When talking about Chang'an City in the Tang Dynasty, we have to mention the so-called "Leyouyuan".
Among the 108 squares in Chang'an City, Leyouyuan is located in the southeast, approximately at the position of the four squares: Xuanping, Xinchang, Shengping, and Shengdao. Xuanpingfang is located in the northwest corner of Leyouyuan.
Chang'an City in the Tang Dynasty had six hills from north to south, and the terrain coincided with the six lines of the Qian hexagram in the "Book of Changes", that is, from the place of Jiuyi to the place of Jiu5. This was the ingenuity of the design and location of Chang'an City in the Tang Dynasty. place.
Among them, the Nine-Yi Land is the Dragon Head Plain, which symbolizes the hidden dragon in the abyss. It is a royal forbidden garden where no one is allowed to live.
The land of 92 is the Daming Palace area, which symbolizes seeing a dragon in the field and is reserved for the use of the emperor;
The Jiu San area is the northwest area of Xingqing Palace, which symbolizes the work of a gentleman and is planned to be a hundred official offices;
The most supreme place in the Ninth Five-Year Plan, which symbolizes the perfect location of "flying dragon in the sky", is Leyouyuan.
Mortals cannot live in it and can only be left to gods and Buddhas. In the planning of Chang'an City in the Tang Dynasty, there were many temples and Taoist temples here, such as Xingshan Temple, Qinglong Temple, Chongzhen Temple, etc. The residential buildings here are very narrow and are Officially restricted occupancy.
The house in front of Fang Chongyong is also very narrow and inconspicuous at all. It's just this excellent location that makes people couldn't help but applaud. Looking north from here, Chang'an Palace is right at your feet.
Bai Juyi's poem describes it as: "Thousands of houses are like a chess board, and twelve streets are like vegetable beds. From a distance, you can see the fire in the morning, and there are five stars in the west."
This is not an exaggeration or description, it is just a realistic work of standing in Xuanpingfang and looking into the distance.
"Whose house is this?"
Fang Chongyong stopped, looked at Zheng Shuqing doubtfully and asked. Having been in Chang'an for several months, he had already found out clearly that not just anyone with any status could live in Xuanpingfang.
Even though the house itself doesn't look like much.
"Master He."
Zheng Shuqing said calmly.
"He Zhizhang?"
Fang Chongyong blurted out, but was immediately interrupted by Zheng Shuqing: "He will be your teacher from now on. Do you also call your teacher by his first name?"
Zheng Shuqing couldn't help scolding him in a low voice.
"How does this work?"
Fang Chongyong exclaimed, he didn’t know how Lao Zheng did it, but asking He Zhizhang to be a teacher. How can the connections and favors needed be measured by money?
"Don't talk too much. I have the final say today. If you have any questions, we will hold them back until the apprenticeship is over."
Zheng Shuqing said solemnly, the expression on his face was unprecedentedly solemn.
Fang Chongyong could only nod silently. As the saying goes, an arrow has to be fired when it is on the string. Everyone has walked to Xuanpingfang. If he passed He Zhizhang's house without entering, what would people think if they knew about it?
Because your father is Fang Youde, is he qualified to come here to show off?
How stupid is this, offending people for no reason.
With mixed feelings, Fang Chongyong followed Zheng Shuqing into the lobby. As expected, the furnishings here are very simple, but very elegant. There are only four or five wing rooms and a courtyard, but there is also a viewing attic built inside.
Considering He Zhizhang's official position as Minister of Rites and Bachelor of Jixian Academy, it is not unusual for him to receive such treatment.
It doesn't matter how well the house is built, what matters is where it is located. Being able to settle down in Xuanpingfang has already proved his status in the court.
"We're all here, sit down, sit down."
As soon as he entered the lobby, Fang Chongyong saw He Zhizhang, who had a kind smile and a slim figure, coming to greet them without any airs.
Fang Zhongyong sat down dumbly and saluted He Zhizhang with his hands clasped together.
"This is the son of Fang Jieshuai. There is no one to teach him yet. I hope that Bachelor He can give him some advice."
Zheng Shuqing said humbly and bowed his hands.
"Okay, I'll be on duty for half a day every day and come back in the afternoon. You come to Xuanpingfang every afternoon to practice calligraphy, every day, can you do it?"
He Zhizhang looked at Fang Chongyong and asked.
"Please follow the teacher's instructions in everything."
Fang Chongyong kowtowed generously.
"Haha, let's start tomorrow. I'm going to drink today. Please come back."
He Zhizhang laughed and raised his right hand, signaling Zheng Shuqing and Fang Chongyong to leave. This was the first time Fang Chongyong had seen him drive away guests so neatly.
Zheng Shuqing was an old bureaucrat. He took out a gift list from his sleeve, handed it to He Zhizhang carefully, then stepped in and bowed to leave.
"this……"
He Zhizhang looked surprised when he saw the gift list, then nodded slightly, put it into his sleeve, and said nothing more.
In this so-called "apprenticeship ceremony", there is no gratitude, no mutual appreciation, and no humility and filial piety.
No matter how it looks, it looks like a transaction.
Returning to the Fang family house and coming to the study, Fang Chongyong waited for Zheng Shuqing to explain all this.
"I know that you are smart, far beyond ordinary people. But what you lack most now is not knowledge, but fame. If you are always under the shadow of your father's reputation, you will always be just Fang Jieshuai's son.
And having the status of Master He's apprentice will make it easier for you to get along with all kinds of people in the future and get rid of the mark of a playboy."
Zheng Shuqing said seriously.
Why was Li Linfu not accepted by the scholars? Is it just because Li Linfu wanted to dominate the court?
Not exactly.
Because before Li Linfu became a high-ranking official, the scholars did not like him. For example, Yuan Qianyao said of Li Linfu, "A good official must have good practices to be highly regarded. How can Genu be a good official?" At that time, Li Linfu was a good official.
His official position is not worth mentioning.
Li Linfu was not a member of the literary circle, so he was bound to be rejected by those people. If Fang Chongyong was He Zhizhang's apprentice, as long as he was not obviously "ignorant", he would not encounter scholars when doing things in the future.
The natural resistance of human groups.
This is an advantage, but what are the disadvantages? Zheng Shuqing didn't say it, and Fang Chongyong doesn't know either. But the only thing that is certain is that if he doesn't invite a big boss to stand up and raise a tiger flag to boost his momentum, then when Fang Chongyong turns fourteen,
When the time comes, you have to go to the Imperial College, or go to Chongwen Hall to study, and then rely on "classmate relationships" to develop connections.
This started much later.
Otherwise, he will be reduced to the same status and background as Li Linfu and others.
Fang Chongyong nodded slightly, feeling a little moved in his heart. Zheng Shuqing's previous gift of "twin sisters' flowers" or something like that was just an exchange of interests by treating someone from the other side as a bureaucrat of the same level.
And now that he has asked He Zhizhang to be his teacher, this is a typical example of caring and caring.
This move is indeed worthy of Fang Chongyong's continuous suggestions for Zheng Shuqing.
"Well, Bachelor He is well-known in Chang'an. How did Zheng Shilang get him to agree to teach me knowledge?"
Fang Chongyong asked doubtfully.
"I gave Bachelor He a hundred pieces of Tang brocade as a reward from the saint... eighty pieces."
Zheng Shuqing said slowly.
"Such a madman also loves money? I thought they didn't want to live in the world."
Fang Chongyong was stunned and said, somewhat incomprehensible.
He Zhizhang's life was very comfortable. He went to the Yamen in Gongcheng every day to catch fish, and came back to rest after half a day's work. He only drank and had fun. Such a free and happy life was something that people like Zheng Shuqing could not pursue.
“Drinking, helping friends, traveling around, and socializing in officialdom, none of these things require money to support them.
Nowadays, Tang brocade is in the market and is priceless. If He takes out one piece, he can drink it for a long time.
If I just deal with you every day and give you a little guidance, I can make a lot of money, so what's wrong with that?"
Zheng Shuqing explained patiently.
I have to say that these words make sense. Fang Chongyong thought about it from He Zhizhang's perspective and couldn't help but nodded slightly in agreement.
Zheng Shuqing gave too much, and the chaste and loyal girl was also turned into a pretty fangirl who opened the door to receive guests.
He Zhizhang was well-known in the court for his bad taste in wine, so much so that at the last banquet, everyone unanimously elected him as the host, just to prevent him from drinking. When he was not drinking, he was quite polite, but after drinking, he was very polite.
Someone changed.
In Du Fu's famous poem "The Song of the Eight Immortals in Drinking", He Zhizhang is first mentioned: "Zhizhang rides a horse like a boat, and falls asleep under the water in a well. It means that when he was drunk, he rode forward and backward on the horse, showing his ugly appearance.
It was like sitting on a boat. He fell into a well drunkenly and slept at the bottom of the well.
This is of course an exaggeration, but it is absolutely true that He Zhizhang likes to drink and does not care about his image after drinking.
Although he was well-known in Chang'an, He Zhizhang's salary was not a mountain of gold and silver. In fact, it was quite limited, no more than 50 guan a month.
Compared with the Jiedu envoys who supervise one side in border towns and can "flexibly use" the local treasury, courtiers like He Zhizhang all receive "dead wages".
Only when Li Longji showed mercy and rewarded the courtiers would he make them more generous.
The daily expenses of these central court officials were also very large. They were "moonlight tribe" themselves and could not save much money at all. Therefore, the "windfall" provided by Zheng Shuqing was far more attractive than Fang Chongyong imagined.
In fact, He Zhizhang did not have any resistance to this transaction and readily agreed to it. At that time, he did not know that what Zheng Shuqing sent was Tang brocade, but he just felt that this batch of silk was of "high quality".
"Scholar He is just your teacher in name. He can't really teach you anything useful. It's just calligraphy, writing beautiful articles and the like."
Zheng Shuqing patiently warned Fang Chongyong, fearing that he would get carried away. In his words, he seemed to be quite disdainful of He Zhizhang's knowledge.
"Does Mr. Zheng feel that Bachelor He's knowledge is actually of no use to the imperial court?"
Fang Chongyong asked rudely.
Zheng Shuqing was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly and said: "Just keep it clear in your heart and don't talk nonsense everywhere. I haven't said anything and I won't admit it."
"Young Master Zheng will keep your kindness in mind, and you will be rewarded generously in the future."
Fang Chongyong bowed and bowed deeply to Zheng Shuqing.
He knew very well that he had no connections in Chang'an. If he wanted to do something, he had to work through Zheng Shuqing's connections.
Fang Youde, the scumbag father, seems to do very extreme things and is surrounded by many doubts, making Fang Chongyong unable to trust him.
Chang'an is a stage for competition, but it is not the cradle of growth. Fang Chongyong knows that he must leave here to experience, grow, and accumulate strength. In the process, he must carefully observe this world and this era.
"Don't think about the twin maids. Once you become famous, those things will be like the goods in the cabinet. You can take them as you please without any trouble.
In a few days, I will go to Hanjiacang, Luoyang, to review the situation of grain harvesting to supply Hexi military supplies. I estimate that I will not return to Chang'an during this period, so you can follow Bachelor He in peace and don't think about those messy things.
.
in particular……"
Zheng Shuqing patted Fang Chongyong on the shoulder, leaned over and said in a low voice:
"Especially when it comes to saints, if you can't help it, don't touch it.
The two poems at the banquet were written by you, and now the saint already knows it. If the saint invites you to the palace to write poems to test your wisdom or something, you must hide your clumsiness and not show off your sharpness too much."
"Understood."
Fang Chongyong nodded slightly.
In fact, many courtiers saw Yang Yuhuan's rise to power and Li Longji's changes and made their own judgments.
The changes in the court have begun, they have all seen it, but they don't know how it will change and how it will end. Every change will be a top-down reshuffle of officialdom.
These central courtiers are like a school of fish swimming in a pond. When the sky is covered with dark clouds and the air pressure is low, these fish also begin to surface and bubble, become restless, and even die due to lack of oxygen.
Turn over and die.
Fang Chongyong didn't know whether Li Linfu saw this; but he knew that Zheng Shuqing definitely understood it and must have made corresponding preparations!
"Are you still going to arrange for your future father-in-law to go to Hexi?"
Zheng Shuqing asked in a deep voice, now that he would become the transshipment envoy responsible for dispatching grain in Hexi, whether the Tang army could win against Tibet was a matter of life and death for him.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Tang Jun won, and he was promoted without hesitation.
The Tang army lost, and he wanted to kneel in front of Li Linfu and ask for help.
The difference between the two is huge.
"Indeed."
"Well, in that case, is there anything I can do to help?"
Zheng Shuqing asked.
In officialdom, you can't always wait for good luck to come.
When facing challenges, you must exert your full strength and make use of all available conditions.
Lao Zheng is not very good at doing big things, but he is very good at being an official and has superb skills.
"It's nothing. But if you really have a chance, you can give the right minister some advice. Just say that you think King Zhong (Li Heng) will be the crown prince in the future, so that the right minister can make preparations in advance.
If you have a chance, just talk about it. If you don't have a chance, forget it. It's not a big deal that determines success or failure."
"Understood."
Zheng Shuqing nodded, he already knew it in his heart.
"My future father-in-law is brave and good at fighting. If he can go to Hexi, he will win this battle. If Zheng Shilang can, think of a way to pass my words to the right minister and tell him that it was your idea. There is a high probability that this matter can be done
become."
Fang Chongyong continued.
Zheng Shuqing nodded again and remembered it in his heart.
…
In the study room of the main building of the Xingqing Palace, Li Longji was reading a letter from Gao Lishi, which was written by Wang Zhongsi's wife, Li Shi.
In the letter, Li asked Li Longji to transfer Wang Zhongsi back to Chang'an for official duties and not to transfer him outside again.
He didn't ask for an official position, he just asked for his return. He was sincere and sincere. I have to say that this letter touched the soft spot in Li Longji's heart.
When Wang Zhongsi was eight or nine years old, his father Wang Haibin died in battle, and was tricked to death by his colleagues. In fact, no one can say whether Li Longji had any other meaning in raising Wang Zhongsi in the palace.
good.
But one thing is certain, Li Longji's trust in Wang Zhongsi is definitely higher than that of ordinary generals. The only thing he cares about is the relationship between Wang Zhongsi and Li Heng.
"The left army of the Longwu Army still lacks a general. Wang Zhongsi can be appointed as the general of the left army of the Longwu Army."
Gao Lishi suggested calmly.
"It makes sense."
Li Longji nodded slightly. He felt that King Zhongsi's two years in the snow were actually enough. Since Li begged, it was only human nature to let him return to Chang'an.
Du Hope and others wanted Wang Zhongsi to go to Hexi, Li Linfu wanted Wang Zhongsi to go to Jiannan, and Li Longji had his own ideas and didn't want to be led away.