A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 396 You have no idea how powerful he is.
The story of Song Qingtian cleverly defeating the imperial relatives spread throughout the capital city of Tokyo.

After all, this person is related to the Empress Dowager by marriage.

This is the first time I've ever been turned down.

It wasn't just the common people who wanted to hear about it; the scholar-official class was also secretly pushing for it.

After all, these in-laws have a history of abusing their power and doing many unpleasant things.

Now that we have the opportunity, we must take advantage of it.

Meanwhile, a new poem by the top scholar of the Song Dynasty, titled "Song of Tomorrow," was passed down orally among scholars.

Many scholars began to adopt it as a motto to motivate themselves.

After teaching the children, Chen Xiliang walked out of the classroom and listened to his fellow villagers praising the future of the top scholar Song.

He immediately joined in and started asking if anyone wanted to participate in the slacking-off contest.

"I heard that you need to pay a registration fee for the first ten rounds, but whether you get a chance to slack off depends on your luck."

"Once you are selected and catch a lot of fish, you can win a prize. You can take the fish home or sell it to the government for money."

"This registration fee is equivalent to the entry fee for official poker. You can place a bet if you want to bet on who will win."

After listening to the explanation, Chen Xiliang felt that there were loopholes in the game rules.

"It's perfectly normal for someone to not have paid the ten-coin registration fee, but to have bought the official lottery ticket and then have a friend who paid the fee claim the prize."

"correct."

"I wonder what the esteemed gentleman thinks?"

Chen Xiliang didn't think everyone would obediently follow the rules.

In this city of Tokyo, those who take advantage of loopholes are always in the minority.

There's no other reason than the immense pressure to survive.

"Let's go join the fun."

The news about the fish-catching contest was spreading like wildfire, but that didn't stop tea merchant Gao Ran from personally delivering one of his most prized possessions, which he had carefully selected, to the Kaifeng County government office.

He then reconvened the group to announce the news, and the tea merchants who received the news were extremely excited, expressing their willingness to donate their precious items.

If their names could be remembered for eternity alongside the inscription written by the top scholar of the Song Dynasty, that would be a rare opportunity.

Even if you spend a lot of money, a great talent like Song Xuan might not necessarily write an inscription for your tombstone.

Now that the Eight Immortals Restaurant has a poem by Song Xuan, its business is naturally even better than before.

Especially when the incident happened at Fanlou, many people went to Baxianlou.

There has never been a situation where the table was completely full, although it has happened several times.

The Song people's admiration for figures like Song Xuan was genuine, reflecting the prevailing social atmosphere.

Outside the Kaifeng County Government Office, a long line of people were queuing up to pay ten coins as a registration fee.

This is equivalent to betting.

In short, you can get a spot by spending money. If you don't get selected, then you've failed to place a bet. You can bet on numbers one through thirty to see who wins.

Qian Gansan never imagined he would have to do something like this.

He needed to write his name and place of residence on a specific registration form, then write "A" on it, and then have someone stamp it, dividing it in two as proof.

At that time, these people will only be able to place bets at the Jiakeng gambling table.

At other queues, people placed bets at selected gambling tables (such as B, C, and D), making it easier for the government to manage the gambling.

Otherwise, with so many people placing bets haphazardly, the workload would be too great, and various oversights would easily occur.

As a result, government officials posted notices on both sides of the street and even explained the rules in the street.

Most people are illiterate.

There are three groups of people at each table, so there are a total of twenty groups of people. This would have divided the competition into twenty venues.

Getting selected is a win.

It's only ten coins anyway. If I can catch a lot of fish, I'm sure I can sell them for a high price.

That's the fun of gambling; many people want to win big with a small investment.

Song Xuan stood at the entrance of the county government office, watching the registration process outside.

Some people, in order to increase their chances of winning the lottery, directly register their family members, instead of just queuing up and receiving ten coins per person.

And so, the basket was filled with money.

Then they changed the baskets, and someone took the money inside to count it before transferring it to the treasury.

Zhou Derong wore a fawning smile:
"My lord, the once empty cellar is probably going to be filled up again."

This is official poker, it's like celebrating the New Year early.

Gambling is usually only allowed to be normalized during the Lunar New Year or on the birthdays of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.

Which citizen of Tokyo wouldn't want to try their hand at something?

When it comes to gambling, it's very oppressive.

Song Xuan, with his sharp eyes, noticed that his second brother, Song Kang, was still queuing in the crowd.

In such situations, he would inevitably get involved.

"Don't worry, I reckon they'll keep pulling them out after they win the lottery."

Song Xuan stood with his hands behind his back:

"Since our Kaifeng County government has started an official gambling operation, the main principle is to uphold integrity."

"You're right, sir."

Zhou Derong immediately began praising Song Xuan.

Previously, the official Song had taken away a lot of copper coins to pay the disaster victims and laborers, which outsiders thought had emptied the county government.

However, a considerable amount of gold and silver was hidden in the county government office to prevent thieves from trying to rob the office.

Now that so many people have paid registration fees, Zhou Derong can't even imagine how many more people will spend money to gamble once someone starts betting on who will win numbers one through twenty.

The large influx of copper coins into the treasury brought smiles to everyone's faces in the county government.

This means that their future interests can also be guaranteed.

The construction in the backyard of the county government office is now complete. After a few days of drying, the high official will have them send their children to the county government office to learn to read and write.

Even if I don't become a talent, at least I won't be blind and can still get a free lunch, which is already very good.

Even if you want to be a member of the Imperial Guard, a literate Imperial Guard is better than an illiterate one.

Some food and supplies records need to be kept by someone.

Furthermore, given the intense emphasis on the imperial examination system during the Song Dynasty, literacy was considered an excellent thing.

Not to mention that the high-ranking official also sent the children of the disaster victims outside the city to the Imperial Academy to learn to read. Although they were students of the Guangwen Academy under the Imperial Academy, they were still far superior to ordinary people.

However, the high-ranking official still favored the staff of the county government, and invited "teachers" from the Imperial Academy to educate his children.

The clerks were in a better position, but the yamen runners and the like were eager for the county government's private school to start as soon as possible.

Similarly, the yamen runners of Kaifeng Prefecture all hoped that they could be selected to work in Kaifeng County.

In this way, not only can they themselves obtain stable benefits, but their offspring can also benefit.

Who wouldn't want to work for Master Song!

They practically want to shout "loyalty" to each other's faces.

After all, in today's environment, how could someone who allows your children to study be a bad person?

Everyone knows that studying is an extremely expensive thing!

"I've already ordered more of those wooden barrels; I guarantee everyone will have a chance to use them."

"it is good."

Song Xuan thought for a moment: "Since so many people have signed up, why don't you go and ask if anyone wants to be a sponsor?"

"Sponsors?"

A hint of doubt flashed across Zhou Derong's face.

Song Xuan explained to him that this fishing activity would inevitably attract many people.

They can set up a simple stage and stands, and even build a decorated tower to display their signboard.

After inspecting the river, Registrar Zheng Wenhuan found that the river was no longer usable and had mostly turned into small ponds.

Fish are also clever; they gather together with the river current.

In many places, fish can start jumping out of the pond, and some people have gone down to collect them. However, government officials are watching over the area and do not allow people to collect fish from the ponds, but they can collect them from the dried-up areas.

However, many skeletons were also found in the riverbed of the Bian River.

Song Xuan nodded: "Spend money to have all the remains brought out today and stored in Louze Garden. We'll burn them all together and build them a grave."

"Yes."

Having received the order, Zheng Wenhuan did not leave immediately, but instead lowered his voice and said:
"My lord, there is one more thing I would like to tell you."

"Speak." Song Xuan had no idea what news he had heard from somewhere.

"Chen Gu, the magistrate of Xiangfu County, was also imitating the high official in clearing the silt, but he did not contribute any money. He probably used his connections to get the local militia to do it."

Without a doubt, he must have used his brother-in-law Lü Yijian's connections.

"Old Deng has finally learned to do something."

Song Xuan didn't care; if he were going to do it, he would have already done it.

It's probably because Lü Yijian forced us to start doing this so long ago.

To avoid situations where a fellow county magistrate is not only incompetent but also lacks proper attitude.

Yang Huaimin had said long ago that the Empress Dowager was very concerned when it rained heavily that day.

He also reported the situation in the two counties and received praise from Liu E.

"My lord."

Zheng Wenhuan coughed and said, "I'm worried something might happen in Xiangfu County."

"What do you mean?"

Song Xuan didn't think anything could go wrong.

"I've heard that the Xiang Army only does the work without paying them. In Kaifeng County, they always pay prisoners and even find ways to give them some meat. Xiangfu County doesn't do that."

"Can't do it?"

Song Xuan raised an eyebrow, glancing at the figures of soldiers vaguely appearing in the ranks.

"Chen Gu really doesn't want to spend a single penny!"

"Yes, they can't even do it well, and they're just making the master hate them for no reason."

Zheng Wenhuan was worried that the local militia would cause trouble. They were, after all, the country's army, but their treatment was worse than that of prisoners.

They're probably going to quit and come to Kaifeng County to work and earn money.

But where would the county government get so much money to pay them?
"Ignore it, let's do our thing according to plan."

Song Xuan always felt that he couldn't make any waves in Tokyo.

Even if the local militia seized a minor official to cause trouble, they wouldn't dare to seize Chen Gu to cause trouble.

If it were the Imperial Guard or the Border Guard, then it would be hard to say.

Because the Xiang Army were disaster victims who had value in united front work.

"Here."

The registrar, Zheng Wenhuan, responded.

After thinking for a moment, Song Xuan went back and wrote several letters.

Tomorrow's grand spectacle will likely require more than just the yamen runners to maintain order.

We still need the Imperial Guards to keep order.

After all, there are twenty gambling tables.

In this way, it's absolutely no problem to fight several battles in one place.

Large crowds can easily lead to stampedes, requiring the Imperial Guard to maintain order.

Five days of revelry is more than enough.

After the first day's site is completed, we will continue moving to other sections of the river, and people can start working at these twenty locations.

In this way, things can be done on two fronts, and the construction period won't be delayed much at all.

It will require a large number of people, and some stands need to be set up on both sides of the river to prevent stampedes.

Regardless of whether they could personally earn money, quite a few people did come and pay the ticket fee.

If we manage to sell a ticket, we'll make back the money for the ticket right away.

When you're the dealer, you rarely bleed money out of your account and end up losing everything.

The fish-catching competition held in Kaifeng County also spread to Xiangfu County.

In order to create momentum, Song Xuan distributed leaflets not only in teahouses, taverns and theaters in Kaifeng County.

Xiangfu County should naturally be included as well.

Moreover, due to the prosperity of commerce in the Song Dynasty, the format of leaflets was almost no different from that of later generations.

They even use exaggerated pictures for advertising.

The champion of the Bianhe River fishing competition will receive a reward of one hundred strings of cash.

"Damn it, look at Scholar Song, and then look at that guy surnamed Chen."

The soldiers of the Xiang Army, enduring the stench, couldn't help but curse:
"There wasn't a drop of oil in the food we ate just now."

"Yes, we're not even as good as the prisoners in Kaifeng County. We're both high-ranking officials in the capital, so why is there such a big difference in how we conduct ourselves?"

It is clear that Song Xuan's work is a gem, while Chen Gu's work is a worthless brick.

Doing the same work, the pay is worlds apart.

Who wouldn't harbor resentment in their heart?
"I just saw the notice (flyer) issued by Kaifeng County. Tomorrow is the last day to register. I plan to spend ten coins to try my luck."

"Is simply registering enough?"

"Yes, by paying a ten-cent registration fee, we have a chance to be selected. As long as we find fish and sell them to the government, we can earn it back."

"If you bet in the preliminary rounds, you might make some money if you're lucky."

"I heard there are two ways to do it. One is to guess the jackpot, whoever catches a fish weighing more than ten pounds first. The other is to guess the king of fish, whoever catches the heaviest fish."

"But we don't know who's better, so how can we buy it?"

"Song Zhuangyuan lets you buy your lucky number in advance. He doesn't know who will win either; the numbers are drawn on the spot."

"I see, that's interesting."

"Not only that, I heard that this is just the preliminary round, and later on, there will be more experts from the preliminary round who will compete against each other. There is also a children's fun area."

"In short, the Song Dynasty's top scholar had many tricks up his sleeve."

"Yes, it would be quite fun to see a bunch of kids catching fish."

"Haha, let's go together tomorrow!"

"Yes, yes, we can't earn many copper coins here. Let's go to Scholar Song's place to earn money."

Chen Gu was not young anymore, and as the magistrate of the county, he had no choice but to bow his head and learn from Song Xuan.

He arrived with a furious expression.

These soldiers are all lazybones; after so long, they haven't even cleared away a single speck of silt.

"This is absolutely outrageous."

Chen Gu slammed his fist on the table:

"Someone, go and fetch Pan Chengjin for me."

Even though Pan Chengjin came from a good family and held a higher official position than him.

However, Chen Gu was a genuine Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), while Pan Cheng was merely a military officer.

He naturally didn't take military generals seriously.

Pan Chengjin, however, was looking at the promotional brochure for Kaifeng County in the teahouse and thought that the top scholar of the Song Dynasty was indeed intelligent.

Who wouldn't praise it now?
Fortunately, he had a good relationship with his father-in-law, and now the relationship has been extended to his own generation.

Working under Song Xuan from now on will surely lead to a bright future.

Perhaps I could also attain the position of Privy Councilor.

"Officer, Master Chen from Xiangfu County requests your presence."

"He wants me to go over there?"

"Yes."

Pan Cheng put down the flyer in his hand, his brow furrowing:
"What a loud tone!"

"Who does he think he is?"

“I am too busy with official duties to see him. If he has any urgent business, please tell him to come to me.”

"Here."

Soldiers naturally went to report back.

Pan Cheng snorted. He was, after all, a commander of the Xiang Army, not some nobody who could be dismissed at will.

They wouldn't even say "please".

If it weren't for Prime Minister Lü's sake, do you think I would even bother with you?

Even though Song Zhuangyuan had a "powerful background" in the military, he always spoke politely.

Sending them to do things is not just empty talk.

The profits from the strangulation of the No-Life Society will also be split 50/50.

Who wouldn't want to work for Song Xuan!

Not to mention that the top scholar Song gave his son advice, and now he has also embarked on the path of a civil official.

The Pan family was quite grateful to Song Xuan.

Upon receiving the reply, Chen Gu became even more furious.

However, thanks to his brother-in-law's instructions, he could only suppress his anger and go to talk to Pan Chengjin about the progress of the project.

If things continue like this, wouldn't it mean that by the time Song Xuan has cleaned up the Bian River, the ditches in his Xiangfu County will still be uncleaned?

When Pan Cheng saw that Chen Gu was about to arrive, he put down his teacup and deliberately shouted:

"If a mere Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) is this arrogant, how arrogant must Song Zhuangyuan (the top scholar in the imperial examination) have been?"

Pan Cheng complained to his subordinates:
"But wasn't Song Zhuangyuan always very polite to everyone in our Xiang Army!"

"Yes, Scholar Song has no airs at all, unlike the others who look down on us martial artists."

"That's right. Song Zhuangyuan became famous at a young age. Even if he was arrogant, he had the right to be arrogant."

“Unlike some people, who have absolutely no skills but have a big temper, the brothers can’t stand this kind of grievance.”

Since Chen Gu thinks our Xiang Army is bad, then we'll show you how bad we are.

The loud shouts of the martial artists unsurprisingly reached Chen Gu's ears.

Chen Gu's face was extremely ugly. Even if he was brainless, he knew they were being sarcastic.

Especially when he was subjected to sarcastic remarks by a group of martial artists, Chen Gu almost broke down.

They deserve it too!

"Chief Pan, what kind of state have your men become?"

Chen Gu immediately launched into a tirade, calling them all a bunch of worthless idiots.

They just laze around there, taking so long to do even the smallest task.

Snapped.

Pan Cheng slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and pointed at Chen Gu's nose:
"What the hell are you saying?"

Chen Gu was truly surprised that Pan Chengjin dared to refute him in public.

"grass."

Pan Chengjin still pointed at Chen Gu's nose: "If you look down on us, don't ask Prime Minister Lü to personally deliver the message and have us do this job!"

"Let me tell you, you surnamed Chen, from today onwards, my North City Army will no longer serve you. Go find someone else to do what you want."

"Tell the brothers, let's go. It's my treat today, let's all drink. The day after tomorrow we'll go to Kaifeng County to watch the fish-catching competition, maybe we can even win some prizes."

"Yes."

Pan Cheng sneered, threw the tea money on the table, and led his group away nonchalantly.

The two of them never had any direct relationship.

It was purely out of respect for Lü Yijian. Since Chen Gu dared to speak like that, there was no need to curry favor with Lü Yijian.

You dare to act like an official in front of me? You're not worthy.

Chen Gu's chest heaved; he had never seen such a rogue soldier before.

"soldier of fortune."

"They're all a bunch of thugs!"

His gritted teeth and furious breakdown only made Pan Chengjin and the others burst into laughter.

Is this considered swearing?
He can't even swear properly; he's not even as good as Song Zhuangyuan in that respect.

This made Pan Chengjin feel even more strongly that the gap between these scholars was even greater than the gap between a human and a dog.

He is not afraid of Chen Gu, since you can't do anything to me anyway.

If you won't even spend a penny and still keep nagging, who would want to serve you?
We are all loyal to the government; you have no right to order us around.

Especially since the imperial court didn't issue any official document; it was entirely a private request, which is why it turned out this way.

Chen Gu clenched his fists even tighter. Just then, a gust of wind blew by, directly hitting Chen Gu's face with the leaflets that Pan Chengjin and the others were looking at.

Chen Gu grabbed it and wanted to throw it on the ground, but after taking a look, he became even angrier and threw it on the ground and stomped on it several times, but he still didn't feel relieved.

Upon receiving the news, the soldiers of the Xiang Army all left together, carrying their tools and beaming with joy.

At least I don't have to do this kind of work anymore, and I can even drink alcohol.

I can still register tomorrow. If I can get a chance to slack off, that would be so great!

Pan Cheng found a small inn and asked them to bring out all the alcohol, since there were so many people and one inn wouldn't be enough to drink.

Today, I'll drink two bowls of wine by myself; that will quench my thirst.

"Captain, Scholar Song has sent you a letter."

Pan Chengjin's eyes lit up, and he quickly took the document to look at it. He saw that it was about taking some people to maintain order.

He was just thinking about how to appease Lü Yijian when this was like a pillow delivered to his sleepy head.

"Okay, okay!"

Pan Chengjin laughed heartily, believing that he wasn't the only one who had received the news.

After all, the people of the entire city of Tokyo were eagerly anticipating this official poker tournament.

What if I'm the lucky one?
Pan Cheng decided to join in the fun tomorrow and ask Song Xuan for details about how many people were needed.

Although Chen Gu was angry, he immediately went to the Lü residence.

Lü Gongbi worked with Zeng Gongliang, but because the river they were in charge of was not as large as the Bian River, the fishing opportunities were not set up in their area.

He did indeed slack off, and he personally joined in, then had an extra meal.

Lü Gongbi had already made up his mind.

I'll go participate in that fish-catching contest later, I just think it'll be fun.

Especially since I have experience in this area, I'm sure I'll stand out.

"Uncle, why do you look so pale?"

Chen Gu walked in and saw Lü Gongbi sitting there, also holding a flyer for "catching fish" from Kaifeng County. His face darkened even more.

"Are you feeling uncomfortable?"

Lü Gongbi quickly stood up: "I'll go find the imperial physician for you."

"No need."

Chen Gu plopped down:

"I'm waiting to talk to your father after he finishes his shift."

Lü Gongbi quickly poured him tea himself.

For a moment, I didn't understand what had happened.

Surely it couldn't be because he couldn't even copy Song Zhuangyuan's homework properly and encountered some difficulties?
He sat there until Lü Yijian finished get off work.

When Lü Yijian saw Chen Gu waiting for him at home, his heart sank. If nothing went wrong, Chen Gu definitely wouldn't come.

Hopefully it's not too much trouble.

So Lü Yijian told Chen Gu not to speak yet, but to talk about it after he had eaten, lest he lose his appetite later.

Chen Gu could only keep it to himself once again.

They sat down together again after they finished eating.

After Chen Gu finished speaking, Lü Yijian also sighed.

Because he was too impulsive, and his arrogance hadn't been completely worn away; he always kept up his airs.

"You should know that Pan Chengjin has no direct relationship with you."

Lu Yijian patiently said:
"The way you spoke was really hurtful. This was a request for favors, and you didn't hear the complaints from the people below?"

"But."

"A small leak will sink a great ship."

Lü Yijian didn't know how to explain it.

Do you really think that just because you say a few tough words, Pan Cheng will force his men to work?

They might even be given a few lashes as a warning to others.
Will Pan Chengjin still be able to control the northern garrison?

Lü Yijian felt that with Song Xuan paving the way, even though his brother-in-law had missed the initial opportunity, he could still succeed by learning from him.

If things continue like this, he won't even get a little bit of credit, let alone any merit. How will he get promoted when his term ends?

Who knows, that might be the same fate as Chen Yaozi.

People with the mental fortitude of Chen Yaozuo, who, upon learning of his brother's misfortune, still attempted to emulate Song Xuan's disaster relief efforts in an attempt to regain some ground, are truly rare.

Lü Yijian shook his head:
"Tianjing, have you considered that this matter will also be a huge blow to your prestige?"

"What? There are four local militias in Dongjing City. If I leave Pan the butcher, I'll have to eat pigs with hair on them?"

Lu Yijian clutched his chest. "Do you think Pan Chengjin is more familiar with the other three captains, or am I more familiar with them?"

Given this situation, they will naturally try to find a way to shirk responsibility.

Furthermore, with Song Xuan of Kaifeng County organizing a fish-catching competition, there would definitely be a need for many people to maintain order.

I'm afraid they'll have to send another batch of imperial guards.

However, Lü Yijian knew that Pan Chengjin had assisted Song Xuan in suppressing the No-Fate Society.

If Pan Chengjin were to plead with Song Xuan on his behalf, he would have no chance left.

Lü Gongbi pursed his lips and didn't say anything more.

My father had already paved the way for my uncle, but my uncle had such a bad temper that he overturned the paved road.

He won't be able to stay in the position of magistrate of Xiangfu County for long, and he won't have much room for advancement.

He worked alongside Song Xuan and truly felt that he had been tempered and honed for a long time.

Even Zeng Gongliang, who served as both a county magistrate and a water conservancy project leader, kept praising Song Xuan, believing that he had learned many skills from him.

This will certainly be of great help to him in governing the region in the future.

These are all rare opportunities.

Lü Gongbi also wanted to use this experience to give himself a "powerful internship experience" when he was appointed to a government post, so that he would have a higher starting position in the officialdom.

Otherwise, the other students at the Imperial College who were also waiting for their positions through connections wouldn't be secretly competing with each other and trying to "intern" here if they wanted to pull strings.

Anyone can see that following Song Xuan will truly lead to political achievements.

An opportunity that others would kill for was ruined by my uncle.

Lu Gongbi wanted to complain, but since they were elders, he could only keep it to himself.

"This matter."

Lu Yijian shook his head: "It will probably be difficult to do this in the future. You should send the prisoners from the county government to do it."

"what?"

Chen Gu immediately stood up: "If we let them all get away, wouldn't that be adding insult to injury!"

“I know.” Lü Yijian nodded.
"You have no other choice."

"Even if I were to risk my reputation and ask privately for a favor, the Privy Council would still refuse."

Chen Gu's expression was unpredictable.

"Uncle, now that things have come to this, it's better not to do it at all than to make a mistake."

Lü Gongbi couldn't help but offer his advice.

Chen Gu pursed his lips, not immediately agreeing.

Lu Yijian glanced at his second son, and it seemed that he had indeed made progress under Song Xuan's guidance in river management.

He wanted to persuade his brother-in-law to back down, but since he couldn't do it himself, he shouldn't try to imitate him.

You don't have Chen Yaozuo's fierce drive to climb the ladder.

Lu Yijian didn't want to pull the person he couldn't move anymore; he couldn't even do such a small thing right.

What pride do you have?

Song Xuan should be the one with the most pride, but he's polite to everyone. It's hard to imagine that he came from a gambler's family.

Such people are extremely rare.

Lu Yijian couldn't even imagine how wonderful it would be if his daughter became his son-in-law!
Now it's all for naught, and it's too late for regrets!

"I'll figure something out myself."

Chen Gu left a message, stood up, and left.

The Lü brothers quickly saw them off at the door.

"Father, Uncle doesn't look too well," Lü Gongchuo mentioned.

"Father, I feel that my uncle has let you down too much in raising me."

Lu Gongbi's face showed anxiety:
"If it weren't for the top scholar Song becoming the magistrate of Kaifeng, my uncle would have had a good chance to gain experience in Xiangfu County. But after comparing the two, I'm afraid he would never have had another opportunity."

"Yes, at this moment, Song Xuan is like the bright moon in the sky, overshadowing the light of the other stars."

Even Lü Yijian had to admit that Song Xuan's performance as magistrate of Kaifeng County was truly outstanding.

No wonder Yan Shu had such a good record in Nanjing; Song Xuan would also help him with his plans while he was studying.

In Lü Yijian's view, if Wuyou Cave were to be wiped out by Song Xuan, perhaps the capital city of Tokyo would experience a few days when doors would not be locked at night.

After all, Tokyo has a population of over one million, so it's inevitable that a large number of hooligans will appear.

They may be honest for a while, but they will never be honest forever.

"Second brother, how are you?"

"You don't know how capable Song Zhuangyuan was, since you don't manage the river."

"Hey, I don't believe it."

“Brother, if you follow Scholar Song in managing the river, you will know what it means to see him as a frog in a well looking up at the moon.”

Lü Gongbi spared no praise:

"Even if I were lucky enough to work with him on river management now, I would feel like an ant trying to see the blue sky."

"You have no idea how amazing he is!"

"Father, has my second brother been tricked by Song Xuan into going to manage the river and gone mad?"

Lu Gongchuo never wanted to expose the fact that his younger brother was being used.

Song Xuan's little tricks are completely ineffective against me.

"Humph."

Lu Gongbi finally got his chance for "revenge." He had been mocked by his elder brother before, and now he was mocking him back:
“We’ll see. My future official rank will definitely be above yours. Perhaps in a few years, I will even surpass you, a seventh-rank official.”

"Hey." Lü Gongchuo watched his younger brother walk away with a flourish, then looked at his father with a helpless expression:

"Father, my second brother is not right in the head. He was fooled by Song Xuan and now he thinks he's all grown up."

"He's right."

Lü Yijian stood up:

"Zhongyu, don't underestimate others, or you'll end up following in your uncle's footsteps!"

Lu Gongchuo's eyes showed deep confusion, and his finger unconsciously pointed at himself.

"Me, following in my uncle's footsteps?"

"How can it be!"

……

"Twelfth Brother, if I go in to catch fish myself, I'm afraid I won't have much of a chance."

Emperor Zhao Zhen genuinely wanted to share the joy with the people, but he discovered that there were simply too many people signing up.

Almost everyone in Tokyo wanted to come and join in the fun.

Even if there are a million people, the registration fees alone could bring in ten thousand strings of cash.

Because some people want to take up more spots to increase their chances of winning, they include all their family members in their names.

This money is just a separate "entry fee" and it's not expensive.

However, with a large number of people involved, the amount becomes considerable.

If the odds are controlled subsequently, and a large amount of copper coins are deposited, it's likely a sure-fire way to make a profit.

The two newly built classrooms in the county government office will probably be filled with copper coins first.

Zhao Zhen's eyes lit up when he saw the account books that Song Xuan had made.

"So the people of Tokyo are really that rich!"

"The ten-coin threshold fee can be raised by skipping one meal."

Song Xuan offered an explanation, then smiled and said:
"Since Sixth Brother wants to participate in the 'Slacking Off' contest, I'll make an exception and let you be the first to be selected."

"How can this be allowed?" Zhao Zhen quickly waved his hand and said, "Wouldn't that undermine fairness?"

"Do you want to play?"

Song Xuan's words silenced Zhao Zhen; he genuinely wanted to play along.

"There's no need to feel so much pressure."

Song Xuan smiled and said, "I can only guarantee you one chance. If you want to play again later, you won't have the chance."

"Ah, Twelfth Brother, what's the plan?"

Zhao Zhen immediately became interested. Although he was the emperor, he was willing to abide by the rules set by Song Xuan.

Otherwise, if it were discovered, wouldn't the people no longer trust Twelfth Brother's orders?
"Since this is the opening ceremony, I will definitely be in charge of drawing the first person."

“I took the code name from my sleeve directly from the box in the first field, and that was you.”

"Then after you enter, the second person will be drawn, and the second person will draw the third person."

"In this way, no one knows who will be selected, which also avoids the greatest possibility of human intervention."

"This is a good idea."

Zhao Zhen immediately agreed: "Then I will have to make some preparations tomorrow."

"Hahaha."

Song Xuan took a special piece of paper and wrote "A" on it: "By the way, what pseudonym do you want to use?"

"Zhao Xiaoliu?"

"still?"

Zhao Zhen wanted to blurt out "Zhao Shouyi," but he was also afraid that with so many people around, and being the first one, he would be recognized by the imperial family.

"Let's write it according to Twelfth Brother's wishes."

"Okay, tomorrow you need to wear a set of patched clothes, something a bit worn out. Don't take a shower when you get back today, so that people won't notice tomorrow."

"it is good."

Zhao Zhen decided that after coming out tomorrow, he would first use incense ash to cover his face in the Taoist temple.

Pan Chengjin, Chang Hetai, Li Zhaoliang and others came.

Anyway, Song Xuan is an acquaintance, so the more I use him, the more comfortable I get with him.

"Scholar Song, how many people do you need for tomorrow? I'm afraid we'll have to send a lot."

Pan Chengjin quickly said to the other two:
"None of you should argue with me. I'm too lazy to wrestle with that Chen guy. Luckily, Scholar Song gave me a way out."

Song Xuan and the others were puzzled and asked what had happened.

Pan Cheng only said a few words, which naturally earned him a scolding from Chang Hetai and others.

"How can he be so brainless?"

Song Xuan shook his head slightly: "I'm afraid Prime Minister Lü won't pave the way for him anymore."

"Yes, what a great opportunity he couldn't even seize, yet he expects to succeed?"

Li Zhaoliang chuckled:
"Exactly, do they really think everyone is like Scholar Song, capable of leading us to get things done perfectly?"

Li Zhaoliang was also commended for cooperating with Song Xuan in dismantling the Wuyou Cave den.

Not to mention that in the process of wiping out the bandits' hideout, they also seized a lot of gold, silver and jewelry.

Now, when Song Xuan asks him to do something, he does it with absolute gusto.

"I don't want to fall out with Prime Minister Lü, so I hope Scholar Song can allocate more places for me."

"This is easy to handle."

Song Xuan thought about it for a moment:
"Twenty games will be held in sequence tomorrow, but I estimate that only five or six games can be held at each game venue, mainly because it takes a lot of time for people to place their bets."

“Then even more people will be needed to maintain order. General Pan can send three thousand men.”

"it is good."

Pan Chengjin readily agreed.

"By the way, if your soldiers also buy tickets, it's best to put them all in your own area so that if they get selected, they can participate without any delay."

"Hahaha." Chang Hetai grinned, revealing his teeth. "That's good. To be honest, I also bought an admission ticket."

"Hey hey hey."

Pan Cheng pointed only to the outside of the county government office and said:
"I'll have my people buy one for me, so I can place a bet and maybe win. It all comes down to luck."

They all knew that whether it was drawing people or drawing numbers, it all depended on luck.

It's very difficult for the government to pull any tricks.

"Scholar Song, can you guarantee a profit with this method?"

Li Zhaoliang was somewhat worried.

He knew that Song Xuan was doing this because the imperial court hadn't allocated him enough disaster relief funds.

That's why Song Xuan tried to make money on his own. If he could make money through this official gambling, everything would be fine, but if he lost money...

That really is a case of losing money to gain publicity.

After all, there have never been many people in Tokyo who are good at buying and selling.

"When you're the bookmaker, you'll generally make a profit; I just need to control the odds."

Song Xuan took a sip of tea and smiled:
"Ultimately, since the funds are being raised for disaster relief, odds of 1 to 2 or 1 to 3 are sufficient."

"One in thirty is quite a probability; someone will always be able to win."

"If this batch of games doesn't make much money or shows a tendency to lose money, I can always come up with another game."

After hearing Song Xuan's explanation, Li Zhaoliang nodded slightly.

If he really loses money, he can simply donate some of the spoils to Song Xuan so that he doesn't suffer a loss.

The people of Tokyo originally thought they would have to wait until the Empress's birthday to have a chance, but now they are probably all eager to make a fortune.

"Oh, right." Li Zhaoliang remembered something else:

"Scholar Song, I heard you're planning to hold an auction. Is that true or false?"

"it is true."

Song Xuan was unsure where Li Zhaoliang had obtained the information:

“I seized a batch of treasures from Wuyou Cave that were difficult to sell, and Liu Congde also donated some treasures that came from the palace.”

“There are countless wealthy people in Tokyo with more than 100,000 strings of cash. Exchanging my treasures for some disaster relief funds is one way to make a living.”

"Wouldn't that benefit these people?"

Li Zhaoliang thought, how could the treasures of the imperial palace be so easily obtained by other people?
"Hahaha." Song Xuan laughed again:

"General Li, what's the point of cheap or cheap? These so-called treasures are only good treasures if they sell for a high price!"

(End of this chapter)