I served as an admonisher in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 367 Redemption! Wang Anshi: Su Jingming is already a saint

On the twelfth day of the first lunar month, late at night, it was very cold.

Under the state bridge.

Less than five feet away from the Bian River, there is a long and narrow slope.

There are piles of stones on the side of this slope to protect it from the cold wind. It is a resting place for many wandering beggars at night.

but.

The weather was cold at the moment and there was only one person on the slope.

Fang Zhongyong, covered with two pairs of thick quilts, lay there, counting and stringing together the copper coins he had begged for today with a hemp rope.

"Three hundred and twenty-eight, three hundred and twenty-nine, three hundred and thirty..."

Perhaps it was because he was whipped for sixty years by Kaifeng Prefecture.

Him at the moment.

"Jinxi child prodigy Fang Zhongyong can compose poems at the age of five. He also has the ability to 'point to objects and compose poems immediately'. He is famous in the countryside at the age of eight and is known to all the prefectures at the age of ten. His literary talent far exceeds that of 'photographic memory' and he is also praised for his 'photographic memory'." Wang Anshi is a child prodigy."

Su Liang strode over.

On the state bridge.

It says that his reputation was ruined by Wang Anshi's "Injury to Zhongyong" and his tragic situation of being unable to survive.

A bunch of big money fell in front of him, which was enough.

Fang Zhongyong raised his head, looked at Su Liang aside, and said quickly: "Thank you, sir, thank you, sir!"

At least ten years older than his actual age.

Fang Zhongyong, who is the same age as Wang Anshi but just over 30 years old, looks so old.

Su Liang, who was wearing a blue-grey robe, had been looking at him for more than a quarter of an hour.

In my hometown of Jinxi.

After the article "Injury to Zhongyong" became popular and spread to his hometown, his reputation was completely ruined, and no one asked him to work.

He didn't expect that it would be so easy to make money in Bianjing City.

The moment I saw him.

Fang Zhongyong frowned and looked at Su Liang.

"Four hundred and thirty-five cents!"

This big piece of paper will add one of his tragic experiences, and tomorrow's income will be even more.

Selling miserably.

Just when Fang Zhongyong stuffed the money into his arms and prepared to sleep.

As soon as you shout, there will be patrolling government servants rushing over immediately.

Just a country boy who only has eyes for money.

Also.

……

And this kind of physical work doesn’t happen often.

Su Liang was sure that Fang Zhongyong would never be able to write those two extreme articles that were full of hostility and induced conflicts between officials and the people.

He didn't expect that.

The public security in Kaifeng Prefecture is very good.

Just listen to "crash".

You can make hundreds of dollars a day.

There was a large piece of paper spread out in front of him.

immediately.

Hear this.

Su Liang sat on a stone nearby.

He is not afraid that someone will steal from him.

Occasionally lick the soft hemp rope.

"But now, the latter has achieved success and may become a leader in the future, while the former has achieved nothing. Now he can only come to Bianjing to beg and make a living by blackmailing the latter. Alas! Alas!"

He tilted his body and tilted his head in a strange posture.

……

A satisfied smile appeared on Fang Zhongyong's face.

He could earn a hundred cents by doing hard work of moving and lifting for a whole day.

If robbed or stolen.

"I... I'm just a waste. I've accomplished nothing. But Wang Anshi shouldn't slander me. He made it impossible for me to live. I... Is it wrong for me to seek compensation from him?"

Fang Zhongyong's eyes were full of hatred.

Su Liang looked at the slowly flowing Bianhe River and said, "Do you think that if Wang Anshi apologizes and pays money, you can return to your normal life? Can you get out of the shadow of "Injury to Zhongyong"?"

"Not really!"

"These stupid actions of yours will only make the article "Shang Zhongyong" more convincing!"

"Not only now, but also in the next ten, twenty, hundred, or even a thousand years, people will remember that there was a child prodigy named Fang Zhongyong who eventually turned into a waste. When he could not even feed and clothe himself, he blackmailed Wang Anshi Live your life. All parents will tell their children not to be like Fang Zhongyong!"

Fang Zhongyong first stuffed the money in front of him into his arms, and then looked at Su Liang.

"You...you are the lobbyist sent by Wang Anshi!"

"It's useless! My reputation has been ruined by him. Now I just want money. Do you know how important money is to a person who eats one meal but loses the next? As long as you have money, I don’t care how many years I’ve been scolded. It’s all thanks to him that I’ve become like this!”

"So what if the Kaifeng government is on Wang Anshi's side? I will go and beat the drum tomorrow, and I will file a complaint against the imperial court. If the officials don't make the decision for me, I will beg under the Zhouqiao bridge every day, and tell him what he wants me to do. I don’t believe he can still find someone to kill me until he pays for it!”

“I’m already here begging, do I still care about what other people think of me?”

Su Liang shook his head.

"No, you care. You say you don't care just because you can't change it!"

"When you were a boy, you had a time when you were admired and praised by countless people. Now, although you have fallen from the clouds into the mire, you can't forget that feeling. You should still be dreaming about it. If your talent as a boy had not been wasted, I imagine that if I have studied hard for several years, I will be better than Wang Anshi, or even like Yan Shuyan, who will enter the examination as a child prodigy, get a Jinshi background, and then rise to the top, once again enjoy the admiration of countless people..."

A person's inner fantasy.

It will always be the best time of his life and his ideal self.

Su Liang's words revealed what Fang Zhongyong was thinking.

Fang Zhongyong was a little flustered.

"Stop talking, stop talking!" Fang Zhongyong covered his head with the quilt, unwilling to admit it.

Even if he is a waste, he is absolutely unwilling to admit that he is a waste, let alone that he once was brilliant.

Su Liang continued to raise his voice.

"Money can't help you get out of the shadow of "Shang Zhongyong" at all. Everything you do next will make people in the world think that you are a clown, a scum, and a useless waste! What you hate is fundamental It’s not Wang Anshi, but the person who didn’t seize the opportunity and didn’t work hard when he was young..."

Swish!
Fang Zhongyong opened the quilt, his eyes were scarlet.

not far away.

The two guards were instantly alert. If he attacked Su Liang, they would immediately subdue him.

"No! No! It was Wang Anshi who harmed me! If it wasn't him, I wouldn't be so embarrassed! I won't embarrass myself in front of the world. It was him who harmed me. I want to kill him, I want to kill him..."

Fang Zhongyong broke down emotionally and burst into tears.

Su Liang was also a little sad.

Fang Zhongyong is just a poor man who wasted his talent due to excessive consumption by his father when he was young.

Fang Zhongyong burst into tears.

After crying for a full quarter of an hour, I gradually stopped when I was a little tired.

Su Liang sat next to him and patted his shoulder.

"You are still young and you can start over from scratch. Don't let some people take advantage of you!"

"Those two articles in recent days, do you think they are seeking justice for you? Are they helping you destroy Wang Anshi? No, they are creating emotional confrontation between the people and scholar-bureaucrats, and undermining the reform of the entire Song Dynasty. You should I can feel that the reform is beneficial to the people, but if you are on the opposite side of the people and are used and accused of undermining the reform of the entire Song Dynasty, you will be truly ruined in this life. Why bother?" Then... what should I... do? I'm living like a ghost now, and I can't even support myself!

Su Liang looked at him.

"I can help you eliminate the negative impact of "Shang Zhongyong" and let you start your life again. But the premise is that you must expose the person who helped you write the article!"

"Really...is it really possible? Can you be more powerful than Wang Anshi? More powerful than Kaifeng Mansion?" Fang Zhongyong was a little unconvinced.

Su Liang replied sincerely: "My name is Su Liang, and my courtesy name is Jingming."

"You...you...are Su...Su Jingming!" Fang Zhongyong's mouth trembled.

Now among the people.

Su Jingming's status was close to that of the Xianggong of Zhongshu Province, far beyond what Wang Anshi could compare with.

"Believe me. Now, follow me to Kaifeng Mansion." Su Liang said seriously.

"I...I...I..." Fang Zhongyong still looked hesitant.

"Actually, it's a good choice. What that person brought you was just to vent his hatred for Wang Anshi and then get a compensation. What I can bring you is to move towards a new life and let you regain your youth. Myself, how do you want to live?"

"I...I'll go with you!"

……

Near the time of child.

Fang Zhongyong followed Su Liang to Kaifeng Mansion.

Bao Zheng was still in the government office and immediately started asking questions.

soon.

Fang Zhongyong explained everything.

Years ago, in my hometown of Jinxi.

He met Shi You, the deposed editor of Chongwen Academy Engraving Bookstore. Shi You was deposed by the court and was despised by his fellow villagers.

The two fell in love with each other and became friends.

Then, Shi You came up with a plan to go to Bianjing to blackmail Wang Anshi.

Fang Zhongyong is responsible for selling misfortune, and Shi You is responsible for writing tabloid articles.

Fang Zhongyong only wanted money and wanted to discredit Wang Anshi.

Shi You wanted to overthrow the reformists so that he could have a chance to return to his official career.

Su Liang was impressed by Shi You.

This person was among the first wave of deposed officials.

The main reason for his dismissal was that his political performance was very poor. Although he had literary talent, he always opposed the reform of the Song Dynasty and made alarmist remarks in the court many times to mislead his colleagues.

now.

Shi Youzheng lived in a paper-making and printing workshop outside Bianjing City.

The Kaifeng government officials immediately went to fetch the person.

……

It's getting daylight.

Shi You was taken into Kaifeng Mansion.

The Kaifeng government officials found many articles in his house that provoked conflicts between the people and officials.

Both Bao Zheng and Su Liang stayed up all night.

Bao Zheng sighed and said: "It is expected that such problems will arise during the reform. However, when the court implements the policy of cutting officials, it still needs to channelize and ease the emotions of officials, otherwise similar problems will occur again. question."

"Yeah, I will definitely give feedback to the Reform Department." Su Liang nodded.

The main reason why this matter did not become a big deal.

It was Su Liang who asked Wang Anshi to report the case quickly, and then Bao Zheng gave the verdict on the same day.

The people of Kaifeng Mansion were very convinced of Bao Zheng's character and abilities.

Therefore, few people questioned the riots.

Shi You completely overestimated the destructive power he and Fang Zhongyong would bring.

of course.

This incident also sounded the alarm for Su Liang.

Whether in the court or among the people, there are many people who want to do harm to the reform, so we must always be cautious.

……

After a while.

In the back office of Kaifeng Mansion, Bao Zheng and Su Liang had breakfast together.

When it's almost finished.

Bao Zheng stroked his beard and said: "Just leave this matter to the Kaifeng Mansion. The Kaifeng Mansion will make it public and the tabloids that published the two articles will be quickly destroyed."

"Brother, what I am more curious about is, how do you plan to bring Fang Zhongyong back to life? According to his current ability, it is no longer possible for him to become an official or a poet. It is also impossible for Wang Jiefu to apologize to him, right? !”

Su Liang smiled slightly and said, "Brother Su Wenxi solves cases like a god, what do you think?"

"I can't guess!" Bao Zheng stuffed the last bite of the bun into his mouth.

"Also, your rod is sixty, how do you plan to make up for it? Kaifeng Mansion postponed the execution of the rod punishment because you two have done meritorious service to the court and are showing mercy!"

"Brother Xiren, guess again."

Seeing that Bao Zheng was so angry that he wanted to hit him, Su Liang quickly drank the white porridge in the bowl and walked out, saying, "We'll find out in the next few days!"

……

Two hours later.

Su Liang, who had been squinting for a while on the carriage, came to the Reform Department.

After Wang Anshi learned the whole story, he couldn't help but be very excited.

Although he is not afraid of Fang Zhongyong.

But the latter will keep clinging to him like a dog-skin plaster, constantly ruining his reputation.

He was also very upset.

"Brother Jingming, you really saved me from fire and water, thank you so much!" Wang Anshi handed over his hand and said again: "However, your promise to bring Fang Zhongyong back to life and remove the negative impact of "Injury to Zhongyong" will not... no Do you want me to apologize to him?"

Su Liang shook his head and said, "I don't need you to apologize, but I need you to help him."

"I...how...how can I help?"

"'Shang Zhongyong' is a sad story, and I want it to become a story about a prodigal son who can never change his fortune."

"I want you to teach Fang Zhongyong how to speak and make him a folk speaker."

"Tell the story of his childhood prodigy, the story of his farming in the fields, the story of being hurt by "Shang Zhongyong", his regrets, his lessons, his scrawled first half of his life, and why he became a folk speaker. Talk about people."

"Use his story and his experience and lessons to encourage more people to make progress and avoid taking the same path as him when they were young."

"In this way, the value of the article "Shang Zhongyong" will be even greater. From being harmed by "Shang Zhongyong", he has become living on the article "Shang Zhongyong", and he can still live very well. good."

"A hundred years later, when future generations read the article "Shang Zhongyong", what they think of is not the destruction of a generation of prodigies, nor the negative role models of childhood, but the story of a person's self-salvation and rebirth. Life is long, no matter what You can start over at any age..."

"When you have trained him to the point where he is almost done, I will first let him go to the teahouse in Bianjing City to give lectures, and then go to the Juju venue in the south of the city. This career will be enough to make the second half of his life rich and exciting and receive heavy rewards!"

Wang Anshi looked excited.

"Wonderful! Wonderful! I wrote "Shang Zhongyong" to hurt Zhongyong and encourage people to learn from it. And this strategy is completely to save all living beings! Fang Zhongyong became a folk speaker through "Shang Zhongyong". This story, It seems to be greater than the story of "Injury to Zhongyong"!

"Brother Jingming, please accept Jiefu's bow. In my eyes, you are a saint right now!"

Wang Anshi handed over his hands heavily.

He didn't expect that such a messy matter could have such a happy ending.

Su Liang smiled brightly and looked at the bright sky in the distance.

He hopes that future generations will see "Shang Zhongyong" and no longer regard it as a persuasive story about "young people don't work hard and old people are sad", but that the road to life is long and there is always a way to redeem yourself. possible……

(End of this chapter)