Northern Song Dynasty: Starting from the son of Song Renzong

Chapter 101 I know everything, but I just can't do it

After returning to Kaifeng, we conducted some experiments on horse-drawn trams.

Time flies and it is already June or July.

The Song Dynasty had an average of one to two uprisings every year, which was no joke.

This year...

Zhao Xin heard about two such incidents from the reports submitted to the Jinzouyuan.

First, Tiger Wing Soldier Wang Lun rebelled, and now, he has reached Yangzhou.

The report said that "the inspectors and county lieutenants who passed by were all afraid to leave" and that "we traveled thousands of miles, as if we were walking in an uninhabited place."

Some places even took the initiative to open the city gates to welcome the rebels into the city, and held banquets to entertain them. The clothes, armor, weapons, silk, food, etc. in the warehouses were available for the rebels to use.

Most people in the court still don't know this news.

Only people at the prime minister level can know.

Why?

One is that he was afraid of causing unrest in the court.

Another reason is that they are afraid of affecting the morale and even loyalty of the soldiers.

Why do you say that?

Because the origin of the Tiger Wing Soldiers is not simple, they are the imperial guards of the Song Dynasty.

If it was ordinary people who revolted, it would be fine, but now it is the imperial guards who revolted.

Just think about it, the most elite troops of the Song Dynasty revolted.

Would the other imperial guards in the capital also rebel after seeing this? Another Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms?
This incident also made Zhao Zhen unable to sleep well for the past month.

Fortunately, Zhao Xin was still in the mood to go and see his fiefdom.

The second uprising was something Zhao Xin heard about recently when he returned.

Zhang Hai and Guo Miaoshan revolted in Shaanxi.

This year, Shaanxi suffered a severe drought, and more than a thousand starving people in Shangshan launched an uprising under the leadership of Zhang Hai, Guo Miaoshan and others.

The same thing happened, and none of the officials along the way dared to resist, and some even fled upon hearing the news.

Some soldiers even joined the rebel army directly.

This is the Song Dynasty today.

of course!

Having said that, the situation outside the Song Dynasty's Kaifeng City was so bad.

But in Kaifeng city, people are still as steady as an old dog, singing and dancing as usual.

Why!

Because Kaifeng City is a large military camp.

The emperor of the Song Dynasty is the general in this military camp.

Look at Wang Lun, the Tiger Wing Soldier in front. He started the uprising in Yizhou and could have gone straight to Kaifeng to the west, but he went south instead. Why?

It is because the military force near the capital is so strong.

If he dares to come over, he will be courting death.

This is the real reason why the Song Dynasty was able to remain undefeated despite an average of two uprisings every year.

The lord of Kaifeng City and the number one military leader in the Central Plains.

No matter what the rebels do outside, they are just strong trunk and weak branches. Even if you rebel again, you won’t be able to cause any big waves.

So when his father asked Zhao Xin, "How did you manage to stay so calm?"

Zhao Xin replied, "Because I know that in terms of military strength, Kaifeng City is the most powerful. If there is a rebellion anywhere, you only need to arrange for the imperial army to suppress it."

"And since you have already arranged for someone to go, there is no need to worry too much."

so……

With so much money spent on normal occasions, fifty strings of cash a year on maintaining the imperial guards is still of some use.

At least this is definitely not a bargaining chip that ordinary rebels can afford immediately.

It's over. Once you have wiped out the rebels, maybe I can give you a reward based on the number of heads killed.

It is possible that a head could be worth ten or even twenty strings of cash.

This is probably the secret of why the Song Dynasty, despite being weak, was able to maintain its national prosperity for such a long time.

can only say……

The Song Dynasty was truly rotten to the core. Zhao Xin no longer wanted to be named Zhao.

But what can we do about it?

If he hangs himself now, will the Song Dynasty become better?
At the age of five, all he could do was to gradually grasp the basic situation of the Song Dynasty, and then patch up this rotten Song Dynasty bit by bit.

Miao Niangzi's Courtyard...

I saw Zhao Xin had been holding the pen for quite a while.

I originally wanted to write a reform plan similar to that of Fan Zhongyan and others, or some good policies for governing the country.

But finally I thought...

Forget it!

Because I simply don’t have that kind of writing skills.

Just tell his dad directly.

Zhao Xin said, "Daddy."

Zhao Zhen: “Hmm?”

Zhao Xin: "You can't spend money carelessly in the future. I heard from people in Mengzhou that the manor was originally auctioned for 11,000 guan, but you gave them 15,000 guan. Do you have too much money to spend?"

Zhao Zhen: “Uh…”

Zhao Xin continued, "Especially, I estimate that most of the money from the auction will fall into the hands of corrupt officials in Mengzhou. What good will this do for the local people? It will only encourage the arrogance of those corrupt officials. The local people may have a harder life in the future."

Zhao Zhen also asked: "Corrupt officials? What corrupt officials?"

Zhao Xin then told his father what he had heard about the conspiracy between officials and businessmen.

Zhao Xin said very seriously: "There is no solid evidence for this matter, only hearsay. However, from common sense, it does make sense."

Zhao Xin continued, "First, you can't spend money recklessly. Second, you can't randomly appoint people to official positions. Of course, it's not good for you to refuse directly. Then choose someone who is impartial and can reject your edict. Let the other party refuse. You can learn from Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty. Emperor Gaozong wanted to depose Empress Wu, but Empress Wu found out. What did he say? He said Shangguan Yi taught him."

Zhao Zhen also replied: "Is it possible that Shangguan Yi really taught him?"

Zhao Xin said, "It's not important. Just listen to me and do what I say. The problem of redundant officials in the Song Dynasty is already so serious. You see, whether it's Wang Lun's rebellion, or Zhang Hai and Guo Miaoshan's rebellion, there are at least 20 states in the local area. As a result, the officials of the 20 states combined can't do anything about these rebels. They all avoid fighting, and some even take the initiative to open the city to welcome the rebels and invite others to have a drink. I want to get rid of such useless officials, but the question is, can I do it?"

"No! Because the faster we take it over, the faster the Song Dynasty will die."

"The world is already in chaos, and if you add to the chaos, it's like throwing more firewood into the fire."

"Now I finally understand why the history books record certain things, and why officials look so stupid when dealing with them. You only need to do this, but why don't you do it?"

"There's a reason for this! They're not actually stupid, they all know it, it's just... they just can't do it."

"Isn't that also the case with us at this moment?"

"Thousands of years later, people in the future may comment that Zhao Zhen and his son were really stupid. Why don't you reform them? There are so many officials who eat and do nothing. Why don't you kill them all and exile them?"

"However, that will only accelerate the demise of my Zhao family."

Zhao Zhen: "..."

After Zhao Xin finished speaking, he slapped the table hard.

Then he added: "So, Daddy, you can't act willfully in the future. Our Zhao family is already in danger! I will help you hold the key to the inner treasury, so that you can't spend money recklessly."

It was originally a serious topic.

When Zhao Xin finished speaking, he wanted to take the key to the inner storehouse, and then...

Zhao Xin was beaten by his father again.

And Zhao Zhen had no doubt at all that this guy would definitely go through Xuanwu Gate in the future!
of course!

After the fight, the father and son still had to continue discussing the strategy to save the country.

Zhao Zhen said, "So, if your father does these two things, the Song Dynasty will not fall?"

Zhao Xin said, "Dad, there are still dynasties in this world that will not perish. After the efforts of you and me, I will be responsible for the work and you will be responsible for the supervision. If we can make the Song Dynasty live another hundred years, two hundred years longer than the Western Han Dynasty and the Eastern Han Dynasty, and one hundred years longer than the Tang Dynasty, we will be very lucky."

"And... of course there are more than just these two!"

Zhao Zhen also asked: "What did you say just now?"

Zhao Xin then asked: "What did I say?"

Zhao Zhen: "You said, 'After the efforts of you and me, father and son', and then 'You are responsible for doing it, and I am responsible for watching'?"

Zhao Xin asked, "What's wrong? Is there something wrong?"

Ok!

As soon as Zhao Xin finished speaking.

Zhao Xin was beaten by his father again.

(End of this chapter)