Late Song Dynasty: From Imposter Magistrate to Emperor Donning the Imperial Robe

Chapter 131 Fake Auspicious Omens

"Auspicious omen? Where did this auspicious omen come from...?"

As soon as Xue Ming voiced his question, he immediately realized something and couldn't help but widen his eyes.

"What does the county magistrate mean?"

Li Chong looked at him without any hesitation: "Yes, it's an auspicious omen. As for the source of the auspicious omen, don't worry about that for now."

With his hands behind his back, Li Chong looked up at the sky, striking a pose as if he had the world on his mind.

"Now that treacherous officials are in power in the court, if we want to restore order, we must find a way within Bianliang. If I cannot hold a high position, it will be of no use in stabilizing the people. Therefore, I must go to court! And that is why I am seeking auspicious omens."

Xue Ming gasped, "Why is Your Excellency telling me all this? I haven't seen any auspicious omens."

After saying that, Xue Ming gave an awkward laugh twice, trying to bluff his way out of it.

"Let's not beat around the bush. Wenzhao should understand what I mean! This auspicious event will ultimately fall to Wenzhao," Li Chong said decisively.

Xue Ming's smile was more like a grimace; he would rather be a little stupid and not understand anything at all.

But Li Chong has already said all this, if he continues to play dumb, it would be disrespectful.

"Your Excellency, presenting auspicious omens is no small matter. If we are exposed, not only will I be punished, but Your Excellency will also suffer the consequences. We cannot afford to bear such a responsibility."

He bowed and pleaded, hoping that Li Chong would take back his words.

If the auspicious omen is successfully presented, Li Chong will be promoted and become wealthy, while Xue Ming will have nothing to do with it.

If things were exposed, he would inevitably face legal trouble, and even exile would be a minor offense. It might even implicate his family. Xue Ming had considered this carefully, and he dared not agree to it rashly.

Li Chong chuckled softly, softening his voice to reassure, "Wen Zhao, don't panic. It's just an auspicious omen. Every dynasty has had them, why is it unique to our dynasty? If others can present them, why can't I? As for exposing it, who dares to?"

"Ever since the 'Heavenly Book' incident during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong, auspicious omens have frequently appeared in our dynasty. And now, under the current emperor, such omens are even more frequent, and countless people have been promoted and ennobled as a result. Does Your Majesty perhaps believe that all these omens are real? If Your Majesty believes them, then they must be real!"

Xue Ming remained silent.

Although people in ancient times were superstitious, few of those who were educated were truly fools.

The tricks of the Yellow River running clear and sweet dew falling from the sky are one thing if they happen once or twice, but with so many auspicious omens, all of which are obviously absurd, who would actually believe them?

"But what makes you, the magistrate, think that the auspicious omens you presented won't be exposed? The court is a complex web of power; without someone backing you, even a genuine auspicious omen might not reach the Emperor's attention, let alone a fake one!"

Since Li Chong had gotten straight to the point, Xue Ming decided not to hold back either.

Auspicious omens are often used by court officials as a stepping stone to advancement, but such advancement is not easy to obtain. If you have no connections in the court, how can Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) possibly see your auspicious omens?

If Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) couldn't see it, why would he promote you?

Li Chong needs a more compelling reason to persuade Xue Ming to get involved in this matter.

Li Chong was prepared for this.

"Does Wenzhao know about the land reclamation order?" Li Chong asked softly.

Xue Ming naturally knew this.

Li Chong then laughed and said, "The land reclamation policy was originally issued to expand the government's revenue sources, but if revenue sources are expanded, it will inevitably infringe on the interests of the people. Therefore, although the government has issued a decree, the land reclamation policy has not been implemented smoothly, which has caused Prefect Wang a great headache."

"But if at this moment, I were to present the court with an auspicious omen, an omen concerning farmland and grain, what would the ministers of the court think? And who would object to this?"

Xue Ming suddenly realized that this was Li Chong's plan.

The land reclamation system was created by the old eunuch Yang Jian to help Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) amass wealth, and also to enrich himself.

However, Yang Jian could not control everything in the Northern Song Dynasty. His political enemies in the court and the constraints from the local governments all took up his energy.

Although, according to history, the land reclamation method was eventually implemented, Yang Jian himself was unaware of it.

If Li Chong presented Zhao Ji with auspicious omens under the guise of good fortune, and these omens were related to agriculture, there would be countless opportunities to exploit this situation.

only……

Xue Ming couldn't help but ask, "Didn't the county magistrate just say he wanted to set things right and rectify the court? Now, using auspicious omens to aid the evil laws, isn't that contradicting his previous statement?"

In the eyes of Xue Ming and other gentry, the land requisition was naturally an evil law.

Why should the imperial court take away the land they have accumulated over generations with a single decree?

Li Chong's hypocritical behavior is despicable, and Xue Ming's words also carried a bit of barb.

Li Chong didn't mind his rudeness, but instead asked, "Then Wenzhao, do you think that even if I didn't do this, the land reclamation could still continue?"

Xue Ming remained silent.

The answer was a no-brainer. In essence, Yang Jian was working for Zhao Ji. At this point in the Northern Song Dynasty, apart from fighting against the northern Rong and Di tribes, there was basically nothing that Zhao Ji wanted to do but couldn't.

Xue Ming may not know the intricacies of court politics, but just by looking at the actions of the prefecture, he knows that the court is determined to win this time.

Otherwise, the prefect wouldn't have personally handled this matter.

"Heh." Li Chong smiled faintly. "So, I still maintain that you need to get promoted first before you can properly govern the court. A county magistrate alone can't accomplish anything."

"Moreover, Wenzhao, don't forget that if I am valued by the Emperor because of this, it won't be a problem to protect one or two families with this influence. Relying solely on official land deeds won't stop those land-collecting envoys from Bianjing."

Xue Ming's expression shifted slightly.

After a long pause, he slowly spoke: "What auspicious omens does the county magistrate wish to present?"

Li Chong smiled in approval. Indeed, those who know when to yield are wise; Xue Ming is truly a smart man.

Even if he stubbornly refused Li Chong's offer, he couldn't stop Li Chong from going to find someone else.

Rather than being kept in the dark and knowing nothing at the time, it's better to listen to what Li Chong has to say first, so we can make plans in advance.

Moreover, Xue Ming also knew that most auspicious omens were deceptions; it was just a matter of whether the deceived believed them or not.

Based on Li Chong's reasoning, Xue Ming felt that even if the attempt to present auspicious omens failed, he shouldn't be implicated or blamed, so he could give it a try.

"I heard that a double-eared wheat plant is about to be discovered in Yanggu. Wheat with double ears is a very auspicious sign, and we should report the good news to the officials."

Li Chong made a prediction.

"Double-eared wheat, how... how do we do this?" Xue Ming's eyes showed confusion.

Li Chong shook his head: "You don't need to worry about Wen Zhao. Just find me an old farmer who is good at farming, and I'll take care of it."

Xue Ming clasped his hands in a fist salute: "After I return home and discuss it with my father, I will immediately reply to the county magistrate."

"Go ahead," Li Chong dismissed Xue Ming.

Watching Xue Ming leave, Li Chong's expression gradually turned serious. He had no choice but to approach Xue Ming.

Although Li Chong is no longer a lone commander, none of his current subordinates, whether Wu Song or Jia Zhuo, seem capable of handling this kind of task. He can only turn to these locals for help.

Moreover, auspicious events require the creation of momentum, which inevitably involves the cooperation of locals, and the Xue family is a good candidate.

"I hope you can make the right choice."