Chapter 156 "Now, I should address you as..."
Fusu was certainly familiar with Shen Kuo's *Dream Pool Essays*, as excerpts from it had been included in compulsory education textbooks. Bi Sheng's movable type printing technique also became widely known because it was recorded in this book.
From the moment he heard the familiar name Shen Kuo, he harbored high hopes for this man, and thus specifically chose him to succeed Wang Anshi as the next editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper. He hoped that in this position, Shen Kuo could accumulate more material for such a remarkable book.
Unexpectedly, the extraordinary book appeared out of nowhere, just as Fusu had been eagerly anticipating its arrival. Shen Kuo even wanted to highlight Su Zhen as a prime example and put his name on the first page.
Will Fusu agree?
Fusu readily agreed!
Rather, he couldn't think of a single reason to refuse. A great master was promoting the Zhenni machine, seemingly on the verge of achieving lasting fame. There were only benefits, no drawbacks.
But since the protagonist being recorded was Su Zhen, Fusu couldn't make this decision for him. Under Shen Kuo's uneasy gaze, he hesitated for a moment and said, "I'll go ask her for you."
In other words, at least the Crown Prince's side is fine. A hint of joy flashed across Shen Kuo's face, but he suppressed his emotions and steered the conversation back to the main topic: "Then I await Your Highness's good news. However, how does Your Highness plan to arrange these two headlines?"
“Don’t rush with Su Zhen’s version. I’ll ask her first and then tell you,” Fusu said. “As for the content of the seven prefectures in front of the mountain, the sooner the better. Ideally, it should be advertised to the world on the very day the two countries sign the contract.”
At present, Yelü Chongyuan has reached an agreement with the Song Dynasty, but it is only discussed privately. There is still a need for the two countries to go through an official process and sign a formal treaty.
The Ministry of Rites must have already started preparations in earnest.
Thinking of this, Fusu patted Shen Kuo on the shoulder: "You guys need to hurry up too."
A slight flush rose to Shen Kuo's face. Who wouldn't want to announce this good news to the world as soon as possible? That was land that the Song Dynasty had lost for a century. The longer it dragged on, the slimmer the hope of its recovery became. Just when almost everyone had given up hope, it unexpectedly returned.
"Yes, Your Highness. I will immediately send someone—no, I will write it myself—and have it reviewed as soon as it is finished," he said excitedly.
After Fusu left, Shen Kuo took a few deep breaths and rubbed his face with his hands: "Everyone, stop what you're doing and come here. I have something important to announce."
Since the editor-in-chief had given the order, no one dared disobey. They all looked puzzled: What's going on? Why such a big fuss?
"The front page of the next issue of the daily newspaper needs to be changed." After everyone had arrived, Shen Kuo dropped a bombshell.
Why?
"What happened?"
Shen Kuo paused, then calmly uttered a few words, as if he hadn't just been startled. A moment later, the editor's office erupted into chaos, like boiling water.
"Really?" This was still in a daze.
"Where did you hear this from, sir?" This is a subconscious attempt to confirm the source of the information.
"I never imagined I would actually witness the Song Dynasty in its present state." This is an expression of gratitude for living to this day.
Shen Kuo looked around at the faces, now completely different from before, filled with shock and joy, and shook his head. He couldn't help but wonder if he had actually made that foolish face in front of the Crown Prince just now.
Surely... no way?
Unbeknownst to Shen Kuo, the same expression appeared on the officials who had been informed by the emperor. As they listened to the emperor's gleeful announcement of the good news and his instructions to prepare for the ceremony, they all wore expressions of utter disbelief.
The seven prefectures in front of the mountains... have they been recovered?
No, wasn't it Yelü Chongyuan who was reluctant to start peace talks yesterday, causing the progress to be delayed again and again? How come everything has changed after waking up? Did they miss watching some episode?
Fan Zhongyan instinctively looked for a certain figure. He glanced around but couldn't find the person. He apologized, though it might be disrespectful to the Emperor, but he swore on his own reason that it was highly unlikely that anything could have been done without the young prince's involvement.
He asked directly, "May I ask Your Majesty, was it His Highness who mediated the Liao envoy's willingness to back down?"
It was far more than just "mediating." It could be said that Su'er had been at work ever since the Liao delegation arrived in the Song Dynasty, even when he was unaware of it.
If it weren't for the prelude set by Su Shi and Wang Anshi in Yunzhou, which severely dampened the arrogance of the Liao Dynasty's Crown Prince, he might not have taken Su'er, or even the Song Dynasty, seriously. Of course, after the military parade a few days ago, he dared not ignore them even more, and even looked up to them with a hint of awe.
The Emperor considered all of this in his mind, and was filled with emotion. He looked at Fan Zhongyan and said firmly, "Su Zhong's contributions are immense, truly deserving of the highest praise?"
What? So the seven prefectures before the mountain were also thanks to His Highness the Crown Prince? That's alright then. That makes perfect sense.
The courtiers, who had been in a daze just moments before, strangely accepted this fact. Their mood gradually calmed down. After all, they had endured too much from His Highness the Crown Prince over the years and could accept anything.
But those who thought they had convinced themselves were still stunned after the five-day ceremony. It wasn't until the crown princes and their younger brothers read the official letter in both the Song and Liao languages, signed their names in full view of everyone, and affixed their seals, that their eyes finally welled up with tears, and their hearts finally settled down with a heavy weight.
Everything before their eyes was real. The Sixteen Prefectures were truly now in the grasp of their Great Song Dynasty.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the seal symbolizing the change of ownership of more than 100 square kilometers of land was blatantly affixed.
Stamping the seal seemed to have exhausted all of Yelü Chongyuan's strength; it was as if a part of his life force had been taken away by the official letter before him. Sunlight shone on his face, casting a gray hue.
But this was an important occasion for diplomatic relations between the two countries, and losing territory was no excuse for losing face. After signing the credentials, Yelü Chongyuan swayed slightly, bit his tongue, and thankfully didn't collapse on the spot.
This scene was witnessed by Fusu, who had been observing from the shadows. He finally breathed a sigh of relief: it seems there's no need to call the imperial physician for them.
He emerged from his worries, glanced at the officials whose expressions contrasted sharply with Yelü Chongyuan's, and his mood brightened again. His enthusiasm was almost unchanged from when he first heard of the recapture of the "Seven Prefectures Before the Mountains."
This is clearly a joyous occasion; how can one moment of happiness be enough? Of course, we should be happy many more times. We should even invite others to share in our joy.
By the way, has the headline of the daily newspaper that Shen Kuo prepared been published yet? Will the people and soldiers be able to see it?
The answer, of course, was yes. After all, they had worked overtime for several days; they weren't just sitting around doing nothing. At that moment, the "Seeking Knowledge Daily," proclaiming the recapture of their homeland, had been distributed to every corner of the city, creating a huge stir like a torpedo.
"The seven prefectures in front of the mountain have been recovered!"
"The Song Dynasty has won a great victory, and the Liao Dynasty, fearing further battle, has sent envoys to cede territory!"
Even the newspaper vendors were shouting their headlines louder than usual. Everyone who heard them turned to look, and after their initial bewilderment, they all crowded around, eager to take out their coins and find out what was going on.
Newspapers disappeared at breakneck speed; a newspaper the thickness of a forearm could often only satisfy the curiosity of one street. As a result, newspaper vendors had to frequently travel between bookstores and the market to replenish their stock.
But they were happy, their faces beaming with smiles. Firstly, who among the people of the Song Dynasty wouldn't be happy to see this news? Secondly, they could undoubtedly make a fortune from this headline.
In the evening, some businesses even posted notices: "To celebrate the great achievement of recovering our lost territory, our store is offering several special promotions. All customers who enter the store can enjoy..."
The scholar reading the notice at the door hadn't even finished reading it when he felt a strong push against his back. Looking closer, he saw that the threshold in front of the shop was about to be trampled by enthusiastic customers.
Other businesses, not to be outdone, followed suit and launched their own promotional activities. This unexpectedly led to record-breaking foot traffic and spending in Bianjing.
The entire city of Bianjing was immersed in a sea of celebration.
At this point, an imperial edict bestowing the title of Lady of the Commandery upon Su Zhen, the eldest daughter of the Su family, and allocating a certain amount of fiefdom seemed less remarkable. From drafting to approval, it proceeded with exceptional smoothness, and even the most meticulous and difficult Sima Guang raised no objections.
"It's fortunate that the timing is right now, otherwise it would have been much later before it reached you. But now, I should address you as Lady Jun."
Fusu said to Su Zhen.
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Author's Note: Just a few more plot points and the main story will be finished! [Sprinkling flowers] I should be able to finish writing it this week.
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