Buying the Great Song

In the first year of the Kaiqing era of the Southern Song, the Great Song dynasty officially began its twenty-year countdown to destruction. Li Jianshang plunged headfirst into this age of war and chaos. He had no grand ambitions, asking only to live a wealthy life free from disaster and hardship. He went into business, planning to make one last fortune before the Southern Song fell, then disappear once he had amassed a fortune. By a stroke of fate, he became the emperor's son-in-law and found himself saddled with a father-in-law who loved borrowing money. Li Jianshang: “Your Majesty, you keep paying off your debts with fiefs and noble titles. At this rate, I’ll end up buying the whole Great Song. Please stop borrowing money from me.” Emperor Lizong of Song: “I intend to launch a northern campaign against the Mongols and unite the realm. The military funds are short, so I’ll borrow just one last time.” Li Jianshang: “Actually, I already control the Mongols’ economic lifeline. Just wait a few years, and they’ll fall apart from within all on their own.” Emperor Lizong: “...” [This is not official history. Many characters are fictional. The focus is on fun, so please don’t flame the author if it’s not to your taste.]