Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 335 Poison Scheme
The following morning, at Hongqiao Market.

Lu Nanzhi was wiping the tofu cutting board with her head down, her swollen fingertips slightly red from being soaked in cold water.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps approached from afar on the street. Before she could even look up, she heard her younger brother, Lu Beigu's, voice.

"Sister!"

Upon approaching, Lu Beigu held a key between his fingers and announced loudly, "I have bought back the old house you mentioned last time."

Upon hearing this, Lu Nanzhi suddenly sat up straight, and the rag in her hand fell into the wooden basin with a "plop," splashing a few drops of water.

She almost thought she was dreaming, staring blankly as her younger brother strode into the tofu shop.

"Really? Really?" Her voice trembled slightly.

"It's true."

Lu Beigu nodded, then took out the still-fresh red contract from his bosom and carefully handed it over.

But Lu Nanzhi didn't dare to take it. Almost subconsciously, she wiped her hands on her coarse apron again and again until she was sure that her hands were completely dry before she dared to take the stack of papers.

She didn't even need to look at the words closely; just touching the actual contract brought tears to her eyes.

So many years have passed, yet the weathered wooden door, the old well in the courtyard, and the old swallow's nest that may still be under the eaves—the home that I thought had long been buried in the dust of time—has actually returned to my grasp.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Lu Nanzhi said "good" three times in a row, her voice choked but strong: "If my parents are watching from heaven, they will be very pleased to see that you have bought the old house back!"

After examining the land deed several times as if it were a precious treasure, she carefully returned it to Lu Beigu.

"Sister, I have something I'd like to ask for your help with."

Lu Beigu carefully put away the land deed, then pulled her into the house and explained it to her in detail.

Upon hearing that her younger brother wanted her to help search carefully to see if there were any places in the house where their late father might have kept important evidence, Lu Nanzhi was initially a little scared, but then agreed without hesitation.

"Fine, this shop won't be open today!"

She deftly took off her apron, put the things back, locked the shop, and pulled Lu Beigu outside.

"Come on! Your older sister will go to the old house with you!"

Lu Nanzhi murmured, "I haven't been back for so many years, I wonder how dilapidated it is. I'm going to see it firstly to fulfill a wish, and secondly to help you tidy up. Even if we can't find anything, you can stay here permanently."

She walked with hurried steps, as if the house would sprout wings and fly away if she slowed down even a step.

"Sister, it's a long way, let's hire a donkey cart." Lu Beigu grabbed her, somewhat amused and exasperated.

"Oh, oh! Good!"

The siblings rode in a donkey cart through the bustling streets and alleys. After verifying their identities and entering the city, they headed straight for Chenzhou Gate, the main street in the southeast corner of Kaifeng's outer city.

When she saw that familiar gate again, Lu Nanzhi paused in her steps.

A complex mix of emotions flashed in her eyes: reminiscence, heartache, but mostly excitement.

With a mix of trepidation and excitement, she turned the key and pushed open the creaking old door.

The desolate scene in the courtyard came into view, but she didn't care at all. Instead, she rolled up her sleeves, her eyes shining: "Brother, go and see if there are any things hidden in the roof tiles. I'll check the brick seams of the well. Then we'll thoroughly clean and search all the places in these rooms where things might be hidden!"

Lu Beigu had already brought over some tools, including ladders, brooms, mops, and the like.

Lu Nanzhi picked up the broom leaning against the wall and began to clean up the dust and fallen leaves under the corridor. Her movements were extremely swift. Lu Beigu also took off his outer robe and used a ladder to check the roof ridge.

While busy, Lu Nanzhi kept talking: "The walls of the main house need to be repainted, the window frames of the east wing are rotten and we need to find a carpenter to replace them. The floor tiles in the courtyard are also loose and need to be repaved. And that well needs to be cleaned, otherwise the water is easy to poison."

While working, Lu Beigu chimed in, "Sister, that's exactly what I was thinking. Not only do I want to clean up the house, but I also want to renovate it."

Upon hearing this, Lu Nanzhi stopped what she was doing: "Of course! This is the root of our Lu family, so naturally we must take good care of it and bring glory to our family!"

Lu Beigu nodded and said.

"Today we'll first do a general cleanup, mainly looking for any hidden items in the nooks and crannies, and then we'll figure out how to repair it later."

The siblings said no more and buried themselves in tidying up the old house.

Lu Nanzhi was full of energy, wiping the window frames, sweeping away cobwebs, and clearing weeds in the yard. She seemed to have inexhaustible strength, and her back pain had disappeared.

After a thorough search, including all possible hiding places, the two still found no other items left behind.

As the sun began to set, Lu Nanzhi, remembering that the tofu shop still needed to open the next day, turned back first.

After searching carefully again and confirming that there were no other secrets left behind, Lu Beigu locked the door and returned home under the moonlight, already planning the repairs.

The following day, Lu Beigu sought out the owner of "Liu's Wood and Stone Workshop," a highly reputable establishment in Kaifeng, to conduct an appraisal.

Manager Liu was a capable old man. He brought two apprentices with him, holding measuring rods and rulers, and carefully measured the front and back of the house. He also used a small hammer to tap the beams, pillars and brick walls to check for insect infestation and rot.

"Please take a look, my lord."

Shopkeeper Liu pointed to the plot of land and said, “The foundation of this house is still stable, and the main structure is also made of good materials. Although it has weathered the wind and rain, the main timber has not decayed, which is truly rare. However, many of the tiles are broken, and it will leak when it rains; the window frames and doors are also mostly rotten and need to be replaced urgently; nearly half of the plaster on the walls has peeled off and must be scraped clean and repainted; there are also many uneven spots on the blue brick floor in the courtyard, which need to be removed and repaved. In addition, the well must be thoroughly dredged, and the kitchen stove and drainage ditches also need to be renovated.”

Lu Beigu nodded: "It certainly requires a major overhaul. In your opinion, how much will it cost to repair everything? And how long will the construction take?"

"If you want solid materials and workmanship, based on the current market price, it will cost about three hundred strings of cash, including labor and materials."

After a moment's thought, Manager Liu replied, "The major items, such as purchasing new blue tiles, will cost thirty strings of cash; replacing doors and windows with fir and pine wood will cost twenty strings; paint, ironware such as door knockers, locks, and hinges will cost ten strings; paving the floor with blue bricks, repairing the walls, and using lime, hemp fiber, and yellow earth for the tiles will cost seventy strings; and miscellaneous items such as cleaning wells, building stoves, and dredging ditches will also cost twenty strings. If you want to do it in detail, I estimate it will take about two months. The carpenters, tilers, masons, painters, and laborers will need about fifteen people in total. Each person will be paid three to five strings of cash per month, plus daily wages. All in all, it will be a considerable expense, almost the same as the cost of purchasing materials."

Lu Beigu knew that what he said was mostly true; labor and materials were expensive in Tokyo, and this figure was not an exaggeration.

"Then we will proceed according to this number."

After a moment's thought, he said, "I have a few other requirements. First, the floors of the main hall and study must be made of the finest pine wood, planed and laid smooth. Second, all newly made doors and windows should be elegant and not vulgar. Third, the courtyard should be paved with blue bricks as before, and a small garden should be set up in the southeast corner, with pebbles lining the edges. Fourth, the well railing should be replaced with new stone, ensuring it is clean."

Seeing that his master was straightforward and knowledgeable, Manager Liu smiled even more broadly: "Young master, rest assured, I will do my best. I just don't know when you want to start the work? You need to pay 30% as a deposit first. Materials will be paid as needed, and wages will be settled every ten days. The remaining balance will be settled after the work is completed."

“Alright, I’ll pay a deposit of one hundred strings of cash first, and then I’ll leave everything else to the manager.”

Lu Beigu immediately made a decision.

In the days that followed, the Lu family's old residence became lively.

Manager Liu led the craftsmen to move in. First, they carefully moved the still usable old furniture in the house to the courtyard and covered it with a rag. Then they carried out tasks such as removing old tiles, dismantling doors and windows, scraping off wall plaster, and removing floor tiles. The clanging and banging never stopped from morning to night.

Every day after returning from Song Xiang's residence, Lu Beigu would come to check on the progress. Money was being spent like water, and the mansion was being renewed day by day.
Lu Beigu spent an extra eighty guan to order a batch of furniture made of elm and beech wood, including beds, tables, cabinets, etc., and also ordered curtains, mats, candlesticks, basins, and other household items. He planned to put all these soft furnishings in once the renovation was almost complete.

While he was busy studying and renovating the old house, the others were not idle either.

On this day, the air in the duty room of Tianzhang Pavilion was filled with the smoke of tea. Yang Anguo was carefully putting tea leaves into the boiling water of the tea pot, his movements meticulous.

He was enjoying a rare moment of leisure when there was a loud knocking on the door of his duty room.

Yang Anguo was so startled that his hand trembled, and the teaspoon almost fell into the pot.

Is Scholar Yang here?

He recognized the voice and quickly put down his tools, straightened his purple robe, wondering why Ouyang Xiu would be here. "Uncle Yong, come in quickly."

Yang Anguo responded loudly, his face quickly spreading into his signature wide, toothy smile.

Ouyang Xiu, who had gained some weight, pushed open the door and entered. He looked slightly tired, and his nose was red with redness.

He bowed respectfully and said, "Scholar Yang, I apologize for disturbing you."

"Not at all! It's an honor to have you here!"

Yang Anguo warmly welcomed him to the seat of honor and personally poured him a cup of freshly brewed tea.

"Try my tea-making skills."

Ouyang Xiu didn't stand on ceremony. He took the teacup, took a sip, and praised, "The heat is just right. Your skills have improved a lot."

The two exchanged a few pleasantries, mostly about the current situation in the court and the recent weather.

Yang Anguo pondered Ouyang Xiu's purpose and waited patiently, knowing that his old friend wouldn't visit without a reason.

Sure enough, Ouyang Xiu put down his teacup and changed the subject, seemingly casually mentioning: "Speaking of which, Lu Beigu, the provincial champion of this year's examination, studied at the Guangwen Hall of the Imperial Academy just like me back then. Scholar Yang truly has a discerning eye."

Upon hearing this, Yang Anguo's snow-white beard trembled slightly, and his smile widened: "Uncle Yong, you flatter me! This boy's talent is entirely due to his own diligence. Our Imperial Academy has only done its best to help him prepare for the exam."

He said it aloud, but in his heart he already knew that Ouyang Xiu's visit must be related to Lu Beigu.

Ouyang Xiu nodded slightly, his gaze falling on the newly sprouted willow branches in the courtyard outside the window. His tone carried a hint of reminiscence: "Back when I was in the Guangwen Academy, although the title of 'Jianyuan' was not a formal imperial title, it was the most important examination before the provincial examination. In the past, those who could win the title of 'Jianyuan' were all famous and attracted the attention of scholars. Most of them could even win the title of Jieyuan in Kaifeng Prefecture or the provincial examination of the Ministry of Rites. Unfortunately, the Imperial Academy is now weak, and the fame of the title of 'Jianyuan' has been long forgotten."

At this point, Ouyang Xiu lowered his head and began to drink his tea, remaining silent.

"——Jian Yuan."

Yang Anguo's fingers, which were stroking his beard, paused, and his cloudy eyes instantly lit up.

How could he not understand Ouyang Xiu's intention in mentioning this matter?

Lu Beigu is already the top scholar in the province, and the palace examination is imminent. If he becomes the top scholar in the palace examination as well, he will have achieved the "Triple Crown" and equal the honors of Song Xiang and Feng Jing, which is an unparalleled glory.

But what if we could add the title of "Supervisor" to him before that?
While achieving the "Triple Crown" without any exaggeration is indeed astonishing, Feng Jing has already accomplished that. But what if he achieved the "Four Crowns"—the top scholar in the Imperial Examination, the Provincial Examination, the Imperial Examination, and the Imperial Examination—that would be an unprecedented and earth-shattering spectacle!
—This is a golden signboard that can illuminate the entire gate of the Imperial College!
Once the thought arose, it spread like wildfire and could no longer be suppressed.

Yang Anguo felt a surge of heat rush to his head, and his breathing became rapid. The glorious scene of the Imperial College at its peak decades ago, and the bustling atmosphere when his father was in charge, seemed to reappear before his eyes.

The Imperial College has been quiet for too long and desperately needs a grand, earth-shattering campaign like this!
"What Yongshu said is absolutely right!"

Yang Anguo suddenly slapped his thigh, the sound startling even Ouyang Xiu, who quickly tried to distance himself from the situation.

"Don't talk nonsense, I didn't say anything."

"Yes, yes, it has nothing to do with you, I figured it out myself."

Yang Anguo didn't care about that. He leaned closer and whispered, "But you said that in the past, the title of 'Jianyuan' was a symbol of glory for our Imperial Academy. Although it was not a title awarded by the imperial court, its significance was extraordinary. Lu Beigu is a student of the Guangwen Hall of our Imperial Academy. Such a talented person should not be denied the title of 'Jianyuan'. Wouldn't that be a pity? It would also make our academy look like we have neglected our talents!"

"Moreover, this 'Jianyuan' examination is an internal matter of the Imperial Academy, not a regular practice of the imperial court. When and how to conduct the examination is entirely up to me, the judge of the academy, to decide. Decades ago, it was a major examination before the preliminary examination, but now we can organize an examination right away. What's wrong with that?"

"I will immediately order the arrangements! Tomorrow, all students of the Imperial Academy will be summoned. The examination will follow the old rules from its most prosperous period. As for the examiners, Dr. Zhou Dunyi is a man of profound learning and upright character. He will be the chief examiner, accompanied by two teaching assistants to grade the papers! The examination questions must be prepared and printed today!"

After finishing his speech, Yang Anguo stood up and paced around the duty room. The more he thought about it, the more wonderful it seemed. It was a perfect addition to the Imperial Academy and himself. He could almost see the bustling scene of carriages and horses and a constant stream of students coming to the Imperial Academy again.

Ouyang Xiu nodded. He had only remembered this matter a few days ago when he was having dinner at a riverside restaurant after seeing Mei Zhi off. After all, so much time had passed that almost everyone had forgotten about the existence of the "four consecutive top honors" award. Even he, who had been the one to receive the "top honor" award, had almost forgotten.

The reason Ouyang Xiu reminded Yang Anguo was naturally because of the "Jiayou Imperial Examination".

The logic here is simple: the more the enemy attacks him, the more he should praise the provincial governor he has chosen, in order to prove that his reform of the writing style is correct and that the person he has chosen is a true talent.

In fact, if the students of the Imperial Academy hadn't done those disgusting things to Ouyang Xiu, such as writing eulogies, Ouyang Xiu wouldn't have acted that way. He was actually quite easygoing and didn't like to care about other people's affairs.

While Ouyang Xiu and Yang Anguo were discussing how to help Lu Beigu gain momentum, people in the Privy Council not far away were also discussing Lu Beigu.

However, the directions are completely opposite.

Pei Degu walked through the deep corridors of the Privy Council and arrived at the duty room of Privy Councilor Jia Changchao. He straightened his clothes and then knocked on the door.

"Enter."

Inside the duty room, Jia Changchao was standing by the window, gazing at the jagged rocks in the courtyard outside.

Upon hearing Pei Degu enter, he closed the window and slowly turned around.

Although Jia Changchao was nearly sixty years old and his hair and beard had turned gray, his eyes still revealed the profoundness of someone who had long held a high position.

"Your humble servant, Pei Degu, pays his respects to the Grand Councilor."

Pei Degu bowed deeply, adopting an extremely humble posture.

Although he has now been transferred to the Privy Council and even promoted to the position of Deputy Chief Administrator of the Privy Council's Secretariat, responsible for assisting the Chief Administrator of the Secretariat in handling the daily affairs of the various departments of the Privy Council, he still maintains utmost respect in front of someone like Jia Changchao.

Jia Changchao nodded slightly, gesturing for him to sit down: "De Gu is here, close the door and sit down."

Pei Degu turned around and carefully closed the door, then sat down opposite Jia Changchao as instructed.

He leaned forward slightly and said urgently in a low voice, "Your Excellency, the Grand Councilor, Lu Beigu is currently enjoying great power and influence. If he were to enter the palace examination, given his status as the top scholar in the province, passing the imperial examination would be no difficult task. However, once he enters the court, with the overt or covert support of Yang Anguo, Zhang Fangping, and even Song Xiang, he will become a major threat as his power grows. I believe we must stop his advance at the height of his power and absolutely prevent him from obtaining the title of Jinshi!"

In a secluded room where no one else could hear them, the two, who had known each other for nearly twenty years, spoke without any restraint.

"Yes, the period before the palace examination is indeed crucial. If we wait until he passes the palace examination and obtains an official position, it will be difficult to touch him."

Jia Changchao stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and said, "But as you said, he also has people protecting him. Ordinary charges won't touch him. If we're going to fabricate charges, they must be substantial enough and can be brought to fruition quickly so that he can't escape. At least, we need to drag it out until the palace examination."

"exactly!"

Pei Degu quickly said, "I have come up with a brilliant plan. Once this plan is launched, even if we cannot completely destroy him in the end, we will definitely get him into a quagmire and make him spend a lot of time and effort dealing with it. It will take several months to clear up the entanglement. As for the palace examination, it is related to the selection of talents for the country and will not be delayed because of him alone. As long as we make him miss this most crucial step this year, there will be plenty of opportunities to deal with it slowly later."

"What brilliant plan is it?"

Pei Degu whispered his "brilliant plan" in his ear.

After hearing this, Jia Changchao did not immediately speak out, but simply said, "The key to this plan lies in timing, and more importantly, we must not leave any loose ends that could be traced back to you."

"The instructions from the pivot minister are correct."

"This matter will be entrusted to you to find a suitable person. You must find a reliable person who has no overt ties with you. Remember, be absolutely cautious and make sure that the whole thing is airtight and watertight, so that even if someone becomes suspicious, they will not be able to find any real evidence against you."

Upon hearing this, Pei Degu immediately understood: "Please rest assured, Prime Minister, I will find the right person to carry out the plan and handle this matter cleanly and efficiently, leaving no trace and implicating you in the slightest."

Seeing that he understood, Jia Changchao waved his hand and said, "That's good. Go now, but be careful."

"I am resigning."

Pei Degu bowed again and left the duty room.

He walked along the road in the Privy Council, the warm spring sun shining on him, yet he felt a slight chill down his spine.

Lu Beigu's growth rate is so astonishing that he has been having trouble sleeping these days. This time he must ensure that everything goes perfectly and he must not let Lu Beigu, this lucky koi, have a chance to leap over the dragon gate of the palace examination!
(End of this chapter)