Li Hao said to Yan Fu: "It was because my grandfather was seriously ill and the family was in ruins, so my aunt had to marry someone as a concubine in order to change the family. The family my aunt married into later became officials in Beijing and now lives in Jiying Lane. , surnamed Sheng. I didn’t know the specific situation at first, but my mother told me in detail later. Now that my aunt has passed away, there is only one cousin alive, so when I come to Bianjing City, I should go and see it. "
After hearing this, Yan Fu said, "I have heard of the Sheng family in Jiying Lane. His family originally had a daughter named Tanhua, and then married the daughter of Marquis Yongyi, right?"
Li Hao said: "Yes, it's that family. Why is their family so famous in Bianjing City?"
Yan Fu said: "That's not true, it's just that Sheng Hong serves in the Li Yuan and is now in the fifth rank. I have dealt with him, and I remembered it when I heard people mention it later. Oh, by the way, now my father has also been promoted to the fifth rank. In the capital, if you are in trouble, you will be here soon. Please visit my home when you have time."
Li Hao replied: "That's the case, it should be. After visiting Mr. Yongshu first, the Sheng family still wants to see what my mother wants, and then I can visit my senior brother's house when I have time."
At this time, Yan Fu suddenly thought of something and said: "By the way, there is one thing you need to know. Mr. Yongshu is now a Hanlin bachelor. There are rumors in the court that this examination may be hosted by Mr. Yongshu. Since the teacher asked you to visit , I must have thought of letting Mr. Yongshu teach you how to study these days. You should study more carefully and see what Mr. Yongshu likes in his writing style. This way, it will be safer to try."
Li Hao listened and said with a thought: "There is another matter. It seems that I need to put more effort into studying Mr. Yongshu's writing style."
Yan Fu said, "Just pay attention. I won't disturb you anymore. You guys need to settle down for the next few days. I'll come back to you after some time."
Then he stood up and left, followed by Li Hao to see off the guests.
Then he went back to rest and slept until noon the next day. When Li Hao arrived at the main hall, he was just in time to have dinner. After eating, everyone went back to the main hall to talk.
Li Hao said: "Mother, when are you going to Sheng's house?"
Wei replied: "Tomorrow I will go to the Sheng family to see Minglan, and then we will go together on a good day."
After hearing this, Li Hao said: "That's good. In addition, when the teacher came, he asked me to visit a good friend, the former Ouyang Zhizhou, who is now a Hanlin bachelor in Bianjing. I asked my senior brother, and he will be the official Xiu Mu in the future. On that day, I will go to Ouyang Mansion first. As for the Sheng family, if I want to go that day, let’s make an appointment in the afternoon. When I come back from Ouyang Mansion, we can go there together. "
Wei said: "Since your teacher told me, I have to listen to it. As for the Sheng family, they are not in a hurry. We will wait until I come back."
After hearing this, Li Hao said: "Cousin Minglan is here, the Sheng family can't be too negligent after all, otherwise it will be fine with us, but it will hurt cousin Minglan's face after all."
Mrs. Wei listened to this and nodded in agreement. After sitting for a while, Ms. Wei felt a little tired again, so Li Jian accompanied her back to her room to rest. Li Hao was awake, so he picked up the gun and stick he brought from Yangzhou to exercise. Since he was about to take part in the children's examination, Li Hao has stopped practicing every day. Now he is practicing. After meeting Ouyang Xiu, he is afraid that he will have to do it again. I have to continue reading and get busy trying.
The next day, Wei took people to Sheng Mansion. Minglan was naturally very happy when she received Mrs. Wei, and then took Mrs. Wei to meet her grandmother. We went to see Mrs. Wang together and agreed to come for a formal visit tomorrow afternoon. Then the two went back to the room to chat for a while, and then Wei returned home.
After setting a date to visit Sheng Mansion, Li Hao set out for Ouyang Mansion with Fu Deng and the prepared gifts on the morning of the holiday. Along the road, he looked at the tall buildings standing on both sides, the rows of houses, and the hawkers on the street. , pedestrians come and go, and it is much more prosperous than Yangzhou City.
When Li Hao arrived at Ouyang Mansion, he handed over Master Qin's invitation and gifts, and was led into the concierge to sit down. After a while, someone came to lead Li Hao into the main hall, while Fu Deng was waiting for Li Hao's return in the concierge.
After Li Hao entered the main hall, he saw Ouyang Xiu. I saw that he was nearly fifty years old, with a moderate figure, wearing a hair crown on his head, his body was long and handsome, as decent as a small ginkgo tree, his eyes were shining with the brilliance of wisdom, keen and deep, and at the same time, the years Her skin was left with wrinkles like knife carvings, and she wore a curved collared mud gold gauze robe, white socks underneath, and a pair of black pants on her feet, giving the impression that she was smart and capable.
Li Hao immediately bowed and saluted: "Hello, Mr. Ouyang."
After Ouyang Xiu saw him, he asked Li Hao to stand up and sit down. He said: "You and I were close friends when we were teachers, so there is no need to be so polite. Just call me Uncle Yiyi, as I won't wrong you."
Li Hao stood up quickly and said, "What are you talking about? It's my honor."
Ouyang Xiu raised his hand and asked Li Hao to sit down and talk. After Li Hao sat down, he said: "Brother Qin wrote to me and asked me to teach you some knowledge after you come to Beijing. But now that you have reached high school, you want to come." He is full of knowledge. I will help you with some questions during these days. After you finish them, send them to me and I will explain to you how to distinguish them."
Li Hao said: "Then I'll trouble my uncle."
Ouyang Xiu smiled and asked: "By the way, after the word "Shui Diao Ge Tou", are there any new poems? You must know that when your "Shui Diao Ge Tou" came out, it was widely circulated. Even the official family I’ve heard about it all and even asked me to ask about it later.”
After hearing this, Li Hao said: "Although my nephew later wrote some poems in Yangzhou, it is still a lot inferior to Shuidiao Ge Tou, and it may not have been circulated much."
Ouyang Xiu said: "Oh, then write it down and let me see it." Then he asked his servants to bring up pen and ink.
Seeing this, Li Hao wrote down a few poems he had copied over the years and handed them to Ouyang Xiu. Ouyang Xiu took them and read them carefully. Said: "Although these poems are not as talented as Shui Tiao Ge Tou, they are much better than most articles that only pile up words and are dangerous and difficult."
After hearing this, Li Hao felt something in his heart. At least he understood that Ouyang Xiu had lost his style of writing, and then he humbly replied: "Uncle, that's a ridiculous compliment."
Then Ouyang Xiu and Li Hao talked about Master Qin again, knowing that Master Qin did not want to go to Beijing. Said: "Brother Qin is an upright man, but it is a pity that he was hurt by this officialdom and it is difficult to realize his ambitions."
Ouyang Xiu later told Li Hao about the time when he and Master Qin were ministers in the same palace and participated in the Qingli New Deal. After talking about it, he felt a lot of emotion, but he didn't know whether it was for Master Qin or the failed Qingli New Deal.
After waiting for a while, I saw that it was getting late. Ouyang Xiu asked: "Just have lunch at my place today. In the afternoon I will tell you some test matters, and then give you some questions to try."
Li Hao replied: "I won't disturb my uncle today. I have a relative in Bianjing. I have made an appointment to visit my parents in the afternoon. Why don't you ask your uncle to give you some questions first? I will take them back and finish them." Then come and bother me again."
After hearing this, Ouyang Xiu said: "Okay, I will give you ten questions first, and you will come back to me after you finish them. I will explain it to you then. Also, don't stick to the vulgar etiquette. Just come directly when the time comes." I will make arrangements with my servants. If I don't come back from the office, you can go to the study to stay and read. These days, your aunt and several of my sons have something to do and have returned to their hometown. They will wait for some time. I’ll introduce you when I get back.”
Li Hao saluted as expected, then took the title and put it away. I went back to the concierge to pick up Fu Deng and then went back to the house.
When they arrived at the mansion, the Wei family had prepared a bunch of gifts and wanted to send them to Sheng Mansion.
Li Hao looked at it and said, "Mother, isn't this too public? Didn't mother say that my cousin's situation in the house is not very good? Such a big fanfare may not be a good thing for my cousin."
Mrs. Wei said: "Your cousin has suffered a lot since she was a child. Shouldn't I prepare more gifts for her to make her look good?"
After hearing this, Li Hao replied: "Mom, that's not what I meant. Gifts are naturally given, but they don't need to be so many. It would be better to fold the rest into soft banknotes and give them to my cousin in private. In this way, my cousin You don’t lack face, but you can also get some practical benefits, isn’t it the best of both worlds?”
Mrs. Wei thought about it and thought it might be right, so she asked someone to take some away.
When everything was arranged, they set off to Sheng Mansion together.
