A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 34 What is a gifted monster?

This river map is so detailed.

I don’t know how much energy and money Song Xuan spent on painting this picture.

Besides, this is something that cannot be bought with money, so I can give it to you whenever I want.

I wish all friends from all walks of life would be willing to be friends with him.

Only then did Zhang Kang, the magistrate of Yingtian Prefecture, see Song Xuan's detailed river map.

His eyes widened immediately.

Compared to others, Zhang Kang received an order from the government to develop water conservancy projects around Yingtian Prefecture.

He looked carefully and saw the markings of various deep and shallow places, fast-flowing water, etc.

It is much more detailed than the official drawings that were lost due to war.

This kid Song Xuan really gave Zhang Kang a lot of surprises.

"Mr. Fan has no use for this map at the moment. I happen to be assigned to build water conservancy projects in Yingtian Prefecture. I hope Mr. Fan can give this map to me."

Zhang Kang immediately asked for it. Fan Zhongyan was going to teach at Yingtianfu Academy, and this thing was of no use to him, so he had to go through the trouble of passing it on.

Song Xuan knew about this. A few days ago, he saw in the newspapers issued by the court that the emperor allowed the rivers around Kaifeng Prefecture to be extensively managed.

This is to prevent the river from rising due to sudden changes in the weather and endangering the people again.

Fan Zhongyan hummed and looked at Song Xuan, then heard:
"This map has already belonged to Mr. Fan. You don't need to ask me how to make the decision."

Fan Zhongyan stroked his beard and looked at the chubby Zhang Kang in front of him:

"Don't worry, Magistrate Zhang. I'll make a copy and give it to you. When my mourning period is over and I'm appointed to another position, I can draw a map based on this drawing."

"Thank you, Mr. Fan, for your kindness."

Zhang Kang thanked him repeatedly. With the help of this map, he would definitely stand out in the court's large-scale water conservancy construction.

In the Song Dynasty, which official doesn't want to make progress?

Power is the best aphrodisiac for men.

Seeing Song Xuan's youthful spirit, Yan Shu couldn't help but sigh:
"When I was this age, even though His Majesty said I was smart, I wasn't as clever as my twelfth brother."

Song Shou didn't think Yan Shu was making fun of himself. On the contrary, he himself was considered a "child prodigy" back then, but all he had in his ears was the name Yan Shu.

All the other child prodigies combined cannot compare with Yan Shu's fame.

And the child prodigy Jiang Gai was from the north, and with Kou Zhun as his guarantor, he performed very well.

Even this could not shake Yan Shu's position in Emperor Zhenzong's heart.

After all, Emperor Taizu of Song left behind a legacy that people from the south should not be employed, as he believed that they were profit-oriented and dishonest.

The two brothers ruled in this way. Even when Zhenzong succeeded to the throne, the court was still filled with people from the north.

The one who broke the emperor's silence about having no southerners around him was Wang Qinruo, a thin man with a collection of bumpy scrofula hanging from his neck.

Although he was ugly in appearance, he was "super intelligent" and soon became favored by Emperor Zhenzong, who always called him his brother.

Yan Shu was from Jiangxi, and Jiang Gai was from Daming Prefecture, and they were fellow townsmen of Kou Zhun.

The dispute between Yan Shu and Jiang Gai was actually a confrontation between scholars from the north and the south, and everyone wanted to promote his own fellow townsmen.

The power of the southerners had been suppressed in the Northern Song Dynasty until Wang Anshi's reform, when they rose again.

At that time, the emperor wanted to test Yan Shu for a postgraduate entrance examination, but Yan Shu said that he had passed the exam by chance and asked the emperor to set another question.

How did he happen to pass the test that the emperor wanted to ask?
It’s because there are fellow villagers helping me behind the scenes.

But Yan Shu himself refused to join his fellow villagers, which was why Emperor Zhenzong of Song liked him so much.

The emperor loves lonely ministers the most.

After Yan Shu, who in the world doesn’t know you?

From officials to common people, who doesn’t envy Yan Shu!
Now it was Yan Shu's turn to envy a fallen genius, and Song Shou didn't understand at all. Song Xuan, however, could understand Yan Shu's emotions.

He was not envious of himself, but reminiscing about his younger self.

"Is Mr. Yan trying to express that wanting to buy osmanthus flowers and carry them with wine is not like the time when we were young?"

After Song Xuan finished speaking, everyone in the cabin fell silent.

Could such a beautiful sentence come out of Song Xuan's mouth so easily as if it were free?

"I wanted to buy sweet-scented osmanthus and drink it with me, but it turned out not to be the case. I'm a young man traveling!"

Yan Shu's eyes lit up immediately, and he couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh:
"Okay, okay, listen to this, Brother Twelve's talent is almost overflowing."

"It's just eloquent."

Fan Zhongyan nodded repeatedly, savoring it carefully. He felt that there was something more before this sentence, so he urged:
"Twelfth brother, please write the entire poem quickly."

Song Xuan only remembered this sentence.

Who remembers the rest? He doesn’t even remember who the author is.

Truth is that words are more famous than people.

A few days ago, when Yan Shu composed a new poem, Song Xuan also followed up the previous line he said with the next line.

He had forgotten the entire poem long ago!

"Master Fan, I may not be able to comprehend this poem until I am a little older. I am expressing it now in accordance with Master Yan's understanding. If I were to write a poem now, it would be like adding to the past."

"What a dog's tail."

Yan Shu sighed slowly.

He was really impressed by Song Xuan's talent in writing lyrics.

No matter how hard others try to come up with ideas, they can never compare to someone's casual words, which become famous quotes for all ages.

Adding his own newly composed lyrics, Song Xuan instantly followed up with the line: "Helplessly the flowers fall, and the familiar swallows return."

That is no coincidence!

Yan Shu said that he didn't care these days, but in his heart he was still reluctant to acknowledge Song Xuan's words "teacher".

Now it seems that he is really talented.

Most people in this world will never be able to look up to talented people in their entire lives.

What Yan Shu thought in his mind was that at the moment, Liu Sanbian's talent in writing lyrics could surpass that of the young Song Xuan.

"If others heard what Twelfth Brother said, I don't know how embarrassed I would be."

Fan Zhongyan also expressed his feelings.

In front of the talented monsters, I really can't compete!

Song Shou stroked his beard without saying a word. He himself was not good at writing poetry, but he could tell the good from the bad.

At that time, I had a joking idea and called Song Xuan the teacher of Yan Shu's words.

Now, hearing the beautiful sentences that Song Xuan recited casually, he felt a little moved.

But Song Shou thought again that Song Xuan had such talent, but he was willing to degenerate and refused to study hard. He couldn't help but feel sulky in his heart!

As a student, how can you be happy if you don't study hard and spend your days riding a donkey hunting and fishing?
Song Shou looked at his most proud student Zhang Fangping again and saw that his eyes were shining.

He couldn't help but curse in his heart, "Damn it, Song Xuan wrote this line really well."

Zhang Kang was studying this detailed river map when he suddenly heard a beautiful sentence, and his fat neck showed unusual flexibility.

He immediately stared at Song Xuan who acted as if nothing had happened.

Just as Prefect Yan said, this boy's talent is simply overflowing.

He has done such in-depth research on the river, what will happen once construction starts in the future?
(End of this chapter)