No war in the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 33 Real Estate

While Yang Zong was interpreting the dream, Wang Anshi had already reached the third floor.

He was even more disdainful of metaphysics such as dream interpretation, but thinking of helping Su Ze, Wang Anshi lowered his attitude and said to Yang Zong at the table:
"Yang Lang."

When Yang Zong looked up and saw Wang Anshi, he felt a little strange.

Wang Anshi was also well-known for his talent in the city of Bianliang. Even his brother's father-in-law, the then Privy Councilor Yan Shu, praised Wang Anshi's talents.

Everyone in Bianjing knew about Yan Shu's talent. His poem "The flowers fall helplessly, and the swallows return as if they were familiar" was sung throughout the world, and even the Liao Dynasty knew the reputation of this prime minister.

Yang Zong looked at Wang Anshi. Wang Anshi was wearing a coarse cloth robe and looked unkempt. He did not fit in with the scholars at the banquet who were dressed in fine clothes and fed with delicious food. No wonder many scholars thought that Wang Anshi deliberately pretended to be poor just to gain fame.

But Yang Zong also knew that Wang Anshi was truly talented, so he said to Wang Anshi:
"Wang Lang is a rare guest, please take a seat!"

The scholars who followed Yang Zong made way for Wang Anshi to sit next to Yang Zong.

Wang Anshi felt a little uncomfortable in such an occasion. Since he had something to ask of him, he could only sit next to Yang Zong. Then Yang Zong poured Wang Anshi some wine and said:
"Wang Lang has come here today. What advice do you have for me?"

Wang Anshi said frankly:

"Wang came here for a friend."

"I came here for my friends."

Wang Anshi said:
"Kaifeng Su Ze is a good friend of mine, but I heard someone is trying to slander his reputation, so I wanted to ask Brother Yang about it."

Yang Zong looked at Wang Anshi and said:
"Brother Wang, why are you doing this? The Imperial College case has nothing to do with Wang Lang, and the Ministry of Rites exam is just around the corner. Why create unnecessary complications?"

Wang Anshi said:

"I am speaking up for Brother Su. If the Song Dynasty loses a talented person because of this incident, it would be a real shame."

Yang Zong, also a talented scholar, also felt a certain sympathy for Wang Anshi. He said:

"This matter has serious implications. Brother Wang, do you really want to hear it?"

Wang Anshi showed a delighted expression. As expected, Yang Zong knew the inside story. He quickly said:
"Please teach me, Yang Lang!"

Yang Zong said to the people around him:
"Let me have a few words with Wang Lang alone."

Everyone dispersed, leaving only Yang Zong and Wang Anshi. Yang Zong whispered:
"The investigation into the Imperial College case was personally assigned by Wang Zhongcheng. When Song Tianzhang was in office, he visited the Imperial College less than three times a year. He even failed to adhere to the lock-up system for the exams. After setting the exam questions, he would secretly return home to feast."

Wang Anshi was shocked after hearing this. Wang Zhongcheng was the then Chief Censor Wang Gongchen.

This person is a core figure of the conservative faction, a close confidant of Prime Minister Lu Yijian, and a strong contender for the position of Vice-Chancellor.

As the head of the censors, the Chief Censor was originally one of the four major officials in the court, and Wang Gongchen himself was good at fabricating charges.

Song Tianzhang is Song Qi, the attendant of Tianzhang Pavilion among the Four Tiansheng Friends.

Logically speaking, as the director of the Imperial College, Song Qi should have gone to the Imperial College frequently to give lectures, but at that time he was also the assistant minister of the Tianzhang Pavilion, and had to always accompany the emperor to draft imperial edicts. He only went to the Imperial College three times a year, which was a false accusation.

But not following the lock-up system is indeed a mistake.

According to the imperial examination system of the Song Dynasty, examiners had to stay in the examination hall after setting the questions and could only go home after the examination was over.

This system is similar to the closed-door system in college entrance examinations in later generations, and is a means to combat cheating.

Although the Imperial College examinations were not conducted by the Ministry of Rites, the examiners still had to follow the lock-up system. Song Qi's decision to return home after setting the questions was also an inappropriate behavior, which gave the censors an excuse to impeach him and question the fairness of the Imperial College examinations he presided over, and whether there was any cheating involved.

Lu Yijian, Wang Gongchen, the Four Friends of Tianzhang, these great figures flashed through Wang Anshi's mind. Could it be that Brother Su was caught in the crossfire of these fights between gods?

Yang Zong looked at Wang Anshi and said sincerely:

"Brother Wang, this matter is of great importance. We have no achievements, so it is not appropriate for us to get involved."

wrong!

Wang Anshi thought that Song Qi was the director of the Imperial College. There were so many scholars who passed the Imperial College examination and obtained the qualification of Jiesheng. There were several of them at the table just now. Why did he only mention Su Ze?
There must be someone who wants to deal with Su Ze.

After Wang Anshi got the news, he sincerely thanked Yang Zong and then hurried to Su Ze's hut.
-
As the so-called seventh-rank official in front of the prime minister, as the doorman of the prime minister of this dynasty, Lu Yijian, Old Lu naturally has some power.

But facing this middle-aged businessman wearing a fu hat, Old Lu put on a flattering smile:
"Captain Feng, the Second Lord is waiting for you!"

The middle-aged man in front of him casually took out a string of copper coins from his sleeve and handed it to Old Lu. He walked into the prime minister's mansion, which ordinary officials were not allowed to enter, as if he was entering his own home.

The servants in the prime minister's residence all stepped aside and saluted, but this Feng Xingtou pulled up his hat to cover the tattoo on his face.

This Feng Xingshou was none other than Feng Shiyuan, a minor official from Kaifeng Prefecture who was convicted and exiled by Zheng Jian. After being convicted, he had his face tattooed and was exiled to Hainan Island to join the army.

But after Zheng Jian fell, Feng Shiyuan was immediately pardoned and secretly returned to Bianjing City.

He only had a criminal record, and his position in Kaifeng Prefecture had already been taken by someone else, so Feng Shiyuan could no longer continue to work as an official.

But with the support of the two yamen of the prime minister Lu Yijian, Feng Shiyuan transformed himself into the head of the Bianjing Inn Guild.

As commerce developed in the Song Dynasty, guilds naturally emerged.

Only when businesses operating in the same industry unite can they have the power to bargain with the government.

For example, the 72 official restaurants in the capital are an organization similar to a catering and wine guild.

The Shop and House Guild was the guild responsible for the construction, sale and rental of real estate in the city of Bianjing.

Living in Bian Jing is not easy.

The housing price problem in Bianliang City has been a problem that has troubled officials and common people in Beijing since the reign of Emperor Taizu.

For example, Ouyang Xiu, who had already held a high position as a Hanlin scholar, still rented a house and once wrote a poem to complain:

"The water from the neighboring ditches flows out, the water from the streets overflows the courtyards. I worry about the vastness when I go out, and I fear the water will stagnate when I close the door."

With such high housing prices, the price of renting a house has also risen sharply, so the powerful people in Beijing are very keen on buying and speculating in real estate.

When Feng Shiyuan was working in Kaifeng Prefecture, he relied on this resource to make friends with Lu Gongbi and Lu Gongzhu, the yamen of Prime Minister Lu's mansion, and secretly helped the Lu family run the real estate sales and rental business.

Feng Shiyuan stepped forward. The residence of Lu Yijian, the prime minister of the time, was certainly not as shabby as that of Ouyang Xiu, who rented a house.

The mansion was decorated with carved beams and painted buildings, and Feng Shiyuan also passed by a rather elegant garden inside the mansion.

Arriving at the back of the prime minister's residence, Feng Shiyuan walked into the house under the guidance of the servants.

Sitting on the main seat, a middle-aged man in his thirties smiled at Feng Shiyuan. This was Lu Gongbi, the second yamen official of Lu Yijian.

(End of this chapter)