♂?，，

  Chaiyang took a sip of tea and glanced at Ouyangxiu before saying, "The upper hook is old, the lower hook is a test, the old test the child's birth, the child's birth tests the old."

  As soon as this couplet came out, Ouyang Xiu's eyebrows were tightly furrowed: "Where did you come up with this upper line?"

  Chai Yang saw his expression and suddenly felt a bit smug: "It's just an old child who has repeatedly failed to make progress, speaking from the heart. How about it, Ouyang brother? If I don't meet your expectations, I'll have to close up shop."

  Ouyang Xiu snorted: "If I were locked out of the door, wouldn't the whole Bianjing know about it by now?"

  Chai Yang burst out laughing: "That's natural, I'll go prepare the artillery now. If they can't take it, I'll blast them out with a barrage of cannons, hahaha!"

  Ouyang Xiu was still deep in thought when Chai Yang suddenly turned around and started talking to Chen Yuan: "Brother Chen, I heard that you were originally here to take the Enke examination as well?"

  Chen Yuan nodded: "Yes, but after arriving in Bianjing, I realized that my knowledge is shallow and it's better to focus on doing business and earning some silver."

  Chai Yang obviously agreed with Chen Yuan's words: "Yes, everyone says that reading is good, but what's the use of just being able to read two books? Like those old students who take exams until they are white-haired and still achieve nothing, it's really sad to think about."

  Ouyang Xiu clapped his thigh: "Got it! Chai Da Guanren, bring out that old wine sooner!"

  With great confidence, he stood up and said: "Listen to my next couplet - One person is big, two people are heaven, heavenly feelings are bigger than human feelings, human feelings surpass those of heaven!"

  Chai Yang was taken aback, and in his heart he also admired Ouyang Xiu's quick wit. He bowed with his fists and said: "Brother Ouyang is a great talent, I admire you! Please, come inside!"

  Ouyang Xiu waved his hand and did not enter the inner hall, but instead looked at Chen Yuan.

  Chai Yang suddenly remembered that he had not introduced them, so he said to Chen Yuan: "This is a jinshi from the Tian Sheng era, Mr. Ouyang Xiu."

  "Chen Yuan performs a courtesy: 'I am Chen Shimei, at your service, Lord Ouyang.'"

  Actually, in terms of age, they are about the same, but he is an official and a scholar, while Chen Shimei is still nothing, so naturally he has to be a bit shorter.

  Ouyang Xiu looked at Chen Yuan with a cold eye, his attitude somewhat unfriendly: "We read books, can we only do it for the sake of one honor?"

  Chen Yuan didn't want to offend him, so he forced a smile and said: "Sir is right, I'm just a small person with no place to live, really have no other choice."

  Ouyang Xiu's fiery temper was not reduced in the slightest by Chen Yuan's concession. He had been poor since childhood, and couldn't even afford paper, so he relied on his mother writing on the ground to teach him to recognize characters. As a result, he took reading very seriously.

  Chen Yuan gave up studying to do business, which in Ouyang Xiu's view was an insult to scholars.

  He looked at Chen Yuan with a slanted gaze: "The most important thing about reading books is to learn knowledge from them. There's a saying that all things are inferior, only reading books is superior. This isn't referring to the high social status one gets after passing exams through reading books, but rather the state of mind of those who read."

  Chen Yuan continued to smile and said: "Sir's teachings are right, I will take heed."

  Chai Yang knew OuYang Xi's character, busy interrupting the conversation, waved his hand to Chen Yuan and said: "Boss, go ahead with your business, it's taking up a lot of time, really sorry."

  Chen Yuanzhen thought of leaving after speaking, but Ouyang Xiu seemed to have not finished scolding Chen Yuan and felt uncomfortable. He walked in front of Chen Yuan: "Having studied until now, coming to Bianjing relying on a single imperial examination, even if you know the hope is slim, you should still go try your luck. Giving up so easily not only loses face for scholars but also fails to live up to one's parents' expectations back home!"

  This remark was quite severe. If it were Chen Shimiao, she might have been able to endure it. But Chen Yuan couldn't; the color on his face changed immediately.

  Chai Yang said to Ouyang Xiu: "Brother Ouyang, everyone has their own aspirations. What you just said seems a bit excessive."

  Ouyang Xiu snorted: "This kind of unscrupulous person, I'm too lazy to say more, forget it, just go!"

  Chai Yang waved his hand, signaling Chen Yuan to leave quickly. But Chen Yuan was now filled with anger and had no intention of leaving.

  He said, "I also know that I am not doing the right thing, but I am not well-educated and even a country bumpkin can't match me. If I pass the exam and get an official position, I won't be able to benefit the people, so it's better for me to give up."

  Ouyang Xiu listened to Chen Yuan's words and looked at Chen Yuan's gaze downwards, knowing that this was the opponent's declaration of war.

  Duan Xia spoke coldly: "What pair? Tell me."

  Chen Yuan straightened his waist: "It's better not to say it, lest you sully the ears of your superiors. I, a humble scholar, am unworthy, but since you are a high-ranking official and a jinshi, you must be able to respond properly."

  Chai Yang stood aside and stopped talking, he knew that making a pair was something Ouyang Xiu liked to do, and was good at it too. He enjoyed watching the commotion from the side, anyway, even if one of them couldn't get out of this situation, it wasn't him who would be offending anyone.

  Ouyang Xiu might have really been unwilling to say anything more to Chen Yuan and only said one word: "Speak!"

  Chen Yuan sneered coldly and thought to himself, "My pair is recognized as the ultimate dead couple in the 21st century. How could a ghost like that possibly exist?"

  Thinking so in his heart, he pressed Ouyang Xiu another step with his mouth: "It's better for the young man not to say it. This couplet has made the young man lose confidence in taking the imperial examination. If we strike again at the adults,"

  The words had hardly left his lips when Ouyang Xiu burst out laughing: "Up to now, there hasn't been a couplet that I couldn't match!"

  Chen Yuan did not salute this time, and lightly opened his lips: "So, sir, listen carefully! - The deaf hear the mute speak, the blind see the ghost."

  This cannot be considered a couplet in the Song Dynasty because the words in between are so vulgar and lack poetic rhythm. It can only be regarded as a rustic phrase from the countryside.

  Ouyang Xiu heard this and first sneered with a slight smile, thinking to himself: "These country bumpkins are all so uncouth."

  But on second thought, although it's a bit lowbrow, it's actually quite difficult to come up with something that fits! A deaf person can't hear, a mute person can't speak, and a blind person can't see. And ghosts are just nonexistent things. The most important thing is that hearing, speaking, and seeing all rely on the five senses. What you'd expect to hear is from a deaf person, what you'd expect to say is from a mute person, and what you'd expect to see is from a blind person. Based on his experience of coming up with countless couplets, this is simply absolute!

  Ouyang Xiu remained silent for a long time, and Chen Yuan knew that even if he was Ouyang Xiu himself, he wouldn't be able to answer this riddle. At the very least, it would take several months of effort before he could possibly come up with an answer.

  After waiting for a while, without seeing Ouyang Xiu speak, Chen Yuan raised his head and walked towards the door: "Mr. Ouyang, Magistrate Chai, I asked myself that I couldn't match this local tone, so I know my learning is shallow, and I won't take the imperial examination anymore. Now there are some business to attend to, farewell!"

  Chai Yang hastily stood up: "Brother Chen, slow down."

  Ouyang Xiu was completely absorbed in that pair of "earthly couplets" at this time, and he didn't care about anything around him.

  Chen Yuan walked out of the Bin Yue Building in Chaiyang, feeling a bit stifled. He had run into Ouyang Xiu early that morning and been lectured, ruining his good mood. He took two deep breaths, then pushed an empty bucket back to his wine shop.

  This morning, there were still things to do, and also had to go take a look at Yan Chasan who was being held in the Kaifeng Prefecture's great prison. This matter was handed over by Bai Yutang, although Chen Yuan did not want to have too much contact with this kind of Jianghu person, but since they gave him silver to handle the matter, he couldn't just ignore it.

  "Hey guys, spare two tickets?"

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