It's already a fixed day, Duan Cizong is sitting under the lamp reading a book, his wife Cheng is mending clothes on the other side, speechless under the lamp, occasionally meeting eyes, but at this time silence is better than sound.

The dog barked incessantly outside the door, and the eldest daughter Duan Yiping came out of the side room with her eyes rubbed her eyes, and asked sleepily: "Daddy, are Rhubarb and Xiao Hei sick, why do they keep barking?" ”

Cheng put down his shirt, glared at her husband with disgust, hugged her daughter into her arms, and comforted: "Rhubarb Xiaohei is fine, it's your father who has something." ”

Duan Yiping said: "Dad, what's the matter with you?" Can you make the rhubarb and the little black stop screaming, it's so noisy that my brother and I can't sleep. Duan Cizong has a son and a daughter, a daughter is nine years old, and a son is six years old.

Duan Cizong put down the book in his hand guiltily and said with a smile: "Daddy, I'm going to put Rhubarb and Xiao Hei in the kennel, you can sleep in peace." With a look at his wife, Cheng took his daughter back to the room.

Duan Cizong walked out of the house, it was already dark, there was no moonlight, and it was dark everywhere. When he came to the door and untied the ropes of Rhubarb and Xiao Hei, the two dogs pounced on him affectionately, and Duan Ci clan was rubbing on the dog's head, and was about to take the two dogs into the house.

Suddenly, Rhubarb and Blackie turned their heads and shouted at the mouth of the alley. A lantern lit up at the mouth of the alley and moved in a flutter. Duan Cizong frowned, it was such a time in the sky, how could there be people squatting outside the door.

"Duan Langzhong, your home is so difficult to enter."

"Who?" Listening to the tone, it didn't look like he was learning to do it, Duan Cizong asked vigilantly.

The lantern was raised high and shone on the face of the visitor, a red face, a beard like steel needles, thick eyebrows and big eyes, a little familiar.

"You are?"

"Hahaha, the nobles in Duan Lang are so forgetful, how can the old man on Fengshan fifteen years ago forget?"

"You're Ning Guard." Duan Cizong exclaimed in surprise, "Why are you here, please come in." ”

Duan Cizong casually tied the dog in the courtyard and solemnly extended the guest.

A table and two chairs, a bookcase against the wall, several benches, and some miscellaneous items piled up against the wall, making the room narrow, the lights were not bright, and it looked dark everywhere, Ning Guard looked around: "Duan Langzhong's residence is poor enough, shouldn't this house still be rented." ”

Duan Cizong boiled water to boil tea, and replied with a smile: "Compared with back then, it is already a lot stronger, and Duan is content." ”

Listening to Duan Cizong's sincere words, Ning Huwei nodded secretly, took the hot tea handed by Duan Cizong, put it on the table, and said with a smile: "The son of the year asked me to send a message to you, 'Take out the sharp spirit of the year, and watch this test for me with wide eyes'." ”

Duan Cizong fell to his knees when he heard this, and called it "the decree of the minister".

Fifteen years ago, Duan Cizong participated in the examination, traveled to Fengshan with his friends, and climbed the distant tower. Duan Cizong's scholar was angry, pointed out the country, bluntly said that the officials were corrupt, annexed the fields, and preyed on the people, which attracted the attention of a rich son next to him and came forward to talk to him.

Other powerful sons were stabbed by Duan Cizong's words, and they made extremely sarcastic remarks, and the rich sons helped each other, triggering group attacks.

One of them sneered: "Today, the people who climb this building are all famous families, and those nameless rats roll downstairs, there is no place for you to stand here, and it pollutes the breeze of this Fengshan Wangyuan Tower." A certain family throws bricks and leads jade, and my son, Lu Yufeng, was born in the Lu family in Hedong, and my father is a waiter in the four-grade military department. ”

As soon as Lu Yufeng finished speaking triumphantly, someone followed and said loudly: "Late-born Huang Tianshi, Guanyang Huang, ancestor Sanpin Taifu Siqing, father Wupin Yushi Zhongcheng." ”

……

The powerful sons raised their eyebrows one by one, their words were as mean as knives, the friends around them left one by one, Duan Cizong was dressed in a cloth shirt, surrounded by a group of gorgeous clothes, and his clothes were cold. In the contemptuous gaze of the powerful sons, Duan Cizong's face turned pale, and he was almost unstable.

A hand was stretched out next to him to hold his cold hand, and the rich man who fell in love looked around at everyone and said loudly: "The lonely name Shi Fangzhen, the current prince, the father of the family, Zheng Tianzi." ”

The sound was like iron and stone, and everyone fell to the ground, frightened and afraid. Duan Cizong also knelt on the ground, and heard the prince's voice in his ears: "Duan Cizong, you are so self-cherishing. "Back then, the prince brought two guards, one of whom was this Ning guard, today's Zuo Weiwei general Ning Tao.

Duan Cizong woke up from the memories of that year and smiled to himself: "It's been fifteen years, I didn't expect to see General Ning again." Time flies, the prince of the year has become the son of heaven, and the guards have become generals, and I thought that this past had been forgotten and never mentioned to anyone.

"My old Ning often sees you", Ning Tao took a sip of water and said with a smile: "When you came and went to the palace, I noticed you several times in the palace, but the palace has a heavy responsibility, so it is not good to call you." ”

Ning Tao paused for a moment, recalled the words confessed by the Son of Heaven, and said slowly: "Banzai has never forgotten you, you have not been able to get through your official luck all these years, Banzai is deliberately pressuring you, to see if you can still stick to virtue in the midst of hardship." Hooray, let me say, 'I am very satisfied.'" ”

Seeing Duan Cizong's eyes welling up with tears in his eyes, and he was about to get up and kneel down and kowtow, Ning Tao hurriedly stopped him and said, "Brother Duan, don't kneel around, just keep the respect in your heart, it's not too early, I have to go back to duty after I finish speaking." ”

Under the light, Ning Tao lowered his voice and explained a few words to Duan Cizong, got up and left. Sending Ning Tao away and returning to the house, Duan Cizong was excited, and Cheng looked at her husband with concern and asked silently.

Duan Cizong hugged his wife and whispered in his ear: "Ping'er and Xin'er can sleep, let's rest in peace." ”

Cheng blushed, struggled gently, felt the heat coming from her husband's body, snorted softly, her body weakened, and let her husband carry her back to the room.

It's already the second watch, Jiang Anyi still has no sleep, just discussed Duan Cizong's article with Fan Shiben and Zhang Zhicheng, and it can be seen from the recitals of several books that this duke is iron-clad and dedicated to the people, which is really respectable. The strategy he cited was "The Theory of Keeping the Dao", which bluntly said, "Those who are things, the Tao is also accurate." Keep its things, be allowed by it, and then keep its way. If you give it up, you will lose the way", advocating the concept of living in the official way.

Looking back on what he had done in the past two years, Jiang Anyi had doubts about himself, and Master Fan and Master Yu both warned themselves to accumulate steadily. Along the way, I was a little anxious, always urged by things, too late to look at the scenery around me, too late to savor everything that happened, and too late to distinguish between right and wrong.

For this examination, Jiang Anyi came prepared, in addition to the name of the word, "Like Holding Luck Collection" is a secret move, and it is an unexpected joy to be appreciated by Shen Guogong on Fengshan, and there is also a killing weapon that will be sacrificed before the examination.

Before entering Beijing, "Yunshuitan Dialect" had been compiled, and Jiang Anyi and Old Man Fan agreed that it would start to be printed in March, and the time would be calculated, and it would almost flow into Beijing in early April. Fan Yanzhong, a contemporary Confucian, once served as the head of Zechang Academy, and the son of the country supervised the sacrificial wine, his book will inevitably cause a shock in the Shilin, and the Son of Heaven must also read it.

The book is written in the form of questions and answers, and the three characters who appear in it are bound to stand out. In addition to Fan Fuzi, Jiang Anyi and Fan Shiben asked questions and were taught in the form of sons and nephews, and occasionally had insights and comprehensions, and took a small ride to make a few words.

The sages taught scholars to "stand up and walk upright", whether what they have done is considered to be crooked, can they still remember their original intention of serving their families and the people when they become officials in the future, and can they live in the official way like Duan Cizong?

The second day of the first month is the regular dynasty, only the officials of the fifth grade or more enter the court, and just after the hour, the officials disperse the court. Yesterday, Wei Xiang passed the word and asked the two examiners to go to the Prime Minister's Mansion to discuss matters, Li Shihong did not dare to delay, and had a few words of laughter with the colleagues gathered around him, and then said that the prime minister invited him, and got into the sedan chair in the envious eyes of everyone.

The Prime Minister's Mansion soon arrived, and the sedan chair was dropped in front of the door, explaining the intention, and a small official was welcomed into the side room of the government hall to rest. Duan Cizong didn't need to go to the court, he came to the Prime Minister's Mansion early to wait, and at this moment, there was a circle of enthusiastic officials around him. Seeing Li Shihong enter the door, those people roared, like a green-headed fly that had been coaxed, and turned to Li Shihong.

Duan Cizong secretly wiped a cold sweat, looking at Li Shihong's exquisite face, he finally had a moment of calm. Li Shihong peeked at Duan Cizong's side and was snubbed, and was secretly proud in his heart, after all, the main exam is different from the deputy chief exam, it seems that everyone understands people.

In the middle of the day, Wei Yishen returned to the Prime Minister's Mansion, and in a respectful call, Wei Yishen walked into the lobby of the political affairs hall. The lobby faces north and south, both deep and wide, except for the two seats in the middle, there are several long tables on both sides. Near the wall, there are many bookcases with standing classics and documents.

Wei Yishen dealt with a few urgent matters, took a sip of tea, and asked, "Are Li Shihong and Duan Cizong here?" ”

Hearing the summons, Li Shihong and Duan Cizong entered the political affairs hall and sat down on the right side after saluting. Wei Yishen gossiped a few words, turned to the topic, and said: "Selecting talents for the country is related to talent selection, national prosperity and political stability. ”

Li Shihong said angrily: "Please rest assured, Li will never dare to derelict his duties and commit fraud for personal gain, and he will definitely serve the public and win talents for the country." ”

"What Brother Li said is that Duan should also do his best and be loyal to his duties."

Wei Yishen nodded and said, "According to the statistics of the Ministry of Rites, there are as many as 8,543 people who participated in the test in turn, nearly 300 more than the upper department, and the two of you are going to suffer." Eighteen candidates for the same examiner have been drawn up, and you will know by then. ”

Wei Yishen patted a book on the table, and continued: "When I entered the palace today, Banzai gave me a book, which was written by Fan Yanzhong. ”

"Oh, Mr. Fan is not willing to be lonely, has he written a book? I'm going to have to read it that night. Li Shihong stroked his beard, looking like a celebrity.

"This book will be available in the bookstore in two days." Wei Yishen's eyes were slightly condensed, and he said with a smile: "I took a look at this book of "Yunshuitan Words", it is really alarming and thought-provoking, Fan Yanzhong is worthy of being a contemporary Confucian. The old man can't give this book to you, I have to read it carefully when I have time. ”

"It's just that there are two people mentioned in this book, one is Fan Shiben, the son of Fan Yanzhong, and the other is Jiang Anyi, Fan Yanzhong regards him as a nephew.

Li Shihong frowned and said, "Is Master Fan inviting names for the two of them, this is against Master Fan's character." Duan Cizong was silent, although he didn't speak, his impression of Jiang Anyi and Fan Shiben in his heart was greatly reduced.

This time, Jiang Anyi was self-defeating.

(I didn't dare to rest at noon, and finally kicked out this chapter.) )