Universal Creation: Creating a Chaotic World at the Beginning

"Of course I know, but if I don't understand, I have to bite the bullet and learn." Zhao Ji smiled.

"Uh." Han Rui was stunned and didn't dare to agree. No matter what, Zhao Ji was the emperor after all. He must think he was right. How could he teach others to respect the truth?

Seeing that Han Rui didn't say anything, Zhao Ji didn't get angry, and asked again: "Young man Han, I heard that the poem was written by you. Can you teach me a thing or two?"

"No." Han Rui flatly refused and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, please forgive me for not accompanying you. Goodbye!"

Zhao Ji was stunned and hurriedly tried to keep him, but Han Rui refused and left.

Looking at the disappearing figure, Zhao Ji frowned, pondered for a long time, and ordered the eunuch to call a sedan chair, and then took the sedan chair back to the palace. Back to the Qinzheng Hall, Zhao Ji changed his dragon robe, put on casual clothes, sat behind the desk, and meditated quietly.

Not long after, the eunuch hurried in and reported: "Your Majesty, Han Shao has left the capital and is not expected to come back tonight."

"Oh." Zhao Ji nodded and asked casually: "Where is he going?"

"I heard that he was strolling in the suburbs with many playboys." The eunuch reported.

"Well, I know, leave." Zhao Ji waved his hand.

"As ordered." The eunuch quietly withdrew, and Zhao Ji fell into deep thought again. After a moment, he sighed softly, picked up the brush and dipped it in ink, and continued to review the memorials.

I don't know if it was because Han Rui disturbed his interest. Zhao Ji tossed and turned that night and couldn't sleep. He woke up early, washed up, changed his clothes, and went out.

Along the way, he met the imperial guards patrolling the streets. While respectfully greeting them, he was also a little curious. He didn't know why he suddenly ran out to play yesterday when he had just ascended the throne and was still fresh.

With some doubts, Zhao Ji drove the car leisurely and soon came to a deserted and remote lawn in the northern suburbs of the capital. Zhao Ji stopped and looked at the scenery in front of him. The corners of his mouth curled up a little, revealing a relieved smile.

Under Zhao Ji's gaze, a thin and slender young man, dressed neatly, was riding a horse. He seemed to have noticed something. Han Rui stopped, looked over, and whispered: "Here again..."

Zhao Ji smiled, stepped forward, came to the side of the young man, bowed and smiled: "Mr. Han."

"Ah." Han Rui was stunned and a little confused. Why did he meet Zhao Ji again? Could it be that this guy had been sending people to follow him? Thinking of this, Han Rui's forehead was sweating, secretly cursing himself for being stupid and forgetting this. Fortunately, he did not leave the house. If he was caught by the soldiers in the downtown area of ​​the capital, it would be a lot of fun, but...

Han Rui stole a glance at Zhao Ji and smiled: "It turns out to be the emperor. It's late at night, are you out to enjoy the moon?"

"Not only that." Zhao Ji said with a smile: "I also want to invite Han Shao to get together, enjoy the moon and chat..."

Han Rui cried and hesitated: "Your Majesty, I..."

"Why, Han Shao is unwilling?" Zhao Ji said with a smile.

"No, I am not feeling well, I am afraid..." Han Rui evaded the question. This excuse was really bad. Anyone with a little IQ knew it was an excuse.

Zhao Ji smiled and said gently: "I know that Mr. Han is worried that I am unhappy."

"Uh..." Han Rui hesitated, not knowing whether Zhao Ji knew about it, otherwise it would be too tricky.

"You think too much." Zhao Ji said with a smile: "Although I am the emperor, I am not a tyrant. How can I be convicted for my words?"

"Of course." Han Rui flattered him and said with a smile: "The emperor is wise and has a clear judgment."

"Young man Han, your words are a bit hypocritical." Zhao Ji said indifferently: "But I like it."

Han Rui touched his nose, laughed twice, and did not say anything. He looked around and looked into the distance with a little disappointment.

"Hey, look at that tree."

"Hey, what's going on? Why is it withered?"

The sudden surprised voice made Zhao Ji look in the direction of the sound. He saw that hundreds of meters away, above the crown of the towering ancient tree, the branches and leaves were lush and green. Under the wind and sun, the green leaves fluttered in the wind, dancing and fluttering, beautiful and magnificent. However, at this moment, there was a bit of sadness. The leaves were flying and falling from the branches, like snowflakes, covering the ground with yellow and white. It was very beautiful, but no one appreciated it.

Zhao Ji frowned slightly and said softly: "Is there any story about this old tree?"

"Yes." Han Rui smiled and said: "Not only that, but it is also a good story that has been passed down through the ages. Many famous ministers and wise men in all dynasties have praised it..."

Han Rui talked endlessly, Zhao Ji listened slowly, his brows relaxed, and a smile appeared on the corners of his mouth. He said softly: "Young man Han, do you know why I chose this mountain as a temporary palace?"

"I don't know, maybe because of the quietness?" Han Rui guessed. After all, the location of this mountain is good, surrounded by beautiful peaks and lush trees, and there is a winding river at the foot of the mountain, with gurgling water and elegant scenery.

"This is a secondary reason. The main reason is that the mountains and forests are quiet and there are no birds or animals. It is more in line with my wishes and more suitable for studying hard." Zhao Ji smiled.

"Then I wish your majesty all the best." Han Rui said perfunctorily.

"Thank you for your good wishes." Zhao Ji smiled slightly and asked again: "By the way, at the palace banquet yesterday, I saw that you wrote well. I wonder if you can grind ink for me again?"

"Ah, your subject..." Han Rui hesitated.

"What? Are you shy?" Zhao Ji said with a smile, "If you are shy, then forget it."

"Who said that?" Han Rui curled his lips and said, "Since your majesty has sincerely invited me, how can I disappoint you?"

Zhao Ji smiled, pointed his finger, and said, "There is a stone table over there, you go and move it, and help me grind ink."

"Yes, sir." Han Rui turned and walked to the pavilion over there, took out the inkstone and other tools, put the ink stick in it, and then looked at the stone bench. The placement seemed to be a bit particular. After thinking about it, he decided to give it a try first.

Anyway, he was free, so Han Rui simply picked up the pen, dipped some ink, and concentrated on thinking carefully. After a while, he slowly wrote down three big characters.

For a moment, Zhao Ji was stunned, his eyes wide open, his expression changing unpredictably, and finally he regained his composure and said with a smile: "Good calligraphy, the force penetrates the back of the paper, vigorous and powerful."

"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty." Han Rui was humble, looked up and looked around, and found that there were not many people around, so he took the opportunity to ask: "Your Majesty, may I ask if there is anything wrong?"

"No, it's completely fine." Zhao Ji shook his head and chuckled: "I just didn't expect that young Han actually had such a foundation, which really surprised me."

Han Rui smiled and said nothing. This is nothing, just the result of my casual practice. If you knew, I spent every day in the library in my previous life, doing exercises every day, and even the things in the school textbooks, I had to take time to carefully study and comprehend them before I could barely pass...

Alas, I really wasted my talent in my previous life, what a pity.

When Han Rui was full of emotion, Zhao Ji suddenly called out: "Hey, young man Han, look, is there anything unusual in the bushes ahead?"

Han Rui blinked his eyes and followed Zhao Ji's direction. Sure enough, he vaguely saw a red figure in the shadows of the woods, swaying left and right, as if dodging, not daring to show up, obviously frightened.

"Things like this are definitely not wild animals." Zhao Ji said with interest: "It should be raised by people."

"Raised by people?" Han Rui was stunned, then smiled and nodded in agreement: "Your Majesty is wise, this must be raised by people. It is said that a hunter in a village uses them to scare the villagers."

Zhao Ji heard the music and understood the elegant meaning, nodded slightly and said: "You mean, they are also bullying the villagers."

"Well, it's not impossible." Han Rui pondered: "After all, these things are very intelligent, psychic and interesting, and know how to seek benefits and avoid harm. The villagers are timid and afraid of things, so they are naturally afraid of them."

"Strange No, these things are usually games played by children in the village, how come they appear here now. "Zhao Ji wondered, "Could someone have brought them here?"

"It's possible, maybe some naughty kid brought them into the forbidden garden." Han Rui guessed, "Your Majesty, otherwise, ask someone to arrest the kid and punish him severely."

"Forget it, why bother with the kid." Zhao Ji waved his sleeves and ordered, "You continue to grind ink."

Han Rui smiled and continued to grind ink. After a while, he suddenly realized that Zhao Ji's eyes were fixed on him, which was a bit strange.

Han Rui was a little familiar with this strange feeling, and he reacted immediately. He couldn't help but lower his head and looked at himself. He was immediately at a loss whether to laugh or cry. What happened? When he first crossed over, he didn't feel it, but now he found that this dress was too ordinary, even a bit rustic.

Although it is winter, Han Rui has exercised during this period of time. He took off his bulky winter clothes and put on a thin shirt, long pants, casual sports shoes, a matching hat and scarf, a watch and bracelet, and looked like a sunny March.

But today, because of grinding ink, he took off his thick and warm winter clothes, leaving only a thin fur coat, which inevitably attracted other people's attention.

Well, of course, there were also some understanding eyes. After all, working in a place like the palace, in addition to observing etiquette, you must also maintain a good image. Han Rui's dress is reasonable.

"Cough!" Han Rui coughed lightly and said a little embarrassedly: "Your Majesty, I am offended. Otherwise, I will go back and put on my clothes again..."

"Don't bother." Zhao Ji laughed and comforted him: "I just look at you. This dress is quite interesting. I don't dislike you, let alone despise you."

Han Rui's cheeks were slightly hot, and he lowered his head in silence.

"Young man Han." Zhao Ji said with a smile: "I heard that you helped some officials' children in Luoyang City and taught them to read and write, and you have made great achievements. Is it true?"

"Your Majesty, you are too kind." Han Rui admitted frankly, and said with some pride: "In Luoyang, I am also a well-known calligrapher. It's a pity that I am little known in the capital and not worth mentioning."

"Why is that?" Zhao Ji was surprised: "You are so young and have such accomplishments. How could you be unknown?"

"To be honest with your majesty, I have never been an official, so I can't be compared with those learned scholars." Han Rui said, in fact, it was because he was too lazy to bother with those hypocritical political interactions. As the saying goes, a gentleman stays away from the kitchen.

This statement is also based on facts. After all, in the Tang Dynasty, the ranks of scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans were clearly arranged. Merchants had the lowest status, but they could not resist the active business in ancient times, which made merchants rich enough to rival a country, and the court also needed merchants.

In this case, the gentry class naturally looked down on merchants. In addition, Song Huizong also felt the same way. He thought that businessmen were despicable, only knew how to abuse their power for personal gain, and were not fit for important tasks, so he suppressed them intentionally or unintentionally.

As a result, the status of merchants was naturally precarious. Fortunately, after the death of Emperor Huizong of Song, Li Yuan ascended the throne and became emperor, and the merchants were rescued, the situation improved.

In any case, Han Rui felt that he was also a scholar and could not be looked down upon. Therefore, in history, he was a famous talent, with excellent poems and songs, and brilliant literary talent. It was a pity that he died of illness later, and his talent had nowhere to be displayed, which was a bit regrettable.

"Really?" Zhao Ji was a little disappointed. After all, he hoped that Han Rui could make a difference in the imperial examination, not only to serve the court, but also to become famous.

However, it was only a little regretful. Zhao Ji smiled and said, "Young man Han, you are good at writing, why don't you write a piece of calligraphy to open my eyes."

"I obey your order." Han Rui agreed, spread out paper and grind ink.

After a while, when the ink and brush had cooled, Han Rui held his breath and took a deep breath. His mind was full of thoughts. Gradually, his mind became confused. His thoughts drifted and fell on the blank paper unconsciously.

The pen moved like a dragon and snake, and after a while, there was a piece of handwriting on the paper. Han Rui reached out to touch it, nodded with satisfaction, put down the pen and finished, and blew the ink.

"Good." Zhao Ji applauded and cheered, appreciated it for a moment, and frowned again: "It doesn't look like it, it doesn't match Han Aiqing's usual style."

Han Rui smiled bitterly and said: "Your Majesty, I also want to be elegant and literary, but unfortunately, my health has been seriously damaged over the years. I am already powerless and can only do this."

"Oh." Zhao Ji said with relief: "So that's the case. I said that although Han Aiqing likes to read, his literary talent is a mess."

Han Rui was ashamed and muttered in his heart that there was no chance. If there was a chance, he would never lose to anyone.

"In that case, you stay in the palace and help organize the books, which can also reduce my burden." Zhao Ji said with a smile, looking forward to it.

"Ah, wouldn't that delay your majesty's business?" Han Rui hesitated and refused, saying: "Besides, I can't read."

"Who told you that illiterate people can't help." Zhao Ji frowned and snorted: "If you don't want to, I can find someone to chat with you to relieve your boredom."

Uh, so direct, it's really the emperor, so domineering, Han Rui sighed, and hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, I was wrong, please don't force it, I am willing to stay."

Zhao Ji smiled lightly, waved his hand gently, and ordered: "Huang Jin, draft an edict to confer Han Rui as a Hanlin editor, and concurrently the chief clerk of the Imperial Censorate, supervising officials of the six ranks and above, such as Langzhong, Langzhong, and Xueshulang of various departments, and assessing and judging them every six months..."