[Fantasy] The Song of the Six Dynasties (Complete) - 19

Chapter Eight:

Even before Jia Shixian fell from power, a dark cloud loomed over the city, and heroes from all sides were sharpening their knives

, ready to slaughter this fat sheep. For the first time, Cheng Zongyang realized that if Jia Shixian lost power, the trouble it would bring him would likely be even greater than if Jiangzhou had fallen to the Song army. Although he had confidently assured Li Shishi, Cheng Zongyang was actually quite uncertain, spending the entire day worried that as soon as Jia Shixian was ordered to be punished, he would be met with officials and heroes from all sides coming to ransack his home, stripping and dismembering the Cheng family of Panjiang. Therefore, the news brought by Tong Guan made him feel like he was dreaming.

"Old Jia is alright!?"

The battle of Jiangzhou was instigated by Jia Shixian, and now that it had resulted in a crushing defeat, if the responsibility were investigated, Jia Shixian would be unable to escape it. The Song emperor first ordered the execution of Weng Yinglong, then recalled Teng Fu; almost everyone thought Jia Shixian was doomed this time. However, the development of events exceeded everyone's expectations.

Just yesterday, while Cheng Zongyang and Gao Qiu were enjoying a game of football at Oak Terrace, Jia Shixian requested to enter the palace and had a private audience with him for an hour. The next day at noon, news from the palace took a sharp turn for the worse: Xia Yonghe, as the commander-in-chief, was ordered to atone for his mistakes by serving in the army.

Shi Yuansun, the right wing commander of the Pengri Army, deserted his post, was imprisoned, and handed over to the authorities for questioning.

The Changping granary in Yunzhou suffered repeated fires; Teng Fu, as the prefect, was dismissed for negligence due to a lack of oversight.

Wang Yuyu, old and ailing, petitioned to be transferred to a prefecture outside the capital and was appointed by imperial decree as the prefect of Yunzhou…

This was followed by personnel changes in the court: the ministers of the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Works simultaneously retired, with their respective vice-ministers handling departmental affairs. With Wang Yuyu's departure, the Privy Council became a mere shell. This series of edicts was dazzling; by the time everyone realized what was happening, Wang Yuyu's faction had already been uprooted by Jia Shixian's thunderous counterattack.

Grand Tutor Jia, who already held immense power, had no rivals in the court.

"What's going on?" Cheng Zongyang exclaimed. "Has Old Jia usurped the throne?"

Qin Hui said, "There must be something fishy going on. Eunuch Tong, has there been any unusual activity in the palace these past few days?"

Cheng Zongyang's residence in the city was a private property secretly managed by the Pengyi Society. Because this was the address he filled in when reporting to the Ministry of Personnel, Sun Tianyu's Imperial City Guard and Tong Guan's Imperial Household Department used this address to exchange messages. Tong Guan, disguised as a servant, delivered the latest news from the palace early that morning. Seeing Cheng Zongyang's astonishment, he couldn't help but feel a sense of smugness.

“It wouldn’t be accurate to call it unusual,” Tong Guan said in a low voice. “It’s just that before Grand Tutor Jia met with His Majesty, he went to see the Empress Dowager.”

“The Empress Dowager?”

“She’s His Majesty’s grandmother. She treated Consort Jia very well back then,” Tong Guan said. “I don’t know what Grand Tutor Jia said, but the Empress Dowager summoned His Majesty and gave him a good scolding. His Majesty has always been filial, so he had no choice but to demote Prime Minister Wang from the court.”

Cheng Zongyang suddenly realized, “I see.”

Consort Jia was Jia Shixian’s older sister, and a concubine of the late Emperor. In terms of social standing, Jia Shixian was a relative of the Empress Dowager, so it wasn’t surprising that he could speak to her.

Qin Hui frowned and asked, “What words did Jia Shixian use to persuade the Empress Dowager?”

That was a question. In terms of closeness, one was his own grandson, the current Emperor of the Song Dynasty. The other was the half-brother of his deceased consort; their relationship was worlds apart. Unless Jia Shixian had a very good reason, it was impossible for him to persuade the Empress Dowager.

Tong Guan said with difficulty, "This... I really don't know."

Such a confidential conversation was probably known only to Jia Shixian, the Empress Dowager, and the Song Emperor himself. Qin Hui's question merely pointed out the key point; he didn't expect Tong Guan to answer.

Qin Hui remained silent, taking the various messages sent from different channels by Gao Qiu, Tong Guan, Sun Tianyu, and others, and carefully reviewing them.

Gao Qiu's intelligence, personally brought by Cheng Zongyang, focused on military matters and was extremely detailed. However, given that it occurred before Jia Shixian entered the palace, it didn't contain much valuable information.

Analysis of the latest news from the palace showed that the punishment for the defeat at Jiangzhou was clearly using Shi Yuansun as a scapegoat. Xia Yonghe's punishment seemed severe, but given his age, he should have been retired after the battle. His act of redeeming himself through meritorious service instead preserved his military power, effectively a demotion in name only.

Teng Fu and Wang Yuyu, Jia Shixian's political enemies, were dismissed or expelled without hesitation. Wang Yuyu's cronies were mostly purged in this political upheaval, leaving vacancies in the Privy Council and three ministerial positions. Han Jiefu, Shi Tongshu, and Cai Yuanchang, all shrewd men, did not express any particular allegiance, making them acceptable candidates to both sides in the power struggle between the Song emperor and Jia Shixian, seemingly poised to become the big winners of this political upheaval.

Cheng Zongyang personally escorted Tong Guan out the back door, his spy planted in the palace leaving satisfied with his actions.

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Qin Hui remained indoors, spending the entire afternoon reviewing intelligence. Soon after, his informant at Mingqing Temple brought back a newly posted prayer list. Cheng Zongyang immediately went to the address on the prayer list, retrieved the latest news sent by Gao Qiu, and handed it all to Qin Hui, while he himself went to the Wu Mu Prince's residence and the money exchange to check on business.

At dawn the next day, Qin Hui, who had stayed up all night, was still full of energy. Cheng Zongyang yawned to himself, thinking: "Not just anyone can be a treacherous minister. Look at that damned traitor's energy! But then again, if he were weaker, he wouldn't be able to do so many bad things."

After a night of sifting through hundreds of intricate intelligence reports involving nearly dozens of officials, Qin Hui picked out three seemingly insignificant pieces of news.

One was that the Imperial City Guard had changed hands, with the former head, Li Xian, being dismissed and replaced by the powerful eunuch Feng Deming.

Another was that the Song emperor had ordered the Imperial Medical Academy to select skilled physicians to go to the Vanguard Camp to inquire about the injuries of the powerful eunuch Qin Han.

The third was that Zhang Shaohuang, the Marquis of Wudu of Jin, would be going to Lin'an as the chief envoy to attend the Song Dynasty's Thousand Autumns Festival.

“Where there's smoke, there's fire. I suspect that a key figure has indeed gone missing from the Song palace, and it's inextricably linked to the Imperial City Guard,” Qin Hui said. “The change of the Imperial City Guard commander is specifically related to this matter. Li Xian is in the army year-round; the Imperial City Guard commander title is just an honorary title for him, but it's extremely important to this Eunuch Feng.”

Cheng Zongyang pondered for a moment. “Check if there are any concubines with the surname Wei in the palace.”

“No,” Qin Hui answered without hesitation. “I've already checked. There's only one person with the surname Wei in the palace, but she's not a concubine; she's the current Empress Dowager.”

Although Cheng Zongyang was somewhat prepared, his heart still skipped a beat upon hearing this. Could it be that Meng Niang, whom he rescued from the Black Demon Sea's lair, who had followed him for months and whom he had taken countless liberties with, was actually the Empress Dowager of Song?

Could it be? I heard she had an affair with Yue Niaoren and even had a daughter—if she hadn't gone missing, I might have been calling Yue Niaoren "father-in-law" again—did I take advantage of Yue Niaoren's daughter and then his woman? That Yue Niaoren is too good to me!

Cheng Zongyang chuckled dryly, "Could the Empress Dowager be missing?"

"It shouldn't be," Qin Hui said, "The Empress Dowager will go to Mingqing Temple to pray for blessings on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, and the palace has strictly ordered the Imperial City Guard to accompany and protect her." "Does the Empress Dowager

often go to burn incense?" "

Most of the concubines in the inner palace are devout Buddhists and Taoists. The eighth day of the fourth lunar month is Buddha's Birthday, and every year at this time, the concubines in the palace would go to the temple to burn incense."

Mengniang had completely forgotten her previous memories, but on that day at Xiangzhu Temple in Yunzhou, her actions of burning incense clearly indicated that she often burned incense and worshipped Buddha. The more Cheng Zongyang thought about it, the more suspicious he became. Could it be that the Empress Dowager in the palace had really been kidnapped? Lu Jing had once said that he and Si Mingxin had broken into the palace before and interrogated the Empress Dowager about the whereabouts of Yue Shuai's daughter. Since the two of them were able to sneak into the palace, it wouldn't be difficult for Jian Yuji to bring someone out alive. If Meng Niang is truly the Empress Dowager of Song, then the person burning incense on the Buddha's Birthday on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month is most likely a ruse…

While pondering, Cheng Zongyang blurted out, "A deception!"

Qin Hui frowned and thought for a moment, "I hadn't thought that far ahead, but it's not impossible."

A bold idea sprouted in Cheng Zongyang's mind: to find out if the Empress Dowager was real or not, why not just go to Mingqing Temple on the eighth day of the fourth month?

Cheng Zongyang leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the armrest, and asked, "Anything else?"

"The other one concerns the defeat at Jiangzhou. Qin Da Diao Dang's injuries suddenly worsened during the retreat, which is quite suspicious." Qin Hui pondered, "I suspect that Qin Da Diao Dang must have been injured in a fight. The only forces capable of injuring Qin Da Diao Dang in Jiangzhou are three: Xingyue Lake, Marquis Xiao, and the Northern Army." "

It can't be Boss Meng. He wouldn't have left such a big matter unmentioned."

"That's right. We already know it wasn't the Xingyue Lake camp, and the possibility of the Northern Army being involved is very low. So that leaves Marquis Xiao."

"Here's another piece of news," Qin Hui said, pulling out a recent official gazette. "Due to years of unsustainable expenditures and wasted resources, which is of no benefit to the court, the Danyang Shipping Bureau has been abolished."

Qin Hui put down the gazette. "And then, lastly: the Jin state has sent the Marquis of Wudu as an envoy to Lin'an to congratulate the Song emperor on his birthday."

Danyang, located on the northern border between Jin and Song, is one of the most important ports on the middle reaches of the Yunshui River. The Shipping Bureau, let alone being poorly managed, would have had a hard time even if it wanted to lose money. For the Song state to withdraw so easily, unless there was some behind-the-scenes exchange of benefits with Jin, is absurd. (Advertisement: Still relying on your hands? How can that be enjoyable? Forum reputation guaranteed! Healthy anti-premature ejaculation masturbation exerciser, real oral sex pleasure experience, hot recommendation! Maintain the feeling of ejaculation for 30 minutes, so pleasurable you'll faint! Fully automated masturbation with 12 different sex positions and vibration frequencies. Click to enter.)

"Damn it!" Cheng Zongyang paused for a moment, then slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "Wang Maohong!"

The intelligence sent by Gao Qiu mentioned that Jia Shixian had sent someone to Jiankang to exchange the right to use the Danyang ferry crossing for a statement from the Jin state, but nothing came of it afterward. Unexpectedly, just over a month later, the Song state suddenly abolished the Danyang shipping bureau. From this, it can be inferred that when news of the defeat at Jiangzhou arrived, Jia Shixian was likely negotiating with the Jin envoy, and the outcome of the negotiations was self-evident.

Cheng Zongyang sighed with admiration, "That old fox Wang Maohong, even from Jiankang, still manages to extend his reach to Lin'an. Trading Jiangzhou, which he couldn't hold onto anyway, for Danyang Ferry—that's a pretty good deal!"

"More importantly, it did Jia Shixian a huge favor, giving him a reason to continue holding power." Qin Hui said, "Jia Shixian isn't incompetent; in terms of talent alone, he's above average. But he's frivolous and easily distracted. With his above-average talent, he only dedicates about half his time to state affairs, thus falling to below-average. With him in charge of Song, all other states can rest easy. Otherwise, if Jia Shixian falls from power, Song has a couple of outstanding talents who could certainly revive the nation." Cheng

Zongyang smiled and said, "Cai Yuanchang, Han Jiefu, Shi Tongshu, and you, Qin Huizhi—you all seem to be outstanding talents of the Song Dynasty."

Qin Hui laughed heartily, "If I were to govern Song, it would be as easy as cooking a small fish!"

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A fierce power struggle within the Song Dynasty ultimately ended in a resounding victory for Jia Shixian. While Jia Shixian might have been somewhat inept in foreign warfare—the Battle of Jiangzhou alone resulted in heavy losses and a loss of face for the Song Dynasty—he proved a master strategist in the civil war of power struggles. Just when onlookers expected him to be killed, Jia Shixian struck suddenly, delivering a fatal blow and consigning his opponents to the dustbin of history, revealing his cunning and ruthless nature.

With Jia Shixian's position secure, the dark clouds surrounding the Cheng family of Panjiang dissipated. First, the officials of Lin'an Prefecture responsibly arrested the neighbors who had complained about the Cheng family's forced relocation, and without a word, gave Cheng Zongyang a severe beating, thus doing him a considerable favor.

Then Tongyuan Bank readily handed over its business. Manager Liu, ostensibly in charge, wore a beaming smile, sincerely welcoming the Panjiang Cheng family's delegation. Behind Tongyuan Bank were two powerful owners: Wang sent a congratulatory gift, and Liang Shidu personally visited, treating the young man, barely older than his own son, with utmost respect. Unable to climb the social ladder of Grand Tutor Jia, clinging to the Cheng family's coattails was better than nothing. As for Huang Yinglian, she dressed extravagantly and offered herself to her new master's bed.

Hearing that the money exchange's business was still stagnant, Cai Yuanchang also sent word that the agreed-upon monthly payments could be postponed.

This series of sudden shifts from arrogance to obsequiousness left Cheng Zongyang both amused and exasperated, and he couldn't help but marvel at the power of authority. Therefore, when Liao Qunyu personally came to express the Grand Tutor's invitation, Cheng Zongyang immediately prepared gifts and, accompanied by Qin Hui, rushed to Banxian Hall in Geling.

Liao Qunyu's worries from the past few days had vanished, and his expression became much more relaxed. He and Qin Hui discussed poetry and essays along the way, clapping and laughing heartily at the most interesting parts.

Cheng Zongyang, who had stayed up until the early hours of the morning last night, felt drowsy as he sat in the carriage and couldn't help but yawn.

Seeing Liao Qunyu's gaze fall upon him, Cheng Zongyang said apologetically, "I was quite drunk last night, please forgive my inconvenience, Mr. Liao."

Liao Qunyu smiled and said, "Alcohol can cloud judgment, which is why Buddhists abstain from it. Alcohol can also nourish the spirit, which is why immortals drink it. Without alcohol, one can study Buddhism; with alcohol, one can study immortality, but one must not overindulge."

"I've learned a lot!" Cheng Zongyang laughed, "I was ignorant, I just learned that Mr. Liao's Yueshengtang is a famous bookstore. I wonder how your books are usually printed?"

"There are only two types: lithograph and woodblock printing," Liao Qunyu said. "The techniques are generally the same. First, a manuscript is made, then it is turned over and laid on wood or stone. Craftsmen then carve the intaglio characters page by page according to the manuscript, and then ink is applied before printing." "

How long does it take to carve one page?"

"If it's woodblock printing, a skilled craftsman can usually carve two to three pages a day; for lithograph, it takes half that."

"Mr. Liao, which do you think is better, lithograph or woodblock printing?"

"Each has its merits. Lithography is durable, but time-consuming and labor-intensive. Woodblocks are easy to carve, but difficult to preserve, often warping, cracking, or easily decaying,"

Cheng Zongyang said with a slight smile. "Has Mr. Liao considered movable type printing?"

"Movable type?" Liao Qunyu shook his head. "It's far inferior to

woodblock printing." When Cheng Zongyang first heard that Liao Qunyu's Yueshengtang was a book printing company, he immediately thought of movable type printing, hoping to use this advanced technology to change the course of history. Hearing Liao Qunyu's words now, Cheng Zongyang almost jumped up. Movable type is inferior to woodblock printing? Your thinking is so outdated!

“Modular type printing involves first making the type molds, then typesetting. Isn’t that faster than woodblock printing? Woodblock printing can carve two to three pages a day, while movable type can type at least forty or fifty pages a day—dozens of times more efficient!”

Liao Qunyu still shook his head. “Years ago, someone opened a movable type printing shop, but it struggled and went bankrupt after only a few years.”

“How could that be? Modular type printing, which is dozens of times more efficient, could be squeezed out of business by woodblock printing?”

Liao Qunyu laughed. “I didn’t expect Master Cheng to be so interested in printing. I happen to have some knowledge of this, so I’ll chat with you about it.”

“If movable type printing is used, the typesetting craftsmen must be literate. Woodblock engravers don’t need to be literate; they just carve according to the manuscript. This alone makes their labor costs much higher than that of woodblock engravers.”

“Even with skilled typewriters, movable type printing is no easy task. Movable type molds are small and fragile, and achieving uniformity is not easy either. During typesetting, the surface is often uneven, resulting in inconsistent lines and columns, producing very poor-quality books. That movable type printing shop could only print thin booklets and single sheets for ordinary merchants,”

Cheng Zongyang said. “This is a problem with the type molds. Clay and wood won't work, but copper or lead type avoids this problem.”

“Some people have tried it. Besides copper and lead, there are porcelain molds. Leaving aside the difficulty of making these molds, even if they are made, they are difficult to ink. The real trouble lies in printing books,” Liao Qunyu said. “Books are not just about characters; if there are illustrations or tables, movable type printing is useless, and woodblock printing is still necessary.”

Cheng Zongyang pondered and said, “That's not too troublesome…”

"Mr. Liao wasn't finished yet—woodblock printing, once carved, can be used for printing as long as the block isn't damaged. Take this copy of 'Yueshengtang Poetry Collection' as an example; it was carved by Mr. Liao more than ten years ago and is still in use today. If it were movable type, and you printed a hundred copies today and a hundred copies next year, would you keep the layout or destroy it? If you keep it, the cost of the typeface is far higher than that of the woodblock; if you destroy it, you would have to re-layout it when reprinting. Therefore, movable type printing, though seemingly simple, is actually cumbersome and ultimately not as easy to use as woodblock printing."

Cheng Zongyang was stunned for a moment, then breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness..." He had originally planned to get into movable type printing, but fortunately he had been too busy and hadn't had time to invest any money yet.

Qin Hui laughed, "Movable type isn't entirely useless. Compared to woodblock printing, it's faster in terms of plate making. If printing sheets for merchants, it's much more efficient than woodblock printing, allowing for quick printing and collection."

Cheng Zongyang thought it over repeatedly. Movable type printing was probably only suitable for publications with high time sensitivity. For printing large, formal books or classic works published over many years, it was truly inferior to woodblock printing. No wonder printing was invented in the Tang Dynasty, and movable type printing was recorded in the Song Dynasty, yet traditional woodblock printing remained the mainstream until the late Qing Dynasty.

It wasn't that the ancients couldn't think of it; rather, the actual usage determined the development of printing technology.

Cheng Zongyang sighed, "Hearing your words is worth more than reading for ten years. I was too presumptuous."

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The carriage stopped in front of the Multitreasure Pavilion of Banxian Hall. Liao Qunyu led the two inside and waited in the hall.

Through several beaded curtains, one could vaguely see Jia Shixian surrounded by a group of beautiful concubines, flipping through documents.

Cheng Zongyang glanced at the beaded curtain and asked in a low voice, "The Prime Minister summoned me so early this morning, is something wrong?"

"Nothing, just something about the money shop. The Prime Minister is a little worried."

Cheng Zongyang and Qin Hui exchanged a secret glance, knowing that although Jia Shixian had secured his position with a decisive move, he had ultimately suffered a defeat in Jiangzhou and still wanted to turn the tide with the implementation of paper currency.

Finally, Jia Shixian finished reading the memorial and summoned the two men inside. Jia Shixian's usual residence was lavishly furnished. A brocade couch woven with peacock feathers shone brightly, and a bronze incense burner inlaid with eight treasures and cranes emitted a faint fragrance. The beautiful concubines around him were all dressed in their finest attire, making one unable to help but feel envious. However, Cheng Zongyang remembered that after Jia Sidao fell from power, all his concubines were dismissed, and he himself was strangled to death, his boundless wealth and glory all vanished like smoke.

Jia Shixian said, "I heard that Cai Yuanchang pledged one million banknotes as collateral for three hundred thousand gold coins?"

Cheng Zongyang replied, "That's right."

Jia Shixian snorted coldly, "Killing the goose that lays the golden eggs."

Not knowing how to respond, Cheng Zongyang simply lowered his head obediently.

Jia Shixian rose and paced back and forth for a while before saying, “Now that the war is over, it’s time to rest and recuperate. Cai Yuanchang is ambitious and eager for quick success; most of these 300,000 gold coins are likely used to paint a picture of peace and prosperity and to curry favor with His Majesty. Little does he know that the spring planting season in places like Yunzhou was missed, and less than 20% of the spring planting has been completed. People like Teng Fu have misled the country and its people. Although His Majesty is wise enough to expel these mediocre people from the court, they have ultimately harmed the country. This autumn, the court will inevitably have to provide relief. If these 300,000 gold coins cannot be circulated at that time, wouldn’t we be sacrificing important matters for small gains?

” Cheng Zongyang smiled bitterly and said, “If this million gold coins in paper money could be issued, although it would be difficult, it would be able to circulate. But to this day, not even a single guan has been redeemed.”

Jia Shixian knew that this million gold coins in paper money was actually Cheng Zongyang’s money for purchasing land. If it had been issued as usual, he could have used the principal of 200,000 gold coins to circulate the money and perhaps even made a small profit. However, Cai Yuanchang was too eager for quick results and directly pledged the paper money for 300,000 gold coins. Although the payments were to be made monthly over ten months, without an official distribution channel, the Cheng family's money shop couldn't use this million gold coins, which was essentially a waste of money.

The problem was that this batch of paper money had already been pledged to the Cheng family's money shop. Even if Jia Shixian didn't want the money shop to fall into difficulties due to the depletion of its capital, he couldn't push it forward through government pressure as before. If he used government power to help the money shop promote the currency, even if he wasn't afraid of the censors in the court who were looking for trouble everywhere, he still couldn't get past the Song emperor.

But the paper money had become Jia Shixian's only political achievement at the moment. He had barely managed to keep his position, and if the Cheng family's money shop, which was responsible for the redemption, ran into trouble again, he would have to resign himself without the court and the public even needing to attack him.

Jia Shixian pondered for a long time, "Could we offer it to the merchants of Qingzhou?"

Cheng Zongyang spoke frankly, "I'm afraid no merchant in Qingzhou would be willing to take it."

"These paper currencies can be used to pay taxes. The commercial taxes of Qingzhou merchants in our Song Kingdom alone amount to more than this in a year. How could they be poor?"

Jia Shixian's tone, laced with murderous intent, sent a chill down Cheng Zongyang's spine. From beginning to end, Old Jia hadn't treated the paper currency as a serious matter; his words were all about making a quick buck for the court.

Qin Hui, standing to the side, said, "I'm afraid that's not advisable."

Jia Shixian took Qin Hui's words very seriously, "What's wrong with it?"

Qin Hui said, "The merchants of Qingzhou are usable but not trustworthy. If we force the issuance of paper currency, I'm afraid something might go wrong."

Jia Shixian said solemnly, "What brilliant idea do you have, Qin?"

"I dare not presume to offer a brilliant idea." Qin Hui said slowly, "I do have a few tricks that might be worth trying. However, it requires the Grand Tutor's authority."

Cheng Zongyang muttered to himself, wondering what kind of tricks this treacherous minister was up to.

Jia Shixian readily agreed, "Since you have a plan, Qin, then proceed with it!"

Jia Shixian, Cheng Zongyang, and Liao Qunyu all stared at Qin Hui, even the beautiful women around them curiously observed the middle-aged scholar, eager to know his ingenious scheme.

Qin Hui calmly touched his sideburns, "I've been busy these past few days and haven't had a haircut in a while."

Jia Shixian glared at him, then ordered, "Someone! Summon the barbers from the manor!"

"I dare not use the craftsmen from the manor. The barbers from the entertainment district will suffice," Qin Hui said. "Find a few shaving, nail trimming, and ear cleaning specialists as well, preferably renowned ones in their respective fields."

Jia Shixian's manor usually kept various craftsmen, but Qin Hui's words were met with utmost respect. The servants immediately rode swiftly to the city and found several famous barbers.

In less than an hour, the barbers were brought into the Banxian Hall. Although these craftsmen were renowned masters in their respective fields, they were ultimately engaged in the lowest of professions, and upon arriving

at the Grand Tutor's mansion, they were all trembling with fear. Qin Hui didn't bother with any particular place, simply placing a chair in the courtyard in front of the Treasure Pavilion and settling down comfortably. The barbers, shaving men, nail trimmers, and ear cleaners, seeing the master's imposing manner, dared not be negligent in the slightest. One barber carefully washed his hair, while another nail trimmer said, "Please, Your Excellency, have mercy."

The ear cleaner, wearing a concave silver mirror for illumination, took cotton swabs and silver tweezers and gently cleaned the master's ears.

Cheng Zongyang inwardly admired him; this treacherous minister exuded such airs simply by sitting there, his official demeanor even more authentic than Jia Shixian's. If anyone dared to say that this man wasn't the Prime Minister, those craftsmen would surely spit in his face.

Jia Shixian remained silent, sitting behind the curtain observing Qin Hui's actions. Liao Qunyu stroked his beard, seemingly pondering his scheme.

Qin Hui, with his eyes half-closed, leisurely enjoyed the craftsmen's skillful and meticulous work, as if his plan couldn't be implemented until it was perfected by him.

After finally finishing his haircut and face cleaning, the craftsman cleaning his ears took out a copper wire, placed it in the master's ear, and flicked it gently. The buzzing sound was so soothing it seemed to melt one's bones.

Having finished their work with all their might, the craftsmen smiled obsequiously and asked, "Master, is it suitable?"

A beautiful maid held up a silver mirror, showing him from both sides. Qin Hui nodded in satisfaction, "Not bad, not bad. Come here, bring a reward."

What happened next made the craftsmen's eyes widen in disbelief.

Two burly men carried over a basket filled with coins!

Thousands upon thousands of copper coins filled the basket, mixed with gleaming silver coins and even a few bright gold coins, so dazzling they were almost blinding.

The craftsmen knelt down as if kicked, crying, "Master! This reward is too generous! We dare not accept

it!" "No problem, no problem," Qin Hui waved his hand nonchalantly. "Take them and use them. The court is preparing to revise the currency system; all existing gold, silver, and copper coins will be discontinued and exchanged for paper money. If these coins aren't used, they'll be useless in a few days."

The craftsmen stared, mouths agape, watching in disbelief as the coins were carelessly tossed onto a cart like trash and then dismissed.

Just half an hour later, this explosive news spread like wildfire throughout the entertainment district. As word spread, Qin Hui's statement about "preparing to revise the currency system" became "the court has already changed the currency system"; the "exchange of paper money"

was changed to a two-to-one, or even three-to-one, exchange rate; rumors even circulated that gold, silver , and

copper coins were no longer in use and that hoarding them would be a crime. Almost instantly, the doors of Cheng's Money Shop were broken down by a throng of citizens. Countless citizens scrambled to exchange their silver and copper coins for paper money.

Three days later, not only were all the small denominations of one million gold coins exchanged, but even a large batch of the large denominations that the money shop had previously collected were exchanged.

"Brother treacherous minister, you've really scared Old Jia this time."

While flipping through the accounts compiled by Li Shishi, Cheng Zongyang laughed and said, "Jia Shixian originally tried every means to poach you so that you could serve him. But after you got your hair cut at his residence, he never mentioned it again. Do you know why?"

Qin Hui sighed, "Grand Tutor Jia is utterly intolerant. It's only natural that Grand Tutor Jia would be wary of me for occasionally showing my talent."

"That's right. If Jia Shixian recommends you, I'm afraid it won't be long before he has no place in the court. He's well-read, insightful, capable, and not pedantic; he even dares to use underhanded tactics. How could he not be afraid of such a person?"

Qin Hui said, "If it weren't for you, young master, there would be no place for you to use your talents."

Cheng Zongyang laughed loudly, "The Six Dynasties are so vast, are you afraid there won't be a place for you to use your talents? Let's not provoke that old fox Wang Maohong. The Song Kingdom is already in my pocket. My treacherous brother, if you have the chance to go to Luoyang and Chang'an, why don't we meet some famous ministers from the Han and Tang dynasties!"

Qin Hui smiled and said, "Since you have such ambitions, young master, I am willing to follow in your footsteps."

Postscript

: Just as the Jin Kingdom chapter uses some allusions from "A New Account of the World," the Lin'an chapter also uses some allusions from the Song Dynasty.

The fish wearing puppet masks, the old donkey performing the Tuozhi dance, the crows playing chess, and the drinks and snacks the protagonist sees during his outings are all scenes from Wu Zimou's *Menglianglu* (Record of Dreams of Liang) from the Southern Song Dynasty, depicting real scenes from Lin'an at that time. The boat race at Jinming Pond, however, is a scene from the Northern Song Dynasty, found in *Dongjing Menghualu* (Record of the Splendors of the Eastern Capital). Lin'an was also famous for its Qiantang River tidal bore, but since that takes place in August, the boat race at Jinming Pond on the 18th of the third month is used instead.

The abundance of food and drink in the Song Dynasty is reflected in many contemporary notes. The protagonist's banquet in this episode, besides being based on *Menglianglu*, also draws upon records from *Xihu Laoren Fanshenglu* (Record of the Prosperous West Lake) and *Wulin Jiushi* (Old Stories of Wulin).

In the third episode, the buildings the protagonist sees when he visits Jia Shixian are based on records from *Qidong Yeyu* (Wild Words of Qidong), *Shanfang Suibi* (Random Notes from the Mountain Retreat), and *Xihu Youlan Zhiyu* (Miscellaneous Records of West Lake Travels). Jia Shixian's extravagance is renowned, to the point that some say the Grand View Garden in *Dream of the Red Chamber* is actually Jia Sidao's mansion.

The story of Jia Shixian extinguishing the fire comes from *Suichang Zalu*, written by Zheng Yuanyou, a native of Lin'an during the Yuan Dynasty. The description of Jia Shixian's firefighting efforts largely follows the original text. However, the section about "Sweet Water Lane and Bitter Water Lane" is originally a story about Bao Zheng, from the Song Dynasty notebook *Duxing Zazhi*. Because both involve firefighting, it's placed here. Moreover, I feel this story is more fitting for Jia Shixian than for Bao Zheng.

The story of Qin Hui getting a haircut comes from Zhang Duanyi's *Gui Er Ji* from the Song Dynasty. The content isn't about issuing paper money, but rather about the frequent currency shortages in the Song Dynasty, where copper coins were scarce. Qin Hui used a haircut to make five thousand coins count as two, resulting in "within three days, copper coins appeared in the capital," successfully resolving the currency crisis. The author concludes the story by saying: "This is a small trick for governing the world."

Listing so many book titles doesn't mean I've read them all; it simply means there's some basis for this account.

This episode features five notorious traitors of the Song Dynasty: Cai Jing, Qin Hui, Han Tuozhou, Shi Miyuan, and Jia Sidao.

Some argue that portraying traitors in the Six Dynasties as highly capable is an attempt to legitimize them.

I believe that anyone who rose to the position of prime minister, whether traitor or not, was not incompetent. To assume they were incompetent simply because they were traitors is a misunderstanding. These five traitors are considered traitors primarily because they brought disaster to the country and its people—this is fundamental. Secondly, their methods of dealing with political enemies were ruthless—this is crucial.

In the early Song Dynasty, many capable ministers emerged. Although there were differences in political views, at most, political enemies were expelled from the court and relegated to minor posts in remote prefectures. Starting with Cai Jing, this escalated to the point of erecting monuments and inscribing names on steles of political enemies. Not only were those listed permanently barred from employment, but their writings were also destroyed, and their descendants were prohibited from taking the imperial examinations. Qin Hui, besides executing Yue Fei, also demoted or exiled nearly a hundred officials who disagreed with the peace negotiations. Han Tuozhou vindicated Yue Fei, posthumously granting him the title of Prince of E, stripped Qin Hui of his princely title, and changed his posthumous name to "Miuchou" (meaning "ugly and ugly"). However, he strictly prohibited Neo-Confucianism, labeling more than fifty people, including Zhu Xi and four prime ministers, as "false scholars and rebels."

Later, after Han Tuozhou's Northern Expedition failed, Shi Miyuan assassinated Han Tuozhou, strongly advocated for peace negotiations, restored Qin Hui's title of Prince of Shen and posthumous name of Zhongxian (meaning "loyal and virtuous"), and executed or flogged those who opposed peace negotiations. He forged an imperial edict, established an emperor, and wielded power for more than twenty years. Although he was not listed in the biographies of treacherous officials in the History of Song because of his support for Neo-Confucianism, his actions were far more heinous than Qin Hui's

, and later generations universally regarded him as a traitor. On the other hand, without the incompetent emperors like Huizong, Ningzong, and Lizong, there was no space for these treacherous officials to wield their power. In this sense, Qin Hui's encounter with Cheng Zongyang may have been his good fortune.

Incidentally, Wang Shi: Cheng Zongyang was unaware that Qin Hui's wife, Wang Shi, was indeed Li Qingzhao's cousin.

In various notes and historical novels, Qin Hui and Lady Wang secretly plotted under the east window. While Qin Hui was still pondering, Lady Wang said, "It's easy to bind a tiger, but difficult to release it." Qin Hui's plan was thus decided. Therefore, Lady Wang and Qin Hui knelt together before the Yue Fei Temple for five hundred years.

However, the *Chronological Records Since the Jianyan Era* records that when Qin Hui was ill, he launched the Zhongxing Prison, compiling a list of fifty-three people and drafting their sentences. When his household servants brought the list to sign, Lady Wang repeatedly refused. After Qin Hui's death, all these people were spared.

From this perspective, Lady Wang's infamy was due to her association with Qin Hui.

Additionally, due to the characteristics of Chinese characters, woodblock printing has always been the mainstream. With the development of the times and technology, movable type printing replaced traditional woodblock printing in the late Qing Dynasty. However, in the 20th century, due to cost and efficiency considerations, movable type printing was developing towards a new type of woodblock printing. Ultimately, the advent of laser typesetting technology ended the debate between movable type and woodblock printing.

Thank you for reading Volume 6 of *The Song of the Six Dynasties*.

Volume 7, Lin'an Chapter : Cover

Character: Li Shishi . Cheng Zongyang boldly infiltrates Mingqing Temple to investigate Mengniang's true identity, but is forcibly subdued by a seemingly unassuming old eunuch. To Cheng Zongyang's horror and astonishment, he discovers a crown-patterned "bracelet" on the Empress Dowager's wrist… Murderous plots are brewing on Xiaoyingzhou. Cheng Zongyang decides to use himself as bait to eliminate Ximen Qing first! However, like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, can Cheng Zongyang, with the help of the powerful Diao Dang, truly bring down the mysterious Jian Yu Ji? Chapter 1

"At 1:15 AM on the eighth day, the Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager's imperial carriage will depart from the Forbidden City, escorted by the Imperial Guards along the way. At 1:45 AM, they will arrive at Mingqing Temple for a short rest. At 1:15 AM, they will pay homage to the temple's pagoda; at 1:45 AM, they will go to the Five Peaks Tower to pray for blessings and release captive animals. At 1:15 AM, they will enter the Great Buddha Hall to respectfully welcome the Buddha statue; at 1:45 AM, they will place the Buddha statue in a golden basin, offer incense, and pay homage to the Buddha; at 1:55 AM, they will prepare five-colored fragrant water to bathe the Buddha; at 1:55 AM, they will circumambulate the Buddha to offer blessings. At 1:15 PM, they will have a vegetarian meal, and at 1:45 PM, they will depart to return to the palace. The imperial carriage and the temple will be guarded by the Imperial City Guard and the Imperial Palace. From 1:00 AM to 1:00 PM, the common people will be prohibited from passing through the area along the route and within two li around Mingqing Temple."

Cheng Zongyang put down the paper and smiled, "It's kind of you to write so carefully."

Sun Tianyu said respectfully, "Uncle's instructions, I will do my best!"

Although the man surnamed Sun was quite obedient and didn't ask any more questions, the loopholes still needed to be patched up. Cheng Zongyang sighed, a headache on his face, and said half casually, half with difficulty, "As you know, the original Wu Mu Prince's Mansion is currently being demolished, and it's right next to Mingqing Temple. If the craftsmen at the Buddha Bathing Ceremony disturb the nobles in the palace, I'll be in big trouble."

Sun Tianyu suddenly understood and said with admiration, "Uncle, you're so thoughtful."

The act was about over. Cheng Zongyang took a sip of tea. "Has the cause of the fire in the city that day been found?"

Sun Tianyu said cautiously, "This wasn't handled by me, but I heard it was a minor official who ignited the kitchen while brewing medicine. Fortunately, Prime Minister Jia handled it well, preventing a major disaster. Although some houses in the city burned, the government offices were unaffected; only a few buildings of the Imperial Medical Bureau were burned."

Cheng Zongyang had been wondering about the Lin'an fire that day—could it have been the work of Hei Mo Hai? He had been in contact with Gao Qiu in the palace, and with a host of other matters to attend to, Gao Qiu had been investigating the matter, but without finding any clues. Now, it seemed only a few buildings belonging to the Imperial Medical Bureau had been burned down, and the important Six Ministries and the Imperial Palace were unaffected. It seemed he was being a bit paranoid, blaming everything on Hei Mo Hai.

After Sun Tianyu left, Lin Qingpu reminded him, "This man is wicked; we shouldn't rely on him too much."

Cheng Zongyang said, "Shrimp have their ways, crabs have their ways, and even villains have their uses. Just be careful he doesn't harm anyone. Any news from the fourth prince?" "

Steward Qi personally escorted Lord Zhang and his party across the Yuan River. The journey has been smooth sailing since then, and they should arrive in Lin'an around mid-April,"

Lin Qingpu said. "Although Yi Biao's party set off a few days later, they traveled day and night and I heard they've already caught up with Lord Zhang and his group."

"Any news from Jiankang?"

Lin Qingpu shook his head.

Cheng Zongyang sighed. There was still no news from Yun Ruyao. Her health was already weak, and now she had further damaged her vital energy. If the cold poison flared up again, he didn't know if she could survive. Yun Xiufeng had returned to Jiankang with his men. With his connections and methods, the safety of the Yun family was not a problem. It was just a pity that he was too busy to go to Jiankang in person to apologize to Brother Yun and the others.

Cheng Zongyang gathered his chaotic thoughts and focused intently on calculating the accounts until the sun was setting before putting down the ledgers.

The Wu Mu Prince's Mansion would take at least a year to complete from demolition to reconstruction. Currently, Cheng's Money Shop was still in a shabby alley provided by the Ministry of Revenue. However, in recent days, the shabby alley had almost become a bustling market. In addition to locals from Lin'an, merchants from various prefectures and counties kept coming to inquire about exchanging paper money. Cheng Zongyang

originally thought that small-denomination paper money would be difficult to promote. The third batch of one million gold coins in small-denomination paper money was only used to exchange for the Wu Mu Prince's Mansion's real estate. He would hand it over to the government and then not worry about it anymore. Unexpectedly, Cai Yuanchang, through a combination of coercion and offer, pushed the issue back, forcibly mortgaging 300,000 gold coins in cash.

Just as things were getting tricky, Qin Hui casually spread a rumor at Banxian Hall, not only exchanging all of this batch of paper money but also redeeming a considerable amount of previously collected paper money. The treacherous minister's manipulative methods were truly astounding, even making Jia Shixian wary.

With this, the Cheng family's money shop had completed the issuance of all three batches of paper money. Since the third batch was exchanged directly at the money shop, all the cash went into the shop's vault. As the grain payments from Qingzhou gradually arrived, after reviewing the accounts and converting them to gold coins, he had nearly 1.8 million gold coins in cash, 570,000 in paper money, and 50,000 gold coins in reserves at the Yunzhou branch.

Of the 2.43 million banknotes in circulation, 600,000 were held by the Yun family, while 1.83 million were scattered in the market. This nearly matched their cash reserves, a remarkably optimistic situation. Even in the worst-case scenario, if all the banknotes were redeemed, they would have enough cash to weather the storm.

However, from a debt perspective, 400,000 was principal provided by the Song government, 300,000 was a loan from the Yun family, and another 300,000 was a loan from Cai Yuanchang secured by banknotes. If they deducted the debt and retained the principal, they were essentially paying twice the amount of banknotes with 1.2 million in cash.

While the situation was relatively optimistic, it came at the cost of investing all their capital in the money shop. If the money shop encountered problems, it was uncertain how much profit they could retain.

The weakest link might be the Yun family's attitude. Besides the 300,000 gold coins they owed the Yun family in cash, the Yun family also held 600,000 gold coins in banknotes. If the Yun family turned against them, they could easily take away 900,000 gold coins in cash, equivalent to half of their capital. This possibility was small, but not impossible.

On the other hand, there was another hidden danger that couldn't be ignored. Since Qin Hui could use rumors to push all the paper money out of the market, if another rumor emerged that paper money was useless, perhaps everyone in Lin'an would rush to redeem it. At that point, if even a single gold coin couldn't be exchanged for cash, the Cheng family's money shop would be utterly ruined.

To demonstrate the credibility of the paper money, Cheng Zongyang had the two grain shops secretly controlled by the Yun family, Tongyuan Bank which he controlled, and the building materials that the treacherous minister had snapped up during the fire, all advertised acceptance of paper money when they were sold. At the same time, he promised the craftsmen recruited on the construction site that their wages would be settled daily, but half of it would be paid in paper money—not to mention that paper money was currently in high demand in Lin'an, even if no one wanted it, as long as they could exchange these paper coins for real grain at the grain shops after finishing their work each day, the craftsmen wouldn't be unhappy.

Cheng Zongyang even discussed with the monks of Mingqing Temple that the temple's donations and incense money would also accept paper money, with the money shop handling the exchange. If Mingqing Temple were willing to deposit the collected paper money with Cheng's Money Shop, the money shop would offer the temple an annual interest rate of 3%. Mingqing Temple, not to be outdone, accepted a hefty commission and agreed to accept the paper money, but the deposit agreement fell through—Mingqing Temple itself also lent money out, at an even higher annual interest rate of 50%. Such lavish methods made Cheng Zongyang increasingly disdain these unscrupulous monks who lent money at exorbitant interest rates.

Now, residents of Lin'an, with their paper money, could buy grain at grain shops, or urgently needed bricks and building materials outside the city, and even purchase incense, paper money, and candles from Mingqing Temple to donate to merit. Merchants from various places exchanged the collected paper money for cash at Cheng's Money Shop, which then released a portion of the paper money through a commission system—although the overall scale was extremely small, at least the paper money had begun to circulate, and the more people encountered paper money, the more they could appreciate its convenience.

Cheng Zongyang crossed his arms and looked out at the twilight. From February 17th, when he arrived in Lin'an, less than two months had passed. The Cheng family's money shop was taking shape, and he held two official positions: Assistant Director of the Land Reclamation Bureau and Director of the Treasury Bureau. He had connections with officials in the Grand Tutor's Mansion, the Grand Commandant's Mansion, the Imperial City Guard, the Imperial Palace, and the Six Ministries… He'd smoothed things over wherever he needed to, and even acquired the Tongyuan Grain Store for free… To onlookers, it seemed like a meteoric rise, unstoppable and invincible. However, this smooth progress made Cheng Zongyang feel a growing unease.

He, an unemployed, good-for-nothing white-collar worker, could wield such power in the Six Dynasties. Why were all those time-traveling predecessors so unlucky? Even Yue Niaoren, with his powerful army like the Xingyue Lake Camp, was struck by lightning and vanished without a trace. Was he also walking on quicksand, destined to be swallowed up in the blink of an eye?

His most reliable forces were the Xingyue Lake Camp, followed by Old Man Shang, the Yun family, and Gao Qiu.

The most unreliable force is undoubtedly the Song government. The change in attitude among officials before and after the rumors of Jia Shixian's downfall reveals this. Don't be fooled by the current friendships of Jia Shixian, Cai Yuanchang, Han Jiefu, Shi Tongshu, and others; once they've served their purpose, none of them will hesitate to discard them. They'll leave you penniless, not even a pair of underwear. Conversely, if one can secure a foothold in the court, countless others, like Liang Shidu and Huang Shi, would willingly bring their families and even their property to serve. Unfortunately, he's merely a guest minister, of questionable birth. To gain a stable position, he needs a stronger backer.

The strongest backer in the Song Dynasty isn't the emperor, but the title of Jinshi—an examination held every three years, admitting around three hundred people each time. His chances of passing are about as low as being struck by lightning.

A thought suddenly popped into Cheng Zongyang's mind: the Song emperor is over twenty and hasn't married a empress; could he be waiting for Li Shishi? Looking at his pale face, he bears a striking resemblance to Emperor Huizong. If it really was Emperor Huizong, his public relations manager could easily handle it…

Cheng Zongyang had just thought of this when he immediately shook his head inwardly. If this Song emperor was indeed Huizong, he would definitely hide Li Shishi away perfectly, not letting him even see her shadow.

Li Shishi wasn't a genius accountant like Yun Ruyao, but although she appeared weak, she was incredibly stubborn. The accounts he had just looked at were ones she had meticulously calculated over two days, item by item. In terms of diligence and attention to detail, she was far superior to him.

Cheng Zongyang glanced at Li Shishi reviewing the accounts in the inner room and couldn't help but shake his head again. He hadn't invited her into the company to be an accountant. Unfortunately, he couldn't teach her anything else himself. He only hoped that Lan Gu would come to Lin'an soon so he could privately teach her about romance, lest this fine piece of jade be wasted by him...

"Has Huizhi not returned yet?"

Lin Qingpu said, "No."

Wang Yuyu lost power and fell from grace in an instant. Others were fine, but Qin Hui was several times busier than the Wang faction, which had scattered like monkeys when the tree fell. In the past few days, he had been busy making arrangements for Wang Yuyu's trip to Junzhou, going in and out of the Wang family all day long, and even temporarily putting aside the money shop business.

Cheng Zongyang said, "Prepare 30,000 gold coins and have Feng Dafa deliver them to the Ministry of Revenue and give them to Vice Minister Cai."

"Yes."

Feng Yuan didn't return until dusk, bringing only one sentence: "Vice Minister Cai has already counted them. He said he's grateful for your kindness and invites you to a banquet at his home tomorrow."

He also concurrently served as the head of the Paper Money Bureau, a subordinate agency of the Ministry of Revenue. However, the entire Song Kingdom regarded the Paper Money Bureau as a temporary agency, without even a proper office. It was merely a formality given to Cheng Zongyang. In a sense, Cai Yuanchang was his superior, and inviting him to a banquet at his home was quite a show of respect.

Seeing that these paper money had been successfully converted into currency, Cai Yuanchang must be kicking himself. But the paper money was already in the hands of the money shops, and redeeming it wouldn't be so easy. Moreover, considering the need to continue issuing paper money next year, the Ministry of Revenue couldn't easily change its orders. So why was Cai Yuanchang looking for him? Was he trying to extract money from him again?

Cheng Zongyang hesitated for a moment, then said, "Send someone back to Vice Minister Cai. I will definitely go tomorrow."

...

The Cai residence was outside Yongjin Gate, not far from West Lake. Cai Yuanchang had just been promoted from a junior official to a vice minister. His residence wasn't large, but the buildings were exquisite, the furnishings elegant, and every brick and stone was of extremely high quality. It was wealthy but not ostentatious, clearly indicating that the treacherous Cai had amassed a considerable fortune in the Ministry of Revenue over the years.

Respecting his status, Cai Yuanchang didn't come out to greet him. When Cheng Zongyang entered, he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture from afar under the eaves of the inner courtyard and said with a smile, "Master Cheng, thank you for sharing the burdens of the court."

Cheng Zongyang returned the gesture and smiled, "This is my duty; how could I allow the vice minister to thank me?"

As he spoke, he had someone bring the prepared gifts into the inner courtyard.

Cai Yuanchang laughed heartily, personally descended the steps, took Cheng Zongyang's arm, and invited the guest inside.

Cheng Zongyang had thought about this repeatedly before coming. Since Cai Yuanchang was hosting a banquet at home, the discussion couldn't be about official business; it could only be about Tongyuan Bank.

As expected, after both parties took their seats and several rounds of drinks, Cai Yuanchang took the initiative to inquire about the business of Tongyuan Grain Store. Previously, due to the Battle of Jiangzhou, grain prices fluctuated wildly. While Cheng Zongyang had made a fortune, grain stores like Tongyuan hadn't benefited much. Although they hadn't lost money, soaring grain prices increased costs, tying up a significant amount of capital. Tongyuan, greedy for the exorbitant profits from rising grain prices, had therefore misappropriated funds from the government to speculate on grain.

The Prince of Ning and the Liang family behind Tongyuan were well-informed and had a keen understanding of the court situation. They had originally thought they could seize this opportunity to make a fortune, but Emperor Taiyi Zhenzong suddenly changed his stance, causing the situation to deteriorate rapidly. Seeing the grain business fail miserably, coupled with the Liang family's loss of power and the Ministry of Revenue's audit of accounts, the Prince of Ning took advantage of the situation, preemptively taking the cash from the store and leaving the mess to the Liang family. Meanwhile, Cheng Zongyang showed interest in taking over, and the Prince of Ning was happy to do a favor, readily transferring his shares to the Panjiang Cheng family.

After Cheng Zongyang took over, he first purchased a batch of grain from the Yun family's Yunhai Trading Company, and then injected a large sum of money to turn Tongyuan Trading Company's fortunes around. According to a private agreement, Cai Yuanchang would no longer investigate Tongyuan Trading Company's accounts on the condition that he would receive 40% of the profits. Even considering only his own private interests, Cai Yuanchang had to ensure Tongyuan Trading Company's business continued to improve.

Now, when Cai Yuanchang inquired about the grain trading company's business, Cheng Zongyang immediately poured out his grievances. Since Tongyuan Trading Company was already in such dire straits that the proprietress was considering prostitution, exaggerating the situation tenfold wouldn't be unreasonable.

Cai Yuanchang pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "The royal army suffered a crushing defeat at Jiangzhou, with countless losses. To avoid national unrest, the court intends to purchase a batch of grain to replenish the granaries in various regions."

Cheng Zongyang immediately realized this was an excellent opportunity. The Song Dynasty government needed to maintain grain reserves through local grain trading companies; if he could become an official supplier, what was there to worry about in terms of sales?

But Cheng Zongyang was still most concerned about the most important question: "Where will the money come from?"

"The commercial tax of Qingzhou."

Cheng Zongyang was completely bewildered. "Hasn't the commercial tax of Qingzhou already been collected?"

He remembered that Qingzhou paid a fixed commercial tax of 200,000 gold coins to the Song Dynasty court every year as a condition for Qingzhou's de facto autonomy. 200,000 gold coins was only 400,000 strings of cash, which was not much compared to the scale of Qingzhou's commerce.

Cai Yuanchang raised his cup to clink with his and said leisurely, "Grand Tutor Jia negotiated with the Qingzhou General Chamber of Commerce, and the General Chamber of Commerce will pay 900,000 gold coins in one lump sum as commercial tax for the next five years."

The phrase "cutting flesh to heal a wound" immediately popped into Cheng Zongyang's mind! Grand Tutor Jia first borrowed a large sum of money from Qingzhou, then issued paper money, and now he collected the commercial tax for the next five years all at once. As long as he could cope with the current crisis, who cared about the future?

Cheng Zongyang couldn't help but ask, "Has His Majesty agreed?"

"It has already been approved by imperial decree."

Cheng Zongyang couldn't help but feel sorry for the Song emperor again. First, there was that scoundrel Yue Fei, who used twelve gold tablets to extort all of this young boy's money. Then came Jia Shixian, who quickly squandered most of Song's wealth. Even if they got rid of Jia Shixian, Song would still be in a mess. Speaking of which, even the emperor of Jin was an idiot; he wasn't as miserable as Cheng Zongyang. Since it was

all business between the two sides, there were no further tricks. They directly agreed during the banquet that Tongyuan Bank would be the sole supplier of grain to the Lin'an Ever-Normal Granary, providing 600,000 shi of grain within three months at a price of 12 silver coins per shi, totaling 360,000 gold coins. With the end of the Battle of Jiangzhou, a drop in grain prices was inevitable, and this price was unusually high. However, if the Song court demanded a price reduction, Cai Yuanzhang, who was in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, would definitely be the first to object—a reduction of even one coin would be taking money out of his pocket.

After the business was settled, both parties relaxed considerably. Cai Yuanchang personally picked up a piece of dried meat and said with a smile, "Come, try the sparrow stew made by the kitchen!"

Cheng Zongyang took a bite; it was the first time he had ever eaten this. It tasted like it was made with wine, salty and fragrant, with an exceptionally delicious flavor. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Delicious!"

He picked up a piece, examining it closely, and asked, "Is this sparrow? How is it made?"

Cai Yuanchang, in high spirits, laughed and said, "The yellow sparrow is slightly smaller than the common sparrow. After catching it, wash it clean with wine, dry it, and put it in a jar. Add wheat bran, red yeast rice, Sichuan peppercorns, refined salt, shredded scallions, and other ingredients, layering them firmly, and then seal it with bamboo leaves. Once the brine in the jar has thickened, pour it out and add wine to soak it. Yellow sparrow meat is very warming and is good for strengthening yang and replenishing qi. If Master Cheng likes it, I've made a few extra jars and will have them delivered to your residence later."

"Then I won't stand on ceremony!"

Both sides laughed heartily. Although this small banquet lacked singing and dancing, both sides hit it off immediately, and the guests and hosts enjoyed themselves immensely.

Seeing that it was getting late, Cheng Zongyang got up to take his leave. Cai Yuanchang personally escorted him to the eaves, and after a few more words of conversation, they parted ways.

Cheng Zongyang shook off the smell of wine and was about to get into his carriage when he saw Feng Yuan's face turn pale, his expression tense as he stared at a carriage next to him.

Cheng Zongyang got into the car without a word, then called Feng Yuan up. "What's wrong? Did you see a ghost?"

Feng Yuan swallowed hard. "Boss Cheng, I just saw someone..."

He leaned closer and whispered a few words in Cheng Zongyang's ear.

Cheng Zongyang jumped up. "You're not mistaken, are you?"

"No mistake!"

Feng Yuan said. "Old Leopard saw it too."

"Old Leopard!"

Leopard Head stuck his head in. "What is it?"

"You just saw a young master with a folding fan go in?"

"Yes."

Leopard Head said. "I recognize him. It's Master Ximen."

Cheng Zongyang sobered up instantly. Ximen Qing was openly entering and leaving Cai Yuanchang's residence. Could it be that Cai Yuanchang was also connected to the Black Demon Sea?

"No!"

If Cai Yuanchang was a member of the Black Demon Sea, they would be trying to avoid attention. How could they appear openly? And let him see him? Could this be Jian Yuji deliberately showing off to him?

Cheng Zongyang composed himself, frowning and pondering for a long while before finally saying, "Let's go—" He stopped abruptly, his eyes fixed on the gate of the Cai residence.

A dashing young man emerged from the gate, dressed in a white brocade robe and wearing a tiled hat. He carried a large red folding fan sprinkled with gold, and his captivating peach blossom eyes were mesmerizing. It was none other than the scoundrel Ximen Qing!

Cheng Zongyang coldly observed through the pale green glass of the carriage window. He saw the servants of the Cai family running around, behaving with obsequious deference towards Ximen Qing, their attitude even more warm than towards him, an official. Ximen Qing seemed to be a regular at the residence, familiar with everyone and not bound by formalities.

The Cai family servants escorted Ximen Qing to the carriage, each receiving a generous reward before happily departing.

Ximen Qing lifted the carriage curtain as if to board, then suddenly lowered it and swaggered over. He tucked his folding fan behind his collar from afar, clasped his hands in a fist salute, bowed deeply, and then said with a grin, "It really is Brother Cheng! Long time no see!"

Now that he had revealed his presence, Cheng Zongyang no longer hid. He pushed open the carriage window and sneered, "My lord, it hasn't been many days since we last met

, has it?" "A day apart feels like three autumns. How much longer have we brothers been apart?"

Ximen Qing seemed to have no lingering resentment about their encounter in the Wild Boar Forest. As he spoke, he even raised an eyebrow, displaying an air of nonchalance.

This scoundrel's cultivation was no less than his own. Since he dared to wait for him here, he probably had a backup plan. With only Feng Yuan, Leopard Head, and himself, it wouldn't be easy to kill him.

"You're quite leisurely, aren't you? Are you just following my carriage around eating dust all day?"

"Brother, you've misunderstood,"

Ximen Qing laughed without a care. "I arrived a step later than you, and heard you were having a banquet with your godfather, so I didn't dare disturb you. I didn't expect to run into you again on my way out. What a coincidence!"

Cheng Zongyang wanted to give him a good scolding, but upon hearing the word "godfather," he paused, then said after a long while, "Minister Cai is your godfather?"

Ximen Qing chuckled, "Please excuse my rudeness, Brother Cheng."

A chill ran through Cheng Zongyang's heart. He seemed to see Jian Yuji, with a faint smile, gently placing a piece on the chessboard.

His grain war in Lin'an was a resounding victory thanks to paper money; he had instantly earned more money than a regular grain merchant could in decades. And also because of paper money, all his profits were tied up in the money shops. If Cai Yuanzhang was a member of the Black Demon Sea, controlling the Ministry of Revenue, all his hard work would have been for nothing, a free ride for the Black Demon Sea.

Ximen Qing remained calm, fanning himself and smiling, "Brother Cheng, when would you be free to have a cup of tea with me?"

Cheng Zongyang calmed down, "Jian Yuji sent you, didn't she?"

Ximen Qing neither confirmed nor denied it, only smiling, "Since Brother Cheng is a businessman, he wouldn't refuse someone so coldly, would he?"

Cheng Zongyang suddenly smiled, "I've been so busy these past few days that I haven't had a chance to thank the fairy. How about this, today is the third day of the month, and on the eighth, ninth, eleventh, twelfth... and April twelfth, I'll host a banquet for you two at West Lake. May I ask where your residence is, sir? I'll arrange the location and inform you."

"Of course."

Ximen Qing readily produced a bamboo calling card, smiling, "In that case, I await your good news."

Cheng Zongyang lowered the carriage curtain, and the carriage immediately began to move. He picked up the business card Ximen Qing handed him, glanced at it, and then handed it to Feng Yuan. "This scoundrel actually has a public identity! Have the Imperial City Guard investigate!"

"Yes."

"Notify Lin Qingpu to contact Biaozi immediately and tell them to speed things up. They must arrive in Lin'an before the 10th of April!"

Feng Yuan responded, then couldn't help but ask, "Boss Cheng, are you really going to host a banquet for them?"

"That's right."

Cheng Zongyang sneered, "A trap!"

...

Back at Cuiwei Garden, a white and tender ball rolled out from afar. Gao Yanei jumped and skipped, shouting joyfully, "Master! You're finally back!"

Cheng Zongyang jumped off the carriage. "What? You've got some free time today, so you came to visit?"

Gao Yanei complained, "I'm busy as a bee all day long, where would I find the time?"

He counted on his fingers, "Take today for example. This morning I was busy fishing on the river. Cai Lao Er called over the chef from Fengle Restaurant, and we caught, killed, and cooked fresh fish right there on the river for a taste! After fishing, I went to the North Field to watch the polo match. Those good-for-nothings from the Baijin Society made me lose several hundred gold coins. Little Liangzi lost even worse than me, throwing a tantrum in the side room with a Nan Yuan Yi Zhi Hua (a

type of polo), which gave us quite a show. Tonight, the brothers were originally going to the North Wazi (another type of polo match), but I hadn't seen you for several days, so I came to pay my respects." "Good for you, disciple. It's rare to see such filial piety."

"That's right!"

Gao Yanei said with a fawning smile, "Master, would you like me to massage your legs?"

"Forget it,"

Cheng Zongyang said. "What other ideas do you have? Hurry up and tell me, I'm busy right now. Don't tell me you don't have any."

Gao Yanei chuckled, "Master, which brothel did that prostitute come from the other day? My brothers and I have searched everywhere but couldn't find her."

"What? Addicted to her?"

"To be honest, Master, I've seen countless women, but I've never seen one so slutty. That big white butt she was wiggling, tsk tsk..."

Cheng Zongyang laughed, "She's a private prostitute, where are you going to find her? I'm busy these days, I'll have her come to you another time."

Gao Yanei beamed, "Thank you, Master!"

After dismissing Gao Yanei, Cheng Zongyang went to the quiet room first.

Lin Qingpu said, "I just received news that Qin Da Diao Dang's injuries are serious. He has submitted a memorial requesting to be relieved of his military post and return to Lin'an to recuperate."

"How serious are they?"

"The exact extent of the injuries is unclear."

"Where did you get this information?" "

From the informant at Mingqing Temple."

Lin Qingpu said, "It's confirmed that Qin Da Diao Dang was injured in a battle with Xiao Hou, but this matter concerns the secrets of both Jin and Song, and only a few people, including high-ranking military officials and the Song emperor, know about it."

Since the information came from Gao Qiu, its authenticity can be confirmed. Xiao Daoling is a Grand General of Jin, and Qin Han is a key general of Song. News of their encounter on the battlefield is tantamount to a clash between Jin and Song. Currently, both courts are facing difficulties and can only pretend ignorance, with neither daring to expose the truth.

Cheng Zongyang stroked his chin and said, "I find it strange that Lord Xiao came across the river to beat a drowning dog. Could it be that he came specifically to avenge his son?"

Lin Qingpu smiled, "Presumably."

The little fox was almost killed by Qin Han outside Jiangzhou City. Lord Xiao only has this one son; it would be strange if he could hold back his anger. His attack on the drowning dog came at a crucial moment, restraining the Song army's most elite elite vanguard battalion, allowing Jiangzhou to smoothly seize the Song army's supplies, and making a fortune for himself. These old guys are all shrewd and ruthless, putting immense pressure on him.

Qin Han's return to Lin'an is a troublesome matter. Although he had shown his face in Jiangzhou, it was in battles involving thousands or tens of thousands of soldiers. Ordinary Song soldiers were fine, but the chance of encountering him in Lin'an was extremely slim, and even if they did, they might not recognize him. Qin Han, however, had actually fought him before. A master like him, even if he wore a mask every day, would likely be recognized with just a glance.

Fortunately, news came that Qin Han's injuries were severe, making rapid travel difficult. Even with the Song Emperor's permission, it would take two or three months to reach Lin'an. He could then find an excuse to leave for a few months, first finding the Crimson Sun Sacred Fruit for the little fox, then having Gao Qiu find a way to send this troublesome eunuch Qin to a remote prefecture. There shouldn't be many opportunities to meet then.

Cheng Zongyang poured two cups of tea, handing one to Lin Qingpu, and drank it all himself. Then he asked, "Where is Huizhi?"

"Still running around for the Wang family,"

Lin Qingpu replied. "Although Wang Yuyu was demoted, the Song Emperor is a man of honor, and out of consideration for the old minister's dignity, I heard he even bestowed many gifts upon him. He should be alright, and should return in the next couple of days." Lin Qingpu was

in charge of intelligence from various places, and with Tong Guan as his informant, he was extremely well-informed about the Song Emperor. Wang Yuyu was completely driven out by Jia Shixian. Although the Song Emperor couldn't disobey the Empress Dowager's decree, his reluctance was understandable. He figured the Wang family wouldn't suffer the same fate as other disgraced families.

"When he returns later, have him come to see me,"

Cheng Zongyang said. "I'm going to see Miss Shishi."

"Miss Shishi is still at the money shop and hasn't returned yet,"

Lin Qingpu paused. "But two guests have come looking for her."

Cheng Zongyang put down his teacup. "Who?"

"First, Miss Shishi's esteemed relative, and then the lady of the Liang family."

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