A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 316 The Lord's Favor Can Never Be Repaid

"Teacher, I don't understand what you mean."

Sun Shi told Jia Changchao about Song Xuan's plan to set up a private school specifically for the children of his subordinates, and that he had come today to ask Jia Changchao about it.

"what?"

Jia Changchao was furious:
"You want me to teach a bunch of officials' sons?"

"This is an absolute disgrace."

Before being recommended by Sun Shi, Jia Changchao was a lecturer at the Imperial Academy.

Where is the Imperial College?
Those people's parents were either rich or noble, or at the very least, they were the sons of military generals.

Now that I've been promoted and left the Imperial Academy, I'm going to teach a bunch of officials' sons.

Isn't this just making things worse?

Leaving aside how the teachers and students at the Imperial Academy view me, my colleagues at court would surely ridicule me if they knew.

Seeing his student's huge reaction, Jia Changchao quickly apologized.

He simply waved his hand: "You didn't listen to a single word I said just now."

"Teacher, I don't understand."

Sun Shi stood up, looked outside, and listened to the cicadas chirping:

"The world longs for good governance, and the only way to achieve this is to promote virtue and spread civilization, and to care for the common people. Then all the people will be fortunate."

"Aren't the sons of those officials citizens of the Great Song Dynasty?"

"Could it be that you, Jia Changchao, have always thought that you come from a prestigious family, which is why you look down on everyone else?"

"The students dare not."

Jia Changchao quickly bowed and said.

"Don't forget how you got into officialdom."

Jia Changchao's face was somewhat flushed.

After all, he only had the opportunity to become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) by flattering the emperor.

People of his background are inherently inferior to those like Song Xuan, who passed the imperial examinations through proper means.

In the officialdom, even after years of navigating the complexities of officialdom, one cannot be promoted as quickly as someone who has passed the imperial examination.

Scholars don't belittle each other for no reason.

Jia Changchao was very concerned about his current status, having inherited Sun Shi's mantle. Therefore, he was extremely jealous when Song Xuan brought up the four lines about Yingtian.

Why is it that after decades of studying diligently and following the rules, he has not even entered officialdom, yet he can become a leader of Confucianism just by spouting a few words?
Why?
Moreover, the use of power to suppress academia has existed since ancient times.

Starting from the Song Dynasty, Confucianism began to be transformed into a religion.

Both Qin Ying and Jia Changchao's actions were perfectly normal.

They might not directly subject you to a fiery ordeal to purify your thoughts, but it's still endless suppression!
Only in this way can we obtain the right to interpret Confucianism orthodoxly.

Sun Shi sighed:

“Ziming, I heard from the monks of Daxiangguo Temple that people fight for a breath of air, and Buddhas fight for a stick of incense. But Song Twelve’s knowledge is no less than yours, so there’s no need to make enemies with him.”

"In officialdom, some people will not rise above you in the future just because you suppress them now."

Hearing Sun Shi's words, Jia Changchao's face flushed red and then turned pale.

"no no."

"Teacher, I didn't mean that."

"I just think it's too arrogant of him to openly propose the four lines of Yingtian."

The ultimate goal of philology is to understand the meaning of a text.

Therefore, the final interpretation right of some Confucian classics is in their hands.

Now that Song Xuan has proposed to continue the lost learning of the sages, it means that he, Song Xuan, wants the final right of interpretation.

What is this if not a blatant attempt to shake their foundations?
Jia Changchao didn't understand why the teacher didn't take this issue seriously.

Or is he just too old to care about this anymore?
"Whether he is arrogant or not, it is all to encourage scholars to study hard."

Sun Shi glanced at Jia Changchao, whose expression had slightly changed:

"I asked you to help him so that I could pave the way for your future. After I retire, who in the court will be able to promote you?"

"Although you have my recommendation, you are only a candidate for the civil service examination at present."

Sun Shi's implied meaning is easy to understand.

If you fail this probationary period, you will return to the Imperial Academy to continue your storytelling.

Besides, you entered officialdom ten years ago as a county clerk of the ninth rank.

Now he's just a storyteller at the Imperial Academy, holding the rank of eighth grade.

It's very difficult to climb up.

Song Xuan has a bright future.

Others might not know the emperor's thoughts, but how could Sun Shi not know?

He was certain that the current emperor would give Song Xuan an important position in the future.

Even today, the Emperor pays close attention to Song Xuan, not to mention the future.

However, there are some things that Sun Shi cannot say so clearly.

If his disciple doesn't understand and instead blurts it out, it will cause even more trouble.

"Think about it."

"Yes," Jia Changchao replied respectfully, "I have another question."

"explain."

"Whom did the teacher recommend to Song Xuan to be a teacher at the private school?"

"My eldest grandson."

"what?"

Jia Changchao was so shocked that he couldn't speak, and his head was still buzzing even after he left the Sun family's house.

He didn't understand.

……

Inside the Kaifeng County Government Office.

Liu Congde was extremely unhappy with what he did; he even had to go to the toilet twice.

But Song Xuan has not returned yet.

What could he possibly have to talk about with Sun Shi?

"what happened!"

Faced with Liu Congde's questioning, County Magistrate Zhou Delong could only keep wiping his sweat.

Because he didn't know where Song Xuan had gone, he could only force a smile.

If it weren't for his aunt's verbal order, Liu Congde would never have put up with this humiliation.

Now Liu Congde just wants to throw money at Song Xuan and settle the matter with him, hoping that Song will not write any more memorials to impeach him.

It was unbearable inside the house, and it was unbearable for everyone outside as well.

Many people walked back and forth, their eyes unconsciously drawn to the box full of gold.

I've never seen anything like it in my life.

Ban Feng stood aside, looking quite nervous. What should they do with so much gold?

If we hand it over directly, then everyone will have no hope.

If we don't hand it over, word will get out, and all the petty thieves in Tokyo will be on their way.

Don't think that no one dares to touch the county government office; even the Kaifeng prefectural government office has people who dare to go there.

Qi Lecheng, the watchdog, sat on a bamboo chair with a palm-leaf fan in his hand. Now that it was getting hotter, he was entitled to sit down.

This time, however, someone came to give him money to inquire about information, or rather, to confirm information.

With Liu Congde's luxurious carriage there, along with the Liu family's servants, quite a few people were keeping an eye on the county government office.

For example, Qi Lecheng became Song Xuan's favorite, and that couldn't be kept secret from the others.

Qi Lecheng accepted the money and released the information as usual, since there was nothing to hide.

There was a lot of information leaking out of the county government.

However, Qi Lecheng also asked them in return who they were asking for.

Whether it's true or not, it still needs to be written down and reported to Song Xuan.

"My lord."

Qi Lecheng quickly called out and stepped forward to fan Song Xuan.

"Liu Congde brought a box of gold, saying he was there to repay a debt, and had been waiting in the house for more than an hour."

Upon hearing Qi Lecheng speak, Song Xuan also noticed the luxurious carriage.

Looking across the entire capital, even members of the Zhao family clan wouldn't dare to be so ostentatious.

"They arrived quite quickly."

Song Xuan smiled and said, "I thought he was going to hold out for three days."

Qi Lecheng didn't understand why Song Xuan said that, but he wisely refrained from asking.

Instead, he proactively reported to the person who had gathered the information, and also mentioned that he had received money.

"I had Qian Gansan and the others examine those gold ingots. They weren't fake, and I didn't see any signs of poisoning on them."

"Why do you say that?"

"Liu Congde is an arrogant and domineering person. I am worried that if he suddenly comes to return the money, he may have ill intentions and might even poison me."

"Well thought out, well done."

Song Xuan patted Qi Lecheng on the shoulder approvingly and then slowly walked in.

Feeling pleased with Song Xuan's praise, Qi Lecheng quickly followed behind.

"Damn it, did you guys deliberately send out a message?"

"You just want to give me a hard time, to try and control me?"

"Oh, no, no."

County Magistrate Zhou quickly apologized to the person in question.

Just as Liu Congde was about to pick up the teacup and smash it on the ground, he heard voices outside saying that they had all seen the esteemed official.

So Liu Congde gently placed the crackled ice teacup on the table, sat down in his chair, and held his breath.

County Magistrate Zhou was terrified.

Upon hearing that Song Xuan had arrived, he scrambled out of the house.

He certainly didn't want to stay in there.

Ban Feng pointed to the box that the crowd was surrounding:
“My lord, it’s full of gold ingots.”

"Let's leave it for now; this amount of money isn't enough."

"what?"

Ban Feng saw Song Xuan walking forward. He had asked Qian Gan San about the money, and it was not only enough to pay back the debt, but there was even some left over.

After all, there is some loss when exchanging gold for copper coins.

There are quite a few money exchange shops in Tokyo City.

Magistrate Zhou, adjusting his official hat, quickly bowed:

"My lord."

"Ah."

Song Xuan responded, "How is Prefect Liu?"

"He was quite impatient."

"Row."

Song Xuan stepped across the threshold and went inside, where he saw two rather robust attendants standing behind Liu Congde.

Liu Congde knew why he was there, and a smile spread across his face:
"Scholar Song, I have been longing for your return."

Song Xuan walked to the table and gestured for Liu Congde to give up the head seat and sit opposite him.

After Song Xuan sat down, he spoke:

"I wonder if Prefect Liu has come on official business or personal business?"

Although Liu Congde rolled his eyes countless times in his heart, he still held back.

"I'm here on official business."

Song Xuan nodded: "Then when we work, we should still address each other by our job titles."

Liu Congde's lips twitched slightly; Song Xuan had rejected his attempt to get closer.

So he could only say, "Magistrate Song, I've brought the money Liu Lou owes. Let's talk about this."

"Okay."

Song Xuan watched as Wang Bao brought over the kettle, and he began to rinse his teacup:
"I wonder what Prefect Liu would like to discuss?"

"I paid the money, and Magistrate Song released my man."

Song Xuan's hands kept moving:
“Prefect Liu, one thing at a time. The matter of the debt is a separate issue from my detention of Liu Lou and his associates.”

Liu Congde's expression changed, and then his eyebrows furrowed:

"How can they be two different things?"

“Paying back the debt is what you should do, but your people assaulted my people, which is an assault on a public official, and tearing up government notices and resisting taxes are serious crimes.”

Song Xuan told Wang Bao to put away Magistrate Zhou's tea set so it wouldn't get in the way.

"Forehead?"

A strange look appeared in Liu Congde's eyes.

He thought that once he paid the money, the matter would be over.

Unexpectedly, Song Xuan was able to find a reason.

It seems that his visit to the great Confucian scholar Sun Shi was a good idea, but he must have also met with Wang Zeng along the way.

Otherwise, it wouldn't have taken so long.

Wang Zeng was caught off guard by his aunt's methods, which is why he asked Song Xuan to cause trouble again.

Based on this information, Liu Congde immediately deduced the truth of the matter.

"Then I wonder what Magistrate Song meant?"

"What do you mean?"

Song Xuan glanced at Liu Congde: "Prefect Liu, do you want to settle this officially or privately?"

"I hope Magistrate Song can enlighten me."

Liu Congde was curious to hear what ideas Song Xuan could come up with.

He could also use this opportunity to help his aunt counter the Prime Minister Wang Zeng.

"The official punishment is to exile your men to Shamen Island for three years."

Liu Congde thought for a moment and said, "Magistrate Song, I still need these men. What about settling this privately?"

"Since Prefect Liu has said so, and he is also the eldest aunt's nephew, it would be unreasonable for me to go too far."

Listening to Song Xuan's flattery, Liu Congde subconsciously straightened his back.

You finally know who my backer is.

"Considering this is their first offense, they may be fined twenty catties of copper and confiscated, and each person shall also be compensated for the medical expenses, lost wages, and nutritional expenses of Wei Bin, the head of the household office, and the other two clerks."

Liu Congde understood the fine of ten catties of copper.

Moreover, the penalty of copper was quite severe; Sima Guang was once fined twenty catties of copper.

Moreover, eight catties of copper only cost 1,600 coins, which is not much money given to the government.

However, Liu Congde felt that Song Xuan was deliberately trying to extort money from him regarding the subsequent payments of lost wages and nutrition expenses to private individuals.

"Then how much does Magistrate Song want?" Liu Congde asked directly.

"This is something you need to discuss with the victim yourself."

Song Xuan then signaled Wang Bao to call Wei Bin and the other two over, and asked Wang Bao to give them some instructions.

Wei Bin, accompanied by two subordinates, looked at each other and moved forward step by step.

"Brother Wang, what instructions did the master give?"

"No, I just hope you won't embarrass yourselves by not daring to open your mouths."

Wang Bao pointed to the box of gold: "Although we don't need that much, don't treat it like it's a beggar's offering. The Liu family is not short of money."

Wei Bin nodded, asking Liu Congde, the most powerful relative of the emperor in the Song Dynasty, for money was indeed a bit of a challenge for him.

"We have met the esteemed official."

Song Xuan gestured for the three of them to sit down beside him and poured tea for each of them.

Seeing Song Xuan's actions, Wei Bin's mood calmed down.

However, Liu Congde did indeed feel some aversion.

Are a few lowly officials worthy to sit at the same table as me?

Is Song Xuan deliberately humiliating me?

Despite the Liu family's humble origins, they managed to marry into a higher social class.

Now I look down on everyone.

Song Xuan didn't care about Liu Congde's opinion. He explained to his subordinates Liu's desire to settle the matter privately.

Adhering to the principle of fairness, I have given everyone an opportunity to sit down and discuss the matter.

After saying so much, Song Xuan finally asked:
"Master Wei, name your price."

Wei Bin glanced at Song Xuan; he actually wanted five or six strings of cash as a token, then looked at Liu Congde, whose face had turned furious, and said:
"I wonder how much Prefect Liu is willing to offer?"

Liu Congde cursed inwardly, "Do you want me to slap you?"

They still want money from me!

However, out of consideration for Song Xuan, he could only extend one finger.

Wei Bin secretly grieved. Giving only one string of cash was truly like giving money to a beggar.

However, Liu Congde and the others then heard Song Xuan say:
“Master Wei, one hundred strings of cash is enough. Don’t be too greedy.”

Wei Bin was stunned for a moment, and Liu Congde swallowed the words that were about to come out of his throat.

He glared at Song Xuan, and then heard:

"The other two were not seriously injured, and each received fifty strings of cash as a token."

One official couldn't even sit still in his chair and slid off it.

Fifty strings of cash.

That's no small amount!

Wei Bin hurriedly helped his subordinate up, telling him not to be so useless.

He acted as if he'd never seen money before, disgracing Master Song.

"One hundred strings of cash, Magistrate Song, don't go too far with your words!"

Liu Congde's outstretched finger had not yet been retracted.

“Prefect Liu, I’m just using your usual methods to deal with you.”

"You can't only find this method useful when you have the power to control others!"

Song Xuan's words left Liu Congde speechless. How could he compare me to him?
The Empress Dowager of the Great Song Dynasty is my aunt!
But when Liu Congde thought of his aunt's slap and admonition, he suppressed his temper.

Liu Congde chuckled and then said:

"I originally planned to give you a thousand strings of cash."

"Since Magistrate Song has said so, I have no reason not to agree."

Wei Bin and the other two were startled again, and even their breathing became rapid.

Leaving Tokyo and spending the rest of my life in the countryside is more than enough.

“One thousand strings of cash.”

Song Xuan laughed a few times:

"Prefect Liu is truly humorous. Even if you gave them a thousand strings of cash, I would not agree. I will cut off their source of income."

"You couldn't buy a human life in Tokyo for this much money, let alone the fact that Chief Wei didn't even break his leg. What is this if not extortion?"

“I will absolutely not allow this, especially since the extortion is happening right before my eyes.”

"Moreover, I am afraid that some people want their son to carry gold, and are using them as a tool to indirectly kill the three of them."

Song Xuan didn't indulge him, but he didn't say that if Liu Congde had the ability, he would give them a thousand strings of cash.

This would put them in a disadvantageous negotiating position.

Even if this kid is a miser who only knows how to hoard money for himself, he wouldn't have taken the money out if Liu E hadn't spoken up.

That way, we can't give others a reason to criticize us.

Wei Bin was indeed stunned by the thousand strings of cash, but he instantly came to his senses after hearing Song Xuan's words.

If it were truly a thousand strings of cash, then one would have the life to receive it but not the life to spend it.

If things go wrong, the whole family could lose their lives.

Liu Congde is truly wicked; he wanted to use someone else to do his dirty work!
Liu Congde hadn't expected Song Xuan to react so quickly, and he tried his best to appear as if his plan hadn't failed.

"In that case, let's do as Magistrate Song says."

"The money will be delivered shortly."

"Prefect Liu, you should send someone home to bring the money over first, and then we can resolve the matter together."

Song Xuan picked up his teacup and said with a smile, "To avoid causing any further trouble."

Liu Congde ordered his men to go out and get some money, along with the copper coin fine.

Song Xuan also told Wei Bin to finish his tea and go outside to rest, and to draft a document and come back to collect the money later.

Wei Bin and the other two helped each other out. They had never earned so much money in the county government.

Ban Feng and the others quickly gathered around, seeing that Wei Bin was unable to move, and asked what had happened.

"Your Excellency, please uphold justice and order Prefect Liu to compensate me with one hundred strings of cash, and my two brothers with fifty strings of cash."

"What the hell?"

Ban Feng and the others were even more astonished.

As the head of the household affairs department, Wei Bin only received one string of cash a month, while the others received no money at all.

The money they received came from various informal sources of income.

"Don't be ridiculous."

"No kidding."

Wei Bin was so excited that he was trembling all over.

"One hundred strings of cash."

That's a huge sum of money!

This is equivalent to you earning a monthly salary of seven or eight hundred, and suddenly winning the lottery for seventy or eighty thousand.

For Wei Bin and his group, this was enough to make others envious.

"what happened?"

Qian Gansan rushed over immediately: "Why are you the only ones who got the reward money?"

Wei Bin then told Liu Lou about what happened; he had been beaten up and was now asking for money for medicine and lost wages.

Anyway, it was my boss who helped me get it.

Because he didn't have the guts to talk to Prefect Liu about money.

Qi Lecheng looked at the hundred strings of cash and envied Wei Bin's luck, wishing he could take his place, but he still said:

"My lord, you've truly taken our brothers' side in this matter!"

Ban Feng remarked with emotion:
"That's right, what if Prefect Liu's outstretched finger is a string of cash?"

"I think it's possible. How could he possibly care about us clerks?"

Wei Bin also lowered his voice: "I saw that after the magistrate said this number, Prefect Liu's face was indeed very ugly."

"That's right."

Qi Lecheng immediately replied, "He wouldn't even part with ten strings of cash, how could he possibly give a thousand?"

“One hundred strings of cash.” Magistrate Zhou nodded repeatedly: “You’ve really struck gold.”

Qian Gansan, however, was so anxious that he kept slapping his thigh:
"Oh dear, if I had known, I wouldn't have bothered with the accounting and would have gone outside to post the notices. Is it too late now?"

"Yes, yes, I must go myself."

County Magistrate Zhou looked at Wei Bin and asked, "Which businesses in Kaifeng County haven't been marked yet?"

"Has Fanlou been posted yet?" Ban Feng's eyes gleamed.

"No, they've all been covered up."

Hearing Wei Bin's heavy breathing, the crowd's newly glimmered hope was ruthlessly shattered, and they immediately shoved Wei Bin.

As for the two clerks beside Wei Bin, they just kept grinning foolishly.

They didn't get involved.

But everyone knows that Song Xuan is truly on their side; he even dares to extort money from Prefect Liu.

Ban Feng stood hesitating at the door, wanting to go in and get beaten up by Liu Congde.

One hundred strings of cash at a time.

Given Liu Congde's small stature, Ban Feng felt he could make him lose everything.

The truth is, the temptation was too great.

Don't underestimate Ban Feng just because he's a county lieutenant. Even Zhou Derong, the county magistrate, regretted it so much that he kept slapping his thigh.

Why didn't I provoke Liu Congde and get him to beat me up when we were alone just now?

You have to serve them with utmost care, and in the end, you're terrified and get a good scolding.

"I regret it so much!"

Inside the room, Liu Congde gestured to his men to close the door, cutting off any outside sight or sound.

Wang Bao stood behind Song Xuan, and two robust attendants stood behind Liu Congde.

Liu Congde sized up the even more imposing Wang Bao and thought to himself that he would also choose two such majestic and powerful followers to protect him.

In this way, we can avoid facing the threat posed by Song Xuan alone again.

"Magistrate Song, we've had two cups of tea. Can we discuss something?"

Liu Congde asked tentatively.

Song Xuan, of course, knew what Liu Congde wanted to say, so he nodded slightly:
"Prefect Liu, why don't you speak frankly?"

"Now that both official and personal matters are settled, I have a favor to ask, and I hope Magistrate Song will grant it."

"Then don't say anything."

Song Xuan spilled the remaining tea in his hand: "Prefect Liu usually does illegal and disorderly things, and I don't want to get involved."

Liu Congde's anger flared up instantly.

How could Song Xuan be so good at provoking people?
"Don't go too far."

Song Xuan immediately picked up the accordion and repeated what he had just said:

"You can't only talk about rules when you're in a position of personal gain!"

Snapped.

Liu Congde angrily slammed his fist on the table.

Suddenly, Ban Feng burst through the door, yelling:

"My lord, I'll protect you."

Not only Ban Feng, but also many officials and yamen runners barged in.

They were all unarmed, and they just moved closer to Liu Congde.

He looked like he didn't want to hit Song Xuan, and that if anyone was going to hit someone, it was him.

They no longer saw Liu Congde as Liu Congde, but as someone beckoning them with a hundred strings of cash.

Startled by the group, Liu Congde jumped up and had two strong men protect him, forming a pincer movement.

"What are you going to do?"

Song Xuan glanced at the teacup in his hand; he hadn't given any prior instructions on how to signal by smashing the cup.

Seeing that Liu Congde hadn't actually hit anyone, Ban Feng, who was running at the front, could only awkwardly extend his hand:
"Prefect Liu, what do you think of my palm lines?"

Liu Congde was so angry that he pointed at Ban Feng and his group, speechless. After a moment, he shouted, "Get out!"

"okay."

Ban Feng and the others led the way and rolled out.

Liu Congde remained hidden behind the burly man and said to Song Xuan:
"Song Twelve, don't think I haven't heard the Romance of the Three Kingdoms in the entertainment district. You even have axemen lying in ambush, planning to smash a cup as a signal, right?"

Song Xuan, rather speechless, raised the crackled glaze teacup in his hand:

"Prefect Liu, I haven't even smashed the cup yet."

"Besides, my brother can take down all three of you by himself; there's no need to ask anyone else."

Hearing Song Xuan's words, Liu Congde snorted; he didn't believe it.

However, in order to see his aunt as soon as possible and reclaim everything that belonged to him, Liu Congde sat down again.

He wanted Song Xuan to stop bringing up this matter in his memorial to the throne.

From now on, you go your way, and I'll go mine.

Listening to Liu Congde's request, Song Xuan spread his hands and said:

"I'm sorry, Prefect Liu, I've already submitted a memorial to the throne."

"I know." Liu Congde looked at Song Xuan: "Just don't dwell on this matter from now on."

"Why?"

Liu Congde felt that every time he finally managed to calm down, Song Xuan's words would reignite his anger.

Why is his mouth so sharp? I'll sew it shut for him sooner or later.

"Name your price."

Liu Congde looked at Song Xuan and said, "I will try my best to satisfy you."

"Ah."

Song Xuan spread his hands and said, "Prefect Liu, I am not a person who loves money, and I never look at whether others are rich or not when making friends, so what you said is not attractive to me."

"Oh, is it so?"

Liu Congde chuckled:
“Song Zhuangyuan is not short of money, but your father-in-law, Cao Shizhong, is. I heard that he has borrowed money from loan sharks and is now having some difficulty repaying it.”

Song Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Tsk, you really didn't know."

Liu Congde was extremely pleased with himself; there were probably very few people in the entire city of Tokyo who knew about this.

"To prepare a lavish wedding for you, Attendant Cao gave you a lot of dowry, which used up all his savings. If it wasn't enough, he had to borrow money at high interest rates."

Liu Congde leaned forward slightly:

“Scholar Song, you wouldn’t want your father-in-law’s scandal to get out, would you?”

"At least I can help you block the news and give you ten taels of gold as a reward. That's more than enough."

Song Xuan was not afraid of owing high-interest loans.

He even considered taking out small loans directly.

The lending establishments in Tokyo were numerous and varied, especially in religious venues such as the Daxiangguo Temple.

"What's so shameful about that?"

Song Xuan put down his teacup:
"My father-in-law borrowed money at exorbitant interest rates to make me, his son-in-law who had passed the imperial examinations three times in a row, look good, so he could have an even more prestigious wedding!"

"Others would beg me to lend them money for their weddings, but they couldn't possibly get that kind of help!"

"what?"

Liu Congde was at a loss for words because of Song Xuan's "fallacies".

Is it a good thing that the dignified prime minister of the Song Dynasty has to rely on loans to make ends meet?

If this gets out, what good reputation will the Cao family have left?
“Song Twelve, I never expected you to be so selfish and narrow-minded, that you would disregard your father-in-law’s reputation.”

Song Xuan shrugged: "Why should my father-in-law repay money he borrowed through his own abilities?"

Snapped.

Liu Congde slammed his hand on the table again, stood up, and pointed at Song Xuan.

Ban Feng and the others burst through the door again and crowded around.

You could say they were sticking their faces out, waiting for Liu Congde to hit them.

They'd throw away all their dignity for a little money.

But that's the reality.

Liu Congde was completely speechless at the people in the Kaifeng County government.

These guys are all fucking crazy!
One by one, they're all abnormal.

Liu Congde couldn't think of a better way to persuade him.

Especially such matters should never be discussed in detail in public.

So Liu Congde could only threaten viciously:

“Magistrate Song, I advise you to think it over carefully. I will come again tomorrow.”

"Then I won't give it away."

As everyone watched the "fat sheep" flee in disarray, deep disappointment was evident in their eyes.

I really hope to get beaten up by Prefect Liu, or even just touched.

They can also stage accidents to extort money.

Unfortunately, Liu Congde was protected by both sides and escaped.

If the attendants encountered them, they would have no chance of faking an accident.

Song Xuan urged Ban Feng, whose face was full of embarrassment, not to leave.

He stood up and walked directly into the courtyard.

Song Xuan opened the box, admired the gold, and casually took out three ingots, tossing them to Ban Feng.

County Lieutenant Ban Feng swayed excitedly, almost shouting: "Go through fire and water, Twelfth Brother!"

Everyone's eyes lit up with envy.

County Magistrate Zhou also blinked at Song Xuan, hoping that he could also receive a favor.

"My lord."

As Ban Feng touched the heavy gold ingot, he felt as if he were floating on clouds.

"What is this doing?"

"Go to the exchange shop, exchange them for gold leaves, and then bring them back. I want to reward the brothers."

"Yes."

Ban Feng immediately ordered Zhang Dutou to guard the place while he led a few men toward the exchange shop.

Song Xuan looked at the crowd that had gathered around him:

"This can be considered a good start. If anyone still fails to pay their taxes within half a month, that will be your opportunity to make money."

"I have other uses for this gold. Clerk Zheng will be in charge of recording it in the future."

"Yes."

Clerk Zheng quickly responded.

Everyone felt that since even the Liu family had voluntarily paid, who else would dare not pay?
Fanlou?

possible!
Song Xuan then sent someone to summon the patrol officers and the post station staff.

When Ban Feng returned from the gold and silver exchange shop, he placed the gold leaf on Song Xuan's table; each leaf weighed about half an ounce.

Originally, a 2% fee was to be charged for fire damage and a 2% fee for labor and ink, and that was already considered a low fee.

But when the shopkeeper saw that it bore the Liu family's mark, he asked Ban Feng what was going on.

Upon hearing that it was Liu Congde who had offered money to Master Song, the shopkeeper was so frightened that he dared not accept the payment.

Hearing Ban Feng speak so excitedly, Song Xuan immediately handed Ban Feng a gold leaf:

"County Commandant Ban, the gold and silver shop has collected the fire tax from you, you can take it."

"what?"

Ban Feng was taken aback at first. Surely the master wouldn't ask me to deliver the firewood.

With the gold leaf in hand, Ban Feng suddenly realized what was going on.

So it turns out the high official was giving it to me as a reward.

Ban Feng quickly accepted the gift and thanked him, a smile playing on his lips.

The official knows how to handle people!
Once everyone had arrived.

Song Xuan didn't hide anything from the heads of these supervisors: "Given the initial success in recovering the arrears, we still need to work hard."

"Therefore, I have decided that each department will be given a gold leaf as a reward."

"Anchor Zheng, please take notes."

Song Xuan first gave a gold leaf to the six departments, as well as the prison and the post station.

Everyone was smiling.

“This money isn’t just for you; a single gold leaf is worth at least ten thousand copper coins.”

"I don't care how you distribute it to your subordinates in each department, but everyone must get a share."

Qian Gansan's joy immediately diminished, because the household had the most people, and with more people, the amount of money each person received would be less.

Yu Gao was extremely happy, as there weren't many people in his room:

"My lord, we will certainly share the spoils well."

"it is good."

Song Xuan then took out two more gold leaves:

"The bonus for the third shift of yamen runners."

"These two pieces are for mounted archers and foot archers."

"The profits are all distributed by the county constable Ban."

Ambassador Zhang Chen of the Inspection Division, somewhat bewildered, accepted the two gold leaves handed to him by Song Xuan:
"The patrol and inspection department also has a share."

Zhang Chen didn't actually do much work for Song Xuan, yet Song Xuan still paid him.

This time, they're still giving out gold leaves.

"My lord," Zhang Chen asked, somewhat confused, "how much money did we receive?"

Ban Feng chuckled, "The master has recovered Liu Lou's debt, but Prefect Liu came to us of his own accord."

Zhang Chen was in charge of the area outside the city, so he wasn't very well-informed about the situation inside the city.

Hearing Ban Feng's words, he was so shocked that his mouth dropped open.

Prefect Liu and Liu Lou both belong to the Liu family.

Who can afford to offend them?
I wonder what tricks Master Song used to get Liu Congde to obediently hand over the money.

Zhang Chen felt that he should make more trips to the county government office in the future, and not let the hot weather deter him from going anywhere.

As a result, many messages were missed.

It's rare to see an official like Song Xuan who likes to give out money so readily!
“My lord, I have not done anything of merit, so I feel a little embarrassed to accept the money.”

Zhang Chen quickly expressed his opinion, which drew eye rolls from everyone.

"Hahaha." Song Xuan laughed a few times:

"If Inspector Zhang doesn't take it, how will his men get the money?"

"Hey hey hey."

Yu Gao felt that Song Xuan's words made perfect sense. If these people pretended to be noble, how could their brothers survive?

Moreover, this was a reward from the superior, and it was perfectly legitimate to take it and share the spoils.

"Not making a contribution now doesn't mean you won't have a chance to make one in the future. We'll reward you then."

Song Xuan looked at everyone and said:
“I’m not giving out this reward money for nothing. With so much money, I’m not afraid of thieves stealing it, but I am afraid of thieves eyeing it. We’ve been raising an army for a thousand days, and we’re going to use it for one day. You all need to think about how to prevent this money from being stolen.”

"Otherwise, we'll be the ones who ultimately suffer the losses!"

"My lord, just hand it over to me."

Ban Feng immediately stood up and expressed his opinion:
"As long as I am here, I will not let a single penny go to waste."

"Okay." Song Xuan gestured for Ban Feng to sit down.
"We will pool our wisdom and efforts, and from now on, each household will send someone to assist the county magistrate in guarding the house, so as to prevent any problems from arising."

"As for the three shifts of yamen runners, horse archers, and patrol inspectors, they are the main force responsible for guarding the area, and they must be selected from people with clean backgrounds and martial arts skills."

"I will introduce a system to provide these people with some additional subsidies."

"After all, the weather is so hot, and it's very hard work working day and night."

Ban Feng felt that sleeping with money in his arms was not hard work at all.

Zhang Chen initially didn't think much of it, but as Song Xuan opened the box and revealed the gold inside, he immediately became restless and craned his neck to examine it closely.

"This color is really attractive."

Song Xuan casually picked up a piece of gold from inside and tossed it to Zhang Chen:

"Take a good look at it, so you don't forget what a gold ingot feels like."

Ban Feng quickly said, "Sir, may I take a piece to look at as well?"

"Take it, take it, everyone who wants to have a go, pick it up and have a look. I'm going to the toilet."

With Song Xuan no longer in the room, these people have revealed their true colors.

They hurriedly grabbed them, holding them in both hands and grinning foolishly.

"I've never seen so much gold in my entire life."

"Hahaha."

Everyone was laughing inside. Song Xuan went to the restroom, washed his hands, and saw Qi Lecheng carrying a towel.

Song Xuan took it, wiped his hands, and then quietly slipped a gold leaf to Qi Lecheng:

"You're not married yet, are you?"

"what?"

"Yes."

Qi Lecheng said excitedly, "I'm just a penniless guy, how could I possibly have the chance to get married?"

"My lord, how can I possibly accept this money?"

"I'm saving this money for my wedding." Song Xuan handed the towel back to Qi Lecheng.
"I'll see if there are any suitable girls later, or if you have a favorite young lady, tell me about it, and I can arrange a marriage for you. It's time to settle down and start a family."

“I have found a private tutor, the grandson of the great Confucian scholar Sun Shi. His learning is top-notch. He will be the private tutor to teach my brothers’ children.”

"If you never get married, your son won't even have the chance to take the imperial examination."

Upon hearing Song Xuan's words, Qi Lecheng quickly replied, "Your Excellency has shown me such kindness; I have no way to repay you!"

"This is hardly a lot of money."

Song Xuan patted Qi Lecheng on the shoulder:

"From now on, our county government will have plenty of ways to make money. I won't make you rich, but you'll at least be able to live comfortably and support your family."

Qi Lecheng watched Song Xuan walk away.

He truly felt that he could never repay the kindness of the high-ranking official in his lifetime!

(End of this chapter)