A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 111 I am a serious scholar (first update)
Cao Liyong was originally a military general. In his early years, he fought against the Liao Kingdom and then went south to pacify Lingnan.

Having spent a lot of time in the army, I have a deeper understanding of those soldiers.

Now that Song Xuan is standing here, he looks like a regular soldier.

Cao Liyong narrowed his eyes and stood with his hands behind his back:

"It's good that you are Song Xuan. I am sent by the government to investigate this matter. Do you admit your guilt?"

"My Lord, what crime have I committed?"

Song Xuan's words naturally caused a storm.

How did he recognize that the person in front of him was the Prime Minister?
Even Lu Lejian looked confused. Even if an official came, was it necessary to flatter him?
If you call the wrong person, you will be in trouble.

Can the status of Prime Minister be boasted about casually?
He was just a little confused as to why his cousin didn't come.

In terms of seniority, he was the last to become prime minister. For an official position like Hanlin Bachelor, it was normal for him to make the trip.

Cao Liyong continued to squint his eyes and look at the student Song Xuan in front of him.

Everyone just arrived and said a few words before coming over directly.

If Yan Shu had informed them in advance, these students would not have been eating and drinking so recklessly here, and would not have panicked when they heard about the Prime Minister. They should have known about it long ago.

According to Cao Liyong's own knowledgeable judgment, the astonishment on these people's faces was not fake.

Cao Liyong did not reveal his identity, and he was sure that Yan Shu did not tell anyone either.

"How did you know I was the Prime Minister?"

Lu Lejian felt numb all of a sudden.

He was really the prime minister. Several people looked at each other and were a little nervous for a moment.

Prime Minister!
The head of civil servants.

The highest goal of this group of scholars is to sit in the position of prime minister, but this is a million times more difficult than passing the imperial examination.

Bao Zheng and others also saluted immediately.

Boss Cao lowered his head and supported the old man of the Song family who was a little unsteady.

Why did they report it to the government and send the prime minister to interrogate him? Is this just a trivial matter as the grandson said?
Song Xuan was certain that he had guessed correctly. Even if he hadn't guessed correctly, it wouldn't be wrong to give him a high official title. He replied calmly:

"That Dou Chou's son, Dou Han, has been claiming every day that his father is a prime minister. Now he has committed such a serious crime. If the court doesn't send a prime minister to deal with him, he will be punished."

"Wouldn't it be like allowing Dou Chou to harm innocent students like us? Where would the dignity of the court be?"

"Is the surname of this Song Dynasty really Dou?"

Cao Liyong's mouth corners rose slightly, but soon stopped.

The Song Dynasty inherited the three-province system of the Tang Dynasty, but in order to strengthen central power, it established the Privy Council, forming a two-ministry system (the Secretariat and the Privy Council).

The Privy Councilor was the highest military commander in the Song Dynasty. His relationship with the Prime Minister was a system of separation of civil and military powers, with checks and balances between them.

Even though the Privy Councilor was in charge of military affairs and had a status equivalent to that of the Prime Minister, in practice he was still restricted by civil officials and excluded from small groups.

What's more, Cao Liyong not only held one official position, but also served as Co-Minister of the Secretariat, and concurrently served as Shizhong and Shangshu Ling. He was also granted the title of Sikong. There was nothing wrong with Song Xuan calling Cao Liyong "Prime Minister".

"What a sharp-tongued young man."

Cao Liyong confirmed that Song Xuan was an intelligent person.

Instead of answering his own question and saying that he was guilty, he turned his attention directly to Dou Chou.

By the way, he secretly praised the court for being able to give him justice, so he sent the prime minister to handle the matter personally.

But Cao Liyong did not want Song Xuan to succeed, and continued to put pressure on him:

"If you tell the truth, I will speak well of you in the court. After all, you were the one who made the mistake first."

"If the Prime Minister were to fabricate a crime against me based solely on Dou Chou's one-sided account, I would absolutely refuse to acknowledge it."

Song Xuan bowed again and said, "Even if I were to go to Tokyo and beat the drum to file a complaint with the emperor, I would still insist that I am innocent."

Cao Liyong didn't even reveal his name, but he admired Song Xuan's stubborn character.

No matter who comes, they must consistently confirm that they are not guilty.

In this way, those who want to help you will be more willing to give you a hand.

Don't worry, if you just give up and surrender before anything else comes to fruition, how can others help you?

You're just killing everyone who wants to help you!
"Hahaha."

Cao Liyong laughed for a while and sat down directly, asking someone to bring chopsticks, as he happened to be hungry for a meal.

"Come on, come on."

Cao Liyong invited Yan Shu to sit down and said, "It's a good time to fill your stomach and go find Dou Chou. Once the matter is investigated, we can return to the capital and report back."

Li Di wanted to see what Dingdu meant, but Dingdu sat down decisively.

Ding Du came here to get rid of Dou Chou and take his place. From the perspective of interests, he had no aversion to Song Xuan and his group of students.

In addition to Cao Liyong's words and attitude, Dingdu believed that the matter was likely to succeed.

So there is no need for him to say more.

This time he came to facilitate this matter, not to interfere.

Instead, Li Di stood there in a daze, not knowing whether to sit or stand.

It was Yan Shu who pulled Li Di over to sit down and invited him to eat something, saying that this was the best restaurant in the area, not as good as Fanlou, but at least it was the best.

Cao Liyong had been in the army for many days and was not a picky person, so he didn't care about the leftovers.

Because Song Xuan's grandfather had come, many students became more polite when eating and had to be more careful.

Yan Shu took the initiative to introduce Cao Liyong, Ding Du and Li Di to several people.

Although Cao Liyong was in a high position and had great power, Ding Du was the runner-up, and Li Di was even more impressive, having been the top scorer twenty years ago.

Several students expressed their admiration one after another. They were really flattered to have a meal with a high-ranking official of the imperial court.

Song Xuan didn't say anything, but just ate his food.

The most important thing is that the Privy Councilor next to him is the real boss.

Although we will all enter the "scholar circle" in the future, we don't have to immediately lick the boots of the second or first place in the imperial examination.

Cao Liyong was eating his food. He was already accustomed to this kind of scene. He looked at Song Xuan and the people around him without saying a word, but he understood.

Especially at the dinner table, the most taboo thing is to leave out someone from toasting. Either no one should toast, or everyone should toast in a circle.

Seeing that Song Xuan didn't say anything but ate his meal quietly, Zhang Fangping understood that talking too much would lead to mistakes, so he also ate quietly.

As for the jailers around, they didn't dare to make a sound and just stood by to serve.

Who would have thought that the prime minister would come and take the initiative to have dinner with Song Twelve and others.

You have to be a scholar.

You have face wherever you go.

Cao Liyong didn't eat much either. He wiped his hands and patted Song Xuan on the shoulder. "You are a polite boy. Dou Chou is always looking down on people. It is normal for you to accuse him of oppressing the people."

Song Xuan did not sit upright, but stood up and saluted:
"Since the Prime Minister is so good at distinguishing right from wrong, it's no wonder that he was able to hold his own against Empress Xiao during his diplomatic mission to the Liao Kingdom. He refused to cede land and enhanced our nation's prestige. He's a perfect example for us young men to emulate."

This is the thing that Cao Liyong is most proud of in his life.

Others also know that if someone else is sent, this effect may not be achieved.

He stroked his beard and smiled, without saying much. In short, he felt extremely happy.

Then Cao Liyong asked Yan Shu if he had finished eating without even looking at the two deputies who were chewing slowly, saying, "Let's get this done as soon as possible. The Queen Mother and the Emperor are waiting for a reply."

Yan Shu quickly stood up and led the way to the inn where Dou Chou lived.

After they left, Lu Lejian finally breathed a sigh of relief:
"Minister Cao's pressure is so great that we dare not speak."

Everyone agreed with Lu Lejian's words, but Song Xuan felt that you had a good chat with the number one and number two candidates just now. They tested you on the spot, and you were still vying to show off.

Song Xuan did not reveal everyone's thoughts, but asked:

"Is it enough for you students? If not, let's get more. The chef hasn't left yet."

"Enough is enough."

Lu Lejian and the others felt very satisfied today: "It would be great if Shi Erlang could tell us the story of the stone monkey later."

"It's easy to talk about."

Song Xuan waved his hand. He didn't tell any stories about Water Margin in prison because these people were not the target audience.

Everyone also gave Song Xuan some space to speak.

After they left, the chef from Qinglou came over tremblingly, saluted Song Xuan first, and then asked nervously:

"Shi Erlang, was that man really the prime minister?"

"Indeed, he is now the Situ. It was he who negotiated peace with Empress Dowager Xiao of Liao and stopped the war between the two countries."

"Oh, oh, it's really Prime Minister Cao!"

The chef chuckled a few times before saying to himself, "The food I cooked was eaten by the Prime Minister. This is a great honor for our family."

Song Xuan then added, "Just now, Prime Minister Cao praised this dish for being well-cooked and said he loved it."

The chef's eyes lit up and he immediately thanked Song Xuan again and again. With the praise from Prime Minister Cao, the business of Qinglou would surely be promoted to a higher level and he would be able to earn more.

Especially since this was not said by him, but by the righteous Song Twelve, who could not believe it!
"I'll go find the shopkeeper and ask Shi Er Lang to be exempted from today's meal."

"Thank you very much."

Song Xuan did not reject other people's kindness.

The cook didn't even bother to clean up, leaving the waiter to trot back to Qinglou.

Mr. Song was also silent just now. Seeing that no one was around, he spoke:
"Is this matter over?"

"It wasn't a big deal in the first place. The drums in Tokyo were often beaten to report people to the authorities."

Hearing this, Boss Cao's mouth twitched. It turned out that his good disciple was indeed extremely bold.

"It's good to have the Prime Minister backing you up." Old Master Song also stood up and whispered while Song Xuan was helping him:
"Twelve, ever since the news of you being robbed spread, I broke your second brother's legs. After all, he's a descendant of the Song family. Would you mind sparing his life?"

Song Xuan was stunned for a moment, then handed the old man a cane:
"Master, I didn't think so. I was just being overthinking it."

"Don't worry too much, just think of it as me venting my anger on you. Your family is full of useless children. Just focus on preparing for the exam and don't worry about the troubles at home."

After Mr. Song finished speaking, he didn't need Boss Cao to support him, but ran outside on his own.

At this time, the smart jailer quickly asked everyone to protect the old man.

Seeing that Lao Cao was the only one left at the table, Song Xuan asked, "Master, how are you doing with that matter?"

"Someone was sent to Tokyo."

Gang Leader Cao said in a muffled voice:
"This matter is too serious. I advise you not to act rashly."

"The bigger the fuss, the better it is for ordinary people like me."

Song Xuan didn't have anything to worry about.

There is really only one position for each person in the court, and I wonder how many people are eyeing Dou Chou's position.

He had previously used emotions to guide Dou Chou a little, and he lost his mind and said those words on the spot. As for Cao Liyong's question just now, Song Xuan also used public relations skills to guide him.

Anyway, no matter what happens, I won't admit it. The one who is wrong is Dou Chou.

"I know you're barefoot." Gang Leader Cao looked at him and said:

"Even if you find out the news, you won't act rashly, right?"

"Don't worry." Song Xuan patted his chest:

"I am a serious scholar. I will study hard in the academy in the future. How can I have the time to waste other people's family time?"

Gang Leader Cao snorted and didn't completely believe what Song Xuan said.

Is it necessary for him to act rashly in such a matter as to wipe out an entire family?

As for the five people under him, even though they appear to be both clerks and shopkeepers to the outside world.

But Song Xuan actually trained them in military formations.

If they put on armor to protect Song Xuan and shoot arrows first, then with three drum beats, they can break through the enemy's formation.

It would be easy for him to kill all the members of the Dou family silently.

"Killing people won't take up too much of your time. I'm just reminding you not to overdo it."

"Those people in the court aren't really looking out for you. They're just eyeing the position that Dou Yuanbin holds. You're just urging this to happen sooner rather than later. Don't take yourself too seriously."

Song Xuan chuckled and handed him the chicken neck again:
"Boss Cao knows the temperaments of the officials in the capital. Are you related to Cao Liyong?"

"do not know."

Boss Cao knew that Song Xuan had understood the meaning of his words:
"You guys are always trying to trick me into telling you something, but it's no use. I've survived by keeping my mouth shut."

"Otherwise, you can't even be a beggar."

"Clear, clear."

Song Xuan put down his chopsticks:
"Master, I'm actually just trying to find out about Dou Chou's family. I'm just being cautious. Even a cornered rabbit might bite. He's from a famous family, so I have to be on guard."

"Ouch, my little master." Boss Cao spat out the chicken bone in his mouth:

"You must study hard in the future, get a good degree, and take the right path. Don't try to be some kind of bandit."

"You know, I'm old now, and I haven't accomplished much in my life. I'm just waiting for the ball to die, and then I can go down and brag to my old brothers that I taught a top scholar."

"I really can't accept that a promising young scholar doesn't want to study and become an official, but wants to become a mountain king. You'd better not be so arrogant."

"If you take down Dou Chou this time, you'll have a chance to become famous, but more people will be watching you. It's always better to be cautious."

(End of this chapter)