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 of 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 Nine One to the Place of Nine Five. This is the ingenuity of the design and location of Chang'an City in the Tang Dynasty.
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 area of Jiuer 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.
It cannot be inhabited by mortals 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 houses here are very cramped and have official occupancy restrictions.
The house in front of Fang Chongyong was also very narrow and inconspicuous at all. It’s just this perfect location that makes people couldn’t help but applaud. Looking north from here, Chang'an Palace City is at your feet.
Bai Juyi's poem describes, "Thousands of houses are like a chess game, 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 and looked at Zheng Shuqing doubtfully and asked. Having been in Chang'an for several months, he has already found out clearly that not just anyone with any status can live in Xuanpingfang.
Even though the house itself looks unremarkable.
"Scholar 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 but scolded in a low voice.
"How does this work?"
Fang Chongyong exclaimed that he didn’t know how Lao Zheng did it, but asking He Zhizhang to be a teacher. How could 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. People have already reached Xuanpingfang. If they pass He Zhizhang's house without entering, what will others think if they find out?
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 loft with a view 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, and you don't stop every day. Can you do it?"
He Zhizhang looked at Fang Chongyong and asked.
"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.
It looks like a transaction anyway.
Returning to the Fang family house and coming to the study, Fang Chongyong waited for Zheng Shuqing to explain all this.
"I know 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 on your body. "
Zheng Shuqing said seriously.
Why was Li Linfu not accepted by the scholars? Is it just because Li Linfu wants to dominate the court?
Not really.
Because before Li Linfu became a high official, the scholars did not like him. For example, Yuan Qianyao said of Li Linfu, "A man of high rank must have good conduct. How can Genu be a man of high rank?" At that time, Li Linfu's official position was 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 is He Zhizhang's apprentice, as long as he is not obviously "ignorant", then he will not encounter natural resistance from the scholar group when he does things in the future.
This is the advantage, so what are the disadvantages? Zheng Shuqing didn't say anything, and Fang Chongyong didn't know either. But the only thing that is certain is that if you don't invite a big boss to stand up and raise a tiger flag to boost your momentum, then when Fang Chongyong turns fourteen, he will have to go to the Imperial College or Chongwen Hall to study. Then he will rely on " "Classmate Relationship" develops 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. When Zheng Shuqing wanted to send something like "twin sisters flowers" before, he was just treating someone on the other side as a bureaucrat of the same level in exchange for interests.
And now that he has asked He Zhizhang to be his teacher, it 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 Master Zheng 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 said in a daze, somewhat incomprehensible.
He Zhizhang's life was very comfortable. He went to the Yamen in Miyagi City every day to catch fish, and then came back to rest after half a day's work. Besides drinking, he just had fun. Such a free and happy life is something people like Zheng Shuqing cannot pursue.
"Drinking, helping friends, traveling around, and socializing in officialdom, none of them require money to support them.
Nowadays, Tang Brocade is priceless. If He takes out one piece, he can drink it for several days.
If I just deal with you casually every day and give you a little guidance, I can make a lot of money. What's wrong with that? "
Zheng Shuqing explained patiently.
I have to say, 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 him too much, and the chaste and loyal girl was turned into a flowery girl who opened the door to receive guests.
He Zhizhang was famous 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. He was quite polite when he wasn't drinking, but after drinking he was a completely different person.
In Du Fu's famous poem "The Song of the Eight Immortals while Drinking", the first thing mentioned is He Zhizhang: "Zhizhang rides a horse like a boat, and falls asleep under the water in a well. It means that when he is drunk, he rides on the horse and leans forward and backward, showing his ugly appearance, just like It was like sitting on a boat. He fell into a well in a drunken state and simply 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 gold and silver. In fact, it was quite limited, no more than 50 yuan 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 are also very large. They are "moonlight tribe" themselves and cannot save much money at all. Therefore, the appeal of this "windfall" provided by Zheng Shuqing far exceeded Fang Chongyong's imagination.
In fact, He Zhizhang didn't have any resistance to the deal 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. There seemed to be some disdain for He Zhizhang's knowledge in his words.
"Does Mr. Zheng feel that Bachelor He's knowledge is actually of no use to the court?"
Fang Chongyong asked rudely.
Zheng Shuqing was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly and said: "You just need to know it in your own mind. Don't talk nonsense everywhere. I didn't say 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 actually had to work through Zheng Shuqing's connections.
But 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 not the cradle of growth. Fang Chongyong knew that he must leave here to experience, grow, and accumulate strength. In this process, he must carefully observe this world and this era.
"Don't think about the twin maids. When you become famous, those things will be like the goods in the cupboard. You can take them at any time without any trouble.
In a few days, I will go to Hanjiacang, Luoyang, to review the situation of grain harvesting for the military supplies in Hexi. It is estimated that you will not return to Chang'an during this period of time, so you can just 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 if you can’t touch the saint’s matters, don’t touch them.
You wrote those two lines of poetry at the banquet, and now the saint already knows it. If a 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 already 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. 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 will become the transshipment envoy responsible for dispatching grain in Hexi, whether the Tang army can win against Tibet is a matter of life and death for him.
Tang Jun won, and he was promoted while lying down.
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 cannot always wait for good luck to come.
When facing challenges, we must exert our 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 prepare early.
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 more ways 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.
I am not asking for an official position, I am just asking for my return, I am 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 intention in raising his Wang Zhongsi in the palace.
But one thing is certain, Li Longji's trust in Wang Zhongsi is definitely higher than that of ordinary generals. The only thing he worried about was 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 Xue Zang Zhongsi had been in power for two years, which was actually enough. Since Li begged, it was only human nature to let him return to Chang'an.
Du Hope and others hope that Wang Zhongsi will go to Hexi, Li Linfu hopes that Wang Zhongsi will go to Jiannan, and Li Longji has his own ideas and does not want to be led away.
