A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 438 There Must Be a Conspiracy

Liang Yuanjie left, expressing her deepest gratitude.

Once Master Wang's son recovers, he will naturally follow the request of the top scholar Song and take the opportunity to spread the word about the "harm of the insect plague" to the people of Song City.

Liang Yuanjie now understood why so many people in Songcheng praised Song Zhuangyuan so highly, even his own master.

I didn't understand it before, but it seems that many villagers really did benefit from the kindness of the top scholar Song.

After seeing off Doctor Wang's apprentice, Song Xuan considered that one matter was settled.

He knew this couldn't be kept secret. The Wang family sent someone to get the medicine, and anyone with a little sense of responsibility would definitely inquire about the patient's current condition.

I might as well just continue using his prescription for nourishment. My visit today is a way of giving Dr. Wang face.

"Daddy."

Song Sisi ran over in her tiger-head shoes. She had been out for a long time today and hadn't spent time with her, so she was very clingy.

"Hey."

Song Xuan picked up his daughter and stood by the window:

Did you have fun today?

"It's not very interesting. It's just listening to people tell stories. It's not as interesting as the Journey to the West that my father wrote."

Song Xuan laughed heartily: "My daughter is so clever, she knows best how to coax people."

"When we get to Tokyo, I'll take you out for a stroll. It's much more bustling than here."

"It's just that I feel like you don't have many playmates. I'm thinking of taking you to class so you can play with the other kids who are studying."

"Is Father leaving home?"

"good."

Song Xuan held his daughter and looked outside:

“I am serving as an official in another province and I am afraid I will not be able to come back often in the future, so I have brought you all to live with me.”

"That would be great."

Song Sisi cheered with joy.

She'd love to stay with her dad.

As for leaving this place, she didn't care too much.

Instead, she was more attracted to the bustling Tokyo that others kept talking about, and to being by her father's side.

After the outsiders left, Madam Gu came over from another room and saw the father and daughter laughing and joking.

She also had some expectations for life in Tokyo.

Her only wish is that her husband's legal wife is not too domineering, and she can tolerate that.

Even if Song Xuan's return was kept secret, the news still spread like wildfire after so many days.

He also gave face to his former associates.

People from the county government, the prison, and even the fire brigade came to visit.

After enjoying the food and drinks, although they didn't have much of a chance to develop their careers in Tokyo, their connections with Song Xuan in the local area were enough to make a living.

Wang Gongshou also came to visit Song Xuan, and he was deeply moved by Song Xuan's guidance back then.

Now that he is studying at Yingtian Academy, he has finally solved some of his personal living expenses problems.

He could get some scholarships and free meals at temples.

At least it can ensure that he won't be troubled by living expenses during his studies.

Nowadays, the monks claim that Song Dynasty's top scholar and others ate vegetarian meals and studied by candlelight at their temple, which is why they were able to top the list of successful candidates, making their temple very popular.

With this positive feedback, it wasn't just the temple that Song Xuan and his group visited that welcomed students to come and "mooch" candles.

Other temples in Yingtian Prefecture also carried out similar activities.

Therefore, education flourished in Songcheng, and the county magistrate Song Qi truly benefited from the hard work of his predecessors.

"Twelfth Brother, are my articles any match for the enemy?"

"Hahaha."

Song Xuan finished reading Wang Gongshou's article and set it aside:
"Do you want the truth, or words of encouragement?"

"I don't know the difference between the two?"

Wang Gongshou was actually quite uneasy.

Because he saw many outstanding students at Yingtian Academy.

"If it's true, compared to the candidates of our year, your essay still has too many shortcomings."

Wang Gongshou nodded.

He didn't feel that Song Xuan was trying to put him down.

The list of successful candidates in the imperial examinations in the fifth year of the Tiansheng era was indeed highly competitive.

Moreover, Song Xuan is the most qualified person to say such things.

Wang Gongshou's greatest wish was to pass the imperial examination at a young age like Song Xuan.

Becoming an official would alleviate the family's poverty.

"Does Twelfth Brother mean that I need to hone my skills further in order to make better progress?"

"Of course."

Song Xuan nodded and smiled at Wang Gongshou:
"But you've made significant progress."

"Huh?" Wang Gongshou was somewhat surprised: "Really?"

"If you further refine your writing and borrow more books at the academy to enrich your mind."

Wang Gongshou nodded repeatedly.

These are all the experiences of top scorers, and you must memorize them word for word.

Song Xuan pointed to the articles on the table:
“I can say this right here: you, Wang Gongshou, have the potential to be the top scholar.”

"The potential to be a top scholar!"

Wang Gongshou's eyes widened instantly, and he unconsciously repeated it aloud.

"I?"

"Twelfth Brother, are you really not joking with me?"

He came with the intention of seeking advice from Song Xuan.

After all, having someone to guide you can help you find your weaknesses more quickly and fill in the gaps in your knowledge more effectively.

Especially the reminder from someone with successful experience like Song Xuan.

Just now, he thought Song Xuan said he was too bad, and that there was a huge gap between him and the people on Song Xuan's list.

I never expected to receive such high praise.

Therefore, Wang Gongshou really lost his composure.

"What, you have so little confidence?"

Faced with Song Xuan's question, Wang Gongshou could only grin foolishly.

"I remember my twelfth brother saying that there are as many scholars in the world as there are carp crossing the river, but I'm afraid there are very few who can actually cross the Dragon Gate."

"I just wanted to get past the previous one, I didn't want to be the top scorer."

Song Xuan chuckled a few times:

"I had the same idea as you back then. I thought I could just casually pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest level of the imperial examination). I never thought I could become the top scholar."

"what?"

Wang Gongshou thought Song Xuan was the kind of person who studied desperately, even if it wasn't as extreme as hanging his head from the rafters or pricking his thigh with an awl, he still studied day and night.

"Twelfth Brother, don't try to fool me."

"You make it sound like I used to love studying."

Song Xuan leaned back in his chair: "You know Zhang Fangping, right?"

"I know, the third-ranked scholar has a photographic memory. If it weren't for his wedding, my twelfth brother wouldn't have taken the time to return to his hometown."

"That's right, his talent is photographic memory. My talent is that I can learn well without working as hard as others, do you understand?"

"I understand."

Wang Gongshou nodded, seemingly confused.

The number of first-place winners in each prefecture and state of the Song Dynasty was quite large, but when it came to the provincial examination, all sorts of geniuses gathered together, making it even more difficult for these first-place winners to win first place.

Not to mention the imperial examination.

The significance of winning three awards in a row is truly remarkable!

"I do understand the differences between people now, thankfully I'm still young."

"Otherwise, like the others, your combined efforts will shatter their Dao hearts, and they will lose all interest in taking the imperial examinations."

"Yes, so you are lucky." Song Xuan nodded slightly.
"You don't need to doubt that you have the talent to be the top scholar. There is still enough time. Just lay a solid foundation for yourself."

"You, Wang Gongshou, may very well be the one to shine in the next imperial examination."

Such a huge pie came crashing down on him, making Wang Gongshou excited for a long time.

Encouraged by Song Xuan, Wang Gongshou left with a smile that he couldn't help but wear.

I didn't realize I had the potential to be the top scholar!

Can Twelfth Brother lie?

"Hey hey hey."

There were students who came to Song Xuan relying on past relationships.

There were also students who, though unfamiliar with him, had heard of his name, who boldly submitted their articles.

Who could blame him when Song Zhuangyuan and he came from the same academy?

Having this relationship means being closer than ordinary people.

Song Xuan accepted all requests and patiently provided replies and suggestions for improvement after reading the articles.

Song Xuan had no idea who he would be able to use in the future!
Reading other people's articles when I'm bored is a pretty good pastime.

However, Wang Gongshou knew that no one had ever received such praise from Twelfth Brother.

Of course, he didn't plan to tell anyone. He just wanted to work hard and not let his family down. He also wanted to change the impoverished situation of his family.

In the end, Song Xuan had a meal and banquet with a group of "old subordinates" from the latrine-collecting team. Some of them were involved in various counties of Yingtian Prefecture, while others were transferred by Tao Hong to help in Dongjing City.

They are now living a comfortable life, and with Song Xuan's investment in their private school for the next generation, not to mention Song Xuan's turbulent activities in Tokyo.

Looking back now, they realize that the top scholar Song was too "gentle" towards them.

If it weren't for the fact that we were fellow villagers, we would all have been punished by the law long ago.

Without these good days, we wouldn't have them today.

Did they really think that Yan Shu, the prefect of Yingtian Prefecture at the time, would give these unproductive ruffians a friendly look?
Therefore, everyone came to pay their respects to Song Xuan to express their gratitude.

Song Xuan accepted all comers.

The concept of "fellow villagers" is indeed very useful nowadays.

He simply reminded his nephews and nieces who wanted to gain experience in the army that they should not work in the latrine-collecting team if they did not want to.

You'll need to hone your martial arts skills, especially your archery.

If he really wants to go to the military for training in the future, he can give him a heads-up.

Or they might need to gain experience in accounting and business. If Tao Hong expands his recruitment, Song Xuan said he would personally come to select them.

Nowadays, with a comfortable life, many people no longer want their children to follow in their footsteps. Making money is one thing, but one is always subject to criticism.

Whether it's doing business, joining the military, or wanting to study and pass the imperial examinations, "connections" are essential.

Song Xuan's words moved the villagers even more.

After all, they had all seen the status of those who had followed Song Xuan since childhood.

With such a role model before us, everyone has something to look forward to.

When it comes to interpersonal relationships, it's not that you're afraid of not having them, it's that you're afraid of not having them when you need them.

The top scholar Song has not forgotten his old subordinates.

"Of course, if you commit a crime, then you can't blame me for not showing any mercy."

Song Xuan pointed to the books of the Great Song Dynasty law beside him:
"This is your business principle. Those of you who can read should study it carefully and also tell your brothers. Remember, you must never repeat the crimes recorded here!"

Zhen Guan Nan nodded repeatedly, assuring us that we would certainly not commit any crimes recorded in the laws of the Great Song Dynasty.

Song Xuan laughed heartily and said nothing more.

After the banquet, he called over a few leaders and instructed them to find some skilled swimmers to go to Guangzhou, Quanzhou and other places to watch the excitement.

"What does Twelfth Brother mean?"

"Let's go check it out first. I think I might be able to use sea freight to buy some things in the future."

"Yes."

Everyone nodded repeatedly. They weren't afraid of Song Xuan ordering them around; they were afraid of not having to do anything themselves.

Having received Song Xuan's instructions, even though they were sent to the far south, they were sure to benefit from it, so everyone was all smiles.

Song Xuan politely declined the offer of escort, letting them continue eating and drinking, as they had finally managed to get together.

He's going back to be with his children.

The next day, Song Xuan left the bookstore with his family. Zhen Guannan and the others quietly met up and offered to take him to the dock outside the city.

Song Xuan decided not to get on the donkey cart, but instead carried his daughter and chatted and laughed with others on the road.

Now many people thought it was strange that the top scholar's child had grown up so much.

The crowd moved slowly, and Song Xuan greeted those around him, speaking to them without any airs.

Upon arriving at the dock outside the city, Song Xuan discovered that Song Qi, the local magistrate, was standing next to Zhang Fangping and his wife.

He was dressed in casual clothes at the time, and he was still somewhat resentful that Song Xuan had not come to visit him.

In any case, our two families are indeed related.

"Twelfth Brother," Song Qi said preemptively.
"It's one thing to come back without saying goodbye, but it's another to leave without saying goodbye. That's not appropriate."

"Hahaha." Song Xuan laughed a few times:
"Cousin, I mainly came back on leave because I didn't want to be too conspicuous, otherwise I would be impeached by the censors again."

Song Qi glanced at the sea of ​​people following behind Song Xuan, and then thought of the censors who had impeached him, who were now all treated with considerable dignity.

Those censors and remonstrance officials have lost their promising futures. Who would dare to impeach Song Xuan so easily now?

Song Qi also knew Song Xuan's current political position in Tokyo.

However, they replaced the lawless in-laws of the former Empress Dowager.

After all, several of his in-laws had fallen into his hands, and for a time he was the envy of everyone.

Song Qi had no idea what methods Song Xuan had used to gain the Empress's trust in him so much.
However, on the other hand, he still had to thank Song Xuan for enabling his elder brother, Song Xiang, to leave a significant mark on his future political career.

Otherwise, who knows when my elder brother will be able to gain experience as a county magistrate in the central government?
Moreover, in their correspondence, Song Qi received many praises from his elder brother for Song Xuan.

At least I gave him advice and put in the effort, providing real help.

This would prevent someone like him, who lacks experience in "local implementation," from being completely at a loss.

Song Qi believed in his elder brother's character; he was definitely not the kind of person who would flatter someone. Song Xuan's help to him must have been immense.

So even though Song Xuan didn't visit on his own initiative, Song Qi inquired in advance about when he would leave and came to see him off.

"Twelfth Brother, who dares to impeach you?"

Song Qi smiled in response.

He looked at the little girl on Song Xuan's shoulder. Although he had just greeted her and sweetly called her "Uncle," she was still there.

However, he had never heard of Song Xuan keeping a mistress in Songcheng.

Or perhaps he concealed this matter extremely well.

Either those who know about it are all keeping quiet.

Do not spread it outside.

Song Qi glanced at the crowd of people behind him and roughly understood something.

Despite having served as the local official for several years, when it comes to winning the hearts and minds of the people, I'm afraid I can't even compare to Song Xuan's little finger.

The saying "Songcheng is a timely rain" is truly not without merit.

Song Qi had heard of this slogan, and some of the soldiers from the local garrison also came to see him off.

Moreover, judging from the way Zhang Fangping and his wife responded, Song Qi probably already knew, and was definitely not as surprised as he was.

"Cousin, there are still people who dare to do that."

Song Xuan patted his daughter, comforting her and telling her not to be too shy:

“The main reason is that I’m also afraid that someone will impeach me for forming cliques and engaging in favoritism. Given our relationship, even if it’s fake, it will become real, and no one will believe in our innocence.”

Upon hearing this, Song Qi felt utterly wronged.

But he wasn't stupid, and couldn't help but smile:
“Twelfth Brother is right. Rather than being slandered, we should make it a fact. After all, we won’t be able to defend ourselves.”

Moreover, Song Qi believed that his brothers had truly formed a faction with Song Xuan.

That's not necessarily a bad thing.

In the entire city of Tokyo, who doesn't know about the Song-Song couple's rule?

The two of them had long been considered to be in the same faction as the Empress Dowager.

Why would someone need to slander someone else to say such a thing?

Otherwise, he himself would have been the top scholar, but because of the Empress Dowager, his elder brother was chosen as the top scholar, which enabled him to achieve the feat of "winning the top three honors in a row".

Incidentally, he also promoted his elder brother in Tokyo, a move that the whole world must know about.

In addition, Song Xuan was doing very well in the capital city of Tokyo thanks to the Empress Dowager's patronage.

In this situation, there is absolutely no need for false accusation.

They're practically natural political parties.

"Hahaha."

Song Xuan also laughed a few times:
“What my cousin said makes sense. We need to communicate more. After all, I also have brothers staying in Songcheng, and they may make mistakes in the future.”

"Easy to say, easy to say."

Song Qi readily agreed, not worried that Song Xuan wouldn't make any demands.

He then handed the letter he had written to his elder brother to Song Xuan, asking him to deliver it as a sign of trust.

Song Xuan took the letter; there was no need to go into too much detail.

"My twelfth brother has gone to Tokyo. He just needs to do his job well and doesn't need to stand out too much."

Song Qi reminded him, "After all, many people are hoping you'll make a mistake; I've heard some rumors."

"Thank you for the reminder, cousin." Song Xuan handed the letter to his bodyguard.
"Because of the business dealings with the Khitans, I will likely be away from the court and sent as an envoy to the Khitans, which will be a good opportunity to see the world beyond the Great Wall."

"Oh?" Song Qi hadn't expected this to happen.
"Is this all arranged?"

He certainly knew about the high price of one million strings of cash.

If Song Xuan gets his hands on this money, it will be even more beneficial for him to do his job and improve his political achievements.

When it comes to making money, even his older brother, no matter how much he flatters him, can't catch up.

He only hoped that Song Xuan would remember their past relationship and spare a little for his elder brother; that would be enough.

"nature."

Song Xuan nodded:
"Since I am away from the Khitan and not in the court, if someone takes the opportunity to retaliate, it would be more reassuring to bring my family to the capital, Tokyo."

"good."

Song Qi expressed his agreement.

There is no city wall that is completely impenetrable.

Moreover, Song Xuan has offended quite a few people.

Hearing that someone had kidnapped his second brother, the town of Lema was now under tight security against strangers. The villagers even wanted to catch the criminals, thus incurring the debt of gratitude owed to Scholar Song.

That would be extremely beneficial for himself and his family.

"My twelfth brother has thought things through thoroughly."

Song Qi nodded:
"If anything happens in the future, you can simply send someone to deliver a message. Anyway, you have brothers here, and I know the people who stayed at the bookstore."

"Thank you."

Song Xuan thanked him.

While they were talking, the people behind him carried his things onto the boat.

Song Xuan carried his daughter onto the boat, handed her to Madam Gu, and stood at the stern, calling out to the crowd:

"Fellow villagers, wait for the good news of my Song Twelve's achievements to be sent back to our hometown."

The crowd responded loudly, hoping that Scholar Song could make further progress so that they could mentor him in the future.

Wang Zhu was hiding in the crowd; he actually wanted to thank Song Xuan for coming.

But there were too many people. In his current state, if he doesn't take good care of himself for a while, he probably won't have the strength to squeeze past the others.

Even Empress Liu E wouldn't have bowed too low back when Li Di was the prefect, let alone Song Xuan, Liu E's henchman, returning to his hometown. As the prefect, he had to personally see him off.

He wouldn't do something like that!

Even if Song Xuan was a county magistrate, whose rank would automatically rise once he left the capital, it wouldn't matter in front of him.

If Li Di truly knew how to be flexible, he would have gone to the capital to serve as prime minister a second time long ago, instead of being kicked out by Empress Liu.

Song Xuan stood at the bow of the boat, watching the crowd grow smaller and smaller, but he didn't feel anything particularly special.

I was just shouting to vent my emotions.

Song Xuan took the child back and held him in his arms again: "I almost forgot how many times we've parted ways from here."

"Is my lord finding it a little difficult to get used to?"

"Of course."

Song Xuan was indeed not used to it.

In the past, we could receive messages promptly even from afar; now, writing a letter takes a long time.

The spread of news is so slow.

Madam Gu simply leaned gently on Song Xuan's shoulder, though she herself was quite confused.

Zhang Fangping watched as thousands of people stood on the dock, not leaving for a long time.

Overwhelmed with emotion, he hoped that one day he could become an official and rise to the same level as his twelfth brother. Many elders and villagers came to see him off.

That's what makes a true man!

In Tokyo city.

Song Taisui first sent away the disaster victims, and then issued tax refunds. I wonder what kind of operation he was hiding?
Now the disaster victims have all returned to Tokyo to continue working.

So much time has passed, and no plans have been revealed.

This has puzzled many busybodies.

They wondered if this was Song Taisui's idea, but they hadn't figured it out yet.

They all felt that, given Song Xuan's personality, he would certainly not issue policies without reason or ignore rumors.

Since there are plenty of idle people in Tokyo, many people try to figure out what officials are doing.

Especially in the Song Dynasty, with its relaxed atmosphere towards the common people, many people also liked to "establish their own government".

Or they would be in bustling places like taverns, teahouses, or entertainment districts.

Or they're on the street.

There were even people leaving messages in public restrooms.

In short, there are quite a few people in Tokyo who become online keyboard warriors.

And usually at this time, there are always people willing to listen, so they will offer him a pot of tea or a pot of wine to soothe his throat and let him tell his story properly.

The owners of taverns and teahouses wouldn't report it, since a group that could chat, listen to gossip, and spend money had to be treated well.

That's how business is done.

Some busybodies in the capital pieced together all of Song Xuan's actions.

Many things are becoming more and more interesting, or perhaps Song Xuan's analysis will inevitably lead to new plans.

If vernacular novels had truly flourished among the people of the Song Dynasty, the Kaifeng Prefecture would probably have hosted a "Song Dynasty trial".

As the group discussed it, they suddenly realized something.

That is because the top scholar of the Song Dynasty was quite self-disciplined. During his long stay in the capital, he never once visited a brothel or entertainment venue, let alone a brothel.

After all, someone as talented as Song Zhuangyuan wouldn't frequent a brothel.

The girls in the building all had to use every trick in the book to get Song Zhuangyuan to become their lover, so as to greatly increase their own value!
In any case, in the Song Dynasty, such like-minded friends found it quite elegant.

Afterwards, you can also exchange your thoughts, discuss who is better or worse, or how to improve your skills.

Liu Sanbian's like-minded friends were willing to spend a lot of money to find the Insect Girl to spend the night with.

Unfortunately, there's still a queue.

Many courtesans hoped that the top scholar of the Song Dynasty would come, so that they could change their fate.

Unfortunately, the top scholar Song was always busy with official business, or he would stay at home and have fun with his wife, giving no opportunity to others.

It is said that Su Qingrou, the most beautiful courtesan at Fanlou, used all sorts of tricks to attract men, and even the top scholar of the Song Dynasty rarely went to Fanlou, let alone stayed overnight.

As a result, rumors circulated in the city that Cao Shizhong had secretly kept a mistress for his son-in-law in order to keep him.

On days when his daughter is unable to attend to him, a beautiful young woman will inevitably take her place.

After all, the top scholar of the Song Dynasty was young and full of life; how could he not be lustful?

Many people hoped to become Song Zhuangyuan's concubine, but he never gave them the chance.

When they went out on patrol, there were always guards protecting them, preventing people from getting too close.

As for the handkerchiefs thrown to Song Zhuangyuan, they were all picked up by his entourage.

The top scholar of the Song Dynasty didn't hesitate to pick it up.

This caused many young women in Tokyo to feel sorry for them.

How can he be so devoted!
What kind of bewitching potion did the woman surnamed Cao give him?

After all, Song Zhuangyuan was talented and handsome, so how could he not attract other young ladies?

Some people even secretly made effigies of voodoo dolls, hoping to become the second wife of the top scholar of the Song Dynasty.

There are too many people in Tokyo.

It's inevitable that many mentally unstable monsters and freaks will appear.

"Did you hear that?"

The strategist Bai Zhen stared out the window: "That top scholar Song hasn't shown up for quite some time; he said he took sick leave."

"I don't know."

Xiaofeng quickly shook his head: "As long as he doesn't come to besiege us, he can get sick however he wants."

He knew in his heart that Zhang Fangping was getting married, so he knew that Song Xuan was returning to his hometown, firstly to visit relatives, and secondly to attend the wedding of his classmate and friend.

But he wouldn't say it out loud at this time, since Xiaofeng believed he was already a "government official" and was just waiting for the right opportunity.

"Yes, let them get sick however they want, the best thing is to be so sick that they can't get up."

The white pheasant chuckled a few times:
"Only in this way can my Worry-Free Cave have a chance to rise again; otherwise, we will have to endure several more years of suppression."

“If this continues, people’s hearts will eventually fall apart.”

Xiaofeng turned his face away, wishing that Song Xuan could live to be a hundred years old so that he could secure his future wealth and honor.

Otherwise, without the support of power, how long could his life of wealth and privilege continue?
"If people's hearts are scattered, they can be brought back together."

Cang Lin didn't care about that at all; those people were all expendable pawns.

"But then again, since we haven't been exposed yet, could it be that Xuanjia is already dead, and this Song Taisui deliberately spread rumors to alert the enemy?"

He also wondered if Zuixianlou would still be what it is today if Xuanjia had confessed.

"What Hall Master Canglin said makes sense." Bai Zhen nodded.

“Song Xuan has always been cunning; we can’t fathom his thoughts.”

Xiaofeng had already pledged his loyalty to Song Xuan, and he knew some inside information.

He pretended not to know, because he needed to capture the cave master to gain merit.

Unfortunately, the cave master is often nowhere to be found, and there are even more than one substitute.

This left Xiaofeng in a dilemma, and he could only hope that they could take action simultaneously to capture and round up the suspects in the future, so as not to escape and ruin everything.

"Yes, so I suspect he's faking his illness."

Cang Lin stroked his beard and said leisurely:

"But who is his target this time?"

"Please, please don't let it be our Worry-Free Cave, especially the branch of the Azure Dragon Hall."

Bai Zhen recounted the story with lingering fear.

He vividly remembered the actions of the Kaifeng County government; they launched a surprise attack, and he felt he would have a hard time escaping a second time.

Even Song Xiang, the magistrate of Xiangfu County, is now making great efforts to improve local public security.

This scholar was even more ruthless than Song Xuan.

Song Xiang actually set up twenty cages on either side of the county government office entrance, locking people inside for public display, so that everyone could see the faces of these scoundrels.

If they dare to commit this offense again, they will be punished more severely.

As a result, the public security in Xiangfu County has indeed improved significantly. As expected of the powerful ruler of the Song Dynasty, he always has innovative tricks up his sleeve.

These days, life is really tough for thugs and scoundrels in Tokyo who are involved in organized crime.

"No need to overthink it." Azure Dragon Hall Master Cang Lin waved his hand.

"If he were going to make a move, he would have done it long ago. How could he have waited so long without coming?"

"Big brother is right," Xiaofeng echoed.

The three of them were not happy for long when someone brought news that they had seen Little Song Taisui at the dock.

He was carrying his three- or four-year-old daughter and some other items, heading towards Tokyo.

"daughter?"

All three of them found it incredible.

"Don't try to fool us; you must have found out the wrong information."

Xiaofeng was the first to disbelieve that Song Xuan had a child, after all, he hadn't been married long, how could he have a three or four-year-old daughter?
"You must have misheard me?"

“I was ordered to infiltrate the carriage company in order to find out what valuable goods merchants from various places have. I have been working hard and am quite trusted.”

“Master, I’m not the only one who heard that young lady call Little Song Tai Sui ‘father,’ and she also called another woman ‘mother.’”

"hiss."

They looked at each other.

Surely Song Xuan didn't already have a wife before he got married?
Although there isn't a Chen Shimei storyline yet, such situations do exist.

You can't stop me from going to someone better.jpg

There was no crime of bigamy in the Northern Song Dynasty, and there was no practice of executing someone simply for marrying a princess.

In particular, the Northern Song Dynasty had a relatively open social atmosphere, and there were few restrictions on women getting divorced or remarried.

The social atmosphere only suddenly tightened during the Southern Song Dynasty, and there were certain reasons for this.

After all, while the soldiers at the front were fighting to the death against the Jin people, their wives at the rear were eloping with other men. If Yue Fei's wife did such a thing, what about the wives of the other ordinary soldiers?
His wife was even working for one of Han Shizhong's men. If Han Shizhong hadn't felt something was wrong and informed him, Yue Fei wouldn't have known about his wife's immoral behavior.

As the main general in the fight against the Jin, Han Shizhong did not want this misunderstanding to delay their cooperation.

Do you believe this?

Cang Lin looked at Xiao Feng, his eyes full of questions.

"Brother, I don't quite believe it." Xiaofeng shook his head.

"Did he intentionally publicize the sudden appearance of a daughter?"

"Yes, yes, yes."

Cang Lin nodded repeatedly: "Based on my understanding of Song Xuan, he must be plotting something, but we haven't figured it out yet!"

The strategist, Bai Zhen, narrowed his eyes.

He also felt that Cang Lin's words made sense.

How could someone as protective of his reputation as Song Xuan suddenly have a daughter?
"Are you trying to use his so-called daughter to lure us into making a move?"

The strategist Bai Zhen's eyes gleamed: "Otherwise, where would he get a daughter?"

"Yes, the strategist is right."

Cang Lin nodded repeatedly: "We still need to send someone to investigate Song Xuan's suddenly appearing wife and daughter."

“That’s right. Little Song Tai Sui has always been cunning. We still need to investigate carefully before we can draw the correct conclusion.”

Xiaofeng also added his own perspective to avoid being doubted.

He also felt that this was abnormal; how could there be a child?
Even if you really have a child, you should do it secretly, instead of announcing it so publicly.

If they don't hide it from people, there's definitely something wrong!

Cang Lin then arranged for his men to rest and, while he was at it, sent someone to inquire about where Song Xuan's wife and daughters came from.

There's only one Madam Cao, so where did he find people to help him put on an act?

It would be hard to believe that a top scholar who never frequented brothels and maintained a virtuous character would do such a thing, even if someone were to smear him.

There was no way around it; Song Xuan's character was simply that good in the eyes of everyone, even these thieves!

They would rather believe that a young official would frequent brothels than believe that Song Xuan would do so.

After all, there had been rumors that the Empress was not particularly good-looking.

Otherwise, how could the Empress's belly remain untouched after the Emperor has been married for so long?
For ordinary families, the continuation of offspring is extremely important, let alone for emperors.

That must be of utmost importance.

The fact that the Empress is not pregnant must be due to her.

Cao Qingyao was at home. Her mother had been coming over frequently lately, and she always had a happy expression on her face.

The main reason is that my daughter is pregnant, and they've been married for quite some time now.

If Qingyao never gets pregnant, she feels she has let down the Song family, and even more so her good son-in-law.

Fortunately, heaven has eyes, and her prayers and pleas were not in vain.

"Now Mother can finally rest easy."

Holding her daughter's hand tightly, Mrs. Li carefully instructed her:
"For safety's sake, neither of you should sleep in the same bed. If Twelve Lang needs anything, you can have Xiao Hua take your place."

Cao Qing shook her head: "My husband said he would choose a concubine, so I don't need to worry."

"That's good, that's good."

Li was also extremely satisfied with Song Xuan.

I always thought that he was like other scholars, having achieved so much at such a young age, he must have been a regular at brothels.

It turns out he really never went!

He took excellent care of his daughter and never let her suffer. What could he possibly be dissatisfied with having such a son-in-law?
In any case, the power to choose a woman was ultimately in Song Xuan's hands.

As her mother, she turned around and tried to comfort her daughter, telling her to take it easy.

Never be a jealous woman!
Because some women, before their husbands take concubines, say they don't care, and even express their approval on several occasions.

But once he actually takes a concubine, he may not be happy about it and may even act out.

Such inconsistency is what makes a husband dislike her.

"Mother, don't worry, I will definitely not do that."

Cao Qingyao smiled:
“I want to see what kind of woman my husband can pick to catch his eye.”

"You, you," Mrs. Li said, touching her daughter's hand.

"I'm afraid you're not telling the truth."

“No, that won’t happen.” Cao Qingyao touched her belly and said, “I know him perfectly well.”

"I hope so. The more important thing is to ensure the continuation of the Song family line."

Based on her own experience:
"Don't worry too much about this. You know your father; most men are like that."

"Besides, I am such a good son-in-law that others can only envy."

Just as the mother and daughter were talking, the door was opened.

Several donkey carts drove in.

Song Xuan carried his daughter out of the car, and then reached out to help Madam Gu, who was carrying a package, out of the car.

As for those items, they were naturally moved by Jiao Ming, Wang Bao, and others.

"Father, is this our home?"

"Not bad." Song Xuan hugged her and laughed, "We rented her."

"It's much nicer than our old courtyard."

Song Sisi began to offer her comments.

Just then, Cao Qingyao and her daughter heard the commotion and hurriedly came out.

When Li saw Song Xuan holding a little girl with a woman by his side, she froze on the spot.

Cao Qingyao first glanced at Song Xuan and the child in his arms, then glanced at the woman beside him.

They looked much older than me.

"I'm back, and I didn't expect my mother-in-law to be here too. It'll be a good opportunity to introduce us together."

Song Xuan stepped forward: "This is my daughter, Song Sisi. This is your aunt. This is your maternal grandmother."

"Sisi has met her maternal grandmother and her aunt."

"Ah, uh."

Li nodded stiffly with a smile.

I don't know what to say for a moment, because this recent event has been too shocking.

She also knew that her son-in-law, Song Xuan, had always been unconventional.

Now he's taken a woman with a baby girl as a concubine. I wonder what he's thinking?

"Sisi is pretty, just like you."

Cao Qingyao commented, which was also somewhat strange.

Then Madam Gu also came up and took the initiative to bow.

"This humble servant, Qian Shishi, greets elder sister and mother."

"Sister, get up quickly."

Cao Qingyao stepped forward to help her, saying, "There's no need to be so polite at home. You know your husband's temperament. He must be tired from his journey. Please come in."

Madam Gu followed Cao Qingyao into the hall with her head bowed and eyes lowered, after all, Cao Qingyao was the legal wife.

Song Xuan carried the child into the hall, leaving Li Shi outside wiping her sweat with a handkerchief.

Because she's genuinely a bit confused right now.

Just now she kept advising her daughter not to be a jealous woman, but now her daughter is behaving very well.

But Li was a little apprehensive.

How could his own good son-in-law like another man's wife?

(End of this chapter)