Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 339 Final preparations
Nighttime, the Imperial City Guard's dungeon.

It was much colder and damper here than outside. The torches cast flickering shadows on the walls, illuminating the Tangut warrior tightly chained to the rack.

His rugged face was contorted with pain, and his tattered clothes were covered with old and new welts from the whipping.

"Speak! Who ordered you to assassinate Princess Fukang?"

Li Xian, who was in charge of the Imperial City Bureau's ice well affairs, personally led the overnight interrogation.

His voice was as cold as ice, and the branding iron in his hand was glowing red in the charcoal brazier.

The warrior spat out a mouthful of blood and sneered in broken Chinese: "The eagle of the desert will never bow to a lamb."

"Trying to act tough here?"

The branding iron was slammed into his chest, and the smell of burning flesh instantly filled the air.

The Tangut warrior let out a suppressed groan, his teeth clenching so hard they clicked, but he remained silent.

Li Xian squinted and waved to the jailer to bring over a basin of salt water.

When the icy salt water was poured onto the scalded wound, the other person finally let out a heart-wrenching scream.

"Even if you don't say it, the Imperial City Guard already knows."

Li Xian leaned down, looked into his eyes, and asked, "Xu Shunqing sent you, didn't he?"

The Tangut warrior's pupils contracted sharply, then became empty again: "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I don't know?"

Li Xian sneered and pulled a document from his sleeve.

“This is the secret letter we found on you. It’s still sealed with Xu Shunqing’s sealing wax.”

"This is a forgery! He didn't give it to me."

Seeing Li Xian's ambiguous smile, the Tangut warriors' expressions finally changed.

—The cunning people of Song!

Next, the Imperial City Guard used every means at their disposal, including waterboarding, finger nailing, and various other forms of torture.

Ultimately, under the dual collapse of spirit and body, the Tangut warrior signed a confession before dawn, admitting that he had been secretly ordered by Xu Shunqing, the envoy of the Xia Kingdom, to assassinate Princess Fukang in order to sabotage the peace talks between Song and Xia.

The confession written by the Tangut man was sent to the palace by fast horse.

The following morning, a strongly worded document was delivered to the Xia Kingdom's envoy.

"Trash! Idiot!"

Inside the west post station of Duting, the roar of Yeli Mang, the chief envoy of the Xia Kingdom, shook the windowpanes.

He threw the document sent by the Song court at Xu Shunqing's face, scattering the papers all over the ground.

"This is the mess you've made! Sending someone to assassinate the Song Emperor's most beloved eldest princess?! Have you lost your mind?!"

Yeli Mang's forehead bristled, and his angry curses, a mixture of Tangut and Chinese, rained down like hail: "I told you not to break Lu Beigu's hand, but I told you not to make a hole in the sky!"

Xu Shunqing knelt on the ground, utterly humiliated, his face ashen: "I only sent him to teach that Lu Beigu a lesson, I had absolutely no intention of assassinating the princess! This must have been the warrior's rash act."

"In a moment of desperation?"

Yeli Mang kicked Xu Shunqing in the shoulder, knocking him to the ground: "The Song people have obtained confessions and physical evidence, the evidence is irrefutable! What's the use of you saying all this now?!"

He bent down again, grabbed Xu Shunqing by the collar, almost lifting him off the ground, and roared in the Tangut language.

"Do you know that the border demarcation negotiations at Quye River have reached the most critical moment? The Song court is just looking for an excuse to exert pressure! And you, on the contrary, have directly handed the hilt of the sword to them! If this ruins the Prime Minister's grand plan, both of our heads will be hung on the city gate of Xingqing Prefecture!"

Although the Xia army had a clear advantage over the Song army in terms of mobility and field combat from the perspective of the situation on the eastern front, the Xia army only had one important stronghold in Xiazhou, and logistics and supply were always a major problem that severely restricted its continuous combat time.

In theory, as long as the Song army held firm and did not come out, the Xia army would have no good options.

This resulted in the Xia Kingdom delegation appearing arrogant on the surface, but in reality, as long as the Song Kingdom remained calm and composed, it was they who were truly panicked.

After all, the Song and Xia states were actually a whole order of magnitude weaker in terms of national strength.

Xu Shunqing trembled all over, cold sweat soaking his inner lining: "But that warrior's family is all in the country, how dare he?"

"Fool!" Yeli Mang slammed him to the ground. "The Imperial City Guard has plenty of ways to make people wish they were dead! Even stones can talk! Now the Song people not only want us to retreat along the entire Quye River, but also want us to apologize! All of this is thanks to you!"

Xu Shunqing lay on the ground, not daring to raise his head again.

The sounds of bustling Kaifeng streets drifting in from outside the window only served to accentuate the deathly silence within the inn, making it feel like a tomb.

Yeli Mang, panting heavily, strode back to the table, gulped down a large mouthful of wine, the murky liquid dripping down his beard.

He stared at Xu Shunqing, who was lying on the ground, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes, but he forced it down.

"Get up!" he snapped. "Think of a way to quell this mess!"

Xu Shunqing scrambled to his feet and replied in a trembling voice, "Yes, yes, I'll think of it right away."

Looking at his disheveled appearance, Yeli Mang coldly said, "If you can't come up with a solution, think about your family when the Prime Minister blames you."

Upon hearing this, Xu Shunqing stiffened.

On the other side of Kaifeng.

In the afternoon, under the bright sunshine, Feng Jing arrived as promised in the study of Song Xiang's residence.

He had taken leave specifically to come here. As the top scholar of the first year of the Huangyou reign, Feng Jing was actually not very old. He was only thirty-six years old this year, and was in the prime of his life.

Today, the study in the Song family mansion was specially decorated. A large sandalwood table was placed horizontally by the window, on which writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones were neatly laid out, along with several volumes of specially selected policy essays.

"The present age has arrived."

Song Xiang, dressed in a slightly worn dark-colored robe, sat in a round-backed chair. Seeing Feng Jing enter, he merely nodded slightly before jokingly asking, "You're now in charge of the Capital Investigation Bureau, burdened by paperwork. Fu Yanguo still sends you here to me. Do you have any complaints?"

Feng Jing bowed and smiled warmly: "Your father-in-law is also considering my situation. Lord Song is a senior minister with unfathomable knowledge. It is my good fortune to receive a word or two of your guidance. Moreover, it is my duty to cultivate talents for the court."

He spoke slowly and deliberately, his words extremely respectful, both responding to Song Xiang's teasing and expressing his own attitude.

Song Xiang stroked his beard and smiled, then stopped exchanging pleasantries and turned his gaze to Lu Beigu, who was waiting quietly to the side: "This is my student, Lu Beigu."

Lu Beigu quickly bowed to Feng Jing as a greeting, and Feng Jing returned the bow.

Feng Jing sized up Lu Beigu.

The young man before me was tall and straight. Although his face showed signs of fatigue, his eyes were bright and clear. He was composed and showed no signs of arrogance that a newly appointed provincial governor would have. I felt a sense of goodwill towards him from the start.

He had long known from his father-in-law Fu Bi and various rumors that this son was exceptionally talented, and what was even more remarkable was that he seemed to have a very down-to-earth character.

Lu Beigu, also filled with curiosity about this legendary senior, carefully examined Feng Jing.

Feng Jing became the top scholar in the imperial examination at the age of twenty-eight and married the daughter of a prime minister. In history, it took him twenty-two years to become a vice minister at the age of fifty, a position that barely made him a prime minister.

This speed was considered very fast among the Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) during the reign of Emperor Renzong.

Because other famous officials during Emperor Renzong's reign, such as Fan Zhongyan, Fu Bi, and Han Qi, generally took between 26 and 34 years to go from passing the palace examination to becoming prime ministers, with an average of 30 years.

In fact, the court environment during the reign of Emperor Renzong was completely different from that during the reigns of Emperor Taizong and the early and middle periods of the reign of Emperor Zhenzong.

It is absolutely wrong to compare the famous ministers of Emperor Renzong's reign with Lü Mengzheng, who took eleven years to become prime minister during the reign of Emperor Taizong, and Wang Zeng and Li Di, who took eight or nine years to become prime minister during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong.

Because the reigns of Emperor Taizong and Emperor Zhenzong were the periods when the Song Dynasty officially began to implement the policy of "emphasizing civil affairs and suppressing military affairs," the court urgently needed a large number of talented people and also had a large number of official positions available to these talents.

However, by the late reign of Emperor Zhenzong and now the reign of Emperor Renzong, the phenomenon of "redundant officials" has become increasingly apparent. No matter what kind of talent one is, one must slowly accumulate seniority and possess a comprehensive resume that includes local governance experience, experience in central government departments, and experience in participating in important reforms before one can be qualified to enter the Council of State Affairs.

This is assuming everything goes smoothly.

If there is no powerful backer in the court, or if something goes wrong, or if the political performance is mediocre, then this period of time will be extended to more than thirty or even more than forty years.

Even if everything goes smoothly, we cannot judge the future by today's standards.

After all, in recent years, the average age of prime ministers has also shown a significant upward trend. Basically, those in their fifties are considered young, and most are in their sixties.

Lu Bei thought about it and realized that even if he became the top scholar in the imperial examination, his promotion speed would probably not be as fast as Feng Jing's, who had a prime minister father-in-law. Optimistically speaking, based on the speed of Fan Zhongyan, Fu Bi, Han Qi and others, it would be about thirty years before he entered the Council of State Affairs.

The thought that he would only have the opportunity to realize his ambitions when he became an old man made Lu Beigu feel quite melancholy.

"You can also think of it on the bright side. At least I know the general trend of history. If I endure for several decades, I will still have a chance to take the stage and govern. The probability of 'Huangzhou, Huizhou, and Danzhou' is not very high. However, judging from this year's provincial examination questions, history has been subtly changed because of my appearance as a time traveler. So it is hard to say what will happen in the future."

These thoughts were merely fleeting ideas in his mind.

At this moment, Song Xiang instructed: "Dangshi is a rare talent in practical matters. His articles have unique insights. Although the palace examination also emphasizes the interpretation of the classics, the key is how to address the current problems and understand the emperor's mind. Today, Dangshi will discuss this with you. You must listen carefully and learn diligently."

"Students should remember your teacher's teachings."

Lu Beigu bowed deeply to Feng Jing again: "Thank you for your guidance, senior."

"No need to be polite."

Feng Jing raised his hand in a gesture of support, his tone calm: "We are both scholars, so let's just exchange ideas like classmates today. I've heard that your essays in the provincial examination were insightful and profound. I wonder if you have any specific preparations for the upcoming palace examination?"

Lu Beigu pondered for a moment and said, "I have been focusing on reviewing the classics and history recently, while also trying to understand the government's policies in recent years. However, the emperor's intentions are lofty and sometimes seem to emphasize practical matters and people's livelihood, while at other times he seems to advocate the ancient ways. There are bound to be some things that I have not yet figured out."

"It is already commendable that they are aware of this point."

Feng Jing nodded upon hearing this: "The Emperor is benevolent and governs by doing nothing. His mind is certainly not static, but it remains true to the same principle. Its core is nothing more than the three words 'stability,' 'benevolence,' and 'practicality.'"

He paused, and seeing that Lu Beigu was listening attentively, he continued: "Stability means the stability of the court and avoidance of drastic changes; benevolence means compassion for the people's suffering and benefiting all living beings; practicality means emphasizing effectiveness and not indulging in empty talk. No matter how the topics of the palace examination essay change, if you can stick to these three principles, you will not easily deviate from the emperor's will."

Feng Jing's viewpoint differs from Song Xiang's in some details, but both are equally valuable for reference.

After all, while Song Xiang's "winning the top three honors in the imperial examinations" might have had a bit of luck involved, Feng Jing's "winning the top three honors in the imperial examinations" was entirely due to his own merit. Moreover, compared to Song Xiang, Feng Jing might not have had such a profound academic foundation, but his understanding of the techniques of the imperial examinations was certainly more advanced.

As he spoke, he walked to the painting table, spread out a sheet of paper, and dipped his brush in ink.

"For example, if asked about river works, it is necessary to emphasize that reinforcing dikes and dredging are practical measures to ensure the well-being of the people, rather than simply wasting national funds; if asked about border defenses, it is necessary to advocate that selecting generals, training soldiers, and consolidating city defenses are long-term and stable strategies, rather than recklessly provoking border conflicts. While beautiful writing is important, such principles are even more crucial."

He jotted down a few keywords at random, his thoughts were very clear.

Next, Feng Jing didn't waste any time with small talk; he spoke only the essentials, which made Lu Beigu understand everything.

Song Xiang taught him the fundamentals of scholarship and a macro-level understanding, and of course, he also made many speculations about the emperor's mind. Feng Jing's words, on the other hand, were more practical examination strategies, directly addressing the actual situation of the palace examination.

Subsequently, Lu Beigu brought out several policy essay topics that Song Xiang had set out for discussion with Feng Jing.

Feng Jing analyzed each point meticulously, sometimes citing classical texts, and sometimes using his own experiences or examples from the court to support his arguments. His words were insightful and often hit the nail on the head.

He didn't directly tell Lu Beigu what to write, but inspired him on how to approach the topic from different angles, how to combine grand principles with specific policy suggestions, and how to make the article both lofty in its ideas and not empty and superficial.

Song Xiang mostly kept his eyes closed to rest, occasionally opening them at crucial moments to interject a sentence or two, either pointing out the classic source of Feng Jing's argument or adding one or two latest developments that Feng Jing might not be aware of, making the content of this "sparring session" increasingly rich and solid.

Before I knew it, the sun outside the window had already begun to set in the west.

Feng Jing glanced at the sky, put down his pen, and smiled at Lu Beigu, saying, "Provincial Scholar Lu has a solid foundation and extremely high comprehension; he understands things immediately. In the palace examination, as long as you stay true to yourself, remain calm and composed, avoid seeking the extraordinary or dangerous, and do not get carried away by anger, and follow this righteous path, your future will be limitless."

Lu Beigu once again expressed his gratitude: "I have learned a great deal and am deeply grateful!"

Feng Jing waved his hand and bowed to Song Xiang: "Lord Song, I have duties to perform and need to return to the yamen to handle some official business. I will take my leave now."

Thank you for your help today.

Song Xiang then fully opened his eyes, nodded and said, "Go back and give my regards to Fuyan Kingdom."

Feng Jing smiled and agreed, then took his leave.

Inside the study, Lu Beigu savored the exchange he had just had, and felt that some things that were previously unclear in his mind had become clearer. He also felt more confident about the upcoming palace examination the day after tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)