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

As night falls, the bustling city of Bianjing is ablaze with lights, like a galaxy fallen to earth.

The Xiangguo Temple in the west of the city, a royal temple, was now completely silent, with only a few dim lanterns swaying in the cold wind, casting long shadows of the monks.

In a secluded meditation room in the temple's backyard, Jiang Lin sat cross-legged on a futon, meditating with his eyes closed. Shen Kuo stood beside him, curiously studying the structure of the Buddha statues in the room.

The continuous travel had left both of them somewhat exhausted, but Jiang Lin remained highly focused. He knew that tonight's meeting would determine the success or failure of all their subsequent actions.

After an unknown amount of time, a soft footstep sound came from outside the door.

"Headmaster." A deep voice came from outside the door.

"Let him in," Jiang Lin said.

The door was pushed open, and a middle-aged scholar dressed in a scholar's robe, with a lean face and a handsome beard, walked in, led by a bodyguard.

The visitor was none other than Ouyang Xiu, a Hanlin Academician and a leading figure in the literary world.

"Cunzhong, go out and keep watch first," Jiang Lin said to Shen Kuo.

The two nodded, left, and closed the door behind them.

Inside the meditation room, only Jiang Lin and Ouyang Xiu remained.

"Since our parting in the capital, the landscape remains as magnificent as ever. However, the place where we meet is rather unexpected," Ouyang Xiu said with a smile, his tone slightly teasing as he looked Jiang Lin up and down.

He was genuinely surprised when he received the news. The young man who had shocked everyone in the court had actually become a "demon" for whom the court had offered a thousand gold pieces as a reward, and had even caused such a huge uproar.

"Lord Ouyang, you jest." Jiang Lin opened his eyes, stood up, and bowed deeply to Ouyang Xiu. "If I were not forced by circumstances, I would not have taken such a risky step and disturbed you so late at night."

"Sit down." Ouyang Xiu sat down on the prayer mat opposite him. "Since I'm here, it means I believe you and not the nonsense spouted by those people in the court. Tell me, what exactly happened?"

Jiang Lin did not hide anything and told everything that happened in Daming Prefecture, from the "physical exorcism" in Guiku Garden to the tragic state of the underground purgatory, to the evidence of Zhao Liben's treason, and the identity of Princess Zhao Lingjun.

He spoke calmly, as if recounting a story unrelated to himself. But Ouyang Xiu listened with a chilling unease, his expression shifting constantly.

When he heard that Zhao Liben had been illegally operating mines, enslaving thousands of people, and even using human bones as fuel to forge weapons for the Western Xia, this gentle scholar was so angry that he trembled and slammed his fist on the table.

"Heinous! Utterly heinous! Such a traitor deserves to be torn to pieces, and even that wouldn't be enough to atone for his crimes!"

When Ouyang Xiu heard that Jiang Lin had used his chemical knowledge to create a "miracle" and ultimately bring Zhao Liben to justice, he showed surprise and admiration.

"With the knowledge of investigating things, he performs deeds concerning spirits and deities, deterring villains and stabilizing the people's hearts. His talent for governing the country is beyond the comprehension of spirits and deities; I admire him greatly!"

Finally, when Jiang Lin mentioned that the princess was under house arrest and that the pro-peace faction in the court wanted to send her to Western Xia for a marriage alliance, Ouyang Xiu's face darkened completely.

"Damn it! A bunch of scoundrels who only know how to form cliques and attack dissidents, utterly devoid of any sense of national duty!" He was so angry that his beard trembled. "To cover up their crimes, they actually sacrificed the princess and destroyed the foundation of the nation! Wu Chong, Cai Jing, and their ilk are unworthy of being called subjects!"

After venting his anger, Ouyang Xiu calmed down. He looked at Jiang Lin and said solemnly, "Headmaster, do you know what kind of force you are facing now?"

"I would like to hear the details," Jiang Lin said solemnly.

"Wu Chong, Cai Jing, and others are backed by a large number of officials in the court who have vested interests with Zhao Liben. They are deeply entrenched and powerful, controlling almost half of the channels of communication in the court," Ouyang Xiu sighed.

"The account books brought back by the princess are irrefutable evidence, but they refuse to admit it, claiming it was forged by a sorcerer, and even counter-accuse him. His Majesty... although he is willing to investigate thoroughly, he is also hesitant to act rashly for fear of causing serious harm."

"So, he wants to sacrifice his own daughter to get a temporary compromise?" Jiang Lin's voice turned cold.

Ouyang Xiu remained silent for a moment before slowly saying, "His Majesty also has his own difficulties. The Western Xia delegation is being aggressive, and military reports from the border indicate that the Western Xia army is gathering, seemingly intending to march south. Beset by internal and external troubles, he... he can only choose to stabilize the situation first."

"What a fine 'stabilize the situation' statement." Jiang Lin sneered, "To exchange the lifelong happiness of a woman for the lingering existence of a group of traitors, this situation is better off not existing."

Ouyang Xiu was startled by the undisguised sharpness in Jiang Lin's eyes. He knew that this young man was truly enraged.

"Master, you summoned me here so late at night, you must have a plan in mind. If there's anything I can do for you, please speak freely," Ouyang Xiu said in a deep voice.

He has made his decision.

For the public good, it is to expose treacherous officials and uphold justice for the nation.

Personally, it was to repay Jiang Lin's kindness in recognizing her talent, and even more so to protect the brave princess who dared to venture into the lion's den and reveal the truth.

Throughout his life, Ouyang Xiu adhered to the principle of "righteousness" in all his actions. Now, with righteousness at stake, how could he back down!

Jiang Lin had been waiting for these words.

"I need Ouyang Gong to do three things for me." Jiang Lin held up three fingers.

"First, I need to know all the information about the Western Xia delegation. Their accommodations, who their leader is, and especially the Western Xia prince who wants to marry the princess—his personality, preferences, and weaknesses. I need it all."

"Secondly, I need a list. A list of all the officials in the court who advocate marriage alliances and are involved in Zhao Li's case. The more detailed, the better."

"Third, and most importantly," Jiang Lin said, looking into Ouyang Xiu's eyes, "three days from now, I want to witness the biggest spectacle in Bianjing. A spectacle that will draw everyone's attention to this marriage alliance."

Ouyang Xiu frowned slightly: "What constitutes 'the greatest excitement'?"

A mysterious smile appeared on Jiang Lin's lips.

"A spectacle that would make the Western Xia prince himself refuse the marriage proposal."

Ouyang Xiu was stunned.

How could the Western Xia prince possibly refuse? They went to such great lengths to arrange this marriage; how could he possibly give up on it himself?

Looking into Jiang Lin's deep, all-seeing eyes, he suddenly realized that this young man was about to use his unimaginable methods to play a grand, earth-shattering game.

"Very well!" Ouyang Xiu nodded emphatically without asking any further questions. "I can answer the first two questions within a day. As for the third, how do you need my cooperation?"

"I need to borrow something," Jiang Lin said slowly, "I need to borrow Zizhan's title of top scholar."