Ouyang Xiu, I believe everyone knows that he was a famous literary figure in ancient times and one of the Eight Masters of Tang and Song dynasties. He left behind many classic poems that have been passed down through the ages, and his literary talent was also top-notch in that era. But why did a literary master repeatedly fail the imperial examination when he was young? Today, the editor will tell you the story of Ouyang Xiu.
Ouyang Xiu’s family background was not very good when he was young. His father was already very old when he was born, and it was precisely because of this. Shortly after his birth, his father passed away due to illness, so he had to live with his mother. His mother was just a weak woman, and after his father passed away, the burden of the family fell on Ouyang Xiu’s mother. Although the mother and son’s life was very difficult, under such difficult conditions, his mother did not let him neglect his studies. His mother was also a beautiful lady from a big family. When he was young, she often taught Ouyang Xiu to use wooden sticks to practice calligraphy in the sand. Although the situation was difficult, it also gave Ouyang Xiu the most basic education.
And he has been diligent and eager to learn since childhood, with high talent and a love for reading. When he was young, he often went to the Li family in the south to borrow books to read. Because he wanted to preserve these books, Ouyang Xiu took a pen and paper to copy them first. However, usually after he finished reading the book and hadn’t finished copying it, he could already memorize it. Whether it was calligraphy or poetry, it was quite impressive.
After seeing such a situation, Ouyang Xiu’s uncle was also overjoyed and sighed, saying that Ouyang Xiu must be a genius in the future, able to enter the court and become an official, and perhaps even bring glory to his family. It is such a genius that Ouyang Xiu failed to pass the imperial examination twice when he was young. Speaking of which, the reason why Ouyang Xiu landed here is indeed touching. Ouyang Xiu failed because he was too outstanding. At the age of 17, he took the imperial examination, the township examination, which was a first level examination in a prefecture level city. After receiving the questions in the examination room, Ouyang Xiu was inspired and quickly answered them.
I thought I could successfully make it onto the list, but I didn’t expect the examiner to let him pass. So what are the reasons behind this? Ancient exams are similar to our modern college entrance exams, and examiners also pay attention to rules. Ancient poetry emphasizes rhyme, but there is a character in his article whose rhyme exceeds the prescribed range.
Therefore, after reading it, although the examiner felt that he was very outstanding and a talented person, he thought that he did not comply with the exam requirements and was too indulgent, so he was not allowed to pass. So Ouyang Xiu fell on the list. After failing the exam, Ouyang Xiu was depressed for a long time, but he did not give up. Six years later, Ouyang Xiu was recommended by a friend to try out the highest academic institution in Kaifeng Prefecture, the Guozijian. In the autumn of that year, he participated in the Guozijian examination.
Afterwards, Ouyang Xiu had a smooth journey and passed all the tests. This result also boosted Ouyang Xiu’s confidence. He believed that he had achieved such success, and becoming the top scholar was a sure thing. So happy, he immediately went to the street to make a new outfit for the list to wear.
And Ouyang Xiu has a classmate named Wang Gongchen, who also took the exam, but he didn’t expect to win the top spot. When he was looking for Ouyang Xiu to play, he put on his new clothes and even joked with Ouyang Xiu that I was wearing the clothes of the future top spot. The original meaning of these words was to congratulate him on winning the top scholar, but unexpectedly, Wang Gongchen ended up winning the top scholar, and Ouyang Xiu’s heart was even more frustrated.
After the list was released, Ouyang Xiu ranked 14th in the second tier imperial examination, and his chief examiner was Yan Shu. Later, after investigation, it was found that Yan Shu believed that Ouyang Xiu was too outstanding, and it was precisely because he was too outstanding that there was a sense of pride in his writing. Therefore, Yan Shu did not want him to be too proud and did not let him become the top scholar. He was also unable to obtain the top scholar precisely because he was too outstanding. For Ouyang Xiu, such reasons are really infuriating and ridiculous.
