The Great Song Dynasty: You were put in charge of teaching, and you produced a whole bunch of prime

The stunningly beautiful woman parted her lips slightly, and sang not a poem by Liu Yong, but a tune never heard before, yet destined to be passed down through the ages:

"Alas, the moon tonight, where does it drift aimlessly?"

On the top floor of Fanlou, the once noisy crowd gradually quieted down. The night breeze carried the smell of alcohol, but it couldn't dispel the sudden, solemn stillness.

The woman's fingers danced, and the pipa's melody quickened, as if a dream of clashing swords and galloping horses had entered the room.

"The flying mirror has no roots, who ties it down? Chang'e doesn't marry, who keeps her here? I ask her from the bottom of the sea, but there's no way to find out; this vague feeling fills me with sorrow..."

Every lyric is like a slap in the face to those powerful and wealthy people who are still reminiscing about the "Jade Rabbit's Footprints." This is not decadent music; it is a questioning of the heavens.

"Is it another world, where you just saw the light and shadow in the east?"

As the last line was sung, the pipa music abruptly ceased. The lingering sound, like a feather, gently brushed against the hearts of the audience.

"Clang!"

A sharp crack, like a thunderclap, shattered the deathly silence.

The wine cup in Su Shi's hand was smashed on the ground and shattered.

This usually carefree and unrestrained genius seemed to have lost his soul at this moment.

He staggered to the front of the stage, gripping Jiang Lin's sleeve tightly with both hands, his eyes bloodshot and his whole body trembling.

"These words...this imagery..."

Su Shi's voice choked with emotion, and his knuckles turned white from the effort.

"Who can bind the flying mirror that has no roots? What a profound question! What a magnificent 'light and shadow at the eastern end'!"

He abruptly turned his head, staring at the dark, gaping lens, his eyes burning with the fanaticism of a newly enlightened madman, and roared:

"I, Su Zizhan, have spent my entire life studying the classics, thinking I understood the profound truths of the universe. But today, through this mirror, I realize I've only ever seen the sky from the bottom of a well!"

Jiang Lin calmly pulled his sleeve back, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.

Good job, kid. Your acting skills are improving.

When the two were rehearsing their lines in the morning, Su Shi complained that the dialogue was too cheesy, but now he's more immersed in the role than anyone else.

Jiang Lin sighed in agreement, his voice deep and magnetic:

"Zizhan, do not be agitated. It was merely a chance encounter for your teacher. Rather than a poem, it is more like hearing an echo from heaven while facing this all-seeing mirror."

"An echo from the heavens..."

Su Shi murmured to himself, as if these words had struck his soul.

Suddenly, he turned around abruptly, facing a group of bewildered wealthy and powerful people, his arms outstretched, his wide sleeves like two battle flags.

"Do you think this is just a mirror?!"

Su Shi pointed at the brass mirror, spittle flying, his voice hoarse:

"Superficial! Utterly vulgar!"

"This is the key! The key to unlocking the secrets of the universe and exploring the origins of the Great Dao!"

He strode up to the salt merchant and pointed at his nose:

"Did that glance just now only reveal the moon? No! It was the vision of a sage! It was proof of 'not knowing what year it is tonight in the celestial palaces!'"

He rushed up to Zhao Yunrang, his eyes red:

"The headmaster isn't selling mirrors at all; he's leading you mere mortals on a quest to the heavens!!"

"With this mirror appearing, the world will no longer be troubled by the question 'When will the moon be bright?', but will instead be filled with the heroic spirit of 'Raising a cup to ask the blue sky!'"

boom--

The entire audience erupted in chaos.

Jiang Lin's lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

Goodness, that's a perfect score on reading comprehension! No wonder he's Su Zizhan, the number one live-streaming e-commerce host in the Song Dynasty.

I only wanted to sell it for a high price, but you've elevated it to the pinnacle of philosophy and science, and incidentally given this piece of Xin Qiji's "Magnolia Flower Slow" a top-notch promotion.

But that assist was absolutely brilliant!

The wealthy businessmen who originally just wanted to buy something rare to show off have completely changed their attitude.

If it's just about watching Chang'e bathe, a few thousand strings of cash would be the most you could get; but if it's about "seeking the magic artifact" or "the mindset of a sage," then that's the ticket to the upper class, or even to the path of a sage!

"Twenty thousand strings of cash!"

The salt merchant who had been called "vulgar" was the first to react. He yelled at the top of his lungs, his face red and neck bulging, "Nobody can take it from me! I'm going to take it back and worship it! From now on, if anyone dares to say I'm uncultured, I'll smash him with a mirror!"

"Twenty-five thousand! My second son desperately needs this kind of divine artifact to bless him for the imperial examination! With this 'Sage's Aura,' becoming the top scholar is just around the corner!"

"Thirty thousand strings of cash!"

Prices skyrocketed, and the air was thick with the smell of burning money.

Prince Zhao Yunrang of Runan, who was sitting in the main seat, could no longer sit still. His fat face turned red, and he was breathing rapidly.

He was a leisurely prince, lacking power but not money. If this thing were enshrined in the ancestral hall, who would dare say he was just a royal relative who was just wasting his life? This was a secret of heaven!

"Thirty-five thousand strings of cash!"

Zhao Yunrang slammed his fist on the table, making the plates bounce around: "I'm taking this back as a family heirloom! Who dares to take it from me?!"

That shout, carrying the imposing authority of royalty, instantly silenced the entire crowd. The merchants exchanged bewildered glances. Were they going to abandon their business to compete with the Prince?

Upon seeing this, Su Shi immediately changed his expression and bowed deeply to Zhao Yunrang:

"Your Highness is wise! Only royalty and nobility can suppress the power of such a divine artifact! If it falls into the hands of ordinary people, it would be a waste of its precious resources!"

This flattery made Zhao Yunrang feel extremely comfortable, and he was about to ask someone to carry the silver.

Jiang Lin, however, was fanning himself with a folding fan, a compassionate smile on his face, his peripheral vision precisely locking onto a shadowy corner.

There sat a burly man with a full beard, his wine glass cracked.

Xiao Temo, head of the secret service of the Imperial City Guard of the Liao Dynasty.

At this moment, Xiao Temo's heart was bleeding and he was roaring.

To hell with the saintly mindset! To hell with the secrets of heaven!

What he saw was that this thing allowed the Song army to detect Liao cavalry from a hundred miles away! This was a battlefield cheat code, a national treasure!

Seeing that Zhao Yunrang was about to close the deal, Xiao Temo could no longer hold back.

"Wait!"

Xiao Temo strode to the center of the arena, pushed aside the songstress blocking his way, and like a wolf barging into a flock of sheep, his murderous aura caused the surrounding scholars to retreat.

Zhao Yunrang frowned: "Where did these barbarians come from? Didn't you hear me state my price?"

Xiao Temo didn't even glance at him, his hawk-like eyes fixed on Jiang Lin: "Fifty thousand strings of cash."

Dead silence.

The three words, like three heavy hammer blows, silenced the top floor of Fanlou.

Even Su Shi, who was about to continue his emotional stunt, was stunned for a moment, staring wide-eyed at the man with a full beard.

Goodness gracious, this guy is a real tycoon! Fifty thousand strings of cash? That's like pawning the entire Liao Dynasty delegation's underwear!

"Cash"

Xiao Temo pulled a thick wad of coins from his pocket and slammed it on the table. He then untied the leather pouch at his waist and poured out a pile of glittering gold items with a "whoosh." "If that's not enough, add these gold ingots!"

The gold ingot was heavy; it struck the mahogany table with a dull thud.

Jiang Lin's eyes narrowed. The surface of the gold ingot was rough, but the remaining eagle pattern on the side was particularly dazzling in the moonlight—the Imperial Treasury of the Liao Kingdom.

It was indeed a big fish; it took the bait!

"This brave man," Jiang Lin closed his folding fan, his smile deepening, "has quite the audacity. Fifty thousand strings of cash could buy a fifth-rank official position in Bianjing, is it worth it for a mere mirror?"

"Whether it's worth it or not is up to me to decide." Xiao Temo's voice was cold and ruthless. "Jiang Shanzhang said the highest bidder wins. Are you going to go back on your word?"

A gentleman's word is as good as his bond.

Jiang Lin turned around and cupped his hands to Zhao Yunrang, whose face was full of resentment: "Your Highness, I am truly sorry. It seems that this destiny is destined for this brave man."

"You...you barbarian! That belongs to me..." Zhao Yunrang was so angry that his beard trembled, and he was about to explode.

"Your Highness!"

Jiang Lin suddenly raised his voice to interrupt, then quickly stepped forward and whispered in his ear, "Your Highness, please calm down. Why bother getting angry with a barbarian who doesn't know the rules? Besides... although this thing is good, it is only a 'first prototype' with many flaws."

Jiang Lin smiled meaningfully, his voice as soft as a devil's whisper: "Let this sucker buy this 'defective product'."

"In a few days, the academy will produce the 'Royal Supreme Collection Edition,' a pair of binoculars, gilded, and inlaid with jade. There will only be one in the world. That will be a truly elegant item befitting your status."

At this point, Jiang Lin paused, then added, "If you were to spend a fortune to snatch this 'common stuff' from a barbarian now, wouldn't you lose face in front of the officials and your colleagues?"

"Why not let this Liao man spend 50,000 strings of cash to buy some 'junk' that our Great Song doesn't want? If word gets out, it will be a laughing stock for you, Your Highness."

Zhao Yunrang's eyes lit up instantly.

Defective product? Common product? Royal Supreme Edition?

Wonderful!

Let the Liao barbarians spend 50,000 strings of cash to be ripped off and pick up the scraps left over from the Song Dynasty, while you sit back and wait for the best "supreme version"—how prestigious would that be? That's the kind of prestige a Song Dynasty prince should have!

Zhao Yunrang's expression immediately changed; his initial anger transformed into a mocking sneer. He sat down with a flick of his sleeve, saying, "Fine! How could I stoop to the level of such a vulgar person who scavenge for scraps? Let him have it!"

A potential conflict was averted with just a few words from Jiang Lin.

Su Shi watched in disbelief. The headmaster's smooth talk had turned "admitting defeat" into "winning terribly"!

Xiao Temo was unaware of the trickery involved; all he knew was: the goods were in his hands! The Liao Dynasty's all-seeing eye was in his grasp!

"Now that the money and goods are settled..." Xiao Temo no longer concealed the fierce glint in his eyes, and picked up the hundred-pound sandalwood frame as if it were nothing.

"How to use this thing is my own business, isn't it?"

Xiao Temo sneered and abruptly ripped off the lens.

"Click".

The sound of the machinery turning was particularly jarring in the night.

Jiang Lin's smile froze slightly, and his eyes narrowed instantly.

It was clear that Shortmer had no intention of packing it up and taking it with him. Instead, he rotated the dark lens horizontally, crossed the railing, and pointed it straight south.

In that direction, the lights were brilliant, and the glazed tiles gleamed with a cold light.

The Imperial Palace of the Great Song Dynasty, the Forbidden Garden!

"What do you want to do?!"

Su Shi was genuinely terrified this time; he wasn't acting. If this madman were to discover palace secrets, everyone present would lose their heads!

"Heh, I don't want to do anything." Xiao Temo's face revealed a sinister smugness. "Having spent 50,000 strings of cash, I should at least see if this most prestigious place in the Great Song Dynasty is also like the moon, full of craters!"

Without hesitation, he shoved his eye hard into the goggles!