Do you know: I, a commoner prime minister

Chapter 36 Lu Wang Urgently Searches

Later, after Emperor Taizu pacified the four directions, the government began to settle displaced people and beggars, allocating them land.

Thus, the ancestor of the Sheng family was settled in Youyang, where he finally had a place to settle down.

Perhaps because of his previous life as a beggar, he was somewhat different from those ordinary vagrants.

After accumulating some wealth, he started doing business and proved to be quite shrewd, gradually making his family richer.

After becoming wealthy, the patriarch of the Sheng family attached great importance to two things: first, marrying a rich young lady to improve the genes of his descendants.

Of course, this so-called wealthy family is only relative to the Sheng family.

The second thing is to ensure that future generations receive an education.

He not only did these two things himself, but also required them of his descendants.

In fact, the fact that Sheng Hong's father was able to become a third-ranked scholar was largely due to these two things done by the Sheng family's ancestor.

The third-ranked scholar not only had to pass the imperial examination with flying colors, but also have to be outstanding in appearance.

Otherwise, how could Old Madam Sheng have fallen in love with Sheng Hong's father at first sight and insisted on marrying him despite her family's objections?

Looking at it this way, it seems that Old Madam Sheng was also someone who valued looks when she was young.

Because of the rules established by the ancestors of the Sheng family, the Sheng family has excellent genes now. Whether it is a boy or a girl, none of them are ugly.

Why is my brother-in-law laughing?

Sheng Changsong led Zhou An and Sheng Changbai to the outside of the study. He turned around and saw Zhou An smiling. He asked with some confusion.

"It's nothing, I'm just happy to see so many rare books!" Zhou An snapped out of his reverie and made up an excuse.

Upon hearing this, Sheng Changbai looked at Zhou An with admiration. The fact that Zhou An could smile upon hearing about books showed just how much he loved reading.

He was calm and mature beyond his years from a young age, but his second wife also had a large collection of books, many of which had annotations by his grandfather and father. Therefore, he had a very ordinary attitude towards books.

Seeing Zhou An's joy at reading, I admire him, but I can't help but reflect on myself and realize that I am still not hardworking enough.

Sheng Changsong didn't think much of it upon hearing this. Considering that Zhou An's family was indeed poor and didn't have many books, he said, "Brother-in-law, if you like any of them, you can take them with you."

"How could I possibly accept this? No, no, no!" Zhou An quickly shook his head.

Sheng Changsong said, "It's alright. Because I was worried about damage, all the books in my collection were copied. After my brother-in-law takes them away, I'll have someone else copy them."

"In that case, I won't stand on ceremony." Zhou An nodded.

"We're all family, no need to be so polite."

As he spoke, Sheng Changsong pushed open the study door and led the two inside.

The Sheng family indeed had a large collection of books; it was more like a library than a study.

There were more than a dozen bookshelves inside, all filled with books.

Sheng Changsong told the two to look around as they pleased, and Zhou An and Sheng Changbai casually flipped through the pages.

The Sheng family had a large and varied collection of books, including many of the common Four Books and Five Classics, which Zhou An had found quite a few of.

However, these books differ from those sold in private study rooms in that they have annotations.

The ancients often said that poetry and books should be passed down through generations. Before the invention of printing, passing down poetry and books through generations meant books.

Powerful families controlled books and monopolized knowledge, enabling their descendants to read and write and serve as officials generation after generation.

This remains true today. Although books are not as precious as they once were, the annotations left by our ancestors can save future generations from many detours when they study.

These kinds of books cannot be printed; they can only be copied.

The Sheng family was able to acquire these books at a considerable cost.

There are always some unfilial descendants who will take the books passed down from their ancestors and sell them.

These kinds of books are countless times more valuable than those sold in bookstores.

When Zhou An was studying in Jinling, he also saw many books in the Hai family library, which were left by the Hai family ancestors.

The annotations are more in-depth and clear than those in the Sheng family collection.

However, everyone has different perspectives, and whether it's drawing parallels or verifying each other's views, it's all worth reading.

Seeing that the two were watching intently, Sheng Changsong quietly slipped out.

While Zhou An and Sheng Changbai were reading, they occasionally exchanged words. Although it wasn't much, it made Zhou An think more highly of Sheng Changbai.

He remembered that Sheng Changbai eventually became prime minister, and he was indeed very different from the scholars he had met.

The Great Zhou Dynasty had a very open atmosphere. Scholars dared to criticize the government and even discuss the policies of the emperor, with opinions varying widely.

No one felt there was anything wrong with it.

The advantage of this is that scholars feel free to speak their minds.

However, the downside is also significant: most scholars tend to be rather frivolous.

If scholars gather together and don't discuss or criticize the government, they feel as if they are not worthy of being called scholars.

When you discuss scholarship with them, they often use examples from court affairs.

Even Hai Simian and his group were in the same situation, only relatively better off than other scholars.

But Sheng Changbai was different; when the two exchanged academic ideas, they only exchanged academic ideas.

Even when there are disagreements, Sheng Changbai quotes from other books to support his arguments.

This alone makes him superior to most of the scholars he has ever met.

It's not that discussing matters of state is bad; if one is truly concerned about the country and its people, then offering some good suggestions is fine.

But most of them are just empty talk and trying to please the crowd.

The two stayed until Sheng Changsong came to call them for lunch.

After lunch, Zhou An did not go back with Shulan, but instead took a nap in the guest room arranged by the Sheng family.

According to custom, on the day of the bride's return visit, the bride must stay overnight at her parents' home, and the couple must not sleep in the same room.

This custom exists because both men and women tend to marry at a relatively young age.

I'm worried that my son will get carried away and want more, and my daughter won't be able to handle it.

We'll have to stay separately when she returns to her parents' home, so my daughter can get some rest.

A more polite way to put it is that the room wasn't well soundproofed, and it wouldn't be good if someone heard you sharing a room at your in-laws' house.

But Zhou An felt the former was more realistic. If they were afraid of hearing something bad, they could have just sent them home. Why insist on keeping them for one night?

After my afternoon nap, I spent the rest of the afternoon reading with Sheng Changbai.

The next morning, after having breakfast at the Sheng family's house, he said goodbye to Shulan and took a car home.

Inside the carriage, Zhou An saw Shulan lower the curtains and looked somewhat downcast, so he reached out and hugged her.

"My lord."

Shulan felt a little embarrassed by such intimacy and gently pushed him away.

"My wife, your husband didn't sleep well last night. Let me hold him."

"Does my lord have trouble sleeping in a particular bed?"

Upon hearing this, Shulan disregarded her embarrassment and said with concern, "When we get home, my lord, go back to your room and catch up on some sleep."

"It's not that I'm picky about beds, it's just that I can't fall asleep without holding my wife," Zhou An whispered in her ear.

"My lord."

Shulan blushed instantly upon hearing this.

"My dear wife, your family home isn't far away. If you miss your parents-in-law, you can come back to visit anytime," Zhou An said.

"My lord!"

Upon hearing this, Shulan realized that Zhou An had deliberately tried to amuse her because she looked downcast.

She was immediately moved to tears as she looked at him.

Seeing her teary-eyed look, Zhou An couldn't resist and leaned down to kiss her.

On the way back, Shulan kept her head down, and the blush on her face hadn't faded even after entering the city.

Even inside the carriage, doing that kind of thing in broad daylight made her incredibly ashamed.

The carriage stopped in front of the house, and Zhou An got off first.

The gatekeeper hurried forward, bowing and saying, "Young Master, Instructor Lu sent someone early this morning to ask if you have returned. He instructed you to go to the Lu residence immediately upon your return!"

"I see!"

Zhou An looked grave. Lu Wang was looking for him so urgently, something must have happened.

Otherwise, knowing he returned to his parents' home yesterday, they wouldn't have sent someone so early in the morning, and would have told him to come over immediately upon his return.