The Most Powerful Young Master of the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 29: Iron Head Technique

After Wang Bang left, Sima Guang reappeared. He hesitated for a moment before ordering, “Keep an eye on that kid.” “Your Excellency…” his confidant said with a hint of concern, “He is, after all, Wang Anshi’s son. Given the serious disagreements you currently have with Wang Anshi, wouldn’t secretly keeping tabs on his son—without going through Old Wang—lead to an even more difficult situation to handle?” Sima Guang rolled his eyes and said, “What’s there to fear? If the sky falls, I’ll take the blame. Can Wang Anshi really turn the world upside down? We must take advantage of his absence to get to the bottom of this kid’s shenanigans—that’s the only way.” Then he continued with the surveillance operation. Later, Sima Shengren discovered that now that Old Wang next door was away, the young man had completely abandoned all scruples and was brazenly embezzling eggs from the Wang family, sending them to Chen Jiaohu’s gang headquarters every single day. What was baffling was that the number of eggs kept increasing. At first, the kid had been embezzling about eight or nine, but in just a short time, the number had more than doubled. His subordinates reported that over the past couple of days, he’d been sending Chen Jiaohu roughly twenty eggs every day. What was strange, however, was that the Wang family hadn’t gained a single chicken—in fact, he and Wang Xiaoya had even caught and roasted two unruly ones to eat. “Are you certain the figures are correct? They have fewer than sixty chickens, yet they’re now producing twenty-five eggs a day?” Sima Guang looked somewhat surprised upon hearing the latest report. “That is indeed the case. How could this humble servant dare to deceive Your Excellency? Moreover, Chen Jiaohu is particularly fond of their eggs—they’re large, uniform in size, and perfectly shaped. Just by looking at them, even the wealthiest families would be pleased,” said his trusted subordinate. “Could they be mutated monsters—or perhaps harmful?” Sima Guang asked with concern. The trusted subordinate shook his head. “It’s certainly nothing of the sort. I specifically purchased two eggs on separate occasions and tasted them myself—they’re no different from ordinary eggs. Besides, Chen Jiaohu of the Egg Gang is a cautious man. These eggs are supplied exclusively to prominent figures in Shuzhou; if there were any problems, Chen Jiaohu would have been torn to pieces long ago.” At this, Sima Guang twirled his mustache and muttered, “That lad has let the teachings of the sages go to waste. I originally had high hopes for him, but for such a young upstart to have so many underhanded tricks up his sleeve—his intentions are clearly not pure.” A trusted subordinate said, “Minister, as for Magistrate Wang’s son, it’s true he’s a bit of a smooth operator, but that doesn’t quite amount to having an evil heart.” Sima Guang replied, “He is indeed of ill intent. Abandoning his studies to dabble in frivolous tricks—among us literati, that is called ‘neglecting one’s studies.’ I won’t even mention his narrow focus. The Wang family has received immense imperial favor and honor from the court, yet they show no desire to serve the nation and are steeped in the stench of money. They’ve even discovered a secret method to multiply eggs, yet they’re busy lining their own pockets. Tell me, is that what you call public-spiritedness? Is the son raised by Wang Anshi really as good as everyone says? In my opinion, Wang Anshi himself is just going through the motions.” “But even if he didn’t hand over the secret recipe to the court, it wouldn’t be wrong. Isn’t that standard practice in our dynasty?” The subordinate thought to himself, “Even my mother back home has a secret recipe for tofu.” Sima Guang, of course, knew that this was simply how things were done in the Song Dynasty, yet he just couldn’t accept Old Wang’s usual “selfless and impartial” facade… Soon, someone else arrived at the prefectural office. The middle-aged man, who looked like a scholar, said, “Young Master, the Prefect requests your presence once more.” “Judging by your demeanor and tone, this is merely an inquiry. Does that mean I don’t have to go?” Wang Bang asked. “Since you’re a free man, you’re certainly free to refuse, but it would be best if you went,” the scholar said with a rather peculiar expression. “Fine, if you say so, we’ll go. Let’s get this matter settled. Otherwise, with you lot sneaking around and tailing me all day—and since my household consists of nothing but women, children, and the elderly—if you scare them into a state of anxiety, the consequences will likely be quite serious,” Wang Bang chuckled. The scholar instantly broke out in a cold sweat. He felt that this little devil’s words seemed… somewhat frightening, yet he couldn’t quite treat them as a threat. Better to offend a gentleman than a villain. Our Prefect has likely picked the wrong person to cross. Old Wang next door is a gentleman—you can offend him at will—but Young Wang here looks every bit the little devil. “You’re overestimating me, young master,” the scholar murmured. By the time they had entered the inner chamber, Wang Bang had adopted an adorably childlike expression; biting his finger, he addressed him as “Honored Master.” At least he was being polite. Sima Guang nodded slightly and said, “Although you have neglected your studies, you have gained insights into agriculture and animal husbandry at such a young age. In any case, this is a blessing for our Great Song Dynasty and for the imperial family.” Wang Bang replied, “My mentor speaks with great insight. I, too, believe that serving the empire and the Emperor while setting aside personal interests is the fearless spirit of our kind—a principle that must be championed.” Sima Guang said, “Since this reflects the selfless spirit of our kind and demonstrates your understanding of these principles, it seems my esteemed nephew would have no objection to submitting the secret formula to the court?” “I agree. This is what my Wang family ought to do.” Wang Bang wore a peculiar expression. Hearing him agree in person, Sima Guang clapped his hand on the chair in delight and said, “In my entire life, what I’ve loved most is seeing the younger generation achieve great deeds. You are my student; your service to the dynasty, your loyalty and bravery toward the Emperor, and your accomplishments are also a source of honor for me.” Next, Wang Bang watched him put on a little show before saying, “So, Your Excellency will certainly document the full details and personally present this auspicious event of the Great Song Dynasty to the Emperor, won’t you?” At this, Sima Guang paused for a moment before realizing that this was the young man’s true motive. He could only reply awkwardly, “Very well, I promise you that. You may be a bit of a wheeler-dealer, but this is indeed your own research and invention. But to be so calculating at such a young age—it’s evident from your past actions that you don’t seem the least bit concerned about offending me. And now, at such a tender age, you’re already thinking of winning the Emperor’s favor. How can you possess such insight and cunning?” Wang Bang replied, “I don’t know the specifics—it was just a thought that popped into my head. Perhaps it’s like when you used to smash pots as a child.” Sima Guang replied with a peculiar expression, “The actions of a child prodigy are, of course, hard to fathom. In this world, many wonders remain unknown to humanity—you’re not wrong about that. However, don’t compare me to my childhood self. I, Sima Guang, wasn’t as filthy as you were back then.” Wang Bang thought Sima Guang’s IQ was probably no higher than ninety-seven. He wasn’t sure if the story about smashing the jar was even true—maybe Sima Guang had just been so scared that he ran away crying, but his feet got tangled, and when he fell, he bumped his head against the jar, accidentally becoming a hero by accident? Sigh. Wang Bang thought this possibility wasn’t far-fetched. After all, he really did have a thick skull—he stubbornly held his ground against the powerful Chancellor Wang Anshi for many years, wearing the old man down only to bounce right back up again. But he didn’t bounce back for long—after serving as chancellor for a few months, he followed in Wang Anshi’s footsteps and passed away. These two fated rivals were truly close buddies: they were born around the same time and died around the same time. Sima Guang lived a little over a year longer—and since time is money, he was theoretically “richer” than Wang Anshi. But the tragedy is that he spent his entire life in the shadow of the “Great Demon King,” never able to escape the influence of that giant. That said, he certainly had a thick skull, so it’s highly likely he used his “iron head technique” when smashing that jar.