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

Daming Prefecture, early morning. The thin autumn mist has not yet completely dissipated.

As the first rays of sunlight, carrying a slight chill, shone into this important town in Hebei, the townspeople, as usual, opened their doors to prepare for the start of their day's work, accompanied by the crowing of roosters and barking of dogs.

However, the atmosphere today seems a little different.

The streets, usually bustling with traffic, were now filled with groups of people whispering among themselves. In teahouses, restaurants, and even roadside wonton stalls, almost everyone was huddled together, discussing the same thing.

"Hey, have you heard? That new story about Ghost Cry Garden?"

"Which one? The one about Scholar Su's battle against Prefect Zhao?"

"That's right! They described it in such detail, saying that beneath Ghost Cry Garden isn't a mass grave at all, but a huge black mine! It's dark and gloomy inside, where thousands of people are imprisoned!"

"My God! Is this for real? This is terrifying! That Prefect Zhao, he always seemed so respectable..."

"Who says otherwise! The story also says that all those people who went missing in Daming Prefecture these past few years were captured and enslaved there! They were worked to death, and not even a single body was found; they were all used to fill the mine pits!"

"It's so dark! This is simply inhuman!"

Rumors, as if they had grown wings, spread to every corner of Daming Prefecture overnight.

This story is so well-crafted. It features a hero (the top scholar Su), a beauty (though not explicitly stated, everyone can imagine it), suspense (the mystery of the will-o'-the-wisp), conflict (the top scholar versus the prefect), and most importantly, it's closely related to everyone's life.

The topic of missing persons instantly struck a nerve with all the people of Daming Prefecture.

Aunt Zhang from the south of the city slapped her thigh: "No wonder that simpleton next door disappeared last year after saying he was going to work. Turns out he was taken to work in the mines!"

Li, the butcher in the west of the city, slammed his butcher knife down on the chopping board: "No wonder the government office kept recruiting laborers to repair the river embankment, but they never came back. It turns out they were just putting on a show!"

For a time, people were filled with anxiety and their emotions were agitated.

A large crowd of people had gathered at the entrance of the government office. Most of them had lost family members, and upon hearing the rumor, their eyes reddened as they rushed over demanding an explanation.

"We want to see Lord Zhao!"

"We demand an explanation from Lord Zhao!"

"Give me back my son!"

The yamen runners, armed with fire and water sticks, stood in a row, beads of sweat glistening on their foreheads, nervously holding back the agitated crowd. But they themselves were filled with doubt. Everyone here was from Daming Prefecture; was this rumor true or false?

……

In an inconspicuous house in the city.

Jiang Lin and Shen Kuo changed into coarse cloth clothes and put on some simple disguises on their faces, which were covered in dust, making them look like two ordinary migrant workers.

They had just returned from outside, bringing back a bellyful of news and a hot meat bun.

The meat buns were for Shen Kuo. Jiang Lin, on the other hand, leisurely brewed a pot of tea, the steam rising gently.

"Master, your move was brilliant!" Shen Kuo exclaimed excitedly while munching on a steamed bun. "The whole city is talking about it now. I just went to the entertainment district, and that storyteller's place was packed. There wasn't even room to stand for the later arrivals; some people even climbed onto the walls to listen!"

"As expected." Jiang Lin took a sip of tea, his expression calm. "Stories are the fastest medium of communication in this era. Especially stories that are a bit risqué, a bit violent, and have connections to the government—that's what the common people love to hear."

"That Su Shi, his writing is really good." Jiang Lin added, "I only gave him an outline, and he was able to embellish it so vividly, with phrases like 'his buttocks turned back as geese land on the sand,' I can't believe he came up with that."

Shen Kuo chuckled: "I've heard that kids in the city are learning this trick all over the streets and alleys."

Jiang Lin shook his head, somewhat amused. He put down his teacup, and the smile on his face slowly faded.

"The fire of public opinion has been lit. Now, it's up to Zhao Liben to respond." Jiang Lin's eyes deepened. "He should have received the news by now. He will definitely make a move within an hour."

"What will he do?" Shen Kuo stopped chewing and asked curiously.

"The first step is to refute the rumors. He will send someone out to say that this is a malicious rumor spread by someone with ulterior motives, intending to disrupt the stability of Daming Prefecture," Jiang Lin analyzed.

"The second step is to arrest them. He will order a city-wide search to find the source of the rumors, namely Su Shi and Jin Wanliang."

"The third step is to seal off the city. To prevent the news from leaking out and to trap us inside the city, he will likely order all city gates to be closed, allowing entry but not exit."

Shen Kuo was stunned: "Then...then aren't Su Shi and Jin Wanliang in great danger?"

"It is dangerous." Jiang Lin nodded. "But I've already had them hide beforehand. Jin Wanliang has been operating in Daming Prefecture for many years. As the saying goes, a cunning rabbit has three burrows, so he must have a few hiding places. As for Su Shi... that kid is very clever; he won't die."

That's what they said, but Jiang Lin knew in his heart that this was just a temporary measure. Once Zhao Liben went berserk and turned the entire Daming Prefecture upside down, they wouldn't be able to hide for long.

All they have to do now is wait.

We await news from Zhao Lingjun, and also wait for Zhao Liben to reveal his weakness.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

Just then, a rapid tolling of bells suddenly rang out in the city, the dull echo reverberating in the air. This was a signal that the government had an urgent matter to announce.

Immediately afterwards, squads of officers and soldiers set off from the barracks, hurrying to various key roads and city gates in the city.

The atmosphere on the street changed instantly. The excitement and agitation on the faces of the people were quickly replaced by astonishment, tension, and unease.

Jiang Lin walked to the window and looked through the crack at the soldiers in bright armor, holding weapons, on the street. His eyes narrowed slightly.

"They're here. Even faster than I expected."

Shen Kuo also came over, his face somewhat pale: "Headmaster, are they... going to seal off the city?"

"That's right." Jiang Lin nodded and sneered, "That old dog Zhao Liben is more decisive than I thought. It seems that the public outcry has really pushed him to the limit, to the point that he's even abandoning all pretense."

As the officers and soldiers quickly arrived at their positions, the cold blades reflected the blinding morning light, and an invisible net was slowly tightening, turning the entire Daming Prefecture into a huge cage from which there was no escape.

And they are the trapped beasts in this cage.