A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 395 The Slacking Off Contest Plan
"It really couldn't be truer."

Song Xuan lowered his voice and said:

"Sixth Brother is the only bloodline of the late Emperor. The First Madam is not the Emperor's biological mother."

"If she dares to depose the emperor and install a new one, it may be a good time for us to take action."

"Even if this is true, the Emperor only needs to show concern on the surface."

"Correct."

Zhao Zhen's attitude towards the fact that the Empress Dowager was not his biological mother.

I mind very much.

I used to think it was normal for the Empress Dowager to treat me so harshly.

Since learning the truth, Zhao Zhen has stopped being as foolish as before and always tries to comfort and manipulate himself.

The idea that the Empress Dowager was only acting in her own best interest is just wishful thinking.

She didn't like him at all; he didn't even deserve the treatment of an adopted son. She just wanted to take the opportunity to seize control of the highest power in the Song Dynasty.

Song Xuan didn't understand Liu E's actions; in fact, he genuinely couldn't comprehend how women could act on a whim.

It's generally a tactic to use one man to provoke or harm another man.

“My lord, there is a tea merchant outside named Gao Ran, who is the president of the tea guild and wishes to pay his respects to you.”

Qi Lecheng stood at the door and announced the news.

Song Xuan gestured for him to be brought in, since he didn't know him and didn't know what he was going to do.

Gao Ran carried two packets of tea. He first bowed and introduced himself before placing the tea on the table.

He hadn't communicated with Song Xuan before rashly sending him valuable gifts.

We fear that this might offend Song Qingtian, which would be a greater loss than gain.

Song Xuan poured him a cup of tea, and Gao Ran was flattered.

The young man reviewing the documents showed no intention of leaving.

Gao Ran then understood that some things could not be said, and perhaps Song Taisui was unsure of his intentions regarding his sudden visit.

Thinking of this, he directly stated his purpose and thanked Master Song on behalf of the tea merchants of Dongjing City.

"So that's why you're thanking me for this?"

Song Xuan smiled and put down his teacup:
“Ma Jiliang, relying on his status as a relative of the emperor, even dared to try to shake the foundation of the country.”

"He's really a toad trying to eat swan meat. I slapped him twice to help him wake up."

"As for indirectly helping you, I really didn't expect it at the time. He's already so arrogant that he dares to threaten you before the policy has even been implemented?"

After hearing Song Xuan's words, Gao Ran finally had a chance to pour out his grievances:
"My lord, you are unaware of this matter. Ma Jiliang has already spread rumors about it, trying to force us to agree."

"They adopt an attitude of 'those who obey me prosper, those who oppose me perish'."

Gao Ran sighed, recalling those dark days once more:
"We had nowhere to turn and couldn't sleep well every night. Only after learning yesterday that the master had intervened to stop him were we able to get a good night's sleep."

"So everyone entrusted me to express their gratitude to the Song official. It's not that they didn't want to come, but rather that the official is busy with disaster relief and they were afraid that too many people would bother him."

"We can finally breathe a sigh of relief regarding the disaster relief efforts these next few days."

The thirsty bird, after all, doesn't pump water as fast as a water pump.

But this is also the fastest method of pumping water at present.

Song Xuan smiled, then asked:
"Are you just transporting tea to the frontier?"

"No, sir, you have misunderstood."

Gao Ran explained to Song Xuan that they were sending grain to the frontier, and the government would calculate the value in three ways.

Part of the payment was in cash, and the other part was converted into rhinoceros horns, ivory, or other miscellaneous goods.

A portion was converted into tea vouchers for payment.

The most profitable route was to deliver grain to the first border, while the second and third routes yielded lower prices.

As a result, merchants rushed to the first border.

This will ensure that local food supplies are plentiful and prices do not skyrocket.

After they finished, they obtained the tea permit and then went to Tokyo.

They could then use the exchange certificate to collect money in Tokyo or go south to fetch tea.

(There were thirteen tea monopoly markets in the Northern Song Dynasty, collectively known as the Thirteen Tea Markets of Huainan.)
Alternatively, you could sell your tea to other people in Tokyo.

"Oh, I see. What do you think of the court's method?"

Zhao Zhen was quite certain that his twelfth brother knew about the tea recipe, but he didn't understand why he would pretend not to know and ask.

The current currency of the imperial court is copper coins and silk, which are very troublesome to transport.

The government outsourced the work to merchants, and local officials also misappropriated public funds.

In this way, many drawbacks are avoided.

In Zhao Zhen's view, this matter was very beneficial to the court's control over the local areas.

Many transactions took place in Tokyo, so the taxes collected went directly into the national treasury, avoiding secondary handling by local officials.

The policy of strengthening the central government and weakening local power was consistently advocated by the Song Dynasty.

Faced with Song Xuan's question, Gao Ran took a sip of tea, pondering whether or not to tell the truth to the top scholar Song.

"I wonder if Scholar Song wants to hear the truth or a lie?"

How do you tell a lie?

"The imperial court's policies are good."

"What's the truth?"

"Your Excellency, this policy only addresses the symptoms, not the root cause."

"Hehehe." Song Xuan couldn't help but chuckle, pointing at Gao Ran: "Tell me about it."

Gao Ran felt that Song Xuan was able to stand up for the people, and that it would be beneficial for him to talk to him about the drawbacks.

So he solemnly clasped his hands and said:
"So that Your Excellency may know, this method allows border soldiers to cheat."

“If you give me extra food and money, I can issue you more tea permits, but the tea plantation doesn’t have that many tea leaves.”

"This led to a drop in tea prices, so hoarding it was useless. Perhaps it was because Ma Jiliang wanted to implement the new policy."

"Secondly, we merchants have little interest in the incense, medicine, and precious goods that the imperial court uses to settle debts. They don't sell well, and who would always buy these things?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhen was astonished that the soldiers on the frontier were capable of such a practice. He was about to look up and ask questions, but he restrained himself and simply pretended to dip his brush in ink.

Song Xuan, however, felt that this was just a disguised form of issuing false invoices, a long-standing tradition.

Our ancestors were always ingenious in making money, and each generation was better than the last.

In the later stages, it felt like all the genres of novels in the world had already been explored by our predecessors, and we could only continue writing within that framework, experiencing that feeling of being utterly alone and undefeated.

"So, does this mean that the tea permit system still needs reform?"

"In reply to your question, sir, it would be good if some reforms could be implemented. Otherwise, it is those of us who honestly transport grain and do not know how to bribe that will suffer."

"I have noted this matter down. Let me think about it. After all, the tea permit is related to the stability of the country's borders. If there is no foolproof plan, it would be inappropriate to make any rash changes."

Song Xuan's words pleased Gao Ran greatly.

Through Song Xuan's actions, everyone felt that Song Xuan was a good official who could get things done.

Now that he has kept it in mind, we tea merchants have even more hope for the future.

In the Song Dynasty, private individuals were not allowed to sell tea; it was all sold by the government.

The army needs food. As long as the food arrives, give them some benefits and they'll offer you more tea as a reward. That's only human nature.

However, if tea permits are issued indiscriminately and production cannot keep up, then everything will be ruined.

In fact, the problem is that too many "empty promises" have been made, and without any real support as an anchor, a price drop is inevitable.

"Is the tea sold by this tea farmer expensive?"

"The cheapest tea is from Jiangnan Road (Anhui), which costs 15 wen per jin. Hangzhou tea costs 185 wen, while the best Haizhou tea (Lianyungang Yunwu tea) costs 850 wen per jin."

"How much does it cost to pick tea leaves manually?"

Gao Ran could tell that Song Xuan genuinely wanted to know:

"Tea pickers are paid 60 coins a day. Four people can produce 18 catties of tea a day, which translates to a cost of about 13 coins per catty."

Song Xuan said "Oh": "So you're saying that low-grade tea is completely unprofitable, while high-grade tea is extremely profitable?"

"That's true, but very few people in the world can afford to drink high-end tea."

Gao Ran pointed outside:
"In other words, more high-end tea is sold in Tokyo, but ordinary people just buy a pound or two to show off."

"People are reluctant to drink it on ordinary days, so although high-end tea is very profitable, its sales have never been high."

Overall, tea remains a luxury.

It is not common for poor people to drink tea.

Many heroes, when thirsty, would endure the thirst and go to the tavern for a bowl of wine rather than drink tea.

In addition, tea tax is far less profitable than salt and wine, but the government still has to control the price.

Song Xuan, however, believed there was an opportunity to turn those low-priced tea leaves into tea bricks and sell them to various tribes in the Northwest.

They have a large demand for tea, but as for whether it's good or low-quality tea, they don't have many choices.

Having tea is enough!

"Is there no one selling smuggled tea?"

Song Xuan brought up the topic himself: "After all, the tea farmers in Jiangnan Road have very low profits, so they always try to find a way to survive."

"This?" Gao Ran coughed.
"The imperial court punishes those who sell smuggled tea."

"I think the Song Dynasty law punishes those who sell smuggled tea less severely than those who sell smuggled wine. They usually just get a 40-beating lash, and if they are caught, the fines are only about a third of the amount."

Gao Ran hadn't expected Song Xuan to be so familiar with the laws of the Song Dynasty, and he nodded in agreement.

"You're right, sir. Perhaps someone is smuggling tea."

Where are they smuggling them to?

Gao Ran shook his head: "I don't know about this scoundrel. I've never encountered them smuggling tea to any particular destination."

"Haven't you heard a single word about it?"

"If Your Excellency wishes to know, I will go back and gather everyone at the tea shop, spread the word to them, and ask them all to help inquire. I'm sure Your Excellency will be satisfied."

"Haha, I just believe that where there is great profit, there will be brave men."

Song Xuan smiled and waved his hand:

"I'm just curious, even if it's smuggled into Tokyo, you still have to pay taxes and various fees along the way, so how much extra money can you make?"

Gao Ran agreed with Song Xuan's statement that "where there is great profit, there will be brave men."

Otherwise, they wouldn't have taken such a huge risk to transport all the grain to the first border line in hopes of making a high profit.

"My lord, I really don't know anything about this."

Song Xuan nodded.

Making a profit by smuggling tea is not something small tea farmers can do.

It was these merchants who could find ways to evade the tax collection points on the canal and make their way to Tokyo.

The Song Dynasty's governance of local areas was still very weak.

Otherwise, Song Xuan's nickname "Little Timely Rain" in his hometown would have prompted the local county government to send someone to contact him and help stabilize the security of Lema Town.

Song Xuan earned his reputation through sheer hard work and fighting.

In addition, having many brothers in the family, regardless of their relationship, makes them someone to be feared.

It is precisely because many rural areas are "autonomous" that, even in Tokyo, there are shady shops, so there are even more in the countryside.

It's quite normal for villagers to do some illegal or criminal things.

Influenced by the legacy of the Five Dynasties, everyone was a troublemaker, not a law-abiding citizen.

"Have you considered smuggling tea to the Northwest?"

"No," Gao Ran immediately shook his head.

"Sichuan tea cannot be exported, so it can only be consumed within their own borders. It is very difficult to smuggle it to the Northwest."

Song Xuan really didn't know that Sichuan tea couldn't leave the province.

"why?"

Gao Ran further explained:

"It doesn't matter if the villagers buy and sell among themselves, but they absolutely cannot sell to outsiders. This is stipulated by the imperial court, perhaps to prevent them from smuggling Qiang people and disrupting the official selling price."

There are no border markets between the Song Dynasty and the Western Xia Dynasty now, so there is no opportunity for trade.

As for the tea-horse trade, it wasn't until fifty years later that Emperor Shenzong of Song ordered the establishment of tea-horse bureaus in Qinzhou and Chengdu, specifically responsible for tea-horse trade with Tibet and Western Xia.

Nowadays, many Tibetan forces in the northwest rely on offering horses as tribute, and the imperial court then rewards them with tea.

While the Western Xia king Li Deming outwardly submits to the Song Dynasty, he has in fact severed the Silk Road.

It was very difficult for many foreign powers to trade with the Song Dynasty.

In places like Xiongzhou, there were markets with the Liao state, and large-scale tea trade was also conducted.

However, the Liao Dynasty imposed strict restrictions on the export of horses to the Song Dynasty, so there was no opportunity to obtain a stable and large number of high-quality warhorses.

Song Xuan responded with a "yes," indicating that he understood.

"My lord."

Gao Ran spoke cautiously:

"We want to thank you for speaking out for justice, so we want to contribute to your disaster relief efforts."

Song Xuan snapped out of his reverie about the tea-horse trade: "We need to donate money?"

"That's what it means."

"Don't worry."

Song Xuan thought for a moment, a smile on his face:
"I plan to hold an auction in Fanlou within two months."

"At that time, Liu Congde will take out some of the treasures that the royal family has bestowed upon him over the years, as well as the treasures I have collected from Wuyou Cave, and other precious treasures donated by others."

"If you really want to help me, then donate one or two things of some value to help me make a good impression at the auction."

"We can auction them all together at the auction, so that we can raise more funds for disaster relief."

"When the project is completed, I will personally write an inscription to commemorate this event, and the names of you donors will be engraved on the back of the inscription."

Gao Ran had never expected to obtain this important information, and he quickly agreed.

This matter has not yet spread among the common people; it will be resolved within two months.

That means Song Taisui was planning something, and it just so happened that I came along, so we talked about this.

That's truly a stroke of luck; nothing can stop it.

Gao Ran was extremely excited.

Since the inscription was written by the top scholar of the Song Dynasty himself, it will surely be passed down through the ages. What a great opportunity!
Once the news spreads, what chance will I have of being included in the inscription?
Gao Ran didn't disturb Song Taisui's work any longer, and left in a hurry after saying goodbye.

He needs to go home and carefully select one or two names, putting his own name first, before notifying the others.

after all.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Who wouldn't want to be recorded in stone and passed down through the ages?
Just like the list of Kaifeng Prefects that is updated in real time in the courtyard of the Kaifeng Prefecture.

Now, the youngest scholar to achieve the highest honors in the history of the Song Dynasty—the one who has won the top three imperial examinations—is personally writing the inscription. This level of achievement is unmatched by ordinary people.

Perhaps it will be recorded in the official records of the Song Dynasty emperors.

Gao Ran was overjoyed and ran home with great excitement.

After everyone else left, Zhao Zhen spoke up directly: "Twelfth Brother, you knew perfectly well, so why did you ask him?"

"I know, that's my knowledge."

Song Xuan stood up and took a few steps to avoid developing hemorrhoids from sitting for too long.

"He may have his own perspective, but our narratives are different. Listening to the differences is a great way to communicate."

"Because everyone's position is different. For example, if Sixth Brother and I look at the same thing or the same problem from our own perspectives, we might have different views."

Song Xuan stopped again:
"Just like Gao Ran didn't tell the whole truth either. Even a shop like Fanlou, which makes a fortune every day, would think about smuggling alcohol. Don't these tea merchants want to make more money?"

"At this point, they are no match for Ma Jiliang; it's just a case of the big fish eating the small fish, and the small fish eating the shrimp."

"It's human nature; nobody doesn't want to earn more money!"

Zhao Zhen also sighed slightly; he understood the situation.

After all, the imperial court's taxation of merchants was no easy task.

These merchants are meticulous and penny-pinching, all because they want to make as much money as possible.

Twelfth Brother is right.

Who doesn't want to make more money?
Even the monks in the Great Xiangguo Temple are not immune to worldly customs!

Zhou Derong came over to report on the extent of the water level drop, whether there was any leakage in the dam, and arranged for people to protect the dam and inspect whether the dike was working properly.

Perhaps in another three to five days, the river will be drained in some places, and in others it will turn into a small pond.

Song Xuan marked the water level line:
"Once the river has drained enough, before we start work, we'll divide the area into zones and hold a fish-catching competition."

"What 'slacking off contest'?"

Zhou Derong didn't quite understand.

"It's just a literal 'slacking off contest.' We'll still sort us by group, draw lots, and each person will bring a bucket."

"If you catch a lot of fish within the specified time, you will be given a monetary reward."

"Since there are so many sections of the river, let's first identify some winners, and then identify some people for the final round."

Song Xuan glanced at Zhao Zhen:
"I will ask the Empress Dowager to open the official lottery, so that the government can also earn some money to increase disaster relief funds."

Zhou Derong thought there was nothing interesting about the "slacking off" contest, but after hearing about the official announcement, he immediately understood Song Xuan's strategy.

People in the Song Dynasty loved to buy things.

This way, perhaps more people will get involved, and then the disaster relief funds will be available again.

"Your Excellency is truly wise. I wonder what I should do?"

"Go find a carpenter to order twenty special wooden buckets for holding fish. I'll take care of the rest."

Song Xuan sold lottery tickets in Nanjing, so how could he not know how to get people to place bets?

How can we prevent others from forging certificates?
He asked Tao Hong to prepare this.

As for perfumes and the like, there's no need to manufacture too many.

Things are rare.

After the people left, Zhao Zhen spoke directly:

"This 'slacking off' contest sounds interesting; I want to participate too."

"Okay."

Song Xuan chuckled a few times:
"Anyway, none of the other contestants know you, and they won't go easy on you. I'm afraid that even if you manage to catch a fish, you won't be able to put it into the bucket smoothly."

"Haha, I'm really looking forward to that."

Zhao Zhen wore a wild smile. He hadn't been idle these days, though; he had been exercising regularly.

Normally, Di Qing's personal guards wouldn't use their real strength to compare with him, so Zhao Zhen also wanted to see his own abilities.

Song Xuan immediately began writing the memorial, intending to send it to the palace before the end of his shift that day.

Ultimately, it was a way to raise money and resolve the predicament of the imperial court not allocating much funds to him.

Song Xuan believed that Wang Zeng and Liu E would not disagree.

Just as Song Xuan finished writing and was about to check for any mistakes, Yang Huaimin arrived with a smile.

"Scholar Song, I have some incredibly good news to tell you!"

Zhao Zhen sat behind the screen, listening to Yang Huaimin's words, wondering what good news it was. Song Xuan gestured for Yang Huaimin to sit down: "Let me guess, what good news is it that warrants Eunuch Yang making this special trip?"

"Then take a guess." Yang Huaimin thanked him and took a sip of the warm tea.

"Did the Empress Dowager have a change of heart and return my silver fish pouch?"

"No, it's a small matter, not worth mentioning."

"Then they simply replaced it with a goldfish bag."

"Hahaha." Yang Huaimin quickly waved his hand:
“It’s definitely not like that. Scholar Song, why don’t you try to guess from the person you’re talking about?”

"people!"

Song Xuan pondered for a moment: "Hahaha, has the Empress finally agreed to allocate funds for disaster relief?"

Yang Huaimin shook his head slightly:

"Currently, the imperial court doesn't have enough extra money to give to Scholar Song, so we need Scholar Song to collect more taxes."

"Then I'm a little confused about what good news it could be?"

Song Xuan looked at Yang Huaimin with a puzzled expression.

Yang Huaimin chuckled twice:

"Qian Yannian, the prefectural magistrate of Kaifeng, impeached Ma Jiliang for crimes such as fraudulently issuing contracts and protecting wealthy people from corvée labor. The Empress Dowager summoned him to the palace to testify."

"He could not deny it in the face of the evidence and admitted to it."

"So Ma Jiliang, like Chen Yaozi, was kicked out of Tokyo, and I finally felt at ease."

"From now on, Scholar Song will no longer have to worry about this villain causing trouble behind his back and ruining his disaster relief projects."

Upon hearing this, Song Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly, then, contrary to his usual behavior, said:

"Oh no, I've been used as a pawn."

"Hmm?" Yang Huaimin quickly waved his hand and said:

"I only asked Scholar Song for an idea, not for him to take the lead."

"That's not it."

Song Xuan shook his head slightly:

“I don’t mean to blame Eunuch Yang, but when I think back to the court, no one in the entire court spoke up except me.”

"The fact that someone impeached Ma Jiliang today shows that the evidence had already been prepared, but was simply left unsaid."

Yang Huaimin wasn't stupid; he had actually thought of it long ago, and he was just here to give a reminder.

Those court officials standing in high places in the imperial court are all old foxes.

If the top scholar wanted to gain a foothold in the imperial court, he needed to temper his temperament for a few more years and not be so impulsive.

Yang Huaimin couldn't say it directly.

After all, he was a eunuch, naturally standing on the opposite side of civil officials.

Now that Song Xuan has come to his senses, he will inevitably be wary of those old ministers, and will also feel grateful to me.

Zhao Zhen knew that Song Xuan was acting. In fact, the Twelfth Brother had already received the news, but he deliberately created a flaw at this moment.

"Scholar Song need not be so regretful. No one can fool the Empress Dowager. It's just that some people want Scholar Song to stand out and take advantage of his dedication to the country and the people."

"But I don't regret it."

Song Xuan looked up and glanced at Yang Huaimin:
"I will stand up for such injustices, whether they use me or not."

"Otherwise, I would be letting down the Emperor who appointed me as the top scholar, and I would also be letting down the Empress Dowager who appreciates me."

"Yes, yes, yes." Yang Huaimin smiled.
"We all know the sincerity of Scholar Song. Perhaps when Scholar Song gets older, he will be able to see through people's hearts even faster."

Song Xuan picked up the dried ink from the memorial to the throne:

"Eunuch Yang, please take a look. I'm planning to take this opportunity to earn more money from disaster relief funds."

"If there are any shortcomings, I can make the project proceed more quickly."

"I?"

Yang Huaimin was flattered and accepted Song Xuan's memorial, which he read carefully.

After reading it, Yang Huaimin had to admire Song Xuan's thinking.

A contest to slack off on fish.

They're going to hold an official gambling event!

Even if someone wins the lottery, most people will not.

No matter how you calculate it, it's all a profit.

"Scholar Song, your method is excellent!"

Yang Huaimin praised repeatedly:

"I don't think there should be any major problems. The Empress Dowager actually likes poker very much. Who knows, she might even come to watch the finals."

"Then I know what to do."

Song Xuan had a smile on his face:

"Now that Eunuch Yang has come, I will not send anyone to deliver it to the palace. When Eunuch Yang returns to the palace, I will present it to the Empress Dowager on his behalf."

"no problem."

Yang Huaimin's eyes lit up. He could do this little thing easily and gain a favor in return.

He loves doing it so much.

Yang Huaimin was especially pleased that Ma Jiliang's expulsion from the capital had resolved the trouble.

After all, Ma Jiliang was also related to the Empress Dowager by marriage, so he couldn't afford to have a strained relationship with these people.

Otherwise, you'll be the one who suffers in the end.

Song Xuan watched Yang Huaimin walk away with a smile and whistled.

Zhao Zhen then emerged from behind the screen. He too stood at the doorway, watching the people coming and going outside.

"Twelfth Brother, why did you lie to Yang Huaimin?"

"I lied to him?"

Song Xuan shook his head and chuckled a few times:

"Perhaps after a while, he will know the truth: I knew this was a trap, and I would still fall into it."

"I don't understand."

"The way of officialdom is to play dumb sometimes, Sixth Brother."

Song Xuan put his hands behind his back:

Even if you know the truth, you have to pretend you don't. If the truth isn't revealed, everyone can leave room for maneuver. Giving him a favor is beneficial to us.

"At least for now, that's the case; unite those who can be united."

"Unite those who can be united."

This wasn't the first time Zhao Zhen had heard this advice, but he still didn't understand how to achieve unity.

Is it really that simple to just give money?

That's too simple; it's definitely not like that.

How can we unite?

"I'm actually still figuring it out myself," Song Xuan said, pointing to himself with a smile.

"After all, I haven't been in officialdom for very long, so I've only managed to show the demeanor of a greenhorn."

"A hothead?"

Zhao Zhen then recalled Song Xuan's words, in which he deliberately claimed that he had been tricked and used as a pawn.

Could this be something a greenhorn could do?
"Yes, this is the label I've given myself in officialdom, to protect myself."

Song Xuan stood with his hands behind his back: "At this moment, I am too weak. Even if Sixth Brother wants to speak up for me, he cannot make a sound and can only worry helplessly."

"My father-in-law was able to remain in power in the court mostly because of the late emperor's trust. Now the Empress Dowager is using him to balance the court, but in reality, she has already found a replacement in secret."

“My teacher Fan Zhongyan was also a hothead, and he did a lot of things that offended people without a care.”

"As for Prime Minister Yan, he is a man of deep thoughts and always advises me to maintain the Doctrine of the Mean, but I cannot do it."

"As for the others I know, it would be very good if they could say a good word for me at a crucial moment."

"So, the way I now actively label myself is just a way of protecting myself."

Song Xuan's heartfelt words left Zhao Zhen at a loss for words to comfort him.

Now, Zhao Zhen is also filled with dissatisfaction deep in his heart.

However, he had been subjected to too much reprimand by the tortoise over the years, and coupled with his soft and tolerant nature, he simply couldn't bring himself to make a decision to seize power from Empress Liu.

"Twelfth Brother, I'm so sorry you've suffered."

"bitter?"

Song Xuan laughed heartily and patted the sentimental Zhao Zhen on the shoulder:
"Sixth Brother, what am I suffering for? I was able to openly slap two members of the imperial family in the court."

"Who else but a greenhorn like me would dare to do something like this?"

"If I have the chance in the future, I will definitely make my hands stronger, so that it won't be enough to give me a good beating."

After saying that, Song Xuan pretended to have a hand tablet in his hand and waved it in the air twice.

Zhao Zhen was comforted by Song Xuan, and a smile appeared on his lips.

……

The entertainment district of Tokyo immediately staged a scene where the Song Taisui slapped the imperial relatives twice in court, drawing shouts from the onlookers.

They threw copper coins directly onto the platform, shouting that Song Taisui had done a good job.

This play was actually sponsored by tea merchants with real money.

They just wanted to portray Ma Jiliang's ugly face so that he would be scorned by everyone.

Moreover, he is now being forced to leave Tokyo.

Then everyone became even more unrestrained.

Even the actors themselves never expected the effect to be so explosive.

So after one performance, they would perform another one to satisfy their craving.

The actor laughed and said he needed to moisten his throat before doing another scene.

After all, I can earn two jobs today, how can I not be happy?
He'd be happy to perform three more shows!

Xiaofeng, standing in the crowd, sighed:
"I never expected that this young brother Song Wenwen would be so brave today."

He never dared to show his face on the street, and was even more afraid of his identity being exposed.

Liu Yishou had a smile on his face. He had wanted to clap his hands the whole time, but he couldn't, so he could only pat his chest.

"He dares to hit even royalty!"

Liu glanced at his chest, which had been slapped red, and only then did he feel the belated burning pain.

"Hey, he's really brave. His nickname is definitely right."

"This is not bravery." Xiaofeng shook his head slightly.

"If this isn't bravery, then what is?"

Liu Yishou glanced at Xiaofeng, who looked somewhat dejected:
"Do you mean you're only considered brave if the top scholar goes into battle to fight?"

Xiaofeng shook his head again: "That's not what I meant. Don't you think it's more courageous that Song Taisui got away with nothing after he fought, while Ma Jiliang was demoted and sent out of the capital?"

Liu Yishou had long since stopped getting involved in the affairs of the martial arts world. Knowing that Song Xuan had won and was alright, he joined everyone in their joy.

He didn't think about the deeper aspects, but Xiaofeng, after becoming the hall master, became accustomed to intrigue and schemes and thought a lot.

"So, you really are brave!" Liu Yishou chuckled again.

Xiaofeng sighed, because he realized that Song Xuan held a much higher position in the Empress Dowager's heart than Ma Jiliang, the relative of the Empress Dowager.

Over the years, who in the entire city of Tokyo doesn't know that you should never mess with the Empress's relatives by marriage?

Liu Congde was such an arrogant person that everyone had to give way to him, for fear of offending this young master and causing their whole family to die without a burial place.

With Liu Congde setting an example, the other in-laws followed suit in an even more authentic manner.

But now, Song Xuan has assaulted someone, and it happened in the imperial court, not on the streets of Dongjing City, yet he has received no punishment whatsoever.

Moreover, when he forcibly demolished the illegal buildings on the Huimin River, the Liu family was the first to respond and took the initiative to demolish them.

This led most of the other people who were still observing to obediently demolish the structures.

Xiaofeng used to think that Liu Congde had some leverage over Song Xuan, so he cooperated with Liu Lou's voluntary tax payment and the forced demolition.

But now that Ma Jiliang has happened, Xiaofeng believes that the Empress Dowager is taking good care of Song Xuan.

This is why Liu Congde dared not oppose Song Xuan.

Such a person is sure to have a bright future.

It is possible, at least in the short term.

"By the way, what's your decision about that matter?"

Upon hearing his friend's question, Xiaofeng shook his head:
“He’s too cautious. I don’t know anything. I can only try to find out something from my older brother.”

"Yes, there's no rush."

Liu Yishou still had a smile on his face:
“Right now, Brother Song Wenwen doesn’t have time to deal with such a thorny matter, but you have plenty of time to inquire.”

"I know."

"There's just one more thing."

Liu Yishou then said rather seriously:

"How long do you plan to hide? I've heard that the Liu family's grain will be transported to Tokyo soon."

He heard about it when he went to buy grain; the price of grain has risen sharply recently.

Fortunately, there were rumors that Liu Congde was going to sell grain, which caused the price of grain to drop somewhat.

Moreover, based on past experience, Kaifeng Prefecture would set a maximum price for grain to prevent ordinary people from being unable to afford it.

However, Chen Yaozuo, the prefect of Kaifeng, is not here now, and Lord Song has not taken this action.

This has left many people confused.

Didn't anyone remind Song Taisui?

"I don't know, let's stay hidden for now."

Xiaofeng felt that if he were to acknowledge Song Xuan as his brother at this moment, he would definitely not be able to put on a good show in front of his elder brother Canglin.

Especially since these people are all seasoned veterans, they could easily be exposed if you're not careful.

"You take a look first, I need to go back and report."

"Row."

Seeing that the actors had already begun preparing to go on stage, Liu Yishou loudly cheered and applauded.

Xiaofeng watched him engrossed in his work and felt a pang of envy.

This is precisely because they got ashore early.

Now that he has a family, a career, a wife and children, he can openly communicate with government officials.

Looking at myself, I can't even maintain a relationship, for fear of having a weakness that can be easily exploited.

Xiaofeng's goal is to be like Canglin, who in the end has everything and doesn't need to get involved in any trouble; he can just use his words.

He walked among the crowd. The Mid-Autumn Festival parade was not over yet, and the fish-catching contest was coming up next.

Moreover, Song Xuan even asked the Empress Dowager to make an exception, allowing him to play the official lottery.

Open and aboveboard gambling is likely to stir up the emotions of the entire city of Tokyo.

Xiaofeng thought Song Xuan was truly a shrewd businessman; otherwise, he wouldn't have escaped with the people and sold the human traffickers along the way.

He sighed softly again. Perhaps if he had followed him back then, he wouldn't be called a rat crossing the street today.

"Big brother."

After entering Zuixianlou, Xiaofeng shared the information he had gathered so far.

"So, Song Xuan is quite favored by the Empress Dowager?"

"That's the situation I've gathered."

Xiaofeng also coughed:
"I've also heard some rumors that Song Xuan is going to hold an auction at Fanlou to raise funds for disaster relief. I'm afraid one of our people has confessed."

In the past, auctions were always held by Wuyou Cave. Anything that was not respectable could be sold on the black market.

Now that Song Xuan is going to do it openly, it must be because the people from Wuyou Cave that he captured have exposed it.

"Is Xuanjia dead or not? How come there's not a single clue? When did the Kaifeng County prison become an impenetrable fortress?"

Cang Lin's biggest worry right now is whether Xuan Jia is dead or not.

If he had died on the spot, and Song Xuan had pretended to be alive, Cang Lin would have been able to put his mind at ease.

If he hadn't died, he would have had to keep carrying it.

When will this end?
"I don't know, my people can't find out anything."

Xiaofeng shook his head repeatedly:

"The fact that no one has betrayed us and reported us to the mailbox in Kaifeng County is an excellent result."

Hearing this, Cang Lin sighed softly. The current situation was truly difficult for Wuyou Cave.

Before this, the four main halls of Wuyou Cave were all very powerful and imposing.

Now that all three branches have been shut down, only his Drunken Immortal Pavilion remains, teetering on the brink of collapse.

"Brother, has there been any news from Akabane's side either?"

"No."

Cang Lin said very clearly and decisively:

"He suspected that I was colluding with Song Xuan, so after he left, he never showed up again or contacted me. I don't know where he went to hide."

"His department is responsible for planting people in the government; how can he be so willful and disregard the bigger picture?"

Xiaofeng clenched his fists, feigning anger:

"Brother, doesn't the cave master care about him?"

"Cave Master."

Cang Lin fell into a long silence again, then shook his head:
"I don't know what the cave master is thinking. I have no idea what he's been busy with lately."

“But such a big thing happened, and we’ve given them a lot of money as gifts.”

Xiaofeng looked anxious: "Now that such a big thing has happened, the cave master should at least give us some advice."

"The cave master has his own reasons."

"But."

Cang Lin looked at Xiao Feng, who was quite excited, and knew that he was still young.

"Alright, don't talk about the cave master behind his back, lest someone overhear."

Cang Lin pointed outside, also lowering his voice:

"I don't know if the cave master has planted spies around me, so don't be courting death."

Xiao Feng was startled.

If the cave master also planted spies around him, wouldn't that expose Brother Dao and his family?
Will Dao Ge's conversation with Song Xuan reveal his true intentions beforehand?
After all, one should look forward.

Xiaofeng now indirectly has a connection with Song Xuan through the government.

He also wanted to live openly and honestly in the sunlight.

People like him pledged their allegiance before even taking office.

If you want to clear your name now, is it possible to do so without offering a pledge of loyalty?
(End of this chapter)