Chapter 24 Did you steal money?!
"There's a new restaurant in Bianjing. Let's go try it."
Su Jinghe brought the three little ones and rushed to the restaurant with a clear goal in mind among the hurried crowd.
Su Jingxian, who is now ten years old, has started to grow taller, his voice has changed, and he is slowly growing into an adult.
The little kid who originally followed Su Jinghe also changed from Su Shi to Su Zhe, and as for Su Shi.
"Let's go, let's go! I heard this place has super delicious fish and mutton!"
Su Shi was like a beagle that started to run wild as soon as it got out of the door. He energetically pulled the other members of the team towards his desired destination.
Soon, Bigger really got into some trouble, not a big one.
He rushed into someone's thigh. Su Shi, who was still a little fat boy and had not yet started to grow tall and thin, took two steps back because of the interaction force. The other party was even more fragile and staggered and was supported by the person next to him.
"Brother, you should start exercising. Why are you so unsteady when walking on flat ground?"
Su Shi, who had caused others to be scolded, did not try to escape his own mishap. He released Su Jinghe's hand and, with an attitude of taking personal responsibility for his own actions, walked forward and bowed. "I'm sorry, I bumped into you, big brother. I apologize!"
Another headbutt caused Wang Anshi, who had just stood firm, to stagger half a step.
Su Jinghe, who was originally waiting for the child to handle the matter by himself, could no longer hold back. This was too funny. He shouldn't have watched it so early. He should have saved it for the Song Dynasty Spring Festival Gala to make up for the regret of having no skits to watch during the Song Dynasty New Year.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Hey? It's you two? Wenjun, are you finally willing to give yourself a day off?"
The people he met were Wang Wenjun and Wang Anshi, who was brought out by her to play.
"You should have said this to my brother. He's been back in Bianjing for so many days and hasn't left the house. Look, he can still stumble on his own even after bumping into a child."
Su Jinghe said a little embarrassedly, "Maybe my family raised him too well..."
"Ah?" Wang Wenjun didn't hear it. Su Shi was such a social shrew. In a short while, he had already held the hands of Wang Anshi and Wang Wenjun, one in each hand. She was so busy holding hands with Su Shi that she didn't notice what Su Jinghe said.
"Let's go, let's go eat some fish and mutton!" Although it was a coincidence, from this perspective, Su Shi also perfectly resolved the little accident he caused.
When we arrived at the restaurant, it was not yet mealtime, but there were still quite a few people eating.
"After two years, Bianjing is completely different from when I last came here."
Wang Anshi looked at the scenery of Bianjing outside the window. Many people added many patterns on their houses, which looked unique and more refined and elegant.
As for the restaurant's own decoration, wall painting has become a new trend in Bianjing, providing painters who do not know how to paint murals with an additional way to make money.
Looking inside again, he saw that the story the storyteller was telling was something he had never heard of before.
Seeing her brother observing people, Wang Wenjun was also considerate. "You haven't heard of this story? It's a new work by a cutting-edge novelist. It tells the story of a woman who disguises herself as a man, wins the top prize in the imperial examination, and then becomes an official. It's very popular."
"The Song Dynasty is getting better and better," Wang Anshi sighed after hearing this. "Before, everyone was focused on making money and living a good life, but now they're starting to care about national affairs. We've been fighting the Western Xia for two years, and this is the first time the country has been so harmonious. Everyone is united in their anticipation for the Song Dynasty to win decisively."
There are some people who do some tricks.
Su Jinghe is often pushed some...
#Shock! A tiny village has produced an emperor! The Yellow Heaven is dead, and the Blue Heaven must reign supreme. The king's warlike ways have led the people to revolt! — A villager's 30 chickens laid 200 eggs overnight. On a bright note, he distributed the eggs to the entire village, declaring himself king and urging everyone to support him. This group of people actually became local tycoons, acting with impunity and plundering three passing caravans.
Su Jinghe's comment on this was that fools should avoid sudden inspiration. In ancient times, this was also because they felt that the nine clans were living too well. And there was still a bottom line for not just robbing money without killing people.
[#The incident of a fireworks factory being taken over by a relative. The ten-year-old boy, whose parents had both died, was unable to take over the factory. A warm-hearted relative came to help, but in less than ten days, most of the factory was emptied out. The relative was a spy from the Liao Kingdom. After forging his identity to gain the boy's trust, he started moving directly.]
When Su Jinghe saw this, they were almost at the border between Song and Liao. He was still thinking of being more shady and just setting off the explosion, killing as many as possible, only the enemies but not himself.
As a result, when this group of people lit the fire themselves for the test explosion, they directly blew up everything. The quality of the Liao people was better than that of the Song Dynasty. It was a pity that they were seriously injured but not killed.
Don't over-trust your pen pals. This scam is a hoax for intellectuals, and the truth behind it is heartbreaking. This one is quite funny. The Liao Dynasty wanted the Song Dynasty's upgraded gunpowder, and they did everything they could. One "clever" person cast a wide net, pretending to be someone interested in literature, painting, architecture, etc., and began a correspondence with a group of non-official individuals who had the leisure and money to create their own original works. These people were deceived into saying anything and sending them anything. They also sent a lot of small fireworks, and compared to the previous fireworks factory, their warehouse was half full. As for how they were discovered, it was because someone insisted on "online dating in person," and the system sent a message to Su Jinghe. Anyone who read even a little bit would be torn to pieces.
Some of these things happened accidentally, while others were instigated by Liao.
But the Liao Kingdom tried for two years but failed to successfully instigate him to form a resistance force.
The Song Dynasty is really getting better!
"If you knew the power of gunpowder in our Song Dynasty now, you would feel at ease. You would not dare to fight wars outside and create civil unrest inside as you did before." Although Wang Wenjun was focused on making money, he also knew about these things.
There have been a lot more news in newspapers in the past two years, including news about victories, small-scale defeats, and more victories. Along with these, there is also news about the powerful role of "gunpowder" on the front battlefield of the Song Dynasty.
"A battle can be won without a useful commander, but it cannot be won without gunpowder." Wang Wenjun gave a ready-made example.
"They're talking about peace talks again this time. This news has even been passed back. Isn't it just that there was a heavy rainstorm at Sanchuankou, and the gunpowder got damp? Hey, if it weren't for that, we would have taken it directly and wouldn't have allowed them to talk about peace?"
The newspaper talked about this matter without any hesitation, but Su Jinghe knew that the heavy rain was not a bad thing.
The main problem was that the enemy stole the pot in the gunpowder warehouse and was said to have been trying to steal it, and then it rained heavily.
The good news is that it wasn't stolen, but the bad news is that it did get damp.
Today’s technology is still not as advanced as it will be in the future!
Su Jinghe thought that the waterproof level should be improved.
But then I thought again, if it is really waterproof and moisture-proof, and someone gets in, I can just set it on fire and blow it all up. If the enemy sacrifices one, we will suffer countless casualties.
[Sigh, if only the Song Dynasty were more powerful, the enemy wouldn't have penetrated deep into our rear.]
There is no need to consider such extremely low probability events!
Su Jinghe was so upset that his inner feelings came out.
Fortunately, Wang Anshi was not an official at the moment. He had helped Su Xun in the imperial examinations before, and was originally going to be dismissed, but in the end he was spared.
Once I go back, it takes another four years to settle down, and now I have to wait two more years before the exam.
But Wang Anshi could not hear Su Jinghe's voice, but someone else could.
"Oh, I knew you would come to this restaurant sooner or later, and sure enough, I found you." It was Song Shiyi. Song Shiyi saw Wang Wenjun sitting next to him.
"How did you two get together again? I heard the kiln factory has been expanding its services these past two years, allowing people to paint their own paintings and customize the kilns, and they've expanded the range of colors. That's great! The technological innovation is so great, and the price has gone up too. I can't afford it at all."
Of course Song Shiyi can afford it, it's just a disguised way of saying that they are doing well.
"He Yun studied this with his grandfather and father, and I also named one of them."
Wang Wenjun chuckled, "I'm in charge of price reform."
Song Shiyi sometimes hated his own mouth, and was easily choked by Wang Wenjun again.
So he turned to chat with Wang Anshi.
"Is this the end? Or wait a little longer. You're still young, and there's a shortage of capable people in the officialdom right now. You'll have to wait a long time for advancement."
If he could do it again, Song Shiyi would have supported Fan Zhongyan. He and Su Jinghe were both rated A every year, yet they were held back year after year without promotion. Who could they turn to for justice? Could they really persuade those bigwigs to quit when they were healthy and still fighting against the odds?
"Hey? Don't take me with you if you want to get promoted?" Su Jinghe really enjoys his current situation. His work is skilled and easy, his official position is not low, and there are people above him who take charge of things. Most importantly, he has money!
What kind of optimal situation is this? When we get promoted again, we won’t be able to slack off like this.
Oh, really, how can there be people who have abilities and even superpowers, but just want to be a nobody?
Song Shiyi was quite desperate!
"I will definitely take action. Now is the time when we need people. How can I back down?"
Wang Anshi's tone was quite firm, as if if he were given a millstone, he would start grinding on the spot.
"My brother is like this. He's eager to do more for the Song Dynasty. He might even apply to work at the grassroots level if he wants to be an official in the future." Wang Wenjun had long accepted his brother's personality and had even started saving money for him, so that he wouldn't be without money for food in the future...
This is really, too much for the country and the people, right?
Song Shiyi was in despair again.
If these two are combined, it will be a state that Song Shiyi can accept, which is ambitious but not overly enthusiastic.
It's OK for these two people to sit at the same table.
After exchanging greetings, Song Shiyi wanted to sit down, but was refused.
"Don't!" A loud child's voice came out. It was Su Shi. Su Shi tilted his head back, smiling sweetly as if the person he had just rejected was not himself. "Brother, can you please not sit here?"
Huh? Is there anyone here?
Before Song Shiyi asked, he heard the little guy say again.
"If you open an extra table, you can order a dish of fish and mutton!" Su Shi's eyes brightened, and he couldn't help licking his lips.
Song Shiyi looked at the table and saw that there was indeed a large basin with an empty plate on it, which looked like it was used to store fish and mutton. He laughed.
"Sure, I'll open one next door, and you can come over if you want to eat."
It's not a private room, it's right next to the one next to it, so the kids can just run over there.
"Don't spoil me too much!" Su Jinghe was also quite shocked, but he could only say that he was worthy of being Su Shi, who later had a network of friends all over the world.
I've only met Song Shiyi once and don't even know his name, but I've already spent a lot of money.
Wow, social media experts are so scary!
When the restaurant knew they were at the same table, they breathed a sigh of relief and simply pushed the two tables together and cooked the dishes that had not yet been served.
"Gudong," Song Shiyi swallowed his saliva. It wasn't because he was hungry, but because he couldn't believe it. "Eat so much?"
Su Jinghe sneered, "Useless adult, I'll show you the strength of the children later!"
"You don't even know that you are not eating it yourself, so what are you so proud of? Right, Brother Jiefu?" Song Shiyi looked at Wang Anshi. He knew that Wang Wenjun would not play with them, so he tried to test whether Wang Anshi would.
Unexpectedly, this person actually participated. He just stood up and took the pulse of the three children one by one.
"It's okay, I can still eat a little. I'm healthy, so I shouldn't have any food stagnation."
After all the dishes were served, they ate and chatted, and Su Jinghe said mysteriously to Song Shiyi.
"I feel like I should be a little bit lucky for others."
"Hmm?" Song Shiyi bit the fish in his mouth and looked at him in confusion.
"I feel like every time I go into a store, more and more people will come. Isn't this a sign that I'm bringing good luck to others?"
Su Jinghe's words almost made Song Shiyi choke. He chewed the fish slowly and swallowed it, trying to think of an explanation during the process. The result was...
"We're not going to a store with few people, are we?" Su Shi said fiercely.
After Su Jinghe discovered this, he had just said it casually, but now he calmed down and said, "It seems so. Then I must be a very popular person, and it is very likely that I will make the same choice as others!"
Scared to death.
Song Shiyi almost thought that Su Jinghe had discovered his own secret, the secret that his inner voice was being broadcast to others.
Fortunately, no one found out.
Three days later
[No way? Why do I think differently from everyone else?]
Su Jinghe thought he was "popular", but he found out in the court that he was the minority.
The issue discussed at this morning's court session was "whether to negotiate or not."
Su Jinghe originally thought that things were different from history.
In history, "peace talks" would be hesitant, which would give the Western Xia an opportunity to take advantage of this loophole and turn defeat into victory, causing heavy losses to the Song Dynasty.
But things are different now than they were then!
Our Great Song Dynasty has now defeated the tiny Western Xia to the point that they have abandoned their homeland and are on the run for a long time. Only a few of them are left, barely able to become bandits and form the size of the 108 heroes of Liangshan. How can anyone still agree to peace talks?
[Are you all crazy? I remember we had the upper hand, didn't we? Can you guys wake up a little? This is the Great Song Dynasty, not a place for a free-for-all! We're just going to give away this great opportunity, aren't we? Don't be so generous!]
They were scolded, but those who were scolded remained silent and resolutely submitted their report.
"Your Majesty, the Song Dynasty is indeed in a strong position in the current battle with the Western Xia, but it has lasted for nearly two years, and this battle has brought us no benefits. Rather than annihilating them all and incurring criticism from future generations, it is better to call it a day. Agree to peace talks and peacefully accept the Western Xia into the fold."
"As it should be, Your Majesty. Although the Xixia troops led by Li Yuanhao are being beaten, the old lands we have recovered are not obeying our custom and are causing constant friction. If we negotiate peace and utilize Li Yuanhao's influence in Xixia, I believe we will..."
"Your Majesty, Liao has controlled Xixia and has been dealing with us for so long. Now is the time to negotiate not only with Xixia, but also with the Liao Kingdom behind it. Peaceful coexistence between the two countries benefits both the country and the people!"
…
It’s really crazy!
Su Jinghe was about to be mad with anger. Where did these people get so many fallacies and heresies from?
[Give it away, give it away! Send it all away! This is ridiculous! When did you expect peaceful governance after expanding your territory? No wonder you're called cowards of the Great Song Dynasty. You can't even govern, right? You guys are lucky to have met Emperor Renzong of Song. You should really be sent to Emperor Taizu of Song to be disciplined!]
After these people couldn't wait to jump out, some people criticized them. Although Su Jinghe didn't feel much relieved after hearing this, he did feel a lot better.
[Great! Someone still has the insight to realize that we shouldn't surrender in a situation like this where we have a sure win. There are still people in the Song Dynasty who have brains. Great!]
"Your Majesty, I think it is feasible to negotiate first." This time it was Lu Yijian who spoke.
Su Jinghe didn't understand. During the more than two years of fighting on the battlefield, Lu Yijian had countless opportunities to call a halt. Why did he choose to keep going at that time, but ended up calling a halt now?
"Your Majesty, this peace talk is definitely not what Xixia wants. It is Liao who wants to negotiate with us." Lu Yijian did have his own ideas. He did not want to coexist peacefully with Xixia and Liao, but wanted the Song Dynasty to have a perfect "reputation."
"Negotiations are fine, but we'll also have to put forward some conditions. Xixia must fully return. But if Xixia causes trouble again after the negotiations and we suppress the rebellion, it won't be a matter between countries, but an internal conflict within the Song Dynasty. Even if future generations are dissatisfied, they won't be able to accuse us of excessive killing."
The final key still lies with Song Renzong. Song Renzong looked at this and then looked at that, and felt that any choice was fine. Their Song Dynasty was no longer what it used to be, and they had the right to choose.
"Li Yuanhao will definitely go to war with us. We will have to take him in sooner or later. Perhaps we can also gain some benefits from the Liao Kingdom by negotiating peace now..."
Song Renzong was also somewhat afraid of the reputation of "warmongering", and he didn't really want it.
Just let him be scolded! It won’t hurt to be scolded by Su Jinghe!
Song Renzong was also ready to break the jar and throw it all away. He had been beaten on the sidelines many times, so he decided to quit while he was ahead. It was not yet time to break off relations with the Liao Dynasty...
Su Jinghe also realized that their "fence-sitter" emperor was really going to agree to peace, and he was so angry that he cursed.
[Kneeling again! We're just lying to you, can you please stop kneeling? You can't even defeat a small place like Western Xia? Do you know how humiliating this is?! I'm embarrassed to even say I love you, Northern Song! Forget it, you won't listen even when I scold you. Don't be angry, anger is harmful to your health.]
If you get sick from anger, no one can replace you. Think of Su Jinghe in a positive way. You don't have to worry about food and clothing now, and you have no parents to support and no children to take care of. It is not worth it to get angry about this broken Song Dynasty.
The correct approach now should be to save money, save money quickly, save a large sum, and then go abroad to retire directly!
Although Su Jinghe has not decided which "foreign country" to choose, he will not sink with such a Song Dynasty!
Silence. The court was silent for a moment.
Then the fire came up.
Why are you embarrassed to say that you like our Northern Song Dynasty!
Su Jinghe comforted himself and began to fish calmly, quietly reading some gossip to stabilize his mental state.
Emperor Renzong of Song and his ministers were furious, and they were all holding back their energy, no longer considering "reputation", "maximizing benefits" or "strategies".
beat!
What peace talks? The Song Dynasty just wants to fight!
Su Jinghe was so immersed in the conversation that he didn't even hear the intense argument.
[#Someone in Sanchuankou heard a small noise in the middle of the night and was too scared to go out. The next morning, he saw the dead body of a mouse and some cat claw marks - in fact, they were Xixia soldiers who had sneaked into the city.
No way? Someone really gave me the stealth skill? How can they sneak just the way they want? What are we doing here? Just eating for free? Without Chen Yijin, do you guys still want to live, you pigs!
He suspected that Su Jinghe was making a veiled criticism and then scolded the unsuspecting Sanchuankou, actually scolding them.
The ministers faced the scene of "fans turning against" head-on and did not dare to curse back.
"The money in the national treasury now should be enough to keep the country at war for three years, even if the subsequent money cannot be collected!" The words of the Minister of Revenue shocked everyone on the spot.
What is the difference between this and the determination to go to war with the Liao Kingdom?
"The gunpowder reserves can continue to operate. A part of it has been buried early on on the border with the Liao Kingdom. Even if they are exploring the grass, as long as someone walks up, they will definitely be exploded." The Ministry of Works was not idle either, and told them about the current situation of the Song Dynasty.
This is indeed part of Su Jinghe's scolding, and this is also what Chen Yijin has studied. She is really a god, and she will respond to any custom order, and she took it and did it!
"Everyone in my family, young and old, can join the battle!" "So can we!"
This is a rare case of not "emphasizing culture over military power". The military generals are determined to fight and fight to the death!
Su Jinghe was so immersed in enjoying gossip that he was not affected by such tragic emotions at all.
[#Liao-Xia secret meeting: Li Yuanhao flips the table and walks out, does the cooperation seem to be coming to an end? — Behind the collapse of the cooperation is a political show.]
It was also God's cooperation that the system actually recommended a real-time political hot search to Su Jinghe, directly using gossip to talk about politics.
Li Yuanhao had been fighting the Song Dynasty until now, feeling like he was being roasted on the edge of a fire. He couldn't stop, and he couldn't stop. Finally, he negotiated with the Liao. Once the Song Dynasty agreed to peace talks, the Liao would launch a surprise attack on Bianjing City, using a relentless fire attack, hurling rockets... Well, that's a good idea, but our houses are probably more fireproof than they think...
Su Jinghe thought about it and decided that there was really no need to worry. Could a rocket actually penetrate a concrete wall?
It turns out that they lied to us!
hateful!
All of a sudden, those who had originally thought that everything would be fine if they sued for peace, those who had considered the overall situation, those who felt that war was a waste of money and labor and wanted the people to live and work in peace, were now furious...
We have to fight! They actually planned to deceive us! They are such a piece of shit.
After leaving court, Su Jinghe was still thinking about it.
"I seem to be hallucinating. Why did I hear His Majesty say he wanted to fight?"
So I really didn't hear it? No, is this ability to turn a deaf ear to the outside world a natural gift or something you can cultivate later in life? Can you teach me too?
Song Shiyi was about to complain in his heart, but finally spoke humbly.
"I'm not hallucinating. I'm not hallucinating. The emperor and the gentlemen have already figured out how to fight."
Or is it because of you that I wanted to fight?
Would Song Shiyi tell him? In fact, as early as yesterday, Lu Xianggong had found him and asked him to comfort Su Jinghe after the morning court today.
Su Jinghe's pro-war nature was too obvious. The original decision was to negotiate, so of course the purpose was to comfort Su Jinghe.
There is no need for comfort now, as events have developed as Su Jinghe had expected.
"That's great!" Su Jinghe smiled with satisfaction. "Let's go. I have an idea. I wonder if it can be used in the subsequent battlefields. If it can't be used for the time being, it should not be left idle."
"Let's go!" Song Shiyi agreed so readily, so of course...
He has already taken today's leave in advance.
Then Su Jinghe took him to his office. When entering the Privy Council, Song Shiyi was wondering whether he should turn around and leave.
Did they trick me into coming here to take over the job?
Song Shiyi was also extremely vigilant.
"Look!" Su Jinghe took out a crystal clear bead.
"Oh my God? Glass? So clear? Did you rob money? Did you embezzle it?" Song Shiyi looked at the beads in shock.
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