A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 424 is a precious gift from heaven to my Great Khitan.

"Your Majesty."

Yang Huaimin was so excited that he jumped up and down.

He kept shaking his finger pointing outside, unable to say anything else.

其实喊到三十万贯的时候杨怀敏就已经头皮发麻了。

Then my heart jumped into my throat.

可是再怎么大胆的去想，杨怀敏绝对没想到还有人直接从九十叫到一百。

Liu E slowly stood up, her face filled with disbelief.

Although she had also reviewed the massive amounts of data on various taxes.

But Liu E was completely stunned that this single treasure could sell for such a high price of millions.

Were some wealthy people in the Song Dynasty really that rich?

Liu E not only knew about Wu Zetian, but when she was by the side of the late emperor, she also heard a lot about the Huang Chao Rebellion.

屋子里的人奢侈的生活钱都不叫钱了。

But outside the houses, more than just one or two people starved to death.

Two extreme worlds, with the wealth gap in the Tang Dynasty being too large.

百姓活不下去自是要参加起义，他们还要大声赞扬五姓七望的族谱是个好东西，谁研究呢？
"One million to ten thousand strings of cash".

王曾双手扶着窗户，他们三个挤在那个窗口。

Outside, they're still shouting "one million strings of cash at a time."

“怎么能喊到这个价格？”

Lu Yijian no longer had any desire to win the bet; his eyes were filled with incomprehension.

These high-ranking and powerful people, having reached this position, wouldn't have to worry too much about money as long as they didn't marry off their daughters.

However, the idea of ​​spending a million strings of cash to buy a single treasure was still hard for them to understand.

Zhang Shixun, who had been leaning against the wall to recover his composure, opened his mouth wide, not knowing what to say.
He felt that what he had experienced today was too surreal.

No one answered Lü Yijian's question.

They were also watching to see if anyone else would bid.

Yelü Gou'er stood at the window.

Looking down on all the "heroes"!
He simply couldn't believe that anyone would dare to keep bidding higher prices.

宋人再富裕，可谁真能不把钱当钱的？

This was a political mission for Yelü Gou'er, and at this point, he had to get it in his hands.

Hearing the amount increase by ten thousand strings of cash, Yelü Gou'er was so excited that he lost his mind.

If we don't make a final decision now, who will dare to continue?

Lü Demao, the deputy envoy, was completely dumbfounded.

He and Yelü Shucheng had similar ideas, planning to use a year's worth of tribute, at most adding the money Yelü Shucheng brought to make up the difference.

Before Lü Demao knew that Yelü Shucheng had sent his younger brother Yelü Heshang back to Nanjing to collect the money, he even thought that a year and a half's worth of tribute would be enough.

But every time these people at the scene reached out, the price would increase.

They act like holding up signs is free.

这件琉璃器的底价从十万贯一直被喊到让他吕德懋心痛！
Because this was a political mission, he was determined to bring this treasure back to His Majesty no matter the cost.

As a result, Yelü Gou'er, who was in charge of the mission, directly announced the payment of three years' worth of tribute.

Now we can give an explanation to His Majesty.

But what about the other Khitan nobles?

What's giving Lü Demao a headache right now is whether anyone will keep shouting!

For the first time, Lü Demao truly hated "those spies that the Liao Dynasty had planted in Tokyo."

How could they possibly send this message back and entice His Majesty?
Even if that wasn't the case, Lü Demao still glanced at Yelü Shucheng.

Upon seeing the treasure, he immediately wrote a letter to His Majesty privately, without telling anyone else.

This alone made Lü Demao feel that it was impossible to guard against.

Why were the Song people so cunning?
Song Xuan immediately urged Bai Jun to close the deal quickly, as he didn't want any unexpected incidents.

After his initial shock, Bai Jun, still maintaining his professional demeanor, shouted loudly:

"One million strings of cash twice."

"One million strings of cash three times."

他故意停顿了一会，没有人再次举牌子。

"make a deal."

Bai Jun immediately pointed to the room in Building C:
"Let's congratulate the buyer of room 305 in Building C!"

Song Xuan withdrew his Thousand-Mile Eyes and stood up abruptly.

He instructed a few of them to protect the treasure closely and not to allow anyone to approach it.

In particular, people were sent to guard the 305th Regiment to prevent others from coveting it and to prevent them from running away and denying responsibility.

大冤种可不能轻易跑喽。

宋煊接过喇叭：

"Would the buyer of room 305 in building C consider registering their interest with everyone?"

对于这件宝贝的买主，众人也都十分好奇。

Although Yelü Gou'er had drunk two pots of tea and was holding in his urine, upon hearing Song Xuan's question, he immediately shouted:
"I am Yelü Gou'er, the Prime Minister of the Southern Prefecture of the Great Khitan."

"Khitan?"

"The Khitans bought it."

Everyone was talking about it.

This result was truly unexpected.

How could such a treasure fall into the hands of the Khitans?

But they spent one million strings of cash, which is in accordance with the ethics of buying and selling!

反正拍卖会就是价高者得。

Liu E stood by the window and heard Yelü Gou'er announce his number.

The serious look on her face vanished instantly.

"Since they bought it, there's no problem."

Yang Huaimin glanced at the scene outside and then heard the Empress Dowager say those words.

When Song Zhuangyuan dismissed everyone and had a private conversation with the Empress Dowager, was he perhaps planning this?

How could the Khitans possibly have a million strings of cash? They wouldn't even have enough for three years' worth of tribute!
Yang Huaimin dared not speak, still appearing speechless with astonishment at the exorbitant price.

"Cave Master, your wisdom is truly divine!"

Bai Zhen quickly flattered, "This treasure has indeed been bought by the Khitans."

The cave master of Worry-Free Cave chuckled:
“One million strings of cash is more than enough. If it weren’t for the fierce bidding by these people today, which would have put that glass piece at over three hundred thousand strings of cash, I think it would have been difficult to sell it for a good price.”

"The result is always that someone tries to sabotage the process, constantly driving up the price."

"I really didn't expect that the shills Song Xuan arranged would be so bold. He's not even afraid of getting ripped off."

The mere mention of Song Xuan's name still evoked a deep fear in Bai Zhen.

后来他才听说这帮衙役这么勇猛的缘故，是因为宋煊他亲自带头攻打。

How could a top scholar be allowed to wield knives and guns?

That's utterly disgraceful.

Bai Zhen's eyes darted around: "Cave Master, could Song Xuan really dare to arrange for a shill?"

“当然会安排的，那小子心思缜密又聪慧的，我看他是吃定了契丹人想要买这件宝贝。”

The cave master of Wuyou Cave stood with his hands behind his back, looking to the side, attracting everyone's attention. Someone even hung two lanterns by the window to mark the location of the Khitans.

So that everyone could clearly see the faces of the Khitans.

"At such a high price, he really dared to hire shills to inflate the price. In this respect, Song Xuan has more guts than any of you!"

Bai Zhen rarely heard the cave master praise someone, especially someone who wasn't even a member of the cave, which left him momentarily speechless.

The cave master also thought Song Xuan was really bold, especially since he directly shouted out 800,000.

He heard the voice and saw that the person was Zhang Shixun, the Vice Chancellor of the Song Dynasty.

He never expected that Song Xuan could secretly instruct the Vice Prime Minister to act as his scapegoat.

Based on this, could it be that the Empress Dowager was also involved in this matter?

That was the idea devised by the entire court's high command regarding the annual tribute to the Khitans.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that made sense.

Fortunately, the cave master was only expressing his own feelings:
"Things are going to get more and more interesting from now on. I hope my plan will succeed."

"The cave master's plan will surely succeed."

白鸩立即马屁拍上，在洞主面前，他不敢多说什么话。

"Big brother!"

Xiaofeng finally uttered these words after a long while.

Cang Lin's eyes were still wide open, and he leaned back in his chair, muttering "impossible."

He was even thinking of stirring things up for Song Xuan.

Before he could even arrange for Xiaofeng to make a move, the price of this glass treasure skyrocketed like bamboo shoots!

Now, such a huge sum of money has been dumped directly into his ears.

"Big brother."

Xiaofeng was also very excited; he was even more thrilled.

So this is how you can make so much money legitimately by laundering your image!
Ten thousand strings of cash is enough to bury a person alive, let alone a million strings.

Xiaofeng was very envious of the auctioneer's current treatment.

After this experience, he believed that this person would definitely benefit greatly from Song Xuan.

就算他在最后一次的事情上，没有做出什么突出贡献，但没出现失误，促成买卖，那就是成功的事。

Based on Song Xuan's usual practice, the reward would certainly be substantial.

If Xiaofeng weren't unsure whether Canglin was truly colluding with Song Xuan in secret, he would have wanted to discuss the matter of rebelling against the cave master right now.

“我没听错吧？”苍鳞再次询问了一声。

"No, brother, this treasure has been bought by the Khitans."

Cang Lin nodded:
"This treasure really wasn't taken from you by Song Xuan, was it?"

"I swear to God, brother, you know me, I just love gold!"

The thought of Song Xuan leading his team to plunder so much gold made Xiaofeng feel a pang of heartache.

Fortunately, Song Xuan and I were old acquaintances, so there was a sense of "becoming friends after a fight".

Cang Lin now suspects that Song Xuan took it from Xuan Jia and Chi Yu.

"What a wonderful treasure! How did it end up in Song Xuan's hands?"

Such a scene was so shocking that many people were unable to remain calm.

However, Song Xuan had already cleared the area.

"The auction is over. Everyone can now leave in an orderly manner. Please follow the signs to leave the square."

Although they didn't want to leave, Song Xuan felt that he had achieved his goal and immediately started to drive away the guests in front of him.

If you want to discuss it, go discuss it outside Fanlou.

想必许多人都盼望着得到这个消息。

As for VIP customers, this group is small and they don't have a need for face-to-face discussions; they can stay if they want.

目前宋煊就是想要快速清场，尽可能的保证会场安全。

刘从德亦步亦趋的跟在宋煊身后：

"Brother, where are we going?"

"Of course, we should go to our biggest client and personally finalize the payment details. They don't have millions of dollars in their hands."

"Yes, yes, yes." Liu Congde nodded quickly.

"I was so happy that I completely forgot about it."

If you don't get the money, all your happiness is for nothing.

"In a moment, be firm in your tone and make it clear that this is your money, not the government's money, understand?"

"clear."

Liu Congde couldn't utter a single word of rebuttal in front of Song Xuan.

As Song Xuan walked toward the Binglou building, all the guards bowed.

"Cousin, take my token."

Song Xuan handed the token to Li Junyou:

"No one is allowed to approach that box of treasures in the middle. Take it to room 305 and wait outside. Come in when I call you."

Li Junyou was surprised to be entrusted with such an important task, and in his excitement, he immediately spoke:
"I will definitely do my best to fulfill the task assigned by my lord."

"Ah."

Song Xuan responded and went directly into Building C.

Wang Yufeng looked at Li Junyou with an envious expression.

李君佑嘿嘿的笑着，随即大踏步的走上一旁。

刘从德大踏步对跟在宋煊身后，胸膛不自觉的挺起来。

Wang Bao led the way, and the group headed straight for 305.

By this time, a large crowd had gathered outside the room.

Ban Feng quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "My lord, they haven't left."

Song Xuan reached out and took the goods sale agreement from An Jun.

"Okay." Song Xuan slightly raised his chin.

"Knock on the door."

"Here."

待到门被敲开后，宋煊走进瞧着坐在圆桌旁的三个契丹人。

"I never expected that several people would team up to win this treasure."

Liu Congde and Wang Bao followed Song Xuan inside, while Ban Feng closed the door and waited outside.

他相信真要出了意外，用不着大官人动手，王保一人就能把契丹人全都给杀了。

Ban Feng was extremely excited when he heard the offer of one million strings of cash.

依照大官人的脾性，今年怕不是所有人都要过上一个肥年了！

“宋知县，请坐。”

Lü Demao invited him to sit down and pointed to Liu Congde: "Don't you know this gentleman?"

"Prefect Liu, the nephew of the eldest aunt."

Song Xuan offered an explanation:
"The entire Fanlou now belongs to him, and many of the treasures auctioned today also belong to him."

"I see."

Lü Demao nodded.

Yelü Gou'er looked at Song Xuan, wondering what he was up to next.

Song Xuan placed the agreement on the round table:

"Ladies and gentlemen, before we hand over this treasure, we still need to sign this agreement first."

"What agreement?"

Song Xuan pushed the agreement to Yelü Shucheng's side:

“I know that you, Liu Liu, can read Chinese characters. When buying and selling large quantities of goods within the territory of our Great Song Dynasty, you need to have a delivery document as proof. At that time, Prefect Liu can pay taxes in accordance with the laws of the Great Song Dynasty.”

"Pay taxes?"

Lu Demao glanced at Liu Congde, not expecting that the eldest aunt's nephew would be so "law-abiding".

This situation is simply unheard of.

I'm not kidding!
Is Song Xuan's statement normal?

就算大辽是两套体制，可是对于燕云十六州的税赋征收，那也是颇为宽松的。

After all, they all have extremely high value in united front work.

The Liao Dynasty's oppression of other ethnic groups was several times more intense than its oppression of the Han people.

至于吕德懋他们这种汉人地主，那确实很少交税的。

After all, this territory had not been very obedient to the central government's rule since the An Lushan Rebellion of the Tang Dynasty.

Making them pay taxes is something that hasn't been done for hundreds of years.

"correct."

Song Xuan pointed at Liu Congde and said:
"He acquired such a high price at this auction, so naturally he has to pay taxes. Isn't that normal?"

Lü Demao was certain that Song Xuan was not joking; he felt that the Song Dynasty had absolutely no chance of regaining the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.

因为此地的汉人地主们，是不会同意交税的。

Even if they were to hand it over, they would still rebel.

Unless the Song Dynasty truly possessed the military strength to compel Han Chinese landlords to obediently pay taxes.

"Although I am the Empress's nephew, I must take the lead in abiding by the laws of the Song Dynasty. Otherwise, if everyone thinks of me this way, where will the Empress's face be?"

Liu Congde looked at Lü Demao with righteous indignation.

Lu Demao was speechless for a moment. You've already taken out the treasure that the Empress Dowager bestowed upon you and sold it. What do you mean by the Empress Dowager's face?

You have no shame!
While they were talking, Yelü Shucheng had already finished reading the agreement.

The people of the Song Dynasty were extremely professional when it came to business.

据他所知秦人在购买超过多少钱的货物时，双方都要留下购买的凭证。

On the one hand, it was to ensure that the "shelf life" of one month could be traced, and on the other hand, it was to facilitate the government's tax collection.

他们汉人虽然用的是儒家治国，可是在许多方面都是用的法家思想。

"Minister Nan, there's nothing wrong with this agreement; we can sign it."

耶律庶成把契约推到耶律狗儿面前：

“I don’t know Chinese characters, so we need to sign a document in Khitan script with them.”

"That can't be done."

Song Xuan directly refused him: "This is a transaction conducted within my Great Song Dynasty, and it must be signed in Chinese!"

"I won't sign."

The atmosphere immediately became tense.

Lü Demao looked at Song Xuan without saying a word.

Liu Congde wanted to speak, but then suddenly remembered what Song Xuan had said, so he shut his mouth.

"If you don't sign, I won't sell."

Song Xuan stood up abruptly:

“大不了重新拍卖一次，对外宣扬契丹人言而无信罢了，于我没有什么伤害。”

Liu Congde's pupils dilated instantly; he hadn't expected Song Xuan to be so resolute.

"Hey."

Seeing that Song Xuan was about to leave, Lü Demao quickly stood up and grabbed his sleeve:

"Scholar Song, why are you in such a hurry?"

“Yes,” Yelü Shucheng immediately added, “Scholar Song, there’s no need to get angry.”

Both of them changed how they addressed Song Xuan.

This cooked duck is almost in our mouths, how can we let it fly away?
How will we explain this to His Majesty then!
"How about this, Scholar Song? Let's compromise and follow the example of the Treaty of Chanyuan, signing two copies each in Chinese and Khitan, to be kept as records."

Yelü Gou'er never expected Song Xuan to dare to get up and leave ahead of time. "We Khitans paid a hefty price, how dare he be so arrogant?"

What merchant doesn't greet big customers with a beaming smile?

Yelü Gou'er had quite a few dealings with these Song merchants, especially at the border markets.

"I wonder what exactly Yelü Gou'er, the chief envoy, means?"

Yelü Gou'er could only mumble, "We will do as Vice Envoy Lü said."

Song Xuan then sat down again: "An Jun."

An Jun, the head of the ceremonial affairs office, immediately pushed open the door and came out: "My lord, what are your orders?"

"Go to Banjingguan immediately and find three translators who are familiar with Khitan. Tell them that you have done a good job for me and that they will be rewarded."

"Here."

An Jun closed the door again and hurriedly left with several constables.

inside the room.

宋煊这才笑了笑：
“I never expected that it would be you Khitans who would buy this treasure, so I didn’t prepare a sales contract in Khitan beforehand.”

"understand."

Lu Demao said this, but in his heart he felt that Song Xuan's words did not mean what they seemed to mean.

Yelü Gou'er listened to Song Xuan's words and did not think that today's situation was specifically set up against the Khitans.

"Scholar Song, why did you request three people familiar with the Khitan script?"

Yelü Shucheng expressed his incomprehension: "One person is clearly enough."

"I have a habit of asking a few more people to do things for me, so that I can relax and they can relax too."

Song Xuan explained that this was to prevent someone from being indecisive and potentially misinterpreting the meaning of the Khitan script.

The saying "three cobblers are equal to one Zhuge Liang" is true, although it's mostly a lie. But in small situations where you're not easily fooled, it can still get things done.

"understood."

"Oh, right." Song Xuan then looked at Yelü Gou'er:

"I wonder how Yelü Gou'er plans to settle this million strings of cash. As far as I know, you don't have that much money on hand. Are you planning to go back to the Liao Dynasty to raise funds?"

Upon hearing this, Yelü Gou'er coughed, unable to hold it in any longer:
"I need to pee first, then Vice Envoy Lü will talk to you."

耶律狗儿说完之后，便直接出了门，他发现许多人都围在外面。

Those yamen runners and the initial security personnel were also there.

After hearing his request clearly, someone took him to the toilet.

inside the room.

Lu Demao said after careful consideration:
"Scholar Song, it's like this, I transported some gold from the Liao Dynasty, but the total amount of money is probably not enough."

"So here's what I'm thinking: our Great Liao should pay for this treasure with three years' worth of tribute. What do you think?"

Song Xuan stared at him quietly for a long time without saying a word.

Lu Demao felt a little awkward under the gaze: "Scholar Song, do you also agree?"

"So you have no money, yet you still come to buy things!"

Song Xuan asked bluntly, "What are you thinking about the three-year tribute?"

"Even if I sell it to those people outside for 900,000, I won't make you pay me for three years' worth of work!"

"Song Zhuangyuan, Song Zhuangyuan."

Lü Demao quickly spoke up:

Tell me exactly what's wrong, and we'll discuss it properly!

"First, I want cash."

"Secondly, you suggested paying with three years' worth of tribute. Would the emperor of the Liao Dynasty agree to that?"

"Thirdly, would the Emperor and Empress of our Great Song Dynasty agree to this?"

"Fourth, this is a private transaction, not a business deal, do you understand?"

“第五，再说了，三年的岁币，根本就不够用的。”

Lu Demao remained silent, not wanting to reveal His Majesty's eagerness to possess this treasure.

Yelü Shucheng coughed once:
"Song Zhuangyuan, it's mainly because my younger brother Yelü Heshang went home to raise money, and he'll be back in a few days."

"But I don't know how much money he can raise, though he certainly has cash on hand."

That's why they proposed using annual tribute to supplement the price of this treasure.

"As for the issues raised by Scholar Song, we only need to write to His Majesty to inquire about them, and he will surely be able to agree."

“刘六，我没想到在这件事上，你也来敷衍我。”

Song Xuan chuckled: "I think you just want to use a year's worth of tribute, plus the money your brother brought, to swindle the treasure from me."

"As for the annual tribute for the next two years, you will just send a different batch of envoys to demand it as usual. Do you really think I can't see through your scheme?"

"Scholar Song, why think of us like that?"

宋煊毫不客气的指着吕德懋：
"You're just a Han Chinese, you have absolutely no say in the Liao Kingdom. What kind of guarantee are you going to give me? Do you even have the power to do that?"

Lu Demao was immediately on edge. If he really had the final say, he wouldn't have remained a deputy envoy all these years.

正使每次都是契丹人的贵族担任。

"And you, Liu Liu, you hold no official position whatsoever; you're just a pampered member of the imperial clan. What gives you the right to make a promise on behalf of the Liao emperor?"

Yelü Shucheng pursed his lips; he couldn't refute it.

This treasure was also his ticket to promotion in the Liao Dynasty's officialdom.

If you handle things well, how could you not get a good official position?
“这个房间里的三个人，明明是耶律狗儿他这个南府宰相最有话语权。”

"But in the end, he just used the excuse of needing to pee to run away. It was clearly a plan you all conspired to deceive me."

Song Xuan's attack left the two of them speechless.

Liu Congde also realized what was going on:

"So that's how it is. I almost fell for those Khitan dogs' trick."

"Misunderstanding, misunderstanding."

Lü Demao hurriedly explained:

“Scholar Song, listen to me. The main problem is that the Prime Minister of the South drank two pots of tea and really needed to urinate. He definitely didn’t mean for us to make the decision.”

"This business document must have been signed by Prime Minister Nam himself."

“那你们两个人就不配与我沟通。”

Song Xuan leaned back in his chair, scrutinizing the two of them:

“通过你们方才的操作，并没有给我感觉你们是诚实之人，反倒处处都透露出算计之意。”

"Business is all about integrity, and there isn't much trust between us."

After Song Xuan finished speaking, he fell silent.

Faced with Song Xuan's counterattack, Yelü Shucheng and the other exchanged a glance, realizing that they had indeed been too hasty and had not considered their thoughts.

"It was just wishful thinking on my part."

Lü Demao quipped self-deprecatingly, "We're waiting for the Southern Chancellor to arrive."

When Yelü Gou'er announced his number, the Khitans who had come to watch the spectacle were outraged.

They stood on the stairs of Building C, loudly proclaiming their intention to go see Yelü Gou'er.

But all of them were blocked.

Xiao Xiaoxian was even more furious:
"One million strings of cash? Where did he get one million strings of cash from!"

Even though His Majesty had personally given the order, Xiao Xiaoxian knew that Yelü Gou'er couldn't come up with that much money.

It is inevitable that the annual budget will be misappropriated, and not just for one year.

The profits that should have been theirs were completely lost.

Yelü Zongfu, however, thought Yelü Gou'er was too impulsive. How could he casually spend a million strings of cash to buy that thing?

So they all gathered here, wanting to go up and ask Yelü Gou'er for clarification.

Everyone's real interests have been harmed.

Not only that, these people also began to question Xiao Xiaoxian, since he was the one who first helped Yelü Gou'er calm everyone down.

Xiao Xiaoxian could only appear extremely angry, conveying that he too had been deceived and was completely unaware of the deception.

可惜这些衙役思考不惯着这群契丹人。

没有大官人的命令，谁都不被允许上去。

It doesn't matter if they bark like dogs here.

Anyway, all I could hear from these Khitans was angry curses and shouts directed at the Khitan dogs.

They were all puzzled as to why the Khitan nobles would follow the Song Dynasty's custom of having lowly names so that people could be raised easily.
耶律狗儿正想下来上厕所，却发现众人都围在这里。

What are you doing here?

Faced with Yelü Gou'er's intimidating presence, the most vocal individuals fell silent.

"Southern Prime Minister".

被人推到前面的萧孝先：

"I don't understand, where did you get the money to spend one million strings of cash to buy that gyrfalcon glass treasure?"

"Step aside."

Yelü Gou'er didn't bother to explain to them at all.

A bunch of pampered sons of the Yelü and Xiao families, who can't even shoot arrows accurately, come to the Song Dynasty to eat, drink, and have fun. Do they really think they'll get a share of the annual tribute?

Yelü Gou'er walked right past them, and none of the people, led by Xiao Xiaoxian, dared to stop him.

Only Yelü Zongfu followed:

“Prime Minister Nan, that treasure is not worth that much money. If we use three or four years' worth of annual tribute to buy it, it may cause internal unrest.”

Even though Fanlou was a bustling place with living quarters, the upstairs rooms were usually used for toilets.

The toilets are all on the first floor and are cleaned by designated staff.

To prevent various unpleasant odors from driving away guests.

Therefore, the toilets in Fanlou are filled with a fragrant aroma as soon as you enter, as they are made with a lot of spices.

Yelü Gou'er ignored him, and after relieving himself in the toilet, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. He washed and dried his hands in the toilet before coming out.

Yelü Zongfu was still standing outside.

"His Majesty has already made a decision on this matter." Yelü Gou'er looked at Yelü Zongfu:

"Even if what you say is true, that treasure isn't worth that much money, but it's already worth so much now."

"No one can say he's worthless. You'd better shut your mouth, or I'll rip your tongue out."

Yelü Zongfu lowered his head somewhat dejectedly; honest advice was hard to swallow.

He always felt that this was a scheme designed by Song Xuan specifically for the Khitans, but from the perspective of the Liao Dynasty, the Southern Chancellor had no such idea at all.

Was that treasure really passed down from the Tang Dynasty?

If it were made by the craftsmen under Song Xuan, spending a million strings of cash to buy one would be a joke.

Yelü Zongfu believed that Song Xuan could do a second or third thing, and then His Majesty would be the one to become furious.

If Song Xuan cannot bear the wrath of the Liao Emperor, then someone else will naturally have to.

耶律宗福瞧着耶律狗儿大踏步的离开，一时间心情复杂。

He wanted to see his stubbornness punished, but he also didn't want the Song people to cheat him out of three or four years' worth of tribute.

The event happened so suddenly that he didn't know how to object!

Or rather, judging from Yelü Gou'er's current stance, there's practically no room for maneuver left.

Yelü Gou'er strode back, passing by the first floor and looking at the young Khitan nobles:

"We'll discuss this back home. Making a scene outside is damaging the image of our Great Khitan. Get out of here!"

Xiao Xiaoxian looked at Yelü Gou'er, never expecting that an old scoundrel would speak in such a way that would damage the image of the Great Khitan.

Although the crowd was indignant, they really didn't dare to argue or fight with Yelü Gou'er.

Because they really aren't qualified.

Yelü Gou'er strode back to his room, only to find it eerily quiet.

"This has all been agreed upon?"

Yelü Gou'er looked at Lü Demao:
"how?"

Lu Demao glanced at Song Xuan, who was waiting for an explanation, and then explained in detail to Yelü Gou'er the demands of Song Xuan and the others.

"Nonsense! I keep my word. I was genuinely in a hurry to urinate, not asking you to negotiate on my behalf. How dare he underestimate me like that?"

Yelü Gou'er suppressed his anger and explained that these Song people were just cunning.

Just because they do this doesn't mean that we Khitans would be so shameless!

"The emperor of our Great Khitan has already agreed to this matter, Song Xuan, you are free to boldly sign a contract with me."

Song Xuan sneered: "Yelü Gouer, words are meaningless. Even the Treaty of Chanyuan was signed by the emperors of Song and Liao themselves. How dare you say that you can replace the emperor of Liao?"

"Is the Liao Dynasty under your control, Yelü Gou'er, or Yelü Longxu?"

Snapped.

“大胆。”耶律狗儿指着宋煊道：
"How dare you address the Emperor of the Great Khitan by his name?"

Song Xuan said nonchalantly:

"Yelü Gou'er, I'll ask you one question: you keep saying you'll use the annual tribute from these three years to pay, but did your Liao emperor say such a thing to your face?"

Having heard Lü Demao's earlier retelling, Yelü Gou'er's tone softened somewhat, and he spoke the truth:
"Although not, they still wrote a letter of agreement."

"That won't do." Song Xuan gently waved his hand with his index finger.
“岁币乃是宋辽两国签订的澶渊之盟，谁都不想去撕毁盟约。”

"To put it bluntly, you want to use annual tribute to buy this treasure in order to curry favor with your Liao emperor."

"Moreover, the annual tribute is paid only once a year and is never paid in advance, in order to prevent disputes."

Song Xuan withdrew his finger from Yelü Gou'er:
"If you insist on paying with tribute, then let the Emperor of Liao write a letter of state to confirm it."

“Otherwise, I will hold the auction again and shut out all of you dishonest Khitans.”

"it is good."

Lü Demao quickly responded, though he himself was also feeling quite uneasy.

The thought of receiving a year's worth of taxes in advance already terrified him.

预支两年的，那些契丹贵族不敢欺辱耶律狗儿，可不代表不敢欺辱自己啊！

“Scholar Song, give us a month, and we will give you an explanation.”

"Fifteen days."

"Twenty days."

"Ten days."

Song Xuan stood up and gestured with his hands:
"Given your lack of sincerity, I will give you ten days."

"Ten days is too short." Yelü Shucheng also stood up:

"The emperor of our great Khitan is in Zhongjing. Even traveling day and night, it's impossible to make a round trip."

Shangjing was the capital of the Liao Dynasty. At present, there are only four capitals, not five.

Since signing the Treaty of Chanyuan, Yelü Longxu preferred to stay in Zhongjing (the original homeland of the Xi people), and his status was approaching that of Shangjing.

"Fifteen days."

宋煊瞧着耶律狗儿，伸出手：

"If I do not see the official letter of state stamped and signed by the Emperor of Liao, I will hold another auction."

"Okay, fifteen days it is."

Yelü Gou'er extended his hand, and the two clapped three times.

Song Xuan glanced at Lü Demao:

“Vice Envoy Lü, you had better be able to give a complete account of this matter to your Liao Emperor. I don’t believe he will grant your request.”

"It's good that this treasure is being re-auctioned; it won't end up in another country."

Yelü Gou'er panicked; it turned out that Song Xuan had this plan:

"Our Great Liao Dynasty inherited the legal system of the Great Tang Dynasty, and this treasure of the Great Tang should rightfully belong to us!"

"You have no money."

宋煊直接回了三个字。

Yelü Gou'er immediately deflated, and Lü Demao quickly grabbed Song Xuan:

“Scholar Song, we’ve talked so much, but we also need to see that treasure and feel it for ourselves so we can describe it to His Majesty and try to purchase it with three years’ worth of tribute.”

“Yes, yes, yes.” Yelü Gou’er quickly echoed, as he also wanted to experience it firsthand.

“刘六他早就看过摸过了，让他来写。”

Song Xuan pointed at Yelü Shucheng.

Yelü Gou'er glared angrily at Yelü Shucheng:

How could you touch it first?

“Scholar Song, please be lenient. At worst, we can wait for Monk Yelü to arrive with the gold, and then I will take him to the county government to pay the deposit so that the Prime Minister can take a look.”

Yelü Shucheng spoke conciliatory words to Song Xuan:

"Otherwise he'll beat me up. Help me, please. When you go on your mission to the Khitan, I'll definitely treat you well."

Song Xuan glanced at him:
“你把家里的金子都托你弟弟带来了，成了穷鬼，还要招待我，你回国之后都要吃不起饭了。”

Yelü Shucheng hadn't considered this matter, and after Song Xuan reminded him, he could only change his mind and say:

"I'll take you to my other brothers' house for dinner, please help me out."

Song Xuan then let Li Junyou in and placed the box on the table.

The three of them were very excited. The box contained not only priceless treasures, but also a bright future that they could gain by winning the emperor's favor!
“我说了，只是看一看，摸一摸，绝不能往外拿出来。”

Song Xuan repeatedly reminded them before slowly opening the box and handing them a pair of gloves.

Yelü Gou'er's eyes were completely absorbed, and his hands touched the glass, feeling a cool sensation.

"beautiful."

"It is indeed beautiful."

"Truly a precious gift from heaven to our Great Khitan."

"It is only because Heaven has favored the emperor of our Great Khitan that such a treasure has appeared!"

"Our great Khitan will surely prosper forever!"

Yelü Gou'er spoke in Khitan, knowing that Song Xuan wouldn't understand.

Lü Demao nodded repeatedly.

Viewing this treasure up close gives it a completely different feel.

Although Yelü Shucheng had not had this idea before, he agreed with Nan Xiang's words.

The higher the value of this treasure, the more valuable it will be when it reaches the emperor!

Otherwise, if they brought back a treasure worth 100,000 strings of cash, Yelü Longxu would only think it was nice, and it wouldn't cause him much of a psychological reaction.

Only if it is valuable, in good condition, and has a good meaning can Yelü Longxu truly feel that it is a good treasure and that the money spent is really worthwhile!

Song Xuan's manipulation and fabrication of his origins were all aimed at giving this treasure greater value.

Everyone in the world knows that this treasure is priceless, and the Khitan emperor has obtained it. How could he not be happy?

"Hey."

宋煊直接伸手制止：

"Yelü Gou'er, you dog, why do you always treat your own words like farts!"

Faced with Song Xuan's humiliation, Yelü Gou'er lost face and gave up his attempt to take it out.

Lü Demao chuckled awkwardly, "I was just a little excited, please don't take offense."

"All right."

Song Xuan gestured to Li Junyou to close the lid:

"Fifteen days, I will give you fifteen days."

(End of this chapter)