Chapter 107 Imperial Examination Examiner
"Want to buy weapons and armor?"
Zhao Xing was not surprised but happy when he heard this. The fact that Yelu Chongyuan wanted to buy weapons and armor showed that he had ambitions and even planned to rebel.
"What did you tell him?"
"I told him I couldn't make the decision on this matter and asked him to wait for news. But he asked to meet the person behind me," said Sheng Wei.
"See you?"
Zhao Xing was stunned when he heard this, but he reacted quickly.
Li Ge’s request to meet him should have been instructed by Yelu Chongyuan.
In order to find out the identity of the person behind Sheng Wei.
Liquor was a government-run business in the Song Dynasty. Sheng Wei dared to trade with wine and appeared in the Song-Liao trade. It was not difficult to judge that the person behind Sheng Wei was a powerful official in the Song Dynasty.
But the exact identity is difficult to determine.
No, maybe Yelu Chongyuan already knew that the person behind Sheng Wei was him.
Sheng Wei controls soap, perfume and other money-making tools, so it is natural that there are no one coveting them.
Although Zhao Xing did not show up openly, every time Sheng Wei encountered trouble, he would send people to solve it.
It is no secret that he is behind Sheng Wei.
The Liao Kingdom had many spies in the Song Dynasty, so they might not be unaware of this.
Then Li Ge's purpose of asking to meet the person behind Sheng Wei is somewhat intriguing.
Zhao Xing hesitated for a while and said, "Tell him that I can see him and ask him to come to Bianjing."
"Yes!" Sheng Wei replied.
"Okay, you've been tired from the journey, go back and have a rest," said Zhao Xing.
"Yes!" Sheng Wei bowed and said, "I'll take my leave!"
"Wait!" Zhao Xing stopped Sheng Wei and asked, "I remember your other son has been practicing martial arts. How is his martial arts?"
"Your Highness, my youngest son does not like studying or doing business, but he likes to wield swords. So I found a martial arts master for him to learn martial arts. He has been learning martial arts for more than four years, but his martial arts skills can only be considered mediocre." Sheng Wei said.
"How old are you this year?" Zhao Xing asked.
"Already sixteen." Sheng Wei said.
"How about this, let him come to the Eastern Palace to work, and I will have someone arrange a position for him in the army." Zhao Xing said.
Sheng Wei has been working diligently over the years, so naturally he has to be given some benefits in order to make him loyal to him.
Letting Sheng Changwu work in the Eastern Palace can be considered as winning people's hearts.
"I would like to thank Your Highness for his grace on behalf of my son!" Sheng Wei said excitedly.
Although the status of merchants in the Song Dynasty was not as low as in other dynasties, they were even allowed to take part in the imperial examinations.
However, the long-established concept has made many people instinctively look down on businessmen.
Even Madam Wang, who is also a member of the Sheng family, looks down on the first wife.
Although Sheng Wei seemed not to care on the surface, he actually felt somewhat resentful.
However, his eldest son was not good at studying, and his second son did not like studying either. He let his second son learn martial arts, hoping that he could join the army in the future to gain a career.
As the saying goes, a good man does not join the army, but that only refers to ordinary soldiers. If one can become an officer and get a rank, even if he is not as good as a civil servant, he is still an official after all.
Sheng Wei originally wanted to ask Sheng Hong to help arrange it, and then spend his own money to take care of things for his son. Unexpectedly, Zhao Xing actually proposed that his son come to the Eastern Palace to work.
"This is what you deserve. From now on, when there are no outsiders around, don't call yourself a commoner in front of me. Be my subject. I can't arrange an official position for you in the short term, but I will definitely arrange one for you in the future." Zhao Xing said.
"Your humble servant...thank you very much, Your Highness!" Sheng Wei said excitedly.
After sending Sheng Wei away, Zhao Xing lost his sleepiness and thought about the purpose of Yelu Chongyuan sending someone to see him.
Regardless of whether Yelu Chongyuan knew that he, the Crown Prince of Song, was the person behind Sheng Wei, this meeting was not that simple.
Buying weapons and armor should only be a test, as the Liao Kingdom itself has the ability to forge weapons and armor.
With Yelu Chongyuan's identity, it is not difficult to get these. Maybe he can get some benefits from it this time.
While he was daydreaming, Sanshui reminded him that it was time to go to class.
When they arrived at the school, everyone stood up and saluted. Zhao Xing responded with a gentle smile on his face and nodded one by one.
Not long after Zhao Xing arrived, Hai Wenyou walked in.
"Greetings, Your Highness!" Hai Wenyou bowed.
"Master Hai, there's no need to bow!" Zhao Xing waved his hand, then stood up with his classmates and saluted Hai Wenyu.
After the greetings, Hai Wenyou smiled and said, "The last article written by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Sheng Changbai, Qi Heng... was particularly good. You can learn from it."
Facing Hai Wenyou's praise, Sheng Changbai still looked dull, while Zhao Xing and Qi Heng were very indifferent.
Ever since Zhao Xing told him that he should integrate knowledge and action, Qi Heng has changed a lot. He no longer buries himself in studying like before. During his days off, he would visit the counties near Bian Jing to understand the sufferings of the people.
I would also usually go to teahouses and taverns in Bianjing to listen to the guests’ conversations and learn about the situation in other places.
Last year, Qi Heng even proposed to go abroad to study, but unfortunately Princess Pingning did not agree.
Qi Heng has changed a lot in the past few years and looks much more mature.
The others looked at Zhao Xing excitedly, and Zhao Xing gave them an encouraging look.
……
After school in the afternoon, Zhao Xing learned that his father had summoned him to the palace, so he prepared a carriage and went to the palace the next day.
Arriving at Longtu Pavilion, the eunuch at the door bowed and said, "His Majesty said that you can go in directly after you come down."
Zhao Xing nodded slightly and walked in.
The official who was preparing the paper-cutting heard the noise and looked up, smiling and said, "Fu'er is here."
"Father!" Zhao Xing bowed and saluted.
"No need to be polite." The emperor waved his hand and said, "The Spring Examination will be held in more than a month. I want you to be the chief examiner for this examination."
"Let my son be the chief examiner?" Zhao Xing was stunned when he heard this.
"That's right, and I even plan to let you set the essay questions for this imperial examination. When the imperial examination is over, I will let you serve as the prefect of Kaifeng, and you can choose the talents selected in this imperial examination at will." said the emperor.
Although he was only fifty years old, he already felt that his health was not as good as before.
By the time the talents selected in this imperial examination grew up, Zhao Xing would probably have succeeded to the throne.
That's why he let Zhao Xing preside over the imperial examination.
Not only this time, he also planned to let Zhao Xing preside over future imperial examinations.
"Father, does your Majesty really want me to be the prefect of Kaifeng?" Zhao Xing asked in surprise.
He had mentioned this matter last year, but his father did not agree.
According to my father's intention, he planned to wait until he was sixteen or seventeen years old before appointing him as the prefect of Kaifeng.
"Your Majesty, your words are real. Since I have said so, how can it be false? When the time comes, Hai Qing will assist you and he will take care of all the chores. You only need to set the questions and show up at the examination." The emperor said.
"I understand, son." Zhao Xing said.
"By the way, I heard that your mother sent you a few palace maids, and you sent them to the garden to take care of the flowers and plants?" asked the emperor.
Zhao Xing pretended to be dumbfounded when he heard this and said, "I have so many people serving me, so I don't need that many people. Isn't it spring coming soon? The garden is short of manpower, so I will send them there."
The official opened his mouth. He wanted to talk to his son about this, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. Thinking of his own plans, he didn't talk about this topic anymore. Instead, he said, "When you go back, hurry up and finalize the essay test questions."
"Yes!" Zhao Xing replied.
"You haven't visited your mother and mother concubine for some time. Go and talk to them. Stay in the palace to have dinner with me in the evening before going back." said the emperor.
"Then I'll take my leave first." Zhao Xing bowed and walked out.
(End of this chapter)