I served as an admonisher in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 499: Searching for evidence at sea! Be as tough as Su Jingming
soon.

The debate and bet between Su Liang and the Japanese envoy Qingyuan Youde in front of the Honglu Temple spread to the streets and alleys of Bianjing City.

The people were very excited and agreed with Su Liang's way of handling the matter.

The reason why Su Liang was deeply loved and respected by the people of Song Dynasty.

Talent accounts for at most 30%.

Seventy percent of it comes from his vigorous and decisive work style.

As a civil servant, he is not only virtuous and talented, but also well-armed. He acts in a bold and decisive manner and has never been cowardly at any time.

This is the character and courage that the scholar-officials of the Song Dynasty should have.

……

After Wen Yanbo and Su Liang reported to Zhao Zhen.

Zhao Zhen nodded immediately.

He ordered Su Liang to lead three thousand imperial troops to the sea.

Qingyuan Youde launched an attack on the Song Dynasty in front of the Honglu Temple in front of envoys from various countries. His purpose was to make the matter bigger and destroy the Song Dynasty's layout on the island of Dongying in the past three years.

How could the Song Dynasty let them get their wish!

Su Liang was confident that he could prove that Qingyuan Youde was completely falsely accused, and he could order him to commit suicide and have the King of Japan personally apologize to the Song Dynasty.

In addition, this incident can also be used to deter the surrounding areas.

This would prevent those countries or tribes that want to harm the Song Dynasty from doing so from easily offending it.

……

At night, it was cold and the ground was slippery.

All the snow that had not melted yesterday had frozen into ice.

The Japanese envoy Qingyuan Youde, the Liao envoy Xiao Kaishi, and the Goryeo envoy Wang Youcheng gathered quietly in a private room of a teahouse.

"You two, the Song Dynasty is our common enemy. Whether we can bring disgrace upon the Song Dynasty this time depends entirely on you two!" Qingyuan Youde bowed solemnly towards Xiao Kaishi and Wang Youcheng standing opposite him.

Xiao Kaishi frowned.

"It is true that the Song Dynasty is our common enemy, but whether we can destroy its reputation does not depend on the two of us, but on the evidence in your hands!"

"Special Envoy Qingyuan, during this voyage, can you find irrefutable evidence that Cao Hu was ordered by the Song Dynasty court?"

"That great thief Cao Hu disguised himself as a merchant, with thousands of guards, dozens of large ships, and more than a dozen hideouts. After he went out to sea, he had no contact with officials of the Song Dynasty. But I found out that he was a soldier of the imperial guards of Kaifeng Prefecture, the head of Su Liang's guards, and had business dealings with Cao Yi, the uncle of Cao Guo. Doesn't this prove it?"

"Bullshit proof!" Xiao Kaishi cursed.

"Su Liang has already said that Cao Hu is a retired soldier who is now a businessman, and he no longer has the status of a soldier. As for Cao Yi, he is no longer an official. Even if Cao Hu took sulfur, silver, gold, etc. to do business with Cao Yi, he cannot prove that he is related to the Song Dynasty court!"

Xiao Kaishi asked again: "Didn't you also claim that Cao Hu bullied the weak and killed innocent people at sea, causing the deaths of many Japanese merchants? There should be survivors! Even witnesses will do."

Qingyuan Youde smiled helplessly.

"Cao Hu did kill many of my Japanese merchants, but...but...but these were all black merchants. They are wanted criminals at sea and secretly work for our court. Using them as witnesses can only prove that Cao Hu wiped out a group of pirates. It may even implicate some of our nobles in some shameful cooperation with them. They cannot serve as evidence!"

Hearing this, Xiao Kaishi glared at Qingyuan Youde.

"No wonder... No wonder Su Liang is so confident that he dares to bet with you. You don't have any evidence at all. You are just talking nonsense!"

"It can neither prove Cao Hu's relationship with the Song Dynasty nor prove that Cao Hu killed innocent people at sea. Isn't this... this... this a false accusation?"

"Even if Cao Hu is really a member of the Song Dynasty court, there is no point in talking about it without evidence. Otherwise, you can commit suicide tonight, and we can save ourselves the trouble of making a trip!"

Xiao Kaishi didn't expect Qingyuan Youde to be so unreliable. He wanted to destroy the reputation of the Song Dynasty as a country of etiquette without any evidence.

It’s simply wishful thinking!

Qingyuan Youde's face turned pale.

"Xiao Kaishi, what you said is a bit inhumane!"

"If our Dongying is captured by the Song Dynasty, then the Dongying Island will immediately become a springboard for the Song Dynasty to attack your Liao Kingdom. At that time, you will be attacked from the south and the east at the same time. Can you defeat the Song Dynasty?"

Qingyuan Youde looked at the Goryeo envoy Wang Youcheng again.

"Special Envoy Wang, if the Song people control our Japanese trade and then occupy our Japanese island, then the next to perish will surely be Goryeo. Don't you understand the principle of the lips and teeth being cold?"

Wang Youcheng said angrily, "It's not that we are all in danger now, but you are the one who insisted on jumping into the river and dragging us with you, instead of the three of us falling into the river and working together to get to the shore to survive. Do you understand?"

"If the two of us strongly support you but don't have enough evidence, once the truth is revealed, we may have to apologize or even commit suicide, which will not benefit us at all!" Xiao Kaishi added: "Do you think that just because Su Liang asks the two of us to judge right and wrong, we have the right to decide who is right and who is wrong? It's impossible. He is very smart, how could he not know that the three of us will stand together!"

"When we get to the sea, he will find Cao Hu to question him. If you can't find evidence or witnesses, it will be a false accusation, and the two of us will be the witnesses to prove that you are falsely accusing the Song Dynasty!"

"The lives of the three of us are in Su Liang's hands!"

Qingyuan Youde had a bitter face. He didn't expect Su Liang's counterattack to be so fierce, and he didn't expect that he would lose his life in an instant.

Unfortunately, there is no turning back now.

"Then...then...I am really doomed?"

Wang Youcheng on the side nodded in approval.

Then, the room became quiet.

Xiao Kaishi thought for a moment and said, “Special Envoy Qingyuan, if you want to live, it is not impossible, but you have to pay some price.”

"Brother Xiao, please tell me quickly, tell me quickly. As long as I can survive, any price is worth it!"

"At this point, it's no longer realistic for you to look for false evidence. Song officials are good at solving cases, and it's hard to fool them. There's only one way left, let Su Liang die at the hands of pirates!"

"Once Su Liang dies, the Song Dynasty court will be furious and the officials will certainly avenge him. By then, you can just send out a group of pirates to block their deaths. Your bet with Su Liang will naturally be cancelled with his death. As long as you don't return to the Song Dynasty, your life will not be threatened!"

Qingyuan Youde nodded.

"This idea is feasible, but when Su Liang goes out to sea, he will definitely send a large number of personal soldiers to follow him. I'm afraid no pirates near Dongying Island would dare to take it. Even if they do, it will be difficult to hurt Su Liang!"

"Who said to let the real pirates do it? They are useless. If you go after them, not only will they fail to complete the mission, they will even betray you!"

"Aren't you born into a family of military commanders? Your family has so many elite soldiers and generals who are good at naval warfare. Can't you let them pretend to be pirates and launch a surprise attack with our cooperation?"

"Let the warriors of my family take action? No, no. Once we are discovered, the two countries will probably go to war!" Qingyuan Youde shook his head vigorously.

Xiao Kaishi said calmly: "You only have this one choice. If you don't want to, then wait for death!"

Say it.

Xiao Kaishi was about to leave, and Wang Youcheng followed him and prepared to slip away.

"You two, you two, I... I am willing, I am willing!" Qingyuan Youde had to compromise.

At that moment, if he wanted to survive, he had no choice but to kill Su Liang.

Xiao Kaishi nodded.

"Special Envoy Qingyuan, let me be frank with you. If you fail in assassinating Su Liang, it has nothing to do with us two."

"We will both treat all evidence impartially and fairly, but if you need time, we can help you buy time!"

Neither Xiao Kaishi nor Wang Youcheng were willing to wade into this muddy water; the success or failure of this matter had nothing to do with them.

"I understand." Qingyuan Youde nodded.

……

The next day, early in the morning, at the East Pier of Bianhe River.

It's very cold.

Pieces of broken ice were floating on the river.

One official ship and nine warships were all placed on the river, accommodating more than 3,000 people. Liu Sandao and several personal guards were responsible for protecting Su Liang's safety.

on the deck.

Su Liang looked at Xiao Kaishi, Qingyuan Youde and Wang Youcheng.

"Three of you, my plan is to take the water route from the Bian River to Chuzhou, and then enter the sea from Chuzhou and stop at a sea area. Then, I will send someone to find Cao Hu and have him come on board to explain everything. Envoy Xiao and Envoy Wang can ask any questions they want."

"As for you, Special Envoy Qingyuan, I'll have to trouble your soldiers or merchants to pick you up!"

"We will probably arrive at the anchorage area on the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month, and then we will have eight days to search for evidence. On the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month, before the sun sets, Special Envoy Qingyuan, you must return to the ship. Finally, we will use three days to determine who is right and who is wrong. That's it!"

After Su Liang finished speaking, he turned around and went back to the cabin.

He arranged things very clearly, and these three people had no chance to speak at all.

This arrangement was made because Su Liang calculated that if he could successfully find the evidence within three days, he would still be able to return home for New Year's Eve.

(End of this chapter)