A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 447 Song the Iron Fist of Murder and Arson, Song the Warmth Respected by Ten Thousand (Bonus Chapter of 2 Words, Requesting Monthly Tickets)
Song Kang coughed, his voice trembling slightly:

"I have been there, but Third Brother, as the heavens can bear witness, I haven't played a single game since I came to Tokyo!"

Song Xuan nodded:
"It's enough that you've been there."

Song Kang's heart wavered.

"How do you think the gambling skills in Tokyo compare to those in your hometown?"

"Of course, the technology is better."

Song Kang quickly regained his composure.

He thought Song Xuan would hold a grudge and that he couldn't hide it from him no matter what.

"Moreover, there are many more varieties, and the fighting methods are far more numerous than in the countryside, and they are extremely intense."

Song Xuan said "oh," because he had never actually been to a gambling den or similar illegal area, as he just wanted the streets to be clean.

As for leaving a little darkness, that's for ordinary people to compare and see if there are still disgusting people.

“Cockfighting and such things are only suitable for the general public. You need to get along well with the Khitan nobles, so I plan to teach you a noble way of playing.”

"what?"

Song Kang looked at Song Xuan with some disbelief.
My third brother has always hated gambling, hasn't he?

How could he possibly know about Guanpu's gameplay that he doesn't know?

"Is it popular among the high-ranking officials and nobles in Tokyo?"

Song Kang asked cautiously.

After all, given his level.

We're not even close to that group of scholar-officials yet.

Even for Song Xuan's sake, they wouldn't accept him.

Whether or not we can accept Song Xuan is something we still need to consider.

Song Xuan shook his head:
"I invented it myself."

"what?"

Song Kang was somewhat puzzled and asked again:

"you are not?"

"I made this in advance so that I can use it to relieve boredom when I have many wives and concubines in the future."

"what!"

Song Kang was greatly shocked.

He hadn't expected his younger brother to be so lecherous.

Although my sister-in-law is good-looking, her figure is not good enough.

They are not as good as the girls in the city gate tower of Tokyo.

It has to be the city girl Bai!
"It's a variation of the game I made based on leaf-shaped cards. I privately call it Mahjong, but to put it more elegantly, it's something like Bamboo Battle or Eagle Fight."

Song Xuan deliberately replaced the little sparrow with an eagle, making it easier for the Khitans to accept.

"Mahjong? Never heard of it."

"I've heard of leaf games, but they're not for people like us."

Song Xuan ignored his second brother's complaints and instead took out the prepared bamboo tiles to explain how to play Cantonese mahjong.

"That's interesting."

Song Xuan also drew a complete guide to winning hands.

Give it to him as a secret manual.

Song Kang touched the mahjong tiles, feeling the texture of the engraved characters, and was filled with joy.

This is a new gambling tool!
"You can study at your own pace on your journey to Khitan."

"Good good."

Song Kang carefully examined the complete manual and even started fiddling with it.

"Second brother, are you really not going to reconsider?"

"I've already thought it through. With such a great opportunity, how could I let it slip away?"

Song Kang said excitedly:
"Just wait and see how I wreak havoc in the Khitan and amass a fortune."

"Even if you win money, you have to be able to keep it, otherwise you'll lose both your life and your money."

Song Xuan's words poured cold water on Song Kang's enthusiasm:
"Could there still be any danger to his life?"

“In our Great Song Dynasty, gambling can lead to broken arms and legs and even death. In the Khitan, many people don’t speak Chinese, so the conflicts are even more pronounced. You’ll need to learn some Khitan to protect yourself.”

Song Kang pursed his lips, gripped the mahjong tiles in his hand until his knuckles turned white, and muttered harsh words:

"When a person dies, the bird flies to the sky; if they don't die, they live for ten thousand years. I've had enough of being a stinking rat that everyone wants to kill."

"I am determined to establish myself firmly among the Khitans and make a name for myself!"

"Good, that's ambitious."

Song Xuan wrote a note on the side:

"Tomorrow, go to Banjingguan and find Yelü Shucheng. Ask him to teach you Khitan. Just tell him that you want to be a translator to make a living."

"it is good."

Song Kang didn't even glance at the note. Instead, he carefully put all the mahjong tiles into the wooden box and also put his three dice inside.

After putting the wooden lid on, he held the note again:

"Third brother, I won't bother you any longer. I'm going back to my room to study."

"Yes, Second Brother."

Song Kang glanced back at him, afraid that Song Xuan might change his mind:
"Third brother, a real man shouldn't do something stupid like taking off his pants to fart, or I'll look down on you."

Song Xuan shook his head, then smiled:

"If you can stick with it for a year, I will develop new ways to play and have the delegation bring them to you."

Song Kang's eyes lit up: "There are other ways to play with this thing?"

"There are many, but they are not mature yet, and I am still studying them."

"Excellent, excellent! No wonder he's the top scholar who passed all three levels of the imperial examinations! My brother is truly brilliant!"

Song Kang ran off happily, without even closing the door.

Song Xuan watched him leave, took a sip of tea, and didn't say much.

Tao Hong then closed the door and came in:
"Young Master, are you sure this will work?"

"Whether it works or not, let's send it over and see. He'll never be able to live without gambling."

"Why not go to a place where you can gamble and live a carefree life? I doubt I'll regret it."

Song Xuan sighed:

"I won't know until much later, at least until he's been kidnapped."

Tao Hong also looked down on gamblers.

Moreover, Song Kang's character is so unpleasant that just thinking about him makes one feel unlucky; kicking him would be too lenient.

Now, let's kick them over to the Khitan's capital and join in the fun; out of sight, out of mind.

Song Xuan believed that the gambling culture would exacerbate the hedonism of the Khitan people.

It doesn't really matter who goes.

"Never mind him."

Song Xuan poured Tao Hong a cup of fresh tea: "Are the accounts almost done?"

"It's not difficult at all." Tao Hong took a sip of tea.
"But are you really going to send Qu Ze and the others to go to sea with that Chi Sanlang?"

"Let's take the short route through Japan and Korea and learn from their navigation experience."

Song Xuan took out a simple map:
"If we can do business with the Jurchens in Liaodong in the future, the profits will be substantial."

"That's true."

Tao Hong nodded; maritime trade was indeed profitable.

Once this type of iron stove became popular, it was easy to imitate.

The money earned in the beginning was just small-scale operations.

The most important thing is to have mines, but these mines belong to the imperial court.

"How much of the money the Imperial Guards saved up back then has gone out of business?"

"Many of them withdrew their money during the Chinese New Year, but many others are thinking of withdrawing it after a year to earn more interest."

"Well, this current model is just a simple way to attract deposits. Let's do some losing business to gain a reputation first. The interest is just a small amount."

Tao Hong nodded.

He was particularly interested in many of Song Xuan's business philosophies.

Especially in the Song Dynasty, where the commercial atmosphere was very strong, various business ideas were constantly colliding.

Tao Hong then mentioned the shipment volume of iron stoves and honeycomb briquettes.

Song Xuan had little interest in this deal:
"You should also gather more information about shipping; it might come in handy in the future."

"Young Master, do you also want to get involved in the shipping industry?"

"Yes, although the Song and Liao dynasties have signed an alliance for so many years, the world has changed and it is inevitable that conflicts will break out again."

"At that time, we can use sea transport to send soldiers to stab them in the back."

"Once this method proves effective, it's good to have control over short-haul shipping, as long-haul shipping can easily lead to death."

"understood."

Tao Hong understood Song Xuan's plan.

If they manage to make money, they don't have the power to back them up.

It has long since become someone else's wedding dress.

Nowadays, no one in the entire city of Tokyo dares to trade in iron furnaces.

They were just watching because Song Xuan was standing behind Tao Hong.
Besides, selling iron stoves and coal to ordinary people is not feasible for wealthy families.

Many people look down on this kind of thing; how can it be the same as what the poor use?
Who with money wouldn't want to use expensive charcoal?
It is said that this coal produces toxic fumes when used, but the top scholar of the Song Dynasty used a method to expel 70-80% of the toxic fumes, leaving some in the house.

Last winter, there were people who died from carbon monoxide poisoning, so they were even less willing to get involved in this kind of business.

Firstly, they looked down on it; secondly, the profit was not much (there was some social welfare involved); and thirdly, they did it out of respect for Song Xuan.

In the past, when people sold cold drinks in small towns, besides Song Xuan and his gang using their fists to settle scores, there were also families behind them, some big and some small.

After all, not every family has the resources to run a private school.

Upon arriving in Nanjing, Song Xuan, by chance, made contact with Yan Shu, the prefect of Yingtian Prefecture.

He also cultivated good relationships with the local government officials, such as the constables.

As for the scoundrels and ruffians, they were all beaten into submission, which saved the bookstore business in Nanjing.

It's not that no one cares.

The only problem is that the person I was thinking about has disappeared.

Now that we've arrived in Tokyo, we haven't even started any profitable business yet, mainly because Song Xuan's official position isn't high enough.

In the future, they will be transferred out of the city, so rapidly expanding their operations in Tokyo doesn't make much sense.

Furthermore, many thriving businesses in Tokyo are controlled by powerful individuals.

This made Tao Hong realize what it meant to be a seventh-rank official with power right in front of the prime minister.

How could he not hope that Song Xuan could climb to that high position as soon as possible?
That way, I can also make great strides in my career.

“Young Master, since you are so interested, I will also go with them on a sea voyage to familiarize myself with the area.”

"No need. It's not too late when the time is right."

Song Xuan quickly waved his hand:

"There are too many uncertainties in maritime transport, and it's easy to run into danger. There's nowhere to run away. Tokyo City needs you to keep an eye on things."

"If I'm away from home for too long, some people will inevitably try to sabotage me behind the scenes."

"Okay, then I understand."

Tao Hong wasn't in a hurry, since he was still young.

He had long been accustomed to Song Xuan's affection.

In the words of Twelfth Brother, there are countless ways to make money in the world, and there is no need for us brothers to take risks.

Emperor Zhao Zhen was to lead all civil and military officials to celebrate Empress Liu's birthday at the Huiqing Hall on the first day of the fifth lunar month, in front of the Khitan envoy.

This move was strongly opposed by a group of scholar-officials, led by Chancellor Wang Zeng.

If the emperor wants to express his filial piety and wish someone a happy birthday, that's fine, but that's in the inner palace, where you can do whatever you want.

But it would be inappropriate to bring it to the front desk.

Moreover, it must be on the same scale as the late emperor.

So, is the next step to have Wu Zetian become empress?

It's one thing if the emperor is young and doesn't understand politics, but his ministers won't allow such a thing to happen.

The opposition from Wang Zeng and others did not change Zhao Zhen's mind.

He wanted to do this to show his filial piety.

Then, taking the opportunity, he suggested going to the imperial tomb to see his father, but in reality, he wanted to visit his biological mother.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and Zhao Zhen did not want to let it slip away.

Zhao Zhen also knew that this was a plan devised for him by his twelfth brother.

It wasn't just about the mother-son relationship; it was also an attempt to incite conflict between the Empress Dowager and the court officials.

At least a violent collision will make some people jump out.

The Prime Minister Wang Zeng and others did not want to assist the emperor in his reckless behavior, and this was not merely a matter of promoting filial piety.

Furthermore, it was a suppression of the power of the prime minister. Since Empress Liu was already ruling from behind the curtain, this would not be exposed to the public.

If things continue like this, the Empress Dowager will become just like the Emperor, and one day the power of the Chancellor will be severely suppressed.

Can those two positions be the same?

Now Wang Zeng had no time to deal with the people behind the scenes who instigated trouble at the Xiangfu County government.

Now, something even more serious has emerged.

The matter caused a great uproar in the court.

Song Xuan pretended not to have heard the news.

Zhao Zhen has not come to the county government office yet, in order to handle this matter properly.

In any case, these are all disputes arising from the struggle for power among the high-ranking officials of the Song Dynasty for their own interests, and it's not something a mere seventh-rank county magistrate like me needs to worry about.

Meanwhile, Yan Shu, who had been overseeing disaster relief and dike repair in Huazhou, returned to the capital.

He never expected that upon returning to Beijing to report on his work, he would encounter such an unlucky situation.

Had he known this would happen, Yan Shu would have preferred to fall ill from exhaustion in Huazhou so that Chen Yaozuo could return to the capital to report on his behalf.

Yan Shu was extremely annoyed by these courtroom squabbles, and due to various circumstances, he couldn't remain silent.

However, he didn't want to offend anyone; he only wanted to live a peaceful life and do some things for the court.

But reality often doesn't go as he expects.

Yan Shu rested at home for two days, but instead came to see Song Xuan and chat with him, telling him about the current progress and the difficulties they had encountered.

After all, the planning schemes for the disaster relief and dike construction in Huazhou were all made by Song Xuan.

"I heard you suddenly had a daughter, and now that I see her, she's quite clever."

Yan Shu stopped wearing his jade pendant after losing it to Song Xuan.

At this point, he chuckled and said that the gift had already been won by your father, and he didn't even have a single copper coin on him.

Qian Sisi said that gifts were not important; she was happy that her uncle came to visit her.

Yan Shu laughed heartily, noting that some of his children were also young.

Even his most famous son, Yan Jidao, wouldn't be born for another ten years.

Yan Shu was quite fond of children.

Song Xuan looked at the work report, while Yan Shu played with his daughter.

After Song Xuan finished reading it, he offered some suggestions.

Yan Shu marveled:

"None of my good-for-nothing sons are as intelligent as your daughter."

"What, is Prime Minister Yan starting to be modest?"

Song Xuan sipped his tea to the side:
"Could it be that the offspring of the child prodigy Yan Shu is a dog-dog son, just like his father?"

"Sigh, although I hate to admit it, that's the truth."

Yan Shu shook his head:

"I have no intention of being modest; it's just the truth, and they're all good for nothing."

"There is still no heir who can protect my family business."

"It's alright, you can just have more children."

Song Xuan comforted him, saying:
"Once the quantity increases, it's inevitable that one or two high-quality ones will emerge."

"This is the first time I've heard you say that."

Yan Shu didn't say much.

His first wife died long ago, and his second wife has given birth to several children for him.

The Yan family had finally risen to prominence, and Yan Shu did not want it to decline.

Yan Shu simply noted down Song Xuan's suggestion.

"Twelfth Brother, your daughter has the potential of a child prodigy, it's a pity."

Yan Shu felt that if it were a son, Song Xuan would definitely need to be properly trained.

It's a pity she's just a young girl, yet she knows too much.

Even after marriage, they are prone to becoming unhappy.

In this era, the Three Obediences and Four Virtues are highly valued.

Few husbands would want their wives to be better than them in many ways.

"What's there to regret? I don't want her to be involved in these petty and despicable affairs of the court."

"You sensed it too?"

Yan Shu stroked his beard and shook his head, saying:
"I have absolutely no desire to enter the central government now, where everyone is vying for power and profit."

"Hehe." Song Xuan chuckled slyly.

"Don't laugh, you can't escape even if you stay in the capital, unless you can be sent to a post outside the capital. However, your achievements are outstanding, so you can just wait for a promotion and posting outside the capital when your term expires."

“Lord Yan, even if I don’t have to be sent abroad, I will still leave the troublesome city of Tokyo for a while.”

"Hmm, where does the plan come from?"

Song Xuan said with considerable pride:

"The Empress Dowager has already agreed to let me serve as her deputy envoy to the Khitan."

"Firstly, I can avoid the power struggles in the court and stay away from the vortex, and secondly, I can also see the scenery of the Khitan."

"Thirdly, I might even witness some interesting events that I shouldn't see inside the Khitan territory."

"Good boy."

After hearing this, Yan Shu couldn't help but feel envious and jealous, and said:

"You really know how to find things to do; your sense for this is even better than mine."

"Back then, I deliberately picked a fight and beat up people from Yuqing Palace in order to be transferred to a post outside the palace."

"You don't need to do it this way; it was all planned out last year."

"Should I praise your deep thinking, or your good luck for managing to make it this far?"

"Praise me however you like, I'll take it all."

"Heh." Yan Shu laughed loudly, but didn't say anything more.

Song Xuan asked, somewhat puzzled:
"Prime Minister Yan, I don't really understand. In the court, many people choose yes or no, so why did you choose yes?"

"You actually found out."

Yan Shu stroked his beard.

He didn't want to form factions or get involved in court intrigues. Emperor Zhenzong had treated him like a son and wanted to entrust him with some matters before his death.

Yan Shu heard the dying words, but did not follow them.

Because he knew that even if he did it, it would be of no use.

Instead, you'll end up getting yourself involved.

The late emperor still favored the Empress Dowager too much. At least all the old ministers in the court had their own agendas. He didn't want to help her, and he couldn't help her either.

"Twelfth Brother, I experienced factional struggles before I entered officialdom. At that time, the northerners, led by Kou Zhun, frantically belittled us southerners."

"Similarly, the southerners also formed groups to fight against them, and they even got the imperial examination papers for me to do in advance, so that I could be on the safe side."

"But at that time I was arrogant and thought I could succeed without cheating, which would only give others leverage against me."

"That's why I told Emperor Zhenzong that I had done something similar before and asked for a new challenge to prove that I could succeed without such methods."

"At that time, I was thinking, as officials of the imperial court, why should we divide into factions and attack each other behind our backs because of regional disputes, instead of focusing on governing the country?"

"We are all Song people, so what's this about Southerners and Northerners? It's the Khitans who are the Northerners."

"Later I realized that I was just young and my thinking was really too simplistic."

"To the point that he has now developed the appearance of a minister who does not form factions and is all alone."

Listening to Yan Shu reveal his true feelings, I realized that northerners discriminate against southerners.

Song Xuan's situation can only be described as a legacy of history.

When reforms come into effect in the future, the partisan struggle will become even more intense.

"Lord Yan, it's actually better to be a loyal subject."

Song Xuan nodded slightly:

"At least it won't be like Lü Yijian, who painstakingly paved the way for his subordinates, only to have them all act impulsively."

"It disrupted the overall situation and caused them to lose power in the central command."

Yan Shu chuckled lightly: "Do you think only Lü Yijian is like this?"

"Too."

Song Xuan nodded slightly.

In fact, he also engaged in similar factional activities, only in a more secretive manner.

Or rather, Song Xuan's twelve party members currently have little influence or power.

They haven't yet taken center stage in history, ready to make their mark.

After Yan Shu finished speaking, he glanced at Song Xuan, indicating that some things didn't need to be said explicitly.

Song Xuan, a graduate of Yingtian Academy, was the top scholar in the imperial examinations, and was also known for his public-spiritedness and love of making friends.

He will definitely have quite a few cronies in the court in the future.

Hopefully, I won't end up like Kou Zhun, who disregarded everything and resorted to regional discrimination first.

Yan Shu pondered this for a moment, even if he didn't admit it himself.

Others would also think that he was in league with Song Xuan.

After all, their life trajectories and interactions overlapped significantly.

In particular, Song Xuan was chosen as the top scholar by Yan Shu.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a teacher-student relationship.

Thinking of this, Yan Shu couldn't help but give these instructions:

"Twelfth Brother, you have come of age. You must think twice before you act in the future, and you must not act rashly again."

"Of course." Song Xuan nodded repeatedly.
"Now that I'm a father, how can I not be composed?"

"Hmm, that makes sense."

Yan Shu felt that Song Xuan was much more reliable than before.

Despite his handsome appearance and status as a top scholar, he prefers to settle things with his fists.

"Have you already chosen a courtesy name?"

"It's not confirmed yet, but I have some ideas in mind, like Song Tiequan."

"it is good."

"what?"

"Don't tease me, I'm laughing."

Yan Shu thought about it carefully: "Xuan means warmth."

"Twelve Lang, why don't you take the courtesy name Warmth, and call yourself Song Warmth?"

"In this way, you can also express your calm and friendly side to others."

Yan Shu stroked his beard: "It also reminds me to always offer warmth, not fists."

“What Prime Minister Yan said is absolutely right.”

Song Xuan nodded repeatedly in agreement:

"As the saying goes, Song Tiequan is a murderer and arsonist, and Song Wennuan is admired by thousands."

"What Song Tiequan?" Yan Shu's eyes widened in surprise.
"You don't really want to name yourself 'Fist,' do you?!"

"vulgar!"

"I bother."

"And you're supposed to be the top scholar who passed all three levels of the imperial examinations, but it's a shame."

"If word gets out, those barbarians in the north will laugh at you."

Song Xuan snorted and laughed:
"Lord Yan, whoever dares to laugh at me, I'll send them a taste of my iron fist!"

"you you you!"

Yan Shu pointed at Song Xuan but couldn't say a word for a long time.

Song Sisi laughed out loud as she listened, clapping her hands and saying, "Song Fist, Song Fist."

Ultimately, they said they didn't want to criticize you in person because of your daughter.

You've led your daughter astray.

Yan Shu and Song Xuan were both teacher and friend, so he was naturally worried that Song Xuan would actually hit someone in court, something he had done before.

As civil officials and scholars, we should naturally be magnanimous and display the elegant temperament of scholars in our daily lives.

How can I behave like a scoundrel in the streets?
When Yan Shu was young, he scoffed at the advice of his seniors that he needed to be tempered.

When he reached that position, he found that the words of his predecessors did indeed have some merit.

Given Song Xuan's lazy nature, he would be quite satisfied with passing the exam like Fan Xiang, who got three consecutive correct answers.

If he hadn't been challenged and his fighting spirit hadn't been ignited, how could he have strived to achieve the goal of passing all three levels of the imperial examinations?
Although passing the imperial examination with three consecutive top honors is even more difficult, when it comes to real matters, both superiors and the emperor place even higher hopes on those who achieve this, as they are expected to rise to high office and become prime ministers in the future.

Fan Xiang is the kind of person who can only be kept as a "mascot" and you have to consider whether he is capable enough before you can entrust him with important tasks.

Otherwise, Fan Xiang would have served as an official in Tokyo, and Song Xuan would have gone to Shaanxi and other border areas to serve as county magistrates.

"Lord Yan, I was just joking."

"hehe."

Yan Shu scoffed at Song Xuan's words, saying, "It's one thing to fool others, but to try and fool me?"

He knew that Song Xuan liked to speak the truth, and even spoke the truth under the guise of a joke.

Song Shier clearly wanted to take the courtesy name Song Tiequan!

Yan Shu was too lazy to argue any further and simply said that from now on he would call her Song Wennuan.

What's with this "Iron Fist" thing? It's vulgar!

"Wen Nuan, what are your thoughts on what the Emperor is going to do?"

"I naturally support the Emperor's idea."

Song Xuan was peeling an apple on the side:
“Since last year, for some unknown reason, the Empress Dowager has not allowed the Emperor to access official documents and other government affairs, nor has she allowed him to observe government affairs. There have even been rumors that she will bring Zhao Yunrang into the palace.”

"It is normal for the emperor to show his filial piety."

"What?! This is actually true!"

Yan Shu watched as Song Xuan handed the peeled apple to his daughter, then picked up another one: "I've never heard of that before."

"Of course you haven't heard of it, you've been busy out there all the time."

Song Xuan clicked his tongue twice:

"I don't know what the Empress Dowager is thinking. Could it be that she really wants to depose the emperor?"

"She doesn't have the guts."

After Yan Shu finished speaking, he seemed somewhat disheartened.

After all, the official was not her biological son.

Who knows what this woman is thinking now?

Could it be that she really wants to emulate the events of the Wu Zhou dynasty?

"If she really dares to do that, then let's just do it."

Song Xuan took a bite of the apple and casually handed the knife to Yan Shu.

Yan Shu took the knife somewhat bewildered: "What do you want to do?"

"Lord Yan, please peel the apple yourself. I'm getting a little tired of peeling it."

Song Xuan chuckled twice.

Yan Shu picked up the apple, feeling that Song Xuan's timing in handing him the knife was inappropriate; perhaps he was overthinking it.

Are you planning to get involved?

"What right do I, an outsider, have to meddle in their mother-daughter relationship?"

Song Xuan swallowed the apple and said leisurely:

"We should just listen to and cooperate with whatever the emperor does. How can we harshly criticize him and make him do something unfilial?"

"An act of filial impiety?"

Yan Shu shook his head.

He had also accompanied the Crown Prince in his studies for many years and understood the Emperor's temperament.

The government is incapable of committing ruthless acts; they should not even dream of emulating the Xuanwu Gate Incident.

But if it really comes down to deposing and installing an emperor, I wonder if it will bring out his imperial potential?

"Don't worry about it."

Yan Shu put down the knife, wiped the apple, and took a bite:
"Why don't you take Liu Congde with you and join the delegation? Keep him away from the court, and you won't give anyone the chance to use him."

"As for Zhao Yunrang's matter, I don't have a better solution. I can't really kill him, can I?"

"What you say is absolutely right, Lord Yan. I will find Liu Congde and take him on a tour."

Song Xuan nodded slightly: "But I'm afraid this member of the imperial clan, Zhao Yunrang, has such intentions, after all, it's not the first time."

Yan Shu also knew that after the death of Emperor Zhenzong's eldest son, Zhao Yunrang was brought to the palace to be raised in a green carriage with a ceremonial staff. After Zhao Zhen was born, he was sent back.

This is the second time.

Who can feel comfortable being the emperor's backup all the time?

"Perhaps it's because the Emperor has been married for so long without any children that the Empress is anxious. After all, Zhao, the Defense Commander, is young and blessed with many children."

Yan Shu gave him an excuse.

Perhaps they hoped the emperor could benefit from this "pregnancy boost" and have children soon.

Song Xuan felt that with Liu E forcibly arranging the marriage and Empress Guo being so domineering, Zhao Zhen was traumatized. If he didn't take good care of himself, how could he have a child?

Or perhaps Song Xuan felt that Empress Liu had ulterior motives in not wanting Zhao Zhen to have children.

After all, Emperor Renzong (Zhao Zhen) only had children after Empress Liu's death.

Moreover, she had more than a dozen children, all of whom died young.

Song Xuan's advice to Zhao Zhen was that instead of trying to have children now, it would be better not to try at all.

Moving to Yuqing Palace to recuperate is the best course of action.

Otherwise, in the palace, who would know if there were any problems with the emperor's food and drink!

Eating and drinking randomly outside won't cause any major problems. Who knows you're the emperor?
Even though Zhao Zhen had been in the Kaifeng County government office for so long, they didn't know his true identity. They only knew that he was a relative of Master Song and that he was being supervised by his side to help him study.

"The truth is unknown to both of us."

Song Xuan mentioned it briefly:
"But who wouldn't worry about the way the Empress Dowager does things?"

That makes sense.

Yan Shu sighed softly and didn't say anything more.

Yan Shu doesn't want to see too clearly many things and many people in the court these days.

Seeing everything too clearly will only cause you distress and confusion, and you won't be able to change anything in a short time.

Instead of doing more official business while on duty, I can write a few poems to express my feelings after my shift ends.

"This is something that neither you nor I can decide."

Song Xuan tossed the apple core aside:
"Why not just enjoy the present and let them fight and make a fuss? After all, can things really get so bad that the country falls apart?"

Yan Shu sensed a hidden meaning in Song Xuan's words: "You wouldn't be taking this opportunity to cause trouble in the Liao Dynasty, would you?"

"What kind of trouble could I possibly cause?"

Song Xuan clicked his tongue twice: "Prime Minister Yan, don't be too wary of me. Do you think I'm the kind of person who would do anything reckless?"

"I don't trust you, Song Twelve."

Yan Shu didn't even bother to eat the apple:
"The alliance between the Song and Liao dynasties has been in place for more than twenty years. Do not provoke any disputes."

"Prime Minister Yan, put your mind at ease. Even if I wanted to provoke a conflict, does the Song Dynasty have the military strength to fight the Khitans?"

"I'm not trying to criticize the military capabilities of the Song Dynasty. Cavalrymen can move freely on their warhorses and still fight. If there are more than 10,000 of them, they are considered well-trained."

"Not to mention that once war breaks out, there will be no source of warhorses to replenish."

Song Xuan had a plan in mind.

Fighting the Khitans is not something that can be done in a short time.

Song Xuan's ultimate goal was to exacerbate the various class and internal conflicts within the Khitan people, causing them to weaken their own power.

Moreover, during this period, it is also necessary to ensure that a certain level of the Song army does not fall into decline.

However, Song Xuan felt it was quite difficult, as the Tangut people in the northwest were even more formidable in combat.

If we don't bring down the Tanguts, it's wishful thinking to try to deal with the Khitans and recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.

"I'm just going to see what's going on with the Khitans, to see how the people are doing after they've increased their taxes, and whether there's any rebellion going on."

"Then I feel much more at ease."

Yan Shu felt that as long as Song Xuan did not provoke a war between the Song and Liao dynasties, he could watch the show if he wanted, or add fuel to the fire if he wanted.

As long as it's all confined to the Khitan people, that's fine.

"The main problem is that the current Khitan emperor, Yelü Longxu, is ill. Even if there is a war, it will probably be a matter for his son and the next generation."

"he is sick?"

Yan Shu was startled: "Is the source of this information reliable?"

"Of course, the Khitans' medical skills were not good, so they sent Yelü Shucheng, who also had a photographic memory, to search for medical books to treat the illness."

Song Xuan stood up, walked to his daughter, wiped her mouth, and then wiped his hands.

“A few days ago, he came to me again, claiming that his father was sick. He wrote down a whole page of his father’s illness and asked me to find the imperial physician to diagnose him.”

"I can make a pretty good diagnosis for him without the need for the imperial physicians. After all, nothing is more accurate than taking his pulse in person."

Yan Shu had witnessed Song Xuan's methods of "forcibly borrowing lives" and had no doubt about his words:
"How is Yelü Longxu's condition?"

"The most serious ones are diabetes mellitus and some other miscellaneous chronic diseases. If you recover quickly, it will take two or three years. If you take good care of yourself, it will take three to five years."

Song Xuan began to wander around the room:
"This is the current condition. Diabetes is incurable, and one must also abstain from certain foods. I suspect the emperor will not abstain from certain foods."

"These kinds of people think that rather than living a miserable life, they might as well eat and drink to their heart's content."

A look of regret appeared in Yan Shu's eyes:

"This person is indeed capable and shrewd, but I never expected that he would suffer from so many illnesses in his old age."

"Lord Yan, the harsh cold and snow in the north can easily cause serious problems with food. The environment there is simply not conducive to health."

Song Xuan believes that we are currently in a Little Ice Age, with winter temperatures in Tokyo dropping to minus 20 degrees Celsius and the Yangtze River basin experiencing rare freezing phenomena.

If it weren't for the timely appearance of the iron furnace and Song Xuan's advocacy for the use of coal, etc.

Last winter, countless people in Tokyo froze to death.

However, the prime ministers in the imperial court would not care about these matters.

In which year won't people freeze to death?

There's no need to worry too much about these commonplace things.

Even the capital city of Tokyo, located on the south bank of the Yellow River, was in such a state.

In the even colder north, Song Xuan didn't even dare to imagine temperatures of minus twenty or thirty degrees Celsius. Could he possibly keep warm by relying on cow and sheep dung?

Song Xuan heard that people on the grasslands would place the old, weak, sick, and disabled on the outermost edge of the fire.

Strong people will be closest to the fire to maximize their chances of survival.

Therefore, people freezing to death in winter seems to be an extremely common occurrence, regardless of whether it is in the north or south.

As long as it's not you who freezes to death, nobody cares too much.

"really."

Yan Shu had never been an envoy to the Khitan, so he was not very familiar with the situation there.

"Not to mention the more distant north, even in Huazhou, winters are very cold."

Yan Shu said with some reminiscence:
"This winter, far fewer people in Huazhou have frozen to death. Don't you know that many people want to offer you a shrine to live?

"Please don't do it like that."

Song Xuan refused repeatedly.

He knew this was a tradition among the people of the Song Dynasty. Even when repairing rivers, the local people would follow this procedure to express their gratitude.

“A few licentious shrines are not worth worshipping; on the contrary, they waste a lot of money and grain.”

Song Xuan said with great emotion:

"Ever since this wave of disaster victims came back, they've been putting on this show for me."

"That made me take leave and return to my hometown. I refused to see anyone, which finally put an end to their hopes."

"Ha ha ha ha."

Yan Shu burst into laughter.

Which official in the Song Dynasty wouldn't want the people to genuinely support them? This shows that they are in charge of a region, and if the people can do this, they must have done something good.

With both a good reputation and political achievements, officials and ordinary people alike are happy.

But Song Shier didn't care about any of these things.

"I knew it was right to name you 'Warmth'; you, Song Warmth, truly brought warmth to the people of the Song Dynasty."

Yan Shu stroked his beard and exclaimed in admiration:
"If this iron furnace spreads from Tokyo to the surrounding areas, the border soldiers will be extremely grateful to you."

Nowadays, most people in the Song Dynasty are only concerned with having enough to eat and wear. They rarely have any oil or fat in their stomachs, and they can hardly find down jackets or even cotton-padded clothes.

We'll just tough it out through the winter, and if we make it through, we'll keep toughing it out the following year. If we don't make it through, we'll save money.

How many ordinary people can live to be fifty or sixty years old?

Even the temperature of food and drink, as well as minor illnesses, can be fatal.

Song Xuan shook his head:
"If we promote it in the army, the court needs to push it itself. If I rely on my father-in-law to make suggestions, I will inevitably be impeached for seeking personal gain."

"I reported the fact that very few people in Kaifeng County froze to death this winter long ago, but you gentlemen don't seem to be in a hurry."

"Or rather, even the lives of the people right before our eyes are just numbers, not to mention the border troops who are even lower in status and far away."

Yan Shu stroked his beard and remained silent. He didn't believe that the ministers in the court would turn a blind eye to such a fine thing.

But the problem now is that there's not a single piece of news coming out.

"Perhaps it's because the gentlemen have the whole country on their minds."

"Hey, please don't say that, there's none in Youzhou!"

Song Xuan laughed sarcastically, "They can worry less about an entire prefecture and enjoy a healthier life!"

“You, you.” Yan Shu pointed at him:
"From now on, speak less in court to avoid offending too many people. You don't know how things can change in an instant, without giving you a chance to react."

"Besides, the Song Dynasty is not for a mere seventh-rank county magistrate like you to make decisions. Let's talk about it when you become prime minister."

(End of this chapter)