I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 227 Zhang Chun fooled him again.

...

End of March in the sixth year of Hongwu (1386).

Wu Yong left the place where the results were posted, feeling extremely disappointed.

'I didn't win!!!'

In fact, Wu Yong knew he wouldn't pass before the results were announced, even though he felt his essay was very well written and many people said he had the talent to be the top scholar.

Wu Yong was originally very confident, believing that even if he couldn't become the top scholar, he would definitely pass the imperial examination.

However, to Wu Yong's utter surprise, when Emperor Zhao Yu personally led a group to inspect the candidates in order to show his appreciation for talent, he happened to see Wu Yong's nameplate. Cai Jing immediately said bluntly, "The name is too unlucky. If we really select 'Useless' as a candidate, wouldn't that damage the image of our Great Song Dynasty?"

The others around Zhao Yu seemed to be afraid of Cai Jing's power, and no one stood up to refute Cai Jing.

Zhao Yu did not speak up for Wu Yong.

At that moment, Wu Yong sensed that something was amiss.

Some people advised Wu Yong to go to Cai's residence to pay his respects and offer generous gifts, saying that there might still be hope.

Wu Yong didn't have enough money to give to Cai Jing, nor did he want to engage in bribery, and he still had faith and expectations in Zhao Yu, who was known as a sage ruler, so he didn't try to get through to Cai Jing.

Unexpectedly, he didn't win.

At this moment, Wu Yong was furious, even feeling that Zhao Yu was a foolish ruler, not at all as wise and virtuous as people said.

Just as Wu Yong was about to turn evil, Yuwen Xuzhong, dressed in brocade robes, suddenly appeared and blocked Wu Yong's way.

Although Wu Yong did not recognize Yuwen Xuzhong, he recognized the official robes Yuwen Xuzhong was wearing—the python robes.

"The python robe resembles the dragon's garment, much like the robe worn by the Supreme Being, except it lacks one claw!"

This python robe is divided into seated python and single python, and is the exclusive attire of high-ranking leaders of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Only high-ranking Embroidered Uniform Guard officials who are highly trusted by the emperor are qualified to wear it. It is also a symbol of honor bestowed by the emperor upon important officials who are appreciated in the court.

Wu Yong quickly bowed deeply and said, "Greetings, sir."

Yuwen Xuzhong didn't waste any words and went straight to the point: "His Majesty wants to see you."

Wu Yong was completely stunned! He never expected that Zhao Yu would actually want to see him, a person who had failed the imperial examination. What was he up to?!

Yuwen Xuzhong showed no intention of explaining to Wu Yong; he simply turned and left.

Wu Yong was quick-witted; how could he not know that even if he passed the imperial examination and became the top scholar, it would be far less important than Zhao Yu's attitude? Moreover, the fact that he, a failed scholar, was summoned by Zhao Yu alone must be suspicious.

Therefore, although Wu Yong was full of questions and secretly pondered Zhao Yu's intentions, it did not stop him from quickly following Yuwen Xuzhong's pace, for fear that this opportunity to change his fate would slip away from him.

Soon, Wu Yong followed Yuwen Xuzhong to the palace. After passing through winding and secluded palace corridors, the two stopped in front of a secluded but elegant side hall.

Yuwen Xuzhong addressed an exceptionally tall female general at the entrance, saying, "Please inform the emperor that I, Yuwen Xuzhong, am bringing Wu Yong to request an audience."

Before Liang Damei could go in to announce her arrival, Zhao Yu's voice came from inside: "Come in."

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Xuzhong immediately led Wu Yong into the hall.

Upon entering the hall, a faint scent of ambergris wafted into his nostrils. Wu Yong involuntarily lowered his head, not daring to look directly at Zhao Yu, who sat at the head of the table.

Zhao Yu asked, "Did you call me a foolish ruler?"

Wu Yong was terrified and hurriedly knelt down, vehemently denying it: "This humble subject dares not!"

Unexpectedly, Zhao Yu said, "If one were to discard a talented person simply because of a name, that would truly make one a foolish ruler."

Hearing Zhao Yu's words, Wu Yong felt a mix of emotions. He was both apprehensive that Zhao Yu had seen through his thoughts and surprised by Zhao Yu's unexpectedly open-minded understanding. He looked up cautiously at Zhao Yu, whose dignified demeanor was tempered with a subtle gentleness, trying to find more clues in his eyes.

Seeing this, Zhao Yu smiled faintly, ignoring Wu Yong's little schemes, and directly asked what he most wanted to know: "I have an important matter to attend to, and I want to find a hero from Shandong to do it. This person must be able to command a large following, have the strength to accomplish great things, and above all, be loyal and righteous, and not be afraid of difficulties and dangers. You are from Shandong, do you know if there is such a person in Shandong?"

As soon as Zhao Yu finished speaking, Wu Yong pictured a figure in his mind: agile, dark-skinned, with bright, piercing eyes that held both courage and strategy, and an air of approachability yet authority that made him seem like no ordinary person at first glance.

This person was none other than Song Jiang, a minor official in Yuncheng and a close friend of Wu Yong.

Seeing that Zhao Yu was so perceptive, Wu Yong dared not hide anything and said frankly, "I have an old acquaintance who is just like that."

Zhao Yu asked, "Who is he?"

To be honest, Zhao Yu was a little nervous after asking that question!

Zhao Yu was a little worried because the person Wu Yong mentioned was not Song Jiang, or even Chao Gai.

In that case, Zhao Yu really doesn't know whether he should replace him or continue searching for Song Jiang.
Furthermore, for a time traveler, if the person Wu Yong mentioned wasn't Song Jiang, Zhao Yu might feel quite uncomfortable. This feeling is hard to describe; it's just awkward and unsettling.

At this moment, Zhao Yu began to understand why Zhang Chun, Li Lin, and Ye Shiyun had been forcibly trying to gather the Liangshan heroes.

Fortunately, Wu Yong said: "This humble acquaintance of mine is named Song Jiang. He is a clerk in our county. He is righteous, has many friends, is public-spirited, and generous. He often helps people out of danger and has a high reputation among the common people. He is indeed the loyal and righteous person Your Majesty spoke of, and is worthy of great use."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yu immediately felt a surge of relief. "It really is Song Jiang! It's time for my Water Margin plan to be implemented!"

However, Zhao Yu remained outwardly calm. He simply nodded slightly and said, "Oh? There is such a person? Tell me in detail what Song Jiang's deeds are that you admire him so much."

Seeing that Zhao Yu seemed interested, Wu Yong felt somewhat relieved and quickly recounted everything he knew about Song Jiang. From how Song Jiang helped the weak and punished bullies, to how he generously donated money to help the poor, to how he, as a clerk in Yuncheng County, was fair and impartial in handling cases, winning the hearts of the people—every single detail was described vividly, as if Song Jiang were right before Zhao Yu's eyes, his chivalrous spirit and fearless courage leaping into Zhao Yu's mind. Moreover, every single thing Song Jiang had done revealed his extraordinary leadership qualities and noble character…

In the left warm pavilion, Zhang Chun, Li Lin, and Ye Shiyun pricked up their ears to eavesdrop on Zhao Yu and Wu Yong's conversation.

Upon hearing Wu Yong mention Song Jiang's name, Ye Shiyun slapped Zhang Chun's buttocks and said, "Look how close you were! If Wu Yong hadn't mentioned Song Jiang, you would have ruined your performance this time."

Li Lin also said, "That's right. Even at this point, you still dare to act like a charlatan, saying that saving the country is like using wood to save the family, and that fighting is like using water to fight. If Wu Yong comes up with another name that doesn't match the name Song Jiang, let's see how you explain it to the emperor."

Ye Shiyun chimed in, "You're being too absolute. If he's made a name for himself in Shandong, that means he's very famous there. And Wu Yong is from Shandong too. If the person he's talking about isn't Song Jiang, then you're really in the wrong."

In fact, Zhang Chun, who always thinks about the beginning but not the end, also regrets that she made such a bold statement, and for this reason, she pretends to be a charlatan again.

At the time, Zhang Chunzhen felt that she had come up with a brilliant idea, and Song Jiang was the best candidate to carry out the task. That's why she blurted out a prophecy in a moment of desperation. Otherwise, how could she explain Song Jiang?
Looking back now, it was actually quite dangerous. If Wu Yong had mentioned someone like Zhang San or Li Si, Zhang Chun's character might have been ruined.

To be honest, Zhang Chun felt that she was really lucky. Over the years, not all the things she advocated were sure to succeed, but for some reason, they all miraculously came to fruition in the end.

Little did they know, Zhao Yu was secretly cleaning up Zhang Chun's messes. Otherwise, given her impulsive and rash personality, she would have died countless times, and her grave would probably be overgrown with weeds by now.

However, although Zhang Chun knew she had done wrong, she still stubbornly insisted:

"Tch! Do you think I haven't thought of these things? The reason I dare to say this is because I'm confident in my abilities."

"You don't know this because you don't understand history. Anyone who can lead a local uprising must have a great reputation and prestige. It's not like just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can raise a call and people will follow."

"Therefore, I am certain that Song Jiang must be very famous in the Jizhou area. Wu Yong is from the same place as Song Jiang and was historically the second-in-command of Song Jiang's rebel army, ranking even above Lu Junyi. It is impossible for him not to know Song Jiang. Moreover, Wu Yong and Song Jiang must have a very good relationship. Think about it carefully, isn't that the case?"

"If this allows Wu Yong to recommend heroes, who else can he recommend besides Song Jiang?"

The reason Zhang Chun hasn't been exposed all these years is not only because Zhao Yu secretly protects her, but also because she is truly good at arguing and always bullies Li Lin and the others for not knowing history.

This led to Zhang Chun's fallacies and heresies becoming incredibly effective.

Just like this time, after listening to Zhang Chun's impassioned and sophistical argument, Li Lin and Ye Shiyun looked at each other, speechless for a moment. Zhang Chun's confident and eloquent demeanor made them realize that their previous worries seemed somewhat unnecessary.

Ye Shiyun clicked her tongue and muttered, "It seems... what you said makes some sense?"

Li Lin rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, "It's only because the Emperor has such unwavering faith in your divination skills that you've been exposed so many times."

At this point, Li Lin warned Zhang Chun again: "Be careful next time. Don't pretend to be a ghost unless absolutely necessary. If you get caught and arouse the suspicion of the officials, you will be harming yourself and others."

Ye Shiyun also warned Zhang Chun: "Yes, if you want to die, die by yourself, don't drag me down with you."

Zhang Chun rolled his eyes: "The five of us have given birth to almost twenty children for the Emperor. The rice has long been cooked into porridge. Even if the Emperor doesn't care about us, he still has to care about us. It's not like he really doesn't want us. You're all just worrying for nothing."

Ye Shiyun said, "That's not necessarily true. The emperor's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea, unfathomable. Who knows if he might change his mind one day? Let's not be too presumptuous. By the way, didn't you always tell us that the emperor's thoughts are the hardest to guess, and that serving a ruler is like serving a tiger? Have you forgotten what you said?"

"How could I possibly forget what I said myself?"

"However, I was referring to other emperors, not our current emperor."

“We’ve been with him for six or seven years, and we’ve never seen him lay a hand on his concubines. With him, even if you make a big mistake, the worst you’ll get is a spanking.”

"Besides, are we just ordinary concubines? We are his beloved concubines. We've been with him since he was a prince. Over the years, in order to make him the greatest emperor in history, which of us hasn't worked ourselves to the bone? We've let him play, given birth to his children, and haven't been devoted to him wholeheartedly? Which of us hasn't made great contributions?"

“Take having children for example, which of us hasn’t had three or four? We’re all risking our lives to win his favor.”

"If he were to lay a hand on us, he would be utterly heartless and despicable, a crime against humanity!"

Upon hearing this, Li Lin gently stroked her slightly protruding belly. Thinking about it, it made sense. She had already given birth to three sons for Zhao Yu, and this was the fourth. Over the years, she had been wholeheartedly helping Zhao Yu strengthen the training of the Divine Machine Army and the Four Auxiliary Armies. Compared to her, the other four women had contributed no less to Zhao Yu. The key was that Zhao Yu was indeed good to them and very tolerant. Thinking about it this way, as long as they didn't do anything too outrageous, Zhao Yu really wouldn't hold it against them.

Ye Shiyun wanted to argue with Zhang Chun, but then she thought about how she had wholeheartedly helped Zhao Yu control the economy of the Song Dynasty over the years, and had also given birth to two sons and a daughter for him. She was probably the best wife. If Zhao Yu really treated her badly, she would gouge her own eyes out.

In this way, Zhang Chun got away with it again.

After listening quietly to Wu Yong's introduction of Song Jiang, Zhao Yu realized that although this Song Jiang was definitely not the same person as the Song Jiang in "Water Margin", they still had many similarities.

When Shi Nai'an wrote "Water Margin", he drew inspiration from Gong Kai's "Eulogy of the Thirty-Six Heroes of Song Jiang".

Gong Kai lived at the end of the Southern Song Dynasty, only a little over a hundred years after Song Jiang. He should have had a lot of information about Song Jiang and his thirty-six men, or at least some legends about them.

Even Shi Nai'an was born in the Yuan Dynasty, less than two hundred years after Song Jiang's uprising. Did he also collect a lot of information about Song Jiang and his people?
If that's the case, then it's understandable that this Song Jiang shares some similarities with the Song Jiang in "Water Margin".

This is a good thing for Zhao Yu. If this Song Jiang also desires amnesty like the Song Jiang in "Water Margin", then he will be easier to control.

In short, after hearing Wu Yong's introduction of Song Jiang, Zhao Yu made up his mind to employ him.

After making up his mind, and after Wu Yong finished introducing Song Jiang, Zhao Yu said, "As you said, Song Jiang is indeed suitable to do this for me."

Wu Yong confidently declared, "This humble subject dares to guarantee with his life that Brother Gongming will certainly not betray His Majesty's trust."

Zhao Yu felt that Song Jiang must be quite something, since a clever man like Wu Yong would risk his life to vouch for him.

Therefore, Zhao Yu said to Yuwen Xuzhong, "When that time comes, take him down and explain this matter to him in detail."

Yuwen Xuzhong accepted the order and took Wu Yong to the headquarters of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, where he told Wu Yong about Zhao Yu's Water Margin plan...

……

(End of this chapter)