Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 334 The Secret of the Lu Family's Old Residence
As Lu Beigu was pondering to himself, the conversation in the private room gradually shifted to another topic.

"Speaking of which, that 'old friend' from the north has sent an envoy again."

Yan Jidao put down his teacup, as if suddenly recalling some interesting anecdote, and said with a smile, "I heard that the delegation arrived at the north bank of the Yellow River yesterday, and they should be crossing the river to Tokyo right now."

Upon hearing this, Mei Yaochen paused slightly while stroking his beard, and looked up at him: "Oh? Did you come to celebrate the Qian Yuan Festival? Isn't it a bit early?"

The so-called Qianyuan Festival refers to the birthday of Emperor Zhao Zhen.

In the Song Dynasty, every official's birthday was an important festival, with a national holiday, and each had a different name. For example, Zhao Kuangyin's birthday was called Changchun Festival, Zhao Guangyi's birthday was initially called Qianming Festival, but was later changed to Shouning Festival, and Zhao Heng's birthday was called Chengtian Festival.

"No and no."

Yan Jidao shook his head and said, "Another delegation will come to offer birthday wishes on the Qian Yuan Festival in May. This time, the Liao delegation said they came specifically to request a portrait of the Emperor, wishing to 'pay homage to the Holy Face.' The delegation is quite large. The chief envoy is Yelü Fang, the Liao general and Left Imperial Guard, and the deputy envoy is Chen Yi, the Liao scholar-official and official."

The relaxed atmosphere in the private room suddenly froze.

"Requesting an imperial portrait? What is the Liao people's intention in doing this?"

Yan Jidao explained in detail: "It is nothing more than the Liao emperor Xingzong who just passed away. He had long admired our emperor, but they never met in person, which was a great regret. I heard that when Wang Gongchen was sent as an envoy to the Northern Court, on the banks of the Hunhe River, Xingzong raised his wine cup from afar and sighed, 'I cannot see the face of my elder brother, the emperor of the Southern Dynasty,' expressing his deep affection."

"So last April, the Liao emperor Xingzong, who had not yet passed away, came once with Yelü Fang and others. At that time, they came to congratulate the Qianyuan Festival and presented portraits of Emperor Shengzong Yelü Longxu and Emperor Xingzong Yelü Zongzhen. They requested portraits of the emperor from our dynasty, hoping to 'meet in place of each other' with the portraits. It was a beautiful story of brotherly relations, and our dynasty agreed at the time."

"Is that so? I hadn't entered the capital at the time, so I didn't know about this." Mei Yaochen was also hearing about it for the first time.

Ouyang Xiu nodded and said, "That is indeed the case, but it was delayed because the Liao emperor passed away."

In fact, it was quite normal for the Khitans to have this kind of curiosity.

The Khitans had a different culture from the Han Chinese. They lacked the cultural foundation of the "divine right of kings" that the Han Chinese had held since the Western Han Dynasty. Originating from the grassland civilization, they preferred to be under the leadership of a strong and powerful emperor.

Furthermore, the "emperor" was best not an abstract symbol for the Khitans. If it were, they would feel uneasy. They would only feel admiration if they could see the emperor's face. Therefore, in order to spread his benevolence and power far and wide, the Liao emperors would even take the initiative to send their portraits to various tribes.

Against this backdrop of cultural differences, the Liao Dynasty's desire to obtain a portrait of the Song emperor was actually an expression of respect.

Besides, curiosity must have been a factor, since the Treaty of Chanyuan had brought the Song and Liao dynasties into close contact. The emperors of both sides had long been "spiritually connected" and would send envoys to express their regards on holidays, birthdays, national mourning, and the ascension of a new emperor. The correspondence between them was constant.

Emperor Xingzong of Liao and Emperor Renzong of Song ascended the throne around the same time. The two emperors spent more than 20 years of peaceful times together, but they were never able to meet, which was inevitably a regret.

"However, we must be wary of the intentions of barbarians."

Su Shi suddenly spoke up: "If it were merely a matter of admiration, why would one need to mobilize such important officials as Lin Ya and the Privy Council Academician? Behind their request, there is probably more to it than simple longing. The Tang Code states that 'the art of exorcism involves drawing images or carving human figures, piercing the heart and nailing the eyes, and binding the hands and feet.' If they obtained the portrait of the Emperor, who can guarantee that it would not be used for evil magic, endangering His Majesty's health?"

His words caused a brief silence in the private room.

This concern is not unfounded; many scholars and officials shared this view, which simply reflects the significant cultural differences between the two countries.

Ouyang Xiu pondered for a long time before slowly nodding: "The practice of witchcraft and sorcery has indeed existed since ancient times. However, since the reign of Emperor Zhenzong, the two countries have been at peace for a long time. When Emperor Xingzong of Liao was in power, he did express his admiration for Your Majesty on many occasions. He even sent envoys with portraits of his father, Emperor Shengzong, and himself before Emperor Zhenzong. His intentions were sincere, and our dynasty has already agreed. Now that his son has come to carry on his legacy, if our dynasty becomes suspicious and jealous, and damages the alliance between the two countries for the sake of a mere portrait, I think it is not advisable. I fear it would chill the hearts of the people of the Northern Dynasty and create estrangement, which would be undesirable."

"Although the alliance remains, the barbarians are cunning and their intentions are difficult to fathom."

Zeng Gong's view also differed from his teacher's: "When Emperor Xingzong presented his portrait in the past, our court did not immediately grant permission, and the controversy among the officials was already quite great. Now that the Liao emperor has brought up this matter again, the opposition in the court will probably be even stronger. If the portrait were to circulate in the north and be used by villains to curse, even if it is baseless, it would still be disgusting. Even if the emperor is benevolent and does not care, how can we, as his subjects, not consider the safety of our sovereign?"

Ouyang Xiu still insisted on his point of view, saying: "Think of Emperor Xingzong of Liao, who was about the same age as our emperor and ascended the throne at almost the same time, yet he was separated by mountains and deserts and never got to see him. Before his death, he specially sent an envoy to deliver his portrait, which was pitiful. Now the new Liao emperor is continuing this last wish and has adopted a very humble attitude. If we simply refuse, it would make our dynasty seem petty and lacking in the demeanor of a superior nation."

Lu Beigu, who had been listening quietly, couldn't help but recall Ouyang Xiu's warning about "robes" earlier. How similar this matter was! Seemingly insignificant things could be involved in unpredictable storms.

Therefore, he did not interrupt, but listened quietly.

This restaurant wasn't very busy, and Yan Jidao chose it because it was the closest place for people who couldn't travel far. So even though he was prepared, serving all the dishes to the private rooms was still very slow, wasting a lot of time.

Fortunately, everyone was quite talkative, and they had already managed to get through this period of being single by chatting.

At this moment, the shop assistants filed in, bringing not delicacies, but several very seasonal home-style dishes.

"Enough, this matter will be decided by the officials of the two prefectures and the Emperor."

Seeing that the waiters had already started serving dishes in large quantities, Ouyang Xiu carefully changed the subject.

The first dishes served were two cold appetizers. One was thinly sliced ​​pork skin jelly, which was translucent, savory and delicious, and sprinkled with shredded ginger. It was a perfect appetizer to accompany drinks. The other dish was mustard cucumber, which was made by marinating freshly picked cucumbers in early spring with mustard, vinegar and salt. It was a refreshing and appetizing dish.

The hot dishes were all quite "hardy." The first dish was roasted lamb, made with tender, fatty lamb belly. It was marinated in advance with scallions and sauces, then roasted on an iron griddle until the skin was crispy and fragrant, while the inside was tender and juicy, with the fat sizzling. As soon as it was served, the aroma filled the entire private room. Next was a meat pouch, which was actually made by cutting pork and lamb offal into thin strips, mixing them with spices, wrapping them in a thin dough, and steaming them. It was shaped like a pouch and was eaten with a vinegar and garlic sauce, which had a unique flavor.

Next, a large plate of deep-fried river shrimp was served. These shrimp had just been caught that morning from a tributary of the Bian River. Each one was about the length of a finger joint, and they were fried until golden brown with crispy shells. You could eat them shell and meat together, and they were full of salty and fresh flavor.

The vegetarian dishes were roasted chicken and bottle gourd soup. Although the dish was named after chicken, it was actually made by roasting dough balls, mushrooms, and other ingredients to resemble shredded chicken. As for the bottle gourd soup, it was made by slicing bottle gourd and cooking it with soft tofu. The soup was clear and fresh, which helped to cut through the greasiness of the meat, although the bottle gourd was a little overcooked.

Since it was morning, the main dishes served were soft mutton noodles and jujube-stuffed lotus leaf buns. The soft mutton noodles were very chewy, and the topping was mutton sauce that had been stewed until extremely tender. The lotus leaf buns were made with scalded dough, shaped like lotus leaves, and had a layer of jujube paste filling lightly spread on the middle.

Besides some unidentifiable liquor, there was also "Hangxiejiang," a refreshing drink made with sugarcane, radish, ice, and other ingredients, for those who didn't like drinking alcohol.

Ouyang Xiu picked up a piece of roasted mutton with his chopsticks and said with a smile, "This dish is excellent, rich but not greasy. Gentlemen, please have a taste."

Mei Yaochen, on the other hand, praised the gourd soup highly.

The scholars came from all over the country and had never seen many of the dishes before. For example, Su Shi was quite interested in the delicious-looking meat pouch and asked how it was made. Yan Jidao explained with a smile, and the atmosphere at the table became more and more harmonious.

Outside the window, the Bian River murmurs gently, and the spring breeze caresses the willows, as if no one had ever left.

Lu Beigu had left too early in the morning and hadn't had time to eat. After a hearty meal and a long chat with everyone, it was already noon when he finally left.

Fortunately, the location was easily accessible, so he hired a donkey cart and headed to Chengmingzhai.

Because the copper coins needed to buy a house often amounted to thousands of strings, and the weight was so heavy that not only one person could not move it, but even a cart could not. It was impossible to trade with cash; only paper money could be used.

Kaifeng's financial industry was very developed, and in cases involving large transactions, countermeasures similar to "Jiaozi" had long been developed. Kaifeng's money shops also had special portable notes called "Jiaoyin for Cash".

Otherwise, wouldn't those big merchants, who make transactions worth tens of thousands of coins every time, have to carry a small mountain of copper coins with them every time?

The money that Chengmingzhai had previously received had already been deposited into the money shop, and he only needed to withdraw it at this point.

As for the resale of the Lu family's old house, Lu Beigu had already communicated with the real estate agency in advance, and he could buy the house back as soon as the money was available.

He went straight to a brokerage firm on Chenzhoumen Inner Street.

When the broker saw it was him, he hurriedly stepped forward, his face full of smiles.

"Is it about that house, Mr. Lu? Is the money ready?"

The broker is a professional intermediary who is very good at talking. Even though Lu Beigu is young, he will not call him "young master" to avoid making the buyer feel slighted. If the buyer is uncomfortable, the business will not be able to be done.

"It's ready."

Lu Bei, the advisor, asked, "What about the household registration certificate, land title deed, and land register?"

In the Song Dynasty, real estate transactions placed great emphasis on clear property rights and the absence of overlapping mortgages or disputes between relatives and neighbors.

To verify whether the seller is the owner of the property, it is necessary to check whether the name on the original owner's household registration certificate and land deed matches. To verify whether there is a mortgage issue, it is necessary to see the land register. If there is a mortgage issue, the land register will definitely not be in the owner's possession.

The broker hurriedly said, "Sir, rest assured, the land deed, household registration certificate, and land register are all complete, and there are absolutely no disputes. The owner has only recently suffered business losses, so he reluctantly parted with the property and put it all with him. We have already verified it before."

"Then let him bring it, I need to check it in person."

Lu Beigu said in a deep voice: "In addition, we must immediately invite the elders and neighbors to the site to 'survey the boundary' and sign the 'foundation document' to avoid future boundary disputes; and today we will go to the Kaifeng government office to sign the deed, which must clearly state the words 'perpetual property' to prevent the mortgage and repurchase; it must also be clearly stated on the deed that after the handover, I will need to change the key and erect a new boundary stone."

According to the laws of the Song Dynasty, the transaction of land and houses required the participation of neighbors and elders to jointly inspect the boundaries and sign a "land deed" for record-keeping; the transaction tax had to be paid on the spot and a "red deed" was required for it to be legal; and the "perpetual sale deed" completely severed the original owner's right to redeem the property.

Lu Beigu had already inquired about all of these things beforehand.

"As it should be."

The broker nodded, continuing to ramble on, "Sir, don't be fooled by the current desolation; this location is top-notch! It's near Tianqing Temple on the left, and adjacent to Yanfeng Granary to the south. Not only is waterway transportation convenient, but if the outer city is expanded in the future, the land value will surely skyrocket."

Lu Beigu certainly understood what the other party was waiting for while rambling on and on.

Then, he took out fifteen coins, each worth one hundred strings of cash, from his pocket and "exchanged money upon receipt."

Seeing him take out the money, the broker knew the deal was likely to go through and happily accepted it with both hands.

Then, the broker carefully examined the various anti-counterfeiting marks in the daylight, and only returned them to him after confirming that they were correct: "Please wait a moment, sir. We will ask the original owner and his neighbors to come and witness. The original owner's shop is not far away, and he does not usually live in that house."

Before long, a middle-aged man dressed in a silk shirt with an anxious expression followed the broker in quickly, followed by two old men, all of whom were elders from the neighborhood.

The middle-aged man is the current owner of the house, but he is no longer the one who took over the property.

After all, so many years have passed, and the property has changed hands several times, with each owner only able to see the previous owner's land deed.

Therefore, he had no idea that the house originally belonged to the Lu family.

At this time, due to business difficulties, he was eager to sell the mansion that he had originally purchased in anticipation of appreciation, so he sold it at a low price.

"Lord Lu".

The homeowner cupped his hands in greeting, his tone urgent: "Can we make the deal today?"

"I've brought the money. Let's take a look at the contract drafted by the broker first."

Lu Beigu, however, seemed unhurried. There were too many intricacies involved in buying and selling a house, and he was afraid of being ripped off, especially since it involved thousands of strings of cash, a significant sum for him. Therefore, he needed to verify everything before making the transaction and couldn't let the other party lead him by the nose. The other party was currently anxious, unaware of Lu Beigu's true intentions.

The broker said, "The contract has been written clearly as you instructed. Please take a look."

Lu Beigu unfolded the contract.

This is a standard draft of a "red contract," with fresh ink. The terms are based on the "Song Criminal Code" and the "Field Regulations" revised during the Tiansheng era. It details the boundaries of the house site, the number of rooms, and the amount of money involved in the transaction. It also specifically states that "after consulting with relatives and neighbors and verifying the case clearly, the money and goods can be exchanged for the property, which will be used for perpetual ownership." The end is left blank for signing and stamping.

Lu Beigu carefully read it twice, especially verifying the clauses regarding the "transfer of the land deed" and the transfer of taxes, all of which would only be effective if the Kaifeng Prefecture affixed its seal.

In addition, a "foundation document" was drafted according to the boundaries of the house site recorded on the land deed. Because Lu Beigu had inspected it beforehand, he knew that everything written on it was correct and there were no disputes with neighbors over land occupation.

Then, the homeowner took out a flat wooden box from his bosom, opened it, and inside was a land deed stamped with the official seal of Kaifeng Prefecture, as well as his household registration certificate and land register.

After confirming that all the documents were in order, Lu Beigu nodded and said, "It's fine."

The broker, impatient, loudly proclaimed: "Contract Signed! A plot of land on Chenzhou Gate Street in the eastern corner of Kaifeng, comprising a main house with three rooms, two side rooms, a well, and a locust tree, is hereby sold to Lu Beigu of Luzhou for a price of 1,500 strings of cash, to be owned forever! The money and land are settled, and neither party may renege! Anyone who reneges will be fined 50 strings of cash and handed over to the person who did not renege!"

This so-called "contract signing" ceremony is just a transaction ceremony held at the brokerage firm, which means something like "this deal is done".

However, because Lu Beigu required a "red contract" instead of a "white contract," it needed to be notarized at the government office and stamped; simply signing the contract was not enough to make it valid.

After the broker finished singing, the homeowner was the first to pick up a pen and sign his name on the sales contract.

Lu Beigu also picked up his pen and signed his name, and two elderly neighbors, acting as "neighborly witnesses," also pressed their fingerprints on the document in turn.

Then the broker took them to Kaifeng Prefecture to complete the "Red Contract".

The clerks of Kaifeng Prefecture examined documents such as land deeds, household registration certificates, land registers, contracts, and land settlement agreements, and then calculated the taxes.

According to the law, the transaction tax for a house of this size is four percent of the price, plus miscellaneous taxes such as "contract fee" and "contract fee", totaling more than seventy-one strings of cash.

Lu Beigu paid with cash, and the clerk verified that there were no errors before stamping the new land deed and the foundation deed.

When the vermilion seal was lowered, Lu Beigu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The Lu family's old residence has finally been redeemed.

After a busy afternoon, everyone returned to the Lu family's old residence.

The broker held the new land deed and key, while Lu Beigu held the money. The two exchanged money and goods at the door.

However, the broker didn't immediately give the money to the former homeowner, presumably because he wanted to take a cut. But that was none of Lu Beigu's business.

As was customary, Lu Beigu took out two strings of "calligraphy money" that he had prepared in advance and gave them to the two elders as a token of his gratitude.

The two old men thanked them profusely, saying they could call them anytime if they needed anything, which immediately livened up the atmosphere. It was just a pity they didn't leave Lu Beigu an address before they left.
Looking at the mottled black lacquered wooden door standing quietly, Lu Beigu took a deep breath and inserted the key into the lock.

The locking spring was stiff, and it took several attempts to turn it before a soft "click" was heard.

Pushing open the door, a damp, musty smell hit me.

The courtyard was overgrown with weeds up to knee-high, and an old locust tree with gnarled branches that blocked out the sun, with dew dripping intermittently from the tips of its leaves.

In fact, as can be seen from the painting "Along the River During the Qingming Festival", in Kaifeng, the locust tree was the second most planted tree species after the willow. While willows were mostly planted on the streets, locust trees were mostly planted in courtyards. In addition, palaces, government offices, and schools also liked to plant locust trees.

The reason for this was that the Song people were superstitious about "having a locust tree in front of the door, which would bring them official promotion and wealth." The Ming Dynasty book "Hua Jing: A Study of Flowers and Trees" recorded that "many people planted locust trees in front of their courtyards, partly for their shade and partly for the auspicious omen of three locust trees, hoping that their descendants would become high-ranking officials." At the same time, the common people would also call government offices "Locust Tree Government Offices" and places where scholars gathered "Locust Tree Markets," which is completely opposite to the customs after the Qing Dynasty.

Inside the old house, the window paper of the main room is torn, and the eaves are covered with cobwebs. Only the stone well railing in the corner of the wall still looks like it did in the old days.

Lu Beigu walked slowly through the room. The empty room was covered with a thick layer of dust, and the peeling paint on the walls revealed dark yellow adobe bricks.

The sight of the scene stirred up memories of my childhood, some of which had been buried deep within me.

With a sudden thought, Lu Beigu, relying on his vague memory, walked towards an inconspicuous corner at the back of the west wing.

That place was his favorite "secret base" when he was a three-year-old child, a small world transformed from a cluttered storage room and the back wall, with the entrance half-hidden by an old cabinet.

The reason for the existence of the inner wall is that the dimensions were measured by more than two feet when the house was built. Since it involved the length of the beams and columns of the wing room, the Lu family could not demolish the wall and rebuild the entire west wing room. So they had to ask someone to build a new wall on the outside, which resulted in this inner wall that was not visible from the outside.

He laboriously moved the dusty cabinet aside, and sure enough, a narrow opening, just big enough for a child to squeeze through, was revealed behind it.

Now that he was an adult, he could no longer easily enter, so he found a broken rafter he had just picked up in the yard, carefully pried open a few loose bricks and stones, and widened the opening.

A smell mixed with earth and aged wood wafted out.

Lu Beigu lay on the ground and saw that it was a low mezzanine. Light shone through the gaps in the bricks and stones, forming a faint beam of light in the dust.

The space between the walls was small, and scattered on the floor were a few "treasures" he had long forgotten: a toy rabbit with its fur worn down, a small wooden boat with cracked planks, and some other odds and ends, all of which had long since rotted away.

He followed the light, his gaze sweeping around, and suddenly landed on an inconspicuous earthenware pot in the corner.

This jar doesn't seem to be one of his childhood toys!

The earthenware jar looked unremarkable, its mouth sealed with oilcloth and then carefully covered with mud.

Lu Beigu's heart stirred. He stretched his arm in with all his might and pulled out the pottery jar, only to find it heavy in his hand.

In the small patch of land that had been barely cleared, he carefully smashed the pottery jar.

Along with the falling debris, an object tightly wrapped in several layers of oilcloth was also found.

He peeled back the layers one by one, and inside was a stack of sturdy mulberry paper. Although the edges were slightly yellowed, the ink was still clear.

He immediately recognized the handwriting on the paper as that of his father, Lu Zhen.

The opening words are shocking.

—"The whole story of the collapse of the Bianhe Rainbow Bridge, and the doubts about the involvement of the Pei and Jia families."

Lu Beigu's heart suddenly raced. He held his breath and, using the faint light filtering in through the broken window, quickly flipped through the pages.

The paper is not a systematic statement, but rather a collection of scattered notes and drafts, interspersed with dates, names, numbers, and brief inferences.

“Pei Degu strongly advocated using the ‘double-twisted cable’ method to reinforce the newly built rainbow bridge, claiming that this method was an ancient method used in a new way. However, according to the construction notes of past dynasties, it is quite doubtful whether this method can bear the weight of a rainbow bridge of this span. The quality of the twisted cables he recommended was also far inferior to the official standard.”

"I happened to run into Pei Wulang and heard him say something in a drunken stupor that 'the Pei family has made a great fortune this time, and Master Jia has also gained something.' What was the missing piece in his sentence? Could it be related to the purchase of inferior nooses?"

"It was discovered that 'Yongfeng Timber Company,' under the name of a relative of the Pei family, suddenly undertook a large-scale purchase of nooses. However, its delivery records were chaotic, and there was a suspicion of substituting inferior goods for superior ones."

"I have heard that Yongfeng Timber Company and Longchang Company have close financial ties, and Longchang Company seems to be under the protection of Master Jia."

"I went to Pei Degu's residence to see him, intending to explain the pros and cons and earnestly request him to urge the replacement of the materials with qualified ones to avoid a major disaster. Pei Degu avoided seeing me and only sent a servant to convey the message, 'This matter has been decided, there is no need to say more.'"

"The trial-built rainbow bridge collapsed, fortunately without injuring anyone, but the court intends to hold the Directorate of Waterways accountable."

"Pei Degu, Jia Changchao, and their ilk disregarded national affairs for their own selfish interests, and now they actually want to cover up the truth with their own hands?!"

The last few lines were particularly illegible, with dark ink, as if the desperate writer was suppressing immense anger.

At the very bottom of the page, there are several blurry names, which seem to be minor officials or craftsmen who may have been aware of or involved in the matter back then.

Lu Beigu held the heavy stack of papers, his fingertips were icy cold, but his chest felt as if it were burning with fire.

That's it!

Lu Zhen, the father, had long suspected the shady dealings behind the Hongqiao case, and may have even uncovered the collusion between the Pei and Jia families to pass off inferior goods as superior ones and line their own pockets, ultimately leading to the tragedy.

He was not simply depressed because of the project's failure, but because he encountered suppression from an unshakeable force when he tried to expose the inside story. It is even possible that his sudden "illness" was not accidental.

Pei Degu's impeachment now is not just due to old grudges or dissatisfaction with his sister-in-law, but also because he has a guilty conscience!
They were afraid that once Lu Beigu rose to power and gained authority, he would reopen old cases and investigate them thoroughly!
He carefully wrapped the manuscript again in oilcloth and tucked it close to his body.

This is not only a powerful tool to defeat the enemy, but also a hope to clear the Lu family's name.

Lu Beigu stood up, looked around the dilapidated old house, and his gaze became extremely firm.

He not only wanted to take the imperial examination, but he wanted to do even better!

Only by wielding greater power can we one day make this evidence public and bring those hypocritical criminals to justice!

The sound of the night watchman's clapper came from outside the courtyard, reminding him that it was late.

Lu Beigu suppressed his turbulent emotions, went back and carefully covered the hole again, turned around and locked the old house door, holding the key tightly in his palm, the coolness of the metal penetrating his heart.

The distant sound of the bell from Tianqing Temple pierced through the twilight, long and desolate.

He turned and stepped into the deepening night, his steps firm.

The imperial examination is imminent, but the grudges remain unresolved.

And he has only taken the first step on this path.

(End of this chapter)