Chapter 109: The Dragon and Tiger Meet in the Capital (5)

The city of Dongjing was exceptionally boisterous after the Lantern Festival.

Perhaps "boisterous" was no longer the right word; "frenzied" or "deranged" would be more accurate. Tie Xinyuan had once thought the dragon-and-lion dances of the festival were the most indulgent moments the city would ever see, but once the military examinations began, he realized those dances were merely a grand ball.

For some reason, the Song people possessed an inherent penchant for gambling, and a military examination that allowed for betting plunged Dongjing into absolute madness.

In the city, the most discussed topics were the participants of the military examinations, for which the preliminary selections were already complete. Scions of military clans like Yang Huaiyu, Huyan Shou, Cao Fang, Shi Zhong, and Gao Yanzan had all become favorites to take the top prize. However, the true focus of the public was not on these men. Everyone knew they were there to claim the title, and their bouts were unlikely to be very entertaining. The people of Dongjing were long accustomed to seeing a tiger-like man being chased and beaten by a weakling who fought like a hen.

In the Song Dynasty, the military examinations were, in truth, a great joke. The civil officials did not care for them; they even considered placing the military examinations on par with the civil service exams an insult to the latter. Previously, the two were held together, but later, they were separated—one after the autumn harvest and one in the winter.

The common folk were instead concerned with figures like the "Iron Lion of Guanxi," the "Dragon of Hezhou," the "Iron Buddha Meng of Cangzhou," Ma Yan of Hebei, the boxing master Liang Shimeng of Gaizhou, the sharpshooter Ying Wen of the Xinhua Army, and the rising star known as the "Iron Horse and Silver Spear," Lin Jiaochuan.

These were the men listed in the betting houses. Each had different odds, and vast sums of money were pooled under their names, waiting to see who would prevail so the winners could go and collect their winnings from their masters.

Because of Tie Xinyuan, the people of Dongjing had their first encounter with something akin to a "Horse Racing Guide." Now, the citizens were intimately familiar with these experts—their age, height, weight, arm span, leg length, martial arts expertise, strength, past records, mentors, spouses, and children were all clearly detailed in the secret "Military Examination" manuals. Some busybodies even recorded how much they ate and drank daily, whether they frequented brothels, or if they had fallen ill, and compiled these into booklets that sold remarkably well.

This trend was so fierce that when the censors submitted memorials to stop the gambling, they were immediately rebuffed by officials from the Ministry of Revenue. After the officials presented the ledgers and projected revenues to the court and the Emperor, despite heated opposition, the sheer scale of the figures eventually led the treasury-strapped court to tacitly approve.

The court's stance was: neither support nor oppose.

"Seven hundred thousand strings of cash? How can there be such high returns?" Emperor Zhao Zhen asked Yu Qian, the Vice Minister of Revenue, while frowning at the memorial once again.

Yu Qian bowed with a smile: "Reporting to Your Majesty, this betting craze is not just spreading in Dongjing; it has begun in Luoyang and the Western Capital as well. Were it not for the limited time, major cities like Shu, Yangzhou, and Hangzhou would likely not have been spared. To my knowledge, even the Liao capital of Nanjing has opened similar betting boards."

"With such immense profits, your humble servants naturally would not allow the gambling houses to monopolize them. Thus, the Ministry of Revenue has stationed commissioners at every gambling house, with seventy percent of the dividends to be turned over to the national treasury. Therefore, seven hundred thousand strings is merely the beginning. If it does not offend Your Majesty, even my ten-year-old son has bet two strings of cash on the Iron Lion to win."

Zhao Zhen nodded, then turned his gaze to Bao Zheng: "My loyal minister, gambling incites greed, and sporadic riots are inevitable—this I know. I only wish to ask if the city defense and routine suppression in Dongjing are secure."

Bao Zheng bowed: "Reporting to Your Majesty, your servant disagrees with allowing gambling on the imperial military exams; I hold to this position still. As for the city defense, that is my duty. The people of Dongjing are inherently good; even if conflicts arise, they will be minor and will not lead to catastrophe. If Your Majesty could dispatch a detachment of the Pengri Army to assist me in governing Dongjing, it will certainly remain as stable as any other day."

Zhao Zhen laughed: "This time, I have yielded to the will of the people and allowed this gambling. Since you believe you can control the situation, the unit under Ge Ba of the Pengri Army shall be assigned to your Kaifeng Prefecture for city defense, returning to their main force once the examinations are concluded."

"Your servant obeys the decree!"

As the two ministers left the hall, Zhao Zhen frowned, picked up the memorial, read it again, and put it down. He grabbed a beautifully printed "Book of Heroes," flipped through a few pages, tossed it onto the desk, and tapped his knuckles against the wood. "Did this really come from that little brat?"

Wang Jian, appearing as if from thin air, smiled fawningly: "Absolutely, my Emperor. Although that little brat used the hands of the Su family's daughter to distribute this 'Book of Heroes' to over seventy printing shops, trying to hide it from the imperial eyes is still too naive."

Zhao Zhen laughed, leaning back in his chair. "So, I have yet to make a profit, and he has already made a fortune?"

Wang Jian chuckled: "Two fortunes, my Emperor. He sold these booklets twice. The first time was his own compilation; the second was when he took the information gathered by other shops, refined it into a booklet, and sold it again. It is said the price was even higher than the first."

"Haha, what a greedy little brat. I shall wait. Once he reaches adulthood and takes the civil service exams, I will place him in the Ministry of Revenue immediately. Such a clear-eyed talent for making money would be wasted if not used for the country. Wait? Did I not grant his family the manufacturing license? They shouldn't be short of money; why is he so greedy?"

Seeing the Emperor's displeasure, Wang Jian quickly said: "The Wang woman does not allow anyone to touch the license Your Majesty granted. Merchants have offered great wealth—ten thousand strings of cash a year—but she flatly refused. She said the reason the court prohibits private brewing, iron smelting, and salt drying is to gather sufficient funds for the state. If the Tie family used Your Majesty's grace to profit from these, it would be wrong. For every bit of profit the Tie family gains, the state loses a bit. The Tie family will not do it."

Zhao Zhen sat up straight and uttered an "Oh," saying, "The family spirit of Wang Dan still exists! It has simply transferred to the Tie family."

Wang Jian chuckled: "Your Majesty, you would never guess how the Tie family is using the manufacturing license you bestowed to accumulate wealth."

"If they don't partner with others for those high-profit trades, how do they make money? Didn't you say the wine they brewed was sour and undrinkable?"

Wang Jian laughed: "They gave the twelve major taverns in Dongjing a clear promise: the Wang family's license is used only for their own small shop to brew and sell wine, and they will never disrupt the existing wine market in Dongjing."

Zhao Zhen laughed aloud: "If the mother and son have done this, those twelve taverns must have offered generous gifts. That money is well-earned. However, I care more about this booklet!"

As he spoke, Zhao Zhen lifted the "Book of Heroes" and slammed it onto the floor. It was clear the Emperor was truly enraged.

"My military examinations are for selecting true warriors for the Great Song, not for competing over whose generals and house servants are fiercer. Yang Huaiyu, Huyan Shou, Cao Fang, Shi Zhong, and Gao Yanzan—these pampered sons of wealth, having eaten their fill and worn warm clothes, are now turning their eyes toward official positions. It is truly hateful and vexing!"

The names mentioned were all children of high-ranking, powerful families. Wang Jian naturally dared not interject, simply bowing and waiting for the Emperor's decision.

Zhao Zhen's lips curled into a sarcastic sneer.

"Since they are all ambitious to serve the country, how can I not satisfy their good intentions? Wang Jian, convey my decree: those selected in this military examination, regardless of whether they qualify for an official post, will all be sent to the northwestern border to serve for three years..."

"Your Majesty, others are easy to handle; those like Yang Huaiyu are already aiming for the border, so they will naturally have no complaints, but Gao..."

Zhao Zhen sneered: "Regardless of his surname, even if he were surnamed Zhao, he shall go to the border for three years before anything else is discussed."

Wang Jian quickly retreated, knelt, and replied: "This servant will go to the Secretariat to draft the decree, then ask the Chancellery to verify it, and then deliver it..."

"No need. Those people have influence that reaches the heavens. If it passes through too many offices, accidents are bound to happen. Issue it directly as an Imperial Command and say this is my favor!"

Wang Jian backed out of the hall and did not let out a breath until he was out of the Emperor's sight. He pulled a few small, precious jade pieces from his robes, sighed, and muttered to himself: "My ladies, it is not that Wang Jian took your gifts and failed to act, but the Emperor’s will is set. There is nothing I can do. Pray to the Buddha and hope your nephews and brothers can return alive from the northwestern border."

Yang Huaiyu crushed the cup in his hand with a sharp *crack*, water splashing everywhere. He frantically helped Su Mei wipe the water from her chest, completely ignoring Tie Xinyuan, who had been splashed with warm water all over his head.

Even after receiving a slap to the face, Yang Huaiyu sat back in his seat, neither red-faced nor out of breath, and laughed: "My strength has been growing these days; I cannot control my force."

Tie Xinyuan glanced at the shy and angry Su Mei, wiped the droplets from his face, and said casually: "Hurry up and take the top prize, then the two of you can get married. If this continues, next time a broadsword might fall on my head."