Li Hao said to Yan Fu: "It was because my grandfather was seriously ill and the family was in ruins, so my aunt had to marry someone as a concubine to change the family. My aunt married into a family that later became officials in Beijing and now lives in Jiying Lane. , surnamed Sheng. I didn’t know the specific situation at first, but my mother told me the details later. Now that my aunt has passed away, there is only one cousin alive, so when I come to Bianjing, I should go and see it. "

Yan Fu heard this and said, "I have heard of the Sheng family in Jiying Lane. His family originally had Tanhua, and then married the daughter of Marquis Yongyi, right?"

Li Hao said: "Yes, it's that family. Why is their family so famous in Bianjing City?"

Yan Fu said: "That's not true, it's just that Sheng Hong works in the Liyuan and is now in the fifth rank. I have dealt with him, and I remembered it when I heard people mention it later. Oh, by the way, now my father has also been promoted to the fifth rank. I'm in the middle of the capital. You're here soon. If you have time, you can pay me a visit at my house."

Li Hao replied: "That's the case, it should be. After visiting Mr. Yongshu first, the Sheng family still wants to see what my mother wants, and then I can visit my senior brother's house when I have time."

At this time, Yan Fu suddenly thought of something and said: "By the way, there is one thing you need to know. Mr. Yongshu is now a Hanlin bachelor. There are rumors in the court that this examination may be hosted by Mr. Yongshu. The teacher has asked you to visit , I must have thought of letting Mr. Yongshu teach you how to study these days. If you go there, you should study more carefully and see what Mr. Yongshu likes in his writing style. This way, it will be safer to try."

Li Hao listened and said with a thought: "There is another matter. It seems that I need to put more effort into studying Mr. Yongshu's writing style."

Yan Fu said: "Just pay attention. I won't disturb you anymore. You guys need to settle down during these days. I'll come back to you in a while."

Then he stood up and left, followed by Li Hao to see off the guests.

Then he went back to rest, and slept until noon the next day. When Li Hao arrived at the main hall, he was just in time to have dinner. After the meal, everyone went back to the main hall to talk.

Li Hao said: "Mother, when are you going to Sheng's house?"

Wei replied: "Tomorrow I will go to the Sheng family to see Minglan, and then we will go together on a good day."

After hearing this, Li Hao said: "That's good. In addition, when the teacher came, he asked me to visit a good friend, the former Ouyang Zhizhou, who is now a Hanlin bachelor in Bianjing. I asked my senior brother, who will be the official Xiu Mu On that day, I will go to Ouyang Mansion first. As for the Sheng family, if I want to go that day, let’s make an appointment in the afternoon. When I come back from Ouyang Mansion, we can go there together.”

Wei said: "Since your teacher told me, I must listen to it. As for the Sheng family, they are not in a hurry. We will wait until I come back."

After hearing this, Li Hao said: "Cousin Minglan is here, the Sheng family can't be too negligent after all, otherwise it will be fine with us, but it will hurt cousin Minglan's face after all."

Mrs. Wei listened to these words and nodded in agreement. After sitting for a while, Mrs. Wei felt a little tired again, so Li Jian accompanied her back to her room to rest. Li Hao was still awake, so he picked up the gun he brought from Yangzhou. He started to exercise. Since he was about to take the children's exam, Li Hao has stopped practicing every day. Now he is just practicing. After meeting Ouyang Xiu, he will probably have to continue studying and be busy taking the exam.

Wait until the next day, Mrs. Wei took people to Sheng Mansion. When Minglan received Mrs. Wei, she was naturally very happy, and then she took Mrs. Wei to see her grandmother. They went to see Mrs. Wang together and made an appointment tomorrow In the afternoon, he came for a formal visit. Then the two went back to the room to chat for a while, and then Mr. Wei returned home.

After setting a date to visit Sheng Mansion, Li Hao set out for Ouyang Mansion with Fu Deng and the prepared gifts on the morning of the holiday. Along the road, he looked at the tall buildings on both sides, the rows of houses, and the hawkers on the street.

, pedestrians come and go, and it is much more prosperous than Yangzhou City.

When Li Hao arrived at Ouyang Mansion, he presented Mrs. Qin's greetings and gifts, and was led into the concierge to sit down. After a while, someone came to lead Li Hao into the main hall, while Fu Deng was waiting for Li Hao's return in the concierge.

After Li Hao entered the main hall, he saw Ouyang Xiu. He was nearly fifty years old, of moderate stature, wearing a hair crown on his head, his body was tall and handsome, he was as decent as a small ginkgo tree, and his eyes were shining.

The brilliance of wisdom is sharp and deep. At the same time, the time has left wrinkles on his skin. He wears a curved collar, gold-colored gauze robe, white socks underneath, and a pair of black jackets on his feet, giving the impression that he is smart and capable.

.

Li Hao immediately bowed and saluted: "Hello, Mr. Ouyang."

After Ouyang Xiu saw him, he asked Li Hao to stand up and sit down. He said, "You and I were close friends when we were teachers. You don't have to be so polite. Just call me Uncle Yi Yi, as I won't wrong you."

Li Hao quickly stood up and said, "What are you talking about? It's my honor."

Ouyang Xiu raised his hand and asked Li Hao to sit down and talk. After Li Hao sat down, he said: "Brother Qin wrote to me and asked me to teach you some knowledge after you come to Beijing. But now that you have reached high school, you want to come."

He is full of knowledge. I will help you with some questions during these days. After you finish them, send them to me and I will explain to you how to distinguish them."

Li Hao said: "Then I will trouble my uncle."

Ouyang Xiu smiled and asked: "By the way, after the word Shui Diao Ge Tou, are there any new poems? You must know that when your Shui Diao Ge Tou came out, it was widely circulated. Even among the officials

I’ve heard about it all, and even asked me to ask about it later.”

After hearing this, Li Hao said: "Although my nephew also wrote some poems in Yangzhou later, it is still a lot worse than Shui Diao Ge Tou. It may not have been spread much."

Ouyang Xiu said: "Oh, then write it down and let me see it." Then he asked his servants to bring up pen and ink.

Seeing this, Li Hao wrote down a few poems he had copied over the years and handed them to Ouyang Xiu. Ouyang Xiu took them and read them carefully. He said: "Although these poems are not as talented as Shuidiao Getou, they are better than those of Shuidiao Getou."

Most of them just pile up words, and articles that are dangerous and difficult are much better.”

After hearing this, Li Hao felt something in his heart. At least he understood that Ouyang Xiu had lost his style of writing, and then he humbly replied: "Uncle, that's a ridiculous compliment."

Then Ouyang Xiu and Li Hao talked about Master Qin again, knowing that Master Qin did not want to go to Beijing. He said, "Brother Qin is an honest man, but it is a pity that he was hurt by this officialdom and it is difficult to realize his ambition."

Ouyang Xiu later told Li Hao about the time when he and Master Qin were ministers in the same palace and participated in the Qingli New Deal. After talking about it, he felt a lot of emotion, but he didn't know whether it was for Master Qin or the failed Qingli New Deal.

After waiting for a long time, it turned out that it was getting late. Ouyang Xiu asked, "Just have lunch at my place today. In the afternoon, I will tell you some test matters, and then give you some questions to try."

Li Hao replied: "I won't disturb my uncle today. I have a relative in Bianjing. We have made an appointment to visit my parents in the afternoon. Why don't you ask your uncle to give you some questions first, and I will take them back and wait for them to finish."

Then come and bother me again."

After hearing this, Ouyang Xiu said: "Okay, I will give you ten questions first, and you will come back to me after you finish them. I will explain it to you then, and don't stick to vulgar etiquette. Just come directly when the time comes."

I will make peace with my servants

Arrange it. If I don’t come back from the office, you can go to the study and read. These days, your aunt and my sons have returned to their hometown for business. After they come back in a while, I will

You introduce."

Li Hao saluted accordingly, then took the title and put it away. He returned to the concierge to pick up Fu Deng and then returned to his house.

When they arrived at the mansion, the Wei family had prepared a bunch of gifts and wanted to send them to Sheng Mansion.

Li Hao looked at it and said, "Mother, isn't this too public? Didn't mother say that my cousin's situation in the house is not very good? Such a big fanfare may not be a good thing for my cousin."

Mrs. Wei said: "Your cousin has suffered a lot since she was a child. Can't I prepare more gifts for her to make her look good?"

After hearing this, Li Hao replied: "Mom, that's not what I meant. Of course I have to give you gifts, but you don't need so many. It's better to fold the rest into soft banknotes and give them to my cousin in private. In this way, my cousin

You don’t lack face, but you can also get some practical benefits. Isn’t it the best of both worlds?”

Mrs. Wei thought about it and thought it might be right, so she asked someone to take some away.
Chapter completed!