A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 394 What's the Rumor?
Liu Congde was serious about what he said.

Liu Congde witnessed the entire scene just now.

He didn't understand why his brother-in-law, Ma Jiliang, dared to fight with Song Xuan.
With my brother-in-law's flabby physique, how dare he challenge him in court, thinking he can gain an advantage?
Don't you even look at the physique of the top scholar Song?
When the nickname "Standing Tai Sui" first came out, it was said that the creature was extremely powerful and its name was unknown!

Brother-in-law, do you really think that the young and impetuous Scholar Song would tolerate you?

Liu Congde had gone to the county government office to reason with Song Xuan earlier, but Song Xuan lifted him up with one hand and pinned him against the wall to "reason with him."

From then on, Liu Congde was completely convinced.

The top scholar Song didn't care whether you were related to the Empress Dowager by marriage or her most beloved nephew.

He says he'll beat you up, and he will; he won't tolerate you at all.

This was a situation that Liu Congde had never encountered in his more than twenty years of smooth life.

Who among the court officials wouldn't avoid him upon hearing his name?

Who would dare to clash with him?

But Song Xuan is different; he really dares!
Liu Congde knew he had met his match, and from then on, he dared not speak loudly in front of Song Xuan.

Because Liu Congde's father, Liu Mei, had taught him before he died.

With the Empress Dowager's influence, our Liu family can live a life of luxury in the Song Dynasty.

But what if there are scholars in the court who are not afraid of the Empress Dowager's power and dare to openly target our family?

You can just admit defeat to him.

If you choose to confront him head-on, he will be surrounded by a group of scholar-officials.

Such a stubborn scholar would really risk giving up his official position to bring down the Liu family.

We follow the matriarch to seek wealth, not to risk our lives.

If you work yourself to the bone, you won't make any money.

Liu Congde always remembered his father's dying words: making money was the most important thing.

The rest should be postponed.

Ma Jiliang didn't react for a moment after hearing Liu Congde's words, and continued to say aggrievedly:

"Brother, do you know how much damage two big fights can do to a person?"

"I know, I saw it."

Liu Congde scrutinized Ma Jiliang's face and said:

"Brother-in-law, I still want to learn this technique from Scholar Song."

puff.

Ma Jiliang was so angry that he spat out several mouthfuls of bloody saliva.
"What did you say?"

Liu Congde withdrew the ivory tablet he had been gesturing with and sat down on the ground:

"Why did you provoke him? Don't you know he's a local tyrant?"

"What's wrong with the standing Tai Sui?"

Ma Jiliang kept spitting, feeling the pain in his gums, which made his face twitch.

Liu Congde looked at Ma Jiliang's swollen face:

"Brother-in-law, didn't you see the power of the Earthly Tai Sui today?"

"Me, you."

Ma Jiliang clenched his fists in anger.

Liu Congde, however, ignored everything and continued:

"No one else would dare to beat you up in front of all the civil and military officials, the Empress Dowager, and the Emperor, but Scholar Song would!"

"You still say 'what's wrong now'?"

"Brother-in-law, I told you the other day to honestly demolish the garden on Huimin River, why are you dragging your feet?"

"I!"

Ma Jiliang grinned and said:

"I spent a lot of money to build that place, why should he just tear it down?"

Liu Congde patted the dust off his clothes, unsure how to comfort his brother-in-law.

So that's where the root of the problem lies!
However, you've seen what happened to the Chen family.

The Empress Dowager trusted the two brothers so much back then.

The two brothers took over the position of Prefect of Kaifeng.

Now that Chen Yaozi has been demoted to the capital, Chen Yaozuo is working day and night in Huazhou to secure his own position.

"I've already helped you make money, why do you insist on getting involved with your tea? What Scholar Song said earlier makes a lot of sense. If something happens to the soldiers on the frontier, do you really think you can stay out of it?"

Liu Congde pointed to Donghua Gate:
“You’re not a scholar, and besides, my father is gone. If something happens, it’s entirely possible that your head will be on display.”

Ma Jiliang sat up abruptly and looked at Liu Congde:
"What nonsense are you talking about?"

"Brother-in-law, be careful."

Liu Congde could only give this warning; he had also had quite a long conversation with Song Xuan.

Today, this matter has occurred in the court, and none of the officials have spoken up except for the top scholar Song. It seems this matter will not end.

Next, there will be more people causing trouble, and perhaps my brother-in-law will eventually be kicked out of Tokyo City just like Chen Yaozi.

"Even after all this, Song Xuan still won't let me go?"

"As the old saying goes, a broken drum is beaten by ten thousand men. The fact that the Empress did not reprimand Scholar Song means that dealing with you would have no consequences."

Liu Congde glanced around and, seeing no one else, said, "Song Zhuangyuan is just the beginning; next, officials from the Censorate will follow suit."

Ma Jiliang narrowed his eyes slightly and remained silent for a moment.

Because he also knew that these scholars were the most cunning.

It's always a set of rules.

They especially disliked eunuchs and relatives of the emperor.

Liu Congde saw that Ma Jiliang was intimidated:

"It's much safer to just follow me and sell grain to make a fortune than to deal in tea."

Then he pestered Ma Jiliang:
"Let's go, I'll take you to see the imperial physician and get you a gold tooth in the capital city of Tokyo."

The technology for filling teeth existed in the Tang Dynasty, and arsenic was also used as a painkiller.

Lu You, a poet from the Southern Song Dynasty, also mentioned dental implants, etc.

The Taiping Shenghui Fang (太平圣惠方) is the first record of a product specifically for repairing teeth.

After the court assembly ended, Wang Zeng immediately sent someone to summon Qian Yannian, the prefectural magistrate of Kaifeng.

Liu Congde guessed correctly.

Since the Empress Dowager did not punish Song Xuan severely, she seized the opportunity to kick the maternal relatives hard.

Wang Zeng handed Qian Yannian a document directly.

He was tasked with impeaching Ma Jiliang in the name of Kaifeng Prefecture for illegally issuing contracts and protecting the wealthy Liu Shouqian from household service.

After carefully inspecting the area, Qian Yannian found nothing wrong and quickly went back to prepare.

After the people left, Lü Yijian spoke up:
"I really didn't expect Song Xuan to make a move."

He also waved the ivory item in his hand a couple of times, but found that he could not imitate Song Xuan's unrestrained and carefree way of waving it around to hit people.

"Hahaha."

Zhang Shixun laughed a few times:
"Ma Jiliang is too arrogant. He thinks everyone will continue to be obedient and dare not speak up. He even wants to hit people."

"Alas, my old eyes are failing me. When I looked over, Ma Jiliang had already been knocked to the ground."

Zhang Zhibai felt increasingly exhausted, but seeing this scene today still made him find it quite interesting.

These relatives of the emperor have been lawless for too long; it's time for some hotheads to step in and teach them a lesson.

They won't take verbal preaching to heart.

As soon as Song Xuan made his move, Ma Jiliang immediately stopped shouting arrogantly and stopped acting aggressively. Instead, he began to ask the Empress for help.

In Zhang Zhibai's view, these people were just used to living a peaceful life.

If they lived in a chaotic era, even if they became relatives of the emperor, they would still be beheaded to stabilize public sentiment.

It was the peaceful and prosperous times that saved their lives.

"Haha, that's because Scholar Song was too fast."

Zhang Shixun also imitated this with his own ivory tablet:
"I'm getting old. I didn't have time to react when Ma Jiliang rushed over. I was afraid he would have knocked me down."

"Young people are just agile."

Several prime ministers were talking about Song Xuan's martial arts skills:
"That day I heard from Attendant Cao that his son-in-law was able to shoot an arrow through a willow leaf from a hundred paces away. I wonder if it's true or not?"

Upon hearing Lü Yijian's words, Wang Zeng glanced at him.

Wang Zeng was also an excellent archer. Although hitting the bullseye from a hundred paces away is an exaggeration, he could still hit the bullseye from thirty to fifty paces away.

"I'm not sure about that, but young people always have strength."

"Haha, it's been a long time since I've seen such a lively court assembly."

Cheerful laughter emanated from the prime minister's office.

After returning home, Liu E still asked in disbelief:

"Did Song Xuan really slap Ma Jiliang twice?"

"Your Majesty, it is true that this happened, but it was Ma Jiliang who made the first move."

Yang Huaimin quickly mentioned it to Song Xuan.

"Correct."

Luo Chongxun echoed this sentiment.

Everyone saw it.

More importantly, the Empress Dowager did not show favoritism towards Ma Jiliang, which made everyone even more convinced.

Ma Jiliang didn't hold a significant place in the Empress's heart.

He's not even as good as Song Xuanzhong.

Who would speak well of him then?

The way to survive is to say what the empress wants to hear.

If the Empress Dowager values ​​you, then everyone will speak well of you in her presence.

But if the Empress Dowager doesn't value you, you're just a pile of dog poop on the roadside.

Even those passing by would spit a few words and say it was bad luck.

Liu E still hadn't reacted; everything had happened too fast, and she couldn't see the details clearly through the curtain.

So many people are saying that Ma Jiliang struck first, so it must be true.

"That's true. Song Twelve is the top scholar of the Song Dynasty. How could he do something so disgraceful?"

Empress Liu sat in her chair and said, "It's quite something that Ma Jiliang dared to lay a hand on me in front of me. I wonder how arrogant he is behind my back."

"Moreover, the reasons Song Twelve gave for reprimanding him were all reasonable and well-founded."

"Yes, Your Majesty. The top scholar Song said that the Empress Dowager was known throughout the world for her benevolence and virtue. Ma Jiliang was only doing this for his own selfish interests, using Your Majesty's reputation to gain an advantage."

Yang Huaimin quickly added fuel to the fire, in order to prevent Ma Jiliang from doing his bidding.

Not only did he delay as Song Xuan had instructed, but he also spread the word, and the tea merchants in the capital were all trying to find him.

In this way, the pressure is no longer solely borne by Yang Huaimin.

With this happening today, it would be best if the Empress Dowager could kick Ma Jiliang out of the capital.

To avoid taking the money and not doing the job, so that he wouldn't keep bothering me.

That's so troublesome!

Only with such an outcome can one feel truly at ease.

"Ah."

Liu E valued her reputation very much.

The refugees outside the city have not been forced to rebel.

If a group of tea merchants were to incite a mutiny among the border soldiers, that would be truly creating trouble out of nothing.

Therefore, when Ma Jiliang submitted this memorial, Empress Liu did not review it immediately.

It was only today that it finally broke.

"Let's wait and see, until he gets his tooth fixed."

Liu E did not kill him outright, but left an opening.

Yang Huaimin and others then proceeded to praise Liu E for her kindness and benevolence.

But he had already decided in private to find someone to add fuel to the fire.

This way, he can save himself a lot of trouble in the future.

Cao Yongli pulled his son-in-law Song Xuan into the carriage.

By this time, there were already many vendors on the Imperial Street.

Compared to the previous two days, there were far fewer people.

After all, you can't come here to eat and shop like crazy every day; there aren't that many rich and leisurely people in Tokyo.

Enjoy a day or two, join in the fun, then it's time to go back to being a beast of burden.

Otherwise, where would the money for the family's food, drink, and daily expenses come from?

The carriage moved slowly, and Cao Yongli immediately looked at his son-in-law and kept smiling.

"I've served in the court for so many years, and this is the first time I've ever seen someone being beaten."

Cao Li took Song Xuan's hand tablet and examined it closely, chuckling to himself:

"You really didn't get this slapstick for nothing."

"I'm used to using it."

Song Xuan leaned against the car wall: "I never expected him to actually dare to make a move."

"Yes, that's too arrogant."

Cao Liyong waved his handboard:

“It’s just the two of us. He didn’t actually intend to hit you; he was just trying to scare you.”

"It just looks like they're about to make a move; they're used to being arrogant."

"Yes," Song Xuan nodded with a grin.

"He really scared me, so I just hummed and twitched."

"The second slap was because I felt the first slap wasn't enough, and I wanted to avoid making his cheeks asymmetrical."

"Hahaha."

Cao Liyong laughed heartily, thinking that his son-in-law was good in every way, except that he was unwilling to suffer any loss.

The second blow knocked out Ma Jiliang's teeth.

"From now on, he'll probably have a lisp when he speaks."

"It's nothing." Song Xuan waved his hand dismissively.

"There are dental shops in Tokyo, so he could easily get a full set of gold teeth."

"No matter what gold or silver teeth are, none of them are as good as your own natural teeth."

Cao Liyong did not believe that fillings could be compared to original teeth.

Anyway, toothache isn't a disease, but it can be excruciating when it hurts; he's experienced that firsthand.

Song Xuan took out his gold belt, which was more of an ornament:
"Ma Jiliang has a huge appetite; everyone would only feel satisfied if they slapped him twice."

"Humph."

Cao Yong felt that his son-in-law had gone too far than he had. When he scolded someone, he would at most take off his hat and throw it on the ground as a form of humiliation.

He never dared to imagine that his son-in-law would take such direct action.

Aren't you afraid of his retaliation?

"He's seeking revenge?" Song Xuan chuckled. "Even if I gave him a chance, he wouldn't be able to seize it."

"Huh?" Cao Liyong looked puzzled.

“Father-in-law, Ma Jiliang is someone who is completely dependent on others. I hit him in the main hall, but I only lost my silver fish pouch. He has lost a lot more things.”

"Today is just the beginning. Those old fogies like Wang Zeng will certainly not miss this opportunity to strike at the maternal relatives."

"Yes, Wang Zeng is indeed an old scoundrel."

Cao, who didn't get along with him, also agreed, saying, "But he's a smart man."

“If he hadn’t agreed to this, how could Zhang Zhibai have told us in advance? The reason he asked me to step forward was to allow us to prepare in advance.”

"good."

Cao Liyong was no longer worried about Ma Jiliang's retaliation, and then spoke again:

"The method you taught me back then was really good. Now no one can borrow armor from the Privy Council."

"This thing shouldn't have been lent in the first place."

Song Xuan held the gold belt:
"I've never ridden a well-armored warhorse before."

"Why would a top scholar like you ride an armored warhorse? It's laughable."

As a military general, Cao Li could certainly sense the contempt the court held for its soldiers.

So even if his son-in-law wanted to go to the Northwest to confront the Li family in the future, he wouldn't need to personally go to the battlefield to fight.

Just like the storyteller's strategist who plans within the tent and wins battles a thousand miles away.

Riding armored horses into battle and engaging in hand-to-hand combat was the domain of military generals.

On a deeper level, Cao was worried about his son-in-law's life!

How could a top scholar who had passed the imperial examinations three times in a row go to the battlefield to fight alongside bandits and convicts?

Can all fates be the same?
"Go, go, go."

Song Xuan waved his hand, not wanting to talk about this topic. He said that no one would see what he did when he went to the Northwest.

"Hehe." Cao Yongli lifted the curtain again: "I have to say, your method is really good."

"If you need money for disaster relief, just tell me. The Privy Council has a sum of money, which is money borrowed from the Imperial Guards."

"This money might be enough to pay for your next project. It's free anyway, so use it all on your political achievements. That would be great."

Song Xuan waved his hand:
"Let's keep this money for now, and use it to reward the government when we go to war."

"A paltry disaster relief fund? There are so many wealthy people in Tokyo. Once I extract some of their money, it will be enough."

"Otherwise, if they keep the money hidden in the cellar every day, it will get covered in patina and won't be able to circulate properly."

"You really have a way?"

"Have."

Song Xuan counted on his fingers and said:

"When the Liao envoys come to collect the annual tribute, I plan to hold an auction to try and get them to keep the tribute, even if they owe us several years' worth."

"Huh?" Cao Liyong was taken aback at first, then waved his hand and said:
"This amount of money is small; there's no need to lose sight of the bigger picture and reignite the war."

"The Song Dynasty's Imperial Guards are currently of average fighting strength, especially since the Emperor is still young. If he were to personally lead an expedition, it would be very troublesome."

"Besides, we are currently at war with the Liao Kingdom, which brings us no benefit. Even if we give the money to the Liao envoys, it won't even cross the border of the Song Dynasty. They will spend it all at the border market."

"We can also earn more of Liao Kingdom's specialties."

Song Xuan nodded: "This money is going to be spent anyway, even if it's just at the border market. But if it's spent directly in Tokyo, it saves the trouble of transportation, so it's normal."

What do you have to auction?

Cao Liyong knew that his son-in-law was cunning, especially when it came to making money.

“I plan to cooperate with Liu Congde and have him bring some things from his home to sell as palace utensils, so that we can get a high price.”

"Besides this stuff, I'll also sell them some unique perfumes; I'm sure the nobles of Liao will like them too."

"There are also relics and the like that confiscated from Wuyou Cave."

"In addition, there is the Khitan people's sacred bird, the gyrfalcon."

"A gyrfalcon?" Cao Liyong's eyes gleamed with intense curiosity: "How did you get that thing?"

During the Liao Dynasty's seasonal hunting system, the Liao emperors maintained the habits developed by their ancestors in their nomadic life, living a nomadic life with no fixed abode and moving around with the seasons.

The gyrfalcon was the exclusive hunting companion of the Liao emperors; commoners had no right to keep them privately.

Only a very small number of officials were rewarded or granted special permission to fly falcons.

This kind of symbolic status was something that almost no one in the Liao Dynasty could possess.

In particular, the Liao emperors would abolish the punishments of tattooing the face and beheading the waist for officials who specialized in raising eagles and who raised them well, and instead allow them to perform corvée labor.

The nobles of the Liao Dynasty also enjoyed eating swan meat, which was considered delicious.

Chasing swans was a highly sought-after hunting activity among royalty and nobility, who trained gyrfalcons to capture them.

Swans love to eat clam meat, and if a swan caught has a pearl inside its belly, it is considered a rare treasure and an extremely lucky omen.

The gyrfalcon of the Liao Dynasty was a tribute item from the Jurchen people.

The gyrfalcon is fierce, difficult to catch, and often injures people.

There is a saying among the people that "a single eagle can survive nine deaths and one life."

The Jurchens almost wiped out all the gyrfalcons within their territory to pay tribute, but this still could not satisfy the Liao rulers.

Every year, Liao officials would go to the tribes to demand tribute of gyrfalcons, and incidentally take advantage of their women and kill those who dared to resist.

This had long aroused the anger and dissatisfaction of the Jurchens, who eventually rebelled against the Liao Dynasty under the leadership of Wanyan Aguda.

The Liao Dynasty's fondness for the gyrfalcon was perverse and extreme.

Even if you raise eagles well, you can still fail to detect swans if you miss the deadline.

You will face tortures such as branding with hot irons and iron combs to be executed.

Because Cao Li understood how much the Liao Kingdom valued the gyrfalcon, there weren't even enough for them to go around.

How could someone smuggle something into Tokyo and happen to sell it to their son-in-law?
The shops selling eagles in Tokyo don't carry the gyrfalcon.

"I don't have any live ones in my hands."

"Even the dead can't fetch a price."

Cao Yongli felt that even if the Liao people liked gyrfalcons, they wouldn't spend several years' worth of tribute to buy a dead eagle.

"Father-in-law, have you forgotten the transparent glass shop I have in Nanjing?"

"How could I forget!"

Cao still doesn't know where his son-in-law got such fine glass from.

Given that level of transparency, he felt that selling it for 100,000 strings of cash or more would be no problem at all.

"I have a transparent glass gyrfalcon. Do you think it could fetch a high price of three to five hundred thousand?"

"Transparent, crystal-clear, gyrfalcon!"

Cao Liyong's eyes widened immediately.

He didn't know how Song Xuan had put those three words together.

Because glass products are not cheap to begin with, it would be even more expensive if they were really like the transparent glass products in Song Xuan's hometown.

Furthermore, given that it was designed in the style of a gyrfalcon, a favorite of the Khitan people, Cao Yong believed that this item would definitely fetch a high price.

Even if the Khitans don't buy them, the local wealthy people in Tokyo still need them.

"You really have?"

Cao Liyong also lowered his voice, afraid that others would hear: "Where did you get this information from?"

"I can do it myself."

"Can you do it yourself?"

Cao swallowed unconsciously and stood there stunned for a long time.

"You can do it?"

He clenched his fist, then released it: "Really?"

Why would I lie to my father-in-law?

Song Xuan chuckled:

"Let's sell a high-priced piece of falcon glass first. It's a rare treasure, one of a kind, and even more attractive than a living thing. How could the Khitans not be tempted?"

"you."

Cao Yongli didn't know what to say, but he was certain that his son-in-law was right.

The old emperor of the Liao Dynasty possessed a transparent, glass gyrfalcon that he could display at any time; it was unique in the world.

But it's infinitely better than just letting a gyrfalcon fly and showing it off.

After all, his eyesight was failing, and he had difficulty even craning his neck to see the location of the gyrfalcon.

"But when you auctioned it off, this thing sold for such a high price."

"The Khitan envoys probably wouldn't dare to bid for it at a price equivalent to two or three years' worth of gold. What should we do?"

Because the emperor wasn't there, who knew that after the envoy made the bid, the emperor might deny it? That would mean the court would save a year's worth of tribute, which could then be used for disaster relief.

It's likely that this matter will cause a dispute between the two sides in the next year or two.

"Before the auction, I plan to display this treasure in the main hall of Fanlou, so that the Khitan envoys will have ample time to send someone back to deliver a message."

Song Xuan thought for a moment:
“That’s not safe either. Father-in-law, you’ll be the chief envoy to receive them each time, and we’ll need your help to set them up.”

"Good good."

Cao readily agreed, since his son-in-law possessed such methods and schemes.

We must cooperate with him properly.

We should try to make him solidify this achievement of using work as a form of government assistance, so that he can climb the ranks more quickly in the future.

"You really think you can make this thing?"

Cao Liyong's eyes were also quite excited: "You must let me be the first to see it then."

"The Khitan envoy should arrive in Tokyo in about a month and a half."

"During this period, you'd better make a good impression. They usually pay their respects to the Empress Dowager, wish her a happy birthday, and then take the money to the market to trade."

"There's enough time."

Song Xuan had a smile on his face:

"Nobody else knows about this. In a few days, it will be transported from my hometown to Tokyo."

"Once the second phase of the Bianhe River project begins, it will be about time. I will then start to promote the project and try to get the news out before they set off."

"After all, there's no harm in not using the Liao spies in Tokyo!"

"Okay." Cao Liyong chuckled as well.

"The Liao emperor Yelü Longxu is now old and senile, and has already shown the signs of a tyrannical ruler."

"I heard that he has been suffering from diabetes and is very averse to talking about people who have died, even the honorific titles of his parents are not allowed to be mentioned."

"He will probably love this glass gyrfalcon, and may even take it to his grave."

(The tomb of Emperor Shengzong of Liao, Yelü Longxu, is the best preserved.)
Song Xuan had a feeling about Yelü Longxu's condition, guessing that, like Cao Pi, he probably had diabetes.

The current term "xiaoke" (消渴症) is actually diabetes.

It aids digestion and promotes weight loss, as food is digested quickly.

The patient experiences excessive thirst and drinks frequently, often accompanied by frequent urination.

There's no insulin for him to take in this day and age.

Song Xuan felt that Yelü Longxu probably didn't have many years left to live.

Although physicians in the Northern Song Dynasty did not know how to cure diabetes, they did manage to develop prescriptions and acupuncture for diabetes mellitus.

They even had to control their diet and prevent patients from becoming overly emotional or overworked.

This is a huge step forward.

Because this disease cannot be cured by modern medicine.

Just as the father-in-law and son-in-law were talking, they arrived at Fanlou.

The group immediately went upstairs and began to eat.

Cao Liyong did not blame Song Xuan for having his bodyguards at the same table.

After all, these guards are the kind who can shield Song Xuan from harm, so they deserve better treatment and won't cause any problems.

If you treat those around you badly, just look at the coachmen of those monarchs; they simply drive their carriages to surrender.

After comforting his brother-in-law, Liu Congde returned to Fanlou.

All he's thinking about now is waiting to resell the grain and make a fortune.

"The top scholar of the Song Dynasty".

Liu Congde came over again with the wine pot and sat down.

“I asked my brother-in-law why he did that kind of thing.”

"Wasn't it because I embarrassed him in public?"

"Haha, that's not the main reason."

Liu Congde then talked about the issues on the Huimin River, expressing his concern about the money involved.

Such a beautiful garden, and they just demolished it without any compensation. They even made us pay for cleaning up the garbage in the river.

This really angered him; today he was caught between old and new grudges, and he immediately lost his temper.

Now, after being slapped twice by Song Xuan, he is unusually sober and will never cause trouble again.

He will personally apologize to Scholar Song when he has time.

Liu Congde is also good at saying nice things, but he used to disdain saying them and no one was worthy of his words.

"So that's it."

Song Xuan put down his wine glass:

“Prefect Liu, you know that this matter is the Empress Dowager’s doing, so you can’t blame me.”

"Yes."

Liu Congde also knew that without the support of the Empress Dowager, Song Xuan would have had a hard time accomplishing such a thing.

"Scholar Song, do you think this matter can be let go?"

"I don't care."

Song Xuan glanced at him:
"The key issue is that your brother-in-law is too arrogant and has a habit of bullying others. He has probably offended a lot of people long ago."

He understood what Song Xuan meant.

Just as he had guessed, things had gotten out of Song Xuan's control.

He didn't know who would be next to appear.

"Forget it, I can't control it. It's just that my sister is suffering and will have to wander with him."

Liu Congde sighed softly, then immediately changed the subject:
“Song Zhuangyuan, I see that you are so meticulous in your work and good at accounting. When the Liao envoys arrive, let’s try to make some money from them.”

"How can we get them to participate in our auction?"

Song Xuan pointed to his father-in-law, and Liu Congde followed Song Xuan's finger:

"That's right. Attendant-in-Chief Cao is the chief envoy who receives Liao envoys every time. With him around, how can things not be handled properly?"

Liu Congde quickly stood up and toasted Cao Liyong:

“I have already selected some treasures from my home. I will say that they were taken from the palace. I do not believe that the Khitans will not be tempted.”

Cao Liyong knew his son-in-law's trump card, but seeing that he didn't say anything, he just drank.

"By the way, the two of us alone probably won't be able to sustain the auction for more than a few days."

Song Xuan snapped his fingers: "Prefect Liu, do you think we should call on people to donate some treasures?"

"Who in the entire city of Tokyo would donate their valuables?"

Liu Congde quickly waved his hand: "That's impossible."

"It would be more practical to have them donate some money."

Song Xuan pondered for a while. In fact, he was focusing his attention on the Northern Song imperial family and wealthy merchants, just in case they were philanthropists.

"If I suggested engraving the donor's name on a stone tablet to commemorate the event, do you think anyone would choose to donate something and then pay for it to be auctioned off?"

"Inscribed on a stone tablet?"

Liu Congde narrowed his eyes: "Did the top scholar Song personally write the inscription?"

"That's not necessarily a bad thing."

Upon receiving Song Xuan's definitive answer, Liu Congde burst into laughter:
"With the condition of Song Zhuangyuan, I believe that someone will donate some treasures and wait for the auction to buy them back, so that they can leave their mark in history."

Many people who become wealthy repair bridges and roads not only to gain a good reputation among their neighbors, but also to profit from the process.

It's perfectly normal to write inscriptions on monuments, after all, they paid for it.

However, who writes the inscription becomes valuable depending on who does it.

"Prefect Liu can spread the word first, and after they've discussed it, I'll come forward to clarify the matter."

"Alright, Scholar Song's idea is more prudent."

Liu Congde chuckled and said, "I'll definitely be the first one on the inscription."

Because he believed that as long as the label of "royal palace treasure" was put up for auction, who could offer something more valuable than his?

If he doesn't come first, who will?
Cao smiled without saying a word, making no attempt to dampen Liu Congde's enthusiasm.

The news that Song Xuan slapped Ma Jiliang twice in the main hall today for opposing his "good strategy" spread like wildfire.

The song quickly spread throughout the city of Tokyo.

This time, it actually forced the top scholar Song to take action, so Ma Jiliang, that relative of the emperor, must be no good.

This news brought great joy to the tea merchants of Tokyo.

They gathered in the guild room, discussing excitedly.

It can be said that Song Taisui's two slaps were really well done, instantly protecting their profits.

"Which of you went to ask Song Taisui for help?"

No one responded, because they had never thought that Song Xuan could solve something like this.

Moreover, he dared to slap imperial relatives in public during court assemblies to protect the interests of the tea merchants.

"So, no one asked Scholar Song for help; it was Scholar Song who saw through Ma Jiliang's sinister intentions and stood up to oppose him directly?"

"Correct."

"I heard that after Ma Jiliang finished speaking, no one in the entire court dared to object, which shows how arrogant Ma Jiliang was."

"Only when he stood at the end to report on the Bianhe River project and the disaster victims did the top scholar of the Song Dynasty, who happened to be attending court, openly oppose him."

"As Song Zhuangyuan said, Ma Jiliang was so enraged that he wanted to fight back, which is why Song Zhuangyuan slapped him twice to wake him up. He realized that the Song Dynasty is not for Ma Jiliang to call the shots."

"Ha ha ha ha."

The room was filled with laughter.

To be honest, these people have been having a really tough time lately.

Anyone who was willing to give up their interests was taken away by Ma Jiliang.

He was an official and a relative by marriage to the Empress Dowager, so he disdained to join the guild.

They recently received this news and tried to ask people for help, but they couldn't spend the money they wanted.

After all, who would dare to mess with Ma Jiliang?
"Scholar Song has helped us so much, we can't just leave without showing our appreciation."

"Yes."

"If it weren't for Song Taisui speaking up for justice, we would probably have lost everything."

"Even the Kaifeng Prefecture doesn't dare to get involved in this matter, but Song Taisui, the magistrate of Kaifeng County, has taken charge of it. We must show him the proper respect."

"Shall we offer Lord Song some fine tea?"

“Simply sending tea isn’t enough; we have to make some kind of gesture. What if Ma Jiliang is deliberately seeking revenge against Song Taisui?”

"Yes, for example, they might sabotage projects under Song Taisui's administration, which we must guard against."

"We will provide funds and manpower to help Scholar Song protect these dikes and the like."

"Let's send someone to visit Scholar Song tomorrow."

"Yes, yes, we should definitely pay them a visit first."

"In the future, if there is anything, going to Kaifeng County will be more effective than going to Kaifeng Prefecture."

The next day.

Zhao Zhen was still talking incessantly to Song Xuan in the county government office about his feelings after seeing Ma Jiliang being beaten.

At that time, none of the civil and military officials in the court spoke up, except for the twelfth brother, who dared to do so.

Zhao Zhen greatly admired and appreciated it.

"Don't worry, Sixth Brother. If the Empress Dowager doesn't return power to the Emperor, I'll be the first to attack her."

Zhao Zhen was momentarily taken aback by Song Xuan's sudden declaration of loyalty.

This was the word he most wanted to hear from Song Xuan!

Because recently there have been rumors that the top scholar Song was a member of the Empress Dowager's faction.

Although Emperor Zhao Zhen trusted the friendship between the two, hearing so much about it inevitably made him uneasy.

Especially at this time, few people would contact Zhao Zhen and steadfastly support his personal rule.

Having received Song Xuan's assurance, he grinned and chuckled.

"I believe in Twelfth Brother."

"Hmm," Song Xuan responded, pushing the relevant county government affairs in front of him:
"Sixth Brother, don't be discouraged. When the time is right, we'll really take that step."

"If you dare to raise your voice, I will drive a donkey cart and I will hold a long spear, and I will storm into the palace to help you seize power."

"what?"

Zhao Zhen was somewhat alarmed: "Does it really have to go that far?"

“My main concern is that Sixth Brother will become the Duke of Gaogui Township. Even if he does become Cao Mao, we must raise our voices and not believe that anyone would dare to kill the emperor in the street like Cheng Ji.”

"Yes."

Zhao Zhen also shook his head slightly:

"The Empress Dowager forbids me from contacting other people, and she doesn't teach me how to govern much anymore. She just sends me memorials to read as usual."

"Twelfth Brother, did you hear some rumors before you said that?"

"What's the news?"

Song Xuan wanted to provoke Zhao Zhen; if he didn't make up his mind, his subjects couldn't possibly put a thick coat on him.

"Rumors are circulating in the palace that my cousin Zhao Yunrang will be brought back to the palace."

"what?"

Song Xuan immediately stood up: "Zhao Yunrang?"

He only remembered that Zhao Zhen, having no son, brought Zhao Yunrang's son into the palace, and he became emperor, known as Emperor Yingzong of Song.

Why would Empress Liu still want to bring him into the palace at this time?
"After my elder brother passed away, my father brought Zhao Yunrang into the palace to raise him, hoping that he would inherit the throne."

"My cousin was not sent back to the mansion until after I was born."

Upon hearing Zhao Zhen's explanation, Song Xuan's eyes revealed a deep sense of bewilderment.

Empress Liu E would never have dared to stage a drama involving the deposition and installation of an emperor.

Especially since she wasn't Zhao Zhen's biological mother.

If Zhao Yunrang were replaced, not only would the ministers not agree, but they might even force Zhao Yunrang to his death.

The officials of the Song Dynasty did have some tough measures when dealing with internal affairs.

"Sixth Brother, this matter is definitely just a rumor. Someone is trying to stir up trouble and fish in troubled waters."

Song Xuan quickly comforted Zhao Zhen, saying:
"You were the crown prince appointed by the late emperor, and you ascended the throne normally according to the imperial edict. Now that you have been on the throne, you have not made any mistakes. Who would dare to depose you?"

"You don't need to take these words to heart at all. Even if the Empress Dowager really brings Zhao Yunrang into the palace, it's just to use him to provoke you."

Zhao Zhen's low spirits vanished instantly: "Really?"

(End of this chapter)