Confucian and Taoist scholar

"Mr. Du, please go to the second floor. There are private rooms there."

Zhuang Shouren leads the way.

When Du Ning heard that there was a private room on the second floor, he felt that something was a little strange. Isn't it just two people drinking tea? As for using a private room?

"Mr. Zhuang, I'm a little doubtful. Do you want to invite me to tea, or is it someone else who wants to invite me to tea?" Du Ning asked.

Zhuang Shouren's face changed slightly, and he said with a smile: "To be honest, it's a friend of mine who wants to see you, but his status is a bit special, so he wanted to ask me to invite you on his behalf. Don't worry, my friend and the Xian Wang Party

I have nothing to do with the officials. He has absolutely no reason to want to do anything wrong to you. I am asking you in front of the students in the Juren class. If anything happens to you, the Guoxue Palace will not let me go. After all, this is the

Under the observation of all the saints, my friend has admired your literary name for a long time and sincerely wants to know you."

"That's it."

Seeing that the other party was honest with each other, Du Ning stopped worrying about the matter.

I'm just a little curious. I'm not familiar with the place in the capital, so who wants to see me.

Du Ning came to a box, where two people were sitting.

One is a man in his thirties, and the other is a boy about twelve years old.

There are many delicious and expensive snacks on the table, and a rich fragrance wafts from the teapot.

Through the window, you can see the scenery outside.

This box is really well done.

"Master Hao, Brother Yan, we are here."

Zhuang Shouren handed over to the two of them.

These two people are none other than Emperor Hongxuan and King Yan who visited privately incognito.

Du Ning noticed the order in which Zhuang Shouren addressed the two men, and guessed that the young man's status might be higher than that of the man.

Either he comes from a famous family, or he is a royal relative or prince or general in the capital.

Thinking of this, Du Ning said politely: "I, Duning, have met two literary friends."

Without knowing the identity of the other party, Du Ning could only address him as a "literary friend".

"No...ahem..."

Emperor Hongxuan subconsciously wanted to say "no courtesy", but found that his current status was special, so he quickly changed his words: "Young master Du, you don't need to be polite, please take a seat!"

Du Ning and Zhuang Shouren sat down opposite each other.

Then, Zhuang Shouren lifted the teapot and poured a cup of hot tea for Du Ning.

Du Ning could feel that the eyes of the two people opposite him were looking at him everywhere.

"Mr. Du, Brother Yan and Mr. Hao are both from the capital. They admire your talent very much. They heard that you were going to the Guoxue Palace to participate in the competition, so they wanted to take this opportunity to get to know you. The unexpected thing is,

I’d like to invite Haihan.” Zhuang Shouren said with a smile.

"It doesn't matter. I'm here in the capital for the first time, and it's a great honor to have you think so highly of me."

Du Ning said modestly, guessing that "Mr. Hao" and "Brother Yan" were just pseudonyms for the two of them. Most famous families would not use pseudonyms, so the other party was most likely someone from the court.

If it is not related to the Wise King Party, it may be the influence of other kings.

Thinking of this, Du Ning relaxed a lot.

The officials of the virtuous king will assassinate him, but the officials of other kings and forces are willing to make friends with him, so he can be more confident and bold when he comes here, as long as he does not say anything to offend the court.

Du Ning had some concerns in his mind.

King Yan said: "I have admired the name of Mr. Du for a long time. Here is a couplet. I have been thinking about it for a long time and I can't find it. I hope you can give me some advice."

"Brother Wen, please speak." Du Ning said calmly.

King Yan said: "My first couplet is a painting of Qingshan without ink for thousands of years."

Zhuang Shouren smiled and said: "Brother Yan, the artistic conception of this couplet is very good. The green mountains are the scenery. I don't hesitate to use ink to create a painting that lasts forever. Good!"

Du Ning thought for a while and said slowly: "Then I'm right, the flowing water stringless eternal harp."

"The gurgling water sings to itself without strings, just like an eternal harp, haha... I have been thinking about the second line for a long time, and Mr. Du composed it in a moment, good!"

King Yan was very satisfied and happy, and said with a smile: "Sure enough, he is full of poems and books. It is better to meet him than to be famous. This shows that there is no real person under the fame."

"Brother Wen, thank you."

Du Ning took a sip of Yuxiang tea, and a refreshing fragrance suddenly entered his throat, making people feel relaxed and happy.

It tastes sweet and is indeed a fine tea.

Zhuang Shouren said: "Zhuang wrote a poem called "Early Plum Blossoms". When the poem was written, he was very talented. He was just a little short of reaching Dafu. If he could make some slight modifications, he would definitely be able to make it a superior work. It's a pity that I'm so stupid.

, I feel that it is difficult to modify, I wonder if Mr. Du can give me some advice?"

After finishing speaking, he took out the original manuscript of his poem from Xiuli Qiankun.

Duning took over the tour.

Thousands of trees are about to break when frozen, but a solitary root grows warm.

In the deep snow in Qiancun, several branches bloomed last night.

The wind carries a delicate fragrance, and the birds take a peek at the beauty.

Next year, as expected, we will first visit Wangchundai.

"Brother Zhuang has outstanding literary talent, I admire you." Du Ning said with a smile.

"In front of the most talented person in Suzhou, this is nothing, it makes you laugh." Zhuang Shouren said.

King Yan said: "I have also read this poem "Early Plum Blossoms", and I also think that this poem cannot be changed, but I always feel that there is something missing. I just want to see if Mr. Du can make some modifications to make this poem better.

I’ve been promoted to Dafu.”

"Please allow me to consider it."

Du Ning holds the manuscript in his left hand and taps the table gently with his right hand.

The others looked at Du Ning, not daring to say a word for fear of interrupting his train of thought.

After a long time, Du Ning raised his eyebrows and smiled, "When I look at this poem, it seems that there is only one word that can be changed."

"What's the word?" Zhuang Shouren cast an expectant look.

"In the deep snow in the former village, several branches bloomed last night. The word "number" cannot fully reflect the early blooming of plum blossoms. Changing it to the word "one" can better show that the plum blossoms bloom early."

"In the deep snow in the former village, a branch bloomed last night..."

Zhuang Shouren read it once, and suddenly he was enlightened and said with great joy: "Master Du is a great talent, this word '一' is simply the finishing touch!"

"Wonderful! Just changing one word can elevate the artistic conception of the poem to a new level. He is indeed the most talented man in Suzhou." King Yan nodded silently, his face full of admiration, and he was very impressed by Du Ning's performance.

Satisfied.

Emperor Hongxuan also smiled, thinking in his mind that it was no wonder that the late emperor valued Du Ning. Sure enough, he was also impressed by Du Ning's literary talent.

Zhuang Shouren took out the pen and paper from Xiuli Qiankun and re-wrote the revised "Early Plum Blossoms".

A talent more than two feet long leaps onto the paper instantly.

"It's really Dafu!"

Zhuang Shouren stood up and bowed to Du Ning: "Thank you Mr. Du for your advice. You can be my 'one-word teacher'. Please accept my respect."

"Brother Zhuang is so polite, I really can't take it seriously."

Du Ning helped Zhuang Shouren up.

"The promotion of "Early Plum" to Dafu can be regarded as fulfilling one of my wishes. If Mr. Du has any assignments in the future, Zhuang will definitely repay the favor." Zhuang Shouren said gratefully.

"A little effort is worth nothing."

Du Ning waved his hand, indicating that the other party should not take it to heart.

"You have all asked Mr. Du for advice. Now, it is my turn to ask Mr. Du for advice." Emperor Hongxuan suddenly spoke.

"Master Hao, please tell me, I will tell you everything I know," Du Ning said.

"Master Du is in the Guoxue Palace. He must have heard about the grassland tribe's visit to Yun Dynasty, right?"

"The things that can be heard in the Guoxue Palace have been known to everyone in the capital for a long time. It is not a secret."

Emperor Hongxuan looked at Du Ning and said slowly: "Now we are fighting in the south and north. The grassland people took advantage of the situation and tried to intimidate the Yun royal family in the name of marriage and marry the royal princess to the prince of the grassland people as a concubine.

, if we don’t agree, the grassland people will make peace with the barbarians and the Xiongnu. At that time, the grassland people will raise troops in the Western Regions, and our country will be surrounded by enemies on three sides and will be in danger. I wonder what Mr. Du’s views are on such a major matter? What is our country in Yun?

Are you forced to compromise with the grassland people, or are you going to break up with the grassland people?"

"In fact, this question should not be asked to me, but to the grassland people." Du Ning replied,

"How do you say this?"

Emperor Hongxuan was puzzled. He was clearly asking Du Ning for advice, but why did Du Ning say he wanted to ask the grassland tribe?

"I believe that the grassland people taking the royal princess of Yun Kingdom as their concubine is nothing more than a temptation."

Du Ning said: "If the grassland people want to take advantage of the barbarians and the Huns to attack the Yun Kingdom to raise troops, even a feather from the grassland on the border of the Yun Kingdom can be used as an excuse for the grassland people to attack the Yun Kingdom. If the grassland people want to fight,

Even if the Yun State agrees to marry the royal princess to the prairie tribe’s prince as a concubine, it is just a way for the prairie tribe to humiliate the Yun State, and it will further encourage the prairie tribe’s arrogance.”

"What Mr. Du said makes sense and his thinking is clear!"

King Yan and Emperor Hongxuan looked at each other, and they both saw their admiration for Du Ning in each other's eyes.

If the grassland people want to attack the Yun Kingdom, what use is the marriage?

It's just a joke.

The grassland people did this to test Yun Guo. If Yun Guo compromised, it would mean that Yun Guo was a soft persimmon that could be manipulated as much as they wanted.

If the Yun Kingdom refuses, there will be no loss to the grassland people. The grassland people can still sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight and enjoy the gains.

Du Ning's explanation made the thoughts of Emperor Hongxuan and King Yan clearer.

"From a theoretical analysis, assuming that the imperial court agrees to the grassland tribe, is it possible for the grassland tribe to send troops to attack the barbarians and Xiongnu for the Yun Kingdom?" Emperor Hongxuan asked again.

"I think it's unlikely, because it's impossible for the grassland people to send troops to the barbarians and the Huns just for a concubine."

Du Ning shook his head, denying such a possibility, and then continued: "Even if there is such a possibility, it is estimated that the grassland people are stationed in the Yun State under the banner of supporting the Yun State, no matter how many troops and horses they have, it will be the same

So I am luring the wolf into the house, because once the soldiers and horses of the grassland tribe are stationed anywhere in the Yun Kingdom, it will be a thorn in the heart that may pierce the heart of the Yun Kingdom at any time."

"Taking a step back, even if the grassland tribe is really willing to help the Yun Kingdom, it is only to check the barbarians and the Xiongnu and prevent them from expanding their power. However, after the war, the grassland tribe will definitely turn back and seize the border of the Yun Kingdom, and compete with other

When the prairie tribe's army comes to cooperate inside and outside, the Yun Kingdom will fall into a greater crisis."

"Master Du is far-sighted and really wise."

King Yan looked at him differently. Du Ning had never stepped into the court, but he had such foresight. He hit the nail on the head and analyzed the stakes very well.

"Brother Wen is ridiculous. This is just my humble opinion. It's just a joke on the tea table. I don't dare to point out the country." Du Ning said modestly.

"According to what Mr. Du said, it seems that war between our Yun Kingdom and the Prairie Tribe is unavoidable? In other words, war is the best way to deal with the Prairie Tribe?"

Emperor Hongxuan's expression was grim. This was the outcome he least wanted to see but had to face.

The gold and silver in the treasury can support the war against the barbarians and the Xiongnu at the same time. If another prairie tribe is added, it will be very difficult for the Yun Kingdom.

At that time, everyone will have to save money on food and clothing and invest all the money saved in the war, and the lives of people across the country will become even more difficult.

"Even if the Prairie People don't fight now, when the Yun Kingdom fights with the Barbarians and the Xiongnu and both sides suffer, the Prairie People will still raise troops. In my opinion, the day the Yun Kingdom defeats the Barbarians and the Xiongnu, the Prairie People will attack

Looking at the Yun Kingdom, on the other hand, if the Yun Kingdom is conquered by the barbarians and the Huns, the grassland people will take advantage of the barbarians and the Xiongnu." Du Ning said.

"The grassland people still want to reap the benefits."

Emperor Hongxuan suddenly felt that he was very passive, as if he was being led by the prairie tribe.

"With all due respect, if Mr. Du were asked to make a decision, what would you do?" Emperor Hongxuan asked sincerely.

Du Ning thought for a while and replied: "My personal opinion is to stick to the main war, because peace is a method that only weak countries will use to establish diplomatic relations with strong countries. Our Yun country is a big human country, and making peace with the grassland is tantamount to making peace with the grassland.

Instead of encouraging the grassland arrogance, it is better to take the initiative to fight head-on and let the grassland people know what it means to be a big country. If that doesn't work, then fight with the grassland people and lose both sides. In the end, they will be taken advantage of by the barbarians and the Huns. This is definitely something that the grassland people cannot do.

Accept it, we can afford to gamble, but the grassland people absolutely dare not gamble!"

"Well said!"

Zhuang Shouren said: "Master Du's words are quite regal, and Zhuang admires them!"

Emperor Hongxuan clenched his fists and said: "Our country, Yun, is a big human country, and it is absolutely impossible for us to surrender to a mere grassland people."

"These words of mine are just nice to say. They are nothing more than my own lofty ideals. They make you laugh."

Du Ning sighed and said with a sad face: "I just hate that I am just a Confucian and Taoist scholar. If I were allowed to become a Jinshi, I would also go to the battlefield to kill the enemy, hone the ancient sword and strengthen my cultivation. It is better than talking here.

Real."

Jinshi used ancient swords to kill enemies. The more enemies they killed, the more powerful the ancient swords were. One could defeat ten, or even defeat a hundred.

"It's rare for you to have such ambitions," King Yan said.

Zhuang Shouren suddenly said with grief and anger: "Master Du wanted to go to the battlefield and serve the country when he became a seventh-grade Jinshi. But now that I am a Jinshi, I have never asked for a military escort to go to the frontier. I am simply a scholar in vain. I am ashamed, really ashamed."

King Yan comforted him and said, "Young Master Zhuang, you don't have to blame yourself. You have just become a Jinshi not long ago, and Wen Gong's ancient sword has not yet been used. After you refine the ancient sword, it will not be too late to go into battle to kill the enemy. I believe that in the near future you will be able to kill the enemy."

, you will definitely be able to make great achievements and serve the country."

"Thank you, Brother Yan, for your comfort."

Zhuang Shouren felt much more comfortable, but he felt that when the country was in crisis, if scholars could not step forward, it would be like reading so many sages' books in vain.

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