Yan Shu was a famous writer and politician in the Northern Song Dynasty. He was able to write poetry at the age of seven and was called a "prodigy" locally. At the age of thirteen, he already knew everything about the past and the present, and he was more knowledgeable than many adults. This year, Zhang, an important North Korean official, visited Yan Shu's hometown to inspect the drought. He found Yan Shu very literary, so he took him to Beijing and introduced him to Zhao Heng in Song Zhenzong.
At that time, just in time for Jinshi palace examination, Song Zhenzong asked Yan Shu to take the exam with other 1000 Jinshi. After the papers were handed out, Yan Shu read them carefully. As a result, he found that the test paper was required to be written ten days ago. At that time, he wrote it This essay has also been appreciated by many people. The consistent evaluation is that the language is gorgeous, the imagination is rich and the connotation is profound.
Yan Shu knows that as long as this article is written on the paper intact, it will surely win the favor of Song Zhenzong. But he didn't do that. On the contrary, he truthfully reported it to Song Zhenzong and asked to change the subject for him.
Song Zhenzong appreciated Yan Shu's honesty very much, so he appointed Yan Shu as a secretary on the spot and chartered him to study in the palace.
When Yan Shu was in office, the world was peaceful. Officials of all sizes in Beijing often went to the suburbs to play or held various banquets in restaurants and teahouses in the city. But Yan Shu always goes home to study behind closed doors after busy things every day. One day, Song Zhenzong promoted Yan Shu as the official of the East Palace to help the prince study. Ministers were surprised and wondered why Song Zhenzong had made such a decision. Song Zhenzong said: "Recently, ministers often play and have banquets. Only Yan Shu studies behind closed doors, so she is cautious in self-esteem and is the best candidate for the East Palace official. " Yan Shu thanked him and said, "Your Majesty, it's not that I don't want to play. It's just that my family is poor and has no money. So I am ashamed of the praise of the emperor. "
Song Zhenzong praised him for his brilliance, simplicity and honesty, and he was a rare talent. A few years later, he was appointed Prime Minister.