Do you know that my grandfather was entitled to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple?

Chapter 40 Hai Wenqing's Reminder

Wang Mang was humble before he usurped the throne.

That's what it means.

There is a saying that great villains can appear loyal, and great loyalty can appear villainous.

Many people who watched the first half of his story thought he was a treacherous minister.

Those loyal ministers who have made their mark in history were not necessarily all loyal ministers.

It's just that many people didn't get the chance, or died too young, so their talents weren't exposed.

After history has settled its judgment, later generations, based on their life stories, have distinguished between the loyal and the treacherous.

Moreover, there are many people in history who were considered foolish rulers and treacherous ministers at the time, but were regarded as wise rulers and loyal ministers by later generations.

The most representative emperor was Emperor Wu of Han.

Although Qin Shi Huang was known as a tyrant, his achievement in unifying the country was immense.

Even in ancient times, people only disapproved of his cruel actions, but no one denied his contributions.

Emperor Wu of Han was different; he was a model of militarism and aggression in ancient times.

Whenever an emperor is warlike and his ministers oppose him, they will bring up Emperor Wu of Han and flogging his corpse.

During the years that Fu Xiangong was demoted, he had been reflecting on the reasons for the failure of the new policies.

The failure of the new policy was simply due to too much resistance, the wavering of officials, and their distrust.

Those officials who oppose it naturally cannot say that my interests have been harmed, so I must oppose it.

They all had seemingly legitimate reasons, and in the Emperor's view, these people's starting point was for the good of the Song Dynasty.

Starting with less important aspects gradually reduces the resistance.

However, in the process of implementation, there will definitely be officials who hold things back.

This will also allow the officials to see the true colors of those who oppose them.

Only in this way will the government take a firm stance on the issue of reform.

……

Wang You was unaware that his views had such a great influence on the court.

He answered the questions in such a way only to appease the emperor and make him feel better so that the emperor could be more generous in bestowing rewards.

After finishing the palace examination, Wang You rested for a day before starting to tour Bianjing and enjoy the local delicacies.

There were many literati in Bianjing, and when literati gathered together, they loved to talk about politics.

Listening to these people's conversations, Wang You gained a more direct understanding of the situation in the court.

Before we knew it, half a month had passed.

That evening, when Wang You returned home, he received a report from the gatekeeper that the Ministry of Rites had sent someone to inform him that he would enter the palace in two days to receive an award.

The imperial examination of the Song Dynasty did not eliminate candidates, but it did not include the imperial examination for supernatural abilities.

Therefore, receiving a notification means that one is eligible for a reward.

This also means that Wang You could at least be granted an honorary title.

However, receiving such a reward would mean nothing to Wang You.

Although a nominal title allows one to be considered for official appointment, the court already has more officials than it can use, and many sons of officials can only receive nominal titles due to their hereditary privileges.

Those who participate in the prodigy test are too young, and they will have to wait a few years before they have the opportunity.

But by then, the fame brought by the prodigy exam will have disappeared, so how can they compete with the sons of officials and those who have not been granted official positions?

In that case, Wang You might as well wait for a hereditary title.

However, Wang You was confident that he would not receive the lowest reward.

According to his article, if the government does not approve, one cannot be selected.

Since it has been selected, it means that the emperor approves of it, so it will naturally not be the lowest reward.

Wang You felt excited at the thought. If he could be granted the title of Jinshi, he would have a certain say in his family.

I can now make my own decisions about some things.

…………

"Young Master, the eldest son of the Hai family has arrived."

The following morning, Wang You was practicing calligraphy in his study when Xiaoman came to report to him.

"Brother Hai is here?"

Wang You was taken aback when he heard this. He had a very pleasant conversation with Hai Ning when he visited the Hai family last time.

Haining also said that he would invite him to a poetry gathering during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

However, Haining did not send anyone to deliver the invitation afterward.

Now that the Mid-Autumn Festival has been over for almost a month, why is Haining suddenly visiting us?

Although he couldn't understand it, Wang You put down his pen and went out to greet them.

Upon arriving at the gate of the mansion, they saw Haining waiting outside with his entourage.

"Distinguished guests have arrived; why not invite them in?"

Wang You first reprimanded the gatekeeper with dissatisfaction, then smiled and cupped his hands towards Hai Ning, saying, "Brother Hai, your visit is an honor. My servants are ignorant and have made you laugh."

"Ziqian is right. It's not your gatekeeper's fault."

Hai Ning returned the greeting and smiled, saying, "It is already impolite to come without prior notice, and how can you enter without permission?"

In ancient times, communication was not as convenient as it is in later generations. When visiting someone's home, it was necessary to send a visiting card in advance so that the other party could prepare.

They will only visit after receiving permission.

Otherwise, if you rush to their door, what if they are unavailable or not at home? You'll have wasted your time.

Haining arrived without presenting a formal invitation, and if he entered the house without the host's consent, it would be considered coercive.

Once people are inside, even if the host doesn't want to see them, they can't send them away.

These are all matters of etiquette, and ordinary families might not be so particular about them.

Moreover, even wealthy families wouldn't care about such things when faced with people of lower social status or family background.

Haining's emphasis on etiquette was not merely out of politeness, but also out of respect for Wang You.

Wang You understood after a moment's thought and warmly invited Hai Ning into the mansion.

Upon arriving at the main hall, the host and guests took their seats. After the servants served tea, Haining rose and bowed to Wang You.

"Brother Hai, what are you doing?"

Wang You quickly stepped forward to help Hai Ning up.

"I had previously said that I would invite Ziqian to the poetry gathering, but I didn't think much of it at the time. But later I realized that Ziqian had to take the prodigy exam and couldn't be distracted."

"I had intended to send someone to inform them, but then I felt it wouldn't be appropriate. Now that the prodigy exam is over, I've come to apologize in person," Haining said.

"Brother Hai, you flatter me. Your actions were for my sake, so how could I blame you?" Wang You said with a smile.

"Thank you for your magnanimity, Ziqian." Haining bowed again.

"If that's the case, Brother Hai, then you don't consider me a friend. Let's not bring this up again!" Wang You said, feigning displeasure.

"I was being dramatic," Haining laughed.

"That's right, sit down!"

Wang You gestured for Hai Ning to sit down and picked up his teacup to drink.

He used the time while drinking tea to think about the purpose of his visit to Haining.

Haining's reasons seem reasonable at first glance, but there are still many flaws in them.

If what he said is true, he should have visited the person to apologize as soon as the palace examination ended.

Now, half a month has passed, and the results of the palace examination have been released.

That was clearly just an excuse; the real purpose of this trip was something else entirely.

"I have a few words to say to Ziqian alone. Is that convenient?" Haining said.

Upon hearing this, Wang You dismissed the servants attending to him in the hall and said, "Brother Hai, please speak."

Haining said in a low voice, "Ziqian's article was shown to some court officials by the Emperor, and my father also read it a couple of days ago. He greatly admired Ziqian's views."

However, my father said that the situation in the court is very complicated. You are still young, so it's okay to answer questions like that, but you must not get involved.

Wang You was taken aback upon hearing this; it seemed that this was the real reason Hai Ning had come to visit.

Why would Hai Wenqing be so kind as to send Hai Ning to remind him?

Because of that little relationship between the two families?

Wang You thought it was unlikely. The logic was the same: if it were really that simple, Hai Wenqing would have sent someone long ago.

As the emperor's advisor, if the emperor showed his articles to his ministers, Hai Wenqing couldn't have only seen them recently.