Northern Song Dynasty: Starting from the son of Song Renzong

Chapter 91 This little kid is so fierce with his chatterbox!
the next day!
Zhao Zhen then ordered someone to issue an imperial edict.

The content was very simple, which was to confer the title of Prince of Yu on Zhao Xin, Duke of Shou, and at the same time, to be the Prime Minister of military and state affairs.

Often, after the Song Dynasty's imperial edict was promulgated, it would be distributed to various places, and among them, it had to pass through the hands of the Jinzouyuan.

therefore……

When this edict was issued, officials in the capital as well as local officials were all shocked.

What is the government doing?!

Could it be that... the emperor really allows the five-year-old Duke Shou to participate in state affairs?

If before this it was still a small-scale discussion.

This edict means it’s real.

After hearing the news, Ouyang Xiu did not think there was anything wrong with it at first, because this Pingzhang Jun Guoshi was most likely just an honorary title. But later, after hearing what others said, he found that things did not seem to be that simple.

Ouyang Xiu asked Fu Bi, "You mean... when you went on a diplomatic mission to Liao, Duke Shou also gave you some advice?"

Fu Bi nodded and replied, "Don't treat him as a five-year-old child. I even feel that he is more like an emperor than the emperor. Before this, Wang Gongchen was also scolded by him."

Ouyang Xiu then asked curiously, "Why did Wang Gongchen get scolded by him?"

Ouyang Xiu and Wang Gongchen were brothers-in-law.

That is, he married daughters from the same family.

but……

Perhaps Ouyang Xiu felt that Wang Gongchen was too pretentious, so he never looked down upon him.

Immediately afterwards...

After listening to Fu Bi's words.

Ouyang Xiu also fell silent.

How could there be such a monster in this world?

Did you finish reading "Book of Tang", "Book of Sui" and "Book of Han" at the age of four?
Think about when I was four years old, I was probably running around in open-crotch pants.

"You're exaggerating!"

Fu Bi did not argue with him, but just replied: "Is it so exaggerated? When the time comes, you will know it naturally after more contact. But I advise you not to say in front of the emperor that the prince cannot participate in politics."

Don't tell me yet!

Ouyang Xiu was just about to say this.

He just said: "It is indeed not a good thing for this prince to participate in politics! Could it be... that this is not the truth?"

Fu Bi said: "If you say so, then you are the next Wang Gongchen."

……

a few days later.

Chui Gong Hall.

Although the war seems to have stopped in the current Song Dynasty, the world should be at peace.

But in fact...

According to the reports received from various places, this is not the case.

Yu Jing said, "Governor, the government has too many redundant expenses nowadays, and the people have no private savings. If the harvest fails in a year, the roads will be full of refugees. If this is not stopped, I am afraid that the country will become more and more chaotic in the future. I think this matter is of utmost importance!"

Zhao Zhen then asked: "Then what practical measures do you have?"

Yu Jing replied: "I think we should get rid of redundant officials, reduce rent and taxes, and support agriculture and sericulture."

Every one of these is correct!

But the problem is...

Can the country just stop collecting taxes? What if there is no money when a war breaks out?
Moreover, the so-called "Helping the Agriculture and Sangria" seems like a slogan, which sounds good, but in fact, it is useless. Zhao Xin turned around and asked, "What is the so-called "Helping the Agriculture and Sangria"?

Yu Jing was not like Ouyang Xiu, who received the news from Fu Bi in advance, so he didn't know enough about Zhao Xin.

of course!

He had been in the capital before, so he had heard some rumors about Zhao Xin.

Hearing Zhao Xin's question, he thought about Zhao Xin's position as the Minister of Military Affairs and replied, "The so-called support for agriculture and sericulture means to have agricultural envoys to persuade the people to actively reclaim wasteland and vigorously build water conservancy projects."

After hearing this, Zhao Xin said, "That makes sense! But the problem is, if it were that easy to reclaim wasteland, it would be great. The reason why the people fled is because there is not enough land to grow food. I'm afraid there are only a few places in the world that can meet the conditions for reclaiming wasteland, right? Are there any?"

Then Yu Jing said, "Most places no longer have them."

Zhao Xin said, "I told you! There is definitely nothing left in the north, so you can only go to the south. For example, it is impossible for you to have land in the flat land in the north without growing crops and mulberry trees. So your method might as well be called migrating the population in the north and reclaiming the wasteland in the south."

Fu Bi said, "That probably won't work. If the population moves from the north to the south, the population in the north will decrease."

Zhao Xin: "Then the northerners can only stay in the north and starve to death."

Everyone: "..."

Even Zhao Zhen was speechless.

Zhao Xin then said: "So, your slogan is totally useless!"

Yu Jing: "..."

Yu Jing had no choice but to ask, "Then I wonder what Prince Yu thinks?"

Zhao Xin said, "I think... we should develop more handicraft industries so that the landless people can engage in handicrafts. This is the right way!"

“Although people will die if they don’t eat, people don’t necessarily have to farm to eat!”

"If people can learn a skill, it will be enough to make a living."

"So... my suggestion is that instead of supporting agriculture and sericulture, we should teach the people how to do handicrafts."

"For example, some advanced embroidery techniques can be taught to poor people."

"When you have embroidered something good, you can sell it to people in need and then exchange it for food."

Everyone suddenly fell silent.

Thinking carefully about Zhao Xin’s words.

You have to admit it.

This was indeed a path they had never thought of before.

Don't worry about whether this can be accomplished or not, at least...

This provided them with a new idea.

Then Ouyang Xiu asked, "If this is made, will it be sold?"

Zhao Xin said, "If you say that embroidery was very expensive in the past, then naturally many people couldn't afford it and were unwilling to buy it. But now, it has suddenly become very cheap. Then for those who still have extra money at home, they will definitely want to buy one to try it out, right?"

"I think that if people want to make a living, they must either own land or sell their labor."

"We should come up with more ways for people to sell their labor, and even provide them with training so that they can master new skills."

"Instead, the people don't have much land, and you are still advising them to focus on agriculture."

"If he really had land, would you still need to persuade him to invest in agriculture?"

"They have already planted all the crops!"

Everyone in the audience fell silent again.

This little kid is so fierce with his chattering mouth!
But there is some truth in what he said.

Even though it may not be possible to achieve, it sounds at least much better than what Yu Jing said.

(End of this chapter)