A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 360 You admit it's a beef ball!
By using his cunning to outmaneuver the unsuspecting, Pan Chengjin reaped great rewards.

After seizing a large number of gold ingots, he was excited but bored, so he interrogated the man named Lin Quan again and made a major breakthrough.

It turns out that Lin Quan came to hire someone to commit murder, and the mastermind behind the two thousand taels of gold was none other than Madam Lin, who served the Empress Dowager.

Pan Cheng instructed his trusted confidants to keep the man under control, ensuring he showed no suicidal intent whatsoever. They bound him tightly and gagged him to prevent him from biting his tongue and committing suicide.

Then Pan Cheng went to Song Xuan's house that very night. He knew that Cao Li was hiding from his debts and staying at his son-in-law's house.

Song Xuan was yawning repeatedly, while Cao Liyong was full of energy.

He knew that a visit late at night must mean something urgent had happened.

“Lord Cao, following the instructions of Scholar Song, I launched a surprise attack on the No-Death Society’s stronghold at night, captured the bandit leader, but also captured Lin Quan.”

"Who is Lin Quan?" Cao Liyong had never heard of this name.

"It was Madam Lin's steward. He sent two hundred taels of gold tonight as hush money, trying to stop the assassination of Scholar Song, but before the deal was finalized, we caught him."

After Pan Cheng finished speaking, Cao Yongli started cursing, saying things like "the most vicious heart is a woman's, kill her" and so on.

Song Xuan leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. Although he initially thought the person surnamed Lin was the most suspicious, now that it was confirmed, he felt much more at ease.

"Scholar Song, should we report this to the Empress Dowager?"

"Do not."

Song Xuan quickly waved his hand and said:
“Lin Quan admits this while we have him, but he will recant his testimony when he goes elsewhere.”

"Unless we capture the leader of the No Life Society, Hairless Tiger Ma Liu, and make it impossible for him to turn the tables."

These kinds of things are all verbal agreements and monetary transactions; they can't possibly draw up a formal contract.

Pan Cheng shook his head: "If they are difficult to capture outside the city, once they enter the city, it's like raindrops falling into the ocean—we can't make any contact with them at all."

Song Xuan agreed with Pan Chengjin's words. The sudden downfall of the Meiming Society was enough to catch the hairless tiger off guard.

"What, my good son-in-law? Do you really want to use the laws of the Song Dynasty to kill that Lin fellow?"

Cao Yongli didn't think Liu E would punish the people around her; she would protect the Lin family no matter what.

Otherwise, if she is accused of misjudging people, many court officials will likely voice their demand for her to relinquish power.

Cao Yong had long seen that Liu E wanted to hold onto power and had no intention of returning power to Liu E.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have treated the emperor this way, and she wouldn't have kept imitating Wu Zetian by wearing dragon robes.

Song Xuan failed to detect the sarcasm in his father-in-law's words:
"Using the laws of the Song Dynasty is still too slow."

"Then what do you want to do?"

"Kill with a borrowed knife."

Song Xuan's words startled the two men, but Cao Yong took the initiative to ask, "How exactly do you intend to use someone else to do the dirty work?"

"General Pan, when you get back, tell your men that you were entrusted by the Lin family."

"They say the Lin family discovered that this treacherous steward wanted to collude with the No-Life Society to steal all the gold and silver treasures stored in the Lin family's cellar, which led to this job."

"General Pan, don't send him to the Kaifeng County jail. Hide him and tell everyone that he was beaten to death by the No-Life Society. Find a corpse that is about the same size as him and smash its face."

"This matter will surely spread, and if General Pan rewards his men with some money to go out for drinks and meat, perhaps some interested people will hear about it."

"To let someone with ulterior motives hear it?"

Pan Cheng leaned back, frowning: "Does Scholar Song mean to let Ma Liu, the hairless tiger who escaped from the No-Life Society, hear this?"

"good."

Song Xuan rubbed his sleepy eyes:

"Anyway, General Pan ransacked the No-Life Society's house, and Lin Quan is dead. It's normal to kill someone to cover up a dirty trick."

"We can't kill Madam Lin right now, and there's no need for us to get into trouble and be thought by the Madam that we're targeting her."

"But Ma Liu, who lost so much money, needs to vent his anger. It's normal for him to kill her son, Lin Zhongrong, for revenge."

Kill with a borrowed knife.

Cao Liyong fell silent immediately after hearing Song Xuan's arrangement.

Planning in this way certainly avoids getting your hands dirty.

"But what if Tiger hadn't lost his courage and stopped killing the Lin family?"

Pan Cheng felt that Song Xuan's words made sense, but the hairless tiger was uncontrollable.

"No rush. The main thing is to guide them. If no big shot dares to do it, then we'll talk about other things."

Song Xuan extended his hand and said:

"For example, how could I, a dignified top scholar, only spend two thousand taels to do it? Madam Lin should have spent at least twenty thousand taels, but her son Lin Zhongrong embezzled it, imitating Kou Zhun, and insisted that it only cost two thousand taels to do this."

Cao was suddenly questioned, and Pan Cheng glanced at him subconsciously.

He truly is a good son-in-law.

Even something as unremarkable as my father-in-law's deeds can be used as an example.

Cao Yongli didn't find Song Xuan impolite.

Honestly, if it weren't for Kou Zhun, I might not have been able to stick to my principles.

After all, the late emperor had given instructions that more money should be given, since the Song Dynasty was not short of money anyway.

But once Kou Zhun spoke, Cao Liyong refused to back down.

"Then I understand."

Pan Cheng finally understood Song Xuan's intention: tonight's surprise attack was a fatal blow to the No-Life Society.

Tomorrow's publicity will only add fuel to the fire.

If that doesn't work, set another fire.

"Thank you for your hard work, General Pan."

"What kind of talk is this?"

Pan Cheng chuckled a few times:
"It wasn't a wasted effort. I really didn't expect the No-Life Society to make so much money. It's a good deal for us, and we even have families. I'll try to find out what the Hairless Tiger looks like, and then Scholar Song can decide what to do with it."

"Alright, we'll definitely be cooperating a lot in the future. Even a small organization like No Life can make money, not to mention Worry-Free Cave."

Pan Chengjin's smile grew even wider.

I didn't have a concept of it before, but now that I've seen the money of the No Life Society.

The Wuyou Cave has occupied Tokyo for so many years, it must have long ago hidden a lot of gold and silver treasures.

If I'm not allowed to take it and it's given to someone else for nothing, how can I feel at ease?
"Then I won't bother you any longer."

Pan Cheng stood up to take his leave, and Song Xuan saw him out. He then returned to find Cao Liyong drinking tea.

"Father-in-law, go back to sleep. After you wake up and have lunch, we'll deal with that monk."

Cao Liyong sighed:
"Twelve, but I'm old now, and I don't have that much ambition anymore. I'm actually a little afraid that someone might try to assassinate you?"

"There is indeed this risk."

Song Xuan had a smile on his lips:
"However, risks and opportunities go hand in hand. I am still young and naturally have the desire to go out and explore. How can I shrink back because of threats from others?"

"My father-in-law must have been just as spirited in his youth. Now that he's older, he doesn't need to go out and make a living anymore. It's normal for him to live a peaceful and stable life."

Cao Liyong stood up: "The city of Tokyo is becoming increasingly strange, and many people are doing things without any moral compass. This is all a result of the Empress Dowager's misrule."

"I know you're plotting to let the Emperor take over the reins of government, but the Emperor himself doesn't even have the mind to seize power. Twelfth, you should just keep quiet."

"The infighting between the eunuchs and female officials around the Empress Dowager may have been intentional on her part, so that she would not allow them to collude and deceive her."

Song Xuan also took a sip of cool boiled water:

"I was just taking advantage of the situation and adding fuel to the fire for them. I'll always find an opportunity."

So many officials in the court today are not thinking about helping the emperor to take control of the government. It's simply because Empress Liu is extremely powerful. Everyone here is here to be an official, not to risk their lives.

So as long as Liu E didn't want to ascend the throne, everyone turned a blind eye.

Who could blame them when they had the late emperor's edict and were in a situation of being an orphan and a widow?

If a powerful minister were to emerge in this situation, it would be extremely worrying for the Zhao Song imperial family and their officials.

Cao Yongli simply nodded and didn't say anything more.

He knew that Song Xuan was a man of great vision and ambition, and that he wanted to accomplish something great.

It seems this is about to stir up trouble in Tokyo, but it's unclear who it will affect.

the next day.

Actually, there was no need for early morning; rumors spread that the imperial court had dispatched thousands of elite troops to wipe out the No-Life Society outside the city by dawn that very morning.

However, most people did not believe it until the soldiers carried the spoils of war and paraded the prisoners through the streets, which made everyone realize that the rumors were true.

Pan Cheng sent men to throw all the prisoners into the Kaifeng County government office for registration. He did this to prevent the news of Lin Quan from leaking out, thus indicating that he had no more prisoners.

Those who don't show up are either dead or have run away.

The most important members of the Deadly Society, especially the portrait of Hairless Tiger, still had to be captured by the government through wanted notices.

The hairless tiger sent his underlings to buy wigs and to find out what the tea-drinking soldiers were saying.

He remained squatting in place, his face filled with anger.

I'll have to be careful what I do in Tokyo from now on; it's inconvenient to go back to my old hideout.

He was also unsure whether the government had any informants.

In short, it's best to stay out here for a while and listen to what's going on.

Before long, the hairless tiger Ma Liu had already dressed up and become a hairy tiger, with even the whiskers sticking to his lips.

"Brother, I've found out. Those soldiers said that Lin Quan, the steward of the Lin family, colluded with the Deadly Society to rob the Lin family's gold and silver treasures."

"When the soldiers appeared, the hairless tiger thought that Lin Quan had brought the man and beat him to death."

"Great, we're the scapegoats again."

The hairless giant Ma Liu gritted his teeth and slammed his fist against the wall.

The tremor caused the yellow earth to fall in a flurry.

Inside the city, the scapegoat is Wuyou Cave; outside the city, it's the Meiming Society.

In short, whether they did it or not is completely irrelevant.

Their existence is important because it allows someone to shift blame onto them.

Even when the government suppresses them, it's just an excuse to extort money.

Otherwise, the business of the No-Life Society wouldn't have grown so large. The Song people were quite adept at raising tigers to cause trouble.

"Big brother, what do we do now?"

"How to do?"

The hairless tiger was at a loss, but he knew he absolutely couldn't give up, or he'd be sold out by his two brothers.

"Of course we'll make a comeback. Since the Lin family doesn't want us to live a good life, then we won't let the Lin family live a good life either."

"Brother is right."

The hairless worm squinted slightly and said:
"The Lin family has a large amount of gold and silver jewelry. If we pull off one heist, we can recover our losses. Let's find a way to do it."

"We'll listen to our eldest brother."

"Let's go, let's go take a look at the Lin family first."

"Yes."

The hairless tiger passed by the Kaifeng County Government Office and saw the newly posted notice about the hairless tiger Ma Liu. He thought the drawing didn't look like him, and then he breathed a sigh of relief.

The portraits on government wanted posters are usually drawn in a very "abstract" way.

Realistic paintings like those by Zhang Zeduan were not very popular in the Song Dynasty.

Therefore, it is impossible to catch criminals based solely on a sketch.

Most of them include written descriptions of height, age, and physical characteristics.

In addition, with the Baojia system, any outsiders would be immediately known to the government.

In addition, the arrest warrants were issued, and anyone with a certain appearance, build, or other characteristics was arrested and interrogated without any regard for the facts.

Finally, there was a reward system, which, driven by money, turned the people of the Song Dynasty into "Chaoyang masses" (a term referring to people who report crimes), encouraging them to report wrongdoing.

Unfortunately, people like Ma Liu, the hairless tiger, are not registered in the Kaifeng County household registration system.

The specific morphological characteristics are simply impossible to grasp accurately.

The procession was noisy and chaotic all morning. Yang Huaimin, who had specifically instructed his family at home that he planned to return the warhorses to the Privy Council before returning to the palace, immediately sent someone to inquire what had happened.

When he heard that something had happened to the Lin family, he was overjoyed.

Instead of rushing back, he sent people to inquire about the No-Life Society.

Although he suspected that the Chen brothers were behind the assassination attempt on Song Xuan, he still framed that vile woman surnamed Lin in front of Song Xuan.

Could the Lin family's series of misfortunes have been orchestrated by someone surnamed Lin to assassinate Song Xuan?

Now they're shifting the blame onto the officials in the mansion, and conveniently, they're going to silence them.

"You think you can fool me with such a simple trick?"

Yang Huaimin smiled, then turned his horse around and headed towards the Kaifeng County Government Office.

Song Xuan was still catching up on sleep at home at this hour, but Zhao Zhen had indeed gone there much earlier.

It was Zhang Huaide, the eunuch beside him, who reported that he had seen Yang Huaimin, and he quickly pulled Zhao Zhen to the backyard.

Zhang Liyi, who came to practice martial arts early in the morning, was somewhat surprised. How could the emperor be in such a panic? But he was also thinking about giving instructions, so he didn't say anything.

Yang Huaimin waited in the back room and asked Qi Lecheng and Song Xuan when they would arrive.

Qi Lecheng could only say that he didn't know when the master would arrive, because someone had threatened to assassinate him.

Usually, the county constable would lead a group of men to the high-ranking official's residence to pick him up. They might patrol along the way or come directly to him. They would usually have lunch at the county government office.

Yang Huaimin said he understood and waved for Qi Lecheng to leave.

Qi Lecheng suggested that it would be better to stay here and keep Eunuch Yang company.

After all, his master had said that anyone who came to see him was a guest, and that he would accompany Magistrate Zhou when he arrived.

Yang Huaimin didn't care, but thought that Song Xuan was careful in his dealings with people. The things in the county government office were not for just anyone to see.

As a seasoned veteran of the palace who had climbed the ranks, Yang Huaimin naturally understood the situation very well.

He didn't kick Qi Lecheng out either.

The fact that he could tell he was from the palace was enough to prove that he was a discerning person.

Zhao Zhen felt that he had come so early for nothing, as he didn't know why Yang Huaimin had come again.

Bored out of his mind, he could only follow Guo En and Zhang Liyi and spar with them on the sidelines, just to pass the time as if he were practicing martial arts.

Zhang Liyi knew that Zhao Zhen was the emperor, but Guo En and the others did not.

The young man enthusiastically gave Zhao Zhen advice, telling him that his body was too weak and could be blown over by a gust of wind, and that he wouldn't have much of a future even if he joined the Imperial Guard.

Zhang Liyi knew that Guo En's brains were all focused on martial arts, so he quickly tried to cover for him by saying that Song Zhuangyuan's cousin would take the imperial examination in the future.

However, Guo En said that the master had already said that even if one were to take the imperial examination, one would need to be in good health, requiring rigorous training and perseverance. It would also be difficult to adapt to a different environment when serving as an official in another place.

Only with good health can one better serve the government.

The words spoken by Guo En, who was unaware of Zhao Zhen's identity, truly pleased Zhao Zhen.

Zhao Zhen immediately agreed with Guo En, saying that he would consult with Master Guo whenever he had time.

Zhang Li was speechless.

He really didn't expect Guo En to be so lucky.

His father died in the line of duty, and then he met Song Xuan, who took him in and raised him, and even found a famous teacher to guide him.

Then, taking advantage of their proximity, they managed to please the officials.

Given this, how could he not be highly valued when he joins the Imperial Guard?
While Zhao Zhen was diligently learning the "unorthodox methods," Yang Huaimin and the others were bored out of their minds. They even followed County Magistrate Zhou to count the fines that the Zhang and Liu families had sent in the name of the "Lin family."

Looking at the money, Yang Huaimin knew that Song Xuan had given him a lot of money.

That wretched woman surnamed Lin finally suffered a major hemorrhage; how could she not resent Song Xuan?
The enemy of the enemy is the friend.

Yang Huaimin finally found a friend in Song Xuan.

Qi Lecheng first reported the matter to Song Xuan.

Song Xuan guessed that Yang Huaimin had come early in the morning to talk about the Lin family.

I have to pretend I don't know anything about this.

"Eunuch Yang, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Song Xuan immediately burst into laughter:
"I got up a little late today to patrol the streets and check on the progress of cleaning the ditches. It's almost Mid-Autumn Festival, so I'm planning to let them rest for a day."

"Song Zhuangyuan was truly a kind and generous person."

Yang Huaimin also offered a tentative compliment.

He also wanted to see if Song Xuan could accept flattery, which could also be considered a form of social maneuvering.

"Hahaha."

Song Xuan invited Yang Huaimin inside for tea:
"Even the cattle and horses at home should be treated with care, otherwise they will all be worked to death, how can they work?"

Yang Huaimin did not refute, but he felt that Song Xuan was wrong.

You don't do it.

The Song Dynasty had plenty of cattle and horses!

After all, he came here to deliver messages to the alliance, not to waste time arguing early in the morning.

"Did Scholar Song hear any rumors during his inspection tour?"

Yang Huaimin wasn't going to take advantage of the situation any longer; he had long since lost patience while waiting.

They went straight to the point from the start.

"Rumors?"

Song Xuan sat down:
"I've heard from the people that the food I provide for prisoners is quite good. Some people in Tokyo even want to commit crimes on purpose to get work. I don't know if it's true or if they're just mocking me for spending money on useless things."

"It's not that kind of thing, it's about the Lin family."

"What business does the Lin family have?"

When Song Xuan asked him questions, Yang Huaimin remembered that Song Xuan hadn't even had a chance to hear the report about accepting prisoners from the No-Life Society.

So he quickly told them everything he knew.

"The Lin family colluded with the No-Life Society to try and kill me. Fortunately, the Empress Dowager intervened, which made her stop the bounty and then mobilize the army to kill me to cover it up?"

"That's unlikely, isn't it?"

Song Xuan's face was filled with disbelief:

"Besides the Empress Dowager, who else in the entire Song Dynasty can mobilize the army?"

"They were just there for training, and it just so happened that we ran into each other. Isn't that a coincidence?"

"Hiss." Song Xuan nodded: "What Eunuch Yang said makes sense. It is indeed too much of a coincidence. There must be something going on behind the scenes."

Seeing that Song Xuan believed him, Yang Huaimin smiled.

"That bitch Lin Rong will definitely not suffer a loss; she will surely take revenge in the future."

"Scholar Song should be prepared, lest he suffer losses in the future."

"Eunuch Yang is right," Song Xuan said, rubbing his eyes as if he were tired.
"I never imagined that there would be so much infighting in officialdom, leaving little energy for the benefit of the people."

"Scholar Song's dedication to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, as well as to the common people, is truly rare in the world. I will definitely speak highly of this to the Empress Dowager." Yang Huaimin gently tapped the table: "Scholar Song's position as county magistrate is far too unworthy, even in the most remote and populous county."

"Hey."

Song Xuan waved his hand gently:

"Thank you for your kind words, Eunuch Yang, but I am still young. If I were to suddenly rise to a high position, I would also be targeted by more people."

"So, serving as a county magistrate for a while is a favor from the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, how could I complain?"

"Talents like Song Zhuangyuan are truly rare in the Song Dynasty."

Yang Huaimin chuckled a few times:
"If I find that the vile woman surnamed Lin is trying to target Scholar Song while I am in the palace, I will definitely send someone to inform him so that Scholar Song can prepare a countermeasure in advance."

"Very good." Song Xuan quickly thanked him, "I will definitely treat Eunuch Yang to a few more drinks in the future."

"Easy to say, easy to say."

Seeing that he had achieved his goal, Yang Huaimin did not linger any longer. Instead, he chose to go back for lunch first, so that he could report to the Empress Dowager after things had developed for a while.

As for his secret alliance with Song Xuan, he didn't intend to tell his ally.

Who knows what the future holds?
There's always a way out, at least one way out.

After seeing Yang Huaimin off, Song Xuan went to the back hall for a stroll and saw that Zhao Zhen was almost completely soaked.

Goodness, they're all starting to show off their skills there.

Fortunately, Guo En was unaware of Zhao Zhen's true identity.

"My lord." Guo En ran over with a wooden stick and bowed.

"Take a break, it's easy to get heatstroke in this hot summer."

"Yes."

Song Xuan also felt the high temperature. He sat on a stool and listened to the last cicada chirps in the trees.

Once the Mid-Autumn Festival is over, the chirping of cicadas becomes very rare, and most of the chirping is from autumn cicadas.

Zhao Zhen was panting heavily, and after catching his breath for a while, he asked:

"Twelfth Brother, what exactly is Yang Huaimin doing here so early in the morning?"

"Inform me about the Lin family's affairs so that I can form an alliance with them."

Song Xuan didn't hide anything from Zhao Zhen: "I reckon he's been wanting to replace Madam Lin by the Empress's side for quite some time now."

"To replace Madam Lin!"

Zhao Zhen really didn't understand. Both of them were serving the Empress Dowager, so why did they have to be ranked first, second, third, and fourth?
Zhao Zhen had never experienced their living space; in fact, it was about creating a hierarchy.

Only in this way can everyone know their position and what rules they should follow.

Zhang Liyi wiped his sweat beside him, pretending not to hear.

Anyway, her father had already told her to follow Song Xuan around and learn some skills, and not to get involved in other things.

It's best not to keep your mouth shut; keep everything to yourself and don't say it out loud.

After resting for a while and having lunch, Song Xuan got directly onto the official's donkey cart and headed to the Privy Council to pick up his father-in-law so he could go home and deal with that monk Zhichang.

The story of Abbot Zhichang had already spread throughout Tokyo.

After all, the people of Tokyo are willing to make a name for themselves when someone demonstrates their "skill".

News of the government's crackdown on the No-Fate Society also spread, but the people of Tokyo had their own understanding of the matter.

Even if the No-Death Society is gone, there will be another Desperate Society.

In short, each ecological niche has its own place, and once that niche is eliminated, someone will naturally fill the gap.

Zhichang was only drinking water and not eating, yet he remained energetic.

Instead, it exhausted Zhong Wuliu, who was doing this specifically according to the master's request.

During the meal, I sat next to this senior monk.

Not only does he eat meat, he also smacks his lips.

Even with these methods, they still couldn't get the monk Zhichang to come over.

Even when the monks went to the toilet, someone followed them, but they never saw him steal food.

Therefore, these yamen runners on duty were somewhat convinced of their authority.

After all, they had seen it with their own eyes; anyone who doesn't eat for three days will be starving.

Unlike Master Zhichang, who could still recite scriptures with a calm and composed demeanor.

Not only did the government send people to protect them, but there were also idle people who came to watch the spectacle.

Do you think he can last seven days?

“I think it’s difficult.”

"Judging from his current complexion, he should be fine for about seven days."

"I'm afraid that Cao Shizhong will be unable to back down in the end, and Song Zhuangyuan will also be caught in his own trap."

Many people are just watching the spectacle, but some know the truth.

Of course, he was released.

"I heard that Minister Cao borrowed a lot of money at high interest rates to give as dowry to his daughter. He couldn't pay it back, so he ordered all the imperial guards to borrow money from temples. Master Zhichang of Kaibao Temple came to him specifically to ask for an explanation."

"That's why. Paying back debts is a matter of course!"

"No wonder Master Zhichang didn't leave, but stayed here instead."

"Yeah yeah."

"Who owes money and doesn't pay it back?"

People come and go, and there will always be many different opinions.

Song Xuan sat in the donkey cart, and Cao Liyong was somewhat reserved upon seeing the Emperor.

"Twelfth Brother, are you sure there's something wrong with his Buddhist prayer beads?"

There are no gods in this world; they are all figments of people's imaginations.

Song Xuan leaned back in the carriage, closing his eyes to rest: "Sixth Brother didn't go to pray for rain again, did he?"

"No."

After being lectured by Song Xuan, Zhao Zhen's resolve wavered.

The idea of ​​divine right of kings is nothing but a lie to deceive the common people.

Even if the emperor didn't believe it, which of the ministers would believe it?

Zhao Zhen used to believe, and then he ended up being used.

Cao Liyong fanned himself with a fan:

"The weather is hot now, and there is drought in many places."

"If it doesn't rain before the Mid-Autumn Festival, then perhaps the flooding of Tokyo this year will not happen. Whether the emperor prays for rain or not will be of no use."

Cao himself didn't believe such a thing.

But there is a huge market demand, and many people believe in it.

"It will rain. Tokyo is situated at a very low elevation, with several generations of capitals hidden beneath it."

Using Kaifeng as the background image for Dungeon & Fighter is perfectly acceptable.

Song Xuan also waved his fan: "Don't take chances when facing floods."

"If Xiangfu County doesn't have the money, I'll send them to continue after I finish dredging the ditches in Kaifeng County. Although they are two counties, they are both within the city, and the flood won't distinguish between Kaifeng and Xiangfu."

Cao Liyong remained silent. He actually thought his son-in-law should be the Prefect of Kaifeng, and he thought much more about it than Chen Yaozuo.

Moreover, with officials present, Cao Liyong would be even less likely to undermine his son-in-law.

Anyway, it's not like he's the one paying for it.

My son-in-law has certainly made a lot of money.

He pocketed the money and then immediately spent it, which really baffled him.

Zhao Zhen felt that Song Xuan had always been like this, and was therefore a role model for him to learn from.

When the donkey cart stopped in front of the Cao family's house, Cao Yongli got off first, which immediately caused many people to exclaim in surprise.

Will Cao Shizhong, whom we have been avoiding, finally be faced?
Even the abbot Zhichang stopped chanting and stared at Cao Liyong because of his arrival.

Have you finally gotten restless and decided to come see me?
Originally, it was thought that it would take seven days, but Cao Yongli couldn't sit still after only three days.

This made Zhichang extremely happy. The hard times were about to end, and he could also bring fame to Kaibao Temple and win more believers.

However, amidst the attention of everyone, Cao Yong simply sat on his own steps and ignored it.

Instead, Song Xuan jumped off the donkey cart, brought his own stool, and sat down directly in front of the abbot Zhichang, sizing him up.

When the people saw that it was the top scholar Song, even more people came to watch the spectacle.

After all, anyone who can still stay up this late is a true fan of excitement.

Do you think Scholar Song can resolve this matter?

“Difficult.” Another person squatted down beside the corner.

"Unless the top scholar of Song gives all the taxes of Kaifeng County to his father-in-law, the problem can be closed."

"I think it would be easy for someone as intelligent as Scholar Song to get rid of the monk with just a few words."

Li Junyou waved his fan with a smile on his face. He had been busy with the Khitan spies lately.

I was just passing by and saw something interesting, so I came to check it out.

"Blow it."

"Did the top scholar of the Song Dynasty understand Buddhism?"

"Of course I understand! The top scholar Song was incredibly learned; what wouldn't he understand?"

Li Junyou fanned himself with a fan: "In terms of Buddhism, this monk Zhichang will definitely admit defeat."

"I do not believe."

"I'll bet ten coins," Li Junyou said with a smile, "I'll just buy a cup of cold drink later."

"Row."

Abbot Zhichang had also heard of Song Xuan's great reputation; otherwise, Cao Yongli would not have borrowed money at exorbitant interest rates at Kaibao Temple.

"I don't know what to call it?"

"Zhichang".

He looked at Song Xuan and chanted a Buddhist prayer: "Benefactor Song, are you here to repay your father-in-law's debts?"

"It's not so much about repaying debts, it's just that I have some doubts in my mind." Song Xuan didn't give him a chance to ask:

"Buddhist precepts are strict, how could a monk openly flaunt his supernatural powers? Besides, this fasting technique belongs to Taoism, how could a monk like you know about it?"

“This humble monk is a monk from Kaibao Temple and has a certificate of ordination. If Benefactor Song does not believe me, you may have my disciple retrieve my certificate.”

Abbot Zhichang chanted the Buddha's name again:
"As for this technique of fasting, is it something that only Taoism can do? Our Buddhist school also has this skill, isn't that normal?"

"Okay, I'll take a look at your ordination certificate first."

Zhichang called out to his disciple, asking him to take out the ordination certificate.

Before doing this, they had already considered some possible directions.

For example, the government might falsely accuse you of being a fake monk and arrest you.

So the ordination certificate has always been prepared.

Song Xuan took the certificate and examined it carefully. He read aloud all of Song Xuan's personal information, the temple he belonged to, his lineage, and the official signature.

This thing is meant to be carried with you at all times; it's like identification.

"Is this you?"

"it's me."

Zhichang knew that Song Xuan had come to cause trouble:
"I was very thin at that time, so my appearance differed somewhat from the description on the ordination certificate."

"I can understand, after all, it was more than 20 years ago."

After Song Xuan carefully put away the ordination certificate:
"You have enough to eat and wear, and you have your wife and daughters by your side, so of course you're happy and healthy."

"Is Magistrate Song framing this poor monk just to avoid repaying the money?"

Abbot Zhichang was somewhat annoyed. He suddenly understood why they had only come three days later.

It turned out that Song Xuan had sent someone to secretly investigate him, but it was wishful thinking to think that he could make him submit.

"Don't worry."

Song Xuan waved his palm-leaf fan:

"This is just an appetizer. I would like to ask the master, having studied so much Buddhism, could you summarize it in one sentence: What is Buddhism?"

“Great love and tolerance,” Abbot Zhichang blurted out.

Do we even need to think about such a standard answer?

"So that's the case, then I'm relieved."

Song Xuan nodded slightly: "If I did something to hurt you, could you forgive me?"

"What do you want to do?"

Zhichang felt that Song Xuan wouldn't dare to act rashly, but if his own children ran out of that parked carriage, he wouldn't be able to handle it.

Song Xuan snatched the Buddhist prayer beads from his hand and the rosary hanging around his neck.

Startled, Zhichang reached out to snatch it, but Song Xuan held him down, preventing him from getting up.

"I knew there were 'baby pills' in your Buddhist prayer beads. With so many baby pills, how many babies are you going to dig out of pregnant women's wombs? How many lives have you, Zhichang, killed?"

Song Xuan held two strings of prayer beads, one large and one small, in his hands:
"No wonder so many babies disappeared in Tokyo. Your Kaibao Temple colluded with Wuyou Cave to harm living beings."

"What audacity! Daring to swindle and cheat people here! You're courting death!"

“There was absolutely no collusion, and there was no such thing as a child pill.”

Zhichang's face showed anxiety:
"How dare you, a top scholar, frame me? This is beef balls!"

"So you admit it's a beef ball?"

Upon hearing Song Xuan's question, Zhi Chang's face showed surprise.

He never expected that his hasty explanation would reveal his true colors.

Song Xuan knew from the beginning that there was something wrong with the prayer beads and was deliberately framing him.

Zhichang looked up at him and asked, "What do you want to do?"

"Do you want Kaibao Temple to die out, or do you want your reputation to be ruined? Choose one."

When Song Xuan asked him questions, Abbot Zhichang looked conflicted.

Their argument, and Song Xuan's struggle over the prayer beads, naturally attracted the attention of many onlookers.

They didn't understand what the rosary was.

But seeing Master Zhichang's sudden change in expression, perhaps Song Zhuangyuan had caught him red-handed.

Li Junyou extended his hand and said:

"Just give me ten coins. This monk Zhichang is not skilled enough and will have to admit defeat soon."

"It's still early," the other person persisted.

"Yes, we haven't heard what happened. Who knows if Scholar Song will threaten Master Zhichang? After all, officials protect each other."

"Do you really think monks are good people?"

Li Junyou knew these people wouldn't give up until they were completely cornered, so he quietly watched Song Xuan's performance.

"Choose quickly."

Song Xuan held the prayer beads in his hand:
“If you don’t admit that this is made of beef jerky, I will spread the word that it is Haierdan, which can make you not feel hungry for several days without eating.”

“Kaibao Temple will perish because of you, and everyone’s ordination certificates will be revoked. Your master will not escape either. Think it over.”

"The Empress Dowager will absolutely not believe your one-sided story."

Zhichang remained stubborn and refused to give up.

"You still think that it was my father-in-law's idea to have the Imperial Guard borrow money on such a large scale?"

Song Xuan fiddled with his prayer beads: "To tell you the truth, without the Empress Dowager's approval, who would dare to mobilize so many troops, let alone the Imperial Guards?"

Zhi Chang felt a chill run down his spine; things were getting worse and worse, just as they had guessed.

But why should the Empress Dowager do such a thing?
That makes absolutely no sense.

"Everyone knows that the Empress Dowager likes to worship Buddha."

Song Xuan snorted and laughed:
"So, do you think the Empress Dowager would rather believe me, the magistrate of Kaifeng, a top scholar, or you, a monk who stole beef jerky?"

"I am doing this on behalf of the Empress Dowager. You can go and inquire why the Great Xiangguo Temple, which is stronger than you, dares not step forward and dares not refuse to lend money."

"Who do you think told me about this little trick of yours?"

The monks from the four major temples held a meeting to discuss the matter.

Zhichang also went.

The monks all wanted the Great Xiangguo Temple to stand up and demand an explanation from the Great Goddess, but the Great Xiangguo Temple refused.

Anyway, whoever was willing to take the lead went on their own, and so it ended up being Kaibao Temple's responsibility. They were just about to try and get some information from Cao Yong, but unfortunately, they are now in a passive position.

Cao Liyong sat on the steps, listening to his son-in-law's nonsense. He remained expressionless, trying his best not to laugh out loud, lest he ruin his son-in-law's plans.

Meanwhile, Abbot Zhichang was still struggling with a dilemma: whether to shoulder everything alone or to drag everyone in the temple down with him.

It turns out there was a traitor among the monks!

No wonder my actions were leaked; someone was trying to take advantage of the situation to target Kaibao Temple.

Having thought this through, Zhichang immediately spoke:
"If I were to take the blame, would Scholar Song be lenient and forgiving?"

"Don't you understand the question I just asked you?"

tolerant.

So it was him who told me!

Who says the top scholar of the Song Dynasty didn't understand Buddhism?
After Song Xuan finished speaking, he stepped aside, leaving the opportunity for Abbot Zhichang to perform.

Although years of sitting cross-legged have made Zhichang accustomed to meditation.

But when I suddenly got up, I still felt some numbness in my legs and feet.

Supported by his two apprentices, Zhichang walked to the front of the crowd:

“Esteemed benefactors, there is no such thing as fasting in the world. The reason I survived after not eating for three days and three nights is that I tampered with the prayer beads; they were all made of beef jerky.”

"Scholar Song discovered the inside story and was willing to give me a chance to admit my mistake."

"what?"

Zhi Chang's words were hard for many to believe; how could it possibly be beef jerky?

Song Xuan also held up two strings of Buddhist prayer beads:
"Fellow villagers, this was just taken off the neck of Abbot Zhichang. Who would like to step forward and try?"

"I."

"I'm willing to try."

(End of this chapter)