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

"Investment?"

Jiang Lin toyed with the teacup in his hand, as if he had heard some huge joke.

Instead of being apprehensive, he looked at Zhao Lingjun with the eyes of someone looking at a fool.

"Go back and tell the person behind you," Jiang Lin put down his teacup, his tone languid, "You've narrowed your perspective."

Zhao Lingjun frowned slightly. Although she was dressed in men's clothing and deliberately lowered her voice, her innate nobility still made her subconsciously retort:

"Headmaster, this is the will of the Emperor of the Song Dynasty. Do you know what it means to refuse? Although this newspaper has made a lot of money, the Emperor's willingness to invest means that the academy has found a powerful backer."

"backing?"

Jiang Lin chuckled, stood up, grabbed a charcoal pencil from the table, and drew a heavy circle on the white paper.

"Zhao Ling, you are still too young."

He walked up to Zhao Ling and tapped Zhao Ling's shoulder with a charcoal pencil, the touch neither too light nor too heavy.

"Does the Emperor think that the *Great Song Daily* is merely a publication for earning a few copper coins?"

Jiang Lin turned around and wrote "Song" in the center of the circle on the paper with charcoal, and then wrote "Liao" and "Xia" around the outside.

"Listen carefully, this is the second lesson I'm going to teach you."

His voice suddenly rose, carrying a chilling madness:

"Business is a inferior strategy; military strategy is the superior one! What I want to give the Emperor is not a share of the profits, but a knife. A knife that kills without drawing blood, a knife that can expand the territory of the Song Dynasty into the minds of the Liao people!"

Zhao Lingjun's pupils constricted sharply: "What do you mean?"

"In war between two nations, the worst strategy is to attack the city; the best strategy is to win hearts and minds!"

Jiang Lin's charcoal pencil nearly poked a hole in the paper: "The Liao cavalry is tough now, but as long as this *Great Song Daily* is published, even if we don't win on the battlefield, in our minds and with our words, I can make them kneel and call me 'father'!"

"This is called—cultural invasion."

Jiang Lin uttered those four words with a cold yet captivating air.

"Newspapers are the vanguard. Today I can make the people believe the Liao envoy wets his pants, tomorrow I can make the Liao people believe that the Song Dynasty is the true Celestial Empire, the Liao Emperor is a hypocrite, their lives are barbaric, and our lives are civilized! As long as this idea is planted, in ten years, the Liao Kingdom will collapse without a fight!"

"This is called 'soft power.' This stuff is more effective than a million spears of the Imperial Guard."

The study was deathly silent.

Looking at the rudimentary sketch, Zhao Lingjun felt a chill run down his spine, and a surge of electricity shot from his tailbone to the top of his head.

Looking at the man before her who was speaking so eloquently, her initial scrutiny completely crumbled, replaced by an almost reverential fervor.

She never imagined that a thin piece of paper could become a behemoth that devoured an empire in this man's mouth.

Such vision, such methods... This is no ordinary scholar, this is an extraordinary genius!

This is the teacher she has chosen! This is the kind of national hero that the Song Dynasty needs!

"Then... in the headmaster's opinion, what should His Majesty do?" Zhao Lingjun's voice was dry, and he unconsciously adopted a tone of inquiry, leaning forward slightly like a student eager for knowledge.

"Don't mention investing; it's too vulgar. That's the way of merchants, and it's beneath the dignity of the royal family."

Jiang Lin sat back in his armchair, crossed his legs, and resumed his languid, lord-like demeanor.

"Let the Emperor establish a 'Special Fund for Guiding Public Opinion in the Great Song Dynasty.' Allocate tens of thousands of strings of cash to academies every year, ostensibly to 'support education and culture.' I'll align the content and direction with the court; what I want is autonomy, and what the Emperor wants is the hearts of the people. Isn't this a more worthwhile deal than those small dividends?"

They described "asking for money" in such a refined and elegant way that it even seemed as if the imperial court had gained a huge advantage.

Zhao Lingjun took a deep breath, clasped his hands together, and solemnly performed a student's salute:

"Sir, you are truly talented. I have learned a great deal from you."

This gesture was made with heartfelt admiration.

"Go and give them your reply if you understand." Jiang Lin waved his hand, served tea, and saw the guest out. "Remember to close the door behind you, so the wind doesn't mess up my manuscript."

Zhao Lingjun gave him a deep look, his eyes filled with admiration and determination, and then turned to leave.

Just then—

"Bang!"

The courtyard gate was smashed open with a brute force, followed by a series of wailing and howling.

"Headmaster! Help! The sky is falling!"

Su Shi burst in, his hair disheveled, clutching half a meat bun tightly in his hand, clearly having only eaten half of his breakfast. His chubby face was contorted in a grimace, even more exaggerated than when he wrote that sensationalist article last night.

Zhao Lingjun paused, instinctively placing her hand on her waist—where she hid her soft sword—and her eyes instantly turned sharp as knives.

"What's the panic?" Jiang Lin frowned slightly. "Tell me slowly."

"It won't slow down at all!"

Su Shi was panting like a broken bellows, his finger pointing towards the door trembling wildly:

"The Liao... the Liao people are attacking! That Liao crown prince, Yelü Hongji, is leading dozens of sword-wielding warriors to block the gate! They've almost torn the gate apart! They say they'll tear the writer to pieces!"

"Because of that article, 'Exclusive Decryption'?" Jiang Lin remained completely unfazed, even having the leisure to pick out a melon seed.

"Yeah! What else could it be for!"

Su Shi stuffed a steamed bun into his mouth and wailed incoherently, "The newspapers say that Xiao Temo wet his pants after returning home, which is a moral depravity... Yelü Hongji said this is an insult to the dignity of the Liao Dynasty! He's furious! Really furious! Headmaster, let's run! A scholar can't reason with a soldier!"

"run?"

Jiang Lin chuckled softly, slowly stood up, and straightened his sleeves.

The light in his eyes was even brighter than when he was talking about "cultural invasion".

That's not fear.

It was a hunter who had been starving for three days when he suddenly saw a fat, silly roe deer run right into the muzzle of his gun.

"Zizhan, this is the third lesson I'm going to teach you."

Jiang Lin walked up to Su Shi and gently brushed the crumbs off his shoulder, his movements so tender they sent chills down one's spine.

"Some people are enemies, and they are meant to be killed."

Jiang Lin turned his head, revealing a set of white teeth to the deep night outside the door. His smile was extremely bright, yet it also carried a sinister air of someone who would devour people without spitting out their bones.

"But some people are the big spenders, and that's for...education."

As he spoke, he glanced at Zhao Lingjun, who stood guard beside him, and casually said:

"Zhao Ling, stop touching your belt. Just watch the show."

After saying that, Jiang Lin waved his sleeves and strode out, his back straight and his aura imposing.

"Let's go! Watch how your teacher will turn this man-eating Liao tiger into our academy's lucky cat."

Su Shi stood there, stunned, forgetting to chew the bun in his mouth.

Transform into a lucky cat?

That was the Liao prince, wielding a curved sword and ready to kill!

Is the headmaster risking his life for money?!

"What are you standing there for?"

Jiang Lin's lazy yet alluring voice came from outside the door:

"Grab some paper and pen. Tonight's material starts at 50,000 kan!"