This river is one of the sources of the Ji River in Jiangxi Province. Because it flows against the current, the boat speed is very slow.

  During the slow journey, people sat idly and chatted to pass the time. Among them was a young scholar with a folding fan and an arrogant expression, who claimed to be the number one talent in Jiangxi and said he wanted to go find Ouyang Xiu for a competition... On this boat, more than half were going to visit Ouyang Xiu out of admiration, but those who dared say they went for a competition were extremely rare.

  At this time, Ouyang Xiu was already the leader of the literary world and the most renowned scholar in the country. This young man dared to challenge him, so he must have had some skills. The people on the boat looked at him with admiring eyes.

  This made the bookish man extremely proud, he pointed at the scenery with one hand and raised his legs high with the other, making the old farmer sitting opposite him shrink his two legs tightly.

  At that time, people talked about the Three Kingdoms and mentioned the anecdote of Zhuge Liang capturing Meng Huo seven times and releasing him seven times. Then they heard this scholar shake his head and say: "This Meng Huo is so barbaric, not obedient to the teachings of the king's way, Kongming captured him seven times and released him seven times but he still didn't obey, unexpectedly among Mencius' descendants, there would be someone with such a violent and unyielding temperament."

  Everyone heard this and covered their mouths in secret laughter. The old man opposite him asked, "If Meng Huo is a descendant of Mencius, then who is Zhuge Liang a descendant of?"

  "This goes without saying, of course it's the descendant of Confucius." The scholar opened his fan and saw three big words "Hu Bu Liu" written on it, but he didn't know if it was his name or his motto. Seeing him with a 'you're really ignorant' expression, he said: "The secondary sage is indeed not as good as the complete sage, and even later generations are not as good!"

  "So be it, let the old man stretch his legs too." The old man chuckled and changed to a more comfortable position.

  It's not the first time for Shu Sheng to make such a joke, seeing this he knew that he had lost face again. He closed his folding fan and laughed: "Just kidding, don't take it seriously." After finishing speaking, he still couldn't hold back, so he got up and went out of the cabin. Seeing a big tree by the river, he suddenly became inspired to write poetry. In order to regain his composure, he recited loudly:

  "On one side is a tree, on the other two big apricot blossoms."

  Everyone inside knew he was a jokester and wanted to hear a joke, so they all held back their laughter and waited for his next line.

  But he was desperately searching and couldn't continue. This situation is the most suffocating, not only for the poet, but also for the listener, until someone kindly helped him continue:

  "When spring arrives, moss becomes leaves; when winter comes, snow is flowers."

  The scholar looked out and saw a man in plain clothes standing outside the cabin. The middle-aged man was slender, but his eyes were bright and spirited, not too old, yet already with white temples on both sides. Judging from his mourning attire, he should be in a period of mourning, which didn't match the lively atmosphere inside the cabin, so he sat outside instead. The scholar not only didn't feel sorry for him, but was even somewhat annoyed, thinking to himself: "Are you intentionally trying to oppose me?"

  Just then he saw a group of ducks diving into the river, quacking with joy. He continued to chant loudly:

  A group of good ducks jumped into the river together.

  The middle-aged man then recited:

  "White fur waves green water, red paws sweep clear ripples."

  Seeing his opponent twice overpowering him, the scholar suddenly became angry and said, "I must make things difficult for him," and then recited again:

  "Many people took the same boat to visit Ouyang Xiu."

  He stared at the man and waited for his response. The middle-aged man chuckled and replied:

  "Xu already knows you, but you still don't know shame." After a while, the bookworm finally understood that this was actually Ouyang Xiu, who wanted to challenge him. He suddenly became so ashamed that his face turned bright red, and he wished he could find a place to hide. But then he heard Ouyang Xiu's kind laughter: "You don't have to be like this, when I was young, I was also reckless, go back and read books for a few years, we'll compete again."

  "The student was taught... The scholar's face turned red with shame and he bowed deeply in respect."

  "Are you Ouyang Gong?" The boat suddenly became lively, people surrounded Ouyang Xiu, some asking for words, others requesting poems, and many holding their own collections, begging Ouyang Gong to write a preface.

  It is unknown whether he was idle and bored or nostalgic for the old days, but he accepted all comers without exception.

  Learning that the middle-aged man was Ouyang Xiu, Chen Ke and several others also moved. What did they come for if not to ask this old gentleman for help? Although he didn't look very old yet.

  But at this time, there were many people around him, and a few of them didn't join in the fun, whispering to each other on the side. Song Duanping couldn't help but worry: "You say, will this old gentleman's preface be worthless if he writes so many?"

  "It's possible," Chen Qian said with a wry smile: "Let's put the dictionary aside for now."

  It's probably this generation that makes it difficult to meet a celebrity, let alone someone as famous as Ouyang Xiu. All the way to Sha Ao Ferry Terminal, none of them had inserted a word.

  The ferry was small. Ouyang Xiu got off the boat, bowed to everyone with his fists and said: "A person in mourning does not receive guests at home, I hope you will forgive me."

  The numerous guests had accompanied Ouyang Xiu all the way, and now that they were satisfied, they bid him farewell as promised, without even disembarking from the boat, and returned to the county town.

  Leaving the ferry, Ouyang Xiu wore a straw hat and carried a bamboo staff towards his old home, with a small servant carrying a basket on his back. He looked quite in harmony with the surrounding rice fields and farmhouses, but there was little hint of the leader of the literary world.

  Feeling someone following behind him, he stopped in his tracks, turned around and smiled at Chen Xiao Wu and the others: "Is it not a joy to have friends come from afar?" When he saw Zhao Zong Ji, he clearly let out a soft sigh and said: "You are all from Bian Liang?"

  "Returning to Ouyang Gong, only I am from Bianliang." Zhao Zongji respectfully sang a fat yes and said: "I really look like my father."

  "Really you?" Ouyang Xiu frowned and said: "You didn't go to Jinghu South Road, why did you run to this poor and remote place."

  "They have come to seek your help." Zhao Zongji saw that Ouyang Xiu was displeased and hastily explained: "It is they who have come to find Mr. Ouyang, I am just showing them the way."

  "Go home and talk about it." Ouyang Xiu said in a low voice.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Ouyang Xiu lost his parents at a young age and grew up in poverty, which led to the story of "practicing calligraphy on sand". Moreover, his real hometown is not Luling but rather Guizhou, where this place was just his ancestral home. Therefore, after becoming an official, Ouyang Xiu did not buy property here again. This time when he returned for burial, he found that the old house had long collapsed and could only temporarily live in the ancestral temple.

  In the backyard of the ancestral hall, a low table had sliced watermelon on it: On the scattered bamboo chairs, Chen Ke and several others sat with bated breath, staring at Ouyang Xiu.

  Ouyang Xiu then concentrated his mind and used the materials provided by Chen Ke.

  After reading it for nearly half a day, he read it through and then walked around the yard with his hands behind his back for another half day before letting out a long sigh: "You've given me quite a big problem."

  After hearing this, Chen Ke's heart sank. Could it be that even the conscience of the great Song Dynasty thought that they should yield?

  "Could it be that Ouyang Gong also thinks that we should prioritize the overall situation?" Chen Ke's voice was hoarse as he said, "This kind of person's heart is no different from those of later generations."

  "What's the big picture?" Yuwen then heard Ouyang Xiu ask back.

  "The rebellion is put down." Chen Ke said with difficulty.

  "Of course, we must prioritize the suppression of the rebellion..." Ouyang Xiu's words made everyone hear a heart-wrenching sound, but his next sentence remolded people's hearts. All he heard was that this drunkard who had been telling the truth for half his life said: "However, relying on those rotten people in Lingnan, it will only be more chaotic as they are pacified! Don't believe me? Just watch, there will soon be news of defeat."

  "What does Mr. Ouyang mean?" Chen Ke and others were startled.

  "Replace all the soldiers with scholars and all the military with literature!" Ouyang Xiu sighed: "You say such a difficult thing, can I not worry?"

  "...The young men looked at each other in surprise, then suddenly realized and exclaimed with great joy: "So, Master Ouyang has agreed to help us?"

  "Some are not helping you." Ouyang Xiu shook his head and said, "This is just the duty of a minister." He sat back in his bamboo chair and said, "However, I am in mourning at home and do not have the right to make a special report. By the time my memorial slowly reaches the capital, it may be too late to recover Lingnan."

  "What Mr. Ouyang means is..."

  "Let me think, let me think." Ouyang Xiu stroked his thick beard, pondering: "How can I be most secure?"

  This kind of high-level thing, including Zhao Zongji, no one can help him make a decision, he can only think for himself.

  After a while, Ouyang Xiu slapped his thigh and said: "I've got it! The son of Fan WenZheng asked me to write the epitaph for his father, so I'll use this as an excuse to write a letter to Han Gong, asking him to correct it."

  "Will it be faster this way?"

  "Of course, don't underestimate the prestige of Fan Gong and the authority of Han Xianggong." Ouyang Xiuzi smiled meaningfully: "You just wait and watch a good show."

  "Ouyang Gong." Chen Ke was once bitten by a snake for three years and feared the well rope, lightly sighing: "In the past, Yu Wen Shuai also said similar things to me..."

  "It seems that Yu Wuxi has thought a lot over the past decade." Ouyang Xiu said somewhat absent-mindedly, "In fact, sometimes, although we encounter misfortune, it's not necessarily our fault." Only after he came back to his senses did he say in a low voice, "If I could lower my head, I would have returned to Bianliang long ago."

  "It was I who used a small-minded person's thoughts to measure your intentions." Chen Ke said with his head lowered.

  "It doesn't matter, it's just human nature." Ouyang Xiu smiled and said: "Is there anything else?"

  "Excuse me, Lord Ouyang," Chen Ke said in a low voice, "Could it be that my father was murdered in prison?"

  "Don't worry, they won't kill your father until they find that account book." Ouyang Xiu shook his head and said with great indignation: "In this vast and civilized country, such a thing has happened, it's really outrageous! Yu Wuxi pointing to these people to quell the rebellion is simply brainless!"

  "I hope so..." Chen Ke's heart was put at ease a lot.

  "If you don't mind the humble accommodations, you can stay here for two days first." Ouyang Xiu looked at Chen Ke and several others: "I believe it won't be long before we get news of the outcome."

  （）