I studied in modern times

Chapter 994 Xiao Buda's Wild Attack on Shi Jian
Hearing Zhao Xu's words, Song Yongchen nodded without hesitation and said, "Yes!"

Zhao Xu hummed in agreement and said, "I know you should rest and recuperate..."

"Once I've recovered, I have some important matters to entrust to you, Duzhi!"

As he spoke, Zhao Xu rubbed his hands together.

Song Yongchen achieved remarkable results during his two years in Xuzhou.

He not only helped Zhao Xu solve countless problems in blast furnace steelmaking.

It has also trained thousands of skilled industrial workers and managers.

Of course, the price was heavy.

In just two years, thousands of workers have been injured, disabled, or died on the job.

There are even more cases that are not included in the statistics.

This is a necessary price.

Moreover, to be honest, human life is very cheap these days.

A few strings of copper coins were enough to make the Western Army's warriors risk their lives to fight for the honor of being the first to scale the walls and capture the flag.

In addition to generous rewards in paper money, Zhao Xu instructed Song Yongchen to offer rewards to the artisans and miners in Xuzhou.

There is also the status of an official.

Although they were all low-ranking, insignificant officials and clerks.

Most of them were still court entertainers.

But it was still enough to make those poor miners and blacksmiths howl and charge into battle without fear of death.

"Is it true that the report submitted some time ago claimed that the method of coking had been mastered?" Zhao Xu asked.

"Indeed, everyone!" Song Yongchen replied, "Since May of the second year of the Yuan You era, I have been in Xuzhou, where I have gathered kiln workers and officials from kilns such as Ding Kiln, Ru Kiln, Ge Kiln, and Longquan Kiln, and we have successively built hundreds of coking furnaces. Now we have 'mastered' the method of coking with coal!"

As he spoke, he took out a thin booklet from his pocket and handed it to Zhao Xu: "This is the coking method that I and the other officials have determined. It has been recorded in drawings and detailed. The person who succeeds me only needs to take this booklet and supervise the kiln workers to make it!"

Zhao Xu took the booklet, opened it, and a smile immediately spread across his face.

Even in modern times, coal coking remains an indispensable and important part of the steel industry.

As for now?
All I can say is that coking coal is a magical tool for iron smelting!

It is a weapon of war no less powerful than gunpowder!

Initially, Zhao Xu used rudimentary coking techniques to smelt iron outside Bianjing (Kaifeng).

This thing is not difficult to make—even without Zhao Xu, the traditional coking method would have been invented by craftsmen in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties or even earlier.

After all, the principle of coking technology is very simple—it's just high-temperature dry distillation!

In the Song Dynasty of the Middle Ages, the potters of the five famous kilns were already able to build porcelain kilns with temperatures exceeding 1,300 degrees Celsius.

The famous Jian kiln can even reach extreme temperatures of 1,500 degrees Celsius!

Therefore, Zhao Xu initially started iron smelting by gathering kiln workers outside Bianjing city and using the techniques of porcelain kilns to refine coking coal using large flying bricks.

However, this method of coking is too inefficient.

Moreover, the pollution is too great!

Therefore, Zhao Xu moved the iron smelting base to Xuzhou—he didn't want to eat coal dust every day in Bianjing.

After Song Yongchen arrived in Xuzhou, Zhao Xu gave him a task—to improve coking technology.

Song Yongchen truly lives up to his name!
In just over two years in Xuzhou, he completed the task assigned by Zhao Xu.

Zhao Xu looked at the drawing of coking process by Song Yongchen in the booklet in his hand.

The diagram clearly shows the division between the charcoal stove and the combustion chamber, but they are not completely separated; instead, there is space for exchange at the top.

In his pamphlet, Song Yongchen referred to it as 'downturning flame'.

This coincides with the down-draft coking method that emerged around the time of the Industrial Revolution.

Using this method, Song Yongchen could obtain several thousand kilograms of coking coal in a single coking operation in Xuzhou.

Compared to when Zhao Xu was dealing with coking coal in Bianjing, where he could only handle a few hundred jin (150 kg) at a time, or at most a thousand jin (500 catties), this represents a qualitative leap.

This means that the technology has just been developed, and related research, coke oven construction technology, and refractory brick technology still need to be improved.

Otherwise, it wouldn't be impossible to coke tens of thousands of kilograms at a time.

Zhao Xu put down the booklet and said to Song Yongchen, "With this achievement alone, you, the Chief Administrator, can be like Marquis Cai, and have a separate biography in history!"

Cai Lun of the Eastern Han Dynasty was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Longting by Emperor He of Han for improving papermaking techniques.

When Fan Ye of the Northern and Southern Dynasties wrote the Book of the Later Han, he included him in the Biographies of Eunuchs and gave him a high evaluation, praising him with words such as "devoted and cautious, repeatedly offending the stern and strict, and correcting the mistakes of others".

For a eunuch, this was already a rare privilege.

Upon hearing this, Song Yongchen was overjoyed and quickly bowed in gratitude: "Your Majesty, I only know how to be loyal to everyone and dare not hope to be remembered in history!"

But his expression betrayed him.

This is because last year, Zhao Xu issued an edict ordering the Ministry of Rites to erect a statue and temple for Cai Lun in his hometown of Chenzhou, under the pretext that "Cai Lun, the Marquis of Longting in the Han Dynasty, made contributions to papermaking and should be worshipped."

The scholar-officials had little reaction to this, treating it as if it never happened—after all, although Cai Lun was a eunuch, he improved papermaking, which benefited the scholar-officials of that time.

No matter how much the scholar-officials disliked eunuchs, they couldn't very well jump up and cause trouble—the scholar-officials of today still had some sense of shame, and they really wouldn't do something as shameful as sabotaging their own livelihood.

Of course, this is also related to the fact that Zhao Xu did not directly confer the titles of Duke and Marquis upon Cai Lun, nor did he confer titles upon the City God or the Land God.

At the same time, no fool would dare to defy imperial power over such a trivial matter.

Because winning or losing both result in a loss.

However, this was far too provocative for the courtiers!
The first eunuch in history to be granted an imperial title and enjoy the honors of a high-ranking official in sacrificial rites has appeared!
With the first one, how far away is the second?

Song Yongchen, for example, always considered himself a contemporary Cai Lun.

Seeing this, Zhao Xu knew that with the Cai Lun statue being offered sacrifices as a big incentive, Song Yongchen would be back to his good self once he recovered. So he said, "Your Excellency, during your time in the capital, when you have free time, go to the Inner Palace to give lectures to the eunuchs and teach them some tricks of the trade. If you encounter any clever ones, you might as well take them under your wing and teach them by example, so that they can become your successors."

"Yes, sir!" Song Yongchen bowed his head and accepted the order.

While he was in Xuzhou, he had already been ordered to train apprentices.

It's not surprising that he's back in Beijing now and continuing to mentor apprentices.

He himself happens to have a bit of a penchant for teaching, and he doesn't resist it; on the contrary, he enjoys it.

"Okay!" Zhao Xu nodded. "You all know this, so go and rest for now!"

"After two days, when the imperial physicians have examined my pulse, I will meet with the chief physician again..."

"only!"

After seeing Song Yongchen off, Zhao Xu rubbed his temples.

"We need to select a civil official to manage Xuzhou!" he muttered to himself.

The reason for recalling Song Yongchen back to the capital was naturally to prevent Xuzhou from becoming a private domain for eunuchs, which would eventually become too powerful to control.

It wasn't that Zhao Xu didn't trust Song Yongchen.

There are simply too many lessons to be learned from history!

A local official is more powerful than a distant one.

Therefore, Zhao Xu did not intend to allow civil officials and scholars to monopolize heavy industrial bases like Xuzhou.

His idea was for civil officials and palace officials to take turns.

In this way, two different interest groups can exist in Xuzhou.

As emperor, he could easily divide and conquer factions.

It can also create internal incentives—whoever performs poorly will be punished!
Just ...

Who should be sent to Xuzhou to replace Song Yongchen?
"Shen Kuo?" Zhao Xu thought for a moment and then dismissed the idea.

It's not that Shen Kuo was incompetent, but rather that if Shen Kuo had come before, it would have been like a powerful dragon crossing the river—Shen Kuo's current official rank has risen to the sixth-rank position of Chaoyi Dafu, and through Zhao Xu's promotion, he has also risen to the position of Longtu Pavilion Academician, and after receiving the honorary title of Shanghujun, he was eventually enfeoffed as the Founding Marquis of Yan'an County.

Even in present-day Bianjing (Kaifeng), he would be considered a high-ranking official.

The title of Marquis of Yan'an County, in particular, was too dazzling.

This was essentially an open secret – Zhao Xu, a trusted confidant and close retainer of the emperor, was granted the title of Prince of Yan'an during his time as a prince.

Therefore, his actual official rank should be raised by one level from the original level.

Therefore, if Shen Kuo were to be appointed as the prefect of Xuzhou, he could not be given the title of "prefect" but rather the title of "judge" to elevate his status.

Moreover, he cannot simply be appointed as the 'Prefect of Xuzhou'.

We need to give him a whole bunch of titles and assignments.

Otherwise, outsiders would mistakenly believe that Shen Kuo had lost power.

But if Shen Kuo is given too much power, then all the attention in the world will be focused on him.

Any tree that is beautiful in the forest will be destroyed by the wind!

Shen Kuo is now more than just Zhao Xu's retainer.

He was also the "founder" and "master" of the "investigation of things to acquire knowledge" approach.

In Bianjing, neither the new party nor the old party dared to take action against him because of Zhao Xu.

However, whenever he goes out, he gets mixed doubles.

The more assignments and titles he holds, the stronger his mixed doubles will be.

Simply put, in the eyes of both the new and old parties, Shen Kuo's current image is roughly similar to that of the "Big D" who wants to establish a new regime and achieve continuous victories.

They won't stop until they beat him to death.

This is a debate on the principles of morality, and it has always been so since the time of Dong Zhongshu.

Shen Kuo could not be sent, and Su Song was too old and his status was too high.

After much deliberation, I found that there are officials in the court who are capable of meeting the requirements of Xuzhou.

Only Han Gonglian is left.

However, Han Gonglian's current official rank is too low—even though he was recommended by Su Song and promoted by Zhao Xu's special decree to become a high-ranking official in the capital—as a Chengwu Lang (the ninth rank, the lowest rank of a high-ranking official in the capital) serving as a judge in the Yuanyou Hunyun Bureau and in charge of the Ministry of Works' document drafting.

It would be reasonable to appoint him as a supervisor.

The problem is that after Song Yongchen, the Liguo Supervisory Office in Xuzhou had risen to a position directly under Emperor Zhao Xu, who was personally overseeing the project.

Its status is equivalent to that of a modern state-owned enterprise directly managed by the central government.

Although its status has changed in just the last two years.

But it is enough to form a bureaucratic group internally.

Therefore, if Han Gonglian had gone there, the next official in charge would have been of a higher rank than him. Zhao Xu remembered that Song Yongchen had recommended three eunuchs of the minor rank to serve as officials in charge of the Imperial Observatory.

Meanwhile, within the Liguo Prison, there were several civil officials who had risen to the rank of eighth grade through meritorious service.

Therefore, Han Gonglian's official rank and status were no longer sufficient.

If he goes down there, it will be very difficult to get the work done.

Thinking this, Zhao Xu suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

"correct!"

"I can use deus ex machina!"

“Choose a suitable person from the Xiang or Gao family to go!”

The Xiang and Gao families are now the most popular relatives of the emperor.

Let's leave aside Xiang Zonghui and Gao Gongji for now.

Even the collateral branches of the Xiang and Gao families held very high official positions.

Sending just anyone would be enough to suppress everyone in the Liguo Supervisory Bureau.

The only problem is that this person has to be obedient and sensible.

He has to get used to being a hands-off manager.

You can't just go there and expect to make a name for yourself, then act like an amateur directing experts and ruining the Liguo Supervisory Bureau.

Or perhaps, all they think about is making money, squeezing every last drop of profit out of the Liguo Bureau and pocketing it all.

Such people are always rare.

As far as Zhao Xu knew, it seemed that neither the Xiang family nor the Gao family had such a person anymore.

"Does this mean I have to go to the Meng or Di families to look for them?"

In theory, the families of Meng Qingqing, Di Qiang, and Wen Xunniang can all be considered as maternal relatives.

The Wen Xunniang family is not currently under consideration because of Wen Yanbo's presence.

As a result, Meng Qingqing's and Di Qiang's families became Zhao Xu's choices.

The Meng family was the first to be eliminated—in his previous life, Zhao Xu had never seen any promising talents in the Meng family. They couldn't even be good at being playboys; they only caused trouble for Meng Qingqing.

Those good-for-nothings from Zhu's maternal family, the mother of Zhao Xu, were like the Crouching Dragon and the Young Phoenix during the Shaosheng era.

As for the Di family?

We could take a look and see if we can find any talented people.

……

As the atmosphere surrounding the imperial examinations in Bianjing (Kaifeng) grew increasingly intense.

On the other side of the sea, thousands of miles away in Kyoto, Japan, a completely different scene unfolds.

The entire city was filled with panic.

The reason is that the latest battle report came back from the front line—Liaoning troops simultaneously attacked Suo and Nagasaki in the Sanyo region, as well as Tosa and Iyo in the Nankai region.

And they all won big!

More than a dozen Japanese generals were beheaded.

It's a complete rout!

The situation was particularly unfavorable in the Shanyang region.

Both Suo and Nagasaki have fallen.

The Liao army is advancing triumphantly along the Shanyang Road, its military might shaking the world!

Kyoto was in a state of panic after receiving these battle reports.

The officials and nobles were all discussing in private the ferocity and invincibility of the Tang soldiers.

Especially the Jurchen warriors under the command of the Tang soldiers, they were simply demons from hell.

They often dared to charge into Japanese army formations of hundreds or even thousands of men with just a few dozen men, and they could frequently rout these formations.

They cut off the heads of the warriors one by one and built a mound of heads.

It is said that in Suo, they even beheaded three thousand light foot soldiers in one go.

The heads of the light foot soldiers were used to build a mound of skulls as high as a small mountain.

Zhou was so terrified by this that he surrendered the entire city of He Mao Changchang.

As for Nagasaki?

Nagasaki's governor, Fujiwara Muneaki, intended to hold his ground and resist.

But the monks and merchants below were not happy about it.

They simply kidnapped this nobleman from the Fujiwara family and surrendered the castle.

After the Tang soldier who was in charge of the expedition beheaded him, he sent out proclamations to all sides, and manors in various parts of Nagasaki surrendered one after another.

In a panic, Grand Minister Fujiwara no Morozane hastily ordered the recall of Yamanaka Taro, Japan's greatest general, who was originally stationed in the Sanyo region, and the elite force that Yamanaka Taro led, which was probably the only force in Japan capable of fighting the Tang army in open battle.

To the outside world, Fujiwara no Moromichi's banner was—Defend Kyoto.

In reality, even a fool would know that after the Liao army began its large-scale landings in Shanyang and Nanhai, Prince Jingji had already sent out more than a dozen waves of envoys to beg for peace.

Therefore, he recalled Yamantarou and his army for only one purpose—to gain leverage.

In this way, they could wait for a better price and negotiate with the Liao people.

At least, when the Tang soldiers arrived at the gates of Kyoto, they wouldn't be tied up and handed over like the people of Nagasaki.

However, the Tang soldiers' reply to the envoys sent by Fujiwara no Morizane was always the same: only by beheading the regicide Fujiwara no Morizane and the false king he installed could peace be negotiated.

That means there's no room for negotiation!
At this moment, in the palace in Kyoto, Fujiwara no Moronori and Emperor Shirakawa stood in silence.

Both of them were very embarrassed.

Because both of them had reaffirmed the Tang soldiers' terms for peace—only by cutting off their heads and presenting them to the Liao emperor could they negotiate peace.

That's really awkward.

Especially Emperor Shirakawa.

He never imagined that the Liao people would be so stubborn.

He was convinced that he had been murdered by Fujiwara no Moromichi.

He is now a puppet supported by Fujiwara no Moromichi.

Even though his messenger personally presented him with his own handwritten letter and official credentials.

He even guaranteed that he would offer the heads of the entire Fujiwara clan if the Liao Kingdom agreed to make peace.

However, the Japanese envoy from the Liao Kingdom always believed that the real Prince Shirakawa had been killed by the traitor Fujiwara clan, and that the one in Kyoto was just a puppet chosen by the traitor, not the real Prince Shirakawa.

I have come to Japan by order of the Emperor to rectify the national system and restore order to the world.

This kind of usurpation will not be tolerated!
Therefore, if Japan wants to negotiate peace, it must behead Fujiwara no Morozane and the false king.

There is no other way.

After a long silence, Fujiwara no Morozane finally spoke: "Your Majesty, where is the Emperor now?"

"I have ordered people to protect it properly, there will be no mishaps!" His Holiness Shirakawa, dressed in monk's robes, replied softly.

He knew, of course, that his life now rested entirely on the shoulders of his youngest son, Yoshihito (Emperor Horikawa), whom he had once pushed to the forefront.

Once Shanren falls into the hands of others, his death is imminent.

In Kyoto, there are plenty of people who want to take his head to the Liao people as a reward!
Thinking of this, Emperor Shirakawa couldn't help but feel irritated.

The Liao people crossed the sea, carrying the banner of "honoring the king," "returning the great power to the emperor," and "restoring order to the world," which they had longed for day and night.

The Liao people's proclamation was also very clear: they would not take an inch of Japanese land, nor would they ask for a single ounce of gold or silver.

They were merely acting on the orders of the Emperor of Liao to restore order and rectify the national system in Japan.

Once this mission is accomplished, the Liao soldiers will withdraw from Japan and will not stay.

This deceived many nobles and warriors.

This has resulted in Japan being filled with collaborators throughout its history.

Even in the capital city, many officials and monks were privately discussing the Liao people's proclamation.

What happened in Nagasaki is unlikely to be an isolated case.

To be honest, if it weren't for the Liao people insisting on taking his head...

Emperor Baihe himself wanted to lead the way for the Liao people.

In this situation, Emperor Yoshihito Horikawa, who is only a little over nine years old and not even ten, has become the key to maintaining the current domestic situation in Japan.

Because the Liao people now only recognize him.

The banners they raised and the proclamations they issued all revered the King of Juehe, repeatedly proclaiming that they would "rescue the king from the midst of fire and water," and even swearing that "anyone who harms the king is tantamount to a traitor, intolerable to heaven and earth, and shall be executed along with their entire clan."

Thanks to the Liao people, the current Emperor Horikawa has become the greatest common denominator that can be accepted by all of Japan.

This so-called "King" could become a pawn to be discarded at any time.

"Even now, Your Majesty still doesn't trust me?" Fujiwara no Morozane looked at the expression on the face of the Retired Emperor Shirakawa, and in his heart he only hated his father, Fujiwara no Yorimichi, for choosing such a worthless person as emperor.
"Do we really have to wait for the Tang army to march on the capital?"

It should be noted that the Liao army is now operating not only in the Shanyang Road area.

It also landed in Tosa and Iyo in Nankaido.

Although it did not launch a large-scale invasion like Nagasaki and Suo, attacking cities and conquering territories.

But once the Tang army has conquered the kingdoms of Sanyang, they will turn their guns on the kingdoms of Nankaido, which will also fall.

In this way, the Liao army could attack the capital region from both land and sea, and reach the capital city.

By then, Fujiwara no Moromichi knew that both he and Shirakawa would be doomed.

Emperor Shirakawa looked at Fujiwara no Moromichi and knew very well that if he didn't give him an explanation today, Fujiwara no Moromichi would really take his life if pushed too far.

So he sighed, just as he was about to reveal Shanren's hiding place.

Suddenly, a commotion arose outside the hall.

"What's going on?" Fujiwara no Moromiya asked angrily to the samurai waiting outside the palace.

The warrior replied, "Your Highness, it's an urgent military report from the front..."

"The Tang army reversed its course and attacked Iwami from Suo and Nagasaki!"

"Furthermore, reports from the Nankaido region indicate that Tang troops withdrew from Tosa and Iyo after their looting..."

Fujiwara no Moromi's eyes widened.

While he breathed a sigh of relief, he was filled with questions.

"Iwami Province?"

"Why did the Tang soldiers go to Iwami!?"

"They also withdrew from Tosa and Iyo?"

……

Japan, on the border between Nagasaki and Iwami.

Xiao Budaye stood on a mountain peak, watching the army winding its way towards Ishimi.

The army, numbering in the thousands, was disciplined and imposing.

Moreover, it was a victorious army riding high on the momentum of a great victory.

Both morale and the army's spirit have reached their peak.

Especially the Jurchen followers in the formation.

They've already gotten carried away.

They would often use a few dozen men to charge into enemy formations of hundreds or thousands.

It can break through and inflict heavy damage!
They could even directly defeat the enemy in front of them!

no way!
Jurchen people are already poor, and those who give birth to Jurchens are even poorer.

Among the various Jurchen tribes, the Donghai Jurchen were particularly impoverished.

Before they followed Xiao Buda to conquer Japan, the able-bodied men in their tribe all wore fish skin or sea tiger (sea otter, seal) skin.

It was common to go hungry for three days and then go without nine meals.

In harsh conditions, the warriors of the Donghai Jurchens honed their excellent archery skills and strong physique.

Then, the Liao people provided them with top-notch modern weaponry, making up for their shortcomings.

They were then taken to Japan, which currently has the weakest military strength in East Asia, and offered them a generous bounty that was enough to entice them.

This is equivalent to a top-tier soldier barging into a kindergarten.

It's basically a one-shot kill game.

It's pitiful for the Japanese. Since the Heian period, they have enjoyed peace for so long that their military preparedness has fallen into disuse. Even the Ainu people were able to hold their own against them for decades.

Now they've run into the strongest Jurchen warrior of the 12th century.

Moreover, they were Jurchen warriors armed to the teeth with the Liao Dynasty's powerful bows and armor, and aided by a large number of cavalry.

Where is there any possibility of victory?

In open field battles, they would collapse at the slightest touch.

Defending the city was even more impossible—Japanese castles in this era were inherently weak.

The Liao army had long since acquired rich experience in siege warfare during its long-term confrontation with the Song Dynasty.

They are very skilled at using all kinds of siege equipment.

So, Xiao Budaye looked at his army, feeling spirited and excited.

He said directly to those around him, "Within half a month, I will take all the stones!"

"Before the Emperor's Birthday this year, we must find a gold and silver mountain in Iwami, and it would be best to offer more than 10,000 taels of silver as a gift for the Emperor's Birthday!"

The Holy Day of Emperor Yelü Hongji of the Liao Dynasty, Tian'an Festival, was on the seventh day of the eighth lunar month every year.

Now it is the sixth day of the third month (Renzi day), less than five months away from Tianan Festival.

Xiao Buda was naturally in a great hurry.

However, what Xiao Buda didn't expect was that the Japanese nobles and samurai of Iwami surrendered almost without a second thought after hearing that the Tang soldiers had entered Iwami.

Upon hearing the news, the Japanese general Iwami no Kami abandoned the city and fled.

Two days later, he received a report that the army had entered Shizhou City.

The soldiers and civilians of Shijian welcomed the king's army with food and drink.

(End of this chapter)