A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 432 Returning Home
"Father~ Father."

"Hey."

Song Xuan laughed and took the child directly.

There were tears in Madam Gu's eyes.

The last time we met was when Jiao Mingcheng returned to his hometown for his wedding.

Song Xuan returned to participate, but left again in a hurry after only two days.

Now that Zhang Fangping is getting married, Song Xuan finally has the opportunity to return to Songcheng in Yingtian Prefecture.

Xiao Zhihong has now taken over the shops in Yingtian Prefecture as a backup plan to maintain basic operations.

These old friends regarded Madam Gu, their so-called "sister-in-law," as a figurehead.

Who doesn't know?

So she has been helping to conceal the fact that the real Madam Cao is not her.

But the child is getting older and starting to recognize people, so it's hard to say how long we can keep it a secret.

No one took this matter seriously. In their minds, how could someone like Song Xuan possibly have only one woman in his entire life?

The only problem is that the baby was born first.

Song Xuan wasn't worried at all. Holding the child in one arm and putting his arm around Madam Gu with the other, he went straight upstairs to continue their conversation.

Song Xuan sat on a spotless recliner, with his youngest daughter, Sisi, perched on his chest. Sisi was at a very active age, and his daughter would pinch his ears, pinch his nose, and pull his hair.

Mrs. Gu sat on a chair to the side, watching the interaction between the father and daughter:

"My lord, how long do you plan to stay this time?"

"It depends on the situation. I'll stay a few more days. Kaifeng County is running smoothly, so I don't need to do everything myself."

Song Xuan reached out and took her small hand in his, smiling, "When we return to the city this time, I'll take you back with me."

"what?"

For a moment, Madam Gu was at a loss for words.

After all, Song Xuan had brought his wife with him last New Year's Day, so the two of them shouldn't be too intimate.

She wanted to stay by Song Xuan's side.

But the sudden invitation left her at a loss.

"how?"

Song Xuan held her hand and said:

"Have you gotten used to Songcheng?"

"No." Madam Gu shook her head slightly: "It was a bit too sudden, I wasn't prepared at all."

"What's the point of preparing? I can't bear to see you always alone in an empty room."

Madam Gu blushed and glared at Song Xuan.

Song Xuan had a smile on his face:
"What's there to be afraid of? As the saying goes, even an ugly daughter-in-law has to meet her parents eventually."

Am I ugly?

Mrs. Gu has always been anxious about her figure.

Her aesthetic was not the mainstream aesthetic of the Song Dynasty.

"Sisi, what do you think?"

Song Xuan held up his sweet and soft little daughter and asked.

"Mother is the most beautiful!"

"Haha, I think so too."

Madam Gu listened to the conversation between the father and daughter and smiled gently.

She had secretly observed the daughter of the Privy Councilor. She was indeed petite and delicate, but her chest, though smaller than her own, was still larger than that of an ordinary woman.

Therefore, Madam Gu felt that since her husband had personally chosen her, there must be something about her that attracted him.

Otherwise, why would the young master refuse the prime minister's daughter?
It must be that the prime minister's daughter is not as beautiful as her.

After all, her husband was intelligent and promising, and his standards for choosing women were not the same as those of the scholar-officials.

For the sake of their bright future, they would certainly choose the daughter of a prime minister, rather than marrying the daughter of a military general.

In the Song Dynasty, even a top scholar who achieved the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations and married the daughter of a military general would not bring much benefit to the family. Instead, such a marriage would be seen as unusual and despised.

Madam Gu had been married before, so she actually knew a bit about arranged marriages between families.

Most families form marriage alliances for "profit," not based on love and affection.

Otherwise, why would so many scholars in the Song Dynasty want to find a son-in-law after passing the imperial examination?

Even as soon as the marriage test is over, people will take the initiative to propose to the man, betting early to secure a good position.

After all, in this era, most people get married first and then fall in love; there's not much time to cultivate feelings.

Especially among the scholar-official class, they would only have one wife, but never just one woman.

Civil officials like Han Qi, who were betrothed since childhood and had only one woman, were rare.

He didn't spend money to buy concubines for his own enjoyment, but to help his colleagues' families reunite.

Don't assume that becoming an official means you won't encounter unforeseen circumstances like selling your wife.

Some people who lost their official positions even sold their children on the street to raise money for their travel expenses.

The most famous example is Sima Guang, a model husband who would rather have no heir than take a concubine, even though his wife was infertile.

Therefore, Madam Gu came to a conclusion from her observations: her young master did not like women with excessively small giggles.

He once said he liked the feeling of not being able to grasp anything in his hands.

"My lord, have you spoken to your wife about taking me to the capital?"

Madam Gu was both worried and pleased:
"At that time, Sisi will have to call me Auntie."

"Don't worry about it, I'm used to acting first and asking questions later."

Song Xuan pulled Madam Gu to his side:

"Your daughter can call you Mother if she wants to. We won't change how we address her. Anyway, we live our lives for ourselves, so we don't need to worry about them."

"Is this appropriate?"

Madam Gu was somewhat worried.

Compared to his own family, no matter what he did, he couldn't compare to the Privy Councilor's advantages.

Not to mention dowries and the like.

Everyone in Nanjing knew how much the dowry was, and many people went to see what the commotion was about.

"What's inappropriate about it? Do you think I don't have a say in our family?"

Song Xuan chuckled.

"Twelfth brother."

Lei Shuang blinked and stood at the door, looking rather bewildered.

"Young Lady Lei?"

Madam Gu stood up from the recliner, a hint of embarrassment flashing across her face.

"Young Lady Lei".

Song Xuan, holding the child, smiled and said, "It's been a long time."

This wasn't the first time Lei Shuang had seen the two of them holding the child and engaging in intimate behavior.

She still couldn't believe it; the last time she saw him was before her twelfth brother was married.

After all, she felt that she and Song Xuan were childhood sweethearts.

Thinking that her twelfth brother was already married, Lei Shuang sighed softly:

"I heard that Twelfth Brother is back, so I wanted to invite him for a meal. Am I bothering you?"

"Don't bother, don't bother."

Song Xuan invited Lei Shuang to sit down, offering no explanation for what had just happened, and proceeded to pour her water while carrying the child.

"Miss Lei, it's been a long time. I've missed you all."

Lei Shuang was rather disheartened. She didn't know that Song Xuan's fondness for children extended to his affection for Madam Gu, a widow.

It was because he genuinely liked Madam Gu, this widow, that he indulged her child so much.

After all, this little girl had already started to hug Song Xuan's neck and ride him like a horse, shouting "Giddy up!"

"I miss you too, Twelfth Brother. I've been wanting to write to you, but I don't know where you live."

Lei Shuang thanked him and watched Song Xuan playing with the children around the round table.

"Shishi, write down the address of my rented place in Tokyo for Lei Xiaoniangzi."

Lei Shuang felt a pang of sadness when she heard Song Xuan call Shishi "Madam Gu" instead of "Mrs. Gu".

He never called me by my maiden name, he always called me Lei Xiaoniangzi!

Madam Gu then went to the side to grind ink.

"Father, run faster."

"puff."

Lei Xiaoniangzi spat out the tea in her mouth, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"Cough cough cough."

She patted her flat chest lightly, watching Song Xuanzhen speed up, which made Madam Gu's daughter giggle.

But Twelfth Brother didn't feel anything was wrong at all.

Lei Shuang still couldn't accept it, and couldn't understand what was going on.

Could it be that they really are a couple and have a "child"?
Lei Shuang was dumbfounded. Then she felt Madam Gu patting her back. The first thing that caught her eye was her forehead.

Lei Shuang looked at herself again and thought she was perfectly normal. Who wouldn't praise her?

"Young Lady Lei, are you alright?"

"fine."

Lei Shuang was speechless for a moment, unsure of what to say.

No matter how I think about it, it doesn't seem reasonable.

Twelfth Brother is someone who has passed the imperial examinations three times in a row; he should have the aesthetic sense of an ordinary scholar-official.

Can't figure it out.

Lei Xiaoniangzi almost wrung out her handkerchief, but she still couldn't figure out how deep the mystery was!

After playing for a while, Song Xuan sat down again and handed the child to Madam Gu so that she could hold him.

"Young Lady Lei, how have you been these days?"

"It's just so-so."

Lei Shuang pursed her lips, her mood low:

"After you left Nanjing, you had much less fun."

"That's normal."

Song Xuan said without any politeness, "After all, there aren't many interesting people like me in the world."

Lei Shuang pursed her lips again; her emotions were still not calm. Then she heard Madam Gu chuckling.

She just felt inexplicably upset.

"However, we will also attend Zhang Fangping's wedding together."

"it is good."

Lei Shuang had no interest in asking Song Xuan about the interesting stories of Tokyo at this moment, and saw Madam Gu coaxing the tired child to sleep.

"Twelfth Brother, you..."

"What?" Song Xuan picked up his teacup and looked at Lei Xiaoniangzi.

"It's nothing." Lei Shuang shook her head again.
“My brother failed the exam again last year, and he has to try again this year. I’m afraid he’ll be studying at Yingtian Academy for the rest of his life.”

"There are too many students at Yingtian Academy now, and many of them are outstanding."

When will it be my brother's turn to pass the exam?

Song Xuan hasn't visited Yingtian Academy yet, nor does he want to. Since he's on leave this time, he can visit his former teachers privately later.

"It's very difficult." Song Xuan shook his head slightly.
"If you can't even pass the preliminary exam, and you fail at any stage of the provincial exam, you'll have to retake it in less than three years."

Now that the Song Dynasty has enjoyed peace for a long time, the only way to rise above others is through the imperial examination.

With so many years of deliberate promotion, this track has become increasingly competitive.

There are many people who never pass the exam, from their youth to old age.

"If all else fails, let your brother prepare for two years first, and then we can gradually get involved in your family's business."

Song Xuan offered a suggestion: "After all, one shouldn't put all their eggs in one basket."

Lei Shuang stared at him blankly and nodded: "I will pass on Twelfth Brother's words to my brother."

"Hmm." Song Xuan smiled. "In life, everyone will find a path that suits them."

Lei Shuang stayed a while longer before taking her leave, departing in silence.

Song Xuan stood on the second floor watching her leave, and then heard Madam Gu say:

"My lord, it seems that Lady Lei has feelings for you."

"She's just my sister."

"younger sister?"

Madam Gu patted her daughter and chuckled softly.

Twelve-Lang probably just dislikes his younger sister for having small breasts.

If she truly fits your aesthetic, she should have been your younger sister long ago.

Didn't you call me "good sister" back then?
Madam Gu knew that Song Xuan was a clever man, so his earlier demeanor was feigned ignorance, pretending not to know Lei Xiaoniangzi's thoughts in order to avoid embarrassing her.

He was able to establish himself at the bottom of society from a young age and subdue many ruffians and yamen runners in Nanjing to serve him.

How could he not understand a young woman's thoughts?
Song Xuan, leaning against the windowsill, said:
"Shishi, Miss Lei is so young, what does she know about love and such?"

"It's just that I haven't been in contact with many men. I'm a little better than her brothers. It's admiration for strength, not love."

"Yes, I understand."

Mrs. Gu hummed a lullaby softly, not wanting to argue.

In her opinion, how many young women wouldn't yearn for a great man like Song Xuan?

She was just a little worried that when she met Madam Cao in Tokyo, she would not mind suffering some grievances herself, but her daughter must not suffer any grievances.

I wonder if the daughter of a military general has such a fiery temper?

After comforting Madam Gu, Song Xuan, led by Xiao Zhihong, went to visit his former "old subordinates".

This group of sanitation workers has become more organized, and their business has gradually expanded to surrounding counties, with some even being taken to Tokyo by Tao Hong.

The private school has now been built, but the teachers they've hired aren't any particularly brilliant ones; they're just students who failed the imperial examinations, here to enlighten the children.

Song Xuan noticed Liu Sanbian blinking. Could it be that he couldn't even stay at Yingtian Academy anymore?

"Ranagichiro."

"Song Dynasty's top scholar?"

After all, he had traveled south and ended up in Nanjing. He wanted to study at Yingtian Academy, but recently there were too many outstanding students at the academy.

Even with some subsidies, it's still not enough.

Liu Sanbian made a living by writing lyrics in brothels, and he still had a reputation.

But this wasn't a long-term solution, so he came to teach at the private school run by the latrine-collecting team, which provided him with a stable source of income.

Ordinary scholars still held themselves in high esteem and were unwilling to teach the children of the latrine-collecting team.

They did not reveal that they were Song Xuan's people.

Otherwise, those who come just because they smell the scent, whether they genuinely want to teach the children or are trying to build connections, are not necessarily doing the children any favors.

Liu Sanbian never expected that Song Xuan would come to visit this private school run by the latrine-collecting team. Could it be that he came to see me?

"It's been a long time, and you've lost even more weight."

Song Xuan and Liu Sanbian exchanged greetings.

"Oh, it's hard to put it into words."

Liu Sanbian often stayed overnight in brothels, and when he was in the mood, the prostitutes wouldn't pay him for his writing.

Then he can only suffer a bit to his body and reward his penis.

Liu Sanbian watched as Song Xuan looked around the private school and the few children before coming out.

The owner was also there to keep him company. They seemed quite familiar with each other, asking Song Zhuangyuan what improvements he could make.

Although everyone has been trying to have children these past two years, the babies are still too young and we need to wait a while longer.

However, the children who have grown up are also of age for early education. Since there are fewer people, we can continue to operate the school for now. In any case, they can still afford to support one teacher.

Especially for scholars like Liu Sanbian, who were older and had not yet passed the imperial examinations, it was certainly appropriate to invite them to enlighten him.

As for further studies, one should seek out those who passed the provincial examination but failed the palace examination, as they are at least better than those who failed the initial examination.

Liu Sanbian didn't feel much after hearing these words. When he was young, he felt indignant, but now that he's older, he's much more at peace with himself.

How can someone like him, a perennial failure in the college entrance exam, have the confidence to shut others up and stop them from looking down on him?
In this regard, only someone like Song Xuan is truly qualified.

Song Xuan shook his head and instructed them that both boys and girls should attend private schools to study, so that their offspring would not be blind again.

Even if the girl gets married in the future, she can still write letters to you to express her longing.

Ji Hao nodded repeatedly to indicate that he had written it down.

"Let's have a meal together after Zhang Fangping's wedding banquet."

"Yes," Ji Hao replied, overjoyed.

"Twelfth Brother, I will definitely inform everyone and find someone to prepare the feast in advance."

"Alright, I'll chat with the Master for a bit first, and then I'll go to your place to look at the account books."

"Here."

Song Xuan told Ji Hao and the others to go ahead and make preparations, and then he chatted with Liu Sanbian about everyday matters.

"I heard about the reputation of the top scholar Song all over Nanjing."

Liu Sanbian's eyes were filled with envy; he also wished he could have the same fame and fortune as Song Xuan at such a young age.

Unfortunately, so many years have passed in the blink of an eye, and he is still trapped outside the first gate of the imperial examination.

I wonder when I'll finally be able to make it onto that list?

If he waited until his hair turned gray, Liu Sanbian felt that he would no longer have the energy and spirit to be an official.

"A little bit of fame, all of it is just thanks to other people's praise."

Song Xuan waved his hand dismissively, not wanting to bring up the events in Tokyo. After all, the man in front of him was a down-on-his-luck person, so why keep provoking him?

Liu Sanbian had also mingled in Tokyo, and he had come into contact with local powerful figures, various ruffians and scoundrels, and even people from Wuyou Cave.

These people have all become dogs with their tails between their legs, begging for a living under Song Xuan's control. Who can match his methods?

Therefore, Liu Sanbian thought that Song Xuan was being modest. "Scholar Song doesn't seem to care much about these things."

"Indeed." Song Xuan stood with his hands behind his back.

“I have heard that the people of the capital city of Tokyo receive some rewards from time to time, which are better than those of the people in other parts of the Song Dynasty.”

"But after I took over the management, I realized that each one was truly tragic and helpless in its own way."

"It's really pointless for people at the bottom to fight and hurt each other."

"Liu Qilang should understand what I mean."

Liu Sanbian also sighed:
“Scholar Song, the students of Yingtian Academy are getting stronger and stronger these days. I’m afraid it will be as difficult as climbing to heaven for me to pass the provincial examination. Do you have any teachings for me?”

"Is it through the imperial examination system?"

"Exactly."

Liu Sanbian, an old failure in the imperial examinations, greatly envied Song Xuan, who not only passed on his first try but also consistently ranked first.

"Does anyone in your family hold a government position?"

Yes, to be honest.

Liu Sanbian told Song Xuan about his family.

His grandfather was famous for his Confucianism and had served as an official. Later, he declined the summons of the separatist regime and chose to remain a recluse for life, citing the need to care for his elderly mother.

His father first served as an official in the Southern Tang Dynasty, and later passed the imperial examination during the reign of Emperor Taizong.

All five of his uncles were Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), as was his elder brother Liu Sanfu, but his second brother was not.

Even my nephews are like that, the rest of my nephews are still young.

He's over forty years old and still hasn't passed the imperial examination; he must be feeling bitter!
"They come from a family of officials."

Song Xuan glanced at him: "Then why are you always frowning? You started far ahead of us."

“I’m already this old, halfway to the grave. My whole family are scholars, except for me. Even if I were to study diligently now, I would find it difficult to keep up.”

Liu Sanbian poured out his grievances, saying that he was too ashamed to go home to pay respects to his ancestors.

Although his family didn't care much about him, his father had a son who had passed the imperial examination, so if his second son liked to write lyrics, so be it, what else could they do?

At this age, I don't really have any hope anymore.

"Your second brother didn't pass the exam either. If all else fails, you can rely on your father's influence to become an official. That wouldn't be a bad choice."

"Besides, once you become an official, you can take the imperial examinations. You can even change your name to take the exams."

"In this way, you'll have a salary and won't have to wander around writing lyrics for prostitutes. Of course, I admit you're quite good at it."

Song Xuan gave him a solution directly.

The competition is fierce now!

Given Liu Sanbian's circumstances, it would have been very difficult for him to succeed in the fiercely competitive imperial examination system.

Unless Zhao Zhen gives him special treatment, which is unlikely.

If you have family support, use it. If you insist on relying on yourself, after taking the exam for so many years, you'll lose all your ambition.

"I want to try again."

Song Xuan then had nothing more to say.

In any case, all scholars in the Song Dynasty wanted to pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi.

Nobody is willing to accept this!
"Giving it a try is fine," Song Xuan said. He then asked, "Are you married?"

"Never."

Song Xuan blinked. You come from an official family, and you're almost halfway to the ground, yet you're still not married!
"Why don't you settle down and start a family first, then build your career?"

Song Xuan pointed to the private school: "In short, with this salary, you won't have any problem supporting your family, and you'll have children to raise in the future."

“Sigh.” Liu Sanbian nodded: “Scholar Song is right, I should also consider it.”

"Perhaps you will have even more insights later."

Song Xuan pointed to the young children in the private school:
"Spending more time with children will make you feel younger. Otherwise, even though you are in your forties, your bone age is actually sixty or seventy. Less indulgence in alcohol and sex will help you live longer and allow you to participate in the imperial examinations more often."

Liu Sanbian looked very conflicted, because the prostitute was also very young. He felt that Song Xuan was right, but not entirely right either.

In short, he was a very conflicted person. After all, his father was a former official of the Southern Tang Dynasty, and he still had some fear of the new regime, the Song Dynasty.

Not to mention that the former ruler of Southern Tang was poisoned, which made these former officials of Southern Tang even more panicked.

Liu Sanbian was also influenced by his father.

Song Xuan didn't offer much advice. Everyone has their own path to walk, and nobody knows when Liu Sanbian will change his name.

"Twelfth Brother, is that Liu Sanbian capable of shouldering such an important task?"

"It would be too much of a burden for him to teach, but he's perfectly capable of being an elementary teacher."

Song Xuan reassured Ji Hao and the others:

"When they are ready to study, we will go to Yingtian Academy to find some outstanding students and see if any of them want to teach and earn money."

"In short, it can be considered a way for them to work and study."

"Here."

Everyone was smiling.

After wandering around, Song Xuan didn't stay for a meal and went directly to find Master Wang Zhu.

Wang Zhu's wife recently passed away, and he has not yet gone to work at the academy.

The Wang family was a prominent family in Songcheng, Yingtian Prefecture.

"You can say that Song Twelve has come to visit."

"Song Twelve?"

The servant was taken aback at first, then hurriedly ran inside to report.

He had heard his master say many times that his most outstanding student was Shierlang.

Upon hearing that Song Xuan had arrived, Wang Zhu hurriedly went out to greet him.

"Twelve Lang."

"Master Wang".

Song Xuan handed the gift in his hand to the servant beside him and said, "You've lost even more weight."

"It's a long story, please come in."

Wang Zhu quickly led Song Xuan into the courtyard, where some white mourning clothes had not yet been removed.

The two sat down in the study, and a servant went to make tea.

Looking at Wang Zhu's enormous study, with its extremely rich collection of books, including bamboo slips, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it the Song City Library.

"This is my first time visiting Master Wang's home."

Seeing Song Xuan's shocked expression, Wang Zhu also showed a hint of smugness on his face:
“I originally wanted to copy more books for you to use in the future, but I didn’t expect that you would pass them all in one go before I even had a chance to copy many.”

Song Xuan didn't offer any words of condolence, but deliberately steered the conversation towards books.

Because he rarely saw "libraries" in the Song Dynasty; these were usually private collections of books, known as bibliophiles.

Although Wang Zhu didn't have Zhang Fangping's photographic memory, he was still very knowledgeable.

He told Song Xuan that whenever he acquired a new book, he would find other copies to proofread and then copy them onto cotton paper produced in Puqi County, Ezhou, making each copy no more than forty pages thick.

Another copy was made, mounted on yellow silk, and called the Treasury Book.

Song Xuan picked up a book and looked at it, and surprisingly found Song Shou's private seal.

"Scholar Song also enjoys this art?"

"That's it."

Wang Zhu has tried his best to move on from the grief of losing his wife.

"So you two share the same interests, that makes sense."

Song Xuan nodded. A collection of books of this size is not something an ordinary family can afford.

Using only yellow silk to cover books is far too extravagant.

“That’s right. I also introduced him to the methods of ancient book restoration, and many book collectors are eager to follow suit.”

As Wang Zhu spoke, a look of joy appeared on his face. He was pleased that his hobby and the methods he invented were being used and spread by others, much like a fisherman's love of sharing.

Such joy is beyond words.

"Master Wang is truly skillful and meticulous, and he is very dedicated to correcting errors in books."

"Hahaha." Wang Zhu was delighted to have his hobby praised.

“There are still many poor students like Zhang Fangping in the Song Dynasty who have no books at home. So I set up this library specifically for others to borrow and for my disciples to read.”

"It's a pity that you, Song Twelve, and the others didn't make it in time!"

"That's a pity." Song Xuan stood with his hands behind his back.

"Since becoming an official, I have been busy and rarely have time to read books."

"This is normal," Wang Zhu said, expressing his understanding.
"While I'm in Songcheng, I'm also keeping an eye on the official gazettes of Dongjing City. As for matters concerning you, I don't need to inquire about them; someone will always bring them to our academy."

"Oh, I didn't expect so many people to be paying attention to me!" Song Xuan seemed a little surprised.

Wang Zhu said excitedly, "Whether it's the academy or the streets and alleys, everyone takes pride in knowing the top scholar Song."

"Hahaha."

Song Xuan bowed slightly to the person beside him and said, "I am truly grateful for the kindness of my fellow villagers."

"Whether it was advocating for the people and anticipating the coming heavy rain to repair the ditches, or fearlessly killing the empress's in-laws without fear of power, or destroying the Wuyou Cave and other thieves who had repeatedly harmed the lives of merchants."

"Now, merchants from Yingtian Prefecture are saying that merchants from other places are pretending to be from the same hometown as Song Zhuangyuan, in an attempt to deter those thieves from taking action."

"They even tricked the entire population of Tokyo into stabilizing grain prices and used work relief to stabilize disaster victims, not to mention selling a piece of glassware to the Khitans for a million strings of cash, which served as payment for more than three years."

"Even though I wasn't there, I longed to use such methods."

It can be said that the last time Song Xuan returned home in glory was when he had just passed the imperial examination with top honors, and was admired by everyone. There were even students who hung Song Xuan's portrait in their homes.

He hoped to borrow a wisp of the divine energy of the God of Literature to help him pass the imperial examination and be listed among the successful candidates.

The achievements he has made as an official prove his ability. Local merchants can be said to have a copy of Song Xuan's poetry collection and half of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Even if a local merchant went to another place to do business, he would receive preferential treatment if he revealed that he was from the same hometown as the top scholar in the Song Dynasty.

Because Song Xuan's annihilation of Wuyou Cave protected the lives of merchants from all over the country, that effect was truly obvious.

The increasing prosperity of commerce in Tokyo today is mainly due to the improved business environment.

If you pay your taxes honestly, Song Taisui will protect you.

Today, there are two Song Tai Sui in the capital city of Tokyo: one is the Great Song Tai Sui, and the other is the Little Song Tai Sui.

Even though Song Xuan was called first, the size was still determined by age.

The formidable reputation of Little Song Tai Sui needs no further explanation; Kaifeng County no longer needs many people to suppress him.

Even the yamen runners in Kaifeng County knew that they could not ask ordinary people and merchants for money.

Anyone who secretly gives money to the yamen runners will be considered to have harmed them, and may even be arrested and interrogated to find out who sent them to harm them!

However, there were still some ruffians and scoundrels in Xiangfu County. The Song Dynasty's Taisui would often call on the Imperial Guards to help him beat and arrest people.

His tough attitude made others dare not underestimate him.

Heaven knows how the Great Song Tai Sui, a scholar with a good reputation, ended up like this!

With such double pressure, how can the security situation in Tokyo not improve?

Song Xuan kept grinning as he listened to the teacher's praise.

After all, who wouldn't like to hear some nice things?
It turns out that in the eyes of the villagers, he had become a talisman.

Excitement was evident in Wang Zhu's eyes.

He was dissatisfied with the position of county magistrate he was initially appointed to, and the court changed him to chief clerk. Before he could take up the post, Yan Shu recommended him to be a professor at Yingtian Academy.

If he had taken on the role of registrar himself, he probably wouldn't have achieved such renown today, much less have "taught" so many outstanding students.

After all, the students who achieved the triple crown in the imperial examinations and the triple tail in the imperial examinations all came from his class.

Wang Zhu is now the de facto "dean" of Yingtian Academy, although the official position is held by Zhang Shigu, the top scholar in the imperial examination.

He was old and in poor health, so he only managed teaching and not many other affairs, and his energy was waning.

As Wang Zhu continued talking, Song Xuan nodded and picked up a book to look at it, listening to Wang Zhu say that he would never collect the Taiping Guangji or anything like that.

This book was commissioned by Emperor Taizong of Song and compiled by a large group of scholars. It includes unofficial historical novels from the Han Dynasty to the early Song Dynasty.

Song Xuan hadn't read it either, so he didn't know if there was any "hook literature" involved.

However, Wang Zhu's evaluation of this book was generally negative. Even though it had many volumes, he advised against letting students read it, lest it mislead them.

Song Xuan even saw half of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms on the catalog posted on the bookshelf.

"Master, can my book be collected?"

"Not bad," Wang Zhu said in a low voice.

"I think the military strategies in this book have a source, so I put it away."

"If one of your disciples in the future is as accomplished in both literature and martial arts as you, perhaps reading this book, which serves as a substitute for military strategy, will be of great benefit to him."

Military treatises were forbidden to circulate.

If you want to learn how to fight, the emperor will bestow upon you battle formation diagrams personally compiled by Emperor Taizong.

You should go and study it; there's a lot more to it than meets the eye!
They learned one thing and kept silent.

Because it was very difficult to find a general in the Song Dynasty who could lead so many soldiers as Emperor Taizong had in his battle formation.

Since General Wang Chao remained inactive before the Treaty of Chanyuan, the Song Dynasty had rarely allowed anyone to command an army of over 100,000.

"Twelfth Brother, although there is currently no turmoil in the Song, Liao, and Western Xia, people of other races are inherently untrustworthy."

"Emperor Taizong of Tang trusted many generals from other ethnic groups, but the Tang Dynasty was also thrown into turmoil by these foreign peoples."

Wang Zhu's hands are behind his back:

"They all covet my Central Plains, a land of great wealth and abundant goods. If the Liao Kingdom could spend three years' worth of tribute to buy that precious glass artifact, wouldn't they be thinking of increasing the tribute even further?"

"Wouldn't the Western Xia follow the example of the Liao Dynasty and want our Song Dynasty to pay them tribute?"

"These are all things that must be guarded against."

"Although I lack the skill to fight on horseback, I hope that one or two of my disciples can serve the country in this regard!"

Song Xuan glanced at Wang Zhu. Although Wang Zhu was only one year older than him on the list, he was already over thirty years old.

That's the advantage of being able to pass the imperial examination at a young age.

If someone in later generations goes to university at the age of twenty, they are indeed later than their peers.

Song Xuan hadn't expected that Wang Zhu was a nationalist with a very accurate view of people of other races, and that he had even drawn his insights from historical patterns.

It wasn't something I imagined because of my emotions.

"Master, reading a lot of books broadens one's horizons, especially reading history books."

"Not bad." Wang Zhu nodded.

"Whether you are an emperor or an official, you should read more history books, because more than a thousand years have passed since the Zhou Dynasty, and many things are repeating themselves."

As Du Shisan said: "If later generations lament but do not learn from it, they will only cause later generations to lament again."

“Song Twelve, although I know you are busy with official duties, don’t use that as an excuse. You should read more books, especially history books.”

Wang Zhu looked at Song Xuan with deep meaning:

"Especially the history of the Tang Dynasty. Our Song Dynasty must avoid the decline that the Tang Dynasty experienced. The tragic situation from the late Tang Dynasty to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms is recorded in the books."

"No one remembers how strong the Zhenguan and Kaiyuan reigns were; they only talk about the An Lushan Rebellion, the Huang Chao Rebellion, and how the various military governors killed people like flies and ate people as a matter of course."

"Ordinary people are too far from a prosperous era, but too close to the meat pot of soldiers."

This wasn't the first time Song Xuan had heard that the Song people hadn't inherited the glorious Tang Dynasty, the one blessed by heaven and the world, but rather a fragmented world of warlords who prioritized military might, were morally bankrupt, and whose order had collapsed.

Even after the establishment of the Song Dynasty, there were still other separatist regimes in various parts of the Central Plains, and the Liao Dynasty, which was ruled by the Khitans, was not resolved.

Originally, the main descendants of the Dingnan Army had all surrendered to the Song Dynasty, but Li Jiqian, a remnant of the army, went out and established the Western Xia separatist regime.

Emperor Zhenzong of Song was afraid that Wang Chao would try to replicate his ancestors' methods. He wanted to negotiate if possible, and later he would promote Wang Chao to show the Khitans.

Empress Dowager Xiao felt that with the sudden death of the commander-in-chief and the more than 100,000 people of the Song Dynasty behind him, she was afraid that they would be surrounded and wiped out. If they were defeated, she and her young children might be stripped of their power.

She believed that Wang Chao's unwavering stance was definitely not due to disobeying the Song Dynasty emperor's orders;
Therefore, the Treaty of Chanyuan was not only a matter between the Song and Liao dynasties, but also involved internal considerations by each side.

The most important lesson for the Song Dynasty was how to avoid repeating the profound historical experience of mass killings.

"Master, what you said is absolutely true."

Song Xuan agreed, saying, "There are some pitfalls that we know are pitfalls, but we still jump into them anyway."

"It's human nature."

Wang Zhu sighed softly:
"Perhaps everyone thinks they are the luckiest one, which is why they choose to jump in and manage to climb out."

Song Xuan put down the book in his hand and smoothed out the wrinkles:

"Master, you should exercise more in the future, otherwise you won't have many opportunities to pass on your ideas to more disciples."

"Twelfth Brother doesn't know."

Wang Zhu shed two more tears: "My wife passed away a little over a month ago, and my son, Souchen, is also seriously ill."

He choked up and said, "Dr. Wang's apprentice has already come to see me, but I'm afraid there's little hope."

Song Xuan was stunned. The successive blows from his family were indeed a huge blow to a middle-aged man.

"Didn't you go to Tokyo to invite the legendary physician Wang?"

Song Xuan asked softly, "Since Doctor Wang was summoned to Tokyo, he hasn't returned."

Wang Zhu shook his head, his face full of bitterness.

Wang Zhu was actually under immense psychological pressure, but he never told anyone. He simply used the excuse of being immersed in grief over his wife's passing to avoid going to the academy.

In reality, he wanted to make up for the regret of not being able to spend more time with his wife.

"Master, I do have some medical skills. If it's convenient, would you be so kind as to offer a diagnosis?"

Song Xuan's words left Wang Zhu stunned.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Song Xuan, but rather that he felt he had never heard Song Xuan mention him before.

“Wang Xiuyong, the youngest son of Doctor Wang, can testify for me that I do know some medical skills, but I don’t show them to others often, and I don’t know how to treat many lesions.”

Wang Zhu knew Wang Xiuyong.

He missed the chance to be on the list of successful candidates because he was ill and did not go to the capital to take the imperial examination like Song Xuan and the others.

"Come."

Wang Zhu didn't waste any time and directly called Song Xuan over.

Winter passed quickly, and it was already April of next year, so Wang Zhu's son lay in bed without a blanket.

As soon as Song Xuan opened the door, he smelled a strong medicinal odor, and two maids were serving him.

Wang Zhu told them all to leave.

Song Xuan noticed that Wang Zhu's son, Wang Souchen, had a rather large belly, and a look of doubt appeared in his eyes:
"Could it be that he has worms in his stomach?"

"That's it."

"Huh, could it be the same illness as Chen Deng's?"

Song Xuan walked in to look and asked, "Master, does your son also like to eat raw fish?"

(End of this chapter)