A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 407 Why is there a sour smell coming from the room?
“My father-in-law is right.”

Song Xuan looked at the glass artifact:
"Let's just use the two-year annual tribute as a starting point to fool them."

"What do you mean by 'fooling'?" Cao Liyong quickly corrected him: "This is a vital national asset."

"Ah, yes, yes."

Cao Yongli continued to carefully examine the gyrfalcon glass piece that emitted a seven-colored light and shone brightly.

"By the way, did you show it to the Emperor privately?"

"not yet."

Cao Liyong reminded him again:

"Find an opportunity to bring the Emperor here to see it, so that he won't have any regrets. After all, this is extremely rare to see even in our Great Song Dynasty."

"If you just hand it over to the Khitans, it will inevitably leave some gossip, which will be detrimental to you."

Song Xuan chuckled and said, "It's alright, I'll give him another set later."

Cao Liyong then looked up from the statue, staring at Song Xuan with even greater disbelief:

"You mean this thing isn't a unique piece?"

"Making another one isn't too difficult, it just takes some effort."

Song Xuan flicked it slightly, making Cao Liyong's heart skip a beat:
"But in order to let the world know that this is a unique piece, the rest should naturally not be passed down to the world, at least not easily made in this shape again."

"That's fine, at least we can get two years' worth of tribute from Liao."

Cao then muttered, "This could easily be a family heirloom, and you just took it out so easily?"

"The imperial court is the imperial court, and you are you. Officials shouldn't be so unable to distinguish between public and private matters."

“Father-in-law, glass is no big deal. Perhaps in many years, someone will be able to make it.”

Song Xuan pointed to the west:
“I remember that Arabs sold glass during the Tang Dynasty, but it had more impurities and was not as pure as this.”

"When their people come to pay tribute, we can sell them some trinkets so they can take them back with them."

"Ah."

Cao Liyong nodded.

He didn't know much about the Tang Dynasty, but the Arabs did have some good stuff.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have gone to such lengths to cross the desert and travel such a long distance to reach the Tang Dynasty.

"Alright, father-in-law, enjoy your time. I'll go back and rest for a while."

Song Xuan left the room, letting Cao Yong have his fill of looking, before going back to rest.

So that he won't feel awkward or embarrassed.

Cao Liyong was truly surprised that his son-in-law regarded money as dirt to such an extent.

After all, if this thing were to be produced, it would surely become a sensation throughout the Song Dynasty, and it wouldn't be impossible for him to become the richest man in the Song Dynasty overnight.

Because this is in Tokyo, there are actually people willing to buy this thing and take it home as a family heirloom.

Even if it's two years later, it's still fine if we can still fool the Liao emperor, Yelü Longxu.

Cao Liyong wore a smug smile on his face, thinking that he had really picked up a good son-in-law!

Song Xuan really didn't care much about glassware. In later generations, he wouldn't even feel bad if it broke, and would even remind people not to cut their hands when cleaning it up, otherwise it would be a loss.

He didn't tell his father-in-law that it was made from sand that nobody wanted.

Even if my father-in-law accidentally breaks it, I can easily transfer one from Nanjing in a short time.

For Song Xuan, commonplace items were not as appealing as weighing gold bars.

After all, everyone longs for things they've never had before.

Cao Yongli looked at this rare treasure and carefully examined it.

After a long while, it was getting dark.

Cao Yong then carefully placed the item into the box, locked it securely, and listened intently to make sure no one was around.

A single piece of tribute that could be worth two years' worth of tribute from the Song Dynasty was quite valuable.

Cao Yong didn't even need to ask; he knew that such a top-quality treasure must be extremely difficult to obtain.

As for the craftsmanship, Cao Liyong, being Song Xuan's father-in-law, wouldn't inquire about it unnecessarily.

Regardless, Cao Yongli was certain that Song Xuan would pass it on to his grandson.

That's it.

During the meal, Cao Yong knew that Song Xuan's gambling-addicted second brother was at the table, but he didn't say much.

Song Kang, on the other hand, has been enjoying himself in Tokyo lately, especially since he can openly play gambling games.

Where in Fanglema Town could you find a show like this?

He wasn't afraid of being kidnapped again by the people of Wuyou Cave.

Song Xuan was still thinking about Wuyou Cave, wondering if he dared to do something like that again.

Song Kang held a very high opinion of high-ranking officials in the Song Dynasty.

Faced with a ruthless killer like Cao Yong, he didn't dare say a word, didn't even raise his head, and just ate in silence.

After the meal, Cao Yongli simply told Song Xuan to stay home the next day and not to go early.

He will send someone to find him, and we can all work together.

We couldn't give the Khitans too much face, so we went to wait for them early in the morning.

These Di Yikes are too good at taking advantage of opportunities; they've made even higher demands.

After Song Xuan saw his father-in-law off, Zhang Fangping talked about the matter of purchasing bets.

"Twelfth Brother, this time it seems that hundreds of thousands of people have actually bought in Tokyo City."

Zhang Fangping's eyes were filled with surprise.

Because the population of Tokyo has long exceeded one million.

However, the number of people included many women, children, the elderly, the sick, and the disabled.

These people rarely have the money to buy.

However, the fact that many people spend a lot of money to bet has effectively made up for the situation where this group of people does not come to buy.

On average, almost everyone in Tokyo participated in this "fish-slacking contest".

This is also what excites Zhang Fangping.

Because in the past, apart from war, it was rare to be able to mobilize the entire population of Tokyo.

"That's good."

Song Xuan smiled, not only because he was able to overcome the current difficulties, but also because he could use the money to do more things in the future.

"Third brother," Song Kang asked cautiously, "did you place a bet?"

Song Kang has recently been gambling on his luck.

He really made the right bet and earned some money.

But when it came to the finals, he wanted to buy all the tickets.

Therefore, they hoped to get some inside information from Song Xuan.

"Second brother, you know that."

Song Xuan snorted and laughed:
"I only sell this stuff, I don't touch it."

Song Kang immediately deflated.

He did this when he sold lottery tickets in Nanjing, and he did the same when he held a poker tournament in Tokyo.

He always played it fair, letting people gamble purely on luck.

He doesn't control it at all; he's really willing to lose money.

Those who run underground gambling dens are always looking for ways to make more money!
However, Song Kang also knew that Song Xuan, as the bookmaker, would definitely win more than he would lose, and wouldn't win all of everyone's money.

It's extremely difficult to make money by getting inside information or gossip from my third brother.

Fortunately, few people in Tokyo knew him, and Tokyo was never short of gamblers.

Day two.

The Liao delegation, led by Yelü Gou'er, arrived outside the south gate of Tokyo.

In the past, Xia Shouyun and Yang Chongxun took turns serving as deputy envoys to accompany Cao Liyong.

However, today the two of them gave way, and Song Xuan also accompanied them as a deputy envoy.

Xia Shouyun was somewhat surprised.

Why would the Empress Dowager send Song Xuan to do such a thankless task?

Because some Khitans also had a strong body odor.

Yang Chongxun, a confidant of the Empress Dowager, welcomed Song Xuanlai warmly.

It would be even better if he could persuade Zhang Fangping, the third-ranked scholar, to marry his daughter.

These military generals usually didn't get into trouble themselves, but were all implicated by their descendants.

Cao Liyong was betrayed and killed by his nephew, while Yang Chongxun was betrayed and killed by his own son.

"Song Zhuangyuan, how did you feel when you made Chen Yaozu vomit blood in the imperial court that day, and you also beat Ma Jiliang in public?"

Xia Shouyun, standing to the side, greeted them quietly, knowing that the Khitans would eventually form a line and come over.

They generally did not ride horses into the territory of the Song Dynasty.

This was to prevent the Song people from replacing excellent horses or secretly breeding them.

People are easily swayed by self-interest; they can really do such things.

"The opponent was too weak, and the match wasn't exciting enough."

Xia Shouyun's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

The main reason was that he was timid by nature and relied entirely on the support of his family to rise through the ranks, rarely doing anything out of line.

Xia Shouyun thought that Song Xuan's audacity in striking the Empress Dowager's in-laws in court was so exciting that he dared to hide in the crowd and secretly laugh.

As for the news that Song Xuan had sentenced the Empress's relatives by marriage to death, Xia Shouyun was instead scolded by his son Xia Sui, which was truly gratifying and made him admire Song Xuan's handling of the matter even more.

He wasn't afraid of offending the Empress Dowager's in-laws, and the fact that the Empress Dowager didn't protect her in-laws in this matter really made Xia Shouyun wonder where the problem lay.

She wasn't like this before.

Otherwise, these in-laws wouldn't be so arrogant!
Now, his son Xia Sui, because of the changes in the Tianxiong Army that Chen Yaozi learned about, has also been promoted from an attendant of the emperor to the military commander of the Tianxiong Army, and has a real post. He can gain experience and accumulate seniority in the local area.

"The opponents were too weak, and the fight wasn't exciting enough?"

Cao Liyong also heard his son-in-law speaking, and he didn't think he was bragging.

"How many more do you want to do!"

"Father-in-law, how could I possibly take on several?"

Song Xuan curled his lip: "At this rate, I'm afraid we won't even be allowed to bring our hand tablets to court anymore."

"Hahaha."

Xia Shouyun couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Yang Shuxun, who was standing to the side, also felt that Song Xuan was different from others.

He genuinely enjoys telling jokes to us martial artists, showing no concern for the idea of ​​using literature to control martial arts and looking down on their ways.

After all, among the scholar-officials, and Song Xuan being one of the most outstanding among them, these military men were all willing to befriend him for his actions.

After all, you can't even compare to Song Zhuangyuan, so how dare you look down on us?

Yelü Gou'er is forming a line here.

He observed that the Song people in the distance appeared extremely relaxed, as if they were joking.

“We came to the Song Dynasty on horseback, and now they are here to greet us on horseback. I always feel inferior to them.”

Lu Demao could only offer some words of comfort.

We came into the Song Dynasty territory by boat, and there were Song people transporting goods along the way, so there were hardly any places to ride horses.

Moreover, Tokyo is packed with people.

Our Khitan horses are more likely to injure the weak Song people and cause trouble, which will prevent us from fulfilling Your Majesty's mission.

When we arrive, Cao Yong will have to dismount to greet us.

With Lü Demao's persuasion, Yelü Gou'er finally calmed down.

He and Cao Liyong were old acquaintances.

We had met back in our own camp.

This wasn't the first time Yelü Gou'er had come as an envoy, and he disliked Cao Li's forceful attitude.

This is also because neither side has completely defeated the other.

These military generals were still hoping to settle things on the battlefield.

But circumstances didn't allow it, so I could only suffer in silence.

As a seasoned envoy, Lü Demao was a pillar of strength and took the lead in introducing the members of the delegation.

Song Xuan heard that most of the people with the surnames Yelü and Xiao were from the family.

The others with names and surnames are probably Han officials.

Those with strange names are probably from the Xi ethnic group.

As for the other foreigners who had submitted to the Khitans, they were probably not worthy of being present in the delegation.

At this point, Cao Li, as the chief envoy, obviously wouldn't answer the deputy envoy's question.

Song Xuan gently nudged the horse's belly and rode forward.

Lu Demao was surprised to find the deputy envoy so young and became somewhat curious.

Unlike the Liao Dynasty, the Song Dynasty did not employ members of the imperial family and nobles, and the Song people were very wary of this.

Who is this?

Song Xuan then proceeded to introduce the chief envoy and the three deputy envoys in a straightforward manner. Apart from himself, the other three were all seasoned veterans in this field.

As for the high-ranking officials of the civil service, they would not personally receive these barbarians; they would only speak to them in the imperial court to avoid lowering their status.

Even if a Han Chinese who had received an education served as an official in the Liao Dynasty, the Song Dynasty civil officials would look down on him.

Even disregarding the Gongyang Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals, Han Yu of the Tang Dynasty had already stated that if feudal lords adopted barbarian customs, they should be treated as barbarians; if they adopted Chinese customs, they should be treated as Chinese.

Even the civil officials of the Song Dynasty looked down on these Han people.

Lü Demao nodded.

It turned out he was the magistrate of Kaifeng County.

It's normal for Chen Yaozuo, the prefect of Kaifeng, to be in charge of disaster relief in Huazhou, as the county magistrate, to act as the local bigwig.

Song Xuan reined in his horse and returned to the group.

Only then did the two envoys step out of their ranks.

"Doggy, what brings you here again?"

Cao Liyong looked down from his horse.

"Hey Cao, what's with your arrogance?"

Yelü Gou'er chuckled: "If you dare, let's have a match!"

"I am now the Grand Councilor of the Song Dynasty, I don't have time to spar with you."

Cao Liyong also chuckled:
“I am a man of status, I will not stoop to the level of a barbarian dog.”

"Pah, you're the cowardly southern barbarian."

The national conditions of the Song and Liao dynasties were different.

A name like "Dog" is a good name.

After all, dogs are their best hunting companions.

The term "hawk and hound" began to have a derogatory meaning in the Song Dynasty and was further reinforced in the Ming Dynasty.

"damn thing."

"Southern barbarian."

The two envoys from Song and Liao had a cordial and friendly conversation and exchanged views extensively.

Of course.

The talks between the two sides were beneficial.

After all, Yelü Gou'er and Cao Liyong hadn't seen each other for several years, so neither of them was targeting any particular party.

The main point was that each side expressed respect for their opponent.

This action brought an unpleasant meeting to a close.

Song Xuan finally understood what his father-in-law had said.

So this is the way to avoid being too nice to these Khitans.

They're just so despicable!
The two leaders started by exchanging insults, letting them know that we are not to be trifled with.

Song Xuan said on the spot that he had learned something.

So this is how diplomacy was conducted in this era.
Then he knew what to do.

The deputy envoy was very amiable.

If the host didn't smash a brick over the other party's head, then our side was indeed polite and showed the demeanor of a great power when receiving the envoy.

In reality, the current situation is that each country has hawks within its own borders who wish they could destroy the other.

However, realistically speaking, neither side has the strength to achieve this state, so neither can destroy the other.

They can only vent their frustrations by engaging in this stalemate.

Song Xuan looked at the two deputy envoys, who were watching the show with amusement, and he felt truly delighted.

The Khitans on the other side of the delegation, those who were able to come, were all people who could speak Chinese.

I found it very interesting to listen to at this moment.

The young nobleman from the Xiao family even shouted "Hit him!" which drew a burst of laughter.

Cao used Yelü Gou'er and the other man to argue until they were tired.

Only then does it proceed to the next step.

Cao Li then allowed the delegation to follow him, intending to escort them to the Ban Jing Inn for a temporary rest.

As for when they will be summoned for a routine banquet, that depends entirely on the Empress's subsequent arrangements.

Song Xuan glanced at the Khitan delegation behind him:
“Father-in-law, judging from their clothes, these people are either rich or noble, and many of them are products from our Great Song Dynasty.”

"Indeed, apart from the older generation's adherence to tradition, the young nobles of Khitan highly praise our Song Dynasty products."

"Not having Song Dynasty goods at home or on one's person was considered a sign of a lack of power."

Song Xuan nodded.

Han culture is indeed quite powerful, capable of attracting and assimilating most people from other ethnic groups.

The handicraft industry in the Liao Dynasty was not as advanced as that in the Song Dynasty.

In particular, the ban on books leaving the country makes it difficult for them to acquire additional knowledge.

"The annual tribute also played a role; otherwise, how could the Khitans have bought such luxurious Song goods with their own inferior iron coins?"

Cao Liyong actually agreed to pay tribute to the Khitans, which was a case of getting a lot done with a little money.

But he had no idea what the future held.

What if the Khitans become increasingly greedy and want to increase the annual tribute?
He did not object to Song Xuan's desire to find out the situation in the Liao Dynasty.

However, as mentioned before, they were going to expand into the Northwest, where the Western Xia people and many other ethnic groups were not easy to deal with.

Although the Khitans do not directly clash with the Song Dynasty, they incite the Western Xia to wage war against the Song Dynasty in order to profit from it.

Cao Liyong's biggest worry was that his son-in-law would actually go to the Northwest to serve as an official and deal with the Western Xia people.

If they win, they can intimidate the Khitans, but if they lose, they will be in trouble.

These Khitans will certainly not miss the opportunity to take advantage of the chaos, and may even seize the chance to make new unreasonable demands.

Yelü Longxu was worried that Zhao Zhen would launch a war after his new ascension to the throne, because he had previously failed in his attack on Western Xia.

At that time, the Liao state was in a precarious situation where it could be attacked from both sides by the Song and Xia dynasties, leaving it exhausted and unable to cope. He had no choice but to worry.

Even seasoned veterans can't predict what a newbie in the Bronze rank will do next.

"Then I'll show them what real luxury Song Dynasty goods are like, and make them crave them."

Song Xuan chuckled and lightly nudged the horse's belly.

Xia Shouyun didn't know what it was, but could only guess that it was something like silk, which the Khitans really liked.

Yang Shuxun often walked the streets, so he knew about it. It was said that Liu Congde, the nephew of the eldest aunt, would be auctioning a priceless treasure at Fanlou, something called something like a glass falcon.

But what does this have to do with Song Zhuangyuan?
He doesn't understand.

Xiao Pidi was about the same age as Yelü Zongfu. He looked at the younger Song deputy envoy and spoke in the same manner:

"I noticed that this young man seems to be very popular with the people around him."

"how you said that?"

Yelü Zongfu snapped out of his reverie, having been observing the people of Dongjing City.

Because he discovered that there were also disaster victims outside Tokyo.

I thought the people in Tokyo would be all frowning and miserable because of the food shortage.

There were even scenes of people freezing to death on the roads, while the rich feasted on meat and wine behind their gates.

He can go back to the Liao Kingdom and give the people of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun a good talk.

After all, even the people in the capital of the Song Dynasty lived in such poverty.

If you defect to them again, you won't have a good life either.

Such defections occur frequently.

But Yelü Zongfu was disappointed.

He truly saw no sign of sorrow on the faces of the people.

There weren't even many beggars on the street. Was it because an envoy had arrived and the Song people deliberately drove them away to avoid disturbing the sight?

Yelü Zongfu believed that the Song government was capable of doing such a thing.

Not only that, some people were even talking about how low the grain prices were.

It's a pity I didn't seize the opportunity to buy several bushels of grain back then, otherwise I would have saved the money for a bushel of grain.

Some people were also talking about betting on something like a "slacking off contest".

In short, no one discussed the extent of the disaster.

This disappointed Yelü Zongfu.

"Because I noticed that most of these people bowed to the young Magistrate Song, while ignoring the other three."

Xiao Pidi glanced at Yelü Zongfu:
"We should investigate this person thoroughly. The Song people won't simply let a young man do things."

"Moreover, I remember that the official robes of county magistrates in the Song Dynasty were green, but he was wearing a vermilion robe and a gold belt around his waist."

"Could he really be just a minor county magistrate?"

"Ok!"

Yelü Zongfu only then realized what was happening and had to praise Xiao Pidi for his meticulousness.

"That's right. This person could not possibly be a mere county magistrate; he must have been hiding his identity."

"Correct."

Xiao Pidi thought so too.

Because Yelü Zongfu was originally a Han Chinese.

He thought Yelü Zongfu would discover it sooner.

Unexpectedly, he always went to see the scenery of Tokyo.

What's there to see here?

Even when the Yellow River breached its banks, the capital city of Bianjing (Kaifeng) remained incredibly prosperous.

Wealth and luxury are truly dazzling; that's certainly true.

This situation was also very common in the Liao Dynasty. Could the lives of ordinary Khitan people be the same as those of Khitan nobles?

Their social classes are even more distinct, with the outcome determined directly at the point of birth.

Although the Liao Dynasty also adopted the imperial examination system, the court was mostly populated by Khitan nobles, whose positions were hereditary. The Han Chinese who rose to power through the imperial examinations were also prominent families in the Yan-Yun region.

Ordinary people had far fewer opportunities to take the imperial examinations compared to those in the Song Dynasty.

In the Liao Dynasty, very few commoners could climb the social ladder and change their family's fate; the channels for upward mobility were almost completely blocked by hereditary families.

"Once we get to the embassy, ​​we'll test him."

"Alright."

Xiao Pidi lost both his parents when he was a month old. He was raised in the palace by the Empress and later married Princess Qin Jin, becoming her consort.

He was favored by the current Empress Xiao Pusa, and naturally joined the delegation on behalf of the Empress's power.

As the younger brother of Imperial Concubine Xiao Nujin, Xiao Xiaoxian naturally kept a close eye on Xiao Pidi.

He rolled his eyes at one point as he listened to Yelü Zongfu's rambling on and on.

Xiao Nujin had always wanted to overthrow Xiao Pusa and become the Empress of the Liao Dynasty.

Yelü Zongfu and Xiao Pidi had a good relationship mainly because Yelü Zongfu (Han Dilu) was also raised in the palace by the emperor from a young age and was adopted as his son.

The next emperor treated him with the respect due to an elder brother, and the Han family had been wealthy and powerful in the Liao Kingdom for generations.

The factions within the entire Khitan mission were extremely complex.

Even if they share the same surname, Xiao, they would still hinder each other. It would be better to be closer to those with the surname Yelü and others.

Inside the Ban Jing Hall.

Yan Duan, a Jurchen from the Song Dynasty, spoke with Duan Shaolian and subtly inquired about Song Xuan.

Guo Yanduan had not expected Song Xuan to be so powerful.

He also has connections.

The Privy Councilor, the highest-ranking military officer in the Song Dynasty, was his father-in-law.

This kind of status was something he, a Jurchen, could never have imagined.

Duan Shaolian only mentioned a few fragments; there was no need to tell the Jurchens many things.

Especially since he was sent to infiltrate, how could he allow the other side to know too much about him?
He also wanted to hear them speak the Jurchen language so that he could better fulfill his role as a spy.

However, Guo Yanduan and his son were very cautious and rarely spoke of the Jurchens in front of him.

He appeared completely open and honest.

Who knows what they might say when they sleep in the same room behind each other's backs?
Duan Shaolian is not good at fighting.

He's not good at eavesdropping; in fact, it would easily expose him.

Although Guo Yanduan's son, Guo Yanyu, couldn't leave because he had no money, he still attracted attention when he talked to people around the embassy.

The people of the Song Dynasty always loved to watch a spectacle.

Especially with that hairstyle, people thought he was a Khitan, and they all came to watch the spectacle like they were watching a monkey show.

Most importantly, this barbarian can also speak Chinese, which makes it even more interesting.

But Tokyo was a city full of hidden talents, and there were indeed people who recognized him as a Jurchen.

However, not many people believe it.

The Jurchens haven't come to the Song Dynasty for many years.

I haven't heard any rumors about the two sides re-establishing diplomatic relations.

Just then, someone shouted that Master Song had arrived on a tall horse, followed by a delegation of Khitan people.

Everyone in Tokyo knew this; they weren't there to offer birthday wishes, but to collect the 300,000 taels of silver as a New Year's gift.

However, to everyone's surprise, Song Taisui was also in the delegation this year, which really puzzled them.

Could it be that Attendant Cao is no longer able to do the job and wants to train his son-in-law to take over?
Upon hearing this, Guo Yanyu hurriedly returned to Banjing Pavilion.

"Father, the Khitans have arrived. There are quite a few of them. It looks like they're really going to move in."

Upon hearing his son's words, Guo Yanduan quickly said to Duan Shaolian:

"Vice Envoy Duan, the Khitans have always been arrogant towards the Jurchens. You must protect our safety."

"Don't worry, as long as you don't provoke the Khitans, if they bully you, Master Song will stand up for you."

Guo Yanduan nodded repeatedly.

If he didn't know about Song Xuan's relationship, he would definitely question the deputy envoy in front of him.

However, given Song Xuan's special status, Guo Yanduan still had some confidence.

He walked directly to the side, slightly opened a crack in the window, and carefully looked outside.

Guo Yanduan wanted to see if there was anyone he recognized in the Khitan delegation.

"Dad, what are you doing?"

"Let me take a look at these Khitans."

He was greeted by three military officers, and then the first person to enter was Master Song.

There were no eunuchs accompanying him this time, and in his eyes, it must have been the high-ranking official Song who was instigated.

A group of servants followed them in, and the Khitans stormed in en masse.

They were all speaking in Khitan, and they didn't want the Song people to hear what they were saying anymore.

These were all specifically instructed before the mission.

Even if everyone speaks official jargon, don't take the initiative to do so.

The Song people should also learn the Khitan language.

In this respect, the Khitans' behavior was somewhat contradictory.

They are now becoming increasingly reliant on the various goods and novelties of the Song Dynasty, and even imitate its poetry and songs.

They said these were all good things from the Song Dynasty, which would surely make people envious.

However, in some aspects, we must still adhere to their habits and not accept Sinicization.

Cao Liyong sat in the main seat, with Yelü Gou'er sitting on the other side.

The Khitans felt slighted by the Song people and always wanted to get revenge.

The Song people, on the other hand, believed that the Khitans were greedy and always wanted more.

The deputy envoy and the others took their seats, as the Khitans opposite them seemed to need far too many chairs.

The Song delegation consisted of only three people, including Song Xuan, sitting opposite each other, drinking tea and observing the Khitans.

Lü Demao noticed that the two instigators had been chatting happily just now, so they must have been tired from talking.

Once inside the embassy, ​​everyone should be able to have a calm and peaceful chat.

So he, the deputy envoy, also began to sized up the young deputy envoy opposite him.

"Vice Envoy Song, I've heard that the Great Song Dynasty has produced a youngest scholar who has achieved the highest honors in the imperial examinations, passing all three levels of the imperial examinations. He's also surnamed Song. Do you know him?"

Lü Demao knew that the previous top scholar who achieved the highest honors in all three categories was surnamed Song.

"No talent, it's me."

Upon hearing Song Xuan's answer, Lü Demao was visibly taken aback.

Is the Song court now so bold in its personnel selection?
Tokyo is a city with a population of one million. How can someone with little governance experience do a good job governing it?

Lu Demao's first suspicion was that the current ruler, Empress Liu E, was getting senile.

Some even speculated that the child might be Liu E's illegitimate son.

"You are Song Twelve!"

Yelü Shucheng, who was sitting in the second row, shouted.

He knew some of Song Twelve's poems, and he also really enjoyed reading Journey to the West.

On the contrary, I wasn't familiar with Song Xuan's name, and I didn't feel much when he introduced himself as surnamed Song at the door.

I just felt that the Song surname was the imperial surname, which is why so many talented people emerged from it, just like the Han family.

Everyone turned to look, and the Khitan nobles, knowing that Yelü Shucheng was very studious, were puzzled by his behavior.

Song Xuan glanced at the rather young Khitan man who had stood up, and tilted his head:

"Indeed, how did you know I was the twelfth in line?"

"Hahaha."

Yelü Shucheng performed a Khitan salute and introduced himself in Chinese:
"Song Twelve, my name is Yelü Shucheng, courtesy name Xiyin, and nickname Chen Liu. You can call me Liu Liu, which is my Han name. I hope to have a detailed discussion with you after our formal meeting."

"Sure, I'm happy to make friends with people from all over the world."

After Song Xuan agreed, Yelü Shucheng sat down with a smug look on his face.

He knew some of the rules of the imperial examination in the Song Dynasty, and thought that a top scholar like Song Twelve would definitely be sent to a local area for training.

I never imagined I would become a county magistrate in the capital; it's truly a rare opportunity.

Xiao Pidi and Yelü Zongfu exchanged a glance. The case was solved. He was the top scholar in the imperial examination, so it was normal for him to wear a red robe and a gold belt, which was bestowed by the emperor.

Lü Demao had also communicated with Yelü Shucheng on several occasions.

They had appreciated Song Twelve's poems and essays several times and thought they were well-written.

Not only has the Song Dynasty not found a worthy opponent, but the Liao Dynasty is even more so.

So they often wonder how such "talented people" always seem to emerge from the Central Plains.
Such people are very rare in the Liao Dynasty; there is almost no fertile ground for their development.

Even Cao Yongli was somewhat surprised by the Khitans' reaction.

After all, even his son-in-law's reputation wasn't widespread enough in the Song Dynasty, so how could any Khitan people know about him?
"So you are the top scholar of the Song Dynasty. I have long admired your name."

Lü Demao stroked his beard and sized up Song Xuan.

He increasingly felt that Song Xuan in front of him was becoming more and more dashing, thanks to the filter of a scholar's buff.

"I am also the top scholar of the Liao Dynasty, but compared with the poetry and prose of the top scholar of the Song Dynasty, I am still not worth mentioning."

Song Xuan smiled and said, "Vice Envoy Lü, there's no need for such praise. Literature is a gift from heaven, and a masterpiece is often a matter of chance."

Lu Demao's pupils contracted slightly. The two sentences that this Song Dynasty scholar casually uttered were poems and prose he had never heard before, and they also made sense.

This child is truly a once-in-a-lifetime genius!
The Central Plains region is indeed a nurturing land; otherwise, such talented individuals would not have emerged so frequently.

Yelü Shucheng's eyes lit up. Although he had read many books, he was certain that these words had never been spoken before.

"Song Twelve, are those two lines you just mentioned a new work?"

Upon hearing Yelü Shucheng's question, Song Xuan waved his hand:
"It was just something I said offhand; I didn't actually write any poetry."

After much thought, Lü Demao realized that Song Xuan's viewpoint echoed the aesthetic proposition of "natural wonder" in Liu Xie's "The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons" from the Southern Liang Dynasty.

"admire."

Yelü Shucheng exclaimed in praise:
"Song Twelve spoke eloquently, which truly broadened my horizons. How intelligent the people of the South are!"

Yelü Shucheng's open praise of the Southerners was rather jarring to many Khitan nobles.

"How can we boost the morale of others?"

Yelü Gou'er snapped, "Sit down!"

Yelü Shucheng stood up excitedly. Although he had been reprimanded, he was truly thrilled.

Everyone says that the Han people are very talented, and that all kinds of talented people will always emerge from them.

He was a rare sight in the Liao Kingdom and was always proud of his photographic memory.

But after hearing Song Xuan's poems, I always wanted to meet him.

Seeing it now gave Yelü Shucheng a great surprise.

He's already enjoying the trip, and he plans to come back next year.

Yelü Zongfu was also carefully observing Song Xuan, but he didn't care about poetry. Such a trivial skill was just a stepping stone for Song people to become officials.

People of their background, as long as they have a high enough status, can order around people like Song Xuan at will.

It's not that the Liao Dynasty didn't hold imperial examinations.

He already knew some of the information, but he never expected it would all come down to one person.

He mainly requested information about high-ranking officials of the Song Dynasty; a seventh-rank official or even someone who had never held office was naturally not part of his information collection.

Yelü Zongfu snorted disdainfully, saying that these southerners only knew how to admire these trivial matters of poetry that were not very useful.

Let's see if they can actually achieve some political success first.

"Vice Envoy Song's sentence succinctly expresses the principles of writing."

"That's truly rare!"

Lü Demao also made a remark.

It would be truly difficult for the families of officials from the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun to produce a talent like Song Xuan.

Especially talented people like Song Xuan.

Even someone with extensive knowledge and talent can't speak eloquently, can they?

How many books must he have read from childhood to adulthood to accumulate this much knowledge!

Lu Demao didn't even dare to think about it.

As for studying, it wasn't highly valued in the Liao Dynasty. Although they were vigorously developing the imperial examination system, the results were mediocre, not as good as the Song Dynasty.

Perhaps this is a case of how the environment shapes the people.

With Lü Demao's explanation, even the mastermind, Yelü Gou'er, began to scrutinize Song Xuan.

Because he knew that someone like Lü Demao wouldn't easily praise the people of the Southern Song Dynasty.

It seems this Song Twelve is quite learned!

"hehe."

Cao Liyong chuckled lightly:
“My son-in-law, Song Shier, wrote a poem for me a while ago.”

"Your son-in-law?"

Yelü Gou'er's eyes practically bulged out of their sockets.

He knew very well how the literati of the Southern Dynasties treated the military.

How could Cao Li, a military man, possibly have a son-in-law who had passed the imperial examinations three times in a row?
This is simply not possible.

After Cao Liyong finished speaking, the Khitans were all somewhat bewildered.

Since they had come to the Song Dynasty, most of them were already familiar with its policies.

How could a scholar like Song Xuan, who had achieved such success in the imperial examinations, possibly marry the daughter of a military general as his principal wife?

He will at the very least become the prime minister's son-in-law.

This is equivalent to the two families in the Liao Dynasty marrying a commoner woman as their principal wife.

Although the law doesn't prohibit it, that's just how it is in the unspoken rules.

The Yelü and Xiao families in the Liao Dynasty intermarried frequently, without regard to seniority, and marriage between close relatives was common.

Furthermore, the surname Xiao was exclusive to the empresses of the Liao Dynasty; only those with the surname Xiao could become empresses, a fact written into the Liao law.

Rumor has it that Yelü Abaoji greatly admired Emperor Gaozu of Han (Liu Bang) and even gave himself the Han name Liu Yi.

Furthermore, he stipulated that Yelü's translation must be Liu, which was not the original meaning.

The Khitan originally consisted of eight tribes, and in order to unify them, he killed all eight tribal leaders.

Yelü Abaoji hoped that his clan could assist him like the wise minister Xiao He, which is why he bestowed the surname Xiao upon people from different tribes.

Therefore, the ancestors of the Xiao clan of the Khitan people may have come from different tribes, and the hereditary diseases of close relatives did not show obvious signs.

"That's right, he is my son-in-law."

Cao Liyong looked at Yelü Gou'er with a smug smile on his face, saying, "You don't have such a good descendant."

Song Xuan stood up in agreement: "Father-in-law is right."

Cao gestured for Song Xuan to sit down, implying that they were family and there was no need for such formality.

Yelü Gou'er looked somewhat puzzled.

He couldn't understand why a talented young man from the South like Song Xuan would choose to marry into a martial arts family.

Lu Demao, however, had a solemn expression on his face.

The fact that the Song emperor and empress dowager both agreed to their marriage raises the question: does this mean that the Song Dynasty intends to make good use of military men and wants to stir up trouble again?
From now on, it won't just be verbal sparring; it might turn into a real test!
Because when it really comes to war, the Khitans won't easily gain the upper hand.

This matter still needs to be thoroughly investigated and tested.

When Cao Liyong said this, Yang Chongxun and Xia Shouyun both showed expressions of envy.

I wish I could take his place!
Previously, I envied Cao Yong for entering the Liao camp alone without any fear, which instead facilitated the peace talks between Song and Liao, and from then on, he rose rapidly in rank.

Everyone agrees on this point.

However, ever since Cao Yong had a top scholar as his son-in-law, and this top scholar respected him very much and wrote a poem specifically to show his filial piety to him.

In particular, this poem is exceptionally well-written, enough to make him a legend.

This is when you can really feel your teeth getting sore.

How come he's so lucky!
(End of this chapter)