Chapter 96 Who exactly is Zhao Xiaolang...?

That being said, the public's reaction illustrates a fact.

Cotton is not something made up out of thin air; it is real!

Upon deducing this fact, Fan Zhongyan's heart instantly burned with excitement. All the negative comments about him being a "pedantic scholar" or "bookworm" were cast aside. He immediately asked someone where he could see cotton and then rushed to that place.

Because Emperor Zhenzong had previously issued an edict to promote Champa rice, Fan Zhongyan could immediately guess that whenever a new and improved variety appeared, the government would inevitably be involved. He unsurprisingly walked to a street near the government offices, found the third shop at the end of the street, and saw only a few people queuing in front of him.

Fan Zhongyan then walked to the back of the line and quietly joined the queue. In his mind, however, he was pondering who was behind this series of bizarre propaganda tactics.

Yan Shu was composed, Fu Bi was prudent, Ouyang Xiu...

One name after another flashed through Fan Zhongyan's mind, only to be rejected one by one. It wasn't until it was his turn in the queue that Fan Zhongyan suddenly came to his senses.

Unexpectedly, the person sitting in the hall was a woman.

As she tidied the cotton-padded clothes on the table, she said familiarly, "The cotton seeds have already glowed. If you want to collect them again, you'll have to wait until this time next year."

It's as if I've answered that question many times already.

But that wasn't what Fan Zhongyan was concerned with: "Is there really such a thing as cotton? Or is it just something the speaker made up?"

"Of course."

Apu and her two companions had been staying at this small shop for several days and were already quite adept at introducing their services. She pointed to the neatly folded cotton-padded clothes, hats, gloves, and other items on the table: "They're right here. Feel free to look around, but you can't take them away."

Her voice suddenly lowered: "If they take it away... I will report it to the authorities."

Fan Zhongyan would never steal. But what he didn't know was that a spoiled brat, relying on his extraordinary family background, announced his name and forcibly snatched a cotton coat from the public before leaving triumphantly.

Apu didn't try to stop them, nor did he hold back. Despite the crowd's persuasion, he immediately reported the matter to the authorities. Within a day, officials from Kaifeng Prefecture and the Imperial City Guard came out together, arresting the纨绔 (playboy) and his father, and respectfully went to their door to return the stolen cotton-padded clothes, forcing them to apologize.

The onlookers were in an uproar.

Since then, those queuing up only dared to look at the clothes obediently, not daring to make any unnecessary movements. Those with malicious intentions had no choice but to take a detour. What kind of background did the Imperial City Guard have? They were backed by the government! Anyone who dared to mess with them was asking for trouble!

But Apu looked up and glanced at Fan Zhongyan, knowing he wasn't being unreasonable. She then took out a cotton-padded coat to show him. Fan Zhongyan immediately exclaimed in surprise upon touching it: "So soft, so thick!"

Softness and thickness are the two seemingly incompatible qualities of winter clothing. Linen is rough and drafty, while silk is smooth but cold. Willow catkins, reeds, paper clothing, and straw each have their own flaws. Like Zhang Zai, Fan Zhongyan immediately thought of the people and soldiers on the border, and his hand holding the cotton-padded coat tightened.

"May I ask..."

He wanted to ask a few more questions, but when his gaze slid to Apu's high, straight nose, he suddenly lost his voice, his expression one of extreme shock.

Apu, completely unaware of the situation, looked up and asked, "Hmm? Is there anything else you want to know?" Fan Zhongyan didn't ask any more questions, and the shock on his face vanished in an instant. He glanced at the cotton coat one more time, then turned and left, quickly heading back home.

Fan Chunren was already waiting for him at the mansion.

Fan Zhongyan's family wealth was not abundant, and he originally planned to sell this mansion when he left Bianjing. However, his eldest son, Fan Chunren, was newly married and needed to study at the Imperial Academy to prepare for the imperial examinations, so after some consideration, he decided to keep the mansion.

He hadn't intended to return to his residence, but gazing at the familiar yet unfamiliar plants and trees, he felt no sentimentality whatsoever. He pulled his eldest son along, quickly leading him to a secluded spot to speak: "Chunren, tell me, who is currently in charge of promoting cotton in the capital?"

Fan Chunren smiled knowingly: "You saw those plays too? What did you think of them?"

Fan Zhongyan paused subtly: "Although it shows a lack of respect for Zhuge Liang, it is indeed novel and effective."

Fan Chunren nodded emphatically, a hint of superiority in his eyes as he looked at his father: such an effective method was developed right under his nose.

But he didn't miss the odd thing his father said: "Do you feel there's something wrong with it?"

Fan Zhongyan subconsciously looked around and said in a low voice, "The female workers in that shop displaying cotton-padded clothes look...very much like the people from the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun."

Fan Chunren was shocked: "Ah?!"

How could his junior brother do such a thing?

Fan Zhongyan shook his head: "It can't be wrong."

He had been stationed on the northwestern frontier for many years and had seen many captured Western Xia people. He had also dealt with the Liao people before. The girl's appearance was unlike that of women raised in the land and water of the Song Dynasty; she had more northern features.

She was most likely born in the Liao Dynasty, that much is certain.

So the question arises: given Fan Zhongyan's perspective, the promotion of cotton was a matter of national importance, and clearly, those promoting it and the officials behind it shared this view. So why seek out a Liao person to make the closest possible contact with this matter?

Was it a coincidence? Or was it malicious?

Fan Zhongyan dared not think further. Having witnessed the mountains of corpses and seas of blood on the battlefield, he suddenly paled and could not utter a complete sentence. He hurriedly rushed home to confirm the situation with his eldest son.

However, Fan Chunren interpreted it as something else entirely.

"We need to find our junior brother quickly and ask him what's going on. Is there some misunderstanding?"

Fan Zhongyan looked up in astonishment: "What?"

A person who can be called "junior brother" by his own eldest son...

Fan Chunren: "Don't you know? The Emperor personally appointed Zhao Xiaosanyuan as the Commissioner for Promoting Agriculture, giving him full authority over cotton promotion. The speaker and the exhibition shop were all his ideas."

Fan Zhongyan: "..."

Fan Zhongyan: "…………"

For a moment, no one knew whether the cotton shop had been infiltrated by Liao people or whether the story of "Zhuge Liang outwitting Sima Yi" was something his apprentice had concocted. Which was more shocking?

His expression was very complicated, and he let out a long sigh: "To be honest, I haven't met him yet."

Fan Chunren: "Yes. It's a good opportunity for you two to meet formally and ask what's going on."

-

When Fusu was brought to Fan Zhongyan's residence, he was still somewhat dazed and had a vague sense of unreality.

Although the historical filter had been largely worn away by repeated confirmations of "this is reality," he was still momentarily excited when he saw Fan Zhongyan in person. Immediately, he inappropriately recalled the question Su Shi had once raised.

It's dried and cut into pieces, is it tasty?

He bowed in the formal apprenticeship ceremony. This wasn't his first time doing so. Back when he was studying at Zishan Hall, he had bowed to Song Qi, so he did it with great ease. A thoughtful expression unconsciously crept onto his soft, round face. The combination of a child's features and an adult's expression made him look incredibly adorable.

Fan Zhongyan keenly observed this detail: "What are you thinking about?"

As Fusu got up and lifted his robe, he casually remarked, "I was thinking about whether the porridge tasted good."

He gasped in shock after saying that: What had he just said?! This was his newly appointed teacher!

Fusu cautiously looked up and saw Fan Chunren looking astonished, while Fan Zhongyan's beard twitched, obscuring his expression.

He twisted his fingers, frantically explaining, "No, no, no, I didn't mean that, I just... I just..."

Fusu, in despair, thought, "Maybe I should just expose Su Shi. It's all his fault; he said those nonsense things back then, causing me to think such incoherently." No, he decided to apologize honestly. After all, it was a humiliating incident from his teacher's early days before he rose to prominence; to bring it up would only reopen old wounds…

"It doesn't taste good; it's very dry and hard to swallow," Fan Zhongyan said.

Fusu suddenly looked up: "Eh!?"

"It's just a temporary measure. If I had enough to eat and wear, I wouldn't want to taste it anymore. So, Zhao Xiaolang, are you going to write your master into some storybook?"

"No way," Fusu quickly waved his hands and said.

At the same time, he breathed a deep sigh of relief. The fact that the boy could respond to the embarrassing incident in a joking tone meant that the boy genuinely hadn't taken it to heart. Oh no, what if the filter I was supposed to remove has been thickened again?

Fan Zhongyan's smile remained unchanged: "However, I also have something I'm curious about. May I ask you, young man?"

"certainly."

In this situation, can he say no?

“I just returned to Bianjing yesterday. Out of curiosity about the storyteller’s tales, I happened to pass by a cotton shop. I learned from Chunren that you were in charge of it all.” Fan Zhongyan carefully chose his words: “But I wonder why the young lady in that shop looks so much like a Liao person?”

To avoid putting pressure on his younger disciple, Fan Zhongyan avoided any statements that implied guilt. Of course, he also harbored a sliver of hope. If it was just a misunderstanding, then everything would be fine.

But to Fan Zhongyan's surprise, Fusu remained silent.

He rested his soft chin on his hand, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, clearly deep in thought. Fan Zhongyan's heart skipped a beat. He knew, he knew... Why did he still do this?

The room fell silent for a moment; you could hear a pin drop.

After a long silence, Fusu finally said, "There is a reason why Liao women are on duty... If I tell you the truth, Master and Senior Brother, can you keep it a secret for me?"

The father and son exchanged a glance.

“Of course,” Fan Zhongyan said. He had a premonition that this matter might not be as simple as it seemed on the surface. There might be deeper secrets hidden behind it. For example, did the Emperor know about it?

“I’m fine with it too,” Fan Chunren said. “Junior brother, you can speak with confidence.”

Fusu blinked twice: "Yes, because I was planning to send them north as spies."

They weren't entirely spies, but rather cotton smugglers using cotton to win over the local populace. Working as a customer service representative in the exhibition shop was just the first step in getting familiar with the business. Whatever the Song people asked, the Liao people would naturally ask as well.

As for loyalty—the map of Liao that Apu had presented was almost identical to the one treasured by the Song Dynasty. No one had any reason to doubt her.

Fan Zhongyan's mouth dropped open in astonishment. He hadn't lost his composure like this in many years.

A spy?

Isn't this something only the Imperial City Guard would do? Why did this junior disciple casually say "I intend to"? Will the Imperial City Guard even follow his orders?

Most importantly, were the officials aware of this?

...The officials must be aware of this. Fan Zhongyan thought.

As for matters of great importance concerning the people, based on his understanding of the emperor, he would surely scrutinize and inquire into every detail. In other words, the emperor must have approved of Zhao Xiaolang's plan to tacitly approve of the Liao woman's affair.

So the question is, who exactly is Zhao Xiaolang, that he could get involved in such secrets that even he himself didn't know about?