A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 435 Master Song's rules are rules nonetheless.
From the initial exchange of information, to Song Xuan's initiative to pave the way with their relationship, and then to Chi San's verbal probing.

Song Xuan put down his chopsticks:
“Ike Saburo, I’m a good friend. Don’t talk about repaying me or anything like that. Just don’t mention my name if you get into trouble in the future.”

Chi San was speechless.

He had assumed that Song Xuan was making demands.

It turns out that they were just trying to find out what was going on, and that's why they made up an excuse about being interested in this business.

No matter what, with such a promising future, why would Song Taisui possibly go on a sea adventure with this group of people just to get a share of the profits?
If he really wanted to make money, he could just train a navy and conduct thorough investigations in three locations in Quanzhou, which would expose many people hiding in the port.

Everyone was saying that in Songcheng, Yingtian Prefecture, doors were left unlocked at night, no one picked up lost items on the road, and all the ruffians and scoundrels had disappeared—all thanks to the child prodigy Yan Shu.

However, the investigation he had just conducted made Chi San feel that Song Xuan was involved.

After all, he was known as Song Twelve, the Timely Rain, in his hometown, and that was before he became an official.

Chi San didn't know how Song Xuan had managed to reform even the most scoundrels in the city, but he dared not underestimate him.

"It was my recklessness that led me astray."

Chi San apologized again: "If Song Taisui has any requests, please just say so."

Song Xuan simply smiled:
"Go to Tokyo first. If you find it interesting, wait for me to come back. If you don't find it interesting, you can go out to sea and don't need to wait for me."

"What are you saying, Lord Song? I will certainly stay in the capital city for a while longer."

After eating and drinking, Chi San and his group took their leave first, not lingering there.

"Brother Chi, what exactly does that official surnamed Song mean?"

"I am not sure as well."

Chi San shook his head slightly: "But I always feel that he needs us. Let's give him some benefits first and see if we can be of use to him!"

The group didn't understand either; there were many maritime merchants in the port, and they weren't exactly outstanding.

Why was Song Xuan chosen for this?

"Never mind, let's go to Tokyo first and then find out more. Even if Song Twelve has many fellow townsmen in Nanjing who speak well of him."

"Once we get to Tokyo, no matter who he is, he can't fool us brothers with so many people. We'll just have to find out what's going on."

"Yeah."

They went straight to the fleet, brought some wine and food for the brothers guarding them, and then set sail for Tokyo.

Despite their tireless efforts, they stopped when they were still several dozen miles from Tokyo.

This place is full of merchant ships.

"Third Brother, I just inquired and found out that Master Song has cut off the Bian River in order to manage the four rivers in the capital."

"Nowadays, ships from the south can no longer enter the outer docks of Tokyo. They can only unload their goods at this new dock and hire people from carriage companies to go to Tokyo."

"Or if there isn't much cargo, you can hire porters who push wheelbarrows to carry it."

Chi San raised an eyebrow: "Which Master Song is it?"

"Naturally, it is Song Xuan, the magistrate of Kaifeng County."

Chi San and the others were startled and quickly disembarked to investigate on their own.

When they returned, they found that the people of Songcheng had spoken in a rather "euphemistic" way!

Whether it was the dockworkers, the carriage drivers, or even the porters, everyone spoke highly of Master Song.

Chi San went to the carriage company to inquire if they could transport the goods first, but learned that everyone had to wait in line.

Even if it costs more, it's still not acceptable.

Chi San let others queue up here first, while he went to Tokyo City to take a stroll and check out the situation.

So, without any goods, they entered Tokyo without paying taxes, which went very smoothly.

Chi San used the same old method: he found a tea stall to listen to people talking and also inquired about Song Xuan.

Then they started talking again. When they heard that Chi San and his group had an accent from out of town and were so dark-skinned, they deliberately recruited idlers. After paying them, they would answer any questions asked.

After hearing what Song Xuan had done again, Chi San was completely stunned.

He had thought Song Xuan was quite capable, but he never expected him to be this capable.

After all, he had heard of Liu Congde's reputation for casually writing a note and asking him to go find the aunt's nephew.

So when they arrived in Tokyo, they chose to ask around first, rather than going directly to people's homes.

After listening to the story, Chi San asked the idler to take them to Fanlou.

Although this wasn't my first time visiting Tokyo, it still felt quite unfamiliar compared to before.

There are more and more vendors on the street.

The idler explained with a smile that because Master Song had refunded some taxes, many people wanted to try their hand at business.

Whether it succeeds or not, the point is that although there was a rainstorm last year, the government ordered tax reductions and exemptions, and the ditches were dredged in time, so there was no disaster like in previous years.

People with some money are encouraged to do business in addition to spending it.

The Song Dynasty did not oppose land annexation, so most of the labor force either worked as laborers or engaged in commerce, and commercial tax revenue was a major part of the imperial court's tax revenue.

Chi San felt that the security in Tokyo was much better than before; at least he didn't see any shirtless, tattooed hooligans loitering on the streets.

Soldiers and yamen runners would occasionally pass by in groups, but they did not reach out to ask for anything.

The streets are much cleaner now, filled with the aroma of food, and the occasional foul odor has decreased significantly.

Many new public toilets have also been built in Tokyo.

When Chi San entered Fanlou, he found the manager and said that he had a batch of goods that he wanted to put up for auction at Fanlou, and wondered if he could meet Prefect Liu.

Manager Qian was very polite and asked him to register the goods he wanted to auction and their prices. Prefect Liu was busy these days and not everyone could see him.

Chi San knew this was the normal procedure: "May I ask Manager Qian, how long will I have to wait?"

“There are many people who want to bid for you now, I estimate it will take four or five months before I can win the bid.”

Manager Qian's smile remained unchanged:

"I know you are a merchant from afar, but I am truly sorry."

"Ever since last year when Song Da Guanren auctioned a piece of glassware for a million strings of cash at Fanlou, many merchants have come to queue up to auction their own treasures."

"I'm not bragging, but there are quite a few treasures in Tokyo that are worth a high price."

"But wealthy merchants and powerful figures only recognize the Fanlou establishment. If you can't wait, you can try selling yourself first."

"That's the rule of the Fanlou Auction House; everyone has to wait."

This is the trend that Song Xuan started!
No matter how eloquently you describe this treasure, it has never been auctioned at Fanlou.

What kind of top luxury item was that in the Song Dynasty?

Moreover, Liu Congde had consulted many experts to vouch for the treasures inside, so everyone could tell whether they were good or bad.

Many scholar-officials in the Song Dynasty were by no means inferior in their knowledge of epigraphy.

As a result, in the late Northern Song Dynasty, a large number of people relied on "grave digging" to become tomb raiders and acquire artifacts for appreciation.

Not to mention the tombs of the previous dynasty, even the tombs of some high-ranking officials and scholars of the current dynasty will be excavated to see if there are any burial objects worth appreciating.

Upon hearing this, Chi San sighed, then asked again, unwilling to give up, "This is a treasure I found overseas."

Manager Qian laughed heartily.

Whether it's overseas or not is completely unimportant; only the "venue" matters.

He patiently explained to Chi San that there were quite a few overseas babies registered.

After all, a treasure without real substance wouldn't be sent here to embarrass itself.

Chi San looked around to make sure no one was there, then took out the note that Song Xuan had written for him, saying that he could directly discuss this with Prefect Liu.

"Oh?"

Shopkeeper Qian was surprised that this man with the black monkey in front of him could obtain a note from Master Song, and he didn't even look at it.

“Even if it’s true, sir, there’s still a missing step in the process. I’m sure Scholar Song has already told you about it.”

Manager Qian didn't even look at it, but pushed it back directly.

"Is a step missing?"

Chi San was puzzled.

Shopkeeper Qian knew that the top scholar Song had exceptionally good handwriting, which attracted many people to learn from him. Even if some people imitated him, that was perfectly normal.

To avoid this situation, a mere note written by Master Song is not enough.

This was something that Master Song had specifically instructed him to do, and Manager Qian would not forget it.

"Correct."

Shopkeeper Qian smiled and said, "Sir, you should think about it carefully. Once you remember, things will be handled properly."

After listening to the suggestion, Chi San thought about it carefully, and then asked the idler to take him to the Kaifeng County Government Office.

At the door, he found the gatekeeper, Qi Lecheng, and breathlessly handed him his note.

Qi Lecheng looked at the man in front of him who looked like a black monkey, opened the note and saw that it was the private seal of Master Song. After reading the contents, he told him to wait.

So he went to the gatehouse that had been built specifically for him inside the gate, where Qi Lecheng wrote a note and stamped it with his personal seal.

That's why I handed it over to the person in front of me and let him go back.

Chi San ran back to Fanlou, panting. Manager Qian hadn't done anything else; he was just waiting there.

Having received the two slips of paper, Manager Qian ordered someone to bring him a cup of fragrant tea to quench his thirst, requesting the finest tea leaves.

After putting away the two slips of paper, he picked up the inventory book that Chi San had registered: "I wonder when this gentleman would like to bid?"

Chi San sat in a chair, panting heavily: "Can you arrange it three months in advance for me?"

"Of course, even if you want to be included in the next match, we can arrange that for you."

"But wasn't that the rule just now?"

"Hahaha." Manager Qian laughed loudly a few times:

"That's right, everyone has to wait, but there are exceptions."

"That is Master Song's rule, that is the rule."

“You have a note written by Master Song, so the procedure is correct. You can naturally cut in line.”

This was the first time Chi San had truly experienced what "power" meant!
This is Tokyo, not some remote area like Guangzhou.

So he was stunned for a long time:
"Next time won't work. My goods are still at the dock 30 miles away, and I'll have to wait in line to unload them."

"Even if they offered more money, neither the dockworkers nor the carriage companies were willing to pay."

"Okay, you don't need to say anything."

Manager Qian called over someone and asked him to accompany the customer on a errand.

First, unload the goods and transport them outside the city to pay taxes to the government. Then, guide them to a safe inn designated by Master Song.

After I finish this matter, I'll come to Fanlou tonight.

Then you can bring the treasure directly to Prefect Liu to discuss business.

Chi San followed along in a daze and finished the task. Unexpectedly, all the problems that were in front of him were solved easily.

The rest of his brothers all felt that Third Brother Chi was truly a capable person.

A trip to Tokyo will resolve all the issues.

They could also enjoy themselves in Tokyo for a few days, and even their boat would be specially guarded.

Chi San led everyone to check into the inn, still somewhat bewildered for a moment.

He knew that these advantages were not due to his own efforts, but rather to that high-ranking official, Song.

Chi San didn't know why Master Song wanted to help him, and he was actually quite unsure of himself.

However, she also longed to establish a longer-lasting relationship with Song Xuan.

This feeling of "privilege" really fascinated him!

Putting aside how many people were patiently queuing up at that dock, very few people could even manage to meet with Prefect Liu to discuss this matter in detail.

If Liu Congde were to snatch away the registered treasure that Chi San had seen, there was nothing he could do.

However, with Song Xuan recommending him, even Liu Congde looked at this black monkey with new respect.

I don't know how he caught the eye of Twelfth Brother.

Liu Congde didn't care at all about where this treasure came from, or from which barbarians.

Of all these foreign glass pieces, which one is better made than that gyrfalcon?
Not at all!
So Liu Congde only inquired about overseas trade matters and didn't say much, letting him decide for himself when and which event to attend.

As for the fee, regardless of the selling price, they will take 10%.

Chi San was shocked. He had inquired about Fanlou's commission rate beforehand, which was at least 20%.

Not only that, if it's sold at the bottom price, the extra portion will be split in half.

Chi San emerged from Fanlou in a daze, only to be swept up in the bustling night market of Tokyo City.

No matter what, he would wait for Song Xuan to come back.

Anyway, he made a fortune on this voyage, and he's planning to enjoy it for a couple of years.

Liu Congde stood by the window, watching the dark-skinned Chi Sanlang walk into the crowd and disappear.

He didn't quite understand why Song Xuan would be interested in overseas trade.

That's a life-or-death situation.

Although they made a lot of money, they had nowhere to run when trouble came up.

Liu Congde was unwilling to take such a risk.

On land, there are places to hide and places to run away.

The sea.

He hadn't seen it, but he'd heard of it; besides, Liu Congde couldn't swim.

Liu Congde knew that Song Xuan was going back to his hometown to attend Zhang Fangping's wedding. Compared to things like maritime trade, he was more worried that the rumors circulating in Tokyo would reach the ears of the Khitans.

It's already April, and the Khitans still haven't raised enough money to reach Tokyo.

Meanwhile, in the Great Khitan Central Capital...

Emperor Yelü Longxu listened to the reports from the crowd and learned that the 100,000 taels of gold had been raised.

The tax increase did indeed lead to some rebellions.

However, Yelü Longxu didn't care.

Even without increased taxes, these tribes from all directions will always find a way to rebel against the rule of the Liao Dynasty.

Now there's no need to find a new excuse; just rebel.

Yelü Longxu could understand. If he were a tribal leader and saw a fishing and hunting people he had seen become emperor, he would also feel resentful.

Why is it that we are all hunters and fishermen, but you rule over us?
Yelü Longxu greatly admired the culture of the Central Plains, and deep down he despised the barbarians from all directions.

He did not consider himself a barbarian at all.

The Song envoys also regarded them as barbarians, but the Khitan emperors always tried to prove that they were not barbarians.

Compared to the Song Dynasty's verbal disdain for barbarians, the Khitan emperors spoke with swords against them, treating them not as human beings but as talking livestock.

Now that he, as emperor, needs livestock to provide their furs for his enjoyment, anyone who dares to resist will surely be chopped to dust by the soldiers of the Great Khitan.

As for his claim that he would increase the tax by 100,000 taels of gold, it was secretly increased to 200,000 taels.

Yelü Longxu didn't show much emotion either.

We all eat from the same plate, so we share the same interests.

He would not sacrifice the interests of his core base; as long as there were benefits, the Khitans would remain closely loyal to them.

Although the surrounding tribes did not have much gold, they could bring cattle, sheep, horses, pearls, and other goods to the market to exchange for money.

As a result, transactions at the border markets have been very frequent since last year.

The Song Dynasty collected a considerable amount of tax revenue from this, and the price of mutton also dropped slightly.

This is a good thing.

When Song people obtained sheep, they would rush to the capital city of Bianjing (Kaifeng) to resell them. There were also people who specialized in raising sheep; otherwise, the sheep would lose weight and fetch a lower price.

Yelü Longxu was very careful not to have any of the copper coins he had looted or bought transported back to the Song Dynasty.

Instead, they were told to take 90,000 taels of gold with them.

They can dig for more gold and collect it to make gold ingots.

However, if the copper coins were sent back, the Khitans would no longer be able to mint exquisite Song coins.

Even if what they collect is copper coins, they must exchange it for gold.

Yelü Longxu then summoned Yelü Gou'er and gave him a detailed explanation.

We must be extra careful when transporting this treasure. It's better to take longer than to rush it.

This is a challenging task, and we cannot afford to make the slightest mistake.

Yelü Longxu had longed for this treasure for a long time, and he was afraid that if it fell into his hands, it might cause any problems due to the slightest mistake.

"Your Majesty, if there is even the slightest mistake in this matter, I will offer my head in retribution."

"I don't want your head, what I want is this treasure, and it cannot be made to the slightest mistake."

"Here."

Yelü Gou'er quickly agreed, patting his chest to assure him.

Yelü Longxu then presented him with a letter of state:
"Have the Song army escort it to prevent it from being stolen by petty thieves or any other mishaps."

"Once you reach the border of my Great Khitan, I will have people waiting there to escort you."

"Yes, sir." Yelü Gou'er responded again, took the letter of state, and under the emperor's watchful eye, led a large amount of gold straight to the capital, Tokyo.

This time, he's determined to get the treasure back.

Empress Dowager Xiao Nujin often saw the Emperor admiring that painting, but she didn't understand what was so interesting about it.

Isn't it just a gyrfalcon made of glass?

As far as she knew, the glass products from the Abbasid Caliphate were also quite good. What good ones did the Central Plains region have?

Almost every emperor of the Liao Dynasty admired the culture of the Central Plains, but the people of the Liao Dynasty did not think so, and instead worked hard to preserve the culture of the Khitan.

He even caused trouble to put his second son in power because his son admired Han culture.

As a result, the second son also admired Han culture, leaving the Empress Dowager of Liao speechless.

What are the good aspects of Han culture in the Central Plains?
We are Khitans, after all.

They conquered Bianjing back then, but couldn't even establish themselves there. Yet they still admired them so much, which they truly couldn't understand.

Xiao Nujin looked at Emperor Yelü Longxu with anticipation, while secretly glancing at the Empress and her eldest son beside her.

She couldn't understand why the emperor would tolerate and disbelieve the empress's betrayal.

Is it simply because she is the Empress Dowager's niece?
Now that the family of three is living happily together, Xiao Nuojin is treated like an outsider, which naturally makes her extremely resentful.

Seeing their happy appearance, Xiao Nuojin secretly made up his mind that he must take back his son and take revenge on Brother Xiao Pusa.

We will never let her get away with this!

Now that His Majesty's health is deteriorating, Xiao Nujin believes he must wait for the right opportunity to avenge his previous humiliation.

Although Yelü Longxu knew that Western Xia harbored ambitions of becoming emperor, he had no interest in dealing with them at the moment.

The two consecutive defeats dealt a blow to the emperor's ambitions, and for the first time he realized that he was old and sick.

For now, I just want to enjoy myself. As for the Western Xia issue, I'll leave it to the Song Dynasty to deal with.

In short, the Western Xia's claim to the throne was not a good thing for either the Song or Liao dynasties.

Alternatively, Yelü Longxu planned to let his son handle it, knowing that his son had the ability, although he was not old enough.

Under the guidance of Empress Xiao Pusa, they will surely be able to handle troublesome issues such as the Western Xia in the future.

In short, when Yelü Longxu lacked the means and time to do so, he chose to trust the means and abilities of future generations.

After all, every Liao emperor was ambitious and awe-inspiring when he first ascended the throne.

This is why the Great Khitan has always been able to prosper.

Yelü Longxu never considered the possibility that his descendants might be inferior to him if he misjudged the situation.

After all, the Liao Dynasty reached its peak under his rule, and then as he grew old, the Liao Dynasty began to decline until its demise.

Yelü Longxu felt that the Song people would definitely not allow the Western Xia Tanguts to claim the throne, otherwise, where would they put their face as a self-proclaimed great power in the Central Plains?

Therefore, Yelü Longxu was very willing to see the Song Dynasty go to war with the Western Xia Tanguts, so that he could see whether the Song Dynasty's military strength had declined.
After all, the two sides had fought to the death before, and the Great Khitan had not gained much advantage.

In Yelü Longxu's mind, there were also many Song generals who were fearless and valiant.

This is also why he was willing to treat those surrendered Song generals well, in order to tell them that they didn't need to fight so hard; if they surrendered to our Great Khitan, they could also live a prosperous life.

They might even bestow upon you the surname Yelü and place you in the royal family.

This kind of treatment is something the Song Dynasty simply could not offer you.

The Khitan envoy set off with the gold he had collected.

Meanwhile, in Songcheng, Yingtian Prefecture, the third-ranked scholar Zhang Fangping got married.

Although the wedding was not as grand as that of Song Zhuangyuan, the Yang family still managed to put together a considerable dowry for their daughter.

They were overjoyed by this marriage.

No one expected that Zhang Tanhua, who had been on so many blind dates with young ladies, would end up falling for the daughter of the late general Yang Liulang.

The young lady of the Yang family was sitting in the bridal sedan chair. The Yang family was not so extravagant as to rent a sedan chair used by the royal family, because they did not have the financial means.

The main reason was that Yang Ye died, and Emperor Taizong of Song rewarded him with 1,000 bolts of cloth and 1,000 shi of grain.

Yang Liulang, the eldest son, guarded the border for more than 20 years, sharing weal and woe with the soldiers, but did not leave behind much wealth.

However, Emperor Zhenzong was more generous than his father. After Yang Yanzhao's death, he bestowed a lot of money upon the Yang family and directly appointed his three sons, as well as some of Yang Yanzhao's close followers and retainers, as officials.

Yang Wenguang took a special leave of absence and rode a horse to escort his sister to her wedding.

He still couldn't believe it when he heard the news.

Immediately afterwards, the entire Yang family was overjoyed, repeatedly confirming that it was real news and not a joke.

Once this news spread, the Yang family of the border army became incredibly prestigious, even surprising the emperor and the empress dowager.

Why did Zhang Fangping, the third-ranked scholar, take a fancy to the girl from the Yang family? It was said that the women of the Yang family were quite skilled in martial arts.

At this time, Song Xuan also rode his horse alongside, mainly responsible for the work on the man's side.

As for the best man who gets beaten up, his former classmates can naturally take his place.

Wang Xiuyong and others enjoyed it.

The marriage of the third-ranked scholar naturally attracted many students from Yingtian Academy to watch the spectacle.

I did it for no other reason than to see the third-ranked scholar and hope that I could also become a third-ranked scholar.

Song Hao was also among the onlookers. He had heard about his younger brother Song Kang going to Tokyo to seek refuge with Song Xuan.

Even if those thieves were to kidnap someone, they would only kidnap a gambling addict like Song Kang, not his brother who failed the imperial examination.

This incident dealt a heavy blow to Song Hao.

The main problem is that he lost this whole affair; those thieves no longer considered him Song Xuan's biological brother.

"Fifth Brother, Fifth Brother." Song Ming pointed to the person riding a horse and said, "Twelfth Brother has indeed returned."

Song Hao took a closer look.

He knew that, given their relationship, Song Xuan would definitely come back to attend Zhang Fangping's wedding.

How powerful and influential Song Xuan was in the capital city of Tokyo!
Every little thing that happened would be reported back to Nanjing and cause a stir.

Moreover, when local merchants go to Tokyo, everyone is willing to say that they are from the same hometown as Song Zhuangyuan. We will certainly pay our taxes honestly and will never bring shame to Song Zhuangyuan.

As a result, the merchants from Yingtian Prefecture were specially arranged by Song Xuan to stay in an inn.

Many of them were from the same hometown, and they could communicate with each other about their business dealings, which led to more trade routes and business opportunities.

Nowadays, it's almost unheard of for merchants from similar regions to establish guild halls.

As a result, many merchants in Yingtian Prefecture felt proud, believing that the top scholar Song had taken care of his fellow villagers.

It merely provided a place to stay.

Not only in Tokyo, but also after they returned, they would say that Scholar Song took care of their business and ensured their safety.

Unlike before, when I went to Tokyo, I was much more cautious, afraid of offending many people.

"It's him."

Song Hao nodded. That day, he had also seen his twelfth brother parading through the streets of Tokyo on horseback, looking incredibly impressive and enviable to everyone around him.

Although he doesn't have to start the exam from scratch, he's not so confident about his chances in the palace examination.

Because of that imperial examination, the emperor made Song Xuan's exam paper public, which made many candidates feel terrified!
How could he write so well, citing classical allusions, in such a short time, and still satisfy both the Emperor and the Empress?
Those who participated in the imperial examination that year and saw Song Xuan's exam paper were extremely impressed by his achievement of passing all three levels of the examination with top honors, regardless of whether they passed or failed.

From then on, whenever others greeted Song Hao, the conversation would inevitably turn to Song Xuan, leaving him feeling both helpless and somewhat "excited."

At least I've become the center of attention!
However, the pressure is still immense. When will he, as the eldest brother, be able to pass the exam and parade through the streets on horseback?

Now, Song Hao's ambition is no longer as rampant as before, no longer harboring any desire to become the top scholar.

Even if you're like Fan Xiang, and you're at the bottom of the list, you'd be perfectly content.

Please don't let Fan Xiang be left out; that would only bring sorrow.

The Song brothers watched as the rather "shabby" wedding procession passed by, but even so, it still attracted the attention of the entire city.

After all, that guy was the third-ranked scholar in the imperial examination!

With such a promising future, who wouldn't envy them?

Today, Zhang Fangping was also dressed in fine clothes, riding a tall horse, walking down the street, offering his congratulations to those around him.

The money scattered as a wedding gift.

All of it was Zhang Fangping's own savings.

He had almost no expenses in Tokyo, and Song Xuan wouldn't hold him accountable anyway.

Zhang Fangping was filled with emotion. He never expected that he would pass the imperial examination so early and be able to get married.

Although the Yang family didn't have much money, they did own some shops and businesses.

Therefore, after Zhang Fangping got married, he did not live with Song Xuan, but moved to a small house prepared by the Yang family.

This meant they had a place to stay in Tokyo.

Zhang Fangping's parents were very happy, but his uncle was not so happy.

After all, everyone knows that in the Song Dynasty, choosing a spouse was a very important matter if one wanted to have a successful official career.

His uncle, Ji Ying, taught at Yingtian Academy and knew that Zhang Fangping had a good relationship with Song Xuan. Before Zhang Fangping became wealthy, Ji Ying did his best to take care of him.

But who is Song Xuan?
It turned out that he was exceptionally capable, and even if he had chosen the daughter of a military general, his future career would have been smooth.

Besides, his father-in-law, Cao Liyong, was the Privy Councilor, a very high-ranking official position that few people in the entire Song Dynasty could achieve.

On the other hand, what about the Yang family?
Yang Liulang died long ago, and his three sons are now all palace guards.

We have no money, no people, and no connections.

Even the Shi family?
Although his descendants held low-ranking official positions, they were still extremely wealthy.

There's also the trustworthy royal lineage of Shi Shouxin, the ancestor of the royal family.

They will surely gain the trust of the officials in the future.

In contrast, Yang Ye was a surrendered general!

What kind of reputation can a border general make in the capital?

Not to mention being suppressed everywhere, he also couldn't get into the circle of generals who followed Emperor Taizu of Song in founding the country.

Ji Ying was dissatisfied, but the die was cast. Although she kept a cold face, she didn't want anyone to see it.

He could only blame his nephew for being seduced by women; he was too young and didn't know how important his future was.

It is also unclear what the price is for the third-ranked scholar!
Ji Ying felt that all the letters she had repeatedly written to remind her nephew had been in vain.

Regardless of what others thought, Zhang Fangping wanted to marry the woman he loved, just like Song Xuan.

Only in this way can one enjoy life to the fullest.

He didn't care at all about what others thought.

Zhang Fangping believes that he can make a name for himself on his own merits, rather than relying on his father-in-law.

Anyway, his father-in-law passed away many years ago, so the only way to help him is in the underworld.

However, the women of the Yang family were relatively long-lived; Old Madam Zhe was still alive.

Zhang Fangping always took Song Xuan as his role model. The achievements his twelfth brother made in Tokyo were not due to his father-in-law at all.

On the contrary, he solved many problems by helping his father-in-law "default on high-interest loans".

This is also why Zhang Fangping was unwilling to hold an extravagant wedding; there was no need, after all, life is for himself.

Several teachers from Yingtian Academy have also arrived today, and they are sitting together preparing for the feast.

The newlyweds had just finished the ceremony and were being led to their bridal chamber.

Zhang Shide and others sat next to Song Xuan, criticizing him for keeping it a secret so well. They wondered if he was getting too high up in his official position and didn't even bother to visit his former superiors when he came back.

Song Xuan laughed heartily: "Masters, wasn't I just trying to give you a surprise?"

Everyone chuckled; Song Twelve was still as eloquent and sophistical as ever.

Then everyone started talking about some rumors about Song Xuan in the area.

In short, Song Xuan's reputation in Yingtian Prefecture is now much stronger than that of the current prefect, Li Di.

"Prefect Li." Song Xuan said with a smile.

"This is a rumor you spread, don't make fun of me."

Li Di didn't care. Although he had been a prime minister, he had now proposed to become a prefect after losing the competition.

However, with the foundation laid by Yan Shu and some remaining forces of Song Xuan present, he felt quite relaxed.

At least there were very few security incidents in Songcheng, which allowed him to focus his energy on governing other areas.

Li Di's goal was to surpass Yan Shu, not only to make Songcheng a place where doors were left unlocked at night and lost items were not picked up on the road, but also to make the surrounding counties the same.

Only in this way can he achieve outstanding political results and return to Tokyo.

"Twelfth Brother, don't be so modest. I've been governing this area for over a year, and if I still don't understand the situation, then I wouldn't be a qualified prefect."

Li Di raised his glass and smiled:

"In short, I've gotten something for nothing. If Prime Minister Yan hadn't been transferred back to the capital, he would probably have become even more famous."

The group then drank and ate, chatting for a while.

Ji Ying, Zhang Fangping's uncle and also a lecturer at the academy, said: "Scholar Song, I have a question in my mind. Could you please answer it?"

“Please speak freely, Lecturer Ji.”

Song Xuan chuckled: "No matter what kind of problem it is, even if I don't know the answer, I'll make one up for you immediately."

"Hahaha."

Everyone burst into laughter again.

Ji Ying stroked his beard and said, "My nephew truly loves the young lady of the Yang family, rather than ruining her reputation prematurely?"

Although the Song Dynasty was relatively tolerant of women, and premarital sex was not uncommon, Song Xuan said with unusual seriousness:

"How could Instructor Ji underestimate the Yang family's upbringing?"

"Me." Ji Ying shook her head.

"That's not the case. It's just that I feel my nephew has changed a lot since he went to Tokyo."

Song Xuan certainly understood what "significant changes" meant: it meant things were no longer under your control.

Zhang Fangping's parents didn't have much of an idea. Their son had a photographic memory, which was good, but the family didn't have any money.

Therefore, we need to rely on my uncle's family for support.

In matters of marriage, the maternal uncle also has a great deal of say.

After all, it was indeed a pity that a top scholar like him married a young lady from the Yang family who had little power or wealth.

If you pass the imperial examination in the Song Dynasty, do you even know what it means to have both high status and beautiful women?
Many families have become "leftover women" (unmarried women over 30) because they want to marry their daughters to successful candidates in the imperial examinations.

After all, it only happens once every three years, and each time there are only three or four hundred people. There are far more wolves than meat, and it's simply not enough for all these women.

For example, Cheng Hao's daughter never married in her entire life in order to marry a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), refusing to lower her standards for choosing a husband.

Ji Ying felt that her nephew, who came from a small village, was blinded by the allure of the capital city and thus seduced by the Yang family woman.

As for the idea of ​​mutual affection, he didn't believe it at all.

Song Xuan emphasized again:
"The two of them are in love. Even if Lecturer Ji doesn't trust others, he should trust Zhang Dalang's character."

"Moreover, now that the ceremony is complete, I see that Zhang Dalang's parents and the couple are very happy. Even if Ji Jiangshi is the uncle, he shouldn't interfere too much in this matter."

“That’s right,” Zhang Shide chimed in.

"Although it is said that marriages are arranged by parents and matchmakers, when it comes to matters of the heart, if they are attracted to each other, who can really say for sure?"

Ji Ying raised her wine glass to apologize to them, but felt that her nephew had not been careful enough in choosing a wife.

"Furthermore, we scholars should not despise military officers. If it weren't for these soldiers fighting bravely on the front lines, how could we scholars have the opportunity to sit here peacefully, study, and even pass the imperial examinations?"

Song Xuan, however, was rather blunt:
"You are all excellent teachers, and the students who come to my Yingtian Academy are also outstanding students from all over the country."

"I personally believe that you gentlemen should not convey this idea to them. We are all people of Song, only our roles in civil and military affairs are different."

"If our Great Song Dynasty continues to despise these warriors from top to bottom, how many scholars will be able to take up swords and fight the enemy like I have? Won't we rely on those illiterate warriors?"

Song Xuan's words drew everyone's attention to him.

The Song Dynasty's precautions against military generals were initiated by the emperor.

Otherwise, these civil officials wouldn't have followed suit so quickly.

If the status of military men is elevated, it might lead to a repeat of the An Lushan Rebellion, and the regional military governors might all act independently, just waiting to rebel.

At that time, the Central Plains will be filled with fighting, and there will be no day of peace.

In the Song Dynasty, the common ground from the emperor to civil officials and scholars was to suppress military men; this was politically correct.

“Scholar Song, what you said is far too arbitrary.”

Prefect Li Di put down his wine cup: "Emphasizing literature and suppressing military affairs is a national policy."

"You all taught and nurtured people in relatively closed places like academies, and experienced the Taizu Emperor's policy of 'releasing military power over a cup of wine' and the Taizong Emperor's policy of 'preserving the interior while neglecting the exterior'."

"Furthermore, with civil officials controlling the military and soldiers being separated, it was virtually impossible for military generals in the Song Dynasty to launch a rebellion and succeed."

Song Xuan looked at Li Di: "Prefect Li has served as an official in the central government, so I presume you agree with my assessment?"

"That may be true, but the ancestral laws cannot be changed."

Li Di believed that military men should be suppressed, otherwise where would the status of these civil officials come from?
If everyone were to become thieves and conscripts instead of pursuing the imperial examinations, the entire atmosphere of the Song Dynasty would be reversed, repeating the mistakes of the late Tang Dynasty.

This is something that must be guarded against.

Song Xuan chuckled a few times: "The laws of our ancestors cannot be changed, but does anyone know just how weak the Song Dynasty's military is?"

(End of this chapter)