Chapter 164
“… Disrespect, disrespect.”

Facing the politeness of the majestic young county magistrate in front of him, Yuan Xiangshan nodded his beard and his face softened a little.

He also replied politely:

“This old man has heard about you. Master Su and Mrs. Su have praised you in front of this old man. Da Lang also praised you a few days ago, saying that he has met a good teacher and helpful friend…but that’s all.”

Yuan Xiangshan shook his head, didn’t say any more, and cast a very obvious glance at Ouyang Rong.

It seems to be giving face to the younger generation, some words are not said, let him go back and realize it by himself.

Ouyang Rong didn’t seem to notice, he nodded without blushing:

“Don’t dare to take it, don’t dare to take it, Dalang and the others praised it, the old man doesn’t have to take it seriously.”

“…”

Which eye sees the old man seriously?
Yuan Xiangshan couldn’t help taking another look at Ouyang Rong, and said directly:

“Some words, as a senior, I don’t know if I should say it or not…”

Hearing this gesture, Ouyang Rong turned his head and looked at Su Dalang, who was sitting beside Yuan Xiangshan, who respected his master and bowed down to serve tea.

The latter shook his head at him with apologetic eyes.

While the two exchanged glances, Yuan Xiangshan took a sip of tea, moistened his throat, and continued to say with a straight face:
“Let’s talk about it, and it’s easy for you young people to say that you are relying on the old and selling the old, but if you don’t talk about it, it will hurt you again. We old seniors are not happy, so we can’t just watch you juniors make detours?”

Ouyang Rong turned his head and sincerely shook his head towards Yuan Xiangshan, who was about to start singing, and said:

“It’s not appropriate to talk, the old man should drink more tea, and save more words for the teaching and educating people in the classroom.”

Yuan Xiangshan frowned, and waved his old hand:
“It’s okay, Dalang is here right now, so if you talk about it carefully, it can be regarded as an extracurricular teaching and educating people.”

The old man sighed:
“Actually, if it’s an outsider, I wouldn’t want to talk about it, but since Dalang regards you as a friend, I will naturally have to fulfill my elder’s responsibilities.”

Ouyang Rong couldn’t help but interjected: “Actually, it’s okay for the old gentleman to treat me as an outsider, that’s fine.”

Su Dalang persuaded: “Teacher, let’s go back…”

It’s a pity that I don’t know if I didn’t hear it, or why, these words didn’t interrupt Yuan Xiangshan’s earnest singing:

“I have heard about your deeds. In the imperial court of the capital of God, you offend your face and directly admonish you, offend your majesty, and your bones are strong. Scholars in the north and south praise you full of praise, calling you a good man and a true gentleman.

“This old man appreciates it quite a bit. Although there may be some young people’s impulsiveness in it, but this outspoken and admonishing minister’s demeanor does not disgrace your senior officials at Yushitai.

“Hey, this old man recalled the past when he was still in the ceremonial department of the court… You still have some of the demeanor of the old man.”

Yuan Xiangshan nodded slightly, changed the subject, and said with a serious face:
“But now, is it because you are discouraged from being demoted from Beijing or something, is it a little slack, let’s not mention the matter of spoiling Dalang for now, let’s talk about your own job.

“The things you did in Longcheng County, those large-scale water conservancy projects, I have heard people in the mansion. At that time, I thought you did a good job in disaster relief and water control, and you were doing things for the people in a down-to-earth manner.

“But two days ago, the old man went out to buy books at the book store. Guess what, the old man saw beggars and people begging along the street along the way, and that’s how you helped the disaster?

“The problem of food and clothing for the people in this county has not been resolved, but you turned to water control and rushed to mobilize manpower and material resources to build water conservancy construction. Is this putting the cart before the horse? Hey, as a county official, how can you be so negligent?”

There were two “dong dong”, Yuan Xiangshan knocked on the ground with his crutches, his face covered with age spots was full of sighs, he was severely vigilant.

At the back of the water pavilion, Yan Liulang, who was bored to listen, thought it was just Su Dalang who was unlucky enough to find a “Master” who relied on the old and sold the old. This remark.

I’m not afraid of you talking nonsense, but I’m afraid of being nosy and pointing fingers.

Yan Liulang was speechless, and quickly looked at the young county magistrate in front of him.

Seeing his own Ming Mansion’s back is silent at this moment, the sleeves are standing still, not saying a word.

Yan Liulang secretly thought something was wrong.

On the other side, seeing his friend’s face, Su Dalang also hurriedly turned his head to persuade:

“Don’t talk about it, teacher, we are laymen after all, Liang Han…”

Yuan Xiangshan shook his head and interrupted:
“It may not be pleasant to say, but it is for his own good to tell the truth.”

The old man raised his hand to caress his long beard, looked at the pond outside the water pavilion, with a sad face, and sighed:
“Moreover, seeing the scene of the common people begging two days ago, the old man was very moved. He didn’t want to go to the bookstore, but returned halfway, and wrote a parallel essay “Preface to Mourning the Disasters”.

“I originally wanted to use it to teach Dalang and let him study it. What a coincidence, you, the county magistrate of Longcheng, are here today, and you can be regarded as the rightful owner. I don’t mean to offend my parents and officials. It’s just a shabby building. You can refer to it. one time.”

After Yuan Xiangshan stroked his beard, he turned his head and said:
“Dalang, go and take out the “Preface to Mourning the Disasters” by the teacher, and show it to the county magistrate, and correct one or two.”

Su Dalang looked puzzled and didn’t move.

The book boy at the side received Yuan Xiangshan’s gaze, and turned his head to fetch a set of scrolls.

This water pavilion outside Juxian Garden seems to be used as a place for Su Dalang to give lectures and read books from time to time. There are brushes, ink, paper and inkstones on the stone table. Several book boys tidied up their hands and feet diligently, made room for them, and spread the scrolls in the center of the water pavilion. stone table.

Parallel prose, the whole article is mainly composed of double sentences, paying attention to neat antithesis and sonorous rhythm, and emphasizing embellishment and allusions in rhetoric.

It is a very popular style of writing in the literary world at present. In fact, it has been prevalent in the Southern and Northern Dynasties before Wei Zhou and Li Gan. Even Ouyang Rong had to write corresponding prose for the imperial examination when he took part in the imperial examination.

Inside the waterside pavilion, seeing the flushed face of his disciple Su Dalang, Yuan Xiangshan waved his sleeves and added with a righteous face:
“The old man is just a straight-hearted person, and some of his words are not quick to utter, but they are all for the sake of the people and the good of the county government. I hope the county magistrate will not be offended.”

“Of course I won’t be offended.”

Ouyang Rong, who had been silent since Yuan Xiangshan raised his opinion, suddenly spoke.

Yuan Xiangshan nodded with a satisfied expression, glanced at Su Dalang who was stunned beside him, and opened his mouth to say a few words.

Ouyang Rong said without stopping:

“But I’m also straight-hearted, and some things I say are equally blunt, but they are all for the good of the old man. I just want to say a few words, and I hope the old man will not be offended.”

Everyone was taken aback, Yuan Xiangshan also frowned, “What do you want to say…”

Ouyang Rong asked curiously:

“How old was the old man when he married?”

“Why ask this?”

“The old man just answers.”

“When I was fourteen, my father decided on the marriage.”

“Then what did the old man 23 do when he was four years old?”

Yuan Xiangshan’s tone was quite proud: “Hmph, this old man has already entered high school and is waiting for the selection of officials. Two years later, he entered the Ministry of Rites as an official.”

“Waiting for the selection of officials by the Ministry of Officials, when I was 23 or four years old, I was just hanging out in Luoyang Shilin, occasionally calling friends, entertaining friends, and going to brothels and restaurants to find pleasure and get drunk, and scribble pen and ink…

“When I was preparing for the exam in Luoyang, I saw that the senior Jinshi were like this. Is it the same for the old seniors?”

“It’s not exactly the same. You young people are not as extravagant as you are now… No, why are you asking this?”

Ouyang Rong asked calmly:
“Then do you know how old Da Lang is now?”

“The imaginary age is 24…”

Yuan Xiangshan paused for a moment, but Ouyang Rong didn’t wait for him to react, he pointed at Su Dalang, and then at the Juxianyuan study behind him. Lang Sheng:

“Old seniors, please take a closer look at the life of the 24-year-old Dalang who has already won the championship.
“Let’s not mention whether we drink some health-preserving tea when we go out for fun this time. The old man keeps saying that it is good for Da Lang, but he never takes Da Lang’s situation into consideration.

“You have been married and started a family at the age of 14, and you don’t have to worry about being full of energy. At the age of 23, you became a Jinshi and passed the rank, enjoying the youth of the gods. But Dalang, when you are full of energy, is locked up in this deep house all day long. There is a mountain of books in front of him, and he studies hard at night with the lamp on, and his homework is full during the day, but the young black-haired people are full of white-headed old scholars.

“Even the half-day vacation for a month is taken by the teacher. Has the old man considered Da Lang’s feelings?”

Inside the terrace and waterside pavilion, the young man’s words were sonorous and forceful, and the Su family’s eldest son stood in a daze, while the white-haired old man with a cane was stunned, speechless from being choked, and hurriedly defended:
“The old man is doing it for his own good…”

“Don’t persuade others to be kind without suffering from others.” Ouyang Rong took a step forward and interrupted:
“I don’t ask the old seniors to empathize with me, but I can directly suppress Dalang’s nature with the majesty of the teacher, and in the name of Dalang’s parents’ expectations, is it too selfish to do the thing of growing flowers in the greenhouse?!”

“You…you…the old man didn’t…”

“What about me, what the old senior did before, is not like this at all. The so-called substitute for the people of Longcheng is also the same.”

Ouyang Rong didn’t even lift his eyelids:
“The old senior just said that he had a good impression of you because of other people’s comments on his style, and later he was disappointed in you because of the so-called witnessing beggars begging in the street. A great piece of criticism…

“Heh, did the old man ask about the origins of the beggars on the street?
“Obviously, the old man didn’t, and the old man didn’t know that these beggars were actually from other disaster-stricken counties!
“Precisely because the people in Longcheng County, which is also the disaster-stricken county, live well and have a good reputation, it attracts disaster victims from several surrounding counties to come here in an endless stream.

“The old seniors didn’t know that these disaster victims who came here every day would be sent to the suburban disaster relief camp before sunset.

“Even the seniors don’t even know how many disaster relief camps there are outside the city, and how much food these relief camps consume every day just by distributing rice for free.

“The old-timers only care about whether the sentences and rhymes are harmonious and the rhymes are harmonious in the masterpieces they write when they go home.

“Well, what do you say that seeing is believing? Is it true that only seeing the appearance should be regarded as reality? Then this is no different from the blind man feeling the image, but he has eyes but no eyes, and it is even worse than the blind man feeling the elephant. It’s just a generalization, and the old man can’t even get the idea.

“Is this the way the old master did Dalang Mingshi?”

Ouyang Rong chuckled, he didn’t know when, he had already walked to the stone table, and lowered his eyes to read the so-called “Preface to the Disasters” on the table while talking.

“Waiting for you, junior…” Yuan Xiangshan staggered to his feet with his cane on his back, his lips trembling.

The young magistrate shook his head and said:

“The old seniors are used to blind eyes, standing in a high position, ignoring the facts, talking eloquently, and publishing long-winded speeches. I am not used to this. I have to confirm repeatedly before I say something.

“It’s the same when I was reluctant to talk and wanted to discern someone’s quality, and it’s the same when I appreciate the old man’s masterpiece of ‘feeling’.”

As he spoke, Ouyang Rong pointed his index finger down at the parallel essay on the table, with a sincere face, imitating what someone said just now:

“Maybe it’s not pleasant to say, but if you tell the truth, it’s also for the good of the old man. The article written by the old man…is not very good, and I’m a little disappointed.”

He said indifferently: “Too much advocating parallel couples, embellished with algae paintings, humble literary style, and moaning without illness.”

Ouyang Rong was right. After reading it carefully several times, he was indeed speaking in a down-to-earth manner.

At present, there are no Eight Great Masters and the ancient prose movement in this world. The style of parallel prose that is popular in the literary world of the Great Zhou Dynasty is handed down from the Southern and Northern Dynasties.

This style of writing emphasizes duality and rhythm. Because of the need to adapt to the sentence structure, it is easy to evolve into a pile of rhetoric, with less meaning and more words, which greatly affects the expression of content.

At this moment in the water pavilion, Yuan Xiangshan was speechless, seemed a little anxious, and coughed with his face flushed.

“Teacher calm down…” Su Dalang hurriedly stepped forward and patted the teacher’s back.

Looking at the pair of master and apprentice in front of him, and thinking about what happened today, a certain ancient text with a deep memory suddenly flashed in Ouyang Rong’s mind.

Ouyang Rong shook his head and said:
“Did seniors use this kind of articles to teach Dalang? If I am not talented, I will also give Dalang an article instead of parallel essays. I will write something meaningful. This is a gift from a senior I met by chance. Mine, I changed it a bit, and made a fool of myself.”

Ouyang Rong stood by the table, spreading paper and rubbing ink, and rolled up his sleeves.

He writes the pen and ink at will, and turns to an eloquent article, writing it in one stroke.

“Liaozhi Dalang. Liulang, Ah Shan, let’s go, let’s stop blocking the eyes of a certain master here.”

After putting down the pen, without waiting for the ink to dry, Ouyang Rong turned around and walked out of the water pavilion.

Yan Liulang, Liu Ashan and others hurriedly followed.

Seeing this, Yuan Xiangshan pushed away Su Dalang and the book boy who were supporting him, and jumped up. He didn’t know why at this moment, but his skills seemed a little vigorous. The old man chased out of the waterside pavilion, and stabbed Ouyang Rong’s back with his crutches:

“Shuzi, don’t go, you are so old, what do you mean?”

“What do you mean?”

Ouyang Rong said without turning his head:
“Don’t understand? The meaning is very simple. A student is a good student, but a teacher is not necessarily a good teacher.

“Da Lang is too respectful of his teacher. The old man is used to bullying him, but don’t try to bully him. You don’t understand the situation in Longcheng County, so I won’t bother you to point fingers.”

Just as Mr. Yuan stomped his feet angrily, on the long corridor not far from the waterside pavilion, there was a beautiful figure that had been standing and listening for a long time.

“Miss, do you want to persuade…” behind Qianying, a little maid with a bun face couldn’t help asking.

“Hush.” ​​Su Gu’er squinted at the tall and straight figure.

In the water pavilion, Su Dalang, who was a step behind, couldn’t help but stop slowly when he passed the stone table. He looked down at the wet articles on the table, and murmured in a daze: “Yu Jiaqi can walk the ancient road… the teacher said it will benefit him…”

Su Dalang couldn’t help raising his head. At this moment, like his sister on the corridor, he silently looked at the back of the young county magistrate striding away.

(End of this chapter)