I studied in modern times

Chapter 964 Crouching Dragon and Phoenix Chick
On December 14, the second year of Yuanyou, in Chuigong Hall.

Li Wensheng, the nearly sixty-year-old envoy from Jiaozhi, bowed in the palace and reported to Zhao Xu on the situation in Jiaozhi over the past year since Li Taide returned to his country.

Naturally, there are good and bad things.

The good thing is that the Song Dynasty’s grace will last forever, and the people of Jiaozhi will enjoy this grace.

Therefore, the whole country was grateful and worked hard day and night to fulfill their tribute obligations to the emperor on time.

As for the bad side?

Of course, it is the evil and immoral Champa and Zhenla, two bad guys who deserve to be killed a thousand times!
In Le Van Thang's description, the Champa and Chenla people have gathered all the evil aspects of human beings.

They do not read the books of Confucius and Mencius, do not respect rites and laws, do not know benevolence and righteousness, and treat humans as animals.

Not only that, he also took pleasure in killing people, tortured scholars, and often blasphemed the poems and books of saints.

He cited many examples to describe the evils of Champa and Chenla.

After listening to this, Zhao Xu pursed his lips.

Because he felt that Li Wensheng was probably blaming Champa and Chenla for the evil deeds committed by the Jiaozhi people in Champa and Chenla.

But it doesn’t matter!

"My dear minister...are Champa and Zhenla really like this?" Zhao Xu said in fake shock.

"How dare I lie to Your Majesty!" Li Wensheng bowed his head and swore, "If I say even one word falsely, Your Majesty, I beg you to execute me outside Xuande Gate!"

"How can I not believe your words, my dear minister?" Zhao Xu laughed.

But in my heart, I didn't believe a single word of what this person said!

This was probably because the envoy was an old acquaintance of the Song Dynasty.

As early as when Guo Kui went south to fight, he served as a negotiation official on the Jiaozhi side and negotiated with the Song Dynasty.

Because he was familiar with the culture and etiquette of the Central Plains, he was able to gain the upper hand with his words many times during the negotiations.

Therefore, the people of Jiaozhi were very satisfied with his negotiation results.

During the Yuanfeng period, he continued to be sent to negotiate with the Guangxi region of the Song Dynasty.

He really got the upper hand!
In the first year of Yuanfeng, the Song Dynasty and Jiaozhi reached a peace agreement thanks to this man's negotiation efforts.

He exchanged Guangyuanzhou, Shunzhou, and Gulangzhou, which he had gained in the southern expedition, for the return of Jiaozhi and the tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians he had looted from Lianzhou, Qinzhou, and Yongzhou.

Because of this, Li Wensheng became famous in Jiaozhi, almost as famous as Li Changjie!
Of course, Le Van Thang was able to achieve such a peace agreement.

In fact, it was also related to the fact that the Song Dynasty could not occupy Jiaozhi for a long time. At that time, the Song Dynasty had no preparation or experience in epidemic prevention, especially in preventing malaria and cholera.

As a result, a large number of civil and military officials and soldiers of the Song Dynasty who were stationed in Shunzhou, Guolangzhou and other places in the north of Jiaozhi fell ill and died.

The high mortality rate caused the Song Dynasty court to begin to waver.

At this time, Li Wensheng gave a way out in time - asking to return Lian, Qin, Yong and other states to relocate the officials and civilians.

The Song Dynasty court naturally took advantage of the situation.

In the sixth year of Yuanfeng, it was this guy again who bribed, lobbied, and intimidated Cheng Zhuo, the left and right Jiangdu inspectors who presided over the negotiations of the Song Dynasty.

Cheng Zhuo agreed to transfer (actually put under house arrest) Nong Zhihui and Nong Zongdan, who strongly hated Jiaozhi, and to cede the six counties of Bao, Le, Lian, Yang, Ding and Fang outside the two Dong borders of Wuyang and Wu'e in Guihua Prefecture to Jiaozhi.

Fortunately, Zhao Xu promptly restored order, convicted Cheng Zhuo of his crime, and put him under house arrest.

Then they released Nong Zhihui, Nong Zongdan and other Nong family members who were mortal enemies with Jiaozhi.

They were even promoted to higher positions.

With these chieftains who were familiar with the local situation in Jiaozhi and had a blood feud with the Jiaozhi people as the core, before Zhang Dun's southern expedition, he had already contacted a large number of anti-Giaozhi chieftains and chiefs in the north of Jiaozhi.

This led to the glorious victory of Yuanyou's Southern Expedition.

Today, the people of Jiaozhi once again invited back this old man who once created a diplomatic miracle.

They hoped that he could use his familiarity with the political and cultural system of the Song Dynasty to gain benefits for Jiaozhi.

Zhao Xu stood up, stepped down from the throne, and looked at Li Wensheng: "My dear Li..."

"If what you said is true, then Jiaozhi is now the front line of Chinese poetry, literature, rituals and music against the barbaric and brutal countries of Champa and Zhenla!"

Li Wensheng swallowed his saliva and quickly prostrated himself and kowtowed: "Your Majesty is wise and wise!"

"Although Jiaozhi is small, we are willing to serve Your Majesty as a shield against the barbarians and prevent China from being harmed!"

"Good!" Zhao Xu stroked his hand and praised: "Jiaozhi can have such a thought, it can be called a country of gentlemen!"

Whether it is Champa or Zhenla.

In fact, strictly speaking, it belongs to the vassal system of the Song Dynasty.

The two kingdoms of Champa and Zhenla also paid tribute to the Song Dynasty many times in history.

During the Zhenmiao period, the Song Dynasty introduced Champa rice, a fine rice variety from Champa, and promoted it in the southern regions.

The promotion of Champa rice has increased the rice harvest rate in Liangzhe, Guangdong and Guangxi, Fujian and other places from once a year to twice a year (Champa rice is an early rice).

However, Zhao Xu has now quietly expelled them from the Song Dynasty's vassal system.

Not only did he sit idly by and watch Gao Zunhui and others intercept and kill the envoys from Champa and Zhenla.

He also sold the Song Dynasty's armor and weapons directly to Li Taide, and provided Li Taide with blood transfusions through rice trade.

This means letting the Jiaozhi people serve as swordsmen and do the dirty work for the Song Dynasty.

This is a bit hypocritical though.

It can even be said to be childish.

But there is no way!
Who can blame the moral standards of the literati in the Song Dynasty for being so high!
Those who are tall don’t look like people from medieval jungle society!
It even exceeds the moral level of some modern anthropomorphic civilized countries!

In order to prevent the soldiers from killing innocent people for credit, the ruling group of a feudal dynasty actually came up with the idea of ​​raising the reward for captured women and children to the same level as beheading!

And this is what the literati of the Song Dynasty did.

That's why Zhao Xu deliberately left Jiaozhi.

That is why the chieftains of the eight states of Jiaozhou were given extremely high status.

no way!
If the Song Dynasty wants to live in peace and tranquility, someone has to carry the burden forward.

What's more, Zhao Xu actually didn't like the two countries of Champa and Zhenla.

Because, in Zhao Xu's eyes, these two countries have been infected with the plague.

It is called the Plague of Brahmanism.

Especially Champa, they not only completely believe in Brahmanism, but also completely replicate the caste system of Brahmanism in their country.

Chenla (Angkor Dynasty) was relatively better.

Because they now seem to have converted to Buddhism and started building Angkor Wat.

However, the influence of Brahmanism still penetrates into every aspect of this kingdom and is mixed with Buddhist beliefs.

The vitality of the caste system is not just talk.

In modern India, even Christianity, Islam and even Sikhism can be infected by Brahmanism and evolve into castes!
Can Zhenla be immune to this?

I'm afraid not!
So Zhao Xu walked to the front of the red wall and said to Li Wensheng: "I have heard that those who carry firewood for the public should not be allowed to drown in the wind and snow!"

"Jiaozhi's resistance to the brutality of the barbarians is a righteous cause!"

"I am the ruler of the world, I cannot turn a blind eye!"

"How about this!"

"When you return home, tell everyone in Jiaozhi that starting next year, the tribute rice from Jiaozhi can be increased to 100,000 dan per year and purchased at the market price!"

"The price of rice in Bianjing will still be used as the standard!"

Li Wensheng listened and was ecstatic.

To be precise, the Jiaozhi people should be a group of military aristocrats headed by Li Taide.

Under the guidance of Zhao Xu's rice trade, it has now become a deformed monster that expands outward. This year, the Jiaozhi people used all means to fulfill their tribute obligations to the Song Dynasty.

Two million shi of rice drained the last bit of grain from the government treasury and the people of Jiaozhi.

However, Li Taide suddenly discovered that this was profitable.

The price of rice in Bian Jing is among the lowest in the Song Dynasty.

But in Jiaozhi, it is a sky-high price!

Far higher than the market price in Jiaozhi.

Moreover, the Song Dynasty traded with the Jiaozhi people using copper coins.

This is crucial!

Because copper coins can be used to buy all the goods that the Jiaozhi people want in the Song Dynasty.

Cloth, medicinal materials, ironware, lacquerware, and even armor!
What's more, after Li Taide returned to China, he turned his troops around and focused on expanding towards Champa and Zhenla.

On the one hand, they expanded their territory and seized large tracts of fertile land (Champa and Chenla now occupy the fertile Mekong Delta region).

At the same time, a large number of captured Champa and Chenla people were sold to the sugarcane plantations in Jiaozhou.

Now they have begun to imitate the sugarcane plantations in Jiaozhou.

Large rice plantations were established on the newly acquired land.

The captured men were used as laborers on the plantations.

Therefore, rice exports have become the main source of financial resources for Li Taide of Jiaozhi.

Relying on selling rice, Jiaozhi State's fiscal revenue was actually more than in the first year of Yuanyou, before Zhang Dun's southern expedition!

Under this black humor, Zhao Xu promised that starting from next year, the rice that Jiaozhi originally needed to pay tribute to the Song Dynasty free of charge could be reduced by 100,000 shi each year and converted into purchased rice.

This increase and decrease meant an additional 150,000 strings of copper coins in annual income for Jiaozhi!
If Jiaozhi could conquer Champa and Zhenla, they could turn their lands into Jiaozhi's rice producing areas.

Jiaozhi was probably able to enter the legendary era of peace and prosperity just by selling rice to the Song Dynasty.

Li Wensheng immediately expressed his gratitude profusely.

After sending Li Wensheng away, Zhao Xu couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

"Ugh!"

"I'm afraid millions of people will die because of this!"

He knew too well the evil and madness in the Jiaozhi people's bones.

This is a country that dared to attack the Song Dynasty during the Xining period and even massacred the people in Yongzhou!
And the history of Jiaozhi that Zhao Xu saw in modern times was filled with three words: ungrateful wolf!

In the modern Internet, it is even honored with the title of "Five Permanent Members of YouTube".

Well, it seems that South Korea also holds this title.

As for the north?

The general's light is too bright!
Ordinary people cannot judge it!

and so……

When Zhao Xu thought of this, he was suddenly stunned.

"Could it be that..." he murmured, "these Goryeo and Jiaozhi are the dragon and phoenix that God has bestowed upon me?"

……

When Zhao Xu returned to Funing Palace, it was almost noon.

"Everyone, the Queen is here..."

In front of the East Shanghe Gate, a eunuch beside Tong Guan came up to Tong Guan and reported in a low voice for a while. Then Tong Guan came to Zhao Xu and reported in a low voice.

"My queen?" Zhao Xu raised his eyebrows: "Mother?"

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Zhao Xu asked, "Why did the Queen Mother come at this time?"

"I heard that during the morning court session today, Right Censor Liu Anshi and Supervisory Censor Feng Ji had an argument..."

"Feng Xiangyu?"

"Of course!"

Zhao Xu smiled.

Feng Ji and Feng Xiangyu were well-known honest officials.

"Do you know why they were arguing in the palace?" Zhao Xu asked.

Tong Guan shook his head: "I don't know about this for now, but I heard that it seems to be related to the Right Minister's impeachment of the Prime Minister for illegality in the palace!"

"Oh!" Zhao Xu nodded: "I understand!"

"Let's go see the Queen Mother first!"

He then led his men into the Funing Palace, and as expected, he saw several female officials surrounding Empress Dowager Xiang.

When these female officials saw Zhao Xu, they naturally bowed and greeted him from a distance.

Zhao Xu asked, "Where is the Queen Mother?"

"Your Majesty, the Queen is in the imperial study!" a female official replied.

Zhao Xu nodded, then turned to the East Hall.

After entering the East Hall Study, he saw the figure of Empress Dowager Xiang, appearing in front of the frame used by Zhao Xu to collect book stickers.

Zhao Xu walked forward and said with a smile, "Mother, why didn't you send someone to inform me in advance when you came here?"

Empress Dowager Xiang turned around, looked at Zhao Xu, and said, "I just came down from court, thinking that Sixth Brother studies hard every day and has to take care of state affairs, so I came to see if the people in Funing Palace are still diligent, so I won't disturb Sixth Brother!"

"Oh!" Zhao Xu nodded, walked up to her, and asked in a low voice: "I saw your expression and you seemed unhappy... What troubles have you encountered?"

Empress Dowager Xiang reached out and touched Zhao Xu's head, and sighed: "State affairs are difficult!"

"Today's morning court, when Lan Tai was entering the court, Right Censor Liu Anshi suddenly impeached the Left Prime Minister for employing his personal friends and cultivating his clique. The Secretary of the Central Secretariat Li Chang was a student of the Left Prime Minister and secretly formed a clique for the Left Prime Minister..."

"I also impeached the Right Prime Minister because many gentry from Bo and Yang came and went in his residence. These people are old friends of the Right Prime Minister, and their sons and nephews will take the imperial examination next year. Therefore, the Right Prime Minister may have had an affair with them, or there may be suspicion of fraud!"

"He also said that Li Xianggong, who is in charge of the Privy Council, is related to Han Zhongyan, the Minister of Rites, by marriage, and that his second wife, Sun, is the daughter of Sun Zhu, who is an old friend of Han Zhongxian. Therefore, he said that Li Xianggong is nothing more than a puppet of the Han family of Xiangzhou!"

"I also say that the Right Prime Minister Su has used his strange skills and tricks to deceive the emperor. This is not the behavior of a scholar-official. He should be dismissed!"

"There are many other things, including the Grand Tutor Wen Yanbo, the Military Governor of Zhangde Army Zhang Fangping, the Military Governor of Baoning Army Feng Jing and other veterans..."

"I think the elders are indulgent and abusive. It would be better to send them all back to their hometowns!"

Zhao Xu's eyes widened when he heard this: "How dare he threaten my mother and the court! Who gave him the courage?!"

This sweeping attack hit the entire capital, and even the elders were impeached.

Obviously, this is not madness, but intentional.

The intention was to threaten the imperial court and the Empress Dowager Xiang, the female ruler who was in charge of government affairs.

Empress Dowager Xiang listened but looked at Zhao Xu.

Zhao Xu felt a little frightened when Empress Dowager Xiang looked at him.

I?
The courage I gave Liu Anshi?
how would I not know?

Immediately, Zhao Xu reacted.

This Liu Anshi was imitating the ways of those imperial censors who criticized Zhangxian Mingsu during the Tiansheng period.

But doesn't he know that the relationship between Zhao Xu and Empress Dowager Xiang is far from comparable to the relationship between Ren Miao and Zhang Xian Ming Su back then?

Isn't he afraid of shooting himself in the foot?

(End of this chapter)