I studied in modern times

Chapter 1000 Advancing by a single step each day

As Zhao Xu listened to the flattery and praise from the four senior ministers, the smile on his lips never stopped.

Once the courtiers' flattery had subsided, Zhao Xu asked Wen Yanbo, "Grand Tutor, do you know how many gifts I bestowed upon Jiaozhi for the elephants they presented as tribute last year?"

Wen Yanbo had naturally heard of this, and immediately replied, "Your Majesty, I have heard that it is 100,000 strings of cash..."

"Yes!" Zhao Xu nodded. "Speaking of which, after learning about this, the chieftains of Jiaozhou all submitted petitions requesting to pay tribute with elephants!"

"The five clans of the southwest and the Dali Kingdom also want to offer elephants as tribute!"

"But I politely declined them all!"

These people all heard that the elephants from Jiaozhi (Vietnam) had been generously rewarded, and they all wanted to get rich as well.

"However, I ordered the Ministry of Rites to issue a decree to the five southwestern tribes and the Dali Kingdom..."

"Order them to offer rare stones and exotic trees as tribute to their country..."

"Now that I think about it, the tributes from the Five Tribes and the Dali Kingdom are all being prepared, and they should all arrive in Bianjing before the Dragon Boat Festival this year!"

The four senior officials could only lower their heads in response.

After hesitating for a moment, Su Song felt guilty and forced himself to look up, advising, "Your Majesty..."

"I have heard that the way the former kings governed was to value rare and precious goods..."

Zhao Xu smiled and said to Su Song, "Don't worry, my lord!"

"I never do business at a loss!"

"Even if Jiaozhi were given 100,000 strings of paper money, it would be the same!"

As he spoke, he held up one finger: "The reason I bestowed such a generous gift upon Jiaozhi is firstly because Jiaozhi pays tribute of two million shi of rice annually. Although one million shi of this rice is purchased through trade, it is still somewhat difficult for Jiaozhi to afford!"

"Giving him 100,000 strings of cash is to appease his heart!"

Having studied abroad in modern times, Zhao Xu knew that to become a hegemon and a big brother, one couldn't rely solely on brute force.

The younger guys need to know that following the big boss can make them rich.

Otherwise, even the most loyal henchman will eventually betray you.

Conversely, no matter how rebellious a traitor may be, it is difficult for them to make up their minds to defect under close economic ties.

"Secondly..." Zhao Xu held up a second finger: "That 100,000 strings of cash were not given to the Kingdom of Jiaozhi, but to Marquis Chongxian, Li Taide, to rectify the government and relieve the people!"

At this point, Zhao Xu's smile widened even more.

Last year, the people of Jiaozhi presented elephants as tribute, and King Li Qiande of Jiaozhi actually intended to repeat his old trick.

But Zhao Xu said—Get out!

Upon returning, Zhao Xu wrote a letter to Li Taide, the Marquis of Chongxian in Jiaozhi, ordering him to properly discipline the Jiaozhi court and prevent it from causing trouble for the Song Dynasty.

Legend has it that after receiving the news, Li Taide followed the example of Gao Cheng and punched the king in the temple of Jiaozhi in Thang Long Prefecture.

As for whether it's true or false?

Zhao Xu didn't know.

Anyway, as long as Li Taide's sincerity is there, that's enough.

The reward of 100,000 strings of cash was Zhao Xu's way of appreciating his sincerity.

The money was directly allocated by Zhao Xu to Guangxi and handed over to Li Taide by Gao Zunhui.

So, how could Li Taide not obey?

"The third reason..." Zhao Xu continued, "is that I also feel a little reluctant to do it!"

"The treacherous officials of Jiaozhi caused chaos and attacked and killed the soldiers and civilians of the Great Song Dynasty. I ordered the imperial army to punish them in accordance with the will of Heaven and the people, to relieve the people and punish the guilty. Afterwards, we will give them a small punishment as a warning and order Jiaozhi to pay tribute of rice to atone for their sins..."

"But what have the people of Jiaozhi done wrong?"

As Zhao Xu spoke, a crocodile tear rolled down his cheek: "That 100,000 strings of cash, consider it my way of comforting the people of Jiaozhi!"

As he spoke, Zhao Xu looked up at a 45-degree angle and sighed, "Mencius said: 'Seeing them alive, one cannot bear to see them die; hearing their cries, one cannot bear to eat their flesh...'"

"The people of Jiaozhi, though not my people, I have never seen them before!"

"But I still cannot bear to see them die of famine!"

Su Song immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty is benevolent and wise; your subject congratulates the entire nation!"

The three elders also bowed and said, "Your Majesty is benevolent and wise; we, your subjects, offer our congratulations to the nation!"

Zhao Xu lightly dusted off his sleeves and said calmly, "You may rise!"

He wouldn't tell these people the deeper reason—Jiaozhi was too poor!

They were so poor they couldn't afford to buy goods from Song Dynasty merchants, especially armor and weapons.

no way!
Zhao Xu had no choice but to step in and send money to the Jiaozhi people to buy Song Dynasty armor and weapons.

Moreover, what Zhao Xu bestowed upon them was paper money.

This is about cultivating the market and incidentally penetrating the financial system of Cochinchina.

As long as Li Taide gets used to and accepts Jiaozi (paper money), the Song Dynasty will have another source of financial output in the future.

Therefore, Zhao Xu will not only bestow paper money upon Li Taide this year.

He will be given paper money again next year!
Furthermore, Cai Jing and Gao Zunhui will personally teach the people of Jiaozhi how to leverage their geographical advantages and resource endowments.

At the same time, the amount of free tribute rice to Jiaozhi (Vietnam) will be gradually reduced.

This was intended to cultivate Jiaozhi (Vietnam) into the largest supplier of rice to the Song Dynasty.

Only in this way could Jiaozhi become a surplus country.

Of course, the only thing that could be in surplus was paper money.

After helping the four ministers to their feet, Zhao Xu said to Su Song, "Prime Minister Su, please trust me!"

"I am not the kind of person who indulges in pleasure and extravagance!"

"The tributes from the Five Tribes and the Dali Kingdom are all useful!"

The economic ties between the southwestern region and the Song Dynasty have become much closer in the past two years.

The main reason was that Zhao Xu opened the door—allowing merchants under the Tian family of Sizhou to trade in Jinghu South Road and Jinghu North Road.

At the same time, goods from the Song Dynasty, including ironware, were allowed to enter Sizhou for sale.

Furthermore, as the Song Dynasty advanced along its borders to the Fulong River, it gained complete control of the Youjiang River basin.

The tea-horse trade began to flourish.

Merchants from Dali and the Five Families could trade with the Song Dynasty more conveniently and quickly.

With Zhao Xu allowing monks from the Dali Kingdom to enter the Song Dynasty to study Buddhism, the first batch of Dali monks will arrive in Song this summer.

In this way, the southwestern region, which had been estranged and isolated from the Central Plains civilization for more than a hundred years since Emperor Taizu split the Dadu River with his jade axe, will be reconnected with the Central Plains in terms of economy, culture, and religion.

This will naturally cost money.

And it costs a lot of money.

Of course, Zhao Xu didn't suffer a loss either.

The southwest region has abundant mineral deposits.

In particular, Yunnan, where the Dali Kingdom was located, became a major source of copper ore for the Central Plains region during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Copper is not only money today, but also a strategic material—the Specialized Ordnance Bureau is currently testing cannons and muskets, and copper is the best raw material for them.

At least for now, no other metal can replace copper in the manufacture of firearms.

Su Song was unaware of all this, but he was still moved by Zhao Xu's sincerity, and his eyes reddened as he said, "Your Majesty...Your Majesty..."

As he spoke, this kind and honest elder in the court was moved to tears.

Throughout history, how many monarchs have ever explained their actions to their ministers, or even asked them to believe them?
At this moment, Su Song felt respected.

This was something he had only ever seen in history books before.

Zhao Xu held Su Song's hand, nodded to him, and said, "My lord, there's no need for further words!"

"I know you, my lord, and you know me too!"

Zhao Xu has always held Su Song in the highest esteem and respect, whether in his past life or now.

In his previous life, he was respected for his loyalty and integrity.

In this life, we respect his talent and honor his learning.

In Zhao Xu's eyes, this person is a leading scientific researcher at the academician level.

He and Shen Kuo became Zhao Xu's right-hand men.

And so, after a heartfelt exchange between the emperor and his subject, Zhao Xu revealed his true intentions and got down to business.

"Today, I, along with the three elders and Prime Minister Su, strolled through this Yujin Garden, observing the majestic elephants, learning about the stories of our ancestors, and understanding the virtues of the past emperors. I am filled with countless emotions!"

"Our ancestors faced great difficulties in establishing this dynasty, and I must uphold and safeguard it to ensure the prosperity of the nation and the well-being of the people and my subjects!"

"Your Majesty is wise!" the crowd exclaimed in unison, showering him with praise.

Zhao Xu waved his hand, then sighed, "Alas, I am young and know little about the affairs of the world and the nation!"

"Thanks to the assistance of the elders, the dedication of the ministers, and the protection of the Empress Dowager, we have achieved this!" Everyone replied, "This is all our duty!"

Seeing that the atmosphere had been set enough, Zhao Xu said, "Alas, talented people are hard to find, and ministers of state are even harder to find!"

"I wonder how many talented individuals will be selected for this year's imperial examinations?"

As he spoke, he looked toward Kaibao Temple, his face filled with anticipation and hesitation.

Now, even a fool would know that this official has some new idea up his sleeve.

Wen Yanbo, being the most adept at understanding Zhao Xu's thoughts, immediately said, half-testing and half-comforting, "Your Majesty, do not worry. This old minister has heard that this year's provincial examinations, including those for the regular Jinshi examinations, have nearly eight thousand candidates from all over the country participating..."

"Once the provincial examination results are released, the country will surely gain a new batch of talented individuals!"

"I hope so!" Zhao Xu said.

"However, even if the newly appointed scholars are talented, I am not familiar with them. They need to be tested in various prefectures and counties, and only after the great waves have washed away the sand will their true abilities be known!"

"To be honest, Grand Tutor... I'm a little anxious..."

Now not only Wen Yanbo, but everyone understood—the emperor wanted to use a group of people he knew.

In other words, they are people with connections.

No problem!

Throughout history, the Zhao emperors have always used connections and favors.

Those connected to the emperor have always been an important force in the court.

In a sense, it is a good thing that the current government is starting to actively promote a few of its close relatives, sons of high-ranking officials, or relatives of the emperor into the officialdom!

This indicates that the emperor is preparing to assume personal rule.

Then everyone bowed in unison and said, "Your Majesty, we humbly praise Your Majesty for your enlightened wisdom!"

"I am willing to listen to your virtuous teachings!"

Then they all pricked up their ears, while names flashed through their minds, and they also labeled those who might have connections, making it easier to fight them later.

kindness……

If the Emperor Zhao wants to promote people with connections, there's no problem, and they don't object.

However, they will definitely fight against those with connections.

Then, manipulate it with the rules.

In this way, the emperor will know that only civil officials and scholar-officials are his most capable ministers.

All other relatives of the emperor or nobles are utterly incompetent and not worth trusting!

This is how civil officials have been playing since the time of Emperor Yingzong.

The most typical example is Wang Guangyuan, a childhood friend of Emperor Yingzong when he was a prince.

Since Emperor Yingzong ascended the throne, Wang Guangyuan's future has been steadily improving.

As a result, the wealthy people of Bianjing (Kaifeng) began to vie to praise and promote Wang Guangyuan's calligraphy works.

At its peak, Wang Guangyuan's large-character calligraphy could fetch a thousand strings of cash per character!

Meanwhile, the authentic works of Cai Xiang, a great calligrapher of the same period as Wang Guangyuan, could not even sell for ten strings of cash on the market!
But in the end?

Wang Guangyuan never even received the treatment of a probationary official throughout his life.

He was posthumously awarded the title of Grand Counselor.

Wang Guangyuan was neither a spoiled brat nor a good-for-nothing.

In fact, he is very capable.

However, both within and outside the government, there was unanimous opposition.

They made things difficult for him everywhere, making it impossible for him to move forward or do what he wanted to do.

Ultimately, he could only die in despair.

But then again, did Wang Guangyuan really lose?

Not necessarily!

Because his granddaughter, Meng, is now by the emperor's side and has been granted the title of Lady of Yanchang County.

He was deeply loved by the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, with the Empress Dowager especially adoring him and treating him as her own son.

Even if Meng doesn't become empress in the future, she will still be guaranteed the title of imperial concubine.

Thus, the Wang family became relatives of the imperial family.

But it doesn't matter, because even those who have connections now might become the second Wang family.

That would be ten or twenty years from now.

By then, they were all long dead.

Therefore, Wen Yanbo, Zhang Fangping, Feng Jing, and Su Song all began to speculate in their hearts about who might be proposed for promotion by the emperor.

"The Yan brothers?"

"Or is it someone from the Empress Dowager's family?"

"Yang or...Cheng Yi?"

Yes, because Zhao Xu has been intentionally protecting Cheng Yi.

In addition, Zhao Xu once personally wrote an inscription for the spirit path stele of Cheng Yi's elder brother, Cheng Hao, and bestowed upon him the title: Master Mingdao.

Therefore, the government and the public now unanimously agree that Cheng Yi, this teacher without official rank, is a person who got the position through connections!

In other words, one of the founders of Zhu Xi and Cheng Yi's Neo-Confucianism is now regarded as a "prosperous person" by the literati.

It was thanks to Cheng Yi's upright character that he was not called a "petty person who seeks advancement".

By the way, the guy who is now considered a "lucky person" along with Cheng Yi is named Shen Kuo.

This is, undeniably, a very interesting thing.

Zhao Xu rubbed his hands together, then smiled and said, "I am truly gratified that you, my esteemed elders and ministers, are so loyal to me."

"To be honest, Grand Tutor..." Zhao Xu looked at Wen Yanbo, "I have been thinking about whether, in addition to this year's palace examination, we should add an imperial examination to select officials from the Imperial Academy!"

Everyone looked up at that moment.

It turns out they're not promoting relatives of the emperor, nobles, or people close to the emperor himself.
Or was it the Imperial Academy?

Without much hesitation, Wen Yanbo took the lead in bowing and said, "Your subject respectfully obeys your esteemed decree!"

The others hesitated for a moment, then bowed and said, "Your subjects respectfully obey your gracious decree!"

In their view, this matter was somewhat strange.

However, the late emperor's Three-Tier System stipulated that outstanding talents among the Imperial Academy students could be appointed to official positions after passing the examination for official appointment.

The top student in the Imperial Academy was even granted the title of Jinshi (进士).

When they were first appointed to official positions and assigned duties, they were treated the same as the top scorers in the imperial examinations.

Nowadays, the government has simply moved the provincial examinations from the Imperial Academy to the Imperial Palace, where they may be administered by the emperor himself, just like the palace examinations.

There's no problem!
The old and new parties had basically no disagreement on the issues of the Imperial Academy and the Three Dormitories System—the only objections were about what to use and what system to employ to teach and assess the students at the Imperial Academy.

Therefore, the Imperial Academy has always had both key figures from the New Party and core members of the Old Party.

Zhao Xu listened and smiled with satisfaction.

He knew that he had finally managed to pry open a hole in the rigid feudal imperial examination system.

If the name is not correct, the words will not be proper!

In the past, students of the Imperial Academy only took the examinations for official appointments at the Imperial Academy.

Although in name they could indeed be granted the titles of Tong Jinshi, Jinshi, or even Jinshi Jidi.

However, they are ultimately different from genuine Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations).

Just like the wife and the concubine.

However, after the Imperial Academy students passed the palace examination and were officially appointed, it was like marrying a concubine in a grand sedan chair carried by eight men.

"Lady" thus became "Madam"!
More importantly, since the Imperial Academy students can take the palace examination this year.

So, after a few years, will it be possible to hold the imperial examination for students majoring in mathematics, law, or even physics, chemistry, and engineering?

Zhao Xu's biggest advantage is precisely his young age.

If he takes good care of his health, he can gradually erode the millennia-old hegemony of Confucianism since Dong Zhongshu by making steady progress every day.

Like the Liu family, they can simply cloak their subjects like physics and chemistry in a Confucian guise.

We are all disciples of Confucianism, and what we have learned is the way of the sages.

If anyone questions it, just slap them—the sages of old taught according to the students' individual needs.

Thus he gained three thousand disciples, among whom were seventy-two sages.

How dare you assume that physical chemistry is not the study of sages?

(End of this chapter)