Chapter 99: Khitans Go Back on Their Words
The Eighth Wise King has been a little unhappy lately, as if there is something stuck in his throat that he can neither spit out nor swallow.
Very uncomfortable.
Indeed, from the results point of view, Lu Sen's direct cooperation with the government had the same purpose as the Eight Wise Kings, but the problem was that Lu Sen did it on his own initiative and was not induced or controlled by them.
This is very unpleasant, especially for someone like the Eighth Wise King, who was born in a high position with power and has always regarded Grand Tutor Pang as his rival. He is very arrogant and proud. Now he has been tricked by a young man. It is difficult for outsiders to understand the disgusting feeling.
It was summer now and the weather was getting hotter. The Eighth Wise King lay on his back at the head of the bed. He felt very tired and had no energy.
"My lord, please have a fairy peach." The eldest son Zhao Yunsheng, also known as Prince Yigong of Pingyang, placed a juicy fruit on a silver plate and brought it to the Eighth Sage King: "Mrs. Lu Yang sent it yesterday."
"No, I'm getting angry just looking at this peach." The Eighth Sage King waved his hand unhappily, "By the way, call the second and third brothers, as well as all the grandchildren, back. I have something to announce tomorrow."
"I will send someone to inform them later. No matter what, father should eat the fairy fruit first." Zhao Yunsheng advised earnestly: "You are not in good health and unhappy. No one in the whole family will be happy. They are all worried about you, sir."
The Eighth Wise King paused, then reluctantly picked up the peach and slowly bit into it: "Actually, it would be a waste to give it to me."
Zhao Yunsheng smiled and said, "How can it be a waste? Your Excellency's good health is better than anything else."
The Eighth Wise King smiled, ate the peach and went to sleep.
Then, at noon the next day, he sat in the hall, surrounded by his children and grandchildren, and saw that his family was prosperous. He smiled and said, "Almost everyone is here, so I will speak frankly."
The group of people below stood up straight subconsciously.
"Now let's talk about the separation..."
When these words were spoken, all members of the Zhao family were shocked.
The eldest son, Zhao Yunsheng, clasped his hands together and said hastily, "Sir, this is not auspicious. You are in good health and have the immortal fruit in your body. You should live a long life."
Everyone in the Zhao family spoke up to agree with Zhao Yunsheng, and for a while the hall was filled with noise.
"Shut up." The Eighth Sage King snorted and said angrily, "Why are you interrupting me when I'm talking? Just listen quietly."
After hearing this roar, all the descendants of Zhao family dared not utter a word.
"Boss, you are more capable than the others, so this house is also for you, so you should take less. I will only give you half of the land in the east..."
Although the weather was hot, the hall was cool.
The wind blew in from the hall, lifting the corners of everyone's clothes.
The Eighth Wise King was usually quite dignified and kept his word, but at this moment he kept on talking for more than half an hour before he finished explaining what had happened.
Then he stood up and glanced at all the grandchildren in the hall. There was some reluctance in his eyes, but soon the expression subsided. He stood up straight, put his hands behind his back, and smiled, "Okay, let's go."
The descendants of the Zhao family all felt that something was not quite right. It seemed like he was making arrangements for his final affairs. However, seeing that the Eighth Wise King looked very healthy and not confused, no one dared to speak out this idea.
After all, the people of the Song Dynasty at that time were very taboo about talking nonsense, for fear of saying bad things that would really affect the health and lifespan of the elderly.
The eldest brother, Zhao Yunsheng, followed the Eighth Sage King into the inner room and was about to serve him, but the latter took off his shoes and clothes and said with disdain: "What are you doing here, a grown man? Go away and don't disturb my sleep."
Seeing that the Eighth Wise King was speaking with great vigor, Zhao Yunsheng thought that he was being too suspicious, so he bowed and left the bedroom. Then he let the group of Zhao's descendants who were waiting outside disperse and went about their own business.
Then, in the evening, the maid who served the Eighth Wise King screamed in the room. When Zhao Yunsheng entered the bedroom, he saw the Eighth Wise King, who was already dead and cold.
That night, there was deafening wailing in the Eighth Sage Prince's Mansion. They first hung white cloth and then lit firecrackers, which was a way of announcing a death.
In less than half an hour, the whole capital knew that the Eighth Wise King was gone.
Immediately the whole city was dressed in mourning, and six out of ten people were crying.
Although the Eighth Sage King had some friction with Lu Sen in the past few days, it was just a matter of stance. In the hearts of the vast majority of people, he was a rare good official and a good prince.
Civil and military officials were allowed not to attend court for ten days, and all went to attend the funeral of the Eighth Wise King. It was said that Emperor Zhao Zhen cried his eyes out in the palace.
After all, he was raised by the Eighth Wise King, and the two had a very good relationship, just like a real father and son.
He originally wanted to attend the funeral, but as an emperor, he could not attend the funeral of a subject, as this would violate social order.
Even when Li Shimin attended Wei Zheng's funeral, he just walked to the door to take a look and then left.
In the Northern Song Dynasty, funerals for wealthy families usually lasted at least seven days. This was also for the purpose of "keeping the body for seven days", for fear that the elderly person might have faked his death.
Lu Sen attended the mourning. As soon as he entered the back hall, he saw a black coffin placed in the middle. Next to it, there were many filial sons and grandsons wearing mourning clothes, kneeling and crying.
When she saw Lu Sen coming in, her crying immediately became much quieter. The gray-haired Zhao Yunsheng stood up and bowed to Lu Sen.
Zhao Yunsheng's hair was mostly black before, but in just a few days, it turned white.
"My condolences." Lu Sen looked solemn.
Yang Jinhua, who was following him, presented the offerings, a basket of fruit and a bottle of honey.
Afterwards, Lu Sen lit three incense sticks for the Eighth Sage King and burned some paper money, then walked aside and asked, "Why is it so sudden? I remember that my wife brought some fruit to your house a few days ago. Didn't the Eighth Sage King eat it?"
"The day before my father passed away, he ate a fairy peach." Zhao Yunsheng, who was exhausted, explained, "Before my father passed away, there was nothing unusual. He looked very energetic, but I didn't expect him to wake up after sleeping."
As he spoke, Zhao Yunsheng's eyes turned red again.
"Oh, then the time has come." Lu Sen sighed: "Fruits can only keep people healthy, but they can't prolong their lives."
To use gaming terms, this means that the Eight Wise Kings' health limit has hit bottom and can no longer be increased.
At this time, someone else came to pay his respects. Zhao Yunsheng apologized and went to greet the new guest.
Lu Sen stood nearby and looked at the black wooden coffin in the hall again. He felt a little lost and very emotional.
This person was fine yesterday, but suddenly disappeared today.
At this time, a group of people dressed in colorful clothes came over. The leader surrounded the wooden coffin of the Eighth Wise Kings and wanted to play music, chant scriptures and perform rituals, but when the leader suddenly saw Lu Sen, his whole body froze with fear.
The other mages also saw Lu Sen, and they all looked embarrassed and didn't dare to move.
There is no way. The "Gods and Men" that Lu Sen released some time ago was too real and scary. Now everyone assumes that Lu Sen is extremely proficient in sacrifice.
How dare these group of pretending to be ghosts to do anything wrong when they meet the 'real person'!
At this time, this group of people didn't know where to put their hands and felt very cramped.
Lu Sen turned around, said a few more words of persuasion to Zhao Yunsheng, and then left the Zhao Mansion.
When he left the gate, the funeral music and the long chanting of scriptures began to sound behind him.
After the death of the Eighth Wise Kings, the entire capital city mourned for at least half a month. It was not until midsummer that the city of Bianjing emerged from the sad atmosphere and became noisy and lively again.
At the same time, good news came from Xixia.
The three armies gathered at the city of Xingqing Road. That is to say, if the Western Xia court did not flee, as long as Xingqing Prefecture was captured, the Western Xia could be declared destroyed.
This news washed away the depression caused by the death of the Eighth Wise King, and everyone in the court was filled with joy.
As a result, the happiness had not lasted for a few days when the Liao Kingdom (Khitan) suddenly launched a large army and sent envoys, saying that they were ordered by their leader Yelu Zhigu to withdraw their troops from Western Xia, otherwise they would go to war.
Everyone in the group was furious at the moment
Even the good-tempered Zhao Zhen was furious. He pointed at the envoy's nose and cursed: "Years ago, we presented 100,000 pieces of silk, 1 million copper coins, and 100 carts of rare treasures in the hope of establishing good relations between the two dynasties. Why did the Khitan leader do such a mean thing as going back on his word?"
Of course, the matter of attacking Western Xia had to be arranged with the Liao Kingdom, otherwise the imperial court would not dare to act recklessly.
But no one expected that just when success was about to come, the Liao Kingdom would intervene.
The Liao envoy said with a calm face, "I am not a mean person. I dare not criticize the king. However, as far as I know, the annual tribute is only for one year, and it has been more than a year and a half now."
The ministers were so angry that they felt dizzy.
Everyone had a gloomy face, but had nothing to say.
After the Liao messenger finished conveying his message, he left carelessly, leaving Zhao Zhen and a group of civil and military officials staring blankly in the court.
At this time, Lu Sen did not go to court. He stayed at home practicing Qi.
As he practiced diligently day after day, Lu Sen not only had a sense of Qi, but he could even flow Qi through his meridians.
But... compared to the real masters, it's still far behind.
Not to mention compared with Zhan Zhao, Bai Yuting and others, he is far inferior even when compared with his own wife Yang Jinhua.
But there is also a benefit to being lucky.
I can practice dual cultivation now!
It is not the kind of dual cultivation of joyful Zen, but a very serious dual cultivation.
The two people sat cross-legged with their palms touching each other. The internal energy passed through their palms, merged together, and then returned to their respective meridians.
For Lu Sen, this method of dual cultivation is very boring. He would rather practice the dual cultivation of Joy Zen.
But Yang Jinhua liked it very much. She felt that this would allow her to become closer to her husband and she was very happy.
I had just finished my dual cultivation and was about to have lunch when I unexpectedly had a guest come.
Zhan Zhao, wearing a sky-blue uniform, appeared outside the fence. He clasped his hands together and said with a smile, "Lu Xiaolang, it's been a long time since we last met. I'm glad to bother you."
Rays of summer sunlight penetrated through the gaps between the leaves, and the bright sunlight, coupled with Zhan Zhao's hearty smile and his bright eyes, was the most heroic and handsome man.
"It's been a long time." Lu Sen invited Zhan Zhao into the pavilion and asked with a smile, "Where has Xiong Fei been during this time?"
"I went to investigate two Semites." Zhan Zhao picked up the honey water and took a sip before answering.
Lu Sen was stunned for a moment, then realized: "Are you talking about the two Semu people with the surname Pu?"
"It was indeed them." Zhan Zhao explained, "A few months ago, Lu Xiaolang and Bao Fuyin mentioned this matter, and then another nobleman gave me a few pointers. After that, I asked Bao Fuyin for a leave of absence and have been tracking down those two Semu people."
This investigation took more than three months?
Lu Sen was extremely impressed by Zhan Zhao's seriousness, and then asked, "What can you find out?"
"Their ancestors came ashore from Quanzhou about a hundred years ago and did a lot of things. On the surface, they have been wearing Chinese clothes and speaking the words of the Song Dynasty . However, investigations have revealed that their Pu family must have married a Semu woman. During festivals, they do not follow Chinese taboos and follow the etiquette of the Semu people."
Lu Sen raised his eyebrows and said, "Although the daughters of decent families will definitely not marry sejumpers, as long as they have money, they can marry a few women in the brothels, or find a few poor women to marry and have children. It seems that they still don't want to change their bloodline."
Zhan Zhao also snorted, showing a rare disdainful expression: "This Pu family is one thing on the surface, and another in secret. They donated all their savings over decades to the prefect of Quanzhou thirty years ago, and got registered in the household registration of our Song Dynasty."
“It seems to be a big amount.”
The civil servants in the Northern Song Dynasty were very rich. Anyone who could become the prefect of Quanzhou must have been rich.
Therefore, if one wants to impress the governor of a large port with money, the sum would definitely be quite considerable.
"Silver, 80,000 taels." Zhan Zhao said helplessly, "The prefect of Quanzhou reported to the higher authorities that Pu was able to become a citizen because he presented a map of the South China Sea. Upon inspection, this map of the South China Sea was found to be a fake."
Lu Sen sighed, it was indeed a lot, almost equivalent to about 70 million RMB in modern times.
"Then what?" Lu Sen couldn't help but ask.
"I found them in Guangzhou and reported this to the Guangzhou prefect." Zhan Zhao said with a smile, "Guangzhou Prefect Yang confiscated Pu's property for bribery, expelled him from the Song nationality, and ordered him to leave the country and go to sea within six months. From now on, he will never set foot in the territory of our Song Dynasty."
Hearing this, Lu Sen smiled, quite satisfied.
When a person is happy, he feels relaxed. He took out a bottle of honey and placed it in front of Zhan Zhao: "Thank you for troubling Xiong Fei with this matter. It relieves my worries."
Zhan Zhao waved his hand: "No, it's our job to find out the truth."
"Take it." Lu Sen said with a smile, "Your martial arts skills have not improved for a long time. I guess it will be difficult to fight the Five Rats now."
Zhan Zhao raised his head suddenly: "Lu Xiaolang, how did you know..."
When he was in Guangzhou, he did run into the Five Rats again and they had a fight.
Although we can still win, it is indeed much more difficult than a year ago.
"You don't even need to ask. I can guess that when you become an official, you have to investigate cases and do things. You also have to curry favor with officials. With all these things going on, how much time do you have to practice martial arts? It would be strange if your martial arts skills didn't decline."
Zhan Zhao looked a little embarrassed.
"This honey can greatly improve the power of the Northern Hero Ouyang Chun, so I think it should be effective for you as well." Lu Sen said seriously, "Don't shirk it. If you want to promote good and eliminate evil, you can't do it without sufficient strength."
Zhan Zhao hesitated for a moment, but finally accepted the honey. He said gratefully, "Zhan thanks Lu Xiaolang. If you need anything from me in the future..."
"We are all friends, stop saying such polite words." Lu Sen interrupted Zhan Zhao and turned his head to look outside the fence.
At this time, there was another person there, with a big beard and a fierce temperament. He was wearing what looked like a Northern Song Dynasty official uniform, but upon closer inspection, it was different.
Zhan Zhao stood up immediately and asked in surprise: "Khitan?"
