The prince is more stable

Chapter 136: Killing Pigs and Closing the Net

Xiao Guangjing has not had a very happy life these days.

On the one hand, he was hit by the new weapons of the Song Dynasty. On the other hand, the Liao Kingdom sent him a series of orders in Beijing, which put him under great pressure.

Just like Zhao Gou gave Yue Fei twelve golden medals, Liao Emperor Yelu Hongji gave Xiao Guangjing the same order three times in a hurry, which was to get the new weapons of the Song Dynasty at all costs.

Even just one will do.

After the autumn hunt in the western suburbs, Xiao Guangjing sent a fast horse to convey the news of the Song Dynasty's new weapons to Shangjing.

The Liao Dynasty's rulers and ministers were skeptical. Most of the Liao Dynasty officials did not believe the news Xiao Guangjing brought back, and it even caused heated controversy in the court.

But just one day later, Yelu Hongji believed it.

why?

Because the members of the Liao delegation also sent people to deliver news back to Shangjing, and the content was unanimous, the Liao king and his ministers had no choice but to believe it.

Through the descriptions of the delegation members, the Liao Dynasty's rulers and ministers finally broadened their horizons.

It turns out that there are such powerful firearms in the world that can kill enemies five hundred steps away without moving.

When the news was confirmed, panic immediately broke out in the Liao court.

Everyone is well aware of the importance of this weapon of the Song Dynasty. It is no exaggeration to say that it marks the end of an era, and the invincible image of the Liao cavalry on the battlefield is about to be shattered.

The emperor and his ministers discussed the matter overnight and finally came to a conclusion: if the enemy has what we don't have, it will be disadvantageous to us, and if the enemy has what we have, the two countries can maintain a balance again.

So Yelu Hongji urgently gave Xiao Guangjing three orders, asking him to get the new weapons of the Song Dynasty at all costs. As long as they could get them, the Liao Kingdom would imitate them and would not suffer any losses on the battlefield.

After receiving the order, Xiao Guangjing wanted to curse. With such powerful and advanced weapons, the Song Dynasty must be on high alert. Where could a small envoy like him get them?
In the past few days, all the members of the Liao Dynasty delegation have been out, not only visiting the important officials of the Song Dynasty, but some even approached the Firearms Bureau without fear of death. They were discovered by the patrolling imperial guards and driven away with arrows.

Xiao Guangjing was desperate. This was an impossible task. The Liao emperor's order was very harsh. One can imagine the pressure Xiao Guangjing had been under in the past few days.

Just when he was feeling upset and depressed, the playboys from Bian Jing came to visit.

Led by Cai You, the playboys flattered Xiao Guangjing as usual when they saw him, which finally made Xiao Guangjing feel a little better.

Then, Cai You said that he had prepared a banquet at the inn and cordially invited Xiao Guangjing to attend.

Xiao Guangjing was originally in a bad mood and had no intention of attending the banquet. However, he changed his mind and thought that since the Liao envoys could not make any breakthroughs with the Song officials, what if they tried it on the officials' sons and grandsons?

Thinking of this, Xiao Guangjing felt that it was necessary to attend a banquet.

So Xiao Guangjing happily joined the banquet and chatted and laughed with the playboys. When they were half drunk, they began to believe the polite words themselves. Xiao Guangjing almost became sworn brothers with Cai Youyi.

At the banquet, Xiao Guangjing asked Cai You and the dandies about the news of the flintlock rifle in a roundabout way. He did not ask for the secret recipe, but at least asked for a way to get to know the officials related to the flintlock rifle.

Unfortunately, this road is blocked like a kindergarten school bus.

Xiao Guangjing attended the banquet with a purpose, and the playboys also attended as guests with a purpose.

Everyone has their own thoughts and ideas, so how could Xiao Guangjing easily get useful information from those playboys?

The playboys were actually very excited, as this was one of the few highlights in their useless lives of living a life of eating and waiting to die.

Now, they are dedicating themselves to the country and serving the country, which is a great honor.

During the banquet, Cai You, who was drunk and flushed, secretly observed Xiao Guangjing's expression.

Seeing that Xiao Guangjing was already eight parts drunk and his tone of voice had unconsciously returned to its previous arrogance and domineering tone, Cai You smiled slightly.

"Your Excellency is in such high spirits today, and we are delighted too. I heard that you've been winning every time you gamble at the gambling house these days, and I, a humble man, am a little dissatisfied..." Cai You said with a smile. The other playboys also laughed and said, "We are all dissatisfied. Your Excellency, do you dare to fight again tonight?"

Amidst the crowd's cheers, Xiao Guangjing, who was already half drunk, laughed heartily, gradually losing himself in the laughter...

…………

Among the restaurants and brothels in Zhouqiao, Bian Jing, there is a very magnificent attic.

The attic is made of wood. Strangely, although it is a place for business, there is no plaque hanging on the attic. No one knows what the business is, but there are people coming and going in the attic, and the business is very lively.

It was already late at night. Although Bianjing was a city that never sleeps, the city was deserted and most people had gone to sleep. Only this attic was still bustling with people, with cries of crying and laughter ringing in the ears, performing all kinds of miracles and tragedies of life.

That’s right, this attic is actually a gambling house, which is between legal and illegal in the Song Dynasty. The law actually prohibits the opening of gambling venues, but if the government gets benefits, officials and runners will usually turn a blind eye. The only difference is that gambling houses are not allowed to hang signs.

At this moment, Zhao Xiaoqian was sitting in an elegant room on the third floor of the gambling house.

There were two people standing in front of him, one was Wei Jie and the other was the owner of the gambling house.

Zhao Xiaoqian had been sitting there since almost midnight and it was almost dawn now. His waist was a little sore.

The gambling house owner was a discerning man. Seeing Zhao Xiaoqian frowning and rubbing his waist, he hurried forward and said flatteringly, "Are you feeling tired, Lord? This gambling house of mine not only offers gambling, but also beauties. Would you like to ask two young ladies to come up and give you a massage?"

Zhao Xiaoqian shook his head: "Don't worry about me, just do your own thing. Can the people you arrange be trusted?"

The shopkeeper bowed and said, "The dealer gambling with the Liao envoy is a renowned veteran in the Song Dynasty. Whether it's dice, leaf cards, or six-stroke ivory tiles, whatever cards you want, he'll get whatever you want. If the Liao envoy doesn't leave the table, I guarantee he'll lose everything tonight."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded with satisfaction.

"A few days ago, we deliberately let the Liao envoy win a lot. Just tell us the exact amount and the court will compensate us." Zhao Xiaoqian said.

The shopkeeper puffed out his chest and said righteously, "Even though I'm just a humble man, I have no choice but to help the Song Dynasty achieve victory! I don't want a penny. I'm very happy to do this game. Paying me would make it feel awkward."

Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at him and said with a smile, "You are a man of great sense. Being a gambling shop owner is a waste of your talent. You should be standing in the imperial court, making decisions."

Of course, the shopkeeper heard some sarcasm in the words and could only chuckle.

Zhao Xiaoqian said calmly, "I won't stop you from opening the door to do business, but in the future, try not to cheat the poor. Also, don't go too far. If you really ruin other people's families, you will not only lose your moral character, but the Kaifeng Prefecture will not forgive you either."

The shopkeeper bowed hurriedly and swore to the sky that he would never let the gamblers die.

After waiting for another half an hour, when the sky was already turning pale, hurried footsteps were heard on the stairs.

Cai You went upstairs excitedly, and said with a happy face: "Marquis, it's done!"

Zhao Xiaoqian also laughed: "What do you mean?"

"Xiao Guangjing is in big trouble tonight, and the more he loses, the more angry he becomes. He has completely lost his mind and no amount of persuasion will stop him!"

"How much did he lose?"

"In the whole night, he lost 50,000 strings of cash, pawned all his valuables, and even signed an IOU for 30,000 strings of cash..."

"Xiao Guangjing is still gambling now?" The smile in Zhao Xiaoqian's eyes became more and more obvious.

"He's still gambling. I can't stop him." Cai You laughed. "I sent people back to the post station to get money several times. He probably took all the money of the entire Liao delegation and even owed a lot of debts."

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at the gambling shop owner and said, "Let him continue gambling until he runs up a debt that is impossible to repay."

The gambling shop owner smiled and bowed: "I will arrange it right away."

(End of this chapter)