I served as an admonisher in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 457: Spies from other countries! Su Liang: I want to make them birds in cages
Less than three days.

Wang Yaochen and Wang Anshi then drafted the "New Jiaozi Policy".

After review and adjustment by the Reform Department, the two governments and three ministries, it was decided that it would be implemented at the beginning of next year.

Jiaozi was renamed Qianyin, and its usage was broadened. The amount of each note increased by 20%, but the amount remained unchanged at five and ten strings of coins, and was printed in a 2:8 ratio.

Also.

Kaifeng Prefecture has transferred a batch of Jiaozi from other prefectures, which can fully guarantee the operation of business in Bianjing City in the next two months.

The merchants in Bianjing were very happy.

The court's attitude and execution ability made them full of expectations for future business prospects.

……

The tenth day of the eleventh month, after dismissal from office.

Uncle Ji was driving Su Liang on the way home. Just after crossing the Zhou Bridge, Su Liang heard a voice coming from outside.

"Is it Su Sijian sitting in the car?"

Su Liang lifted the curtain of the car window and looked outside.

Not far away stood a middle-aged man with a big belly. He was Bai Zhengxiong, the head of the merchants who sued Su Liang in Kaifeng Prefecture a few days ago.

"Mr. Bai, what's the matter?"

Bai Zhengxiong said excitedly: "I didn't expect that Su Sijian still remembered me. It is really an honor for me."

"You have reported me to Kaifeng Prefecture, how can I forget you?" Su Liang joked.

Bai Zhengxiong smiled awkwardly, then approached the carriage and said in a low voice: "Su Sijian, are you free now? I have something very important to report to you. This matter involves the safety of our Song Dynasty. How about we go to the teahouse in front to talk?"

"Does it involve the safety of the Song Dynasty?" Su Liang saw Bai Zhengxiong's serious expression and nodded immediately.

Immediately afterwards, Su Liang got off the carriage.

Not far away, two guards who had been following the carriage walked behind Su Liang and went to the teahouse in front with him.

……

Inside the teahouse private room.

Su Liang and Bai Zhengxiong sat opposite each other, while Su Liang's guards stood outside the door of the private room to provide protection.

Bai Zhengxiong brewed tea skillfully and poured a cup for Su Liang before he spoke: "Su Sijian, I recently discovered that there is a group of Liao spies in Bianjing City, disguised as tea merchants, who may be trying to steal our information!"

"A spy from the Liao Kingdom? How did you find out?" Su Liang asked puzzledly.

Bai Zhengxiong took out a folded piece of paper from his arms and handed it to Su Liang.

"These are their residences, jobs and current names. The leader is named Hongfu."

"Recently, I had business dealings with him. I had done business on the border for three years and had dealt with the Khitans. So after I met him, I felt that his words and actions were especially like those of a Khitan."

"Then, I sent people to investigate him and unexpectedly discovered that he actually lived in a tent in his house. Which normal citizen in the Song Dynasty would live in a tent instead of a bed? In addition, he also has a hobby of collecting folk tabloids. Although it is hidden, I have a friend who does folk tabloids, and I still found out. This Hongfu and the people around him are definitely spies from the Liao Kingdom!"

Bai Zhengxiong's tone was very firm.

As a veteran businessman who has been in the business world for more than 20 years, he is very confident in his ability to judge people.

Su Liang looked suspicious.

Kaifeng Prefecture and the Imperial City Bureau should not have failed to notice such a big flaw in the other party.

Su Liang said: "If you found out about this, you should go to Kaifeng Prefecture or the Imperial City Office to report it. Why are you looking for me?"

Bai Zhengxiong smiled and said, "A few days ago, I sued Su Sijian. I felt guilty, and I also hoped that Su Sijian could be promoted to Zhongcheng soon, so I wanted Su Sijian to take the credit!"

"Haha... leave this matter to me. Thank you, Mr. Bai!" Su Liang picked up the teacup, clinked it with Bai Zhengxiong, and then drank it all in one gulp.

After a while.

Bai Zhengxiong left the teahouse.

Su Liang did not leave, but asked the guards to invite Xiong Chong, who was on duty today and was responsible for the affairs of the Imperial City Division, to join them.

At present, Zhang Maonze, the chief eunuch, was in charge of the Imperial City Administration. He had a lot of work to do, and the people who actually did the actual work were his six clerks.

Xiong Chong, as one of the six major officials, is best at gathering intelligence.

In early September, the imperial court sent a group of secret agents to Liao, Western Xia, Goryeo, Japan and other countries.

These people were trained by Xiong Chong himself.

He and Su Liang had met several times due to the training of imperial guards' secret agents, so they could be considered acquaintances.

Less than half an hour.

Xiong Chong, a short and sturdy young man about six feet tall, came in front of Su Liang.

"Xiong Chong, who is in charge of the Imperial City Affairs, is here to see Su Sijian!"

Su Liang pointed at the chair opposite, motioning him to sit down, and then pushed the list that Bai Zhengxiong had handed to him in front of Xiong Chong.

"An enthusiastic merchant reported that there are spies from the Liao Kingdom in the city. Didn't you know that?" Xiong Chong opened the note and read it. He smiled and said, "There are only fifteen people on the paper, and more than ten people are missing."

Su Liang didn't understand what he meant and looked at Xiong Chong.

"Su Sijian, I know all the spies on this list. These people came to Bianjing three years ago. They disguised themselves as ordinary people of our dynasty. Most of them are doing business in the city. They use their identities as merchants to steal intelligence from our Song Dynasty!"

"Why not capture?"

"It's useless to capture them. We also have spies in Liao. If we capture these people, they will be sentenced to death according to the laws of the Song Dynasty. If we kill them, Liao will also kill our spies. After both sides kill them, they will send another group of people to attack, which will be meaningless. Therefore, we both choose to take a step back."

"The Imperial City Department has been monitoring them all the time. They cannot bring our border maps, military strategies, and new policy essentials to Song territory. They mainly obtain information from folk tabloids, which is not a problem. The ministers of the Secretariat and Bao Xueshi of Kaifeng Prefecture all know about this."

Su Liang nodded and said, "Do they have money?"

"They are quite wealthy! The Liao people love tea. They will buy a lot of tea and send it to Liao territory through the market. But since we can get the commercial tax, we will just turn a blind eye!"

"Besides the Liao Kingdom, there should be spies from other countries!"

"Yes. There are spies from Xixia, Goryeo, Dongying, Jiaozhi, and Dali. Among them, Xixia spies are particularly fond of snooping on our defenses in the northwest and the routes of the caravans heading to the northwest. There are relatively few spies from Goryeo, Dongying, Jiaozhi, and Dali, and they are very low-key. They basically don't spy on intelligence and hide in Bianjing City. They should be on guard against wars between big countries and disasters for small countries!"

Su Liang's eyes rolled and a smile appeared on his face.

"Mr. Xiong, I would like to check the capabilities of the spies you trained and sent to various countries. Is that okay?"

Xiong Chong was a little stunned and asked in confusion: "I wonder how Su Sijian is going to check. Is he going to call them back?"

These spies do not pass on information very often.

Some secret agents may not even pass on information once every six months. They are sent to deal with important matters, and if they don't return to Song, it's impossible to tell how strong or weak their abilities are.

Su Liang shook his head.

"No need. We have captured all the spies from other countries, so won't they also capture ours? I want to see how many we can capture. What do you think? What percentage can we capture?"

"No...no...Su Sijian, you must not do this!" When Xiong Chong heard Su Liang propose this plan, he began to stutter.

"Su... Su Sijian, we have captured all the spies from other countries. They will send more people here. This is life in exchange for life!"

"I am confident that at most 50% of our people are exposed, but these are human lives. I have promised their families that they will return safely."

"Su Sijian, we can't let our soldiers die in a foreign country just for the sake of inspection capabilities. Although more foreign spies will die, these are human lives. If we lose one person, we can't say it's a gain!"

Xiong Chong was already getting anxious.

He obviously has deep feelings for the spies he trained.

"Don't worry! Don't worry, no one will die. The spies from other countries will not die, and neither will our secret agents. On the contrary, they will live a more comfortable life."

"Now, the spies from other countries are like a group of cattle and sheep scattered everywhere. I want to turn them into birds in a cage. Your words that at most 50% of our people will be exposed are enough!"

Although Xiong Chong didn't quite understand, he stopped talking after hearing Su Liang say that no one would die.

He believed in Su Liang.

Su Liang said: "Please compile the names of the spies hidden in Bianjing City and their errands and hand them over to me tomorrow morning. I will inform Zhang Duzhi about this matter and also report it to the Secretariat."

"Don't worry. In my eyes, the lives of a thousand Khitans are not worth the life of one of our Song soldiers. I won't kill anyone, but I will completely cut off their intelligence information!"

"I obey your command!" Xiong Chong bowed heavily.

……

The next day, it was nearly noon.

In the private room on the second floor of the Jixiang Teahouse opposite the Sangjiawazi.

Su Liang got together with Cao Yi, the uncle of Cao State.

Su Liang handed Cao Yi a list filled with the disguised identities and occupations of spies from other countries.

List.

In order to hide, most of these spies disguised themselves as businessmen, teahouse and restaurant owners, etc.

"Brother Jing Xiu, please, within one month, in compliance with the law and without exposing yourself, quietly disrupt the business of these merchants and shop owners. It would be best if they lose all their money!"

"Ah? Jingming, these... these are all ordinary businessmen, and their business is not big. I am ruining their business. Isn't that a bit bullying? Did they provoke you?" Cao Yi said, while looking at the paper.

"They are not businessmen, but spies from other countries."

"What, spies? Why not just arrest them?"

Su Liang smiled and said, "Most of these spies seem to be doing small business, but they have sufficient funds and are very rich. I plan to squeeze their money dry and then deal with them."

"You should treat them the same way you treat bad businessmen. Don't let them know that you discovered they are spies from other countries, so you are dealing with them. Do you understand?"

"I understand. Given my reputation in the business community of Bian Jing, it will be very easy to make them lose all their money!" Cao Yi puffed out his chest, full of confidence.

"Okay, if you succeed, this will count as a military achievement for the Cao family!"

Upon hearing that it was a military achievement, Cao Yi stood up excitedly and said, "Jingming, I won't drink tea anymore. I'm going home to get ready!"

(End of this chapter)