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

The Imperial Palace, Daqing Hall.

Inside the magnificent palace, the sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air, and songs and dances resounded.

The court officials sat on both sides, each one upright and solemn, their eyes showing a hint of wariness towards the Khitan envoys.

However, Xiao Dalin, the Liao envoy who was a guest, seemed a bit...too casual.

This burly Khitan man, eight feet tall and with a waist circumference of eight feet, was sitting imposingly in the first seat of the guest section.

He had one foot on the stool, a leg of lamb in his hand, and was gnawing on it with grease dripping from his mouth, completely ignoring the etiquette of the Song Dynasty.

"Your Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty!"

Xiao Dalin threw the lamb leg bone onto the table with a loud "bang," which made the Minister of Rites next to him twitch.

He stood up, picked up the exquisite Yue ware celadon wine cup, and banged his loud voice like a broken gong:

"His Majesty the Emperor of our Great Liao Dynasty sent me to extend his greetings! The wine is fine, but the cup..."

He curled his lip, looking disgusted: "Too petty! Not straightforward enough!"

Emperor Renzong sat on the dragon throne, expressionless, but his hands, hidden in his sleeves, were clenched into fists.

These Khitan barbarians always act like they're the boss whenever they come, which is disgusting.

"Please forgive me, Liao envoy," Emperor Renzong said calmly. "This is how our Great Song Dynasty treats its guests; exquisite hospitality is paramount."

"Refined my foot!" Xiao Dalin laughed loudly. "Men drink from big bowls! Someone, bring us big bowls!"

Just as the eunuch beside him was about to step forward, Xiao Dalin's gaze suddenly froze.

His gaze swept past the crowd and fixed firmly on the imperial desk in front of Emperor Renzong.

There, a crystal-clear, shimmering wine glass was placed.

It was completely transparent, and under the illumination of the palace lanterns, it refracted a rainbow of colors, as pure as an ice crystal fallen from the heavens, making it stand out from the other exquisite porcelain pieces at the banquet.

Xiao Dalin rubbed his eyes, thinking he was seeing things because he had drunk too much.

"That...that is..."

He pointed at the cup, his voice trembling, "What is that?!"

The official letter only said "crystal clear", but I never expected it to be like this... Compared to this, the glass of the Liao Dynasty is nothing but mud!

The officials followed his finger and exchanged knowing smiles.

That was the "Heavenly Crafted Glass Cup" that Empress Cao had specially presented to the Emperor a few days ago. Now it is the Emperor's favorite, and he takes it with him wherever he goes.

Emperor Renzong smiled slightly, picked up the glass, and casually swirled the wine inside. The red wine rippled in the transparent glass, a breathtaking sight.

"Oh, Tiangong Liuli (a type of glazed tile)," Emperor Renzong said casually. "Didn't the Liao envoy come to purchase this item?"

Xiao Dalin swallowed hard, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

Never seen it before! I've really never seen it before!

"Great stuff! This is really great stuff!"

Xiao Dalin's greed was impossible to conceal. He strode to the steps, didn't bother with a bow, and directly extended his hand:

"Your Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty, this is so beautiful! Our Emperor of the Great Liao Dynasty will surely love it!"

"Could you send us a few items? So we can take them back and show them to His Majesty?"

He said "give," not "buy."

The tone wasn't like a request, but rather like extortion. It was as if it were a matter of course for the Song Dynasty to send things to the Liao Dynasty.

The atmosphere inside the hall instantly turned cold.

Han Qi frowned, about to step forward and reprimand him, but was stopped by a look from Emperor Renzong.

Emperor Renzong put down his cup, his face still bearing a gentle smile, but his eyes were so deep that they were unfathomable.

"The Liao envoy is very thoughtful."

Emperor Renzong spoke slowly and deliberately:

"I also think this is a good item. However... this item was produced by a private academy, and is therefore private property. Although I am the emperor, I cannot forcibly seize the people's wealth."

Xiao Dalin was taken aback: "A private academy?"

"Exactly." Emperor Renzong shrugged, looking helpless. "Our Great Song Dynasty has strict laws and emphasizes fair trade. If the Liao envoy really wants it, why not... go and buy it himself?"

Xiao Dalin's face instantly turned a deep liver color.

Why should a dignified envoy of the Liao Dynasty buy things from a lowly merchant?

This is an absolute disgrace!

But looking at that shimmering cup, he really couldn't bear to part with it. If he were to take it back and present it to the emperor, that would be a great achievement, and he might even be granted the title of prince!

He gritted his teeth and let out a cold snort:

"Fine, I'll buy it! Tell me where that shop is! I'll bury them in money!"

……

The next day, in the backyard of Jing Shi Academy.

Jiang Lin was lying on a deck chair under the old locust tree, basking in the sun, fanning himself with a tattered palm-leaf fan, feeling extremely relaxed. He had just earned ten thousand strings of cash; he would never have to worry about anything for the rest of his life. This was the pinnacle of life.

"Jiangshan Chang! People from the Court of State Ceremonial have arrived!" Qian Duoduo's voice broke the silence.

Officials from the Court of State Ceremonial arrived at the academy with a personal letter from Xiao Dalin and a box of so-called "valuable gifts" (which were actually just a few tattered pieces of leather and a pile of worthless northern pearls).

After hearing the purpose of the visit from the official of the Court of State Ceremonial, Jiang Lin didn't even lift his eyelids.

"Sold to the Liao Kingdom?"

Jiang Lin put down his palm-leaf fan and gently blew away non-existent dust:

"Not for sale."

The official from the Court of State Ceremonial was stunned. Wiping his sweat, he advised, "Lord Jiang, this is an envoy from the Liao Kingdom speaking... If we offend him, it could cause a conflict between our two countries..."

"Conflict?"

Jiang Lin stood up, walked to the window, his back to the official, and spoke in a clear and firm voice:

"Go back and tell that barbarian from Liao—"

"The Tiangong Liuli (Heavenly Crafted Glass) is the result of the painstaking efforts of the artisans of our Great Song Dynasty, embodying the soul of our Chinese nation."

"This item is only given to those who have rendered meritorious service to the Song Dynasty, and only sold to law-abiding citizens of the Song Dynasty."

He whirled around, his gaze sharp as a knife, piercing the official's eyes:

"As for those barbarian foreigners, they think they can trade a few tattered hides for them? Dream on."

"If he disagrees, you can tell him exactly what he said—"

"Want it? Go back and build it yourself."

"If your hands, which are only good for drawing bows and shooting eagles, could make such exquisite things."

The official from the Court of State Ceremonial was dumbfounded, stammering, "How...how am I supposed to convey this? The Liao envoy will definitely draw his sword and kill someone!"

Jiang Lin smiled, a smile that was calm and serene:

"Pass it on as I said. Not a single word changed."

"If anything goes wrong, I, Jiang Lin, will take responsibility."

……

The news reached the Court of State Ceremonial.

Xiao Dalin was so angry that he overturned the table on the spot.

"Damn it! Absolutely bastard!"

He drew his sword and hacked the solid wood table to pieces, his roar shaking the roof.

"A mere merchant! How dare he humiliate my Great Liao! How dare he look down on our Khitan warriors!"

"I want to see your emperor! I want him to sentence this madman to death! I want that academy razed to the ground!"

The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial smiled obsequiously, but inwardly he was overjoyed: "Envoy, please calm down... This is a civil dispute, and the court shouldn't interfere..."

Xiao Dalin went on a rampage, but in the end he could only helplessly put away his sword.

Although he was impulsive, he knew what was important. He couldn't possibly start a war with the Song Dynasty over a few glasses, could he? If he did, the emperor would skin him alive when they got back.

In the end, he could only lead his delegation away in disgrace. Before leaving, he stood at the gate of Bianjing city, pointed in the direction of Songshan Academy, and uttered a harsh remark:

"We, the Great Liao, will remember this debt! We'll see!"

……

The news of the Liao envoy's failed return spread like wildfire throughout Bianjing (Kaifeng).

"Have you heard? The Liao people tried to forcibly buy Tiangong Liuli (a type of glasswork), but Jiang Shanchang refused!"

"Really? That's an envoy from the Liao Dynasty! They're ruthless killers!"

"Absolutely true! Jiang Shanchang said in front of the officials of the Court of State Ceremonial: 'This item is only given to those who have rendered meritorious service, and will not be sold to foreign countries! Want it? Make it yourself!'"

"Good! That's got guts! That's so satisfying!"

"This is the spirit of a scholar from our Great Song Dynasty! Wealth and honor cannot corrupt them, nor can power and force subdue them!"

In an instant, Jiang Lin's reputation rose from that of a "profit-making shrewd businessman" to that of a "national hero".

Even those old scholars who usually look down on "strange skills and tricks" have to give Jiang Lin a thumbs up and praise him for "having integrity".

The news reached deep within the palace.

Emperor Renzong was reviewing memorials in his study when he heard the eunuch's report and couldn't help but laugh.

"That Jiang Lin is quite interesting."

He put down his vermilion brush, in high spirits. He could use Jiang Lin to dampen the Liao people's arrogance and also see just how capable this kid really was—a double win!

Just then, a young eunuch cautiously entered, carrying a mahogany box in his hands.

"Your Majesty, there is something I need to ask..."

"What is it?" Emperor Renzong was in a good mood, and his tone was gentle.

"Your Highness... has had the money returned."

Emperor Renzong was taken aback.

He remembered the three thousand strings of cash he had saved up, and the IOU that read "10% interest".

"Oh? How much did you return? Three thousand three hundred strings of cash?"

The eunuch's hand trembled, and his voice quivered:

"Your Majesty...it's not three thousand three hundred strings of cash."

"How much is that?"

The eunuch swallowed hard, opened the box, revealing a thick stack of coins inside:

"Yes... six thousand strings of cash."

"Clatter".

Emperor Renzong dropped his vermilion brush onto the memorial, staining it a large area with red ink.

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes wide open:

"How many?!"

"Six...six thousand strings of cash."

A deathly silence fell over the Imperial Study.

Emperor Renzong remained silent for a full three seconds.

Then, he slammed his fist on the table and roared:

"Bring that damned girl to me!!!"