A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 358 Giving in

After leaving the palace, Madam Lin first made arrangements for Lin Quan and rescinded the mission to kill him.

Then he sent someone to invite Zhang Qi and Liu Congde to his residence to discuss the Fanlou matter.

Lin Quan returned to the location of the No-Life Society, his face contorted with rage.

"Why have you arrived so early, guests?"

Hairless Tiger Ma Liu smiled:
"I have a detailed plan in place, and the assassins are all ready. We're just waiting for the opportunity to strike a fatal blow."

Lin Quan had thought he could also benefit from this, but he never expected it to be canceled.

How can you possibly give back the money you've already received?

Ma Liu assumed the man was there to pay the final installment, so he continued to push the original plan.

Lin Quan's face was filled with anger:

"Why does the entire capital city of Tokyo know that someone is willing to offer five hundred taels of gold to assassinate Song Xuan? You need to give me an explanation for this!"

Upon hearing this, Ma Liu was somewhat bewildered:
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

"Impossible?" Lin Quan pointed at Ma Liudao with anger on his face.
"Go to Tokyo and inquire if this is true."

"I paid the deposit so readily because I wanted this to happen quietly, but you've made a big fuss about it and let the whole world know. How can I assassinate you now?"

Ma Liu was prepared for the possibility that the killing wouldn't go through, but he figured that once he received the final payment, it wouldn't matter whether the deal went through or not.

Unexpectedly, the news leaked so quickly.

So much so that before I've even received the final payment, someone has come knocking on my door demanding an explanation.

There was a snap.

Ma Liu slammed his hand on the table, stood up, pointed at Lin Quan, and angrily said:

"You bastard, you not only went to my No Life Society, but you also went to someone else."

"Now that the news has leaked, they're insisting that I'm the one who leaked it."

"Do you think that the people from Wuyou Cave quoted 500 taels, which is lower than mine, so you're trying to renege on your debt?"

"I-I didn't!"

Lin Quan was so frightened by the slap that he cowered like a quail. He had his own ulterior motives; he actually hoped that the other party would refund his money.

Ma Liu is a seasoned veteran; there's no point in arguing. He simply asks questions to prove his innocence.

We make money with our brains, never with force.

"No?"

Ma Liu still said fiercely:
"So you're saying you're not planning to pay the final balance?"

"The final payment?"

Upon hearing the word "money," Lin Quan, emboldened by its promise, stood up as well.
"If the news leaks, how can we assassinate Song Xuan? Everyone will know it was us!"

Ma Liu, of course, knew the identity of his backer and said viciously:

"So what if you know?"

"Do you think you can eliminate everyone who knows the truth by spending this little money?"

"With this little money, you can only do this much!"

“There is no such thing as an impenetrable wall.”

"Give me my money back," Lin Quan said, forcing a smile. "My master said we can't take any rash actions for the time being."

"Give me my money back?" Ma Liu stepped forward and grabbed his clothes:
"My company has never refunded money. Even if you quit, you still have to pay me hush money, otherwise..."

"What else can we do?" Lin Quan was clearly already intimidated.

"rest assured."

Ma Liu then loosened his clothes and smoothed out the wrinkles:
"I never kill people for money. I would never kill someone for free. Don't worry, I won't kill you."

Hearing this, Lin Quan breathed a sigh of relief, then heard:

"However, I can sell your identity to Scholar Song. Compared to someone paying money to kill him, he will definitely be very interested in this matter."

"you?"

Lin Quan was shocked. Although he had made preparations to shift the blame onto Chen Yaozuo, he was still somewhat afraid of actually getting into trouble.

What if these people find out?
"So even if things can't be done, I won't refund your money. You'll still have to pay the balance as hush money."

The hairless giant Ma Liu stroked his head, a smile playing on his lips.

This is a good deal.

Without putting in any effort, you can earn two thousand taels of gold for nothing.

Moreover, this secret is enough for him to live off for at least half his life.

After all, Fanlou belongs to the Lin family, and the Lin family must be incredibly wealthy!

Lin Quan's face was pale. He had never dealt with this kind of thing before, but the thought of settling the final payment with them again was clearly not an option.

If you back down in this situation, given the No Life Society's style, they'll probably exploit you to the bone, constantly demanding money from you.

We must not back down on this matter.

"This deposit is hush money." Lin Quan looked at Ma Liu: "We won't have any contact in the future, take care."

Ma Liu was surprised that his threats had no effect, and he immediately revealed his trump card: "The Lin family."

"I know the way."

Lin Quan stopped in his tracks, his expression extremely awkward, but he still didn't turn back.
"If you want to complain to Song Xuan, then go ahead and complain. We'll just die together anyway."

"But with the eldest aunt protecting the Lin family, they will definitely not fall."

Ma Liu wasn't confident about going to Song Xuan to complain.

After all, this Song Zhuangyuan was said to be extremely righteous and indignant, so whether the Meiming Society could even exist was still a question.

However, as long as he doesn't cause trouble in the city, he'll surely be too busy to manage such a large population in Tokyo.

"Five hundred taels."

Ma Liu immediately extended his hand and said:

"Give me another five hundred taels, and I'll let this matter drop. Otherwise, I'll send people to cause trouble at the Lin family and Fanlou. I'm sure the commotion I cause will be greater than the loss of five hundred taels of gold."

Lin Quan turned around and said, "Two hundred taels of gold, and this matter will be settled."

“You’ve made so much money without doing anything, that’s enough. If you’re any more greedy, the Lin family will never allow it.”

"it is good."

Ma Liu quickly agreed, saying he would collect as much money as possible.

There is really no risk involved in this matter.

He would have to investigate who leaked the information, resulting in the loss of eight hundred taels of gold.

Moreover, the Lin family is, frankly speaking, a force that the Meiming Society is somewhat afraid to offend.

Everyone knows that Madam Lin is a favorite of the Empress Dowager; if you offend her, you're doomed.

However, Ma Liu knew that Madam Lin's husband had been imprisoned by Song Xuan and had not been released to this day.

Madam Lin didn't seem to dare mention this matter to the Empress Dowager, otherwise Song Xuan wouldn't have been so disrespectful, causing the Lin family to spend money to kill someone.

"Tomorrow, I will send you another two hundred taels of gold."

Watching Lin Quan walk away, Ma Liu angrily slammed his fist on the table.

A potentially lucrative business opportunity just vanished like that.

Next time, we must never leak the information first.

Madam Lin then hosted a very polite banquet for Zhang Qi and Liu Congde.

Neither of them had a pleasant expression; after all, they weren't included in the business of making money.

Especially Liu Congde, at this moment his nose was no longer a nose, and his eyes were no longer eyes.

After finishing her meal, Mrs. Lin wiped her mouth:

"The reason I invited you two here today is that there is something I would like to tell you."

"Speak your mind, or shut up. I don't need your meal."

Liu Congde hates nothing more than others taking advantage of him and then thinking he's a stupid pig!
"I don't plan to run Fanlou anymore."

These words drew sidelong glances from both of them.

"What do you mean?"

“I plan to sell the shares to you two, and then use the money to pay the fine in Kaifeng County and redeem my husband.”

After Mrs. Lin finished speaking, she felt a little relieved.

Even though she was reluctant to part with her, Madam Lin believed that her actions would surely earn her the respect of the Empress Dowager and prevent her from being abandoned.

Because the First Lady did not abandon her ex-husband Liu Mei after becoming wealthy, Lin Rong would not abandon her husband either.

Everything is done for the sake of profit.

Especially since everyone is so closely connected, if Song Xuan finds out, it will definitely blow things up.

Lin Rong wants to resolve this issue so that she will have a chance to regain control of Fanlou in the future.

"You'd really be willing to do that?"

Liu Congde was the first to disbelieve it.

"I, Lin Rong, have really messed with Scholar Song. I've really kicked a hornet's nest."

Lin Rong's eyes were also full of reluctance. How could she bear to give up such a golden opportunity?
It's simply that we encountered unforeseen circumstances and had no choice but to cut our losses and survive.

Liu Congde knew, of course, that Song Xuan had made a move, and chuckled under his breath.

Zhang Qi did feel that the reason was not so simple, and it might be the Empress Dowager's doing.

After all, the idea of ​​rewarding the Imperial Guards was said to be the Empress Dowager's idea.

Song Xuan's efforts to promote the Empress Dowager and win her favor were clearly expected to be reciprocated by her.

"So I hope that after you two buy my share, you can also help me speak to Scholar Song and ask for his help so that this matter can be resolved."

Liu Congde felt that it was perfectly acceptable for Fanlou to belong to him, or for it to be split equally with Zhang Qi.

As for pleading with Song Xuan, Liu Congde felt he was capable of doing so.

After all, Song Xuan had told the officials that the three of us were in cahoots.

In particular, Liu Congde knew everything from Song Xuan about what the Lin family had done using Fanlou, and he was just waiting for the contact to come so that they could be caught in one fell swoop.

"can."

Liu Congde readily agreed:
"What's so difficult about that?"

"Who doesn't know that I am a close friend of Scholar Song?"

Liu Congde's answer further confirmed Lin Rong's suspicions; indeed, he had long been colluding with Song Xuan.

Otherwise, the Empress Dowager wouldn't have shown such favor to Song Xuan.

Zhang Qi remained silent. He didn't know what problems Fanlou could have, but he was certain that Fanlou had serious issues.

Song Xuan must have found out something.

Otherwise, how could Lin Rong, who has always loved money, be so decisive?
When shall we sign the contract?

Liu Congde's words brought Zhang Qi back to his senses: "There's no rush."

Both of them looked at him, and Zhang Qi stroked his beard and said:
Didn't Madam Lin plead with the Empress Dowager on her behalf?

"This matter can be considered a big deal, or it can be considered a small deal."

Lin Rong's expression was somewhat unpleasant. If it weren't for the Empress Dowager's reprimand, how could she have been willing to give up Fanlou?

"You and I both know about how the top scholar Song angrily rebuked Chen Yaozuo, the prefect of Kaifeng, in the main hall."

Lin Rong feigned a considerate demeanor:
"It would be truly inappropriate for me to trouble Your Highness with such a trivial matter."

Zhang Qi felt that even if this matter were presented to the Empress Dowager, that brat Song Xuan would not back down an inch.

On the contrary, it will expose more things about the Lin family besides not paying taxes.

In that case, Lin Rong will have shot herself in the foot.

“That makes sense.” Zhang Qi had no further questions.

He certainly wanted to take a bite out of Fanlou.

Previously, her son didn't have much ability, so he just stayed at home obediently. Now that her son is working for Song Xuan, she has a little more "ambition".

At least in terms of money.

By increasing the value of Fanlou, and then truthfully paying taxes to Kaifeng County in the future, this can be considered as helping Song Xuan and making a contribution to taxation.

I guarantee he'll be able to collect all the commercial taxes next year.

The three quickly signed the contract and promised to send the money over later.

Madam Lin watched them leave, and decided not to take the contract to the government office for registration. She thought it best to let them handle everything.

When Lin Quan returned, his face was filled with bitterness.

"Madam, I'm afraid there's some trouble?"

"What, you can't get your money back?"

"Not only will we not get it back, they'll also demand hush money."

Lin Quan then embellished the story, repeating the words of the leader of the Dead Man's Society, Hairless Tiger.

I heard that we either have to continue, or we have to give him a thousand taels of gold as hush money, otherwise he will sell out our Lin family.

Madam Lin's face was extremely pale.

Because of the Empress Dowager's warning, I absolutely cannot cause trouble for Song Xuan.

Because Lin Rong "follows the rules," Liu E set the rules for her, and she had to abide by them, without having the courage to take any drastic measures.

The fact that she was able to secretly arrange for someone to kill Song Xuan already broke the rules.

"Fine, we've already spent five thousand taels, so one thousand won't matter. But you have to make them promise that this matter is over and there will be no further trouble."

"Madam, this..." Lin Quan's face showed a troubled expression:

"It's infuriating! Should we hire someone to take down the No Life Society as well, just in case? We're afraid they'll ask for the money back later."

"Don't make things complicated."

Madam Lin waved her hand, saying that the Lin family had already paid a heavy price.

Fortunately, with so many years of accumulation, even if she threw away ten thousand taels of gold, it would be nothing to her.

Lin Quan reluctantly agreed and, accompanied by Madam Lin, went to count the gold.

Cao used Zhang Fangping to introduce him to the various families of the military households in Dongjing City, which gave him a basic understanding of Zhang Fangping.

Zhang Fangping smiled and asked, "Uncle Cao, how is Yang Yanzhao's family?"

"Yang Liulang?"

Cao Yong stroked his beard and paused for a moment. He hadn't heard of Yang Liulang's name for more than ten years.

"He was wise, brave and skilled in battle, and his fame spread far and wide. Even the Khitans respectfully called him Yang Liulang."

"Unfortunately, his three sons have not amounted to much."

Zhang Fangping nodded slightly, still having a deep impression of the Yang family girl.

After their parting at the polo field, he actually did make a trip to the Yang family.

They just went to the wrong door; Yang Yanzhao's generation had seven brothers.

"I think Yang Wenguang is alright," Song Xuan chimed in.

"It's just that they're still young and can only stand guard in the palace. There's no war going on outside, so these sons of generals have no chance to show their abilities."

"Yang Wenguang?"

Cao Yongli stroked his beard and shook his head. He wasn't very familiar with the new generation of military scions.

When the son-in-law got married, the Yang family sent people, and Yang Wenguang must have been among them.

"Have you had contact with him?"

"Yes, when I was investigating the bathroom murder case, I ran into Yang Wenguang's cousin Zhe Jixuan, who was buying a falcon at a falcon shop. We happened to be there, so we had a meal together and talked in detail."

“His cousin got into trouble and was dismissed from his post. He even asked me for advice.”

"I remembered."

Cao Liyong did indeed know that Bian General Zhe Jixuan had come to Tokyo to cultivate connections.

However, his father was only in mourning and had not passed away, so his son took the blame, but things didn't go well.

The generals in Tokyo had little say, not to mention that their influence had further diminished since Yang Yanzhao's death.

The Zhe family was a "minor warlord" family, and the Song government merely granted them official seals of office to "legitimately become Song generals," without excessive interference in their internal affairs.

However, if you make a mistake, according to the methods of the civil officials of the Song Dynasty, they must severely suppress you, the military general, to prevent you, the independent warlord, from raising your head.

Because Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin, had a reputation for integrity.

The Zhe family was unwilling to flirt with the Western Xia. Instead, they shed their Tangut identity and considered themselves Han Chinese.

Even after being dismissed, Zhe Jixuan still wanted to come to the capital to seek connections, rather than constantly seeking refuge with the Western Xia or engaging in rebellion from within and without.

To put it in a flattering way, the Western Xia Dynasty fought with the Zhe family for ninety years during its ninety-year existence.

The Zhe family has been generals for ten generations, conquering the Liao, destroying the Han, resisting the Xia, and incidentally capturing Fang La.

More than forty members of the Zhe family are listed in the History of the Song Dynasty, and more than thirty of them have biographies, making it the family with the most biographies in the History of the Song Dynasty.

More than two years after the fall of the Song Dynasty, and with no emperor left, the Zhe family remained loyal and persisted in resisting the Jin.

After Zhe Keqiu was poisoned to death by the Jurchens, the Zhe family was leaderless. Taking advantage of this, the Western Xia attacked the Zhe family's territory and destroyed all the ancestral tombs of the Zhe family.

"Anyway, the Zhe family is currently in charge of his younger brother. If he makes a mistake, even if I wanted to plead for him, the prime minister would not agree."

Cao Liyong leaned back in his recliner: "So Zhe Jixuan probably didn't find any suitable connections in Tokyo. What advice did you give him?"

"Let him go to the Northwest and cause trouble."

Song Xuan was also lying on the recliner:

"After all, his current situation is perfect for being a spy. The Western Xia and Khitan have both placed spies in the capital, Bianjing, but the Song Dynasty hasn't sent any spies to the Western Xia, has it?"

"A tiny country like yours isn't worth sending spies to."

Cao Liyong looked down on the Western Xia, and only sent people to keep an eye on them at the border to prevent them from crossing the border.

"They should not be underestimated. The Western Xia defeated the Liao Dynasty's 500,000 troops with a smaller force. Our Great Song Dynasty cannot defeat the Liao Dynasty's 500,000 troops."

"Pah!" Cao Liyong said nonchalantly.

"I believe the Khitans can find 500,000 horsemen, but can they afford to support 500,000 cavalrymen?"

"If all 500,000 people had perished, the Western Xia would have launched a full-scale attack on the Khitan territory long ago. Did they really think that Tangut man Li Mingde was some kind of benevolent person?"

"The Khitan emperor Yelü Longxu is old. His arrogance led to his defeat. Now he lives a life of luxury. I think if he continues to indulge in wine, women and pleasure, he will pass away in a few years."

"As for why the people sent to fight later were defeated, I didn't understand it before, but now I understand it a little better."

Cao Li opened his eyes and looked at the two young men lying down:

"He's old. If his generals win, wouldn't that prove he's an incompetent emperor?"

"If you win, you won't be rewarded; instead, you'll be implicated. If you lose, you'll be punished, but you'll be promoted very quickly."

"This is a little bit of truth that I've only come to realize in my old age."

Politics is never pure.

Cao's downfall was not due to his own fault, so he had the necessary political awareness.

While his fighting skills were commendable, Di Qing lacked political acumen.

Zhang Fangping was dumbfounded; this had a tremendous impact on him. Even when he chatted with Song Xuan, their discussions about politics were mostly theoretical, without any in-depth understanding of "imperial power."

So this is how you think about victory and defeat.

Was Han Xin's death unjust?
Zhang Fangping began to ponder this question.

Song Xuan agreed with some of Cao Yong's points, but it was inevitable that the fighting capacity of soldiers from both the Song and Liao dynasties would decline.

As a result, the small country was forced to fight against the two sides, and in the end, none of the three sides benefited.

In particular, the Western Xia grew weaker with each battle, gaining no advantage whatsoever, and Li Yuanhao's strategy was never realized.

In the end, he realized that his father was right and that they should coexist peacefully with the Song Dynasty.

Of course, these words were mainly passed down from his grandfather to his father, but his father never listened to them until he was on his deathbed.

“Father-in-law, you’re right,” Song Xuan agreed first.
"But inevitably, the fighting capacity of the armies of the Song and Liao dynasties declined sharply due to the long period without war."

"Descend together?"

Cao Liyong raised his neck and glanced at his son-in-law: "This is the first time I've heard of this viewpoint."

"Our Great Song Dynasty was originally in a state where generals didn't know their soldiers and soldiers didn't know their generals. Once a war broke out, it would be strange if we could win."

Cao Liyong lay down again, saying, "Let's not talk about this anymore."

In the Song Dynasty, fortunately, the officials of successive dynasties were benevolent, and it was already extremely good that military generals and soldiers received such treatment.

After the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the Song Dynasty underwent a profound self-reflection, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it went to extremes.

In other dynasties, rebellions were punished with the extermination of nine generations of one's family. In the Song Dynasty, however, rebels were supported by the government.

In other dynasties, too much entertainment for the people easily led to trouble. In the Song Dynasty, the more entertainment the people had, the less likely they were to rebel. As emperors, we should also share the joy with our people.

After all, the emperor of the Song Dynasty also considered being an emperor to be a profession; otherwise, why would everyone call him "Guanjia" (the Emperor)?
"What? You've won three awards in a row now, and you're making great strides in your grassroots training."

Cao Yong still wanted to persuade Song Xuan: "Are you still thinking about leading troops into battle?"

Song Xuan felt that he could quickly integrate into the Song Dynasty, especially during the reigns of Emperor Zhenzong and Emperor Renzong. He felt that life in the Song Dynasty was somewhat similar to modern life, except in terms of technology.

However, there has always been a historical pattern to this kind of life: whenever a civil society begins to take shape, barbarians will inevitably emerge from the surrounding areas.

They don't build, they only destroy.

The cultural heritage accumulated during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in the Song Dynasty was once again destroyed.

After all, when they invade and massacre people, it's called "Chinese integration," but when the Han Chinese fight back, it's labeled as "affecting Chinese integration."
Therefore, when Song Xuan faced his father-in-law's question:

“I don’t want to lead troops into battle; I want to turn the surrounding Tangut and Khitan people into one family.”

"Become a family?"

Cao Liyong glanced at Song Xuan: "Don't you know the rules on the grasslands?"

"What rules?"

“During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, there was a custom of killing tribal men who were taller than a cart and taking their wives and daughters away.”

Cao Liyong spread his hands and said, "First of all, the Khitans and Tanguts would fight each other, so it's impossible for them to become one family as you described."

"There's such a rule?"

Song Xuan raised an eyebrow, thinking he had kicked over the wheel.

"Wait a minute." Cao Liyong sat up from his recliner. "You wouldn't be thinking of taking back the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, would you?"

Upon hearing Cao Liyong's question, Song Xuan also sat up:
"It's not that I want to reclaim it, it's that the Emperor wants to reclaim it."

Cao Liyong sensed something was wrong.

Having spent so much time with Song Xuan, how could he not understand him?

The Emperor is currently young and controlled by the Empress Dowager. He lives in Yuqing Palace and doesn't handle much government affairs, which is exactly what the Empress Dowager wants to see.

However, Cao Yong felt that Zhao Zhen would not leave the palace to live without a reason, and there must be a connection between them.

It was obvious that his good son-in-law was influencing the official.

Well, kid, do you want to become the Imperial Tutor or something?

"Although the imperial court is wealthy, it has no money to fight wars."

Cao Li pointed outside: "Compared to the Han and Tang dynasties, the Song Dynasty's imperial palace is quite shabby, isn't it?"

"You haven't seen the Song Emperor's Mausoleum yet; it's quite shabby."

"Even the imperial palace is not as luxurious as the Khitan's imperial palace."

"How many strings of cash are left in the treasury established by the founding emperor?"

"Not to mention that the Yellow River floods the capital city of Tokyo every year, and it could flood it again at any time. The imperial court is going to manage the river, so you should focus your attention on managing the river."

Cao Liyong looked at Song Xuan:

"I know you're skilled, but on the battlefield, it's never about individual skill."

"The battles between generals on the battlefield, as depicted in your Romance of the Three Kingdoms, are almost nonexistent. There is no Guan Yu passing five passes and slaying six generals, nor is there Zhao Zilong of Changshan making seven incursions and exits unscathed."

"There are all sorts of corpses, wounded soldiers, and wandering ghosts whose remains cannot even be returned to their ancestral graves for burial."

"I have a say in this matter. I have fought in more than one or two wars. I have spent half of my life fighting in the north and south."

Song Xuan chuckled:
“My father-in-law is right, but I’m still young. I have ways to make money, but as for training soldiers, I’ll talk about that after I get involved with the army.”

"Moreover, it is perfectly normal for civil officials to command military officers in the event of war."

Cao Liyong was speechless.

Because when he led his troops to conquer Lingnan, there were no civil officials above him.

Cao Liyong couldn't convince Song Xuan on this point, so he could only explain to Song Xuan what happened on the battlefield.

Tell him everything you've seen, heard, experienced, and learned.

As night deepened, the story was still unfolding. Song Xuan said there was no rush, since they didn't know when they would be in command of the troops.

Cao Liyong lay in bed, still somewhat worried.

The battlefield is never a good place.

Individual combat skills are of little use against an army.

When the Khitans come to Tokyo to demand tribute, let's show our son-in-law what the Khitans' arrogance and domineering attitude is like.

It was quite late when Song Xuan woke up. After washing up at home, he headed to the county government office.

Early in the morning, Liu Congde had already arrived at the Kaifeng County Government Office with the contract and was waiting.

When Song Xuan arrived, Liu Congde complained somewhat:
"Scholar Song, how could you be on duty so late?"

Song Xuan coughed twice:
"I've been overworked lately and haven't had enough sleep."

"Don't worry about whether it's because someone spent five hundred taels of gold to assassinate you; it's definitely a lie."

Liu Congde then placed the contract on the table:
Look at this.

Song Xuan was certainly concerned about the assassination attempt, but it wasn't like they were threatening to kill him.

There's no smoke without fire. You, Lin, just you wait.

Song Xuan picked up the paper, examined it carefully, and then looked at it with disbelief.

Liu Congde saw the look of surprise on Song Xuan's face, so he became even more smug, almost shaking his leg.

"You took advantage of the chaos?"

"fart."

Liu Congde pointed to his own nose and said, "If I have something to say, I'll just scold her to her face. Why would I need to take advantage of her misfortune?"

Song Xuan thought about it and agreed. In the Song Dynasty, who could be more arrogant than Liu Congde?

Even the government is ineffective.

Song Xuan glanced at Zhao Zhen, who was working next to him; he must have known all along.

"So she gave it to me willingly?"

"Of course."

"She offered it to you, and you just accepted it?"

"Why should I refuse something that's offered to me?"

Song Xuan placed the contract on the table: "Aren't you afraid it's a trap?"

"What makes her think she'd dare to cheat me?"

"They not only have the guts to cheat you, they have a lot of guts. Have you forgotten why you beat up Lin Kun?"

After listening, Liu Congde said with some uncertainty:

"Even if it's a trap, the three of us are in this together, so you all deserve a share."

Zhao Zhen needed money, but he didn't expect Liu Congde, who was born in the year of Pixiu, to take the initiative to spend money.

Song Xuan clicked his tongue twice, sensing that something was off about Liu Congde.

Could he have been brainwashed?

"The sun must have risen in the west. In the entire city of Tokyo, everyone knows that Liu Dalang is a Pixiu (a mythical creature associated with wealth and prosperity). We've always heard that he swallows money, but we've never heard of him taking money out of his buttocks."

"Hey, this is a complete frame-up."

Liu Congde was somewhat embarrassed:

"Sixth Brother, be my witness. The sixty percent I have will be split equally among the three of us."

Emperor Zhao Zhen was genuinely short of money.

He was somewhat tempted!
However, instead of answering immediately, she looked at Song Xuan.

Song Xuan sat in his chair, deep in thought. He thought that if he used Fanlou to get involved in the entertainment industry and make money off the rich, it would be very quick.

"Let me settle things with Fanlou first."

Song Xuan did not refuse: "After all, Madam Lin has left you a huge pit, hoping that after you get through it, she will find an opportunity to take it back."

"I knew that old woman was up to no good."

Liu Congde chuckled a few times: "After Scholar Song has taken care of things, we'll discuss how to make Fanlou's business even more prosperous."

"Okay."

Song Xuan readily agreed. After all, there were too many wealthy people in Tokyo, so it was perfectly normal for them to allocate some funds for military expenses.

"I'll go inspect Fanlou first."

Liu Congde stood up. Now that he was in charge of Fanlou, he naturally looked down on Liulou, which used to belong to him.

This building was known throughout the Song Dynasty, let alone to the Khitans.

It can be said to be a landmark building in Tokyo. How could Liu Congde not be proud that it fell into his hands?

"Oh right, I was so happy that I almost forgot about the conditions set by the man surnamed Lin."

"What are the conditions?" Song Xuan pointed at Liu Congde: "I knew that the money that is rightfully mine wouldn't be so easy to get."

"Hahaha."

Liu Congde laughed a few times, then said:

"The conditions set by the man surnamed Lin are very simple: pay the taxes and fines owed, release Lin Kun, and let this matter not be pursued any further."

"It's a little difficult."

"Sixth Brother." Liu Congde dared not reveal Zhao Zhen's identity, so he could only ask him to speak as well.

After all, the three of us are now in the same group, and we're going to make a lot of money in the future.

Zhao Zhen coughed and said, "Twelfth Brother, this matter certainly needs to be handled with caution."

Song Xuan said, "It's impossible to just pay money and not be punished at all."

Liu Congde stretched out his hand and said, "Then give him fifty lashes, let him learn his lesson."

"I will think about it."

Hearing Song Xuan say this, Liu Congde felt that it was already very good that Song Xuan, who always upheld justice, would say he was considering it.

He knew that pushing his luck would only lead to failure, so he decided to leave and take a stroll around Fanlou. After all, it was his own property, so how could he not take it seriously?
"and many more."

Song Xuan smiled:
"I recommend someone to be the manager; I guarantee he'll do a great job!"

"Who?"

Song Xuan ordered someone to summon Manager Qian.

Although Manager Qian did not recognize Song Xuan and Zhao Zhen, he did recognize Jiao Ming and Tao Hong.

The two of them were a bit older, so their appearances hadn't changed much.

This reminded him of an old story.

That is, these kids had eaten at Fanlou Restaurant, and the taller ones were clearly led by a shorter one.

So Manager Qian secretly wondered if that person was Song Xuan.

Even if Manager Qian guessed it, he wouldn't dare to ask.

Manager Qian bowed and saw Liu Congde there, and for a moment he didn't know what was going on.

"From today onwards, Fanlou will belong to the Liu family. I and Prefect Liu have recommended you to continue as the manager of Fanlou."

"what?"

Manager Qian never expected things to happen so quickly.

Liu Congde didn't have any suitable candidates, especially since Manager Qian had been in the business for almost twenty years without any mishaps.

When something goes wrong, they are kicked aside and made to take the blame.

Liu Congde felt sorry for him and didn't refuse, so he took him away directly.

Although Manager Qian was unaware of what had happened, he still expressed his gratitude to Song Xuan.

He'll bring his family back once he's figured out the situation.

After he left, Zhao Zhen quickly spoke up:

"Twelfth Brother, is it reliable that the two of us will split it into four portions?"

Even though Zhao Zhen knew that officials should not compete with the people for profit, he still really wanted it.

Zhao Zhen was a person who easily accommodated others.

The palace was too small and he wanted to expand it. He even offered compensation to the surrounding people to relocate their homes, but the people disagreed, so he stopped expanding the palace.

"What's so unreliable about this?"

Song Xuan picked up the palm-leaf fan and laughed, "It's a free gift. Liu Congde knows he can't run Fanlou by himself, so he thought of bringing the two of us along."

In fact, he had more contact with Liu Congde, but he didn't mention that he had kept Liu E in check.

Saying it out loud would seem insincere.

"Yeah."

Emperor Zhao Zhen also wanted to have some extra money so that he could reward his subordinates later.

Otherwise, relying solely on words would be unreliable, and he felt that things would not be easy to accomplish, even for an emperor like himself.

Pan Chengjin came to the Kaifeng County Government Office with great joy. Last time, his son Pan Su, who was on guard duty in the palace, asked Song Xuan for advice, wanting to take the path of a civil official.

Today, the dust has finally settled. He submitted a memorial on current affairs and was appointed as the registrar of Renshou.

Despite his low rank, he ultimately embarked on the path of a civil official.

Therefore, Pan Cheng only wanted to thank Song Xuan.

He was led in by Qi Lecheng. Before the smile on his face had faded, he saw the emperor sitting to the side handling state affairs, and Song Xuan lying on a recliner with a palm-leaf fan covering his face.

How could the officials be here?

Emperor Zhao Zhen did not usually wear dragon robes, only on special occasions. His everyday clothes were not much different from those of his officials.

Especially now, they don't even wear official robes anymore, just ordinary clothes.

"Official."

"Hey."

Zhao Zhen told him to shut up immediately; he knew Zheng Wang Pan Mei's son.

But Pan Chengjin remained hunched over and listened as he said:

"I don't want others to know my identity. You're here to find Twelfth Brother?"

"Exactly."

Pan Cheng only wanted to share the good news with Song Xuan, but with the emperor present, he couldn't reveal his "favoritism."

"What's your business?"

"It was Scholar Song who asked me to come over when I had time."

Zhao Zhen nodded and then ignored him. Song Xuan didn't know whether he was really asleep or just pretending to be asleep.

Although the old man is full of energy when I stay up late, I can't outlast him during the day.

"Song Zhuangyuan?" Pan Chengjin called out softly.

The palm-leaf fan on Song Xuan's face fell into his arms. He opened his eyes and looked around: "It's General Pan. Please sit down."

"I wonder what business Scholar Song has with me?"

Pan Cheng simply sat in his chair and handed over the message.

"what?"

"Hi."

"I'm still half asleep."

Song Xuan then patted his forehead: "Indeed, there is something I need to arrange for General Pan to lead his elite troops to do."

"Scholar Song, please feel free to speak. Within the scope of my duties, I will certainly cooperate."

Song Xuan rubbed his head: "There are rumors in the streets that someone has offered a reward of five hundred taels of gold to assassinate me."

"What?" Pan Chengjin's face was full of anger: "How dare you! Let me investigate."

"General Pan, the Imperial City Guard has already located the stronghold of the No-Life Society outside the city."

Song Xuan handed over the map and information on key personnel: "Send men to raid their hideout tonight."

"No problem, it's a piece of cake."

Pan Cheng felt that using the heads of a few rascals to repay Song Xuan's favor was an incredibly good deal.

What difficulty could this possibly be?
"General Pan, just say that you were ordered by Madam Lin to kill the No-Life Society."

“Madam Lin?” Pan Cheng’s eyes showed a strange look: “Which Madam Lin? I hope Scholar Song can clarify.”

"That Madam Lin who serves the Empress Dowager."

Pan Chengjin was puzzled, but he still agreed verbally.

With such a good thing, why would the top scholar Song want to give the credit to someone else?

"Don't worry, Scholar Song, I'll go back and select elite soldiers, raid the No-Life Society's stronghold, and send them all to the Kaifeng County government office first thing tomorrow morning."

"Good work."

Pan Cheng only thought that he would tell Song Xuan his good news when the emperor was not around.

"Twelfth Brother, why did you go to all this trouble?"

Zhao Zhen knew that Song Xuan had guessed that Madam Lin was the mastermind; anyone could figure that out.

But he still delegated this kind of political achievement to others. Does this mean he doesn't trust the soldiers of the Song Dynasty?
"Because I think there are also spies from the No-Death Society in the military, this is just a precautionary measure."

Song Xuan glanced at Zhao Zhen again: "Actually, I don't trust the fighting ability of the Song soldiers. Those rats in the gutter will always set up many escape routes."

(End of this chapter)