A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 333 Background and Connections
"He has confessed what he needed to confess."

Zheng Wenhuan felt fear in his heart when facing Song Xuan.

That's because he found out about something he had on her.

Moreover, Song Xuan has a powerful background and strong personal abilities, making him someone that a mere clerk like him cannot afford to offend.

Furthermore, since Song Xuan knew about Zheng Wenhuan's affairs, he didn't intend to harm him.

Instead, he took it as a pledge of loyalty, which put Zheng Wenhuan at ease.

However, Zheng Wenhuan had little concern for officials outside the county government.

Anyway, we're not eating from the same pot.

If anything goes wrong, Master Song will be there to back me up.

Therefore, Zheng Wenhuan, a mere ninth-rank registrar in Kaifeng County, acted extremely tough in front of the eighth-rank county magistrate of Xiangfu County.

But the county magistrate of Xiangfu County was one to fall for this.

Their superior has connections and is protective of his own, so that's how it should be.

If Zheng Wenhuan were to act servilely, he would suspect that there was some conspiracy to drag him down.

After all, the waters in Tokyo are far too deep.

Someone like him, with no background, can only be served carefully, as he can't afford to offend anyone.

Magistrate Sun immediately realized that this was just an excuse.

However, he also understood that Zheng Wenhuan did not want to pay attention to him.

Therefore, Magistrate Sun could only carefully lead Zheng Wenhuan to the Xiangfu County government office.

The group was led to the main hall of the county government office.

Zheng Wenhuan sensed something was amiss. This court hearing, with its intimidating manner, didn't seem like a simple inquiry.

Zheng Wenhuan didn't have to wait long before Chen Gu put on his official robes and sat down in a chair.

Snapped.

The gavel banged.

The registrar then spoke loudly:

"Ascension to the Hall."

Brush brush.

The sound of water and fire sticks striking each other rang out.

"Majestic and mighty."

The yamen runners of Xiangfu County began to shout.

The custom of shouting "Majesty!" upon ascending the hall also originated in the Northern Song Dynasty; previous dynasties did not practice this custom.

Zheng Wenhuan narrowed his eyes slightly, knowing that he couldn't back down now.

Magistrate Chen slapped his own backside, which was equivalent to slapping Master Song in the face!
If I were to embarrass Master Song, I would likely return in disgrace and be targeted by him even more.

Now, when I'm out and about, I represent Master Song's reputation.

This has caused Master Song to lose face, and it will probably be difficult for him to continue working at the Kaifeng County government office in the future.

Having figured out the logic behind this, Zheng Wenhuan chose to take a hard line.

Even if you offend Chen Gu, you can't offend your immediate superior.

When that young master goes crazy, he doesn't care about anything.

"Is Magistrate Chen treating me like a criminal?"

Before Chen Gu could ask, Zheng Wenhuan, the registrar of Kaifeng, preemptively struck.

A loud shout.

Before Chen Gu could strike with his gavel, it was abruptly stopped in mid-air.

No matter how you put it.

Zheng Wenhuan was an official of the Song Dynasty, not a criminal.

Therefore, Chen Gu could only suppress his disdain and anger:

"I have come here specifically to question you."

Because in Chen Gu's mind, only Song Xuan was his equal.

The rest of the people were of lower rank.

How dare a lowly ninth-rank registrar of Kaifeng County challenge me?

"Questioning?"

Zheng Wenhuan said loudly:

"Magistrate Chen, this doesn't seem like a questioning; it looks more like an interrogation of a criminal!"

"If Magistrate Chen thinks I have committed a crime, then produce the evidence."

"If not, then I will go out and head to the palace to knock on the Dengwen Drum."

"I pleaded with the officials and the Empress Dowager for justice, but Magistrate Chen forcibly detained me and a group of yamen runners in the main hall of Xiangfu County for trial without any reason!"

"At that time, I doubt the people of Xiangfu County would dare to deceive the officials and the Empress Dowager by giving false testimony for Magistrate Chen, would they?"

Zheng Wenhuan's words immediately put Chen Gu, the magistrate of Xiangfu County, in a difficult position.

Make sense.

He was not qualified to arrest the registrar of the neighboring county.

Even if it's a yamen runner, it still has to be handed over to Kaifeng County for Song Xuan to handle personally, with Song Xuan supervising from the side.

To avoid a situation where Song Xuan simply chooses to release the person and doesn't pursue the matter at all.

Seeing that the dignified county magistrate was speechless, Zheng Wenhuan felt extremely smug.

He learned this from Song Xuan's case-solving methods.

If Mu Xiu hadn't struck the Dengwen Drum, Song Xuan wouldn't have been able to openly arrest Qin Ying, the prefectural magistrate of Kaifeng.

Zheng Wenhuan also knew that this magistrate of Xiangfu County was extremely harsh on his subordinates and had driven away several of them.

If this were to really escalate to the point of being brought before the Emperor, I doubt many people would be willing to give him false testimony!

Zheng Wenhuan, the registrar of Kaifeng County, fell silent immediately after speaking.

It was Magistrate Sun who stepped in to smooth things over.

That's not true, it's just a normal inquiry.

After all, Kaifeng County came to my Xiangfu County to do business without prior notice.

This is against the rules.

Zheng Wenhuan continued to snort coldly:
“Magistrate Chen, I am here to investigate this case on the orders of the three-time magistrate of Kaifeng County. All official documents and seals are in order.”

"You've detained me today just because I'm investigating this case, are you trying to embarrass Master Sanyuan?"

Chen Gu himself was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).

Now he's being threatened by a mere county clerk, trying to offend the Three Scholars?
What's so great about the Three Scholars?
But this is the highest honor for a scholar.

He absolutely could not reveal what was on his mind.

Chen Gu slammed the gavel heavily onto the table:
"How dare you!"

"It's always better to be bold than to break the law." Zheng Wenhuan continued:

"Even if I don't go and beat the drum to appeal, if Lord Song impeaches the magistrate of Xiangfu County for obstructing official business between the prefecture and the county."

"So many of us have been arrested, and so many people in Tokyo have witnessed it!"

"I wonder if the court believes you, or the Song Dynasty's top scholar, whom even the Empress Dowager praised as a reincarnation of the God of Literature?"

As Chen Gu heard Zheng Wenhuan's threatening words, his face grew increasingly grim.

Song Xuan is so arrogant.

Behind this, there must have been the arrogance and indulgence of the eldest aunt!

Otherwise, Liu Congde wouldn't have been so sensible as to apologize to Song Xuan.

In Zheng Wenhuan's words, in terms of background, Chen Gu, as the brother-in-law of the current prime minister, was really not up to par.

At the same time, Chen Gu also realized the trap in Zheng Wenhuan's words.

Just now, the position of the Three Scholars was not enough to make you bow your head, but with the praise of the Empress Dowager, are you still not willing to bow your head?

No matter how approachable Song Xuan was, his reputation among scholars was still extremely high.

In particular, he spoke out for the people, demanding a thorough investigation into the Wuyou Cave incident.

You, a county magistrate of Xiangfu County, have been obstructing me in every way.

It's hard not to believe that you, Chen Gu, did not receive tribute from Wuyou Cave and deliberately protected them.

Most importantly, this is not a normal inquiry process at all.

Chen Gu is in the wrong!

Now even Magistrate Sun couldn't step in to smooth things over.

In Magistrate Sun's view, no matter how you look at it...

Actually, my husband turns a blind eye to it, so there's no problem.

Even if one boards the ship first and buys a ticket later, it is still a legal procedure in the Song Dynasty's officialdom.

But who could blame them when Magistrate Song of Kaifeng County achieved such political success at such a young age?

Especially in the matter of collecting overdue taxes.

The problem exists not only in Kaifeng County, but also in Xiangfu County, and is even worse than in Kaifeng County.

Song Xuan was able to collect taxes, but Chen Gu was not.

With such a comparison, when it comes to whether they can get a rating, will there be any need for special explanation?
Even if your brother-in-law is the prime minister, he can't fake your political achievements.

The bulk of the imperial court's wealth comes from taxes!

Without money, everything is in vain.

According to the laws of the Song Dynasty, it was permissible for prefectures and counties to cooperate in handling cases.

Cross-border investigations require prior "office assessment" (OA), but in urgent cases, investigations can be conducted while completing the formalities.

The formalities are currently being processed. Chen Gu, seeing the smug and confident demeanor of this lowly registrar, then smiled broadly:
"Registration Officer Zheng, how is the morale of the yamen runners in Xiangfu County?"

"The troops of Xiangfu County are indeed extremely strong."

Zheng Wenhuan offered a compliment.

"If that's the case, how can you bypass Xiangfu County to investigate?"

"In reply to Magistrate Chen, it would be unreasonable to rashly mobilize the resources of Xiangfu County without an imperial edict."

"Master Song wanted to wait until the imperial edict was issued before he could personally come to discuss this matter with Magistrate Chen."

"Easy to say."

Chen Gu stood up: "Registration Officer Zheng, please come with me to the back room to continue our conversation."

Zheng Wenhuan stood with his hands behind his back, displaying extreme arrogance and domineering behavior.

He couldn't stop screaming inside:
"It feels so good to have someone backing you up!"

Chen Gu pretended to talk with Zheng Wenhuan for a while before having his own clerk accompany him on the case, but in reality, it was to monitor him.

After everyone left, Chen Gu immediately used a desktop cleanup tool.

Magistrate Sun stood to the side with his head down, not daring to say a word.

After a long pause, Chen Gu decided to go talk to his brother-in-law, Lü Yijian, after finishing his shift.

Song Xuan has extended his reach into his own territory.

Is there any more royal method?
……

Having obtained what he wanted at Yuqing Palace, Song Xuan did not linger.

He took Emperor Taizong's sacred relics directly to the Privy Council.

When Song Xuan arrived, he found his father-in-law, Cao Liyong, playing chess with Zhang Qi.

Deputy Privy Councilor Yan Shu and Xia Song watched the battle from the sidelines.

Now that there is no war in the Song Dynasty, most civil officials serving as deputy privy councilors are just in a transitional role.

I am working hard to achieve the next position of Vice Chancellor.

Despite the notification, they didn't greet Song Xuan when he came in, but continued to watch the game of Go until the crucial moment arrived.

Song Xuan wasn't very interested in Go, so he just poured himself some tea and drank it.

Yan Shu walked straight over and sat down to the side.

"Twelfth Brother, I read the tabloids this morning. You were too impulsive."

Yan Shu's motto in life was that a wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall.

If you want a smooth life, everything to go smoothly, and no difficulties to encounter, you must only know what you know and admit what you don't know.

Someone as intelligent as Song Xuan should understand this principle.

"I did act impulsively."

Song Xuan immediately agreed with Yan Shu's words:

"But with hundreds of heads piled up like a mound of skulls in front of you, and this is the capital of the Song Dynasty, I can't even imagine what it must be like in the other prefectures and counties."

Yan Shu saw the contents of the tabloid:
"So the matter of more than two hundred heads is true?"

"more than."

Yan Shu suddenly fell silent.

He knew that Tokyo was a mixed bag of people and that Wuyou Cave had harmed living beings.

In particular, the Worry-Free Cave once abducted the current emperor.

However, the official was protected by a divine being and escaped from inside.

this matter.

Yan Shu also knew this.

Later, Emperor Zhenzong of Song believed that Yan Shu was suitable to accompany Zhao Zhen as he grew up.

Now Song Xuan is going to besiege Wuyou Cave.

This festering sore has plagued Tokyo for decades and has never been eradicated.

Yan Shu didn't have any good ideas to help Song Xuan.

All he could do was remind people to stay away from such thankless and exhausting tasks.

After all, as members of the scholar-official class, they were used to seeing the light.

Who would want to cause trouble for themselves by going to see what's going on in the dark?
"The things these vermin did were so vile, they truly deserve to die!"

Listening to Yan Shu's words, Song Xuan knew that he must have known about some things in Wuyou Cave for a long time.

However, one should not concern oneself with matters outside one's official position, nor should one adhere to the principles of a wise person avoiding dangerous situations.

Even if Yan Shu found out, he wouldn't care.

"Twelfth Brother, but I have one more thing to say. Don't always follow the words of sages. Throughout history, those who listened to the words of sages have all died."

Song Xuan exclaimed, "Those who didn't heed the words of the sages are all dead now."

But the words sounded somewhat familiar to Song Xuan, as if he had mentioned them before.

Yan Shu patted Song Xuan's hand again:

"You, Song Twelve, understand everything, so don't explain anything."

"You know everything, yet you know nothing at all!"

"what?"

Song Xuan raised an eyebrow: "Prime Minister Yan, what should I say?"

"say what?"

Yan Shu sighed deeply:
"Either speak in a way that others cannot understand, or don't speak at all."

Song Xuan thought for a while, and realized that this was exactly what Section Chief Ma had said.

“I know you’re a capable guy, but you’re not as impulsive as your teacher Fan Xiwen. However, when you’re impulsive, even Fan Xiwen has to take a backseat to you.”

"Nowadays, officials should be ambitious, but your bowl is still shallow."

"It can't hold much water at all. Although I don't form factions, there are too many people in the court who do."

"You are so young, don't just think about doing things your own way and forget the principle that everyone helps each other."

'Otherwise, who knows when you'll get the position of prime minister.'

Yan Shu had very high expectations for Song Xuan; otherwise, he wouldn't have dismissed Song Xuan once during the preliminary examination, hoping that he could hone his skills and reach a higher level.

As it turned out, that dismissal really spurred Song Xuan on, extinguishing his confidence that he could easily pass the exam.

However, the officialdom is different from the imperial examination system.

Yan Shu knew that Song Xuan's family lacked this atmosphere, and even his father-in-law, Cao Liyong, couldn't grasp many of the principles of being an official.

In Yan Shu's view, Cao Li was an arrogant and domineering person.

How can I personally teach Song Xuan well?
Song Xuan was certain that Yan Shu had spoken his true feelings.

However, if you don't have the drive and motivation now, you'll have even less of it later.

"Lord Yan, you have lived in the capital city of Dongjing for a long time. How much do you know about the official situation of Wuyou Cave?"

Hearing Song Xuan's earnest question, Yan Shu shook his head:
"I'm not very clear, but I know one thing."

"what's up?"

Yan Shu lowered his voice and said:
"The late emperor once sent a team of twelve elite soldiers from the Imperial City Guard to infiltrate the area, but none of them survived."

"After that, the late emperor never sent anyone to try to wipe out Wuyou Cave again."

Upon hearing Yan Shu's revelations, Song Xuan knew that no emperor could tolerate something like this happening right under his nose.

Unless he has no other choice.

Just like the inability to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.

That does fit Emperor Zhenzong's character.

Song Xuan believed that Yan Shu was not lying, and that he would not use such a thing to deceive him.

"It seems that a 12-man elite team is not enough. We need to send at least 100 people in, preferably with an inside man, so that we can gather enough information to bring back."

"Internal response?"

Yan Shu shook his head:
"Don't think too simply. As far as I know, it's always the Worry-Free Cave that selects people to join their forces. It's not something you can just join whenever you want."

"They mostly select people during famines. This year, Kaifeng was flooded by the Yellow River, and many refugees will emerge. Isn't this a good opportunity for Wuyou Cave to strengthen itself?"

Hearing Song Xuan's words, Yan Shu glanced at him:
"That's a clever plan, but how many outsiders can you find to risk their lives for you?"

"There's no need for Prime Minister Yan to worry about that."

Song Xuan chuckled twice: "I certainly have someone in mind."

"Alright, alright, since you've made up your mind, then I wish you all the best in advance."

Yan Shu understood the influence of a good teacher.

Fan Zhongyan, that stubborn mule, taught many "little stubborn mules"!
By this time, the game was almost over, and Cao Liyong was still struggling desperately, so Xia Song didn't pay much attention to him.

Yan Shu also came over and took the initiative to introduce Xia Song.

Xia Song was never towering, and Han Qi was nothing to be surprised about.

Song Xuan stood up and bowed to this man who was in charge of the Western Xia and who had recommended Fan Zhongyan but later attacked him.

Xia Song was still quite interested in Song Xuan.

His father was a military officer who died in the war against Liao. Xia Song filled in as a minor military officer in the third shift.

Later, he took the initiative to seek opportunities and used his talents to attract the attention of the famous prime minister Li Hang.

Li Hang pleaded with Emperor Zhenzong of Song to transfer Xia Song from a military position to a civil one.

Now he has reached the position of military officer, but unfortunately he never became prime minister in his lifetime.

After Xia Song's death, Song Xiang wrote a eulogy lamenting that Xia Song had not served as prime minister to demonstrate his talent in governing the country and benefiting the people.

After all, in the Song Dynasty, it was difficult to implement the policies you wanted to carry out unless you became the prime minister.

"Song Zhuangyuan was a handsome man, and he was also very capable in his work."

Xia Song sat opposite him and first praised Song Xuan.

"Privy Councilor Xia is too kind."

Song Xuan wouldn't specifically add the title "Deputy" to him:
"These are all within my duties. If they are outside my duties, I will just turn a blind eye."

"Hahaha."

Xia Song stroked his beard and laughed a few times:

"Song Zhuangyuan is truly a promising candidate for officialdom!"

Yan Shu wanted to laugh when he heard this.

He glanced at Song Xuan and said, "See? This is a sedan chair carried by many people."

He's a seasoned veteran of the officialdom, having spent many years gaining experience in local government.

Song Xuan leaned back in his chair:
"Privy Councilor Xia is too kind. These are merely some of my insights and experiences since I became an official, and they are utterly insignificant in the presence of Privy Councilor Xia."

Xia Song just wanted to laugh.

Only then did Cao Yong put the chess piece back on the board and concede defeat. He knew, of course, why Song Xuan had come, but he asked, "What brings you here today?"

"So that Attendant Cao may know, I have come here on His Majesty's orders."

Song Xuan, in a businesslike manner, took out the note that Zhao Zhen had written for him and handed it to Cao Liyong, who was walking over.

Cao Li took it and examined it carefully before handing it to Zhang Qi, who was beaming with triumph.

"Since it's the official's word, I have no problem with it."

After Cao Liyong finished reading, Zhang Qi also raised an eyebrow:
"Nephew, I've also heard some rumors. Is this matter really that troublesome?"

"Troublesome." Song Xuan nodded.

"So that Uncle Zhang may know that the scene was too horrific to bear."

"To prevent the victims' bodies from being identified, they would cut off their heads and burn their clothes, refusing to bury them with the bodies."

"After a while, those heads will be treated with medicine to destroy the flesh and hair, leaving only bones, which will be piled up densely in the tomb."

"They are extremely experienced in committing crimes and specifically target out-of-town businessmen."

Zhang Qi was also somewhat alarmed. Although he had heard of the Worry-Free Cave, he was not at his level and would not be bothered by these bedbugs.

Now, listening to Song Xuan's description, Zhang Qi handed the emperor's note to Xia Song beside him:
"It's time to strike hard, but relying solely on the yamen runners of Kaifeng County is probably not enough."

Xia Song looked at the note the emperor wrote to Song Xuan. In addition to allocating a batch of military equipment to the yamen runners to help them strengthen their combat power, it also wanted to allocate troops to assist them in wiping out Wuyou Cave.

"We understand the Emperor's and Scholar Song's intentions."

Xia Song then handed the note to Yan Shu:

"However, Deputy Privy Councilor Yang Chongxun is currently not here. If we want to mobilize troops, we will need to bring him back to cooperate."

Yang Chongxun was a confidant of Empress Dowager Liu E.

When Ding Wei visited Cao Liyong at night and accused Zhou Huaizheng of plotting a rebellion, the mastermind behind the killing of Kou Zhun's forces was Yang Chongxun.

Because Zhou Huaizheng went to discuss the matter with Yang Chongxun, he directly sold him out.

After Ding Wei's accident, he quickly jumped ship to Liu E's side.

They can be said to have taken the art of opportunism to its extreme.

Although Cao Liyong was the Privy Councilor, from Liu E's perspective, Cao Liyong also had a Privy Councilor, Zhang Qi, to check and balance him.

Below him is Yang Chongxun, the Deputy Privy Councilor, who directly controls military power in the capital and can ensure that Cao Yong cannot mobilize troops on his own.

If anything happens, Liu E will know immediately.

Cao Liyong felt disgusted by Yang Chongxun's behavior, and he felt annoyed just hearing Xia Song mention this person's name.

Yang Chongxun knew he couldn't bring down Cao Liyong, so he simply decided not to come here to cause trouble.

Moreover, Zhang Qi was ranked ahead of Yang Chongxun, so he had no chance of becoming the official in charge.

"Then send someone to summon him back to discuss this matter."

Zhang Qi spoke first, and the others agreed.

Zhang Qi knew Cao Liyong's thoughts, so to avoid escalating the conflict, he gave the order himself to prevent both sides from feeling unhappy.

"Nephew, this matter may be somewhat dangerous."

"It doesn't matter."

Song Xuan immediately took off his upper garment, revealing his inner armor, which startled Cao Liyong so much that his hair stood on end.

Is this something that can be openly and honestly displayed?

Zhang Qi swallowed hard, wanting to cover his eyes and pretend he hadn't seen anything.

Xia Song and Yan Shu looked at each other, neither of them saying a word.

Song Xuan, however, continued speaking to himself:
"This is Emperor Taizong's inner armor, which His Majesty has specially bestowed upon me today for self-defense."

"what."

Cao finally managed to utter "I see!" smoothly.

He was terrified that Song Xuan, that audacious brat, would manage to get an inner armor from the black market himself.

That's also a taboo thing to do.

"Bestowed by the Emperor." Zhang Qi immediately breathed a sigh of relief: "It was from Emperor Taizong. The Emperor is truly very kind to his nephew."

At this moment, Song Xuan said smugly, "According to the Emperor, it was used by Emperor Taizong when he personally led the expedition to Gaoliang River. Emperor Taizong had extremely good luck after wearing it."

"The Emperor hopes that Emperor Taizong's good fortune will also bless me."

Song Xuan observed the expressions of the people present.

Was it simply that the emperor's historical education was confined to an information cocoon, or were many of the Song Dynasty's officials also confined to information cocoons?

Zhang Qi nodded repeatedly: "That's true."

He was an attendant who had followed Emperor Zhenzong since childhood, and he accepted this version of events.

It's understandable that Cao Li, whose father transitioned from a civil to a military career, wouldn't be aware of this.

However, Xia Song's ancestors were all military generals, and it was only in his generation that he defied fate and became a civil official.

So I am clear about this matter.

Emperor Taizong was wounded in the Battle of Gaoliang River. He rode a donkey cart for more than 200 li back to Zhuozhou, only to find that some people wanted to support his nephew to ascend the throne.

So when Song Xuan mentioned the Gaoliang River, Xia Song felt something was off.

Moreover, the fact that it signified a "great victory" made his feelings even more complicated.

As expected, even royalty knows how to save face.

This event was not recorded in the Veritable Records of Emperor Taizong.

Xia Song coughed:
"Scholar Song, please dress properly and do not reveal your appearance carelessly, lest you cause trouble."

"Especially since these are relics of Emperor Taizong, if someone with ulterior motives sets their sights on them, they could steal them and then falsely accuse you of intentionally losing them. Such a thing is possible."

"Correct."

Cao Yongli also told Song Xuan to put his clothes back on, as he finally realized what was going on.

At least this inner armor, as everyone can attest, was bestowed by the Emperor, and not something he made up himself under a false pretense.

The infighting among civil officials in the Song Dynasty was quite despicable.

Yan Shu glanced at Song Xuan's inner armor and knew the purpose behind Song Xuan's deliberate commotion.

It seems that eradicating the Worry-Free Cave is indeed a very troublesome matter, forcing Song Xuan to proceed with caution.

"Nephew, it's best if you don't go to the front lines in the future. Swords have no eyes."

Zhang Qi first heard about the evil deeds committed by those villains, whose methods were extremely cruel.

Now Song Xuan has been forced to even wear inner armor.

But this is just a precaution.

If the opponent is skilled with an arrow and shoots you in the eye, does that mean you'll become a blind Xiahou in the future?
Not to mention the possibility of poisoning.

Hard to guard against.

"Yeah, I just wear it on my way to and from work."

After Song Xuan finished showing off his equipment:

"I have already reported this matter to the Prefect of Kaifeng and the imperial court, hoping that they can take the lead in handling this matter."

"After all, the influence of Wuyou Cave extends to the entire city of Dongjing. If we only deal with the underground tunnels in my Kaifeng County, they will run to Xiangfu County. It will not shake their foundation at all."

Song Xuan cannot resolve the conflict on his own.

His only option now is to continuously escalate and expand the conflict.

When the court loses face, it will naturally find someone to resolve this escalating conflict.

Xia Song agreed with Song Xuan's approach; he had even wanted to remind him.

There were far too few officials with such a sincere heart as Song Xuan in the Song Dynasty.

Which civil official would wear inner armor to and from duty just to serve the court?

Such a dangerous place is not in the martial arts world, but right under the noses of the imperial court.

Then it's not a problem with Song Xuan, the county magistrate.

"Silly boy."

Yan Shu turned his head away.

He was speechless that they were so eager to do this.

However, Cao Liyong was standing next to Yan Shu, and upon hearing Yan Shu's words, Cao Liyong was also quite helpless.

Who could blame them when their good son-in-law had both old and new grudges with Wuyou Cave!

Do you think you can stop him?
While the group remained silent, Yang Chongxun arrived.

He first bowed to the two principal privy councilors, and then greeted the two deputy principal privy councilors, since they were civil officials and naturally superior to military generals.

Yang Chongxun had seen the young man sitting at the end before.

He was the youngest scholar to achieve the highest honors in the imperial examinations since the founding of the Song Dynasty, yet he mocked members of the imperial family and even beat and scolded Liu Congde, the most powerful relative of the imperial family in the Song Dynasty.

Who would dare to mess with him?

Therefore, Yang Chongxun was very polite to Song Xuan:

"I never expected that the top scholar Song would also be here."

"Yang, the Privy Councilor."

Song Xuan took the initiative to speak: "I am here on the orders of the Emperor to seek your help."

The mere mention of "Yang the Privy Councilor" immediately boosted Yang Chongxun's favorability.

He has several people above him, when will it be his turn to become the Privy Councilor?
Which official doesn't want to get promoted?
Yang Chongxun grinned and said, "I wonder if there's anything I can help you with, Scholar Song? Just let me know."

"It concerns the Worry-Free Cave."

"Worry-Free Cave?"

Yang Chongxun, of course, knew this, and he raised an eyebrow:
"Are you suggesting we use the army to wipe them out?"

"No." Song Xuan directly denied it.

"I would like to ask Privy Councilor Yang to send more soldiers to patrol the streets. There are too few constables in Kaifeng County to cover the area."

"If the military were to patrol, those petty thieves would likely behave much better."

"That's perfectly fine."

Yang Chongxun thought it was a trivial matter; after all, it wasn't his personal tour, so he could just give orders.

You can also gain a favor.

He also has a daughter and hopes that Zhang Fangping will choose his daughter.

If Song Xuan could help mediate, at least with a better chance than others, that would be excellent.

"Alright." Zhang Qi also mentioned, "Then Vice Privy Councilor Yang will begin making arrangements today."

"Yes."

Yang Chongxun dared not utter a single complaint about Zhang Qi undermining him in this way.

After all, he was the Empress's most favored minister, and I had to wait in line.

Seeing that the discussion was over, Cao Liyong immediately stood up and said, "Twelve, let's go select a batch of military equipment."

"okay."

Song Xuan stood up, bowed to the group, and walked away with Cao Liyong, smiling broadly.

Although Yang Chongxun was somewhat afraid of Cao Yongli, he felt that Song Xuan was better at handling people.

Otherwise, how could someone win three consecutive championships? Their words were meant to make people feel comfortable.

"The fact that such a malignant tumor has been rampant in the city of Kaifeng for so many years is ultimately due to the inaction of the Prefect of Kaifeng."

Yan Shu immediately shifted the blame: "This is why Wuyou Cave has harmed so many people in the Song Dynasty."

"Yes," Xia Song said, stroking his beard.

"This matter must be handled by Prefect Chen; otherwise, relying solely on Scholar Song will be insufficient."

"What's so difficult about this?"

Yang Chongxun immediately patted his chest and guaranteed:

"I'll have my men patrol day and night, and those vermin will surely not dare to show their faces."

Such thoughtless words were something even Zhang Qi didn't want to save face for.

They can scare you for a while, but after a while, they'll come out and cause trouble again.

Upon arriving at the armory, Cao Yong led Song Xuan inside.

It's full of good stuff.

Although the Song Dynasty put away its weapons and let its horses graze freely after signing an alliance with the Liao Dynasty, its defenses against the Liao Dynasty were not weakened at all.

Inside the armory, Song Xuan spotted two carriages and immediately jumped onto one:
"Father-in-law, is this the odometer cart that Yan Su replicated?"

"Ah."

After all, this thing is a type of weapon.

The distance an army has traveled on a march should be determined by actual distances, not by estimation.

I will definitely give him a proper visit when I have time.

Song Xuan was still full of curiosity about this little mechanical expert.

Perhaps in the future, when a complete clock is made, it will be easier to tell the time this way.

"I've invited some people over to my house tonight, you'd like to come over for dinner too."

Cao Yongli didn't want anything to happen to Song Xuan, so he invited him to his home.

"it is good."

Song Xuan jumped off the carriage and looked at the rows of weapons: "Not bad, none of them are rusty."

"It was established by Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong, and Emperor Zhenzong has always sent people to manage it."

Cao Li stood with his hands behind his back, walking slowly.

"Not just anyone can come in here."

"Too."

Song Xuan reached out and took out a long spear, brandishing it for a while:
"The standard-issue rifle is good, but it's not quite as good as the one I made myself."

"Alright, put it down."

Cao used the warehouse manager to lead him and his son to the shield area.

“Song Zhuangyuan, this is a shield. It is made of wood, covered with leather on the surface, and has a wooden stick on the back so that it can be supported on the ground when necessary, and can completely cover the person using it.”

Listening to the warehouse manager's words, Song Xuan picked up the side card and weighed it in his hand:
"Are all the weapons in the armory counted?"

"To answer Scholar Song, every time something enters or leaves the warehouse, we have to take inventory."

"This shield is too big and hinders movement."

After Song Xuan put it down, the warehouse manager smiled.

"Song Zhuangyuan, please follow me. This is the side badge used by cavalry. However, our Song Dynasty has relatively few cavalry, so there are fewer cavalry side badges."

The cavalry shields were round and decorated with exquisite animal head patterns.

"This shield can be cleverly tied to the cavalryman's left arm to effectively prevent arrows."

Listening to the warehouse manager's explanation, Song Xuan took it over to cover up his head, neck, and other vital areas.

"this is not bad."

Hearing Song Xuan's praise, the warehouse manager quickly replied:

"If Scholar Song likes it, that's good. There are also iron badges here, which can make you not wear a helmet and provide stronger protection."

"Okay, how much can I take?"

Upon hearing Song Xuan's question, the warehouse manager looked directly at Cao Liyong, the Privy Councilor, who was standing to the side; he couldn't make the decision.

How much do you want?

"It's definitely unrealistic to give one to everyone."

Song Xuan waved the team's plaque:

"I plan to take twelve long shields, two people per shield group, for more comprehensive protection. I'll take fifty round shields, that should be enough."

Cao Liyong thought this number was acceptable. Song Xuan had more than 300 men under his command, including horse archers, so it was perfectly normal that it wasn't enough to go around.

"Row."

With Cao Liyong's words, the warehouse manager quickly said there was no problem, and then took the opportunity to promote the crossbows to Song Xuan.

Cao refused outright.

The Northern Song Dynasty had specialized crossbow-wielding teams.

These kinds of things are extremely easy to lose when handed over to the yamen runners.

Besides, her son-in-law's archery skills were already extraordinary, so there was no need for him to increase his own risk with crossbows.

So Song Xuan stood outside the armory, waiting for the Imperial Guards to count the shields and register them before handing them over to him.

Yang Chongxun stood at a distance, somewhat hesitant to approach, after all, Cao Liyong was there.

Cao Liyong glanced at him:
"Twelve, this person is malicious, likes to slander others, and is a two-faced scoundrel. I think he has something to ask you."

Song Xuan glanced at it out of the corner of his eye and saw that it was Yang Chongxun. He neither nodded nor shook his head.
"I reckon it's not a good thing that they're looking for me."

"You know it, I'm just telling you what kind of person he is."

Cao Li put his hands behind his back and said, "This man used to be my subordinate. I misjudged him."

"Father-in-law, you have terrible judgment. You can even misjudge a person like this. In the future, you should continue to maintain your image as a nice guy in court and not cause any trouble so that I, as your son-in-law, have to clean up your mess."

"Pah, what nonsense are you spouting?"

Cao Liyong was immediately taken aback by Song Xuan's words and pointed at him:
"Fine, I'll be waiting for you to clean up my mess."

"I was just joking, why did you take it so seriously, Father-in-law?"

"Humph."

Cao Liyong ignored Song Xuan and stormed off in a huff.

Seeing that Cao Liyong had left, Yang Chongxun cautiously approached.

"The top scholar of the Song Dynasty?"

Yang Chongxun called out softly, "What has angered Attendant Cao?"

"Ah, it's Privy Councilor Yang who's here."

Yang Chongxun felt genuinely pleased by Song Xuan's words.

Others called him the Privy Councilor, but that didn't have the desired effect.

Song Xuan was the top scholar in the imperial examination.

Could that be an ordinary person?

Yang Chongxun's men flattered him for days, calling him Grand Councilor, but none of their words were as pleasing to the ear as Song Xuan's.

"Oh, no, no, I wouldn't dare."

Yang Chongxun quickly waved his hand:
"I'm just a deputy now."

Song Xuan laughed and said, "What deputy? Maybe if you do a good job, you'll be promoted to head in a while."

"Hahaha."

Yang Chongxun was flattered by Song Xuan and his face was flushed. He felt that he was very proud today.

"Just now?"

“Hey, my father-in-law thinks that eradicating Wuyou Cave is a dangerous thing, and it’s absolutely not okay for me to take the lead.”

Song Xuan sighed:

“Privy Councilor Yang also knows that I offended Chen Yaozuo, the Prefect of Kaifeng, by standing up for my classmate Han Qi. My father-in-law believes that he will sabotage me behind my back.”

"He dares!"

Yang Chongxun immediately patted his chest and said:
"I'm the first person who will disagree with this!"

"Chen Yaozuo resorted to such despicable means to steal a son-in-law; he is despised by both gods and men!"

"Thank you, Privy Councilor Yang."

Song Xuan watched the constables fiddling with their shields and said, "But my father-in-law is right. It's impossible for me, a mere magistrate of Kaifeng, to accomplish this."

"But I'm still here, aren't I?"

Yang Chongxun also figured it out: since Song Xuan had handed the matter over, the court would surely have an explanation.

I can't let go of such an opportunity to make a contribution.

Otherwise, if Song Xuan doesn't seize the opportunity he just mentioned—the chance to make meritorious contributions and be promoted from deputy to principal—when will he ever achieve any merit?

Worry-Free Cave is a good opportunity!

"Is Privy Councilor Yang also going to get involved?"

Faced with Song Xuan's question, Yang Chongxun readily confirmed:
"Of course."

"After this incident, I was so angry that I cursed and swore. I, the Privy Councilor, have fought in many years and have never set up a mound of corpses. Do those villains even deserve to do so?"

"Moreover, the annihilation of Wuyou Cave is a matter that benefits the country and brings peace to the people. How can I stand idly by?"

A question appeared in Song Xuan's eyes. How long has the Worry-Free Cave existed? You only just realized this?
(End of this chapter)