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

Jiang Lin lay on a rattan chair in the courtyard, holding a cup of freshly brewed Longjing tea. This tea was obtained by Qian Duoduo from a tea merchant in Hangzhou through a combination of buying and stealing; its taste was indeed much better than that of Bianjing.

Su Shi, clutching the gold-embossed invitation, paced back and forth in the courtyard, making Jiang Lin dizzy.

"Hey Zizhan, can you stop spinning me? You're making me dizzy," Jiang Lin said slowly, taking a sip of tea.

Su Shi stopped, his face full of worry: "Sir, this Lord Wang is the Salt Commissioner, a high-ranking official of the third rank. His holding this poetry gathering at this time is clearly aimed at our West Lake project. The Lin family is definitely sabotaging us behind the scenes; this banquet is bound to be a disaster."

Jiang Lin shifted to a more comfortable position, crossing his legs: "What do you care what kind of banquet it is? They're inviting you to dinner, and you're not happy to go? We've been eating the construction site's communal meals every day lately, so it's a good opportunity to improve our food."

Zhao Lingjun came out of the house, holding a folding fan, dressed smartly in men's clothing. She pulled up a chair and sat down next to Jiang Lin: "Sir is right. This Lord Wang holds the salt administration in Jiangnan, he's rolling in money. If he dares to cause trouble, we can just squeeze some of his wealth to fill the hole in West Lake."

Su Shi looked at the two men, speechless. What kind of time is this? Still thinking about taking advantage of the wealthy?

"Sir, Young Master Zhao, please don't tease me." Su Shi sat down and sighed. "This Lord Wang is notoriously pedantic and values ​​orthodox Neo-Confucianism the most. He will definitely use the argument of 'competing with the people for profit' to pressure me. I'm not good with words, and I'm afraid I won't be able to win the argument and will embarrass our academy."

Jiang Lin rolled his eyes: "You're bad at talking? When you're swearing, why don't you feel ashamed of your own bad talk? Back in Bianjing, you used an abacus to completely outmaneuver those people at the Imperial Academy, so why are you chickening out in Hangzhou?"

Su Shi scratched his head: "That's different. The people at the Imperial Academy are my peers, but this Lord Wang is my elder and superior. I can't just throw an abacus at his face, can I?"

"Why not?" Jiang Lin sat up straight. "Remember, we're doing something that benefits the country and its people. Anyone who tries to stop us is a sinner against the Song Dynasty. Don't worry about their rank; if they're unreasonable, just show them the account books."

Zhao Lingjun chimed in, "That's right. With the teacher backing you up, what are you afraid of? Besides, I, the chief shareholder of the academy, haven't given the word yet. Anyone who dares to touch our project will regret it."

Jiang Lin glanced at Zhao Lingjun, secretly chuckling to himself. This girl was increasingly adopting the demeanor of a domineering CEO. However, with her princess status, even if she really made a mess, there would be someone to cover for her.

"Alright, stop looking so gloomy." Jiang Lin stood up, patted Su Shi on the shoulder, and said, "Go change into something more presentable. You're the lead in tonight's performance, so you need to shine."

Su Shi took a deep breath and nodded. He knew that since his teacher had said that, he must already have a solution. He just needed to do as his teacher instructed.

Half an hour later, the three of them boarded a carriage and headed towards Wanghu Tower.

Wanghulou is the largest restaurant in Hangzhou, and it's always bustling with activity. Today, it's been booked out by Salt Commissioner Wang, and almost every prominent figure in Hangzhou has come.

The carriage came to a stop downstairs, and Jiang Lin lifted the curtain to take a look. The area downstairs was filled with all sorts of luxurious carriages, and two rows of servants stood at the entrance to greet guests, making quite a grand spectacle.

"Looks like there are quite a few people here tonight." Zhao Lingjun waved his folding fan, looking on with an expression of anticipation.

Su Shi straightened his clothes, took a deep breath, and was the first to disembark from the carriage. Jiang Lin and Zhao Lingjun followed closely behind.

The three of them had just reached the door when they were stopped by the welcoming servants.

"Gentlemen, Wanghu Tower has been booked by Lord Wang tonight. No unauthorized personnel are allowed to enter." The servant looked the three men up and down, noticing their ordinary attire and his arrogant tone.

Su Shi frowned, about to lash out. Jiang Lin stopped him, took out the gold-embossed invitation from his sleeve, and handed it over.

"Open your dog eyes and look at this!" Jiang Lin's tone was calm, yet it exuded an undeniable authority.

The servant took the invitation and his face immediately changed. He quickly bowed and put on a fawning smile: "So it's Magistrate Su. I was blind to your greatness. Please come in, sir."

Su Shi snorted coldly, took back the invitation, and strode inside. Jiang Lin and Zhao Lingjun followed behind, exchanging a glance and both seeing the smile in each other's eyes.

This is such a simplistic way of putting pressure on them. It seems that Lord Wang and the Lin family head aren't exactly shrewd either.

Upon reaching the third floor, the entire hall was already packed with people. Lord Wang sat in the main seat, with the Lin family head beside him, the two chatting and laughing. When Su Shi entered, the hall immediately fell silent. All eyes were on the three of them.

Lord Wang put down his teacup and looked at Su Shi with a forced smile: "Prefect Su, you've finally arrived. I thought you were too busy with official duties to grace us with your presence."

Su Shi stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting: "Since Lord Wang has invited me, how could I dare not come?"

Lord Wang nodded and pointed to an empty seat next to him: "Please sit down. Tonight is a poetry gathering; let's talk about poetry and literature, not state affairs. Judge Su is exceptionally talented; I'm really looking forward to it."

After Su Shi sat down, Jiang Lin and Zhao Lingjun stood naturally behind him. Lord Wang glanced at them, his brow furrowing slightly: "And who are these two?"

"These are my page and attendants," Su Shi casually made up.

Lord Wang didn't ask any further questions, and turned to look at everyone present: "Since everyone is here, let's begin. Tonight's theme is 'West Lake,' and everyone can showcase their talents. I've prepared a Duan inkstone as a prize; whoever writes the best poem will get the inkstone."

The crowd erupted in cheers. The Lin family head, leading the charge in flattery, said, "Lord Wang's Duan inkstone is a priceless treasure. It seems everyone will have to bring out their best skills tonight."

Jiang Lin stood behind Su Shi, coldly observing everything. These people, ostensibly discussing poetry and philosophy, were actually secretly observing Su Shi's reaction. This was no poetry gathering; it was clearly the prelude to a denunciation meeting.

He lowered his head and whispered to Su Shi, "Don't rush to take the lead. Let them flare up for a while. Wait until they reveal all their cards, then you can give them a real slap on the wrist."

Su Shi nodded slightly, indicating that he understood. He picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip, pretending to be casual. The tension in his heart had completely disappeared, replaced by a faint excitement.

He wanted to see what tricks these old fogies could come up with.