A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 402 Things must turn against each other when they reach their extremes
Ever since Song Xuan announced this bombshell news, the people on both sides of the Bian River have been frantically following the gossip.

A few days ago, Ma Jiliang, the Empress Dowager's relative by marriage, was beaten up in court by Master Song and forced to leave the capital.

Many tea merchants' opinion of Master Song improved dramatically, and the rest of the merchants also developed a very favorable impression of him.

This shows that after Song Xuan collected taxes, he was truly capable of protecting your interests!
He will not allow other powerful figures to blatantly infringe upon your own interests.

Furthermore, rumors circulated that the high-ranking official was planning to hold an auction at Fanlou to raise funds for disaster relief.

Besides the royal treasure, there's also a gyrfalcon made of pure glass, described in great detail, but I don't know if it's true or not.

Yesterday, the son of Wang Mengzheng, who is also related to the Empress Dowager by marriage, killed an old soldier from the local militia, which has sparked much discussion.

The main focus was on the scene where Master Song beat up the criminal on the spot, which most of them didn't see; they were all busy inquiring about it.

After all, Song Xuan was the top scholar in the imperial examination. His actions were not in line with his usual style, which was too different from his usual behavior. Therefore, it generated a lot of discussion.

Now Song Xuan publicly announced that the Empress Dowager had agreed to sentence the murderer Wang Qixiong to death, to be executed in the autumn.

The two events occurred within a short period of time, which led many to wonder if Empress Dowager Liu had a child who had been lost among the common people in her early years, and whose surname was Song!
The previous one she personally selected was Song Xiang, who achieved the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations. Three years later, the emperor personally selected Song Xuan, who also achieved the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations.

There's a lot of connection between these things.

Once this topic was started, the people's gossipy thinking was greatly amplified, and they no longer felt that queuing was meaningless.

Many people were chatting and laughing as they lined up to place their bets, creating a wonderfully harmonious atmosphere.

No more dreading waiting in line, no more endless complaints about how long the wait is.

Nowadays, even after placing bets, people are unwilling to leave immediately. Instead, they gather in groups of three or five, place their bets, and then walk out together to continue discussing these topics.

After all, most people are ordinary citizens, and they can deeply empathize with such frustrating situations.

Now that Song Qingtian is backing us up, our feelings are truly different!

After Song Xuan finished his announcement, he took Zhong Shicai back to the county government office. He left Zhang Fangping and others there to watch over the scene and prevent any further incidents.

Liu Sui and his group went to the Kaifeng County Government mainly to review the case files, interrogate the witnesses and the victims, and finally went to the prison to find Wang Qixiong.

When they saw Wang Qixiong's appearance, they realized he had suffered a lot.

But a dying man, who was also a relative of the emperor and had committed more than one evil deed, naturally did not receive a kind look.

Liu Sui, in particular, was frequently framed by these relatives of the emperor.

If it weren't for Wang Zeng protecting him, Liu Sui would have chosen to follow Yan Shu's example and be sent to serve as an official outside the capital, so he wouldn't have to see him and be bothered by his presence.

Wang Qixiong still thought that these officials were rescuing him on the orders of the Empress Dowager, so he acted unusually tough.

There was no need for Liu Sui and the other two to question him carefully; he directly admitted that he had killed him accidentally, and that the old man had struck first.

Liu Sui and the others looked serious, and simply asked, based on Song Xuan's judgment, whether these things were true.

After asking him most of the questions, Liu Sui, seeing Wang Qixiong's stubbornness, stopped caring.

The top scholar of the Song Dynasty was truly skilled at judging cases.

Let Wang Qixiong wait for the final notice of his execution by beheading, so as to prevent him from committing suicide prematurely.

Instead, it failed to deliver a clear and just punishment in front of the people of Tokyo, thus having no deterrent effect.

Several people still had some questions after seeing Wang Qixiong's miserable state.

If word got out that Song Xuan had used torture to extract confessions, it would be disastrous.

After Liu Sui and the others returned to Song Xuan's office, they voiced their questions.

"Liu Yuanwailang, there was no torture or forced confession. It was just that he had a foul mouth and tried to attack me, an official of the Great Song Dynasty. I just gave him a beating."

Liu Sui was an assistant director in the Ministry of Justice, and he was in charge of the review this time.

They didn't take Song Xuan's explanation seriously and nodded in agreement.
"That's good. Magistrate Song handled the case very well, without any loopholes, and the judgment was entirely based on the law."

"Oh, right, there's another case within a case."

Song Xuan introduced Zhong Shicai, who was standing to the side, to Zhong Shiheng.

"There is such a thing!"

Di Fei repeatedly stated that he was prepared to request permission to go to the local area to investigate and find out about Wang Mengzheng's crimes.

Otherwise, once he comes to his senses, he'll probably start retaliating again.

Just as the group was talking, the shopkeeper came in and said that Wang Meng was eating without paying, had overturned the table, and dented all the silverware. He asked Song Xuan to help him.

Song Xuan directly ordered Ban Feng to lead a team to demand the return of the property. If the demand failed, they would return and proceed with the formal legal process.

Ban Feng accepted the order and left. Yesterday, Qi Lecheng had made a name for himself, and everyone in the county government wanted to get promoted.

Especially when facing an "easy target," if you don't make progress now, and wait until you become a tough opponent before trying to improve, wouldn't you be breaking your own teeth?
"He looks furious."

Cai Qi stroked his beard and chuckled:
"Scholar Song should still be careful, lest his son-in-law Liu Congde cause trouble in secret."

"Thank you for the reminder, Cai Yuanwailang."

Song Xuan and Cai Qi had met before; he was the one who presided over events such as the imperial examination for the top scholar and the parade through the streets.

Di Fei asked with some curiosity, "Scholar Song, how did you persuade the Empress Dowager to agree to the verdict?"

After all, they were all incredulous when they heard the news.

Now that the official business was finished, I naturally wanted to resolve the doubts in my mind.

Seeing the curious looks in their eyes, Song Xuan smiled:
“Wang Meng was asking the Empress Dowager to speak on behalf of his son, and he found a scapegoat.”

“I advocate that the scapegoat be sentenced to death along with Wang Qixiong, and I will not back down.”

"And just like that, the Empress Dowager agreed to my judgment against Wang Qixiong."

Di Fei clicked his tongue in amazement.

He knew Wang Mengzheng would definitely find an excuse to exonerate his son, but he didn't expect Song Xuan to be so firm, leaving the Empress Dowager speechless and agreeing directly.

This is not the first time Song Xuan has targeted relatives of the empress; it is the second time.

Liu Sui, however, felt that Song Xuan must have been hiding some information.

He couldn't spread what the Empress Dowager had said in public.

Having resolved their doubts, Liu Sui and the others did not linger there but returned to report to the prime ministers.

Perhaps I'll have to go on a business trip to another city to find more crimes against Wang Mengzheng. He's so arrogant in Tokyo, wouldn't he become a local tyrant if he went out to other places?

"Write a letter to your older brother and ask him to cooperate carefully."

After hearing Song Xuan's words, Zhong Shicai thanked him repeatedly. After finishing writing the letter there, he went directly to the post station to find someone to deliver it.

Such a great thing! His older brother is already over forty years old. If he is suppressed again, how many more years of career can he expect?

Song Xuan had already placed spies in the bathroom, and Wang Shu was also frequently running around, but it was unclear whether it was because Kaifeng County had better drainage.

The man's alchemy has not been affected, but there has been no progress at all.

Song Xuan had no good solution to Wang Shu's question.

These kinds of killers are elusive and can only be waited for passively. The bait has already been laid, but the killer isn't falling for it yet, so there's nothing you can do.

The fish-catching contest was in full swing, and Liu Congde said excitedly:
“Scholar Song, the large quantity of grain I brought is about to arrive; it’s all piled up at the new dock.”

Wang Yufeng recently followed Liu Congde and heard the good news that he had been appointed as an official. He was also learning river management experience from Song Xuan.

Simply a surprise.

Even if his elder brother is about to die, he still has the Wang family lineage. As long as he obediently follows Song Xuan, the family will surely survive.

"Oh!"

Song Xuan's eyes lit up; so much grain had finally arrived! "Is the cart and horse stable enough?"

"Not enough."

Liu Congde wanted to ask Song Xuan for help:
“Not only has my grain arrived, but the grain from the other grain merchants in Tokyo has also arrived. They want to compete with me for the market.”

"And then there's Zhongli Jin, who has dozens of ships that transport exotic flowers and strange rocks, piled up at the dock, trying to steal my carriage and horse shop."

The city of Tokyo relies on waterway transportation, but now that the river has been blocked by Song Xuan, they can only hire carriage companies to transport goods.

Transport capacity is extremely tight, and it is no longer possible to go directly to the docks outside Tokyo as before.

Song Xuan never expected that Zhongli Jin, who was studying Buddhism, would have acquired dozens of strange flowers and rocks.

"Scholar Song, do you find Zhongli Jin strange?"

"That's right. I think it's normal for him to get some grain, and it's also normal for him to get some exotic flowers and rocks at this time. After all, those who practice Buddhism have some refined interests."

"But if he builds dozens of them, that's a huge problem!"

"Hahaha." Liu Congde noticed Song Xuan's puzzled expression:
"In Tokyo today, it's not just about making achievements to get promoted; the most important thing is having people speak up for you."

“If someone speaks up for you, you naturally need to send them something.”

"bribe?"

Song Xuan really didn't expect that Zhong Lijin, a person with such a strong Buddhist nature, would engage in bribery!

"Not everyone is as capable as Scholar Song, and also wins the favor of the Empress Dowager."

Seeing Song Xuan's confused look, Liu Congde knew that he was certainly unaware of the full extent of the darkness in officialdom.

The imperial court can arrange a normal promotion for you in an official position outside the capital, but once you get to the capital, there are only a few positions available.

Unless, like Zhang Qi, Empress Liu directly created a trap for him, setting a precedent of having two Privy Councilors in the court.

"Yes, don't be fooled by his Buddhist appearance."

Liu Congde said smugly:
"As far as I know, he had a close relationship with Ding Wei back then, and he had also bribed him."

"Ding Wei?"

Song Xuan chuckled a few times: "This is getting more and more interesting."

"Now Ding Wei's luxurious residence has been bestowed upon the young lady's family, and the exotic flowers and strange rocks in that garden are all the work of Zhong Lijin."

After listening to Liu Congde's explanation, Song Xuan finally understood that Zhong Lijin was experiencing path dependence.

Song Xuan originally believed that the Flower and Stone Tribute was a dream message from Laozi to Emperor Huizong of Song, and believed that the strange stones contained the power of a coiled dragon. Therefore, he spent twenty years collecting strange stones, which started the trend of appreciating strange stones in China.

He never imagined that this kind of appreciation of strange rocks already had a niche group of people who enjoyed it.

Mi Fu was known as a "stone fanatic" because he would worship any strangely shaped stone he saw.

Of course, it's possible that he's just a madman, and it's normal for him to engage in performance art.

"These exotic flowers and strange rocks aren't valuable, are they?"

"Scholar Song is joking. What value could a worthless stone possibly have?"

Liu Congde chuckled at first, then his expression turned serious:
"I don't know what these people who like to look at strange rocks are thinking."

"But there is one thing I am very dissatisfied with right now."

“Zhong Lijin, as the prefectural judge of Kaifeng, actually abused his power, first transporting his broken stones, and blocking my grain at the dock.”

"Is there no justice left?"

"Exactly! He knowingly broke the law; is there no justice left?"

Wang Yufeng also chimed in:
“I don’t know that there is a food shortage in the capital city. The most important thing is to make sure the people have enough to eat as soon as possible. Zhongli Jin is not fit to be a prefect.”

"what?"

Song Xuan scrutinized the two of them very carefully.

"I don't know."

"This matter is so simple and clear, what is there that Scholar Song doesn't understand?"

Song Xuan pointed at Liu Congde and asked, "Who are you?"

"I am Liu Congde!"

Liu Congde looked puzzled; he didn't understand why Song Xuan was asking this question.

"Zhong Lijin, as the Vice Prefect of Kaifeng, abuses his power. How could he possibly abuse it more than you, the nephew of the First Lady?"

"Scholar Song, stop being so sarcastic."

Liu Congde patted his chest and said:

"My purpose in reselling grain is threefold: first, to take advantage of the situation; second, to make money cleanly; and third, to never break the law."

"At least we can't do that in front of Scholar Song; we have to give you face."

Wang Yufeng knew that his brother-in-law was afraid that Song Xuan would bring him to justice, and in the end he would lose his money and food, and all his hard work would be for nothing.

He had to start learning how to abide by the laws of the Song Dynasty.

Wang Yufeng was certain that if Song Zhuangyuan hadn't been serving as the magistrate of Kaifeng, he wouldn't have believed his brother-in-law would have given face to others once he was promoted and transferred elsewhere.

"Hahaha, that's it."

Song Xuan found it somewhat amusing that Liu Congde actually wanted to take the formal route to warn Zhong Lijin.

For a moment, he felt a little uncomfortable with Liu Congde's desire to turn over a new leaf.

"Leave this to me."

Song Xuan patted his chest and guaranteed, "If I can arrest one of the prefectural magistrates of Kaifeng, I can arrest another."

"Yeah."

Liu Congde was overjoyed; this was exactly what Song Xuan had been waiting for.

"Let's hurry up and go."

"and many more."

Song Xuan grabbed the impatient Liu Congde:

"You mean that besides you, other grain merchants' grains have also been transported here?"

"correct."

Song Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly: "In that case, I'll have the cart and horse company transport their grain first."

"what?"

Liu Congde never imagined that his efforts would benefit others: "How could the top scholar Song betray his own side?"

“These people have their grain piled up on the ships, which makes it easy for them to transport it away. Let’s trap them first. Once the grain enters Tokyo, they will definitely not be able to get out.”

Liu Congde did not understand Song Xuan's arrangement:
"But if they bring in grain, won't my grain fetch a lower price?"

"I will allow food prices in Tokyo to continue to rise."

"The more you stockpile, the more you can sell."

"They might be able to fight you to a draw if they're all together, but they're not of one mind, so you can eventually take them all on."

"this?"

Liu Congde was also calculating in his mind that if Song Xuan ordered that rice prices continue to rise, it would be extremely beneficial to him.

"But."

"Here's what we'll do: one team of you will transport grain to Tokyo City every day."

Song Xuan gave Liu Congde another idea:

“Let them transport it on the first day, and you transport it on the second day. Don’t say we’re bullying them.”

"In a few days, they will also be transporting grain in a steady stream. At that time, you will still have more connections, at least you have the imperial court to back you up. Do they have that?"

"Not bad."

Liu Congde felt that something was amiss, but at least Song Xuan did not completely favor the grain merchants.

"Let's go and take a look at the scene."

Song Xuan stood up: "You all know how to ride horses, right?"

"That's for sure."

The horses raised by Liu Congde and his men were warhorses, and their quality was much better than the one Song Xuan bought from Sima Guang.

The group rode horses and donkeys toward the new dock.

Upon receiving the news, Zhong Lijin immediately went to the new dock to ensure that her belongings could be transported to Tokyo as soon as possible.

I've secured the position of Prefect of Kaifeng!

So when he arrived at the dock, he immediately revealed his identity and asked the carriage company to put down the belongings of everyone else and transport his goods first.

Who would dare offend this newly arrived Vice Prefect of Kaifeng?
It is said that he could produce relics between his eyebrows, which earned him the trust of the Empress Dowager.

He is likely to succeed the next Prefect of Kaifeng.

In the capital city of Kaifeng, who would dare to offend the Prefect of Kaifeng?
"Should we go and talk to Scholar Song about this?"

"Yes, at worst we can give Scholar Song face and maintain low grain prices for a few days, which is just like stockpiling grain here."

"What if the moisture gets too heavy and the grain gets damp? Then it won't fetch a good price."

"Yes, the Liu family has more grain transport ships than we do."

"If we hadn't sought out Scholar Song, our grain wouldn't have made it to the capital, Tokyo."

While the grain merchants were still discussing their plans, Liu Congde received the news and went directly to Song Xuan.

"Scholar Song was so wise that he never restricted grain prices, which always makes me uneasy."

"Song Zhuangyuan was brilliant, but he only served as an official for a short time. Now the court has grain to provide disaster relief and a fish-catching competition where people can make money."

“The people can’t afford to buy this batch of grain, but we will definitely be able to sell it to him.”

“If the Liu family uses their power, all of our grain will be piled up here.”

They could actually lower the price of grain so that people would travel long distances to buy it.

But once you've reached the ninety-ninth step and are about to make a fortune, who can resist the temptation?
"Let's go, otherwise we'll lose all the grain here, and that will break my heart."

"You two go and find out what they're thinking. If Scholar Song can help us, we'll reluctantly lower the price for three days, otherwise we won't make much money."

"Good good."

The grain merchants then reached an agreement and rode off on their donkeys to find Song Xuan, hoping he could uphold justice.

You Hui never expected to run into Song Xuan on the way, so he quickly went to greet him.

“Please wait, Master Song. I am You Hui, the president of the Grain Association of Dongjing City. I am on my way to see you.”

Song Xuan reined in the horse, glanced at him, and realized he had never seen him before.

However, the bailiffs did not allow him to enter the circle.

"What's the matter?"

"Master Song," You Hui said after bowing.

“Zhongli Tongpan wants to transport his strange stones by cart and horse at the new dock. Dozens of boats carrying exotic flowers and strange stones will probably take ten days and ten nights to transport them all.”

"But we, the men who brought the grain, have no carts or horses available. If the grain is delayed for too long, we fear it will all be lost here."

"That's why I dared to go back and ask Lord Song to uphold justice for us. I hope the carriage company can transport our grain first, and then transport the stones belonging to Magistrate Zhongli."

After listening to Liu Congde's request, Song Xuan simply nodded:
“I can’t make the decision on this matter either. After all, Magistrate Zhongli has already made an agreement with the carriage company. If the contract is broken, who will pay the compensation?” “I will pay, I will pay.”

You Hui readily agreed, saying that this loss was nothing.

If it rains heavily, all this grain will be ruined. It's best to store it all in the granary so that everyone can have more money in their pockets.

Liu Congde glanced at him, thinking, "I was here first."

He got away with this for nothing. This isn't over yet. You just wait!

If I can't deal with Song Xuan, can't I at least deal with you guys?

So the group hurried toward the new dock.

Zhong Lijin looked at the strange rock and liked it more and more.

No one else understood the benefits of this strange rock.

"Xu."

Song Xuan reined in his horse and heard Ban Feng ride his donkey and announce his number:

"When Master Song arrived, the manager of the new wharf stepped forward to continue the conversation."

So the tax collector hurried over and bowed.

He had been accompanying Zhongli Jin, the prefectural magistrate of Kaifeng, but now he had abandoned her.

The title of Song Tai Sui is much more prestigious than that of the newly arrived Zhongli Tongpan.

The workers hoisting the strange rocks at the dock were still chanting their work songs.

If they let their guard down, the boulder will probably fall into the water.

"I was unaware of your arrival, sir; I have failed to greet you properly."

"It doesn't matter."

Song Xuan dismounted from his horse, holding up his whip, and said:
"I see that these craftsmen work very hard. Have you ever been harsh on them?"

"Don't dare, don't dare."

The official quickly waved his hand, saying that the temporary dock setting up here had actually made money for the surrounding villagers.

Song Xuan nodded and asked Ban Feng to go and deliver the message.

If they encounter any injustice while working here, or if anyone owes them wages, they can go to Kaifeng County to find Song Xuan.

Upon hearing the county official speak, the porters readily agreed.

Ban Feng nodded and then added that if anyone encountered any injustices that needed to be resolved, they could immediately go to Song Qingtian for help.

He began to praise Song Qingtian for his unparalleled ability to solve cases.

These people were aware of Song Xuan's name, but they would never dare to file a lawsuit against him unless absolutely necessary.

"Okay, register it."

Song Xuan listened to the clerk's report:
"You've worked hard these past few days. If you do a good job, I will also write your name on the commendation form."

"Thank you, sir."

The clerk was even more delighted; he truly hadn't expected to have such an opportunity.

Now that Song Xuan is in charge, if he says he'll record it for you, then he definitely will.

There is no doubt about it.

Seeing how Song Xuan, a mere county magistrate, could win the hearts of so many people, Zhong Lijin felt a slight pang of envy.

However, Zhongli Jin also had his pride. Song Xuan never had the chance to experience the late-blooming success of Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang. He felt that Song Xuan's life had been wasted!
"Magistrate Song".

Although Zhong Lijin thought this way, his years of Buddhist practice had instilled in him a good habit of being cautious in his words and actions.

"The 'fish-catching competition' is so busy, yet you still come here to inspect it."

"Zhongli Tongpan".

Song Xuan didn't stand on ceremony either:

“I didn’t want to come, but someone complained about you, so I rushed over to see you.”

"Who?"

Zhong Lijin suddenly felt a little angry. She spent a little money on her hobby and then "prematurely" signed a contract with the carriage company.

Why are there still people making false accusations?

What a bunch of damn troublemakers!
You Hui shrank back, not daring to meet Zhong Lijin's anger at all. On the contrary, Liu Congde stepped forward and spoke:
"I."

After Liu Congde finished speaking, he snorted at him.

You're lucky to have the top scholar of the Song Dynasty in charge.

Otherwise, what kind of bullshit contract is this? There's no need for all this trouble. Even if you're the Prefectural Magistrate of Kaifeng, you'd still have to obediently give way.

Otherwise, let that pile of broken stones all sink to the bottom.

You Hui was surprised that Liu Congde would take the initiative to step forward, which changed his opinion of him somewhat.

Upon seeing that it was Liu Congde, the eldest aunt's nephew, Zhong Lijin's tone immediately softened:

"If Prefect Liu has anything to say, just tell me directly. Why bother having Magistrate Song come all the way here?"

"I have come on private business, so of course I need Scholar Song to convey my message. Otherwise, wouldn't I be abusing my power and oppressing the people?"

Zhong Lijin clearly understood Liu Congde's sarcastic remarks.

This pre-drafted contract was enough of an excuse for those grain merchants, but for Liu Congde, it was an insult.

Most importantly, Liu Congde felt that he had to honestly follow the rules and hire a carriage company.

If an official breaks the rules now, how can things possibly succeed?
Song Xuan.

You must punish him severely.

Let me, Liu Congde, also experience the feeling of being protected by the laws of the Song Dynasty.

After all, he had never taken the laws of the Song Dynasty seriously and always trampled on them, and no one could punish him anyway.

“Prefect Liu, I have a contract that I signed with the carriage company in advance. Let me show it to you.”

"No need," Liu Congde quickly stopped him. "I don't want to look at that kind of fake stuff, lest it offend my eyes."

"this."

Zhong Lijin felt somewhat embarrassed. In fact, he also wanted to give Liu Congde some rare flowers and stones and did not want to make enemies with him.

“Prefect Zhongli, let me take a look.”

Song Xuan gave Zhong Lijin a way out, and Zhong Lijin showed a relaxed expression. She quickly took it out from her sleeve and handed it to Song Xuan.

When Song Xuan opened it, he saw that it was from two months ago that Zhong Lijin had made an agreement with the carriage company to transport thirty-three boats full of exotic flowers and strange rocks to Tokyo.

It's an obvious lie!

Two months ago, these stones could have been directly transported into the Bian River and into the city of Tokyo; all that would have been needed then was to hire people to move them.

As for hiring a carriage company, they couldn't hire them for that long.

Song Xuan did not immediately point out such a flaw:

"I didn't know that Magistrate Zhongli had such leisure and refined tastes. What is it about these exotic flowers and strange rocks that attracts you?"

Upon hearing this, Zhongli Jin immediately became interested:
"Even the Song Dynasty's top scholar, who was learned in both ancient and modern times, did not know much about these strange rocks."

"This strange rock is a rare treasure of the world, and can only be collected in a prosperous era."

“If you look closely at its wrinkled, exposed, slender, and translucent characteristics, the more you look, the more beautiful it becomes.”

Song Xuan raised an eyebrow; he felt that something was off about what Zhong Lijin had said.

"Not to mention that these strange stones are the essence of heaven and earth, spiritual objects from a fairyland, taking hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of years to form such a shape."

"By absorbing spiritual energy amidst these strange rocks, you will surely be blessed with many children and much happiness."

"It can also help me gather divine power, and it was retrieved from Taihu Lake, which also gathers the spiritual energy of the lake."

"The finest among them are spiritual objects that connect heaven and earth, rare treasures."

"In short, these strange rocks have many benefits."

"If Magistrate Song is also interested, I will carefully select a few and present them to you in your courtyard. They will surely cure all your family's ailments, bring you many children and blessings, and ensure a bright future!"

Hearing Zhong Lijin's explanation, Song Xuan coughed:
“Prefect Zhongli, I remember these are Taoist sayings. Aren’t you a Buddhist?”

"You, me."

Zhong Lijin never expected that Song Xuan would also understand these kinds of arguments.

After the suppression of Buddhism by Emperor Shizong of the Later Zhou Dynasty, Buddhism has begun to absorb some doctrines of the indigenous Taoism in order to survive better.

Therefore, it is not surprising at all that he directly adopted these statements from Taoism.

Yes, even Buddhism is starting to incorporate fusion recipes and play the survival of the fittest game.

Liu Congde chuckled.

What didn't the top scholar Song know?
The Journey to the West is still performed daily in the entertainment districts, and people want to see it again and again.

Not only do many children like it, but adults do too.

If Song Zhuangyuan hadn't known about Buddhism and Taoism, could he have written such an engaging piece?

To think that these street fortune tellers could fool the top scholar Song was utterly delusional.

"Zhongli Tongpan".

Song Xuan lowered his voice and said:
"You know that Tokyo is short of food. With so much food piled up here, it's going to cause trouble for the Empress Dowager."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Lijin looked at Liu Congde and was startled.

As for gift-giving, it's fine for them to know about it privately. If it gets to the Empress Dowager's ears, wouldn't everything be for nothing?
"What should I do?"

"How about this, Prefect Zhongli should suffer a loss, and it's best not to make enemies with Prefect Liu."

Zhong Lijin nodded in deep agreement. He was still hoping Liu Congde would put in a good word for him, so how could he afford to offend him first!
"He wants to transport all the grain from the river to the capital as soon as possible. There's no rush to transport the strange stone. He'll take care of that first. I wonder what Magistrate Zhongli thinks?"

Hearing Song Xuan's question, Zhong Lijin hesitated for a moment, but in fact he didn't have many choices at all.

He assumed that all the ships docked at the pier belonged to the grain merchants of Tokyo.

“Scholar Song, I wanted to control grain prices, so I tried to forcibly move my things. It was absolutely not an abuse of power for personal gain.”

Zhong Lijin wanted to curb the rise in grain prices; if these grain merchants transported the grain back, prices would likely rise again.

“I understand Zhongli Tongpan’s good intentions, of course.”

Song Xuan knew that Zhongli Jin's goal was to become the Prefect of Kaifeng, so he automatically assumed some of the Prefect's duties.

"But for the sake of the people of Tokyo, we must transport grain first, and then transport stones."

"Prefect Liu came to me this time, but who knows who he'll have to talk to next time? Why not take this opportunity to establish a friendship so it will be easier for you to visit him in the future?"

"That's it, that's all."

For Liu Congde's sake, Zhong Lijin had no choice but to give in. Since Song Xuan didn't understand her good intentions, there was nothing else she could do.

Now Liu Congde has only brought Song Xuan here. If he goes to the Empress Dowager to complain next time, wouldn't he really lose both his wife and his army?
Moreover, he felt that Song Xuan was absolutely right. If he made concessions on this matter, he would have the opportunity to visit Liu Congde, give him some unusual stones, and spread some of his ideas.

That way, he can speak up for me in front of the Empress Dowager, killing two birds with one stone.

The path that Song Xuan pointed out to him was still feasible.

Zhong Lijin quickly realized that Song Xuan had probably already figured out his purpose in transporting these exotic flowers and stones.

He's definitely a smart person.

"I will heed the advice of Scholar Song."

What else did Zhong Lijin remember?
"I'll give Scholar Song some jasmine flowers. They can be used to scent tea, giving it a jasmine fragrance, which is not common in the capital city of Tokyo."

“Alright, if Magistrate Zhongli gives me more, I’ll also give some to my wife.”

Song Xuan felt that he could make some jasmine perfume in time.

Zhong Lijin readily agreed. He wasn't afraid that Song Xuan would ask for too much; he was just afraid that Song Xuan wouldn't accept it.

The more he asks, the less likely Song Xuan will publicize this matter, which puts my mind at ease.

Zhong Lijin personally went to the boat to select jasmine flowers.

Song Xuan nodded to Liu Congde, indicating that the matter had been resolved.

Grain merchants were gathered outside, unaware of what the three officials were saying.

It seems that now that the jackals have been driven away, tigers and leopards have arrived.

In short, it had nothing to do with those foxes.

Seeing this, You Hui quickly mustered his courage and spoke up:
"Master Song, has Magistrate Zhongli agreed to temporarily suspend the transport of grain?"

Song Xuan nodded: "Not bad."

With a smile on his face, You Hui said with a hint of joy, "Then we can also use the carriage and horse shop."

Song Xuan pointed to Liu Congde standing to the side: "You'll probably still have to queue up, because Prefect Liu also needs to transport grain."

Liu Congde, with his nose in the air, couldn't be bothered to look at this group of people who were competing with him for profit.

Upon hearing this, You Hui quickly replied:

“Master Song, we are just small business owners. If this grain is affected by rain, it will be completely destroyed here, and we will lose everything.”

"But Liu Congde's grain will also suffer from this situation. Compared to you seasoned grain merchants, he's a novice!"

Hearing Song Xuan speak up for Liu Congde, You Hui became somewhat anxious. He usually said that Song, the top scholar, was a just and upright official who stood up for the people, but now it seemed that this was not the case.

If Liu Congde's grain enters the market, it will inevitably seize a large portion of their market share.

Perhaps these are all tactics used by the government.

We've come this far, how can we give up just because of the last step?

“Sir Song, if you feel that the grain prices in the capital city are too high recently, we are willing to lower the prices appropriately.”

You Hui set his conditions: seize the market first, but do not raise grain prices too much.

"There's absolutely no need for that," Song Xuan quickly waved his hand.
"My philosophy is that the higher the price you sell at, the higher the taxes the government collects. So don't worry, I won't stop you from selling at high prices at all; in fact, I'll allow you to raise prices."

Song Xuan's words left You Hui somewhat bewildered.

He couldn't tell whether Song Xuan was telling the truth or lying.

They could either help Liu Congde stabilize himself and others, and let Liu Congde seize the market first.

Or is that really what he thinks?

“Sir Song, our grain store has a unified price adjustment system, but many of our customers are small business owners and simply cannot afford to lose money.”

"Could you please make a trip for us when you have some free time, instead of waiting until Prefect Liu has finished transporting all the grain?

You Hui pleaded repeatedly, but Song Xuan said he was in a difficult position and that he needed to persuade Liu Congde.

Liu Congde had assumed that Song Xuan would agree immediately, since they had already discussed it before leaving.

Unexpectedly, this was the explanation given, so Liu Congde also adopted the same approach.

Song Xuan patiently communicated with Liu Congde, and they finally reached an agreement.

Liu Congde was instructed to hire carts and horses to transport the grain for two days, then deliver it to the grain association for another day, and so on, until all the grain was transported to Tokyo.

Everyone was happy with this outcome, and You Hui and the others thanked Song Xuan repeatedly.

We finally managed to snatch the food from the tiger's mouth.

Otherwise, just waiting around aimlessly will drive you crazy with worry.

Song Xuan carried a lot of jasmine flowers, and his subordinates also followed with flowerpots.

Zhong Lijin wanted to continue examining his strange stone. He liked it very much and felt that others would also appreciate it if he recommended it.

"Scholar Song, we clearly made an agreement, why did you..."

Liu Congde was also very happy because Song Xuan had kept his expectations very low before he left.

But when he arrived at the scene, he discovered that Song Xuan had arranged for him to take advantage of the situation.

They showed absolutely no intention of prioritizing the grain merchants before leaving home.

Liu Congde was satisfied with Song Xuan's arrangements, and the grain merchants were extremely grateful.

"I discovered they weren't telling me the truth."

Song Xuan smiled as he smelled the jasmine fragrance:
"Then why should I side with them?"

"Are ordinary people truly all standing on the side of justice when it comes to their own interests?"

"No merchant is without guile, and they're not even as honest as Magistrate Zhongli. I'm waiting to see them make a fool of themselves."

"Hahaha."

Liu Congde couldn't help but burst into laughter, thankful that he had been honest enough about this matter.

Moreover, Song Xuan also gave Liu Congde the respect he deserved.

This pleased him greatly.

The reason given, in particular, made Liu Congde extremely happy.

Wang Yufeng, standing to the side, felt that his brother-in-law had been coaxed into acting like a child by Song Zhuangyuan's casual words.

This method would be more than enough if the top scholar of the Song Dynasty were to become the most beautiful courtesan in Fanlou.

Because of a heavy rain, rice supplies decreased, and many people became disaster victims.

In the past, most local officials would immediately set limits, issue price caps on rice, or even forcibly requisition it when faced with such a situation.

However, after Song Xuan learned that a large amount of grain was about to be transported into the capital, Tokyo, he did not set a price ceiling for rice and allowed rice merchants to continue to raise prices.

Upon hearing this news, both Liu Congde and the grain merchants were overjoyed and began frantically transporting grain to Tokyo.

They were so eager to pay extra that they insisted on traveling by carriage and working through the night.

However, this news caused an uproar among the people of Tokyo.

They couldn't understand why the top scholar Song would make such a foolish decision.

The goodwill that had been built up for Song Qingtian began to decline, as people began to believe that Song Xuan was also involved in the grain trade.

Not only among the common people, but even officials in the imperial court began to criticize Song Xuan.

Song Xuan is currently enjoying immense popularity.

Everyone knows the Prefect of Kaifeng but not the Magistrate of Kaifeng.

People have long disliked him.

Fan Zhongyan had just returned from visiting relatives in Yingtian Prefecture. Upon hearing this news, before even returning to his rented residence, he went directly to find Song Xuan, wanting to get to the bottom of things.

(End of this chapter)