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

Dark as ink.

The gates of Jingshi Academy were not forced open, but instead, a dull yet rhythmic knocking sound rang out.

"Thump, thump, thump."

The sound wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable sense of oppression, like the lingering echo of a war drum.

Through the crack in the door, Zhao Lingjun saw that there were only six people standing outside. It wasn't at all the dozens that Su Shi, that coward, had claimed.

But these six people exuded an aura that was more dangerous than that of sixty Imperial Guards.

They were dressed in the casual clothes common in the Song Dynasty, and did not carry long swords openly, but their waists were bulging, obviously concealing short weapons.

The leader was tall with a sharp, angular face, and his hawk-like eyes gleamed coldly in the darkness.

Yelü Hongji.

The Crown Prince of Liao did not force his way in. When the door opened, he even straightened his clothes and strode in.

He was like an unwelcome guest arriving late at night, with a suffocating calmness about him.

forecourt.

Jiang Lin sat down at the stone table, just as he put down the teacup in his hand.

Yelü Hongji stopped three steps away from him, his gaze sharp as a knife, scrutinizing Jiang Lin from head to toe. Then, he pulled out a neatly folded copy of the *Great Song Daily* from his sleeve.

"Was this newspaper written by Jiang Shanchang?"

Yelü Hongji's voice was low and unreadable.

Jiang Lin raised an eyebrow: "A masterpiece is born of nature, a stroke of genius. What does Your Highness think of its literary merit?"

"Exquisitely written, yet extremely ruthless."

Yelü Hongji gently placed the newspaper on the stone table, pressing his finger against the eye-catching headline.

"Although Xiao Temo was a fool, he represented the face of the Liao Dynasty. With this stroke of the pen, the headmaster not only made him a laughing stock, but also turned the Liao cavalry from an 'invincible wolf pack' into a 'coward who wets his pants' in the eyes of the Song people."

Yelü Hongji stared at Jiang Lin, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

"This isn't just cursing; this is 'winning hearts and minds.' To be able to dismantle the Liao Dynasty's intimidation with mere words and laughter—Jiang Shan Chang, you're a talent."

Su Shi, who was standing nearby, was taken aback.

This Liao prince... why isn't he playing by the rules? Shouldn't he be drawing his sword and attacking? Why is he praising him?

Jiang Lin smiled.

This time it was a genuine laugh. Dealing with smart people is definitely more convenient.

"His Highness the Crown Prince's late-night visit, accompanied by six top-notch fighters, risking discovery by the Imperial City Guard, surely wasn't just to offer me a few words of praise?"

"Of course not."

Yelü Hongji pulled out the stone bench opposite him and sat down with an imposing air, his mountain-like aura instantly pressing down on Jiang Lin.

"I'm here to discuss business."

He pointed to the newspaper, then to the section of copper pipe peeking out from Jiang Lin's sleeve.

"First, I need to learn the art of 'manipulating people'. If the Liao Dynasty wants to conquer the Central Plains, it can't rely on knives alone; it must learn how to make the flock obey."

"Secondly, I need the blueprints for the 'Heavenly Mirror.' That fool, Shorter, only saw the divine retribution, but I know it's a weapon of militarism."

Yelü Hongji leaned forward, his eyes burning:

"Jiang Lin, you're a smart man. In the Song Dynasty, you're just a schoolteacher, and you have to put up with the arrogance of those pedantic scholars. Why don't you sell these two things to me?"

"Name your price."

"Even..." Yelü Hongji lowered his voice, "If you are willing to come north with me, I will reserve the position of the Southern King for you."

hiss--

Su Shi gasped.

The Southern King? That's the highest official position a Han Chinese could hold in the Liao Dynasty! Is the Liao Crown Prince trying to poach him?!

Zhao Lingjun stood in the shadows, his fingers gripping the hilt of his sword tightly, his eyes blazing with murderous intent.

Jiang Lin remained calm. He picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for Yelü Hongji.

"The tea is cold, Your Highness, please make do with it."

Jiang Lin pushed the teacup over and said slowly and deliberately:

"Going north is out of the question. I'm sensitive to the cold and can't stand eating raw meat. But the first two business deals are worth discussing."

Yelü Hongji's eyes lit up: "Great! Name your price."

"I won't sell the blueprints; that's core technology." Jiang Lin held up one finger. "But I can sell you the finished product. It's not as sophisticated as the one I use myself, but it should be enough to get a good feel for it."

"As for this art of 'manipulating people'..."

Jiang Lin looked at Yelü Hongji, a playful smile curving his lips:

"This is called 'public opinion studies.' I can teach you, but the tuition is very expensive."

"How many?"

"Fifty thousand strings of cash," Jiang Lin casually uttered a number, "plus the initial sponsorship fee for this 'Public Opinion' course."

"Fifty thousand strings of cash?" Yelü Hongji frowned slightly, but did not fly into a rage like Xiao Temo. He was calculating and weighing the options.

If one could learn this method of demoralizing the enemy without resorting to weapons, 50,000 strings of cash... wouldn't seem like a bad deal.

As for the telescope, once they got their hands on the finished product, wouldn't the Liao Dynasty's craftsmen be able to replicate it?

"Okay." Yelü Hongji nodded decisively, "but I don't have that much cash on me."

"Same as always, IOU, collateral."

Jiang Lin pointed to the dragon-patterned jade pendant on Yelü Hongji's waist: "That jade is nice. It looks like a family heirloom of the Liao royal family. Let's take it."

Yelü Hongji gave Jiang Lin a deep look.

"Aren't you afraid that if I learn these skills, I'll turn against the Song Dynasty?"

Jiang Lin smiled, a smile brimming with confidence, even tinged with a hint of pity.

"Your Highness, there are technological gaps."

"What you learn will always be what I've already mastered. By the time you've learned how to run a newspaper, I'll already be working on much more advanced things."

"not to mention……"

Jiang Lin leaned closer, his voice as soft as the wind:

"The best business in the world is to sell the enemy the rope so he can put it around his own neck."

Yelü Hongji didn't understand the deeper meaning of the last sentence, but he understood Jiang Lin's arrogance.

This arrogance annoyed him, but it also convinced him that this guy really had something valuable to offer.

"good!"

Yelü Hongji took off his jade pendant and slammed it heavily on the table.

"Jiang Lin, I can afford the 50,000 strings of cash. But if I find out that what you're teaching is fake, or that this pipe doesn't work properly..."

He stood up, looking down at them with a murderous aura:

"Although Bianjing is a large city, if I want to kill someone, no one can stop me."

"Deal." Jiang Lin put away the jade pendant and smiled as he pushed over a pre-prepared "Enrollment Agreement." "Sign and affix your seal. Starting tomorrow, you will be the first student in the 'International Exchange Class' of Jing Shi Academy."

Yelü Hongji snorted coldly, signed his name, and turned to leave with his men.

It comes quickly and goes quickly.

Only the untouched cup of cold tea and the priceless Panlong jade remained on the table.

The courtyard fell silent again.

Su Shi emerged from behind the stone mill, looking at Jiang Lin with a mixture of admiration and worry:

"Master, are you really going to teach him? That's the Crown Prince of Liao! If he really learns our 'shocking' style, won't the Song Dynasty suffer in the future?"

"Teach? Of course I'll teach."

Jiang Lin flicked the warm, smooth jade pendant, a sly glint in his eyes.

"However, the textbooks... must be a special edition."

"I will teach him how to use newspapers to sing praises, how to whitewash the truth, and how to make the people indulge in a false sense of prosperity... but I will never teach him how to enlighten the people."

Jiang Lin stood up and stretched.

"This is called the 'entertainment-the-brat' strategy. Once he has completely fooled the Liao people, our Song cavalry will be ready to go out and fight."

Zhao Lingjun stepped out of the shadows and looked at Jiang Lin's back with an extremely complex expression.

This man treated the enemy prince like a monkey, yet made the monkey think he had made a huge profit.

This is not teaching; it's clearly digging the grave for the Liao Dynasty!

"Zizhan," Jiang Lin suddenly spoke.

"Disciple is here."

"No need to bother with student recruitment anymore."

Jiang Lin looked at the deep night outside the door, his voice clear and bright:

"Change the headline in tomorrow's morning paper."

"Let's write: 'Education for All, Tribute from All Nations: The Crown Prince of Liao Visits an Academy at Night, Sincerely Seeks Knowledge, and is Amazed by the Unfathomable Profoundness of the Song Dynasty's Learning!'"

"Remember, the tone should be high, and it should reflect the style of our 'Great Master of the Nation'."

"Let the people of Bianjing know that even the Crown Prince of Liao is coming here to study. From this day forward, the threshold of this academy will be the gate to heaven!"

Su Shi's eyes lit up, and his hand trembled as he picked up his brush:

"Master, this title... is brilliant! It's more effective than any recruitment advertisement! It's using the face of the Liao Crown Prince as a stepping stone for our academy!"

Jiang Lin smiled slightly, turned around and went back to his room.

"This is not a stepping stone."

"That's called—a brand ambassador."