General Chen Xiao, whose surname is Chen and whose name is Qiu.
At the age of twenty, he has been in the army for nearly ten years.
Since he was ten years old, he followed Yang Ji, the prime minister, serving in the army and working as a clerk.
Later, I took the time to take the exam and become a scholar.
Yang Ji told him that being able to pass the examination and become a scholar in one try was most likely a fluke.
If you want to pass the imperial examination and become an official, and make achievements in the scholar community, you have to work hard for ten years.
Chen Qiu has never made up his mind. Compared to studying and becoming an official, he seems to prefer fighting on the battlefield with real guns and swords.
Recently, he finally made up his mind.
He stood outside the gate of Chang'an Palace, his heart in turmoil.
After informing him, the palace servants invited him in.
"The Empress is waiting in the study. General Chen, please follow us this way."
"Thank you, eunuch!"
"You're welcome!"
The palace servant led him outside the study and waited for a while before letting him in.
Chen Qiu lowered his head and walked into the study.
I caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of my eye and was shocked.
The bookshelves as high as the ceiling are filled with books, neatly stacked, and you can't see the end at a glance.
There is a wooden ladder on top of the bookshelf, and a eunuch is standing on the bookshelf sorting the books.
Judging from the condition of the book covers, most of the books on the bookshelf have been read.
"Are you Chen Qiu?"
"Your humble servant greets Her Majesty the Queen. May Her Majesty be blessed with good health."
"Lift your head and let me take a closer look. You look quite handsome. Sit down and talk."
Chen Qiu sat down carefully on the round stool, keeping his eyes down and not daring to look up.
"Look at me when you speak!" Gu Jiu's voice was cold.
Chen Qiu was startled and had to look up to meet the Queen's gaze.
The Empress took good care of herself, and looked no more than thirty years old. Her eyes seemed to be able to see through people's hearts.
He felt a little uneasy.
Ever since Chen Qiu entered the room, Gu Jiu had been looking at him.
"What are you reading lately?"
"Reporting to the Queen, I have recently been reading Zuo Zhuan, Gongyang Zhuan, and Guliang Zhuan."
"Oh! I heard that you decided to give up the imperial examination. Why do you still want to study the Five Classics?"
"Although I have given up the imperial examination, I cannot give up studying. Only by reading can I constantly reflect on myself. I believe it is very necessary to learn lessons from books and keep a clear mind."
Gu Jiu nodded. "What do you think about the Guliang School and the Gongyang School?"
Chen Qiu was a little hesitant.
Gu Jiu understood, "Just tell me, I will forgive you!"
"I'll venture a point. As a minister, I naturally support the Guliang School, as it offers the greatest benefits. From the perspective of a superior, both Guliang and Gongyang have their merits. However, once the war is over, Gongyang will seem redundant and detrimental to the stability of the court and the people."
"So, you are leaning towards Gu Liang?"
Chen Qiu hesitated for a moment, then nodded heavily, "Yes!"
Gu Jiu asked again, "You agree with Gu Liang, so why did you give up the imperial examination?"
Chen Qiu pondered and said, "If I work hard from now on, I am confident that I can pass the imperial examination within ten years. Ten years later, I will be thirty years old and officially begin my official career. To be honest with you, Your Majesty, I don't have the confidence to surpass the children of officials in the civil service. However, as a minister, it would be a pity if I could not reach the highest position among the officials."
"Are you too pessimistic? You are Yang Xianggong's disciple. With him protecting you, your official career should go smoothly."
Chen Qiu shook his head. "To be honest, Your Majesty, my academic aptitude is only slightly better than my father's. Yang Xianggong himself once said that in terms of talent, I cannot compare to those students from generations of scholarly families. In terms of foundation, I am also inferior to them. This is a congenital deficiency that cannot be compensated by acquired effort."
However, I have a heart that refuses to be left behind. No matter what I do, I only want to do my best and climb to the top. Even if I have Yang Xianggong to protect me in the imperial examination, can he protect me for ten years? Can he also protect me for twenty or thirty years?
Since arriving in the capital, I have met two or three talented people like Mr. Yang. They studied under Mr. Sanyuan and Mr. Zhou, and they are more appreciated by Mr. Yang than I am.
The same age, but with greater knowledge and a stronger family background. Honestly, Your Majesty, facing such a genius, I can only sigh in admiration. I've also heard that His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi has several similarly talented young men around him, accompanying him on his campaigns in the Western Regions. Both talented in literature and martial arts, and of the same age, I feel ashamed to be inferior!
They are all future champions! Taking the imperial examinations, they have a starting point ten, even fifteen, years ahead of me. How can I compete with them? Among them, if nothing unexpected happens, there will be a second Yang Xianggong.
Gu Jiu asked, "Did you say you like to belittle yourself?"
Chen Qiu said, "I thought I was self-aware. I lack knowledge, so I was lucky to pass the imperial examination. The top scholar, role model, and third place winners all showed their true talent, and I cannot compete with them."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Giving up just because you can't win is like giving up like a coward!"
"I simply chose a path that suits me better."
"A path that suits your ambition."
"Yes!" Chen Qiu was frank and not afraid to reveal the dark side of his heart.
Gu Jiu sneered, "May I understand that you are using Ruyang as a stepping stone to climb higher?"
"I will climb to the pinnacle of life with Her Royal Highness the Princess. I will always look up to her!"
"I don't believe it! I've met many people like you over the years. All of them are extremely ambitious. Ruyang is the best springboard for you to seize, and it can lead you to become a regional hegemon in the shortest possible time. Faced with such temptation, studying for the imperial examinations and pursuing a career in officialdom for thirty years naturally has no appeal."
silence!
The atmosphere was so tense that the air seemed to freeze.
The palace maids lowered their heads and dared not even breathe.
Chen Qiu's forehead was covered with sweat and his throat was rolling.
The hesitant look suddenly became firm.
He said in a resounding voice, "Your Majesty is right. I am indeed an ambitious man, and I do want to take shortcuts. Just like my father!"
"Your father is a real talent, so I am willing to give him a chance."
"I have achieved my current success through hard work, not solely due to my father."
"Do you think you can compare to your father?" Gu Jiu said with a smile.
Chen Qiu faced her boldly, "I believe I am stronger than my twenty-year-old father."
Gu Jiu raised an eyebrow and smiled, "When your father was your age, he was still studying at the Shanhe Academy, thinking about how to pass the imperial examination. But you have already achieved academic success and have proven yourself in the military. You can barely be considered better than your father when he was young."
"Thank you, Queen!" Chen Qiu breathed a sigh of relief.
"but……"
As the tone changed, Gu Jiu's face darkened, and Chen Qiu's heart began to lift again.
The pressure one endures when facing the Empress is far greater than that when facing the Emperor.
The emperor only talked about official business, overseas affairs, and military affairs, all of which were areas in which he was proficient.
However, the Queen Mother was killing him.
Time and again, I forced him to open up his heart, trying to kill him completely.
The pressure involved is hard to imagine for those who have not experienced it.
Chen Qiu didn't know how he had managed to hold on until this moment without collapsing.
He had only one belief, which was to persevere, to withstand all pressure, and to keep going.
I cannot let Ruyang down, I cannot let my father down, and I cannot let myself down.
"You are so utilitarian that I can't help but wonder, if you'll betray those around you when more benefits arise?"
Chen Qiu was speechless, his face flushed red with anger.
"Your Majesty, I am indeed very utilitarian, but that does not mean I have no bottom line or principles in what I do. I also have principles that I have always adhered to."
"Why should I trust you? After all, you've sacrificed your father's career for your own."
Chen Qiu's forehead was covered with sweat. "I have not sacrificed my father's career. To be honest with the Queen, my father wanted to go to the Western Regions to fight."
"oh?"
Gu Jiu smiled, "Why don't you want to be the chief steward of the overseas camp and go to the Western Regions? Don't forget, the Western Regions are the territory of King Anxi."
Chen Qiu said solemnly, "The war in the Western Regions will not end overnight. However, His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi cannot remain away for long. I predict that he will return to the capital within two years. If he leaves the Western Regions, someone else will have to lead the troops. This is the opportunity my father is seeking. It's just a coincidence that the Princess and I met by chance!"
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "If you want to marry Ruyang, you must sacrifice your father's career. From now on, your father can only be idle at home. Will you still marry him?"
Chen Qiu was stunned by this question and felt a little bewildered.
He shook his head and said, "I don't know, I'm not sure!"
It’s true!
Just as Ruyang said, the relationship between her and Chen Qiu was not pure.
There are interests involved in feelings.
Interests bind them together.
Chen Qiu felt that he was finished!
The Queen must be dissatisfied with him!
After all, his feelings for Ruyang were not that pure.
As parents, how could we let our daughter marry such an ambitious man?
He sighed inwardly.
I silently said sorry to Ruyang in my heart.
The two are destined not to be together.
Gu Jiu tapped the table lightly.
Chen Qiu came back to his senses instantly, his eyes still bright.
Gu Jiu said softly, "You are a typical worldly person. In this respect, you are very similar to your father. You are indeed father and son. However, you are very honest!"
Chen Qiu smiled bitterly, "Thank you, Queen!"
Gu Jiu said in a deep voice, "I've read your article and it's quite insightful. With your foundation and a focused study, you do have a chance to pass the imperial examination within ten years and rank in the middle of the second class. You're both lucky and unfortunate. Among this group of students your age, there are several exceptionally talented individuals with such broad thinking, rich knowledge, and a solid foundation that no one has surpassed them in the past twenty years."
They dare to think and act, have ideas and abilities. As you said, you can't compete with them. This is your misfortune! But it is also your good fortune to witness the birth of geniuses, live in the same era as them, and serve in the same court! I have an assignment for you: write about your perspective on the court structure!
ah!
Chen Qiu was completely confused!
What's the point of the Queen assigning him homework?
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