Zhao Defang's road to the virtuous king

"What is the prince looking for?"

"Look at how these wealthy households find these wealthy sons-in-law as their sons-in-law."

In the morning of the second day, Defang got up, "Ma'am, I'll go to the palace to meet Sheng after breakfast, and I'll be back before lunch."

Concubine Di asked, "My lord, aren't the kings and ministers in the capital celebrating together these few days? Why do you still have to enter the palace?"

"Last night, His Majesty said he would show me a poem."

"Looking at poetry? Is it written by the students in the palace test?"

"It's a poem written by His Majesty. He said it was written out of feelings. He originally read it yesterday, but His Majesty was a little drunk, so he let me enter the palace today."

"Then His Majesty must be very satisfied with this poem, otherwise he wouldn't let the prince enter the palace to read it again."

"It's true." De Fang smiled, "I don't know what His Majesty is feeling again."

"Then prince, hurry up, write it down and tell the concubines when you come back."

Defang rubbed her head, "I don't have a good memory when I'm old, ma'am, please make me some soup."

"It's making trouble again." Concubine Di pushed Defang, "Go and eat."

Defang entered the palace in a sedan chair after eating too early, and everyone knew that Zhou Huaizheng greeted him, "The young one will participate in the eight virtuous kings' thousand years old."

"Eunuch Zhou, why are you here?"

"Your Majesty ordered the little one to wait for the prince here. His Majesty is enjoying the scenery at Ziyun Tower."

"Admiring the scenery from Ziyun Tower? Are the queen and concubines also there?"

"No, only Your Majesty. Your Majesty said that he wants to drink tea and talk poetry with the prince."

Defang nodded, and followed Zhou Huaizheng to the Ziyun Building. At this time, a large table for calligraphy and painting was set up upstairs, complete with pens, inks and paperweights. Zhenzong Zhen was writing with a brush. Defang walked behind Zhenzong and saluted, "Mr. His Majesty."

"Brother Huang, sit down first, I'll be fine soon."

"Thank you, Your Majesty" Defang walked aside and didn't take a seat, turned around to look, and saw Zhenzong wrote a large piece of handwriting, thinking: The emperor is practicing handwriting this early in the morning?Or write another poem?

Just as Defang was thinking, Zhenzong put down his pen and called out, "Brother Emperor, come."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Defang walked over, and Zhenzong pointed to the words on the table, "Brother Emperor, this is the poem I wrote, take a look at it."

"Yes" Defang looked at the poem written by Zhenzong and said, "rich families don't need to buy fertile land, the book has thousands of millet; There are as many as clusters; when you marry a wife, don’t hate an unscrupulous matchmaker, there is beauty in the book; if a man fulfills his life ambitions, read the Six Classics diligently at the window."

[Six Classics: Six Confucian classics "Book of Songs", "Shangshu", "Rituals", "Book of Music", "Book of Changes", "Spring and Autumn"]

Zhenzong looked at Defang, "Brother Emperor, how about my poem?"

"There are thousands of millet in the book; there is a house of gold in the book; there are many horses and horses in the book; there is Yan Ruyu in the book." Defang nodded, "Your Majesty's poem expresses the wishes of literati and students. "

"Yes, don't all aspiring men in the world hope for this? My Great Song Dynasty has met civil servants more favorably than all dynasties. As long as students study and receive education, and they are famous on the gold list, they can get fame, status, power, wealth, and even beautiful wives. The "Zhenzong said" in the book are the words of sages and sages, and the etiquette of loyalty, filial piety and benevolence. No matter who you are, you can learn these things from the book. Those with great ambitions can get what they want as long as they pick up the book and study hard. .”

"What your majesty said is that there are many sages and emperors in the past dynasties, but there are few literati who are as generous as I am in the Song Dynasty. The salary of officials is even more incomparable. Even the lives of ordinary people are rich and worry-free."

"Emperor Brother" Zhenzong said softly, "Do you still remember the stone tablet erected by Emperor Taizu?"

"I remember."