evening.

The sunset is like a fire, so beautiful.

Cui Hongjian carried two kilograms of mutton and a fresh fish and walked home with a sad look on his face.

The old father-in-law was imprisoned unjustly. As a son-in-law, Cui Hongjian said that he was not in a hurry, which was a lie.

But he was humble and understated. Before he resigned due to illness, he was just a minor official at the bottom of the list. Now it is even more difficult to resign due to illness. He went to the Ministry of Punishment Prison several times, but he was not even allowed to enter. In the past, he was not allowed to enter.

My classmates and friends there are also trying to avoid him.

After a few days, Cui Hongjian started to mutter a little.

He knew what his old father-in-law was like, and Cui Hongjian didn't believe him when he said he was corrupt and perverting the law.

Nowadays, people are being held in the prison of the Ministry of Punishment. They are neither interrogated nor visited. As time goes by, the more I think about it, the more something is wrong.

"Um?"

When I arrived at the door of my house, I saw that the door was open.

Looking further inside, I saw a young man sitting on his Taishi chair under the osmanthus tree in the yard.

"Brother Zhang!"

After just one glance, Cui Hongjian was overjoyed and trotted towards me: "Brother, when did you come?"

"I just arrived not long ago."

There was a smile on Zhang Heng's face, and he looked Cui Hongjian up and down, with a hint of surprise in his eyes: "I haven't seen you for a few months, you have changed a lot!"

Cui Hongjian said with a smile: "I have been working in the Hanlin Academy since high school. I keep reading books every day, listen to the teachings of sages, and cultivate the spirit of a gentleman. I am no longer a monk under Wu."

Zhang Heng nodded silently.

In the past, Cui Hongjian was just an ordinary scholar, one who was full of nonsense.

Now, there is an awe-inspiring feeling about him, and before anyone arrives, there is a fragrance of books on his face. This is a sign that Confucianism and Taoism have entered the palace. If things continue like this, Cui Hongjian is very likely to become a great Confucian in the future.

"Hanlin Academy!"

Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism each have their own merits.

Great Confucian scholars also have merits. They cultivate a majestic spirit that is enough to suppress ghosts and monsters and drink Taoist magic.

However, it is extremely difficult to achieve this step, and a casual scholar will never have the chance.

Unless you come from a Confucian and Taoist family, or have real talents and practical knowledge, you are admitted to the Hanlin Academy, and then learn Confucian methods from the Hanlin Academy.

Cui Hongjian took the second step and entered the Imperial Academy.

Taizu Taizu of Dasong once issued an edict: Those who are not members of the Imperial Academy are not allowed to become prime ministers.

People who are not from the Hanlin Academy cannot become chief ministers or prime ministers, so there is another saying among the people: it is difficult for people who are not from the Hanlin Academy to become great Confucians.

Of course, this is only for poor families.

The situation is different for children of aristocratic families. Some people come from ancient sage families, and their internal inheritance is enough to support them in entering the realm of great Confucianism.

In addition, it is not an exaggeration to say that there are great Confucian scholars from generation to generation.

However, there is a big difference between a great scholar from a wealthy family and a great scholar from a humble family.

They were not trained by the dynasty.

In their view, the change of dynasty is like the change between spring, summer, autumn and winter. It is difficult to be loyal to the court, and they pay more attention to family interests, because they, a family of saints, have survived thousands of years of ups and downs and are in harmony with themselves.

Comparatively, those so-called dynasties are just bubbles under the water.

"Ms. sir, you are back."

inside the room.

After hearing the conversation in the courtyard, Fu Qingfeng came out and said, "Did you see your father when you went to the Penal Department Prison this time?"

"Why!"

Cui Hongjian shook his head and sighed: "No matter how I interceded, relied on connections, and stuffed my money with money, the guards from the Ministry of Punishment just refused to let me in, not even saying a word. I even went to beg Mr. Sun today. Mr. Sun is my father-in-law.

My friend during his lifetime was a second-grade Grand Bachelor of the Guanwen Palace, but he also kept silent about this matter, as if he had something to hide."

Fu Qingfeng cried when he heard this: "Master Sun feels embarrassed and refuses to help. Who else in the world can help us?"

While crying, I secretly went to see Zhang Heng.

Zhang Heng seemed not to have heard of it.

It's not the first day he came out to fool around. These little tricks are not enough to coax the children back home.

"It's useless for me. If something like this happens to my father-in-law, I can't help at all."

Cui Hongjian didn't know what his wife was thinking, and he blamed himself for a moment: "It would be great if I were the number one scholar in the new science. The number one scholar was given a badge to walk in front of the emperor, and he could meet the emperor at any time. Unlike me, who is too anxious to talk about the hot pot.

I am like an ant on the bed, but I can’t even see the Emperor’s face.”

Fu Qingfeng wiped away tears and didn't know how to answer.

After a while.

Thinking that Zhang Heng was still there, Cui Hongjian forced a smile: "I went to Mr. Sun's house. Mr. Sun gave me two kilograms of mutton and a fresh fish and asked me to go home to replenish my body. Brother Zhang happened to be here, so he

Let's stew the mutton and fish, so that I can take care of Brother Zhang."

Even now, Cui Hongjian was still thinking about himself.

Zhang Heng also sighed: "As heaven moves forward, a gentleman should constantly strive for self-improvement. We have been separated for a year. The scholar back then became a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy. You have changed, but you have not changed. You are still the scholar Cui who gave me the horse."

ah."

Cui Hongjian didn't know why Zhang Heng mentioned this, so he could only smile bitterly and said: "What did you say, brother? I'm not a teenager. I'm almost 30 years old. My personality has already been set. How can I change it?"

"It's different, it's different."

Zhang Heng saw clearly: "The so-called noble friends are easy to change, and the rich are easy to change wives. They are all of low quality, but they are good at studying. In the eyes of you scholars, I am just a foreigner, not approachable. Now you are in high school and have been selected as editor of the Hanlin Academy.

"Xiu, your future career is just around the corner, but you are able to resign because of a letter from me. It is very unusual for a person to have such faith in me."

Cui Hongjian was a little embarrassed when he was told: "If it weren't for you, eldest brother, I would have been harmed by that goat spirit long ago. How could I even talk about going to Beijing to take the exam? You are my savior and also my eldest brother. If I were to continue...

If you don’t believe it, who else can you believe in this world?”

Zhang Heng smiled but said nothing.

Because Cui Hongjian said it was simple, but it was difficult to implement.

Before Chen Sheng and Wu Guang's uprising, Chen Sheng was just a small farmer in other people's family.

In the fields, I once made a vow with my best friend: As long as we live in wealth and honor, we will never forget each other.

Later, Chen Sheng really became the king, and his friend from back then went to seek refuge with him. As a result, he told some interesting stories about Chen Sheng's childhood, but Chen Sheng killed him because of his disrespectful words.

From this we can see that sharing joys and sorrows is easy, but sharing wealth and honor is difficult.

"There's no need to rush to prepare the food."

Zhang Heng stopped Fu Qingfeng who was about to cook, and then said to Cui Hongjian: "I have an appointment tonight. The person has a special status and is not an ordinary person. I shouldn't take you with me, but seeing that you are full of worries, I decided to take you with me."

Let's go to the banquet together, tell it your problem, and see if it has any solution."

Cui Hongjian was full of surprise and didn't know how Zhang Heng still had friends in Kaifeng Mansion.

Just out of trust, he did not ask, but thought to himself: "I am worried about my old father-in-law. Even Lord Sun can't help with this matter. Lord Sun is a second-grade bachelor of Guanwen Palace.

He can't do anything, so what can Brother Zhang's friends do?"

It can't be possible. Zhang Heng's friends are first-class officials such as the Grand Master, the Imperial Tutor, and the Taibao, right?

"Come on, come on..."

Zhang Heng didn't give Cui Hongjian a chance to think too much.

When it got dark, I asked him to go out on foot and headed all the way to Nancheng.

When I arrived at the old alley of Nancheng, I took out a paper frog from my sleeve.

Blow your breath, and the paper frog will come out and jump ahead to lead the way.

After walking a thousand steps, we came across an abandoned house.

When I went in, I saw that the courtyard was overgrown with weeds and there was an old well. The paper frog jumped into the well and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"This is it."

Seeing this, Zhang Heng laughed with Cui Hongjian and said, "No matter what you see in a while, don't be surprised. Just follow me with peace of mind."

Cui Hongjian nodded repeatedly.

Afterwards, Zhang Heng jumped into the dry well, followed closely by Cui Hongjian.

This jump didn't matter, he just felt as light as a swallow, surrounded by colorful lights.

Fall on the ground and take a closer look.

This is not the bottom of a well. It is clearly a secret place in the world with mountains, water, and palaces.
To be continued...