A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 305 Your Task is Difficult

Song Xuan nodded.

Surprisingly, Zhao Zhen adjusted his mindset quite quickly.

Although young people are easily swayed by emotions, their feelings come and go quickly.

"Tell me first where those two are being held now?"

Geng Fu said with a rather helpless expression:

"Both of them were ordered by the Empress Dowager to be imprisoned in the Kaifeng Prefecture jail."

"Were Ding Yan and his family members ordered to be taken away?"

"No."

Song Xuan responded with an "oh".

The main culprit was sent to Chen Yaozuo.

After all, even the Imperial City Guard was mobilized.

That's telling others that you've committed treason, and it's perfectly normal for your whole family to be arrested.

If the Yellow River project continues to deteriorate, it will not be something that Empress Liu E can stop by covering up the truth.

If Empress Liu wanted to clean up Liu Congde's mess, would she kill the two of them?
This matter still left Song Xuan with a question mark in his mind.

Song Xuan would only feel satisfied if he killed both of them!
That would lead to infighting within the Empress Dowager's faction.

This would also damage Liu E's prestige.

This was an extremely favorable situation for the emperor.

In any case, it's just two scapegoats dying, and Zhao De will pay with his life for murder.

It was just that Ding Yan suffered, but Song Xuan didn't care.

Anyway, it wasn't like I forced him to collude with Liu Congde.

Song Xuan adjusted his official hat again:

"Alright, since the Emperor has given you instructions, this matter is not suitable to be discussed in public."

"Go to the county government office tomorrow and I will explain things to you in detail."

"clear."

Geng Fu also knew that certain things said in the palace could easily reach the ears of the Empress Dowager.

At this moment, his conversation with Song Xuan was merely to discuss the situation of Ding Yan and the others.

After all, Song Xuan led them in doing this, so he had to check on it no matter what.

Because civil officials in the Song Dynasty had powers beyond their official positions!

Song Xuan did not linger in the palace and left directly, returning to the Kaifeng County government office.

Today's grand assembly will surely become a topic of conversation for many.

Let others talk about it first, and then Song Xuan will systematically release various rumors to cause a sensation and prevent people from easily tracing the source.

Just then, Song Xuan saw Liu Congde being helped by someone.

No matter how powerful or arrogant he was, he dared not ride in a carriage or even on horseback in the palace.

Even if the emperor were to bestow upon ordinary senior officials the honor of being allowed to ride horses in the palace, no one would dare to do so.

After Liu Congde was slapped by Liu E, he became much more obedient.

He didn't even glance at Song Xuan, nor did he bother to greet him; he simply tucked his tail between his legs and left.

As for who kicked him so hard he fell flat on his face, he no longer cares about investigating.

The most important thing right now is to bring the Phoebe zhennan wood back.

As soon as Song Xuan left the capital, he called over his coachman and asked him to take him to Kaifeng County before returning to wait for his father-in-law.

Anyway, it's still early, so Cao wouldn't skip work.

With such a major event happening today, everyone, whether busy or not, has to talk about it and show their skills.

In officialdom, who really puts in their best effort?
The people in the Kaifeng County government knew that Song Xuan had gone to attend the grand court assembly.

In addition, yesterday's banquet was held for all the yamen runners, regardless of whether they were temporary workers or not, and even those who were absent due to injury or illness were paid in advance.

Furthermore, Qi Lecheng spread the word that the rest of the Cao family and the prison guards should not be anxious, as they all had a share and should listen to Song Xuan's arrangements.

Everyone was filled with anticipation for Song Xuan's next arrangements.

After all, it's not like Song Xuan is the type to pay for his subordinates' meals out of his own pocket.

That was truly the first of its kind.

Who doesn't spend government money to maintain their relationships?

The official funds given by the imperial court were for this kind of work.

Song Xuan got out of the car, and Qi Lecheng hurriedly came to greet him:
"My lord."

Song Xuan responded:
Has anyone filed a complaint today?

"Never."

Are there any outsiders coming?

"No."

Song Xuan nodded and went straight inside.

Qi Lecheng quickly led the way.

People he encountered on the road bowed to Song Xuan, who simply nodded in return.

Although Song Xuan appeared approachable and lacked official arrogance, his background speaks for itself.

Now that he has just returned from the grand assembly, who wouldn't greet him with a smile?

Even Zhou Derong, the county magistrate who was being harassed by Song Xuan, had to be polite to him.

"By the way, Magistrate Zhou, have the household registration department bring over the ten households that owe the most taxes. I want to take a look."

"Here."

Zhou Derong quickly responded and went to the household office to relay the message.

Even if he was dissatisfied, he had to suppress it and choose to be angry in a cowardly manner.

Song Xuan stood at the door and said to Qi Lecheng:

"Go and fetch Yu Gao, the head of the interrogation room, and Mao Lang, the jailer."

"Yes."

Song Xuan went into the back room and asked Wang Bao, who had arrived long ago, to boil water and scald the teaware.

"By the way, did the building send someone to settle the bill this morning?"

"Replying to Twelfth Brother, if the bill has been settled, Xu Xianchun should be here by now. I reckon they won't dare to come and ask for the money back."

Song Xuan nodded.

As one of the seventy-two main stores in Tokyo, its accumulated wealth was considerable.

Providing these people with a meal is not a big deal.

"Let's wait until tomorrow. Please write it down for me. You can take the money to settle the bill tomorrow."

Song Xuan snorted: "Trying to build a relationship with me over a meal? Do you really think I'm that easy to deal with?"

"Yes."

"You should publicly humiliate that shopkeeper to establish my authority and set an example for the others, making it easier for me to collect taxes later!"

"Understood," Wang Bao quickly replied.

Song Xuan leaned back in his chair to rest; he had spent quite a bit of time standing in the back today just to watch the excitement.

When the two of them arrived, Song Xuan asked them to sit down and have a chat.

What types of cases are Kaifeng County encountering these days?

"In reply to your question, sir, the most common crime is murder."

"kill?"

Song Xuan raised his eyebrows slightly:

"I know Tokyo isn't a very safe city, but does such rampant murder happen frequently?"

"Indeed."

Yu Gao then cited a particularly famous bathroom murder case, in which the real culprit had never been caught since the time of Emperor Jinzong.

After examining the bodies, the coroner discovered that the murder weapon was a specially made curved short knife.

Moreover, they would be dismembered by the murderer, and it was unclear whether they would eat the flesh themselves or sell it.

Song Xuan clicked his tongue twice, it seemed that the "legacy" left by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms had not completely disappeared in the Song Dynasty.

After all, the murderer went to the bathroom to kill people and take their flesh.

It means that the vegetables have been washed clean beforehand.

This saves him the trouble of washing the vegetables a second time.

If someone is too fond of convenience, they must have extremely high standards for cooking.

Here, Uncle Mads is nothing!

Song Xuan was speechless, unsure of how to comment.

Sure enough, the world outside his hometown was too crazy for him to understand.

In Lema Town, Song Xuan, at a young age, was able to climb to the throne of "the head of the three evils".

However, even if Song Xuan were ranked 108th in Tokyo, he wouldn't be qualified.

Murders sometimes occur not only in public bathhouses but also in guesthouses.

Many of the victims' bodies had decomposed into skeletons, yet the killer still could not be caught.

They couldn't even find the victim's body.

Tokyo's population is too large, making it difficult to find compelling evidence to pinpoint and arrest criminals.

Even if there is a "criminal sketch", it is difficult for people to recognize the murderer if he puts on a little makeup.

Even though the patrolling soldiers and constables had the wanted man's portrait, they didn't think about catching the real culprit.

After all, they couldn't afford to mess with such a powerful killer.

However, the audacity to use the pretext of investigating wanted criminals to extort money is extremely high.

In this way, the crime-solving rate will never improve.

As Song Xuan listened to Yu Gao's description, the jailer Mao Lang added a few words from the side.

There are very few murderers in prisons; most are prisoners who fight and brawl.

Those who committed slightly more serious crimes were all exiled.

Criminals from other regions were exiled to Tokyo to serve as imperial guards.

In short, it's all about "switching positions".

This effectively severs the criminals' local networks.

To ensure that criminals are not protected by local acquaintances and thus exempted from criminal punishment.

Song Xuan nodded:

"Bring me the case file later so I can take a look. Since the murderer hasn't been caught yet, he'll definitely continue to commit crimes."

"Here."

Yu Gao responded.

"Then merchants are the easiest targets for murder."

Yu Gao smiled helplessly:

"Your Excellency is a wise man, and I have no intention of hiding anything. As a county under the rule of the emperor, Kaifeng County is relatively safe."

"Even in the counties under the jurisdiction of Kaifeng Prefecture, bandits roamed freely and black shops were everywhere. This is no exaggeration."

Song Xuan had also heard about these things; they weren't unheard of in Nanjing either.

However, he doesn't need to lift a finger to commit many murders; he can simply use his words to kill those unruly and ruthless bandits.

As for gathering intelligence and finding their hideouts, that was far too easy for the forces under Song Xuan's control in Song City.

However, compared to Tokyo, Nanjing in the Song Dynasty was a small place at this time.

With money and connections, Song Xuan managed to weave both the legitimate and criminal underworld into a familiar social network in Song City, where everyone could command respect.

However, once outside Song City, Song Xuan's reputation as the Timely Rain would be somewhat diminished.

At this time, Song Xuan, a test-taker from a small town, suddenly came to Tokyo, the most prosperous place in the world, to become a local official.

Its jurisdiction had a population of over 600,000, which was several times or even ten times more than any county in the Song Dynasty.

This is no joke.

Facing such immense pressure right from the start, many in the court did not have a high opinion of Song Xuan.

This is also why Chen Yaozuo, the prefect of Kaifeng, was willing to listen to Lü Yijian and not take the initiative to act.

Many things will cause Song Xuan to make numerous mistakes.

When that time comes, you, as his superior, will have many ways to deal with him.

Because many people find even being stationed in a village a headache.

In a medium-sized village with only two or three thousand people, there are many things that can give you a headache.

Not to mention the Song Dynasty, whose legal system was even less sound.

Tokyo has a population of one million.

People come from all over the world, from all corners of the globe.

Let alone ruling a city of a million people, even dividing the population in half would be difficult for Song Xuan.

He also needs more manpower and financial resources to barely maintain stability. If he wants to gather information, he might as well go to Gui Fanlou.

After all, the various forces in Tokyo were already intertwined.

It was jailer Mao Lang who took over the conversation; he was sure he had to give Song Xuan a good rant.

Most of the people in the prison are hooligans and scoundrels. If the big boss can't complete the "empty prison" assessment, he can't blame me!
Because whenever the prisons were empty, the imperial court would issue some rewards.

This proves that your county has good public security!

This counts as your achievements as the county magistrate.

However, Tokyo was a bustling city.

All sorts of people gather here.

Thugs and ruffians roam the streets and alleys, causing trouble and creating disturbances.

Some idlers set up "beauty traps," using entertainers as bait to lure dissolute men and then extort money from them.

In the capital, scoundrels gathered at Pubo, opened a shop, and privately slaughtered cattle, horses, donkeys, and dogs for food, and minted copper coins to make utensils and miscellaneous items.

The entertainment districts and brothels also became places of debauchery, where playboys, street ruffians, and idle soldiers all gathered.

Disturbances occur frequently.

The prison in Kaifeng County was never empty.

Song Xuan nodded to indicate that he understood.

In reality, there are a large number of unemployed people in Tokyo.

In addition, some deserters, scoundrels and other desperate criminals formed many gangs, creating underground dark gangs in places like Tokyo.

Heinous crimes occur frequently.

Child trafficking, female smuggling in ditches, and various murder cases are rampant, most of which are for money.

With so many wicked people in the world, who would give face to a stinking outsider like "Timely Rain of Songcheng"?

Never heard of it.

In the capital city of Tokyo, the title of "Song Zhuangyuan Lang" (top scholar in the imperial examination) is far more effective!
He knew his task was difficult, but he didn't expect it to be this difficult.

I should have known better than to show off in front of the emperor and Fan Zhongyan.

Taking over the mess in Kaifeng County will prove that Fan Zhongyan's theory was correct!
But what's done is done, and there's no use going back now.

Since he was going to do it, Song Xuan had to make some achievements.

By the way, use this position to eliminate anyone who poses a "threat" to me.

If we can push the young emperor to assume personal rule as soon as possible, that would be an extremely important thing to do!

Song Xuan picked up the teapot that Wang Bao had brought and used County Magistrate Zhou's tea set to pour tea for his two subordinates:

"You go on."

Yu Gao quickly expressed his gratitude.

Although he didn't understand why Song Xuan didn't grind the tea leaves before brewing it, but instead brewed it directly.

After all, according to the tradition of the Song Dynasty literati, tea competitions were a refined affair.

As the top scholar in the imperial examination, Song Xuan was not short of money, so it was impossible for him not to pass.

A question flashed through Yu Gao's mind:

“My lord, from the first to the fifth year of the Tiansheng era alone, there were more than 300 robbery and murder cases reported by various counties in Kaifeng Prefecture. I estimate that 60% of them involved lone merchants.”

Song Xuan picked up his teacup and took a sip. He had actually encountered this person during his studies abroad.

Hsu Hsien-chun is one of them.

His case is considered mild.

"Many of these merchants' remains could not even be found."

Song Xuan nodded, "Maybe they'll be made into buns filled with human flesh and sold."

Sun Erniang's shady inn was just one example; there were many more like it throughout the Song Dynasty.

They keep saying that the Song Dynasty was weak and couldn't beat anyone.

However, the general public still has a rather fierce spirit.

The devastation caused by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period could not be easily reversed simply by the scholar-officials trying to correct the situation.

People like Di Qing, who committed murder and took the blame when they were teenagers, were by no means few.

“My lord, the second category is the people we often arrest in prison, namely thieves.”

Song Xuan asked the jailer Mao Lang to tell him about the thief.

The profession of thief is very old and will never be completely eradicated.

It will only decrease as times progress.

Or perhaps it's that traditional techniques and crafts have become unsustainable and unable to adapt to the new era, leading to their gradual disappearance under certain circumstances.

But it's very common abroad.

"So that my lord may know, there is a thief in the capital city named Monkey King, who is the ringleader of thieves."

"It is said that this person could climb a seven-zhang-high city wall with his bare hands, and use a bamboo tube soaked in anesthetic to blow it in through the window cracks, so that everyone in the house would be unconscious before he could steal from them."

"He only takes people's money and never kills them. He also occasionally gives away the money he steals to the poor."

"His men are now thieves."

"Oh, what is the 'peeping party'?"

Song Xuan immediately became interested; it resembled an organized gang of thieves, something he hadn't seen much of when he was a child.

But knowing that their father was going out by train or something, they would put the money in their underwear pocket or sew it separately into the lining of their clothes.

"So that the esteemed official may know."

The jailer, Mao Lang, gave Song Xuan a brief explanation.

The pickpocketing gang had a clear division of labor: the lookout was the one who kept watch, the thief was the one who did the stealing, the rope was untied skillfully, and the mute person relayed the message.

Have these people been caught?

"Reporting to your Excellency, there have been quite a few reports, but that monkey doesn't easily take people in."

"There were also people who tried to imitate their crimes, but they were caught because they weren't good enough. That's when I learned about their division of labor."

The jailer, Mao Lang, gave an explanation.

Song Xuan nodded, looking at the two people primarily handling the case: "Anything else?"

"That's about it."

Mao Lang agreed with Gao's words.

There's no need to mention those who got arrested for fighting.

After serving a few days of prison food, they were all released.

Because at this time, new subsidies can be applied for, and the grain should be saved. Little by little, it will add up. After everyone has received their share of the money, they can ask for some money to release the grain ahead of schedule.

They all have a knack for making money.

"Are there any economic crimes?" Hearing Song Xuan's question, Yu Gao and Mao Lang exchanged a glance:
"My lord, what constitutes an economic crime?"

"For example, manufacturing counterfeit money or fake paper money, burning down granaries with fire, and actually selling the goods and dividing the spoils!"

Yu Gao thought for a moment before replying:
"So that the esteemed official may know, paper money is only circulated in Sichuan and other places. Although the Song Dynasty is short of copper coins, it is not short of them in the capital city of Bianjing."

"Even a five-year-old child on the street can tell the difference between real and fake copper coins, because if they are made to look too real, the cost will be too high. Only in large transactions, where gold is used for exchange, might there be some, but they are very rare."

"There are quite a few gold and silver exchange shops in Tokyo. If the people they employ are mistaken, then it can only mean that they are colluding with each other to cheat people out of money!"

"As for the fire dragon burning the warehouse that you mentioned, there are indeed warehouses that have caught fire. I don't know if that's the case."

After listening to Yu Gao's explanation, Song Xuan didn't say much. He thought for a while before asking:

"How common are cases of forged documents?"

The jailer, Mao Lang, couldn't explain this clearly.

Because this step is best handled by experts.

Yu Gao suddenly felt a fever.

Song Xuan's question was so precise, it was as if he really had worked in the county government.

Or was someone deliberately making things difficult for him, having informed Magistrate Song in advance?
After all, given Song Xuan's strength and background, most people would want to get close to him and seek a better future.

Yu Gao didn't know if it was someone inside his own torture chamber or someone from the other chambers who was trying to sabotage him.

Because these kinds of things are all unspoken rules.

Bring it to the table, let the boss know, then how can it still be considered an unspoken rule?
How will we make money in the future?

There are already few places to make money!
Yu Gao put down his teacup, pretended to think, and then spoke again:

"My lord, I have heard about this matter."

"Oh."

Song Xuan nodded and did not press the matter further; some of his words were merely a warning.

Don't treat me like an idiot and try to lie to me about everything.

Yu Gao secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that he had been very wise not to subconsciously choose to refute or prove that he had not done it.

After all, no one is exempt from investigation!

The official is still willing to give himself a chance!
Song Xuan looked at Mao Lang, the jailer beside him:

"Mao Laozi, is there something you want to say to me?"

Mao Lang also fell into deep thought. After a long pause, he cautiously spoke:

"My lord, do you know of the Worry-Free Cave?"

"I've already heard about this in my hometown, so you don't need to say anything more."

Song Xuan waved his hand: "We don't have the time or energy to find them now. After the Yellow River floods Tokyo, they may cause a lot of casualties."

Tokyo City suffers from floods every year, but the power of Wuyou Cave is growing stronger and stronger.

Mao Lang believed that Song Xuan knew too little about Wuyou Cave.

Even if the Yellow River flooded half of Tokyo, they would still find a way to escape.

"What about the rest?"

Song Xuan looked at the jailer and said:
"I heard from Magistrate Zhou that many people who spread rumors and misled the public were arrested during the Dragon Boat Festival. Is this a common occurrence?"

"Replying to your question, sir."

Mao Lang nodded, then explained somewhat cautiously:

"Actually, this is the usual practice."

"Oh?"

"Before the Dragon Boat Festival, those who spread rumors will be arrested; before the Mid-Autumn Festival, those who steal offerings will be sentenced; and before the Winter Solstice, those who illegally brew spring wine will be investigated—all because of the demand for festival gifts."

Hearing Mao Lang's words, Song Xuan couldn't help but slap the table and burst into laughter:
"Very good, very good, this is quite interesting, seasonal revenue generation!"

Song Xuan's laughter left Mao Lang and Yu Gao somewhat puzzled.

They couldn't fathom the mood of the high-ranking official before them.

So we don't know if he has any "thoughts" about this!
After all, it concerns the interests of everyone in the government.

So Mao Lang and Yu Gao could only smile along; if Shangguan laughed, we should laugh too, that was the right thing to do.

Song Xuan's smile remained unchanged:
"Does the prison have any extra income?"

Mao Lang's smile vanished instantly. He picked up his teacup without drinking and didn't dare to answer easily.

Song Xuan sat there and waited.

Sweat beaded on Mao Lang's forehead, and after a moment he spoke:

"some."

"tell me the story."

Mao Lang steeled himself, not daring to look at Song Xuan:

"New prisoners are exempt from fifty lashes on their first day of imprisonment, but it costs five taels of silver."

"Only five taels of silver?"

Song Xuan glanced at Mao Lang: "That's way too little!"

"what?"

Mao Lang was dumbfounded. For a moment, he couldn't tell whether Song Xuan was being sarcastic or genuinely saying that the money was too little.

Yu Gao took a sip of tea.

Although he had heard that the county magistrate in front of him did not like to do things according to common sense.

In this way, no one can figure him out, so they will be trembling with fear and dare not cause trouble. This is also a tactic.

No wonder he is a descendant of the God of Literature who can achieve the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations.

However, when Yu Gao heard Song Xuan say that five ounces of the invincibility rod was too little, he still couldn't hold back.

“When I was in Songcheng, the county government’s punishment for not killing someone started at five strings of copper coins. Yet Kaifeng County, the capital of the Song Dynasty, told me it would only cost five taels of silver.”

Song Xuan slammed his hand on the table:
Do you think I've never been to prison?

"So you deliberately lied to deceive me?"

"No, I wouldn't dare!"

Yu Gao slid directly off the chair to the ground and bowed to Song Xuan.
"If you ask any of the jailers in the prison, you'll find that their prices are clearly stated, and no one dares to break the rules easily."

Yu Gao, the head of the criminal investigation department, gaped wide-eyed.

He truly never expected that Song Xuan, the God of Literature descended to earth, would also end up in a prison!

That would be incredibly unlucky!
Song Xuan glanced at the dumbfounded Yu Gao:

"Master Yu, I ask you, is what he said true?"

"In reply to your question, sir, what the jailer Mao said is true. Only solitary confinement cells cost more than ten taels of silver, which is the most expensive, compared to the imperial standard of ten taels of silver for a last meal before execution."

Song Xuan was also friends with the jailer of Songcheng, and he had talked to Song Xuan about many things as topics of conversation.

A single room costing ten taels of silver, well-ventilated and dry, isn't something you can just pay once for.

It has to be paid every ten days or so.

If we determine that he can go out, then we'll charge a friendly price and pay once a month, just to be friends.

As for the last meal before execution, the wine and meat served before departure are supposed to be a ten-tael meal, but if you only get one tael, that's considered a generous gesture.

You're going to die, why are you eating so much?

A whole roasted chicken and a couple of sips of wine are enough.

Mao Lang listened to Yu Gao's revelations, and although he disliked them, he was helpless.

"Get up and sit down. I just feel that the money collected is too little."

Yu Gao sat with half his bottom on the chair, listening to Song Xuan's words with disbelief in his eyes.

What does it mean to charge too little money?
“My lord, there are too many cases like this where you can’t accept bribes openly and honestly. They simply refuse to pay and would rather be beaten.”

"Anyway, all those who come in are scoundrels and ruffians, where would they get so much money?"

"Yes, my lord. The capital city of Tokyo has a population of one million, but only a few can fill their stomachs and still have money to spare."

Song Xuan glanced at the two of them:
"These criminals are idle and lazy; do they just eat the government's rice every day?"

Mao Lang did not understand the meaning behind Song Xuan's words.

“You all just said that there are too many criminals in Tokyo, and it’s impossible to catch them all, not even the murderers.”

"Therefore, I think we should carry out labor reform for prisoners so that they can acquire a skill while in prison and find work to support themselves after they get out, so that they will not continue to endanger the security of Kaifeng County."

“We must never support prisoners who just eat and do nothing; we must make them participate in labor.”

"Whether they go to the docks to carry bags, sweep the streets, or collect manure, they can't simply be left in jail."

Mao Lang didn't dare to answer at all.

After all, Song Xuan's words sounded exactly like those of a "broker" who hires illegal workers.

"The money earned will be split 20/80 between the county government and the criminals. If they perform well, the split can gradually increase to 30/70, and eventually to 50/50."

"It doesn't matter if they don't have the money to be exempted from the beatings; they can work to pay off their debts."

"The rest of the money will be confiscated and used as public funds to subsidize the brothers in prison, so that no one will violate the laws of the Great Song Dynasty for a little money."

Yu Gao was dumbfounded by Song Xuan's idea.

Even if prisoners are locked up in jail, they can still be paid if the government organizes them to do work.

Let them do all the dirty and hard work.

Upon hearing that he could openly and legitimately receive a share of the money, Mao Lang's eyes lit up. He didn't care whether he received the money openly or not.

What he cares about is Song Xuan's support!
From now on, as long as Song Xuan gives his approval, it's reasonable to charge twenty strings of cash for the punishment of slapping someone to avoid execution.

"My lord, are you truly keeping your word?"

"Let me inform the Emperor about this matter first, so as to avoid any mistakes."

Upon hearing Song Xuan's words, Mao Lang nodded repeatedly:
"Very good, very good. If you can obtain the Emperor's approval, we will certainly follow your lead."

Yu Gao carefully reminded him from the side:
“My lord, the prisoners in the jail include those convicted of serious crimes and those convicted of minor crimes. They cannot be treated the same.”

"Ah."

Song Xuan nodded and pointed to Yu Gaodao:

“That’s right. Your prison will be busy from now on, and you’ll get a share of the profits.”

Yu Gaodeng became excited.

There's not much to embezzle in the prison, and most people aren't willing to pay to change a verdict.

“For serious offenders, the ratio should be 20/80, while for minor offenders, I think it should be 30/70 from the start, giving them a greater advantage. After all, serious offenders are detained for longer periods, and sometimes the time can be spent slowly.”

“Let serious offenders do ramming earth and building dikes, and dredging waterways, while minor offenders can go to the post stations to do hard labor, carrying documents, feeding horses and chopping firewood, and they can also weave straw sandals.”

Yu Gao immediately shared everything that came to mind.

"Not bad." Song Xuan nodded.

"In my opinion, we can also mend clothes, supply them to the Xiang Army at low prices, and provide the Imperial Guard with washing clothes, weaving straw mats, and engraving printing blocks."

"Clear ditches, bury corpses in cemeteries, and plant medicinal herbs."

"These are the only points I can think of right now. As for the rest of the work, you two should think about it more when you get back."

"Yes, yes, I will definitely think about it more when I get back."

Mao Lang was extremely excited. If this matter could be accomplished, and with Song Xuan, the God of Literature, protecting him, making a lot of money would be really easy!

"My lord, I have another question."

Yu Gao asked very cautiously, "So, will we split the money between the two of us?"

"When it comes to arresting people, we still have to rely on the yamen runners, so we should also give them a share of the profits."

"understood."

Yu Gao counted on his fingers, even if he only took 50%, it would still be excellent.

Money picked up for free.

Moreover, catching criminals in Tokyo is incredibly easy.

Song Xuan poured himself a cup of tea.

The reason there are so many crimes in Tokyo is because there are too few jobs.

He needs to create more jobs to accommodate so many prisoners.

In short, it's about spending a small amount of money to keep them in check, which is similar to how the imperial court stabilized displaced people and incorporated them into the Xiang Army.

“But the other properties might get envious when they see our profits and try to sabotage us.”

Yu Gao took a sip of tea and seriously considered the follow-up to this matter.

He believed that the emperor would certainly agree with Song Xuan's idea, after all, he had transferred a literary star like him here.

We just want him to achieve some political success.

If this method is implemented, there's a chance that some people might even commit crimes in order to get a job!

The competition in Tokyo is that fierce.

Song Xuan nodded, then smiled:
"Do you think we can feed the brothers in the county government by walking on one leg alone?"

“I will find other houses to do other business transactions, so that I can earn more business money and ensure that my brothers can live comfortably in Tokyo.”

"If too many chopsticks are put into one pot, no one will get enough to eat."

Yu Gao immediately felt relieved. Since the master had such ideas, he no longer needed to worry.

"Also, before I inform you, do not speak of this matter to anyone. Think about it yourselves first. I also need to consider how to tell His Majesty about this matter."

"understand."

Mao Lang and Yu Gao walked out with smiles on their faces.

The other minor officials, who were keeping a close eye on the area, noticed this and approached to inquire.

Although their smiles were barely concealed, they kept their mouths tightly shut.

It concerns my own interests.

If someone leaks the information, you'll inevitably be unable to accomplish anything and end up with nothing but disappointment.

Song Xuan silently prepared to write a report to the emperor, which was essentially a version of the work-for-relief program, replacing criminal punishment with work, to prevent the middleman Liu family from profiting from the program.

Building dikes was a regular expense for the imperial court.

This will save a lot of money and allow us to do a better job on the project.

From now on, Tokyo should be shrouded in a climate of fear and unease. If you dare to commit a crime in the street, you will be arrested and put to work.

After Song Xuan finished writing, he did not rush to send it to the emperor, but thought that there might be other supplementary details in the future.

He simply set it aside and waited for the ink to dry.

It can be said that Song Xuan's official position is quite relaxed at present. Since taking office, there have been no unexpected events, and he can calmly make arrangements according to his own ideas.

After finishing his shift, Song Xuan returned home and was about to eat when he encountered Fan Zhongyan, who had come to visit him.

Song Xuan and Zhang Fangping quickly welcomed the dean in.

Zhang Fangping still lives in the side room; given his circumstances, he simply doesn't have the means to rent a place.

The main reason is that he has been leisurely visiting those people according to the notes lately.

Hearing that there was some juicy gossip at today's grand court assembly, he returned to listen to Song Xuan's tidbits.

"The dean hasn't eaten either, has he?"

"Not really."

Song Xuan quickly invited him to sit down, and Cao Qingyao also bowed to Fan Zhongyan.

This could be considered a friendly exchange between family members, and Fan Zhongyan politely nodded in agreement.

Zhang Fangping asked directly at the dinner table, and Song Xuan didn't hide anything, telling him everything in detail.

"Hahaha."

Zhang Fangping, holding his rice bowl, couldn't help but burst into laughter:
"That Liu Congde eating dog shit must have been done by Twelfth Brother; no one else would have the guts!"

"Hey, I'm suing you for defamation!"

Song Xuan shoveled rice into his mouth: "Nobody saw!"

"Actually, I saw it."

Fan Zhongyan stood in front of Liu Congde, but he saw Song Xuan stretch out his leg.

"I do not believe."

Song Xuan waved his hands repeatedly: "I didn't do this at all, how can you smear my innocence for no reason?"

Fan Zhongyan didn't want to dwell on the matter and focused on eating.

After Cao Qingyao stopped eating, someone was ordered to serve tea, and only then did Fan Zhongyan speak:

"Twelfth Brother, now that you are an official, don't be so impulsive in the future."

"I wasn't the only one who saw that angle."

"It's just that Liu Congde did something so despicable that no one exposed you."

After rinsing his mouth, Song Xuan sat back down in his chair: "I understand the dean's teachings and will keep them in mind."

Zhang Fangping was too lazy to refute his own dean.

After all, based on his understanding of Song Xuan, Twelfth Brother must not have used much strength.

Otherwise, Liu Congde wouldn't have been able to get up on his own.

Zhang Fangping then asked, "By the way, Dean, how about you go and discuss the river embankment survey with Minister Wang?"

"Tomorrow we will go to investigate. Minister Zhang will lead the investigation, and we will follow. Chen Yaozuo will also go. We have specially found several ministers with experience in building dikes to go, so that everyone can spot any problems."

Song Xuan nodded. Even building a royal tomb can cause problems, let alone other ordinary projects.

If Liu Congde can get you some decent stones from outside, then at least he has some conscience!

"Then the dean should investigate this thoroughly, as a heavy rain could fall on Tokyo at any time."

Song Xuan couldn't help but sigh again:
"I really don't want to wade through the water to go on duty; it's too dirty, and it makes me more susceptible to getting sick!"

"The dean is also aware of the saying that a major epidemic follows a major flood."

Fan Zhongyan nodded. Even if there was no major flood in the capital city of Tokyo, corpses would still occasionally reappear in the ditches!

Tokyo is much less safe than other places.

A mixed bag.

People die every day; that's commonplace.

Most people can't afford to collect a corpse, let alone bury it in a coffin.

"Twelfth Brother, there are some things you shouldn't say in full anymore."

Fan Zhongyan had no choice but to tell Song Xuan to tone down his temper.

For example, you could say you're worried about an epidemic, but there's no need to add the preceding sentence, making it seem like you don't want to wade through the water to go on duty.

The officialdom is not an easy place to stay; you have to be careful about your words and actions at all times.

Especially when someone wants to mess with you, they have more experience in fighting than you.

Even I, as the dean, am just a low-ranking official of the eighth rank, unable to protect you, a seventh-rank county magistrate.

Fan Zhongyan's advice to Song Xuan to pay more attention is just like Song Xuan's advice to the young emperor to pay more attention.

People are always quick to spot problems in others, but often ignore or turn a blind eye to their own.

Song Xuan indicated that he understood.

Zhang Fangping remained silent, as his post was of the same rank as Fan Zhongyan's.

We are essentially in the same department, just with two branches.

"Dean, I heard people talking about you. That Liu Congde holds a grudge against you."

Zhang Fangping told Fan Zhongyan, who had been busy all day, about the news he had heard that day. He had planned to find an opportunity tomorrow.

Fan Zhongyan stroked his beard and chuckled:
“If I were afraid of him and the Empress Dowager who supports him, I wouldn’t have impeached him in the Golden Hall today.”

"We have no intention of doubting the dean's courage."

Song Xuan subconsciously lowered his voice:

"However, getting the Empress Dowager to return power to the Emperor in a short period of time still requires a lot of planning, otherwise it's easy to alert the enemy."

Fan Zhongyan subconsciously held his breath; he hadn't expected Song Xuan to be so bold!
Even though he had his own thoughts on this matter, he didn't dare to bring it up openly at this time.

Because Fan Zhongyan had not yet found a suitable entry point to facilitate this matter.

"Twelfth Brother, be careful what you say about this."

Fan Zhongyan quickly stopped them, not wanting to discuss this topic:
"During your time as magistrate of Kaifeng, have you encountered any problems?"

(End of this chapter)