A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 461 When the real becomes fake, the fake becomes real.

Xiao Tali didn't understand why his father praised Song Xuan.

Song Xuan, a civil official, rode alone with his spear in hand, facing the Khitan army head-on, and shot off Xiao Ge's hat, which landed right on the flagpole of the Prince of Yan.

Such a strong approach changed the stereotypical image of the Song people as weak.

The insults and the likes of "the Prince of Yan" sounded extremely offensive to Xiao Ta.

Without even thinking about it, we know we've lost face.

At this point, military deterrence had no effect on Song Xuan at all.

The king was not angry at all; instead, he praised his son.

This made Xiao Tali even more confused.

When did our great Khitan become so weak in the face of the Song people?
Xiao Tali was considered a beautiful woman even in the Liao Dynasty, but Song Xuan ignored her beauty and showed her no respect whatsoever.

Whether it was her ideas, her family background, or her appearance that she was so proud of, any one of these factors had always been effective in the past.

As a result, none of her advantages had any effect on Song Xuan.

How can we prevent her from feeling frustrated?

Xiao Tali said, quite annoyed:
"Father, why do you always boost others' morale while diminishing your own?"

"Hahaha."

Xiao Xiaomu pulled on the reins:

"Although I was angry at what Song Xuan said, if I were in his position, and I could still be good-tempered in such a situation, then I would immediately find an opportunity to get rid of him."

"Why?"

"A smiling tiger is extremely dangerous."

Xiao Xiaomu looked at his daughter and said:
"This kind of person is truly ruthless; even if ten or eight years have passed, he will seize the opportunity to take revenge."

"Tari, you'd better watch out for this kind of person in the future."

Xiao Tali nodded repeatedly, indicating that she remembered.

"Moreover, the demeanor Song Xuan displayed was definitely not the image of a top scholar in our Khitan people's minds. We'll get to know him better when we return to Nanjing."

Xiao Xiaomu smiled and said, "Only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you win every battle."

Just as the father and daughter were making their plans, a cloud of dust suddenly rose up, obscuring their vision.

Di Qing and his men spurred their horses, wearing gauze and leading others by pulling on tree branches as they passed by.

A cloud of dust immediately filled the air.

"Cough cough cough."

Just now, those Khitan soldiers who were still glaring angrily at the Song people according to the orders of the Prince of Yan...

At this moment, everyone's eyes were stung by the sand and their noses were choked.

The moment they got close, people started to stumble and fall, their formation becoming quite scattered.

"Cough cough cough."

Both Xiao and Tali were affected:
Why did the wind suddenly pick up?

"What wind!"

Xiao Xiaomu noticed the Song people's subtle actions, but he didn't understand them.

The Song people rode their horses in the formation set up by the Khitans, each carrying tree branches behind them.

Di Qing reined in his horse and shouted:
“We are acting on the orders of the top scholar Song to specially gather some fresh leaves to feed the mules. Please do not blame us, Prince Yan.”

Having said that, he laughed heartily and strode away.

Song Xuan's actions indeed infuriated the good-tempered Xiao Xiaomu, who even raised his riding whip in anger.

"That's unreasonable!"

"This is really unreasonable!"

"This is a provocation!"

This was the first time in Xiao Tali's life that she had ever seen her father truly angry.

Song Xuan's behavior did not cause much harm, but it was extremely insulting.

The loser eats the dust!
Prince Xiao Xiaomu of Yan covered his mouth and nose with his arm, and let the others follow slowly.

Xiao Tali was in the same boat, only thinking about how to turn the tide.

“Forced methods are definitely not going to work. It seems we need to think of a better way. Otherwise, if we break that precious glass artifact, His Majesty will blame Father first.”

Xiao Hui didn't rush to follow the group; instead, he rode his horse and led his men to the other side of the small bridge to rest.

Everyone else thought he was foolish, but Xiao Hui felt that she was quite good at understanding the emperor's thoughts.

Even Your Majesty's personal campaign against the Western Xia ended in failure. If I were to win, wouldn't that only further highlight Your Majesty's incompetence?
Therefore, Xiao Hui made no excuses after her defeat and didn't care about being exiled to Xiao Xiaomu's command.

He believed that after returning to the capital, His Majesty would surely give him some preferential treatment.

As for the contest of wits between Xiao Xiaomu and the Song envoy, Xiao Hui didn't care at all.

Anyway, it's not my job.

Just do whatever the King of Yan tells you to do; you won't lose anything.

Xiao Hui stood with her hands behind her back, looking at the not-so-wide river, and thought carefully.

But that Song man was quite cunning!
"As expected of the top scholar of the Song Dynasty, there's bound to be some excitement to watch these days."

Xiao Hui chuckled lightly, a Song Dynasty scholar who was both a "rascal" and somewhat tough.

He had never seen anyone like this in the Song Dynasty in all these years.

Now that a Khitan has suddenly appeared in the Song Dynasty, he is still somewhat unaccustomed to it, and Xiao Hui believes that many Khitans are also unaccustomed to it.

Therefore, Xiao Hui naturally wanted to see what tricks Song Xuan could pull.

Xiao Tali walked through the dust and smoke, his brows furrowed.

Xiao Xiaomu was completely exasperated by this whole ordeal.

The Song people were just waiting for you to make a move; they continued to stir up dust.

They kicked up dust all the way to Zhuozhou City before finally stopping.

After all, the local officials at the post station had made very thorough preparations, including sprinkling water to clean the streets.

Of course, their main purpose was not to welcome the Song envoys, but to welcome the treasure that the Great Khitan Emperor valued highly.

People from the four major families of Yanyun were able to find out this information.

Therefore, they all took this matter very seriously.

Nowadays, the merits of the emperors of the Great Khitan are no longer important, unlike before.

Only by pleasing the emperor can everyone have a chance to get promoted and make a fortune!
When it comes to the art of currying favor in officialdom, ten Khitans cannot compare to one Han Chinese in the Yan-Yun region who knows how to flatter the powerful.

Yelü Longxu wasn't like this before, but now that he's old and ill, it's difficult for him to maintain his wise and sagacious nature.

When treacherous officials are in power, more treacherous officials will emerge.

Everyone tried every trick in the book to win the emperor's favor.

As Song Xuan rode on his horse, he watched as the Khitans treated the Song envoy with such respect, even sprinkling water to clean the streets and telling the rest of the people to get out of the way and stand aside.

He did not feel that this was a sign of respect for the Song Dynasty.

The Han Chinese officials in the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun were fanatical converts and would inevitably harbor much resentment towards the Song Dynasty.

In this way, they can be better promoted within the Khitan system.

Even if the Khitans outwardly maintained Han rule over Han people, if you were truly disloyal, the Khitans would deal with you directly and wouldn't see you as having any value in their efforts to unite the people.

After Song Xuan led his team into the post station, someone went to meet with the chief envoy Han Yi and make arrangements for personnel.

The Song and Liao dynasties had frequent exchanges, and they were already used to this kind of thing.

This time, however, the Song envoy was particularly attentive because he possessed a treasure that their Great Khitan Emperor favored.

Di Qing walked over with a smile:
"Twelfth Brother, according to military orders, let the Khitans following us eat a good dust."

"Well done."

Song Xuan laughed twice:

"It's a pity we didn't see how ugly the Prince of Yan's face was."

Everyone laughed and joked.

The top scholar of the Song Dynasty had a way of making those Khitans feel disgusted and unable to resist.

Just then, Han Yi came over and dismissed the imperial guards. He then pulled Song Xuan into the room.

“Scholar Song, now that we’ve entered Khitan territory, you shouldn’t go too far. We’re brothers.”

He thought it was just a misunderstanding and would be over.

Unexpectedly, Song Xuan deliberately used tree branches to cause trouble.

That's when things took a turn for the worse.

"Oh."

Song Xuan sat down, leaning back in his chair, not even having had time to take off his armor.
"Does Envoy Han mean that once we're in Khitan territory, we have to be subservient to maintain our brotherly alliance?"

"How could I have meant that!"

Han Yi shook his head slightly:

"Scholar Song, the main thing is that we should be reasonable in our actions and avoid these unnecessary complications."

"A temporary conflict is of little benefit; maintaining peace is of utmost importance, especially since the group includes treasures that the Khitans purchased for over a million strings of cash."

“You’ve taken the money, but the goods weren’t safely delivered to the Khitans. Do you think that a foolish ruler like Yelü Longxu would listen to reason with us?”

Song Xuan still smiled and said, "Envoy Han, I am indeed trying to get the Khitans to reason with you and me."

Han Yi's eyes were filled with disbelief.

He stared at Song Xuan and said anxiously:
"Scholar Song, I am not senile yet, do not be so unreasonable!"

Han Yi believed that Song Xuan's rampant behavior within the Song Dynasty meant that he must have some background and connections.

Even if his father-in-law was a military general, he was still someone with considerable influence in the court.

Who wouldn't give Cao Shizhong some face?

Even the Empress Dowager had to give Cao Yong face.

But this is Khitan.

Who would give Cao Li a break?

"Envoy Han, when I tried to reason with the Khitans, they acted like thugs. But after I started acting like thugs, they've started to seriously try to reason with us."

Song Xuan shrugged and said, "So, they've started to reason with you. Isn't that a good thing?"

Faced with Song Xuan's question, Han Yi was subconsciously stunned for a moment.

"hiss."

Han Yi couldn't help but gasp in shock.

He pondered this carefully in his mind for a long time and found that what Song Xuan said actually made a lot of sense.

Moreover, as the deputy envoy, Song Xuan was young and impetuous, and was also the top scholar of the Song Dynasty. Isn't it normal for him to have a temper?

Instead, I, as the chief envoy, don't need to be so anxious and flustered when communicating with the Khitan envoy. Instead, I should try to persuade Song Xuan.

"Wonderful!"

Han Yi clapped his hands and laughed; he hadn't known Song Xuan very well before.

Because I've never worked with him.

Now that they are working together, Han Yi has discovered that Song Xuan has done many "outrageous" things in the court.

Neither the Empress Dowager nor the prime ministers blamed him; on the contrary, they all praised him highly.

The top scholar in front of us is not only good at writing, but also has literary talent.

The key is having the ability to solve problems.

He disregarded his reputation as a top scholar who had achieved the highest honors in the imperial examinations, and was able to put on the act of a "rogue".

After all, the status of the scholar-officials in the Song Dynasty was very high.

Even ordinary Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) would consider themselves of high status and would not usually act like a rogue in public like Song Xuan.

Therefore, there are some things they would rather not do than lose their dignity and self-respect.

Now Song Xuan is taking the initiative to play the bad cop, letting Han Yi play the good cop.

How could Han Yi not burst into laughter?

Seeing Han Yi's smiling face, Song Xuan didn't say anything more.

"The top scholar of the Song Dynasty".

Han Yi stopped laughing, but the corners of his mouth still turned up:
"I think those Khitans probably have ill intentions. As long as you don't harm anyone, go ahead and fight them."

"After all, a life has been lost, which is a rather thorny issue for both the Song and Liao sides."

"Now the Empress Dowager does not want war to break out, and the Emperor is still young, and the Song Dynasty has suffered many disasters in recent years."

"It's fortunate that you were in charge of governing Tokyo, preventing the imperial court from spending any more money. Otherwise, we really wouldn't have been able to repair the breached Yellow River and other areas."

After persuading the chief envoy, Song Xuan nodded:
"In my opinion, although the Khitans suffered a defeat in their battle against the Western Xia, their discipline is quite strict. If war were to break out, it would indeed be disadvantageous for our Great Song."

"The losses from warhorses alone are too great to bear, not to mention the Tanguts who are still lording it over people in the northwest."

He paused, then continued:

"The Western Xia people have come to my Great Song territory to inquire about the ceremony of becoming emperor. I need to find an opportunity to leak this to the Khitan emperor and see how he reacts."

"If the Liao Dynasty sends troops to attack the Western Xia again, it would be the normal response for the Song Dynasty to lend a hand in the northwest."

Han Yi frowned again.

The fact that a Khitan had declared himself emperor was a huge blow to the prestige of the Central Plains dynasties.

After all, they had been taught since ancient times that there could not be two rulers under heaven, and the fact that two emperors were now being referred to as emperors together drew criticism from many scholars and officials.

If the Western Xia were to declare itself an empire again, wouldn't it be returning to the old days of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms?
Neither the Song nor the Liao would allow this, so war was inevitable.

This war was entirely started unilaterally by the Tanguts.

"Do the Tanguts intend to become emperors?"

"correct."

Song Xuan leaned back in his chair:
"When I was an official in Kaifeng County, I arrested some unidentified people and sent them to the Imperial City Guard for interrogation. The information they gave me was that there were still some hidden accomplices that we hadn't caught."

One of the major responsibilities of the Imperial City Guard was to capture spies and recruit them to send out to other areas.

There were also many Song spies in Khitan territory.

Once Song Xuan arrives in Zhongjing, he might be able to make contact with the spies and obtain some information.

Or perhaps there were spies hidden within the delegation, but Song Xuan was unaware of it.

"How dare those barbarians, the Tanguts, have such thoughts!"

Han Yi slammed his fist on the table in anger.

"They are the Liao Kingdom, which defeated an army of 500,000."

Han Yi was speechless again.

The Khitans couldn't even teach their protégé a lesson; he might turn around and betray his master.

The Khitans, by raising dogs, created tigers, thus trapping themselves in their own web.

Han Yi sighed:

"It seems that the Khitans have truly declined. They can no longer even effectively rule over the Tanguts. They used to be a dog in the northwest, then they developed into wolves, and now they have become tigers."

Song Xuan looked at Han Yi:

“Han Zheng is right. As for our Great Song, it is simply impossible for us to send 500,000 men to attack Western Xia.”

"So after these Tanguts defeated the Khitans, their courage naturally grew, didn't it?"

After Han Yi finished expressing his anger, he calmed down immediately after listening to Song Xuan's words.

The Song Dynasty didn't even deploy 500,000 troops on its defenses against the Khitans, so how could it possibly send 500,000 troops to teach the Tanguts a lesson in the northwest?

The logistics and laborers alone would require nearly two million people.

In the northwest, where there were not many livestock to supply, it was extremely difficult for the Song Dynasty to supply one soldier with three laborers.

If more than three million people cease production, the Song Dynasty's economy will collapse in less than a year, making it impossible to wage war.

It’s too expensive!

You can't fight a war without money.

Han Yi also knew that the national treasury was not abundant at present.

Despite Emperor Zhenzong's extravagant spending, Empress Liu's efforts to restore order had mitigated much of the losses.

Many of the expensive official temples in various places have been closed down, and sacrificial rites are no longer performed.

They only hold such an event for one or three days during major holidays.

But for the Song Dynasty today, saving money is still a drop in the ocean.

With years of disasters, there are so many places where money is needed.

Moreover, what if the Khitans, while the Song and Xia were locked in a stalemate, suddenly mobilized their troops to move south?

That's still uncertain.

The Song Dynasty always maintained a high degree of vigilance towards the Khitan people, these barbarians.

"This matter requires careful consideration."

Han Yi stroked his beard and shook his head slightly:

“We have no proof, but the Khitans held a more grander ceremony for bestowing titles upon the Tanguts than our Great Song Dynasty did.”

"Now that Yelü Longxu is getting old, coupled with the repeated defeats in the northwest campaign, he is probably unable to continue the campaign against Western Xia. Moreover, the Liao crown prince is still young."

"Empress Xiao is gentle and kind, and will certainly not send troops easily."

"Envoy Han, do you think that after Yelü Longxu dies and Yelü Zongzhen ascends the throne, Empress Xiao Pusa will be promoted to Empress Dowager?"

Han Yi stared at Song Xuan, stroking his beard:

"Yelü Zongzhen is Xiao Pusa's adopted son. With Yelü Longxu's arrangement, it can certainly be guaranteed."

"hehe."

Song Xuan tapped his fingers lightly on the table:

"Envoy Han, Qin Shi Huang was such a powerful emperor. The whole world supported him. Throughout history, there have been very few emperors who could surpass him."

"But after he died, his will was altered by a lowly eunuch, and his body was forced to be accompanied by stinky salted fish day and night."

"When a person dies, everything is gone. Do you think Yelü Longxu can control Yelü Zongzhen and his biological mother now that he's dead?"

Han Yi's eyes showed surprise; he had never considered such a thing before.

With the emperor dead, who will obey his orders?
Only when the emperor is alive are his words considered true commands.

Only kneeling subjects will obey.

Han Yi had vaguely heard rumors that Emperor Zhenzong's will had been altered.

Of course, Emperor Taizu's will may have been fabricated by Emperor Taizong.

Even the Song Dynasty was like this.

Could the Khitans, whose succession to the throne was even more bloody, have easily avoided this?
"what do you mean?"

Song Xuan chuckled softly:
“What could I possibly mean? This is an internal strife among the Khitans, but it is also an opportunity for us to jointly attack the Xia. I will try to establish a relationship with Yelü Zongzhen this time.”

"He's a young man who rose to power, but he's much easier to talk to than Yelü Longxu, who has a lot of experience in governing."

Han Yi leaned back in his chair; he knew Song Xuan had come to Khitan.

It wasn't simply about wanting to take a walk and see the scenery of the northern grasslands.

However, their purpose was too bizarre, especially since it was to jointly deal with the tigers raised by the Khitans.

Song Xuan's plan was a bit too premature.

After much deliberation, Han Yi concluded that Song Xuan's actions carried no risk and were actually for the future of the Song Dynasty. Since the Tanguts had already sent spies to gather information on the various rituals for the coronation of the emperor, they would likely put this matter into practice within a couple of years.

"But Yelü Longxu is old, he might not necessarily die!"

After Han Yi finished speaking, he looked at Song Xuan in horror.

He was terrified that Song Xuan would do something as foolish as assassinating the emperor.

"what are you thinking?"

Song Xuan looked at Han Yi with utter speechlessness:

"These kinds of things don't involve physical violence; they rely on brains, not bloodshed."

"Don't forget, the person standing in front of you is the top scholar of the fifth year of the Tiansheng era, and he's even achieved the triple crown of the imperial examination!"

"I was being reckless; I misunderstood."

Han Yi said rather embarrassedly:
"Song Zhuangyuan has been wearing armor the whole time, and I also heard on the way that Song Zhuangyuan also learned the story of Zhang Fei blocking the bridge over the river, which made me think that you are a martial artist."

"I forgot, I forgot, please don't blame me. Scholar Song, please don't wear armor next time."

Song Xuan rolled his eyes and actually stood up:

“Envoy Han, I am wearing Emperor Taizong’s armor. You shouldn’t think of me like that.”

"Yes Yes Yes."

Han Yi stood up and quickly apologized to the imperial armor on Song Xuan's body.

After all, it was a sacred relic, and it had a very strong "deterrent effect" on Song officials.

Moreover, the spot where Song Xuan and the others were standing was once traversed by Emperor Taizong's donkey cart.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that one feels nostalgic for Zhuozhou City.

Many Imperial Guards soldiers were discussing Song Xuan's archery skills and his solo hold of the bridge, leaving Liu Congde, Wang Yufeng, and Wang Chong looking at each other in bewilderment.

The three of them were actually terrified by the Khitans' sudden killing of prisoners as a flag sacrifice.

In particular, they also had to get past the Khitan's spear formations.

The weapons gleamed coldly in the sunlight, truly terrifying.

Not only did they block the waterway by building a bridge, but they also made people, just like Master Zhang, kick up dust behind their horses, causing the Khitans following behind to eat dirt.

The novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms was extremely popular in the entertainment districts of Tokyo.

Not only in ordinary entertainment venues, but also in brothels, teahouses, and even Fanlou, there would be skilled ventriloquists reciting Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Liu Congde and others were very familiar with them.

Even though the Song Dynasty elites took pride in becoming Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), the presence of the unparalleled Lü Bu and the Oath of the Peach Garden held immense appeal for them.

There were many folk societies in the Song Dynasty, and many people made plans to make a name for themselves.

It can be said that the Oath of the Peach Garden was extremely attractive to the people of the Song Dynasty.

After all, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei all came from humble backgrounds.

Selling beans, pork, straw sandals, and the like were common occurrences in the daily lives of ordinary people in the Song Dynasty.

This is incredibly immersive!

"Tsk tsk." Wang Yufeng remarked with considerable emotion:

“Brother-in-law, I know that Romance of the Three Kingdoms is not true, it was written by my twelfth brother, but judging from his behavior today, it doesn’t seem like he wrote it.”

"If a scholar like him can be so courageous, then Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, who can defeat ten thousand men, must have been able to scare away Cao Cao's million-strong army, right?"

"Impossible." Although Wang Chong was impressed by Song Xuan's bravery, he still shook his head.
"If there were a million people, even if Zhang Yide were to kill them, he would be exhausted to death."

"He can take the enemy commander out of the midst of ten thousand troops as easily as taking something out of a bag. He killed Cao Cao's general and ran away. How could those soldiers stand still and fight Zhang Yide?"

Hearing his brother-in-law's rebuttal, Liu Congde nodded in agreement:

“My brother is right. Everyone knows that going in will mean death. We are all born of parents. The commander-in-chief is dead. Why are you forcing me to go? Why don’t you go?”

Faced with the accusation, Wang Chong blushed slightly, but immediately retorted:

"I am a civil servant."

"Twelfth Brother is still a civil official!"

Wang Yufeng looked at Wang Chong:

"Twelfth Brother is still one of the best among civil officials."

"It's infinitely better than you becoming an official by relying on your father's influence."

"you!"

Wang Chong was immediately caught off guard.

In the Song Dynasty, the prospects of those who passed the imperial examination, who faced fierce competition and were forced to cross a single-plank bridge, were far better than those who received official positions through hereditary privilege.

Not everyone is as lucky as Liu Congde, who rose to a high position at a young age.

What's there to be angry about?

Liu Congde said nonchalantly, "I don't understand what's making you angry?"

"I."

Wang Chong held his breath in his chest.

"That's true. When Twelfth Brother was in Tokyo, he was much more famous than you. What do you have to complain about?"

Liu Congde also rolled his eyes:

"Don't talk about his status as a civil official. Twelfth Brother has always been a civil official, not a military general."

"Didn't you hear Twelfth Brother's personal guard say that the armor belonged to Emperor Taizong?"

"Do ordinary people have the opportunity to wear it?"

Looking at Wang Chong, this son of an official, Liu Congde felt that he had disgraced the wise prime minister Wang Dan.

Indeed, the most common combination is a tiger father and a dog son.

Liu Congde and Wang Yufeng's repeated provocations caused Wang Chong to leave in a huff.

"Brother-in-law, this man isn't even as magnanimous as his father."

Wang Yufeng thought to himself with disdain: "We should associate with him less in the future; he's too jealous."

"He insisted on coming over on his own; I didn't ask him to."

Liu Congde also felt that Wang Chong had no ability and only knew how to flatter him, which was a disgrace to his father, the wise prime minister.

Although he enjoys the thrill of being flattered, deep down he looks down on those who fawn over him.

Even if he beat them up himself, many people would say he did a good job and ask if Liu Zhizhou's fists hurt.

On the other hand, Song Xuan would not tolerate Liu Congde, and Liu Congde began to admire him from the bottom of his heart.

Liu Congde was unaware of Wang Chong's true intentions: to mask his own inner imbalance by belittling others.

"I feel a little regretful now."

"What's a pity?" Liu Congde's eyes showed doubt.

"If I had been bolder back then, I could have gone with Twelfth Brother to see the scene, and then I could have boasted about it to my friends in Tokyo when I got back."

Wang Yufeng looked quite emotional:

"Making money here with the Khitans is secondary; the main thing is to broaden my horizons by following Twelfth Brother."

"good."

Liu Congde nodded slightly:
"Next time, let's see when that Khitan's flagpole gets broken."

"I heard someone tell the story of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, saying that if the flagpole of the commander-in-chief's flag breaks, something bad is bound to happen."

Wang Yufeng squinted and said:
"The flagpole of Prince Yan, Xiao Xiaomu, was almost broken by Twelfth Brother's arrow. Could something bad be going to happen to Prince Yan?"

"No way."

Liu Congde coughed and said, "Although Twelfth Brother is a great writer, he certainly wouldn't use altars to perform some of the tricks in his books, such as borrowing the east wind."

"That makes sense." Wang Yufeng nodded, then smiled.

"Then I'll keep an eye on the news of the Khitan King of Yan, just in case."

"Hahaha."

Liu Congde burst into laughter.

The eunuch Lu Shouqin hurriedly brought over tea to serve Liu Congde and his brother, with a smile on his face.

After entering the city, Prince Xiao Xiaomu of Yan did not linger. Instead, he had Xiao Hui stay behind so that he could return to Nanjing first and find out the situation from the four major families of Yan and Yun.

Xiao Xiaomu led his troops on a forced march, taking his daughter directly back to Nanjing.

He directly summoned several members of the four major families of Yan and Yun.

The first to arrive was Han Chun, a member of the Han family, the most powerful clan in the country.

"Third Brother, do you know anything about Song Xuan, the top scholar of the Song Dynasty?"

Third Brother is Han Lu's nickname.

Even Emperor Yelü Longxu, when meeting Han Lu, had to address him as "Third Brother" to show his closeness.

His father fought alongside Yelü Longxu to attack the Song Dynasty. He braved heavy arrows and was shot in the head during the fierce battle, but he still fought to the death.

After the war ended and he was carried off the battlefield, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor visited him personally many times, but he still died from his injuries in the camp.

Han Lu had eight older brothers, all of whom died young.

With this relationship, Han Lu gained the trust of Yelü Longxu and was sent on diplomatic missions to foreign countries many times. He was the successor and practitioner of his grandfather Han Derang's diplomatic strategy.

At this time, he was working under Xiao Xiaomu.

Han Lu was somewhat surprised to hear the King of Yan's question:

"Prince of Yan, I have never heard of this person before. Who is he?"

Xiao Xiaomu was speechless for a moment, then asked, "Do you really not know this person at all?"

"I don't understand."

Han Lu could say with certainty, "Just an unknown nobody."

There's no need for the Han family to send people to specifically keep an eye on an unknown nobody; they mostly need to observe the prime ministers, high-ranking officials, and empress dowagers of the Song Dynasty.

They are the decision-makers who formulate policies for the Song Dynasty. It would be a waste to focus on a mere pawn.

"Nobody?"

Du Fang took the initiative to speak:

"Prefect Han, Song Xuan was the top scholar who passed the imperial examination in three consecutive years, and his poems and songs were widely circulated."

Han Lu shook his head again: "Never heard of it."

When he was young and served as an envoy to the Song Dynasty, he received extremely high honors from the Song court.

More than twenty years have passed, and he has no interest in the fact that the Song Dynasty produced a top scholar every few years.

It's unknown how many years it will take for these people to become prime ministers.

Perhaps when he retires, these so-called top scholars will not necessarily be able to reach the position of decision-maker.

Therefore, although the Han family had spies in Tokyo, they would not waste manpower collecting information on nobody.

Song Xuan was merely a seventh-rank county magistrate; he wasn't even worthy of having news about the Prefect of Kaifeng collected, let alone about him.
Xiao Xiaomu felt that the Han family was still somewhat arrogant.

That's normal, though, as the Han family members enjoyed more of the emperor's trust than ordinary members of the royal family.

Therefore, it's not a big deal not to send someone to keep an eye on a minor official.

Xiao Tali felt extremely agitated; she sensed that Song Xuan was no ordinary nobody.

She spent the entire journey reviewing the failed operation.

Firstly, she didn't know why Song Xuan was wary of that mountain. Even though they had already stepped into the trap, he suddenly started throwing arrows.

They were completely unprepared, unless they had already been discovered.

Secondly, she didn't understand why Song Xuan dared to lead such a small force to block the bridge on the south bank when faced with a large army, instead of fleeing in a sorry state.

If Song Xuan escaped with his men, it would be a victory for her, and she wouldn't have lost so completely.

She couldn't understand these two points: how could the weak Song people have such brave and valiant people!

"I wonder why the Prince of Yan is asking about this boy?"

Han Lu also found it strange.

Because Xiao Xiaomu left in a hurry after receiving the imperial edict, he didn't know what had happened.

When he returns, he will ask this person.

Xiao Xiaomu didn't hide it, but simply shook his head and sighed:
"After hunting geese for a thousand days, I never expected to be pecked in the eye by an unknown nobody."

"what?"

Han Lu found it very strange: "Prince Yan, what makes you say that?"

No war broke out between the Song and Liao dynasties.

How could the King of Yan have his eyes pecked out by the Song people?
"Once everyone has arrived, I'll first inquire about Song Xuan, and then explain things to you, Third Brother."

Xiao Xiaomu said with a rather helpless expression:
"I really don't want to repeat this embarrassing thing over and over again."

Han Lu felt increasingly puzzled.

Liu Liufu had not yet entered officialdom; he was preparing to take the imperial examination. He was summoned from home and came directly.

This man was the one who later became the envoy who demanded the return of the ten counties south of the pass from Emperor Shizong of Zhou from the Song Dynasty, and asked the Song Dynasty to increase its annual tribute. After the matter was accomplished, he was impeached for accepting bribes from the Song Dynasty and was sent to serve as an official in a remote area.

The rest of the family members have all become officials, leaving him alone to look after the house.

So when asked by the Prince of Yan, Liu Liufu blinked, knowing that this matter was under the jurisdiction of his second brother, Liu Erxuan.

Liu Liufu was unaware.

Prince Xiao Xiaomu of Yan felt somewhat irritated.

When Zhao Weigan arrived, his family, mostly composed of military officers, were not very familiar with this news, but they knew that Song Xuan was Cao Liyong's son-in-law.

After all, their family often kept an eye on the commander of their old rival, Song Jun.

The Zhao family had a deep impression of Cao Liyong's solo incursion into the Liao camp, especially given Cao Liyong's high position.

He got a son-in-law who was a top scholar in the imperial examination, which caused a sensation in the Zhao family.

After all, they also knew that within the Song Dynasty, military families like their Zhao family would certainly not be given important positions.

Compared to the other three families, the Ma family, which arrived late, did not voluntarily submit to the Liao Dynasty. Instead, their ancestors were captured alive during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Liao.

He resolutely refused to surrender, so Emperor Taizong of Liao released him and relocated his entire clan to Liao territory.

Ma Yuan is currently the deputy commander, and he will be questioned by Xiao Xiaomu later.

He thought about it carefully: "Prince Yan, I have heard of this person."

"Oh?"

Xiao Xiaomu had already given up hope.

After all, he most wanted to get definite information from the Han and Liu families, as that offered the best chance.

The Zhao family only started paying attention to Song Xuan, their son-in-law who was the top scholar, because they said they were paying attention to Cao Liyong.

They didn't know much about Song Xuan, only that he was quite skilled in poetry and prose.

His works are widely circulated in Tokyo, and it is said that even nobles in the central capital of my great Khitan are praising them.

However, none of the other three families provided any information about Song Xuan, while the Ma family did have some knowledge of him.

"Come quickly."

Ma Yuan actually took notice of Song Xuan because of the tax increase issue.

Your Majesty levied an additional two million strings of cash in taxes, but in reality, you only needed one million strings to buy that treasure from the Song people.

Who pocketed the difference in the amount?

Ma Yuan didn't know.

He didn't dare tell anyone.

However, his subordinates also happened to have collected information about Song Xuan selling this treasure.

Ma Yuan felt something was amiss; how could the Southern Chancellor have suddenly acquired it?

After all, there were definitely quite a few wealthy families in Song Dynasty, and this was the capital city of Kaifeng!
The richest people in the world gathered there.

Ma Yuan carefully chose his words, avoiding any mention of the one million kan, in addition to the latest news that had arrived.

In the main hall, Song Xuan publicly beat a minister who had advised the Empress Dowager to emulate Wu Zetian, killing him on the spot.

This matter spread like wildfire throughout the entertainment district, so even the Ma family's spies believed it to be true.

It's just that things like Kui Xing kicking the Dipper and the immense power of a thousand jun have been omitted.

After everyone heard the news, the other three major families found it unbelievable.

Xiao Tali was secretly astonished. Was Song Xuan really that powerful?

She did have some doubts in her heart.

"Is your news true?"

Han Lu was the first to ask a question. In his memory, every top scholar in the Song Dynasty was gentle and refined.

Song Xuan, the top scholar, not only beat someone in the palace in front of all the civil and military officials, but he also kicked his colleague to death and received no punishment whatsoever.

This sounds completely fake.

When Han Lu asked, Xiao Tali nodded slightly. She was just listening in and had no right to directly express her distrust.

Having someone speak up for her is extremely beneficial for Xiao Tali.

"Third Brother, this news is absolutely true. It has spread throughout the entire capital city of Tokyo. Not only is Song Xuan completely unharmed, but he has also been sent to our Great Khitan to relax and unwind."

Ma Yuan must maintain the authenticity of his sources.

Otherwise, how could they gain the trust of the King of Yan?
Their family was already ranked last.

Their family had fewer officials in the Liao Dynasty than the other three families, holding various positions, and none of them had risen to very high positions.

Young Liu Liufu dared not utter a word; deep down, he felt it was unreal.

"Cao Liyong has certainly found a son-in-law with a fiery temper."

Zhao Weigan clicked his tongue a few times:
"Back then, Cao Liyong also had a rather volatile temper, and the two of them, father-in-law and son-in-law, got along well."

"Cao Liyong would never dare to do such a thing in the main hall!"

Han Lu directly refuted Ma Yuan's source of information.

Too fake.

It must be hearsay.

Their spies planted in Tokyo probably only get information from ordinary people and have no way of getting close to high-ranking officials.

"Therefore I am certain that even if Song Xuan had ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare to kill someone with a higher official rank than him in the main hall."

"Unless it's a rebellion!"

If a subordinate's attempt to overthrow their superior fails, then you can expect to be eliminated.

Since there was clearly no news of a rebellion from the Song people, this matter must be false.

Han Tu's affirmation annoyed Ma Yuan somewhat:
"If Third Brother doesn't believe it, he can ask the Southern Prime Minister when he returns to find out if it's true or not."

“On that day, not only our Khitan envoys, but also envoys from other forces witnessed it all. This matter simply could not be kept secret.”

Han Lu stopped looking at Ma Yuan and instead looked at Xiao Xiaomu:
“Your Highness, the Song people’s capital city of Bianjing is not far from my Great Khitan city of Nanjing. Please wait a few days while I send someone to investigate thoroughly.”

"No need."

Xiao Xiaomu raised his hand to stop him, saying, "I believe what Vice-Minister Ma said."

"what?"

How could the Prince of Yan believe such obviously false information!
The members of the three major families all looked at the Prince of Yan.

Is he getting senile?

(End of this chapter)