A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 446 Who doesn't want to make a name for themselves?

"Lord Wang, that's not what I meant."

Lu Yijian just felt that the Empress Dowager was being far too lenient with Song Xuan.

He didn't believe that Song Xuan truly supported the Empress Dowager's continued rule.

This child is deep and thoughtful, and always hides his true thoughts.

"But Kaifeng and Xiangfu are the capital of our Great Song Dynasty. Is it not too hasty to have all the deputy officials appointed by him alone?"

Wang Zeng raised an eyebrow slightly:

"It was indeed a bit hasty, but in urgent situations, we must act expediently. Ensuring the smooth operation of government affairs in Xiangfu County is the most important thing."

“Since Song Xiang took office, he has governed very strictly and achieved remarkable results. Suddenly, all the officials in the county have left. Do you think no one is colluding behind this?”

"What Minister Wang said makes sense, but there is currently no evidence."

Lü Yijian shook his head and took two steps:

"Tokyo has always been a city of complex relationships; who knows who's pulling the strings behind the scenes?"

"The transfer of junior officers is a minor matter. It is people like this, who are organized and premeditated to incite trouble, that are what we should be concerned about."

Wang Zeng slowly reminded him:
"Tanfu, especially now that the Song Dynasty royal family is composed of orphans and widows, is extremely vulnerable to criticism and being plotted against."

"What Minister Wang said is correct."

Even though Lü Yijian disagreed in his heart, he outwardly obeyed Wang Zeng's words.

After their identities were switched, Lü Yijian's true colors were revealed, infuriating Wang Zeng.

The two had a big argument, and Wang Zeng impeached him. Zhao Zhen punished them equally, and both were sent to remote areas.

However, Lü Yijian was appointed prime minister again in less than a year, while Wang Zeng was sent to Yunzhou and died of illness a few years later.

"Have the police investigate."

Wang Zeng looked at Lü Yijian and said, "We must investigate this matter to put everyone at ease."

"it is good."

Lü Yijian nodded: "Prime Minister Wang, the Khitans are coming."

"The Khitans have sent money to Song Xuan?"

Wang found it somewhat amusing that a piece of glassware had sold for a million strings of cash and been bought by the Khitans.

No matter how he thinks about it now, it's all a trap deliberately set by Song Xuan.

But for a moment, he couldn't figure out what Song Xuan was up to.

So he waited and watched to see what Song Xuan planned to do next.

"That's true, but I'm worried that once Song Xuan takes over this money, many people will covet it."

Wang Zeng shook his head:
"Rumors circulated that this glass artifact was found in the Worry-Free Cave, but Song Xuan neither admitted nor refuted it, leaving the people to speculate."

"Tanfu, do you think this precious glass artifact was seized from the Cave of No Worries?"

Lü Yijian shook his head.

He knew that his cousin, Lü Lejian, had described to him the large, transparent glass panes in Song Xuan's bookstore.

What is absent in Tokyo can appear in Nanjing.

And she was even protected by Song Xuan, who had no official rank at the time, so that no one could take her away.

That already explains a lot.

"Yes."

Wang Zeng couldn't help but want to laugh:
"Besides, this treasure has passed through Liu Congde's hands once. Their conversation is enough to keep all the officials who are eyeing this money from saying a word."

How many years have the Empress Dowager's in-laws been so arrogant? How many officials in the court dare to offend them?
But Song Xuan dared to step forward, acting like a newborn calf unafraid of tigers.

However, none of them dared to offend the Empress Dowager's relatives by marriage, but they dared to offend Song Xuan.

They probably think that Song Xuan is a scholar and that a gentleman can be deceived by reason.

However, Wang Zeng was certain that those people had all misjudged Song Xuan.

That Song Twelve is no gentleman.

When it's time to take action, his fists won't just land on the faces of his maternal relatives.

Wang Zeng didn't intend to give any hints; he just wanted to see who had organized this bunch of clowns.

This is the most important thing.

"Others have not had much contact with Song Zhuangyuan, but have mostly heard of his reputation, so they think they are superior."

Wang Zeng nodded in agreement with Lü Yijian's words, and said with some emotion:
"Many things in the world go wrong because of this kind of thinking, but few people think that they are wrong."

"Since the Khitans are coming with money, let's see who else will try to take Song Xuan's money."

"What Minister Wang said makes sense."

Lü Yijian responded but didn't say anything more.

The various factions within the court are now too fragmented, far less distinct than the supporters and opponents during the reform era.

Wang Zeng used to be fond of teaching others and giving them pointers, but he found that many of them were just all talk and no action.

When it comes to real problems, you'll still stumble if you're meant to; it's very difficult for someone to teach you something from someone else.

The officials of the Ministry of Personnel received instructions from the Empress Dowager and the Prime Minister.

The operation was extremely fast.

The official robes and appointment letters were delivered directly to the recipients by dispatched personnel.

For a moment, the entire Kaifeng County government office was filled with amazement and envy.

Following Master Song not only improved their living standards, but also gave them a bright future.

Such a major personnel change.

Song Xuan directly ordered these successors to put on their official robes and stroll around among the crowd, so they could enjoy the joy of their promotion.

"Thank you, sir."

Whether it's Zhou Derong and Zheng Wenhuan who are being transferred, or Ban Feng, Qian Gansan, and Zhang Dutou who are being promoted.

In particular, County Magistrate Zhou Derong knew that many trees in the Song Dynasty had been cut down for firewood.

As a result, the price of charcoal has remained high.

With coal as a substitute for cooking, heating, and boiling water, Linghe County will surely become prosperous in the future.

Master Song has given me a path to promotion and wealth!
Zhou Derong had already made up his mind that once he went to Linghe County, he would replicate the big official's approach there.

If you still can't get it after copying, then you deserve to never be promoted in your life.

While the other magistrates of Huazhou have no opportunity to learn, I should seize this chance. Just as the master said, I might be able to advance further in the future!
In Kaifeng County, even temporary workers took the opportunity to become official clerks.

Insufficient than above, more than below.

This action gave everyone hope.

Song Xuan had not expected that Liu E would review it so quickly.

The Song Dynasty government was already bloated.

People habitually shirk responsibility, passing the buck to others while claiming credit for themselves.

But this matter did not take long to resolve.

Ban Feng was beaming with joy. Surrounded by his former subordinates, he said he would set up two tables to treat his brothers to drinks.

In short, I'm happy.

Zhao Zhen, observing this scene, exclaimed, "Twelfth Brother, so many people are this excited about being promoted!"

There was some excitement in his words, as if he had come to understand the methods of fame and fortune.

"Of course, I was also very excited when I became the top scholar in the imperial examination. All my hard work over the years had finally paid off."

Song Xuan saw that some people had started setting off firecrackers, which were crackling and popping, and everyone was chuckling.

In short, joy is a contagious thing.

Upon hearing Song Xuan bring this up, Zhao Zhen subconsciously straightened his chest.

My twelfth brother's position as the top scholar was personally chosen by me.

The people in Kaifeng County worshipped Song Xuan to the point of worship. If the great official Song said he would promote you, he really meant it.

With more than one such role model emerging, who wouldn't feel full of energy and have a bright future?

Even if they're in Kaifeng County, they can be transferred out in the future!
After all, Master Song could arrange positions for three assistant officials and many clerks in Xiangfu County.

Their strength is indeed extraordinary.

News of the promotions of many people in Kaifeng County spread quickly, and since the appointment letters had already been issued, there was no need to hide it anymore.

This news shocked everyone in Xiangfu County.

They originally planned to join forces to take down Song Xiang, and then, because they were experienced, they would come back later.

Unexpectedly, the Song-Song couple joined forces and filled all the vacancies.

They have no chance to come back, and they might even be caught and held accountable. Whether someone is behind their actions depends on who can't take it anymore and starts to implicate others to gain merit.

Moreover, what is most exciting is that Qian Gansan, a clerk in Kaifeng County, was promoted to the position of County Registrar, a ninth-rank official, completing a class leap from clerk to official.

Such examples made many officials wish they could replace him.

The fact that Zhang, a mere constable, could be promoted further spurred on the other officers of the three shifts of the yamen.

So following a high-ranking official really does lead to promotion!

Every few years, when a clerk is promoted to an official, people feel that even if the clerk's beard and hair turn gray, it's all worth it.

However, four people who transcended social classes suddenly appeared in Kaifeng County.

Two of them were assigned to serve as officials in Xiangfu County.

The shock of being promoted envied by everyone working in government offices.

It also depends on whether the superior is capable and can lead the subordinates to achieve merit, and recommend them immediately when there is a vacancy.

Following the news of the promotion, the county government posted its first proclamation in the name of Ban, the county magistrate.

That was to alleviate the transportation pressure at the new dock, so that people with spare time could rent wheelbarrows from the government to do their work.

Alternatively, those who own wheelbarrows can register with the government and have them registered at the workshop for unified management.

The master of Wuyou Cave sat in the main seat, while the strategist Bai Zhen recounted the findings of the investigation.

Only then did they learn that the concubine and daughter who had suddenly appeared were the wife and daughter of Song Xuan's former enemy.

Cang Lin was shocked and almost fell for Song Xuan's trick.

After all, they were still thinking of snatching his daughter to force Song Xuan to submit, something Wuyou Cave was very good at.

The result was false; it was obviously a fake message deliberately released by Song Xuan to lure them into doing something.

"Cave Master, this boy's methods are truly ruthless!"

The strategist, Bai Zhen, said indignantly:

"Not only his hometown, but also anyone in Nanjing who inquires about his family is immediately arrested."

"Several groups of people we sent have been arrested and handed over to the authorities."

"understood."

The Cave Master of Worry-Free Cave looked around through his mask:

"I remember telling you all to stay put and not cause any more trouble, right?"

Several people nodded.

Xiaofeng confirmed that the one in front of him most resembled the true cave master.

“Now that Song Xuan is in a very important position, even the Empress Dowager listens to him. You are no match for him, whether from the official or the streets.”

The cave master rested his arms on the table:
"We're here to make money, not to rebel against the imperial court."

"Since there's not much room left even in Xiangfu County, you should move outside the city and wait for the Song-Song term to end so you can take back your former territory."

"Worry-Free Cave has existed for nearly a hundred years. The government of Tokyo has tried to eradicate it for many years but has failed. Do you think that one or two young people can destroy my century-old foundation? Don't even think about it."

"Besides, we also have gambling dens and illegal liquor businesses. Even if we go outside the city, the government can't reach us. Why do you insist on fighting Song Xuan to the death inside the city?"

"Yes," everyone responded in unison.

The master of Wuyou Cave knew that Emperor Taizong was unable to eliminate the bandits outside Tokyo City back then, and instead chose to offer them amnesty, which made the area outside the city a little safer.

Song Xuan and his men were doing a great job within the city, and he couldn't even keep an eye on the million-strong population of Tokyo. The area outside the city was even more of a blind spot.

Xiaofeng then spoke:

“Master, some of our brothers work under Liu Congde. I went to the auction at Fanlou and confirmed it.”

"That's not good."

The cave master of Wuyou Cave chuckled: "Gaining the trust of the authorities doesn't guarantee that you'll be at the beck and call of anyone in the future."

"The cave master is right."

The strategist quickly offered a flattering remark.

"Ah."

The cave master of Worry-Free Cave stood up:
"We should be cautious when necessary. Those who are used to being arrogant are easily brought down. We are not people who walk in the open."

He glanced at the four people present, and seeing that they all lowered their heads, he simply left.

"I'll see the cave master off."

Bai Zhen immediately stood up.

Xiaofeng wanted to go too, but Canglin stopped him.

The true master of the cave has shown himself, but who knows what he really means?
After everyone had left, Cang Lin looked at him:
"You also want to establish a relationship with the cave master?"

"I don't understand why the cave master would say such discouraging things."

"If you don't understand, you don't understand."

Xiaofeng didn't refute, but lowered his voice:

"Brother, I feel that the cave master's voice is different from last time."

Cang Lin gave him a fierce look:
"You think you're so smart?"

"Smart people never let others see that they are smart, remember that!"

Xiaofeng sat in the chair, carefully considering his elder brother's words.

Did he already know?

"Having wandered around in this city of Tokyo, I've met countless intelligent people, but I don't know how many of them have lived to a ripe old age, because I've never met any of them."

Cang Lin picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said leisurely, "It's good to be a little confused in life!"

Xiaofeng began to reflect on whether he had been too obvious.

Instead, it was the older brother who noticed it.

But he didn't say anything, he just sighed: "I'm still not convinced by Song Xuan."

"You're not convinced? Are you going to kill him?"

Cang Lin put down his teacup:
"If you can't kill him, you'll face even more severe retaliation."

"I've figured it out. This kid isn't like those scholars; he's a kind and good person!"

Xiaofeng nodded. His elder brother was right; he deeply agreed.

Song Xuan was indeed not a kind person.

He was able to sell human traffickers when he was a child. Is that something a normal child would do?

"Kaifeng County is as solid as a rock, and I'm afraid it won't be long before Xiangfu County will also have to obey the orders of this Master Song."

"Besides, he is always escorted by yamen runners when he goes out, and many people are willing to die for him."

"As a result, he has promoted many people, transforming them from clerks to officials in an instant. I'm afraid every household will hang up his portrait and worship him."

“What even his own father couldn’t arrange, Song Twelve can arrange.”

"The number of people willing to die for Song Xuan would be countless. You want to kill him, but do you have the chance?"

Cang Lin narrowed his eyes:

“My men told me that Song Twelve practiced archery at the county office, and every arrow hit the bullseye. I’m afraid that by the time you get close enough to kill him, he’ll be the one to kill you.”

Xiaofeng narrowed his eyes. So, there are still spies from Wuyou Cave around Twelfth Brother. We should find a way to dig them out.

But if we dig it up, my brother only told me about it. Does that mean I've been exposed?
"real or fake?"

Xiaofeng responded promptly.

He did know some information about Song Xuan.

"It's better to believe it exists than to believe it doesn't."

Cang Lin stroked his beard and shook his head:
“This Magistrate Song is not easy to deal with. He has connections in the imperial court and people around him are willing to follow his lead. We can’t go wrong by listening to the cave master.”

"Yes."

Xiaofeng responded.

Even if we can't find out who the mole is hiding in Kaifeng County in a short time, I should at least give my twelfth brother a heads-up.

Yelü Shucheng had already received the letter, but did not go directly to find Song Xuan.

He has been searching for various prescriptions in the pharmacies on Ma Xing Street recently, hoping to find a prescription that can alleviate His Majesty's suffering from his illness, based on the medical knowledge of the Central Plains.

But having been in Tokyo for so long, these doctors hadn't seen any patients, so they didn't say much.

Because the specific symptoms can only be described verbally, especially for diabetes, if someone is harmed, it will be impossible to explain clearly later.

Moreover, Yelü Shucheng didn't have much money left.

At that time, they had already gone bankrupt in order to get this treasure.

Even if they received some annual tribute, the cost of living in Tokyo is so high, how could they possibly afford to live a life of extravagance and debauchery for long?

Yelü Shucheng came out of the pharmacy and couldn't help but sigh.

He learned a valuable lesson: in Tokyo, you absolutely cannot do without money.

Especially since he was a Khitan, idlers were most willing to do business with him because he set higher prices.

With no solutions from private pharmacies, Yelü Shucheng turned his attention to the imperial physicians of the Song Dynasty.

However, he lacked the necessary resources, and after much thought, he came up with the idea of ​​using Song Xuan as a pretext to tell him the good news.

Yelü Shucheng first went to the county government office, and then listened to what the gatekeeper said.

Master Song is not here.

I went out for a celebratory lunch and then went straight home.

At this moment, Song Xuan was at home with his daughter taking a nap, and then he was talking to Cao Qingyao while also coaxing her to sleep.

In short, you should walk around more and never stay in bed all the time; you should exercise appropriately.

If your feet and calves become red and swollen later on, you should talk to someone if you need to massage them. Don't try to tough it out. Ask an experienced older sister about this.

Madam Gu listened to what Song Xuan had told her and felt somewhat helpless.

"Will it take you a long time to get to the Khitan?"

Cao Qingyao enjoyed the feeling of being cared for and patiently instructed by Song Xuan.

"I do not know."

Song Xuan gently shook his head:

"If a rebellion breaks out within the Khitan and the roads are cut off, I will stay within the Khitan territory."

"To avoid being targeted by rebel soldiers on the way back and becoming a victim of creating conflict between the Song and Liao dynasties."

Is it that dangerous?

Cao Qingyao's heart clenched subconsciously. "Just in case," Song Xuan chuckled.

"I don't know how widespread the rebellion will be caused by this excessive taxation within the Liao Kingdom."

"I just led people to watch the spectacle and observe the Khitan military tactics, and we avoided fighting if possible."

"That's good, as long as you have a plan in mind."

Cao Qing nestled in Song Xuan's arms.

Song Xuan gently patted her. Just then, a maid knocked on the door and said that a Khitan man who called himself Yelü Shucheng had come to visit.

This person has been to our house.

Song Xuan responded and told the three of them to continue resting, while he went out to greet them.

"Song Twelve, it's been a long time. I must congratulate you on making a fortune."

Yelü Shucheng hasn't been to the county government office recently.

Anyway, there are people of their own there watching over things, and they will also take the time to report on what is happening in the county government.

"Liu Liu, what's there to congratulate us on getting rich? The county government is starving."

Song Xuan looked at him with a smile: "Could it be that you finally managed to raise enough money in the last minute?"

"Of course."

Yelü Shucheng clapped his hands and laughed, clicking his tongue twice:
“Song Twelve, you also know that the annual gold production of our Great Khitan is only about eight thousand taels.”

"It took a lot of effort to gather 100,000 taels of gold all at once."

"How is that possible?" Song Xuan asked, his face filled with doubt.

"How can the Liao Dynasty be so short of gold and silver? Not to mention the domestic situation, our Song Dynasty alone has to send out 300,000 taels of silver every year."

"Now that more than twenty years have passed, your Liao emperor's treasury and national treasury must be full long ago."

"I've always suspected that you're just putting off because you think the price is too high."

"how can that be possible!"

Yelü Shucheng had staked his entire family fortune on this; if things failed, he would truly have lost both his wife and his army.

"Song Twelve, you don't know this, but His Majesty bestows annual tributes upon everyone. Otherwise, every year someone would cause trouble by stealing grain."

Yelü Shucheng didn't hide anything from Song Xuan and just told him about the situation. Anyway, most of the envoys who went to the Great Khitan would know.

However, Song Xuan's father-in-law was not a civil official. Apart from being sent as an envoy to the Khitan when signing the alliance, he was only at the city of Chanyuan and never went inside the city.

"I see."

Song Xuan's face showed a clear understanding:
"But as far as I know, the territory of the Liao Dynasty is also very vast. How could there not be any left in the national treasury?"

"I don't know that, after all, I'm not an official."

Yelü Shucheng had not yet been involved in such government affairs, but he was certain that the Liao Dynasty collected a considerable amount of taxes every year, but little of that money actually ended up in the national treasury.

Even in the border trade of Xiongzhou, they would sell sheep and then incidentally buy various goods from the Song Dynasty.

In addition, with so many years of war and His Majesty's rewards to the soldiers, where would the national treasury find so much money?

When Empress Xiao was in power, the national treasury was full.

However, after His Majesty assumed personal rule, the money was spent like water, and the system simply couldn't be sustained.

"The Emperor of Liao is so pleased with this treasure that he will surely grant you an official position after you return to your country, Liu Liu."

Hearing Song Xuan's words, Yelü Shucheng smiled.

This is true.

He also hoped that His Majesty would arrange a good official position for him.

In this way, he would have a salary, so that his family would no longer have to live a life of poverty.

The main reason is that he scoured his own home too much to buy this treasure.

"Song Twelve, to be honest, I have something I want to ask you."

"Just tell me, I'll try my best to help if I can, but I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to help if I can't."

Song Xuan also feigned a sigh:

"As you know, there have been some unfavorable rumors about me in the city lately, and the Empress Dowager has received many memorials impeaching me."

"So I have to behave myself during this period before you Khitans arrive."

Although Yelü Shucheng knew that what Song Xuan said was true, he also knew that the Empress Dowager had compensated him; otherwise, why would she have promoted his subordinate?

“My father is unwell. The Central Plains has always been a center of medical expertise, and the doctors in the capital city of Tokyo are unable to cure him. Could you please ask Song Twelve to act as a go-between and introduce me to the imperial physician?”

"The imperial physician?"

Song Xuan raised an eyebrow: "I really don't know any imperial physicians."

Can't you think of a solution?

“I know that traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes observation, listening, questioning, and palpation. How about this, you have your father blend into the delegation and come to my Great Song for medical treatment. Then we can ask the Empress Dowager to examine your father. What do you think?”

If his father were truly ill, Yelü Shucheng would be very grateful for the method suggested by Song Xuan.

But actually it was for the sake of the emperor of the Great Khitan, so it couldn't be said.

Although the Song and Liao dynasties were sworn brothers, Yelü Shucheng had heard from Lü Demao that the emperor was worried that the young emperor of the Northern Song would be like him and want to wage war everywhere.

Therefore, the fact that the Great Khitan Emperor was ill must absolutely not be revealed to outsiders.

Song Xuan knew that Yelü Shucheng's purpose was to find a cure for diabetes for the Khitan emperor.

However, this kind of chronic disease cannot be cured even in modern times, let alone at this moment.

That's simply impossible for a miracle to happen.

If it were someone else, Song Xuan could have taken Yelü Shucheng to make an introduction.

However, Yelü Shucheng in front of him has a photographic memory, so he cannot take him with him.

"The journey is too arduous, and it is probably impossible to make the trip."

Yelü Shucheng shook his head and refused:
"If I could find an imperial physician to make the contact, I would only need to describe my symptoms. I wonder if that would be feasible?"

“Liu Liu, you are my first Khitan friend. I will not stand idly by when my friend is in trouble.”

Song Xuan stood up and walked to the side:
"Here's what we'll do: describe your father's symptoms, and I'll ask my father-in-law to find a familiar imperial physician to take a look at him privately."

"You should also know that without the Emperor's permission, if civil and military officials contact the imperial physicians privately, they will always be labeled as bad people. I hope you can understand that."

Yelü Shucheng thought for a while and realized that Song Xuan was right.

If the emperor were suspicious, who would dare to befriend the imperial physician?

These are all taboo things.

Song Xuan asked his father-in-law, Cao Shizhong, to do this, which shows that he values ​​the friendship between the two parties.

So Yelü Shucheng gave a detailed description of the illness of the Khitan Emperor Yelü Longxu, pretending to be his father.

As Song Xuan wrote, he deduced that Yelü Longxu not only had diabetes, but also high blood pressure, and his liver was probably also affected, though it was hard to tell whether it was his intestines or stomach.

Without even considering the damage caused by alcohol and sex, his kidneys are probably already experiencing some urinary incontinence.

The Khitan emperor was indeed getting old.

Many chronic lifestyle diseases have also appeared on the body.

Song Xuan noted it down. Not bad, he also has gout.

Wow, he hasn't died yet, so his physical condition is pretty good!
It seems that eating beef and mutton regularly does have some benefits.

If this happened to an ordinary person, they would have been finished long ago.

After Song Xuan finished writing, he immediately asked Yelü Shucheng to take a look and see if there were any major discrepancies.

If there are still any errors or omissions, you can add them and then copy them out yourself.

Yelü Shucheng took this matter even more seriously than his own father.

Because if he does this job well, he will be able to rise rapidly in the Liao Dynasty, which is related to his own future and the fate of his family!

Song Xuan sat to the side drinking tea, and seeing Yelü Shucheng being so cautious, he raised an eyebrow but stopped looking closely.

He probably has some other ailments, but he doesn't want himself to know.

Yelü Longxu had quite a few illnesses.

Song Xuan pondered silently.

How can we make a fuss about Yelü Longxu's illness?

Since the intelligence has been delivered to our doorstep, we might as well make use of it.

I'll go find Doctor Wang on my way back and ask him to prescribe some basic medicines so I can study them and add them to my prescriptions.

However, Song Xuan felt that given Doctor Wang's nature of treating and saving lives, he probably wouldn't help him.

I'll have to add some medicine myself later to get Yelü Longxu a little more excited.

After finishing writing, Yelü Shucheng wiped the sweat from his forehead.

This job is really not easy.

“Song Twelve, you should really go to my Great Khitan and act as an envoy if you have the chance.”

After Yelü Shucheng finished, he began to boast about how wonderful the Great Khitan was.

"Since you, Liu Liu, have extended such a warm invitation, I will ask the Empress Dowager if I may go out for a trip during this mission to the Liao Dynasty."

Song Xuan wore a smile on his face:

"I've never seen a scene where the wind blows the grass low to reveal cattle and sheep."

"Good good."

Yelü Shucheng was still somewhat worried that Song Xuan wouldn't appreciate the scenery beyond the Great Wall.

Because he greatly admired Sinology, and understood that people from the Central Plains liked to call them "Di Yi" (barbarians), believing that only the Central Plains were good.

However, the scenery on the grasslands is quite nice as long as it's not winter.

"When the time comes, we'll slaughter a sheep so you can taste what fresh mutton tastes like."

"Liu Liu, can I ask you a question?"

"You said."

"I heard from your brother that he took out all the money in the family as a deposit. When I come to your house for a meal, you might not have money to entertain me!"

"Hahaha."

Yelü Shucheng burst into laughter.

He said that he simply didn't have any spare money left at home, but he still had plenty of grassland, cattle, sheep, horses, and camels.

“Even if you, Song Twelve, stay in my Great Khitan for a year and eat a sheep every day, I can feed you for many years.”

Song Xuan laughed and said, "Actually, I'd like to eat some beef. You know, I rarely have the chance to eat beef in the Song Dynasty."

"Simply put, one cow can feed you for several days."

Yelü Shucheng generously declared that as long as you come to Khitan for a visit, there will be plenty of beef and mutton.

Even the more precious camel hump would be roasted to serve you, not to mention bear meat, venison, and tiger meat would also be acceptable.

Not to mention Liaodong, even in the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun at this time, there are tigers.

Furthermore, the forests of Shandong are home to many tigers, and news of them eating people comes from time to time.

After both of them achieved their goals, Song Xuan did not invite Yelü Shucheng to stay for a meal, but instead went back to the embassy to eat some ordinary food.

Song Xuan then called his second brother, Song Kang, over.

"Third brother, is something the matter?"

"Correct."

Song Kang felt a little uneasy. He had stubbornly stayed in Tokyo, hoping that his grandfather wouldn't send a letter asking him to go back.

He witnessed the prosperity of the big city, and the people there respected him greatly because of his third brother.

Song Kang didn't want to go back to his small village and just laze around doing nothing; he wanted to live with a completely new identity.

He had always been afraid of his ruthless third brother, and now he was even more afraid of his power.

He was somewhat relieved that his third brother hadn't exposed the true nature of his business to outsiders.

Therefore, they dared not cause trouble.

"Second brother, do you still want to go home?"

"What would I do if I went home?" Song Kang shook his head.

"Third brother, I haven't gambled in all this time. At most, I participated in the fishing contest you organized. I haven't done anything wrong."

“I’ve also seen the changes in my second brother.”

Song Xuan poured him a cup of tea:

What I mean is, do you plan to become an official in the future?

Song Kangteng stood up abruptly, his pupils widening in disbelief that he had become an official.

Being an official is so great.

He greatly envied Song Xuan, who was always surrounded by servants when he went out, and everyone called him "Master Song," and he could simply give orders to others to do whatever he wanted.

They are respected by everyone.

"I think so!"

Song Kang looked intently at his third brother: "I miss him so much!"

"Third brother, have you changed your mind?"

"I do have an opportunity to make a name for myself and become an official, but I haven't found a suitable candidate yet, and it's not something I can become an official immediately."

A look of doubt appeared in Song Xuan's eyes:

“If I were to entrust this to you, my second brother, I would still be very worried. But we are brothers, and I would feel guilty if I didn’t think of you when something good happened.”

"Third brother."

"Oh dear, my third brother!"

"If you have any tasks for me that you don't trust, just tell me about them."

Song Kang even ran behind the chair to massage Song Xuan's shoulders, back, and legs.

Such a great opportunity is like a pie falling from the sky; if I don't take it, I'll be letting down my many years of gambling experience.

Even if there's only the slightest chance, knowing full well that a trap will be set, I'd still dare to gamble with a small investment for a big return.

If we win, we'll have a feast!

Losing is nothing new, I'm used to it!
Who among those with a strong gambling addiction wouldn't want to turn their fortunes around in one fell swoop?
Song Xuan gave a brief explanation.

Let him stay in Zhongjing, the capital of the Khitan, and open a gambling den so he can play cards with the Khitan nobles and build rapport.

He said things like, "Maybe we can find some good business for the family then."

"You mean gambling isn't prohibited in the Khitan region?"

"Yes." Song Xuan nodded:

"I originally planned to have Tao Hong come with me, that is."

"I go!"

Song Kang gave Song Xuan the answer he wanted directly.

"You don't need to arrange for anyone else to do this; I can do it myself."

Song Kang's face was filled with great anticipation. Once he went to the Khitan, he was going to gamble his way to victory.

"Second brother, are you sure you want to go? If you lose the bet, I won't be able to help you in time."

Song Xuan coughed:
"The government's funding is limited. This matter is ostensibly to monitor the Khitan people's civil service examination system and prevent them from selecting too many outstanding talents to become officials."

"Hahaha." Song Kang slapped his thigh:
"At worst, let them break one of my legs. It's not like I haven't had my leg broken before."

“I can’t beat those cheaters at home, but once I go to Khitan, I’ll be the one cheating.”

"If you cheat on someone else's turf, I really can't save you."

Song Xuan stood up:

"Although I have always looked down on your gambling addiction that you learned from your father, I still can't bear to see you die at the hands of the Khitans."

"Song Xuan!"

Song Kang began to shout:
"You underestimate me!"

“Even without cheating, I can still beat those Khitans.”

"Such a good thing, if you don't give it to me, are you going to give it to an outsider?"

"You just want to see me spend my whole life in the mud, don't you?"

Song Xuan gave a few wry smiles, then changed his expression:
"Second brother, although it is true that one should recommend worthy people regardless of kinship, if you do something wrong, I will also be implicated."

"If you really want to make your way in the world on your own, I'll give you three years."

He held up his finger:
“The envoys of the Song and Liao dynasties travel back and forth frequently. If you cannot hold out for three years, then come back with the envoys. They will still be willing to take you with them out of respect for me.”

"Three years?" Song Kang chuckled.
"I've heard you say things like 'three years east of the river, three years west of the river,' and 'don't underestimate a young man's potential.' But I might not be so sure about other things."

"But if I were to make friends through gambling, I would be confident."

"Such a good job, how could you give it to someone else and not me?"

Song Xuan also stood up and strolled around for a couple of steps:
"Second brother, are you really sure about this?"

"I figured it out."

Song Kang looked intently at his younger brother; this decision, which concerned their future, rested in his hands.

Who doesn't want to be an official?

In particular, the recent examples of officials who were promoted from clerks to government officials in the capital city all came from Song Xuan's subordinates.

Song Xuan paced back and forth in the room for a while, as if he had finally made up his mind to stand still:
"In that case, I, as your younger brother, will trust you one more time."

"Hahaha."

Song Kang burst into laughter: "You should have believed me a long time ago."

"Second brother, how good are your gambling skills?"

Upon hearing Song Xuan's question, Song Kang pulled out three dice from somewhere, told his third brother to shake them vigorously, and then placed them on the table.

Song Xuan knew that his gambling habit was hard to change, so he simply pretended not to see it. He held the teacup upside down, supported the bottom with the lid, and shook it a couple of times.

He placed it on the table: "What, guess big or small?"

"Not bad." Song Kang nodded.

"These dice haven't been mixed with mercury. Since you wouldn't let me go out to play, I've been secretly practicing them in my room."

"Except for the extremely rare possibility of a leopard, which I'm not confident about, I'm still confident about guessing the size."

Song Xuan said "Oh": "You can do this whether the dice are changed or not?"

"The new dice won't work. I need to listen to them for a while and get a feel for them before I can use them."

Song Xuan lost interest in uncovering the truth, but Song Kang insisted on performing to prove his abilities.

"One, three, five, small, hehehe, I guessed right."

Song Kang chuckled a few times, saying that living in Tokyo was quite nice.

His sister-in-law still asked the accountant to give him some pocket money.

He had indeed been to gambling dens, but in order to stay and live in Tokyo, Song Kang mostly just watched and didn't dare to gamble.

He was afraid that he would lose control and then Song Xuan would find himself kicked back to his hometown.

At this moment, Song Xuan asked, "Second Brother, have you ever visited any gambling dens in Tokyo?"

(End of this chapter)