Chapter 289 Master Lu's Fame Spreads Abroad
Hangzhou has a Ministry of Rites, which is affiliated to the Ministry of Rites and is mainly responsible for the reception of foreign envoys.
In fact, almost all foreign ports in the Northern Song Dynasty had a Ministry of Rites, but the sizes varied.
At this time, Huang An from the Ministry of Rites was very troubled. Logically speaking, a true national tribute should not be handled by a "Doctor of the Ministry of Rites" like him, but since the other party has come, he should just receive them.
But the question is, why did this little fat guy Su Shi come here to join in the fun?
Some even said that the two envoys might be scammers.
Logically speaking, the local county magistrate should not be in charge of the affairs of the Ministry of Rites, but the problem is that there is a shortage of people in the court, and he is "liked" by the dukes in the court. When he was sent to Hangzhou, the appointment letter from the Zhongshumen stated: He has the power to supervise all affairs of Hangzhou, whether it is state politics or military strategy.
This is outrageous.
In other words, the Ministry of Rites in Hangzhou is an independent agency on paper, but in reality it is under the jurisdiction of this little fat guy.
He said that the two delegations might be fake, so Huang An had to investigate carefully.
He looked over the documents of the two delegations again, and then checked the "tribute" that had been drawn out, and did not find anything wrong.
The clerk next to him said without interruption: "Our Song Dynasty is prosperous and all nations come to pay tribute. It doesn't matter whether such a good thing is true or false. This County Magistrate Su is too unkind."
Huang An also agreed with this. He looked through the documents of the two envoys again and said, "It doesn't look fake. This Magistrate Su is still too young and is eager to show off. Let's try to delay this matter for now. I will write a letter to Minister Yan and give him a good warning."
In fact, Huang An was not very old, and this was his first time to encounter a visiting delegation of foreign envoys. He couldn't tell whether the document was real or fake, but he just didn't want to make a fool of himself in front of his subordinates.
"Doctor Huang, this is a good idea." The clerk beside him gave a thumbs up.
But at this moment, a voice came from outside the door.
"So Doctor Huang thinks of me in this way." Su Shi walked in, his slightly fat face full of smiles: "I think Doctor Huang must be a steady and proper person, why not let him take on the task of this envoy group."
Doctor Huang was a little embarrassed, but he didn't show any shame on his face. Instead, he chuckled and said, "Just now, County Magistrate Su heard what I said outside. Why did he suddenly evaluate me like this?"
Huang An has quite a few connections in the court, otherwise he wouldn't have come to the Ministry of Rites in Hangzhou at such a young age.
The Ministry of Rites in the capital has always been a poor government office, but the Ministry of Rites in several seaports is different. They are responsible for receiving foreign guests and usually do not open for three years, but can make a living for ten years after opening.
Although it can't compare with the benefits at the Ministry of Revenue, it is still considered a lucrative job in the Ministry of Rites.
Of course, he was also "tempered" in the capital for several years, and only after he became smooth and knowledgeable was he assigned to Hangzhou.
Therefore, he managed his facial expressions very well, and even if someone overheard his words, he did not show any timidity on his face.
Su Shi looked at Huang An with some admiration, then smiled and said, "Just now I heard that Doctor Huang seemed to want to report the matter of the envoys to Minister Yan?"
"Of course." Huang An nodded: "The affairs of foreign countries are also important, and should be handled by Minister Yan."
Su Shi smiled and said, "This is the proper etiquette."
Huang An looked at Su Shi strangely. He was about to file a complaint , but the other party was getting scared?
Is it because there is no one in the court?
But before Huang An could get too proud, Su Shi continued, "But the capital is very far from Hangzhou. Even if we take the canal, it will take several days. Instead of asking Minister Yan for help, it is better to ask for help from the local nobles."
Huang An was stunned for a moment and asked, "Who?"
In his opinion, in terms of position, he should be the highest position in Hangzhou, but the one with the highest real power is Su Shi.
Apart from the two of them, who else holds a higher position in Hangzhou?
Xiangyang Palace?
What a joke! Prince Xiangyang is now being interrogated by the Dali Zuosi. He probably won’t be released for at least a year or two.
Hehe, suspected of treason, even if you are a prince, it would be dangerous enough.
So Huang An couldn’t figure out for the time being, who else in Hangzhou City could truly manage the Ministry of Rites?
Seeing his puzzled expression, Su Shi pointed to the sky outside the window, where a sun boat with golden light was hanging high in the sky.
"Doctor Huang, don't forget that Hangzhou is not only the territory of the King of Xiangyang, but also the Taoist temple of Master Lu." He took two steps closer, and his protruding belly almost bumped into the other person: "After all, Master Lu is also your superior, how could you forget even this."
Huang An's eyes suddenly widened and cold sweat broke out.
It’s not that he forgot, but that he didn’t think about it at all.
Who is Master Lu? The person who least cares about his official position and the imperial court.
Now, no matter how the imperial court conferred titles on him or tried to win him over, there was no response.
Huang An also heard that the reason why Master Lu was able to serve as the chief officer in the battle against the Western Xia people was because of the help of Master Pang, the Prince of Runan, and Bao Longtu, who appealed to his emotions and reason, as well as their personal relationships, and even made many concessions, which made Master Lu reluctantly go to the front line.
Huang An has always kept his distance from Lu Sen.
Ke Zheng was too respectful. He only regarded Lu Sen as a symbol, the symbol of Hangzhou, like a Buddha statue, hanging high in the sky, out of touch with reality and not caring about worldly affairs.
If they really want to intervene, they will only do so when it comes to major issues involving the country and the safety of the nation.
Would he care about this kind of... trivial matter where a foreign country comes to pay tribute?
But what if he really cares?
He pursed his lips uncomfortably, and the calm expression on his face disappeared.
Huang An was not afraid of Su Shi, even though the other party had more power than himself.
But this person Lu Sen... no matter how powerful the connections behind him are, he dare not compete with this inhuman thing.
"But isn't Master Lu already in charge of Dingzhou?"
Su Shi waved his paper fan and smiled: "As a true immortal, it's not strange for Master Lu to have an incarnation outside his body. Besides... Master Lu can fly. We mortals think that Dingzhou is far away, but he may not think so."
That makes a lot of sense.
Huang An looked out the window again, at the suspended solar boat hanging in the sky above Hangzhou City, and his expression looked a little ugly.
"Doctor Huang, please bring the two envoys to meet me at the Bitian Pavilion." Su Shi chuckled and said, "I want to ask them in person."
Huang An did not want to admit defeat to Su Shi. The other party was younger than him and had less experience than him, but as soon as he returned from mourning, he was able to become the acting governor of Hangzhou. Why didn't he have such an opportunity?
Why did Su Shi have it?
Now he can even act under the banner of Master Lu!
hateful!
Although Huang An was indignant in his heart, he smiled: "I will take orders from you. Within half an hour, I will take those foreign envoys to the Blue Sky Pavilion."
"Thank you for your help, Doctor Huang." Su Shi put away his fan and clasped his fists.
Since the other party had surrendered, Su Shi did not intend to pursue him relentlessly.
Then he left the Ministry of Rites first and walked onto the street. He fanned himself vigorously to cool down his face which was a little hot due to excitement.
It feels so good...it feels so good.
As an official in Hangzhou, he inevitably had to deal with Huang An during this period.
Although there was no actual conflict between the two of them, he could see that Huang An clearly looked down on and hated him, and his words were sarcastic and veiled. Su Shi was not afraid of the connections behind the other party, but he was simply not as good as the other party in talking.
There's nothing you can do about it. Being good at writing poetry doesn't necessarily mean you can speak well.
And now, he saw Huang An's frustrated expression. Even though the other party was obviously very angry and uncomfortable inside, he had to talk to him with a smile.
"It turns out that there is someone behind the scenes who can make things go smoothly and easily."
Su Shi seemed to have realized the joy of clinging to someone powerful.
About half an hour later, Su Shi sat in the main seat in the lobby of the Bitian Pavilion, drinking the best tea.
Huang An walked in with several key members of the diplomatic corps, clasped his fists and said, "Prefect Su, I have brought the people with me."
After saying that, he subconsciously looked around.
This is an instinct developed after being in officialdom for a long time. Just like a killer would subconsciously observe the terrain, this official who is good at flattery would also subconsciously observe the people around him to see if there are any targets worthy of his attention.
It was not a big deal to see it, but I immediately felt wetness on my back.
On the terrace on the second floor of the Bitian Pavilion, a young man in green was sitting there drinking tea in a low-key manner, looking like he was just a guest.
But... this young man is very handsome and doesn't look like a mortal.
Think about where this place is. Do we need to guess who this is?
Huang An immediately stood aside, not daring to make a sound, for fear that Lu Sen would notice him.
As for Su Shi, he asked the people in the front to sit down.
The Koreans are easier to deal with, as their clothing is no different from that of the Northern Song people.
It's just the face shape, which is a little different from that of people from the Central Plains. Plus the difference in temperament, you can tell at a glance that the other person is from overseas.
These are four stupid people!
Their skin was yellow and dark. When they saw Su Shi, they subconsciously nodded and bowed. Even the leader did not dare to speak.
"The document from the Kingdom of Kanluo seems a little strange." Su Shi pointed at the document on the table and said, "The paper doesn't look very good."
"The Kingdom of Ganluo is a small country, so it is naturally not as rich as the Celestial Empire." The short black man who led the group bowed and nodded. His Northern Song Dynasty accent was strange, but it was barely understandable. "But our yearning and enthusiasm for civilized countries is unquestionable."
"Your ruler is called King Vichai the Great?" Su Shi looked at the Chinese characters on the document that looked like chicken claws, thought for a moment, and asked, "Then in your country of Ganluo , is there a distinction between internal affairs and military power?"
The short black envoy was stunned for a moment and seemed to be a little nervous: "My lord, I don't quite understand what you are talking about?"
"Then what do you, the envoys, want when you come here with gifts? Is it just to see the emperor?"
"It's just to meet the emperor!" The short black man secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Is your chief envoy considered a high-ranking and powerful position?"
The short black man smiled and said, "Of course it's OK, otherwise I wouldn't dare to come here to the country."
"What is the military strength of the Kanluo Kingdom, and what is its population?"
"Ah?" The short black man tried to recall for a moment and said, "About 100,000 people."
Hearing this, Su Shi chuckled.
Huang An, who was standing aside, also had a strange expression on his face.
Su Shi collected the other party's diplomatic documents and said, "You go back to the Ministry of Rites first. We will contact you in a few days to discuss the meeting with the emperor."
"Thank you very much, sir. Thank you very much, sir."
The short black man left with many thanks.
Then Su Shi looked at Huang An with a somewhat smug expression.
Huang An didn't dare to look him in the eye.
Later, Su Shi talked with these Koreans again and found that this was indeed a real diplomatic delegation.
Huang An breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, not all the envoys were scammers, otherwise if Su Shi reported the matter, he would definitely lose his official position.
But Su Shi was a little puzzled: "Since you, Goryeo, want to come to see the emperor, why don't you go ashore directly near Songjiang, but take a long detour to Hangzhou?"
The Goryeo envoy bowed and said, "Our king heard that a true immortal appeared in Hangzhou, so he asked us to bring 100 boys and girls to offer as sacrifices to Master Lu, but in return we can get a bottle of magic medicine that can cure 100 diseases."
Su Shi understood.
It turns out that the tribute from these Goryeo people was fake, they actually came to ask for medicine for their own king.
He subconsciously looked back and found Lu Sen quietly drinking tea on the platform.
Then he said to the Goryeo envoys: "You can go back. Although Master Lu is indeed in Hangzhou, he usually disappears and we can't find him."
"Then we will wait here until we die, until Master Lu is willing to see us."
After saying this, the Goryeo envoy clasped his fists in salute and left.
The Bitian Pavilion suddenly became quiet.
Lu Sen walked down from the platform. Huang An didn't dare to look up when he heard the footsteps, but subconsciously took two steps back.
Su Shi took the initiative to approach him and asked, "Master Lu, how do you think this matter should be handled?"
"The so-called Kanluo envoy is obviously fake. There is a profit chain behind it. Maybe it is collusion between the inside and outside. County Magistrate Su, you should continue to investigate. Maybe you will get something." Lu Sen shook his head helplessly and said, "As for the Koreans, just leave them alone."
"They came all the way here to ask for medicine, so Master Lu won't give them some?"
"I have to give it to you if you ask for it?" Lu Sen laughed. "My fruits are not enough for the people of Song Dynasty, so why should I give them to outsiders? Moreover, they brought boys and girls with them... County Magistrate Su, you have to take care of this matter. Remember, it is clearly stated in the laws of our Great Song Dynasty that only animals can be used for sacrifice, not humans."
Huang An suddenly said, "Can the Koreans be considered human beings?"
Lu Sen looked at him for a while and said, "The Koreans admire our Central Plains culture, and they don't have any direct conflicts of interest with the Song Dynasty. I can choose not to give them things, but this human sacrifice is really crazy."
Su Shi nodded to show that he understood. Lu Sen wanted to capture the Koreans as well and rescue the boys and girls.
Although Huang An was very afraid of Lu Sen, he suddenly clasped his fists and said, "Master Lu, please think twice. This is a major matter between the two countries. Do not use punishment lightly."
It is no wonder that he did so. If this matter had really been reported to the capital, no matter what the human sacrifice was, it would be an irrefutable fact that Huang An had been deceived by the foreigners without knowing what was going on. He would then be considered a bad person in the eyes of all the officials in the court.
How can he be a good official if he can't even see through the tricks of his enemies?
This future is about to be ruined.
Can you please stand up and save yourself?
