Chapter 005: Sister Ayan

Zeng Gong had a close friendship with Wang Anshi and often heard Wang Anshi praise his son, which piqued his curiosity. He took a look at the content copied by Wang Lang, which was from the Learning chapter of the Analects. The handwriting was certainly not good, but for a three-year-old, it was truly remarkable to write like this. Upon closer inspection, Zeng Gong noticed that there were simple and orderly separations between sentences and paragraphs, indicating that he was able to segment the sentences before copying them down.

Wang Fang fell silent

In recent days, Wang Lang has indirectly gathered some information from Wang Anshi: the Guozixue and Taixue are equivalent to the universities of later generations, and completing them allows one to take the civil service examination. The Guozijian's direct lectures are essentially those of university professors

Wang Anshi looked at him and smiled: "Am I not the one supporting you, whether you are foolish or not?"

If one can segment the sentences, understanding their meanings is not far off

During the Song Dynasty, there was a strong emphasis on agriculture and sericulture. At the beginning of spring plowing, even officials would lead their families to the fields to demonstrate farming practices as a form of promotion. The Wu family believed that Wang Tang's ability to come up with this gift was quite commendable

Wang Fang would certainly not be foolish enough to say to Wang Anshi, "If you continue to evolve into a show-off, I fear that Uncle Zeng will eventually sever ties with you."

Upon hearing this, Wang Fang thought to himself that it would be troublesome

Wang Fang is preparing to buy some flower seeds and medicinal herb seeds to give to Sima Yan. Professor Sima's family is wealthy, and they certainly have a yard where they can plant things. With a yard, they can grow plants! Once the seeds are sown, the children will have to go check on them every day, right? Since they need to check on them daily, he has a reason to visit Miss Ayan at Professor Sima's house to play!

Indeed, although Wang Xiaotong is only three or four years old, Wang Anshi has already begun to contemplate his marriage. In Wang Anshi's mind, his son is destined for great success, and he must start early to find a suitable match for him, someone who can be a virtuous wife, fostering harmony and mutual support. Of course, these thoughts are fleeting, and he has not truly focused all his attention on this matter.

Wang Anshi returned home feeling completely at ease, only to find Wang Fang looking at him like a little adult, shaking his head and sighing. Wang Anshi gave him a pat on the forehead and scolded, "At such a young age, what are you shaking your head and sighing for?"

Zeng Gong was immediately astonished, pulling Wang Anshi to take a look together, and then they examined a few lines of Wang Lang's meaning together.

People are often not afraid of being inferior, but rather of being compared. Upon seeing this situation, the influential figures in the court became dissatisfied; they too wished for their sons to achieve the status of a successful candidate in the imperial examination, as it would sound much better when spoken of! Consequently, these influential figures collectively demanded that Hu Lai also take charge of the Imperial Academy.

I want to go! Wang Lang could no longer hold back, grabbing Wang Anshi's hand and jumping up. Once again, he was both kneading Wang Anshi's shoulders and patting his back, being exceedingly attentive.

Wang Anshi cast a sidelong glance at him, neither affirming nor denying.

Indeed, Wang Anshi also cast a glance at him, his eyes reflecting the same understanding as Zeng Gong. Wang Anshi smiled and said, "Anyone who copies it five times can remember it." After saying this, he went on to explain the reason for Wang Fang's punishment, ostensibly criticizing Wang Fang for being unruly and daring to leave a note saying he wanted to go to the Imperial Academy to look for books; yet, beneath the surface, he was subtly conveying, "My son is just this clever, and I truly have no way to deal with him"

Wang Fang honestly presented the content of the penalty copy to Zeng Gong

Sima Guang's daughter was only a little over three years old. Naturally, she was delighted to play with her new toys. However, she accidentally broke two of the small animals and could not put them back together. For two or three consecutive days, she was gloomy, occasionally looking at the broken animals with a sad expression and a picture book. Sima Guang, feeling sorry for his daughter, had no choice but to invite her to take his son along for a visit.

The ruins of the royal tombs from the Song Dynasty in a previous life are located on the outskirts of their city. Although Wang Lang does not have much research on history, he has a vague impression of Wang Anshi's life: Wang Anshi was quite well-liked in his early years, and many people had high hopes for him. Later, he became associated with the reformist faction, and his friends and brothers all parted ways with him. Although this situation has not yet occurred, Wang Lang still does not want to say anything that would stab Wang Anshi in the heart; after all, isn't he still his father?

Wang Anshi was in high spirits, and Wang Lang was also happy

Knowing that Professor Sima not only has a daughter but that she was also born on the same day as him, Wang Fang immediately confirmed that it must be Sima Yan

Their Professor Sima was only appointed as a professor at the Imperial Academy this year

How about we just pick some answers

The two little children are only three or four years old, so it is still too early to talk about gender precautions. When Wang Fang was in Yangzhou, he occasionally played with the young daughter of his superior, Han Qi.

Wang Fang: "... ..."

Ever since he heard Wang Anshi mention that Sima Yan was feeling down about the torn paper, Wang Tang couldn't contain his delight. Dealing with intelligent people is simply effortless; he brought nothing with him, yet Sima Yan had already found a way to have Sima Guang invite them to his home.

Thinking of her son diligently copying texts at home for so many days, Mrs. Wu did not refuse Wang Lang's small request, taking his hand to lead him to select seeds

Zeng Gong had somewhat grasped Wang Anshi's intention; Wang Anshi simply wanted him to praise his son! Zeng Gong was always considerate towards his friends, and upon realizing Wang Anshi's intent, he lavished praise on Wang Bang, making the thick-skinned Wang Bang blush. Only then did he take his leave under Wang Anshi's escort

Wang Anshi also had his own plans and considerations. The Sima family is considered a prominent official family with a good family tradition. Sima Guang has a respectable appearance, and his daughter is likely not to be lacking in qualities. If the two children get along well, it could be considered a childhood friendship, and in the future, the two families might very well become in-laws.

The Taixue recruits the children of officials below the seventh rank. After Hu Ai took over the Taixue, he implemented a major reform, transforming the school into a full-time boarding institution, unifying the management of students, and establishing a comprehensive examination system. There is a small test every month and a major test every season, fully embodying the advanced examination spirit of "Exams, exams, exams, the teacher's treasure; Scores, scores, scores, the lifeline of students"

Wang Lang's abacus clicked loudly as he shamelessly dragged Wu to buy seeds, claiming he wanted to give them as a gift to his sister

Seeing Wang Wang's face full of indignation as if he were muttering "I am grumbling about you in my heart," Wang Anshi was extremely pleased and, in a very good mood, told Wang Wang about an unexpected piece of good news: he had made plans with Sima Guang to visit each other's homes during their time off.

Wang Anshi teased him: "Why do you want to go so much?"

Setting aside the intention of having the children from both sides get acquainted, Sima Guang is indeed a person worthy of making friends with

Wang Tang's thoughtful pause caught the attention of Wang Anshi and Zeng Gong, both of whom found it amusing. Zeng Gong's intention in testing Wang Tang was merely to gauge his abilities, but Wang Tang's earnest demeanor prompted him to take it seriously, leading to a series of questions. After all the questions were asked, Zeng Gong was genuinely astonished and praised Wang Anshi, saying: "Your son Tang is truly intelligent"

It was precisely this fate that allowed Wang Anshi and Sima Guang to engage in delightful conversation. Sima Guang clearly cherished his daughter, as his eyes sparkled whenever he mentioned her. Today, they met once again, and Sima Guang invited them to his home during the break from the National University, preferably bringing along Wang Lang. Wang Anshi found this rather surprising and inquired about the reason, only to learn that Wang Lang had actually given something to Sima Guang's daughter.

This was initiated by Professor Sima; he did not shamelessly come knocking on the door

Wang Fang's memories of the age of three or four are somewhat vague. He also has a father who often says in various ways, "I learned this when I was your age," which makes it difficult for him to determine how much he should have learned at that age. Every time Zeng Gong asks him a question, he has to mentally take a turn first, carefully considering several issues: 1. Do I know how to solve this problem? 2. Should I know how to solve this problem? 3. To what extent should I know how to solve this problem

Under such strict supervision and management, the admission rate for the imperial examination at the Taixue has significantly increased

Uncle Sima is quite handsome. Wang Tang, with a beaming face, deliberately hinted, "Uncle Sima has a younger brother, right? I even gifted him some small animals that I folded myself! I wonder if he likes them or not"

Wang Lang felt quite pleased and happily went to sleep that night. The next morning, he eagerly insisted on going out with Wu Shi, even bringing along his little purse. Inside were a portion of the New Year's money he had fiercely protected, all of which he had managed to obtain last year by relying on his youth, thick skin, and the favor of the esteemed Han Qi.

"It is not a younger brother," Wang Anshi said, "It is a younger sister. Coincidentally, she was born on the same day as you, and even the time is quite similar."

The Guozixue, being composed entirely of the sons of high-ranking officials of the seventh rank and above, exhibited a rather free and easygoing style, resulting in a generally low admission rate for the imperial examination. This was not particularly concerning, as those who failed could still rely on their fathers to elevate them to positions through nepotism (when a previous generation of officials reaches a certain level, they can directly secure official positions for their sons). The issue arose a few years ago when Fan Zhongyan, a prominent figure, presided over the new policies and appointed an educational expert named Hu Lai to serve as the principal of the Taixue.

This is a friend of my father; if I stammer and cannot answer at all, wouldn't that be a disgrace to my father

Wang Lang covered his head, pretending to be innocent and foolish: "Father, if you keep hitting my head every day, what will happen if you make me stupid?"

Sima Guang said to him: "I originally boasted that I could fold it back for her, but after studying it for two days, I couldn't figure it out, so I had no choice but to send a message to you, Jie Fu. It's just right that the two children can keep each other company, and we can sit down and have a good chat."

Now even Professor Sima Guang is under strict management, and one must wait for the weekend to meet with him.

In this regard, he occasionally manages to connect the context and provide explanations, clearly demonstrating not only his understanding of the sentence's meaning but also his retention of the content itself

Wang Lang no longer engaged in idle chatter with him, but instead rushed to the table, taking advantage of the still-lit lamp to write, draw, and play with paper folding, claiming he was preparing a gift for his younger sister. Wang Anshi glanced at him a few times but did not stop him. Wang Lang, being so young, had to follow him everywhere, and the playmates he had finally made were suddenly all gone, leaving Wang Anshi feeling a persistent sense of guilt. It was a rare coincidence that there was a girl born on the same day, month, and year as him; if they got along well, it would be fine to let them play together for a few days.

Thinking of Sima Guang's troubled expression, Wang Anshi felt a sense of amusement. He advised Wang Pang, "You were born half an hour earlier than others, so when you visit your Uncle Sima's house, you must not cause any trouble, and you certainly must not bully anyone." When Wang Pang was in Yangzhou, he was the king of children; all the children under the age of ten from the households of officials and servants in the government office would follow him around. There was no way around it; even if Wang Pang was given just a piece of paper, he could come up with a hundred or eighty different ways to play with it. All the children under the age of ten from the households of officials and servants in the government office would follow him around. There was no way around it; even if Wang Pang was given just a piece of paper, he could come up with a hundred or eighty different ways to play with it

Wang Lang pleaded his case: "I have never bullied anyone!"