The drums and music were heard, and teams of guards came over and lined up on both sides. Immediately afterwards, nearly a hundred eunuchs and palace maids walked slowly with yellow rogues and feather fans, surrounded by the empress dowager and the prince.

Everyone bowed and saluted, "I wish the Empress Dowager a great blessing and good health, and I wish Your Majesty a long life!"

Empress Dowager Cao sat down aside, and Emperor Zhao Xu walked up and said, "Dear ministers are exempt from courtesy!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Zhao Xu held up a glass of wine and said, "Last year's New Year's Court, we celebrated the destruction of the Western Xia nemesis. This year's Court, we celebrated the recovery of Youyan and Yanshan Prefecture returned to the Central Plains dynasty. At this time of national celebration, we share the feats of Myanmar last year. At the same time, we look forward to the new year, the Song army will make new contributions. This first glass of wine will be dedicated to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country last year."

Zhao Xu slowly sprinkled the wine on the steps, and everyone sprinkled the wine on the ground.

Then he poured the second glass of wine, and Zhao Xu raised his glass and said loudly: "We toast the Empress Dowager of these two glasses of wine. She is the cornerstone of our Song Dynasty. I wish her health, longevity, and happiness forever!"

Everyone raised their glasses to Empress Dowager Cao together. Empress Dowager Cao picked up the glass and smiled and said softly: "Thank you, thank you ministers, we drank this glass together."

Everyone raised their glasses and drank them all. Zhao Xu then filled the third cup and whispered: "Come on! Let's cheer for the new year and a new beginning!"

"cheers!"

Thousands of officials raised their glasses and shouted, and drank the wine in the glass together. Zhao Xu raised his empty glass and smiled: "My dear friends, please enjoy the delicious food and drink it all, and you will stop drunk!"

The New Year banquet began. Emperor Zhao Xu and Empress Dowager Cao only drank two glasses and left in a hurry. Without the emperor and the empress dowager, the ministers chatted and laughed and drank with all their hearts. At the New Year banquet every year, many ministers were drunk and drunk, and were helped by the eunuchs to send them back.

Zhu Pei and his family also had lunch and were sitting in the warm room chatting. At this time, a maid ran over in a panic, "Madam, the master has been sent back, it seems that he has drunk a few more glasses."

Zhu Pei sighed, and came back drunk like last year. She hurriedly rushed out of the mansion with her family. Two eunuchs came in with her drunk husband. Zhu Pei stepped forward and complained, "How could she drink like this?"

The eunuch smiled bitterly and said, "Your Majesty, there are too many ministers who respect Xiao Fan and drink, and he really can't stand it!"

"Thank you, my father-in-law, give it to me!"

Zhu Pei and Ouyang Qian took over her husband from left to right. Zhu Pei also ordered the butler to give each of the eunuchs and coachmen ten taels of silver. The eunuchs thanked him for his gratitude and left.

"Where will we help him go?" Ouyang Qian asked.

"Go to the study! The warm room smells too strong, so he probably will vomit."

Zhu Pei asked Aya to prepare sobering soup again, and the two helped her husband to the study.

"No need to exaggerate this, I just drank a few more drinks and I can leave myself."

"You are not drunk yet, and you can't even speak clearly." Zhu Pei said angrily.

"I have a clear mind, but my legs are not in control."

Fan Ning talked a little a bit, then hugged Ouyang Qian and said, "Sister Qian, I have agreed with my father-in-law that I will go to his house for dinner tomorrow. If you prepare some gifts, I don't want to worry."

"You didn't let you worry about this, you'd be serious if you drink a few less drinks."

"Do I know that I'm happy? I feel like I'm back in the past."

"You drank too much last year and said that you came from a thousand years later. I guess you will say that you came from the Han Dynasty this year, and we have all thought about it for you."

Fan Ning was helped into the study and sat directly on the chair. A charcoal basin had been lit in the study, which was particularly warm.

Fan Ning suddenly stood up, covered her mouth and rushed out of the door, rushed to the yard, squatted in the corner of the wall and vomited heavily. Zhu Pei and Ouyang Qian helped him to massage his back gently. Aya came over with the sober soup. Zhu Pei divided the sober soup into two and rinsed Fan Ning's mouth one cup. Fan Ning rinsed and drank another sober soup in one sip. Then he felt much more comfortable. He helped his two wives into the room, and several maids came over to clean the yard.

Fan Ning drank another cup of hot tea and shook his head and said, "The son of Cao Shi brought dozens of generals to drink my wine. This year, the war will start, and I must let this bastard be the first to rush to the city."

"My husband didn't sleep much late last night, why don't you sleep for a while!"

Fanning nodded, he was indeed a little sleepy.

There was a bed in the study room. The two of them quickly made a bed for him, helped him lie down, covered the bedding, and then closed the door and left. Before leaving, Zhu Pei was as careful as he opened the window halfway to allow the air to circulate, otherwise there would be charcoal fire in the room, which would be very dangerous.

The next afternoon, Fan Ning brought Ouyang Qian and Ouyang Qian's two children Fan Zhener and Fan Chu to Ouyang's Mansion.

I have to go to the Cao family tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow I have to go to the prime minister's mansion to sit there the day after tomorrow. This New Year is destined to have not much rest time.

The carriage slowly stopped in front of Ouyang's mansion. Ouyang Xiu's eldest son Ouyang Hua and his wife Wu welcomed Fan Ning and his sister at the door.

Ouyang Hua was not a professional and was given an official position under his father's mercy, so he was promoted slowly. He only went from the eighth rank to the sixth rank in more than ten years. Now he is a member of the Ministry of Rites. He is in charge of various places to issue trials and has quite a lot of real power.

For example, he is responsible for approving the number of places issued by the states every year. In terms of mastering the standards, as long as he relaxes a little, a certain state will have more places to apply for the number of places.

Fan Ning got off the carriage and saw Ouyang Hua and his wife. He smiled and said, "A Qian, brother is here!"

Ouyang Qian hurriedly smiled and said, "Brother, sister-in-law, it's been a long time since we saw each other!"

Wu stepped forward and grabbed Ouyang Qian's arm and smiled, "I haven't seen you for almost half a year. I invited you to come last time, but you said you had something to do. I've been named the princess. I can't treat you anymore?"

"What did my sister-in-law say? It was really a problem last time."

Ouyang Qian said a few words in his sister-in-law's ear, and Wu smiled and said, "It seems that I misunderstood you, where is it?"

Fan Zhener stepped forward to salute, "Auntie!"

"Oh! I'm getting taller again, I'm almost as tall as my aunt. I'll find my husband's family next year! Is there anyone I like? Tell me about it, my aunt will make the decision for you!"

"Auntie, what are you talking about?" Fan Zhener's face turned red with shame, and she held her mother's hand and refused to support her.

Ouyang Qian sighed, "My daughter is a hollow radish. She is so tall. She is actually a child. She is so old and she still deals with squirrels and hedgehogs all day long."

"Mom, Daddy agrees."

Ouyang Qian glared at her and said, "What did your father disagree with? When you are fifty years old, your father will still agree."

"Who is fifty?" Fanning asked with a smile on her face.

Ouyang Qian said coquettishly: "You go in quickly, women talk, what do you care about so much?"

Ouyang Hua held his nephew Fan Chu's hand and asked questions. Fan Chu was eight years old this year and was also a quiet and polite child. His every move seemed very well-educated.

At this time, Fan Ning found that there were more than a dozen horses tied to the horse tying stake outside the mansion, and asked, "Are there any guests today?"

Ouyang Hua apologized: "There wasn't one, but a group of my father's students suddenly came to pay New Year's greetings, so it's not easy to postpone it. My sister-in-law, I'm sorry today."

"It's okay. It's a good thing to be lively during the New Year. Everyone remembers their mentors, it's their intention!"

Fan Ning smiled and asked again: "Have the number of places to be added in Yangzhou for release and trial?"

Ouyang Hua nodded, "It has been approved and was sent to Yangzhou before the New Year. They originally had 35 places, but now they have increased to 50 places for the trial. It is the same as Pingjiang Mansion, which makes many places unwilling to accept it, saying that the court is partial."

"This is the reward that Yangzhou Prefecture Xuehe County School should give to help the imperial court resettlement immigrants for a long time. What are you not convinced?"

"I explained this too, but I just didn't agree."

Ouyang Hua shook his head and smiled bitterly: "There is nothing to do. Even if you tell them ten thousand reasons, it will be useless!"

Everyone walked into the mansion, and Wu took Ouyang Qian and the children to the inner house.

Ouyang Hua brought Fan Ning to the lobby. There were more than 30 young people sitting in the lobby, all of whom were Ouyang Xiu’s students. Some of them had already passed the examination and were currently local officials. After seeing their mentors, some of them were now students, preparing to participate in the imperial examination the next year. Everyone sat in the lobby and talked enthusiastically.

Ouyang Hua quickly walked into the lobby and whispered to his father. Ouyang Xiu smiled and said, "It's useless to talk to me about your views. Xiao Fan's husband is here. You ask Xiao Fan's husband for advice!"

When everyone heard that Fan Ning was coming, they quickly got up and went out to salute, "See Mr. Fan!"

Fan Ning smiled and said, "All the talents are my mentors, and they are all pillars of the Song Dynasty. You don't have to be polite, please sit down!"

Everyone sat down one after another, Ouyang Xiu said to Fan Ning in great interest: "We were talking about reform just now. You came just right and taught you some experience. My mind is a little slow and I can't keep up with the young people."

Fan Ning was not polite either. Ouyang Xiu sat down next to him. The seat was always empty, obviously just for him.

Fanning smiled and said, "The scope of reform is very wide. Which aspect do you focus on?"

At this time, a man whispered loudly: "My husband Xiao Fan, will the Qingmiao Law be implemented again?"

Fanning looked at the questioner and saw that he was about twenty-three or four years old and had a long face. He asked with a smile: "What's your name? Any official position?"
Chapter completed!