Tang Dynasty: The seventh rank of official residence, and you will be given the Ten Thousand People

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the official studies of the Tang Dynasty have been dominated by six studies and two schools.

That is, Guozixue, Taixue, Four Schools, Legal Studies, Calligraphy, Arithmetic, Chongwen Hall, and Hongwen Hall.

Among them, six schools were affiliated to the Imperial College, which was the highest institution of higher education in the Tang Dynasty and was established in Luoyang and Chang'an.

The status of Hongwen Hall is higher than that of Imperial College, and most of the students inside are relatives of the emperor.

However, due to the large number of scholars in the world, the imperial court specifically allowed local state capitals to establish state schools for the country to select a group of talents.

Lanzhou Hongwen Museum is one of them.

"Mr. Fan, we are here." Xiaoshi pointed to a mountain gate in front and said excitedly.

"Is this the highest university in Lanzhou? It's really impressive!" Fan Xin praised loudly.

The Hongwen Pavilion in front of us is the same as the one in Luoyang, with Qingyun Ladder and Liyumen built.

There is a simple plaque hanging on the mountain gate of Nuoda.

The words "Hongwen Hall" are clearly written on it.

"What I said is right, Xiao Ci will become a high official if he gets Jinshi in the future."

When she came to the place where her younger brother was studying, Xiao Shi seemed very happy and kept saying that her younger brother was great.

Fan Xin smiled and did not refute. In fact, since the Tang Dynasty, officials have been proud to be from the Hongwen Palace, followed by the Imperial College.

It is difficult for a local government school like Lanzhou to produce a high-ranking official above the fifth rank.

The names are the same but their futures are vastly different.

According to Fan Xin's knowledge, there are more than 200 ministers from the fifth rank and above in the main hall of Shangyang Palace, and only ten of them came from local prefectures.

Therefore, if a poor family wants to have a noble son, it often pays a higher price than others.

In the best case scenario, Xiaoshi's younger brother could become a seventh-rank official, which would already be the manifestation of his ancestors.

"Alright, Miss Li, the lunch break bell of Hongwen Hall has rang. It's time for us to go give Xiaoci money for the repair."

Xiao Shi's pretty face turned red and she spat out her tongue in embarrassment.

After talking for a long time, she remembered that she had not done anything serious yet.

As soon as the two of them walked into the mountain gate, a steward came towards them and asked.

"What do you do? Why did you just enter Hongwen Hall?"

"This steward, I am Li Ci's sister. I am here to send him the repair money. Please let me know."

"Oh, you are Li Ci's sister."

The steward patted his forehead in sudden realization, looked up and down at the poem, and chuckled.

"Please wait for a moment. The gentleman from Hongwen Hall is still giving lectures and will be out in a moment."

After saying that, he left with his hands behind his back.

Looking at his back, Fan Xin frowned, feeling a little unhappy.

"Forget it, the stewards here are all from the Governor's Mansion. We can't afford to offend them. We'd better wait patiently for a while."

Xiaoshi obviously felt the frivolity in the other person's eyes. She shook her head with a pale face and pulled Fan Xin to Hongwenguan Square.

This is a square paved with bluestones. Many students wearing blue Confucian shirts are walking around holding books and shaking their heads.

In the center of the square stand two statues, one is of Saint Kong, and the smaller one is of Fan Xin, holding the law of the Tang Dynasty and looking down at all living beings.

"Look at Mr. Fan! There is a statue of Fan Qingtian here, it's incredible!"

Seeing the statue, Xiaoshi became happy, and her eyes showed excitement.

Fan Xin glanced at her and said in surprise.

"What, do you know Fan Qingtian?"

"More than just acquaintance, we Lanzhou people all know his deeds."

Speaking of Fan Xin, Xiaoshi's pretty face suddenly became pious.

"Fan Qingtian first served as the county magistrate in a place called Wushui County. In order to protect the people, he led three thousand soldiers to fight to the death against the rebels named Li."

"Later, when I went to Luoyang to serve as the young minister of Dali Temple, I took care of many wealthy and powerful people..."

Looking at the little poem that was being narrated, Fan Xin coughed unnaturally.

I just did some real things and it seems not as bad as the rumors, right?

"Later, I heard that the Tubo people had occupied the source of the river, and none of the sanctimonious guys in the court were willing to go to the front line to die."

"At this time, only Fan Qingtian stood up and single-handedly fought against the 180,000 Tibetan army."

"In the end, in order not to be captured by the enemy, Fan Qingtian chose to commit suicide by jumping off a cliff."

At the end of the sentence, Xiaoshi's tone suddenly became emotional.

"Mr. Fan, tell me, are these unparalleled heroes who are of unparalleled magnificence, who take orders in times of danger, and save the country from the turmoil, very powerful?"

Facing Xiaoshi's questioning gaze, Fan Xin didn't know what to say.

It was a bit unaccustomed for him to praise himself, so he subconsciously said modestly.

"He is not a great hero. His service as an official brings benefit to one party. He just fulfilled his duty as an official."

Unexpectedly, as soon as these words came out, he instantly attracted hundreds of angry looks.

Snapped!

After closing the fan, a scholar with a delicate face came over.

"Your Excellency, you have such a strong tone. Fan Qingtian is the most influential figure in our Tang Dynasty, and his deeds are still popular in the entire scholarly world. Who do you think you are?"

"How dare you rely on his old man's achievements!"

"Yes, during the Yingzhou Rebellion, in order to defend the interests of the Tang Dynasty, Fan Qingtian did not hesitate to bring a coffin to the Turks to borrow troops!"

"Such bravery is beyond what you, a poor man, can match."

"Humph, not only that, suppressing the rebellion and rebelling against the party, Liangzhou severely inflicting tens of thousands of Tibetan elites, and Fuqi jumping off a cliff to die for his country, each and every one of them are immortal achievements listed in the annals of history."

"You actually said it's nothing, it's simply unreasonable!"

The more the scholars talked, the angrier they became, wanting to beat the man who slandered Fan Xin to death on the spot.

Seeing the scholars gathering around him, Xiao Shi hurriedly opened his arms to stand in front of Fan Xin and defended loudly.

"Everyone, listen to me, Mr. Fan didn't mean that, he just said..."

However, before she could finish speaking, the leading scholar interrupted with a sneer.

"Who do I think she is? Isn't this Li Ci's sister? No wonder she associates with such a person!"

As soon as these words came out, the scholars burst into laughter and looked at the two people with deep disdain.

"Sister, why are you here?" Li Ci was shocked when he saw that it was his sister who was being laughed at by everyone.

"Li Ci, you came just in time. The sage taught a gentleman not to conspire with villains. Your sister is just shameless."

"The people I brought with me actually openly slandered me, Fan Qingtian, the most influential figure in the Tang Dynasty."

"If you don't express your attitude today, not only will we not be able to agree, but I'm afraid you won't be able to explain it to the owner."

"You can decide for yourself which one is more important!" the white-faced scholar reminded him, swinging his sleeves heavily.

Hearing this, Li Ci's face turned blue and white. He looked at his sister for a while, and then looked at the scholars around him, with a look of hesitation in his eyes.

Finally he said in a low voice.

"Sister, you made me unable to even lift my head in the academy. Isn't that enough?"

"Now here comes another pretty boy who talks arrogantly."

"What evil did I, Li Ci, do in my last life to have a sister like you? I never want to see you again from now on!"

"Get out of here!"

Snapped!

A slap hit Li Ci hard on the face.

quiet!

The scene was deathly quiet. Li Ci covered his face and looked at his sister in disbelief.

He never dreamed that she would hit him.

"You disappoint me so much! My parents died early. I didn't earn every penny you spent on food and clothing when you were young."

"In order to support your studies, I can't even go home every night. What else do you want from me?"

When she heard her dependent brother telling her to get out, Xiao Shi, who had always been strong, could no longer hold back the sadness in her heart and cried. Seeing this scene, Fan Xin sighed and patted her shoulder.

"Forget it, since we are not welcome here, let's go."

He spoke as his eyes swept over the crowd.

"You hold sages in your hands, you keep saying you are proud of Fan Xin, but you are full of heart-breaking words. How are you different from those powerful people in the officialdom?"

"Remember, officials should set their minds for the heaven and the earth, ask for orders for the living people, carry forward the unique knowledge for the saints, and create peace for all generations!"

As soon as these words came out, hundreds of students present were shocked, with shock in their eyes.

They didn't expect that the young man in coarse linen clothes in front of them could say such inspiring words.

Especially the teachers at Hongwen Hall, after hearing these words, they all lowered their heads in shame.

To establish a heart for heaven and earth, to pray for the lives of the people, to carry on the unique knowledge of the past saints, and to create peace for all generations is what they pursue in their lives as scholars.

It's a pity that in the long years, I have forgotten my original intention of reading the books of sages.

Fan Xin ignored everyone and took out two copper coins from Xiao Shi's purse and handed them to Xiao Ci.

"Young people, every porridge and meal should be remembered as hard-earned; half a thread, half a thread, they should always think about the difficulty of material resources."

"This is your sister's hard work, don't let it down."

Xiao Ci hesitated for a moment and took the money angrily.

Seeing this, Fan Xin smiled slightly.

"You know, if someone dares to call my relatives shameless, his ten clans will already be bleeding like rivers!"

After saying that, Xiao Ciqing's face turned white for a while, and he left Hongwen Hall with Xiao Shi.

Along the way, students lowered their heads and did not dare to look at him.

After leaving Hongwen Hall, Xiaoshi smoothed her hair on her forehead and forced a smile.

"Thank you so much for just now, otherwise I really don't know what I would do."

"It's okay. Young people always have their moments of anger. Just wait until he comes back to his senses."

Fan Xin smiled and saw that there was a lively teahouse in front of him, so he pointed to the signboard.

"There is a Bamin teahouse in front. Let's go in and listen to the storytelling."

"Listen to the storytelling." Xiao Shi touched the remaining eight coins in her purse with some reluctance.

Fan Xin laughed.

"Don't worry, all expenses for today will be covered by me."

After that, regardless of whether Xiao Shitong agreed or not, he pulled her into the Bamin Tea House.

It was full of tea-drinking guests. The two found a seat by the window and ordered a pot of Maojian and two plates of melon and fruits.

Amid much anticipation, a storyteller wearing a long gown walked onto the stage.

First he bowed his hands to the audience present, and then said

"Young and old gentlemen, I believe you all have heard the story of Fan Xin's blood splattering in the court to avenge Xiao Fengxian, a brothel girl. Today I will give you a story telling."

"It's called The Legend of the Great Tang Zhonglie!"

"it is good!"

The audience clapped their hands and shouted "Hello".

Under the urging of everyone, the storyteller slapped the wooden door and said loudly.

"Dear listeners, we said last time that Fan Xin made many miraculous achievements, which made the traitorous officials in the court gnashed their teeth, and secretly framed him, so he was finally forced to retire and return to his hometown."

"But I didn't want something terrible to happen on the Dafeichuan River. The main force of the Tang army was severely damaged by the Tubo people!"

"When the news reached the imperial court, all the ministers who usually showed off their power were trembling with fear. No one said a word, and no one dared to come forward."

"At the critical moment, Fan Xin was ordered to lead 20,000 cavalry to Fuqi City. With only one city, he fought a fierce battle with the 180,000 Tibetan army for half a month."

"In the end, the Tibetans abandoned their armor and left less than a few thousand people."

Speaking of which, the storyteller wiped the tears from his eyes and said with excitement.

"Everyone, we have been fighting fiercely with an army of 180,000 people for half a month. I heard that the blood is enough to cover our knees."

"Our Fan Qingtian jumped off the cliff with his remaining subordinates in order not to be captured by the enemy..."

Fan Xin didn't listen to a word of the next words, as if he had returned to the battlefield again...

"Master Guo, brothers have tried their best, we can only follow you here."

"My lord, the cliff is high and hard. Brothers, I will pave the road for you first. Take care!"

"My lord, a hole has been stabbed in my heart..."

Looking at the pictures flashing through his mind, Fan Xin murmured with tears streaming down his face.

"Six sons, Zhang Huan, Cao Wei, Jiang Ji, I'm sorry, I couldn't take you home..."

At this time, a worried voice sounded in his ears.

"Master Fan, what's wrong with you?"

"Ah, it's okay."

After coming back to his senses, Fan Xin wiped his tears and saw everyone looking at him in surprise, and explained with a smile.

"After listening to the legend of Zhonglie, I couldn't control the sadness in my heart for a while. It's nothing."

"So that's it." The teahouse listener suddenly realized, but he didn't take it seriously and turned around to continue listening to the storytelling.

Fan Qingtian's story is indeed tear-jerking, and it is normal to shed a few tears.

Only Xiaoshi kept looking at Fan Xin with a thoughtful look in his eyes.

"Liu Zi, Zhang Huan, these people seem familiar. I seem to have heard of them somewhere..."

...

Hongwen Pavilion, Square

An old man wearing a Confucian shirt stood under the statue of Fan Qingtian with his hands behind his back, looking at the student in front of him with a gloomy face.

"Li Ci, because of your diligence and studiousness, I made an exception and allowed you to study in Hongwen Hall."

"It's unbelievable that you don't want to make progress and let your sister bring a child with a yellow mouth to the library to talk nonsense."

"Tell me how I should punish you!"

Facing the old man's anger, Li Ci lowered his head and explained.

"Sir, that person is just a passerby who came to my house to recover from his injuries. He has nothing to do with my sister. I hope you can be accommodating and give this disciple a chance."

"It doesn't matter at all?"

The old man sneered: "Li Ci, you are really trying to fool me. Who in the big city of Lanzhou doesn't know your sister?"

"You actually told me that it has nothing to do with it. Then let me ask you where did you get the two copper coins?"

"this…"

Li Ci hesitated, not knowing how to answer. In fact, given their family's situation, they really couldn't afford so much money.

Seeing that Li Ci couldn't answer, the old man shook his sleeves and turned away.

"That's all. The way of a saint has no chance for you. You'd better go home. You don't need to take part in the official examination in ten days!"

As soon as these words came out, it was like a bolt from the blue for Li Ci. He stood frozen on the spot, his face turned pale.

After ten years of hard study, the goal is to leap over the dragon's gate. If you can't take part in the official examination, wouldn't all your hard work be wasted?

After thinking this, Li Ci quickly knelt on the ground and begged for mercy.

"Sir, for the sake of my disciple's dedicated service to you, please give me another chance!"

The old man snorted in disgust, waved his hands and two stewards stepped forward and threw Li Ci out.

(End of this chapter)