A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 115 Marriage (Part )
"Dou Chou hanged himself."

Song Xuan and others had just invited Prime Minister Cao Liyong to sit down and have dinner together when they heard him say this.

There was silence at the table for a moment.

This was a result no one expected.

Zhang Fangping felt that this did not seem like something Song Xuan did. Could it be that his twelfth brother was framed?

After all, no matter how you look at it, we are in a great advantage, and there is no need to do such a foolish thing that kills the chicken to get the eggs and is disadvantageous to us.

Song Xuan glanced at Cao Liyong who was sitting opposite him, holding his bowl of rice:

"Your Excellency, do you think I was the one who forced his death?"

"Not really."

Seeing Song Xuan so calm, Cao Liyong also picked up his chopsticks:

"I'm just a little curious, why would you draw this to yourself?"

When everyone saw Cao Liyong picking up his chopsticks, they also started to pick up their chopsticks, but no one said anything.

Tao Hong has a clear conscience and eats and drinks as he pleases.

This kind of trivial matter is not something our young master would do at all.

In such a great situation, he would not go out and have fun.

Especially if only one person died, that would be too easy for the Dou family.

It's nothing like the usual style of our young master.

Cao Liyong was also secretly looking at the people at the table. Song Xuan had just introduced them all.

Except for those students, the few people who followed Song Xuan didn't care whether the current Hanlin scholar was dead or alive.

These guys can pretend even if they are thrown into the imperial guards.

Song Xuan blurted out without thinking:

"Prime Minister, I have a grudge against him, and the entire Song City knows it."

"Especially after I met him, he suddenly died. Of course, the first suspect should be me, his enemy!"

"Yes, that's true."

Cao Liyong also knew the reason why Dou Chou committed suicide.

He just wanted to "morally blackmail" the official and ask him not to pursue the matter too much and affect his child's future.

The emperor might consider pardoning him, but the decision now lies with the empress dowager.

What other people say may not be helpful.

As for the reason Song Xuan gave, it was reasonable.

But Cao Liyong still felt something was wrong.

Because Song Xuan behaved so normally that it was actually abnormal, as if he had known that he was going to die.

Therefore, Cao Liyong was very curious about Song Xuan: "What did you talk about with him?"

"I dare not deceive the Prime Minister. He wants to bribe me with money."

puff.

Zhang Fangping, who had been eating silently, couldn't help but spit out his food.

Dou Chou really didn't do any investigation at all, and he wants to compete with Brother Twelve for money?

Zhang Fangping certainly knew that his twelfth brother did not have as much money as Dou Chou, but if it came to how much money could bribe Song Xuan, then Dou Chou had really made a wrong calculation.

Cao Liyong looked at Zhang Fangping, who got the first place in the exam, and didn't understand what was so funny about him.

Zhang Fangping saw everyone's eyes looking at him, so he spoke:
"Prime Minister, I just remembered something happy. I got first place in the exam. I plan to go home for a few days before school starts and tell my parents in person."

Zhang Fangping explained it this way, and everyone understood.

After all, not everyone has the ability to get the first place in the exam.

Tao Hong and others had smiles on their faces, they all understood what made Zhang Fangping funny.

Cao Liyong took over the conversation: "Did you reject him?"

"I said that money and him are not important to me."

Song Xuan picked up the food and didn't wait for Cao Liyong to ask: "He asked me what is important to me?"

"I told him directly that it's very important to me without you."

Song Xuan snorted and laughed again:
"Just because I said a few words, you can't put the blame for his suicide as a distinguished Hanlin scholar on my head!"

Cao Liyong paused as he was picking up food. Song Xuan's words were probably the last straw that broke the camel's back for Dou Chou.

The most important thing is that Dou Chou doesn't want to admit defeat and doesn't want to have no chance to turn things around.

Cao Liyong shoveled food into his mouth:

"Song Twelve, you've gotten yourself into big trouble. If you don't pass the imperial examination, I'll definitely come after you, even though revenge is never too late."

"No matter what, the Dou family will hold his father's death against you. You haven't won this fight either."

Cao Liyong is arrogant, but he still has the necessary vision.

Of course, he knew what Wang Zeng and Lu Yijian meant by assigning two people to serve as his deputies.

He was eyeing Dou Chou's position in order to expand his influence in the court.

Cao Liyong had no political allies.

His position is there, and no one wants to be his political ally.

Just like Di Qing, who later served as the Privy Councilor, he was repeatedly impeached and attacked by the civil service group. Under tremendous mental pressure, Di Qing died of fright.

Cao Liyong was much better than Di Qing. After all, the civil service group at that time was not as aggressive as the later civil service groups.

"Thank you for your reminder, Lord Xiang. I have a plan for this matter."

Song Xuan said calmly, "Since Dou Chou was able to hang himself, who can guarantee that his sons wouldn't do the same?"

Only then did Cao Liyong raise his eyes and look at Song Xuan carefully.

He learned the truth of the matter from someone else. Dou Chou's son had a broken leg for no apparent reason. Cao Liyong was a little confused at first. This kid Song Xuan was really lucky.

But based on this sentence alone, Cao Liyong was very sure that things were not that simple.

What the hell is good luck?

All of Song Xuan's good luck was paved by himself, and he filled it for himself personally!
It was Song Xuan who had someone break the leg of Dou Chou's son.

This is beyond doubt.

That’s right, there are not so many coincidences in the world!

Cao Liyong chewed the food in his mouth subconsciously, laughed twice, and pointed at Song Xuan:
"Interesting, really interesting."

"Thank you, my Lord, for your praise."

Song Xuan stood up and picked up some food for Cao Liyong:

"Try this dish. You can't even find it at Fanlou in Tokyo. It's an exclusive secret recipe."

Cao Liyong had no intention of exposing Song Xuan's scheme.

Anyway, things have come to this point, and the task assigned to me by the government has been completed.

As for any loopholes ahead, that is not something you need to pay attention to.

Especially this kid Song Xuan is really interesting. I really look forward to him passing the imperial examination and continuing to stir up trouble in the officialdom. That way there will be enough excitement to watch.

He is good at reading, but also a cruel and ruthless person.

When Cao Liyong thought of this, he felt very proud.

It had been many years since I had seen such an extraordinary young man. "Is Shi Er Lang married?"

"Your Excellency is not planning to take me as your son-in-law, right?"

Song Xuan's boldness in speaking on the microphone really shocked everyone present.

Bao Zheng, who was always steady, also looked at Song Xuan in surprise. Getting married, such a major event in life, was decided by parents and matchmakers.

How could Shi Erlang say it so frivolously?
Cao Liyong has reached the end of his military career. If he is promoted again, the only chance is to be posthumously crowned a king or something like that.

Unlike civil officials who have reached a certain status, it doesn’t matter if they are granted the title of Duke while they are still alive. However, they have no military power and can’t make any waves at all.

Cao Liyong actually admired Song Xuan's attitude of going with the flow and not being stage-shy at all.

This is very important when dealing with official circles, and it is also suitable for being an envoy.

These are all the experiences Cao Liyong has gained from being an official for so many years.

To be an envoy, one must not only have courage but also intelligence, like me, Lao Cao.

"Song Twelve, you have nothing, yet you still want to climb up the social ladder?"

Su Xun's eyes lit up. He had been silently remembering everything Song Xuan said in his heart, in case it might come in handy in the future.

He could talk back and forth with the prime minister of the dynasty, so when he returned to his hometown and talked with the local county magistrate, it would be even easier for him!
"I'm still young, and I have plenty of opportunities and capital."

Song Xuan pointed at the people around the table and said, "These are all my people, but the Prime Minister is not only alone here, but also alone in the court."

Cao Liyong put down his chopsticks and said, "I don't want to hear you talk about the difference between one chopstick and a bunch of chopsticks. You have no chance of convincing me with your old-fashioned stories."

"I won't convince you, Lord." Song Xuan also put down his chopsticks.

"What I mean is that we are far away from the Jianghu and our lives are not in danger, but the Prime Minister has been in the temple for a long time and there are deadly traps everywhere."

"I?"

Cao Liyong was also familiar with Song Xuan's rhetoric, it was just a bluff.

Do you really think I'm senile?

Bao Zheng also couldn't understand what Song Xuan meant.

"If a military general is a lone minister in the court, he won't get far, and there won't be anyone around the prime minister who can offer advice."

"Some people are eyeing Dou Chou's position, but isn't there anyone eyeing a position higher than Hanlin Bachelor?"

Cao Liyong narrowed his eyes, he finally understood.

His position is not as stable as Mount Tai.

Cao Liyong also knew that those who surrounded him were all relatives and old friends who had benefited from his influence, and no one could give him any advice.

Especially those educated people, their brains are more evil than each other, and many things are done without people suspecting others.

Song Xuan was an incredibly smart kid. It seemed that Yan Shu had been hiding something from him and had not boasted about Song Xuan much.

A lot of things about Song Xuan were found out by him sending people to find out.

Cao Liyong thought about how Song Xuan had killed Dou Chou, and how he had done it so beautifully, which had already proved his ability.

Instead of letting Wang Qinruo, Wang Zeng and Lu Yijian pick it up, it is better to mark it with your own mark first. In this way, you will not suffer any loss.

And judging from what this kid said, he doesn't want those civil officials to hang out together!

This is even more interesting!

Cao Liyong stroked his beard and coughed twice:
"I do have a girl in my family who is still waiting to be married, but other people choose to marry off the list. This way they can become famous and it will also bring honor to you and me."

"Just based on this one meal and a few words between you and me, I let you marry my Minister Cao's daughter. If this gets out, I'll be laughed at for at least three years."

"If you can't make it onto the list once within three years, how do you think the world will laugh at me?"

Cao Liyong patted his face and said, "The older you get, the more you have to rely on your appearance to live."

"Heh." Song Xuan still had a smile on his face:
"Your Majesty's words don't actually mean you're rejecting me; you're just setting up some obstacles."

After Song Xuan finished speaking, Cao Liyong admired him very much in his heart.

It is normal to care about face when you are older, and it is also normal to be shameless when you are young.

For someone like Song Xuan, Cao Liyong believed that he would definitely be able to make it.

At least you can understand what others mean, instead of not being able to hear the hidden meaning.

"My requirements are not high. It's too difficult for you to pass the imperial examination. It's enough for you to pass the imperial examination."

"When the time comes, I'll arrange for a group of soldiers to go to the list and parade them through the streets to catch a son-in-law. No one can snatch me away. Just let me have my fun. I've only had a little daughter after all these years."

Everyone present was truly enlightened by listening to what Song Xuan and Cao Liyong said.

The twelfth brother established contact with the prime minister of the dynasty with just a few words, regardless of whether they could eventually become father-in-law and son-in-law.

But at least he had a "support" in the court, and his identity was given by himself when he went out.

Who else has the opportunity to have a high-ranking official come to your home for dinner?

When you want to invite someone, you don’t even know which way their door faces.

Bao Zheng had been married before, so he really didn't understand why he got married himself?

Especially such a major life event!
Zhang Fangping began to recall that when he communicated with Song Shou, he really couldn't be as fluent as his twelfth brother.

He seemed to be able to strike up a conversation with anyone.

In Zhang Fangping's view, this ability is innate, just like his photographic memory.

Su Xun was really impressed when he heard Song Xuan discussing his marriage so openly with an official of the "Prime Minister" level of the current dynasty.

The key point is that the prime minister did not refuse, but instead made a request.

According to Su Xun's understanding, it would be easy for his twelfth brother to pass the imperial examination. Given his ability, how difficult would it be?

"Then I will get more encouragement from the Prime Minister." Song Xuan sat down again:

"When the Prime Minister returns to the capital, he must promote a few more strong and capable imperial guards to avoid too many people vying for my position. I don't know the gate of the Prime Minister's house, so I went to the wrong place."

"Hahaha."

Cao Li pointed at Song Xuan and laughed.

He really didn't expect that Song Xuan not only did not express gratitude to him, but also said that there were too many people trying to snatch his power.

It's rare to find such confident people in the world.

"Just study hard."

Cao Liyong finished laughing and said nothing more: "I'll wait for you in Tokyo."

Song Xuan saluted and watched Cao Liyong walk away on his own.

As soon as the person disappeared, Su Xun screamed loudly:
"Twelfth brother, are you really going to marry the Prime Minister's daughter?"

Marrying the daughter of a prime minister is a very normal thing in the Song Dynasty.

For example, Wang Shu, Kou Zhun's son-in-law, although he is currently implicated by Kou Zhun and becomes the deputy commander of the militia, it does not prevent him from becoming the prime minister in the future.

Such as Wang Anshi's son-in-law Cai Bian, Sima Guang's son-in-law Fan Zuyu, Yan Shu's son-in-law Fu Bi, etc., all made their own achievements.

But then again, there are only a few prime ministers, and even fewer daughters of marriageable age. Adding all these conditions together, there are very few people to choose from.

In short, marrying the prime minister's daughter is not an easy thing at all.

Song Xuan looked at Su Xun who was so excited and poured cold water on him:

"Hey, who knows? Let's cheer the old man up first."

"As for whether I can marry his daughter, you have to let me see her first."

"If he's good-looking, that's fine. But if he's ugly, and someone's looking for a son-in-law, I'll deliberately go to the wrong house."

(End of this chapter)