Chapter 96

Chapter 95: Di Hanchen

Five days later, the world-renowned Deputy Chancellor and Governor of Zhanghua Army, Di Qing, returned from Yan Prefecture.

Upon arriving in Bianjing, he was appointed as the Chief of the Southern Bureau of the Propaganda Office, the Pacification Commissioner of Jinghu South and North Roads, and the Inspector of the Pacification of Bandits in Guangnan East and West Roads... All these positions combined gave him full authority, allowing Di Qing to make independent decisions on all military and political matters in the south.

The emperor's series of decisions shook the official circles of the capital. This was the first time since Emperor Taizong's ascension that a military general was sent to lead an expedition without a civilian official as a supervisor. This naturally caused great unease among the civilian officials, but the current situation in the Lingnan region could not afford any mistakes, so only Di Qing could be used, and he had to be given full authority. Therefore, all opponents fell silent, leaving only the cheers of supporters—Di Qing was the people's choice at this moment.

In the Chongzheng Hall, the emperor held a farewell banquet for the soon-to-depart General Di.

Looking at this man, once the most handsome in the Song Dynasty, whose only flaw was the golden tattoo marking his humble origins, the emperor always felt a bit regretful. He sighed lightly and said, "The most correct thing I have done in recent years is to promote Hanchen."

Di Qing, whose courtesy name was Hanchen, was seven feet tall, with a majestic posture and a face like a jade crown. At the age of sixteen, he took the blame for his brother's fight with a villager and was exiled to the imperial army, hence the golden tattoo on his face. He fought bravely in the Song-Xia War, earning numerous military achievements and becoming a renowned general.

After the peace treaty between the Song and the Western Xia, he returned to the capital. Due to his great reputation, he was summoned by the emperor and became the emperor's favorite general... He started as a guard commander and quickly rose to become the deputy commander of the infantry and the commander of the cavalry, becoming the leader of the Song imperial army. He was then promoted to the Governor of Zhanghua Army and, three months ago, to the Deputy Chancellor, reaching the pinnacle of the Song military.

"The emperor's favor and promotion," Di Qing stood up gratefully and said, "Di Qing is deeply grateful and will repay with my life and soul!"

"Sit down, sit down." Emperor Zhenzong smiled and said, "You are a national treasure, and even a scratch or a crack would make me heartbroken."

"Di Qing is a soldier, how can I cherish my life?" Di Qing said solemnly.

"Good, good, good!" Perhaps because he lacked it himself, Emperor Zhenzong greatly appreciated this masculine spirit, saying three "goods" before continuing, "My dear minister, go to the south and fight to your heart's content. I will take care of the rest, so you have no worries!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Di Qing said solemnly.

"This battle must not only be won, but won thoroughly and beautifully!" Emperor Zhenzong said with slight excitement, "We must show the might of our great Song and make those ambitious people give up their thoughts!"

"Your subject obeys the imperial command!"

"Come, I will toast to you."

"Your subject dares not..."

At the end of the banquet, Emperor Zhenzong took out a sealed letter from his sleeve and handed it to Di Qing, saying, "Open it after leaving the capital, and burn it after reading."

"Understood." Di Qing respectfully received it, put it in his chest, and kept it close.

The emperor also bestowed a brocade robe and golden armor, personally handing him the emperor's sword, and said with deep expectation, "When the army returns victorious, I will personally welcome you!"

"Your Majesty..." Di Qing bowed deeply.

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The preparation for the army's departure naturally took time, so Di Qing had not yet left the capital when Ouyang Xiu, far away in Luling, Jiangxi, received the latest official bulletin.

In the past half month, Chen Ke and his friends had become very familiar with the old Ouyang. Ouyang Xiu was a man who valued sincerity, and Chen Ke and his friends suited his taste. Especially, they never treated him as a literary master, showing no signs of flattery, which made him appreciate them even more. Over time, they became close friends, and their conversations became less formal.

Ouyang Xiu showed them the latest bulletin, boasting, "What do you think? An old general is worth two!"

"Di Qing and Di Lan have nothing to do with us," Chen Ke and his friends flipped through the bulletin twice. Instead of flattering him, they asked, "Why is there no news about Uncle Chen?"

"Hey, unpatriotic brats." Ouyang Xiu laughed and scolded, then said seriously, "If Chen County Magistrate's name was on it, you should be crying."

"..." Chen Ke and his friends looked at him in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"This case has offended too many people. If your father becomes famous because of it, his future will be difficult..." Ouyang Xiu said calmly, "This is the emperor protecting him." He couldn't help but sigh, "Since the Three Dynasties, there has been no other emperor who cares so much for his ministers."

"I only care when my father will be released!" The wait was too long, and Chen Ke found it hard to remain calm.

"Impatient brat, show respect to your elders." Ouyang Xiu glared at him and stroked his beard, "There will be no special orders from Bianjing."

"How do you know?"

"Read the bulletin carefully," Ouyang Xiu tapped his head with a fan, "It clearly states that all military and political matters in Hunan and Guangdong are now under the sole authority of Di Hanchen, including your father's case!"

"What should we do then?" Chen Ke and his friends asked anxiously, thinking they might have to travel a thousand miles to find Di Qing.

"What should we do?" Ouyang Xiu smiled slyly. Chen Ke and his friends were so angry they wanted to beat the old man.

Seeing the young men's anger rising, he waved his fan and said slowly, "There's nothing to do. The emperor is a man of deep feelings. For a loyal and upright official like Chen Gongbi, who is fearless and devoted to the country, the emperor will certainly have a proper arrangement and will not let him suffer..." He paused and said with deep feeling, "When it comes to attention to detail, no one in the Song Dynasty can match the emperor."

With the same bulletin, Chen Ke and his friends could only understand the surface, while Ouyang Xiu could see much more. This was the difference.

Seeing their doubt, Ouyang Xiu said loudly, "Put your hearts at ease. If you don't believe me, let's make a bet. If Chen County Magistrate suffers any harm, I'll give my life to you!"

Hearing this, Chen Ke and his friends felt much more reassured and laughed, "We are still young, it wouldn't be worth it."

"I don't want your lives either," Ouyang Xiu chuckled, "I still need to stay here for a year. In this remote place, it's very inconvenient. How about you serve as my attendants for a year?" He then assigned tasks, "I've already thought it through. Monkey will run errands, Black will guard the gate, Little Monk will sweep the floor, and Sanlang, how about being my page?"

"..." The group was both embarrassed and touched. They knew this was Old Ouyang's way of helping them... Spending a year with him, if they studied diligently, their knowledge and insight would improve significantly. Even if they only had the reputation of being "Ouyang Xiu's disciples," it would be enough to enter the scholarly world and be treated as honored guests wherever they went.

Such a generous gift, spoken by Old Ouyang, seemed like he was getting the better deal. He didn't make them feel awkward. After exchanging glances with Song Duanping, Chen Ke nodded, "I'll take the bet!"

"What about Little Monk?" Ouyang Xiu asked.

"Amitabha, I am very good at sweeping the floor," Xuan Yu clasped his hands together.

"..." Seeing them become a family, Prince Zhao Zongji was envious. He scratched his head, finding it hard to speak. He was not worried about his imperial lineage but another layer...

Ouyang Xiu seemed to have the same concern, so he had always been very cold to Zhao Zongji. In the past few days, he had spoken to him less than ten times in total.

"One day, when you are free," seeing his distressed look, Old Ouyang finally couldn't bear it. He sent Chen Ke and the others to work in the fields and said to him, "I will take you as my last disciple."

"Thank you, Master Ouyang." Zhao Zongji's eyes reddened, and he bowed deeply, saying, "I have never had any improper thoughts."

"Unfortunately, often no one cares what you think," Ouyang Xiu said with empathy, "Others like to think for themselves."

"Yes..." Zhao Zongji took a deep breath and bit his lower lip, "Who made me so unlucky that I can't even be a carefree member of the imperial family."

"You can't say that. Everyone has their own difficulties. What you are going through is nothing compared to others," Ouyang Xiu consoled him, "Take me, for example. I lost my father at a young age, my family was poor, I failed the imperial exams multiple times, and had no means to continue... I won't go into detail. When I was at the peak of my career, I was slandered by political enemies for 'adultery.' Not only was I demoted from the capital, but I almost lost my reputation. I was only thirty then, and now my hair is already gray and my energy is waning. Who do you think is more suffering?"

"You are a hundred times more suffering than me," Zhao Zongji said softly.

"When I was at my lowest, my friends wrote to comfort me, and I promised them: first, I would never give up or complain. Second, even though I was demoted to a small county like Yiling, I would work hard and not slack off. Third, I would 'advance in knowledge every day' and continue to study." Ouyang Xiu said proudly, "Ten years have passed, and I can say I have kept my promises!"

"Yes," Zhao Zongji said in heartfelt agreement. When Ouyang Xiu was demoted, he did not have the current fame. He and Fan Zhongyan both transcended in their most difficult times, one becoming a sage and the other a literary giant. He couldn't help but ask softly, "How did you overcome your despair in adversity?"

"Nothing else, only 'self-love'." Ouyang Xiu said calmly, "In this world, everyone can forgive you if they wrong you, but you cannot forgive yourself if you wrong yourself."

"Your student will remember this." Zhao Zongji bowed deeply.

"No one knows what the future holds," Ouyang Xiu hesitated for a moment and added, "If that day comes, be careful of Zhao Zongshi."

"..." Zhao Zongji was startled.

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Another update, one more to go, and the basic update will be complete. I plan to post the last one after 12:00. Dear readers, can't you see the monk's efforts? Are you just going to watch me get beaten?

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