A chance encounter with an acquaintance at the teahouse ultimately leads to a treasure o

Chapter 139 A chance encounter with an acquaintance at the teahouse ultimately leads to a treasure offering that resolves the crisis.

After leaving Gao's residence, Song Jiang carefully examined the one hundred taels of silver, thinking to himself, "This Gao Qiu is truly not simple! It seems that not only can't you trust beautiful women, but you can't even trust seemingly loyal men!"

Whether Song Jiang took the hundred taels of silver or not was actually irrelevant. However, if he didn't accept it, Gao Qiu, with his suspicious nature, would inevitably suspect that he had ulterior motives or was plotting against him!

They might even wonder if he and the woman had conspired to stage a play to get close to Gao, so Song Jiang simply accepted the silver to avoid suspicion!

You see, Gao Qiu was able to find out even my name and profession, which clearly shows that he already has doubts about me. He doesn't want to have anything to do with me. In fact, I don't want to climb up Gao Qiu's tree either. As for the glass statue, I can make it at any time. Although it's not an exaggerated number, dozens or hundreds of them are no problem at all!

However, sometimes scarcity makes things valuable. If too many of these glass statues are made, they become worthless!

Suddenly, Song Jiang smiled knowingly. It turned out that two ordinary-looking people were staring at him and the Gao family without any apparent concern. If one did not look closely, they would not have noticed them at all.

"It seems that Emperor Huizong doesn't trust Gao Qiu that much! The Imperial City Guard has been watching who Gao Qiu contacts and what he does!" Song Jiang thought to himself with a smile.

Song Jiang misunderstood Zhao Ji on this point. Zhao Ji naturally trusted Gao Xin completely!

However, Emperor Huizong of Song (Zhao Ji) had always disliked politics and basically adhered to the principle of "only speaking when there is something to report, and adjourning the court when there is nothing to report."

He always liked to do things according to his own preferences, which could be described as extremely willful. As a result, the people around him were all unethical!

Although Zhao Ji appeared to be a foolish and art-loving ruler, he was as clear-headed as a mirror. He was indeed not a qualified emperor, but he was a qualified politician. In terms of manipulating power, he was no less capable than other emperors!

He was adept at balancing the relationships between various ministers, and he also had the Imperial City Guard monitor the ministers in the court. Therefore, although it seemed that he did not care about the affairs of the court, in fact all the ministers were under his control!

Moreover, he was extremely good at making his subordinates bear the blame while he himself remained uninvolved. However, even after the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty, Emperor Huizong was only known as a foolish emperor, while the blame was mostly directed at the six traitors and Gao Qiu and their ilk!

Even later historians have a rather controversial view of Emperor Huizong, rather than simply condemning him! His calligraphy and paintings have been passed down to later generations and can be regarded as exquisite works of art in literary history. On the contrary, there are not many people who criticize him for being incompetent. On the contrary, the six traitors and Gao Qiu are condemned and cursed by all passionate Chinese people!

Song Jiang didn't pay much attention to the two Imperial City Guard spies. After all, they weren't watching him, so there was no need to worry about them. Instead, he quickly left. In any case, it's best to avoid these kinds of spies if possible!

The two spies didn't take Song Jiang too seriously. They watched his departing figure and continued to keep an eye on the Gao family's every move.

In a teahouse, only Yue He and Gongsun Sheng were with Song Jiang. Looking at the beautiful scenery outside, Song Jiang sighed, "Beyond the mountains, green hills rise; beyond the towers, more towers stand. When will this idyllic world end?"

It turned out that this teahouse was located in a bustling area, surrounded by brothels, karaoke bars, and other entertainment venues.

The fleeting pleasures before one's eyes may intoxicate many, but Song Jiang thought that when the Jin army arrived, only devastation would ensue.

The tea server came up to refill the tea and said with a smile, "Judging from your poetic recitation, you must be quite a talented person. It's a pity you've arrived a bit late."

Seeing the tea server take over the conversation, Song Jiang laughed and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Seeing that the shop was empty, the tea server sat down and said to Song Jiang, "On the fifteenth of the first lunar month, all the brothels in the capital will hold a Flower Queen Festival to select the most outstanding courtesan. On that day, the entire city of Tokyo will be incredibly lively. If you cast your vote, you can even get a free meal!"

Following the tea server's words, Song Jiang said, "That's such a pity!"

The tea server continued, "It is a bit of a pity. If you, sir, were to visit Bianjing again next January, you would surely be able to witness the splendor of the Flower Queen Festival!"

Song Jiang asked, "Now is the time to build momentum, but I wonder which courtesan will be the most popular choice next year?"

The tea master laughed loudly, "Of course it's Miss Shishi from Fengyue Pavilion! I've heard she's only seventeen, with both exceptional talent and beauty. Her appearance, tsk tsk tsk, is just like a fairy from heaven! But Miss Niannu from Baihua Pavilion is no less stunning. The courtesan queen must be one of them!"

Song Jiang joked, "You seem to have seen them before."

The tea master quickly shook his head and waved his hands, saying, "How could I have such good fortune? Before being chosen as the top courtesan, both Shishi and Niannu sold their art but not their bodies. Even ordinary officials and nobles found it extremely difficult to meet them, let alone someone like me."

Song Jiang smiled and said, "Everyone admires the beauty of women, but who sees the sorrowful tears they shed behind closed doors?"

Just then, another customer arrived at the teahouse. Hearing Song Jiang recite poetry, he exclaimed, "What a fine poem!"

A young man entered the teahouse, accompanied by a boy carrying luggage who stayed close to him.

The young man was around twenty-four or twenty-five years old, with bright eyes, eyebrows parted in the middle, a nine-foot-tall, silver-white body, and a resolute and handsome appearance. Standing there, he looked like a god descending to earth, majestic and awe-inspiring.

The young man beside him was handsome, with a slender waist and broad shoulders, lips as red as painted vermilion, eyes as black as polished lacquer, and a face as beautiful as piled jade.

The appearance of these two people instantly attracted everyone's attention, including the usually calm and collected Gongsun Sheng!

Song Jiang secretly praised him, thinking to himself, "You can't compare people like that!"

The two people in front of me should be master and servant, but both of them are top-notch in terms of temperament and appearance!

Moreover, for some reason, this young man gave Song Jiang a strange sense of familiarity. This feeling included guilt, closeness, and even a desire to befriend him!

The young man also saw Song Jiang, nodded, and led the boy to a table to sit down!

Upon seeing Song Jiang, the young man felt a complex mix of emotions—resentment, admiration, and gratitude. He didn't know where these emotions came from, especially since he was certain he had never seen Song Jiang before!

Shaking his head to shake off his complicated emotions, he called the tea server to pour him hot tea and ordered several plates of snacks!

Both men wanted to get to know each other. Song Jiang saw that he had a heroic demeanor, while the man wanted to resolve his doubts.

It was Song Jiang who took the initiative to speak, saying, "It's fate that we've met. Why don't you invite this gentleman and brother to join us at the table for a few drinks?"

The young man laughed and said, "That's excellent!"

After saying that, he led the boy to sit down at Song Jiang's table!

Song Jiang stood up, bowed, and said, "This gentleman looks very familiar to me, but I wonder if I've seen him before?"

Upon hearing this, the young man laughed and said, "I feel the same way. I just happened to hear those two lines of your poem, sir, and they were quite interesting. You seem to be a man with a strong sense of patriotism!"

Song Jiang laughed and said, "It's just something I felt compelled to say; it's nothing special!"

The snacks were served one after another, but no one touched their chopsticks, mainly because they weren't hungry!

Seeing the young man nod with appreciation, Song Jiang said, "Sir, may I ask how you should be addressed?"

The young man laughed and said, "Since we've met, why be so formal? Let's continue drinking tea, chatting about everything under the sun, from ancient times to the present. If we meet again in the future, there will still be lingering memories. Wouldn't that be wonderful!"

Song Jiang laughed heartily and said, "Well said, 'still has a lingering flavor.' In that case, I won't ask your name, sir!"

The young man asked, "Judging from your accent, sir, you don't seem to be from Kaifeng. May I ask what brings you here?"

Song Jiang didn't hide anything and said directly, "I want to go to the Qibao Pavilion to see what's going on. May I ask what brings you to Kaifeng, sir?"

The young man said, "I also heard that Qibaoge is having an auction this year. If there are any good items, I'll buy them as a gift for my mentor. It's his sixtieth birthday this year, so I've come to Kaifeng to celebrate with him!"

Song Jiang bowed and said, "I admire your filial piety, sir!" Although the young man did not give his name, Song Jiang guessed his identity and gave him his surname.

The young man also stood up and returned the greeting, saying, "So your surname is Song, sir. If it weren't for my mentor's meticulous guidance, I wouldn't have achieved what I have today. My mentor's kindness to me is as heavy as a mountain, so of course I had to come to celebrate his birthday!"

Seeing that the young man was also heading towards the Treasure Pavilion and didn't seem to understand some of the rules, Song Jiang asked, "Does the Treasure Pavilion have any rules?"

The young man replied, "This Treasure Pavilion is incredibly mysterious. Legend has it that it existed during the reign of Emperor Taizong of this dynasty, but the identity of its owner remains unknown. It is only said that every seven years, an auction is held in a random location in the Central Plains, and each time only seven items are auctioned, all of which are rare treasures that have never appeared on the market before!"

Song Jiang asked curiously, "It's so mysterious, why doesn't the government investigate? Why haven't they caused any trouble?"

The young man slowly said, "The Qibao Pavilion has an incredibly powerful background. I've only heard that it seems to have the influence of a royal family behind it. As for its wealth, it's astonishing. As long as it issues a secret order with a hefty reward, both the legitimate and illegitimate worlds will be on the move. Tell me, who would dare to mess with them? To provoke the Qibao Pavilion would be asking for trouble."

Song Jiang chuckled and said, "That does seem interesting. It seems I need to go and see for myself!"

The young man picked up his cup, took a sip of tea, and said, "The entrance fee to the Treasure Pavilion is ten thousand taels of gold per person. Of course, if you can get into the auction, it's fine if you don't bid on any treasures you don't fancy. But without that ten thousand taels of gold, you can't even get through the door!"

Song Jiang asked in surprise, "Ten thousand taels of gold is quite a lot. Carrying it around would be too conspicuous. How can we possibly carry it inside?"

The young man said, "Three days before the Qibaoge auction begins, you can exchange 10,000 taels of gold for a voucher, which is your entry pass to the Qibaoge venue."

Song Jiang brought a total of thirty to forty thousand taels of gold and silver notes this time, which meant that only three or four people could enter. He secretly sighed that these people were much better at making money than he was!

Seeing that Song Jiang seemed worried, the young man smiled and said, "Don't worry, sir. If we don't get the treasure you want at the auction, this gold will be returned intact. Qibao Pavilion values ​​its reputation above all else and would never embezzle a customer's gold!"

Having cleared up his doubts, Song Jiang began to chat. The young man was also a knowledgeable person and could naturally keep up with the conversation. However, Song Jiang had a background in five thousand years of history, and there was a lot of valuable information that the young man had never heard of before. He secretly admired the seemingly unremarkable man who was full of talent!

Before they knew it, several hours had passed, and it was already late at night. The tea server was yawning and waiting for Song Jiang and the others to leave!

Song Jiang took out a silver ingot and placed it on the table, saying, "It's getting late, let's call it a day!"

The young man laughed and said, "No problem. I've been staying at the Ruyun Inn in Kaifeng lately. You can find me there if you need anything!"

Song Jiang clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "In that case, we shall meet again!"

At Grand Commandant Wang's residence, the young Grand Commandant Wang was playing with a precious sword. The sword exuded a chilling aura, and the more Grand Commandant Wang looked at it, the happier he became. He picked up a few hairs and blew them onto the blade!

The hair broke in two and floated to the ground!

Grand Commandant Wang exclaimed with delight, "Truly worthy of being the treasured sword left behind by the invincible Golden Saber Yang on the battlefield! It can cut a hair in half with ease!"

Looking at the gleaming golden armor placed on the table, Grand Commandant Wang stroked it with a delighted smile, muttering to himself, "I wonder if this precious sword is sharper or this precious armor is harder!"

Tang Longzheng stood respectfully to the side, not uttering a word. Although he was filled with anger, Song Jiang had instructed him to always maintain a humble expression, as Xu Ning was still in prison!

After a long while, Grand Commandant Wang finally raised his head and said, "Tang Long, is it? I've also heard about Instructor Xu's matter. He is usually dutiful and responsible, protecting the royal family. He would never do such a criminal thing!"

After a pause, Grand Commandant Wang continued, "Don't worry, I heard that Gao Qiu's concubine has been treated by the imperial physician Mou Jie and is already recovering. If she wakes up, the truth will come out, and if Instructor Xu is truly innocent, then he will naturally be fine!"

Tang Long could only express his gratitude with tears in his eyes, saying, "Thank you so much, Grand Commandant! I will never forget your great kindness!"

Grand Commandant Wang sighed and said, "Bring me five hundred taels of silver!"

Soon a servant carried a tray into the inner room, which was filled with silver!

Grand Commandant Wang said to Tang Long, "I am quite familiar with Xu Ning. Even if he is released from prison today, I'm afraid the Emperor will not employ him again. Keep this five hundred taels of silver safe, so that Instructor Xu can find a way to make a living in the future!"

Tang Long put away the silver and bowed again.

Grand Commandant Wang waved his hand and said, "You may go now. I think Xu Ning will be released from prison in a few days!"

Watching Tang Long's departing figure, Wang Taiwei looked at the precious sword and armor beside him, but in the end, he was no longer as happy as before!

He was not the type to use his power to oppress others, nor was it his intention to do so. Unfortunately, for the sake of these two treasures, Wang Shen ultimately acted like a villain. Five hundred taels of silver could not erase Xu Ning's resentment towards him, but it could at least make him feel a little better!

Can you guess who these two people in the teahouse are?

Note: "Mu Jie was a real historical figure. He was a physician sent by Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty to Goryeo (Korea) as part of friendly exchanges between the two countries. In June of 1130 (the second year of Chongning reign of Emperor Huizong of Song and the eighth year of Sukjong of Goryeo), at the request of Goryeo, the Song emperor sent four physicians, namely Mu Jie, Lü Bing, Chen Eryou, and Fan Zhicai, to Goryeo (where Mu Jie and the others stayed at Heungseong Palace to instruct doctors)."

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