A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 417 Shocking the World
When Yelü Zongfu noticed that the young emperor was clearly trying to suppress a laugh when the deputy envoy Lü Demao spoke, Yelü Zongfu noticed that the emperor was actually trying to hold back his laughter.

Being threatened with verbal advantage is something that shouldn't be laughed at.

But the young emperor, sitting on the dragon throne, was trying hard to keep his mouth shut and control his urge to laugh.

Wasn't he angry?
Lü Demao had other missions to attend to, so he didn't care about the Empress Dowager's reaction.

In the end, she's not the one who has the final say.

Unlike the empress dowagers of the Liao Dynasty, the empress dowagers of the Song Dynasty did not possess the inherent political correctness to hold the power of life and death.

The main purpose was to observe the reaction of the young emperor in front of them.

If he appears angry, it means he has designs on recovering the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.

Then the Liao Dynasty will need to deal with this carefully.

But after Lü Demao finished speaking, the young emperor of Song was not angry at all; instead, he wanted to laugh.

This is absolutely not normal!
Does he look down on our Great Liao?
Does this make you even more eager to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun?
Or is it that he simply can't tell the difference between good and bad words?
I've never heard of the young emperor of the Zhao Song dynasty being mentally unstable!

As Lü Demao spoke, he pondered and paused as required, waiting for the Empress Dowager and Emperor of Song to reply.

Empress Liu had already read the letter of state submitted by the Liao Dynasty, and she spoke directly from behind the curtain:
"Lu Demao, you must convey my gratitude to my sworn brother. Although my Great Song is left with only orphans and widows, we have famous generals such as Cao Liyong and Cao Wei in the military, prime ministers such as Wang Zeng and Lu Yijian in the civil service, and rising stars such as the two Song Dynasty top scholars."

"With such virtuous ministers and capable generals assisting our Great Song Dynasty, and with many talented younger generations rising up, these minor problems are simply nothing."

"You have come from the north and have witnessed the active disaster relief efforts of our Great Song Dynasty. You must already have many answers in your hearts, so I will not elaborate here."

When Liu E called out the names, Cao Liyong and the others stood up straight, glancing at the group of Liao envoys with fierce eyes.

No matter how many orphans and widows the Great Song Dynasty may have, you have no need to worry about it.

"On the contrary, I have heard that the Liao Dynasty has suffered defeats in its battles against the Western Xia and Goryeo, and the Jurchen tribes are still restless and always want to rebel against the Liao Dynasty."

These words made Yelü Gou'er, the chief envoy, lose face.

Lü Demao's expression changed slightly.

"However, our two countries are brotherly nations. If my sworn brother needs help, he can still plead with my Great Song Dynasty."

Empress Liu's diplomatic tactic, seemingly gentle yet sharp, left Lü Demao speechless.

We can't just say that our Great Liao doesn't need anything and can still defeat those who refuse to submit, can we?
After all, it would be extremely humiliating for the emperor to personally lead an army of 500,000 to attack Western Xia and suffer a crushing defeat.

Even the attack on the barely surviving Uyghurs resulted in a defeat, which greatly diminished his prestige.

These irrefutable facts cannot be refuted.

This was no different from Emperor Taizong of Song's five-pronged attack on Xia, which also ended in failure. His plans for Dingnan Army and Jiaozhi Prefecture also fell through.

Especially in war, the desired results cannot be achieved, even if envoys are sent, the results on the battlefield are still unattainable.

The Treaty of Chanyuan was signed under the premise that the major battle between the Song and Liao dynasties had not yet begun, but the commander-in-chief was shot and killed, causing morale to plummet. What was the point of fighting then?

If someone else had said this, the Liao envoy could have seized upon it to sow discord between the Song and Liao dynasties.

However, since it was said by the Empress Dowager of Song, they could not find any fault with her, whether from the perspective of seniority or the greater good.

Yelü Gou'er could only keep a straight face, his smugness completely gone.

As for Lü Demao, he was completely absorbed by Liu E's words and wanted to observe her through the curtain, ignoring the changes in Zhao Zhen's expression.

Song Xuan also looked at Liu E through the curtain; this was the first time he had formally witnessed Liu E's political acumen.

He usually sat there listening to his ministers' reports, rarely speaking.

But her mind was constantly focused, pondering whether the ministers below had deceived her.

Sure enough, could a woman with Lü Wu's evaluation be some kind of naive and innocent girl?
She was no ordinary person to have stood out from the harem and to have secured victory in her struggles against figures like Kou Zhun and Ding Wei.

Song Xuan just didn't understand why Liu E was still putting on an act as if she wanted to bring Zhao Yunrang into the palace.

Was it because Zhao Zhen had no children after his marriage?
Didn't she know about Jia Nanfeng's shady dealings?

She killed the crown prince but had no other sons. This foolish woman was still complacent, unaware of the impending disaster.

At least, only a few people know that Zhao Zhen is not her biological son.

Liu E still held the moral high ground of "filial piety."

Not to mention Empress Dowager Hu of the Northern Wei Dynasty poisoned her only son, then stuffed him into a pig cage and threw him into the Yellow River for a "swimming and breath-holding contest".

With such a precedent, Song Xuan couldn't understand how Liu E could act so shrewdly and decisively one moment and so muddled the next.

Many women in this position do not understand that their power and status come entirely from their sons.

Women in the Northern Song Dynasty became increasingly open, even to the point of being relatively democratic. In contrast, the Southern Song Dynasty quickly moved towards Neo-Confucianism, which directly and ruthlessly suppressed women. The course of history has taught us many valuable lessons.

After all, even someone like Yue Fei couldn't avoid his wife abandoning him and their children behind the battlefield and getting a large sum of money in return.

Of course, there are also early examples of Zhao Ji rebelling against Qin Shi Huang because of her true love, Liao Ai.

After all, the logic of being blinded by love cannot be rationally analyzed.

After waiting for a while, seeing that the Liao envoy did not reply, Liu E asked Zhao Zhen to grant them the certificate of tribute according to procedure.

First slap them, then give them a sweet treat.

Upon receiving the credentials, Yelü Gou'er, the chief envoy, directly expressed his gratitude without uttering any unnecessary words.

Although he experienced the entire heyday of the Liao Dynasty, his strength has been somewhat diminished now. He has no clear evidence to prove his innocence and cannot argue with the emperor's sworn sister-in-law.

After the banquet, they could go directly to the Song Dynasty's treasury and use this item to collect 200,000 taels of silver and 100,000 bolts of silk.

With the most important matters settled, the atmosphere between the two sides eased.

Empress Liu then instructed Emperor Zhao Zhen to announce the banquet.

Empress Liu E would not participate in such occasions; instead, Emperor Zhao Zhen would sit on a high platform, and Prime Minister Wang Zeng would act as his representative to entertain him.

Song Xuanpei sat next to Cao Liyong, while Wang Zeng and others sat in front, and the Khitans sat opposite them.

"Giving away piles of silver to the Khitans is truly a sin."

Hearing her son-in-law's words of concern, Cao Liyong glanced at him:
"What, you're not even willing to bait the fishing spot anymore?"

"Hehehe." Song Xuan raised an eyebrow slightly:
"I'm worried that someone might be after this money."

Cao Liyong nodded.
“Your small county government doesn’t need that much money, but it’s not bad to be able to put some money into your own pocket through this matter.”

"If you don't want the money, what do you want?"

"It's hard to feel at ease about this kind of thing in our Great Song Dynasty."

Cao Liyong had also read some history books.

Despite the immense trust Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, Xiao He ultimately had to resort to self-degradation to save his life.

Song Xuan watched the maid put down the plate, smiled at her, and waited for her to leave before speaking:
“My father-in-law is right. I’ll see how to split the profits with Liu Congde later.”

"Well, I'm glad you understand."

Cao Liyong could foresee how astonishing it would be when the glass totem, specifically designed for the Liao Kingdom, was unveiled.

He also knew that Liu Congde had already begun spreading the word in Tokyo today.

Especially now that his reputation as a son-in-law is so well-known in Tokyo, coupled with his young age.

How did the Song Dynasty come about?

Now, the woman above is an orphan and a widow, as everyone knows.

Even if you don't have military power, you still need to be careful.

After all, Song Xuan's father-in-law was the "Number One Military Leader of the Great Song Dynasty." Even if he couldn't directly command and mobilize soldiers, he at least had trusted old subordinates who could mobilize troops.

Cao Liyong glanced at the Khitan man opposite him and rolled his eyes:
“We shouldn’t be sitting here. We should be sitting at the back of the hall where there’s good ventilation. I hate eating with the Khitans; it ruins my appetite.”

Song Xuan chuckled a few times; the Khitans did indeed have a rather strong body odor.

To be fair, this group is all from the Khitan nobility.

"Hehehe, but my perfume has come in very handy, and I can sell it to them at a high price."

"Perfume masks odor, but that's just fragrance mixed with odor, making the smell even stronger."

Song Xuan raised his eyebrows slightly:

"Father-in-law, you should also send a few wealthy military officers. This time, we're selling perfume to the Khitans, and I can also sell some to their wives. That's how we can make a lasting business."

"As long as I give the word, they'll definitely come, not just because of me, but because of you."

Cao Liyong stroked his beard and smiled:

“I’ll inform the Shi family first. My son-in-law has found them a good son-in-law. They’re rich, and at the very least, they’ll act as your shill. No one else will even notice.”

"Hehehe, that's a good feeling."

Song Xuan was afraid he would lose control when he thought about the Shi family bidding against him, since the Khitans would be the ones paying anyway.

Cao Liyong didn't say anything, but he glanced at Song Xuan:
"I was worried for nothing. I thought you were going to donate all your money to the court."

"My dear father-in-law, who was it that said you have to prepare some bait before fishing?"

Song Xuan picked up his chopsticks:

"I'll take this opportunity to make my perfume famous."

"Well, I was worried for nothing."

Cao almost genuinely believed that his son-in-law, after becoming an official, possessed the heart of a "saint."

He was a champion for the people, fearless of the powerful and wealthy, dedicated to saving lives and helping the wounded, and even enabling children from poor families to learn to read and write.

Looking back now, what he did in Nanjing truly saved countless lives, making him worthy of being called a saint.

However, Cao Yong always felt that there was something wrong with his son-in-law's saintly methods.

Do not understand.

Anyway, he knew his son-in-law was very capable.

Unlike ordinary scholars, they were not bound by the words of sages.

Besides, who could better explain the words of the sage than one's own son-in-law?
Cao Liyong ate the imperial meal in front of him, thinking that he should finish the banquet as soon as possible and go to Fanlou to see what was going on.

Yelü Gou'er quite liked the food of the Song people, especially the food eaten by the royal family.

Although he prefers the flavors of the Liao Dynasty, who wouldn't want to try something new when traveling for work?
Lu Demao, however, had little appetite; he was completely captivated by Zhao Zhen's smiling face.

The Song Dynasty Empress Dowager was quite unapproachable, and after speaking, she left immediately. Their status was simply not worthy of her having dinner with them.

"No, why would he want to laugh?"

"How serious is this occasion?"

"Is he alright?"

Lü Demao muttered something under his breath.

This was his second main mission in Tokyo.

The primary task is to acquire the spiritual totem of the Khitan people; it must not fall into the hands of others.

Otherwise, the two of them would surely incur the emperor's wrath upon their return.

This is all unbearable.

The current emperor of the Liao Dynasty is old and ill, and is hardly a wise and sagacious ruler.

He only cares about the result, no matter how convoluted the process may be.

Yelü Gou'er glanced at Lü Demao, wondering why he looked so gloomy. Was the food bad?

It shouldn't be.

He is a pure-blooded Han Chinese!

For Khitan nobles like them, it was common practice to marry their nieces for the sake of bloodlines.

Even the emperor of the Liao Dynasty would marry his mother's brother's daughter in order to preserve the wealth and status of that branch of the family.

"what happened?"

Hearing Yelü Gou'er's question, Lü Demao shook his head:

"Let's talk about it when we get back."

"it is good."

Yelü Gou'er didn't think it was a big deal; everything was under control.

Wang Zeng didn't particularly like these kinds of banquets, but he preferred diplomatic occasions.

He is still very mindful of etiquette.

Lü Yijian picked up his teacup and took a sip:
"Today's banquet was rather dull. After the Empress Dowager gave these Khitans a lecture, they all became much more obedient."

"good."

Wang Zeng also felt that the Empress Dowager had performed admirably, leaving the Khitans speechless.

"Did you write it in advance?"

Upon hearing Wang Zeng's question, Lü Yijian quickly shook his head:

"Prime Minister Wang is not to be underestimated by the Empress Dowager. This matter was definitely not written by me."

After all, Lü Yijian was the main leader of the Empress Dowager's faction.

Wang Zeng then glanced at Song Xuan beside Cao Liyong: "If it's not you, then it's him?"

Lu Yijian glanced over as well, but Song Xuan was talking to his father-in-law Cao Liyong, so he couldn't hear him very clearly.

Anyway, the two of them had smiles on their faces, showing no sign of solemnity whatsoever.

Wang Zeng felt that Song Xuan's demeanor had changed quite a bit after spending so much time with these military generals.

"The governance model of the Song brothers in Dongjing City has taken shape. With Song Xiang having Song Xuan as a role model, the governance of Xiangfu County should not be too bad."

Lü Yijian felt that Wang Zeng was pointing something out to him, since his brother-in-law Chen Gu also had a very promising future.

In the end, he ruined it all himself.

If the news of Song Xiang's successful governance of Xiangfu County reaches his brother-in-law in the future, I wonder what he will think.

Wang Zeng could only sigh with emotion, realizing that even he didn't have the same boldness as the Empress Dowager in daring to employ young people so readily.

The key point is that Song Xuan was not disappointed and actually succeeded.

Then Song Xiang wouldn't be able to handle things well either.

"Yes."

Lu Yijian glanced at Cao Yong and his son-in-law chatting and laughing, and he was still a little envious.

Yelü Shucheng walked over with a wine cup in his hand:
"Song Twelve, such a magnificent sight, why don't we compose a poem or two in response?"

"A magnificent sight?"

Song Xuan raised his head and glanced at Yelü Shucheng.

"Yes."

Yelü Shucheng genuinely wanted to compose poetry with Song Xuan, and a look of hope appeared in his eyes.

If this gets out, it will surely become a legendary tale.

"Liu Liu, I forgot to tell you, I am not good at writing poetry."

Song Xuan smiled, holding his wine glass: "So there's no need for us to sing in unison."

Yelü Shucheng was taken aback by Song Xuan's refusal, and he froze for a moment.

"But I really want to."

"I do not want."

Song Xuan replied to him decisively.

Yelü Shucheng was speechless again, and could only drink the wine before returning home dejectedly.

He couldn't understand for a moment. Could it be that Song Twelve looked down on his poetry skills?
Cao Liyong chuckled:
"As expected, they think today's banquet is a grand event."

"Yes, otherwise they should be the ones giving us the annual tribute."

Song Xuan put down his wine glass:
"However, at present, this currency is still considered to be cost-effective."

Cao Liyong didn't respond.

He was aware that the fighting capacity of the Song soldiers had declined under the current circumstances.

It would be best to find a place where they can hone their skills; otherwise, the Liao soldiers will still have a greater advantage.

In particular, the Song Dynasty had a shortage of warhorses, making it difficult to deal with Liao army raids or ambushes.

"Forget it, so much time has passed now. You should focus on one aspect first."

Cao Liyong also did not want the Song Dynasty to be attacked from both sides.

The Tangut people in the Northwest, in particular, were no pushovers.

The Song Dynasty could temporarily set aside the threat from the Khitans and focus on dealing with the Tanguts.

In particular, the fact that Li Mingde of the Tangut people had defeated the Liao emperor's army of 500,000 men greatly increased Cao Liyong's vigilance towards the Western Xia.

"By the way, father-in-law, I have arranged for Zhong Shiheng, who was framed by Wang Mengzheng, to be sent to the northwest to guard the border. As a seed, you can find an opportunity to recommend him to guard the border in Shaanxi."

"Zhong Shiheng," Cao Liyong said thoughtfully, squinting his eyes.
"The nephew of the great Confucian scholar Zhong Fang?"

"Correct."

"Row."

As a court attendant, Cao Li was naturally qualified to recommend people, but he rarely recommended even a minor local official.

Someone like him, nominated as vice prime minister, still has considerable influence.

Recommending someone like Zhong Shiheng is incredibly easy.

Wang Zeng asked Lü Yijian to take Song Xuan's seat and let him sit down.

"Lord Wang, is there something you need?"

"It's alright, let's chat." Wang Zeng put down his small wine glass.

"Did you write the set of words that the Empress Dowager spoke today beforehand?"

“No.” Song Xuan looked at Wang Zeng and said:
“I’ve been very busy lately and haven’t had time to go to the palace to write this kind of poem. I thought you wrote it in advance.”

"This kind of thing has been just a formality for so many years. I don't have the energy to deal with the Khitans."

"Lord Wang, don't look at me like that. If I really wrote it, the wording wouldn't be as polite as I just said."

“That’s true.” Wang Zeng nodded. “Could it be that the Empress herself improvised on the spot?”

Perhaps.

Song Xuan discovered that Wang Zeng still held Liu E in some contempt.

Wang Zeng stopped dwelling on it and instead mentioned that the formal procedures concerning Chen Gu and Song Xiang were still in progress.

Although they have officially handed over the reins, they still need to give Chen Gu some face in official matters.

Song Xuan nodded:
"Since Prime Minister Wang has brought this up, I will certainly help Song Xiang to cure Xiangfu County as soon as possible. Then the whole of Tokyo City may be in better shape."

"Yes." Wang Zeng nodded.

"If Song Xiang comes looking for you, you must tell him not to be too hasty. He doesn't have your skill and decisiveness. I'm afraid that if he tries to stabilize Xiangfu County as soon as possible, something bad might happen."

"Ok?"

Song Xuan found it strange that Wang Zeng was so worried about Song Xiang.

Compared to Kaifeng County, Xiangfu County is much more unassuming and low-key.

"I hope that you, Lord Wang, can enlighten me on this matter?"

Wang Zeng stroked his beard: "Previously, you rectified Kaifeng County and cracked down on Wuyou Cave. The ruffians and thieves on the streets all fled to Xiangfu County."

"Now that Xiangfu County is also going to start cracking down, these people have nowhere to hide. Even a rabbit will bite when cornered, let alone these thieves. I am somewhat worried about Song Xiang."

Wang Zeng didn't say anything too outrageous.

Because you should pick the weakest one. If those people don't dare to mess with you, Song Xuan, wouldn't they dare to mess with Song Xiang?
After all, Song Xiang, the top scholar who achieved the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations, did not live up to Song Xuan's reputation.

In particular, although Song Xiang was a promising candidate recommended by the Empress Dowager in her early years, he was not as capable as Song Xuan of replacing the Empress Dowager's in-laws in terms of political standing.

Therefore, Wang Zeng did not understand why Song Xuan had such a "status" with the Empress Dowager.

"Don't worry, Lord Wang, I will remind him."

"it is good."

Wang had heard that the Song couple were related, and Song Xiang was not a pedantic person.

It's perfectly normal for them to exchange ideas and seek advice from each other.

After the banquet, everyone in the Liao delegation was all smiles.

Only Yelü Shucheng was sullen and unhappy.

After all, he genuinely wanted to be friends with Song Xuan, but he never expected that Song Xuan would reject him in terms of poetry.

As for the rest of the delegation, they were all there for a share of the money. They could eat and take as much as they wanted, so why wouldn't they be happy?
Only Yelü Gou'er and Lü Demao, the leaders, were preoccupied. They were worried that Fanlou would start to promote the glassware, and that someone else might buy it.

There were quite a few wealthy people in the capital of the Song Dynasty.

Yelü Gou'er and Lü Demao went straight to Fanlou after leaving the palace, paid the entrance fee, and prepared to visit.

The hall was packed with people.

All they could hear from outside were gasps of amazement.

Having to queue to get in is incredibly frustrating.

"Lu Demao, are we just going to stand here obediently in line?"

Yelü Gou'er said with extreme impatience, "Let's break in."

"Hey, don't be impulsive."

Lü Demao tugged at his sleeve and whispered:

"You must not show any interest in this object."

"Why?" Yelü Gou'er asked, somewhat puzzled.

"We Han Chinese have an old saying: 'Ask the sky, then bargain on the spot.'"

Lü Demao explained in a low voice:
"If the seller is certain that you really want it, he will offer an extremely high price, not afraid that you won't buy it."

"But if we act indifferent, they'll think not many people are interested, so they won't sell it at a high price."

Yelü Gou'er nodded upon hearing this.

He no longer needs to buy things himself; everything is prepared in advance by the slaves, and he doesn't even have to clean up his own messes.

Therefore, it is normal to lack some patience and common sense.

"When you get inside to see it, you must keep your composure and say that our Great Liao also has such equipment, which is not worth mentioning."

Lü Demao then gave Yelü Gou'er another set of instructions.

He was actually a little worried. What if that treasure was really extremely beautiful and they didn't have enough coins?

Therefore, Lü Demao repeatedly instructed Yelü Gou'er to keep the receipt for the tribute safe and not to distribute the money before the auction ended.

Let these Khitan nobles spend it recklessly first.

He hoped to acquire this treasure for at least 200,000 taels of silver, which would also give him 100,000 bolts of silk to buy other items.

However, after queuing for a long time, Lü Demao found that he hadn't been able to get into the queue much, and he began to feel very frustrated.

Just then, a loafer approached:
"My two Khitan friends from afar, do you also wish to see the royal treasures of my Great Song Dynasty?"

Just as Yelü Gou'er was about to reprimand him, he heard Lü Demao ask:

"What, do you have a way to let us see it in advance?"

"Of course." The idler extended his hand.

“One person, one string; I’ll lead you a little further.”

Yelü Gou'er's eyes widened immediately. He had thought this person's clothes weren't very nice, but he never expected him to have such skills.

Whose servant is this person?
“Okay.” Lü Demao readily took out a gold leaf:

"I want to go in immediately."

The idler's eyes lit up, and he snatched it and took a bite to confirm that it was real gold.

He clenched it tightly in his hand, pounding his chest with one hand.

"Please follow me, my two distinguished guests. Even if I die, I will do this for you."

Lü Demao was overjoyed and quickly followed him.

The idler led the two Khitans directly to the front of the line, where someone was in charge.

Everyone started to criticize and curse.

The idler was fearless. He let the two of them stand in the front, and then he turned around and started hurling insults at the group. He fought ten against one and was not at a disadvantage at all.

The scene became even more lively.

Lü Demao's face flushed slightly.

He initially thought there were inside connections, but he never expected such a shameless act.

Even though he was a subject of the Liao Dynasty, he was still educated in Confucianism and only recognized the Liao Dynasty as the legitimate dynasty.

There is a sense of shame in such behavior.

Now this group of people not only curses him, but they've also started calling him a Khitan dog.

Yelü Gou'er also started watching the spectacle, feeling that he had never seen such a method before.

These ordinary Song people were indeed resourceful.

As for some of the words, Yelü Gou'er didn't quite understand them, and seeing his expression, the crowd cursed him even more fiercely.

Yelü Gou'er wanted Lü Demao to translate for him, but Lü Demao pretended not to hear and refused to translate.

Song Xuan and Cao Liyong arrived together, but were delayed because of Wang Zeng.

Upon arriving at the entrance and finding it so lively, I didn't stop and went straight inside.

When Yelü Gou'er saw that Cao Liyong didn't have to queue, he immediately grabbed Lü Demao and pointed at them, asking why they weren't queuing.

Lü Demao was quite helpless. He put himself in Lü Demao's shoes and asked, "Do you need to queue up in our Liao Dynasty?"

"Cao Liyong"

Yelü Gou'er shouted, "You have to line up behind me!"

Cao Liyong glanced back at him and said, "Are you out of your mind? How could you say something like that?"

"What are you saying?"

Cao Liyong ignored him and said, "In the Song Dynasty, you must abide by the rules of the Song Dynasty and stand in line honestly."

"you."

Fortunately, the guards let the men go because of Cao Liyong, so they released ten more people.

The idler had already been beaten by the people behind him.

Lü Demao quickly pulled Yelü Gou'er forward and told him not to get angry, that he was just joining in the fun and not to reveal any flaws.

Yelü Gou'er's face remained angry, but it was still unsightly.

The guards bowed to Song Xuan.

Song Xuan nodded. The items outside were treasures donated by tea merchants, followed by royal treasures, and the one at the very back was the glass artifact depicting a gyrfalcon catching a swan.

Only with a detailed comparison can one more clearly see how precious this glass artifact is.

To this end, Liu Congde also found a piece of glass with many impurities and placed it aside, a black and rotten grape-shaped piece (Dingzhou Museum).

Forty-six hollow glass beads, strung together with gold wire, are clearly quite valuable.

In the Song Dynasty, glassware was considered a top-tier luxury item.

Grapes were a very expensive fruit in the Song Dynasty, and many people could not afford to buy or taste them.

In the Tang Dynasty, wine was consumed among the nobility, and this remained true in the Northern Song Dynasty.

"Hahaha."

Liu Congde personally looked after the treasure, pointing to the bunch of grapes:
"Well, this is truly a treasure I brought from my home. It originally belonged to the palace. It is said that one of them was buried under a pagoda along with many relics. My family has one, which is also a unique piece in the world."

"I carefully selected this one so that, as a comparison, it can better show the purity of this gyrfalcon catching swans."

"It's quite sincere."

Song Xuan had his father-in-law sit to the side as he observed the visitors:

"It will probably spread today."

"That's inevitable."

Liu Congde personally handled this matter today, and witnessed wave after wave of exclamations of amazement from the crowd.

He was thoroughly enjoying himself.

On ordinary days, how could they possibly spend ten coins to feast their eyes and see so many royal treasures?
This kind of small-scale exhibition is unprecedented.

They could openly enter Fanlou, feast their eyes, join in the fun, and even relax with a cup of good tea afterwards.

They've made a killing!

Liu Congde was completely losing money to gain publicity. Fortunately, Fanlou had a large workforce and a large stock of tea sets. However, the people washing the dishes were even busier.

"Prefect Liu is indeed quite skilled in business."

Faced with Song Xuan's praise, Liu Congde laughed heartily with his hands on his hips.

He knew he was definitely a business genius, but he didn't have many opportunities to show it.

As for the fact that he lost money buying grain, he simply chose to forget about it.

Failures don't deserve to be remembered. Only successes in my life can be properly remembered and brought up again and again.

Although Lü Demao was tugging at Yelü Gou'er's sleeve, what ordinary people considered royal treasures were simply beneath their notice.

To help more people remember them, each exhibit is also equipped with a megaphone to explain what it is.

Yelü Gou'er glanced at the glass grape; it truly looked ripe and large.

"They look so alike, round, oval, and even rotten."

"The craftsmanship of the Song people was truly superb, but it's a pity that our Great Liao Dynasty didn't have such skilled craftsmen."

Lu Demao sighed, and the two continued walking straight to the last treasure.

That is also their ultimate goal.

Both Lü Demao and Yelü Gou'er widened their eyes and gasped.

Such a beautiful yet fierce gyrfalcon is enough to steal one's soul.

"Pearls, there are even pearls."

Yelü Gou'er immediately started barking, but Lü Demao pulled him back, signaling him not to get so agitated.

All the words I just said were wasted.

If the Song people remember it, it will be a huge effort for our Liao Dynasty to sell it.

Seeing Yelü Gou'er's loss of composure, Cao Yong smiled, completely forgetting the expression he had seen when he first witnessed it.

"We can only stay outside."

The guards here were even more burly and strong, and they were directly grabbed by Yelü Gou'er and blocked from entering.

"If you try to force your way in again, we'll throw you out."

With obstacles in front and Lü Demao pulling him from behind, Yelü Gou'er glared:

"Can't I touch it?"

"Sir, only those who purchase this item are qualified to touch it. Would you be willing to let someone else touch your treasure?"

"Of course I don't want to. I'll get angry if anyone touches me."

Yelü Gou'er wished he could immediately snuggle into his arms and carefully carry the emperor back.

He had already considered this treasure as his own, and naturally did not want anyone else to touch or desecrate it.

"Not bad," the guide said with a smile.

"In our Great Song Dynasty, this object is the virgin of a courtesan, and naturally, the highest bidder wins. Once you have it, you can play with it however you like, give it away, or sell it—it's all up to you."

"But no one can touch it now, that's the rule."

Although Yelü Gou'er was unwilling, he still circled around and watched.

It's beautiful from every angle.

This gyrfalcon was truly arrogant and fierce; it could kill with a single blow.

This instantly transported Yelü Gou'er back to the scene where he released the gyrfalcon for hunting.

Lü Demao was also awestruck by this work; it wasn't that he hadn't seen glass artifacts before.

But I've never seen such pure glassware before; it certainly deserves to be called a national treasure.

Is the Song Dynasty really willing to put it up for auction?
To what extent was the Song Dynasty's treasury empty?

Seeing the two Khitans in such a state, Liu Congde felt even more pleased with himself.

Sure enough, no one could tear their eyes away from this treasure.

"The top scholar of the Song Dynasty".

Liu Congde only shouted once and didn't say anything more.

The two exchanged a smile; their goal had been achieved.

This glass artifact is sure to fetch an astronomical price.

Song Xuan went over and took a sip of tea. While waiting for the tea, Xiao Feng was also by his side.

He glanced at Song Xuan; there were rumors that this item had been seized from the Wuyou Cave.

Xiaofeng was certain that it was definitely not from his place.

Because he was only interested in gold and silver.

As for whether it was found in Xuanjia's or Chiyu's secret stash, he had no idea.

In short, if I were to obtain such a treasure, I certainly wouldn't hand it over to the cave master.

At this moment, Cang Lin was not standing with Xiao Feng, which could easily arouse suspicion from the others.

Fanlou has not been receiving guests for the past three days, so he has no way to get information from Su Qingrou.

Where did this treasure come from?

However, Cang Lin had already decided to spend ten strings of cash to buy tickets, and it remained to be seen whether the people from Wuyou Cave would come to help Song Xuan preside over the auction.

And who sold all these treasures? Besides wanting to join in the fun, I also want to find out if Xuanjia actually sold them.

Cang Lin glanced at Song Xuan, noticing his lack of vigilance, and then looked him up and down.

After all, I'm way past the age of fighting and killing; risking my life is absolutely out of the question.

Song Xuan put down his teacup and returned to Cao Liyong's side:

"I estimate we can sell a lot of tickets. We'll hold the auction in the center of the square, where all five buildings will be visible."

Fanlou consists of five buildings that form a small square.

At that time, VIP rooms will be sold upstairs, while regular tickets will be sold in the surrounding squares.

Each Fanlou restaurant has three floors, which is quite a lot compared to other main restaurants that only have one floor.

"Okay, reserve two rooms for me when the time comes. The Shi family's house is right next door, and I'll have to keep him in check in case he gets carried away."

Cao Yongli responded as well, noticing Yelü Gou'er staring longingly at the glass artifact.

He increasingly felt that his son-in-law really needed to teach these Khitans a lesson.

"Yes." Song Xuan quickly replied, "We should try to keep him within our target number."

Liu Congde couldn't understand why Song Xuan insisted on selling such a valuable item to the Khitans.

Could it be that the Khitans have other plans after this item fell into their hands?

Send troops to ambush and kill?

Liu Congde glanced at Song Xuan and thought he was the kind of person who would do such a thing.

However, the death of a Liao envoy within Song territory would be an extremely risky event.

Even in times of war, envoys are not to be killed.

The two countries have not even gone to war, yet they have already executed the envoy. Does this mean they want to start a war?
"Don't look at me with a terrified expression."

Song Xuan glanced at Liu Congde: "I have my bottom line."

"Oh, too."

Liu Congde nodded and stopped dwelling on the matter.

Lü Demao pulled Yelü Gou'er, who had been spinning around seven or eight times, and followed him, making sure he didn't become like someone who couldn't walk anymore.

If Cao Liyong notices this, he will definitely cause trouble during the auction.

Fortunately, there were quite a few people like Yelü Gou'er who went around looking at it several times.

"How can a gyrfalcon emit rainbows?"

"what?"

Lü Demao heard the Khitan language.

Yelü Gou'er swallowed hard and pulled Lü Demao to his angle so that he could look over there.

Lü Demao looked in that direction following his finger.

then.

He actually discovered that a rainbow had appeared.

His pupils kept shrinking inward.

"This is truly a treasure."

Lü Demao also spoke in Khitan. Fearing that others would discover this angle, he quickly pulled Yelü Gou'er away, not wanting to linger there.

"What are you doing? I haven't seen enough yet!"

"If it were discovered by others, its value would increase infinitely, and even more people would want to buy it."

Lü Demao also spoke Khitan:

"The price is too high, we can't buy it back. Do you think we'll even survive if we return to the Liao Dynasty and can't explain ourselves to His Majesty?"

Even though the Khitan dog was of noble status, he still trembled subconsciously upon hearing Lü Demao's words.

His Majesty now is truly ruthless when it comes to killing.

"Then what should we do?"

"Three hundred thousand taels of silver may not be enough."

With a troubled expression, Lü Demao first bought a premium VIP ticket, then pulled the reluctant Yelü Gou'er out the door.

"What if we don't have enough?"

Lü Demao said with a resolute expression:
"Let's go back and describe the value of this treasure to His Majesty first. We'll write him a letter to inform him in advance to avoid giving him any reason to criticize us for acting first and reporting later. Then we'll see what I do next."

Yelü Gou'er looked back at the queue at Fanlou: "What kind of tricks can you pull?"

(End of this chapter)