A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 297 Solving Cases Like a God?
At this moment, a person was hanging on the flagpole, which aroused everyone's curiosity.

Many people believed Cao's claim that he was just performing acrobatics.

As for that person, he was wearing the robes of a low-ranking official.

Not many people really care.

Everyone who came to the scene was a high-ranking official of the fifth rank or above, along with their family members.

Only Song Xuan was specially invited as a minor official of the seventh rank.

But who can blame him when he's the top scholar who passed all three levels of the imperial examinations?
They have "privileges" in many places!
Gao Jixun knew the whole story.

He was not one of Empress Dowager Liu's people either.

The Gao family, father and sons for three generations, were all loyal to the emperor.

Otherwise, Gao Jixun would not have been trusted so much and transferred from the frontier to the palace to protect Emperor Zhao Zhen of the Song Dynasty.

At this point, Gao Jixun had no intention of revealing anything to the outside world.

When serving the emperor, the most important thing is to keep your mouth shut.

Know what you should know, and don't pry into what you shouldn't know.

Gao Jixun just thought that Song Xuan was the top scholar.

He is not as simple as an ordinary scholar.

His only question was whether Song Xuan practiced martial arts.
It seems like he has some skill.

Zhao De tried to push Song Xuan away, but Song Xuan countered.

This alone made Gao Jixun suspicious.

However, Cao Yong never praised Song Xuan in this regard. Instead, he constantly talked about how his son-in-law had passed the imperial examinations three times and was famous for his literary talent.

Just praising this aspect.

Gao Jixuan believed that Cao was using this to his advantage, praising Song Xuan for what he lacked most in order to show off!

Of course, having a son-in-law who is a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) is enough to make military families extremely envious.

Not to mention that he was such a young man who had already achieved the highest honors in the imperial examinations.

The military generals gritted their teeth, but they still had to put on a smiling face for Cao Yong, hoping that he could find a scholar as a son-in-law for their families through Song Xuan.

After all, it was Song Xuan who facilitated the marriage between the Shi family and the Three-Tailed Man.

Shi Yuansun never hesitated to reveal how he got to know Fan Xiang, the Three-Tailed Gentleman.

Fan Xiang came in last place in the provincial examination. Which powerful family in the capital would bother with him?

As a result, the Shi family got the benefit.

It's so regrettable, I'm practically slapping my thigh in frustration!

Even the Empress Dowager and the Emperor congratulated the Shi family, proving that the Three-Tailed Gentleman was truly unprecedented and unparalleled.

All of this is thanks to Song Xuan's matchmaking.

Gao Jixun also has a daughter, and he went to Zhang Fangping that day to extend an invitation.

It's just that Zhang Fangping probably had too many appointments and didn't get a turn at the Gao family's door.

It's not that Zhang Fangping is a rare commodity; the truth is that the other scholars don't even glance at the military group.

They didn't even have a chance to invite them.

The other successful candidates believed that even becoming a son-in-law of a high-ranking official was far better than marrying into a military family.

People like Song Xuan, who are "top-tier exam takers in small towns" in the Song Dynasty, have not yet fallen into the miserable situation of becoming live-in sons-in-law.

The powerful and wealthy in Tokyo would love to forge alliances with these test-taking geniuses from small towns.

Because of frequent floods, the imperial court held dragon boat races to worship the Dragon King.

Praying for peace.

Otherwise, the Song Dynasty imperial family wouldn't have attached so much importance to the Dragon Boat Festival.

After all, Tokyo is very prone to flooding every summer.

From the imperial court to the common people, who doesn't respect the Dragon King?
Amidst the anticipation of the crowd, as the whistle sounded, twenty small dragon boats broke through the water on the lake.

For a moment, many of those who participated in the bidding shouted out the numbers of the dragon boats they had purchased.

Zhao Zhen showed no joy.

He held in his arms the account book that Chen Dalang had risked his life to present to him.

But he thought about it for a while.

its not right!
I remember it was to highlight the royal style.

The dragon boat is made of precious Phoebe zhennan wood and has an extremely beautiful design.

How could the ledger record a dragon boat made of pine wood?
The key issue is that they ordered 100 pine logs, but only 30 were actually used.

They even cut corners on pine wood, which shows how audacious they are!

Zhao Zhen tried hard to recall: "If I remember correctly, it should be one hundred pieces of Phoebe zhennan wood."

The royal family has a preference for Phoebe zhennan wood.

Because it is durable, it has not decayed even after thousands of years.

It can symbolize the continuous existence of imperial dynasties and their ability to remain in power for a thousand years.

The dragon throne and dragon bed are not made of pure gold, and sitting or lying on them can easily cause them to deform.

That's so un-"majestic"!

Therefore, the royal family exclusively used Phoebe zhennan wood to make these kinds of things.

It was passed down until the dynasty collapsed, so there was no need to replace it.

Moreover, when a new dynasty is established, the founding emperor will order a complete overhaul, and apart from the Imperial Seal of the State, no one wants to live on the former emperor's dragon bed and throne.

After being polished, Phoebe zhennan wood has a golden appearance and a smooth, jade-like texture.

Given their scarcity, how could emperors not like them?
Moreover, Phoebe zhennan wood was extremely precious in the Song Dynasty.

One reason is that it takes a hundred years to develop talent.

Even if your parents planted the tree for you at birth, it will only enter its seedling stage when you live to be eighty years old, just like the ginseng fruit.

It's almost impossible for you to profit in this lifetime; it will only benefit your children and grandchildren.

Another crucial reason is the growing environment.

They are mainly located in the vast primeval forests of Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan, where logging is extremely difficult.

By the mid-Ming Dynasty, it was difficult to find decent finished products.

Then came the claim that Emperor Qianlong used the pretext of repairing the Ming Tombs to replace the precious Phoebe zhennan wood inside.

After all, as a perfect old man, he was not buried in a coffin made of Phoebe zhennan wood.

That's hardly respectable!
Emperor Zhao Zhen heard his ministers mention a proverb, "Introduce a thousand, discard a hundred," and used it to advise him against excessive use of Phoebe zhennan wood.

Thousands of people go into the mountains to cut down Phoebe zhennan trees, but only a few hundred come out, which shows how difficult it is to harvest them!

As a result, the golden nanmu wood that cost so many lives to harvest was not used by the royal family, but was instead embezzled!
Thinking of this, Zhao Zhen pulled Song Xuan aside, his tone tinged with anger, and said:

"Twelfth Brother, you've been fooled by Zhao De too!"

"what?"

Song Xuan was momentarily stunned:

"I hope Your Excellency can tell me in detail how I was deceived."

"I remember that when the dragon boat was built and repaired, the Ministry of Works approved the use of Phoebe zhennan wood!"

"Fuck me!"

Song Xuan couldn't help but mutter a complaint under his breath.

He had just felt that using pine wood was really too cheap.

But it also has value.

Because many buildings since the Tang and Song dynasties have used pine wood, the number of pine trees has decreased significantly.

Many temples built in the first year of the Tiansheng era reported that they were made of pine wood, but some key components of the bracket sets were made entirely of locust wood.

Even during the Jin and Yuan dynasties, due to the scarcity of pine resources in most parts of the southwest, they could only choose more common native tree species, such as poplar and elm, to build palaces and temples.

However, even if all 100 pine logs were combined, they could not compare to a single piece of Phoebe zhennan wood.

Zhao Zhen thought Song Xuan was speaking in his hometown dialect, and he understood what he meant.

"I've never even seen golden nanmu before."

Song Xuan frowned deeply:

"Your Majesty, this corruption case is no small matter."

"It all depends on how many people they can pull out."

"what do you think?"

"Investigate thoroughly!"

Zhao Zhen gritted his teeth in anger: "I will secretly send people from the Imperial City Guard to cooperate with you."

"it is good."

While the two were talking, Dragon Boat No. 6 had already crossed the line ahead of the others by one place.

"Your Majesty, dragon boat number six has won first place."

Zhang Maoze hurried over to offer his congratulations.

The Emperor hadn't allowed them to follow earlier, but seeing that they were silent, he came up to report.

"I have won!"

Zhao Zhen regained some of his composure: "I've forgotten what the bet I made with my twelfth brother was."

"Next time," Song Xuan waved his hand dismissively.

"I was so captivated by that Chen Dalang that I forgot about this matter."

"Uh, sigh."

Although Zhao Zhen did not emphasize it too much, he was still somewhat disappointed.

I won, but it's like I didn't win at all.

There's no prize involved, so I'm not excited at all!

Emperor Zhao Zhen rewarded the crew of Dragon Boat No. 6, and everyone expressed their gratitude.

The maids then began to serve the zongzi (sticky rice dumplings).

After Song Xuan took it, he leaned against the railing.

Actually, the flavor of this zongzi hasn't changed much.

Southern-style savory zongzi, Northern-style sweet zongzi.

At this moment, what Song Xuan held in his hand was candied fruit.

Cai Boxi stepped forward and bowed to Zhao Zhen, his eyes filled with jealousy as he looked at Song Xuan.

"This must be the famous Song Zhuangyuan, right?"

Song Xuan looked at the young man before him, then turned to Zhao Zhen:
"Haven't you asked yet?"

Although Emperor Zhao Zhen did not highly value Cai Boxi, he still acknowledged the relationship between them.

“Twelfth Brother, this is my childhood friend, Cai Boxi. He became a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) at the age of three.”

Good heavens, this is a prodigy!

Even Yan Shu couldn't be considered a child prodigy compared to him.

He became an official at an age when he couldn't even control his bladder.

It has to be said that the Song Dynasty really "loved the birth of child prodigies".

"Good heavens, I admire you. I was still wetting the bed when I was three years old, but he passed the imperial examination at the age of three."

"Hahaha." Zhao Zhen couldn't help but laugh out loud several times.

Song Xuan bowed slightly, looking at Cai Boxi, who was even younger than himself.

Cai Boxi puffed out his chest with a slight sense of pride:

"You flatter me. It is Song Zhuangyuan's reputation that is widespread. Once he uttered those four lines of Yingtian, who in the world could rival him?"

"If the top scholar of the Song Dynasty had not become an official, he would surely have become a great Confucian scholar in the future."

"A great Confucian scholar?"

Song Xuan waved his hand dismissively:

"Great scholars are admirable, but my ambitions lie elsewhere. I find greater freedom and openness in the officialdom."

Zhao Zhen couldn't help but laugh out loud.

He truly couldn't imagine that his mischievous twelfth brother, as unruly as Sun Wukong, would become a great Confucian scholar.
What a disconnect it would be for the bunch of monkeys and their offspring to listen to him reciting classics and history!
It was originally a joke, but Song Xuan's words pierced Cai Boxi's heart like a needle.

The officialdom became even more open and unpredictable.

That's right.

However, he received his government stipend at the age of three and is still a lowly official with a nominal salary, so he has no chance to explore the world freely.

Cai Boxi also wanted to make a name for himself. Relying on his relationship with the emperor, wouldn't he rise through the ranks like Yan Shu?

But ideals are lofty, while reality is harsh.

Song Xuan glanced at Cai Boxi's expression and saw that he looked angry.

Judging from his appearance, he is not a high-ranking official at present.

However, he had a relatively close relationship with the emperor.

"However, on the other hand, being an official also involves many thorny issues."

Song Xuan didn't want to offend anyone unnecessarily, lest someone do something bad to him behind his back for no reason. After all, it's an art of language, isn't it?

"Yes."

Cai Boxi really wanted to deal with the thorny political affairs, but he hadn't had the chance yet.

Then Song Xuan laughed and said, "Just like the Emperor hasn't taken personal control of the government yet, even if he becomes the Emperor, he won't be too tired."

Song Xuan's words made Zhao Zhen feel down again.

Cai Boxi also knew that the emperor did not rule personally.

Many official appointments, seemingly issued by the emperor, were in fact the will of the empress dowager.

Cai Boxi believed he had a closer relationship with the emperor and disdained to ask the empress dowager for an official position.

Moreover, Cai Boxi considered himself a member of the Emperor's faction, a label he had carried since childhood.

Going to the Empress Dowager wouldn't bring any high-ranking official position or generous salary.

"Yes, when will His Majesty be able to assume personal rule? Then I will have the opportunity to help His Majesty deal with those thorny political affairs."

Upon hearing Cai Boxi's words, Song Xuan understood.

He was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) at the age of three, but he is only fourteen years old now, so he is just a nominal official.

There is no position at all.

No wonder he looked so disgusted when he heard those words; he thought I was humiliating him!
understood.

Song Xuan understood the reason for Cai Boxi's hostility.

He wants an official position!
Moreover, relying on his close relationship with the emperor, Cai Boxi was not satisfied with ordinary official positions.

Song Xuan, unsure of Zhao Zhen's arrangements for Cai Boxi, continued the discussion about assuming personal rule:

"Perhaps in another three years."

Cai Boxi was overjoyed upon hearing this: "Really?"

In two more years, he will be a bit older and able to travel around.

It was a perfectly normal plan for Song Xuan to provoke Zhao Zhen!

He, as emperor, did not show any intention of immediately assuming personal rule.

No matter how hard the officials tried, it was useless.

It would only result in the sentiment, "We are willing to fight to the death, why does Your Majesty surrender?"

Song Xuan was unwilling to risk getting himself involved.

Three years after Zhao Zhen heard this?
According to the Empress Dowager's wishes, if it was agreed that it would be three years, wouldn't that mean three years followed by another three years?
Is there a chance for him to take power within ten years?
When will I be able to rule in my own right?
Song Xuan's single sentence sent the emperor into a frenzy.

However, those invited to the royal banquet were delighted and considered it an extremely prestigious event.

After all, how many people in the world are fortunate enough to attend a banquet hosted by the emperor?

However, the Imperial City Guard directly detained Zhao De, the Minister of Works, and his entire family in prison.

The entire family of Ding Yan, an official in the Ministry of Works, was also wiped out.

After all, many officials of lower rank are not qualified to attend such occasions.

Ding Du was apparently also attending the banquet at Jinmingchi.

At this moment, the servants of the Ding family stood outside the royal garden.

I paced anxiously back and forth, but I couldn't get in at all.

Once the Imperial City Guard's waist token is flashed, not only does the magistrate of Kaifeng have no right to interfere, but even the Prefect of Kaifeng is powerless to do anything about it.

After the Imperial City Guard finished their work, Gao Jixun received a report that the matter was settled.

He then reported to Zhao Zhen.

Zhao Zhen then summoned Geng Fu and ordered him to follow Song Xuan's orders.

Song Xuan nodded, then had Geng Fu lead the way to the prison.

"My lord, where are you going?"

Cao Qingyao had originally planned to take Song Xuan to the Bian River to watch the dragon boat races, as that would be much more interesting.

"Madam, the Emperor has arranged for me to do some work. I will go home for dinner tonight. You can go back with your parents."

Song Xuan waved his hand and left.

Cao looked up and saw the people still hanging on the flagpole, waiting to perform their acrobatics.

He finally realized that things were not so simple.

What are the official and his good son-in-law plotting?
Otherwise, he wouldn't have let the Imperial Guards follow him.

Cao Liyong had some doubts in his heart: was this Imperial Guard actually subordinate to the Imperial City Guard?

In fact, Liu E also realized that something was wrong.

The emperor let Song Xuan go, and he even took the imperial guards with him.

She glanced again at the person hanging on the flagpole; he had been taken down and also taken away by the Imperial Guards.

It seems the emperor is lying to me; something must have happened!
Liu E raised her eyebrows slightly.

This was the first time she had ever felt panicked by something being out of her control.

The main reason is that the emperor has grown up.

There were many officials in the court who were on his side.

Although Empress Liu was constantly suppressing Emperor Zhao Zhen, time is extremely cruel for everyone.

"Geng Fu, where are you from?"

"In reply to the top scholar Song, I am from Kaifeng. My ancestors were military advisors in Shuzhou. I served in the third class thanks to my father's influence."

Song Xuan nodded slightly.

It turns out he has impeccable political credentials; no wonder he was able to work in the Imperial City Guard.

"Where are the people?"

"The main criminals were imprisoned in the Imperial City Guard's prison, and their entire families were crammed into the Kaifeng County jail."

Song Xuan responded with an "oh":
Why weren't they detained together?

"In reply to Scholar Song, the Imperial City Guard does not have an independent prison, but rather a temporary detention facility."

"The main suspects detained are those involved in special cases such as palace security, treason, and espionage."

"It is a relatively small operation, usually holding only three to five high-ranking criminals."

"Did someone send someone to collect the Ministry of Works' register?"

"With the Emperor's decree, all the relevant brochures about dragon boats have been brought over."

Song Xuan nodded.

Then he followed Geng Fu to the east side of the left side of Chengtian Gate in the inner city of Tokyo.

This location was close to the Forbidden City, facilitating quick interrogations and the subsequent notification of the emperor's findings.

At this point, Ding Yan had already been secured in the "box bed".

This involves fixing the limbs of ordinary people to prevent them from moving around and making it difficult to apply torture accurately.

If the prisoner does not cooperate during torture, it is easy for someone to be killed.

This is not conducive to interrogation.

The Imperial City Guard has the right to interrogate, but it needs to avoid causing death.

These prisoners required the emperor to decide whether or not to execute them.

Otherwise, you would be "deliberately trying to kill him," which would be suspected of cutting off clues and colluding with outsiders.

Ding Yan shouted:

"Why should you arrest me?"

"If you dare arrest me, I will definitely report you to the authorities."

"Summon the manager to see me."

However, the Imperial City Guards overstepped their authority and arrested a criminal for the first time.

Illegal imprisonment, with the emperor's approval.

Ding Yan was arrested on the orders of the emperor himself.

To reply to him would be to lose face.

The Imperial City Guard directly served the imperial power and was above the Three Judicial Offices.

squeak squeak.

The iron gate made a grating sound, as if it needed to be doused with oil.

Ding Yan looked up and saw the Imperial Guards entering.

"Who are you? Let me out."

With a gloomy face, Geng Fu slowly pushed the door back.

The room was lit by the glow of candles.

The room was quite dark.

Geng Fu sat opposite Ding Yan, not saying a word, just staring at him coldly.

Ding Yan swallowed hard, feeling extremely uneasy.

Because he had no idea why he had been arrested and brought here.

He desperately wanted to know "useful information" so that he could find a way to deal with the situation.

But the imperial guards didn't say a word and simply arrested his entire family.

Although the weather was already hot, the temperature inside the room was not high.

It even gave Ding Yan goosebumps.

Song Xuan, meanwhile, was outside looking at the documents brought by the Ministry of Works, making sure he had a clear understanding of the situation.

To avoid the evidence being burned due to the wide-ranging implications.

When Ding Du received the news, he was taken aback.

Not knowing what had happened, he quickly grabbed Lü Yijian and asked him.

Lü Yijian was also greatly surprised. This was because such an arrest of officials was carried out without the approval of the prime minister or even the Ministry of Justice.

How can this be done?
Could it be that the Empress Dowager instructed them to do so?

Lü Yijian's suspicions are quite reasonable.

Empress Liu E preferred to bypass the two government offices and issue various orders through the eunuchs around her.

Wang Zeng and others were extremely resentful about this.

The position of prime minister was not only to assist the emperor in his duties.

It was also a means of limiting the unlimited expansion of imperial power.

However, the Empress Dowager's regency broke this balance of power.

The Song Dynasty also established many prime ministers to check and balance each other.

Lu Yijian frowned and also boarded the mule cart:
“Let’s go back first and ask around. We need to find out where your brother is being held.”

There's no rush if it's not Ding Du's turn.

Although he was fair in his dealings and simple in character, he valued family ties.

His grandfather was an official in the Later Tang Dynasty and was captured by the Khitan. He barely managed to escape back, but his entire family was wiped out.

Therefore, the Ding family is currently small in number.

“If my cousin had made a mistake and was arrested by the authorities, I would not have pleaded for him.”

"But since he was arrested by the Imperial City Guard, he must have been framed!"

Ding Du's face was full of anxiety.

Lü Yijian comforted him:
"It's alright. We're going to see the Emperor. The Imperial City Guards still have to obey the Emperor's orders."

"Perhaps they arrested the wrong person."

"Your brother is just a minor official in the Ministry of Works. What serious crime could he possibly commit?"

However, Lü Yijian had some vague suspicions in his heart.

What if the arrest was ordered by the authorities?

This is troublesome.

Especially in matters like this, one should never stop an official's carriage in the street to inquire about it.

Moreover, after the Dragon Boat Festival celebrations ended, everyone respectfully saw the Emperor and the Empress Dowager off first, and they followed slowly.

In particular, recently some people in the court have been clamoring for an early celebration for the Empress Dowager, and have already begun planning the construction of the Wanshou Palace.

At this critical juncture, the Empress Dowager would not arrest people without reason.

Perhaps Ding Yan's arrest was orchestrated by Song Xuan?
Lu Yijian then recalled the man in official robes hanging on the flagpole, who had also been taken away by the Imperial Guards.

But Song Xuan had just taken office, why was he arresting Ding Yan?
Moreover, what right did Song Xuan, a seventh-rank county magistrate, have to arrest an official appointed by the imperial court?
But with the emperor by her side, everything makes sense.

So, with a nervous heart, Ding Du arrived at the palace and hurriedly went to see the emperor.

Zhao Zhen was changing his clothes and did not receive the report from the Imperial City Guard.

This indicates that they are conducting an interrogation.

Regarding the interrogation, Zhao Zhen trusted the Imperial City Guard and Song Xuan's intelligence.

Zhao De is so cunning that even I was fooled by him. It was only thanks to my twelfth brother's few words that I saw through his deception and he confessed to being the murderer.

At this moment, Zhao Zhen heard that Chancellor Lü Yijian and Hanlin Academician Ding Du were requesting an audience.

Zhao Zhen knew what they had come for.

"Tell Minister Lü and Academician Ding that I am in the restroom and to ask them to wait a moment."

"Yes."

Emperor Zhao Zhen actually valued Ding Du highly.

Zhao Zhen could sense that Ding Du was honest and simple, and that he had lived alone in a room for three years without any concubines to serve him, spending his time explaining classics and history to him.

Emperor Zhao Zhen also often addressed him as "Scholar" instead of by his name.

It's normal for the emperor to call anyone by their full name, but to express closeness, he would often use unique titles.

For example, addressing Song Xuan as "Twelfth Brother".

With a smile on his face, Zhang Maoze truthfully conveyed the emperor's intentions.

Upon hearing this, Lü Yijian could only sit aside and signal to Ding Du not to rush.

Even if the Imperial City Guards were to use torture, they wouldn't dare to easily torture an official appointed by the imperial court.

Unless Ding Yan committed the serious crime of treason.

But how could a mere sixth-rank official in the Ministry of Works be involved in such a serious crime as treason?
It's impossible!
"I'm still a little worried."

Ding Du's anxious expression was genuine.

After all, such a sudden incident made him very worried.

We had already made plans to have dinner together as a family tonight!

Lu Yijian had no idea what was going on or what had happened. Rather than making wild guesses, he decided to conserve his energy and prepare for what he didn't know.

Zhao Zhen did not go to the toilet, but sat in the chair looking at the account book recorded by Chen Dalang.

Then they'll say they ate too many zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) and couldn't poop, so they've been sitting on the toilet the whole time.

They couldn't say anything either.

This experience of being unable to defecate came from Zhao Zhen's childhood when he ate too many zongzi (sticky rice dumplings).

Imperial Prison.

Geng Fu looked at Ding Yan and said:
"If you have anything to say, you can say it as soon as possible. If you confess early, I can tell the officials that you confessed voluntarily."

"If we wait for you to get beaten up, then we're going to fight to the bitter end."

"I am not guilty."

Ding Yan glared angrily at Geng Fu.

Crunch.

Song Xuan, dressed in official robes, walked in and sat down next to Geng Fu.

Geng Fu did not know Song Xuan.

He had only heard of Song Xuan's name, but seeing that Song Xuan was wearing the robes of a seventh-rank official, he said with surprise and uncertainty:
"who are you?"

"It doesn't matter who I am."

Song Xuan snorted and laughed:
"Ding Yan, you've been caught."

"If they confess, they will be treated leniently; if they resist, they will be punished severely."

Ding Yan looked at the young man in front of him and the official robes he was wearing.

An idea suddenly popped into my head.

"Are you Song Xuan?"

Song Xuan raised an eyebrow, wondering where he had given himself away.

"I'd like it to be him."

Hearing Song Xuan's reply, Ding Yan became uncertain again.

After all, there were quite a few young men in the capital city wearing the rank of seventh grade, but many of them were "honorary officials".

Just like Cai Boxi, who held a nominal or useless official position.

But the official robes worn by this young man are those of a "regular official"!
Furthermore, in order to better distinguish between civil and military officials, the emperor used various corresponding colors to clearly differentiate between civil and military officials and their individual ranks.

"You just need to explain your problem," Geng Fu finally spoke.

He was somewhat surprised as to who had leaked Song Xuan's identity.

Although Song Xuan is famous, not everyone recognizes his face.

Everything said in this little house would be recorded and eventually presented to the emperor.

"Don't lie to me, I saw you when you were paraded through the streets."

Ding Yan smiled:
“My cousin also mentioned you. He was appointed as a Hanlin Academician because of his effective handling of the Dou Chou case.”

Song Xuan raised an eyebrow and clicked his tongue twice:
Who is your cousin?

"Dindo."

"Some impression."

Song Xuan sighed softly:
"He was such an upright person, and you actually dragged him into this mess. You've let him down."

"I am not guilty."

Ding Yan felt that the magistrate of Kaifeng had no right to interrogate him.

"You have no right to interrogate me."

“Normally I wouldn’t have the authority, but now you’re in the Imperial City Guard’s prison, and I’m here to interrogate you on the Emperor’s orders. Do you think it’s possible to be innocent?”

Hearing Song Xuan's words, Ding Yan still gritted his teeth.

"I am not guilty."

"I'm giving you a chance but you're not using it. It seems you're determined to fight to the bitter end."

Song Xuan chuckled and turned to Geng Fu, saying:
“He says he’s innocent. Say two words to make him give up.”

Geng Fu was somewhat bewildered.

What do you mean by two words that made him give up?
I don't know!
But Geng Fu didn't think of that for a moment, so he quickly lowered his voice and said:

"Scholar Song, are you really going to tell him?"

“He’s courting death himself, no wonder we didn’t give him a chance. It’ll be easier to explain to His Majesty.”

Geng Fu saw Song Xuan point forward, nodded, and then looked at Ding Yan and began to sneer.

Ding Yan watched the two of them, and although he knew there was an element of acting involved, he still nervously swallowed.

People often say that if you have a clear conscience, you have nothing to fear.

However, not everyone who has done something wrong has a high level of mental fortitude.

Geng Fu understood Song Xuan's implication and uttered two words.

"Zhao De".

A look of panic flashed across Ding Yan's face as he stared at Song Xuan with suspicion.

"I...I don't know him!"

"Ha ha ha ha."

Song Xuan's smile made Ding Yan feel uneasy, and he finally spoke:

“Master Ding, you’d better use your brain. After we found out Zhao De’s name, how did we trace it back to yours?”

"You'd arrest your whole family without being certain?"

"Please make sure you understand the logic behind this."

Ding Yan also realized that he had spoken out of turn.

He and Zhao De were both officials in the Ministry of Works, and it wasn't their first year there.

Everyone knows this, and they even have quite close ties.

Ding Yan knew that Zhao De had gone to Jinming Pond to help out today, which must mean something had happened at the Dragon Boat Festival banquet.

Did Chen Dalang meet the Emperor?

Hearing Song Xuan's words, Ding Yan's eyes were full of surprise and uncertainty. He began to lick his lips, feeling thirsty.

Can I have some water?

"No."

Song Xuan's face was serious:

"You refuse to cooperate, so you have no right to expect preferential treatment."

"Take a good look at the utensils in this room. If it weren't for the fact that we are both scholars, I wouldn't even give you any face."

Song Xuan patted Geng Fu beside him:

"He said he'd use extreme torture on you. How many rounds could you withstand under the weight of the three trees?"

Ding Yan did not believe Song Xuan's words.

Because you can recant your testimony later and say that you were tortured into confessing.

That was exactly what Geng Fu was thinking; he didn't care about official rank.

Anyway, the officials said to beat him until his skin was torn and his flesh was ripped open.

Are the bones of scholars made of gold?
Even real gold can deform, let alone fake gold.

"Zhao De told everything?"

Ding Yan stared intently at Song Xuan's expression.

Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?

Hearing Song Xuan's question, Ding Yan's eyes showed disappointment.

This top scholar is truly shrewd and experienced in handling affairs!

He wouldn't reveal even the slightest useful information to me.

Ding Yan instantly felt awkward.

Because he didn't know how much Zhao De had said.

Ding Yan was well aware of this matter.

The more you talk, the heavier the sentence will be.

The less you say, the lighter your sentence will be.

Song Xuan must know some inside information, but not everything.

Moreover, when he first took office as the magistrate of Kaifeng, he wanted to make this case airtight and prove his ability.

Ding Yan's guess is quite normal.

However, if he didn't seize the opportunity, Ding Yan would find it difficult to make the right judgment, so he gritted his teeth and said:
"Scholar, why don't you tell a lie first?"

"During today's Dragon Boat Festival ceremony, the hull of the dragon boat suddenly broke, startling the officials on board!"

Geng Fu perked up his ears, ready to see how these scholars interrogated people.

As a seasoned veteran, he felt that Song Xuan was by no means a novice!
As Geng Fu listened to Song Xuan's fabricated lies, he clenched his fists, keeping a straight face and trying not to reveal any flaws.

Ding Yan's eyes were filled with disbelief:
"impossible!"

"Isn't this newly built?"

"Could it be that the pine wood is damaged?"

"You've already said it's a lie, how can I tell the truth?"

Hearing Song Xuan's question, Ding Yan completely broke down.

He couldn't tell whether Song Xuan's lie was true or not.

There's far too little useful information!

If, during the celebration, the keel of the dragon boat suddenly breaks, it would disturb the officials.

As the supervisor of the construction, Zhao De cannot escape responsibility!

His arrest must have revealed a lot of things.

He couldn't handle such a complex situation alone.

Ding Yan was also struggling with whether or not he should continue to bear the burden.

The time was too short; there was simply no time for anyone to react.

They were immediately arrested and taken to the Imperial City Guard, without giving the others a chance to question them!
Ding Yan's limbs were all restrained, and even his head was bound; only his eyes could move.

suicide.

That is absolutely not suicide.

Emperor Taizu had said he would not kill scholar-officials, so there was a natural legal basis for resistance.

"What about the truth?"

Ding Yan looked at Song Xuan with unwavering determination, hoping to find a flaw in his defenses.

"The truth is, Zhao De has already confessed, so you're just a small fry too."

Upon hearing Song Xuan's answer, Ding Yan's eyes turned red.

How dare he humiliate me like that?
Song Xuan stood up and looked at Ding Yan's expression:
"You think you're even in the same boat? You think you're worthy of being in the same boat as them?"

"That's a lie, a lie!"

Ding Yan shouted at the top of his lungs.

Geng Fu was filled with respect. He felt that Song Xuan was truly a master at psychological pressure.

When he was in Songcheng, it seems he really helped Prime Minister Yan a lot in handling cases.

Ordinary people are no match for him.

Geng Fu could tell that Ding Yan was under a lot of mental pressure.

It's about to collapse.

"A lie is not true, and a truth is not false; you don't believe anything I say."

"It's all fake, it's all fake." Ding Yan burst into tears.

Song Xuan was too lazy to say anything more:
"Since you want to take the blame, then you can take the blame for the mastermind. Anyway, I can't move him anytime soon."

"Xiao Geng, let him sign and put his fingerprint on it, and that will settle the matter. Let Master Ding take the blame alone."

Song Xuan held up his finger and said, "If an official embezzles more than fifty strings of cash, he will be exiled to Shamen Island."

"But you have embezzled tribute items, and you have also committed the crime of deceiving the emperor by passing off inferior goods as superior ones."

“That means beheading plus confiscation of family property, exile of men three thousand miles away, tattooing of stolen government goods on their faces, and lifelong hard labor, while women are confined to the brothel and will not be pardoned even if they are granted a pardon.”

“Your cousin Ding Du will also be impeached by the censor and removed from his position as a Hanlin Academician.”

"Who knows, I might also be implicated and exiled 2,500 li away."

"The mastermind's crime is this serious."

Song Xuan put his hands behind his back and said with a grin:
“Unlike Zhao De, who was just an accomplice who obeyed orders, he was only exiled two thousand miles away.”

"You're talking nonsense, you're talking nonsense!"

Ding Yan became even more agitated as he listened to Song Xuan's verdict on the spot.

If he is the mastermind, then the Ding family will be completely ruined.

Even worse off than the powerful minister Ding Wei!

At least the imperial court still gave Ding Wei a basic degree of "decency"!
"Am I talking nonsense?"

Song Xuan snorted and laughed:
"I, Song Xuan, had read through the laws of the Song Dynasty by the age of eight, and memorized them by the age of ten."

"All the cases that Prefect Yan Shu of Yingtian Prefecture was unsure about were resolved by me!"

"If you were interested, you would have already read about the cases handled by Yingtian Prefecture in the official gazette."

"Which of the people of Yingtian Prefecture doesn't say that I, Song Xuan, am a genius at solving cases!"

"You dare doubt my ability to solve cases, given that I'm a top scholar who passed the imperial examinations three times in a row? You're not worthy of it!"

Ding Yan was at a loss for words after Song Xuan spoke to him, and his face was covered in sweat.

The culpability of the mastermind and the accomplice is fundamentally different.

"I can't take the blame for this."

"I'm not the mastermind!"

"If you're not the mastermind, then who is?"

Hearing Song Xuan's questioning, Ding Yan stared at him with red eyes and shouted:

"Don't force me!"

“I was giving you a chance, but Zhao De pushed all the blame onto you.”

"He can say he can't find any dirty money, but you're different!"

Song Xuan reached out and patted Ding Yan's face: "You're the one who willingly became the scapegoat."

Ding Yan swallowed hard, staring at Song Xuan:

"I am not the mastermind; Liu Congde is the mastermind!"

Song Xuan turned around and asked, "Who is Liu Congde?"

Upon hearing this answer, Geng Fu's face was filled with astonishment.

"Hahaha."

Ding Yan burst into hysterical laughter: "You don't even know who Liu Congde is?"

"You dare to investigate me!"

Seeing that Song Xuan really didn't know, Geng Fu followed the rich second-generation's words:
"The eldest son of Grand Commandant Liu Mei, and now the nephew of the Empress Dowager."

"Oh."

Song Xuan nodded, then pointed at Ding Yan and said:
"Be bold!"

"How dare you falsely accuse members of the royal family!"

"I really don't know how to write the word 'death'."

Geng Fu was at a loss for words after Song Xuan's two sentences.

Didn't he confess?

Why did Song Xuan start saying that he was lying?
Hearing Song Xuan's scolding, Ding Yan was also somewhat bewildered.

"I told the truth."

"lie."

"The truth."

“I, Ding Yan, swear to God that I am telling the truth. The mastermind behind this is Liu Congde.”

"I won't listen, I won't listen, you, Ding Yan, are the mastermind behind this."

Song Xuan acted like a complete scoundrel:

"You're just making baseless accusations. Is the Empress Dowager's nephew someone who's short of money?"

"I heard that the Empress Dowager is going to empty the Emperor's treasury to reward the Liu family. How could they possibly be short of money?"

"I have proof!"

Ding Yan roared in exasperation.

"I do not believe."

Song Xuan, completely unconcerned, urged Geng Fu to quickly write his testimony and then had Ding Yan sign it.

So that I can report back to the officials.

"I have evidence!"

Ding Yan noticed that Song Xuan was ignoring him:

"It's in the secret room of my study at home."

Geng Fu raised an eyebrow, finally understanding.

It turns out that the top scholar Song was setting a trap for him.

"Xiao Geng, just pretend you didn't hear that."

Song Xuan waved his hands repeatedly and said:
"This concerns the Empress Dowager's nephew; it's not something you or I can arrest. Don't get yourself into trouble."

"Let Ding Yan take the blame as the mastermind. That way, we can give an explanation to His Majesty and also appease the Empress Dowager."

Ding Yan felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing Song Xuan's words.

Song Xuan was so familiar with the laws of the Song Dynasty when he was eight years old that he could solve cases so brilliantly.
(End of this chapter)