A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 324 I am the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty, how could I...

Song Xuan was already eating at home when he received news that the prime minister wanted to see him.

"Since it's already late, let's eat first and then go."

Zhao Lianggui hesitated for a moment: "Magistrate Song, what time is it? Let's not delay any longer."

"Lord Wang is very angry about this matter."

His ancestors had been officials for generations, so there were people in his family who taught him how to be an official. You could tell how Wang Zeng felt.

In addition, he was recommended by Wang Shu and wanted to help him out.

What's the point of him getting angry?

"The killer won't be caught anytime soon. There have been so many similar cases before, and none of them have been solved!"

Song Xuan instructed the maid beside him:
"Please bring another set of bowls, chopsticks, and a chair. Please have Principal Zhao sit down."

"Yes."

"How embarrassing."

Although Zhao Lianggui was talking, Song Xuan forced him to sit down and eat.

"That's it for now, let's eat first."

Hearing Song Xuan's words, Zhao Lianggui understood that he would definitely finish his meal before going.

After all, being invited by the top scholar would be a very prestigious thing to talk about in the future.

Anyway, if the sky falls, there's someone tall enough to hold it up.

If even the top scholar Song wasn't in a hurry, why should I be?

After eating and drinking his fill, Song Xuan sat to the side waiting for his herbal tea.

"Scholar Zhao, what is the matter that Lord Wang is seeking me out in such a hurry?"

"It was actually a murder and heart-rigging case in the bathroom." Zhao Lianggui didn't hide anything and explained the whole story.

Song Xuan nodded, "I see."

Even if I were asked to go there, there would be no clues.

"Since it was the prime minister who summoned us, we should go again even though it's dark."

"As it should be."

Zhao Lianggui only hoped that Prime Minister Wang would not be too angry.

Song Xuan instructed Wang Bao to fetch a donkey cart, which they would then ride directly to the palace.

After all, these prime ministers worked inside the palace, making it easier for them to consult with the emperor if anything happened.

At that moment, a questioning voice came from the prime minister's office.

"After all that, you heard about this case from Song Xuan as well?"

Chen Yaozuo, the prefect of Kaifeng, had already arrived.

I haven't eaten yet.

He recounted the entire information he had received from Song Xuan.

After all, he was a top scholar in the imperial examination.

Many of the memories are still quite vivid.

“I also looked at the previous case files.”

Song Xuan stood outside the door and gently knocked on the open door.

"Song Xuan, the magistrate of Kaifeng, has come to pay his respects to Minister Wang."

"come in."

Wang Zeng didn't say much.

Several prime ministers were in the room and were all aware of the case of the newly appointed scholar being murdered.

At this moment, everyone's expression was displeased.

The security situation in Tokyo was so bad that someone even dared to kill a scholar who had passed the imperial examination.

Is the next step to formally kill off officials?

Is the next step to rebel?

The Song Dynasty governed the country jointly with its scholar-officials.

Kill the scholar-officials.

That would be tantamount to rebellion.

As prime minister, Wang Zeng could not possibly ignore this.

After Song Xuan entered, he bowed to everyone and sat down.

Wang Zeng looked at Song Xuan's impolite manner.

I didn't think it was right to make him stand up.

The room was full of old men, and he was the only young man.

They've arrived at this time; I guess they've already eaten.

This young man was truly influenced by many officials of the Song Dynasty.

He skipped work and left early, before it was even time to finish his shift.

"Magistrate Song, why are you leaving early?"

"I finished my official business today and went to patrol the streets. I did not leave early."

Song Xuan retorted to Wang Zeng.

Wang Zeng didn't want to dwell on the matter any longer.

He just wanted to give Song Xuan a proper warning, after all, he had been waiting for Song Xuan for quite a long time.

However, this was the prevailing social atmosphere throughout the Song Dynasty.

If Song Xuan were to be strictly disciplined, it might cause him to rebel.

Anyway, these are minor details, and I'm too lazy to fuss over them.

"I called you here today mainly because of the bathroom murder case. Do you have any leads on this case?"

"No."

Wang Zeng sighed softly. This kid is too much of a bachelor!
Song Xuan replied very fluently:

"Wang Zhongcheng said he would go through the old files and bring them back to help me find clues."

"To this day, I have neither seen the case files nor Wang Zhongcheng, and his son-in-law's body is still kept in the county government office."

"Wang Zhongcheng suffered a stroke due to anger and vomited blood; he is recuperating at home."

Zhang Shixun casually mentioned, "As for the dossier, you can take it back with you later."

"I see, then I'll take a good look."

Song Xuan responded:
"So that you gentlemen may know, I have sent people to investigate this case, and even offered a reward, but I have not been able to find a single eyewitness."

"The murder weapon was also specially made and there is no way to verify it. It is said to have been used by pirates from Lingnan, but I think it is more of a rumor."

"Moreover, this murderer is extremely skilled. If I were to pull myself down from the roof using a rope, it would be very difficult to control the force so that the people below wouldn't notice."

"Judging from this, this person should be a repeat offender, and I think we should investigate the case together."

Song Xuan's analysis did sound reasonable.

Lü Yijian shook his head:
"That's hard to say, what if it's a fake?"

"Everyone knows about the bathroom murder case, so it's possible that someone is imitating it to divert attention."

"You also need to check if Li Yuan has had any conflicts with anyone, or if he has any family feuds?"

"Or he passed the imperial examination and his classmate failed, and he killed him out of resentment."

"What Prime Minister Lü said makes sense."

Song Xuan nodded repeatedly:

"If one of his classmates is exceptionally skilled, it is not impossible for him to do it."

After all, Sang Yi is skilled in martial arts.

However, given his skills, killing someone wouldn't require such effort.

Perhaps by some accident, Sang Yi could kill Li Yuan without going to such lengths.

Upon hearing Song Xuan's answer, Zhao Lianggui's opinion of him rose one place.

After all, the prime ministers didn't have actual contact with the cases, so they didn't know as much as Song Xuan did.

Song Xuan was able to restrain his urge to "refute".

This alone is something that no newly appointed scholar could control after taking office.

Many of them become arrogant after passing the imperial examinations.

Years of scientific research pressure would turn into self-expression; they would like to pontificate and act as if they were better than ordinary people.

Zhao Lianggui stood to the side, remaining silent.

Chen Yaozuo glanced at Song Xuan, then looked at Lü Yijian.

He was certain that Lü Yijian was helping him, if it were really easy to combine the cases and investigate them together.

It's understandable that Song Xuan couldn't find the real culprit.

Wang Zeng glanced at Lü Yijian, then spoke:

"What Prime Minister Lü said earlier is correct. If they are sworn enemies, then it's hard to say."

"Magistrate Song should carefully investigate Li Yuan's family background and his wife's family background."

Vice Chancellor Zhang Zhibai stroked his beard without saying a word.

However, he understood the meaning behind Wang Zeng's words: Li Yuan's wife's family was Wang Shu.

Wang Shu was also Kou Zhun's son-in-law.

Who has a grudge against Kou Zhun?
Obvious.

Even though Kou Zhun is dead, his case will not be overturned. Now he is only treated as a minor ninth-rank Sima.

This official position was usually held by those who were demoted, but it was better than the position of deputy commander of the militia.

Because the position of Deputy Commander of Militia had no power, status, or even salary in the Song Dynasty.

Of course, Su Shi is the most suitable person for this position.

He'd serve as the deputy militia commander of this state for three years, then go on to serve as the deputy militia commander of the next state, and he wouldn't get a penny for it.

“What you say makes sense, I will investigate in that direction.”

Seeing that no one spoke, Song Xuan took the initiative to continue the conversation.

"Yes." Wang Zeng nodded.

"I'll have Zhao, the school administrator, follow you and report the latest news to me regularly, especially those cases that require the cooperation of Kaifeng Prefecture. Prefect Chen, you'd better resolve the case within a month."

"Otherwise, if a heavy rain falls and floods Tokyo, it will likely be another bloodbath. We'll have to worry about the living first and not the dead."

The Yellow River project is like a shoddy piece of tofu.

Wang Zeng had long since given up hope; the flooding of Tokyo was a foregone conclusion.

Even with conclusive evidence, there were still people defending Liu Congde in the Song Dynasty, and even the Empress Dowager openly made excuses for him.

Wang Zeng believed that if this continued, the atmosphere of the Song Dynasty's officialdom would inevitably be corrupted.

Chen Yaozuo spoke first, saying, "Please rest assured, Lord Wang, I will personally take charge of this case and strive to solve it within a month."

With Chen Yaozuo's assurance, everyone looked at Song Xuan.

Everyone knows that even if Chen Yaozuo says so, it is still Song Xuan who does the actual work.

He was under the most pressure.

Song Xuan remained silent.

Lü Yijian immediately asked, "Does Magistrate Song have some unspeakable difficulty?"

"What does Minister Lü want me to say?" Song Xuan asked in return.

"Prefect Chen has already made his stance clear, why haven't you?"

"Is expressing a stance useful?"

Song Xuan leaned back in his chair: "Can everything in the world be accomplished just by making statements and saying a few words?"

"That's just how Prime Minister Lü handles government affairs on a regular basis!"

Wang Zeng stroked his beard without saying a word, though he felt that Song Xuan was too arrogant.

But what he said makes sense.

Lu Yijian narrowed his eyes. He had originally intended to drag Song Xuan onto the ship after Chen Yaozuo had already made his stance clear.

Unfortunately, this boy is truly impervious to reason.

Zhao Lianggui lowered his head even further, wishing he could go outside.

Everyone present was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), and they all had a lot of confidence.

He himself was the only one who had been granted the title of Jinshi by the late emperor.

"Alright, alright," Zhang Shixun stepped in to smooth things over.

"This matter is of utmost importance. Investigate it thoroughly within a month, or you will be punished for negligence in supervision."

"Master Zhang, none of the previous bathroom murder cases have been solved. Were they all held accountable?"

Seeing Song Xuan pressing him so relentlessly without offering any recourse, Zhang Shixun glanced to the side helplessly.

“Magistrate Song, this matter occurred within your jurisdiction, and you should investigate and clarify this case within the specified time limit.”

Hearing Lü Yijian's words, Song Xuan nodded slightly:
"That's all I have to say. Just now, Prime Minister Lü wanted me to act like Prefect Chen. I'm sorry, but I won't easily express my opinion on things I'm not sure about."

"Besides, if making a statement could really solve the case, the real culprit in the bathroom murder should have been brought to justice long ago, instead of being able to commit crimes now."

"Moreover, if the case is not solved by the deadline, it is very easy for someone to be arrested and framed!"

Lu Yijian was rendered speechless by Song Xuan's retort.

This kid is really wary, and the key is that his defenses are well-founded.

Chen Yaozuo glanced at Song Xuan, understanding the sarcasm in his words, but remained silent.

What is Song Xuan's identity?
What is your identity?
In the imperial court, he was not worthy to argue with him.

That's giving him too much credit.

Although Song Dynasty civil officials were sometimes tough on foreign powers, they couldn't win battles, but they were all incredibly skilled at internal power struggles.

Who isn't good at internal strife and wants to gain a foothold in the imperial court?

It's very difficult.

Su Zhe was able to serve as the vice prime minister and also help his brother Su Shi, so his talent in internal power struggles was much greater than Su Shi's.

Wang Zeng stroked his beard without saying a word, but he appreciated Song Xuan's attitude.

It was an uncertain matter to begin with, and he just wanted to make the two of them take it seriously, so they wouldn't treat it like a trivial matter.

In the past, how many people who were killed in the bathroom were ever included in the group of newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations)?
Solving this case is to safeguard the common interests of the Song Dynasty's scholar-officials.

No carelessness is allowed.

"The killer is becoming increasingly brazen. You must do everything in your power to solve this case."

Wang waved his hand, signaling them to leave.

He didn't feel hungry at all; on the contrary, he was full of energy.

Power is the best aphrodisiac for men; it's not an exaggeration.

Song Xuan came out and stood at the door, and Zhao Lianggui quickly followed:

"Magistrate Song shouldn't have said those things just now."

"I know."

"what?"

Zhao Lianggui had intended to offer well-intentioned advice, but after listening to Song Xuan's words, he realized that Song Xuan had probably figured out the ins and outs of the matter and didn't need any outsider's reminder.

Song Xuan stood with his hands behind his back: "Why should I agree to my superior's unreasonable demands?"

"Whoever wants to perform should go."

"At such a young age, I, Song Shier, have already risen to the seventh rank in officialdom, and hold honorary positions such as Dali Ping Shi and Zhi Shi Guan. I've climbed so fast, is there anyone willing to make room for me?"

"Yes Yes Yes."

Zhao Lianggui stopped trying to persuade him.

He felt that Song Xuan's remarks would eventually lead to him being kicked out of the capital by the officials.

Furthermore, it satirizes the husbands for their greed for power and position. Is this something that anyone can say to outsiders?

After all, whether he gets promoted or not, he's still just one of those men in the house.

They have the final say.

Even if you do your best, so what?
"The top scholar of the Song Dynasty".

Zhang Maoze jogged over and shouted, "The Emperor wants to see you."

"it is good."

When Zhao Lianggui saw Song Xuan being summoned away by the emperor's personal eunuch, he suddenly understood the source of Song Xuan's confidence.

Even though promotions are now decided by those old gentlemen in the house.

But the real power to influence the Song Dynasty's top scholar's promotion was still the Emperor's!

Now it seems that Song Xuan truly has won the Emperor's favor!

Although Zhao Lianggui had experienced a lot in officialdom and had family traditions, he still felt a pang of sadness seeing this scene before him.

Despite everyone's elaborate efforts to form factions, they still couldn't win the Emperor's favor and could only stick together for warmth!

Liu E also received a notice from Wang Zeng that he had suddenly summoned Song Xuan and others to discuss matters.

The imperial court has been in an uproar these past two days over the Yellow River project.

Did Wang Zeng suddenly call Song Xuan over to discuss how to deal with the Liu family?

"Go and summon Lü Yijian to me."

"Yes."

Zhao Zhen sat upright at the dining table, waiting for Song Xuan to come and eat together.

"Your Majesty."

Song Xuan called out, and Zhao Zhen quickly stood up and smiled:

"Twelfth Brother, come in quickly, you haven't eaten yet, have you? Let's eat something together."

"Can I starve myself?"

Song Xuan didn't stand on ceremony and sat down directly:
“I ate before coming to discuss matters. At their age, skipping a meal is good for their health, but at our age, skipping a meal means starvation.”

"Hahaha."

Zhao Zhen was in a very good mood, so he didn't say anything more.

"I'll just have some vegetables, don't give me rice."

Zhang Mao chased everyone out and stayed there to serve them food.

Zhao Zhen was overjoyed upon hearing this, and picked up his bowl to eat voraciously; he had been starving for quite some time.
"Twelfth Brother, what does Prime Minister Wang want with you?"

Song Xuan briefly mentioned the murder of the newly appointed scholar, which seemed to be a continuation of the bathroom murder case.

Judging from the modus operandi, it seems to be the same perpetrator, who is far too skilled at it.

"Was it done by the people from Wuyou Cave?"

"Worry-Free Cave?"

Song Xuan thought for a moment and said, "I hadn't thought of it this way before. What the Emperor said makes sense. I'll find someone to inquire about it later."

Seeing that his method worked on Song Xuan, Zhao Zhen asked Zhang Maoze to serve him another bowl of rice.

After eating for a while, Zhao Zhen finally couldn't resist:

"By the way, Twelfth Brother, I sent someone to visit my real mother. She is currently guarding the Yongding Mausoleum."

"This is a good thing."

Song Xuan continued picking up food with his chopsticks: "Your Majesty, would you like to go see her?"

"I do have that thought, but I've never seen her face since I was born."

Zhao Zhen said with a sigh, "If I had only learned of this after she passed away, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life."

Song Xuan stopped eating and looked up:
"Your Majesty, I remember that the late Emperor's mausoleum is not in Kaifeng, which is a bit troublesome."

"Yes."

Zhao Zhen also looked quite emotional.

Now that the Empress Dowager is in charge both inside and outside the court, even when he goes to investigate this matter, he uses secret guards.

To avoid being found out by the matriarch.

Regardless of whether others knew or not, Zhao Zhen had to pretend that he didn't know.

Perhaps even her own mother has spies watching her.

Going to Dingling so openly on your own would be quite troublesome.

"How about we wait until one of the late emperor's most important ministers dies, and Your Majesty buries him in the late emperor's mausoleum? Then Your Majesty can also build a shrine for the late emperor and go there for a visit."

Zhao Zhen forgot to chew and stared at Song Xuan in disbelief.

What does this say?

Zhang Maoze also paused in his chopsticks-picking motion. What kind of crazy idea was this? "Twelfth Brother, isn't this inappropriate?"

Zhao Zhen looked at Song Xuan and said, "I am the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty. How can I wish for the death of my subjects?"

"Your Majesty is mistaken. What do you mean you wish for your ministers to die?"

Song Xuan swallowed the food in his mouth:

"The main reason is that he died at just the right time."

"The emperor granted him the privilege of being buried with the emperor, a treatment that many officials would beg for but could not obtain."

"This is a blessing!"

Zhao Zhen nodded, agreeing with everything he said.

"Twelfth Brother, do you also want this kind of favor?"

"Thank you, but I don't want it."

Hearing Song Xuan's straightforward refusal, Zhao Zhen was somewhat amused and exasperated.

"But even if this important official died at just the right time, he couldn't just be buried with someone like that."

Song Xuan thought for a moment, then spoke:

"Your Majesty, I have suddenly come up with a candidate!"

"what?"

Zhao Zhen put down his bowl and chopsticks:
"Twelfth Brother, I know you're doing this for my own good, but there's no need to do something like this!"

"No no no."

Song Xuan waved his hand: "His Majesty has forgotten someone."

"Who?"

"Wang Qinruo".

"Wang Qinruo".

Zhao Zhen had almost forgotten about this thin old man.

"He is now the prime minister, while Wang Zeng is merely acting prime minister."

Song Xuan spoke slowly:
"He went to his residence in Songcheng, Yingtian Prefecture, to recuperate, but I heard from my classmate that his father, the divine physician Wang, has always been in Dongjing City. I'm afraid Wang Qinruo is now nearing the end of his life."

Zhao Zhen summoned Physician Wang to the capital, Tokyo, because his younger sister was seriously ill.

I never expected Wang Qinruo to have such a need.

Song Xuan listened to Zhao Zhen's explanation but didn't say anything more.

"hiss."

Zhao Zhen fell into thought.

Wang Qinruo was not qualified to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, but he was still significant in terms of being buried with the emperor.

"If I let Doctor Wang go back, could I prolong Wang Qinruo's life?"

"Can a person's lifespan be interfered with before death?" Song Xuan didn't disbelieve in the medicine of the Song Dynasty, but it was mainly because even modern medicine had difficulty dealing with the point of near death.

"Your Majesty should not forget that Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of Han, and Emperor Taizong of Tang all took elixirs in an attempt to prolong their lives, but they all died young because of these elixirs."

That makes sense.

Zhao Zhen then cautiously asked, "Why did those pills cause premature death?"

Song Xuan pondered for a moment: "Does the Emperor know about the death caused by swallowing gold?"

"know."

"Alchemy is like turning gold into fine powder and eating it. Humans can't survive if they eat gold, silver, lead, or mercury, so how can you just burn it with fire and eat it?"

Zhao Zhen tried to understand Song Xuan's words because he felt that everyone likes gold and silver, as they are all good things.

Seeing his confusion, Song Xuan asked, "Does Your Majesty believe that you can surpass the achievements of the three mentioned above?"

Zhao Zhen wanted to say that he wanted to give it a try, but there was no need to be stubborn in front of Song Xuan.

He shook his head: "Being able to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun is the greatest achievement of my life; otherwise, I'm afraid it wouldn't be possible."

Song Xuan didn't think anything was wrong, which shows that Zhao Zhen still had a clear self-awareness.

"Even those who were so wise and powerful died young after taking elixirs. If the Emperor is not as wise and powerful as them and also takes elixirs, I'm afraid he won't even be able to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun."

"I understand."

Zhao Zhen then remembered that Wang Qinruo's reputation was not very good.

He and Ding Wei were in cahoots, especially when Emperor Zhenzong performed the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai and offered sacrifices at Fenyin.

“I heard that Minister Wang openly declared that Wang Qinruo and others were ‘five ghosts,’ treacherous and wicked, and that they were not suitable to be buried with the late emperor.”

“Wang Qinruo’s son, Wang Congyi, is not in good health and it is difficult for him to have children. Even if he is placed in the Wang family’s ancestral cemetery, there will inevitably be no one to worship him in the future.”

Song Xuan continued picking at his food, saying, "The Emperor's actions are actually a show of favor to the Wang family."

"It's actually like this!"

Zhao Zhen nodded, yet felt a pang of reluctance:
"I'm afraid that my treatment of the Wang family is... I'm afraid..."

"What are you afraid of?"

Song Xuan continued picking at his food:
"When Wang Qinruo dies, the Emperor will posthumously confer titles upon him and employ his family members. With such great favors, Wang Qinruo will surely die in peace."

"If Your Majesty wishes to see your mother as soon as possible, then send someone to tell Wang Qinruo. He knows what to do."

"Of course, if the Emperor wants to let things take their natural course, then he can simply wait patiently."

"I'm not in a hurry."

Emperor Zhao Zhen was ultimately a kind man; he would never force Wang Qinruo to his death over something like this.

Song Xuan gestured to Zhang Maoze to pour some ice water and put down his chopsticks.

"By the way, Your Majesty should drink less sugary drinks in the future."

Upon hearing Song Xuan's reminder, Zhao Zhen was somewhat bewildered: "Why is that?"

"You always sit there without moving an inch. The most intense exercise you must do is during sex, right?"

Zhao Zhen coughed.

Ever since Song Xuan helped to deal with Empress Guo's arrogance.

He did indeed revisit matters of the heart, and felt that he had regained a lot of his confidence.

"Twelfth Brother, what does this have to do with anything?"

Song Xuan wiped his sweat, took the ice water, held it in his hand, and felt its coolness: "Then have you been having sex less often lately?"

"uh-huh."

Zhao Zhen seemed to have choked on the food and coughed violently.

After Zhang Maoze patted Zhao Zhen's back and he calmed down for a while, Zhao Zhen said:

"What nonsense are you spouting, Twelfth Brother? I am young and strong, and naturally very brave."

Song Xuan took a sip of the icy-cold sweet drink: "I can cure it."

Zhao Zhen waved his hand, signaling Zhang Maoze to leave, and then the door was closed.

He said rather solemnly:
"Twelfth Brother, I do feel that things are moving too fast sometimes. Empress Guo often barges in, which really terrifies me."

"I hope that my twelfth brother can teach me how to improve."

"Cripple her."

Hearing Song Xuan's words, Zhao Zhen coughed again: "Twelfth Brother's method is a bit too radical."

"The Emperor is the supreme ruler, and the Empress not only cannot help you, but also constantly drains you. What's the point of keeping her around?"

Zhao Zhen admitted that Song Xuan was right, but he lacked the courage to do so.

Song Xuan swirled the cup in his hand:
"The Emperor has no heir now, so the responsibility lies entirely with her."

When it comes to the matter of having offspring, Zhao Zhen does indeed attach great importance to it.

Even though he's young, it's not like he's never been with a woman.

Emperor Renzong (Zhao Zhen) felt responsible for Empress Guo's inability to bear children and was extremely reluctant to share a bed with her.

There are still several talented women, concubines, and consorts, so why haven't any of them given birth to any good news?

In addition, Zhao Zhen was in his prime, even younger than Song Xuan.

In this situation, it is very easy to win the bid.

Even though the concubines were not very old, the fact that they couldn't conceive indicated that the emperor had some problems.

Zhao Zhen's expression turned serious: "It will probably be difficult in the short term."

"Alright, then I'll teach you how to strengthen your body first, so you can be more virile in bed and have children as soon as possible."

Zhao Zhen's eyes lit up: "I hope my twelfth brother can teach me."

"The first step is to leave the palace and move outside to recuperate."

"This won't work."

Although Zhao Zhen felt that he was currently a puppet, once he left the palace, he would be nothing at all.

"Your Majesty, firstly, even within the palace, you have no power to make important decisions; secondly, it might lower the Empress Dowager's guard against you; and thirdly, it might make many ministers harbor resentment towards the Empress Dowager."

"Especially after the embezzlement of funds for the Yellow River project, the calls to punish the Liu family will be loud. Finally, you also want to have good health, don't you?"

"If the emperor is not in good health and you have no children, the ministers will inevitably pressure you to adopt a son of the imperial family as the crown prince."

"If the adopted son elevates his biological father to the throne, how should the emperor conduct himself?"

"It's not that serious!"

Zhao Zhen felt that he was young and strong.

Previously, Empress Guo was an obstacle, but in the future, he will surely be able to display his great prowess.

The reason why Zhao Zhen was willing to listen to Song Xuan was because...

Actually, it's been a bit of a retaliatory behavior lately; I haven't been controlling my body.

Song Xuan didn't respond, so Zhao Zhen took the initiative to ask:
"Then where should I go?"

"If they don't live in the palace, there's bound to be some trouble."

"The Emperor is going to reside at Yuqing Zhaoying Palace, which is very close to the Imperial City, located just outside Tianbo Gate in the northwest."

"Secondly, we can use the excuse of taking care of our younger sister. After all, the emperor only has one brother and sister, so it's understandable."

"Thirdly, Your Majesty can also write a letter to your biological mother here to express your feelings. What mother wouldn't miss her own offspring?"

"Fourthly, the emperor can remain aloof and express his prayers to the heavens not to flood the capital city of Tokyo again, nor to flood his people. If flooding is to happen, it should be the Yuqing Palace where the emperor resides. This way, he can win back the hearts of the people."

Zhao Zhen nodded repeatedly upon hearing this. After Song Xuan's explanation, it was indeed an excellent idea.

This is what it feels like to have someone giving you advice behind the scenes, so you no longer have to be at a loss when faced with a problem and just hide away and cry in secret!

Zhao Zhen paused for a moment before speaking:
"What's the second step after I move out?"

"That is to strengthen the body, and even practice archery. Select a few commoners with good archery skills to teach, and select a few sons from military families to practice with, or military families who serve as imperial guards in the palace to accompany them."

"In the future, the officials will also have an excuse for the autumn hunt."

"Your Majesty is still young and hasn't been ruined by wine and women. With three to five months of rest, you might be able to recover completely."

"Anyway, the power of the Song Dynasty is currently in the hands of the Empress Dowager, so even if the Emperor wanted to seize power, he wouldn't have the chance."

"Why don't we focus on getting better first? We're still young, but the old lady will eventually get old and her energy will decline."

Zhao Zhen knew that Song Xuan was trying to comfort him, but he believed even more that Song Xuan would not harm him.

"Okay, I'll take care of it tomorrow."

Zhao Zhen nodded and took another sip of the cool, sweet drink: "Let's start again tomorrow."

"Hey hey hey."

Song Xuan smiled helplessly and poured him another cup.

Zhao Zhen had actually figured it out; Song Xuan had sent him to make contact with people in the military.

If these military sons don't follow the emperor, are they supposed to follow the empress dowager instead?

Zhao Zhen did not know who his biological mother was before.

Now that I know, my feelings towards Liu E have become more complicated, and I also understand why Liu E doesn't love her child like a normal mother.

It turns out she used a surrogate mother.

"correct."

Zhao Zhen then spoke up, "These past few days, they've been arguing for a long time in court because of the Yellow River."

“Fan Xiwen is too radical. I’m worried he’ll be implicated and kicked out of the capital. You should find an opportunity to persuade your teacher.”

Should I advise him?

Song Xuan waved his hand: "Dean Fan is very determined. If he wants to do something, even if there is a bottomless cliff in front of him, he will try to jump over it."

"If you want me to persuade him, I'll have to knock him unconscious. I can try to persuade him for as long as I can."

"Hahaha."

Emperor Zhao Zhen also greatly admired Fan Zhongyan's character and considered him a rare loyal minister.

“If the Empress Dowager continues to protect the Liu family like this, I think Dean Fan will take the initiative to write a letter to the Empress Dowager, asking her to return power to the government.”

"Ok?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhen put down the small bottle of sweet drink in his hand: "Twelfth Brother, isn't this inappropriate?"

"Of course not." Song Xuan also leaned his entire body on the round table:

"The Empress Dowager has gone to such lengths to seize power. Now that someone is asking her to relinquish it, how does Your Majesty expect her to react?"

"anger."

"No, it's rage!"

Zhao Zhen sighed again: "It seems that even I, as emperor, will not be able to assume personal rule at the age of twenty!"

"Your Majesty, have you read Zhuangzi?"

"Never."

Song Xuan smiled and said, "Then Your Majesty should take some time to read Zhuangzi's 'The Mountain Tree,' and you will surely gain a lot, after all, Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, is a clear example."

Zhao Zhen nodded slightly; sometimes he also liked to explore things on his own.

"Now that we've finished discussing personal matters, Twelfth Brother, what are your thoughts on the Yellow River incident?"

"What do I think?"

Song Xuan waved his hand and said, "How can I look? Of course, I can only watch!"

Who can stop the Yellow River from raging?

Zhao Zhen sighed: "That's true."

"But there's no need to worry too much."

"how?"

"After all, when the Yangtze River gets angry, the south turns into the Yunmeng Marsh, and the Yellow River getting angry is not uncommon."

"Forehead."

Zhao Zhen did not find Song Xuan's humor funny.

Because he was the ruler of the Song Dynasty, he least wanted the Yellow River and the Yangtze River to get angry so easily.

However, the Yellow River raged every year, which was really making it difficult for Emperor Zhao Zhen to bear.

Every time he gets angry, the number of vagrants in Tokyo increases.

He was still shaken for a long time after he came out of the Worry-Free Cave.

The people around Song Xuan were not locals of Tokyo; most of them were refugees.

Those who could live in Wuyou Cave were mostly destitute refugees who had nowhere else to turn, so they simply turned to crime.

Then they discovered that the road was passable, and more and more people started using it.

Why have people continued to exist deep underground in the Worry-Free Cave?

In particular, the Yellow River flooded Kaifeng every year, making it possible to travel by boat on land, let alone underground.

That is, every year a large number of refugees join, providing a continuous source of people and backup for the real criminal gangs in Wuyou Cave.

"Hey, Twelfth Brother, stop teasing me."

At this moment, Zhao Zhen also felt that the sweet water in his hand had lost all its flavor:

"I'm afraid many more people will die this year, and this is all my fault."

In Song Xuan's view, most vested interest groups find it difficult to fully sympathize with people from another class.

"Why not eat meat porridge?" This reflects the emperor's understanding of the poor people.

Emperor Hui of Jin may have been foolish, but he wasn't that foolish.

He simply hoped that if ordinary people had no rice to eat, they could eat meat porridge.

But he wouldn't think about why ordinary people couldn't even afford meat porridge.

Song Xuan ignored the emperor's sentiments, believing that Zhao Zhen was being sincere at that moment.

But what will happen when he finally sits in that position?

Power will eventually change a person.

"Unfortunately, my imperial treasury is also running low. With so many refugees flooding into the capital, I fear that food prices will rise and everyone will go hungry."

"Actually, I have a way to help the government solve these problems, but it will come at the cost of my reputation."

Zhao Zhen's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing Song Xuan's words, and he then spoke again:

"Twelfth Brother, using my reputation as a price is too much. You are the youngest person in the Song Dynasty to win the triple crown in the imperial examinations. Using your reputation as a price would have too great an impact."

"No."

Song Xuan repeatedly refused: "This is my chance to go down in history, I absolutely cannot give it to you."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhen became interested: "What exactly does Twelfth Brother intend to do?"

"A scam."

After Song Xuan uttered those two words, Zhao Zhen hesitated for a moment and said, "Scam money?"

"Yes." Song Xuan took a sip of his sweet drink.

"Let's use the official's reputation to swindle money when we're repairing the Yellow River or attacking the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun. We'll team up and swindle a big sum of money then."

"I'll be the first to swindle the small amount of money needed to support these vagrants in Tokyo this year, to set an example for the officials."

"Let's scam a big one!"

Zhao Zhen's eyes lit up, and he immediately asked:
"The amount of money allocated for disaster relief each year is not a small sum."

"Twelfth Brother, whose money are you trying to scam?"

Song Xuan snapped his fingers: "Whoever has money, I'll swindle their money!"

Who has money?

"Who has money?" Song Xuan asked back.

"The Liu family, the Liu family is rich!" Zhao Zhen exclaimed excitedly.

“The father and son have been embezzling money from the court since my father was still alive. I heard that the Liu family’s underground has been hollowed out and filled with gold and silver treasures.”

"That's right." Song Xuan slammed his hand on the table:
"Let's swindle money from the Liu family."

“The money he hid in the cellar is just scrap metal if he doesn’t spend it. Only when he spends it does it become real money.”

“The Liu family is like the mythical creature Pixiu; they don’t know how to spend money. Let us help them spend it.”

"Yeah."

Zhao Zhen was even more excited. He really wanted to make sure the disaster victims had enough to eat, and he hoped they wouldn't rebel.

"Twelfth Brother, how are you planning to swindle money from the Liu family?"

Song Xuan chuckled:
"Your Majesty, just watch how I handle things. I guarantee the court won't spend a single penny to resolve the issue of the disaster victims."

"Perhaps some money can be saved and deposited into the imperial treasury, continuing the precedent set by Emperor Taizu of the Taizu for sealing the treasury."

Zhao Zhen was greatly excited by the promises Song Xuan made.

He stood up and paced around a few times before calming himself down.
"Is it really true that it didn't cost the imperial court a single penny?"

Song Xuan chuckled: "Whoever has money, we'll use their money to serve the court."

"Good good."

Zhao Zhen paced back and forth excitedly, though he was also troubled by the money issue.

Compared to before, when Zhao Zhen considered Liu E as his mother, even though she wore dragon robes, celebrated her birthday, and walked ahead of him when visiting the Imperial Ancestral Temple, Zhao Zhen believed that she would eventually return power to him.

I used to act this way simply because I was too young to handle her.

However, after Zhao Zhen learned about his biological mother's experiences, he realized that he was merely a tool in Liu E's hands, so he became even more devoted to politics.

Despite the Song Dynasty's wealth, the Ministry of Revenue actually had very little surplus funds, just like its internal treasury, which was meager.

The Empress Dowager repeatedly bestowed gifts upon the Liu family, transferring royal wealth to them.

Now that Song Xuan is saying he wants to take money from the Liu family, how could Zhao Zhen not be happy?
He didn't jump up excitedly because he was mindful that an emperor should be composed!

Zhao Zhen stopped in his tracks, suppressing the joy in his heart:
"Twelfth Brother, just go ahead and do it. I'll take responsibility for anything that happens."

"As long as the Liu family can pay up, even if they sell me out, it's no big deal."

"I have actually disliked them for a long time, but I have never had the opportunity to punish them."

"This time, you will act on my behalf and punish the Liu family severely!"

(End of this chapter)