Chapter 175 I can give it to you, but you can’t ask for it

Just now at the imperial banquet in the palace, Su Yuanjing felt like sitting on pins and needles.

They were afraid that those former Liangshan heroes would get angry on the spot because of the unfair rewards.

When Chen Zongshan first offered his surrender, Li Kui dared to tear up the imperial edict and speak wildly.

Fortunately, Black Whirlwind had been fed to the fish by Song Jiang. Although the leaders who entered the palace at this time were resentful, they were able to be sensible and endure it.

Although they came from the underworld, they were not stupid enough to seek death. If they had acted wildly in the imperial palace at that time, they would have had enough heads chopped off.

There are tens of thousands of masters in the palace, and it is not just dozens or hundreds of people who can stir up trouble.

Imperial power has a natural deterrent effect on ordinary people.

Those heroes who clamored to "rush to Tokyo and seize the throne" were like a group of mice entering a cattery when they entered the Palace. They no longer had the wild momentum they had on Liangshan.

On the contrary, Yang Chang, who had really seen the world, was able to face the emperor alone with a normal mind and was not afraid at all. This was one of the reasons why Zhao Ji admired him.

Su Yuanjing glanced at the others, stretched out his hand to pull Song Jiang aside, and said softly: "This matter is a long story, and there is room for maneuver. You take everyone back to the camp and make sure they are well pacified and do not cause any chaos. We will discuss it in detail after entering the city."

"Brothers are loyal and righteous. Even if you have grievances, you won't get angry. I will go and give them some instructions first, and then send the Prime Minister back home."

"Alright."

Seeing that Song Jiang was clinging to him and was unwilling to leave first, Su Yuanjing thought to himself that he would have to persuade him well later, otherwise he would be regarded as a person who went back on his word and enriched himself.

With the court making such arrangements, Song Jiang felt that he could not appease his brothers.

He pestered Su Yuanjing to make his attitude clear and to fight for the interests of his brothers.

If I follow the team out of the city and back to the camp, if someone fanns the flames and ignites my temper, I might rebel on the spot out of impulse.

How could Song Jiang allow this to happen? His active separation like now also has the effect of cooling down the brothers.

Song Jiang left Dai Zong with him and ordered Lu Junyi, Wu Yong and Hua Rong to lead the brothers back to the camp to wait for news.

The group left the palace from Xihua Gate and went their separate ways.

Su Yuanjing rode in a sedan chair, while Song and Dai followed on horseback, sweating profusely under the scorching sun.

After traveling for less than half an hour, the sedan chair and horses stopped in front of the Taiwei Mansion.

Su Yuanjing welcomed the two men warmly, and at the same time instructed the steward to prepare a family banquet to entertain the guests. Then they went to the study to discuss matters.

After the servant served tea and closed the door, Song Jiang was about to stand up and greet him, but Su Yuanjing spoke first.

"Today's reward was not the emperor's original intention, but was decided by Duke Tong and Grand Tutor Wang. After I learned about it, I tried my best to fight for it, but I was alone and powerless."

"Why are Tong Guan and Wang Fu targeting us?"

"Two reasons. First, the timing was not good. Duke Tong recaptured Yanjing first, so the victory in Huaixi was not as impressive as it should be. You were late in making your contributions, even later than Yang Chang.
Secondly, although the Northern Expedition Army also received rewards, most of them were simple promotions, and there are too many Liangshan leaders, and giving you too high a reward would cause controversy."

"No." Dai Zong suddenly interrupted and defended himself righteously: "Yang Chang was promoted to the position of Qinzhou Surveillance Commissioner just because he captured the rebel Fang Shen. But my brother pacified Tian Hu in Hebei and suppressed Wang Qing in Huaixi, but he was only given a seventh-rank empty position. It's unreasonable no matter how you look at it."

"How dare you! How dare you talk to Eun Sang?"

"I couldn't help it"

"This will never happen again!"

Song Jiang openly rebuked Dai Zong, but secretly agreed with his questioning, otherwise he would not have waited until Dai Zong finished speaking before he began to scold Su Yuanjing seriously.

But in the eyes of the old veteran Su Yuanjing, this little trick was like a student reading comics under the podium; every move could not be hidden from the teacher's eyes.

People are hard to break down.

Su Yuanjing felt guilty but did not show any displeasure.

He waved his hand to signal Dai Zong to sit down, and explained earnestly: "People cannot be compared. Song Xianfeng knows the actual situation of Yang Guan best. His Majesty thinks highly of him, and Duke Tong and Imperial Tutor Wang can't stop him. Moreover, his opportunities and luck are too good. When he was appointed as the deputy general manager of Qinzhou's army, he was opposed by many people. In the end, it was Imperial Tutor Cai who came forward to mediate. This time, because Qinzhou was leaderless, he was promoted by coincidence."

"What about us? Even if we are rewarded based on merit, it's chilling to do this."

"Don't blame me, Prime Minister. The reason why Dean Dai spoke so rudely is that the soldiers fought hard and now have ended up with such a result. I really can't reassure them. You saw it outside the hall just now. The brothers looked very angry."

Seeing that Dai Zong didn't hit the point, Song Jiang immediately took over the conversation to add to it, and Su Yuanjingxu nodded repeatedly with his eyes fixed.

"How could I not know the situation you are talking about? However, the court is not as easy as the battlefield. Duke Tong and Imperial Tutor Wang represent the Privy Council and the three provinces. Your Majesty must also weigh the pros and cons."

“So you just said there is room for maneuver.”

"Yang Chang's career was successful, not only because of his good luck, but also because he retired at the right time. If you are all willing to work in the local areas, so that the people of Liangshan can be dispersed and settled in different places, I can go to the palace to ask His Majesty to make a slight improvement on the existing basis. But if you don't want to separate, this method will not work."

"What will happen if there is a slight improvement? Will it be higher than Yang Chang's position?"

Dai Zong interrupted Song Jiang to ask a question, but saw Su Yuanjing pursed his lips and waved at him.

"A fifth-rank official? Please forgive me for being unable to do that. If I try my best, I may be able to become a governor."

"Provincial governor?"

Dai Zong immediately looked at Song Jiang after hearing this, as if to say that the governor also wore a red robe, which was inferior to Yang Chang's rank, but was a big improvement over the Yihui Xiaowei. (The governor of a state is a fifth-rank official with no real power and is a salary-receiving official)

Song Jiang's heart warmed up briefly, but then turned cold again when he thought of Yang Chang.

If he accepted Su Yuanjing's proposal, it would mean that the end of his official career would be as a governor. Apart from having better-looking clothes and a higher salary, his actual power might be less than that of a county magistrate.

"Brother, look"

"It's not that Song Jiang is picky. In fact, brothers share the joys and sorrows. En Xiangruo has done his best for me alone. I can't explain to the other brothers. I am still willing to serve the country together."

"In this case, we can only start with Duke Tong."

After hearing Song Jiang's answer, Su Yuanjing knew that Song Jiang was still not satisfied with the governor's arrangement, so he proposed another countermeasure.

"What does Eun-sang mean?"

"Fang Shen's rebellion case involved Cai Jing, and Yang Chang ultimately benefited from the game. It can be said that Cai Jing was his benefactor, and your benefactor is Duke Tong."

"This"

After hearing this, Song Jiang and Dai Zong looked at each other in bewilderment, thinking that it was because of Tong Guan's deliberate suppression that we ended up in this situation. How could he be our benefactor?

Wait, Yang Chang got promoted by deposing Cai Jing, and now Prime Minister En wants me to depose Tong Guan?

Thinking of this, Song Jiang seemed to understand what he meant, and he clasped his fists and asked in a serious manner, "Please tell me clearly, Prime Minister."

"The resistance to your promotion mainly comes from the Privy Council, or more precisely, from Duke Tong. Although he has made great contributions in Yanjing, he has also cost the country a huge price. Now that the Kingdom of Jin has not completed the handover, His Majesty has already complained about him. You can wait patiently, maybe the Privy Council will change hands."

"Does Enxiang have a chance? We are willing to help you with all our strength."

Song Jiang was overjoyed when he heard this, thinking that if Tong Guan could really be brought down, he would no longer have any resistance in the court and would no longer feel so aggrieved. He immediately expressed his willingness to lend a helping hand.

"Need not."

Su Yuanjing had over-comforted Song Jiang and said what was really in his heart. He was very upset at this moment. How could he possibly respond to Song Jiang?
"The greatest help you can give me is to appease the Liangshan generals. The country is in a turbulent time, and there are many opportunities to make achievements. Don't just focus on the wealth in front of you, but look at the long term."

"That Xiaoke"

"Please wait patiently for a few days. I will go to the palace tomorrow to report to His Majesty. I will first test His Majesty's feelings, and then I will bring you to see the king alone. You can express your loyalty to His Majesty."

"Thank you, Enxiang."

Seeing that Su Yuanjing had not given up on him, Song Jiang stayed in the city and waited for the news to become clear before returning to the camp.

He asked Dai Zong to go back in the afternoon to find out the situation. If he found that Wu Yong and others were unable to control the people below, he would rush back temporarily to deal with the crisis.

Su Yuanjing served as the Grand Marshal of the Palace. Although he was a close minister and aide to the emperor, he was not as powerful as the officials of the Privy Council, and was even more inferior to the chief of the Privy Council.

He had a keen eye for talent and recruited Liangshan, using Song Jiang to first pacify Hebei and then Huaixi. Now he has a chance to bring down Tong Guan. Su Yuanjing also has ideas about the Privy Council, but he cannot say them out loud.

In the officialdom, there is one carrot for one pit, and if you want to occupy a pit first, you have to pull out the existing carrot first. Tong Guan's advice on the unfair rewards for Liangshan caused resentment among meritorious personnel and anger among the generals, which was a good way to pull people down.

That night, Su Yuanjing sincerely invited Song Jiang to stay, and he stayed overnight at his mansion.

The next morning, Su Yuanjing asked Song Jiang to wait at home while he went into the palace to investigate the situation. However, he returned before noon.

It turned out that the palace guards were being reorganized today, and all defense duties in the palace had to be handed over, so all officials who were not on duty in the imperial city were ordered not to enter the palace without the emperor's summons.

On the third day of July, Su Yuanjing could not enter the palace, so he drank with Song Jiang in his house to cool off.

They didn't know that something big was happening in the palace today. Zhao Fujin left a letter and disappeared from his residence last night. In the early morning, the assassin was found at the Youye Gate and was not found. The chief eunuch Li Yan was severely reprimanded by Zhao Ji.

On the fourth day of July, the defense of the palace was adjusted and Su Yuanjing was finally allowed to enter the palace.

He ranked behind many important ministers such as Wang Fu and met Zhao Ji in Ruisi Hall before noon.

He raised his head slightly and saw the emperor staring at the paper on the desk. It was not until the eunuch reminded him that he looked up at Su Yuanjing who was standing at the steps.

"Oh, Su Qing is here, what's the matter?"

"Your Majesty, after the imperial banquet the day before yesterday, I saw that the Liangshan generals were all disappointed. Thinking back to the bloody battles they fought in Huaixi, only Song Jiang and Lu Junyi were given official positions, while the court gave generous rewards to the Northern Expedition heroes and Yang Chang. The comparison between the two inevitably gave rise to wild thoughts."

"Ok?"

Zhao Ji straightened up suddenly after hearing this, looked at Su Yuanjing who was bowing and asked: "What do you mean? Do they think I am unclear about rewards and punishments?"

"Song Jiang and his men are quite loyal and righteous. How dare they complain to Your Majesty about not being clear about rewards and punishments? However, the official positions I conferred the other day are not convincing enough. Your Majesty, please consider their sacrifices for the country and give them more grace and comfort. Now there are tens of thousands of troops stationed outside the city. If they are used by people with ulterior motives, the consequences will be disastrous."

"Is it that serious? Wang Fu and Tong Guan didn't say that. The Privy Council and the three provinces each had their own reasons, saying that giving generous gifts to the Liangshan people would have a bad influence on the Northern Expedition Army. In the future, the soldiers would not want to fight against foreign enemies, but would only want to suppress bandits and rebellions at home."

Su Yuanjing answered respectfully, but his words were convincing and convincing, and Zhao Ji immediately frowned when he heard it.

"They come from the underworld, how can they understand the rules of selecting officials in the court? They don't understand the concerns of Wang Taifu and Tong Guogong, and they all think that it is determined by the will of Your Majesty."

"Then I won't."

Zhao Ji suddenly stopped talking in the middle of his words, thinking to himself: Wang Fu and Tong Guan opposed the generous reward, but let me bear the resentment of the soldiers? How could such a thing happen in the world?

However, Su Yuanjing's worries are necessary. Nearly 100,000 troops stationed outside the capital is a hidden danger. Could it be that the assassin from Youye Gate last night was related to Liangshan?

Thinking of this, Zhao Ji changed the subject and asked, "The night before yesterday, an assassin appeared at the Youye Gate, and the guard leader Wang Fulong was hit on the left face by a flying stone. The palace was closed for a whole day yesterday, but no trace of the assassin was found. Could this be related to Liangshan? They have many powerful leaders, and they complained that my rewards were unfair, so they used this method to warn them?"

"turn out to be."

Su Yuanjing suddenly realized and waved his hands to deny it. "This is absolutely impossible. Song Jiang and others strictly abide by the rules. They would ask for permission before entering the city. How could they run to the palace and hurt people? It is even more impossible for them to escape easily, unless that person can fly. Master Gongsun doesn't have this ability either."

"Flying and hiding?"

Zhao Ji looked at the note on the table and talked to himself. After thinking for a while, he said to Su Yuanjing: "On the same night when I found the assassin, my son Maode also disappeared. He wrote a letter and followed his mother to ascend to the immortal world. I don't know if the two are related."

"Princess Maode, ascended to the immortal world?"

Su Yuanjing swallowed hard and asked cautiously, "Will she be kidnapped?"

"Everything is normal in the room. The guards at the door didn't see anyone coming in or out. The maid in the yard didn't see anyone when she woke up. Just like Su Qing said just now, unless someone can fly into the sky or escape into the ground."

"I would like to mention that Yang Guancha was also in Tokyo a few days ago. He is unrivalled in his abilities in Liangshan, and the princess is very fond of him."

"It shouldn't be possible. He has already agreed to divorce his wife and marry Maode. He won't do it secretly. What's more,..."

Zhao Ji stopped talking at the end. He wanted to say that his daughter and grandson were both living people, and even if Yang Chang had the ability to sneak into the palace, he couldn't take them out. And his grandson would be a worry too.

Su Yuanjing was still waiting for the next step. Zhao Ji paused and gave him an order directly, "Although the possibility is not great, I will send people to track down Yang Chang. As for the matter of the flying stone assassin at Xuande Gate, I will ask you to go to Song Jiang's camp to investigate secretly. As for the Liangshan soldiers' objections to the reward, I will give them an explanation soon."

"The minister obeys the order."

When Su Yuanjing responded and saluted, he suddenly remembered that Song Jiang had recommended Zhang Qing as a royal consort, and that man seemed to be good at throwing flying stones.

Could it be that Song Jiang is really vindictive?

After Su Yuanjing left Ruisi Palace, Zhao Ji asked Li Yan to call Wang Fu, Tong Guan and Cai You to discuss the matter.

He was greatly disappointed with Tong Guan's performance in recovering Yanyun. Recently, he had heard people mention "Shenzong's last words", meaning that according to the last words, Tong Guan should be granted the title of Prince of Guangyang.

I can give it to you, but you can't ask for it on your own initiative. Do you think of becoming a king as a joke?

He simply used the title bestowed upon Liangshan as an excuse to let the court officials know who is in charge of the Song Dynasty!
Su Yuanjing received the emperor's order and returned to his mansion with mixed feelings. Song Jiang was still waiting for his news.

As soon as the two met, Su Yuanjing comforted them: "I have just reported your requests and questions to His Majesty. His Majesty promised to give an explanation. Please be patient and wait for a few more days."

"Thank you, Enxiang."

"Don't worry, thank you. Do you know why the palace was sealed off yesterday? That's because at 4:00 a.m. on the third day of the lunar year, a mysterious assassin appeared at Xuande Gate. Although we searched for a whole day and didn't find him, the assassin revealed his special skill of flying stones. He also injured the commander Wang Fulong. Don't you have a Zhang Qing under your command?"

"No way."

"Don't be so sure. His Majesty asked me to investigate secretly. I believe in your character. Please check it yourself first."

"Yes Yes."

Song Jiang had been staying in the city for the past two days, and he was indeed not sure whether Zhang Qing was a suspect or not, so he immediately said goodbye to Su Yuanjing and went out of the city.

As soon as he returned to the camp, he summoned all the leaders to the tent and gave a passionate speech.

"I have been fighting for everyone's interests in the city for the past two days. Now I have received the promise from His Majesty that he will give an explanation soon. Song Jiang has worked hard for the brothers in the hope of finding a good way out for everyone. I hope everyone will keep calm and never do anything beyond the rules. Good things are worth waiting for."

"Don't worry, brother. The brothers will not act on their own without your order."

"Ah."

Song Jiang calmed everyone down, and asked Wu Yong and Zhang Qing to stay and ask where the third and fourth watches of July were.

Zhang Qing scratched his head and looked at Wu Yong, muttering, "Where can the fourth watch be? Just lie on the couch and sleep."

"Anyone testify?"

"What do you mean, brother?"

"At 4 a.m. on July 3, an assassin sneaked into Youye Gate and injured someone, using flying stones."

As soon as Song Jiang finished speaking, Zhang Qing pointed at himself and then waved his hand to deny it.

"It's not me, I didn't"

"Brother didn't say it was you, but General Su knows that you have the unique skill of flying stones. Think carefully about how to respond. It would be best if there is a witness to testify."

"Huh? Oh"

Zhang Qing and Wu Yong left together afterwards, and soon Qiao Daoqing and Ma Ling came together.

"Mr. Qiao, General Ma, what are you doing?"

"Song Xianfeng, I followed you to the Huaixi Campaign this time. I used magic to injure many lives. Now I am tired of killing and want to retire to the mountains. Please allow me to leave."

"Ah? You are about to succeed, why don't you..."

"Forget it. Fame and fortune are like floating clouds to me. My heart belongs to the avenue. I will take my leave now!"

Qiao Daoqing bowed, then turned around and walked out of the tent in a leisurely manner.

Without waiting for Song Jiang to persuade him to stay, Ma Ling followed suit and said goodbye: "Take care, Vanguard Song. I will go with Brother Qiao."

“You guys, this.”

Song Jiang looked at the two men's backs as they left and sat down on the ground in the middle of the tent. The thing he was most worried about had happened. The court's poor treatment had caused unrest among the people.

No, they didn’t go into the palace to receive titles. Could it be that they were influenced by others?

Could it be Yang Chang? This guy came here in a red robe!
(End of this chapter)