A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 298: Diverting trouble to the east

Chapter 298: Diverting trouble to the east
It's fair to say that Song Xuan's bizarre actions really left Ding Yan speechless.

Just now, Song Xuan spoke passionately about how he was a brilliant judge in Yingtian Prefecture.

As a result, when Song Xuan encountered the Empress Dowager's nephew committing a crime, he directly "falsely accused" me, Ding Yan, of being the mastermind!
Such behavior shows absolutely no backbone!
Not to mention the title of "Detective God".

How could Ding Yan swallow this insult when faced with someone like Song Xuan?

He had never seen such a shameless person.

It's simply disgraceful!

How could someone like Song Xuan possibly achieve the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations and become the top scholar in the Song Dynasty?
Ding Yan's chest heaved, his face full of anger.

"Song Xuan, as the top scholar appointed by the emperor, you have wronged me like this, showing no dignity whatsoever. Very well!"

"Hahaha." Song Xuan laughed a few times, then pointed at him and said:

"I bother!"

"You corrupt official, how dare you talk to me about the dignity of the imperial court?"

"You've long since disgraced the imperial court!"

"you."

Ding Yan was so angry he felt like his chest was about to explode.

He understood; Song Xuan had done it on purpose.

"Song Xuan, how could you so unjustly accuse me!"

"I want to see the Emperor!"

Song Xuan glanced at him:
"Is the Emperor your father? You think you can just see him whenever you want?"

"How are you so awesome?"

"Besides, why should I let you see the officials when you're a corrupt official like me?"

Ding Yan's eyes widened slightly.

He truly never expected Song Xuan to be so shameless.

He was speechless for a moment.

Geng Fu glanced behind the wall, suppressing a wildly upturned smile.

He originally thought that the top scholar of the Song Dynasty must be the kind of person who was learned and elegant, who spoke in classical Chinese and never used vulgar language when cursing.

Geng Fu never imagined that the top scholar of the Song Dynasty would be so "down-to-earth".

He was indeed not the top scholar he had imagined, who had achieved the highest honors in all three categories.

After all, he had witnessed the performance of Prime Minister Wang Zeng.

"You're framing me!" Ding Yan said through gritted teeth.

"good."

Song Xuan nodded slightly, readily admitting it.

"what?"

Ding Yan subconsciously opened his mouth.

He didn't expect Song Xuan to actually admit it so openly.

How could he be so shameless?
Ding Yan's attack on Song Xuan was like punching cotton; it only hurt him more.

Song Xuan nodded quite calmly:

"I know you've been wronged, but there's nothing I can do about it."

"What do you mean by 'there's nothing that can be done'?"

Ding Yan believed that using the word "shameless" to describe the top scholar in front of him was an understatement.

"Who told you to get involved with the Liu family?"

Song Xuan summed up the matter in one sentence:
"I already said, Ding Yan, do you even deserve to be on the same page as them?"

"Your whole family has come to such a tragic end, yet the Liu family won't suffer the slightest loss. Do you believe that?"

"Have you never read the story of sacrificing a pawn to save the king, despite reading so many classic texts?"

"Sacrifice a pawn to save the king?"

Hearing Song Xuan's words, Ding Yan understood.

Zhao De told the whole truth and even pinned the blame on himself, the official in charge of the household affairs.

Moreover, Song Xuan dared not investigate further.

Even if an investigation is conducted, the Liu family will deny it and will take all the blame upon themselves, based on Zhao De's account.

Ding Yan's eyes were filled with anxiety; he had become a pawn!

Song Xuan continued to add fuel to the fire:
"If today's case is resolved quickly, I can still preserve my reputation as Detective Song Twelve."

“You, Ding Yan, are a corrupt official and should be punished by the laws of the Song Dynasty.”

"As the maternal relatives of the Empress Dowager, they can eat, drink, and enjoy themselves as they please."

"This kind of ending is good for you, me, and him, so you should stop struggling."

Ding Yan could hardly hide his astonishment.

He really couldn't believe that the boastful detective Song Twelve was helping Yan Shu solve cases in Yingtian Prefecture in this way.

Yan Tongshu disregarded everything for the sake of political achievements.
"You are talking nonsense."

Ding Yan's tone of rebuttal became increasingly insecure.

Song Xuan then whispered in Ding Yan's ear with a smile:

“Master Ding, you must remember one thing.”

"The person who wronged you knows better than you how wronged you are!"

Ding Yan was dumbfounded.

How could a top scholar of the Song Dynasty utter such dark words?

How could he be even more ruthless than those seasoned officials in the bureaucracy?

Song Xuanhun didn't care about Ding Yan's opinion:
“Now that things have come to light, the Liu family will only try to pin the blame on you. I don’t want to cause any more trouble, so just accept it.”

Everyone knows that with the Empress Dowager around, there's nothing they can do about the Liu family.

But didn't Song Xuan just recite the four lines about Yingtian?
The top scholar of the Song Dynasty, who was so determined to become a "sage," actually said something that chilled Ding Yan to the bone!
What made Ding Yan feel most desperate was that he felt Song Xuan was right.

can.

Who would willingly become a pawn to be discarded?

"I'll confess! I'll confess!"

Song Xuan took out a handkerchief and wiped his hands, ignoring the hysterical Ding Yan:
"Xiao Geng, have you finished writing?"

"Once I've finished writing, I need to get Master Ding to sign and put his fingerprint on it as soon as possible. I'm in a hurry to get home and have dinner with my wife."

"Normally, I don't have to work today because it's the Dragon Boat Festival."

Geng Fu echoed:

"In reply to Scholar Song, I am currently writing."

"That's good. Once it's finished, have him sign and put his fingerprint on it. I'll go and inform the officials."

Song Xuan walked straight out of the cell.

Ding Yan looked at the Imperial Guard in front of him and knew that he was from the Imperial City Guard.

Seeing that Song Xuan had left, he was even more determined not to give up this only chance to turn the tide.

"I have something to say to the Emperor, and I hope you can convey it to me."

"I will reward you handsomely once the matter is settled."

Geng Fu glanced up at him, and then heard:
“I have the accounts here. You can check them and you’ll see that what I just said was the truth.”

There was no need for Ding Yan to say anything more.

After he revealed this, the Imperial Guards had already searched a secret room in his house.

After all, the Imperial City Guard does act with discretion.

First, they detained and controlled the person.

They would only confiscate the property if the emperor gave the order.

So they didn't search their home at first.

"How could I, a mere minor official, be the mastermind?"

Ding Yan didn't want his whole family to suffer such a terrible fate.

He didn't want to implicate his cousin Ding Du, whose promising future was set to become prime minister in the central government.

“It really is Liu Congde. Even if I were in front of the officials, I would say the same thing.”

Geng Fu chuckled:
“Master Ding, don’t waste your energy.”

"Even if the mastermind is Liu Congde, the prefect of Weizhou, who will believe you without any evidence?"

"Isn't your goal to send Scholar Song to the Empress Dowager's hands?"

"With your cleverness and shrewdness, how could Scholar Song not see through your scheme of using someone else to do your dirty work?"

Hearing Geng Fu's words, Ding Yan's face was full of disbelief.

So that's what Song Xuan was thinking.

"I didn't mean it!"

"What I just said is true!"

"Really, you have to believe me."

"Who, besides the Liu family, would dare to openly embezzle the royal tribute of those one hundred golden nanmu logs?"

“I have evidence that Zhao De definitely did not say that. I also have evidence to prove that the Liu family was involved in the Yellow River repair project.”

"Yes, the Empress Dowager has bestowed a great deal of wealth upon the Liu family, but the Liu family has never complained about having too much money. Even Fanlou has offered them shares."

Geng Fu paused for a moment as he wrote the complaint.

The Yellow River is repaired every year, but it still floods Tokyo every year.

These people actually engaged in corruption on such a nationally important matter.

That's incredibly audacious!

But more than anything, I was filled with fear and trepidation.

Geng Fu knew the Liu family was corrupt, but he didn't expect them to be this corrupt.

"Whether it's repairing the Yellow River or having shares in Fanlou, I advise you not to say anything more without evidence."

Hearing Geng Fu's words, Ding Yan quickly spoke up:
“I have evidence. I’ll tell you everything as long as I get to see the officials.”

"Then tell me again."

Geng Fu pulled over another sheet of white paper.

He listened to Ding Yan's words and began to write, and then Ding Yan signed and sealed both confessions.

Ding Yan quickly glanced through it.

One possibility is that the mastermind is himself.

One conclusion is that Liu Congde was the mastermind.

"What does this mean?"

Geng Fu said expressionlessly:

"Words are not enough now. If there is real evidence, then the second statement will be useful."

"If there is no evidence, the first complaint should also include the charge of deceiving the emperor."

"If you sign, you'll get a chance to see the officials. If you don't sign, Zhao De's confession is enough to convict you of being the mastermind."

After Geng Fu finished speaking, he handed the pen to Ding Yan and told him to sign it quickly and stop talking nonsense.

Ding Yan gritted his teeth at the thought of Zhao De.

Since Zhao De has told me everything, there's no point in me hiding anything anymore.

They will also be convicted as the mastermind.

At this point, Ding Yan had no other choice but to sign both petitions.

Geng Fu then released one of his hands, indicating that he should press his fingerprint on all the places with his name.

Finally, Ding Yan dipped his hand in ink and pressed it onto the inkstone.

Ding Yan looked up at Geng Fu and said:
"Can I see the Emperor now?"

"Someone, bring some tea to Master Ding. I'll go see the Emperor right away."

"Yes."

"You should think carefully about what to say to the officials. It's best to say something you have evidence for, otherwise no one can save you."

Ding Yan nodded repeatedly: "Definitely, definitely."

After Geng Fu left the prison, he showed Song Xuan all the written statements.

Song Xuan took a closer look.

Sure enough, the Liu family was also involved in embezzlement in the matter of repairing the Yellow River.

He didn't intend to bring down the Liu family, because with Empress Dowager Liu around, it was simply unrealistic.

However, through Ding Yan's incident, which caused infighting within the Empress Dowager's faction, Song Xuan felt that he still had a great deal of room to maneuver.

"Scholar Song, I don't understand."

Geng Fu pointed to the handprint and said:

"We used to use fingerprints, why are we using our palms today?"

Before the Song Dynasty, it was common to use fingerprints to sign contracts. During the Qin Dynasty, the government used fingerprints to help solve cases.

Because fingerprints are very difficult to fake.

Furthermore, our predecessors wrote a book to teach people how to identify fingerprints, summarizing them into three categories and six types, making it easy to learn and accurately identify them quickly.

However, when Song Xuan was helping Yan Shu with the case, he discovered that some ruthless people had cut off their own index fingers, which made it difficult to secure evidence.

Therefore, Song Xuan suggested that all palm prints should be made, preferably from both hands.

As for scholars, they would simply print the palm of their right hand; if they were so capable, they would cut off their entire hand. They wouldn't even give them the chance to make money by writing or doing similar things.

The practice of using handprints on official documents originated in the Northern Song Dynasty, and Song Ci further popularized it.

Song Xuan then brought two copies of the petition.

Led by Geng Fu, they took a shortcut directly to the emperor's palace.

At this moment, Zhao Zhen was still pretending to go to the toilet and did not go to meet Lü Yijian and Ding Du.

Lu Yijian sipped his tea, lost in thought.

In contrast, Ding Du remained restless.

"Your Majesty, Scholar Ding has come again to urge us."

Zhao Zhen nodded; he trusted Song Xuan's interrogation skills.

We need to wait a little longer until we get a definite answer before we can have a proper talk with Scholar Ding.

After all, it concerns royal tribute, so it is necessary to carefully examine and interrogate the recipient, and to find more evidence to secure it.

"Your Majesty, the top scholar Song has arrived."

Upon receiving Zhang Maoze's report, Zhao Zhen abandoned his pretense of going to the toilet and immediately stood up:

"Come in quickly."

Song Xuan walked through the hall, caught a glimpse of Lü Yijian and Ding Du, paused for a moment, gave a slight bow, and then went straight inside.

Ding Du was taken aback at first, then spoke:

"Lord Lü, how come the top scholar Song met with the Emperor first?"

"Perhaps you've gotten something out of your cousin; we need to report this to the authorities first."

"what?"

Ding Du's expression changed drastically:

"Could it be that my cousin really has a serious problem?"

Lu Yijian didn't speak; he didn't know what the problem was with Ding Yan.

After all, Song Xuan's reputation as a brilliant detective is well-known.

Lü Yijian had heard Lü Lejian say that Song Xuan was good at solving cases.

Otherwise, Yan Shu wouldn't have been able to accumulate such enviable political achievements so quickly.

Zhao Zhen wished he could rush over to greet him.

After all, this was the first time he had delayed an audience with court officials, and only Song Xuan could give him more confidence.

So that he wouldn't have to face those people all by himself without any help.

"Twelfth Brother, how's the interrogation going?"

Zhao Zhen asked with great excitement.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, I have fortunately fulfilled my mission."

Song Xuan handed both confessions to Zhao Zhen for review.

After reading the first document, Zhao Zhen's anger remained undiminished; it was indeed Ding Yan.

A mere junior official in the Ministry of Works dared to embezzle one hundred pieces of Phoebe zhennan wood!

Is there any royal law?
Does he still respect the laws of the Song Dynasty?

Then, after reading the second confession, Zhao Zhen was completely dumbfounded.

"Is Liu Congde the mastermind behind this?"

Zhao Zhen glanced at the petition, then looked at Song Xuan:

"Twelfth Brother, are you sure you're not mistaken?"

How can there be only two adverbial documents?

Song Xuan ignored the emperor and went to pour himself a cup of tea.

"there is only one truth!"

Song Xuan picked up his teacup and blew on it: "But sometimes the truth has to be buried."

When Zhao Zhen saw Song Xuan's actions, he knew it was true.

He was unsure of what to do.

Because if Liu Congde is to be dealt with, it's impossible to get past the Empress Dowager.

However, Liu Congde not only embezzled the priceless hundred pieces of Phoebe zhennan wood, but also embezzled funds in the Yellow River repair project.

No wonder the imperial court had to repair the Yellow River every year, and it was flooded every summer!
Since Zhao Zhen ascended the throne, he had to listen to the prime ministers discuss the Yellow River almost every year.

"Where's the evidence?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the brothers have already gone to Ding Yan's house to retrieve it according to his testimony, and it will be presented to you shortly."

Geng Fu bowed and replied.

Zhao Zhen was trembling.

Because he felt he had treated Liu Congde very well.

And yet he still showed such a lack of sense of propriety.

It's bad enough that they coveted my precious Phoebe zhennan wood, but they also had to set their sights on the Yellow River project.

Zhao Zhen had a vivid memory of what happened in early June of last year.

There was a sudden downpour and lightning.

Water rose several feet from the flat ground in the capital.

He was woken up in the middle of the night and, like a frightened mouse, went to the main hall to escape the flood.

Don't assume that the Song Dynasty imperial palace was immune to flooding.

When the floodwaters truly rise, even the people in the palace will have to flee to the east of the city to avoid the flood.

The imperial court appointed Cao Yi, the envoy of the West Upper Gate, and Jiang Deming, the deputy envoy of the Luoyuan Palace and the head eunuch, to oversee the repair of the military camps and warehouses in the capital. At the same time, it dispatched Mai Shouzhong, the head eunuch of the inner palace, to inspect and dredge the accumulated water.

In addition, the capital city was suddenly flooded.

At that time, Prime Minister Wang Zeng and others were preparing to attend the morning court session. Before they even entered the palace, they suddenly received an imperial edict saying, "The court session is cancelled today."

Wang Zeng immediately stopped the eunuch who was delivering the imperial edict:
“The celestial phenomena are abnormal, and the floods are severe. This is due to the poor governance of us, the regents. How can we stay at home with peace of mind?”

Therefore, he insisted on entering the palace to meet the emperor and present his disaster relief plan to Zhao Zhen.

Some of the other officials had already gone home, but upon hearing Wang Zeng's words, they all felt ashamed and impressed.

Zhao Zhen still remembers that at that time, there were rumors among the people that "the Bian River has breached its banks and the flood will soon reach the capital." The people were panicked and prepared to flee eastward.

He also asked Wang Zeng what to do, and Wang Zeng said:
"The report of the Bian River breaching its banks has not yet arrived, so the rumors circulating among the people are nothing to worry about."

The Bian River's water level rose sharply, causing widespread panic as people feared the capital would be flooded.

The Privy Council, led by Cao Liyong, submitted a memorial ordering the Eight Works Department (engineering department) to breach the dikes in Chenliu County and Jiabeigang in the west of the city, diverting the floodwaters into the Hulong River for flood discharge.

After the water level receded, the imperial court ordered Zhang Junping, the prefectural commander of Kaifeng, to mobilize soldiers to repair the dikes.

It can be said that it consumed a lot of human and financial resources!

And we come here every year!
Heaven knows when the Yellow River will actually flood Tokyo.

Zhao Zhen knew about the Kaifeng city underground in the city of Tokyo throughout the ages, and had even experienced it firsthand.

How can we prevent him from feeling lingering fear?

Now, as Zhao Zhen looked at the petition, his face was filled with anger.

It turns out that all of these things could have been avoided in advance!

If someone embezzled funds, then the flood control dikes that cost so much manpower, resources, and money to build would be completely useless.

No wonder Tokyo is flooded every year.

Even the imperial palace couldn't avoid it, how could Zhao Zhen not be angry?

Zhao Zhen held the petition in his hand, looked at Song Xuan, and said, word by word:
"Twelfth Brother, why are you not saying a word?"

"I am awaiting His Majesty's decision."

Song Xuan slowly sipped his tea:
"To avoid embarrassing the officials later."

"What do you mean?"

Zhao Zhen walked to the table, looked at Song Xuan, and hoped to give him a reasonable explanation.

Song Xuan then slowly said:
“Your Majesty is the ruler of the world. If Your Majesty wants to investigate thoroughly, then I, Song Xuan, will risk my life to find out the truth and make it public.”

"If the officials only want to issue a warning, then they can just hand over the first confession." "Hand over?"

Zhao Zhen slammed his hand on the table.

He was indeed angered by Song Xuan's words.

"I am the ruler of the world, to whom do I need to report?"

Zhao Zhen practically roared those words from his throat.

Zhang Maoze and Liang Huaiji, the two close eunuchs, immediately lowered their heads.

This was the first time either of them had ever seen the Emperor so angry!
Seeing his face flushed red, neck thickened, and veins bulging, Song Xuan lightly snapped his fingers:
"Queen Mother."

Upon hearing those two words, the anger on Zhao Zhen's face vanished instantly.

It must be said that Liu E's shadow has always loomed over Zhao Zhen, from his childhood to this very moment.

Zhao Zhen was caught in a dilemma.

If I really let my twelfth brother investigate thoroughly...

Even if Liu Congde is utterly wicked, can he ultimately be sentenced to death?
Zhao Zhen knew Liu Congde.

I've never had any special skills since I was a child.

It turns out that he wasn't completely without any real skills; rather, he was quite adept at harming the court by relying on the Empress Dowager's power.

If we kill him, the Empress Dowager will definitely not agree.

Even if he were exiled three thousand miles away to Danzhou to accompany Ding Wei.

I estimate I'll be called back in a year or two.

Zhao Zhen felt that the Empress Dowager treated Liu Congde better than she treated him!

He was clearly his biological son!
Faced with Song Xuan's question, Zhao Zhen also became conflicted.

If I can't bring down Liu Congde, not only will I lose my dignity as emperor, but my twelfth brother will also be retaliated against.

Which minister in the court would dare to openly defy the Empress Dowager?
Emperor Zhao Zhen knew of Kou Zhun's abilities, but even Kou Zhun was no match for Empress Liu E.

Upon seeing Zhao Zhen's appearance, Song Xuan knew that he currently had no intention of rebelling against Liu E.

Moreover, I wouldn't be the one to take the lead in something like this.

Kou Zhun's immense power was wiped out just like that.

Not in a hurry.

Song Xuan felt there was still plenty of time to force the emperor to rebel on his own initiative.

Then I'll just help Liu E and give Zhao Zhen a push forward.

When he falls off the cliff and realizes he's grasping at a straw, he should have developed a sense of crisis about becoming an emperor.

Song Xuan then pretended to pour Zhao Zhen a cup of tea:

"Your Majesty, perhaps you should have some tea to calm your anger."

Zhao Zhen, after reading Song Xuan's words, sat down and thought for a long time:
"Twelfth Brother, do you have a solution?"

“I just saw Prime Minister Lü and Scholar Ding waiting outside. Let’s show them the first copy of the petition.”

"and then?"

Song Xuan lowered his voice: "Then it was like Xiang Zhuang's sword dance, aimed at Liu Bang!"

Zhao Zhen was puzzled.

"First, let Ding Du seek justice and make this matter known to the whole court and the public, so that a retrial can be demanded."

“If we produce a second indictment, then it won’t be the government that has to deal with Liu Congde.”

"Even if we can't severely punish Liu Congde, we must at least make sure the Liu family doesn't dare to be arrogant anymore."

"Ding Du will definitely not let Ding Yan take the blame alone."

Zhao Zhen's eyes lit up.

In this way, it was entirely Ding Du who pushed it through the court, since the Liu family's hands were not clean anyway.

That would put the Empress Dowager in an awkward position, making her afraid to openly protect Liu Congde.

Moreover, Song Xuan's method could also separate the two figures, the emperor and his minister.

“Great! Let’s do it the way Twelfth Brother does.”

Zhao Zhen had Zhang Maoze lock the indictment against Liu Congde as the mastermind in a drawer. He then took the indictment against Ding Yan as the mastermind and left with Song Xuan.

Zhao Zhen's expression was extremely unpleasant, which Lü Yijian noticed. However, when Ding Du saw that the emperor had finally come out, he quickly stepped forward to plead for him.

"Twelfth Brother, why don't you tell Scholar Ding and Minister Lü the whole story?"

"Here."

Song Xuan didn't mince words and simply said that he had personally witnessed Zhao De, the Minister of Works, pushing someone off the dragon boat and causing them to fall to their death.

Lü Yijian understood why the young emperor and his minister had suddenly headed for the dragon boat.

And why are there people hanging on the flagpole?

The murderer was Zhao De.

But why would an official kill a shipwright?

It's simply incomprehensible.

Song Xuan then handed Chen Dalang's manually recorded ledger to Lü Yijian for review.

"This is evidence that Chen Dalang wanted to use to expose the Ministry of Works' corruption. He wanted to present it to the Emperor today during the Dragon Boat Festival celebration, but Zhao De killed him and found it on his person."

Lü Yijian took the booklet and looked at it.

"Zhao De said that he was completely following the orders of Ding Yan, an assistant minister of the Ministry of Works, and replaced one hundred golden nanmu woods used to build the dragon boat with pine wood. Even so, he was cutting corners."

Lü Yijian's eyes widened immediately.

Who would dare to embezzle Phoebe zhennan wood?

These kinds of things are taboo.

At most, the scraps would be turned into beads by craftsmen and sold to make a little money, which was already considered very daring.

Ding Yan pulled off a complete stunt.

Lu Yijian looked at Ding Du and thought, "I didn't expect your brother to be so bold."

I can't save them!
Ding Du was taken aback by Song Xuan's words, then, receiving a look from Lü Yijian, he quickly said:
"Impossible, my cousin is definitely not that kind of person, he wouldn't be that bold."

Song Xuan then pointed to the petition in Zhao Zhen's hand:
"This is Ding Yan's petition; Scholar Ding can take a good look at it."

"what?"

Ding Du's eyes were filled with disbelief.

He couldn't believe his cousin would be so audacious.

"How is this possible?"

"Impossible."

Lü Yijian was also quite incredulous.

Ding Yan, a mere minor official, possessed such audacity!

Is Phoebe zhennan wood something that ordinary families can afford?

On the other hand, from the buyer's perspective, if he dares to sell, it means he has extremely strong connections.

However, from the seller's perspective, if he dares to buy, it means he has even stronger connections!

A perfect explanation.

Lu Yijian felt that Chen Dalang, the shipwright, had simply noticed that the quantity of pine wood was incorrect and its quality was also mediocre, and had tried to pass off inferior wood as superior.

I never imagined that the pine wood had been switched.

It can be said that a small case led to a major corruption case!
Besides, out of a hundred pine logs, only thirty are actually used, so how much is that worth?

Zhao De couldn't possibly have killed anyone.

He would only be tempted to kill if the benefits were great enough.

Ding Du stared at the petition in his hand, drenched in cold sweat:

"impossible!"

“My cousin is now a sixth-rank official, how could he have the audacity to embezzle a hundred pieces of Phoebe zhennan wood?”

“The craftsmen may not know, but how can the other officials in the Ministry of Works turn a blind eye, unless they are also accomplices?”

"Hey."

Song Xuan quickly waved his hand to indicate: "Scholar Ding, the indictment is here. Your cousin himself has admitted to being the mastermind, and Zhao De has also confessed without hesitation."

"No! This isn't right!"

Ding Du stood up:

“My cousin lives in my family’s ancestral home in Tokyo. It’s not luxurious at all. How could there possibly be room for a hundred pieces of Phoebe zhennan wood in his house?”

"He usually supports his family on his salary and has never even been to Fanlou!"

"I believe that Scholar Ding is such a person."

Song Xuan gestured to Ding Du to calm down:
“I’m not framing him; he admitted it himself, so no one else is to blame.”

"As for whether I've been to Fanlou or not, I don't care at all. The important thing is to get those hundred golden nanmu logs back."

As Lü Yijian listened to Song Xuan's words, he stroked his beard in thought.

Why did Ding Yan choose to shoulder the burden himself?

Who was he carrying it for?
"Your Majesty, may I see him?"

Ding Du bowed to Zhao Zhen, pleading with him to persuade his cousin to reveal the mastermind behind it all.

Otherwise, the Ding family would be completely finished!

Zhao Zhen had been watching the whole thing from the sidelines, and Song Xuan was saying all the things.

He was just pretending to be angry; it was something they had planned earlier.

But Zhao Zhen was genuinely angry; he wasn't faking it.

"Scholar Ding, I have always trusted your character."

Zhao Zhen took the petition and said:
"Even now, Ding Yan still refuses to tell the truth. Does he disregard me?"

Upon hearing this, Ding Du was so frightened that he trembled violently.

He knew the emperor was very angry, especially since it involved utensils that were reserved for the royal family.

If a child looks down on the emperor, then the next thing they'll do is bully orphans and widows. Nobody dares to think about what the Ding family will do next.

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger."

Lü Yijian also made appropriate requests to Ding Du, since Ding Du was recommended by him in the first place.

There is a very good chance that they can enter the central government.

Zhang Shixun, the vice prime minister, was related to Lü Yijian by marriage, but he wanted to leave Tokyo to become a sinecure official in another region.

Being a prime minister was simply too tiring for him.

Not only did they have to get up early every day, but they also had to be ready to be summoned by the emperor or the empress dowager at any time.

It's exhausting.

He didn't want to do it at all.

Lü Yijian recommended people one after another to be Hanlin Academicians, hoping they would accumulate seniority and then succeed Zhang Shixun.

She could even replace Zhang Zhibai.

Next, the central leadership was almost entirely composed of their own people. No matter how strong Wang Zeng was, he couldn't hold the line alone.

Zhao Zhen's anger remained undiminished:

"In that case, Geng Fu, take Scholar Ding with you. I hope to hear the truth later."

"Yes."

"Thank you very much, Your Majesty," Ding Du said hurriedly.

"Scholar Ding".

Song Xuan called Ding Du back and earnestly instructed him:
"Don't let the Emperor down, or else..."

Before Song Xuan could finish speaking, Ding Du understood and followed Geng Fu away.

After everyone left, Lü Yijian sighed softly:
"Your Majesty, I don't believe that Ding Yan, a mere sixth-rank official, would be so audacious."

"Oh?" Zhao Zhen simply responded.

Because of Song Xuan, he knew more inside information than Lü Yijian.

"Who do you think is the mastermind behind this, Lord Lü?"

"This is something I cannot guess."

Lu Yijian was also completely baffled as to who could be so audacious.

Then he caught sight of Song Xuan sitting there, drinking tea from his cup, and raised an eyebrow.

It seems Song Xuan knows a lot of information, but he just won't share it.

"I've heard people say that the top scholar Song was also known as the Detective Song Twelve in Yingtian Prefecture. Seeing it today, it's indeed true."

Upon hearing Lü Yijian's opening remarks, Song Xuan laughed twice:
"Prime Minister Lü, you flatter me. I am merely familiar with the laws of the Song Dynasty. I am not skilled in judging cases and only know how to recite from the text."

“Hey, Scholar Song, there’s no need to be modest.”

Lü Yijian wanted to extract some information from Song Xuan in order to make a better judgment.

"That Zhao De, the Minister of Works, is clearly not someone who will easily admit his guilt."

Lu Yijian smiled:

"But the top scholar Song was able to follow the clues so quickly and pinpoint Ding Yan, the person behind Zhao De."

"Actually, I have some suspicions that Ding Yan is afraid to implicate the mastermind because his whole family has been threatened. What do you think?"

That makes sense.

Hearing Song Xuan's ambiguous answer, Lü Yijian was certain that Song Xuan wanted to "use someone else to do his dirty work"!
Because Song Xuan dared to confront Hanlin scholar Dou Chou when he was young, he drove Dou Chou to suicide.

Now that he has entered the capital, even as a commoner, he dares to openly and brazenly rebuke Zhao Yundi, a member of the imperial family, in the street.

Not to mention that he won the imperial examination and publicly "insulted and attacked" Chen Yaozuo, the prefect of Yingtian Prefecture.

Song Twelve, a man who enjoys "deceiving his superiors," actually found out the truth and so carefully used a proxy to kill someone.

That can only mean that this person had a close relationship with the Empress Dowager who was ruling as regent.

Looking at the entire Song Dynasty, who had the closest relationship with the Empress Dowager that made Song Xuan go to such great lengths to pressure Ding Du?

Lü Yijian had two candidates in mind.

One is Madam Lin's family.

One is the family of the "deceased Liu Mei".

Moreover, because Empress Dowager Liu always lavishly rewarded and spoiled her relatives by marriage, these people were ignorant of their own limitations and often trampled on the laws of the Song Dynasty.

Even though ministers impeached her, Empress Dowager Liu ignored them.

Over time, how can these people not become increasingly arrogant and spoiled?
It's hard to guess whether Lü Yijian is Lin or Liu.

Because Liu Mei died, Liu Congde was sent to serve as an official in another region. In reality, this was just a way for him to gain experience and seniority.

The Empress Dowager specifically summoned him back so that he could attend the Dragon Boat Festival ceremony.

He still lives in his mansion in Tokyo.

Thinking of this, Lü Yijian sighed softly:

"Your Majesty, to be honest, I have a suspicion in my mind."

"What guess?"

Zhao Zhen sat to the side, his anger undiminished.

"It would be rare for a Beijing official to have such audacity."

Lü Yijian immediately jumped out to act as a loyal minister:

“Looking across the entire capital, only the Empress Dowager’s relatives by marriage dare to act so recklessly.”

Zhao Zhen was taken aback.

Song Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly. "Old fox!"
Lu Yijian took in the expressions of the two young men.

It really is within their area!
It seems that Song Xuan did get some information out of him, but he deliberately concealed it.

He didn't want to get into trouble.

They want to shift the blame elsewhere!
Then he would make good use of Ding Du's eagerness to save his brother.

In this way, the hatred was naturally drawn to Ding Du.

Regarding the rescue of his clansmen, Lü Yijian believed that no matter how much he tried to persuade Ding Du, he would not be able to change his mind.

As Lü Yijian's core confidant, he understood Ding Du and valued clan ties highly.

After all, my grandfather's family line almost died out.

Despite his young age, Song Xuan is quite shrewd and resourceful.

pity.

He cannot be my confidant!
Lu Yijian initially planned to use his daughter to recruit Song Xuan as his son-in-law, but his daughter was not up to par, and Song Xuan had a past relationship with Cao Liyong.

This allowed Cao to reap a huge advantage.

This matter remained a regret in Lü Yijian's heart.

Especially after witnessing Song Xuan's methods, he didn't know how to envy Cao Yong.

Cao Li didn't have that kind of cunning.
In Lü Yijian's view, it really is true that fools are lucky!
He never considered Cao Liyong as an opponent because he wasn't qualified.

"If he is truly related to the Empress Dowager by marriage, I wonder how Prime Minister Lü intends to deal with him?"

Upon hearing Zhao Zhen's words, Lü Yijian replied without hesitation, "Of course, it must be carried out in accordance with the laws of the Great Song Dynasty."

"What if the Empress Dowager disagrees?"

Lu Yijian shut up when Song Xuan pressed him for answers.

"Please allow me to consider this matter."

Lu Yijian was extremely politically astute. Although he wanted to curry favor with the emperor, he also knew who was in charge of the Song Dynasty.

It's good to sell out the emperor because Zhao Zhen will eventually rule personally, and he needs to plan for the future of the Lü family.

At this moment, siding with Empress Dowager Liu was a strategic move to prepare for the Lü family's future.

Compared to Zhao Zhen, Lü Yijian felt that Song Xuan was much more difficult to deal with.

Zhao Zhen did not hear the answer he wanted, so he sat there in silence.

Song Xuan poured himself another cup of tea; he was quite thirsty after talking so much today.

He was waiting for the Imperial City Guard to search Ding Yan's house and retrieve the evidence so he could take a good look at it.

Geng Fu led Ding Du toward the temporary detention site for wanted criminals of the Imperial City Guard.

Ding Du looked anxious; he ignored the heat and kept following quickly.

Upon reaching the door, Geng Fu gestured for Ding Du to wait, then ordered a body search to prevent him from bringing anything he shouldn't have, thus giving the prisoner an opportunity to commit suicide.

Although Ding Du was angry, he held back.

Geng Fu went in and pushed open the noisy door.

Ding Yan seemed a bit listless. Seeing Geng Fu return, he hurriedly asked:

"Is His Majesty willing to see me?"

Geng Fu shook his head, before Ding Yan could get excited:
"But the Emperor is kind-hearted and has asked your cousin, Ding Hanlin, to come see you first, and then we'll see how things go."

"Erlang."

Ding Du walked straight in, and seeing his cousin whose limbs and head were immobilized, tears immediately welled up in his eyes.

"Big brother."

"Did you really do this?"

"not me."

Ding Yan quickly said, "Brother, how could I have the guts!"

"Then how come you signed everything?"

"It was that little thief Song Xuan who framed me. I said I didn't do it, but he insisted that I did it!"

Ding Yan was even more agitated, wishing he could punish Song Xuan.

Snapped.

Ding Du slapped his cousin across the face to shut him up.

“Song Zhuangyuan was such an upright man, and his four lines from Yingtian are widely known. He was also fond of standing up for the weak and oppressed. How could he have wronged you?”

Hearing Ding Du's words, Ding Yan's eyes were filled with disbelief.

"Brother, you have no idea how cunning that little thief is!"

Don't be fooled by him!

Snapped.

Another slap.

"You've fooled me!"

Ding Du's face was full of anger:

"You actually embezzled a hundred pieces of Phoebe zhennan wood! How dare you!"

"How dare you criticize others? Have you wasted all your time studying the classics?"

Upon hearing this, Ding Yan sniffed, and the two slaps brought him back to his senses.

"Brother, it really wasn't me who did it. It was Liu Congde who did it. I just turned a blind eye."

"Liu Congde?"