A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 383 Is the Golden Buddha More Important, or the Disaster Victims?

However, this disappointed Zhong Lijin.

Song Xuan had no intention of currying favor with him.

Previously, Song Xuan had a grudge against his immediate superior, Chen Yaozuo, so he didn't need to deal with his relationship with his superior.

He was the "king" in the Kaifeng County government office, and his word was law.

For the sake of his image, Chen Yaozuo wouldn't openly cause trouble for Song Xuan.

This kind of thing can be left to your subordinates to handle.

Unexpectedly, Chen Yaozuo's right-hand men were broken by Song Xuan first.

He became famous overnight, and officials of all ranks in Kaifeng treated Song Xuan with utmost respect.

Who is truly clean, allowing others to investigate them with complete peace of mind?

That is, newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) like Song Xuan and others.

Most of these people don't even have money and have never been involved in officialdom, so they are not only stubborn but also particularly inflexible and like to take things seriously.

Experienced officials will generally avoid confrontation with them, and even if they intend to harm you, they usually won't take action themselves.

Zhong Lijin is still unaware of the treacherous nature of Tokyo City, and still believes that as long as he uses the Empress Dowager's name to make a move, people will flock to him to curry favor.

Unfortunately, this situation does exist.

But the position of Prefect of Kaifeng is very difficult.

Everyone knows that officials in the position of Prefect of Kaifeng don't last long.

After returning to her rented place, Zhong Lijin was still smug.

But the deeper the night, the fainter the joy on his face became.

Then Zhong Lijin couldn't sit still any longer; he kept sticking his head out of the window to observe.

If there was any disturbance, they would immediately sit up straight and wait for Song Xuan to knock on the door.

But all that visited him were buzzing mosquitoes.

Snapped.

Even after Zhong Lijin killed the mosquito again, he could still hear a lot of buzzing, which annoyed him.

"Is Song Xuan still not awake at this hour?"

Even when Zhongli Jin chanted sutras, she lost all her spirit and simply lay down on the wooden bed.

They stared wide-eyed, waiting for Song Xuan to arrive.

"Or did he not understand my hint?"

"That shouldn't be the case. Song Xuan is a smart man. How could he not understand what I meant?"

"Oops."

Zhong Lijin sat up abruptly:

"I forgot to tell him where I live."

"oops."

Thinking about this, Zhong Lijin wanted to slap herself.

I was so engrossed in daydreaming that I forgot about something so important.

Isn't that like giving a flirtatious glance to a blind man?
Zhong Lijin doesn't yet have the mindset of a fairy, believing that Song Xuan can find his home without her knowing his address.

The next day, Zhong Lijin, sporting dark circles under her eyes, went straight to the Kaifeng County Government Office.

He had assumed that, given the current situation, Song Xuan would arrive early.

As a result, Song Xuan still did not arrive at work on time.

The one who arrived early was Abbot Ziyuan of Daxiangguo Temple, who was waiting with him, staring at each other.

Moreover, Ziyuan hadn't slept well either; he had heavy bags under his eyes and had spent the whole night thinking about how to communicate with Song Xuan.

Try to minimize the losses incurred by Daxiangguo Temple.

The two were old acquaintances.

"Benefactor Zhongli, are you also here to seek out Magistrate Song and serve under his command?"

Ziyuan confirmed that what Zhou Derong said was true.

The Empress Dowager has entrusted Song Xuan with all the work of providing disaster relief to the victims in the capital city.

The rest of the people cooperated, and even the yamen runners in Kaifeng Prefecture were placed under Song Xuan's command.

How could this be fake?
Hearing Ziyuan's question, Zhongli Jin sighed inwardly.

Has the news already spread everywhere?
"I am in charge of the Wuyou Cave case and have come to hand over the case details to Magistrate Song."

"Oh?"

Ziyuan also sighed inwardly.

As expected, in order to raise funds and provisions, the Empress Dowager had already kicked out those who could speak for Buddhism.

Both of them sighed, each with suppressed emotions.

"What are you here for?"

When Zhongli Jin asked, Ziyuan didn't hide it from him, but instead asked County Magistrate Zhou Delong to go to their temple to beg for alms.

They demanded that money and grain be provided so that the government could distribute porridge to the disaster victims.

Zhong Lijin's eyes widened in disbelief. He truly hadn't expected that Song Xuan's method of raising money and food for disaster relief was to forcibly beg for alms from temples.

That's just "fantastic".

Because I can do this kind of work too!

Zhong Lijin was stumped by Liu E's question and didn't know how to make money.

So that's where Song Xuan's confidence came from.

Zhong Lijin coughed:
"Abbot Ziyuan, how much money is your Daxiangguo Temple prepared to contribute?"

"To be honest, I plan to contribute five thousand strings of cash and five hundred bushels of grain."

After Ziyuan finished speaking, he continued to complain bitterly, and then talked about the Imperial Guards' loan.

"Fine, then you'll offer a thousand strings of cash and five hundred bushels of grain, and you'll be dead before Song Xuan."

Zhongli Jin quickly grabbed Ziyuan's hand and said, "Wait for me, I will go to the palace immediately to tell the Empress Dowager about this."

"Huh?" Ziyuan never expected such a good thing to happen.

"really?"

Zhong Lijin was about to leave when he stopped in his tracks:
“I will go to the Great Madam. If I am in charge of the disaster relief, your Great Xiangguo Temple will only need to contribute three thousand strings of cash and three hundred bushels of grain.”

"how?"

Ziyuan blinked, and even though he was tempted, he didn't dare to respond immediately.

He felt that two thousand strings of cash were not worth offending Song Xuan.

“Benefactor Zhongli, if you can take charge of disaster relief, Daxiangguo Temple will certainly cooperate fully. If so…”

"Just wait for my good news."

Zhong Lijin left in a flurry.

He now knew Song Xuan's methods of making money. He could collect less money and grain from the Great Xiangguo Temple, but the other three temples could make up the difference.

I'm determined to get the disaster relief job!

What's with this "Worry-Free Cave" project? Can its achievements compare to its disaster relief efforts?
Even after Song Xuan wiped out two gangs, he was merely given fine clothes to increase his visibility in the court.

After all, the court was full of nobles, and only a few could wear red robes.

Zhong Lijin seemed to have never heard the saying, "If you don't follow the east's lead, you'll work yourself to death and achieve nothing."

This means that if you don't follow the employer's wishes when doing things, no matter how hard you try, you won't achieve any good results.

Liu E has already made a decision on this important matter of disaster relief.

No matter how much you jump around, unless Song Xuan really makes a mistake, she won't easily change her orders.

Especially since she represented imperial power, others felt that her words were as meaningless as farting.

How could her words, once spoken, be like those of an emperor, never to be taken back, thus having an equivalent effect?

How can we gain public trust in the future?
Overjoyed, Zhong Lijin went to see Liu E again.

He said he hadn't slept all night, constantly thinking about how to raise money and supplies, and finally he came up with a solution.

"Oh, going to the temple to beg for alms?"

Liu E raised an eyebrow, wondering why Zhong Lijin's actions seemed so familiar.
This is just replicating Song Xuan's actions.

It looks like Song Xuan is going to cause trouble for the temple again.

However, Liu E didn't care; as long as the matter was resolved, that was enough.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Zhong Lijin mentioned that some temples would also distribute porridge to people during times of disaster.

He planned to have all four temples contribute money and grain, which would then be allocated by the government to provide porridge to the disaster victims outside the city.

Zhongli Jin became more and more convinced that this matter could be accomplished. He didn't ask for much, just 10,000 strings of cash for each temple and an additional 1,000 shi of grain.

Liu E nodded: "Do you think four thousand shi of grain is enough to feed the disaster victims outside for several days? How much grain can forty thousand guan buy?"

Zhong Lijin wiped the sweat from his brow, momentarily stunned.

He didn't know the exact number of disaster victims outside the city, nor did he have time to make a count.

He was only concerned with making the cook cook the porridge thicker, and he even supervised him.

He had heard about grain prices, but only a rough estimate.

At this moment, I was silently calculating in my mind, but I wasn't very good at it.

Liu E understood that he wanted to show off his abilities, but the more he did so, the more she felt that Zhong Lijin was not capable at all.

“Zhong Lijin, I will send someone to tell Song Xuan about your idea.”

Liu E called out to Yang Huaijin, asking him to take Zhong Lijin to discuss the Wuyou Cave matter with Song Xuan.

Lin Rong's son must be found as soon as possible; this matter cannot be delayed.

The longer the delay, the less likely it is to be recovered.

Yang Huaimin smiled sinisterly and asked Zhong Lijin to leave so that he could go with him to the Kaifeng County Government Office.

Seeing that things were not going well, Zhong Lijin had to face Song Xuan and tell him her plan.

Even though he was a Buddhist, he felt extremely embarrassed. His face turned red and then pale, and he even considered using the act of defecating to escape.

After Zhong Lijin left, Abbot Ziyuan was torn about whether he should follow Zhong Lijin's advice and try to appease Song Xuan.

He waited for a long time but did not see Song Xuan, and he became increasingly uneasy.

They didn't reveal the story behind the other three temples.

It's not easy to find out about this.

Who knows what kind of trouble Song Xuan, this local tyrant, will cause?
"My lord."

Qi Lecheng mentioned the visitors, and then Zhong Lijin left in a hurry.

Song Xuan nodded, wondering what Zhong Lijin wanted to do.

Anyway, people like him who are religious think differently from others, so Song Xuan didn't bother to guess.

You simply can't fathom the thought process of someone with that kind of intellectual capacity.

"My lord."

Ziyuan quickly stood up and bowed.

"Bring Abbot Ziyuan a cup of herbal tea to cool him down."

"Yes."

Song Xuan opened the memorial on the table and looked at it carefully. It was a list compiled by Zhou Derong of how much money the four temples needed to pay.

Kaibao Temple offered the highest price, willing to pay 60,000 strings of cash and all the grain stored in the temple, totaling 1,001 shi.

It was mainly for storing food for making vegetarian meals and for occasionally distributing porridge.

Ever since Song Xuan exposed the monks' scheme at Kaibao Temple, they have behaved themselves and dared not oppose the government.

Zhao Zhen sat behind the screen; he had actually been there for a while.

He came in after Zhong Lijin left and when the monk Ziyuan went to the toilet.

Ziyuan sat to the side, still struggling with how to start a conversation.

"Tell me about it."

Ziyuan suddenly raised his head; he really hadn't expected Song Xuan to speak first.

However, he had been waiting here since early morning, so how could he not know the reason?

Ziyuan repeated what he had said to Zhongli Jin.

"So what? All that nonsense. Your Great Xiangguo Temple is the largest temple in Tokyo, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it's among the top two in the whole country."

"With the breach in Huazhou, there are countless disaster victims outside Dongjing City. How much money and food does your temple plan to donate?"

Faced with Song Xuan's question, Zi Yuan felt immense pressure.

He wiped the sweat from his brow:
"Scholar Song, I wish to donate five thousand strings of cash and five hundred bushels of grain to relieve the disaster victims, mainly because my Great Xiangguo Temple has no surplus grain!"

"Oh?"

Song Xuan snorted and laughed:
"Since the Great Xiangguo Temple has no surplus grain, I will send someone to dismantle and sell the golden Buddha statues in the Great Xiangguo Temple to buy grain and help you save all living beings."

"what?"

Ziyuan immediately stood up: "My lord, how can you do this?"

Song Xuan put down the document in his hand:
"Abbot Ziyuan, tell me, which is more important to you right now, the golden Buddha or the disaster victims outside the city?"

The abbot Ziyuan was extremely conflicted, but there was really no need to be conflicted about such a thing.

Because it's easy to choose from one's heart, but if one were to say it out loud, how could one maintain one's moral standards?
In particular, he was a "highly enlightened monk".

"Of course!"

"Of course, they are both important."

"Both are important?" Song Xuan nodded, then smiled.
"I understand, the golden Buddha is still more important to you."

"No." Ziyuan quickly waved his hand in refusal.
“The disaster victims outside the city are more important to me. As a monk, I am compassionate and of course I should provide relief to the disaster victims.”

"I had someone take the golden Buddha away and melt it down."

"No, please don't."

Ziyuan's face showed anxiety:
“My lord, our Great Xiangguo Temple is willing to offer 10,000 strings of cash plus 500 bushels of grain.”

"I've had someone appraise it, and the golden Buddha is still more valuable."

Song Xuan clicked his tongue twice:

“That golden Buddha is truly dazzling and rare in the world. Even the largest temple has a clay sculpture with a golden body. Your Xiangguo Temple is made of gold.”

"Twenty thousand strings of cash plus one thousand bushels of grain."

The abbot Ziyuan held up two fingers; he truly did not want the "golden Buddha" of the Xiangguo Temple to be taken away.

That's the prestige of the Great Xiangguo Temple.

Zhao Zhen listened as the monk Ziyuan offered to raise the price.

He discovered that although the Daxiangguo Temple made so much money and usually touted itself as charitable, it turned out to be stingy when it came to actually doing something.

Emperor Shizong of Zhou was right after all!

Zhao Zhen had such an idea in his mind.

Song Xuan didn't even glance at him:

"I wonder how much money was spent when the golden Buddha was cast. It's a shame to melt it down."

“My lord, our Great Xiangguo Temple is willing to contribute 30,000 strings of cash and 1,500 shi of grain for disaster relief. We really have no more than that.”

Ziyuan could tell from Song Xuan's words that the price hadn't met his expectations, which was why he said that.

"Oh?" Song Xuan nodded:

"So that golden Buddha was only worth 30,000 strings of cash? I'll take the liberty of mortgaging it to Prefect Liu to get a loan of 50,000 strings of cash, and then your Daxiangguo Temple can redeem it later."

"Fifty thousand strings of cash!"

The abbot Ziyuan was on the verge of tears; this was ten times worse than his initial budget.
“My lord, our Great Xiangguo Temple is willing to contribute 50,000 strings of cash for disaster relief.”

"Is it just 50,000 strings of cash?"

Song Xuan stood up and walked to Abbot Ziyuan:
“Abbot Ziyuan, as you know, money is worthless in the face of grain prices in Tokyo these days. I’ve heard that the Great Xiangguo Temple has quite a lot of grain stored up.”

Even the abbot Ziyuan was trembling with anger at Song Xuan's nonchalant statement.

How could he say such cold words?

Even if he spends a lot of money, he can recover his losses as soon as the price of grain in Tokyo rises again.

Ziyuan was certain that since the breach in Huazhou was so severe, grain prices would only continue to rise unless Song Xuan intervened.

However, since he took over yesterday, the county government has issued many policies to benefit the people, but none of them have made any demands on grain prices.

This puzzled many grain merchants. To prevent being ambushed by Song Xuan, some grain merchants even put up signs saying "sold out for today" and dared not sell any more grain easily.

"Two thousand shi (a unit of grain) is absolutely out of the question."

Abbot Ziyuan reached out his hand again.

He realized that he had pushed his bottom line again and again, and now that he had pushed it to this point, he could only regret it in secret.

"Yes." Song Xuan nodded:

"Since you don't cherish this opportunity, I won't force you. Let's leave it at that."

Upon hearing Song Xuan's words, Zi Yuan subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.

"Would you like to know how much money the other temples are willing to donate to disaster relief?"

"think."

Ziyuan believed that Daxiangguo Temple was the wealthiest of the four temples, which was why Song Xuan was extorting it so much.

"In fact, Kaibao Temple donated 60,000 strings of cash to provide relief to disaster victims."

"what?"

Ziyuan couldn't believe it for a moment; the monks of Kaibao Temple were willing to spend so much money!

Are they no longer living their lives?
Do you know how disappointed I am with the Great Xiangguo Temple?

"It's clearly the most profitable temple, but when trouble comes, it acts like a miser."

"Even Buddha taught to cut off his own flesh to feed an eagle and to sacrifice himself to feed a tiger. You are not even willing to contribute a little money. How can I make amends for you in front of the Great Goddess?"

Song Xuan's manipulative words made Zi Yuan feel ashamed.

Anyway, I spent a lot of money and didn't get any good results.

It was indeed the Empress Dowager who was supporting them from behind.

“My lord, our Great Xiangguo Temple is also willing to contribute 60,000 strings of cash.”

"No need. Some things can't be undone by spending money after you know the outcome."

Song Xuan waved his hand:
"I've already given you the opportunity, but you didn't know how to cherish it."

"This time, I will definitely put Kaibao Temple's name first to claim credit."

Ziyuan was somewhat dejected. He wanted to try and win her back, but Song Xuan rejected him. Why was he feeling this way when he had come to offer the money willingly?

"My lord, the monks of Kaibao Temple have already hired many donkey carts to deliver money and provisions."

Song Xuan stood up: "Let's go, Abbot Ziyuan, please come with me to greet them."

"Hey, hey."

After they left, Zhao Zhen stood up and said, "Let's go take a look too."

Yang Yuzhen quickly accompanied her.

He realized that Song Xuan not only hit hard, but this newly appointed top scholar was also incredibly intelligent.

He was clearly forcing them to hand over their money and grain, but in the end, they were about to give it to him, but he refused, which made them feel guilty!
Yang Yuzhen had never seen such a method of handling things before.

The old abbot of Kaibao Temple stood at the entrance of the county government office, waiting for Song Xuan to summon him.

The temple has been very worried ever since Zhichang got into trouble.

Fortunately, Master Song only arrested him and threw him into the dredging team; he did not target Kaibao Temple.

Now that Master Song has sent people to ask them for money and grain to relieve the disaster victims, the old abbot immediately decided to donate the money and keep some grain.

"Abbot Liaoyuan."

"My lord."

Abbot Liaoyuan glanced at Abbot Ziyuan of Daxiangguo Temple. He hadn't expected Daxiangguo Temple to act so quickly.

He took the account book from his disciple and handed it to Song Xuan with both hands:

"To provide relief to the disaster victims, this is a donation of 60,000 strings of cash and 1,001 shi of grain from Kaibao Temple. Please send someone to verify it, Your Excellency."

Song Xuan tossed the accounts directly to Qian Gansan behind him:
“Abbot Liaoyuan has a very high reputation with me, so I don’t need to check it carefully.”

"Leave all the grain behind, and take back 10,000 strings of cash, Abbot Yuan."

Song Xuan further explained:

"Kaibao Temple doesn't need that much. The temple will need to be repaired in the future, and there will even be expenses for purchasing items, all of which will require money."

Abbot Liaoyuan and the others around him did not expect that Song Xuan would take the initiative to return 10,000 strings of cash.

It's clearly in my hands.

Abbot Ziyuan, who was standing to the side, was even more puzzled.

He originally thought that Song Xuan was simply rejecting him, but now he really only wants 50,000 strings of cash, and he treats everyone the same.

In an instant, Abbot Ziyuan's impression of Song Xuan changed drastically.

Yes, he clearly forced me to pay.

In practice, however, the fact that he returned a portion of the money that originally belonged to me actually made me feel a little grateful to him.

There was something wrong with this feeling, but I was definitely very happy.

Liaoyuan was not the only one with this idea; many monks at Kaibao Temple, who actually benefited from it, also shared this idea.

They didn't understand why Song Xuan didn't just say it directly, but instead waited until the money and supplies arrived before going through the trouble of saying such things.

"Master Song, are you no longer joking?"

"Mm." Song Xuan nodded.

"The Yellow River breach has had a huge impact, and the support from just four temples won't last long."

"The imperial court will gradually transport a large amount of money and grain to Huazhou. The money and grain for the people outside the capital city still need to be collected by everyone."

"Therefore, I will hold an auction later to win the highest bidder, in order to earn money and supplies. Someone donated some relics and a glass Buddha statue. You can pay attention to them when the time comes."

After Song Xuan said this, everyone was a little confused.

Who would donate relics and glass Buddha statues?
"A crystal Buddha statue?" Zi Yuan was somewhat bewildered.

"Wouldn't that be priceless?"

Glass was extremely expensive in the Song Dynasty; it could be considered a luxury item.

Firstly, the technical threshold was high and the output was extremely low. Although the glassmaking technology in the Northern Song Dynasty had developed to some extent, it was still impossible to produce pure and transparent glassware.

Most of them were imported from the Western Regions and other places, and the quantity was small, which is why they were so rare and valuable.

Given that the roads were almost completely cut off, how could it not be regarded as a treasure?
The main reason is that scarcity is seen as a status symbol, and the price is far higher than that of porcelain.

"Correct."

Song Xuan nodded: "With the addition of donations from other kind-hearted people, we might be able to raise enough money and food."

"I wonder when it will open?"

Ziyuan suddenly felt that there weren't that many golden Buddha statues in the temple. He wished there was a transparent glass Buddha statue.

The Great Xiangguo Temple will surely hold its position as the number one temple in the world, and even the monks from the Liao Kingdom will have to envy it.

"Once this money is almost spent, after some time, I will definitely distribute it."

They had all heard of auctions.

The black market, such as Wuyou Cave, has been involved, but the government hasn't really done much about it.

Song Xuan stepped aside and instructed the yamen runners to move the grain and store it in the warehouse.

Everything was inventoried and put into storage.

Ziyuan also hurriedly returned to the temple to organize the inventory of money and grain, and also to discuss the matter of the glass Buddha statue, determined to secure it.

As for the initial 5,000 strings of cash becoming 50,000 strings, no one mentions it anymore.

After all, Kaibao Temple had contributed more money than them, and Song Xuan even returned 10,000 strings of cash to them.

As expected, Master Song has a bottom line; he doesn't want more money.

It seems that the Empress Dowager set the minimum standard for him, and he followed that minimum standard.

In their view, this could never have been Song Xuan's idea.

Upon hearing of Song Xuan's actions against Kaibao Temple, the other two temples quietly increased their donations to 50,000 strings of cash and provided slightly more grain than Kaibao Temple.

After all, Song Xuan's actions had already demonstrated great sincerity; Kaibao Temple had caused trouble, but it was ruthlessly suppressed.

They didn't want to follow in the footsteps of Kaibao Temple.

As a result, even the warehouses of the Kaifeng County government were not enough.

Song Xuan immediately ordered people to transport all the grain to the two places where Wuyou Cave had been sealed off for storage.

The roads in Xiangfu County are covered in mud and have not been cleared, making transportation inconvenient.

Now even the yamen runners of Kaifeng Prefecture are under Song Xuan's command, so there are plenty of people. He can send people to guard the grain and money sent by the temple.

Song Xuan had a flag made with the name of Kaibao Temple written in three larger characters, and the names of the other three temples written in smaller characters.

This can be considered as their temple sponsoring the donation, so Song Xuan was doing his job for money, directly having people advertise for these four temples and publicize their donation of money and grain.

In addition, since it's almost Mid-Autumn Festival, I'll be making meat porridge for everyone tomorrow.

The news immediately excited the disaster victims.

Having porridge to drink is already quite good, but to have meat porridge is simply a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The name of Song Tai Sui wasn't widely known among the common people, but after this incident, Song Qingtian's reputation spread.

The monks of Kaibao Temple were overjoyed when they learned of this.

He hurriedly ran back to report the matter, and found that the three large characters of Kaibao Temple had been embroidered in a very large size by Master Song.

The names of the other three temples are not easily discernible without close inspection.

They originally wanted to spend an extra 10,000 strings of cash, but the official returned 10,000 strings, so the four temples spent the same amount.

And so, Kaibao Temple was still over-emphasized.

This finally puts them ahead of the Great Xiangguo Temple.

Many monks admired the abbot's decisiveness more and more, and their opinion of Song Xuan also improved significantly, with fewer complaints than before.

Abbot Liaoyuan's prestige rose, and he simply told everyone to do what they were supposed to do.

If the weather was bad, he would ask Master Song to place the elderly and children in the temple.

In addition, use all of this 10,000 strings of cash to buy rice.

No one objected.

Actually, if you look closely, the names of the other three temples are not the same. Although the amount of money is the same, they are divided according to the amount of grain they contribute.

In short, it's all about the details.

The other three temples had nothing to say either; it turned out that what Master Song wanted was just an attitude.

As long as you have a good attitude and cooperate with him, he will give you benefits and will not make things difficult for you.

I'm mentally prepared for the possibility that I'll have some interaction with Song Xuan in the future.

Zhao Zhen returned from inspecting the money and grain with a cheerful smile.

"Twelfth Brother, you're really something."

Zhao Zhen exclaimed sincerely, "These monks offered you the money willingly, why didn't you take it all?"

"I work for the imperial court, how can you exterminate me?"

Song Xuan poured tea for Zhao Zhen: "Besides, they have taken the initiative to show their sincerity. If I continue to pursue and kill them, I'm afraid I might push them too far and they might bite back. It would be a losing proposition."

"What Twelfth Brother said makes sense."

Song Xuan pushed the teacup over:

“My main purpose is to provide relief to the disaster victims, not to destroy Buddhism. I am just putting on a show of destroying Buddhism so that they can help me achieve the goal of providing relief to the disaster victims.”

"I see, I've learned a lesson."

Yang Yuzhen silently said this in her heart.

"My lord, Magistrate Zhongli and Eunuch Yang have arrived."

Song Xuan asked Zhao Zhen to take a teacup and sit behind the screen.

The fact that the two of them came together suggests that Zhongli Jin was still determined to plead with Liu E and wanted to continue the disaster relief work.

Therefore, Song Xuan was unsure of Liu E's choice.

Zhong Lijin used the "excrement escape" tactic, but Yang Huaimin said he wasn't in a hurry and would just wait.

He waited until Zhong Lijin's legs went numb and she almost collapsed in the public restroom before finally coming out.

Even if he was feeling unwell, Yang Huaimin would still take him to see a doctor.

After seeing the doctor, come to the Kaifeng County Government Office and tell the whole story.

Yang Huaimin believes it would be better if Zhong Lijin were present at the scene.

Speaking ill of him like this won't make Song Xuan misunderstand that he's deliberately trying to sow discord between them.

Zhongli Jin was simply too stupid to understand what the Empress meant.

They could only be brought in and given a good talking-to.

Yang Huaimin remained calm and composed; he was clearly looking forward to seeing the spectacle.

But when they arrived, they were surprised to find the county government office so busy, with many people counting money and grain. They wondered where Song Zhuangyuan had gotten his name from.

Zhong Lijin moved slower and slower, unable to understand why Yang Huaimin, this eunuch, was so serious.

I don't know if he genuinely cares about me or if he's deliberately there to see me make a fool of myself.

At this moment, Zhong Lijin's embarrassment was almost palpable.

"Let's go, Magistrate Zhongli. It's so hot today, don't let yourself faint from the heat."

Yang Huaimin had two eunuchs help him walk quickly.

Once inside, I found it to be quite cool.

"Scholar Song, I've come to bother you again."

"Please take a seat."

Song Xuan pointed to the teacup on the table: "I've even poured the tea, where is Magistrate Zhongli?"

"His hemorrhoids are acting up, which is why he's walking slowly."

"I see."

Song Xuan smiled; he didn't want his efforts to benefit others.
"So, did Eunuch Yang come here with a royal decree from the Empress Dowager?"

"Not really."

Yang Huaimin wore a mischievous smile:

"The main reason is that Zhongli Tongpan believed that the capital city of Tokyo lacked money and grain, so he went to the Empress Dowager and said that he had found a good way to increase money and grain."

"Therefore, the Empress Dowager specifically asked me to bring Zhongli Tongpan to inform Song Zhuangyuan, so that we can also contribute to disaster relief."

"Oh?" Song Xuan's eyes lit up: "Please inform me quickly, Magistrate Zhongli."

Zhong Lijin, supported by two young eunuchs, looked increasingly embarrassed.
"Yes, yes."

Before he could finish speaking, he pretended to faint.

"Oh dear, quickly make Magistrate Zhongli lie down."

Yang Huaimin had a joking thought; he knew Zhong Lijin was faking it.

"Zhongli Tongpan meant to send the top scholar of the Song Dynasty to the four major temples to beg for alms."

"Oh, that's a good idea indeed."

Song Xuan responded, understanding that Zhongli Jin had left directly after talking with Abbot Ziyuan, apparently to plead for Liu E.

As a result, Liu E did not fall for his trick and had Yang Huaimin bring him back, while also asking herself to give Zhong Lijin a warning.

Over the years, the Empress Dowager has certainly honed her political skills.

However, it was also a path dependency. In order to prevent Cao from colluding with the eunuchs around her, she deliberately created conflicts between them.

"The money and grain outside the courtyard were sent by the temple."

"what?"

Yang Huaimin did not expect that this idea would be implemented so quickly.

That means this process started a long time ago, otherwise it wouldn't have gone so smoothly.

"But was it Song Zhuangyuan's idea?"

Yang Huaimin asked in a low voice, though he believed that even if he lowered his voice, Zhong Lijin, who was lying on the bed pretending to be dead, could still hear him.

"That's true. We sent someone to inform them yesterday."

"I wonder how much money and grain were collected in total?"

Song Xuan stretched out his finger:

"The four families pooled together 200,000 strings of cash, 50,000 strings of cash each, and a total of 6,001 shi of grain."

"Well, this might solve some of our immediate problems."

Yang Huaimin wrote down the two numbers and told them to the Empress Dowager when he returned to the palace.

I'm sure the Empress Dowager will be pleased; a capable minister like Song Xuan is truly rare.

Zhong Lijin, who was lying in bed pretending to be unconscious, felt a pang of sadness in her heart.

Da Xiangguo Temple Ziyuan clearly promised me he would only pay 3,000 guan, how could he have increased it by almost twenty times?

They just obediently handed it over, not at all like they were pouring out their grievances.

Zhong Lijin felt utterly disheartened; he sensed the betrayal from the Great Xiangguo Temple.

Both parties made a clear agreement, but they broke their promise.

However, Zhong Lijin never considered what would happen if she failed to "obtain a title" from the Empress Dowager.

What consequences will arise if Ziyuan negotiates with Song Xuan according to the agreed-upon figures?
"Yes, the most important thing is to wait for the grain to be transported from the south. I will hurry up and clear the silt from the riverbed so that the canal transport will not be so difficult."

Yang Huaimin nodded repeatedly, acknowledging Song Xuan's abilities.

He then pointed to Zhongli Jin, who was lying on the bed pretending to be unconscious:
"Does Scholar Song know how to treat hemorrhoids on the buttocks?"

"I don't know."

Song Xuan felt that he could only remove external hemorrhoids for others if he was bold enough, but he couldn't treat internal hemorrhoids.

"I heard from the doctor that if any of the hairs are sticking out, just pull them off."

Yang Huaimin gestured excitedly, as if he were cutting someone else's work.

"If it grows inside, the process becomes complicated. You have to kill a dog and take its bladder first."

"Insert a bamboo tube into the dog's abdomen, then into its rear, blow air into the tube until it swells, then pull it out."

"Once you get out, take a knife and cut it off."

"Oh, it's that complicated?"

Song Xuan truly hadn't expected such a brilliant move; the old Chinese medicine doctor's reputation was well-deserved.

“Scholar Song, you don’t know this much. This is just the beginning. The doctor told me that after applying the medicine, the patient should be naked, with his eyes covered, and upside down against the wall.”

"The chrysanthemums face outwards, the legs are in a V-shape, first chat with the patient, then suddenly pour a bucket of cold water on them."

"They say that if you suddenly get cold, the piece that was pulled out will be sucked back in, and only then can you get a complete cure with medication."

After Yang Huaimin gave a detailed description:
"I originally intended to have Judge Zhongli treat his internal ailment, but he insisted on thoroughly investigating the matter of Wuyou Cave."

"After Song Zhuangyuan wakes up, he should still try to persuade him properly. After all, his health is important. The Worry-Free Cave is hidden underground and won't run away."

Upon hearing their conversation, Zhongli Jin immediately stopped thinking about his verbal agreement with the abbot of Daxiangguo Temple and began to think about how to escape this torment.

He just had an excuse; he didn't actually get it.

And what if you pull the back with a knife and accidentally pull the front instead?
Although he was devoted to Buddhism, he had not given up that aspect of his life!

"really."

Song Xuan expressed his agreement:
“If we make Zhongli Tongpan work while he is sick, wouldn’t people say that we are bullying him, the newcomer? That would not be a good thing for the Kaifeng government.”

“It’s normal for Magistrate Zhongli not to trust a country doctor. Why not plead with the Empress Dowager to let the imperial physician perform the surgery? That way, he might feel at ease and the pain will be reduced.”

"Wonderful!"

Yang Huaimin was just looking for an excuse to tease Zhong Lijin.

Anyway, he jumped up there all by himself.

If we don't teach him a lesson, won't he just keep bothering the old lady?

Yang Huaimin, in particular, realized that Zhong Lijin was a complete idiot with no real skills, but he was very eager to claim credit.

Today's matter was entirely Song Xuan's own brilliant idea, and the temples also recognized Song Zhuangyuan's orders.

However, Zhongli Jin ignored the urge and went to plead with the Empress Dowager again, claiming the brilliant idea for herself.

Who wouldn't despise this kind of person?

They want all the benefits, but have others do all the work.

"Scholar Song's words were like a clearing of the clouds, making me understand everything."

"Especially the doctor said we shouldn't delay too much and should leave as soon as possible, otherwise the longer it goes on, the bigger it will bleed."

Yang Huaimin smiled and made a gesture as if to leave:

"There's no time to lose! I'll go find the Empress Dowager right now to plead for Magistrate Zhongli and make sure he doesn't suffer from hemorrhoids!"

“Indeed.” Song Xuan chimed in, “I admire Eunuch Yang for being so considerate. I won’t stay any longer.”

As the two were singing in unison, a voice suddenly came from the bed:
"Wait a minute!"

(End of this chapter)