I served as an admonisher in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 117 The number one favorite, Su Jingming enjoys exclusive grace
Ma Xing Street, He Le Building.

Su Liang walked to the counter and asked, "Shopkeeper, is there a young man named Shen Kuo living in your store?"

The middle-aged shopkeeper looked up and saw Su Liang and said excitedly: "You...you...are you Su Jingming and Su Yushi?"

Su Liang didn't expect that the shopkeeper would recognize him, so he quickly made a gesture of silence.

His reputation was now at its peak.

If you are watched by the people around you, nothing can be done.

The middle-aged shopkeeper understood immediately.

"I understand, I understand, the Yushitai is investigating the case, and the identity cannot be exposed easily. Su... Sir, let's talk in the back hall. I know Shen Kuo. This young man is very strange. I have always suspected that there is something wrong with him!"

"something wrong?"

Su Liang came to the back hall with the middle-aged shopkeeper out of curiosity.

The middle-aged shopkeeper looked excited.

"A few days ago, a middle-aged man and Shen Kuo booked a room in our hotel. The middle-aged man paid a month's rent and meals and then left, leaving Shen Kuo to live here alone."

"This Shen Kuo has never been out. All his meals and hot water are brought to him. Occasionally, he can be seen going to the toilet late at night, and he is in a hurry, as if he is afraid of being seen. Every three to five days, someone will put a wooden He sent the box to his room and then took away a wooden box, which was very mysterious."

"I suspect that he and the middle-aged man may have come to Bianjing City to give a gift to an official. Su Yushi, you must check it out. If you need any help, just ask, I...I am happy to give it Yushitai is an informant!" the middle-aged shopkeeper said, patting his chest.

Su Liang didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Unexpectedly, I met such enthusiastic people from Bianjing.

However, the shopkeeper must have read too many stories about solving crimes, and started to deduce the plot without knowing anything.

Su Liang stopped entangled with him and asked immediately: "Which room is Shen Kuo in?"

"The far right on the second floor."

Immediately, Su Liang walked towards the second floor.

Seeing that the middle-aged shopkeeper wanted to follow him, he quickly said: "Shopkeeper, please be busy, there is no need to follow me."

The middle-aged shopkeeper nodded and said: "I understand, I understand. The less people know about the affairs of Yushitai, the better."

Bang!Bang!Bang!
Su Liang knocked on the door.

Lean slightly.

A thin young man with slightly messy hair opened the door, looked at Su Liang doubtfully, and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

Su Liang smiled and said, "Are you Shen Kuo?"

The young man nodded.

Su Liang smiled and said: "I am Su Liang, the censor of the censorship station. Can I come into the room and talk to you?"

"You are... Su Jingming? Come in! Come in!" Shen Kuo said excitedly, "My father often mentions you, and I often read your articles!"

"Is your father?"

"My father, Shen Zhou, is a tax supervisor in Jiangning. He is returning to Beijing to resume his duties. He is living in an official residence. How about I call him back?"

Only then did Su Liang know that Shen Kuo was an official.

He shook his head and said with a smile: "Today, I am here to find you."

"Looking for me?" Shen Kuo looked confused.

The moment Su Liang walked into the house.

A strong fragrance of ink came to my face.

The bed, floor, and chairs in front were all filled with books, and there were more than ten books placed in a wooden box not far away.

On the table beside him, the ink was still wet, and there was a book that Shen Kuo copied half a page from.

Su Liang lowered his head and saw that these books were about arithmetic, astronomical phenomena, smelting, ink making, etc. They were all "miscellaneous books" that some scholars regarded as unworthy of elegance.

And these books are all from the imperial court's collection.

The books in the pavilion are difficult to borrow for non-officials.

Shen Kuo said nervously: "Su Yushi, this... these books in the library were... borrowed by my father through regular channels. My father donated fifty sets of books in the library in exchange for such an opportunity to borrow books. "

"I...I have loved reading miscellaneous books since I was a child, so...my father had the books moved here. After I read and copied them, I will return them to the library immediately."

Suddenly, Su Liangquan understood.

No wonder the middle-aged shopkeeper said that Shen Kuo didn't go out all day and even went to the toilet in a hurry.

It turned out that I was seizing all the time to copy and read books.

Su Liang couldn't help but sigh in his heart: Anyone who achieves great things must have a unique youth time.No wonder Shen Kuo was called an all-rounder by later generations. He always ran to the toilet and spent all the extra time studying. How could he not be an all-rounder?
Especially at this age of fifteen or sixteen, he can withstand the temptation of a prosperous place like Bianjing.

This determination has exceeded more than [-]% of his peers.

He thought about it and felt that his son's future education should also be like this.

Su Liang said with a smile: "Brother Shen, don't be nervous. I'm not here to investigate the case. Not long ago, my father-in-law Tang Ze met you on the boat. Do you still remember?"

"It's Mr. Tang, remember," Shen Kuo said.

"My father-in-law said you are good at carpentry and arithmetic. I drew a drawing of a river sand table. Can you make it?"

Su Liang took out the sand table drawing of the Yellow River channel in his arms.

Immediately, Shen Kuo looked at it carefully.

After a cup of tea.

Shen Kuo put the drawing on the table, thought for a moment, and said: "There is a lot of data here that is not known without field exploration. Hydrographic surveying also needs to be done by some experienced river workers. In addition, this drawing is so exquisite, and this arithmetic The method is... how do you calculate it? If you want me to do it, I may only be [-] or [-]% sure!"

"That's enough!" Su Liang said excitedly: "Brother Shen, wait for my news. I will immediately apply to the government to monitor the river. You will go with me then. As long as I can make this river sand table, I... I’ll apply to the government so that you can go to the pavilion and read books at any time!”

Hearing this, Shen Kuo suddenly became energetic and nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.

Immediately, Su Liang went downstairs.

The middle-aged shopkeeper came over and whispered: "Su Yushi, do you want me to supervise him? I will report to you anytime if anything happens!"

Su Liang said: "Good meat, good food, good food, good food. I'm hungry and thin, but it's a loss for the entire court!"

After that, Su Liang strode away.

The middle-aged shopkeeper looked at Su Liang's back and murmured: "I understand, I understand. This guy must be important evidence in a major case. It is estimated that in a short time, a high-ranking official will be dismissed or released..."

……

The next day, early in the morning.

Su Liang ended his vacation and returned to Yushitai.

As soon as he returned, he got a piece of news.

Just yesterday afternoon, Zhao Zhen issued an edict.

Jia Changchao of the Daming Prefecture was ordered to be the general in charge of river affairs. Zhang Huaien was in charge of the inner palace, and Li Zhongchang was in charge of the river and canal department, and he was also in charge of river affairs.

The specific plan is: starting from the third day of March, the Henglong and Shanghu entrances will be blocked, and the Liuta River will be dredged, and we will strive to divert the water of the river to flow eastward before May.

Su Liang sighed secretly.

Once the edict has been issued, it will be difficult to change it.

After Su Liang thought about it, he decided to go to Ouyang Xiu first.

To measure the river course, there must be a commission to monitor the river course. Otherwise, no one will cooperate, and coupled with Jia Changchao's obstruction, actual data will not be obtained at all.

In the court, the only one who could reach a consensus with Su Liang was Ouyang Xiu.

afternoon.

Su Liang and Ouyang Xiu appeared in Chui Gong Hall.

"Officials, the matter of returning to the eastward flow of the river involves the livelihood of the people on both sides of the river, so we have to be cautious. I and Academician Ouyang, please go to Chanzhou to personally investigate the river affairs, and then make a river sand table to deduce the situation of the eastward flow of the river." Su Liang said with a hand.

Zhao Zhen looked helpless.

"You two are just the same! Don't Jia Changchao and Li Zhongchang know more about river affairs than you do? The Yellow River flows eastward like a natural chasm, forming a military barrier, which is of greater value to Bianjing!"

"The officials and ministers are worried that if the Yellow River breaks its banks and washes away the fertile farmland, things will be serious!" Ouyang Xiu added.

"I have issued an edict, ordering Jia Changchao and Li Zhongchang to repair the river in early March. How can I destroy the edict for no reason!"

"Officials, today is only the tenth day of the second lunar month. You don't need to destroy the edict. Let us go and investigate. If there are any problems, we will revise the edict!" Su Liang said.

On the side, Ouyang Xiu looked serious and was ready to "spit".

Seeing Su Liang's serious face, Zhao Zhen thought for a while and said, "I allow you to monitor the river affairs, but you must return to Beijing before March [-]rd. After returning to Beijing, if you cannot convince me and the ministers, don't talk about it again. How about this?"

"No problem." Su Liang said decisively. He still had more than twenty days, which was basically enough.

Ouyang Xiu couldn't help but take a long breath.

Zhao Zhen made such a compromise, which was beyond his expectation.

He guessed that it was most likely that Su Liang, as the main contributor to Empress Cao's pregnancy, and the official family were in a good mood, would satisfy their requests in this way.

Just when Ouyang Xiu was about to thank him, Su Liang handed him over again.

"Official, I have two more requests."

Ouyang Xiu was stunned. He didn't expect that Su Liang would dare to make a request.

Zhao Zhen couldn't help but glared and said: "Su Jingming, don't push your nose and face! You must know that I have made a special exception for allowing you to inspect the river affairs."

Su Liang smiled slightly.

"Officials have always been kind, and I just made two small requests."

"I hope that Zhang Maoze, who is in charge of the Imperial City Department, will go with me. In addition, I kindly ask the officials to send twenty river workers from Kaifeng Mansion to go with me."

When Zhao Zhen heard these two requests, his beard became angry.

Although Zhang Maoze has a low official position, he represents Zhao Zhen.

And the transfer of river workers from Bianjing City shows that Su Liang cannot trust the people in Daming Mansion at all.

If Zhao Zhen agrees to this request, he will not trust Jia Changchao and Li Zhongchang. Not only will the latter have opinions, but the officials in Bianjing will also be dissatisfied.

For no reason, he trusted Su Liang and Ouyang Xiu, but did not trust the officials who really knew the river affairs.

This is obviously not what Mingjun did.

Ouyang Xiu opened his mouth and found that he was unable to defend Su Liang.

These two requirements are indeed too difficult for the officials.

"Officials, when we go to inspect the river, we will naturally do our best to inspect it. Without your might to suppress it and without the help of your own people, I'm afraid we won't be able to find the truth!" Su Liang handed over again.

He also felt that these two requirements were a bit excessive.

But it is of great benefit to making river sandboxes. If there are dates or no dates, you have to hit a pole.

"That's all, I've promised you!" Zhao Zhen stroked his beard and said, "If the courtiers object and I stop you, just go ahead and do it!"

"Thank you, officials!" Su Liang and Ouyang Xiu were both overjoyed.

(End of this chapter)