A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 224 Rich people have distant relatives in the mountains

"what?"

As soon as Song Xuan said this...

The people in the lobby and even on the second floor all looked incredulous.

After all, this group of people were either down-on-their-luck hooligans.

Or they're just beggars on the street.

Who comes from a good family background?
reading.

They had never even considered such a luxurious thing!

Besides, we're all from the latrine-collecting team.

Although you can earn some money, there are also many benefits in this organization.

Only a select few can truly enjoy the privilege of having their children receive an education.

After all, how long can the whole family have enough to eat?
Now Song Xuan says he wants to set up a private school, specifically to gather the offspring of the latrine-collecting team.

If, as Song Twelve said, a promising child were to appear in the family, wouldn't I then become the father of an official?
It really works! Our ancestors have blessed us!
"It was Twelve Lang who appeared to me."

"Yeah."

Song Xuan raised his wine glass and said:
"There's no need for you all to be in such a hurry. After all, not many people are getting married these days. Brothers, you should learn from Jihao and get married as soon as possible!"

"Hahaha."

The crowd burst into laughter once again.

Indeed, how many scoundrels are capable of marrying and having children?

Ji Hao was lucky to meet him.

Most people were searching for Ji Hao, but some recognized him. He wasn't strong; he was just a little beggar on the street, on the verge of starvation.

Now that Song Xuan has praised him by name several times, it must be incredibly lucky.

Ke Jihao didn't even know where his own ancestral graves were.

However, Ji Hao had figured it out: if his son were to pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi in the future, then the Ji family's ancestral graves would be located in Songcheng.

Song Xuan asked Wang Gui to hand him the wine pot, then poured himself another cup of wine and placed it on the storytelling table.
"Brothers, do your jobs well. We're all going to have a good life in the future. Don't throw all your money into brothels and gambling dens."

"Keep some money for getting married and raising children. Maybe you'll become the father of an official someday, and that would be truly a stroke of good fortune!"

"Yes, yes, Twelve Lang is right."

Zhen Guan Nan was the first to respond.

After all, he also has a son.

Upon hearing that his father was an official, many hooligans were filled with excitement.

Who would say these things to them on a normal day?

The perception formed by information asymmetry is not something that can be achieved overnight.

After making money, these people naturally want to spend it like crazy to compensate themselves.

In particular, their mindset hasn't shifted towards a more pragmatic approach to life.

Now Song Xuan has planned the path for them and sown the seeds.

Having ambition can motivate them to work!
Song Xuan finished his drink and watched as everyone discussed the matter.

Since the matter has already been stated, Song Xuan wouldn't be surprised if anyone stopped striving for improvement and only thought about their own carefree life.

Everyone has their own pursuit.

At least by working in the latrine-collecting team, these people won't freeze or starve to death when they get old.

Cao Dajia looked at the jovial rascals in the room, and then at Song Xuan, the famous top scholar.

I really can't understand why he's dragging this bunch of hooligans along.
However, Cao Dajia suddenly recalled the Romance of the Three Kingdoms written by Song Xuan, which focused on Guan Yu, who also showed great care for the common people.

Does this also reflect a kind of thinking of Song Xuan?

Cao Dajia thought about it slowly.

Moreover, he truly wanted to free the people of Songcheng from the trouble caused by these hooligans.

After all, these kinds of people are managed by government officials.

Those police officers dared not accept money, but they would offer you a cup of tea or a piece of bread without charging you.

Otherwise, how could they support their families with their salaries?

Cao Dajia was also a wanderer in the martial arts world, and was fortunate enough to settle down and make a stable living in Qinglou.

Therefore, he understood that those who depended on the government for a living never relied on their salaries.

But this wasn't his home turf, and he wouldn't ask such an impolite question.

Talkative on stage, quiet off stage; avoid trouble, and you can live a peaceful life.

Song Xuan carried the wine jug down from the stage and sat in his chair:

"Hopefully these people won't go astray again."

"Twelfth Brother's actions have truly saved countless lives!"

Cao Dajia toasted Song Xuan with great admiration.

Regardless, as a resident of Songcheng, he enjoyed a period of time when no one picked up lost items on the road.

At least there are fewer troublemakers now.

Whether they were ordinary people or government officials, everyone remembered Song Xuan's good deeds!
These impoverished people are unruly and disobedient; isn't it because they have no source of income?

He drove away the "dung tyrant," and a new dung tyrant was put in charge of the town's south gate, but he no longer dared to bully the good people as before.

Who cares about Song Xuan's reasons? Maybe he's just as righteous and chivalrous as Guan Yu.

Otherwise, they wouldn't always throw the money they earn into those lonely elderly people, or even go so far as to repair bridges and roads.

Who wouldn't want more money to leave their descendants a great fortune?

Those people would rather hide their gold and silver in cellars than use it for good deeds.

Song Xuan always served thick porridge, the only problem being that he would sometimes stuff some sand into it.

To prevent non-disaster victims from eating here.

Even though the porridge contains sand, many locals still shamelessly go and eat it.

Song Xuan wouldn't have his subordinates stop him from drinking.

As for the other scholars, who would take the initiative to get close to them?

"Master Cao, you flatter me. I only did a small thing. Besides, the book teaches us to be kind to others, doesn't it?"

"Hahaha."

As soon as Song Xuan said this.

This caused everyone to burst into laughter again.

Twelfth Brother is such a good joker!
Yesterday, the largest casino in the area, Ping An Casino, was no longer in Ping An.

This matter had already spread throughout Songcheng.

That means they refused to pay and even threatened to kill the person.

This led to someone setting fire to the shop.

Whether it was Song Xuan who did it or not is completely unimportant.

If there are people from this latrine-collecting team, then it's most likely true.

Even when Song Xuan bet on himself to become the top scholar in the imperial examination, they dared to renege on their bets.

Among the patrons in the gambling den, there were some big mouths who vividly recounted Song Xuan's words, "I want both people and money."

Then the manager of Ping An Gambling House died in an internal conflict, and Master Zhang lost a leg.

Everyone else who belonged to the gambling den was killed; they all had their legs broken.

Who dares to provoke us?

Not a single person went to report it to the authorities.

This is also why the other gambling dens dared not default on their debts anymore.

Moreover, the Twelve Families of Song were a timely help to Song City.

Do you really think he's someone who can be easily manipulated?

Zhen Guannan toasted Song Xuan again.

What happened last night was truly satisfying.

After this incident, it's likely that no one in the entire Song City will dare to be so foolish as to provoke Twelve Lang.

He felt it was a pity.

After Song Xuan drank it, he finally spoke:

"Given that only a minority of people in our line of work have children of school age, girls will also have to attend private schools in the future. At the very least, they need to learn to read, and most importantly, they need to learn how to use an abacus."

"If I manage the household at home in the future, or run a shop in my husband's family home, I will be able to keep accounts and avoid being cheated without knowing what's going on."

These words surprised everyone for a moment.

After all, who would want to do something like that?
Song Xuan has already planned out the future for both boys and girls!
"Twelve-year-old, can girls also read and use an abacus?"

The other person immediately asked with surprise.

He has a daughter.

"Of course."

Song Xuan put down his wine glass:
"Besides, girls are more meticulous, so they're much better at manipulating an abacus than your clumsy fingers, right?"

"Yeah."

The people at the table nodded in agreement.

They keep daily accounts.

Moreover, the accounts were handled by apprentices specially taught by Manager Tao Hong.

He hasn't even finished his apprenticeship yet!

Especially when the scale is large, how can you not keep accounts?

The people at this table were all leaders, and they all understood the importance of this matter.

"Alright, everyone, just focus on your work first. Who knows what the future holds?"

Song Xuan thought that as long as it involved large-scale farming, the manure trade was bound to be profitable.

Cleaning the latrines required a fee, and then the waste was taken outside the city to ferment before being sold to other residents, for which another fee was charged.

Moreover, the wheat seedlings grew significantly better after the land was fertilized.

"Yes, yes, as long as there are people farming, we won't go hungry."

Zhen Guannan then asked softly:

"Twelfth Brother, Songcheng alone is probably not enough for us to expand our scale. Could you go to the village to collect manure?"

Song Xuan raised an eyebrow, because most farmers believed in keeping the wealth within their own fields.

Even if there's excrement or urine, you have to take it back to your own home and collect the manure. "You guys come up with a plan that we can try. I'm going to Luoyang for a month of study tour, and then I'll have to prepare for the provincial exam. I don't have much time to spare."

Song Xuan looked around at everyone and said:
“You are all key personnel, and you will eventually have to learn to grow on your own. When you become successful, you will naturally want to go to neighboring counties to become managers. Just managing the dung in Songcheng is not enough.”

Upon hearing Song Xuan's encouragement to expand their business, the group became even more ambitious and drank heavily.

Unable to resist the enthusiasm, Cao Dajia drank several rounds before finally speaking:

"I wonder if Shierlang knows about Champa rice."

"Yes, I have heard of it."

It's quite normal for Song Xuan to be well-informed about the storyteller Cao Dajia.

"In previous years, we planted it in Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Huaihe River regions and achieved good results. There are rumors that it will be planted in Henan and other places. I suppose there will be even greater fertilizer shortages then?"

"Ah."

Song Xuan nodded repeatedly:

“Champa rice can be harvested three times a year in the south, but I estimate it can only be harvested twice a year in Henan. That means it needs even more manure, otherwise the soil fertility will not be able to keep up.”

"That's why I thought of having them expand to neighboring counties so that they can have greater development in the future."

"I'll understand later."

Zhen Guannan and the others naturally pricked up their ears to listen.

The pie in the sky that Song Xuan painted for them on the spot was incredibly large.

Everyone was eager to show off their skills.

When they had almost finished eating, Song Xuan stood up and said that he was going home with Ji Hao to check out the new house and see how the furnishings were going.

If you can't finish the food, you can pack it up and take it home. Chef Qinglou's skills have even been praised by the current prime minister.

They've given us both substance and appearance.

The shopkeeper hurriedly stepped forward and asked Song Xuan if he could bestow another piece of calligraphy upon him. He didn't need to write a new poem, just the original "Shuidiao Getou" (Water Melody Song). Today, he insisted on giving Song Xuan a 50% discount, on top of the 20% discount already offered.

"Alright."

Since they were from the same hometown, Song Xuan readily agreed to the request.

The shopkeeper bowed repeatedly and respectfully saw Song Xuan off at the door.

If it weren't for the large number of people who came today, and the fact that they had all showered and changed into new clothes, there would still be a slight odor.

The shopkeeper really wanted to give everyone a free meal.

Ji Hao led Song Xuan to the outskirts of the city, to a place where everyone gathered. A new house was built there, which could provide shelter from the wind and rain, and the neighbors could look out for each other.

Song Xuan nodded.

After all, the conditions are what they are.

Besides, if we get together, we won't be bullied.

After listening to Ji Hao's retelling, Song Xuan sent someone to inquire about the identity of his in-laws, who turned out to be quite simple and honest.

"I'll have your wife help out at my bookstore later; she'll be able to earn some money to supplement the family income."

"Thank you, Twelfth Brother."

Ji Hao was overjoyed, as he was just wondering how to settle his new wife.

"Hahaha."

Song Xuan then asked Wang Gui to help him buy some chestnuts and other things, basically to make it look like a wedding.

Then he walked into the city in a rather pleasant mood.

Xiao Zhihong, who hadn't said much until now, spoke up: "Young Master seems to be in a good mood doing these things!"

"Everyone lives a life with hope, and I'm happy to see that too."

Song Xuan waved his folding fan and said, "If everyone is full of bitterness and hatred, it's probably time to start planning a rebellion."

Xiao Zhihong nodded.

He also understood that if Song Xuan passed the imperial examination with top honors, someone would always need to take care of the family business in Songcheng, and he was the best candidate.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be invited to make an appearance in this kind of situation.

When the young master retires from his official post, he will surely return to his hometown to live a peaceful life.

"Young master, please rest assured, I will definitely manage our old territory well."

"Ah."

Song Xuan had already told Xiao Zhihong everything, so there's no need to go into details.

He did want to visit Madam Gu and his precious daughter, but he had been too busy to find a suitable excuse.

I haven't heard any news that the old man of the Gu family is going to die!

Just as Song Xuan was thinking about this, Tao Hong hurriedly came forward:
"Young master, your mother is here!"

"I don't have a mother."

After blurting it out, Song Xuan immediately thought of his remarried mother.

It seems that the news of my passing the imperial examination has truly spread far and wide.

His confrontation with the Hanlin Academy scholar in Songcheng caused quite a stir in the city.

Even if you don't recognize Song Xuan's face, it's obviously unreal to not have heard of his name.

He hasn't visited me in all these years.

If something goes wrong, or if they fail the exam, they won't come.

He only came when he became the top scholar in the provincial examination. If he becomes the top scholar in the imperial examination, wouldn't he come here every day to freeload?

There's no affection left between them, mother and son!

"Didn't you chase them away?"

"The main concern is that it might damage the young master's reputation."

After all, even though the Song Dynasty did not subdue the emperor by governing the country with filial piety, the Northern Song Dynasty included the Classic of Filial Piety in the civil service examinations.

The Northern Song Dynasty's "Song Criminal Code" followed the Tang Dynasty's laws, listing "filial impiety" as one of the "Ten Unpardonable Crimes" (such as beating one's parents, having separate household registrations and property, etc.), and those who violated it would be severely punished.

In addition, there was the legacy of the "filial piety and integrity" tradition, with local officials recommending "filial and fraternal" individuals for official positions, and there was also the system of mourning for parents.

Officials were required to resign and observe a 27-month mourning period upon the death of their parents (Sima Guang was hailed as a "model" for resigning to observe mourning); those who violated this rule faced impeachment (as Wang Anshi was impeached for failing to end his mourning period).

Fan Zhongyan is currently teaching at Yingtian Academy, and he is taking advantage of his time of mourning to do this.

Song Xuan raised an eyebrow, knowing he couldn't avoid this situation.

To be honest, the image of his mother from the Song Dynasty had long been extremely blurry in his mind.

Following Tao Hong's lead, they went directly to the reception room, without going to the study or other important places.

Song's mother sat anxiously by the chair, while her son was making a ruckus around the table.

At the age of eight, one is at the age when even chickens and dogs hate them.

The reason he hasn't contacted his son for so many years is that Song Kang, like his father, is a bad student and a gambling addict.

Another one is Song Xuan, who also doesn't study well and doesn't study properly in the private school.

In addition, after arriving in Songcheng, he offended his superiors and ended up in jail.

Who would have thought that he would actually pass the imperial examination with top honors?

Her husband wanted her to come and acknowledge their kinship, so Song's mother was very conflicted.

She was extremely worried that Song Xuan would not acknowledge her.

The curtain was lifted.

Song Xuan glanced at his mother, who immediately stood up. There were already wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. She was a beauty when she was young.

I haven't suffered much over the years.

"Xuan'er".

Song's mother quickly took small steps forward, trying to get closer to Song Xuan.

"Mother?"

Song Xuan flicked open his folding fan, stopping her from moving forward:

"Is Mother facing some difficulties?"

Upon seeing Song Xuan's behavior, Song's mother stopped in her tracks, her face filled with embarrassment.

She hasn't come to see him for so many years.

But they waited until he had achieved fame and success before coming to see him.

No matter what, this son will always feel uneasy about it.

"mother?"

Seeing that Song Xuan had blocked out the sunlight, his half-brother, somewhat frightened, ran into Song's mother's arms.

"I haven't encountered it."

"Tao Hong, go to the warehouse and get five bushels of rice. Deliver it to my mother's house in a bit."

According to the laws of the Song Dynasty, a son was still required to support his remarried mother; otherwise, he might be held accountable for being unfilial.

The son may privately provide financial assistance to his mother after she remarries, but should avoid public contact.

(To avoid "disgracing the family reputation")
After all, we are no longer legally related, except for blood ties.

"okay."

Upon hearing Song Xuan's words, Song's mother dared not utter the words her husband had asked her to say.

So he could only sit in the chair holding his youngest son, his brows furrowed, not knowing what to say.

Song Xuan sat opposite him, sizing up his younger brother.

He was unaware of his mother's sudden visit, but it certainly didn't seem like a good thing.

Therefore, Song Xuan made up his mind not to speak first.

"How have you been all these years?"

Unable to bear the coldness any longer, Song's mother finally spoke up.

"Don't worry, Mother. Your son has been living a good life on his own all these years."

Song Xuan leaned back in his chair and flicked open his folding fan:

"I never had to worry about food or clothing. The Song family clan always let me study and fool around without me suffering any grievances."

"good."

At this moment, Old Master Song walked in from outside, leaning on his cane.

“Tian, ​​we are descendants of the Song family. We don’t need an outsider like you to worry about this or that.”

"My grandson was doing just fine before he passed the provincial examination, and he will only live better after he passes it!"

The sudden arrival of the Song family patriarch really startled Song's mother.

(End of this chapter)