I studied in modern times

Chapter 815 Zeng Bu's Love Poem

Yangzhou.

A city that prospered because of the canal was once an extremely prosperous city.

In the Tang Dynasty, there was a saying that "promote one and benefit two".

However, the chaos of the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties destroyed everything.

The rebellions of Bi Shiyi and Sun Ru turned the prosperous Tang Yangzhou into a wasteland.

Yang Xingmi worked hard and finally managed to restore it to some vitality.

But soon, the flames of war brought it back to its original form.

Especially the ongoing war between the Later Zhou Dynasty and the Southern Tang Dynasty over Yangzhou almost destroyed everything.

As a result, even the Song Dynasty had enjoyed peace for more than a hundred years.

But Yangzhou has still not recovered to its heyday in the Tang Dynasty.

However, in terms of humanistic and business atmosphere, Yangzhou has fully recovered.

It can even be compared with Yangzhou in the prosperous Tang Dynasty!

This is because, when the prime ministers of the Song Dynasty were sent to govern other places, Yangzhou was usually their first choice.

Under the governance of the prime ministers and literary masters, the culture and commerce of Yangzhou City flourished.

Thus, Yangzhou City became a unique city in the Song Dynasty.

It can even be said that this city has become somewhat deformed in this era.

For example, Yangzhou City has the most extreme main customer ratio in the entire Song Dynasty.

In the third year of Yuanfeng, the imperial court counted the population of the country.

In Yangzhou, there are 29,077 main households and 24,855 customers.

The ratio between the two is infinitely close to one to one.

In comparison, in the household census of the same year in Bianjing City, there were 183,777 main households and 51,829 client households.

The ratio between the two is close to four to one.

This data illustrates an extremely objective problem - Yangzhou's tertiary industry is extremely developed and its service industry is prosperous.

Imagine that there was such a city in this medieval feudal society.

At least half of its residents rely entirely on their employers for their livelihood.

At the same time, this half of the population is still proletarians who have almost no property of their own.

In feudal society, such data is crazy just to think about.

However, the people of Yangzhou and the successive Yangzhou prefects, magistrates, the military commander of the Xuanyi Army in Yangzhou, and the civil servants of the Jianghuai Transport Commissioner's Office had no feelings about this.

Even most people think that Yangzhou should be like this.

Zeng Bu is also average.

At this moment, this scholar from the Duanming Palace was strolling in the Daming Temple outside the city of Yangzhou with his concubine.

This is a famous temple in Yangzhou. Inside the temple is the Pingshan Hall which was built decades ago when Ouyang Wenzhong was the governor of Yangzhou.

The girl, who is less than 20 years old, is in the prime of her youth with a pretty face, delicate skin and graceful figure, which are all pleasing to the eye and refreshing.

Zeng Bu was no exception.

He smiled faintly, looking at his beloved concubine and former adopted daughter, who was happily touring this ancient temple with a bright and innocent look.

So he found a pavilion and sat down leisurely.

Zuo Yuansui and his attendants immediately brought him some boiled tea.

It was at this time that the gatekeeper who had been following Zeng Bu finally found an opportunity, came up to Zeng Bu, and whispered, "My lord, my mistress has been writing lyrics again..."

"Hmm?" Zeng Bu frowned.

His wife, Wei Wan, was a well-known talented woman when she was young.

When they were newly married, they were very affectionate and loving.

However, as he was away for official business, his wife took care of his elderly mother and raised their children in their hometown.

At this time, the disadvantages of being a talented wife became apparent!

because……

She is talented and can write poetry!

Poems written in the boudoir can always be spread through various means.

Then, it became an obstacle in his career.

For example, when he first served in the local government and was a military officer in Xuanzhou.

The wife then wrote a poem for the boudoir called "Bodhisattva Man": The mountain and stream are hidden in the setting sun, the shadows of the pavilions move and the mandarin ducks rise.

There are two or three houses across the river, with red apricot blossoms outside the wall.

The road under the green willow embankment, morning and evening to the stream. I saw the willow catkins flying three times, but the one I left has not returned.

Is this a good word?
very good!
The attachment and longing expressed in the words made him cry.

but……

People in official circles don’t see it that way.

Xiao Zeng... I heard that you have a good wife who misses you every day at home...

Although work is important, family life must also be taken care of.

How about this!
How about I give you a few months off so you can go home and reunite with your wife?

In the officialdom of the Song Dynasty, if you are slow in one step, you will be slow at every step.

The lower the rank of the official, the more important time is to them!

Not to mention giving him a few months' vacation, even a half-month vacation would be counted as part of the inspection.

When changing one's position, the officials of the Ministry of Personnel (Shenguanyuan) will take the certificate and calculate the time of tenure.

Not being satisfied with one's job means being dissatisfied with one's job.

Except in two special circumstances: the emperor personally decreed the appointment or the governor appointed the person.

Everyone else is subject to the system.

No matter how good an official's reputation is or how high his political achievements are, it will be useless if the targets are not met.

However, when the Ministry of Personnel selects officials, each one is assigned to a specific position.

That is to say, he had a good father and a good brother in the court who could help him smooth out relationships.

If it were an ordinary person, being treated like this by the boss would delay him for at least two or three years!
After suffering that loss, Zeng Bu brought his wife with him when he served as an official again.

However, he couldn't take his wife with him to work as an official forever.

Under normal circumstances, the imperial court did not allow officials to serve in other provinces and counties with their wives.

When the couple has children, the wife must stay at home to raise the children.

As a result, Wei Wan wrote more and more lyrics.

In these boudoir poems, the longing and yearning for him gradually turned into a kind of complaint.

Just like after he was appointed as the governor of Guizhou in the first year of Yuanfeng, his wife wrote a poem "Dian Jiang Chun" to express her missing him.

The lyrics are: The breeze on the waves, the bright moon on the painted boat after the people have returned. The remaining wine gradually disappears, I lean on the railing alone for a long time, the gathering and separation are so hurried, this regret comes with me every year, I look back again, the light smoke is sparse on the willows, and the faint sound of the city leaks.

Zeng Bu was furious when he read it. He wrote a letter back and scolded his wife for the first time.

Wei Wan, after reading his letter, is said to have cried for several days.

After that, I seldom wrote those boudoir poems anymore.

Unexpectedly, now, my wife picked up the pen again.

This made Zeng Bu's face turn cold immediately!
Now is his critical moment!

Just yesterday, news came from Bian Jing that Pu Chuanzheng had been summoned to the capital to report on his work.

Zeng Bu was extremely concerned about this and personally sent someone to Yingtian Prefecture to keep an eye on the court's bulletins so that he could know the situation in the court at the first time.

"What lyrics has Madam written now?" Zeng Bu asked unhappily.

The gatekeeper handed a piece of rice paper to Zeng Bu.

Zeng Bu took it, unfolded the rice paper, and read the words on it softly: "The small courtyard is deserted, the curtains are half rolled up, and I am leaning against the railing alone..."

"When spring comes, my golden brocade dress is loosened, who knows how haggard I am?"

After reading this, Zeng Bu's face became extremely gloomy.

But he couldn't get angry. Once he got angry and it got out, it would be a fatal blow to his official reputation and image!

He and Wei Wan are the golden boy and jade girl in the eyes of many people, the perfect combination of talented men and beautiful women!

I could only grit my teeth and continue reading the other words.

"The beauty has sent me few letters recently, maybe she is complaining about my late arrival... In my dream, I will return to Chang'an sooner or later, standing in the setting sun with tears in my eyes..."

Seeing this, Zeng Bu's face turned red.

Because these words told Zeng Bu one thing - his wife already knew about what happened between him and Zhang.

Words speak for themselves.

"It should be that the blame comes too late... It should be that the blame comes too late..." Zeng Bu let out a sigh of relief.

A feeling of guilt, similar to that of stealing something from the owner's house and being discovered by the owner, rose in his heart.

"Madam, are you doing well in Beijing?" Zeng Bu put down the rice paper and turned to look at the doorman.

"My Lord, I heard that the mistress is in the capital and is often invited to the palace by the Empress Dowager..."

"The Queen loves the mistress and often holds her hand while they admire the flowers in the palace..."

"Especially recently, Her Majesty has been summoning the Mistress to the palace to talk every two or three days!"

When Zeng Bu heard this, his face turned from red to normal.

He said softly, "My wife is in Beijing, raising my sons... I am away, but I seldom write home to express my condolences..."

"This is my fault!"

"Bring me some writing brush and ink!" Zeng Bu ordered his attendants, "I want to write a letter back to Beijing to comfort my wife who is missing me!"

Although, he hasn't slept in the same bed with his wife for many years.

But at this moment, when Zeng Bu heard that his wife had been often summoned by the Empress Dowager to the palace to talk.

He suddenly remembered the vows he and his wife made when they were first married. He also thought of the time when they were young and they would snuggle together in the backyard of their hometown in Fuzhou and write poems about their love and attachment.

So he picked up his pen and wrote a tender letter with the touch and tenderness of his youth.

After thinking for a while, Zeng Bu waved to the girl who was visiting the ancient temple.

"Xiao Man..." He called the other person by her nickname, which was the nickname he gave to Zhang, who was still a little girl in Huairen County.

"My dear..." Xiao Man walked slowly to Zeng Bu with graceful and charming steps, then snuggled into his arms.

Zeng Bu held the girl in one hand and held a pen in the other, feeling the youth and tenderness of the girl in his arms.

At the same time, recalling the love they had when they were newly married.

One word after another appeared in his pen.

Zeng Bu was indeed a top-notch writer who had served as a Hanlin scholar. Just a few short moments, a gentle "Wulingchun" appeared from his pen.

After checking it carefully and confirming that it was correct, Zeng Bu picked up his pen and wrote at the end of the poem: I feel ashamed after reading your poem. Thinking of our good times in the past and our separation now, the emotions I feel are beyond words, so I wrote this poem to record my feelings for you.

Xiaoman, who was in Zeng Bu's arms, also saw these words.

She smiled foolishly because she knew that this poem was actually written for her by her husband.

This made her happy.

The only thing I’m not satisfied with is that such a nice word is to be given to that woman!

That old woman who is already in her forties and has lost her beauty!
That hateful woman who refused to die and gave up his position as the legal wife to her!
But, anyway.

Soon, in the streets of Yangzhou, a poem titled "Wulingchun" expressing longing for his wife spread like wildfire and soon became a viral hit.

Countless people were enchanted by the gentle poetry in the lyrics and the deep love they expressed for his wife.

only……

When this poem was spread along the Grand Canal to Jiangning Prefecture.

Wang Anli laughed when he held the poem.

"Zeng Zixuan's "Wulingchun" is really excellent!"

"only……"

"If Zeng Zixuan and his wife Wei were so loving..."

"Why did he write this poem 'Wulingchun'?"

His eldest brother Wang Anshi and his eldest sister-in-law Wu were childhood sweethearts.

After getting married, they are a couple for life, never leaving each other, supporting and relying on each other.

Even now, both of them are gray-haired and have experienced countless hardships, but they can still hold hands and stroll in the bamboo forest of Baoning Zen Temple.

You can still call me 'Badger' and I can still call you by your nickname.

Does the love between them need poetry and articles to set off?
No need!
Indeed, they wrote many poems to each other.

However, none of these poems were circulated.

The only poem of my sister-in-law that has been circulated outside is a fragment of "Ding Fengbo": Wait until next year when we can drink together and hold hands again, but there will be no rain or wind.

It is just recording the scenes of having fun with relatives and friends.

Moreover, the joy and happiness in the words overflow without restraint.

Every reader can relate to the text.

The same is true of Sima Guang and his wife, another role model couple in the Qing Dynasty.

Sima Guang and his first wife loved each other for decades.

It is also a lifelong couple.

Even though his wife was infertile, he still stayed with her for a hundred years.

When did Sima Guang need to write poetry to express the feelings between him and his wife?

so……

Wang Anli put down the poem in his hand and chuckled: "Who would write love poems?"

"Which loving couple needs to rely on these things to prove their love for each other?"

"My brother won't write, and Sima Twelve won't write either!"

"You are the one who wrote it, Zeng Zixuan?"

"hehe!"

"Despicable!"

However, why did Zeng Bu write this poem?
Wang Anli fell into deep thought.

Coincidentally, at this time, two months ago, Zheng Xia, who was invited by his brother from Quanzhou to Jiangning to help teach, came to his house.

Zheng Xia was invited to discuss the expansion of Jiangning Academy with him.

Jiangning Academy was originally planned to be run in the old school building of Jiangning Prefecture.

But soon, as scholars from all over the world flocked to the school, the old school could no longer accommodate so many people.

When the emperor heard about it, he specially approved 100,000 strings of cash for running the school.

As the magistrate of Jiangning Prefecture, he was asked to acquire land near Jiangning Academy and build an academy with at least a hundred study rooms.

Originally, this matter should have been handled by his brother himself.

However, his brother was not in good health, so the matter fell into Zheng Xia's hands.

"Jiefu has come at the right time..." When Wang Anli saw Zheng Xia, he handed the Zeng Bu Ci in his hand to him and asked, "Jiefu was once a friend of Zeng Zixuan. Let's take a look at what Zeng Zixuan is up to."

Zheng Xia took Zeng Bu's lyrics, read them through, and started laughing.

"Zeng Zixuan is trying to curry favor with the current Grand Empress Dowager! Perhaps he is thinking of using this method to get the Grand Empress Dowager to honor him!"

"Ok?"

"What was it like between the Empress Dowager and Emperor Yingmiao back then?" Zheng Xia shrugged.

Wang Anli suddenly realized.

Yup!

The Empress Dowager and Yingmiao were also considered a model couple of another type.

Ying Miao had no concubines either before or after he ascended the throne.

and so……

Is Zeng Bu using this method to create the image of himself as such a person, so that the Empress Dowager will look up to him?
Does this work?

Wang Anli expressed doubt.

(End of this chapter)