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

Inside the carriage, on a soft couch.

Jiang Lin leaned back on the cushion, watching the Runzhou city wall recede into the distance through the gap in the curtains. The smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by a calm expression.

He took out the letter for help that Su Shi had sent him earlier from his sleeve, and then glanced at the sandalwood box beside him.

Two letters.

One letter expresses the apprentice's anxiety, while the other reflects the bewilderment of those involved.

One letter expresses the emperor's anxiety, the other the powerlessness of the one at the helm.

The waters of Bianjing are deeper than I imagined.

"Duoduo".

Jiang Lin suddenly spoke, his voice carrying a hint of coldness.

"Hey sir, what's wrong? Are you hungry?" Qian Duoduo, who was driving, asked loudly.

"When I arrived in the capital, the first thing I did was not to open a shop."

Jiang Lin closed his eyes, his fingers lightly tapping his knee. "Go and find out something for me."

"What's up?"

"Go and investigate Han Qi, the official who wants to marry Su Shi. How many daughters does he have, what do they look like, and how many high-ranking officials want to propose marriage to him?"

Qian Duoduo nearly dropped her riding whip, turning back in alarm: "Ah? Sir, are you... trying to steal it? That's not a good idea, after all, Senior Brother Su..."

"Screw your ass."

Jiang Lin snorted coldly, "Su Shi is easily influenced. I want to see just how many 'sugar-coated bullets' these old foxes in the court have prepared for my student."

"Those who want to win me over? Hmph, they'll have to ask me, their teacher, for my permission first."

……

The official road from Runzhou to Bianjing was long and arduous.

However, escorted by thirty elite cavalrymen from the Imperial City Guard, the journey, which originally took half a month, was compressed into ten days.

The wheels rolled on, raising clouds of dust that blotted out the sun. Every post station along the way was filled with trepidation, as if the caravan had been brought before a high-ranking criminal in dire need of urgent help, or a powerful patron.

Ten days later, at dusk.

The majestic Bianjing city wall finally appeared on the horizon, and the setting sun, like blood, dyed this once most prosperous metropolis in the world a golden red.

Outside Nanxun Gate, traffic is heavy.

As soon as Wang Zheng, the commander of the Imperial City Guard, flashed his waist token, the Imperial Guards guarding the city immediately moved the barricades in panic and even roughly drove away several luxury cars blocking the way, forcibly clearing a special passage.

The carriage drove straight in, entering the belly of this colossal beast that devoured and consumed gold.

"This is Bianjing..."

Qian Duoduo pressed her face against the window, her eyes practically popping out of her head. "Sir! Look at that Fanlou restaurant! The lanterns there are hanging like stars! And the people on the street are dressed even more elegantly than the prefect of Runzhou!"

A wave of noise rushed towards us, a mixture of the smells of perfume, wine, meat, and sweat—this was the smell of the prosperous Song Dynasty.

Jiang Lin merely glanced at it indifferently before lowering the curtains.

"It's bustling and prosperous, but beneath that prosperity lies a web of holes."

The carriage did not drive directly into the palace.

According to custom, when officials from outside the capital arrive, they must first be settled in, and then summoned to court the following morning. Wang Zheng parked his carriage at a quiet street corner.

"Mr. Jiang, we have arrived in Bianjing."

Wang Zheng dismounted and, through the carriage window, clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "His Majesty has decreed that you, sir, have had a long and arduous journey. You may make your own arrangements for the night. His Majesty will summon you to an audience after the morning court session tomorrow."

Jiang Lin pushed open the carriage door, jumped off, stretched, and his bones cracked all over.

He glanced at the meticulous commander who had been working so hard all the way, took out a silver note from his sleeve, and handed it over.

"Thank you for your trouble, Commander Wang. Take this money and use it to buy some wine for the brothers."

Wang Zheng was taken aback. He had arrested corrupt officials and traitors before, but this was the first time he had ever seen someone who had been "forcibly invited" give a red envelope to the person who arrested them.

"Sir, this is against the rules..."

"Take it."

Jiang Lin stuffed the silver note into his hand and said with a smile, "We'll be dealing with each other for a long time to come. This Bianjing city is a dangerous place; having more friends means having more options."

Wang Zheng gave Jiang Lin a deep look, and finally didn't refuse again, cupping his hands and saying, "Thank you for your reward, sir. Take care, sir."

The Imperial City Guards have withdrawn.

Jiang Lin, along with Qian Duoduo, did not go to the Gaosheng Inn where Su Shi and the others were staying to join the crowd. Instead, they found a quiet place called "Yunlai Inn" near the Imperial Street to stay.

"Sir, are we really not going to go find our senior brothers?" Qian Duoduo asked while packing his luggage.

"I'm not going."

Jiang Lin stood by the second-floor window, looking down at the flowing traffic below. "Going to them now would only cause them trouble. Let's get a good night's sleep and recharge."

However, while he wanted peace and quiet, some people didn't want him to.

Less than half an hour later, a commotion suddenly broke out downstairs.

"Look! It's Scholar Su!"

"Why is Scholar Su here? Wasn't he supposed to be closed to guests at the Gaosheng Inn?"

Jiang Lin peeked out and saw several young men in green robes getting off a carriage and rushing into the inn's lobby, ignoring the onlookers.

The chubby man leading the group, with a ruddy complexion and a somewhat tired but energetic appearance, was none other than Su Shi.

Following behind were the composed Zeng Gong and the slightly inexperienced Su Zhe.

"Are these three kids born with noses like dogs?" Jiang Lin laughed.

As soon as Su Shi entered the main hall, his eyes searched around, and when he saw the familiar figure in a blue robe standing on the second-floor railing, his eyes instantly reddened.

"teacher!"

Su Shi disregarded any semblance of dignity befitting a top scholar, lifted the corner of his robe, and rushed up the stairs in three strides. When he reached Jiang Lin, he knelt down with a "plop."

"Sir! You've finally arrived!"

"I'm sorry, student... I've caused you trouble!"

The entire lobby fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone stared wide-eyed as this newly crowned top scholar, a protégé of the emperor, who had just become famous throughout the land, actually gave such a grand salute to a young man dressed in plain clothes.

Zeng Gong and Su Zhe followed suit, kneeling down in unison: "Greetings, our revered teacher!"

Jiang Lin stood on the stairs, looking down at the three students who both made him proud and gave him a headache. He gently tapped Su Shi's head with his folding fan.

Get up.

Jiang Lin's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a reassuring quality.

"Since you call me 'sir,' then I'll naturally take responsibility for the trouble you've caused."

He glanced around, taking in the shocked looks on their faces, and a faint smile appeared on his lips:

"Come on, let's go inside and talk."

"I'm not here to take office, but to support you."

Once inside the room, I closed the door, cutting off any view from the outside.

Before Su Shi could even begin to complain, Jiang Lin walked to the table, took out a neatly folded sheet of Xuan paper from his pocket, and slammed it onto the table with a "thud."

"Alright, we can catch up later."

Jiang Lin looked at the three students, his expression turning serious.

"You all know that the Emperor is summoning me tomorrow, right?"

Su Shi nodded: "I know. His Majesty has been talking about you every day these past few days, and that letter was even written in front of me."

"That's good."

Jiang Lin pointed to the piece of paper on the table, his eyes flashing with a kind of "madness".

"Since the Emperor has shown me the respect due to a disciple, I, as his teacher, cannot go empty-handed."

"This is the 'gift' I prepared for the Emperor."

Su Shi curiously leaned over to take a look, and after just one glance at the question, his face turned deathly pale, and his calves began to cramp.

On the paper was a line of large, menacing characters:

On the Poison of Redundant Officials and Expenses in the Song Dynasty and the Necessity of "Layoffs"

"Sir...Sir!" Su Shi nearly jumped up in fright, his voice trembling. "This isn't a greeting gift! You're going to ruin the livelihoods of the entire court! If you hand this over, those old ministers will devour you alive tomorrow!"

Jiang Lin laughed, a laugh that was calm and collected, yet exuded an overwhelming aura of dominance:

"How can we make room for you if we don't take away their jobs?"

"Watch closely tomorrow as I teach this 'disciple of Zhao Zhen' his first lesson!"