And now, Li Zhan's most urgent priority is not to take the imperial examination, stand out, and honor his ancestors, but to survive. Only by surviving can he have hope.

Li Zhan helplessly looked at the dilapidated thatched hut with only a room full of books left, with a look of extreme reluctance on his face. But even if he was unwilling to do so, Li Zhan could only fight the autumn wind, stay under the shelter of others, and seek refuge with relatives and friends, otherwise he would not be able to use it anymore.

You will be frozen to death in this winter in a few days.

In the cold winter of March 9th, Li Zhan was so cold that his whole body was shaking, and his teeth were constantly chattering and fighting. He relied on constant activity to barely survive this cold and deadly night. Li Zhan stood in the deserted cold room.

No one knows what he was thinking about that night.

When the sky gradually became brighter, the roosters in the village had already begun to crow, and the villagers in the village also began to get up one after another, and began to run for the day's livelihood. Gradually there was some smoke and smoke, and although it was not a delicacy, it was still delicious.

But he could live on a full stomach without starving to death and freezing to death, so he was happier than Li Zhan.

Li Zhan's face is pale, his lips are blue, there is no color at all, his body is thin, but he is not short, he is considered the best among his peers, he has a slender frame, his face is handsome, he is genetically excellent, and he is the same as the villagers

Those young men were different in their vulgarity and gentleness, and they looked like they didn't belong to the same family at first glance, so Li Zhan didn't have many friends of the same age in the village, let alone anyone worth remembering.

Although Li Zhan caught the cold and his body was very cold, his eyes were still clear, his eyelids were slightly opened and closed, and a trace of determination flashed across his face. His face was frosty, but he was extremely determined. Now that he had made up his mind, Li Zhan naturally

Mother-in-law and mother-in-law hesitated and packed up the only valuable books in the house, which were the Four Books and Five Classics of Confucianism and some insights. Most of them were left by my grandfather Li Mingjia. The covers of the books had turned white, but they were still well preserved.

, it can be seen that the owner of the book often reads and cherishes it very much. This is the best spiritual food for Li Zhan to pass the time when he is bored in the past few years. When he is hungry, he can only rely on reading to comfort his poor stomach.

In those cold and embarrassing days, Li Zhanwen read these collections of classics and history. Every time he read them, he gained new insights. He was truly able to review the past and learn new things from the sage's teachings.

Confucius said: "How virtuous it is to return! With a basket of food and a ladle of drink, in a back alley, people cannot bear their worries, and they will not change their happiness even if they return. How virtuous it is to return!"

Li Zhan truly experienced Yan Hui's state. Even when he was short of food and clothing, he read books every day, entertained himself, enriched his spirit, and did not feel depressed.

Li Zhan tied all the books with hemp rope and carefully put them into the sack. He carefully put the letter that his grandmother left when she passed away three years ago into his arms. This was his life-saving straw at this time.

Li Zhan was not worried at all about being driven away by a poor relative who came to his door. This era was different from later generations. Clan relatives and friends were valued very much. The anonymity of relatives was recognized by the law. Moreover, as a scholar, Li Zhan's relative was even more important.

If you value the reputation of an official, you will not do such unwise things. You will definitely receive Li Zhan well and arrange Li Zhan properly.

Li Zhan picked up the books in the sack and walked out of the clanking broken wooden door. He looked back at the thatched house with bare walls. The sun shone from the roof and there was no shadow at all. The lighting was excellent. Unfortunately, there was nothing worthy of nostalgia.

The things in the house were all tattered. Even the jujube wood table was scratched all over and looked old and out of shape.

Li Zhan took one last look with a complicated expression. He no longer missed the old house where he had lived for several years, and walked firmly towards the direction of Yangzhou City.

Although Li Zhan's hometown is within the scope of Yangzhou City, it is not in the city, but in the countryside below. There are at least dozens of miles of mountain roads from the city. Li Zhan needs to enter Yangzhou City in the evening before the city gate is closed, otherwise

At this time, he was hungry and cold. If he spent another night in the wild, he might not be able to survive it and would freeze to death outside Yangzhou City.

Year-round malnutrition, coupled with the cold wind blowing down from last night, made my body a little weak, so I walked very slowly. I didn't enter the city until the sun began to set in the morning and the sky in the west became dim.

, finally did not spend the night in the wild.

After entering Yangzhou City, Li Zhan couldn't help but nod his head as he looked at the bustling Yangzhou. People were coming and going, and the sound of hawking was endless. Most of the residents here had rosy faces, good spirits, and a prosperous life. They were completely different from the countryside where Li Zhan lived.

.

In the fourth year of Chunhua reign of Zhao Guangyi in the Song Dynasty, the country was divided into ten roads, and Yangzhou belonged to Huainan Road. At this time, Yangzhou was also called Guangling.

During the Northern Song Dynasty, Yangzhou was not as prosperous as the Tang Dynasty, but with the convenience of water transportation, there was still a spectacular scene of "thousands of merchants mating at sunset". Yangzhou's shipbuilding technology became the "national standard" at that time. Economic prosperity brought cultural prosperity.

Yangzhou has become the economic and cultural center of southeast China. There are many masterpieces of Yangzhou gardens, including Wanhua Garden, Pingshan Hall, and Zhenzhou East Garden, which are still talked about by future generations. Literary leaders Ouyang Xiu, Su Dongpo, and the famous poet Wang Yucheng who served as officials in Yangzhou

, Han Qi and others continued to create, writing a colorful chapter in the history of Yangzhou literature.

At this time, Yangzhou is worthy of the scenery of the south of the Yangtze River, a land of plenty and plenty, extremely prosperous, and can be regarded as one of the most prosperous cities in this era. Li Zhan did a little research and found out the mansion where the judge was sitting. He carried his torn sack and headed there.

Go.

It only took Li Zhan a quarter of an hour to arrive in front of the mansion. Li Zhan put down the torn sack behind him and stood in front of the mansion. He looked at the rich mansion in front of him and glanced at the plaque on the door. Two huge

"Shengfu", the handwriting is vigorous and powerful, the writing is old and powerful, and it is very elegant. It seems that the owner has good calligraphy. This is very common in the Song Dynasty where the literary style is prevalent. Every scholar who is a Jinshi has practiced calligraphy hard.

.

Li Zhan rested against the sack for a while, calmed down, regained his strength, took a deep breath, straightened his face, walked to the door of the mansion, and knocked the door knocker gently.

"Boom!"

The collision between the metal door knocker and the door nail made two crisp sounds. The red door opened a gap, and an old man who looked like a steward poked his head out. He glanced at Li Zhan, with a hint of disdain in his eyes.

Li Zhan's image at this time is indeed not good. The cotton robe has been washed and turned white, and there are several large patches. The stitching of the patches is neat, and Li Zhan sewed them himself. There is no way, he does not have a maid or embroiderer.
Chapter completed!