People in the Song Dynasty were lawless

Chapter 529: Extra : Getting Old, Cake and Successor

In September of the 28th year of the Qingli period of the Song Dynasty, Yan Shu died of illness.

It was late autumn, the wind was blowing, the streets and alleys of Bianliang were crowded with people, and fallen leaves were flying.

Kaifeng is the most charming ancient city. Even after many demolitions and reconstructions, it has never abandoned greening and urban environmental protection.

The Bian River has been seriously polluted due to the industrialization process in recent years.

However, Zhao Jun has carried out many governance since the beginning of the Qingli period, and continues to maintain it even today.

Sewage treatment plants were built and factories were prohibited from discharging sewage into rivers and canals, so that the canal in Bianliang was so clear that the willows and sycamore trees on both sides swayed in the wind.

There are tree-lined paths between the buildings, black beetle-like cars rumble through, and telephone poles stand on both sides of the street.

On the wide Imperial Street south of Xuande Gate, a huge convoy moved slowly forward, heading southward out of the city.

Imperial Street used to be the widest street in Kaifeng. According to "Dongjing Menghualu", it was more than ten miles long and two hundred steps wide, or three hundred meters.

Now the lanes have been rebuilt and the distance has been shortened. Sixteen lanes have been built in three steps, that is, a width of 4.5 meters, and 39-meter-wide sidewalk squares have been added on both sides, with a total width of 150 meters.

In autumn, the leaves of the sycamore trees are flying all over the sky, the loudspeakers on the motorcade are playing funeral music, and there is a horse-riding guard of honor leading the way in the front. The whole team is filled with desolation and sadness in the autumn wind.

Countless people flocked to the ten-mile-long streets on both sides. Some wiped their tears and waved goodbye, some looked sad and longing, and some shouted in the wind, "Rest in peace, Prime Minister Yan."

Yan Shu's life was not actually noble and glorious.

Because he was wavering between Empress Dowager Liu and Zhao Zhen in the early days, and because he wrote the epitaph for Li Chenfei and concealed the fact that Li Chenfei was Zhao Zhen's biological mother, Zhao Zhen was very unhappy.

Therefore, his political attitude of being a fence-sitter once angered Empress Dowager Liu and displeased Zhao Zhen.

If it weren't for Lu Yijian, he probably wouldn't have been able to return to the court.

But it is undeniable that no matter what Yan Shu’s previous political stance and attitude were, since Zhao Jun came to power, he has been standing silently behind Zhao Jun and has become Zhao Jun’s right-hand man in reforms.

Unlike Fan Zhongyan, Yan Shu was not capable of presiding over the entire reform of the Qingli New Deal, nor was he capable of fighting on the battlefield to repel the Western Xia and Liao Kingdoms. However, he was the indispensable and greatest helper to Zhao Jun and Fan Zhongyan's faction.

With him around, any details of the reform can be done well, any gaps can be found and filled, and there will be someone to help watch the implementation below, so that the situation where the meaning from above cannot be conveyed will not occur.

What's more.

During the time when Zhao Jun was blind, Yan Shu became his greatest spiritual support.

"Brother, my condolences."

In a car in the center of the convoy, Zhao Jun wiped his tears, but still had to comfort Zhao Zhen.

Zhao Zhen is 58 years old this year. At this time in history, he had been dead for five years, and the grass on his grave was three feet high.

But with advances in medical technology and a different mindset, life expectancy has increased.

However, he was still very sad when he heard that Yan Shu had passed away.

After all, Yan Shu had done something that was unfair to him and his mother in the past.

But after working for the country for so many years, the previous unhappiness has long gone with the wind, and what remains is only the feelings that have accompanied each other for half a lifetime.

Now Zhao Zhen is no longer a caged bird that cannot leave the palace easily. When the prime minister passes away, he will personally see him off.

"Ugh."

Zhao Zhen sighed deeply, shook his head and said, "They left one by one, and I am left with only sadness in my heart."

"And I will accompany my brother till the end. We will see a more glorious Song Dynasty."

Zhao Junqiang laughed.

"Alas, the people I knew and loved have passed away one by one, and I can't help but feel sad."

After Zhao Zhen sighed, tears began to flow like rain.

In recent years, Song Shou and Cai Qi also died one after another.

Of the original eight people, three were prime ministers, three were referees, Yan Shu and Fan Zhongyan, and now only Fan Zhongyan is left.

Moreover, Fan Zhongyan’s health has not been very good during this period, and it is unknown how long he can live.

Think so.

After all, thirty-two years have passed now.

Fan Zhongyan was already 79 years old.

And Zhao Zhen is about to turn 60, and will soon be at the age of sixty. It is really unknown how long he can live.

“When you think about the vastness of the universe, the human world can’t help but feel insignificant. Maybe there is another world after death. Who knows?”

Zhao Jun said comfortingly.

Hearing his words, Zhao Zhen opened the car window and looked up at the vast sky.

He has spent half his life studying mathematics, physics and chemistry, from his twenties to the present day. Except for his weak mathematics, he has extensive knowledge in chemistry and physics.

Even many of the knowledge points were not obtained from notebooks, but were the result of years of research.

Through collaboration with the Academy of Sciences, Zhao Zhen can be said to have single-handedly raised the Song Dynasty's knowledge of mathematics, physics and chemistry to the level before and after World War II. Many knowledge points and formulas are named after him.

His status as a scientific giant is unparalleled. Even in his old age, although he did not begin to study theology like Newton did, he began to study astronomy and often sighed at the vastness of the universe and the smallness of the earth.

Zhao Zhen looked up at the sky, his eyes full of confusion. He didn't know when countless dark clouds appeared in the originally clear sky. The autumn wind was bleak and the world was changing.

The convoy finally stopped at Bianliang South Railway Station.

Yan Shu's last words were that he wanted to be buried in the ancestral land of his clan and return to his parents after his death. Therefore, his body was kept in Yan's mansion for a few days after his death for his friends to pay their respects.

After the funeral, the body will be transported back to his hometown in Linchuan, Fuzhou, Jiangxi by train for burial, which can be regarded as returning to his roots.

A group of people got out of the car.

In addition to the emperor and prime ministers such as Zhao Zhen and Zhao Jun, there were also civil and military ministers such as the prime minister of the Political System Council, counselors, and ministers of various ministries.

Although Yan Shu's highest position was only Tongzhi of the Political System Council, not the Director of the Political System Council, he started out as the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and deputy Tongzhi, then was promoted to Tongzhi, and now to Counselor.

It can be said that he had been in the Constitutional Yuan for more than 20 or 30 years. His students and former officials were all over the world, and the number of people who had received his kindness was countless. Naturally, there were countless people who came to see him off.

Among them, Yan Shu's family members also got off the car. Several of his sons were wearing mourning robes. Leading the way was Yan Shu's second son Yan Chengyu. Because the eldest son Yan Juhou died early, he is now the head of the Yan family. He was holding Yan Shu's portrait.

After more than ten years of development, although photographic technology has not yet reached the level of color photography, it is already very outstanding. Unlike the blurry images in the earliest days, the smiling face and voice of Yan Shu are still clearly visible in them.

"His Majesty."

Zhao Zhen came to his family surrounded by the crowd.

The Yan family is large, with ten sons. The seventh son, Yan Jidao, is thirty years old this year. He stands in the crowd, feeling sad.

"With Prime Minister Yan gone, you all have to work harder and not slack off."

Zhao Zhen gave him some words of encouragement.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Ah."

"Let Prime Minister Yan return home as soon as possible."

Zhao Jun wiped his tears with a silk scarf and said with red eyes.

The anti-corrosion technology in ancient times was not bad, and the School of Chemistry had also done a lot of research, and things like formalin had been developed a long time ago.

However, most preservation techniques require hollowing out the internal organs, which is unbearable, so now we just keep it cool with ice cubes.

Although it is autumn and the temperature is not high, the body must be sent back to Jiangxi as soon as possible to prevent it from rotting.

"Yes."

Everyone agreed, and then strong men carried the official and his family members followed him into the station.

Everyone stood at the door and watched them go in. Zhao Zhen sighed, "I don't know when I will leave."

"The emperor is still young, there is still a long way to go. He should live to be a hundred years old."

Zhao Junqiang smiled.

He is only four years younger than Zhao Zhen and is 4 years old this year. Eventually, he can't help but sigh that time is merciless.

It is no wonder that many emperors in ancient times became obsessed with refining elixirs and achieving immortality in their later years.

Standing at the pinnacle of power, who would want to die?
"Boom."

It seems to be seeing Yan Shu off.

There were dark clouds in the sky. It was clearly early morning, but it seemed like evening.

"Let's go."

Zhao Zhen sighed.

All the civil and military officials returned to their carriages and headed back the way they came.

Since they were there to attend Yan Shu's farewell ceremony, everyone was wearing black mourning clothes, so they had to go home to change clothes before returning to the court, and then they left one by one.

Zhao Jun returned home, Cao Miaoxin changed his clothes for him. He buttoned his clothes and sighed, "I feel empty inside since Prime Minister Yan left. I have no relatives or friends, and he is like an elder in my family."

Cao Miaoxin said: "How can you say that you have no relatives? Aren't my children and I relatives? What's more, you now have grandchildren."

"This relative is not that relative."

Zhao Jun straightened his blue Zhongshan suit, sat on the wooden sofa chair, and took a short rest before preparing to go to the Constitutional Council.

Cao Miaoxin took out his mourning clothes, and at this moment Zhao Tan walked in.

The mother and son greeted each other, Cao Miaoxin took the mourning clothes and left, and Zhao Tan walked over to sit next to Zhao Jun.

He is 27 years old this year. He married a female college classmate the year before last and had a son last year. Zhao Jun was also promoted to grandfather.

"Father, are you crying?"

Zhao Tan keenly noticed that Zhao Jun's eyes were a little red.

Zhao Jun did not give a direct answer, but just asked: "How will you arrange your work when you come back this time?"

At the age of 17, Zhao Tan was admitted to Bianliang University with the top score in the college entrance examination in Jingji Road, and then studied for a master's and doctoral degree. While studying for a doctorate, he also took time to take the imperial examination and became a Jinshi in the th year of Qingli with the fourth place in the first class.

At present, the education system of the Song Dynasty has gradually shifted from the Confucian Four Books and Five Classics to mathematics, physics and chemistry.

However, Confucianism is deeply rooted, and it is unrealistic to completely abandon it in a short period of time. Therefore, for more than 30 years, Zhao Jun has been conducting the imperial examinations and the college entrance examination in parallel.

Moreover, the weight of Confucianism in the imperial examinations was gradually reduced, and the knowledge of mathematics, physics and chemistry was increased. At present, Confucianism accounts for only about 30% of the imperial examinations, mathematics accounts for 20%, and the remaining 50% is made up of physics, chemistry and biology.

Compared with the college entrance examination in later generations, it is equivalent to a full score of 750 points, with Chinese accounting for 225 points, mathematics accounting for 150 points, and comprehensive science accounting for 375 points.

Basically, the extra 75 points in Chinese will be the English part in the future.

Therefore, it was very easy for outstanding students from key universities to pass the imperial examination. The imperial examination could even be regarded as the Song Dynasty version of the national examination. Students with high levels of mathematics, physics and chemistry could easily pass the examination and become Jinshi.

With Zhao Tan's grades, it would have been easy for him to get the top spot, because in high school, his grades had already surpassed Lu You's grandfather Lu Dian, making him the top student in Bianliang High School.

Later, he performed very well in the imperial examinations. His science score was three points higher than that of Huang Tingjian, the top scorer in that year's imperial examination. Logically, he should have been the top scorer.

But Zhao Jun deliberately suppressed him and only ranked him fourth. Otherwise, according to Zhao Zhen's intention, he would have been appointed first.

Originally, one could become an official after passing the imperial examination, but Zhao Jun decided not to do so while he was studying for his doctorate. However, Dr. Zhao Tan graduated in September this year, and now is the time to assign him a job.

He said, "Your Majesty wants me to work as a secretary in the General Office of the Constitutional Council."

"Into the Constitutional Court?"

Zhao Jun frowned slightly, then shook his head and said, "No, you are not qualified." Zhao Tan looked embarrassed.

From childhood to adulthood, his father never educated him much, and he relied on his own hard work to study to achieve what he has today.

Even the top spot in the imperial examination was taken away by my father. Does he want to continue to suppress me today?
"Tan'er, are you a little unhappy? Do you think your father is suppressing you?"

When Zhao Jun saw his expression, he knew what he was thinking.

"Children don't dare."

Zhao Tan lowered his head.

Zhao Jun sighed and said, "My power is very great. To put it bluntly, with a wave of my hand, all officials in the Song Dynasty will lose their official hats, including the prime minister of the Political System Council. Even Your Majesty will not disobey my will. I am like the emperor in the Song Dynasty. But do I really want to be the emperor? No, what I have in my heart is never power, but the millions of people in the Song Dynasty."

He looked at Zhao Tan and said, "If my son is born mediocre, I will not give him any privileges, nor will I let him have the power I have. Because if mediocre people are in power, it will be a disaster for the country and the people."

"One person, one family, one town, one place, one road, one country, their rise and fall can be sudden. The rulers of a country are of vital importance. If they cannot have foresight, then the country will decline and perish."

"Luckily, my son is very smart and learns quickly. He passed the imperial examination and entered the official career. But it is precisely because of this that I cannot let you move too fast."

Zhao Jun said to Zhao Tan earnestly, "You are only 27 years old. It is not good to be floating on the surface. Being a secretary in the Constitutional Council is not a high-ranking job, but you are exposed to the most advanced things. It is easy for you to feel that your eyes are too high and you cannot see the bottom. You must be down-to-earth and not build castles in the air. That is why I do not agree with you joining the Constitutional Council."

These words made Zhao Tan understand why his father had suppressed him all these years.

He asked, "What does my father want from me?"

"Go down to the grassroots and have a look among the people. You are a first-class scholar, starting from the seventh rank, and you will definitely be a county magistrate if you are sent to a place. But I can't let you take control of the power of a county right away. You should start as a deputy and become a county magistrate."

Zhao Jun said: "Understand the thoughts of the people and find your own answers among the people. Change your surname and don't use my name. Don't be afraid of difficulties in officialdom and use your wisdom to solve them. Don't worry if you encounter corrupt elements, collect evidence and fight your enemies to the end. After you go down, the most important thing is to solve the difficulties of the people, how to lead the people to wealth and poverty alleviation. When you can govern a county well, you can slowly understand how to govern a country well."

"Yes, I understand, kid."

Zhao Tan nodded.

As a first-class Jinshi, he started at the seventh rank according to convention.

A seventh-rank official would at least be a county magistrate in a certain place.

Obviously he understood what his father meant. If he stayed in the central government, he would definitely be promoted quickly. As a secretary in the General Office of the Constitutional Council, he would come into contact with the prime minister, so promotion was inevitable.

But my father doesn't want this to happen, because that would be like forcing things to happen. Only by going deep into the grassroots and among the people can we grow step by step.

"Mr. Wang is here."

Just at this moment, Cao Miaoxin shouted at the door.

Zhao Jun said: "Let him in."

"Father, I'll leave first."

Zhao Tan stood up.

"Ah."

Zhao Jun nodded.

Looking at his son's departing back, Zhao Jun sighed.

If possible, he really hoped that his son would be more mediocre.

Because his son is mediocre, he only needs to take care of his son's upbringing and make sure he doesn't become a spoiled child.

Unfortunately, his son was very smart, had excellent grades, passed the imperial examination and entered the official career.

By then, even if he did not promote him personally, there would still be countless people finding reasons to promote him.

What if my son takes power after my death?

It would be good if this son is a suitable successor, but I am afraid that when he has power in the future he will not be able to control his own nature and start to do evil things.

That would be a disaster for the country.

"Zhiyuan."

Wang Anshi walked in.

He entered the agency with Lee Hyo-gi the year before last, in 1066 AD. He is currently the youngest prime minister in the Constitutional Council at the age of 47, and is one of Zhao Jun's preferred successors.

"Jiefu is here?"

Zhao Jun said, "Sit down."

"Xie Zhiyuan."

Wang Anshi sat on the sofa next to him and said, "I saw Yunshu go out just now. I remember he graduated this year. How is his work going?"

Yunshu is Zhao Tan's pen name, and Wang Anshi was one of Zhao Tan's teachers.

Because Wang Anshi had previously served as a professor of Chinese studies at Bianliang University, the two had a very close relationship.

"I was just talking about this."

Zhao Jun sighed, "The government wants Tan'er to work at the Constitutional Court, but how can this be achieved overnight? We still have to start from the grassroots level."

"Well, that's fine too."

Wang Anshi nodded.

Nowadays, all the prime ministers of the Constitutional Court are from the grassroots.

Even Zhao Jun has gone to the grassroots level many times, sometimes for several years, to conduct research and work in various parts of the country.

How can we govern the entire country without going deep into the people?
"Jiefu, what brings you here today? I have to go back to the courtyard soon. Is there anything that can't be discussed in the courtyard?"

Zhao Jun didn't want to say more about his son's affairs, so he changed the subject.

Wang Anshi took out some documents in his hand and said, "I thought of the reform of abolishing agricultural tax and subsidizing agriculture, as well as some subsidies for light industry and energy, and raising the tax rate for automobile manufacturing. If it can be passed here, I will bring it to the regular meeting of the Political System Council."

“Why do you have these thoughts?”

Zhao Jun took the documents and glanced at them. The content was very rich, but he didn't have that much time to read them.

Wang Anshi said: "Now our country's industrialization level is very advanced, and agriculture is the foundation. If we collect taxes again, I'm afraid no one will grow food. Last month, I heard from the Ministry of Agriculture that it is estimated that a lot of wasteland will appear this year, which will undoubtedly make agriculture worse. Even if we open a large number of agricultural colleges and actively develop many high-yield crops, if farmers don't grow crops, where will the food come from?"

“Well, that’s definitely something that needs to be addressed.”

Zhao Jun nodded.

With the process of industrialization, the income from working in a factory is much higher than that from farming, which will cause a large number of farmers to abandon their fields and go to the city to work.

The farmland that everyone wanted before is now ignored, and wasteland has appeared all over the country. This undoubtedly shakes the foundation of people's livelihood, so subsidies for agriculture are inevitable.

"Light industry and energy are the main ways to maintain finances at present. Most workers are also involved in light industry. Moreover, these things are conducive to exports and increase national income. Maintaining stability in this area is inevitable."

Wang Anshi hesitated and said, "As for the automobile manufacturing industry, I must admit that this is the trend of the future, but at least at this stage, only our Song Dynasty can undertake it. In an era when the world is still in the era of farming, nomadic and fishing and hunting civilization, making cars is not a promising thing, so let the automobile manufacturing industry develop more slowly and maintain the basic plate of light industry. After all, people all over the world need to eat, wear clothes, need leather and furniture, and need to read and learn. In terms of foreign trade exports, daily necessities are more popular than cars."

This is the truth, and it is also the problem that the Song Dynasty is currently facing.

The Song Dynasty had been carrying out the Industrial Revolution for nearly 30 years, and the overall level had basically reached the level of the World War II period. Trains, cars, ships, etc. already existed.

They have even purchased a large number of oil fields in the Middle East for exploitation and have entered the era of electrification, which is part of the Second Industrial Revolution.

However, they have run all the way into an advanced society, but the world has been left behind by them.

Many smart countries have been inheriting the backward technology of the Song Dynasty, such as steelmaking technology and steam technology, but currently no country has completed the first industrial revolution. Only some powerful countries are in the process of the first industrial revolution.

People were still at the stage of playing with steam engines. Selling cars to them would be like selling a comb to a monk or glasses to a blind man. Except for some powerful people who might buy a few cars out of curiosity, it would be basically impossible for them to be popularized.

Therefore, Wang Anshi believed that the Song Dynasty should still maintain light industrial manufacturing, with the main development direction focusing on daily necessities, which should be sold to foreign countries in exchange for large amounts of mineral raw materials.

When countries around the world gradually enter the industrial age and are able to import cars, we will then vigorously develop the automobile manufacturing industry.

"Well, our development speed is indeed too fast, so that the whole world is leading us discontinuously. No country can catch up with us, and our advanced industrial products cannot be sold."

Zhao Jun nodded, and then said: "But this is not a reason for us to hinder our own progress. We must actively develop light industry, and heavy industry cannot be left behind. Even if we are the only one who can take over the automobile manufacturing industry, we must move forward and cannot suppress it."

"But Zhiyuan."

Wang Anshi said in embarrassment: "If we allow automobile production capacity to grow, we will have to continue to spend a lot of money on road construction. The huge amount of financial investment may be too much for the national treasury to bear."

"I know your concerns. There are too many places to spend money now. This country is like a half-grown boy who has to eat, drink, defecate and urinate every day. Add in a money-eating beast. You are worried about the bottom of the treasury and the fiscal deficit, right?"

Zhao Jun smiled and said.

"Yes."

Wang Anshi said: "I think we should eat one bite at a time. We should not take too big a step. We should consolidate the foundation and expand the automobile manufacturing industry when there are more wealthy people. By then, our domestic market will be saturated, and the foreign market may take off."

"That's not how the account is calculated."

Zhao Jun smiled and shook his head, then said: "Jiefu, you now know that I am a person from the future. But do you know why I have been able to hold this position for more than 30 years? Is it really because of my identity as a person from the future?"

Wang Anshi was puzzled and said, "Please explain clearly, sir."

"It's very simple."

Zhao Jun said calmly: "Because I really made the cake bigger, so that everyone can have their share."

Make the cake bigger?

Wang Anshi was stunned at first, then he suddenly understood as if struck by lightning.

Zhao Jun had told them this before.

But it was not until now that he understood why the Institute had repeatedly emphasized the importance of making the pie bigger.

"I made the cake bigger, and the emperor got the biggest piece. He has now become the greatest emperor in the history, even the greatest emperor for all time. No emperor in history has achieved his achievements."

Zhao Jun said: "The position of Guan Jia in the scientific community is also unique in history. He has become an unprecedented scientific giant. Even Newton and Einstein who came later could not be compared with him. That's why Guan Jia tolerated me."

"The prime ministers used to be insecure, and once they were impeached, they had to resign according to convention. I established the Constitutional Council so that they can hold on to power and no longer have to fight for power. Then they will be grateful to me."

"What about the officials? You know how serious the problem of redundant officials was. There were tens of thousands of officials, and more than ten thousand of them were idle and powerless. I shared the cake with them, turning them from idle and redundant officials into powerful officials, so they will support me."

"As for the common people, I have distributed land to them, supported many factories so that they can farm and earn money in factories, and established a comprehensive security system so that the poor can see a doctor, go to school, have food to eat, and have warm clothes to wear. Then the people will believe in me."

He tapped the table gently and said, "If this cake is always this small, the emperor, officials, businessmen, and people will be endlessly involuted, and everyone will be finished in the end. As long as the cake keeps getting bigger, even if capital appears and sweeps away a lot of wealth, as long as the country can find a way to cut out the meat from the capital and distribute it to the people, then the country will be stable and my position will not be shaken. It will be the same if anyone else sits in my position and guarantees this. Do you understand now?"

"I understand."

Wang Anshi suddenly realized what he had done and continued, "Master, there are many private capitals in the country now. Some wealthy people have assets of hundreds of millions of guan, and they often fail to comply with the labor law."

"Then strike hard and punish severely. Don't have any psychological burden, and don't be afraid of capital fleeing the Song Dynasty. Apart from the Song Dynasty, they have nowhere else to go."

Zhao Jun said sternly, "Even if they run away and go abroad, the Song army can go to various places around the world to arrest people. If the capital is honest, let them develop well. But if it is not honest, it is just a piece of meat. If they leave, there will naturally be more people to fill the gaps in their industry. What you have to do is to let the capital grow legally and compliantly, and then use taxes to take the money from the capital, and then subsidize all the people, so that every citizen can get a dividend and eat the cake they deserve."

"Remember, it is not the Song Dynasty that feeds more than 200 million people, nor is it us who bear the 10 million square kilometers of land of the Song Dynasty. It is the 200 million people of the Song Dynasty who feed us, and it is the 10 million square kilometers of land that bears the Song Dynasty!"

Zhao Jun's words were full of solemnity.

"understood."

Wang Anshi nodded heavily and took the governor's words to heart.

"The Song Dynasty is like a train. It can only move forward and cannot go back."

Zhao Jun seemed a little tired, leaning on the sofa and whispering: "Prime Minister Yan is gone, and I am over 50 years old. I don't know how long I can live. Among the successors, I am most optimistic about you, don't let me down."

"Yes."

Wang Anshi only felt as if there was a heavy burden on his shoulders, making his body as heavy as a mountain.

The Song Dynasty can only move forward, and must move forward. Therefore, any opportunity to make the pie bigger should not be missed, even if it is not appropriate at the moment, we must support its development! !

(End of this chapter)