Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 90 A Great Era is Coming

"Lord Ling".

The private room was in disarray, with cups and plates scattered everywhere. The musicians and dancers had already left, and the door was closed.

Li Pan was leaning against the window, enjoying the breeze. His neck was already a little red, but he was still holding a wine cup in his hand.

"Drink." He raised his wine cup.

Lu Beigu filled his wine cup to the brim and raised it as well. At this point, he was also a little drunk, and the thought of "drinking it all in one gulp" almost automatically transformed into "dying together" in his mind.

"Sigh," Li Pan sighed deeply after finishing his drink, and threw the wine cup onto the table. "Life is short, so enjoy it while you can. I really envy your age, young man, strong and healthy, without illness, disaster, or worries."

"It's not that I'm without worries."

Because of his familiarity with Li Pan, Lu Beigu dared to speak frankly: "I'm quite worried about whether I can pass the state examination this year."

“What’s so troublesome about that?” Li Pan chuckled. “When you get to my age, your parents will be old and frail, your wife and children will be worried about you, your career will be difficult to advance, and you’ll be bogged down in a lot of trivial matters. Only then will you know what trouble really is.”

Lu Beigu nodded; he understood.

Living in this world, everyone seems to envy others. From the moment they entered, the students envied Li Pan for being the center of the banquet, and the gentry carefully flattered him. The allure of power is captivating.

But conversely, how could Li Pan not envy these young students?
It's just a besieged city.

However, some people may not actually want to come out; they just look out from the city wall and sigh at the scenery.

"Here is a letter that Zhao Yunshi sent before he left. He delivered it through the post station. It arrived a few days ago, but he didn't give it to you because he was afraid it would affect your county exam. Now it's time to give it to you."

Li Pan took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Lu Beigu.

Lu Beigu was taken aback. He hadn't expected Zhao Bian to care about him so much. He opened the sealed envelope, and Zhao Bian's strong and beautiful handwriting immediately came into view.

“When I look north, seeing these words is like seeing the person in person.”

Ten months have passed since we parted. Is the scenery of southern Sichuan still as pleasant as before?
I have been summoned back to the capital and resumed my post as remonstrator. The political landscape in the imperial court is turbulent and unpredictable, with intensifying political struggles and increasing national difficulties. Whenever I think of this, I cannot help but sigh with regret. The dynasty has long suffered from deep-seated problems, and only upright and outspoken officials can save it.

Although I am old, I am still willing to fight against this turbulent wave with my frail body. However, I cannot stand alone and need to work together with my fellow travelers.

You are young and talented, with a resolute character and, more importantly, upright conduct, unlike the ordinary people who pursue fame and fortune. If you can pass the prefectural examination this year, become a Jinshi, and enter officialdom, wouldn't you be a pillar of support for us upright people in the court in the future?

The county examination should not be difficult for you, but the imperial examination is like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you will fall behind. The prefectural examination is not far off, so you should work even harder and not waste your talents.

The renowned scholar Li Tian from Sichuan is now in Luzhou, a golden opportunity indeed. He is well-versed in the classics and history, and especially skilled in the imperial examinations, producing many successful candidates. You should strive to become his student and receive his guidance; then you can expect to pass the provincial examinations.

Remember, pursuing scholarship is like walking at night with a candle; only by focusing your mind and not being distracted can you see the path ahead.

Zhao Bian's handwritten letter

April 23rd, the first year of the Jiayou era.

Seeing that Lu Beigu had finished reading the letter, Li Pan also said, "When Zhao Yunshi returned to the court to serve as the Right Censor, although his rank was low, he held great power. This position was often filled by those who were not in the same position, so it would not be surprising if he were suddenly promoted to the Council of State Affairs. Moreover, Zhao Yunshi's experience in the central government and local areas, as well as his reputation and status, had long been enough."

The Song Dynasty's system of remonstrance officials inherited the Tang Dynasty's system, but unlike other systems that were directly copied, the system of remonstrance officials was quite unique. It integrated the supervisory power of the Censorate with the remonstrance power of the Censorate through the "unity of the Censorate and the Censorate" mechanism.

In this way, the remonstrating officials of the Song Dynasty broke through the function of Wei Zheng of the Tang Dynasty, who only advised the monarch. The power of supervision can be said to extend "from the emperor to the officials". They can not only impeach the prime minister and supervise local areas, but also directly advise on the decision-making of important military and national affairs.

At the same time, remonstrating officials were also the spokespeople for the scholar-officials' public opinion, and their words directly influenced public opinion in the Song Dynasty. They could easily accumulate prestige in the imperial court, and their influence could be said to far exceed that of the heads of the Six Ministries, and they could even check the power of the prime minister. Moreover, it was easy to get promoted by taking this path; Fan Zhongyan, Han Qi, and others were all promoted to prime ministers from being remonstrating officials.

Of course, there are risks involved. Saying something that angers the emperor could easily lead to demotion. However, this can also be seen as a way to build up one's reputation. Generally, after being demoted for a few years and then returning to hone one's skills, one is ready to enter the Council of State Affairs.

"This time, it wasn't just Zhao Yunshi who was transferred back to Beijing; many others went back as well."

Li Pan sighed again: "Although I am in the frontier, I can feel that the winds in the government have been blowing stronger and stronger in recent years. Perhaps, a new era is about to begin."

Why did you make this judgment, sir?

"The Emperor reigned for thirty-four years. Although there were wars between the Song and Xia dynasties and the Qingli Reforms, the overall situation was relatively stable."

Li Pan looked at the river view outside the window and frowned deeply: "But as peace has lasted for a long time, especially in recent years, after traveling south from the Northwest to Sichuan, what I have seen and heard has made me more and more convinced that perhaps this calm is like the harbinger of a storm or the impending downpour in summer. When it is brewing, you don't feel anything, just a little humid and hot, but once a thunderclap falls, the world will be dark."

Lu Beigu was silent.

Li Pan's judgment was correct, and for someone living in the midst of the tide of the times to have such keen judgment is truly remarkable.

Nearly a century after the founding of the Song Dynasty, the hidden dangers of national policies such as the "three redundancies" and the lack of suppression of land annexation have brought the Song Dynasty to the brink of having to seek change. The old system, which was established to correct the overcorrection of the chaos of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, has had far more drawbacks than benefits.

The reason why no major changes have occurred yet is because Emperor Renzong is still alive.

Although Emperor Renzong was known for his "benevolence," he was not a weak or incompetent ruler. On the contrary, he managed to control one of the most outstanding talents of his time, and arguably the most capable in the entire history of the Song Dynasty. His political maneuvering was undeniably brilliant.

He was like a cautious captain, maneuvering the Song Dynasty, a ship that was bulky and magnificent on the outside but rotten on the inside, propelling it forward on a stormy sea by inertia.

Emperor Renzong did try to change course, but after a few attempts, he realized that the Song Dynasty could not be turned too quickly, otherwise it would risk collapsing suddenly. So he immediately returned to the old course, which remains to this day.

However, this inertia cannot solve the fundamental problem.

Ultimately, the problem needs to be solved through extensive repairs and a new direction. But whether the ship will be sunk by the waves or break apart during this process is anyone's guess.

But without a doubt, carrying out large-scale reforms of the Song Dynasty had become a consensus among insightful people of this era.

If we just wait a little longer, until Emperor Renzong passes away and the ambitious new emperor ascends the throne, everything will happen naturally and in due course.

The current year, the first year of the Jiayou era, is the long eve before this torrential rain.

The heroes of the previous era are still struggling to maintain the old order, while the prodigies of the new era are eagerly preparing to make their grand entrance and change the fate of the entire Song Dynasty.

Lu Beigu said, "Perhaps what you said is right, but when you are in the midst of a torrent, there is no other way but to strive forward."

Li Pan nodded and said, "Work hard. In life, if you are slow at one step, you will be slow at every step. If you can pass the state examination this year and then become a Jinshi, your future will be worth more than my more than ten years of hard work in these border counties. On the other hand, if you can't, and you waste your time and wait until the next three years to take the exam, you may always be behind others."

"Yes."

Just then, a white light burst forth from outside the window, piercing the night sky. Immediately afterward, a loud "boom" resounded from the heavens, and the torrential rain that had been simmering in the summer clouds for so long suddenly began to fall, and then grew heavier and heavier.

In the flash of lightning that ripped through the night sky, Lu Beigu caught a glimpse of fish leaping out of the water, vying to swim towards the Three Gorges.

An uncontrollable thought arose in Lu Beigu's mind.

—Heroes of the world are as numerous as carp crossing a river!

(End of this chapter)