The Eight Great Writers of the Tang and Song Dynasties

Chapter One: “Wild Geese Over the Autumn River” In the autumn of the ninth year of the Tiansheng era, Ouyang Xiu receives an imperial order to travel from Bianjing to Ying Tian Prefecture and investigate a disturbance at an academy over the “Wenkui Tower” plaque. After arriving by boat, he learns from Wang Anshi, an assistant instructor at the prefectural school, that the impoverished student Zeng Gong earned the right to the plaque through his talent, only to be opposed by Su Xun and his son Su Shi, who led others in beating him. The academy has suspended classes, and the commotion has disrupted the local community. Ouyang Xiu first checks on Zeng Gong's injuries and prescribes medicine. He then speaks with Zhou Dunyi, the academy's headmaster, and the other instructors, setting out to uncover the cause of the incident and resolve it properly.