A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 315 What did he do?

Li Junyou then told Song Xuan about the recent news in Tokyo.

The main issue revolves around the Kaifeng County government's demand for tax payments.

They are all in the observation phase.

After what happened yesterday, even more people will be uneasy.

"If Liu Congde were to bring the tax money, I reckon even Fanlou wouldn't be able to sit still."

"I just don't know when that guy surnamed Liu will arrive."

After saying this, Li Junyou's face showed admiration.

Song Xuan's first act as the new official was such a grand affair.

From now on, anyone making a living in Dongjing City will have to give face to the magistrate of Kaifeng County before even looking at the prefect of Kaifeng.

Li Junyou was certain that Chen Yaozuo would not dare to provoke the Liu family.

"Cousin, you are mistaken."

Song Xuan walked to the newly bought tea set and warmed the cups:

"Fanlou has existed for so many years, could it really be that the Liu family has the final say?"

In Song Xuan's view, Liu Congde was nothing more than a legal entity that received a small amount of profit from Fanlou.

Upon hearing this, Li Junyou was taken aback at first, then chuckled.

Fanlou only gave the Liu family a small share, yet it claimed to the outside world that it was a territory protected by the Liu family.

In short, nobody dares to mess with them.

He felt that Fanlou giving the Liu family shares was also to prevent them from causing trouble.

Incidentally, they dumped all the dirty tricks and bad reputations on the Liu family.

When Chen Yaozi was the Prefect of Kaifeng, there were cases of people suing the Liu family.

However, Li Junyou did not fully understand it at the time.

The reason why the eldest aunt made Liu Congde take the initiative to apologize to Song Xuan was because she finally had a change of heart and could not stand what the Liu family had done.

They still valued Song Xuan and wanted to take him under their wing.

"That's true, we still don't know who the mastermind behind Fanlou is."

Li Junyou sat opposite Song Xuan, watching him brew tea and rinse the cups. His actions were quite different from those of the others who were competing in tea.

"You don't know either?" Song Xuan raised an eyebrow.

"My Li family has only been wealthy for less than three generations. How could we possibly know too much about the prosperity and filth of Tokyo?"

Li Junyou also said with considerable helplessness:

"Brother-in-law, my family is entirely supported by my grandfather."

“My father’s generation all relied on hereditary privileges.”

"I am currently just a minor official, and I have not yet had the opportunity to be granted a hereditary position."

"All I can do is wander around Tokyo, gather information, and try to curry favor with my brother-in-law."

Song Xuan didn't stop what he was doing; he was quite impressed by Li Junyou's candid demeanor.

His grandfather was a notorious corrupt official.

Once the family fortunes decline, will they be able to keep their wealth?

It's still too early to say.

Li Junyou might only get the chance to receive a hereditary official position after his grandfather dies.

Then there will be even less support for the Li family.

Cao, being a military officer, couldn't gain any favors even if he wanted to.

Unless someone in the Li family wants to abandon literature for martial arts.

"Don't you ever think about taking the imperial examination?"

Hearing Song Xuan's question, Li Junyou chuckled:
“Brother-in-law, don’t be fooled by my casual strolls. I was a student at the Imperial Academy a long time ago, but I just don’t go there often.”

"I can't learn those Confucian classics that Confucius taught. Do you really think I have a brain like yours?"

"If only that were the case, I would have passed the exam long ago, instead of having to wait for a government position at this age."

"With my grandfather, that robust old man, I wouldn't get a chance for at least ten or eight years."

Song Xuan nodded and said nothing more.

Li Junyou was telling the truth; the Song Dynasty now has a serious overabundance of officials.

It wasn't just Song Xuan and his group who became Jinshi; there were also over a thousand other Jinshi who passed miscellaneous exams, but their qualifications weren't as high as those of Song Xuan and his group.

Moreover, the students in Kaifeng County are quite ambitious, and there are also people from other places who come to buy the names of their ancestors' graves on tombstones.

This item was also part of the income of county clerks.

After all, they hadn't registered before, and now they're registering at the county government office right before the exam. How could there be no problem?
The money must also be in place appropriately.

"I heard you're planning to open a private school for the children of those people in the county government?"

"Not bad." Song Xuan nodded slightly.
“There are quite a few sons of officials like you in Tokyo who waste their family resources and are born into this land for nothing.”

"You know, the easiest way to get a degree in Kaifeng Prefecture is to get a degree in the whole country. So I'm helping the children of my men. If one of them passes the imperial examination in the future, it's a good thing."

Li Junyou was speechless, for the Song Dynasty treated Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) with preferential treatment.

With this strategy, as long as taxes are collected, Song Xuan will have the money to do this.

Such a method of winning people's hearts is truly not something an ordinary person could come up with.

Other county magistrates will only focus on the local county school or state school.

"That's it, that's all."

Li Junyou stood up: "I won't stay here any longer, so as not to delay your work."

"Speaking of this matter, I'd like to visit the great Confucian scholar Sun Shi and ask him to recommend two good private tutors before I leave Tokyo."

Song Xuan also stood up, still feeling the tea set was too hot, and called Wang Bao and Xu Xianchun to come out.

Now the entire county government is operating according to Song Xuan's orders, and as long as no emergency occurs, he won't be overburdened.

County Magistrate Zhou watched as Song Xuan led his men out the door.

He had been hoping that Liu Congde would retaliate, perhaps to see more excitement.

As it approached lunchtime, no news came from the palace.

In the past, the county government had seized the Liu family's goods before.

As a result, people from the palace came directly and said that this batch of goods was normal.

They took the people and their goods with them, and even had to apologize and compensate for the losses.

That's it.

There was no need for Liu Congde to personally intervene.

Even though Liu Congde personally came forward yesterday, there was still no news from the palace.

Does this mean that Song Xuan was doing what the Empress Dowager wanted?
Such a quiet commotion made many of the county officials, who were still feeling uneasy, realize that this was not an ordinary occurrence, and they were finally able to relax.

Song Da Guanren beat up Liu Congde.

He just put up with it like that?

At the time, everyone thought that Master Song was really brave, but in retrospect, he was bound to suffer retaliation from Liu Congde.

The retaliation has not yet come, and it seems as if nothing ever happened.

Upon seeing Song Xuan emerge, Qi Lecheng hurriedly went to greet him:
"My lord, where are we going? Would you like me to lead the way?"

"No need. You stay in the county office and do your work. I'm going to visit the great scholar Sun Shi and ask him to recommend some famous teachers so that we can find good tutors for our brothers' children. That way, everyone can have peace of mind."

"Please take care, sir. I will keep a close eye on things."

With a smile on his face, Qi Lecheng bowed and watched Song Xuan leave.

As soon as Song Xuan left, someone came over to ask where the official had gone.

This kind of thing.

Qi Lecheng didn't intend to hide it.

Anyway, those are the official's exact words.

Upon hearing this, one realizes that even Master Lian was recommended by Sun Shi, the most renowned Confucian scholar in the capital city of Tokyo.

This immediately brought great joy to the officials who had children.

I originally thought I would just spend some money to find a teacher, but I never expected that Master Song would go to a great Confucian scholar of the time for a recommendation.

Is such a network of connections something that an ordinary person can easily access?
Now everyone was even more excited about the private school that was about to be established in the county government office.

Shortly after Song Xuan left, Liu Congde arrived in a carriage, looking very displeased.

He actually had a plan to get the copper coins, and he made Song Xuan and the others count them one by one.

But upon further reflection, he realized that his grand procession of carriages would surely spread throughout the entire city of Tokyo.

It would be better to settle the matter with gold; that wouldn't be too humiliating.

At that time, some of the heroes of Tokyo will surely be tempted.

gold.

Everyone likes it!

He wouldn't call it using someone else to do his dirty work, but Liu Congde certainly understood the principle of a child carrying gold.

He dared not disobey his aunt's orders.

Despite this, he firmly believed that he had been framed by Song Xuan and that his aunt had been deceived by Song Xuan.

But no matter what, I have to settle the money with Song Xuan first, get his forgiveness, and make him stop reporting this matter. Only then will I have a chance to talk to my aunt.

A temporary setback is nothing, as long as we get through this difficult time.

There will be plenty of ways to deal with Song Xuan in the future.

Just as Liu Congde was putting on a show of self-deception, the carriage stopped.

Qi Lecheng narrowed his eyes slightly. In Tokyo, there were very few families who could afford to use fine horses to pull carriages.

Even if it was Song Da Guanren's father-in-law, the horse pulling his carriage was a slow horse from Dali.

Wang Anshi once said that it costs the government 500 strings of cash to raise a good horse, and the cost would be even higher if a private individual raised a good horse.

Despite the shortage of horses in the Song Dynasty, the court officials looked down on the Dian horses from Dali and preferred to force the people to raise Hequ horses haphazardly.

After all, the southwest region had long been regarded by them as a "wild and untamed land"!
Liu Congde lifted the curtain and, tilting his head, spotted the lowly yamen runner.

He suppressed his anger: "Is Magistrate Song here?"

Qi Lecheng was taken aback. He really didn't expect that the usually arrogant and domineering Young Master Liu would be so polite.

"No."

"He's not in now?"

Liu Congde was about to blurt out a curse at Song Xuan, asking if he had done it on purpose.

But then I thought about it again. At this time, Song Xuan didn't know that his memorial had been blocked, nor did he know the Empress's order.

Liu Congde did not inquire further about the relationship between Li Junyou and Song Xuan.

In his ideal world, since Li Junyou was on good terms with his brother-in-law Wang Yufeng, he was naturally one of his own.

How could he possibly tip off Song Xuan?
It could be said that Liu Congde used to disdain keeping track of who in the court was related to whom by marriage.

In any case, looking at the entire Song Dynasty, no marriage alliance is as strong as one's own!
What did he go about?

"The high official has gone to visit the great Confucian scholar Sun Shi."

Qi Lecheng asked very politely, "May I ask what brings Prefect Liu here today?"

"Pay back the money."

Liu Congde replied instinctively.

He actually wanted to find Song Xuan, but when he thought of the great Confucian scholar Sun Shi, even his aunt respected him greatly.

If this matter escalates, many officials in the court will be Sun Shi's students.

The advantage is not mine.

Why don't we wait here for now?

"We need to strike the right pose."

Liu Congde got out of the car and indeed saw the yamen runners looking at him with some surprise.

"This black dog is indeed Song Xuan's confidant; he knows Song Xuan's whereabouts perfectly well."

Liu Congde was even more pleased with his analysis from yesterday.

It was all Wang Zeng's scheme behind the scenes.

Otherwise, we would never have been caught off guard like this today.

"What are you standing there for? Tell someone to carry that chest of gold inside."

"what?"

Qi Lecheng was indeed dumbfounded.

He did indeed consider many ways to retaliate against Liu Congde.

The only thing that didn't expect was that Liu Congde would obediently come to deliver the money and take the initiative to settle the debt.

It is the first one in the entire Kaifeng County area.

What are you standing there for?

Looking at Qi Lecheng's appearance, Liu Congde suddenly had a sudden realization.

Did none of them expect that they would voluntarily settle their debts?

So Wang Zeng had prepared an excellent backup plan, but his aunt saw through it.

Correct.

A flash of inspiration struck Liu Congde.

It must be that my aunt saw through Wang Zeng's scheme, which is why she forced me to settle the debt.

This thwarted Wang Zeng and his associates' scheme.

My aunt is far more insightful and far-sighted than I am.

Thinking of this, Liu Congde said with undisguised pride:

"What, you don't believe it?"

"this."

Qi Lecheng also wondered if there was a conspiracy involved.
Is there some kind of poison in the box, intended to harm the high-ranking official?

Thinking of this, Qi Lecheng said very politely, "Prefect Liu, may we examine it?"

"can."

So Qi Lecheng went directly to the household office and found Qian Gansan:

"Prefect Liu has come to repay the debt. I hope Manager Qian can take people to count it immediately."

"Young Master Qi, may I ask which Prefect Liu you are?"

"Of course, he is the eldest aunt's nephew."

"what?"

Everyone in the room stood up in shock, staring blankly at Qi Lecheng.

This is utter nonsense!
If the Liu family can repay the money, you should be grateful they don't ask you for money back.

"Don't just stand there. Steward Qian, bring your men in and carry that box of gold in. We'll count it properly in the courtyard so that Prefect Liu won't blame us."

"Hey, hey."

"By the way, check carefully."

"I will investigate thoroughly," Qian Gansan assured, patting his chest.

Qi Lecheng did indeed shake his head:
“You must verify the authenticity of every single gold ingot. This is no ordinary matter. If there is any fraud, then it will be your responsibility.”

"Think about it, is Prefect Liu the kind of person who would easily suffer a loss?"

"If there are fakes mixed in, then Manager Qian will have to pay back all the money he has made over the years, and he will also have to pay compensation and take lives."

Hearing Qi Lecheng's words, Qian Gan nodded heavily.

This is the truth.

Liu Congde's initiative to repay the debt reveals an unusual conspiracy.

And it is extremely large.

"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Qi."

"Once this matter is settled, I will definitely treat you to a meal, young man."

"Hey, we're all doing this for you, sir, why bother with a word of thanks?" Qi Lecheng said with a leisurely smile.
"I just think that Prefect Liu has ill intentions. I've never seen gold in my life, and I still need Manager Qian's expertise to distinguish the real from the fake."

"Hahaha, no problem, no problem."

After being showered with praise, Qian Gansan hurriedly led his men to carry the box of gold.

It was so hard to lift it as soon as it was touched. Although it hadn't been opened, Qian Gansan confirmed that it was real gold.

Qian Gansan immediately ordered everyone to work together to carry it into the courtyard.

Such a large sum of money must not be flaunted.

Do you really think the county government office is absolutely safe?
In Tokyo, both master thieves and robbers are extremely arrogant.

Liu Congde watched them carry it in together, and he actually hoped that Song Xuan could put it in his room.

Qian Gansan opened the box, and a dazzling light emanated from it.

Although he was covered in sweat from carrying the boxes.

But seeing the piles of gold in front of him made him even more dizzy.

I have never seen so much gold in my life.

Not only Qian Gansan looked like this, but everyone around him also gathered around, staring blankly at the box of gold.

"Hey, don't do it."

钱甘三直接扑在金子上：

"What are you doing? Stand back! Are you out of your mind?"

Everyone then snapped out of their daze, and Qi Lecheng was also somewhat dizzy.

He'd never have the chance to get even a single piece of gold in his lifetime, let alone a chest of it.

“Manager Qian, I just wanted to weigh it carefully. I’ve never weighed a gold ingot before in my life.”

"roll roll roll."

Qian Gansan protected him, preventing anyone from getting close.

He snapped out of his dizziness and remembered Qi Lecheng's words, but he was afraid something might go wrong.

So he told his apprentice to go and tend the fire so that he could refine anything that was uncertain and make sure there were no problems.

Liu Congde fanned himself as he looked at this group of unsophisticated people and gave them a disdainful smile.

It's just a box of gold, what's the big deal?

I have plenty in my cellar.

County Magistrate Zhou, disregarding Liu Congde's presence, squeezed into the crowd, exclaimed in surprise, and rushed towards the box:

"Everyone step back and tell Ban Feng to bring men to guard it. If even one piece is missing, you may have the life to take it, but you may not have the life to spend it."

With Song Xuan, the person in charge, absent, County Magistrate Zhou's word is law.

Ban Feng rushed over upon hearing this, also finding it hard to believe that Liu Congde would voluntarily come to repay his debt after being beaten by Song Xuan.

So they were dumbfounded when they saw this box of gold.

damned!
I've never seen so many gold bars in my life.

"Ban Feng, you take your men and guard the area. We absolutely cannot let any unauthorized personnel get close."

County Magistrate Zhou held the gold ingot tightly in his hand, reluctantly handing it over to Qian Gansan to verify its authenticity.

He wanted to hold onto the gold, so he simply sat on the ground and acted as an assistant.

After a long while, Qian Gansan finally confirmed that there was nothing wrong with the box of gold.

Then he looked at County Magistrate Zhou, who was standing to the side.

Zhou Derong reluctantly closed the box, and disappointment was clearly visible in everyone's eyes.

"Has the test been completed?"

"Reporting to Prefect Liu, the inspection is complete."

County Magistrate Zhou quickly stood up and respectfully bowed to Liu Congde.

Liu Congde's hands behind his back:
"Then I will wait here for Magistrate Song to return so that we can hand over the reins. He can also give me a list and discuss releasing the people from Liu Lou."

County Magistrate Zhou hurriedly took his own tea set to pour tea for Liu Congde.

Ban Feng couldn't figure out what kind of scheme Liu Congde was up to.

Is there a trap here?
No one believed that Liu Congde would obediently pay his debts. Qi Lecheng, on the other hand, carefully watched the people in Qian Gansan's household, checking for signs of poisoning or other illnesses.

In any case, we must be on guard.

Everyone in the county government office started discussing the matter.

It's like the sun has risen in the west! When did Liu Congde become so easy to talk to?
"That must be a case of one thing subduing another."

Yu Gao sighed, "Yes."

Wang Defa, however, was well-informed: "I heard from outsiders that the great master is called the 'Standing Earthly Tai Sui,' so what is Liu Congde, a mere living Yama, compared to him?"

"Even a living Yama would have to obediently bow his head and admit his mistake when he sees a local deity."

"Hiss, that makes sense." Yu Gao, the chief clerk of the Ministry of Justice, nodded repeatedly.

……

Song Xuan didn't think Liu Congde would be able to mentally prepare himself in a short time and come to pay his taxes in person with the money.

He stood in front of the door of the great Confucian scholar Sun Shi and knocked.

Song Xuan had inquired beforehand because Sun Shi wanted to teach at Yingtian Academy, but the Emperor and Empress Dowager disagreed.

So the old man started to feign illness and skip court, intending to go through the process of retiring due to illness.

The stalemate continues.

Even if a subject wanted to retire, the emperor could not approve it immediately; there would always be a process of three refusals and three concessions.

So as not to chill the hearts of the ministers.

In the Song Dynasty, wanting to resign from an official position didn't necessarily mean one truly wanted to resign; most of the time, it was a way of expressing one's attitude to the emperor.

The old man's residence was not luxurious, but it was located in a hutong (alleyway).

"Who?"

"I am Song Xuan, the magistrate of Kaifeng, and I have come here specifically to request an audience with Scholar Sun."

The courtyard gate opened, and the servant bowed before speaking:

"Please wait a moment, Magistrate Song, I will go and inform my master right away."

Song Xuan didn't have to wait long before a servant helped Sun Shi out.

Upon seeing this, Song Xuan quickly stepped forward:

“Scholar Sun, how could you come out? It should be the junior who takes the initiative to visit you.”

"Hahaha."

Sun Shi sized up Song Xuan: "I am pleased."

To be fair, Song Xuan was chosen as the top scholar by Sun Shi, and the two had a certain "teacher-student" relationship.

However, due to the regulations of the imperial court, Song Xuan should not have a teacher-student relationship with Sun Shi.

"Is it really so sensible of Scholar Song to come and visit this old man like me?"

Since Song Xuan has not yet received his courtesy name, it is time for him to do so.

Although Sun Shi was a renowned Confucian scholar of the time and qualified, his relationship with Song Xuan was not close, so he would not bring up such a matter on his own initiative.

It's better to say it's Song Xuan.

However, Song Xuan was unaware of this problem at the time.

Therefore, he simply explained that he wanted to seek some benefits for his subordinates and asked Sun Shi to recommend a few suitable local teachers to help him establish a private school.

"I see."

Sun Shi had no objections; officials like Song Xuan were truly rare.

That's normal, though; everyone wants better education in their county.

But to get better is just too difficult and complicated.

Unless one is a local official with exceptionally good luck like Yan Shu.

This immediately put the students of Yingtian Prefecture at the top of the list.

A man like Yan Shu would surely become famous throughout the land and would have a notable political record in the court.

No one can compare.

What were the requirements of the top scholar in the Song Dynasty?

“I accept both boys and girls and teach them to do math and read.”

"If there are suitable students who are going to take the imperial examination route, I will recommend them to the county school, or I can set up a high-level private school to teach them some experience in the imperial examination."

"If they really aren't cut out for this, I'll see if I can send them to the Imperial Guard. My father-in-law does have some prestige, after all."

"Hahaha."

Upon hearing Song Xuan's remarks, Sun Shi couldn't help but burst into laughter.

In fact, he didn't have high hopes for Song Xuan's desire to teach others.

Because someone like Song Xuan, who could adapt well to the reforms of the imperial examination system and even achieve the highest honors in all three levels of the examinations, might not necessarily be able to teach well.

Sun Shi himself is a veteran teacher.

He knew very well how irritable Song Xuan would be if he started teaching and encountered a student who didn't understand.

In Song Xuan's view, it was a very simple point that didn't need any explanation, but the others just couldn't understand it.

"Scholar Sun, why are you laughing?"

“I laugh at the fact that a top scholar would have such thoughts.”

“Your learning methods are not suitable for those people, just as they cannot learn from Zhang Fangping.”

Song Xuan gave an "oh" and didn't reply.

Sun Shi thought for a moment:
"However, your idea of ​​teaching how to calculate genders is quite feasible."

"There are many business people in Tokyo. These young ladies will be good at accounting in the future, and they can also help their husbands' families. This will also alleviate the world's contempt for officials."

"They really do care about them."

"So, Scholar Sun, do you have someone in mind?"

"Why don't you let my grandson work as a teacher for you first? That way he can gain some experience."

Although Sun Shi passed the imperial examination, both of his sons were appointed to official positions through hereditary privilege.

Even the son of a great Confucian scholar might not be able to excel in this area of ​​learning.

Therefore, Sun Shi placed his hopes on the third generation.

He himself only passed the exam after becoming a "teacher".

Since we can't hold onto our peak, we might as well walk the path we came from.

Such a great opportunity was delivered right to Sun Shi's doorstep.

Otherwise, he would have taken his eldest grandson to Yingtian Academy.

"what?"

Song Xuan was somewhat bewildered: "I don't mean to look down on Scholar Sun's grandson, but shouldn't he also be preparing for the imperial examinations? How can he waste his time on something like this?"

"No no no."

Sun Shi waved his hand repeatedly: "That's how I came up back then. Let him go and teach, he will have a deeper understanding of this knowledge."

"Otherwise, if you are stumped by a student's question or give the wrong answer, you will ruin the student's life."

"In this way, he will surely supervise himself better, which is a win-win situation."

Now that Sun Shi had developed his own theory, Song Xuan no longer declined.

In any case, the great Confucian scholar Sun Shidu personally taught his grandson, and this opportunity alone is something that others can only envy.

"Then thank you very much, Scholar Sun."

"No need for thanks," Sun Shi said, stroking his beard.
"Actually, after carefully studying the four sentences you raised at Yingtian Academy, I still have some concerns."

"What are you worried about?"

A bad thought suddenly flashed through Song Xuan's mind: Could it be that Sun Shi was also a "conservative"?
"Since there are no outsiders here, I won't say anything nice. I just want to remind you."

"As a student, I am a junior and a junior, but I am naturally willing to listen to the words of my seniors."

Sun Shi looked at Song Xuan and said, "Since the Han and Tang dynasties, the concept of Heaven and Earth as the center of thought has been established, and only the emperor can speak on its behalf. You are asking scholars to directly establish their own center of thought, which is almost a challenge to the emperor's right to interpret the law."

“More than one student came to me to report your problems, and they even brought my annotated version of Mencius, emphasizing the great righteousness between ruler and subject, and rebuking you for being extremely ‘absurd’!”

“Since the founding of the nation by Emperor Taizu, he has emphasized that the emperor and the scholar-officials share the world. My proposal to establish a moral compass for heaven and earth is also in the hope that the scholar-officials can shoulder heavy responsibilities and not just think about enjoying themselves after passing the imperial examination.”

"Does the emperor and the scholar-officials share the empire?"

Sun Shi sighed softly. In the Song Dynasty, the concept of the divine right of kings was weak, Confucianism was reviving, and policies were lenient.

As the number of successful candidates in the imperial examinations increased, the scholarly spirit of taking the world as their responsibility also became more and more prevalent.

However, many in the current court are conservatives.

Song Xuan's remarks had a significant impact among those who did not pass the imperial examinations, but among those who had already benefited from the system, they were indeed seen as statements that threatened their very foundation.

Sun Shi received many questions from students, but they were all suppressed.

Even more extreme, some say that Song Xuan posed a threat of undermining the Five Classics.

Sun Shi devoted his life to the textual exegesis of the Five Classics, while Song Xuan's four sentences emphasizing "continuing the lost learning" actually negated the Han and Tang commentary tradition, implying that contemporary Confucianism had "died."

Isn't this just "tempting people to engage in empty talk"?

"As for bringing peace to all generations, that's just the wild and absurd nonsense of a pedantic scholar!"

"Even Yi Yin and the Duke of Zhou dared not speak out, so how could Song Xuan, at that time, be a mere commoner, to seek praise with empty words?"

Such remarks filled Sun Shi's ears, so he no longer wanted to stay in the court. Just as Fan Zhongyan had suggested, he went to Yingtian Academy to see for himself and experience it for himself.

Sun Shi was not someone who was complacent and intolerant of younger students.

He used to be a teacher and has an extremely tolerant nature.

However, many of his students were somewhat "extreme," believing that Song Xuan's remarks should be eliminated and that he should be labeled a Confucian rebel, hoping that their teacher would step in.

At that time, countless people will surely follow.

Sun Shi refused, and today he specifically reminded Song Xuan.

After listening to Sun Shi's account, Song Xuan nodded: "I had already guessed it, but I didn't think it was that serious at first."

"It was only after I tried the case of Qin Ying, the prefectural magistrate of Kaifeng, who falsely accused Mu Xiu of participating in the war, that I realized how terrible such disputes could be."

"Yes, they are all the backbone of the Song Dynasty, and you, Song Xuan, are even more so a pillar of the Song Dynasty in the future."

"How can we tear each other apart over something like this?"

"In the end, it is the strength of the Song Dynasty that will suffer."

Sun Shi sighed softly: "But even Confucius executed Shao Zhengmao, let alone those who are inferior to Confucius."

"You, Song Xuan, will face some difficulties in the court from now on, because many people disagree with your ideas, so be careful."

"Thank you for the reminder, Scholar Sun."

Song Xuan stood up and bowed to Sun Shi:
"If it weren't for that, I wouldn't know where I had offended these people."

"It doesn't matter."

Sun Shi gave Song Xuan a copy of Jia Changchao's work, "Zhouyi Yanyi".

Let him see; among them, the one who attacked Song Xuan the most was Jia Changchao.

Sun Shi hoped that Confucianism would flourish more and more.

Song Xuan's current theories are incomplete, and he has not formed his own unique "interpretation" of Confucianism, so he will naturally be attacked by many people.

However, these people's attacks also stem from their lack of a systematic ideology; they can only rely on tradition to demonstrate their orthodoxy.

Sun Shi understood that Emperor Wu of Han had exclusively promoted Confucianism and suppressed other schools of thought.

Confucianism has become inclusive and adapted to different dynasties.

Many interpretations differ from those of the previous dynasty.

Therefore, he felt that it was perfectly normal for the establishment of the Song Dynasty to lead to new interpretations of Confucianism.

But his students were even more stubborn than he was.

Sun Shi's second son, Sun Yu, brought Jia Changchao to visit.

Sun Shi was preparing to retire and recommended Jia Changchao to replace him. In return, Jia Changchao would also recommend Sun Yu in the future.

The two of them are very close, so there's no need for them to be informed.

Then I saw a handsome man visiting.

"teacher."

"Father."

Jia Changchao quickly bowed and then looked Song Xuan up and down.

Sun Shi then asked them to sit down, introduced Song Xuan, and then introduced the two of them to Song Xuan.

Jia Changchao was not a formally trained historian; he was the great-grandson of a well-known historian of the Later Jin Dynasty.

Emperor Zhenzong of Song once prayed for a good harvest at the southern suburbs. Jia Changchao presented a eulogy on the roadside and was summoned for an examination, whereupon he was granted the title of Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).

Jia Changchao was very skilled in philology, which is why he was valued by the great Confucian scholar Sun Shi, who also taught him carefully.

However, Sun Shi also knew Jia Changchao's shortcomings, namely that although he was well-versed in Confucian classics, he was prone to favoritism and bias.

I had a little ulterior motive in recommending him.

After all, no one is perfect, and who wouldn't want their descendants to have a better life?

After all, his son didn't get his position through examinations; he became an official through hereditary privilege, and has remained a minor official for many years.

Jia Changchao did indeed become prime minister in his later years and promoted Sun Yu.

Even after Sun Shi's death, he actively sought to promote the bestowal of imperial favor upon his descendants.

After a minister dies, the court will appoint his descendants as a reward. Li Junyou was able to become an official only after his grandfather died.

But by then, the court will have no connections that can help them.

Jia Changchao was naturally one of the students who couldn't stand Song Xuan's four lines about Yingtian.

At this moment, he kept staring at Song Xuan, wanting to make trouble.

However, out of consideration for the Master's reputation, they did not launch an attack.

Song Xuan glanced at Jia Changchao, but simply listened quietly to Sun Shi's words.

Because he could sense that Jia Changchao on the other side had been harboring his own thoughts.

It seems that the students Sun Shi was referring to included him.

Jia Changchao was not only corrupt, but also vain, fond of luxurious mansions, and later colluded with eunuchs.

But they still have the ability.

Sun Yu couldn't sit still any longer and immediately asked:
"Such an outstanding scholar as Song Zhuangyuan, is there really any need to ask my father to come out of retirement?"

Song Xuan glanced at Sun Yu and understood his father's concerns.

After all, with parents who are highly educated, there are countless examples of "dragons and phoenixes flying together" (meaning a perfect match).

Sun Yu is a case in point now.

Parents plan far ahead for their children.

Song Xuan, holding his teacup, asked, "Was there any contact during this time?"

Sun Yu immediately fell silent.

He was truly speechless. So what if someone is outstanding? Does he have to do everything himself?

Sun Yu glanced at his father and quickly cupped his hands in apology, saying, "I was being presumptuous."

Jia Changchao was indeed unconvinced: "Scholar Song, we really can't say anything good about the four lines about Yingtian that you proposed."

The Book of Rites states: "Man is born with stillness, which is the nature of Heaven; but when moved by external things, he becomes agitated, which is the desire of his nature. The sages created music to respond to Heaven..."

"Heaven and earth are inherently without intention! Sages merely establish rites in accordance with Heaven's will. How dare you presume to establish your own intentions? Are you trying to act on behalf of Heaven?"

"Wouldn't that be the same as Wang Mang's actions?"

Song Xuan tilted his head as he heard Jia Changchao put the big accusation on him:
"Is this how Jia Zhongshu studies the classics?"

Song Xuan held up Jia Changchao's work:

"Just now, Scholar Sun asked me to read your article carefully. On the title page, Master Jia clearly stated: 'The sage observes the heavens and establishes teachings, not that the heavens teach by themselves.'"

"According to this logic, if sages can establish teachings on behalf of Heaven, why can't scholars establish their own minds?"

Jia Changchao was momentarily stunned.

He glanced at his teacher and thought to himself that the teacher was showing too much favoritism towards the newcomers.

How can I get Song Xuan to use my spear to attack my shield?

Sun Yu secretly clicked his tongue in amazement; Song Xuan, this top scholar, was truly something else.

Because he always felt that Jia Changchao's remarks were correct, and he couldn't refute them.

Even when Sun Yu asked his father, the great Confucian scholar, Sun Shi said he couldn't refute it.

Could it be that Father already knew, but didn't want to hurt his disciple's feelings, so he didn't refute it?

Sun Shi remained seated and did not say much.

However, Jia Changchao was not discouraged:
“From Zheng Xuan to Kong Yingda, the sacred learning has been passed down for millions of words. How can it be called ‘lost learning’?”

"Are you implying that the current administration's civil administration is all a vain illusion?"

Song Xuan immediately cited Fan Zhongyan:
"As Dean Fan once said, since Mr. Jia mentioned Zheng Xuan today, does that mean that when the Xiping Stone Classics were destroyed in war at the end of the Han Dynasty, Zheng Kangcheng wept bitterly for the loss of the classics?"

"Even Zheng Xuan personally experienced the pain of the near extinction of sacred learning, yet Jia Gong presumptuously claims that the lineage has not been severed. Does he perhaps understand what a lost art is better than Zheng Xuan?"

"Since the end of the Tang Dynasty, how many books have been scattered and destroyed in the flames of war? Does Master Jia have all of them in his collection?"

"When the 'Cefu Yuangui' was compiled during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong, the preface stated that during the chaos of the Five Dynasties, seven or eight out of ten classics were lost. According to Jia Gong's argument, could it be that the late emperor was also criticizing the civil administration of this dynasty?"

Sweat immediately appeared on Jia Changchao's forehead.

Sun Shi glanced at his prized student, who was sweating profusely, and then at Song Xuan, who looked righteous.

As I suspected, Song Xuan's learning method, even if it were popularized, would only be learnable by those with real talent.

Most of the rest lack talent.

Sun Yu originally greatly admired Jia Changchao, believing him to be the most outstanding student to succeed his father.

Now, Song Xuan's counter-question left him utterly defenseless.

Sun Yu was momentarily skeptical of Jia Changchao's abilities.

Can he really succeed his father?

After all, if one cannot gain a foothold by the emperor's side, it will only tarnish one's father's image.

The recommender and the recommended person must have a close relationship, which is equivalent to a guarantor.

If a problem arises, there will be significant joint liability.

Song Xuan glanced at the great Confucian scholar Sun Shi:
“Your apprentice needs more practice. He can’t even utter a few words in this kind of debate, let alone distort the truth to argue for himself.”

Sun Shi didn't understand the many meanings in Song Xuan's eyes, but he understood one thing.

That is, Song Xuan felt that his disciple was somewhat lacking in debating skills.

Sun Shi knew that when Song Xuan went to Luoyang to study, he single-handedly defeated three students from the Luoyang Academy, leaving them speechless and causing them to scatter.

Jia Changchao wiped the sweat from his face and looked up at Song Xuan.

No wonder he was the top scholar who passed all three levels of the imperial examinations; he's got a sharp tongue.

Today's events happened suddenly. Wait for me to get back and think about it carefully. I'm sure I'll be able to figure out the loopholes in your words.

"Does Master Jia have any further questions?"

Seeing the somewhat subdued atmosphere, Song Xuan said, "I can take the initiative to answer."

"No need," Jia Chang said, turning his neck away. "I will go back and think it over carefully."

"Then you'd better quickly get a pen and ink to write it down. You don't have Zhang Fangping's photographic memory. If your memory is wrong, no matter how much you think about it, you'll still go astray."

Hearing Song Xuan's teasing words, Jia Chang flicked his sleeve halfway and finally asked Sun Yu to bring him pen and ink so that he could record it carefully.

Jia Changchao could only feel humiliated as he watched Song Xuan take his leave.

Sun Shi did indeed sigh, and looked at Jia Changchao, saying:

"Ziming, don't be so impulsive in the future."

"Teacher, I am not skilled enough and have embarrassed you."

"What's so shameful about that?"

The great scholar Sun Shi stroked his beard and let out a hearty laugh:
"There is probably no one in the world who can debate with Song Twelve yet."

"You, Jia Ziming, were able to fight him three times without being defeated, which is enough to earn you a good reputation."

"what?"

Jia Changchao was surprised that the teacher could find another angle to praise him, and he immediately became a little embarrassed.

After all, he had just been questioned by Song Xuan, which was quite embarrassing.

“You are an official in the capital. Song Xuan wants to recruit teachers to instruct students. You can use this as an excuse to visit him from time to time to communicate with him.”

Sun Shi did not take any action against Jia Changchao:
"Sun Tzu said, 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.' You can find the loopholes in his words so that you can confront him again in the future!"

(End of this chapter)