Chapter 23 Sure enough, he is still a coward
The people who came were none other than the familiar "Secret Guards of Song Renzong". This time they were all in uniform and had the same badge hanging around their waists. After changing their whole appearance, not to mention Su Jinghe, even Zhang Dexiang almost couldn't recognize them.
"Xuanjiansi is investigating the case. Come with us."
Although they asked "Where is Qian Yuliang", these people seemed to have known who he was. They walked straight to Qian Yuliang and took him away without listening to his excuses.
Eight people formed a circle and stood around Qian Yuliang, with four more people responsible for additional vigilance, looking quite skilled and standardized.
"Who are you?" Qian Yuliang didn't understand why he was taken away so abruptly in public, and the people around him didn't dare to say a word!
"This is a bad guy, help me!" He asked these people but got no answer, so he turned to other people around for help, but the people who met his eyes either ignored him or looked away, as if they didn't want to look at him.
"Sir." At this critical moment, it was the assistant who came out. He walked up to the leader and blocked the way of the group.
"Xiao Lin, you came at the right time, Xiao Lin, you should explain clearly to them that I have never done anything bad. You are my assistant, you know that." Qian Yuliang looked at his assistant with much more eagerness than before, and with more expectation. He expected that this man who could usually solve any problem with him would also display his ability at this time.
"Sir, my name is Xu Xiao, and I'm Qian Yuliang's assistant. I've been with Qian Yuliang for twelve years, eight months, and three days." Qian Yuliang's count was almost accurate to the hour and minute, and the people from Xuanjiansi were a little confused when they heard it.
This is?
"If you are here to beg for mercy or to help him get away, there is no need to do so." After saying this, the leader was about to move to the side, avoiding this person and continuing their route.
"Sir!" Xu Xiao shouted, his voice drowning out Qian Yuliang's explanation, "What, did I remember it wrong? Xu Xiao, I'm sorry, but you have to explain it clearly to them, I..."
"Sir, I'm not here to exonerate him. I'm here to testify. I can testify to everything he and I did at Yuelu Academy over the years. I participated in all of this. Can you take me with you?"
After saying this, he smiled shyly and looked at Qian Yuliang again. His eyes were no longer businesslike, but full of love.
After hearing what he said, Qian Yuliang took a few steps back, as if he was frightened.
Su Jinghe, who heard it not far away, was shocked.
The tag "twisted love" is real, so twisted. Is this going to die together with Qian Yuliang?
For a moment, Su Jinghe was in awe of the love-brained person. It was really a scary attribute. Look at what it turned people into.
After the people from Xuanjiansi took the man away, the teachers and students who had listened to several short speeches by assistant Xu Xiao at the venue and who ultimately did not get to wait for Qian Daju's lecture were all in an uproar.
"Hiss, you're being caught already?"
"So, what did Teacher Xu Xiao say just now? Ah, should I remember what Xu Xiao said?"
"Write it down. I think it's quite useful. If someone has bad character but still wants to stay in this position, he must have some strength, right?"
"So his name is Xuan Jiansi, such a cool name!"
In the end, this person's focus was exactly the same as Su Jinghe's. He followed the teacher towards the stands, muttering to himself as he walked.
"The name Xuanjiansi sounds pretty good. It has a bit of the flavor of the Embroidered Envoy."
It was clear from the first listen that he really did not listen to what everyone in the court was saying, and did not listen at all.
This name even had a prototype in the court! However, at the time, some people suggested calling it Bai Ze Guards, while others suggested Di Ting Tang. In the end, everyone summarized and transformed it into Xuan Jian Si!
Using bizarre and strange means, it reflects the world's darkness like a mirror! In fact, the soul figure is Su Jinghe who possesses the Bagua system, although he himself does not know it.
Of course, Song Renzong was also afraid that after using "Bai Ze" and "Ding Ting", Su Jing and Cricket would treat him like a child. Although he was not much better now, this person might not be able to notice it.
In fact, Su Jinghe is more childish than Song Renzong. He just thinks the name is cool!
Su Jinghe thought that if he had the chance, he would also like to go to Xuanjiansi to take a look. Then he took his Zhang Dexiang and led him up the stairs.
Stairs? After stepping on two steps, Su Jinghe realized something was wrong.
When I looked up, I found that I had been led to - the stands?
No? Does the boss want me to perform?
No, I really can't!
If Su Jinghe's fear could show through his eyes, he would have run away directly, but he couldn't. He was too nervous and didn't even dare to speak to the boss to express his support for the fight against the epidemic, let alone turn around and leave on the spot.
You don't really want me...
"Come here, I remember you were the third place winner last year. Come and share with them your learning experience."
Zhang Dexiang's words made Su Jinghe's bad premonition come true.
Share your experience? Listen to me? Are you sure?
He was about to rant in his mind, but he didn't even use a single punctuation mark.
And because he was suppressed by nervousness at the moment, his inner voice did not come out, and he did not let Zhang Dexiang realize that he was unwilling.
Zhang Dexiang also had good intentions. In the court, those who are capable are not as good as those who can create momentum.
Su Jinghe said a few words here today, and tomorrow he and Lu Yijian will be able to write on his resume that he has relatively excellent literary skills and has held knowledge sharing sessions with more than a hundred people, which were well received.
I don’t know what the boss meant by that, but I can see that he has good intentions.
Su Jinghe felt that the boss probably wanted to train him. Such a speech should be very powerful for Qian Daru, but now it has been messed up. Going up to speak is mainly to appease these people.
After thinking about it, it doesn’t seem that important!
Just treat it as an ordinary speech to the big carrot.
After Su Jinghe successfully encouraged himself, he was able to take two steps forward and start talking to them.
"Hello everyone, today I want to share with you how to efficiently utilize the time of one incense stick and achieve the effect of an hour."
Good job.
Zhang Dexiang originally thought that Su Jinghe would take time to get into the mood, but he didn't expect that this first sentence would directly ignite the atmosphere.
Everyone who heard it looked up in shock. This really made people wonder if the speaker had a problem with his brain or if they had heard it wrong.
What an authoritative face!
Su Jinghe was also blessed with the excellent genes of the Su family, and the extraordinary appearance of a person who could become the third place in the imperial examination was evident in every minute.
"He should have some ideas. Let me hear them."
This idea subconsciously appears in the minds of many people.
"When we wake up in the morning, our minds are clearest. Otherwise, why do we have to get up so early to attend the morning court?"
Su Jinghe thought about it and couldn't help but diss a little.
"We don't need to go to court early to study. It's better to go to bed at around 12:00 AM."
Hearing that the mind is clear in the morning, Zhang Dexiang was a little surprised. Is this something that Su Jinghe, who always feels "going to court so early" or even dissatisfied, can say?
After listening to it, I found out that it was still him.
but……
It is obvious that this guy used to be the acting director of a fine kiln factory. When he didn't have to attend the morning court, it was already considered proactive for him to be present at the time of Si.
Zhang Dexiang naturally did not embarrass his subordinates and even applauded in support.
With a point of entry, Su Jinghe's speech became more and more immersive.
"By doing a good job of studying and reviewing in the morning, we can almost gain some time compared to those who waste their mornings. We can't say we've surpassed them, but we've definitely made progress."
"Is this the factor that makes one stick of incense become one hour?" Someone in the audience was listening and interacting, and asked Su Jinghe loudly.
Su Jinghe raised his eyebrows, obviously very confident about what he was going to say next.
"In addition to the incense stick in the morning, there is also one before bed. When you can't sleep, you can recall the knowledge points that you don't understand. You will definitely fall asleep!"
"Haha!~" The audience burst into laughter, and everyone thought that Su Jinghe was so interesting.
No wonder he always looked daydreamy when he was in court. When he had nothing to say, could it be that he fell asleep with his eyes open?
After hearing Su Jinghe's words, Zhang Dexiang found it difficult to control his speculative thoughts.
After all! Thinking about difficult problems will only make you clearer, and that's how he is!
Apparently, there were people like this in the audience. After asking Su Jinghe, they received Su Jinghe's praise, "You are truly a chosen learner. Don't give up your talent!" This made them so confused that they sat down with a blush on their faces.
How did the chosen learner come up with these compliments?
Zhang Dexiang also identified himself with the compliment. The corners of his lips curled up slightly, and he was touched by the compliment.
Su Jinghe has a lot of "time management" methods. Although he can't do it himself, he has observed the status of other people and it is definitely a useful method.
"In addition to this whole period of time, busy students can also use it in fragmented ways. For example, you can carry a small notebook with you and write down some things you want to read more. You can take it out and read it whenever you want."
"But... don't look at it all the time. For example, if you look at it while walking and bump into something, I won't be responsible."
Su Jinghe became happier as he spoke. Someone was silently carrying a heavy burden and moving forward in a place he didn't know about.
Su Xun was so easily taken to Kaifeng Prefecture by a group of people he didn't even know?
No, why are you here?
What surprised him was that the person in Kaifeng Prefecture was none other than the prime minister of the time, Lu Yijian.
The experience in officialdom gained from history made Su Xun decide immediately to turn around and run away - he didn't want to be forced to take sides and then get involved in the court party struggles!
Even when the weak scholar resists, there is a hint of humor in his behavior.
Su Xun panicked and bumped into the burly man behind him. As a result, his head was hurt by the man's hard muscles. He covered his head and took a few steps back.
At this time, it was the kind-hearted Lu Yijian who saved him.
"Have you recently heard voices that others can't hear?"
This sentence was even blocked, but precisely because some words were blocked, they were silent, which made Su Xun understand Lu Yijian's intention immediately.
"Mr. Lu! Do you know the reason? Help me, am I terminally ill?" With a strong desire to survive, Su Xun staggered out from the encirclement of the strong men. He was staggering because of a headache, and it was not an intentional movement of his body.
"Although you are a famous doctor even though you are not a prime minister, you should not use such a tone to ask for medical treatment. It is too weird." Deeply influenced by Su Jinghe, Lu Yijian also began to speak in a sarcastic tone, but he realized it after he finished speaking, and then tried hard to restore his image.
"Your condition isn't a disease. I can only say that many people are like you."
There is no sign of being blocked when speaking this way.
Su Xun thought for a moment, "Is it a part of the group, selected and special? Can colleagues also hear it?"
The first few words were blocked out, and Su Xun was shocked when "colleagues" was uttered smoothly.
But he soon discovered one thing, "I was at the mountain gate today, and some colleagues behaved as usual."
The colleague Su Xun was talking about was from Huishan Academy. Knowing that Su Jinghe and Zhang Dexiang were also going to Huishan Academy today, Lu Yijian thought he was talking about these two.
"Some people don't know, and some people pretend not to know. You just have to pretend not to know in the future." Lu Yijian hadn't decided whether to reveal who it was, but if he really used this incident to target Su Jinghe, it would be blocked in the entire paragraph, and there would be no way to convey this information.
Lu Yijian looked at Su Xun, hoping that this man could be smarter and discover and confirm it himself. He lived with Su Jinghe, so it would be easy for him to confirm it.
"But the content is all true. What did you hear today? Tell me."
Pretending not to know?
Wait, is that true?
Just hearing the first half made Su Xun feel that this person was really out of control. He wondered if it was a bit too much to tell such content to the prime minister.
Finally said it.
Su Xun always took the happy route in learning, not to mention his attitude towards life, which was already enough to satisfy him. How could he not be satisfied with the Prime Minister's sincere request?
Lu Yijian didn't know yet, but this gossip was also quite unbearable to hear.
What is even more unbearable to listen to is the part that Su Xun was unable to hear.
When he finds out, he will feel relieved for Su Jinghe, the person who was able to finish reading it.
Su Jinghe, if you can read this, you will succeed in everything you do!
——
Huishan Academy
"Teacher Su, you have such perseverance in studying, you will definitely be more powerful in the future!" The students who listened to Su Jinghe's special lecture on learning also had a certain degree of misunderstanding about him, such as misunderstanding what Su Jinghe could do according to such words.
Su Jinghe felt embarrassed for what everyone shouted out. He touched his non-existent conscience and said something different from the exhortation to study.
"It's important to balance work and rest. Don't just focus on studying. Sometimes, proper relaxation and entertainment can help you learn better. Even if you can't absorb the knowledge in the books, it's okay. Learning is learning something. Learning a craft! Once you master a skill, there will always be a time to put it to use."
"Teacher Su, does this include the Bi Sheng we found some time ago? Has he used his skills to serve the court now?" The voices below suddenly had content that had nothing to do with learning.
Su Jinghe looked over blankly, wanting to see which guy had inexplicably started talking about Bi Sheng.
When I looked at the source of the sound, I saw that there was an extra space around the person who was speaking. A student was sitting there awkwardly, pretending to be calm and looking up at Su Jinghe.
The whispers of others also made him understand why he was quickly separated from the crowd.
"Bi Sheng, who is that?" "Found him some time ago? I haven't heard of him?" "There's something wrong with this person. He's not asking about studying. It's so weird."
He regretted his carelessness in asking excessive questions in front of a bunch of learning brains, but this was a rare opportunity for him.
It's okay, the people of Song Dynasty are stupid, they won't find out.
He swallowed and pretended to be calm.
He had his source of information. His superior told him that the Song Dynasty court arranged a number of people to go to Huainan Road and brought back an ordinary worker from a printing shop.
Recently, the Song Dynasty inexplicably sent a batch of brand new books to this newly built academy, free of charge.
He speculated that Bi Sheng might be the key. Being able to allow the Song Dynasty to give away so many free books without making any profit must have improved its printing capabilities.
Is it cheaper? Or more efficient? Is it either?
He wanted to get some information from this "Master Su".
After being ruthlessly exposed by his classmates, he even thought of an excuse and said that he heard it while listening to gossip!
He was about to make the excuse of gossip, but Su Jinghe had already flipped through the related gossip pushed to him by the system.
[A professional undercover agent hid in the Song Dynasty for twenty years, yet no one discovered him!]
What?
Are there any normal people in the Song Dynasty? How can there be an undercover agent with twenty years of experience? What on earth is Lü Yijian doing? Does he have any sense of responsibility as the Prime Minister of the Song Dynasty, responsible for governing the country in an orderly manner?
When Zhang Dexiang heard the title, his faith in Taoism was a little damaged, and he started to diss Lu Yijian in his heart.
Speak, speak quickly, I want to catch this guy!
Zhang Dexiang thought indignantly.
But this time Su Jinghe didn't say it directly. He took a look at the gossip and started discussing it with the classmate in the audience.
"Hello, classmate. Since you want to discuss current affairs, I'd like to share a little tip for taking the exam. It's important to pay attention to current affairs."
The Song Dynasty was also good in this respect. Unlike the literary inquisitions of the Ming and Qing dynasties, which were severe, it allowed for greater freedom of expression.
That is, our Song Dynasty is excellent.
It was rare for Zhang Dexiang to hear good things about the Song Dynasty from Su Jinghe. It made him feel very comfortable at first, and he also felt less anxious because Su Jinghe only talked about the title without talking about the content.
"Although I don't know how this student learned about Bi Sheng, I won't elaborate on his channel."
Su Jinghe's words made the others move further away. Some students even called the school security guards to sit next to this student, one on each side.
This made the classmate very angry. He thought that Su Jinghe's words clearly meant that he would not pursue his channels.
They must be afraid of them. The Song Dynasty has always been like this and dares not confront the Liao Dynasty head-on!
"Don't forget to keep an eye on the current situation, fellow students." Su Jinghe looked at the others and felt like a salted fish looking at the future pillars of the family. He had high expectations for them.
"Teacher, how do we obtain such intelligence? Isn't it generally understood better at the national level?" This person already regarded the person who was speaking as a spy from another country, and he even suspected that it was the Liao Kingdom.
Look at this eye, look carefully the color is different from theirs!
"Of course not. You can get a lot of information from newspapers. Different local newspapers will tell you about the current difficulties in their area. I know many students only read the works of famous people published there, but don't miss anything. Even jokes have deeper meanings."
After Su Jinghe said this, he gave an example.
"For example, if we look at the newspaper, we see that rice prices have been rising for about half a year. What can we think of this? What can we do?"
The person being questioned was the "spy." "Teacher Xiao Su, my name is Jin Chengen. Regarding this topic, I'm thinking about merchants hoarding rice and maliciously driving up the price. If I were to write a policy paper on this matter, I'd say the state should intervene, establish relevant rules, and implement punishments that would be painful for these merchants to prevent such incidents from happening again."
"That's a very good angle. Are there any other angles?" Su Jinghe looked at him and was quite satisfied with his answer. He was a good candidate for economics, and he even wanted the country to intervene and regulate.
"What else?" Jin Chengen was a little confused. He answered confidently, "Nothing else."
Su Jinghe directly said to the other students, "I think everyone should have other ideas, right? Is there anyone who would like to stand up and speak?"
"Teacher, I can!" The first person who said yes was called upon by Su Jinghe to answer. He was quite confident in his answer.
"Rice also has livelihood issues. Droughts and floods can significantly reduce farmers' harvests, and scarcity makes things more valuable, so rice prices will rise accordingly. If it were my policy paper, I might also focus on livelihood issues, increase support for farmers, and encourage them to actively cultivate the land."
"We also need to strengthen our ability to resist drought and floods, divert water and build canals, which will also reduce losses." Another classmate's voice rang out.
"Everyone's answers are very good." Su Jinghe looked at Jin Chengen, whose face was a little pale and who was trying to argue, "Actually, I thought about it, but I didn't say it in full. I don't think it's necessary to say it."
"Many times, the direct distinction between countries is very simple. For example, Kim Seung-eun's accent is neither northern nor southern. You haven't heard him speak his hometown dialect, because he doesn't speak the hometown dialect of this fictional identity at all."
Su Jinghe still had a smile on his face that made Jin Chengen feel silly and gullible, but what he said made Jin Chengen feel like he was a devil.
"However, the hometown dialect issue cannot be fully proven. If you stay in a region for a long time and integrate into it, you will be changed and your perspective will change."
"China has been a major agricultural country since ancient times. We eat what we grow, so encouraging and supporting agriculture has always been our policy. Agricultural taxes are also a very important part of the country's tax revenue."
"But the Liao Kingdom is different from us. They are a nomadic people. Even after they came into contact with us and were partially assimilated, they were not as good at farming as we are. They would trade with us for grain."
Su Jinghe's words made more and more sense, and the others looked at Jin Chengen as if they had solid evidence.
It is true!
If looks could kill, Jin Chengen would have been killed by the gaze of his former classmate and teacher.
But if eyes could speak, Jin Chengen's eyes were already saying, "The Song Dynasty is indeed a coward just as he knew it was, especially in this kind of national stance, it is too cowardly."
His classmates were getting further and further away from him, and some of them even took out weapons from somewhere and put them in front of him, looking completely harmless.
"Of course, even if we find suspicious points about someone, it's not recommended to point them out directly like I did, because it may cause safety issues. The best way is to remember what they look like, then report to the police and let more professional people handle it."
Su Jinghe's eyes were still as gentle as ever when he looked at Jin Chengen.
Only Zhang Dexiang, who could hear his inner voice, knew that this was the look one gave a fool.
If I tell him now that he's been in the Song Dynasty for two years, and the person he contacted has actually betrayed the country, and was bribed by the Western Xia shortly after it was established, that's why they gave him a death order to find out where Bi Sheng is, what his role is, and so on, they're essentially using you as a pawn!
Hearing this, Zhang Dexiang wanted to sigh.
It's so refreshing to have bad teammates! Especially those on the other side.
But the "superior" who has been undercover in the Song Dynasty for twenty years, even if he switches to Xixia, cannot be caught! We can get two channels of information from him, Liao and Xixia!
After finishing this unplanned speech, Su Jinghe wanted to say goodbye to his uncle when he returned, but he didn't see him.
But when he got home that night, his uncle looked at him again and again, as if he wanted to say something but was hesitant.
"If you have anything to say, just tell the child directly! Why are you staring at the child like that? Is your goal to alienate people and make them unable to eat?"
Cheng Jiamin put down the two custom smoothie bowls in her hand and looked at Su Xun.
Cheng Jiamin has recently put her mind back on her career. When she is immersed in her career, her emotions are relatively less sensitive, and her mind is full of the goal of becoming bigger and stronger.
Su Jinghe talked about smoothies. She compared seven or eight customized smoothie bowls and was passionate about wanting a unique bowl with the characteristics of their store. She didn't feel tired at all while working hard for her career.
Su Xun also wanted to say something, so he coughed twice.
Asked Su Jinghe, "Bao..."
"Stop, stop, stop! Uncle, are you crazy?" Su Jinghe's eyes widened, "Why are you calling me like that!"
"Don't Dabao and Xiaobao both call you that..." Su Xun felt a little aggrieved. He was about to make a scene. "Auntie calls you that too. Why don't you give me the right to call you that? I'll just call you Bao!"
"It's so scary. I feel like I'm half dead." Su Jinghe fell down suddenly, and behind him was Su Shi who enthusiastically played with him.
Children of Su Shi's age are at the age when they love to play. He happily lifted Su Jinghe, who was also holding back a little, and said to his brother who was playing the guqin next to him.
"Brother, come on, let's carry him away!"
"Hey, hey, hey, don't be like this. Why are you still playing the father-son game, with the father killing people and the son robbing things? You're too skilled at this, aren't you? Save me, Dabao, save me!" Su Jinghe's willingness to play along and to arrange scripts every time were the important reasons why Su Shi liked playing with him very much.
"Hmph, the dead are not allowed to talk!" Su Xun also joined in the acting. In this family, if you can't beat them, you have to join in. There is no place for him to act like an elder.
Su Jingxian didn't come, but he changed the song.
"The accompaniment is my accompaniment. No one can beat me in my singing!" Su Jing did a somersault, shouted "I am resurrected", and turned around to "fight" with Su Shi. He only ended the fight when he was tired of Su Shi.
Su Jingxian, who had been playing the guqin, also switched between several pieces of music, which also gave the guqin beginner ample exercise.
Cheng Jiamin shook her head. She commented on this "stage play," "The most reliable man in this family should be our little Su Zhe."
"He can't even speak! If he could, he might play with us." Su Xun also had a lot of fun.
Su Shi and Su Jingxian went to bed first, and Su Xun tried to communicate with Su Jinghe again about the issue of "the sound heard".
As a result, I opened my mouth several times, but couldn't say anything.
"Uncle, are you performing a pantomime? It's very interesting, but I'm so sleepy now. I want to go to bed." Su Jinghe walked away yawning. He had exhausted his energy from playing and was now low on energy. He needed a perfect encounter with the bed to recharge.
"What do you want to say? Why didn't you say it just now?" Cheng Jiamin asked Su Xun curiously.
"I..." He started to speak without any content. Su Xun just forced a smile and said, "I'll give you a performance. Isn't it nice?"
"It's really creative." Cheng Jiamin is also very good at providing emotional value.
Su Xun was silently confused. Why couldn't he say anything to his nephew? Was it because what he wanted to say just now contained "forbidden words"?
Don't understand.
And my nephew's condition is also...
Is he pretending? Lu Xiang also told him, why should he pretend not to know?
Yes, yes!
Su Xun slowly convinced himself.
——
The next day when Su Jinghe went to court, the court was in chaos again.
"Wouldn't it be better if we kept these spies and used them to pass on information to the Liao Kingdom?"
It was Su Jing and the spy they caught yesterday that caused disagreements among the group again.
However, there seem to be disagreements in the court every day. Do they really think differently, or are they pretending to have conflicts?
Su Jinghe slowly moved his brain, then gave up and prepared to continue to daydream.
But someone didn't want him to be in a daze.
"I heard that the spy yesterday was captured by our Vice Commander Su under imperial order. Tell me, should we keep him alive or kill him?"
A person who didn't know Su Jinghe's identity got so angry that he directly called on Su Jinghe to share his experience.
Su Jinghe looked around, and they seemed to be really waiting for his answer!
Ah? Has my talent finally been discovered?
"Your Majesty, I believe we have already captured these individuals. If we can use their current channels to pass on false intelligence to the Liao Kingdom, that would be a good thing. This way, we can maintain long-term communication with the Liao Kingdom and obtain more information."
His words touched the hearts of the ministers who supported the continued use of the spies' intelligence network.
That's right, if you catch it but don't use it, what's the difference between that and catching it for nothing? This is a great thing with no investment and huge profits!
"But." These two words made the person who was just happy frown tightly. There was going to be a turning point.
“Even if we catch them all, we don’t know if we’ve caught them all.”
Su Jinghe considered these words comprehensively, and some people's eyes fell on him.
Whether the investigation is thorough or not depends on whether the list he reports in his mind is complete or not.
Lu Yijian was quite certain that they tortured everyone all night long, making a list of names for each person they captured. He didn't know if there was any other system for transmitting information, but all of them were caught in one fell swoop.
"If there are any fish that slip through the net, then the danger will be greatly increased when we contact the Liao Kingdom." Su Jinghe said here, "If they are also playing tricks, or are betting that there is some truth in our information, they may continue to play this spy game with us. But if it is not, the first group of people we contact will be killed by them when they spread the news."
Ah, it's true.
Those who supported this statement were also persuaded by Su Jinghe.
The Liao Kingdom conquered people by force, and whoever had the bigger fist became the boss. They were not the kind of people who would use their brains slowly.
Take the spies who were caught recently because of their voices. The hidden tracks of many of them are really amazing. It is really easy to overlook them if there are too many loopholes.
I just thought he was a stupid person, and no one around me thought he was a spy at all.
If there is a possibility of alerting the enemy, then what Su Jinghe said makes perfect sense.
"Also, killing them directly isn't a good idea. It gives them an opportunity to start a war. We in the Song Dynasty don't have the strength to fight them head-on yet."
Su Jinghe even thought that even if they fought, they would still have to pay money to others, so it would be more cost-effective not to fight such a war.
This group of people silently measured the current combat capability of the Song Dynasty, and found sadly that as long as the gunpowder had not been fully upgraded, it would be quite strenuous for them to fight according to their past strength. Moreover, a lot of the Song Dynasty's money was currently in the investment period, and it might take until next year or the year after for the accelerated return. It was not cost-effective to burn money in a war now.
"Sending them back is even worse. Capturing them and sending them back again, there are only two possibilities. One is that we are powerful, and we are using this action to tell them that it is useless to do anything under our noses."
Some people who support sending it over think this way: Isn't this just a slap in the face of the Liao Kingdom? How cool!
"But the reality is that we simply don't have the strength to do so, and other countries will misunderstand it as the second possibility."
"We're flattering the Liao, terrified of them and surrendering to them. We've captured spies, and we're sending them over eagerly to make up for our mistake. Should we even bring some gifts?"
There were indeed some people who had such thoughts, but they were directly and ruthlessly exposed by Su Jinghe. They were very angry, but they were too embarrassed to lose their temper on the spot.
"I'm more in favor of digging up all their information and then sending them to Xixia. Isn't there someone among them who has connections with Xixia? Once we get there, we kill him and then quietly pass on the news of this person's connections to Liao."
Su Jinghe worked hard to think of a solution.
This answer is what he learned from his colleagues after listening to so many episodes of court courses.
"Borrowing a knife to kill someone? You're just afraid that the other person won't want to be lent the knife, right?"
Su Jinghe himself didn't realize that his boomerang had hit him. He tilted his head and said, "But this is the truth. We followed the clues and caught the Xixia spy. We beat him up and threw him to Xixia, and threatened them to give us an explanation, otherwise we would fight."
"You're from the Liao Kingdom. Wouldn't you be furious if you discovered the spies were yours? And then, if you discovered that two neighbors you disliked were about to go to war over this, wouldn't you be excited and try to fish in troubled waters and start a fight?" Su Jinghe paused. "You'd think so, and so would Xixia. People were sent to their border and died. Who killed them? They instigated the Liao spies, but instead of us fighting the Liao, they brought disaster upon themselves. The Liao must have had some tricks in their hands."
"Yes, but, this..." Su Jinghe's script was so logical that the minister who questioned him at the beginning didn't know what to say.
"These are the only ideas I have about this matter. I hope they will inspire others..." Su Jinghe tried hard to come up with an ending.
It all depends on the support of his boss, who quickly came out to support him.
"Your Majesty, I believe that Xixia will inevitably engage in a war with our country. This strategy can be used to exacerbate the conflict between Liao and Xixia. Our country's current strength also requires a battle. Taking the initiative first, and using a method that is not morally reprehensible, is feasible."
Zhang Dexiang said this and also pointed out the shortcomings of this plan.
"The only drawback is that the real situation won't be like the story. The Liao Kingdom might just attack us while we're fighting the Western Xia. After all, the value of the Western Xia isn't as high as our Great Song."
"It will work as long as we take the initiative and act quickly enough!" This was said by Han Qi who had already returned from Liao. As soon as Han Qi came back, he found that another spy had been discovered, and he was overjoyed.
"Our spies in Liao have already been deployed. This incident is a good opportunity to test their usefulness and the feasibility of information dissemination."
Han Qi is back? Damn! Fan Zhongyan went to Jiangnan to select a site for building a cement dam. This is so different from the course of history! Will Fan Zhongyan come back for dinner this time? At the end of the year, when the Western Xia attacked us, he and Han Qi had to go to Shaanxi!
Some people just help themselves.
Han Qi's words had already made people want to support Su Jinghe, and now he expressed his true feelings directly: Xixia was originally going to fight us.
Then just hit him!
"I don't know the progress of gunpowder research. If possible, I would like to use it this time." Some people began to ask the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of War, as they were jointly organizing this matter.
The question was quite baffling. "It's a joint secret operation, you know? It's confidential. Only non-participants know about it, and no one else knows about it, including me."
This activity is directly with His Majesty, and only His Majesty knows the progress! If it weren't in the court, this person would have wanted to say it directly.
Song Renzong secretly thought about Su Jinghe's plan and felt that he was really powerful.
Not only is it bound to a magic weapon, but the method I came up with is not just theoretical and can be used with a little effort.
My Great Song Dynasty is indeed like this! God didn't want to see us face such a fate! So he sent Xiao Su to save us!
After Song Renzong finished thinking about it, he heard people talking about this matter below, and he was also very happy.
"We've made some progress. If it were deployed, its lethality would be… Didn't you hear that loud noise a few days ago? It was from this weapon."
He didn't directly mention the lethality, which surprised many people.
"What? Is there such a big commotion?" Someone smiled happily.
"I even thought it was an earthquake. Isn't it a bit too powerful?" someone frowned.
"If that's the case, it seems like we can start preparing for war."
Someone's words awakened the dreamer.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I can lead the troops to fight!"
"Your Majesty, you can let me be your vanguard!"
The generals were more ruthless than each other, and everyone was eager to gain some benefits from this war.
"Your Majesty! I can go to the front lines to build military defense projects!"
Everyone in the Ministry of Industry wanted to participate.
After Su Jinghe returned to the team, he didn't say anything. Now he looked a little confused.
Song Shiyi took advantage of the chaos and thought that he was in a bad mood because he was dissatisfied with his previous speech and praised him.
"You put it very well. I wouldn't think so comprehensively if it were me."
Especially when analyzing each one of them one by one, he was not afraid of offending anyone at all and just analyzed them one by one.
Su Jinghe was distracted during class and answered questions in whatever way he wanted, completely unaware that he was imitating the "argumentative" speaking style of Fan Zhongyan, Han Qi, Su Shunqin, etc. In fact, most people who wanted to protect themselves would just say a little timidly and then quickly pretend to be stupid.
However, Su Jinghe was not reflecting on himself after the game. He simply felt that something was wrong.
"When did our Great Song become so tough?"
"Ah? Haha, it's always been like this." Song Shiyi also thought of this person's "cowardly remarks" and wanted to speak up for the Song Dynasty. "We in the Song Dynasty are very strong. The character of scholars is as vigorous and upright as bamboo!"
Huh? You're talking about the Da Song I know? Are we messing around?
Su Jinghe didn't say any harsh words, but the two words "disbelief" were clearly written on his face.
Woo woo woo, it’s really like this, please believe me.
Song Shiyi also didn't want to be considered a coward by default, but it was obvious that the person he wanted to change was a stubborn person and had stopped chatting with him.
Next time, I'll definitely let you know how tough our Song Dynasty is! Just waiting for this battle!
——
At the end of 1038, Western Xia actually launched a war against the Song Dynasty.
It is not much different from the original history, just with a little more fluctuation.
The Song Dynasty sent spies there, and they died as expected. There was even some Liao involvement, and it was even more perfect than planned.
The Western Xia were not to be trifled with, and they immediately declared that the spies were part of a plot by the Liao Kingdom to undermine the friendship between their Great Xia and the Song Dynasty. They demanded that the Song Dynasty quickly acknowledge their identities, and falsely promised that after acknowledging their identities, they would join hands with the Song Dynasty to fight the Liao Kingdom.
When the news reached the government and the public, it shocked some people, but also made some people think that this was really feasible.
"Your Majesty, we and Western Xia are one. It is possible that Li Yuanhao broke away and was willing to join hands with us to fight against the Liao Kingdom." Some people are really more naive than children.
"What's the point of their secession? They've been serving under the Song Dynasty for so long, and now they can't stand the Song's cowardice, so they're going their own way and wanting to fight the Liao? What a joke! They're waiting to discuss it with you, and then they're repeatedly asking you to acknowledge their legitimacy? They're even sending spies into the Song Dynasty? They're just looking for Bi Sheng, and they're already trying to find out everything. Is this for your own good? You should support Sima Zhao yourself, and don't let the Song Dynasty support him together with you!"
It wasn't even Sima Zhao anymore, but Sima Yan who had already ascended the throne.
Su Jinghe was really furious. He was afraid of being led by the nose at the critical moment. As soon as someone said something, he would fall into the trap as if he saw a piece of meat.
People were in a desperate situation, but they found out that there was someone still in Macabaka on their side.
He is not as aware as me, a college student!
Someone was scolded, and the others, as if deciding to use this person to test the way forward, resolutely chose to start fighting.
The Song Dynasty today is really different from before.
He had the intention to go to Shaanxi Road, but was suppressed by Song Renzong. So Han Qi, who is still in Bianliang, watched this scene with great satisfaction.
Originally, he and Fan Zhongyan wanted to talk so frankly, but it was not that simple.
It is important to have the right to speak.
Song Renzong also felt good. He had never intended to recognize the other party's legitimacy and even wanted to remove his original official position!
Although this action is useless, it makes him feel good.
If he hadn't been afraid of damaging the national dignity, Song Renzong really wanted to release Su Jinghe and give Xixia a good scolding.
Wartime manifestos are also reasonable, right?
But after thinking about it, I decided to let it go. It would be better for my precious baby to stay at home. It would be nice to help him scold those who usually boss him around.
Song Renzong was petty and wanted Su Jinghe to scold him even more harshly. In the past, he had been criticized by so many people, and now Su Jinghe couldn't stand it? His tolerance was just like that. No way!
When the Song Dynasty refused, it was already prepared for war, and its fortifications were built with cement and gunpowder.
When Western Xia chose to start a war, they thought they would be able to take the initiative and suppress the Song Dynasty for once.
In fact, even Li Yuanhao did not think of defeating the Song Dynasty directly. A lean camel is bigger than a horse. Their Western Xia territory is not as big as the Song Dynasty. Although he believes that his individual combat power will not be defeated by the Song Dynasty, the advantage is that they have more people.
only……
"What is that thing?!" Li Yuanhao, who led the army in person, wanted to gain an advantage in the first battle. Luckily, he saved his life on the battlefield and retreated all the way back to Yinchuan with his remaining soldiers before he dared to attack.
But the person he asked was completely wrong. How could this Xixia court official know about the affairs of the Song Dynasty? Moreover, this person had come down from the battlefield with him and was running for his life. He just followed him numbly all the way, with the blood and flesh flying on the battlefield still in his mind.
"Like, like the gunpowder of the Song Dynasty! Such powerful gunpowder, it killed people instantly, blood and flesh flew everywhere, and a large number of people were killed in one explosion... At that time, the nearest gunpowder was thirty steps away from me, and I..." The man mechanically described the war scene, with no trace of spirit in his eyes, only fear.
"Useless! Get out of here!" Li Yuanhao slapped the man so hard that he vomited blood. He then asked the next person, "Do you know what that thing is?"
The second person who was asked was trembling with fear. After learning from the experience of the first person, he didn't even dare to speak. He trembled and muttered "Your Majesty... Your Majesty..." Before he could really say anything useful, he did not escape the slap that was waiting for him.
With a "pop", the man even spat out a bloody tooth, which shows how ruthless Li Yuanhao was.
The third man was clever and said, "Your Majesty, the Song Dynasty simply outnumbers them. Our Great Xia soldiers are brave and skilled in battle. By leveraging the terrain and maneuvering in a circuitous manner, we will surely defeat the Song Dynasty!"
"Idiot, trying to resist gunpowder with your own strength, what an idiot!" Li Yuanhao not only cursed him but also slapped him twice.
After beating three people, his anger gradually subsided and he began to use his reason to control his brain.
The military advisors who had been hiding outside cleverly also came in at this time.
"Your Majesty, we have already written a letter requesting aid from Liao. Liao intends to annex the Song Dynasty and will definitely need manpower. The power of Song's gunpowder in this battle is far greater than ever before, and the soldiers are becoming more and more courageous as the battle goes on, which is very different from the past."
Li Yuanhao was quite unhappy when he heard this, but from the moment the first shell fell and the first grenade was thrown, he already understood that the Song Dynasty was planning something bad and wanted to attack him!
"Just be a pawn. Once our Great Xia becomes strong, both Song and Liao will be in our pockets!" Li Yuanhao decided to endure it!
The victory in the first battle made the Northern Song officials cheer.
"It was a piece of cake, several times faster than we expected!"
"Gunpowder is truly powerful. This new generation of gunpowder is no match for the crude cloth armor of the Western Xia. It will be easy for the Great Song to defeat them!"
"We drove Li Yuanhao back all the way to Yinchuan! Only a few of our soldiers, who miscalculated and didn't get far away, were slightly injured. They received timely medical treatment and survived. It was truly a magnificent victory!"
"Why not just take back Yinchuan in one fell swoop?"
Even though we know that the power of gunpowder has increased, the results of actual operation are still surprising. This can be said to be the happiest time for everyone in the Song Dynasty.
Can I finally get rid of the nickname "coward"?
My god, this Li Yuanhao is really courageous. He actually gave in to the Liao Kingdom and asked them for military support. Is he trying to repel us? Or is he going to fight a protracted war with us and wear us down?
When the inner voice came out, it scared many people.
Someone immediately lost their voice.
"Your Majesty, let's quit while we're ahead and return to continue recuperating. The treasury hasn't yet recovered some of its investment, and this campaign hasn't yielded any revenue. Your Majesty, how about..."
This minister was really frightened by the Liao Kingdom and said a lot of reasonable things.
Damn it, how could you say that?!
The people around stared at him.
Can we still get rid of the title of coward in this way?
As expected.
[Hey, a coward is a coward. He doesn't even know about the cooperation between Xia Liao, but he's already giving in...]
"Fight! Your Majesty, let's fight!"
Han Qi and Fan Zhongyan stood up at the same time as if they had telepathy.
[As expected of a pair of stubborn guys! One of the most timid outside receivers! ]
No? It's obvious that you two are here?
The others who wanted to fight spoke up just a little bit later, and if they spoke up again now, they would no longer receive any praise from Su Jinghe.
This battle between Western Xia and the Song Dynasty lasted year after year, from the end of 1038 to the beginning of 1040, because of the intervention of the Liao.
Even Song Renzong had his second prince, named Zhao Xin, nicknamed Zuixinglai, whom he doted on like a treasure.
In 1040, with the support of Liao, Western Xia fought against the Song Dynasty at Sanchuankou again.
However, what is different from history is that at that time Xixia still had territory to challenge, but now Xixia is completely surrounded at Sanchuankou.
Liao wanted Western Xia to seek peace with the Song Dynasty.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
