was unaware of your arrival, Your Excellency. What instructions do you have for me? I am currently giving a lecture."

Song Tang's voice turned cold; although he bowed, his tone was harsh.

The visitor was none other than Yang Anguo, the head of the Imperial Academy who held the position of Hanlin Academician and was also in charge of the Imperial Academy.

In fact, when discussing the continued decline of the Imperial Academy during the reign of Emperor Renzong, one cannot avoid mentioning the Yang family.

Yang Anguo came from a family of scholars of classical studies. His father, Yang Guangfu, started as a lecturer at the Imperial Academy in the early years of Emperor Renzong's reign and rose through the ranks to become the assistant director of the Imperial Academy. After his father retired, Yang Anguo entered the Imperial Academy as a lecturer. During the Jingyou era, he was promoted to doctor of the Imperial Academy, and during the Huangyou era, he was promoted to "prosecutor of the Imperial Academy".

In the Imperial College system, the highest-ranking official, the "Chancellor of the Imperial College," and the deputy head, the "Director of the Imperial College," were not officially appointed. The actual management responsibilities were usually assumed by officials appointed by the court, such as Hanlin scholars, imperial drafters, lecturers, and readers, who were appointed as "judges of the Imperial College" or "leaders of the Imperial College." The daily affairs were managed by the assistant directors of the Imperial College.

However, although the Imperial Academy was where the Yang family made their fortune, Yang Anguo did not care much about his work there. As a famous scholar of the classics who was well-versed in the Book of Documents, he was actually most concerned about his job as a lecturer.

Since the lecturers were there to teach the emperor, as long as they had a good enough relationship with the emperor, it didn't matter how the Imperial Academy turned out.

Since Yang Anguo served as a lecturer at the Imperial Academy during the Jingyou era, he has always been committed to maintaining a good relationship with Emperor Renzong. Along his path as a lecturer, he rose from storyteller in the Chongzheng Hall to lecturer in the Tianzhang Pavilion, then to attendant in the Tianzhang Pavilion, and has now climbed to the high-ranking position of lecturer in the Hanlin Academy.

Of course, Yang Anguo's high official position had little to do with his lecturing skills. His teaching style was characterized by relying entirely on commentaries on ancient classics, without any original insights or elaboration. The examples he cited were sometimes even crude and shallow, which many of his colleagues at the imperial lectures used as a source of amusement. He was also particularly skilled at explaining apocryphal texts, which were Han dynasty books that interpreted Confucian classics and contained theological prophetic elements. He even elevated apocryphal texts to the same status as the classics.

Regardless of Yang Anguo's academic level, Emperor Renzong simply liked him.

—Because Yang Anguo was very good at providing emotional value to Emperor Renzong.

While the court officials' loyal advice and remonstrances, which had been a constant source of distress for Emperor Renzong for decades, only Yang Anguo would subtly use classical texts or prophetic sayings during the lectures every few days to testify that everything Emperor Renzong did was correct, thus comforting his wounded heart.

Did Emperor Renzong know that Yang Anguo was simply deceiving him?
Of course I know!
But what does it matter? The lecturer doesn't participate in government affairs, so it doesn't affect anything. Just think of it as someone specifically hired to make you happy.

Therefore, Yang Anguo served as an official in the Imperial Lectures for more than 20 years. Emperor Renzong not only praised him for his upright character and simple and honest nature, but also compared him to Cui Zundu, a minister in the early Song Dynasty who was known for his virtue and learning. He was given special favor and was "bestowed with purple robes".

The term "bestowing purple" refers to the practice where the emperor could specially grant purple robes to officials who had not reached the third rank but held important positions, were highly favored, or had made special contributions.

It was precisely because Yang Anguo's mind was entirely focused on the lectures that the Imperial Academy, left unmanaged, fell into disrepair and ended up in its current state.

At this moment, Yang Anguo couldn't care less about the unfriendly tone in Song Tang's voice; he was clearly preoccupied with something more urgent.

Yang Anguo strode into the lecture hall, his gaze sweeping across the few scattered students in the front row with lightning speed. His disappointment deepened – which of these privileged children could be relied upon?
"Assistant Song!"

Yang Anguo's voice was visibly agitated, and he disregarded official formalities, getting straight to the point: "I have not come here to give instructions, but to ask you for a favor!"

He paused, lowered his voice, but sounded even more urgent: "That old scoundrel Hu Anding, relying on the current power and large number of students of the Imperial Academy, dared to ridicule our prestigious Imperial Academy for having no one of its own at the Imperial Lectures today, right in front of the Emperor!"

Yang Anguo practically spat out the words "There's no one left" through gritted teeth, clearly feeling a burning resentment that he had to vent.

Hu Anding was Hu Yuan, one of the "Three Masters of the Early Song Dynasty." The Imperial Academy rose to prominence under the leadership of these three masters. However, Shi Jie of the Taishan School died young, and Sun Fu was also nearing the end of his life. Only Hu Yuan was still struggling to keep it afloat.

Hu Yuan is currently in charge of the Imperial Academy as the Crown Prince's Junior Tutor and Lecturer of the Tianzhang Pavilion, making him the highest-ranking official in the Imperial Academy.

At the same time, Hu Yuan, as a "Lecturer of Tianzhang Pavilion," was also a lecturer in the Imperial Academy, but in the official system of lecturers in the Imperial Academy, his rank was much lower than that of Yang Anguo.

Yang Anguo, as the head of the Imperial Academy and a Hanlin Academician with a very high rank in the academy system, was so humiliated by Hu Yuan in front of everyone. How could he save face?

It should be noted that the position of Hanlin Academician was a coveted post for many civil officials. It was the head of the lecturers and ranked second only to the Imperial Secretary. Hanlin Academicians were known as "half-step prime ministers".

Song Tang frowned even more: "Mr. Hu is in charge of the Imperial Academy and has always been upright. How could he engage in such a petty argument?"

Clearly, Yang Anguo's one-sided account may not represent the whole story.

There are some things that Yang Anguo might not be able to say in front of these students, since they are all children of officials and it would be easy for them to spread the news.

He was also afraid of being ridiculed, so he deliberately concealed some information.

(End of this chapter)