A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 431 Unrestricted Free Fighting Tournament (End of Volume)
The tax refund policy that suddenly appeared out of nowhere by the bigwig.

They had worked in the county government for many years.

I've never heard of such a thing.

Since ancient times, either the government directly exempts taxes from taxes.

It saved the local county government a lot of trouble.

Alternatively, they could follow the policy issued by the imperial court, which would exempt a portion of the normal taxes collected in previous years.

This can be considered an act of mercy from the government, showing consideration for the people's plight.

But I never imagined that after collecting all the taxes, I would have to go through the trouble of refunding them the tax money.

So what's the story behind their recent urging for tax collection, and the fact that they just sent people to collect taxes?

Therefore, after Song Xuan proposed this idea, no one dared to offer suggestions as they had before.

Instead, they didn't dare to join in.

Song Xuan was also giving them time to process what was happening.

"What, none of you dare to speak?"

"My lord, I don't quite understand. We've worked so hard to collect these taxes, why are we returning them?"

County Magistrate Zhou Delong mustered his courage and said, "The main problem is that there is no precedent for this, and I'm afraid it will cause criticism."

"This action of mine is called 'hiding wealth among the people'."

Song Xuan didn't forcefully push it forward; he wanted his subordinates to understand his intentions so they could better direct his actions.

"Of course, that's the official statement."

"The unspoken saying is that our Kaifeng County government is doing too well, which makes others envious."

"Even after a large sum of money comes in next year, he will still be impeached."

"Don't even think about having a good life."

Everyone's expressions changed slightly, and they all wore expressions of sorrow.

Going from luxury to frugality is really not easy to accept.

“但是让本官把辛苦挣来的钱，分润给其余县衙，那老子是不答应的。”

Song Xuan tapped the table lightly with his fingers:

"So it's not just about getting a tax refund; I also need to pay the fodder and feed costs that farmers in Kaifeng County have to pay this year."

“就算是有欠款也无所谓，明年这笔钱正好可以堵窟窿，免得有人想要借机伸手。”

"Now that we've taken out the ledgers, it's easy to get the farmers' taxes refunded, but we need to establish a system for commercial taxes so that everyone doesn't get the same amount back."

“For example, for stall fees, if someone pays a string of cash this year, we will refund 200 cash. If the amount is less than a string of cash, we will refund 20% of the amount, rounded up.”

"My lord, what if these small vendors don't come to pay the money or impersonate you?"

"This is what you need to do: conduct a thorough investigation before you can grant a tax refund."

Song Xuan glanced at Zheng Wenhuan:

“I know this job is hard work and thankless, but in order for you to get some bonuses next year and the year after, you have to endure the hardship.”

"I'll wait to understand."

Song Xuan nodded:
"Now we will allocate the amount of tax refund according to the amount of tax paid, and then issue an announcement so that they can prepare in advance."

"The redemption will begin in batches five days from now, starting with those below 1 kan, and will last for five days."

"If you do not redeem within the deadline, you can only continue to redeem after you have completed all the previous redemptions. This period is also five days. Once it expires, it will not be available again."

"Yes."

After everyone responded, they understood the spirit of the meeting.

In short, in order for us to have a decent life next year, Master Song wants to spend a lot of money, making the county government look like it's in debt.

This is the only way to prevent others from constantly eyeing the money.

Otherwise, if this money is left here, people will find fault with it.

The official didn't want to be bothered by others, nor did he want to be taken advantage of by others.

Now all we can do is spend money to shut people up!

The first thing to do now is to find the four officials to prepare a banquet in advance, with all kinds of tables, and also to invite people from the entertainment district.

The wages will be distributed after everyone has sobered up from the feast.

Depending on the number of people, it will probably take three days to complete.

After the first day ended, the people who had received their money on the second day would board ships and return home according to their respective hometowns.

To avoid people piling up here.

As for the local workers in Tokyo, they were treated to a banquet on the last day.

This arrangement has sparked even more discussion.

The people of Dongjing had long been aware of Song Xuan's grand and generous style.

However, this was the first time they had ever seen a project involve hosting a banquet for so many people.

Nowadays, most people are envious of these people, wishing they had gone to work there themselves.

Working for Song Taisui is definitely not a place where you'll go hungry for three days and then go hungry for nine, but rather a place where you can eat three meals a day.

After all, in addition to the disaster victims outside of Tokyo, Song Taisui also hired some local people who wanted to work.

There are many who have been imprisoned and then released, as well as some ordinary people who want to make a living by doing manual labor.

It's fine to have some meat on ordinary days, but they always end up having a big feast.

I heard that the chefs they hired were no ordinary people; they were chefs invited from 72 prestigious restaurants, including Fanlou, and each chef could cook one or two signature dishes.

That really shows how much face Song Taisui has!

The chefs in these regular restaurants all have their own specialties, and you never know when they might have a cooking competition on the spot.

These disaster victims are in for a treat.

Liu Min and other disaster victims heard the government officials constantly announcing that the feast would be held in batches and that wine and food would be given as rewards.

The next day, after receiving their money and food, they boarded the ship with their iron stove and coal, and returned to their hometown.

The news that they would resume work in the spring of next year brought smiles to most people's faces.

Master Song's approach was truly commendable; we should continue working under him next year.

宋煊如此撒钱的操作，并没有再次引起朝堂的弹劾之类的。

After all, there are very few censors and remonstrance officials nowadays, and the others have no intention of causing trouble for Song Xuan.

The county government has money, and spending it on disaster relief is a legitimate use of funds.

No one could say anything against it.

Liu Congde directly ordered the best chef at Fanlou and asked him to help.

Liu Congde now firmly supports Song Xuan's decision.

Didn't you see those censors and remonstrance officials? They all voluntarily retired due to illness, preserving their dignity?

If it's undignified, then let them know the consequences of being undignified.

Anyone found guilty of dereliction of duty will be sent directly to Lingnan to be roasted and eaten by insects, or to be eaten by insects themselves.

Although none of these people dared to impeach Liu Congde, Song Xuan's teacher, Fan Zhongyan, dared to impeach him as soon as he took office in the capital.

Although Liu Congde felt somewhat resentful, he didn't take it too seriously.

Because he knew perfectly well who his backer was.

It wasn't until later that Song Xuan persuaded him with his virtue. Faced with Fan Zhongyan's second memorial, Liu Congde dared not argue and obediently revealed the 100,000 strings of cash he had embezzled.

As for the so-called golden nanmu wood sold to the Khitans, it was simply dropped under Empress Liu's suppression.

The censors and remonstrance officials, of course, wouldn't risk their lives and simply pretended not to know anything about it.

"Master Liu."

Manager Qian came running in, panting, holding a notice in his hand.

"Something serious has happened."

"As long as it's not the top scholar Song coming to seal up Fanlou, it's not a big deal!"

Liu Congde was still personally handling the accounts; he preferred making money to being an official.

Manager Qian quickly recited the contents of the notice from the Kaifeng County Government.

"What?"

Liu Congde's eyes were full of disbelief.

"That's exactly right, Master Liu!"

Manager Qian quickly handed the notice to Liu Congde so that he could also take a look.

After reading it, Liu Congde's expression of shock remained unchanged:

"Did the sun rise in the west today?"

"He, Song Shier, has more money than he can spend, yet he treats money like dirt?"

"He was impeached, so didn't he win?"

"Why are you still operating like this?"

Liu Congde couldn't understand why Song Xuan wanted to host a banquet for those poor bastards, pay wages, and invite people from the entertainment district to perform and liven up the atmosphere.

"Master Liu, I personally believe that the plans of Lord Song are beyond the comprehension of ordinary people."

Shopkeeper Qian offered a quiet defense, mainly because it was inappropriate to mention that Song Taisui had manipulated the entire city.

Especially the official Liu in front of me.

The grain he paid a high price to transport was ultimately sold at a low price due to Song Taisui's manipulation, and was even bought up by Kaifeng County.

They didn't even get their initial investment back.

The methods used by Song Taisui to stabilize grain prices, especially in the capital city of Kaifeng, were truly something few dared to employ.

Local authorities might be able to operate more effectively and with less risk.

But Song Taisui made a name for himself in the capital, and who wouldn't admire him?

"Well, that's true."

Liu Congde felt he needed to have a talk with Song Xuan soon, as he had become much more obedient since his brother-in-law was actually beheaded.

Wang Mengzheng, the father-in-law, was also exiled, and now the Wang family is truly being supported by the second son, Wang Yufeng.

Nowadays, his brother-in-law is also constantly busy, handling various family businesses.

Otherwise, Wang Yufeng wouldn't even have had the opportunity to obtain a hereditary official position.

Now no one is competing with him anymore; even his father's official position is inferior to his.

After all, Empress Liu E was mindful of past relationships, so she punished the father and son but promoted Wang Yufeng.

In this way, Wang Yufeng transformed himself, not only from a commoner to an official of the Song Dynasty, but also gained control of his family's business, making his entire family dependent on him.

From then on, the roles of offense and defense were reversed.

Wang Yufeng had always wanted to thank Song Xuan, but he didn't want to make it too obvious.

After all, Song Xuan had paved the way for him with his own brother's life.

Liu Congde instructed Manager Qian to compile all the tax payment certificates and also sent someone to Liu Lou to have them prepare the tax payment certificates.

No matter how much he didn't understand Song Xuan's policies, he followed them and went to the city.

The announcement sparked a great deal of discussion among the people.

It has always been the government that forcibly collects taxes. If you can't pay the taxes, they will take away your valuables to offset them.

Now, the Kaifeng County government has started refunding taxes, and anyone who has ever paid taxes has a chance to do so.

Nobody knows what kind of "scheme" Song Taisui is up to this time!
After all, his last unusual actions fooled the entire city. Who knows what he's trying to do this time?

Such explosive news, and the fact that Song Taisui's true intentions were unclear, caused a huge uproar as soon as it spread.

Everyone is speculating about Song Zhuangyuan's true purpose, and everyone has their own explanation.

Those who had paid taxes were naturally overjoyed, praising Song Taisui without stopping.

This policy is truly a good one!
Who wouldn't want to pay less tax?
至于这种脱了裤子放屁的事，他们可太愿意，全都是受益者。

Moreover, this method gives people a different feeling.

It used to be "three in the morning, four in the evening," now it's "four in the morning, three in the evening."

Compared to previous years, I have received significantly more money.

Song Xuan's actions also sparked heated discussions among officials.

However, this mostly happened in private and was not brought up to the imperial court.

After all, the fate of the censors and remonstrance officials was not far off.

Lu Yijian raised an eyebrow: "What exactly is he thinking?"

"This is a good thing," Zhang Shixun said with a smile, stroking his beard.
"Song Zhuangyuan was impeached. He was still young and didn't care about money at all."

"So it's not just about entertaining those working people, but also about upholding the imperial court's policies and reducing or exempting taxes for the people in the jurisdiction, which is perfectly reasonable."

Lü Yijian stroked his beard, first nodding, then shaking his head:

"In fact, with such a dazzling record, he could be impeached for anything he does. This kind of operation might even be criticized as a waste of money."

"Looking at all the local officials in the Song Dynasty, I have never seen anyone who was better at accumulating wealth than him."

Zhang Shixun pointed at Lü Yijian: "Moreover, his wealth was not obtained through extortion and plunder of the people under his jurisdiction. On this point, you and I must admit it."

Lu Yijian shook his head and smiled. Even Song Xuan's second son, who worked under Song Xuan, didn't know the truth about this matter.

He couldn't understand what Song Xuan was doing.

However, it was said that Song Xuan dismissed the people around the Empress Dowager and spoke some secret words, but no one knew what they were.
Even Lü Yijian, as the head of the civil officials of the "Grand Empress" faction, had never done anything like this before.

Now, Lü Yijian feels that he, as the head of the civil officials who strongly supports the Empress Dowager's rule, is likely to be replaced by the Song couple.

After all, the two of them were doing very well in Tokyo.

“不过我倒是在想，宋十二如此操作，是为了算计谁？”

Zhang Shixun wore a smug smile.

The time before last, he schemed against grain merchants like Liu Congde; the last time it was against the Khitans. This time, it's hard to say.

Lu Yijian narrowed his eyes again: "I think you've been misled by Song Twelve's medical skills, and you're overthinking everything!"

"Hahaha, Scholar Song is a divine doctor. You still don't believe me? I remember he was the one who saw through your daughter's poor health."

Zhang Shixun also got involved in the fierce competition for a son-in-law back then.

"he?"

Lu Yijian shook his head. In fact, he was very suspicious at the time, always feeling that it was an excuse that Song Xuan deliberately made up because he didn't want to agree. It was just a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse.

Moreover, according to Zhang Shixun, Song Xuan was merely pretending to examine his pulse; he didn't even prescribe any medicine, yet his illness was cured.

Who could believe that Song Xuan is a miracle doctor?

那把真正的应天府王神医的位置放在哪里？

They come from a family of doctors spanning generations.

Even so, it's said that a miracle doctor comes from two generations.

It's clearly Zhang Shixun; he's not sick.

The pressure was immense the moment I accidentally shouted out 800,000 strings of cash!
However, Lü Yijian did not expose his in-laws and old friends excessively, as there was no need for it.

"Then let's wait and see what his real intentions are. Anyway, we can't hide it for too long."

"This is a great thing to say."

Of course, this still made the people of Xiangfu County envious of Song Xuan's actions.

The two sides are clearly separated by only one street, but the difference in their treatment is too great.

Who in Xiangfu County doesn't envy this?
They most hoped that Song Xuan could be promoted to the position of Prefect of Kaifeng, so that good policies could benefit them.

No one dared to suppress the local bullies as soon as they took office, just like Song Xuan.

The key was that he also kept Liu Congde in check, and from then on, no one dared to cause trouble.

可宋庠不一样，现在已经遭到反噬，有人攻击他了。

Because of his strict governance, Song Xiang offended some local powerful figures.

The powerful and influential colluded with the wealthy and powerful to frame Song Xiang.

Anyway, with the Song-Song couple ruling the city, Song Tai Sui's reputation has already been established, and even Wuyou Cave has been weakened by their actions.

Therefore, the powerful figures in Xiangfu County naturally wanted to pick on the weakest targets first, making Song Xiang's current situation very difficult.

His tax payments were barely passing thanks to Song Xuan's intervention, but now that Song Xuan is refunding his taxes, it's causing him some trouble.

Song Xuan didn't care what people were saying outside; he was currently watching the cooks prepare the ingredients.

Seeing that the top scholar was interested, the cook immediately began to introduce his signature dishes, saying that he wanted the top scholar to try them.

In fact, what they most wanted was praise from the top scholar, Song.

"Okay."

Song Xuan opened his mouth with a smile:
"In that case, let each person prepare a simple, signature dish. The seating arrangement should be quick, not complicated."

"Otherwise, none of us will get to eat any hot dishes. Let's all eat together and try each other's cooking. I'm sure you don't often eat other people's cooking."

Upon hearing this, the chefs immediately perked up and were eager to demonstrate their skills according to the requirements of the top scholar Song.

The group got right to work. Song Xuan didn't even check who did it; he went straight to the classroom, looked at the students, and listened to how far they had progressed in reciting the Thousand Character Classic.

Song Xuan sat to the side and tasted the steamed duck: "This has a bit of a meaty flavor, that shows some thought."

After the top scholar Song took a bite and gave his evaluation, many of the chefs also tried it, and indeed, as the official had said, it had a meaty flavor.

They all call it a steamed gourd.

"Jade-filled lungs, fake fried meat." Song Xuan put down his chopsticks:
"Good heavens, if the master asked you to prepare the banquet, you would go bankrupt. The ingredients used are all good, but unfortunately there is no real meat at all."

Everyone laughed, mainly because the pork provided by the top scholar Song was too difficult for them to bring up.

After all, the strong smell of urine can inevitably affect one's reputation.

However, the people in the four offices knew that the top scholar Song had sent someone to stew pork for everyone, and that it was cooked with a lot of spices.

The cost of spices alone would be enough to buy countless pigs; ordinary people couldn't afford it.

"This real mutton tastes good."

"So that Your Excellency may know that in the past, the Imperial Chefs slaughtered tens of thousands of sheep every year, all of which were purchased from Shaanxi Road."

“自从澶渊之盟后，全都是从河北榷场买来契丹人的羊数万。”

"The mutton from both places has its own unique flavor, but comparatively speaking, the mutton from Fengyi County in Shaanxi Province is the most tender and juicy." Song Xuan nodded, thinking that the mutton from Shaanxi and other places was probably all bought from the Dangxiang people.

Emperor Zhao Zhen never imagined that the imperial chefs would slaughter tens of thousands of sheep a year, yet he himself didn't eat that many.

Is this just the imperial chef bragging, or did a lot of the mutton end up in other people's mouths?

Lamb was the main meat, while beef was almost never allowed to be eaten, unless the person died suddenly, in which case it had to be reported to the government.

Zhao Zhen picked up a piece of mutton and tasted it, without saying a word.

Because he remembered that he didn't eat mutton every meal.

"The flavors you've prepared are exactly what the upper-class families in Tokyo like."

Song Xuan put down his chopsticks: "I'm not saying your cooking is bad."

"You all survive in this city of Tokyo now by relying on your skills. I was poor once too, and you were all poor before. After all, your families were well-off and couldn't bear to let their children learn to cook."

Many cooks nodded in agreement.

"Mutton is too expensive for ordinary people. The fake meat they made earlier tasted good, but it's not enough to fool ordinary people."

"I remember that there were a lot of pigs slaughtered in the capital city. For the banquet, we should focus more on the pork. The people rarely get to eat meat, so who wouldn't praise your cooking skills?"

Song Xuan meant that ordinary people are struggling to make ends meet these days, so there's no need to treat them with the same standards as the wealthy.

"For example, cold dishes like pork liver, lung, and tongue salad, and I've heard that lychee kidney salad is a famous dish."

"It was modified by a villain."

"Wow, not bad." Song Xuan hadn't expected there to be a specific person involved.

"In short, you should make use of every part of the pig."

"My lord, shall we also use the large intestine?"

“Of course.” Song Xuan nodded repeatedly. “If the pig intestines are cleaned properly, they are quite delicious.”

"I remember that in some places, the food is made by stuffing minced meat into pig intestines to make sausages. I think it was in Sichuan, but I can't remember exactly."

"There are certainly other ways to eat it, but it depends on whether you chefs can come up with a famous dish like Lychee Kidney, just like him."

The group looked at each other, and realized that the top scholar was indeed quite knowledgeable about food.

"They also like to eat stewed pork knuckle and braised pork belly. Their stomachs are full of oil, and their mouths are full of oil. They can eat several bowls of rice with it."

"Get some chicken, duck, fish, crab, clams, and the like. Get some cheap blood broth. Basically, anything with a bit of oil and fat, try to make it into a meat dish. Even if you're good at stir-frying, put in plenty of meat."

"After you've eaten your fill, make one last bowl of meatball soup to cleanse your stomach, and then the feast will be over."

"Perhaps decades from now, these people will still remember your craftsmanship during festivals and holidays."

Song Xuan's description made them all chuckle.

A chef's true skill is demonstrated by their culinary expertise, making them memorable for many years.

"We understand what Scholar Song said, so let's serve him our best pork dishes."

"Not bad." Song Xuan pointed at him approvingly with his chopsticks:
That's exactly what it means.

"Hehehe." He puffed out his chest with a smug look on his face.

"My lord, I am Song Xiang, the magistrate of Xiangfu County, paying my respects."

After listening to Qi Lecheng's report, Song Xuan told him to bring the person over so they could all try it together.

Song Xiang's face was somewhat grim. He had thought that if things proceeded according to Song Xuan's method, Xiangfu County could achieve the same level of political success as Kaifeng County.

But the reality was that he received a harsh slap in the face.

Song Xiang did not reveal anything in front of everyone, but rather cooperated by having a meal.

The food tasted good, which inexplicably improved his mood.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Song Xuan led Zhao Zhen and Song Xiang back into the house.

With Zhao Zhen present, Song Xiang didn't hide his own experience and told Song Xuan about it.

Zhao Zhen raised an eyebrow; he hadn't expected that there were such powerful figures in the capital city of Tokyo.

Why didn't Brother Twelve encounter this when he was dealing with it?
To be honest, Kaifeng County was more commercially prosperous, and these local powerful families wanted to control this lucrative area.

“Cousin, let’s talk behind closed doors. Why do we get different results when we do the same thing?”

"I would like to hear the details." Song Xiang was also puzzled.

Song Xuan stretched out his right hand, clenched it into a fist, and waved it: "You're not good enough in this area!"

"what?"

Song Xiang's face was full of suspicion: "Me?"

"Correct."

As usual, Song Xuan poured tea for everyone to cleanse their palates: "Cousin, you're still too weak. What if there's trouble?"

"Go to the Empress Dowager immediately and ask for the help of the Imperial Guards. Anyone who dares to cause trouble should be arrested on the spot, and anyone who dares to resist should be killed on the spot."

"Those who dare not resist will be sent to prison and given a good lesson. You are an official of the Great Song Dynasty, yet you can be threatened by local bullies in the capital city of Kaifeng. You think your Xiangfu County can catch up with the achievements of my Kaifeng County? Dream on."

Provoked by Song Xuan, Song Xiang's face turned quite ugly.

Throughout his many years of studying, including achieving the highest honors in the imperial examinations and gaining the favor of the Empress Dowager, he never actually worked at the grassroots level to accumulate experience.

Now facing the thorny Xiangfu County, although outwardly he appears to be doing things in a conventional manner, in reality he is somewhat imitating others, but he is doing a better job than the previous magistrate, Chen Gu.

There is absolutely no clear understanding that the government is a "violent department".

Only when they feel the pain of your iron fist striking their heads will these local bullies sit down seriously and listen to you, the visiting magistrate, speak.

Otherwise, why should they listen to the rambling of an outsider like you, who have been operating in this place for so many years?

"But."

"Nothing to worry about."

Song Xuan picked up his teacup and took a sip:
"What the Empress Dowager wants is for Xiangfu County to catch up with Kaifeng County, not some nonsense that says you can't do it."

"Now go and ask the Imperial Guards to patrol your territory. If anyone disobeys, beat them until they submit. The rest will be easy."

“If you don’t even have this much determination, then you’ll end up like Chen Gu, or maybe even worse. At least he had Prime Minister Lü to look after him.”

“Cousin, I suggest you start an unrestricted free fighting tournament in Xiangfu County. Just use the Imperial Guards to beat them until they cry out in pain, and that will solve the problem.”

A fierce internal struggle flashed through Song Xiang's mind; after all, his long-standing scholarly mindset had never led him to think in this direction.

What is an unrestricted free fighting tournament?

But even though they were being beaten and screaming, Song Xiang could still understand why.

He glanced at the Emperor again and found that the Emperor was still drinking tea and had not expressed any opinion.

"Thank you for your guidance, cousin."

Song Xiang stood up: "I won't bother you any longer. Wait for my good news."

After everyone left, Zhao Zhen took the initiative to speak:
"Twelfth Brother, does this really work?"

Seeing Zhao Zhen raise his fist, Song Xuan nodded repeatedly:
"That's right. Back when I was in my rural hometown, my fists were very effective at getting along with people. They started to listen to me and didn't want to see me swing my fists."

"So what I taught my cousin was a family secret technique that I don't usually reveal to others."

"After all, the law should not be easily passed on, Sixth Brother!"

Zhao Zhen: ? ? ?
He felt that being kind to others and using fists to beat people into obeying them were not interchangeable in the same context.

"Really?"

Zhao Zhen always felt that many things could not be solved with fists.

Song Xuan put down his teacup:
"Sixth Brother, if you also had an army, wouldn't you have already taken charge of the government? Why would you still have to be mindful of the Empress Dowager's feelings?"

Zhao Zhen immediately fell silent.

He was convinced that his twelfth brother was absolutely right. If he had an army in his hands, the First Madam would not dare to treat him like this.

However, Zhao Zhen's current private savings are still given by Song Xuan, and he doesn't even have the capital to buy the hearts of the Imperial Guards.

"The Empress Dowager no longer shows me her official documents, nor does she send them to me as she used to."

Zhao Zhen sighed deeply: "I'm afraid she really might have some ideas."

"If you have an idea, you have an idea. As long as you don't implement it, Sixth Brother is already in an invincible position."

Song Xuan offered his sincere words of comfort:

"Anyway, Sixth Brother is currently living outside the palace and is not bothered by political affairs, so he can practice in Kaifeng County. Your main focus now is to take care of your health."

"Once you are healthy and have children, no one will dare to take your place or establish a new ruler."

Zhao Zhen blinked subconsciously: "Twelfth Brother, are you really sure you don't know how?"

"Throughout history, how many empress dowagers have been able to depose and install emperors?" Song Xuan also lowered his voice and said:

"The reason why the Empress Dowager was able to govern was entirely due to you, Sixth Brother, vouching for her."

"Without you, her rule would be illegitimate."

Song Xuan currently has no good way to help Zhao Zhen seize power. He believes that if a Xuanwu Gate Incident were to occur, Zhao Zhen would not be able to bring himself to massacre everyone.

Therefore, the Xuanwu Gate inheritance law had little chance of survival in the Song Dynasty.

The Song Dynasty's policies also included this concern, so how could any member of the imperial family hold a real position?

"But she is not my biological mother after all, and she is not good to me. She has been thinking about replacing me. In short, I am somewhat worried."

"Sixth Brother, if it really comes to that, would you dare to resist?"

"I dare!"

"So how do you plan to resist? Let me hear it."

Song Xuan sat upright, looking at Zhao Zhen.

"Me, me, me."

Zhao Zhen held his tongue for a long time without saying a word, like a deflated balloon, his face full of struggle.

However, Song Xuan had no time to pay attention to Zhao Zhen's lamentations. An emperor without resolve cannot accomplish anything, and his lack of responsibility at crucial moments poses too great a risk to his ministers.

宋煊选择积极的推动退税事宜。

Upon hearing the news, the villagers lined up excitedly to collect their money.

Compared to the last "slacking off" contest...

This time, they lined up and entered the various offices to sign and affix their fingerprints to receive their money.

Stepping into the house from the cold outdoors, I was immediately enveloped in warmth.

Each room was equipped with an iron stove for heating.

Even though Song Xuan sent people to do a lot of troublesome propaganda for the disaster victims, the people of Dongjing City were not willing to use this thing.

Because coal can indeed cause death by poisoning, as everyone has heard.

Compared to the disaster victims outside the city, their lives were still somewhat better.

However, such a heartwarming effect ultimately won over some people.

Some people did ask where they could buy this heating equipment, and the official pointed them to the address of Manager Tao's shop.

If you want to use this thing, you need to understand various precautions beforehand, otherwise they won't sell it to you even if you want to.

Some people gave up as soon as they heard how troublesome it was, but others wanted to give it a try.

After all, according to the common people's assumptions, government officials would never compromise their own well-being; they would generally use the best.

So even these officials aren't afraid of this thing, so he'll give it a try.

Since he had just received the money from the county government, he wasn't in a hurry to go home.

While Kaifeng County was refunding taxes, Xiangfu County actually launched an unrestricted free fighting tournament.

宋庠有了禁军的撑腰，什么他娘的坐地炮，地头蛇、泼皮无赖之类的，三棍下去，就打的你老老实实的。

Who else dares to provoke us?

The Imperial Guards didn't care about the lives of these "troublemakers." They were just worried about having to work in the freezing cold and having nowhere to vent their anger.

Upon seeing the results, Song Xiang immediately realized that Song Xuan's method was correct.

I had only learned the basics before, but now I have truly grasped the essence of Song Xuan's teachings.

So the government really is a violent institution!

When dealing with these troublemakers, you have to give them a good beating to make them behave temporarily and listen to you quietly.

At this moment, Song Xiang seemed to have awakened a sliver of enlightenment and began to pursue evil cultivation.

With increased security measures implemented in Kaifeng County, the same measures were taken in Xiangfu County. As a result, many ruffians and scoundrels found themselves with nowhere to go and had to temporarily hide outside the city.

However, there were also many imperial guards patrolling outside the city, precisely to prevent anyone from stealing from these disaster victims.

Inside the Zuixian Tower.

Even Akabane, who had previously escaped, had to temporarily lay low.

"Cave Master, we thought Song Xiang was an easy target, but we didn't expect him to be so tough."

The mask of the Cave Master of Worry-Free Cave still seemed to be stuck to his face, and he remained silent upon hearing this.

"Does this mean we really have to keep a low profile from now on and even move our venues underground?"

The strategist Bai Zhen sighed. Nowadays, the government is becoming increasingly harsh, and their lives are truly difficult.

Since being severely weakened by Song Xuan's attack, and with the betrayal of the original Wuyou Cave members at the auction, who defected to the government and received a reward for being exonerated.

如此消息传开后，让无忧洞的其余没有被抓到的人怎么想？
Especially considering that some people openly pledged allegiance to the government, how many others secretly did so?

They really didn't have a single word about it.

It's really hard to find out anything inside the Kaifeng County government office.

Even Cang Lin doesn't dare to easily touch the mole hidden in the county government office now; Song Xuan is treating him too well.

If he betrays us early on, and we just wait for him, the one-way contact, to come over, wouldn't that be like walking into a trap?
Xiaofeng was secretly observing the cave master, comparing the person in front of him to see if he was the same one he had seen before.

He felt that something was wrong.

After all, the cave master hadn't said a word all day, and it was unclear why he had gathered everyone together.

Could it be that he also had a place to stay in Xiangfu County, and that he hid in Kaifeng County to avoid being discovered by the Imperial Guards?

At this time, the two counties were not working together. One side was busy cracking down on scoundrels and local tyrants, while the other side was celebrating the completion of the second phase of the river repair project outside the city.

两个知县的工作颗粒度，可是一丁点都没有对齐。

“洞主，咱们如何反击，还需要您拿个主意啊。”

"Yes."

Several people echoed his sentiment.

The cave master of Wuyou Cave looked around before speaking: "Counterattack?"

"There's nothing to fight back with; now is the time for us to live off our past achievements."

The strategist Bai Zhen and others all had sorrowful expressions on their faces.

They either live a carefree life or their strongholds have been raided, leaving them with little to live off their savings.

“If you don’t want to go back underground, then keep enduring it. If you want to go back to underground life, then you should find a way to fight back.”

The cave master's voice came from behind the mask: "What we need to do is lie low and wait for a new opportunity to arise before we can take action."

Song Xuan was completely unaware that Song Xiang was organizing an unrestricted free fighting tournament; he was even attending a banquet outside Tokyo.

Although the food was a bit greasy, making it difficult for him to eat to his heart's content, the disaster victims at the scene thought it was a real delicacy!
I've never had so much fat in my belly as I have today.

Not to mention the drinks.

In the Northern Song Dynasty, all official wine sales were bottled, and the price was generally 68 coins per bottle, which was considered cheap.

Song Xuan watched as the performers hired by the theaters and brothels put on a show.

Compared to other places, the Washa still had a great deal of public security problems. It was generally referred to as a place of debauchery and was disliked by the literati.

After all, they rarely went to entertainment venues like theaters or brothels; instead, they would invite performers from music bureaus or privately employed troupes to entertain them.

These people not only perform in theaters, but also go to villages to perform in order to earn a living.

Now that Song Xuan has summoned him to perform for three consecutive days, he is not only getting paid but also having meals provided, so he is very happy and is working even harder.

In addition to street singing, there were also dances, such as land dragon boats, Murata music, and clown dances.

The most captivating part was the acrobatics; many women and children loved watching it, and gasps of amazement would frequently escape their lips.

Unfortunately, Song Xuan did not see the Immortal Rope.

不知道是真的失传了，还是难度较高，没有人搞。

Early in the morning, the cooks prepared the food, and many disaster victims chose to go into the city for a stroll, saving their stomachs for the feast when they returned.

Today, a large number of people have boarded ships and are returning to their hometowns to spend the winter, carrying supplies distributed by the government.

As for the subsequent supply of coal, someone will sell it later.

Song Xuan stood on the banks of the Yellow River, watching the boats shuttle back and forth. In a few days, the river would freeze over, and if anyone wanted to travel by boat, they would have to break the ice, which would only add to the trouble.

Repatriating disaster victims to their hometowns is also a matter of utmost importance.

A cold wind had already risen along the Yellow River.

Song Xuan tightened his cloak and watched as the disaster victims pushed wheelbarrows onto the boat, which were loaded with a lot of grain. They carried coal on their backs, and their wives carried iron stoves and other utensils.

The elderly mother carried coal on her back, while the child carried a cloth bag filled with books and some daily necessities on his back.

Both sides were lent to them by the government; otherwise, piling them up here would be a hassle.

Song Xuan reached out and steadied the wheelbarrow that was tilting.

"I, Liu Min, am deeply grateful for your help, sir. I am extremely grateful."

Liu Min, along with his wife, children, and elderly relatives, bowed to Song Xuan.

Song Xuan waved his hand, signaling them to board the boat.

"Why are you crying? It's not like it's a matter of life and death."

"You'll have to come back to work next March or April. Do you really think you can just run off with all the supplies from Kaifeng County?"

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

Liu Min quickly bowed again.

Master Song has been so good to them. If they had run away because they were greedy for money, they would have been criticized behind their backs.

"In that case," Song Xuan waved his hand.

"Hurry up and board the ship, let's go home first."

"Here."

(End of this volume)

(End of this chapter)