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

Outside the city gate, the atmosphere was eerily strange.

The thousands of people who had been weeping their hearts out fell into a brief silence upon seeing Su Shi's lively figure. Then, someone shouted, "He's come back from the dead! Su Shi has drunk the King of Hell back to life!"

Then, the crying turned into deafening cheers. The paper money was still fluttering in the air, but the crowd had seamlessly switched from "funeral mode" to "celebrity-worship mode".

"Lord Su! I'm a huge fan of your books! Do you think this mourning clothes I'm wearing fit me well?"

"Su Tanhua, I heard you died. I slaughtered all the old hens in my house to offer as a sacrifice for you. Since you're not dead, please eat this chicken while it's hot!"

A whole stewed chicken, cooked until tender, traced a perfect parabola and slammed into Xue Gang's face with a "thud" as he was about to draw his sword and roar in anger.

The scalding chicken soup flowed down his helmet and into his neck, causing him to let out a bloodcurdling scream.

"They've rebelled! They've all rebelled!" Xue Gang wiped his greasy face and roared angrily, "These are all rioters! Break them up!"

However, his shout was like a mosquito's hum amidst the roar of thousands. The angry guards, who were about to charge forward on horseback, were drowned out by the enthusiastic crowd with rotten eggs, vegetable leaves, and straw sandals.

"Don't push! Keep order!" Forced into a corner, Su Shi climbed onto the roof of the carriage, holding a specially made tin megaphone by Shen Kuo in one hand and trying to protect his hair with the other, forced to perform his duties with a face full of grief and indignation.

"I appreciate the kindness of that old lady throwing garlic, but could you please not throw it into my mouth? And you burly man over there holding up the sign that says 'Su Shi's Widow,' please have some self-respect!"

Inside the carriage, Jiang Lin peered through the cracks at this absurd scene, leisurely peeling a grape: "That's called crisis management. As long as the traffic is big enough, the knife can't cut you down."

Just as the situation was about to spiral out of control, the heavy city gate of Daming Prefecture suddenly burst open with the creaking of a winch.

"Outrageous! Who is inciting this disturbance here!"

A sharp shout rang out like a thunderclap. Immediately afterwards, the sound of armor clashing in perfect unison filled the air.

Zhao Liben, the prefect of Daming Prefecture, rode a tall horse, followed by three hundred fully armed soldiers carrying long spears, pressing forward menacingly.

Zhao Liben, dressed in a crimson official robe, stood with a somber expression. He was Wang Kui's prized student, yet Su Shi had managed to cause such a commotion on his turf.

"Su Shi!" Zhao Liben tightened the reins, pointed the whip at the edge of the handlebars, and said in a sinister tone, "How dare you! As an official of the imperial court, you dare to falsely report his death, incite the people, and create riots! Guards, seize all these scoundrels who spread rumors and throw them into prison!"

Three hundred soldiers roared in unison, their spears forming a forest, their sharp edges menacing. The once lively crowd fell silent instantly, terrified by the chilling aura, and retreated hastily.

Upon seeing this, Xue Gang immediately perked up and, with his face covered in chicken fat, ran over to complain: "Your Excellency! This Su Shi is colluding with mountain bandits, plotting something sinister! I witnessed it with my own eyes..."

"If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext." Su Shi stood on the roof of the carriage. Although his legs were a little cramped, since the headmaster hadn't told him to get down, he could only grit his teeth and maintain his "righteous spirit." "Prefect Zhao, these people came spontaneously to see us off. How does that become inciting a riot? Does the law of Daming Prefecture not even allow crying?"

"Nonsense!" Zhao Liben sneered, a glint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes. "Whether it's a riot or not is for me to decide! Archers, prepare!"

"Whoosh—" Dozens of archers drew their bows and nocked their arrows, the arrowheads gleaming coldly in the sunlight, pointing directly at the carriage.

Inside the carriage, Zhao Lingjun raised an eyebrow, her fingers already resting on the seemingly ordinary jade pendant at her waist, which was actually engraved with royal patterns. Just as she was about to get up, Jiang Lin gently pressed down on the back of her hand.

"Don't rush, it won't be fun if we reveal our hand too early." Jiang Lin's lips curled into a playful smile.

Before he finished speaking, a strange "clanging" sound came from the other side of the official road.

Everyone turned to look and saw an ultra-luxurious carriage made of golden nanmu wood, inlaid with various gemstones, and with gilded bells hanging from its four corners, rampaging towards them with the arrogance typical of nouveau riche, surrounded by a group of strong servants.

"Where did this piece of junk come from, daring to block Lord Zhao's way?" Xue Gang cursed instinctively.

However, he shut up the next second.

Because the carriage showed no sign of slowing down, instead, a large, chubby hand adorned with jade rings reached out from the window and suddenly waved towards the sky.

"Splash—"

It's not raining, it's raining money.

Hundreds and thousands of gleaming copper coins rained down from around the carriage, striking the ground with a crisp, melodious sound.

"Today, Mr. Qian is delighted to welcome Scholar Su into the city! Everyone who sees him gets a share! Grab it all!"

A powerful baritone voice resonated throughout the venue.

The people who had been frightened away by the soldiers suddenly unleashed their most primal human impulses.

"Money! It's money!"

"Master Qian is throwing money around!"

Thousands of civilians surged toward the rain of copper coins like madmen, instantly scattering Zhao Liben's meticulously arranged military formation. The soldiers were also human; seeing the rolling copper coins beneath their feet, they could barely hold their spears, and their formation crumbled.

"Damn it! Stop right there! Anyone who dares to pick up the money will be killed without mercy!" Zhao Liben's beard trembled with rage, but his roar seemed pale and powerless in the face of the chaotic trampling of thousands of people.

The gleaming golden carriage rushed up to Jiang Lin's convoy amidst the chaos. The curtain was lifted, revealing a middle-aged man dressed in a purple-gold robe, as fat as a Maitreya Buddha.

This man was none other than Qian Baiwan, the richest man in Daming Prefecture. He was also the moneybags secretly supported by the "pure stream faction" in the court, and a man who specifically opposed Wang Kui's party.

"Oh dear, Scholar Su, you must be quite startled!" Qian Baiwan grinned from ear to ear, his fat face trembling. "I am Qian Baiwan, and I have long admired Mr. Su's talent. Are you satisfied with this 'gift' from Daming Prefecture today?"

Su Shi stared dumbfounded at the crowd still picking up money in the chaos, swallowing hard: "This...this is too 'heavy'."

"Qian Baiwan!" Zhao Liben spurred his horse through the crowd, gritting his teeth as he said, "You're openly obstructing the government's investigation; are you trying to rebel?!"

"Lord Zhao, you flatter me." Qian Baiwan remained seated in the carriage, not even shifting his position, and cupped his hands in a smile. "I was simply happy to hear that Scholar Su had escaped death, so I scattered some money to celebrate. The laws of the Song Dynasty don't forbid people from being happy, do they? As for the people picking up the money… that's the will of the people; how can that be considered obstruction?"

At this point, Qian Baiwan's eyes turned slightly cold, and his voice rose a few decibels: "Furthermore, Scholar Su was the top scholar personally selected by the Emperor. Although he has been demoted, he is still a disciple of the Emperor. If Lord Zhao were to harm the God of Literature with his swords and spears, the blame... can you bear it?"

Zhao Liben's face was ashen. He looked at the pairs of eyes around him, filled with anger as they picked up the money and stared back at him, and knew that today's "forced arrest" was completely a failure.

Qian Baiwan is not only wealthy, but also has a complex web of connections. If he were to confront him directly in public, he would not come out on top.

"Very well, very well indeed." Zhao Liben took a deep breath, suppressing his anger. "Since Master Qian is acting as guarantor, then I will give him face. But Su Shi, remember this: Daming Prefecture... is not a place to stay easily."

Having said that, he snorted coldly, turned his horse around, and shouted, "Withdraw!"

Watching the soldiers slink away, Su Shi let out a long sigh and slumped onto the roof of the carriage: "My god, that was so exciting!"

Qian Baiwan immediately put on a warm and welcoming demeanor: "Mr. Su, this place is not suitable for your lingering. I have a place in the city called 'Jinyu Garden,' which is modeled after Fanlou in Bianliang, the capital of the Eastern Capital. It has all kinds of fine wines and delicacies. Please do me the honor of visiting!"

Jiang Lin then slowly stepped down from the carriage and cupped his hands in thanks to Qian Baiwan: "Thank you for your help, Master Qian. However, this Jin Yu Garden is too extravagant; we are exiled people and cannot stay here."

Qian Baiwan was taken aback: "Then what do you mean, sir?"

Jiang Lin unfolded his folding fan, his gaze passing over the towering city walls of Daming Prefecture, looking towards the western corner of the city. There was an area shrouded in dark clouds, exuding an eerie chill even in broad daylight.

On the sketch drawn by Shen Kuo last night based on the terrain of Black Wind Village, that area was exactly on the path that the underground "oil dragon" must take.

"We're going to stay there," Jiang Lin said, pointing.

Qian Baiwan looked in the direction he was pointing, and the smile on his face instantly froze, his fat body trembling.

"That...that's 'Ghost Cry Garden'!" Qian Baiwan's voice trembled. "It's an abandoned garden from the previous dynasty. It's said that evil spirits howl every midnight, and even stray dogs dare not enter! Sir, you...you're not joking, are you?"

Upon hearing the word "ghost," Su Shi's face turned green, and he was about to object.

Jiang Lin snapped the folding fan shut, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, and said decisively, "This is the place. I love excitement, whether it's people... or ghosts."