I studied in modern times

Chapter 918: Your Majesty’s Message
The fourth day of the tenth month of the second year of Yuanyou.

The Imperial City of Bianjing, above the Xuande Gate.

Zhao Xu stood on the towering city wall, watching the carriages and horses of Xihe civil and military officials, led by Lu Huiqing, Xiang Zonghui, and Gao Gongji, going away.

The Grand Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager Xiang also stood beside him, shedding tears as they watched their loved ones leave Beijing.

At this moment, countless women and children in Bianjing City were crying together with the Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager Xiang.

Because, this time when they returned to Beijing, a large number of nobles in the capital had established connections with the Xiang and Gao families.

They stuffed their sons and nephews around these two royal relatives.

This was a common practice among people in Bian Jing.

Over the past few decades, whenever there has been progress in the Northwest.

These noble families would find ways to send their sons and nephews to the front lines to make achievements.

During the Renmiao period, he was defeated in three battles: Haoshuichuan, Sanchuankou and Dingchuanzhai.

The entire Bianjing was in mourning, and almost every family was in mourning.

When Gao Zunyu was expanding the border, he had dozens of aides in Bianliang around him.

The number of people from Bian Jing serving in his army reached over a thousand.

When the news of his defeat at the city of Lingzhou reached Bianliang, most of the city was filled with cries.

This is also the reason why the peace faction has a voice in the court - if the war fails, it will not only be the soldiers and common people who have nothing to do with the people of Bianliang who will die.

There are also their fathers, brothers and children!
However, last year, the Song Dynasty won a great victory over the coalition forces of Western Xia and Tubo.

The minds of the people in Bian Jing began to become active again.

When Xiang Zonghui and Gao Gongji returned to Beijing, countless people related to the Xiang and Gao families began to find ways to plead for mercy.

A large number of nobles, relatives by marriage, and people who are related to these people are trying hard to put people around Xiang Zonghui and Gao Gongji.

So, today, when Lu Huiqing, Xiang Zonghui and Gao Gongji bid farewell to the emperor and left the capital.

There were thousands more people from Bian Jing in their team.

There are sons of foreign relatives and noble families, as well as nephews and nephews of officers and generals of the imperial guards.

But most of them are ordinary people from Bian Jing.

As for your question, how did a commoner from Bian Jing get in touch with the royal family?
The answer is simple - help pass the belt.

These people may not be able to establish connections with the Xiang family and the Gao family.

But they just need to cling to the thighs of those who are related to the Xiang family and the Gao family.

Moreover, the children of noble families and the nephews and nieces of the officers and generals of the imperial guards also need help.

What better helper could there be than a good family man whose background is known to you and whose parents, wife and children are all within your sphere of influence?

So, it's a mutually beneficial thing.

Many children from commoner families were even actively recruited.

Thus, the current scene on both sides of the Imperial Road appeared - fathers sending their sons, mothers sending their children, wives sending their husbands. For a moment, the entire Imperial Road was filled with people with tears in their eyes.

Zhao Xu looked at this scene and fell into silence.

"Who said the people of Song were cowardly?" he murmured in his heart.

Since Yuanhao's rebellion, not only the soldiers and civilians along the border of Shaanxi have shed blood and tears.

Countless elders sent their sons and nephews to the battlefield.

The people of Bianjing also shed blood and tears.

They sent their children to the battlefield time and time again.

They are no worse than the people of Han and Tang dynasties!

Even the common people in the extremely commercialized city of Bianjing!
Since it is not the people's problem, then where is the problem?

Zhao Xu raised his head slightly: "It's a system problem!"

Emperor Zhao, civil officials and literati... everyone has a responsibility.

Including Zhao Xu himself!
In his previous life, he lived too short a life!
Even if he had lived a few more years, he could have survived until the Dangxiang rebels were wiped out and until the reforms that Zhang Dun supported were completed.

The Song Dynasty might not have perished at the hands of Zhao Ji!
Since it is an institutional problem, it must be reformed.

Without reform, there is only one way to go: death!
If there is no reform, the tombs of our ancestors will be dug up.

If he doesn't reform, someone will come to dance on his grave!
……

"My dear..." Wang Dafu, who had changed his name to Wang Shunchen, looked towards his wife who was holding her child and crying at the side of the imperial road.

His wife obviously saw him as well, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Shunchen, go and say goodbye to your wife!"

Xiang Zongji was riding on a horse and saw Wang Shunchen's appearance and spoke to him.

Wang Shunchen shook his head and said, "Captain, I am a soldier, and soldiers should put military discipline first!"

Xiang Zongji listened, looked at him deeply, nodded and praised: "Good!"

In fact, he and Wang Shunchen are now relatives - last month, Xiang Zongji selected a daughter from the Xiang clan's side branch and betrothed her to Wang Shunchen's eldest son.

This was a common practice among the noble families in Bian Jing - when they met a talented person, if he had no wife, they would marry his daughter to him; if he already had a wife, they would choose someone from the side branches and make an agreement of marriage with him.

Marriage is to unite two families, to serve the ancestral temple, and to benefit future generations!

Since ancient times, there has been no better way to attract talents than marriage!
Don’t you see that even the emperor had to promise the leaders of the various tribes in Xihe and make marriage agreements with them to consolidate their loyalty?

As Wang Shunchen walked in the team, he looked back from time to time at his wife and children behind him.

His wife and other family members who came to see them off followed the procession and accompanied them along the Imperial Street.

They were escorted across the Zhou Bridge, along the westward imperial road, and all the way to the outside of the new city of Bianjing.

Wang Shunchen didn't breathe a sigh of relief until his wife and children gradually disappeared from his sight.

It was also at this time that he heard sobbing coming from the team behind him.

"Shut up!" Wang Shunchen glared at these people and said, "Since you have followed me to Xihe to guard the border, you should win the heart of this woman!"

"On the battlefield, the enemy's axes are unreasonable!"

These people are all children from the neighborhood who came to him for shelter.

He watched many people grow up.

So, after the reprimand, Wang Shunchen began to comfort them softly: "When you arrive in Xizhou, I will arrange for you to work in the Inspection Office. After the New Year, I will recommend you to the state government, and everyone will be able to get 50 acres of wasteland, which can be used to cultivate and grow cotton..."

"If you work hard, you can save hundreds of guan in less than two years!"

"By then, my parents, wife, and children will all be able to rely on you and live!"

After listening to Wang Shunchen's words, these young people finally cheered up from the sorrow and sadness of leaving home.

The main thing is that the "hundreds of strings of cash savings" mentioned by Wang Shunchen really made them excited!
These young people who grew up outside the new city of Bianjing have suffered from poverty since childhood.

At the same time, they also witnessed the happiness and power of those luxurious families in Bianliang City.

Therefore, they are eager to get rich.

As long as there is a chance to get rich, they can pay any price.

Wang Shunchen looked at these young faces and couldn't help but think of his brother who was far away in Jiaozhi: "I wonder how my brother's spear is doing in Jiaozhi?"

His biggest regret during the days he visited his relatives in Bian Jing was that he did not receive any letters from Guangxi.

(End of this chapter)