A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 222 A cloud-piercing arrow
Song Qi and Song Hao watched as Song Xuan, the top scholar from Yingtian Prefecture, was surrounded by a crowd of admirers.

Song Hao's main resentment was that he was inferior to Song Xuan.

He was unwilling to admit that he was weaker than his younger brother, Song Xuan.

But that's the truth!
That makes them even more unwilling to accept it.

Song Qi, on the other hand, passed the imperial examination smoothly and embarked on his official career.

Song Xuan's actions only stirred up some of his less pleasant memories.

But more importantly, he was someone who had entered officialdom, and he was also the top scholar at the time, so he should have been taken care of by these senior officials.

However, Song Qi discovered that Song Xuan had stolen all the limelight.

All of his superiors were vying for Song Xuan's attention, which made Song Qi feel uneasy!

I am clearly the better candidate; it's still uncertain whether Song Xuan will pass the provincial examination!

Why is it that everyone, from students to officials, is surrounding him?
If Song Xuan were really my elder brother Song Xiang, then that would be fine.

But he is not.

Being suppressed for no reason is extremely unpleasant.

Jealousy, like a small flame, rises up.

Song Qi felt he shouldn't be jealous of Song Xuan, but at this moment, this emotion was truly rising within him!

"During this time, your second brother will also pass on all his experience in the provincial examination to you."

Song Hao was deeply moved and nodded emphatically.

Yan Shu did not reveal in public that he had deliberately disqualified Song Xuan from the first provincial examination.

He had originally intended to take this opportunity to say it, but seeing so many people wanting to marry Song Xuan made him hesitate.

Then he certainly couldn't add fuel to the fire!
Let's talk to them about it when we have time later.

After the banquet, Yan Shu instructed Song Xuan and the others to make sure they were well-prepared for the provincial examination.

"Don't let temporary progress go to your head and forget that there are still bigger mountains to climb."

"With the imperial examinations just around the corner, who has time to think about all sorts of things?"

"The best approach is to focus all your energy on reviewing your lessons."

After Yan Shu finished speaking, the students naturally expressed their gratitude.

Du Yan gave Su Qi a meaningful look: "Who is Uncle Yan trying to influence?"

"Hahaha."

Su Qi then stroked his beard and joked, "I'm afraid he himself has the idea of ​​marrying off his daughter, which is why he said these things on purpose."

Song Xuan also stood up, bid farewell to several officials, and slowly walked out with the crowd.

Just then, Qu Ze, standing at the door, saw Song Xuan come out and quickly went forward:

"Twelfth Brother, I need to talk to you."

"Ah."

Song Xuan asked Zhang Fangping to wait a moment, and then he went over to him:
"Something happened?"

“Your subordinate Wang Gui went to Ping An Gambling House to get money and hasn’t returned. Manager Tao sent me here because he’s in danger.”

Song Xuan frowned.

He knew, of course, that Wang Gui had bet on him to win the top scholar title and had won a lot of money.

But I never expected the gambling den to renege on its debt.

Song Xuan made him buy tickets from all those gambling dens, and he bought them separately.

Surely it's not worth taking action for such a small amount of money?
Unless the people in the gambling den didn't want him to take anything at all.

Can't afford to lose.

Such people are truly disgusting.

They have the guts to open a trading platform, but not the guts to pay out any money; they're all just thinking about taking in money and never giving it back.

"Take me there."

After Song Xuan finished speaking, he told Zhang Fangping to go back first, as he had some things to take care of.

Zhang Fangping understood that Qu Ze had come to see him because he needed something.

Qu Ze spoke directly: "I've already sent people in, but they didn't find Wang Gui gambling in the place. He's probably been taken into custody by them."

"I have already sent word to have someone come and wait here."

"If it really comes down to fighting, Twelfth Brother, don't make a move, lest you tarnish your own reputation."

Qu Ze believes that Song Xuan has just passed the provincial examination in Yingtian Prefecture and may very well become the top scholar in the imperial examination in the future.

He shouldn't get involved in things like this that require street fights.

But Wang Gui is his man, so he has to tell him no matter what.

Ultimately, the decision rests with Song Xuan.

"I understand."

Song Xuan didn't say much, but followed Qu Ze to Ping An Casino.

Ping An Casino.

There were people standing at the door, watching the newcomer and sizing him up; he didn't seem to be a regular.

"What are you doing here?"

"For drinking tea."

Qu Ze immediately replied.

After all, not just anyone can open a gambling den.

The first floor is a teahouse, and the second floor is the real gambling den.

This also makes it easier for gambling touts to attract customers and play a few tricks.

If you can't control yourself, you'll just keep losing money. Once the debt is pledged, the thugs inside will come after you for repayment.

They truly offer a one-stop service until you die.

Before he had even drunk a bowl of tea, Song Xuan was invited to a betting scheme.

After all, someone like him, who reeks of alcohol and is a student, is definitely a prime target.

Song Xuan followed the gambling accomplice upstairs.

Qu Ze followed behind him.

People have been watching Song Xuan ever since he came up.

A new fat sheep has appeared.

The second floor was quite lively.

"Big big."

"So tiny."

"Bite it, bite it!"

"It still has to be the Iron-Backed General."

Some people were playing a game of guessing money, others were guessing the size of a coin, and there were crickets fighting on the side—it was quite a lively scene.

Despite the ventilation, Song Xuan still felt the heat wave.

He glanced around and walked over to the largest table playing Sic Bo.

Zhuang He, who was standing nearby, quickly asked:

"Young master, would you like to show off a few moves?"

Song Xuan didn't respond, but Qu Ze behind him said coldly:

"You dare to gamble with my young master? Tell your manager to come out and serve him."

With this commotion, everyone turned to look at Song Xuan.

A scorching gaze followed closely behind.

"This gentleman has quite the arrogance."

"Call your manager out here."

Qu Ze placed one hand on the table and said coldly:
"Can't you understand human language?"

Zhuang He looked at the noisy servant in front of him and carefully examined the tall man facing him.

They probably didn't come here to gamble; they came here to cause trouble.

"Hold on."

Zhuanghe didn't want to let one customer affect all the other customers.

Especially if things get out of hand, it's not a good thing for the gambling den.

Some things you can just keep to yourself and do behind the scenes.

"Master Zhang."

Old Zhang was holding a knife in his hand, roasting a piece of meat he had cut from his thigh over the fire.

The person opposite him, who was tied up, had his mouth stuffed shut with a rag, and his eyes were bulging out of their sockets from the pain.

"what happened?"

“Someone came to cause trouble and insisted that the shopkeeper serve him. He doesn’t seem like someone who’s here to have fun.”

"You're a jerk."

Old Zhang stood up cursing and hiding the knife on his person:
"Let me see which one is blind?"

At this moment, Qu Ze had already found a chair for Song Xuan to sit down.

"Anyone with eyes should get off this gambling table."

Qu Ze has grown into a large and burly man, and with his management of the crowd, he truly reveals the mentality of someone in a superior position.

He didn't take these gamblers seriously at all.

Seeing his appearance and then looking at Song Xuan sitting in the chair, the thugs at the gambling den hesitated for a moment before stepping forward to question him.

Because if any of them can't master the art of tailoring their treatment to the individual, then they're doomed.

The gambling den won't cover for you.

They'll throw you out then, letting those people take their revenge.

There's no need to risk your life for a tiny bit of reward money.

As for the people at many gambling tables, they were naturally attracted by this scene.

"Where did this outsider come from?"

"I don't know."

Song Xuan leaned back in his chair.

He was swinging the dice he had picked up from the gambling table, tossing them up and catching them again.

Seeing his behavior, no one dared to approach him or say anything.

Just then, someone exclaimed, "Master Zhang is out!"

Mr. Zhang's tattoos are quite striking, glossy and smooth, clearly indicating that he gets regular maintenance.

It was still prohibited during the Tang Dynasty, but with the collapse of the Tang Dynasty, naturally a group of people violated it.

Guo Wei, the founding emperor of the Later Zhou dynasty, had a bird tattoo on his neck, hence he was also known as "Guo the Sparrow".

Because Zhang Erlong has a tattoo of two dragons playing with a pearl, his nickname is Erlong, and no one knows his real name.

"Young master, are you planning to pull some tricks?"

Zhang Erlong patted the dragon pearl on his chest: "I am the manager here. Everyone calls me Master Zhang. I wonder which kind of trick you would like to play, young master?"

Song Xuan threw the dice on the ground and ignored him. Qu Ze glanced at him.
"Call your manager out here! Don't just call yourself a nobody. You think you can call yourself a dragon just because you have two dragon tattoos?" Zhang Erlong was furious, wishing he could crush this pretty boy bastard in front of him.

It's clear that Song Xuan is genuinely here to cause trouble!

Although it was somewhat embarrassing, Zhang Erlong still politely said:

"May I ask where this young master works?" After all, there is Yingtian Academy nearby.

The students in the academy come from families with powerful backgrounds; I wonder whose families they are?
He's not someone to be intimidated by his appearance.

We still need to analyze the situation thoroughly.

"Can't you hear me?"

Qu Ze stared at Zhang Erlong, this scoundrel, and said, "Call your manager out here."

The underlings wanted to step forward, but Zhang Erlong stopped them. The person who dared to cause trouble must have something to rely on.

"Go and call the shopkeeper."

"Yes."

A short while later, the smiling, rather plump innkeeper arrived. Seeing Song Xuan sitting there, he quickly bowed.

"I am sorry for not welcoming such an honored guest. Please serve tea, and serve Young Master Song the best tea."

Song Xuan glanced at him.

He pulled a folding fan from his waist, trying to ward off the heat wave.

"I'm here to collect the money."

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper immediately understood the meaning behind Song Xuan's words.

"The money has been prepared long ago, but I don't know if Young Master Song wants the money or the person?"

Enduring the heat and the pungent smells, Song Xuan raised an eyebrow in displeasure:
"I want it all."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Erlong immediately became displeased:

"Haven't you heard of the strength of our Ping An Gambling House?"

Song Xuan glanced at him, then looked at the shopkeeper sitting opposite him, and asked casually:

"Is this what you mean?"

"I'm sorry, Young Master Song, it's my fault for not managing my subordinates properly."

After the shopkeeper finished speaking, he slapped Zhang Erlong across the face.

"Don't speak unless you're told to."

The slap was very loud.

It hit everyone directly.

For a moment, everyone was a little surprised. Who exactly was the person sitting opposite the Smiling Buddha?
One sentence from him was enough to make the Smiling Buddha slap Zhang Erlong across the face.

Zhang Erlong immediately lowered his head, not wanting anyone to see the anger in his eyes.

“Young Master Song, you are somewhat greedy.”

"So, you're saying you don't want to accept the consequences of your bet?"

"We can't raise that much money in a short time, so we'd like to ask Young Master Song for a favor."

The Smiling Buddha always wore a smile on his face and didn't think his request was excessive.

Song Xuan is now the top scholar in the provincial examination.

You need to be mindful of your identity.

Why would someone risk their future for a mere servant?

If someone steps on you, you'll feel disgusted!

"What about people?"

Song Xuan tapped the gambling table: "You detained me for this?"

"The person just took a nap, that's all."

The Smiling Buddha placed a gold ingot directly in front of Song Xuan:
"This is money to apologize; I hope you will forgive my mistake."

Zhang Erlong was immediately astonished when he saw the shopkeeper offering gold so readily.

He looked at the young man in front of him again.

Who exactly is this person?
This scene also made the onlookers stop, and even the cricket fighters stopped shouting.

"Where are you?"

The Smiling Buddha never expected that Song Xuan would care so much about a servant, not even glancing at the gold ingot.

So he didn't waste any words and simply had his underlings wave him over.

Wang Gui was still unconscious when Qu Ze helped him up.

Upon seeing this, Song Xuan frowned. He stood up, asked Wang Gui to sit down, and then took his pulse.

"They added a little bit of sleeping potion to the tea."

The Smiling Buddha offered a brief explanation: "He was mainly excited because he won money."

Song Xuan and Qu Ze put their arms around Wang Gui and walked down the road without looking back.

The Smiling Buddha hurriedly called out:
"Young master, you haven't taken your gold yet."

"Thank you."

The Smiling Buddha watched as Song Xuan left without even taking the gold, and a hint of embarrassment flashed across his face.

It seems this matter cannot be resolved peacefully.

Zhang Erlong chuckled: "What kind of person is he? He doesn't even want money, yet he's so cowardly?"

"I thought he was really amazing!"

"Shut up."

Although the Smiling Buddha was used to double-crossing others, he was still somewhat afraid of people in the government.

In particular, Song Xuan's money came from illegitimate sources, and gambling was prohibited in the Song Dynasty.

The Smiling Buddha bet that he wouldn't dare to delve deeper into the matter.

Once they were outside, Qu Ze spoke:

"Twelfth Brother, let's just let this matter go. As long as he's alright, that's fine. His master is someone of considerable influence."

After confirming that Wang Gui was alright, Song Xuan said, "Let's set off fireworks."

"Fireworks?"

Qu Ze was terrified.

He thought that Song Xuan only wanted the person and not the gold ingot, so he would let the matter drop.

Setting off fireworks would be a sure way to kill them.

It's important to understand that Song Xuan integrated the ruffians of Songcheng; it wasn't a loose organization.

"Yes, there's no point in running a shop that doesn't keep its promises."

Song Xuan patted the unconscious Wang Gui:

"Even if I don't deal with them, they'll still be uneasy. The best strategy for those who want to mess with us is to go straight for the kill."

"what?"

Qu Ze didn't understand Song Xuan's words for a moment, after all, taking the Smiling Buddha was also a way of voluntarily bowing his head.

"Go do it."

Song Xuan simply carried Wang Gui to the stall opposite and ordered two bowls of herbal tea.

The Smiling Buddha urged everyone to continue playing. He put away the gold ingots, walked to the window, and looked at Song Xuan sitting down, becoming even more surprised and uncertain.

That kid is a brainless martial artist; he's too careless.

Are they going to find someone to carry it?
The Smiling Buddha always felt that Song Xuan was about to enter officialdom, so how could he lower himself to the level of those who made a living in the gray areas?
Besides, I'm not without support.

Snapped.

A firework flashed across the sky, but the Smiling Buddha paid no attention.

Young people always have to suffer some losses to learn from their mistakes.

Do you really think that just because you have a talent for business, you can use that approach to do anything?
Gambling dens are different.

Song Xuan fanned himself, splashed cold tea on Wang Gui's face, and then pinched his philtrum to finally wake him up.

"Twelfth Brother, what are you doing here?"

Wang Gui was somewhat bewildered and couldn't believe it for a moment: "How did I get here?"

"Where's the gold?"

Then he looked up at the signboard of Ping An Casino and immediately remembered.

I'm doomed!

Upon thinking of this, Wang Gui immediately tried to stand up, but his legs gave way.
"You're a jerk."

"Stop struggling. You need to rest for a while before you have the strength."

"Twelfth Brother, I've disgraced you. I actually fell for their trick."

Wang Gui was filled with self-reproach.

They thought they'd get the money easily, but who would have thought they'd drugged them?

"It's alright, I'll let you get your revenge later."

As soon as Song Xuan finished speaking, someone came over with a torch.

Then more and more people gathered.

Now even Zhen Guannan has come.

He pushed through the crowd: "Brother Twelfth, the gambling den is completely blocked from all sides. Not a single fish can escape."

"Tie up all the onlookers, break the legs of the gambling den's henchmen, have that Zhang Erlong kill that damned Smiling Buddha, and burn the place down. Call over the fire brigade too, to prevent it from burning elsewhere."

"Order."

“Twelfth Brother, I’ll go too.” Wang Gui didn’t want to leave the matter of revenge to someone else.

Song Xuan shook his head:
"We're both going to be officials in the future, so there's no need for us to get involved in these petty squabbles. They won't get us into trouble."

Zhen Guannan, not knowing when he could repay Song Xuan, immediately agreed.

Immediately, the sanitation workers went upstairs and began vandalizing the place, surrounding it both inside and out.

Anyone who tries to escape by jumping out of the window will be denied permission.

Soon after, intermittent screams could be heard coming from inside.

The Smiling Buddha immediately shouted, "I want to see Twelfth Brother. I can give him double the interest."

Zhen Guannan chuckled and gestured for Zhang Erlong to stab him with the knife that had been used to eat human flesh for years. "Either you two die together."

Zhang Erlong truly never expected to end up like this in the blink of an eye.

Although he ate human flesh, he never killed anyone.

Now the place is packed with people, all of whom have had one leg broken. He either has to kill someone or they all die together.

"I want to see Shierlang! I was wrong!"

The Smiling Buddha also realized that things were out of his control.

He had heard the story of Song Xuan dealing with the hooligans.

But to his surprise, these rascals were all willing to do things for him, which was something the Smiling Buddha hadn't expected.

Zhen Guannan ignored him and said, "Make your move, or you'll die too."

How could I let Song Xuan get involved in such dirty work?
Holding the knife, Zhang Erlong had no courage to resist and walked towards the Smiling Buddha.

"you dare!"

The Smiling Buddha's threat was utterly ineffective under the watchful eyes of the group.

The knife in Zhang Erlong's hand trembled slightly.

He never had any intention of killing anyone, after all, this matter violated the laws of the Song Dynasty.

How can one survive?
But at this moment, he had no other choice!

(End of this chapter)