Chang'an City, Qinrenfang, Gu Jiahou Mansion.

Zhang Huaiyu has been visiting the Hou Mansion more frequently recently. Firstly, he is helping Gu Qing take care of the house and urging his servants not to be lazy. Secondly, the Hou Mansion has recently arranged for a few guests to stay, and Zhang Huaiyu takes them to travel around Chang'an every day.

The guests are all young men, the youngest is only sixteen years old and the oldest is over twenty. They are all young men from Shiqiao Village.

At that time, Gu Qing insisted on opening a school in Shiqiao Village and hired a master to teach the children in the village. Gu Qing paid for the children's books, paper and pens. After two or three years, it has begun to show results. Several children in the village who have reading talents gradually

There were signs of success, so Zhang Huaiyu decided to let them come to Chang'an to have a look before they took the imperial examination to increase their knowledge and horizons.

The four young men have been in Chang'an for half a month. During this half month, Zhang Huaiyu showed them the scenic spots and historic sites in Chang'an. He also often took them to Li Twelve's house and interacted with all kinds of guests in Li Twelve's house.

During the conversation, he also introduced some famous officials and poets, such as Yan Zhenqing, Du Fu, etc.

From the day they left Shiqiao Village, the four teenagers have been absorbing the nutrients of this world. It is more than a thousand miles from Shiqiao Village to Chang'an, and there are various scenery and historic sites on the road. Every historic site that can be named is...

It has a long story.

After arriving in Chang'an, the four young men were overwhelmed. In their conversations with Yan Zhenqing, Du Fu and others, they learned many things that could not be learned in books. In their chats with Li Guangbi and Zhang Jiuzhang, they had a preliminary understanding of the court and the world.

They knew each other. Occasionally, they would meet the Sword Master Pei Min. Pei Min was a drinker. When he was drunk, he would often force them to teach them the peerless sword moves that could defeat hundreds of people.

In these dreamlike days, the four young men saw Chang'an as a sultry and peerless beauty, and they were deeply fascinated by it.

When I think about the barren and remote Shiqiao Village back then, it seems like it has become the smoke and clouds of the past life, gradually fading into memory.

Early in the morning, Zhang Huaiyu came to the Gu family's house. Butler Xu opened the door diligently and respectfully welcomed her into the house.

Although he is nameless and has no status, Butler Xu has already regarded Zhang Huaiyu as the Marquis's wife and the mistress of the Hou Mansion...perhaps not the only mistress, after all, the jumping Huaijin girl is also one, but it is certain.

This girl Huaiyu must be the wife of the royal family, and Butler Xu must be respectful to the Marquis's wife.

"Mrs. Marquis, it's already winter as we speak. It's been almost a year since the Marquis went to Anxi. The old man only heard that the Marquis won a great victory in Anxi, but he didn't see a single word sent back by the Marquis about the poverty in Anxi.

"I don't know how many crimes the Marquis has suffered. Your Majesty has not mentioned that he will be transferred back to Chang'an. The huge Marquis Mansion always feels empty and has lost its backbone..." Steward Xu led the way, chattering non-stop.

.

There was a smile on Zhang Huaiyu's lips. He corrected the title "Mrs. Marquis" a few times at first. However, Butler Xu was too stubborn. Every time he corrected him, he just said yes. He would still call her the same name next time. He refused to change despite repeated admonitions. As time went by, Zhang Huaiyu had no choice but to be lazy.

Corrected.

"I'm afraid your Marquis won't be able to come back in a year or two. He can't take care of his family while guarding the border for the country. The housekeeper is waiting with peace of mind and takes good care of everything in the house. When the master is away, don't let the servants be lazy and show contempt.

.”

Butler Xu nodded repeatedly and promised that he would fulfill his family duties and supervise his servants not to be lazy. If he was discovered, the family law would not be merciful.

The four young men were already dressed neatly and were waiting on the porch of the front hall of the Hou Mansion.

When Butler Xu saw the four of them, he couldn't help laughing, and he couldn't help but praise: "Master Hou's hometown is really a blessed place for outstanding people. Not only has there been such a great figure as a god like Master Hou, but just looking at these four little fellow villagers of Master Hou

He is also an extraordinary person, not only gentle and polite, but also extremely knowledgeable. He is also polite and considerate to this miserable old man. When you are not here, madam, they will not run out to play. Instead, they will read and practice calligraphy in the yard. They are so calm.

With their mature character, these young men will surely have great achievements in the future."

Zhang Huaiyu stood in the yard, quietly looking at the four young men standing respectfully in the corridor, with a pleased smile on his face.

"They... are barely good, but they are still far behind. They are far worse than your Marquis. They need experience before they can become talented. Now... they are just four nerds."

There was appreciation in her eyes, but Zhang Huaiyu's mouth was very picky, which shows how strict she was with the students in the village when she was in Shiqiao Village.

The four teenagers walked out from the corridor, walked into the courtyard, bowed to Zhang Huaiyu and saluted: "Students pay their respects to Sister Huaiyu."

Zhang Huaiyu has always been a serious person in Shiqiao Village School. The students in the village are in awe of her. She is equivalent to a principal in the school, but she does not act as a teacher and student to the students, so the students call her "Sister".

Over time, this title became fixed.

Zhang Huaiyu nodded lightly and said: "Today, I will take you to the Imperial College to see the Imperial College. The Imperial College in Chang'an is the head of the Tang Dynasty's academic institutions. The doctors and Gongsheng students there are all well-educated people. You will benefit a lot from talking with them. You must

Listen attentively, listen more and ask more, cherish this opportunity. It was only because of the favor of the Minister of Honglu Temple that my second ancestor invited several doctors to condescend to meet with you. There are very few students in the world who have received this honor.

.”

The four of them saluted one after another and said respectfully: "Yes, students, please follow my sister's instructions."

Zhang Huaiyu saw that they were honest and dull, and he couldn't help but sigh in disappointment. They all looked like nerds no matter what, so they wouldn't have cultivated a few more pedantic people like Song Gensheng, right?

When they went out on foot, Zhang Huaiyu deliberately did not take a carriage to let them experience more of the customs and customs of Chang'an.

After walking for a while, a young man named Feng Fusheng asked: "Sister, when will Brother Gu return to Chang'an? We... miss him very much."

Zhang Huaiyu shook his head: "You won't be able to see him in the past two years. He has been in Anxi for less than a year. The emperor wants to entrust him with an important task. He will not be able to come back in the short term."

The four of them looked at each other disappointedly and said nothing.

Zhang Huaiyu added: "You study hard and prepare for the imperial examination in two years. If you can pass high school, the whole village will hold a banquet for three days and three nights to celebrate your success."

The four people had different expressions when they heard this. Two of them were happy, but the other two were a little hesitant.

Zhang Huaiyu saw their expressions in his eyes, glanced at the hesitant two, and said, "You don't have the confidence to go to high school?"

The two looked at each other, and one of them, a man in his twenties with a rather calm temperament, named Duan Wuji, said: "Sister, the student has something that he doesn't understand. Can you help the student clear up his doubts?"

"you say."

"Studying is for the imperial examination, and the imperial examination is for becoming an official. So why do you want to be an official?"

Zhang Huaiyu's eyes showed a smile: "You can ask Song Gensheng, your brother Song, about this question. He is now the governor of Shuzhou. I think he can tell you what the purpose of being an official is."

Duan Wuji shook his head and said: "When I reached the Song Dynasty, my brother had the title of fourth rank, a state, and his power was second only to the governor. There are very few people who can achieve this position in this world, but after all, they are still only benefiting one party, so we scholars

The so-called "world" that I think in my heart and say in my mouth is not a castle in the air. "Li" says: "Those who want to be sincere in their intentions must first know the truth. To know the things, we learn the art of governing the country and bringing peace to the world. Why only

Even if you can manage a place, you often do it in a hurried manner, often causing bad governance and causing misery to the people."

Zhang Huaiyu narrowed his eyes and said rudely: "You can't even cure a place, how can you talk about 'pacifying the world'? Do you know how bad your brother Song has been? Do you know how much he has paid?"

?”

Duan Wuji smiled bitterly and said: "Sister, I have misunderstood the student. The student wants to say that I am still young and am not in a hurry to take the imperial examination, because after reading many books by sages, I have accumulated too many confusions in my mind. These confusions have no one."

To answer it, I can only rely on myself to explore, see clearly the black and white of good and evil in the world, and experience the joys and sorrows of all sentient beings before I can give myself a satisfactory answer."

After a pause, Duan Wuji looked directly into Zhang Huaiyu's eyes and said seriously: "Students don't want to take the imperial examination in order to become an official. Even if I take the imperial examination, I just want to weigh myself and prove that I am a talent, but being an official is not for me.

What I wish for is that those who know themselves and the world will know clearly, and then turn around and continue to appreciate the principles in the books of sages."

Zhang Huaiyu was a little stunned. She didn't expect that this young man who looked very calm would have such rebellious thoughts in his mind.

However, his words buzzed in her ears, and she couldn't find the words to refute.

Rebellious and uninhibited? Not necessarily.

Perhaps what Duan Wuji was thinking about was the truth of true pursuit of knowledge.

After a long time, Zhang Huaiyu said softly: "I can't say whether your words are right or wrong, but your brother Gu once said that in life, you should first see yourself, then see the world, and finally see all living beings. This is also the thought of the sage Zhuangzi, you

Since you don’t want to be an official, you must have your own opinions, and I can’t help you decide.”

Duan Wuji bowed his head and said, "Thank you very much, sister, for being considerate of the students."

Then Duan Wuji said again: "The student has one more unkind request, please ask my sister to fulfill it."

"you say."

Duan Wuji said in a deep and authentic tone: "Students can learn the principles of saints and sages in Shiqiao Village, which allows me to see the world. Looking back on myself at the beginning, I am like a frog sitting in a well looking at the sky. What I have learned today is all because of Brother Gu and Huaiyu

Thanks to sister’s kindness, if you two hadn’t set up a school in the village, I would have been an ignorant and ignorant person trapped in jail all my life..."

"I can't repay the kindness I have received from you two, but I still want to travel a lot, so... I would like to ask my sister to allow me to go to the Anxi Protectorate and let me become a guest of Brother Gu. I will do my best to go there."

I will assist Brother Gu and learn some of the knowledge and principles that I want to learn from Brother Gu, so as to find answers to those who are confused by me. Sister, can you do that?"

Zhang Huaiyu was a little surprised: "Are you going to Anxi to assist Gu Qing?"

"Yes, I don't count it as an assistant. To be precise, I should be an apprentice." Duan Wuji said with a smile, his eyes were clear and clean, without any selfish desires.

Seeing Zhang Huaiyu stunned and silent, Duan Wuji chuckled and said: "When I was in the village school, I knew that Brother Gu had great ambitions. He wanted to achieve great achievements, and all the students in Shiqiao Village would be Gu.
Chapter completed!