Chapter 1029: Fan Chunren

"Brother Ziyan."

"Brother Ziyan, I am..."

Outside the Tribute Examination Hall in the capital, it was very lively, with hundreds of people coming here to register with the Ministry of Rites.

Thanks to the prosperity of the capital, the high-end nature of the Fan Tower, and even more thanks to the more relaxed curfew policy in the capital, the deeds of Wang Yan lecturing on the Dao at the Fan Tower last night, which were both absurd and impressive, had fermented overnight and were now spreading from person to person.

So when Wang Yan came to the Tribute Examination Hall to register with Feng Jing, the scholars who had long gathered here scrambled to greet Wang Yan and introduce themselves. Being able to be remembered by someone like Wang Yan truly gave one a sense of honor.

Because people had a most basic consensus: Wang Yan was not the same kind of person as them; he was more transcendent than the scholar group. If it weren't for some accident that led to an early fall, then according to the current situation, whether it was the supreme literary status of the Great Song or the peak of human official power, Wang Yan would have a position.

This was talent that could not be extinguished.

Wang Yan was not like the many frustrated celebrities of the past; it could be said that he was completely different. His calligraphy was the best in the world, he proposed a school of thought for self-cultivation and governing the world, and his teacher was a bigwig like Ouyang Xiu, with ability and connections. He also symbolized the merit of the Great Song's literary governance. Before he caused trouble, he basically belonged to the current mascot of the Great Song.

Under such circumstances, if he didn't pass the imperial examinations this time, Zhao Zhen would have to bestow upon him a "tong jinshi" status, and then arrange a leisurely position for him, keeping him in the capital to write calligraphy and poems in his spare time to entertain Zhao Zhen...

Wang Yan smiled and bowed to everyone, greeting those whose names he remembered, and everyone was happy.

"Let Brother Ziyan register first, we can wait a while."

Those who knew how to do favors pulled the scholars who had just gone to register, being generous with others' favors.

Wang Yan shook his head repeatedly: "No need, there is nothing to do anyway, why wait? Elder brother, please. I saw a few new faces, presumably they just arrived in the capital. This elder brother, may I ask your honorable surname and name?"

Although he always bullied people, he obviously didn't do such tasteless things. Early or late registration didn't matter; the main thing was continuous self-marketing in the scholar group. Taking down a generation of peers first was the proper business.

So he looked at a scholar who had been smiling at him, with a slightly square face, thick eyebrows and big eyes, who looked very upright. The whole person revealed a kind of confidence, and there was quite a bit of sharpness in his eyes.

He smiled very kindly and very closely, bowed to Wang Yan in return, and said: "Fan Chunren from Suzhou, courtesy name Yaofu, I have met Brother Ziyan."

Wang Yan raised an eyebrow, and then had a sudden realization: "It is my fault, actually meeting face to face and not recognizing each other. No, no, no, it is all the fault of Elder Brother Yaofu alone, being so low-key that I almost missed you."

Many people might not know the name Fan Chunren, but there was no way, because his father was Fan Zhongyan. He was the second son of Fan Zhongyan, a two-time prime minister, and didn't die until the Huizong period, also a veteran official of several reigns. But his father was too impressive, and his own little light simply couldn't be released.

"Saying it's your fault, then saying it's my fault, you've said it all, Wang Ziyan." Fan Chunren shook his head with amusement, "However, compared to Ziyan, I am low-key. I didn't expect that Ziyan would cause such a big stir as soon as you arrived in the capital, becoming famous in the capital. I admire you, I admire you."

"Is the elder brother making fun of me?"

"All are words from the heart."

"Where does the elder brother live?"

"In an inn in the capital."

"My father-in-law has a residence in the capital, with many rooms. Since Elder Brother Yaofu is staying at Daxiangguo Temple, why not live with me? There are also many books. I feel like old friends with the elder brother at first sight; wouldn't it be a good thing for us to study and progress together? It's settled. I imagine the elder brother has already eaten and drunk his fill; why not go to Daxiangguo Temple now to get your luggage and move in directly?"

Facing Wang Yan's invitation, Fan Chunren really couldn't refuse, and he also wanted to get closer to Wang Yan. He respected and admired Wang Yan, even though Wang Yan was ten years younger than him.

After all, in learning there is no seniority, and the accomplished are teachers. Although Wang Yan kept calling him "elder brother," he didn't dare to call himself "elder brother," and from beginning to end it was "I."

Pondering for a little while, he still nodded: "That would be good, then I will disturb you."

"Why is the elder brother so polite? Let's go."

Wang Yan waved his hand and pulled Feng Jing, who had been following behind, to the front: "This is Feng Jing from Jiangxia, courtesy name Dangshi. You have already heard who he is, Elder Brother Yaofu, so I won't introduce him much."

Fan Chunren had no intention of being ostentatious, so Wang Yan didn't introduce him, just saying they were old acquaintances.

Family members being too dazzling was not a good thing for other people, but rather a burden. People often had higher requirements and expectations for him.

Without a doubt, Fan Zhongyan was an absolutely dazzling star of the time, and Fan Chunren's days were not easy.

However, he himself was indeed powerful, only twenty-one years old this year, and he passed the imperial examinations directly to become a successful candidate. At this age, he was already very young and could be described as stunningly talented.

Of course, Wang Yan, who was eighteen this year and nineteen next year, was even younger, and naturally even more stunningly talented...

It seemed that at this moment, the scholars had automatically formed a circle, with Wang Yan standing alone in the center, answering everyone's questions with a gentle smile.

People were very curious about him; he had too many topics on him. Putting the issue of the new school of thought aside, there were many other messy things. Some were asking about his family background, some were curious about the love story between him and Hualan, and others were asking about Ouyang Xiu's situation, etc.

The scholars who came to the capital also registered one after another. Some didn't know the situation, and some were told by others, so they joined in.

It was so lively, and Wang Yan mingled with everyone, laughing and talking, while also displaying his talent, releasing his personality charm to the greatest extent.

Originally, it was just a boring registration in line, but it was turned into a grand gathering of lecturing on the Dao by Wang Yan again. Even the scholars present today were far more numerous than yesterday at the Fan Tower, and they were all of the same batch.

They were also the outstanding ones in their respective prefectures and counties. Although by the time they returned next spring, Wang Yan's deeds in the capital would have already spread back, but speaking from personal experience was always different. People would see these scholars' extreme admiration for Wang Yan, and over time, they would passively have a sense of closeness to Wang Yan.

Until after the registration, everyone dispersed, and Wang Yan finally got a rest. He pulled Fan Chunren and Feng Jing into the carriage and drank tea.

This carriage was not as big as the one in Wang Yan's home, and it was quite crowded with three men stuffed inside. However, having stood all day, sitting was always comfortable. Wang Yan lay horizontally in the innermost part, pillowing on the soft cushion, with his feet placed directly on the carriage wall, looking very awkward, but actually not uncomfortable at all. Fan Chunren and Feng Jing, left and right guardians, blocked the windows.

Because the carriage curtains were pulled up, the interior didn't appear dark. Little Dongliang sat cross-legged at the carriage door, boiling water and making tea there.

Watching Wang Yan lying sideways, without any etiquette, Fan Chunren shook his head and sighed: "The reputation is too big, which is not good. Ziyan and Brother Dangshi came early, but they talked until the people left their offices before finally registering."

"There are gains, and there are losses." Wang Yan smiled, "My school of thought, which I thought about day and night and spent so much effort to organize, although the foundation is still shallow, I always want to attract like-minded people, so that this learning can be carried forward. Compared to that, standing for a day and being hungry for two meals is trivial. I guess Brother Yaofu is because Fan Gong's name is too loud, so you suffered some unspeakable hardships, and you feel the same, right?"

Before the bitter-smiling Fan Chunren could speak, Feng Jing asked with a start: "Fan Gong? Could it be the Fan Zhongyan Fan Prime Minister who said 'Be the first to worry about the world's worries, and the last to enjoy the world's joys'?"

"Otherwise, who else could it be? Brother Yaofu is indeed the second son of Fan Gong. Over the years, I imagine many people, like Brother Dangshi, have heard that Yaofu is the son of Fan Gong and have to ask about his talent. Yaofu has had to study hard and study diligently, not daring to let down Fan Gong's name."

"Ziyan, my heart is bitter..." Fan Chunren nodded repeatedly like a chicken pecking at rice, "Ziyan understands me, Ziyan understands me..."

Seeing his appearance of wailing, Feng Jing shook his head with amusement. He naturally knew that this was Fan Chunren's madness; it was all a joke.

He cupped his hands and asked: "I didn't expect that it was the son of Fan Gong in person. I wonder how Fan Gong is?"

Fan Chunren sighed and shook his head: "The root of the illness left behind that year has never been cured, and he has become thinner and thinner these years, and eats less. But his spirit is still okay."

According to the original history, Fan Zhongyan would live for less than four years. Now he is fifty-nine years old, and compared to the average age, dying in his sixties is already quite good.

It was mainly because of the brain-racking during the Qingli New Deal, as well as working day and night, and the key was that it hadn't been implemented much before it ended in failure, which seriously hit Fan Zhongyan's spirit. If it weren't for this, Fan Zhongyan might have lived another ten or eight years.

Wang Yan thought for a while and said: "I have some research on medical Dao. I have treated the neighbors in my village, and there have been no mistakes so far. There is a prescription for conditioning the body. After I go back, I will write it down, and the elder brother can send someone to give it to Fan Gong. I imagine Fan Gong is also well-versed in medical principles and will know whether it can be tried, and will have his own judgment. If I could diagnose Fan Gong in person and prescribe medicine according to the symptoms, it would be even better."

Fan Chunren nodded with a smile: "Then I will trouble Brother Ziyan, and just try the prescription. To tell you the truth, my father's evaluation of Ziyan is extremely good. He will definitely take the prescription you write."

"Please don't." Wang Yan waved his hand, "Medical Dao emphasizes prescribing medicine according to symptoms, and emphasizes dialectics the most. The dialectics of my school of thought is derived from this. One illness is one illness, and one thing must be one thing."

Feng Jing added on the side: "I didn't expect Ziyan to have such profound cultivation in medical Dao."

"Brother Dangshi, don't praise me. I am eighteen this year, how can I talk about cultivation? And how can I talk about profundity? They are all immature ideas, and they still need to be applied to the world and then summarized."

Wang Yan yawned, rubbed his stomach, and changed the subject, "After all, I haven't had lunch, and I am indeed a bit hungry."

"Young Master, I still have some dried meat here."

Little Dongliang, who had been silent, raised his head, took out an oil paper bag from his small bag, opened it, and sent it over.

"Taste the flavor first, you can keep the rest as a snack." Wang Yan distributed a strip to each, stuffed one into his mouth and ate it, "My family made it, everyone eat, eat, just pad your stomach first. After we return to the mansion, I will make a table of dishes, and the three of us will eat and drink, and have a good talk."

"Oh? Brother Ziyan can also cook?" Both of them were surprised.

Little Dongliang took over the conversation. He was very familiar with this routine of bragging for his Young Master.

"My Young Master doesn't just know how to cook; he is better than the cooks in the Fan Tower. Yesterday's food at the Fan Tower was far from as delicious as what my Young Master makes. It was still my Young Master who had foresight, knowing long ago that there was no good food in the capital, so he brought his own cooking utensils and seasonings, and he will definitely make the two young masters eat until their bellies are round."

Seeing that both of them were looking at him, Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "Little Dongliang's words are a bit exaggerated, but my cooking skills are indeed okay, and they are indeed more delicious than the Fan Tower. Saying it is not as good as doing it; after the two elder brothers taste it, they will understand, and I guarantee they will want to eat it again."

Wang Yan spoke interestingly, and the atmosphere in the carriage, which was not very happy because Fan Chunren's father was not in good health and those encounters, suddenly became happy.

Scholars talking together, especially in this era of slow carriages and horses, still had many topics. For example, local customs—Fan Chunren and Feng Jing had both been to many places, and both had worked. Or chatting about learning, this thing could be chatted about endlessly.

Just like this, they chatted and laughed all the way to the inn where Fan Chunren was staying, took his two servants, and finally returned to the Sheng family's big mansion in the capital before dark.

Fan Chunren, like Feng Jing yesterday, sighed that the old Sheng family was really rich. His old Fan family was a local tycoon, but they didn't have such a big residence in the capital.

Wang Yan ignored them and walked straight to the kitchen.

The steward followed and said: "Son-in-law, there are many invitations today, asking the son-in-law to go to a banquet. There are..."

"Tell them to reply tomorrow, saying I have to visit Ouyang Gong's friends recently and it is inconvenient to attend the banquet."

"Should I set another date?"

"It seems that there is no one to manage in the capital, and you have forgotten the ability to listen to people after being in charge for a long time." Wang Yan patted the steward's shoulder with a smile, "Of course, don't set a date."

The ecology of Yangzhou and the capital is different. The gatherings he participated in and the people he pulled in were all representatives of the future Yangzhou. As long as the majority of them agreed on one thing, they could influence the development of Yangzhou.

But the environment in the capital is complex. These people do have energy, but they are of no use. Their invitations belong to looking at a monkey; whoever invites him and he goes, that person has face, which obviously is not very good.

In the end, Wang Yan is still too young, has no fame, no official position, and the influence of his school of thought is too small, without solid followers. His huge reputation and influence have not yet been converted into forces that can be manipulated, and he is not yet a climate.

But in three or five years, these people who are sending him invitations now will have to line up at the door to see him. He doesn't need to strive or pull; when interests coincide, they will automatically gather around him...

Ignoring the steward who didn't know how to conduct himself, Wang Yan turned and asked: "Have you sent the invitation to Bao Gong's mansion?"

"Bao Gong agreed, and we can go tomorrow afternoon."

"Go get busy, and settle Brother Yaofu well."

Wang Yan drilled into the kitchen, found the cook who made big pot rice for the Sheng family without any reservation, and taught him cooking skills directly. This thing is to teach a group of people, and everyone is comfortable.

It's just that Wang Yan didn't deliberately promote it, because the masses don't really need it; they struggle even with pickles, and there isn't enough oil, so how can they talk about stir-frying. And he himself can eat it, so there is no need to worry.

And in Yangzhou, Ouyang Xiu and the Sheng family, the cooks in the household had all studied at Wang Yan's home, mastering everything from cooking utensils to seasonings, and they did quite well.

Although Sheng Hong didn't have a business mind, he didn't forget the big house when there were good things. After talking to Wang Yan, he trained the cooks of the Sheng family's big house again. Now the Sheng family's big house has already opened a restaurant in Youyang and started making money, which was before he came...

Wang Yan was stir-frying here, and Little Dongliang was directing people to make barbecue there. Little Dongliang loved to eat roasted lamb skewers, and Wang Yan had made them many times in Yangzhou, and the little brat had practiced his barbecue skills...

Unsurprisingly, the dishes he made and Little Dongliang's barbecue received extremely high praise from Fan Chunren and Feng Jing. Combined with the high-minded talk, they didn't feel it until they were drunk...

Early the next morning, Feng Jing and Fan Chunren both rubbed their heads painfully and sat at the dining table.

Feng Jing sighed and said to Wang Yan, who had disheveled hair: "Ziyan misled me. Coming here was originally to seek peace and quiet, and to study well, but I didn't expect to be drunk twice in a row."

"Ziyan, the imperial examinations are the priority." Fan Chunren nodded repeatedly.

"It was clearly the two elder brothers who were drinking with me, but now that you are sober, you want to blame it on me. This is really..." Wang Yan looked down on these two goods, their words were very dense when they were drunk.

"It's not like we are drinking and having fun all day. Once or twice is no big deal. Come, two elder brothers, drink some porridge, eat something light, it's the best for returning the soul."

Fan Chunren gave a big yawn, and then blew on the hot porridge and asked: "Where is Ziyan going today?"

"My teacher Ouyang Gong has many friends in the capital, so I must pay a visit. I already sent an invitation to Bao Gong yesterday, and I will go to the mansion this afternoon. Do the two elder brothers want to go together?"

Fan Chunren nodded, but Feng Jing seemed very hesitant: "It would be bad for Ziyan to bring people along without notice..."

"Brother Dangshi, what are you saying? How can Bao Gong be so small-minded? Let's go together."

Nowadays, Old Bao is the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue of the Three Departments, and his position is not low, and he has always had a good reputation. Young scholars are very respectful of such figures, and anyone who has the opportunity wants to see them.

Feng Jing had already written his desire to go on his face. His relationship was not as strong as Wang Yan's, so if he had the opportunity, he would definitely want to go. Bigwigs like talented young people. Although Feng Jing was not as impressive as Wang Yan, he was not bad, but he was just pretending to refuse.

"Let's go together, let's go together." Fan Chunren said, "I also received my father's instruction to pay a visit to Bao Gong. If Ziyan hadn't mentioned it, I would have said it too."

"That's very good." Wang Yan nodded with a smile.

The three of them ate breakfast, tidied up, and then set questions for each other, each writing a policy essay, passing it around to exchange ideas, and the whole morning was consumed.