The Great Song Dynasty: You were put in charge of teaching, and you produced a whole bunch of prime

Bianjing, the heart of the Song Dynasty.

This megacity with a population of one million has recently become bustling with activity because of the return of one person.

Hanlin Academician Ouyang Xiu has returned to the capital.

But that's not the news. The news is that this literary leader, who is usually arrogant and extremely picky about articles, has actually become a "human walking propaganda machine."

Whether he was drinking at Fanlou or having tea in the waiting room of the court, whenever someone approached and asked, "Lord Ouyang, did you have any success on your trip to Jiangnan?"

Ouyang Xiu immediately perked up, his mustache twitching: "A harvest? That's enormous! I met a banished immortal in Runzhou!"

"Really, I'm not lying to you. Compared to that Mr. Jiang, my articles are barely passable."

"What? You don't believe me? Have you even read 'Ode to the Autumn Sounds'? If you haven't, don't talk to me."

In just a few days, the name "Jiang Lin of Jiangnan" swept through the scholar circles of Bianjing like a tornado.

Everyone was dumbfounded. Where on earth did Jiang Lin come from? How could Ouyang Xiu praise him to such an extent?

……

The Imperial Palace, the Hall of Hanging Arches.

Emperor Renzong of Song, Zhao Zhen, had just finished reviewing a stack of memorials concerning the Yellow River breach and was rubbing his aching temples.

"Summon Ouyang Xiu to an audience."

A moment later, Ouyang Xiu strode into the hall. Although he was covered in dust from his journey, he was in surprisingly good spirits, his face glowing.

"Your subject Ouyang Xiu pays his respects to Your Majesty."

"Rise."

Emperor Renzong offered him a seat and looked at his beloved minister with great interest. "These past few days, I've heard your loud voice from deep within the palace. They say a prodigy has emerged in Jiangnan, one that even you are ashamed of?"

"Your Majesty, I am not being modest, but speaking the truth."

Ouyang Xiu straightened his expression and took out a memorial from his sleeve. It was a letter of recommendation he had written overnight: "This man is named Jiang Lin, the headmaster of Jingshi Academy in Runzhou. He is only twenty-five or twenty-six years old, but his profound knowledge and overflowing talent are unparalleled in my life."

Emperor Renzong took the memorial and smiled, "Twenty-five or twenty-six? My dear minister, have you been deceived by this young man's appearance? At such a young age, what profound insights could he possibly have?"

"Your Majesty, his students swept the top three places in the Jiangnan East Circuit prefectural examination."

Ouyang Xiu dropped the first bombshell.

Emperor Renzong raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Is that true?"

"Not only that."

Ouyang Xiu took a deep breath and dropped the second bombshell—his essay "Ode to the Autumn Sounds".

"Your Majesty, please look, this is an impromptu piece he composed before me. It was only because I asked him to use 'Autumn' as the theme."

Emperor Renzong unfolded the sheet of Xuan paper.

At first, he leaned casually against the dragon throne. But when he read the lines "The stars and moon are bright, the Milky Way is in the sky," he sat up straight.

When he read the line "Man is an animal, the most intelligent of all creatures," he stood up.

After reading the last sentence, Emperor Renzong remained silent for a long time, then sighed deeply, his eyes filled with disbelief as he looked at Ouyang Xiu.

"My dear minister, you did not lie to me."

Emperor Renzong stroked the article with obvious delight, exclaiming, "Such writing style, such breadth of vision—it could never have been written without decades of experience. Could this really have been written by a young man in his twenties?"

"Absolutely true."

Ouyang Xiu cupped his hands and said, "Moreover, this man's views on current affairs are extremely insightful. His proposed 'practical policy proposals' are precisely the best remedy for the current problems of redundant officials and excessive spending, as well as the superficial and boastful scholarly atmosphere in the Song Dynasty!"

"In that case, I demand to see him!"

Emperor Renzong's eyes lit up. Although he was gentle by nature, he was definitely a good emperor who loved talent. "Issue my decree: summon Jiang Lin from Runzhou to the capital for an audience! I want to test him personally!"

"His Majesty……"

Ouyang Xiu gave a wry smile, "I think that if I issue an imperial edict to summon him directly, he probably... won't come."

Emperor Renzong was taken aback: "Why? I am the Son of Heaven. To summon a commoner is an immense favor. How dare he disobey my decree?"

"He's not afraid to defy the imperial decree; he's just... lazy."

Ouyang Xiu recalled Jiang Lin's slumped posture in the chair and said helplessly, "He said his ambitions lay not in fame or officialdom, but only in educating and nurturing people. To make him an official would be worse than killing him."

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Emperor Renzong was not angry at all; instead, he burst into laughter. "Interesting! Truly interesting! In this Great Song Dynasty, people are scrambling to become officials, yet there are still people who complain that being an official is too tiring?"

"I refuse to believe this nonsense!"

Emperor Renzong waved his hand and said, "Draft an edict! Be polite in your wording. Say that I have long admired his name and invite him to the capital for a chat. We will not discuss officialdom, but only scholarship! I refuse to believe that I, the emperor, cannot persuade a schoolteacher to come!"

……

A few days later, in Runzhou.

At the entrance of Jingshi Academy, gongs and drums resounded and firecrackers crackled.

The prefect of Runzhou personally held the bright yellow imperial edict, his whole body trembling with excitement, and he ran into the academy.

"Mr. Jiang, this is a momentous occasion!"

The prefect's voice cracked, "The Emperor has issued an edict! He summons you to the capital for an audience! This is an unprecedented honor for Runzhou in a century!"

Inside the academy, the students who were in class were all stunned.

Su Shi dropped his pen to the ground with a "thud," and his mouth gaped open wide enough to fit a duck egg.

"Holy crap... has the gentleman really become a god?"

The surrounding neighbors were packed in, craning their necks to look at the young man still sitting in the lecture hall as if he were a god.

Jiang Lin stood up, straightened his clothes, and took the imperial edict from the prefect.

Upon unfolding it, it was indeed in Emperor Renzong's style: gentle tone, without any airs. The gist was: I've heard you're very talented, and I'd like to meet you. Let's have a chat, and I'll reimburse your travel expenses.

Congratulations, Jiang Shanchang! Congratulations, Jiang Shanchang!

The prefect grinned from ear to ear, "This humble official will prepare your carriage and horses immediately, and you may depart tomorrow... no, today!"

All eyes were on Jiang Lin, waiting for him to express his gratitude to the emperor.

However, Jiang Lin closed the imperial edict without showing any joy on his face. Instead, he frowned slightly, as if he was thinking about a very troublesome matter.

"Your Excellency, this imperial edict... can it be returned?"

puff--

The prefect nearly coughed up blood, his knees buckling as he almost knelt: "Mr. Jiang! Watch your words! This is an imperial edict! Disobeying an edict is punishable by death!"

Jiang Lin sighed and casually handed the imperial edict to Qian Duoduo, who was already petrified beside him.

"I didn't say I was disobeying the imperial decree, I was just... unwell."

Jiang Lin clutched his chest and suddenly began to cough weakly. "Cough cough... I recently caught a cold and I'm afraid I can't withstand the long journey. I beg the Prefect to convey my gratitude to His Majesty, but... I really can't go."

The entire room fell silent.

Su Shi watched his teacher's clumsy acting (he was just secretly eating a chicken leg), and his eyes twitched wildly.

Does this work too?

The prefect was almost in tears: "Mr. Jiang, please don't play me! This is an incredible opportunity!"

"My lord, even opportunities have their lifespans to enjoy," Jiang Lin patted the prefect on the shoulder. "Just tell the truth, I'm ill, I'll go after I recover. See the guest out."

After saying this, he turned and went back to the back hall, leaving the prefect holding the imperial edict, bewildered in the wind.

……

It was late at night.

Inside the back room, Jiang Lin was gnawing on a chicken leg, looking quite energetic.

Su Shi leaned closer, his face a mixture of excitement and trepidation: "Sir, are you going to the capital?"

Jiang Lin tossed the chicken bones onto the table, wiped his hands, and uttered two words indifferently:

"I'm not going."

"ah?!"

Su Shi's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "But...but this is an imperial edict! Disobeying an imperial edict is punishable by death!"

"Beheading? If Emperor Renzong (Zhao Zhen) were so quick to kill, he wouldn't be Emperor Renzong."

Jiang Lin lay back down on the rattan chair and closed his eyes comfortably.

"The imperial edict summoned me to the capital to offer me an official position. But my ambitions lie elsewhere."

"If I go, I'll just be another mediocre official who argues with people all day. But if I don't go and stay here..."

Jiang Lin pointed to Su Shi, then to Zeng Gong and Su Zhe, who were studying diligently under the lamp.

"I can train ten or a hundred prime ministers for the Song Dynasty."

"The emperor will settle this score."

Su Shi was stunned and felt a chill run down his spine.

My husband isn't teaching at all; he's clearly using the emperor as a cash cow!

"So... what do you plan to do?"

"He wrote a letter, politely declining."

Jiang Lin yawned, his voice lazy yet firm:

"Tell the emperor that I didn't beg him, but he begged me."

"And... I need to let him know that it's more useful for him if I stay."