Wang and Xue Xiangtang drank and chatted freely, and under the corridor outside the hall, Yang Xi, Zhi Kejun, and Zhang Ping also set up meals on the stone table and stone bench in the courtyard. Occasionally, they could hear the loud laughter of Xue Xiang and Wang in the room, Yang Xi looked back at the direction of the hall, turned his head and asked Zhi Kejun: "Hey, you two are more knowledgeable than me, do you say what kind of talisman is the one that Gongzi draws?" Why is it that as soon as he paints, it is like a trick, and this illegal salt seller is gone? He smiled as he spoke.

Zhang Ping looked at Zhi Kejun: "Brother Zhe is more knowledgeable than me, let's let Brother Zhe say." ”

These two people are both eight-foot-tall men, Zhang Ping is twenty-five or sixteen years old, and Zhe Kejun is in his early thirties, both of them are extremely powerful. Even sitting there eating, he was upright and upright. Yang Xi sat with the two of them, looking even more like a little old man.

Zhi Kejun had already finished eating and put down the dishes and chopsticks, and he wiped his mouth and said, "Childe's painting is not a spell. I've heard Gongzi explain, he called it "trend chart", and those who sell illicit salt have not disappeared, you think about the price of salt here and the price of green salt in Western Xia, sometimes it will be a little lower. The people who smuggle green salt can't make money, so why do they still pin their heads to the waistband of their pants and do that illegal sale of illicit salt. ”

Zhang Ping also put down the dishes and chopsticks and said: "Yes, I have also heard that those Xixia people who used to make illegal salt are used to doing work that makes money quickly, and they can't do it with illegal salt, so they rob everywhere." The people of the state capital near the border in Western Xia all ran to Xingqing Mansion, and there was no livelihood over there, and it turned out that the rich family hired labor, and they were paid seven or eight taels of silver a month. Now only five taels are willing to do it, and the labor is not worth much. ”

Yang Xi said while cleaning up the bowl of chopsticks: "Look, it's still our son's smartness, I think it's condescending to let the son's son be a waiter, and when the son's son is promoted, the two of you will follow suit." He pouted triumphantly.

The two of them smiled, and Zhang Ping said: "If Gongzi leads the troops to fight, Brother Zhe will be very happy, and Brother Zhe will definitely be able to make great contributions in Gongzi." Zhi Kejun patted him on the shoulder: "Don't talk nonsense, let's go, let's take a stroll." ”

Zhang Ping also stood up and muttered: "I didn't talk nonsense, the Zhejia family was majestic back then, and it can still be majestic when it fights again......" Zhang Ping admired this big brother in his heart, you must know that the Zhejia army was also terrified of the Western Xia people at the border, not to mention that there was also a folding race flower.

As they spoke, they heard a "bang" outside the door. Yang Xi just walked out with the dishes and chopsticks, and Zhi Kejun said: "I'll go" As he spoke, he strode to the door of the house and asked, "Who is calling the door?" ”

A man's voice outside replied, "Excuse me, is this the mansion of Wang Shilang?" ”

When he opened the gate, he saw a young man standing outside the door, followed by two attendants, who were not dressed like ordinary people by the light of the lanterns and the moonlight on the gate. He was holding a small package in his arms, and his clothes were covered with some cuts, which made him look extremely embarrassed.

The door of the house opened and hurriedly said: "Excuse me, Wang Shilang, my old friend Li Xili asks to see me." ”

On weekdays, there were occasional people who came to the king's side at night, and the king's side always opened the door to meet each other, and when Zhe Kejun saw that this person was in a hurry, there should be something urgent, so he invited the three of them into the courtyard. After coming in, Zhi Kejun saw that the two people following behind him were even more embarrassed. All three of them seemed to have fought with someone.

Wang Bi was showing Xue Xiang the trend chart drawn in the study at this moment, and pointed out that in the past period of time, the price of private salt in Western Xia fluctuated, and the time corresponding to the high and low points, while making his own analysis in combination with the law of the salt production period. Xue Xiang was dumbfounded, the inference next to the king was simply shocking, no wonder the emperor would be so serious about the king, and was about to praise him, when he suddenly heard that Zhi Kejun came to report that Li Xili was coming.

Wang Bei was funny in his heart, this is really Cao Cao, Cao Cao is here! He put away the trend chart and said to Xue Xiang: "Xixia has sent someone, Lord Xue can meet together." After that, the two came to the front of the hall and invited Li Xili to come in and speak.

Li Xili entered the hall, the candlelight in the hall was bright, and the king saw it clearly, only to see Li Xili holding a package tightly, with a tired face and a frightened look.

Wang looked up and down puzzled and asked, "Master Li, what's wrong?" ”

Li Xili shook his head, he was depressed this time, this Western Xia official was robbed before leaving Western Xia, and the bandits who robbed him knew that he was an official when he saw Wen Mu, and the two leaders argued about whether to kill or stay. In the end, Li Xili said that he went to the Song Kingdom to trade, and if he successfully established a field, they bandits could still do some business to make a living. The bandits listened, so they let him go and asked him to hurry to the Song Kingdom.

Li Xili pondered that he would definitely be laughed at when he returned to Xingqing Mansion, and he would not be able to go to Bianjing in the Song Kingdom. Thinking that Wang Bi was in Yanzhou, he had to go to Yanzhou to try his luck, and if he couldn't find Wang Bi, he would go to the prefect to plant Yi.

He was lucky, there was basically no one in Yanzhou City who didn't know about Wang Bei's Wang Shilang, and Li Xili was instructed to find Wang's mansion smoothly. This is what happened in the past, but how can this be told to the king?

Wang saw that Li Xili had something unspeakable, and it seemed that he had been robbed. Wang smiled and didn't ask anymore, he introduced Li Xili and Xue Xiang to each other.

Li Xili explained his intention to come to the Song Kingdom, and Tianming wanted to continue his journey. The three of them sat down for a while, Xue Xiang got up to say goodbye, and the king was sent outside the door, Xue Xiang stopped and asked: "This Xixia person is dressed like this, and there is some conspiracy." ”

Wang said with a smile: "Lord Xue doesn't know, it seems that this Xixia person is against the sky." Even officials dare to rob. ”

Xue Xiang saw that Wang was so sure of what he said, and asked even more suspiciously: "Wang Shilang, if this is a Western Xia official who was robbed in the territory of the Song Kingdom, wouldn't it be another excuse to find trouble." ”

Wang Bei knew this, and he said with a smile: "Lord Xue doesn't need to worry, if this person is robbed in the territory of the Song Kingdom, he will not come with the boldness." ”

Xue Xiang nodded and admired: "Reasonable, reasonable!" With that, he smiled and turned away.

Wang Fang thought about Li Xili's expression, and thought that an ancient saying had been fulfilled again: This is called a dumb person eating yellow lotus, and he can't say anything about his suffering. Although Wang Fang thought that the Xixia people were funny, he still prepared the carriage and horse very politely the next day, and gave Li Xili a silver tael on the road.

Li Xili was embarrassed to accept it, and the king comforted: "When I arrived in Western Xia, I was entertained by Lord Li, and now that you have come to the Song Kingdom, I am just doing my best to be a landlord." What's more, it is good for everyone to do this well. Wang Fang knew that in the future, it was indispensable to make friends with Xixia, and there would be one more friend and many roads.

Li Xili suffered in Western Xia, and received the silver next to the king, and he only wanted to facilitate this matter, so he hurried to Bianjing and sincerely came to meet Emperor Renzong to discuss the matters of trade between the two countries. After the Western Xia envoy retreated from the court, there was another quarrel in the court of the Song Kingdom.

This time, the opinions were divided into three factions, one was Han Qi and others, who suggested taking advantage of the unstable situation in Western Xia to enter Western Xia, and supported Lord Han's righteous indignation; "The Tangut people have always been cunning, and if they can capture the Tangut, they will be able to avoid future troubles."

The other faction, led by the current prime minister Zeng Gongliang, suggested that this opportunity be used to trade with Western Xia and abide by the border agreement.

There is also a group of people, that is, the official Lord Sima Guang, he waited for Han Qi, Zeng Gongliang was almost noisy before he said in a hurry: "Lord Han advocates fighting, can Lord Han lead the troops to the battle?" ”

"You? Hum! Han Qi knew that Sima Guang had commanded his own army, but he had nothing to say, Han Qi was a military general among civil officials, a civil minister among military generals, this situation was enough to embarrass him, and at his age, he was the prime minister of a country, could he let himself personally lead the troops.

Sima Guang turned his head and looked at Zeng Gongliang: "Lord Zeng advocates trade, if we trade like this, wouldn't it make the people of Western Xia think that my Song Kingdom is easy to talk to." ”

Zeng Gongliang looked at Sima Guang, what kind of fame is this Sima Guang going to do, he doesn't like Sima Guang in his heart, Sima Guang belongs to the kind of "stuffy donkey". However, he has just sat in the position of prime minister, and his ass is not hot yet, so he can't have more bad fate.

Zeng Gongliang simply set his eyes on Emperor Renzong, who was frowning and looking at the court. Han Qi is unknown, Zeng Gong Liangguang said that there is a trade, and there is no countermeasure to how to trade with the teacher, he looked at Sima Guang and said: "Junshi, there is a countermeasure to say so." ”

Sima Guang looked left and right and said, "Qiqi Shengshang, the minister doesn't!" ”

After he said this, there was an uproar in the court, and Renzong almost lost his temper, but Sima Guang still had something to say: "The minister thinks that there must be a person who can take advantage of the issue of trade without fighting." ”

After speaking, he looked at Bao Zheng and then at Wang Anshi. The crowd followed his gaze and looked at the two men. Master Bao and Wang Anshi were stunned, and they didn't say anything, but as soon as the two looked at each other, they immediately understood, and both of them secretly scolded Sima Guang in their hearts: "Our king has a grudge against you?" ”

Renzong looked at Sima Guang's eyes, and also understood Sima Guang's intentions, he has been very pleased with his insight recently, and Wang Fang has been very good at managing salt affairs during this time in Yanzhou. Renzong showed a rare smile since he recovered from his illness, and immediately passed down the edict: "Urgently summon Wang Fang back to Beijing!" "How did he know that since Wang Bi sent Li Xili away, he had already packed his bags in Yanzhou.

Seeing that the goal had been achieved, Sima Guang retreated and stood up, Renzong looked left and right and asked, "Didn't the prince come to the court today?" After asking this sentence, there was silence in the court. Renzong was just a little happy, and was splashed with cold water again.

After the dispersal of the dynasty on this day, several ministers came to the Pu Mansion to visit the crown prince Zhao Shu.

Since the official establishment of the crown prince Zhao Zongshi. The emperor gave him a new name "Zhao Shu". Although his name is Zhao Shu, he doesn't seem to have seen the light of day. He had been tormented by the pre-dawn darkness, and he was tormented by the fear every day, and his heart was getting more and more afraid, afraid of the feeling that he was about to gain and lose. Renzong's body turned out to be getting better day by day, the identity of the crown prince has been decided, but the throne in his hand seems to be getting farther and farther away.

Zhao Shu was sick: In the words of modern medicine, he suffered from depression. He was not even willing to sell the mansion for a single step, so much so that he did not even go to the court.

His eldest son, Zhao Zhongzhen, learned that several ministers were visiting, and hurriedly walked to the outside of the mansion to greet Han Qi, Zeng Gongliang, Ouyang Xiu, Liu Chang and other ministers into the hall of the mansion respectfully, invited the adults to sit down, and ordered the family to serve tea, and then turned around and went into the inner house to invite his father: the current prince Zhao Shu.