Chapter 64 Wang Anshi: My Turn?! ...
"Didn't you promise Miaowu yesterday that you wouldn't let your older sister get married? Why have you changed your mind?"
Fusu tried to keep his tone calm, not wanting to reveal any flaws in his words. After all, it wasn't yet certain whether this engagement was the same one that had led to Su Shi's sister's death, and he couldn't irresponsibly make any rash statements.
"Sigh, that's true, but it's all arranged by parents and matchmakers..." Su Shi scratched his face in distress. He had originally thought that once he became successful, no one would dare to say anything about his sister. But wasn't he still not successful yet?
not to mention……
"The family that is engaged to my family is my mother's brother's family. The two families have always had dealings, and my father valued this point. How could I easily refuse?"
Oh no, now we're sure.
From Fusu's meager memories, Su Shi's elder sister married her cousin, which led to her being abused and ultimately dying young. But initially, no one expected this outcome. Even disregarding her status as a daughter-in-law, Su Shi's eldest sister was still their niece! Who would mistreat their own niece for no reason?
But precisely because of this relationship, it became even more difficult for Fusu to offer advice. A marriage between relatives was a good thing, and outsiders had no grounds to object.
Therefore, he could only raise his eyebrows slightly and casually mention, "Since it's an engagement, it's still a long way from the formal marriage, isn't it? Why don't you first pass the provincial examination and become a Juren, and then next spring, pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi? Then your sister will be the sister of a Jinshi. Wouldn't that make the marriage more prestigious? And her husband's family would be less likely to mistreat her."
“That’s right!” Su Shi punched his right hand with his left fist, looking as if he had just realized something. “Young Zhao, you’re right. Also, my father will be coming to the capital to take the imperial examination next year. If we both pass, we’ll be ‘father and son both Jinshi,’ and my sister will definitely be even more proud.”
Fusu nodded repeatedly: "Yes! And we can bring your elder sister to Bianjing so they can get married in the capital. Wouldn't that be much more prestigious than staying in our hometown?"
As for whether Su Xun, or even Su's eldest sister, will still look favorably upon her former cousin after she arrives in the capital, that remains to be seen.
As a complete outsider, this was the only idea Fusu could come up with at the moment. However, if things really came to a critical point, he wouldn't mind playing the prophet for once. Regardless of what Su Xun thought, Su Shi would definitely believe him.
Su Shi thought about it even more. He recalled what he had seen and heard in the capital these days: the majestic atmosphere of the imperial family, the hustle and bustle of the entertainment districts, the vast sea of books in the Imperial Academy... Meishan was certainly nice, but he had never seen Bianjing, and his whole life was spent in a corner of the country. Wasn't that a pity?
He clenched his fists, his eyes filled with unwavering determination: "I must pass the imperial examination next year!"
Then he brought his whole family to Bianjing.
Fusu also encouraged him: "Keep it up!"
"And what about you, Zhao Xiaolang?"
Fusu stroked his chin and pondered for a moment: "I'll take the imperial examination to become a Juren first."
On the one hand, unlike Su Shi, who was fearless in his youth, he knew all too well the abundance of talented scholars and writers in the Song Dynasty, and how prestigious the imperial examinations were. On the other hand, if he were to actually pass the imperial examinations, wouldn't the people of the Song Dynasty have to consider their capacity to bear the consequences?
And sure enough, the complaints started.
"You really dare to say that," a tall figure said with a smile, leaning against the door frame, seemingly having listened for quite some time.
"Senior Brother Fan!" the two exclaimed in unison, revealing the identity of the uninvited guest.
Su Shi feigned displeasure and complained, "Why are you eavesdropping, Senior Brother Fan?"
"I'm sorry, I was startled by what you just said and forgot to speak for a moment," Fan Chunren said.
Fusu's face had turned completely red.
Well, it's always embarrassing when someone overhears your boastful words in private.
Fan Chunren, however, was not about to let them off the hook: "From what you're saying, you're all going to take the imperial examinations this autumn?"
“Yes!” Su Shi nodded heavily, as if he wasn’t the one who had questioned why the Shengzhai exam had been moved up.
“That’s quite a coincidence,” Fan Chunren said. “Zigu, Guanlan, and I have agreed to participate this year. If you two want to participate, I will write to my father to ask him to act as your guarantor, so that you don’t waste your time.”
Fusu's eyes suddenly lit up: "Really?!"
Who was Fan Chunren's father? Fan Zhongyan! Although his world-renowned "Yueyang Tower Inscription" hadn't been written yet, he was already an idol for scholars throughout the land. As for Fusu, who came after him, he was an even more famous historical figure. To have him vouch for one's own imperial examination was simply—
"It'll make me proud!" Su Shi said eagerly. "I've made up my mind! Even if I'm not confident this time, I'm going to take the stage!"
At least I can be associated with Fan Zhongyan, so it's not a bad deal!
Fusu nodded seriously, coincidentally, that was what he thought too. He just wasn't thick-skinned enough to say it in front of the other man's son.
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Fan Chunren said, both amused and exasperated, as if to touch the two children's foreheads with his hands. "Since you're going to participate, you should be fully prepared. The Chancellor and the Doctors have high hopes for you two. By the way, how's your memorization of the books going?"
Fusu: "..."
Su Shi: "..."
The two little ones, one big and one small, immediately wilted.
"Hurry up and memorize them," Fan Chunren said earnestly. "Only after the fasting ceremony can you address practical matters and write policy essays. There are less than three months until the autumn examinations, so you all need to hurry up."
He left with a deadline warning and then drifted away, leaving Fusu and Su Shi staring at each other in bewilderment.
"Oh no!" Su Shi cried out, clutching his head. "I'm really going to have to study day and night."
“No, what’s even more terrifying than that is that Senior Brother Fan thinks we can master everything except memorizing the text in two months. Isn’t that outrageous?” Fu Su murmured, “What kind of people do he really think we are?”
"A child prodigy who could write poetry at the age of three, a master of sugar painting, the proposer and founder of the Food and Beverage Committee, favored by the emperor, a promising young genius, and a top contender for the Imperial Academy's imperial examinations..."
Su Shi counted on his fingers, recounting Zhao Xiaolang's glorious deeds one by one. As expected, he successfully witnessed the scene of Xiao Fusu's red warmth.
"Stop! Stop! Please stop!" Fusu adopted the posture of Sun Wukong begging for mercy from Tang Sanzang with the golden headband: "There's no room for so many people here!"
He doesn't want to change his name to Zhao Dabing yet!
Hahahahahahahahaha!
-
Logically, Fusu should have informed the Emperor about his plan to take the imperial examination. However, for reasons unknown, he kept it a secret, only writing a routine letter home to let Liang Huaiji know he was safe and sound, which he then sent to the palace. In addition to the usual greetings, the letter also asked the Emperor to keep an eye on the cotton market.
Although Fusu knew that even if he didn't write it, the Emperor would still pay close attention to it.
Oh, speaking of cotton, he thought of Apu and the others at Xiangguo Temple. So, he added a few more lines at the end of the letter.
What the Emperor's reaction was upon seeing the letter was unknown to outsiders. However, what surprised everyone was that after the regular court session the following day, he summoned an insignificant minor official to the Chui Gong Hall for a meeting.
Who is this person?
"His name seems to be... Wang Anshi? It is said that he once served as the judge of Huainan and was recently transferred back to the capital. He is still waiting for the next round of selection of officials."
Why did the Emperor summon him?
Who knows?
As Wang Anshi walked against the flow of people into the Chuigong Hall, he heard similar whispers around him. In fact, not only others, but even he himself did not understand why he had been summoned by the emperor.
Wang Anshi repeatedly imagined the scene of presenting his audience with the emperor. But when he actually stood before the emperor, he was somewhat stunned. Contrary to his expectations, the emperor was as amiable as his teachers when he studied the classics. Not only was he offered a seat, but the eunuchs also brought him tea. He lifted the lid, took a sip, and found it refreshing and perfectly cooled.
Wang Anshi became even more uneasy—what could the Emperor possibly want with him? He hadn't expected to be given such an important position. His former superior, Han Qi, had misunderstood his frequent all-night reading as mere drinking and merrymaking, which had greatly displeased him. Han Qi was now in Bianjing and would certainly not speak well of him.
But the emperor's amiable, almost benevolent, demeanor... even the most insecure person would be tempted and start to overthink things, wouldn't they? Let alone Wang Anshi?
"Speaking of which, Lord Wang..."
Wang Anshi originally planned to answer whatever the emperor asked him, determined to win the emperor's favor and leave a good impression. But when the emperor uttered the second half of his sentence, he was stunned.
"...Lord Wang, do you have a maidservant named Apu in your household?"
Wang Anshi: "?"
What kind of question is this?
He didn't react for a moment and stood there stunned.
The Emperor didn't hold Wang Anshi's rudeness against him, and smiled magnanimously: "Judging from your reaction, it seems so. But do you know that this servant woman named Apu is actually a woman from the Liao Kingdom?"
Wang Anshi: "!!!"
Cold sweat immediately dripped down his forehead.
"Your subject has absolutely no intention of disloyalty! Your subject was also unaware beforehand that this woman came from the Liao Kingdom!"
He clearly believed that Apu was a spy sent by the Liao Kingdom. The Emperor couldn't help but chuckle. But he remained silent, listening quietly to Wang Anshi's self-defense. Sure enough, Wang Anshi explained the whole story in just a few words, providing witnesses for each statement and successfully clearing himself of suspicion.
Even if Apu was a real Liao spy, Wang Anshi's response was still top-notch.
"Minister Wang, when did I ever say that Apu was a traitor to Liaodong?"
The possibility that she was a spy had virtually disappeared after she produced the correct map of the Liao Dynasty. No spy would use that as leverage to gain trust.
"...Hmm?" Wang Anshi was truly confused now. They came from the Liao Kingdom, but weren't spies? Then what could they be?
Their border interactions with the Liao Kingdom were not interconnected, were they?
Then he heard the story of a lowly palace maid from the Liao Dynasty who had been murdered and had her family destroyed by the royal family. The tragedy was so horrific that it would make anyone who heard it frown. Especially since the protagonist was someone he had once known.
Wang Anshi did not have a deep impression of the servants in his household, so it was even more difficult for him to imagine that the taciturn woman in his memory had such a background.
Another point is, why did the Emperor tell him these highly confidential secrets?
really.
After the emperor finished explaining the background, he coaxed, "Minister Wang, would you be willing to cross the Liao-Song border to investigate the human trafficking incident of that year and seek justice for your servant woman?"
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Author's Note: Daily updates will resume tomorrow. I bought a great keyboard, and the typing experience has improved dramatically! [droopy-eared rabbit head emoji]
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