Chapter 550 The Steps to Heaven, The "Unsleeping" Scholar

The Imperial Study in Luoyang, the capital city.

A small-scale imperial council meeting ended abruptly shortly after it began.

Zhang Yu and Hu Fu, who had hurriedly returned to the capital to report, both with solemn expressions, withdrew.

After Rongzhen left, Lingzhen, the lady-in-waiting in colorful robes who was temporarily serving as the chief scribe, turned her gaze away from the backs of Master Di and Xie Xun as they finished their audience with the emperor and left the room.

She stood behind the beaded curtain beside a dark dragon bed, her head slightly bowed, not daring to look at the old woman's expression on the bed in front of her.

Inside the Imperial Study, outside the beaded curtain, five figures remained, not having retreated.

They are Li Lun, Wei Jisi, Wei Sixing, Princess Chang Le, and a young Wei clan princess, who is the granddaughter of one of the Empress's elder sisters and is usually taken care of by her... all of them are relatives.

The group was kept behind by Empress Wei Zhao, who offered them seats by the brazier and served them pepper and cypress wine.

This is a custom in Guanzhong during the New Year. According to folklore, drinking pepper and cypress wine can ward off evil spirits, cure diseases, and prolong life.

Today is New Year's Day. Empress Wei Zhao had just returned to the palace after presiding over the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven in the eastern suburbs. She left behind five members of her clan to have a heartwarming chat, but then she received news from Zhang Yu and Hu Fu who had hurriedly returned from Jiangzhou.

Therefore, Master Di was immediately summoned to the palace, along with Xie Xun, Ouyang Lianghan's teacher.

Inquire about Ouyang Lianghan's resignation...

After Master Di and Xie Xun withdrew, the old woman on the couch behind the beaded curtain remained silent for a long time, and the atmosphere inside and outside the imperial study was somewhat quiet.

Lingzhen, with her head bowed, felt the Empress's gaze upon her and immediately felt pressured, so she obediently lowered her head even further.

Biting her lip, her eyes held a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment, as well as... helplessness.

As the chief scribe, Ouyang Lianghan was the one who drafted the specific imperial edict for his promotion. Her Majesty the Empress only gave a few instructions, arranging the promotions to "Acting Governor of Jiangzhou" and "Left Deputy Commissioner of Jiangnan Construction".

However, Lingzhen, who was deeply insightful and second only to Rongzhen in understanding the Emperor's mind, knew that in order to uphold His Majesty's dignity and reputation...

Therefore, when drafting the imperial edict for the promotion, she took a roundabout approach, only saying that Ouyang Lianghan had been conscientious and dutiful in his post as the Sima of Jiangzhou, and that he was also filial to his elders at home, earning a far-reaching reputation for integrity and filial piety, which led to his exceptional promotion.

It was all arranged as if he had been promoted naturally, without mentioning his recent merit in cleaning up the mess in Xunyang City, or the court's intention to have him continue building the Donglin Buddha.

Anyway, smart people will definitely understand.

But Lingzhen never expected that Ouyang Lianghan would directly use her words as a pretext to refuse her request, citing the reason of serving a sick or ailing elder.

In particular, according to what Hu Fu and others said, Ouyang Lianghan also said at the time, "I humbly believe that the Holy Dynasty governs the world with filial piety."

That's a very good way to be filial.

When Lingzhen, who had been standing to the side, heard this, she was silenced and tried very hard to avoid looking at the expressions of Her Majesty the Empress and the other members of the Li and Wei clansmen outside.

At present, no one can criticize Ouyang Lianghan's polite refusal, and no one is going to find fault with this statement.

Resigning three times is not uncommon in the imperial court.

Although in the past, those who could decline three times were either high-ranking officials like the prime minister of the State Council or respected senior officials who requested to retire, it was very rare for someone like Ouyang Lianghan to do this at such a young age, mainly because most young officials did not have the qualifications.

However, the Donglin Buddha statue in Jiangzhou needs this person right now, and it is almost impossible to find anyone else who can do it.

Ouyang Lianghan certainly has the right to negotiate and bargain.

However, your practiced use of "declining three times" is somewhat impolite.

Besides, according to Zhang Yu and Hu Fu, Ouyang Lianghan's aunt was initially lively and energetic when she came out to receive the imperial decree, but only after he finished speaking did she belatedly fall ill... Couldn't you have agreed on this beforehand? Couldn't you have made it more convincing? This whole thing is so awkward for everyone...

Lingzhen couldn't help but wonder if it was because the wording of her previous demotion edict was too harsh and cold, causing this guy to hold a grudge.

Noticing the Empress's gaze upon her, Lingzhen lowered her head deeply, understanding that Her Majesty was somewhat reprimanding her for her poor drafting of the decree.

On her bed, the elderly empress seemed to rub her forehead and speak:

"Tell me, what would be a good reward? A marriage by decree won't do, and we want him to stay in Jiangzhou. What else would be suitable as a reward?"

Lingzhen stood with her hands at her sides, not daring to raise her eyes.

This was actually suggested by the eunuch Hu Fu, who was quite familiar with Ouyang Lianghan and knew that Ouyang Lianghan and Xie Xun's only daughter, Xie Lingjiang, were in love. So he suggested that His Majesty should directly bestow a marriage upon the two of them.

Because Ouyang Lianghan came from a poor family, while Xie Lingjiang was a woman from one of the five noble families.

A poor scholar is paired with a noblewoman. Even if the poor scholar strives for success, there will always be a gap in social status. If Her Majesty the Empress personally bestows the marriage, it can be considered a reward.

However, the proposal to bestow a marriage was blocked by a sudden memorial from Rong Zhen in Jiangzhou, who firmly opposed it.

The reason is that Ouyang Lianghan still needs to govern Jiangzhou and oversee the Buddha statue; it's best not to do anything that would distract a capable minister like him.

Speaking of which, this memorial from Rongzhen was brought back by Hu Fu and Zhang Yu on their way from Jiangzhou. It is clear that Hu Fu had mentioned this matter to Rongzhen, Granny Song, and others before leaving.

Judging from Hu Fu's bewildered expression after hearing Rong Zhen's memorial, he clearly hadn't expected that the memorial, which Rong Zhen, the silent historian from Jiangzhou, had entrusted him to submit, directly opposed the matter.

However, Rong Zhen's opposition alone could not stop Empress Wei Zhao from making a move, since bestowing a marriage upon Ouyang Lianghan, a poor scholar, would indeed save trouble and effort.

However, after consulting with Xie Xun, Ouyang Lianghan's mentor, about this matter, the Empress completely abandoned the idea.

Because Xie Xun also opposed the bestowal of marriage as a reward in court.

The reasons are numerous, and similar to those given to Rongzhen.

However, it was clear to the discerning people, including the Wei brothers and the Prince of Xiang, that the great Confucian scholar Xie Xun was spoiling his disciple. He was turning down this mediocre reward on Ouyang Lianghan's behalf, wanting to exchange it for a substantial and generous reward.

Anyway, as a father, he could definitely make the decision on the marriage arrangement, so why would he look down on a poor scholar's son?

Upon hearing the news, everyone in the Imperial Study, including the cunning Master Di, remained vague, saying that the decision should be left to His Majesty.

Lingzhen glanced quickly at the Empress's stern face.

Knowing full well that this time they could not allow Ouyang Lianghan to make excuses to refuse again.

It would be one thing to refuse once on the grounds of "filial piety," but if one continues to refuse three times, the court will lose face.

"What do you mean your elder is unwell? He was perfectly fine before, but after receiving His Majesty's decree, he suddenly became unwell?"

Sitting by the fire, Wei Jisi didn't drink the wine offered to him and muttered something unpleasantly.

Wei Sixing nodded, his face expressionless, and said:

"Then send the imperial physician over to examine his aunt. That should be enough to get the imperial decree approved."

Xiang Wang Li Lun stood up, his expression earnest as he advised:

"Your Majesty, what the two princes said is inappropriate. Talented people still need to be appeased. As for the matter of rewards, why not start with Ouyang Lianghan's aunt and bestow an imperial title upon her..."

Princess Chang Le nodded in agreement.

Upon hearing this, Wei Jisi and Wei Sixing could only nod in agreement reluctantly.

"Can."

Empress Wei Zhao nodded slightly and asked again:

"Anything else? Adding only one seems too stingy."

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

Just then, a palace servant carrying a tray stepped in and bowed, reporting:

"Your Majesty, the Elder said that his memory is not very good. He was just about to present something to Your Majesty, but he only remembered it when he got outside the Imperial City. He asked me to bring it to you immediately."

"What is that?"

Empress Wei Zhao picked up a lone piece of paper from the tray with great interest and unfolded it.

"A poem and an essay?"

She raised her eyebrows slightly.

As Li Lun sat warming himself by the fire, he seemed to remember something and couldn't help but look up.

The Empress Dowager, behind the beaded curtain, seemed to have been glancing at the manuscript for a while when a soft laugh came from behind her.

"Elder Guo, Elder Guo, you are truly... truly mentoring the younger generation." The tone was full of emotion.

"Your Majesty, what did the Grand Elder say?" Princess Chang Le asked curiously.

"Nothing much, he didn't say anything. The old man only sent a poem about chrysanthemums and an article called 'On Teachers.' You all know the authors of both poems and articles."

"who?"

After speaking, Empress Wei Zhao looked up, giving everyone no time to digest her words, and said calmly:

"I know what to reward him with."

The Empress uttered two words, and silence fell both inside and outside the beaded curtain.

Wei Jisi and Wei Sixing looked somewhat bewildered.

Even Prince Xiang, Li Lun, and Princess Chang Le stopped drinking, exchanged a glance, and both could see the surprise in each other's eyes...

A few days after New Year's Day, a grand banquet hosted by the imperial court was in full swing.

At the annual Wenhua Banquet, the Empress received scholars and literati from Luoyang, as well as outstanding scholars selected from various regions, and received a flurry of articles praising her virtues.

Halfway through the banquet, Prince Xiang Lilun presented the Empress with two anonymous works that were currently unknown in Luoyang.

One poem is titled "On Chrysanthemums," and the other is titled "On Teachers."

The author is the same person, and also a name that frequently appears in certain current court affairs... Ouyang Lianghan.

However, Shihlin's previous impression of this name was more of a righteous gentleman who refused to obey imperial orders and a master of water conservancy who was well-versed in the waters of Jiangnan.

These two articles... once published, completely overshadowed all the other articles presented at the Wenhua Banquet.

The scholars of Luoyang were astonished and whispered among themselves, all saying, "We never knew Ouyang Lianghan possessed such literary talent! How come we didn't know before?"

The Empress was overjoyed and praised him highly. After the banquet, she directly appointed Ouyang Lianghan, the Sima of Jiangzhou, as a scholar of the Xiuwen Academy.

For a time, it became a hot topic of discussion among scholars, who marveled and expressed their envy.

Inside the Prime Minister's study, even Xie Xun, who was somewhat prepared, looked surprised as he gazed at the smiling, portly old man working behind the desk...

The position of scholar in the Xiuwen Pavilion was originally established by Emperor Taizong of the Great Han Dynasty. The scholars who entered the pavilion were historically known as the Eighteen Scholars. Most of them were former officials from Emperor Taizong's residence before he was born. They were Emperor Taizong's confidants and advisors, essentially a think tank, and they played a leading role in the country's policies.

Later, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wei, there was a growing need to bypass the constraints of the existing aristocratic bureaucratic system and make decisions on political affairs. Therefore, a small group of trusted officials were appointed as scholars of the Xiwen Pavilion, who could directly enter the palace to report on matters, draft documents, and participate in confidential matters. They were equivalent to the two emperors' "secretary team". This group of people was then known as the "Northern Gate Scholars" and held immense power in the court.

Now that the Great Zhou Dynasty has been established, Empress Wei no longer needs to utilize scholars from the Xiuwen Academy to share the power of the prime minister. However, the Xiuwen Academy still exists, and the position of scholar has become more of an honorary one, beginning to serve as a fast track in the Great Zhou's officialdom. Of course, there are still strict requirements: one must possess recognized literary talent!

Although the position of Academician in the Xiuwen Academy was only a fifth-rank official and merely a nominal post, every member was considered by the court and the public to be a potential future leader in the government... Gradually, it became known throughout the land that the Empress of the Great Zhou Dynasty "valued Academicians over Confucian Scholars," and scholars across the land began to value literary talent. Confucian Scholars were those who rose through the ranks by passing examinations, while Academicians were those with exceptional literary skills.

However, there is actually an unspoken rule here! Due to limited vision and resources, most outstanding children from poor families take the path of Confucian scholars, passing the imperial examinations all the way; while the children of aristocratic families, powerful clans, and high-ranking officials have their elders paving the way, directly aiming for the path of scholars, disdaining the fierce competition of the imperial examinations for those from poor families, and striving to gain a reputation for literary talent as soon as they enter the Xiuwen Academy... Currently, there are six scholars in the Xiuwen Academy, all of whom are outstanding young talents from aristocratic families who are favored by the Prime Minister of the State Affairs Hall or the Empress and Prince.

At present, Ouyang Lianghan, who came from a poor family, has entered the Xiuwen Academy and become the seventh scholar of the Great Zhou Dynasty! He is also the second youngest among them.

For a time, the two poems and essays by Ouyang Lianghan were the talk of the town in Luoyang. Various interpretations emerged after they were published. For example, they sparked another round of heated discussions among certain circles of ladies in the capital, especially the line "A lowly position is shameful, a high official position is close to flattery," which praised and criticized the current social customs and was deeply loved by them.

Different social classes appreciated different lines from Ouyang Lianghan's poems and prose. For example, the line "Therefore, regardless of rank or age, wherever the Way exists, there the teacher exists" was widely circulated among the lower-class scholars of Luoyang, deeply resonating with their concerns and earning them high praise. Most people probably liked the catchy quatrain, "If I were the Green Emperor in the future, I would make the peach blossoms bloom everywhere." The most popular comment was that Ouyang Lianghan's ambition was to rise to the position of Chancellor of the State Affairs Hall, becoming the second Master Di, a man of lofty aspirations… In short, very good, very spirited!

The man was unaware that his writing had been endorsed by His Highness Prince Xiang and that the Empress had helped him gain fame. Moreover, because the story of "the scholar who never sleeps" had recently spread in the capital, the scholars of Luoyang affectionately called him "the scholar who never sleeps."

If he found out, he'd probably complain, "Can't you use a more respectable nickname? 'Scholar Who Never Sleeps'? It sounds like some kind of frivolous old scholar who stays up late, running off to brothels..."

Jiangzhou, Xunyang Ferry.

On a morning after New Year's Day, when the snow had just melted, Rongzhen received Hu Fu, Zhang Yu, and their group who had disembarked again.

After hearing the latest news from Luoyang, she first pondered with a slightly cold expression. A moment later, her beautiful face revealed an expression of disbelief: "What? Ouyang Lianghan has entered the Xiuwen Academy? He... how did he end up in the Xiuwen Academy? Isn't it full of literary officials and scholars, and all of them relatives of powerful families? He's just a poor family from Jiangyou..."

"There's no time to explain, Lady Rong. Where is Ouyang Sima now?" Hu Fu asked impatiently.

"The New Year's Day holiday isn't over yet, and he hasn't come to work. He should be at the residence in Huaiye Lane." Rong Zhen said blankly, clearly still processing the news.

"Hurry up, the snow is almost melting. The Donglin Buddha statue can't be delayed. Construction must begin in early spring. We can't let Young Master Ouyang resign again. If he makes a few more trips back and forth, my old bones will fall apart."

Standing behind, Zhang Yu urged with a bitter face... Having served as a messenger eunuch for so many years, he had never encountered such a difficult edict to deliver. In the past, the recipients of the edicts would always slip him money. Now, Zhang Yu couldn't be more eager for this Sima Ouyang to accept his money and receive the edict.

Although the matter was urgent, the group did not immediately go to Huaiye Lane. Instead, at Hu Fu's sudden suggestion, they went to the Xingzifang construction site first and found a certain old woman with disdainful eyes.

Granny Song, the deputy director of the Imperial Observatory, was performing her usual morning incense offerings at her beloved disciple's mourning hall. She greeted the guests with a desolate expression. After a moment, when Hu Fu and the others explained their purpose, Granny Song revealed an incredulous look, pointed to her wrinkled face, and asked:

"What did you say? You want me to personally invite him? He's not worthy! Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

However, after learning the contents of the imperial edict, Granny Song's expression changed.

(End of this chapter)