A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 299 Pull out the carrot and bring out the mud

"You can't afford to offend him, so are you willing to associate with him?"

Ding Du listened to his cousin's remarks.

I knew he was heavily involved in this matter.

But he kept it a secret from himself.

Qian Wei, who claimed to be a descendant of the King of Wuyue, so shamelessly curried favor with Liu Mei by marrying his sister to him, which made him a laughingstock of the world.

Ding Du never expected that even his cousin would get involved.

"Brother, I have something else to tell you."

Ding Yan glanced at Geng Fu, a member of the Imperial Guard, standing to the side.

That meant they wanted to get him out of there.

Ding Du turned around and looked over, only to hear Geng Fu say coldly:
"The fact that the Emperor has allowed the two of you to meet is already an immense favor. Do you still want to collude on your behalf?"

"Opportunities only come once, and they are earned through one's own efforts."

“I will truthfully repeat everything to the Emperor.”

Ding Du could only turn back again:
"Tell me what you have to say quickly, so I can plead for you before the Emperor."

Ding Yan understood that he didn't have many choices, so he began to tell his story.

Geng Fu listened to the Ding brothers' conversation from the side.

Within the palace, it was quite easy for Liu E to find out anything she wanted.

Liu Congde was also summoned to the palace to speak with the Empress Dowager.

Liu E still takes great care of her ex-husband's son.

At such a young age, he has already become a prefect of a region. His future is limitless, and he will surely enter the Privy Council.

It turned out that the Imperial City Guard had arrested Zhao De, the Ministry of Works' Assistant Commander, and Ding Yan, the Ministry of Works' Assistant Director.

The case mainly stemmed from Zhao De killing a craftsman.

Moreover, it was during the Dragon Boat Festival ceremony that Liu E understood why the Emperor and Song Xuan were so excited and headed straight for the dragon boat.

It turns out that the two of them were eyewitnesses.

Therefore, upon learning the truth, Liu E forgave the emperor for "deceiving" her.

I was just overthinking it.

Sixth Brother still respects me, his mother.

Those two minor officials, who knows what problems Song Xuan might have uncovered?

Liu E wouldn't care at all.

However, Liu Congde paused slightly upon hearing this news.

He knows these two people well.

Zhao De, in particular, is even more familiar with him!
It was obvious that the plan to build the dragon boat had been exposed, and Zhao De tried to kill him to cover it up, but he was caught.

Liu Congde was more inclined to believe that Zhao De was covering for him, but he couldn't trust Ding Yan.

"Your Majesty, Song Xuan is merely a seventh-rank county magistrate. How could he possibly arrest a sixth-rank official?"

Although Liu Congde was uneducated and incompetent, he had been involved in officialdom since childhood and was very familiar with many official positions.

"What, you have an opinion?"

Liu E, however, did not take it to heart.

Although the emperor did not rule personally, it was still permissible for him to give Song Xuan orders to arrest officials.

"Your Majesty, I have no objection."

Liu Congde smiled and said, "I just feel that Song Xuan's insubordination is breaking the rules."

Liu E understood.

Actually, he had a problem with his nephew.

That's really strange.

This is probably the first time they've met today.

Were those two officials, whom Song Xuan ordered to be arrested, close to him?

Liu E couldn't understand what the relationship was between these two people and Liu Congde.

I've never even heard of Zhao De, a mere Yu Hou.

As for Ding Yan, his cousin Ding Du was a Hanlin scholar, quite learned, and considered one of their own.

In the Song Dynasty, it was perfectly normal for fathers, sons, and brothers to serve as officials at the same time.

Lu Yijian's cousins ​​and younger brothers had already passed the imperial examinations, and his younger brother also passed the last imperial examination.

These families place great importance on inheritance.

"What do you want?"

Liu E wanted to know the grudge between them:
"Besides, it wasn't the yamen runners from Kaifeng County who made the arrest, but the Imperial City Guard."

Liu Congde couldn't think of a solution for a while.

However, he did not believe that Zhao De and Ding Yan's entire family were under control and would remain stubborn and refuse to expose him.

Liu Congde's only wish was to release the two men.

Only by getting them all out of trouble can they keep quiet.

“Your Majesty, I just feel that it is against the rules and the people should be released. Even if it is an official arrest, it is the Censorate that should be responsible. They are all criminal officials below the fifth rank, and the Kaifeng Prefecture should be the one to handle it.”

Liu Congde said after careful consideration:
"The Imperial City Guard will only arrest people if they have committed crimes such as treason or espionage."

Empress Liu E hadn't expected her nephew to be so knowledgeable about so many things in the Song Dynasty's officialdom, so she nodded in agreement.
"That makes sense."

She then sent a messenger to Chen Yaozuo, the prefect of Kaifeng, instructing him to look into the matter.

Liu Congde was anxious, so he took his leave and immediately went home.

He was sent to local areas to gain experience and didn't know much about Song Xuan.

But today at the Dragon Boat Festival ceremony, I saw an extremely robust young man standing next to the emperor.

Only after asking did I learn that he was Song Xuan, the top scholar who had passed the imperial examinations three times in a row, and had also become the son-in-law of Cao Liyong, the Privy Councilor.

This move greatly surprised Liu Congde.

After all, how could a scholar who has achieved such success marry into a military family?

After thinking it over, Liu Congde quickly called his brother-in-law, Wang Yufeng, to inquire about Song Xuan.

Upon hearing this, Wang Yufeng burst out laughing:
“Brother-in-law, I know Song Xuan very well. I even attended his wedding banquet.”

"Oh?"

Liu Congde immediately became interested; as long as he had connections, he could get it done.

"This man is the invincible local deity of Tokyo!"

Wang Yufeng crashed the wedding, begging Li Junyou to take him along, saying he wanted to make some acquaintances.

After all, such an opportunity was missed.

It's unlikely we'll have another chance to make friends in the future.

"Standing Tai Sui?"

Liu Congde said disdainfully:
"In the entire city of Tokyo, a country bumpkin from out of town dares to call himself the local tyrant? Does he really think that there's no one else in Tokyo who can do this?"

In Liu Congde's view, such a "prestigious" title could only belong to him.

What's so arrogant about Song Xuan, a man with no power or influence who only knows how to study?
So many scholars became Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), yet they still had to run errands for this father and son!

Therefore, Liu Congde looked down on these scholars from the bottom of his heart.

Even looking at the entire imperial court, there were very few people he could take seriously.

That's how arrogant they are!
Wang Yufeng nodded repeatedly, showering Liu Congde with praise.

No matter how much of a powerful figure Song Xuan is, he's still not as awesome as his brother-in-law right in front of him.

Who told him to be the Empress Dowager's nephew?

Moreover, his family benefited from his sister's marriage.

Liu Congde felt elated after hearing his brother-in-law's words.

After a while, they asked Song Xuan what he had done to earn such a nickname.

Wang Yufeng understood what had happened and then recounted each and every one of the events.

Liu Congde was also somewhat bewildered.

He originally thought that Song Xuan had done these things after he became an official.

It turned out that he had done it before he became an official.

He's a complete nobody, yet he's incredibly bold!

Such a daring person is unlikely to be easily intimidated.

Liu Congde coughed twice, then spoke:

"Do you think there's any hope if I ask him to intercede on my behalf?"

"Ok?"

Wang Yufeng, who frequently traveled around Tokyo, immediately inquired upon hearing this:

"That depends on what it is."

Liu Congde didn't hide anything from his brother-in-law and directly told him about the switch of the golden nanmu wood.

Listening to his brother-in-law's nonchalant narration, Wang Yufeng felt a chill run down his spine.

I was terrified.

He now regrets asking the question.

Why bother with that extra mouth?
Wang Yufeng knew that his brother-in-law was incredibly audacious.

But I really didn't expect Liu Congde to be so bold.

They simply don't know the meaning of the word "death"!

Is that Phoebe zhennan wood suitable for you?
People marry into your family hoping to benefit from your wealth and prosperity.

It's not that I really want to embark on the path of rebellion, a path that leads to the extermination of nine generations of my family!
Wang Yufeng felt that it was a rare occurrence in the world for someone to embezzle half of a hundred coins.

But you embezzled it all, then replaced it with pine wood, and still didn't give us enough.

Is this something a normal person would do?

Such greed will surely bring trouble in the future.

The Wang family was not like the Liu family, who had suddenly become rich from humble beginnings.

They are a wealthy and powerful family that has been rich for generations, but they just want to climb higher.

Although they do make money, they wouldn't do it so blatantly.

The goal is to achieve long-term, sustainable growth; how could we engage in such short-sighted practices?
Wang Yufeng was so frightened that he was drenched in sweat and didn't know what to say for a moment.

"what happened to you?"

Liu Congde found his brother-in-law's reaction quite strange.

"No, brother-in-law, I just feel that Phoebe zhennan wood is not something that people like us can afford."

"Of course, I wouldn't dare use it!"

Liu Congde chuckled twice and pointed at Wang Yufeng:

"I'm not that stupid."

Hearing this, Wang Yufeng breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the stolen goods couldn't be found, there was still room for maneuver, and he didn't dare to get involved in anything else.

"Where's that thing?"

"Of course it was smuggling; they sold it to the Liao Kingdom."

Wang Yufeng: ? ? ?

Liu Congde did not think there was anything wrong with what he did.

The Empress Dowager always has everything under control.

Moreover, if we sell it to the Liao Kingdom, we can't expect the Liao Kingdom to help investigate this matter, can we?
Moreover, the Song Dynasty also had to value its reputation.

The royal family's precious Phoebe zhennan wood was stolen by officials and sold to the Liao Dynasty. When it reached the Liao Dynasty, it became a laughing stock.

Now Liu Congde neither wants to return what he's taken nor wants to escalate the situation and cut off his future source of income.

After all, you can really make money doing construction work these days.

So Liu Congde asked Wang Yufeng to come and ask if he had any ideas.

Wang Yufeng subconsciously wiped the sweat from his face and couldn't help but fan himself with a fan.

"It's so hot today."

"Someone, bring the ice chest here."

Liu Congde gave an instruction.

Ice was very expensive in the Tang Dynasty, but by the Song Dynasty, it was sold on the streets of Bianjing (Kaifeng), and the price had come down.

However, not everyone can afford to consume this regularly.

The emperor would also give ice to his ministers as a sign of closeness, and every year when the ice cellars were opened, the emperor would hold a sacrificial ceremony with ice as its theme.

The elderly Ouyang Xiu, feeling sorry for Mei Yaochen's advanced age, gave Mei Yaochen the portion of ice that the emperor had bestowed upon him.

In the Song Dynasty, giving ice to a friend was a way of showing respect and affection.

Although the technology of making ice with saltpeter existed, it was not widely adopted in the Northern Song Dynasty.

People still rely on winter ice cellars to enjoy ice in the summer.

Winters in the Northern Song Dynasty were quite cold.

The Imperial City Administration, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and the Court of Agriculture were to take turns supervising the ice harvesters at Jinming Pond from December to February.

On average, the imperial court consumes 38,300 pieces of ice (each piece weighing 100 jin) per year, but the actual amount mined is 50 percent more.

Aside from the need to consider the losses, who wouldn't want to take advantage of the imperial court to make a fortune in the summer?
Not only do the government store ice, but ordinary people also often take advantage of their location to store ice in winter so they can make a fortune in the summer.

The influx of so much ice greatly impacted its price, making ice, which was more valuable than gold in the Tang Dynasty, a food item that ordinary people could only afford in the Song Dynasty.

The ice chest contained ice blocks, and Wang Yufeng immediately felt the coolness.

But I was still very anxious.

His father was also an official in another city, so it wasn't appropriate to write this down in a letter.

Otherwise, there is an inevitable risk of leakage, which could become evidence for conviction.

"Brother-in-law, do you think those two will betray you?"

"It's very difficult, how could they possibly take the blame for such a crime on their own?"

Liu Congde has a clear understanding of this matter.

After all, the money the Liu family gave them was just a drop in the ocean.

Who would admit to such a serious crime for such a small amount of money?
"What should we do then!"

Liu Congde nodded: "That's why I called you here to help me figure out what to do."

"I?"

Wang Yufeng sighed. After all, they were all in the same boat. He raised an eyebrow:
"Brother-in-law, why don't you go directly to the Empress Dowager and plead for mercy?"

“If we wait until things happen, the Empress will be caught off guard and won’t be able to save you.”

Liu Congde looked at Wang Yufeng with surprise and suspicion:
"I called you here to give me some advice, and this is the advice you came up with?"

"Then what else can be done?"

Wang Yufeng also said with great anxiety:
"You don't actually think you can get away with this through Song Xuan, do you?"

"What do you mean by 'let me off the hook'? Can't you just let him turn a blind eye?"

Liu Congde held up his finger and said, "After it's done, I'll give him five taels of gold."

"Absolutely impossible!"

Wang Yufeng knew that his brother-in-law was a Pixiu, who only took in and never gave out. How could he give him five taels of gold for such a big thing?
Not to mention his arrogance when he faced off against Sun Yang at the main store, with his servants all dressed in expensive silk.

His bookstore's lottery machine, made of such a huge and transparent glass, would be priceless.

Do you really think that the top scholar Song was a poor man?
Wang Yufeng specifically sent someone to Yingtian Prefecture to inquire about Song Xuan.

Liu Congde listened to Wang Yufeng's introduction of Song Xuan and nodded in agreement:

"Since he's not short of money, money won't sway him. What if I give him a promotion?"

Wang Yufeng couldn't help but roll his eyes. Look at the current prime minister, Wang Zeng, who won the top three honors in a row.

Even if you, Liu Congde, have the Empress Dowager's protection and become a Privy Councilor in the future...

We have to listen to what the prime minister says.

"No."

"No way?" Liu Congde stood up. "This won't work, that won't work, so how can it possibly work?"

Wang Yufeng had no choice but to patiently explain:

“Brother-in-law, you said it yourself that the Emperor boarded the ship with him. Do you think he would lie to the Emperor for your sake?”

We're all in the same boat, so close that there's no way we can escape this fate.

Liu Congde nodded, agreeing.

"You said killing him to cover it up is acceptable?"

Wang Yufeng was so frightened that he fell to the ground, looking at Liu Congde with a look of surprise and uncertainty.

Killing an official?
Or should we kill officials of the Song Dynasty?

Isn't this tantamount to rebellion?
Seeing his brother-in-law so agitated, Liu Congde said, "I didn't intend to kill Song Xuan."

"Oh." Wang Yufeng breathed a sigh of relief and stood up.

“Kill Zhao De and Ding Yan.”

Wang Yufeng's buttocks hit the ground again, and he stared wide-eyed at Liu Congde.

"Sister, brother-in-law, please don't always make jokes."

"They're being held by the Imperial City Guard, how can they be killed?"

Liu Congde pondered for a while:
"What you said makes sense; they are indeed not easy to kill."

"Oh dear, what should we do?"

Wang Yufeng stood up on his own. He had never known about the Liu family's "troublesome affairs" before, and today's events had truly exceeded his tolerance.

Such an unruly maternal relative will eventually be taken advantage of.

Although Wang Yufeng disliked studying, he was still forced by his family to be educated by a tutor.

He understands these things.

Although he acted like a playboy, he never thought of doing things like Liu Congde.

That would lead the entire family to ruin, and the family would never forgive themselves.

“Brother-in-law, there’s no other way now. We can only go and talk to the Empress Dowager. Otherwise, if someone exposes it, we’ll be in a bad position.”

"No."

Liu Congde shook his head and refused:
"Since you have no idea, I'd better go and discuss it with Lü Gongchuo."

"and many more."

Wang Yufeng grabbed Liu Congde and asked, "Brother-in-law, can I tell him about such a private matter?"

"Prime Minister Lü is not someone to be trifled with!"

"It's alright, he took my money."

"what?"

Liu Congde had a smile on his face:
"You think it's easy to switch Phoebe zhennan wood with pine wood? Just finding the right pine wood was done by having Lü Gongchuo find it in his ancestral home of Laizhou, for which he was paid a lot of money."

Wang Yufeng didn't know what to say, and Liu Congde even asked him if he wanted to come along.

He quickly refused, saying that he couldn't waste the ice chest and would stay there to cool off.

Wang Yufeng sat there, watching Liu Congde leave. He didn't know if Lü Gongchuo had kept this from his father, Prime Minister Lü.

Wang Yufeng kept fanning himself, seemingly unsure of what to say, and appeared restless.

Liu Congde soon found Lü Gongchuo, who had also returned home. He was also an official in Tokyo and was now a scholar in the Imperial Academy.

"Brother Liu, what brings you here?"

"Brother Lü, I have something I'd like to ask you for advice on."

"It doesn't matter."

Lu Gongchuo quickly ordered wine to be brought up so he could have a drink with him first, as they hadn't seen each other for a long time.

Liu Congde didn't waste any time and got straight to the point. As soon as he started, Lü Gongchuo's hand, which was pouring wine, began to tremble uncontrollably.

Ignoring the heat, he quickly told Liu Congde to stop talking and ran to close the window, also instructing people not to disturb him.

Only then, trembling with fear, did he allow Liu Congde to explain properly.

"When did it happen?"

"Just today."

Lü Gongchuo stood up and paced back and forth in the room.

It was all so sudden.

He thought the matter was over.

They even planned to find an opportunity to burn the dragon boat down in the future, so that there would be no way to prove anything.

As a result, a mere shipwright accidentally informed the officials.

How could he be so "loyal"?

The emperor didn't give him any benefits either!
"Didn't I get you a hundred pine logs?" Hearing Lü Gongchuo's question, Liu Congde shrugged.

"Since it's going to be burned down anyway, I'll take the liberty of using it to build the Longevity Palace for the Empress Dowager."

Upon hearing this, Lü Gongchuo swayed as if he were about to collapse.

Make sense.

After more than 20 years, he felt that the Liu family was not short of money at all.

Liu Congde grew up in a privileged environment, so how come he's so fond of making money?
They even withheld the value of the goods that were exchanged.

It kicked onto a hard board that wasn't actually a hard board.

"Foolish, foolish!"

"Zhao De is stupid too!"

Lu Gongchuo paced back and forth, his expression excited, and said:
"Even if it were discovered, what's the big deal about an official controlling a shipwright? Why did he have to kill someone during the Dragon Boat Festival, and the emperor even witnessed the murder?"

Liu Congde initially felt that some things were beyond his control, but with the arrow already on the bowstring, who could predict the future?

"Brother Lü, you should think of a solution."

What can I do?

Lu Gongchuo almost shouted out loud. When he saw Liu Congde's calm and unhurried appearance, he knew that Liu Congde had him cornered.

He looked up at the sky and sighed, "That's it."

"Have you sold all those Phoebe zhennan trees?"

"No, selling this kind of thing on a large scale wouldn't make more money, and it would only attract attention."

Speaking of business acumen, Liu Congde said with considerable pride:
"I've only sold twenty so far."

Liu Congde wisely refrained from mentioning that he had made a fortune.

After all, one should not flaunt one's wealth, and this is a business with almost no cost.

The entire process can be completed for less than the price of a single piece of Phoebe zhennan wood.

Lu Gongchuo breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good. Where are the things now?"

"Why are you asking?"

"Of course I'm here to save you." Lü Gongchuo walked up to Liu Congde:
"Don't forget, the Empress Dowager just issued an edict a few days ago regarding the 'Restriction of the Sons of Civil and Military Officials,' haven't you read it?"

Liu Congde never felt that this kind of thing was a constraint on him.

It's all just a matter of the Empress Dowager's word.

Seeing that Liu Congde didn't care at all, Lü Gongchuo could only suppress his temper for the sake of his own future and to prevent the Lü family from being implicated.

"Send someone to bring these things back immediately."

Liu Congde immediately stood up: "On what grounds?"

Lu Gongchuo stared wide-eyed at Liu Congde in disbelief:
"You yourself said that they will expose you. You should plead with the Empress Dowager as soon as possible, and this matter may be over."

"It's impossible to bring it back."

Liu Congde gently shook his head:
“If the stolen goods are brought back, then we will be caught red-handed. If the stolen goods cannot be found, then we can still hold out to the end and they are framing me.”

"Do you think they'll keep the Yellow River matter a secret for you too?"

Liu Congde stared at Lü Gongchuo for a long time:
"What do you mean?"

“If this matter drags on, and they are subjected to severe torture, it will only lead to more problems.”

Lu Gongchuo said bluntly, "If you want to fight to the end, you should first check if your own backside is clean."

Liu Congde started pacing around the room, and after a long while, he finally spoke:

Even if I bring it back, do you have a way to get it back?

"of course."

Lü Gongchuo poured himself a cup of tea:

"I have just come up with a brilliant idea."

Upon hearing this, Liu Congde very politely asked Lü Gongchuo to inform him.

"The imperial court is going to build the Longevity Palace for the Empress Dowager, so you can go to her and say that you specially withheld the golden nanmu wood to express your filial piety, since the dragon boat is built every year anyway."

"We wanted to give the Empress a surprise, which is why we didn't tell her in advance."

Filial piety is a powerful force that will be used to punish those who violate it!
Even the officials couldn't say anything.

Upon hearing this, Liu Congde's eyes lit up; it was indeed a good idea.

"Hahaha."

Liu Congde burst into laughter:
"Brother Lü is truly a master strategist. I could never come up with such a plan even if I thought about it for three days and three nights."

Lü Gongchuo's expression was not good.

Because he realized too late that he had been tricked!

"Brother Liu, you should keep a low profile in the future, after all, the Emperor has grown up."

“I am as close to the Emperor as brothers, this matter is nothing to worry about.”

Liu Congde resumed his nonchalant demeanor and left without lingering.

As Lu Gongchuo watched him leave, he swept the teapot off the table and onto the ground.

idiot!

Are you worthy of being as close as brothers with the emperor?
Lu Gongchuo thought his plan was perfect, but things went wrong.

……

As dusk fell, Song Xuan returned to the Cao residence.

After dinner, Cao summoned Song Xuan to his study to inquire what had happened.

After listening to Song Xuan recount the entire incident...

Cao angrily slammed his fist on the table:
“I have refused the gifts that the Empress Dowager gave to her worthless in-laws many times, but these people are so greedy that they have done such a rebellious thing.”

"And Wang Zeng, he doesn't even deserve to look down on me. Now that he has replaced Wang Qinruo, he can't stop the Empress from bestowing gifts upon her clansmen."

"I bother!"

After listening, Song Xuan poured tea for Cao Liyong:

"Father-in-law, there's no need to be so agitated. Minister Wang is an asset we need to win over."

"he?"

Cao Liyong sat down again:

"I think that even if Ding Du comes out to impeach the Liu family at the grand court assembly the day after tomorrow, nothing will happen to the Liu family."

"I know."

Song Xuan said nonchalantly, "Anger is built up little by little until it explodes at the right moment."

"Besides, we only brought up the matter of the golden nanmu wood, which made it known to the court and the public, and the people of Dongjing City were all talking about it. If we bring up the matter of the Yellow River, it will naturally ignite even more anger."

Cao Liyong was also extremely angry about the Yellow River incident.

After all, the imperial court had to repair it every year, but as a result, the city of Tokyo was flooded every year.

Which flood has ever prevented people from getting sick?
These people lived a life of luxury and were extremely wary of epidemics.

They don't care whether you're rich or poor; once you're infected, you'll all face certain death, and even if you don't die, you'll be severely weakened.

Song Xuan withdrew his hands, which he had been using to conceal his identity: "By the way, father-in-law, don't forget to find someone to impeach me tomorrow."

"Impeach you?"

Cao Liyong's eyes were full of incomprehension:
"How can I attend the grand court assembly and watch the spectacle if they don't impeach me!"

Given Song Xuan's rank, he would not have had the opportunity to attend the grand court assembly unless summoned by the emperor.

"Hahaha."

Cao Liyong couldn't help but chuckle a few times, quite amused by his son-in-law's gossipy nature:

"Impeach you for what?"

"Impering me doesn't give me the right to arrest court officials. It's perfectly normal for the emperor to ask me to explain."

Song Xuan shrugged and smiled again:
"In this way, the water will be stirred up even more, making it clear to everyone that someone is targeting me, and those people will be like mud falling into their crotches."

"Hahaha."

"Good good."

Cao Liyong nodded repeatedly.

Day two.

Ding Du then submitted a memorial impeaching Liu Congde for embezzling one hundred pieces of Phoebe zhennan wood.

Fan Feng also submitted a memorial impeaching Song Xuan.

These two things are related.

The king saw the memorials written by the two men and then understood the background of the Dragon Boat Festival celebrations.

"That's unreasonable!"

Wang Zeng was also furious, and looked at Lü Yijian, saying:
"Such an astonishing thing happened in the Ministry of Works, and neither of us knew about it?"

Lü Yijian also found out before Wang Zeng. He had made a guess yesterday, but he didn't expect things to escalate to this extent.

Is Phoebe zhennan wood suitable for ordinary people to use?

In addition, Empress Dowager Liu liked to wear dragon robes, and her "nephew" used royal items.

This makes it hard for the court officials not to wonder if she is trying to emulate Wu Zetian and seize the Song Dynasty!

"Lord Wang, you know that even you cannot stop the Empress Dowager from bestowing favors upon the clansmen. How dare a mere sixth-rank official like myself do so?"

Lü Yijian still wanted to exonerate Ding Yan as much as possible, only in this way could he avoid affecting Ding Du.

Now that it has come to light.

The best outcome would be to dump everything on Liu Congde and make him take the blame.

He can carry it!

Moreover, Liu Congde, being a relative of the emperor, was never a political ally of Lü Yijian.

If he hadn't messed things up, how could so many things have happened out of nowhere?

Wang Zeng was rendered speechless by Lü Yijian's words. Now that the court was in such a chaotic state, how dare Liu Congde do such a treasonous thing?

That's because he had the Empress Dowager's backing, which allowed him to act with impunity.

"Do you have any idea?"

Hearing Wang Zeng's question, Lü Yijian hesitated for a moment before speaking:

"Tomorrow at the grand court assembly, we will announce to the public that, now that we have the testimonies of Zhao De and Ding Yan, we will first test the Empress's attitude."

Wang was certain that Lü Yijian was on his side in this matter, so he nodded in agreement.

He then picked up Fan Feng's memorial impeaching Song Xuan:

"Arranged by the Chen family?"

After all, the last time the Chen family arranged for an imperial censor to impeach Song Xuan, he's now eating insects in Lingnan. I wonder if he's died from it.

"I don't know."

Lu Yijian was also puzzled, and few people knew about this matter at present.

However, these officials have the right to impeach.

It's perfectly normal for many people to be watching Song Xuan, a high-ranking official in the capital who achieved the highest honors in the imperial examinations.

He was truly wronged in this matter.

Seeing Wang Zeng's suspicious gaze, Lü Yijian was truly on the verge of losing his guard.

This was definitely not something he arranged.

"I have a good relationship with Scholar Song; he saved my daughter."

Lü Yijian offered an explanation.

Wang Zeng raised an eyebrow; he was unaware of such matters.

Could it be that when Song Xuan was choosing a husband after the provincial examination results were announced, he showed it to Lady Lü?

"Song Twelve also knows medicine?"

"My cousin told me that he was taught by a hermit when he was young, and he only has some basic medical knowledge."

Lu Yijian wasn't entirely sure how good Song Xuan's medical skills were, but to be on the safe side, he didn't carry Song Xuan's sedan chair.

Wang Zeng nodded, surprised that Song Xuan had such boundless energy.

After all, studying medicine requires a lot of effort.

Moreover, I heard Yan Shu say that Song Xuan studied at Yingtian Academy for only three years and then passed the imperial examination with top honors in all three levels. How could ordinary people compare to such talent?
A true child prodigy whose potential was wasted.

Wang Zeng, who had achieved the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations, believed that he did not possess the same vigor as Song Xuan, nor did he have the same ability to achieve such success at such a young age.

He will likely be younger than me when he becomes prime minister.

"We're going to meet the Emperor."

Wang Zeng took the impeachment memorial to the emperor.

In any case, this kind of thing needs to be discussed in advance.

……

Song Xuan rode his horse again, leading Wang Bao and Xu Xianchun to the Kaifeng County government office.

Qi Lecheng, who was guarding the gate today, jogged over from several dozen steps away to pay his respects.

Song Xuan, mounted on his horse, sized him up:
"Qi Lecheng."

"It's the villain."

Qi Lecheng was overjoyed; the new magistrate had indeed remembered him.

Song Xuan dismounted and said to him:

"Let's take a walk together."

Qi Lecheng was flattered and hurriedly responded.

"How long have you been at the county government office?"

"In reply to your question, sir, I have been working as a clerk in the county government office for eight years."

"Eight years."

Song Xuan glanced at Qi Lecheng: "How do you make a living?"

Ordinary people could not be exempted from corvée labor.

The Song Dynasty inherited the Two-Tax System and various corvée labor from the Tang Dynasty.

Although there are local soldiers who can perform various miscellaneous tasks, they are responsible for local engineering and construction projects.

It can be said that all labor service could be undertaken by the local soldiers, freeing many farmers from the shackles of corvée labor and enabling them to operate in accordance with the agricultural seasons.

In the minds of the Song people, the idea that "farming is not as good as craftsmanship, and craftsmanship is not as good as commerce" became increasingly popular in order to get rich.

But the most important thing is still "power".

Therefore, many people were willing to gather around and serve some "young masters".

Although the garrison soldiers were very busy, the Song Dynasty also had another type of corvée labor: official service.

It is a general term for laborers dispatched by the government to serve as clerks and grassroots administrative personnel in government offices.

Although these people were called officials, they usually did not receive a salary.

Higher-ranking positions were held by the sons of local officials, who held certain powers and were a major source of corruption in the region.

However, low-level menial tasks were handled by commoners who had almost no power and could only obey their superiors. Their tasks were very heavy, and they were one of the biggest burdens on the people of the Northern Song Dynasty.

One of the reforms implemented by Wang Anshi later was the "labor service recruitment law".

He eliminated more than 30,000 official positions in one fell swoop, reducing the workforce by nearly one-tenth.

"In reply to your question, sir, I live off the wages paid by others."

Qi Lecheng dared not hide the truth and told him the reason.

That means someone else pays him to do this job in place of someone else.

In lieu of service, money was used.

In the Song Dynasty, this was permitted; those with money contributed money, and those without money contributed labor.

After all, the time a person can serve in a position is limited and needs to be rotated.

It can be said that more than 90% of the staff in the county government office were temporary workers hired by the imperial court.

"Ah."

Song Xuan responded, "Are there many people like you?"

"There are many."

Qi Lecheng started counting on his fingers.

Many of the officials, including yamen runners, clerks, archers, and clerks, received no salary or only a meager one.

Of course, since everyone has the backing of the county government, they have ways to make some illicit income.

Otherwise, how could anyone survive in Tokyo?
Song Xuan had some understanding of yamen runners; otherwise, how could Constable Gao have brought his men to eat and drink for free in Lema Town?

No matter how you look at it, they are government officials.

Since you're in the business of selling things, even if it's just setting up a stall, social etiquette is still necessary.

"Row."

Song Xuan nodded: "I understand. I'll think of a way later."

Qi Lecheng didn't understand the meaning behind Song Xuan's words about coming up with a solution.

After all, this is the policy of the imperial court. Song Xuan, the new magistrate, can't possibly change the national policy, can he?
However, he still thanked him verbally, saying that the master was thinking of his brothers.

Song Xuan waved his hand, telling him to take his mount and put it where it belonged, and that they could have tea together another day.

Qi Lecheng was so excited he couldn't contain himself.

What is Song Xuan's identity?

That's the God of Literature from heaven, so approachable, yet he'd invite this lowly clerk like me for tea? I never even dared to dream of it.

Qi Lecheng, leading Song Xuan's tall horse, turned back to greet the two servants of the new magistrate, his face beaming with a wide grin.

Wang Bao felt that he shouldn't speak so politely to these yamen runners; they didn't deserve it.

Xu Xianchun knew that these people had many ways to make money, but he didn't tell Song Xuan.

Perhaps it was because Twelfth Brother didn't intend to expose him on the spot.

Making things difficult for a mere yamen runner doesn't bring any real sense of accomplishment.

With his hands behind his back, Song Xuan slowly entered the county government office, and those who passed by bowed repeatedly.

Song Xuan nodded, without saying anything more.

Since no one reported the case, Magistrate Song Xuan didn't need to sit in the main hall.

He sat in the back room and called all four key personnel together for a small meeting.

County Magistrate Zhou Derong, Registrar Zheng Wenhuan, and County Lieutenant Ban Feng were seated together.

Although these men were seasoned veterans of the officialdom, they were still somewhat nervous when faced with a new official taking office.

Who doesn't want to leave a good impression on their boss?

After all, Song Xuan, the top scholar, might only serve for a year or two before being promoted, but they are different.

There aren't that many pitfalls, give them to them!
“County Magistrate Zhou, all I know is that you are a local. Please introduce yourself.”

Hearing Song Xuan's words, Zhou Derong was slightly taken aback, and his hand unconsciously reached for the mutton fat jade pendant under the table.

"I don't quite understand what you mean, sir."

"How many people are in your family? What did your ancestors do? Where did they live? What did they all do?"

Song Xuan smiled slightly: "It's just to get to know each other. In the future, when I go out to investigate cases, I might have the opportunity to visit your home and have a meal with you."

"Oh, that's great!"

Zhou Derong then introduced himself as Song Xuan had instructed.

The registrar Zheng Wenhuan and the county magistrate Ban Feng also gave a proper introduction.

Song Xuan nodded. They had all worked in Kaifeng County for more than ten years and hadn't moved to another place.

Everyone has their own network of relationships.

Let me also introduce myself.

Song Xuan's words seemed quite sincere.

Zhou Derong quickly waved his hand:
"My lord, there's no need for such formalities. We all know this. In the entire capital city of Tokyo, who doesn't know about your affairs?"

Song Xuan nodded:
"Since you all understand, I won't say anything more about personal matters. Let's talk about business."

The registrar, Zheng Wenhuan, quickly took out his pen and ink, indicating that he would write down the magistrate's words.

"No need for such trouble, let's just have a heart-to-heart talk."

Song Xuan gestured to Zheng Wenhuan to put away the brush and ink:
“You’ve all been working here for over ten years, and you haven’t moved an inch from your positions.”

“When I, Song Xuan, first entered officialdom, my rank was already higher than yours.”

"And they're younger than you, are you really willing to accept that?"

"We are willing to accept this," Zhou Derong was the first to express his opinion.
"Looking at the whole world, not everyone has the ability to pass the imperial examinations in three consecutive rounds. My lord, we all admire you."

“That’s right. From now on, if you tell us to go east, we will never go west, and we will never dare to disobey you in secret.”

Registrar Zheng Wenhuan also quickly expressed his opinion.

County Lieutenant Ban Feng, his face flushed red, wanted to speak, but realizing they had already said all the nice things, he could only say:

"Me too!"

(End of this chapter)