I studied in modern times

Chapter 968 Personnel
Yelu Hongji looked at the Japanese feng shui spread out in front of him.

His eyes immediately fixed on the places in Feng Shui.

These places were the locations of the gold and silver mountains described by the Japanese monk Chengxun, as reported by Yelu Yongchang and Yelu Gongchen to him in the Chongwenyuan of the Southern Dynasties.

Among these mountains of gold and silver, there is a place that is very close to the area controlled by the Liao Kingdom.

Yelu Hongji discovered it at first sight - Iwami Province!

According to the written records in the Chongwenyuan of the Southern Dynasties, more than ten years ago, Chengxun, a Japanese monk who came to seek Buddhist teachings, visited Bian Jing and told Jin Zongchi, the abbot of Kaibao Temple of the Southern Dynasties, many legends about Japan's gold and silver mountains.

Among these gold and silver mountains, Chengxun particularly praised the silver mountain in Iwami Province and the gold mountain in Sado Province.

Sado Province, in the so-called Hokuriku Road of Japan, is quite far away from Kyushu.

However, the Sanyin Road where Iwami Province is located is separated from Kyushu by only a shallow strait.

As long as the Liao army lands and breaks through the Zhou defense, they can directly attack Iwami.

Silver Mountain is in sight!

Slightly suppressing his excitement, Yelu Hongji asked the two officials who had returned from Japan in front of him, "When is Xiaobudaye going to land in Sanyang, Japan?"

"Reporting to your majesty, General Xiao has already made a plan. As soon as your majesty's reinforcements arrive, we will send troops to suppress the rebellion, land on Japan's Honshu Island, and take Kyoto directly!" A Liao general in his thirties answered with his head down.

This man was Xiao Budaya's deputy general, named Yelu Zhong. He and Xiao Budaya were both from the side branch.

However, now, relying on his military achievements, he has climbed to the official rank of Yaojun in the Liao Kingdom.

Yelu Hongji nodded and said, "Let's ignore the traitors in Kyoto for now!"

"When you go back, tell Xiao Budaya..."

Yelu Zhong immediately raised his head and looked at his monarch.

Yelu Hongji pointed to the Ishimi Kingdom on the geomancy chart and ordered him, "I want Ishimi!"

"No matter what method Xiao Budaye uses, I only want Shi Jian!"

"Yes!" Yelu Zhong bowed and accepted the order.

……

Before we knew it, it was already the third year of Yuanyou.

The first day of the first month of the third year of Yuanyou.

The Liao ruler sent Yelu Zhongxuan, the governor of the Ruisheng Army, and Yelu Jing, the governor of Taizhou, to the court to pay New Year's greetings.

King Qianshun of the Xia Dynasty sent his son-in-law and the commander-in-chief Zhua Juewei as the chief envoy, and the Spring Equinox official Tian Huairong as the deputy envoy to pay homage to the emperor.

Zhao Xu accepted the congratulations from the two countries in the Chuigong Hall and hosted a banquet in their honor.

There is no need to say much about the Liao envoy.

The relationship between Song and Liao is now so good that they can almost wear the same pants.

After Zhao Xu provided the Liao people with information about Japan's gold and silver mountains.

The relationship between Song and Liao took a further step forward.

This time, the Liao ruler agreed in his letter to the Song Dynasty to mutually withdraw the troops stationed on the border between the two countries.

This is actually something that both Song and Liao wanted to do a long time ago - since the Treaty of Chanyuan, both Song and Liao have piled up a large number of heavy military groups on the border.

Even when Yuan Hao rebelled against the Song Dynasty, the Song Dynasty's heavy military force stationed in Hebei did not move a single step.

The same is true for the Liao Dynasty!

Whether it was Emperor Shengzong of Liao's attack on Goryeo or Emperor Xingzong of Liao's attack on Western Xia.

The hundreds of thousands of Liao troops stationed on the border of the Song Dynasty did not move at all.

The large armies of the two countries were stationed on the border, which not only wasted each other's financial, material and human resources.

It's actually useless.

Because, at the current level of technology, the Liao people could not do anything to the Song Dynasty's Hebei fortress. As for the Song Dynasty? After Gaoliang River, the Song Dynasty army had actually lost the ability to march north.

For both countries, this kind of waste of time is actually a lose-lose situation.

In the Hebei region of the Song Dynasty, people's livelihood was in decline, and the people in the border states and counties of the Liao Dynasty were also complaining.

Both countries are well aware of this.

But no one dared to mention it!

Both countries have their own national conditions and both want to save face.

But now, things are different. As the relationship between Song and Liao has improved overall, the Liao people's focus has begun to shift towards Goryeo, Japan, and the Western Regions.

Whether it is to further strengthen the relationship between the two countries or to reduce investment on the border and invest more resources in other directions.

The Liao people all had their reasons and proposed to withdraw their border garrisons from each other.

Moreover, they had a way out - in the first year of Yuanyou, the Song Dynasty had already abolished a command on the border.

This way they could declare internally that this was the first move made by the Southern Dynasty.

win!
Zhao Xu naturally agreed happily.

It was also proposed that the two countries discuss the scale and details of disarmament during the Jiaozi trade negotiations in March this year.

This frightened the Dangxiang people who came to the court.

Speaking of which, those who came to the court this time were all old acquaintances.

In particular, the Xixia prince consort Zhua Juewei was well-known, but he was captured and released twice by the Song Dynasty.

The first time was in the eighth year of Yuanfeng, when the son-in-law of the emperor captured Bei Wei, a foreign official under the command of Zhao Xie, the governor of Huanqing Road.

Then, it was sent to Bian Jing, became a mascot, and was placed in Tongwenguan.

Finally, he was released through negotiations.

But then, in the war the following year, the prince consort was captured again.

In the eighth year of Yuanfeng, this prince consort gave Zhao Xie more than a thousand heads in one battle.

It was even more serious in the first year of Yuanyou - he wiped out most of the main field forces of the Youzhou Military Supervision Office of Western Xia in a single battle.

But there is also good news for him.

At least, he was treated very decently after being captured twice.

Even on the way to Bian Jing, he was treated to delicious food and drinks.

After entering Beijing, he enjoyed the same treatment as the prince consort of the Song Dynasty.

Xing Shu even arranged for singing girls and dancers to entertain him.

Especially the second time, after being imprisoned and sent to the capital, Zhao Xu specifically issued an edict, requiring the officials to "definitely treat the Xixia prince consort well."

The reason is very simple - if you are on the battlefield and find out that the enemy's general is a useless relative.

So what should you do?
The answer is of course to protect it!
Therefore, this prince consort even had a certain degree of personal freedom when he was in Bianliang.

After the two countries made peace, the prince consort was sent back to Western Xia again.

Then he discovered that his home was gone!

Liang Yimai, the prime minister of Western Xia, annexed all of Zhaijue's tribes and pastures on the charge of destroying the country and bringing disgrace to the country.

Because of his bad reputation, he became a stray dog.

Fortunately, the Queen Mother of Xingqing Prefecture was still very caring towards this prince consort.

At the same time, because of his reputation, he was captured alive by the Song Dynasty twice, which enabled him to establish connections in the city of Bianliang.

In particular, he and Xing Shu could exchange letters.

After he returned to China, this advantage was valued by Empress Dowager Xiao Liang, who was isolated and helpless in Xingqing Prefecture.

He was appointed as the person in charge of negotiations with the Song Dynasty and the increase of border markets.

He also relied on his advantages of being familiar with the situation in the Song Dynasty and being able to communicate with Xing Shu.

The treaty was actually reached to open four additional border markets in Hedong Road, Huanqing Road and Fuyan Road in the Song Dynasty.

A large amount of Song Dynasty commercial goods flowed into Western Xia through these markets.

The Xixia people's superior commodities such as blue and white salt and furs also flowed into Shaanxi and Hedong of the Song Dynasty through these markets.

For a time, the silk and tea of ​​the Song Dynasty had a market.

The Dangxiang people's salt, furs, and jade found buyers.

It can be described as a win-win!
In particular, the blue salt from Xixia was of high quality and cheap, and after entering Shaanxi, the price of salt in Shaanxi dropped sharply.

The people in Shaanxi who could not afford salt can now afford to buy salt.

From the perspective of people's livelihood, this is a great thing.

As a result, the status of this prince consort in Xingqing Prefecture rose rapidly thanks to these merits.

Now, he has become a popular figure in front of Queen Mother Liang.

This time, he served as the chief envoy to the Song Dynasty to celebrate the New Year.

However, when he pulled out his name, he witnessed with his own eyes Zhao Xu's warm and cordial greeting to the Liao envoy at the palace banquet in Chuigong Hall.

This prince consort was so frightened that his soul was about to break.

Song and Liao were so close!

For Xixia, it is the biggest nightmare!

If the Song and Liao countries continue to be so friendly with each other, they might even sign a secret agreement to divide up the Western Xia - you take Lingzhou and Xiazhou; I take Hetao and Helan.

Therefore, Zhajueweiming submitted a memorial to Zhao Xu through the Ministry of Rites the next day.

In this note, the Xixia prince consort was naturally doing his best to sow discord.

It also said that Xixia was seeking to marry a princess from the Liao Kingdom.

After reading it, Zhao Xu just sneered.

Then he sent Xing Shu to ask Yelu Zhongxuan - I heard that Xixia is seeking to marry a princess of the Liao Dynasty?
When Yelu Zhongxuan heard this, he immediately shook his head like a rattle, and then wrote a sincere memorial.

The Liao emperor swore that he had never agreed to Xixia's request for marriage.

He almost said it directly - how can I, a princess of the Great Liao, marry a lowly creature from the Western Rong?
After this episode, the Song Dynasty began negotiations with the Liao Dynasty and the Western Xia.

It's all about the economy.

The Xixia people naturally wanted to continue opening more trading markets and expand the scale of trade in the trading markets.

At the same time, they also requested to increase the amount of green salt entering the Song Dynasty.

In the more than one year after the peace agreement between Song and Xia, under Zhao Xu's remote control, all border areas of the Song Dynasty strictly implemented Zhao Xu's order - to open up trade.

No longer will they be stingy, nor will they suppress or restrict transactions between border merchants and the Tanguts.

A large amount of silk and tea flowed into Western Xia.

Then they entered the Western Regions and Central Asia through the Silk Road.

At the same time, a large amount of cheap green salt poured into Shaanxi and Hedong.

The local salt price was cut in half.

Xixia made a lot of money in this process.

The powerful people, civil and military officials along the border of the Song Dynasty also ate a lot of grease.

This greatly alleviated the predicament of Empress Dowager Xiao Liang in Xingqing Prefecture.

At least, Xingqing Prefecture will have the resources to reorganize the army and compete with Prime Minister Liang Yimei who has troops outside the country.

However, Liang Yimai did not lose out either, as he also made a lot of money by relying on border trade.

According to reports from Xihe Road, the Western Xia prime minister is now leading his troops in Ganzhou, Liangzhou, Guazhou, and Shazhou in the Hexi Corridor, suppressing and capturing local Uighur tribes.

Then, these Uighurs were sent to Xihe Road.

Regardless of gender, age or status, each person received twenty strings of fine iron coins.

The prime minister of the Dabai Gao Kingdom was using the money he earned from the fine iron to forge his own iron kite.

In addition, the prime minister also purchased large quantities of silk and tea from Xihe Road and then resold them to the Western Regions.

Zhao Xu naturally would not handle this matter himself, but handed it over to Xing Shu.

Xing Shu didn't have time to pay attention to it, so he handed it over to his wife's brother-in-law, Zhao Tingzhi, the Yuwenlang of the Ministry of Rites.

As for himself?
Of course he was busy, taking the newly arrived Liao envoy to visit Sangjiawazi and listen to music in various brothels.

The two new Liao envoys are not polite either.

They followed Xing Shu around every day and started shopping.

In addition to commercial goods, they also began to collect Bian Jing Xin Bao and Bian Jing Yi Bao.

Even various printed books and authentic works of famous poets, lyricists and painters on the market in the Song Dynasty.

This matter could not be hidden from Zhao Xu's eyes and ears.

Shi Deyi quickly reported the Liao people's actions.

Zhao Xu didn't take it seriously and just asked the Investigation Department to keep an eye on it.

In this way, time passes slowly.

Soon, most of the first month of the third year of Yuanyou had passed.

During this half month, the Song Dynasty court carried out intensive personnel changes.

First it was the fifth day of the first lunar month.

Li Chang, a senior official of the Imperial Council and a minister of the Ministry of Personnel, was appointed as the governor of Fuyan Road and the governor of Yanzhou as a scholar of the Zizhi Palace.

He succeeded Liu Changzuo, who had completed his term and was about to return to the court.

On the same day, Dutang received an imperial decree to extend favors to Yanzhou because the emperor was the Prince of Yan'an when he was in the secret residence, and upgraded Yanzhou to Yan'an Prefecture.

The promotion of a prefecture in Dasongzhou was not just a change in political status.

It also means more policies and resources will be tilted towards it.

Therefore, after the imperial edict was issued, the capital immediately increased the amount of surplus money in Yan'an Prefecture and allocated 50,000 strings of cash for the construction of the Yan'an Prefecture School. At the same time, it submitted a memorial to the court, requesting that five additional professors be sent to the Yan'an Prefecture School after this year's imperial examination.

Zhao Xu naturally agreed, and at the same time added a professor of mathematics and a professor of law to the Yan'an Prefecture School.

In this way, he further expressed to the world his attitude of attaching importance to mathematics and law.

To the seventh day of the first lunar month.

Following Liu Anshi, he was escorted out of the capital by officials and embarked on the thorny road to Chenzhou.

Zhao Xu began to be appointed as the Censor of the Censorate according to his own wishes.

A large number of middle and low-level civil servants in prefectures and counties were specially promoted and appointed as Censors or Deputy Censors.

These people were basically Jinshi during the Yuanfeng period.

The youngest, Liu Kui, had only been in officialdom for three years - he was the runner-up in the eighth year of Yuanfeng, so he was just a young man.

Even the oldest one, Qin Guan, was only less than 40 years old.

However, after all the appointments were carefully reviewed, people from top to bottom were shocked.

The people Zhao Xu taught were young, but very talented.

Even the young Liu Kui's performance in Yuezhou was above average for three consecutive years.

As for Qin Guan and others...

They were either students of great writers, or honest officials with a good reputation in the states and counties, or capable officials with a well-known reputation in the local areas.

Therefore, everyone in the government and the country secretly submitted.

On the 13th day of the first lunar month, Zhao Xu, after informing the prime minister of the capital, appeared in the small hall under the inner east gate in the evening with Empress Dowager Xiang.

He also summoned Hanlin scholar Xing Shu here.

The next day, he was given the opportunity to write the poem.

Fan Chunren, a Hanlin scholar and imperial edict holder, was demoted to a Hanlin scholar and promoted to the position of Menxia Shilang, replacing Li Chang who had resigned, and became the first imperial lecture official to enter the capital hall.

But this is just the beginning.

On that day, a large number of imperial decrees were issued from the palace.

The Minister of War, Lü Dafang, was demoted to the position of Minister of War and appointed as Chief Censor.

Zhang Heng, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was promoted to the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and officially took over the power of the Ministry of Revenue.

Wang Zishao, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, was promoted from a direct scholar of the Longtu Pavilion to the position of Longtu Pavilion attendant.

Qian Xie, the acting prefect of Kaifeng Prefecture, was promoted to be a scholar of Longtu Pavilion.

(End of this chapter)