Chapter 93: Ouyang Xiu

This river is one of the sources of the Jishui River in Jiangxi Province. Because it is an upstream journey, the boat moves very slowly.

During the slow voyage, people sat idly and chatted to pass the time. Among them, a prominent figure was a young scholar who waved a folding fan and had a proud look on his face. He claimed to be the most talented man in Jiangxi and said he was going to challenge Ouyang Xiu... On this boat, most people were visiting Ouyang Xiu out of admiration, but very few dared to say they would challenge him.

At this time, Ouyang Xiu was already the leader of the literary world and the most renowned scholar in the country. For this scholar to dare to challenge him, he must have had some talent. The people on the boat looked at him with admiration.

This made the young scholar extremely pleased. He pointed at the mountains and rivers while arrogantly crossing his legs, forcing the old man sitting opposite him to tightly pull in his legs.

When people talked about the Three Kingdoms, they mentioned the story of "Zhuge Liang capturing and releasing Meng Huo seven times." The young scholar shook his head and said, "Meng Huo is so barbaric and refuses to submit to the teachings of the righteous path. Even after being captured and released seven times by Zhuge Liang, he still wouldn't submit. I didn't expect that a descendant of Mencius would be such a violent and untamable person."

Hearing this, everyone covered their mouths and laughed secretly. The old man sitting opposite him asked, "So Meng Huo is a descendant of Mencius. Then who is Zhuge Liang a descendant of?"

"Of course, he is a descendant of Confucius," the young scholar said, opening his folding fan, which had the words 'Hu Buliu' written on it. It was unclear whether it was his name or his ambition. He looked at them with a 'you are really ignorant' expression and said, "The Second Sage is indeed inferior to the First Sage, even his descendants are inferior!"

"Since that's the case, let this old man stretch his legs too," the old man chuckled and changed his leg position to a more comfortable one.

The young scholar had clearly made this kind of mistake before. Seeing the situation, he knew he had shown his ignorance again. He closed his fan and laughed, saying, "I was just joking, don't take it seriously." After saying this, he couldn't bear the embarrassment and got up to leave the cabin. Seeing a big tree by the river, he was suddenly inspired to write a poem. To regain his dignity, he recited loudly:

"By the river stands a tree, with two large branches."

Everyone inside knew he was a fraud and wanted to hear a joke, so they held back their laughter and waited for the next line.

But he struggled to come up with the next line. This was the most frustrating situation, not just for the poet but also for the listeners. Finally, someone kindly continued for him:

"Spring brings leaves to the moss, winter brings snow to the flowers."

The young scholar looked in the direction of the voice and saw a middle-aged man in plain clothes outside the cabin. The man was slim but had bright eyes. He wasn't too old but already had white hair at his temples. From his attire, it seemed he was in mourning and didn't fit the jovial atmosphere inside the cabin, so he was sitting outside. The young scholar, instead of being grateful, was somewhat annoyed, thinking the man was deliberately trying to embarrass him.

Just then, he saw a group of ducks diving into the river, quacking happily. He continued to recite loudly:

"A group of good ducks, all jumping into the river."

He got stuck again, and the middle-aged man continued:

"White feathers float on green water, red claws ripple the clear waves."

Seeing that the man had outdone him twice, the young scholar became angry, thinking, "I need to challenge him." He recited again:

"Everyone is on the boat, going to visit Ouyang Xiu."

He stared at the man, waiting for his response. The middle-aged man chuckled and replied:

"Xiu already knows you, but you still don't know shame."

After a while, the young scholar realized that this was the Ouyang Xiu he was going to challenge. He turned red with embarrassment, wishing he could find a place to hide. But he heard Ouyang Xiu laugh kindly and say, "You don't have to be so upset. When I was young, I was also quite arrogant. Go back and study for a few years, and we can compete again."

"The student has learned..." the young scholar, feeling both ashamed and grateful, bowed deeply.

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"You are Mr. Ouyang?" The boat suddenly became lively as people surrounded Ouyang Xiu, some asking for calligraphy, some for poems, and many holding their works, hoping Ouyang Xiu would write a preface. Whether out of boredom or kindness, he accepted all their requests.

Upon learning that the middle-aged man was Ouyang Xiu, Chen Ke and his friends became excited. They had come to seek help from this old master, even though he didn't look too old.

But with so many people around him, they didn't join in the crowd and spoke quietly among themselves. Song Duanping said worriedly, "Do you think, with so many prefaces, they won't be valuable anymore?"

"Maybe," Chen Ke said with a bitter smile. "Let's put the dictionary aside for now."

Perhaps in this era, meeting a celebrity was too rare, especially someone as famous as Ouyang Xiu. Chen Ke and his friends didn't get a chance to speak until they reached the Sha'ao Ferry.

The ferry was small. Ouyang Xiu got off the boat and bowed to the crowd, saying, "I am in mourning and cannot invite you to my home. Please understand."

The visitors, who had been satisfied with their journey, bid him farewell and waited for the boat to return to the county.

After leaving the ferry, Ouyang Xiu put on a straw hat, took a bamboo cane, and walked home, followed by a young boy carrying a basket. He looked like he belonged in the surrounding rice fields and cottages, but there was little of the literary leader about him.

Feeling someone following him, he stopped and turned to Chen Ke and his friends, smiling, "Isn't it a pleasure to have friends come from afar?" When he saw Zhao Zongji, he exclaimed, "You are from Bianliang?"

"Mr. Ouyang, only I am from Bianliang," Zhao Zongji bowed deeply and said, "I do indeed resemble my father."

"Is it really you?" Ouyang Xiu frowned. "Aren't you supposed to be in Jingnan? Why are you here in this remote place?"

"We came to seek your help," Zhao Zongji, seeing Ouyang Xiu's displeasure, quickly explained, "They came to see you, and I am just guiding them."

"Let's talk at my home," Ouyang Xiu said solemnly.

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Ouyang Xiu grew up fatherless and in poverty, which led to the famous story of him practicing calligraphy on sand. His true hometown was not in Luling but in Yingzhou, and this place was just his ancestral home. After becoming an official, Ouyang Xiu did not acquire property here. This time, after returning to bury his mother, he found that the old house had collapsed, so he had to stay in the ancestral hall.

In the backyard of the ancestral hall, a watermelon was cut and placed on a low table. Chen Ke and his friends sat on bamboo chairs, holding their breath as they watched Ouyang Xiu.

Ouyang Xiu was reading the materials Chen Ke had given him with great concentration.

He read for a long time, and after finishing, he walked around the yard for a while before sighing deeply, "You have given me a big problem."

Hearing this, Chen Ke and his friends felt their hearts sink. Could it be that even the conscience of the Song Dynasty thought they should compromise?

"Mr. Ouyang, do you also think we should consider the bigger picture?" Chen Ke asked, his voice strained. What kind of human heart is this, different from the future?

"What bigger picture?" Ouyang Xiu asked in return.

"The bigger picture of quelling the rebellion," Chen Ke said, his voice strained.

"Of course, quelling the rebellion is the priority..." Ouyang Xiu's words made everyone's hearts break, but his next sentence restored their hope. "But with the corrupt officials in Lingnan, the situation will only get worse! Believe me, there will be news of defeat soon."

"Mr. Ouyang, what do you mean?" Chen Ke and the others perked up.

"Replace everyone, from generals to soldiers, from civil to military!" Ouyang Xiu sighed. "This is such a difficult task, how can I not be worried?"

"..." The young men looked at each other, first in shock, then in realization, and finally in great joy. "So, Mr. Ouyang, you agree to help us?"

"I am not helping you," Ouyang Xiu shook his head. "This is just my duty as a minister." He sat back in his chair and said, "But I am in mourning and cannot submit a direct petition. By the time my petition reaches the capital, it might be too late for Lingnan."

"Mr. Ouyang, what do you mean?"

"Let me think, let me think." Ouyang Xiu stroked his beard, deep in thought. "How can I do this most effectively?"

This was a high-level matter, and even Zhao Zongji couldn't offer any suggestions, so he had to think for himself.

After a while, Ouyang Xiu slapped his thigh and said, "I have it! Fan Wenzheng's son asked me to write an epitaph for Fan Wenzheng. I will use this as a pretext to write to Chancellor Han, asking for his corrections."

"Will that be fast enough?"

"Of course, don't underestimate Fan Wenzheng's reputation and Chancellor Han's influence." Ouyang Xiu smiled meaningfully. "Just wait and see the show."

"Mr. Ouyang." Chen Ke, wary from past experiences, sighed. "Yü Wenshuai once said something similar to me..."

"It seems that over the past ten years, Yü Wuxi has thought a lot," Ouyang Xiu said, somewhat lost in thought. "Sometimes, even though we face adversity, the fault may not be ours." He then came back to his senses and said sternly, "If I could lower my head, I would have returned to Bianliang long ago."

"I have wronged you," Chen Ke bowed his head.

"No problem, it's human nature," Ouyang Xiu smiled. "Do you have any other questions?"

"Mr. Ouyang," Chen Ke asked softly, "could my father be harmed in prison?"

"Rest assured, they won't harm your father until they find the ledger," Ouyang Xiu shook his head, still angry. "They are truly heartless. Yü Wuxi is crazy to rely on these people to quell the rebellion!"

"Hopefully, that's the case..." Chen Ke felt much relieved.

"If you don't mind the simplicity, you can stay here for a few days," Ouyang Xiu looked at Chen Ke and his friends. "I believe we will have results soon."

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There is one more chapter. I won't sleep until it's finished.

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