I studied in modern times

Chapter 1004 Lü Huiqing's Advance (2)

"Lu Huiqing, Lu Huiqing...you truly are worthy of your title!"

Zhao Xu muttered to himself, as if a minister, who was not tall and thin but had a firm and murderous look in his eyes, appeared before him like a drawn sword.

He was an absolute anomaly among contemporary literati.

Since he entered politics, Lü Huiqing's actions have consistently challenged the sensitivities of others and the rules of politics.

A low-ranking official will inevitably be superior to his superiors!
As a local official, one must break with outdated customs and bad habits!
He read Laozi and Zhuangzi for the sake of Confucian scholars, and then used their teachings to embellish Shang Yang's laws.

He was a scholar-official who wrote books to defend against killing!

As a subject, he submitted a memorial stating, "How can the emperor be inactive, and how can the ministers be proactive?"

So, in his previous life, Zhao Xu summoned him but dared not use him, and could only quickly send him away to harm others.

At that time, Zhao Xu only felt that he could not grasp or control Lü Huiqing.

But they don't understand why they can't grasp it or control it.

Now, Zhao Xu understands.

“If used properly, Lü Huiqing is naturally a sharp sword that can destroy mountains and temples and change customs!”

Zhao Xu slowly stood up, holding the golden seal of military governor bestowed upon Zhang Yichao and his descendants by the Tang Dynasty, as well as Lü Huiqing's memorial.

"But what if he doesn't use it well..."

"In the future, I'm afraid it will be the Cromwell of the Zhao family!"

Just like Wang Anshi's style of governance, he regarded himself as a teacher and minister, comparing himself to the Duke of Zhou, and demanding that the emperor listen to him and trust him unconditionally.

But that was the end for Wang Anshi.

A minister is always a minister. For Wang Anshi, once the emperor showed doubt towards him and was no longer willing to give him complete trust, he was doomed.

Then he would resign without hesitation.

He would resign and leave without the emperor even needing to give him a hint.

Lü Huiqing was different.

If he were to seize power, and if the emperor were to control the court and subdue the ministers, then all would be well.

If not...

Your Majesty, please follow the Way of Heaven and govern by non-interference!

Please entrust the affairs of the world to your humble servant!

otherwise……

As for the matter of Yi and Huo, I am capable of handling it!
This is something that Lü Huiqing can and is capable of doing.

Thinking of this, Zhao Xu suddenly laughed: "In my past life, if I had dared to employ Lü Huiqing..."

"Then, Zhao Ji probably won't be able to ascend the throne at all!"

People like Lü Huiqing have no idea what it means to admit defeat!

If his proposals fail to pass at the succession meeting, he will immediately lash out, issue an edict in the name of the prime minister, take control of the imperial city, and then summon civil and military officials, coercing their power to fight against the Empress Dowager Zeng Bu.

What Prince Duan?
This frivolous person does not resemble a ruler at all!

A single sentence can suffice to negate it.

This is absolutely something that Lü Huiqing would do, is capable of doing, and dares to do.

Just look at the memorials he sent back now, and you'll know.

In his memorial, Lü Huiqing mentioned three things.

First: He told Zhao Xu that he had already reached an agreement with Liang Yifu.

Descendants of the Guiyi Army who have family genealogies or can name their ancestors can all be redeemed by the Song Dynasty for 50 strings of fine iron coins per person.

Liang Yifu has already agreed.

In addition, I spent 10,000 strings of fine iron coins to buy from Liang Yifu the seal, official robes, and ceremonial regalia of the former Jiedushi of Guiyi Army.

These things were obtained by Liang Yifu from the Western Xia treasury in Xingqing Prefecture because he coveted the fine iron coins promised by the minister.

From then on, Xingqing Prefecture would certainly be extremely wary of Liang Yifu.

The brother and sister will probably become completely estranged from now on.

Second: Lü Huiqing told Zhao Xu that he had already established 'Cotton Voucher Offices' in Lanzhou and Xizhou according to Zhao Xu's wishes, and was in charge of the annual cotton purchase, negotiation and pricing of cotton in Xizhou and other prefectures.

This was indeed something Zhao Xu asked him to do.

But what Zhao Xu didn't expect was that Lü Huiqing did it too well!

Lu Huiqing sent Zhao Xu a detailed set of rules and regulations for the cotton bond exchange.

Following Lü Huiqing's method, from then on, the cotton farms in Xihe entered an era of government monopoly and private purchase!

Along Xihe Road, all the cotton from the cotton farms would sign a cotton contract with the contracting office the moment the cotton was sown.

Agree on the upper and lower limits of the price in advance, and pay a deposit.

When harvest time arrives, merchants from the brokerage firm will come to the cotton fields in groups to buy cotton on-site.

Bidding is conducted within the pre-agreed lower and upper limits of the purchase price range.

That's not all. In Lü Huiqing's design, this cotton bond office, although an official institution...

However, the brokerage firm only signed purchase agreements with cotton plantation owners, stipulating the lower and upper limits of the purchase price.

However, the ones who actually used money to buy cotton were the merchants who held the 'Cotton Merchant License' issued by the certificate authority.

As for why the government doesn't intervene directly?
Lü Huiqing explained that this was done in accordance with imperial orders and based on Fujian traditions.

In Fujian, futures trading involves agreements and contracts between private merchants and landowners.

He also said that if the government intervenes arbitrarily, it may be suspected of "competing with the people for profit".

It would be better to involve private merchants and have them purchase cotton and import it into the capital.

In this way, the people benefit, the court can avoid corruption and waste, and the workshops in Bianjing can obtain cotton raw materials in a timely manner.

It's a win-win-win situation!

As for the third thing.

This is related to the Western Regions.

Lü Huiqing said that Aligu from Qingtang City sent someone to report that there seemed to be a war in the Western Regions, the Silk Road had been cut off, and the number of foreign merchants coming from the Western Regions had decreased sharply.

Therefore, he requested permission to organize a mission to the Western Regions to see what was really going on.

He had already chosen the people; as long as Zhao Xu nodded, they could set off immediately.

Each of these three incidents showcases Lü Huiqing's distinctive personal style—boldness, strong initiative, and extreme arrogance.

Yes, arrogant!
Take the golden seal of the Guiyi Army as an example.

Originally, Zhao Xu had instructed Lü Huiqing, the Ministry of Rites, and Shaanxi Province to respectively negotiate with Liang Yifu and Empress Dowager Xiao Liang of Xingqing Prefecture.

Send Lü Huiqing to discuss with Liang Yifu the redemption of the descendants of the Guiyi Army, and send the Ministry of Rites and Shaanxi to discuss with Empress Dowager Liang the redemption of the seals, ceremonial regalia, and official robes bestowed by the Tang Dynasty and captured by the Dangxiang after the destruction of the Guiyi Army.

As a result, after receiving the task, Lü Huiqing did not consult with his superiors and directly reached an agreement with Liang Yifu.

He might even have done it on his own initiative.

Otherwise, why would Liang Yifu send people to Xingqing Prefecture to steal the Guiyi Army's seals, ceremonial regalia, and official robes hidden in the Western Xia ancestral temple?

Ironically, Lü Huiqing even boasted to Zhao Xu in his memorial that if the Western bandits were to fall into internal strife in the future, this would be the reason for their current predicament.

indeed!

Originally, Empress Dowager Liang in Xingqing Prefecture and Liang Yifu, who was leading troops outside and dared not return, almost distrusted each other.

The reason they didn't openly split was simply because they were forced to stick together for warmth when faced with external enemies.

However, Liang Yifu's attitude towards the orders of Xingqing Prefecture was one of obeying orders but not proclamations.

He gathered a group of men and, under the guise of being the Prime Minister and the Left Wing Commander-in-Chief, occupied Lingzhou and used force to control the Hexi Corridor.

He would obey orders from Xingqing Prefecture if they pleased him, and ignore them if they did not.

This caused Empress Dowager Liang from Xingqing Prefecture to go to the capital to file a complaint several times—this was something Yelü Hongji told Zhao Xu when he was showing off the military might of the Liao Dynasty.

Yelü Hongji even wanted to involve Zhao Xu in mediating the 'sibling feud' among the Tanguts.

As for whether it was a physical mediation, Yelü Hongji didn't say, and Zhao Xu didn't ask either.

Under such circumstances, Lü Huiqing's actions were bound to anger the young Empress Dowager Liang of Xingqing Prefecture.

Empress Dowager Liang was someone Zhao Xu had fought against remotely in his previous life.

Therefore, Zhao Xu knew that she was a woman with lofty ambitions but little talent, and who was arrogant and self-righteous. Thus, Lü Huiqing was indeed right—if the Tanguts were to truly engage in civil war in the future, his actions today would definitely be one of the contributing factors.

Just ...

Did Lü Huiqing not realize that by doing this, he was offending the officials from the Ministry of Rites and Shaanxi Province who were originally ordered by Zhao Xu to negotiate with Empress Dowager Xiao Liang?

To put it bluntly, his behavior is called "stealing the peach" or "picking the fruit."

Zhao Xu guessed that Lü Huiqing knew.

What an intelligent person he is!

How could you not know this?

But he did it anyway.

This is a blatant disregard for the Ministry of Rites and the relevant parties in Shaanxi, and for those responsible for the negotiations.

He offended everyone, from Xing Shu, who was in charge of the Ministry of Rites, to Fan Chun, the Shaanxi Transport Commissioner who was specifically responsible for liaising with the Western Xia!

however……

“Lu Huiqing doesn’t care!” Zhao Xu said softly, trying to guess Lu Huiqing’s feelings.

Based on Zhao Xu's understanding of Lü Huiqing, he was probably quite pleased with himself!
only……

"Doesn't he care that I suspect him?"

To put it bluntly, Lü Huiqing's actions are nothing short of reckless!
Without receiving any instructions, he acted as he pleased.

This means that the military commanders along the border did not follow the battle formations bestowed by the emperor in Bianjing, and did not even conceal them, but directly deployed their troops.

If it were any other Zhao emperor, an envoy would already be heading straight to Xihe with an imperial decree.

At the very least, Lü Huiqing will be stripped of one official rank and lose most of his power.

If it's serious, he should be dismissed from his post and sent back to Fujian to live a secluded life!
so……

"Is he testing me?" Zhao Xu rubbed his hands together, and the more he thought about it, the more convinced he became!

Others might not.

But Lü Huiqing is indeed capable of doing such a thing!
This guy has absolutely no sense of respect!
They don't even understand what fear is.
If he gets the chance, he'll go all in!

So this time, just like when he promoted the market exchange law in Bianjing, Lü Huiqing went all in!

He bet everything!
He bet Zhao Xu would tolerate him!

Just like the market exchange law of that time, Lü Huiqing was eyeing Zhao Xu's father, the emperor, and his desire to make money.

Zhao Xu held the memorial in his hand, took it to the candlestick, and read it again.

Ultimately, his gaze settled on the rules and regulations of the cotton bond exchange.

After a long while, Zhao Xu let out a sigh of relief, then laughed: "Lü Jifu!"

You win!

Zhao Xu had to admit that the Fujianese man had won the bet.

He accurately assessed Zhao Xu's feelings and predicted his thoughts.

You don't need to look at anything else; just look at the rules and regulations of the Cotton Securities Exchange and you'll know.

Who was Lü Huiqing in the past?

Cruel officials!

Cruel officials who would stop at nothing to make money!
After the Xining Reform began, Lü Huiqing was the first minister to take the lead in exploiting the people and merchants to bleed them dry and fill the national treasury.

Wang Zijing, Wu Juhou, and Jian Zhoufu were all younger brothers in front of Lü Huiqing.

But now, Lü Huiqing has changed his tune and is loudly calling on the government to avoid 'competing with the people for profit'.

They even sent cotton bond offices, which were obviously lucrative and had numerous political achievements, to merchants.

It's possible that Lü Huiqing had already made arrangements with the local bullies in Xihe when she did this.

He, the local bullies, along with the Xiang and Gao families, all shared the spoils.

Of course, Lü Huiqing might pretend to leave some scraps for others.

But none of this matters.

The important thing is that after he did this, the cotton plantation owners, bureaucratic group, and military aristocracy in Xihe were truly bound together!

The Xihe Military Cotton Field Aristocratic Group was thus formed!
The Han dynasty's Longyou youths and the Sui and Tang dynasty's Guanzhong military groups all operated in this way.

This is why Zhao Xu believed that Lü Huiqing might be the Cromwell of the Zhao family.

This guy would have Cromwell's opportunities and power.

He could really be Cromwell!
As for why it was Cromwell, and not Sima Yi or Yang Jian?
The answer lies in Lü Huiqing's character.

He is actually an idealist.

However, he was different from Wang Anshi and Sima Guang.

Zhao Xu read his surviving works, including "Commentary on Laozi", "Interpretation of Zhuangzi", and "County Law", in modern times.

According to Zhao Xu's teacher, Lü Huiqing's book seems to be full of Lao-Zhuang philosophy of tranquility and inaction, but if you look closely, you can see the meaning between the lines: the emperor does nothing, but the ministers do something!

Simply put, it's a Confucian version of a constitutional monarchy.

This is derived from Wang Anshi's ideas.

Wang Anshi only wanted to be a tutor, but Lü Huiqing wanted more than just that; he also wanted to solidify the system—the emperor was a sage, so naturally everyone should listen to him.

But what if the emperor isn't a saint?
Then let's choose a sage (like Lü Huiqing) to assist the emperor!
As for what the emperor does?
Of course, they should frantically try to produce offspring in the palace, striving to give the world a holy imperial heir as soon as possible!
Thinking about all this, Zhao Xu's gaze had already swept over the written request from Lü Huiqing to allow him to send someone to the Western Regions to see the situation there, and whether it was true or false.

"He really just wanted to go and see?"

Why didn't Zhao Xu believe it?
Does Lü Huiqing act without a clear purpose?
He's incredibly bold!

There's nothing he wouldn't dare to do!
and so……

Zhao Xu's eyes flickered: "Could he be thinking of following in the footsteps of the Liu family's Han envoys?"

Thinking back to the Han Dynasty, Han envoys traveled to all corners of the world.

Their main tactic is to spread taunts everywhere, risking their own lives to gamble with the fate of other people's nations and the lives of countless people!
If he makes a sarcastic remark and angers someone, and is killed by them, then the Han army will avenge him.

His wife, children, and parents, on the other hand, were able to achieve upward social mobility.

If the other party softens, backs down, or even surrenders in the face of threats and intimidation.

That would be even better!
After returning to the capital, fame and fortune will come rolling in!

No one else would have the guts to do that.

But what Lü Huiqing said...

There's nothing he wouldn't dare to do!

"I must give him a good scolding!" Zhao Xu turned around and walked towards the desk.

Lü Huiqing is an unparalleled sharp sword!
It can harm others, but it can also harm oneself.

Zhao Xu knew this in his previous life.

In his previous life, he was not confident enough to wield this peerless sword.

But now, he wanted to try it out and see what it felt like to hold the sword.

Even if he was covered in cuts and bruises, Zhao Xu accepted it.

It wasn't just because he wanted to challenge himself.

At the same time, Zhao Xu knew that like-minded friends were rare, and like-minded rulers and ministers were even rarer!
Moreover, Zhao Xu could actually grant Lü Huiqing's request.

However, he cannot be the one to act as the figurehead ruler.

Besides that, I don't care who it is!

He even prepared for his descendants to be sent to the guillotine by the revolting workers/army.

Having lived three lifetimes, Zhao Xu now has very low moral standards.

All he asked for was to avoid having his bones dug up after his death and carried away by wild dogs.

As for the rest?
Descendants will have their own blessings!
Moreover, to be honest, Zhao Xu felt that the Song Dynasty, under a nominal ruler, might have an even longer reign.

After all, a virtual ruler is essentially someone who doesn't need to take responsibility.

Without responsibility, there is no crime.

(End of this chapter)