After traveling through time, I became Han Zhang’s grandson?

After the rapid development of the Xining period, the Shenzong Dynasty achieved astonishing results, but it was also inevitably tinged with a hint of sadness.

Starting from the fourth year of Xining, a group of veteran officials in the imperial court, led by Han Zhang, began to take turns submitting petitions requesting to retire and return home.

They are already in their sixties these days. Years of new policy reforms, coupled with the intensive implementation of the "First Five-Year Plan", have exhausted them physically and mentally and have reached their limits.

From February of the fourth year of Xining (1071), Han Zhang was appointed as the governor of Yongxing Army, but he declined it repeatedly.

He also requested the court to remove him from a series of positions including "Grand Commander of Yongliang" and "Emperor of Jinglüe" and return to his hometown.

However, these requests were rejected by Emperor Shenzong, so Han Zhang continued to serve as the governor of the northwest and was given the title of "Huainan Jiedushi".

In April of the fifth year of Xining (1072), Han Zhang again resigned from the court with sincere words, hoping to return home to visit his relatives.

Emperor Shenzong agreed, and Han Zhang officially resigned from his post in the northwest and was transferred to Daming Prefecture.

After his term in Daming Prefecture expired, the court again ordered Han Zhang to serve as the governor of Xiangzhou at his request, and refused to remove his additional title as the Jiedushi of Huainan.

In June of the sixth year of Xining (1073), Cui, the wife of Han Zhang, mother of Han Shipu, grandmother of Han Ming, and daughter of Cui Li, the former Vice Minister of Works, became seriously ill.

In order to take better care of Cui, Han Shipu and his son Han Ming submitted their resignations at the same time and prepared to return home to take care of the old lady.

As a result, Emperor Shenzong directly rejected the two's memorials and refused to allow them to resign, but he granted Han Shipu and his son paid leave to take care of Cui.

Upon hearing that his wife was seriously ill, Mr. Han became anxious and angry, and suddenly collapsed in the government office in Daming Prefecture. This scared the officials so much that they quickly reported it to the city of Bianjing.

When the news reached Bian Jing, there was even more chaos. Han Shipu was unable to cope with the situation, so Han Ming decided to go to Daming Mansion in person to serve him.

Before he could pack up and leave, Han Zhang submitted a memorial, again requesting to retire and return to Beijing to visit his family.

Unfortunately, the old man’s fate with the city of Bianjing had already disappeared after the assignment in the first year of Xining, and there was no chance for him to return this time.

Cui had resigned early, hoping to go to Daming Prefecture to reunite with her old husband.

Originally, Han Shipu and other children strongly opposed it, but Old Mrs. Han made up her mind and said something that no one would ever want to hear.

"When people get old, they always want to return to their roots. Many of my old sisters have passed away over the years, and I'm afraid your father and I won't be around for long either."

"When you are alive, you always have something to think about. Now I just want to reunite with your father and then go back to my hometown..."

Old Mrs. Han’s words made all the children of the Han family fall to the ground in agony and sob.

. . . . . .

A few days later, Han Ming personally led the carriage, and Yu Yanran, her mother and son, accompanied the old lady in the carriage, plus a group of people from Anyang Marquis' Mansion, a total of more than ten people, went north to Daming Mansion to reunite with Old Man Han.

Han Ming was still worried about his grandparents, so he asked the government for permission to take over his grandfather's position as the governor of Daming Prefecture in Beijing.

After much deliberation, Emperor Shenzong agreed to Han Ming's request, but required him to continue to serve in the Secretariat, Privy Council and Sansi Yamen.

He was also asked to return to Beijing to report on his work at the end of the First Five-Year Plan and discuss the next steps in the work.

After saying goodbye to a series of relatives and friends, Han Ming left Bianjing City again.

But this time, there was a thick and lingering haze in his heart, as if there was a dark cloud waiting for him in Daming Mansion ahead.

Around August, everyone arrived in Daming Prefecture. When Mr. Han heard that his wife was coming, his worries were mostly relieved. He was in high spirits and went out of the city dozens of miles away to greet her in person.

Looking at his white-haired grandfather whom he hadn't seen for six years, Han Ming took Yu Yanran's hand, slowly knelt down, and kowtowed several times.

"Oh, this is my great-granddaughter. Qiaojie is pretty, almost as old as Yujie when she was little."

The old man took the confused little girl from Yu Yanran's arms. This was Han Ming and Yu Yanran's second child.

Because she was born on the Chinese Valentine's Day, she was given the nickname "Qiaojie'er".

As for the name, Han Ming thought of the appearance of his grandfather and father when Han Duanyang was born, and couldn't help but smile knowingly.

He also discussed with Yu Yanran and asked the grandfather to give the child a formal name, and she readily agreed.

Han Duanyang, who was already sixteen years old, touched his nose and smiled foolishly.

"Great-grandfather?"

Qiaojie's sweet voice melted Mr. Han's heart. He kept promising the little girl food and playing with her.

Looking at everyone, they all smiled helplessly. It seemed that older people really liked children.

. . . . . .

As Han Ming's family settled in Daming Prefecture, local military and political affairs were handed over to him for handling.

Since Han Zhang resigned several times due to illness, Emperor Shenzong had no choice but to formally allow him to retire from the court.

At this point, the wise prime minister of the Song Dynasty announced that he was leaving the court where he had dedicated more than forty years.

Perhaps seeing the physical condition of Han Zhang and his wife, Ouyang Wenzhong, who was already in poor health, also submitted an application requesting retirement.

Old man Ouyang's health has been unstable since the third year of Xining. Unfortunately, Emperor Shenzong admired his talent and achievements and was reluctant to let him go.

Before and after this, Ouyang Wenzhong repeatedly submitted petitions requesting to retire.

Until the end of the third year of Xining (1070), he was appointed as the acting Taibao, the envoy of the Southern Court of Xuanhui, and the judge of Taiyuan Prefecture, but he refused the posts and was appointed as the magistrate of Caizhou (now Runan County, Henan Province). In this year, he changed his name to "Liuyi Jushi".

In June of the sixth year of Xining (1073), when the old lady of the Han family was seriously ill and the old man Han fainted in the government office of Daming Prefecture, Emperor Shenzong finally realized the seriousness of the matter.

This group of old ministers who have served Renzong and Yingzong until now are finally coming to an end.

At the end of June, Ouyang Wenzhong was finally able to retire as the Prince's Tutor and return to Yingzhou.

In August, the court held the "Mingtang Ceremony" and summoned him to the court to "accompany the throne". He wrote a letter to decline the invitation.

Unfortunately, at this time, Ouyang Wenzhong's body was already very weak, and he could more or less feel his life gradually dissipating with the passage of time.

But for this former "Drunkard" and current "Six-One Layman", death is never scary. What he fears is not being able to see a better Song Dynasty in the future.

Ouyang Wenzhong began to recount his life from youth to old age, and found that the most exciting moment was when the young man named Han suddenly intervened in the court.

However, in just a dozen years, the entire Song Dynasty was completely changed, and the beautiful dreams they had about the "Qingli New Deal" when they were young were interpreted in the last years of their lives.

It is a pity that the "leader" at that time passed away early and never participated in or enjoyed the current peaceful world.

"Brother Zhigui (Han Zhang), Brother Yanguo, from now on...I'm going to rely on you..."

"Brother Xiwen...I'm here to drink with you—!"

Unlike history where he passed away a whole year later, Ouyang Xiu passed away at home in the second year after his retirement, that is, on July 23rd of the seventh year of Xining, at the age of 66.

In August, he was awarded the title of Prince Grand Tutor, and in December, he was given the posthumous title of "Wen Zhong".

In September of the following year (1075), he was buried in Jingxian Township, Xinzheng County, Kaifeng Prefecture.

After that, he was awarded official titles many times: in December of the third year of Yuanfeng (1080), he was specially awarded the title of Taiwei.

In November of the eighth year of Yuanfeng (1085), he was given the title of Grand Tutor and posthumously named Duke of Kangguo.

In May of the third year of Shaosheng (1096), he was posthumously conferred the title of Duke of Yan.

In the third year of Chongning (1104), he was renamed Duke of Qin.

In the third year of Zhenghe (1113), he was granted the title of Duke of Chu.

. . . . . .

Su Shi, one of the great writers of the Song Dynasty, once commented on this "Drunkard": when discussing the great principles, he is like Han Yu; when discussing matters, he is like Lu Zhi; when recording events, he is like Sima Qian; and when writing poems, he is like Li Bai.

This shows Ouyang Wenzhong's literary level and historical status as one of the "Eight Great Masters of Tang and Song Dynasties".

On the other hand, with the death of Ouyang Wenzhong, the Song Dynasty also ushered in the collective end of a group of old ministers of the old era.

It seems that falling before such a "reign of peace" and "rejuvenation" is the only thing they can do for the Song Dynasty.

Although they are old, they never lag behind the times...

As the saying goes: Old soldiers never die, they just fade away!