Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 333 Farewell to Lord Mei on His Journey to Hangzhou

The next morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

At the Shili Changting Pavilion on the eastern outskirts of Kaifeng, people were already bustling about.

The spring breeze still carried a chill, fluttering the clothes of everyone present, but it couldn't dispel the excited atmosphere.

As Yan Jidao said, the news of the imperial poem had already spread quietly. The lines "Temporarily stepping out of the discussion, remotely sharing the worries of the late afternoon" were like a clear command, dispelling all potential concerns.

The scholars who came today to see off Mei Zhi, the Academician of the Longtu Pavilion and Right Grand Counselor, were not only bidding him farewell, but also publicly defending the fairness of this provincial examination and comforting this elder who was "known for his integrity and uprightness" but had taken the blame on his behalf.

When Lu Beigu arrived, there were already many carriages and horses parked on the open ground outside the pavilion.

He immediately spotted Ouyang Xiu, who was surrounded by the crowd.

Ouyang Xiu had taken a day off to come today. He was not wearing his official robes, but only a dark-colored casual robe, and was talking with Mei Yaochen beside him.

Most of the talented members of the Qingsong Society have already arrived. Because they used classical Chinese and were all quite capable, they all made the list in this year's provincial examination of the Ministry of Rites.

Zeng Gong stood quietly to one side, his gaze resolute. Zhang Zai and the Cheng brothers, Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi, were also nearby, seemingly exchanging opinions in hushed tones about something.

Lu Beigu strode forward and first bowed respectfully to Ouyang Xiu and Mei Yaochen. Because of the Ministry of Rites' provincial examination being held in a closed courtyard, he had not seen these two for a long time.

Then he went to his other friends.

Gradually, besides the members of the Green Pine Society, many other candidates, whether they knew them or not, who were on the list of successful candidates in this provincial examination, came here to see Mei Zhi off.

As for how the news spread, Lu Beigu had no idea.

After waiting for about 15 minutes, a procession of carriages and horses approached from afar. It was Mei Zhi and his servants, who were on their way to Hangzhou.

However, they didn't need to travel all the way by land. They could simply unload their luggage at the dock on a tributary of the Bian River, load it onto a boat, and head south along the Grand Canal.

When Mei Zhi arrived at the pavilion, although he had been transferred to a remote area, he did not appear too dejected. However, a layer of weariness lingered between his brows.

Everyone greeted him one by one, and Mei Zhi thanked them all. His gaze swept over the faces of everyone who had come to see him off, especially Ouyang Xiu and Mei Yaochen, and a hint of warmth finally appeared in his eyes.

He knew that the arrival of these people was itself the greatest protection of his reputation.

"I am of limited talent and virtue, and I am truly ashamed to have received such a generous gift from you all."

Mei Zhi's words were far too modest.

Because the spring mornings were a bit chilly, Ouyang Xiu's bulbous nose turned somewhat pale from the cold.

At this moment, he twitched his nose and spoke up from the side: "Why be so modest, Gongyi? We are here today not only for personal friendship, but also for public justice. Your Majesty has already made a clear judgment and bestowed a poem to comfort and encourage us. Hangzhou is a strategically important place in the southeast, and it is precisely in need of upright and honest ministers like Gongyi to govern it."

These words set the tone and also comforted his friend.

“Yongshu is right.”

Mei Yaochen chimed in, explaining that he hadn't drunk any water since waking up that morning, fearing that drinking too much water would cause him to need to use the restroom and delay things. His voice was inevitably a little dry at this point: "Hangzhou is a bustling city with beautiful lakes and mountains, which is just the right place to cleanse one's heart. We have already composed some humble poems to send off Brother Gongyi. Please, Yongshu, come first."

As the key figure in this farewell ceremony, Ouyang Xiu recited the poem he had been pondering for a long time the night before.

"Sending off Gongyi, the Prefect of Hangzhou, with Plum Blossom and Dragon Painting"

The southeast is rich and prosperous, and I envy you for having ample leisure time amidst the wind.

Fishermen and woodcutters find joy beyond the rivers and lakes, composing poems and chatting over wine.

The warm sun and pear blossoms inspire fine wine, while the cold weather brings down the fallen osmanthus petals from the empty mountains.

Mailboxes fly incessantly like wings; let new letters be exchanged repeatedly.

Ouyang Xiu's poem portrays Mei Zhi's posting to Hangzhou as a leisurely and carefree trip, minimizing the sense of demotion. It also establishes an agreement for future literary exchanges, and these details reveal his inner guilt.

Mei Yaochen also recited a long poem entitled "Sending Gongyi Longtu to Hangzhou," in which he praised Mei Zhimeng extensively.

Upon hearing this, Mei Zhi looked moved and cupped his hands, saying, "Thank you, Brother Shengyu."

People offered their words of comfort and encouragement, or presented poems that had been prepared beforehand.

The older officials presented poems to Mei Zhi, while Yan Jidao, an official without any official duties, stepped forward and said loudly, "Lord Mei is highly regarded and a model for scholars. This trip to Qiantang is just as Lord Ouyang said, because His Majesty trusts Lord Mei. When you enjoy poetry and wine on West Lake in the future, please remember to send them to your old friends in the capital, so that we may also be able to travel in spirit to the scenic spots of the southeast."

"Xiao Yan knows how to talk. Do you have any poems to write?"

Mei Zhi's mood improved considerably, and he asked with a smile.

He had a good relationship with the former prime minister Yan Shu, so he was also very friendly towards Yan Shu's youngest son.

"There are no poems, but there are lyrics."

Yan Jidao composed a poem titled "Partridge Sky".

"A few sprigs of spring on the green orange tree tips seem to leave fragrant stamens to bid farewell to travelers. Tomorrow, the purple phoenix will ascend the road to heaven, amidst twelve layers of city walls and five layers of azure clouds."

The song fades, the wine begins to intoxicate, and tears soak my robe. From this day forth, on the western bank of Zhejiang, I will remember my lord under the bright moon and gentle breeze.

Although this poem is a short lyric, it cleverly transforms the sorrow of parting into anticipation for the future, thus diluting the solemnity of the occasion.

After the officials took turns presenting poems as a token of their appreciation, it was the turn of the candidates who had not yet entered officialdom.

As the provincial champion, Lu Beigu was naturally the first to go first. He had never met Mei Zhi before, so he bowed and introduced himself, "Junior Lu Beigu greets Scholar Mei."

Upon learning that the young man before him was Lu Beigu, Mei Zhi gently offered a gesture of support, saying, "Provincial Gentleman, there's no need for such formalities."

Lu Beigu took out a poem he had already written from his sleeve, presented it to Mei Zhi with both hands, and said loudly, "This junior respectfully presents a humble poem as a token of respect and to bid you farewell."

Farewell to Lord Mei on His Journey to Hangzhou

The Jade Emperor receives great favor, while the Frosty Terrace is adorned with folded feathers.

The breeze is gentle on the brush in Wuhui, the moon is cold over the carriage in Zhejiang.

The remonstrances should be burned to ashes, but the desire for the perch and water shield remains strong.

No words were spoken at the crossroads, leaving no trace of coming or going.

The poem uses the thirteenth rhyme of the upper level, with strict rules of prosody. It uses flying birds as a metaphor for Mei Zhi, which not only fits Mei Zhi's status and experience, but also accurately expresses the subtle background of this farewell, and gives high praise to Mei Zhi's character.

After reading it, Mei Zhi glanced at Lu Beigu and said, "I deeply appreciate your poem, Sheng Yuanlang. Thank you!"

As the sun rose higher, and Mei Zhi finished his conversation with everyone, it was almost time to board the ship and depart. A servant came forward to remind them.

At this moment, the farewell wine cups on the temporary table set up outside the pavilion were already filled.

Mei Zhi raised his wine cup, looked around at everyone, and said loudly, "Mei Zhi thanks you all for seeing me off today! We'll meet again someday, everyone. Take care, and until we meet again!"

After saying this, he drank the wine in his cup in one gulp.

Everyone responded in unison, "Take care, Master Mei!"

After drinking the farewell wine, Mei Zhi said no more, bowed to everyone, and turned to get into the carriage.

With the rumble of vehicles, the convoy slowly set off, heading southeast.

Ouyang Xiu, Mei Yaochen, Yan Jidao, Lu Beigu, Su Shi, Su Zhe, Zeng Gong, Zhang Zai, Cheng Yi, Cheng Hao, and others remained standing outside the pavilion, watching the convoy gradually disappear into the distance.

A spring breeze blows, bringing with it the earthy smell and the fresh fragrance of new grass.

This grand farewell was like a declaration, announcing their stance to the world.

Whether they become close friends or bitter enemies in the future, at this moment, they are absolutely united in their stance on defending the results of the Ministry of Rites' provincial examination in the second year of the Jiayou era.

Mei Zhi's convoy had disappeared at the end of the official road, but the crowd outside the pavilion did not disperse immediately.

—What's next?

Logically, everyone should have gone home, but this left people feeling somewhat unsatisfied.

This is where Yan Jidao's role became apparent.

"As the ancients said, 'Even after seeing someone off for a thousand miles, we must eventually part ways.' However, it is not easy for us to get together. Why not take this opportunity to find a quiet place nearby and have a short get-together to comfort us after our journey? What do you all think?"

The same words, spoken by different people, can have drastically different meanings.

If Ouyang Xiu had said this, it would have been seen as forming cliques and he would certainly have been attacked. But when Yan Jidao said it, it was simply a matter of his family being wealthy and making friends. This suggestion was immediately met with approval from everyone.

They usually go back to take a nap, but they got up so early today, it can't be for sleeping!
Making friends is the main purpose.

After all, they are about to enter the imperial court, so it's always better to have as many friends as possible, so as not to be isolated and helpless when trouble comes in the future.

Normally, apart from hometown gatherings, scholars from all over the country didn't really have many ways to make friends.

After all, the Song Dynasty was different from the Ming Dynasty. They were very wary of the formation of a "master-disciple" relationship. At most, the successful candidates would secretly visit the examiners of the Ministry of Rites' provincial examination. They rarely had the opportunity to openly contact the examiners or their fellow candidates.

However, today there is the pretext of "seeing off Mei Zhi", and it was Yan Jidao who made the suggestion. Ouyang Xiu is just a participant in the literary gathering, so even if there is some interaction, it will not cause any problems.

Ouyang Xiu nodded, and Mei Yaochen also nodded in agreement. He was already upset because his friend had been transferred to another post, and he was unwilling to return to his rather deserted residence immediately.

Instead of returning to the bustling city, the group, led by Yan Jidao, walked a short distance along the willow-lined embankment of a tributary of the Bian River and turned into a rather elegant riverside restaurant.

Although this place is not as luxurious as Qingfeng Tower, it is more secluded. The entire second floor had been reserved in advance by Yan Jidao. Pushing open the carved wooden window, you can see the shimmering river and the boats coming and going. In the distance, you can also see the pavilion where you just said goodbye.

Because there were so many people, several private rooms were needed to fill them all.

Lu Beigu, Zeng Gong, Su Shi, and other top-ranked candidates sat at the same table as Ouyang Xiu and Mei Yaochen.

However, Li Shi, who came in second, did not attend. He is from a family of meritorious generals, and probably felt that his identity was sensitive.

The group sat down according to their age and social standing. The shopkeeper quickly served hot tea and several delicate snacks to accompany the tea. The charcoal brazier was also reheated, dispelling the chill brought in from the early morning.

The atmosphere gradually became lively, and the conversation among the candidates naturally shifted from the farewell they had just had to Mei Zhi's famous essay "On the Five Malarias," then to the scenery of Hangzhou, and then inevitably circled back to the imperial examination next month, which would affect the fate of all of them.

Mei Yaochen took a sip of tea, looked at Lu Beigu with concern in his eyes, and asked, "Have you been studying lately?"

Lu Beigu hurriedly put down his teacup and replied respectfully, "Replying to Lord Mei, I dare not slack off, but I have indeed been preoccupied with some trivial matters recently."

He spoke vaguely, but a series of events flashed through his mind, including Pei Degu's impeachment, Fan Xiang's summons, and the opening of "Chengmingzhai".

Mei Yaochen was very perceptive. He noticed a hint of fatigue in the man's expression and did not delve into it. Instead, he smiled and said, "Trivial matters are inevitable, but you need to know how to deal with them. Today is a good time to relax. Speaking of which, when I saw you get out of the car earlier, you seemed to be quite afraid of the cold. Now that it's warm inside, your complexion looks a bit rosier."

Upon hearing this, Lu Beigu subconsciously raised his hand to touch his cheek. He indeed felt that the private room was much warmer than outside because of the many people and the burning charcoal, and it even felt a bit hot.

To appear solemn today, in addition to his silk robe, he wore a slightly thicker cloak, and his back was already damp with sweat.

As he replied, "It's much warmer than outside," he naturally raised his hand, intending to untie the cloak and take off the outer garment.

Just as his fingers touched the sash, Ouyang Xiu beside him suddenly coughed lightly and reached out to press him down.

Lu Beigu paused, turning to look at Ouyang Xiu in confusion.

"Bear with the heat, but remember, under no circumstances should you take off your outer robe."

"what?"

Lu Beigu was completely stunned, looking utterly bewildered, unable to follow the train of thought of this literary master.

What kind of rule is this? If you get hot, what's wrong with taking off your coat?
Seeing his bewildered expression, Ouyang Xiu's lips curved into a barely perceptible smile, as if he had remembered something extremely interesting.

He released his grip, picked up the teacup, and gently stirred it with the lid: "And never lend this garment to anyone else."

"."

Lu Beigu's mouth gaped open, completely dumbfounded. He was certain that neither of his inner nor outer garments had any holes or stains.

However, he couldn't take it off, nor could he borrow it? What did Ouyang Gong mean by this?
Or perhaps he's fallen into some kind of strange rule?

He glanced around instinctively and saw Su Shi chatting and laughing quietly with someone next to him, Zeng Gong sipping tea in peace, and Yan Jidao, the host, leaning against the window, gazing at the river view in a daze.
Everything was normal, with nothing unusual.

Only he himself was made uneasy by Ouyang Xiu's two seemingly nonsensical words of advice.

Wearing that thick cloak, Lu Beigu felt even hotter, and the sweat became more pronounced.

Ouyang Xiu took in his embarrassed and confused expression and finally couldn't help but chuckle. His laughter was filled with reminiscence, self-mockery, and a sigh that only someone who had been through it could understand.

He put down his teacup, leaned slightly towards Lu Beigu, and said in a slow, almost storytelling tone, "Don't be confused. These are my heartfelt words, based on a personal lesson. Do you know the story of 'the new robe losing the top scholar'?"

Lu Beigu immediately perked up his ears, his curiosity instantly overshadowing the sweltering heat.

Ouyang Xiu's gaze became somewhat distant.

"That was in the eighth year of the Tiansheng era, on the eve of the palace examination. At that time, I was just as young and carefree as you are now, even more so than you are now."

Ouyang Xiu recounted that he formally participated in the imperial examinations at the age of seventeen. In the first year of the Tiansheng era, he failed the Suizhou prefectural examination because he did not conform to the official style. In the fourth year of the Tiansheng era, he passed the prefectural examination. In the fifth year, he failed the provincial examination of the Ministry of Rites. In the seventh year, he was appreciated by Xu Yan. In the spring of the eighth year, he entered the Guangwen Hall of the Imperial Academy under the recommendation of Xu Yan. He won first place in both the Imperial Academy examination and the Kaifeng prefectural examination, enjoying unparalleled glory. In the following provincial examination of the Ministry of Rites, Ouyang Xiu once again won the provincial top score.

Upon arriving here, the life trajectories of Ouyang Xiu back then and Lu Beigu now are basically quite similar.

"At that time, I was just one step away from achieving the highest honors in all three categories, which would have meant becoming the top scholar in the imperial examination."

Ouyang Xiu’s tone was calm, but Lu Beigu could hear the deep regret buried beneath that calm: “At that time, everyone thought that I was the one who would be the top scholar, and I myself was also convinced of that. For this reason, I spent a lot of money to make an extremely gorgeous new robe, just waiting to pass the imperial examination and wear it in style at the Qionglin Banquet.”

The others in the private room noticed that Ouyang Xiu was whispering about the past to Lu Beigu, and their conversations unconsciously lowered. In addition, they could vaguely hear words such as "top scholar" and "robe," so they all curiously glanced over, stopped talking, and listened together.

Ouyang Xiu seemed oblivious, continuing to immerse himself in his memories.

"Unexpectedly, on the eve of the imperial examination, my roommate, Wang Gongchen, who was nineteen years old that year, took advantage of my inattention and pulled out my new robe, put it on himself, and walked around the room showing it off, laughing loudly: 'This robe is incomparably beautiful! It should be worn by the top scholar!'"

Upon hearing this, Lu Beigu's eyes widened involuntarily.

Wang Gongchen? If I remember correctly, he was the top scholar in the imperial examination of the eighth year of the Tiansheng era!
"At the time, I thought it was just teenagers playing around and joked. Although I felt helpless, I didn't really care."

Ouyang Xiu sighed softly and shook his head: "Who would have thought that after the palace examination, and after waiting for more than ten days, when the names were announced outside Donghua Gate, the top scholar was indeed Wang Gongchen. As for me, I only got fourteenth place in the first-class examination."

Even though he already knew the ending, hearing the person involved say it in such a calm yet slightly absurd tone still gave Lu Beigu a strong sense of drama.

A robe and a casual remark seemed to have become a prophecy, seemingly setting the rankings in the dark.

However, the fact that Ouyang Xiu was able to bring this up in such a semi-public setting indicates that his relationship with Wang Gongchen was not bad, as the two were brothers-in-law and sons-in-law of the former prime minister Xue Kui.

Wang Gongchen initially married Xue Kui's third daughter, while Ouyang Xiu's second wife was Xue Kui's fourth daughter. Later, after Wang Gongchen's wife passed away, Xue Kui married his fifth daughter to him.

Ouyang Xiu even wrote a humorous poem about it: "The old son-in-law becomes the new son-in-law, and the eldest aunt's husband becomes the youngest aunt's husband."

In reality, in the Song Dynasty court, if a newly appointed scholar from a humble background wanted to climb the ranks, it would be impossible without a powerful and influential father-in-law behind him.

The stronger one's father-in-law is, the faster he can climb the mountain—this is an open secret, as can be seen in the case of the three generations of father-in-law and son-in-law, Yan Shu, Fu Bi, and Feng Jing.

"Is this a coincidence or not? I still can't say for sure. Perhaps the Emperor had a plan, and the robe just happened to be there at the right time."

Ouyang Xiu sighed, "Therefore, I have taken this as a deep warning, for extraordinary times require extraordinary caution."

Lu Beigu had already figured it out. The other party wasn't talking about the robe, but was using this matter to remind him that the palace examination was imminent. Since there was a chance to pass all three levels of the imperial examination, he absolutely could not let his guard down at the last moment.

Otherwise, like Ouyang Xiu, who "lost the top scholar title despite wearing new robes," he would regret it too late.

He immediately sat up straight and retied the half-undone belt: "Student understands."

"Hmm, good that you understand." Ouyang Xiu nodded in satisfaction, regaining his relaxed demeanor, and gestured for him to drink tea. "It's just an old anecdote, something to talk about in your spare time. Just take it with a grain of salt. Speaking of which, it's a pity there are no more top scholars now, otherwise you would have had the chance to achieve the highest honors in four consecutive years."

This simple sentence, along with Ouyang Xiu's previous account of his experience in the imperial examinations, was like the final piece of a puzzle, resolving the doubts Lu Beigu had about his experiences in the conflict between the Imperial Academy and the National University.

He was wondering why Ouyang Xiu seemed to be very familiar with Yang Anguo and why he seemed to be showing favoritism towards the Imperial Academy.

It turns out that Ouyang Xiu actually came from the Imperial Academy, which explains everything.

At this moment, Su Shi, who was standing nearby, laughed and said, "Haha, in that case, does that mean we don't even dare to make new clothes before the palace examination next month? Lest someone else wear them and steal the top spot!"

He was easygoing and defused the topic with a joke, which made everyone laugh and lighten the atmosphere again.

Ouyang Xiu pointed at Su Shi and laughed, "Don't misinterpret my meaning!"

Amidst the laughter, Lu Beigu quietly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling his mind and body calm down.

He sat upright on the mat, no longer feeling the unbearable heat of the cloak. Instead, he felt as if he were walking on thin ice, as if someone was reminding him to be cautious at every step of the way.

"Can I get to the other side?"

(End of this chapter)