Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 47: One Step, One Mountain
"My ancestors have lived in Gulin for generations."

Lu Beigu answered, but he couldn't answer the following questions.

"My parents died early, so I'm not sure whether they entered the government. I vaguely remember that my family lived in Kaifeng when I was young, but later on, I don't know how they moved back."

Zhao Yan was quite curious about the answer and continued to ask.

"Oh? Do you remember where you lived in Kaifeng?"

Lu Beigu racked his brains, but there were only extremely vague images in the fragments of memory.

"Probably living by the river."

This statement is as good as nothing. After all, since Emperor Yang of Sui dug the Grand Canal, the Bian Canal, as the most important waterway connecting the Yellow River and the Huai River, has become the central node for the transportation of materials from the north to the south. Kaifeng has risen from this, and the city has even more water systems.

Lu Beigu thought for a moment and said, "I seem to have the impression that there's a towering pagoda next to it?"

"The towering pagoda"

Zhao Yan pondered for a moment. There are many temples in Kaifeng, including many famous ones, but there are not many pagodas with extremely high heights.

What's more, although the child is short, if you look up, he seems to be as high as the clouds, which also indirectly reflects that his height is indeed extraordinary.

The only towers that meet this condition are probably the 240-foot-high Fan Tower and the 180-foot-high Iron Tower.

"Remember what it looked like? Was it dark or light in the sunlight?"

Although he didn't know why Zhao Yan was so curious, it was just a casual chat, so Lu Beigu thought for a moment and replied.

"Dark."

"The Iron Tower was built in the first year of the Huangyou reign. It's an octagonal, thirteen-story tower made of glazed brick. Although it looks like iron in the dark, the reflection from the glazed bricks would be dazzling if there were light. Furthermore, the Iron Tower is much shorter than the Fan Tower. So, your ancestors probably lived near the Fan Tower in Kaifeng."

"Fan Tower?"

Lu Beigu had never been to Kaifeng in modern times, and his previous incarnation had almost no memory of Kaifeng, so naturally he didn't know what Zhao Yan was talking about.

"Yes," Zhao Yan nodded. "The Fan Pagoda is inside Tianqing Temple. Tianqing Temple, along with Xiangguo Temple, Kaibao Temple, and Taipingxingguo Temple, are known as one of the 'Four Famous Temples of the Capital.' This Fan Pagoda is famous for the 7000 or so Buddha statues inlaid inside and out, one for each brick. It's also known as the 'Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda,' and is the tallest pagoda in the capital."

"I see." Lu Beigu gained some useless knowledge again.

"But if they live near Fan Tower, they probably aren't a wealthy family."

Kaifeng has three walls, from the inside to the outside they are the Imperial City, the Inner City and the Outer City.

Tianqing Temple is located in the southeast corner of the outer city. The surrounding environment is quite good, but the people living here are basically ordinary citizens or businessmen. Even if there are officials, they are definitely not high-ranking officials.

Because the Song Dynasty treated scholars and officials very well, if they were high-ranking officials, the emperor would usually grant them a mansion, most of which were located in the inner city or near the imperial city, such as the famous "outside Donghua Gate".

As for middle and lower-level officials, their residences were scattered throughout the outer city, but there were definitely people living around temples.

"Of course it is."

Lu Beigu really wanted to complain. If he really came from a wealthy family, how could he have ended up like that?
It's obvious that his family has fallen on hard times and he can no longer stay in Kaifeng!
As for why he moved out of Kaifeng, he had no idea.

At this moment, Zhao Yan seemed to suddenly remember something and looked at Lu Beigu suspiciously.

Then he shook his head in confusion.

"What's wrong, sir?"

Zhao Yan looked at the gray sky over Chengdu and changed the subject: "Nothing, I just think Kaifeng is great. There's nothing better than Kaifeng in the world."

Lu Beigu asked curiously, "People say 'one should go to Sichuan when young'. Is it more livable than Chengdu?"

"Of course." Zhao Yan smiled. "When I was serving as the Imperial Censor in Kaifeng, I loved to climb high places and gaze out into the distance on my days off."

Zhao Yan stroked his beard and sighed, with a look of reminiscence in his eyes.

"Standing on the high ground, you can see half of Kaifeng City. The Bian River is bustling with canal boats, and shops are lined up on both sides of Hongqiao. The shouts of merchants can be heard clearly from across the street."

Lu Beigu couldn't imagine what it looked like, but he felt that it should be somewhat similar to the scene in "Along the River During the Qingming Festival".

"One year during the Lantern Festival, I remember the Aoshan (Aoshan) on Zhuque Street that night was over ten feet tall, with trees and flowers blooming endlessly. Citizens from all over the city came out to admire the lanterns, and the government even ordered people to scatter gold and silver in front of the Xuande Tower. To borrow a line from Ouyang Yongshu's poem, the scene was truly like 'the sky is always dark with bright lights, and the whole of Changchun is filled with the clamor of music and singing.'"

"But the most unforgettable thing is the Chui Pancakes at Zhouqiao Night Market. They were freshly baked with roasted pork and topped with a spoonful of apricot cheese. It's a taste I haven't had in Chengdu for a long time."

At this moment, the sound of drums could be heard in the distance. Zhao Yan seemed to be suddenly awakened. "Why are you talking about these old things? Aren't you going back to Luzhou tomorrow? Why not just wander around Chengdu today?"

"Yes, thank you for your teachings these days!"

Lu Beigu bowed sincerely.

Although he only stayed in Chengdu for a few days, he gained a lot during his time there. In particular, Zhao Yan taught him poetry and prose, which was extremely helpful for him to prepare for the county examination. It can be said that in just a few days, his poetry and prose skills soared like a rocket!

He couldn't help but feel a bit more grateful and reluctant to part with Zhao Yan, who had taught him carefully.

Zhao Yan reached out and stroked the withered plum tree next to him. He looked at the young Lu Beigu, and the shadow of his own youth seemed to flicker in his eyes.

At this moment, he suddenly asked, "Do you know why I am so strict with you?"

"I don't know."

"You do have talent for governing the country, but in the Song Dynasty's imperial examinations, if you can't pass the poetry and prose exams, no matter how good your policy essays are, they will be in vain. I cannot bear to see such a talented person ruined in this place."

"gentlemen."

Seeing Lu Beigu's moved expression, Zhao Yan was actually a little reluctant to part with this extremely talented and intelligent student after spending the past few days with him. He thought for a moment and said.

"I have never owned any valuables or treasures in my life. As we are leaving, I have nothing to give you, so I will give you a poem."

Then, Zhao Yan picked up his pen and wrote a poem on a blank piece of paper.

""Showing Lu Sheng Looking North""

A strict teacher will sharpen your aspirations and wait for you to make the leap to success.

In the past, my hair was black, but now your hair is gray.

The cold plum blossoms have been tempered by the snow, but their strong bones remain proud of the frost.

Don't lament that the spring exam is so far away, work hard to repay your gratitude."

Lu Beigu took the paper. The poet was indeed worthy of his reputation. Zhao Yan did not think about this poem at all. It could be said that he wrote it on the spot, but he basically achieved the perfection of regulated verse.

From the perspective of prosody, rhyme and structure.

The four rhymes "Men, Hun, Cun, En" all belong to the same rhyme group, which fully conforms to the rhyme standard of regulated verse.

As for the first sentence "strict teacher sharpens one's will", there is no deliberate attempt to rhyme it, because the first sentence of the five-character regulated verse does not rhyme.

The "former me" and "present you" in the second couplet, as well as the "cold plum" and "strong bones" in the third couplet are even more neatly antithetical, fully meeting the requirement that the two middle couplets of a regulated verse must be antithetical.

In addition, there are several contrasts between time and space, colors, nature and humans, as well as the echo between the last couplet that encourages learning and the first couplet at the beginning. It can be said that there is absolutely nothing to be faulted in the structure.

Of course, these are actually not important. The most important thing is that in this poem, Zhao Yan expressed his recognition and hope for Lu Beigu!

"Students must keep this book and hang it on their desks every day to encourage diligence!"

After hearing this, Zhao Yan breathed a sigh of relief and said.

"The road to the imperial examination is full of obstacles."

"All the talented people in the world who have chosen this path have bravely overcome numerous obstacles. Each time they pass a mountain, they reach a new realm. Looking back, it's all been a smooth journey."

"Your poetry is now good enough for the county exam. Study the manuscript I gave you carefully. I believe that with diligent practice, you might be able to pass the state exam this year."

Lu Beigu quickly asked, "If I pass the state exam, can I come back to Chengdu to see you?"

"You probably won't be able to find me by then."

Zhao Yan looked at him and said, "After completing this year's autumn grain collection, I will be transferred to the Imperial Censorate as a censor."

This was the civil service system of the Song Dynasty. In order to prevent someone from staying in a certain place for too long and becoming a local tyrant, almost all civil servants would be transferred every few years.

Therefore, it is common to see some prefects constantly being transferred between states like walking a dog.

Seeing Lu Beigu looking somewhat melancholy, Zhao Yan patted him on the shoulder and encouraged him, "A white crane should have soaring ambitions, and a young phoenix's voice is clearer than an old one. Young man, don't hesitate! With your talent and understanding, I believe you can continue to break through in these challenges."

Lu Beigu nodded vigorously.

The me of tomorrow will not be the me of today.

Although he still has some defects, Lu Beigu believes that as long as he can master the correct methods and study hard, he will have some confidence in passing the county exam, which he has an 80% chance of, and even the state exam.

And as time goes by, his strength will only become stronger!

Seeing Lu Beigu's firm belief, Zhao Yan said nothing more.

"Go."

Zhao Yan waved his hand and said, "—I hope to hear your name outside Donghua Gate next year."

(End of this chapter)