Chapter 264 Guidance
Yan Zisheng carried a cup of tea to Song Zhiyuan, respectfully saying, "Prime Minister, please have some tea."
Song Zhiyuan stood with his hands behind his back in front of a wall, on which hung a calligraphy painting inscribed with the phrase "A man of virtue carries heavy responsibilities," signed with Yan Zisheng’s pseudonym, Xishan Daoren.
"Your writing, the strokes are powerful and possess great character, it’s quite well done."
Yan Zisheng humbly replied, "Prime Minister, you overpraise me. This student is not even a tenth of your capabilities."
"No need for modesty. At your age, I couldn’t write like this. But the meaning of this piece, Changsheng, have you understood it?" Song Zhiyuan asked casually.
Yan Zisheng straightened slightly and said, "A dignified person should uphold virtues and accept all things like the earth does. A gentleman with virtues should embrace everything with a broad mind, and address affairs with noble ethics. Though I dare not claim to fully understand, I constantly remind myself of the principles a person should follow."
"Quite right," Song Zhiyuan smiled, taking the tea and sitting by the table, then asked him to bring over his recent essays for appraisal.
Yan Zisheng noticed he didn’t mention the earlier matter, only focusing on the essay, feeling slightly uneasy but didn’t dare resist, so he brought the writings over and presented them.
Song Zhiyuan took them and read carefully, marking a few points for guidance.
"...This year’s Autumn Examinations are likely to have Scholar Qian preside. Scholar Qian is profoundly learned and currently teaches several princes at the Imperial Academy. His nature is excessively righteous and old-fashioned. Aren’t you worried that your sharp viewpoints in these essays might displease the examiner and be rejected?"
Yan Zisheng was taken aback, then replied thoughtfully, "I approached this from a commoner’s perspective, considering that unity among the people leads to national prosperity, and their peace secures the land. Prime Minister, shouldn’t an official prioritize the people?"