Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 389 How can the world be without rebels? Will the soldiers really not mutini?
Inside Xiangyang City, Su Wu saw off Zhong Shizhong and all the Western Army soldiers.

Then, after looking at the Emperor's handwritten edict of self-reproach that Wang Fu had sent him, he hesitated for a while before expressing his opinion and observing Wang Fu's expression.

Seeing Wang Fu's tense yet expectant expression, Su Wu finally spoke: "His Majesty harbors resentment..."

Wang Fu was shocked. How could he see that? What kind of miraculous skill was this?

He then hurriedly went to look at the large sheet of paper with the Emperor's handwriting, praising, "Your Majesty is wise, able to discern the Emperor's state of mind from the lines of your writing. I admire you! But now, I'm afraid that's all the Emperor can write. No matter what he does, it's impossible for him to be so cheerful... This brushstroke has reached the pinnacle!"

"Oh? Is that so? You've already reached the pinnacle? I feel... it still lacks a bit of spirit..." Su Wu said.

Wang Fu was extremely anxious: "Your Majesty, should we have the Emperor rewrite it?"

Su Wu seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then waved his hand: "Alright, the matter is urgent, we can't wait any longer... Let's do it this way, and send them all over the country immediately..."

Wang Fu felt relieved. This king was truly accomplished; no wonder the emperor had once considered him a confidant!

Fortunately, this time, there was no slackness or perfunctory attitude in handling the task; I had already done my utmost...

Su Wu had just learned one thing: from now on, he must not directly express his likes and dislikes, or his satisfaction and dissatisfaction.

This...is the art of imperial strategy!

He must never let anyone guess what's on his mind.

I couldn't help but think of Wu Yong. That fellow Wu Yong has become increasingly adept at guessing things these days...

A person in a position whose thoughts can be easily read will inevitably be targeted and dealt with accordingly...

Just like Emperor Huizong of Song!
You need to improve!
The saying "Don't let your emotions show" and "A wise person speaks slowly" are all proverbs from our ancestors, and they have never been wrong!

Even going forward, whatever I want to do will be with the consent of others, not based on my own thoughts...

This is the kind of persona that is impartial and unbiased.

Su Wu pondered for a while, then let out a sigh. For some reason, Su Wu was sighing more and more often these days...

The Western Army returned, and then Su Wu was to lead the Emperor back to the capital...

Most of the army could leave, but more than 10,000 men had to remain here; Qin Hui wanted to stay.

Su Wu didn't want to use the term "land reform," as it was somewhat inappropriate.

But Su Wu still had to do this: during this trip to Jinghu, he had to get his hands on at least 70% to 80% of the land held by wealthy families, since they had committed crimes along with the emperor.

Qin Hui has a very standard character definition; throughout history, there has never been a shortage of such characters.

Even cruel officials were used by many emperors, including Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of Han, and even Empress Wu Zetian.

Finally, when things were almost settled, the cruel official was executed to appease the people!

This approach is already very well-established.

Back in Yanjing, Su Wu established an office to manage the businesses he owned.

This time, upon arriving in the capital, I am determined to make this government office bigger and stronger...

Follow suit, set up a domestic division, and you'll be either below or on par with the three divisions!

There's another word, though not entirely accurate, but it's very fitting right now: state capitalism!

Su Wu was strategizing how the country should move forward...

How can I travel without encountering any major problems...?

The land, in reality, is something that binds labor, because the poorest people have to exert all their strength just to barely survive under the exploitation of landlords...

The surplus value obtained by the landlords would not be used to support the common people, nor would it benefit the country...

Therefore, if the majority of ordinary people rent land from the state, as long as the state's land taxes are not high, a lot of labor can be saved to do other things...

When a country receives sufficient tax revenue and can utilize its surplus labor force for other purposes, such as producing other goods, then everything will flourish...

Moreover, the country can use the tax revenue it receives, which is the surplus labor derived from the land, to invest in new things, which creates a positive cycle...

Su Wu understood this underlying logic deeply.

Therefore, we need to solve a major problem right now. Only after solving this major problem can we truly implement this logic.

This inevitably refers to the country's execution capabilities, specifically the bureaucratic system, and Su Wu's control over it.

As Su Wu pondered, his thoughts became clearer: reforming officialdom was of paramount importance.

He controlled land with one hand and corrupt officials with the other.

But this country's system is already rotten to the core...

How to get started?
I can't talk about lofty ideals or beliefs, nor can I talk about any "-isms" or "-isms"; those are things for later.

For now, what we can still do is learn from our ancestors, using all sorts of methods...

Water can never be completely clear, but as long as the water clarity reaches a certain standard, the effectiveness of administration can be guaranteed to a certain extent.

Let's go all out!
To ensure these things could be implemented, Su Wu also needed to do one more thing: build up the army. Only when the army was well-built could the foundation for everything be guaranteed!

As for the administrative system, there's really no need to change it; at most, add one more step to extend imperial power to the countryside.

In other words, China's administrative system was already the most advanced. This civil service system was not truly learned by the West until the 19th century.

The so-called Three Departments, Six Ministries, Two Prefectures, Three Offices, Censorate, and Censorate, with the roads, prefectures, counties, and townships below, in essence, the core of administration has always been the most advanced...

This has been true throughout history and across the world; it's just that things have become more and more detailed over time.

First, he focused on the army; Su Wu had sorted things out...

The army is nothing more than the Military Academy. All officers above the rank of captain must enter the Military Academy. This is the basic principle. In urgent situations, things can be done slowly, but this principle cannot be changed no matter what.

We can establish several military academies: one in Yanyun, one in Jingdong, one in Bianjing, one in Chang'an (Jingzhao Prefecture), one in Jinghu and Shu (Sichuan), and then... one in Guangzhou.

These are the basics. The real core is how to design the curriculum of the military academy. Combat courses are one aspect, and this aspect can be designed by many experienced generals.

Politically and ideologically, the entire system had to be implemented by Su Wu himself.

On the way back to the capital, Su Wu did not ride a horse, but sat in the carriage the whole time, constantly writing and revising.

First and foremost, it is crucial to establish a strong foundation of consensus.

Nation, country, history, culture.

Who are you? Where do you come from?

We need to trace back further. Who are the Han people? That's easy to say. But who are the Qiang people? Who are the Donghu people? Who are the various tribes of the grasslands? Who are the mountain people of Yunnan and Guizhou? Who are the indigenous people of Fujian and Yue?

They all need to have a source; to put it bluntly, they all need to be from the same family. For example, who are the people from Liaodong outside the Great Wall, the Greater and Lesser Khingan Mountains, and Changbai Mountain?

The descendants of the Shang people were those who were driven there by the Zhou people...

What was the relationship between the Zhou and Shang people? They were essentially of the same clan. They would perform sacrifices together. The Zhou attacked the Shang for one reason only: the Shang ultimately violated the sacrificial system…

These things are historically verifiable, and we need to find someone to properly analyze and refine this system so that it can be consistently inherited.

Who are the various tribes of the grasslands? If we consider the Donghu, then we can trace back further: the Turks, the Xiongnu, and so on. The Xiongnu are the easiest to identify; they are descendants of the Yellow Emperor and Yan Emperor, and could even be considered related to the Han Dynasty. Perhaps many of them are even descendants of the Han Dynasty…

The regions of Yunnan, Guizhou, and Fujian can be traced back to the legendary figure Chi You, or more recently to Zhao Tuo of the Qin and Han dynasties…

Then let's talk about the various historical developments...

This whole set needs to be carefully compiled and based on classical texts...

If some of the information is not quite the same... then we can't have that kind of information anymore.

Who should take the lead in this?

Su Wu considered several candidates, even Wang Fu...

But they still felt it wasn't quite right, and after much deliberation, Li Gang took the lead in doing it.

This is very important. Once this set of materials is compiled, it will not only be used by the martial arts academy, but also by the tribes of the grasslands, the tribes of Liaodong, and even the tribes of Yunnan, Guizhou, Fujian and Yue. They will all send their children to study here and learn it!

By learning in this way, one can learn about national identity and national integration...

It's not just about getting them to accept the Central Plains, but about getting the people of the Central Plains to accept them.

Studying history, culture, and ethnicity is extremely important for soldiers; the reason for fighting lies within it.

Maintaining combat effectiveness over the long term also depends on this.

It's actually the same approach used in later generations to rebuild nation-states, and it was very effective.

Based on this, we can then discuss ideas and ideals, and have a common goal: what kind of country we want to build this nation into.

Of course, literacy education in the military is the most basic thing and needs no further explanation.

Su Wu had an even grander dream: to eradicate illiteracy nationwide and establish an education system that penetrated to the very bottom of the country. It was a long and arduous task.

Therefore, it is even more important to unleash productive forces so that society can produce more goods; this is the foundation of everything!

Night, camping.

Su Wu was still burning the lamp...

The idea was to clarify the framework of all these complexities before returning to Beijing.

Su Wu is now capable of thinking about these things; soon he will be able to control at least 50% to 60% of all the land in Jinghu…

More than 95 percent of the land in Yanyun.

We need to work harder on land in Hebei, but we should at least control 60-70% of it.

At this point, we can control about 30% of the Jiangnan and Zhejiang regions. If we work harder and find a way, we can at least get 60% or 70%.

The entire Yellow River basin, including the Hetao region, was under Su Wu's control.

The four prefectures of Hexi have little arable land and are not very important, but they are all under their control.

This refers to arable land. Furthermore, all the world's mineral resources, needless to say, are domestically produced, and over 95% of the mountains and forests are domestically produced.

Su Wu didn't even need to lift a finger; this has been the case throughout history.

They are all means of production.

Therefore, Su Wu still needed money, and those who needed to work harder needed money to get it.

It's not that you can't steal, but there's no need to be so blatant about it.

Or, to put it another way, we could plunder it, like "looting" Bianjing first. Bianjing has plenty of precious metals...

These goods were then exchanged for means of production in various parts of the world, thus increasing the amount of currency available to the people and further facilitating commercial development.

In fact, throughout the history of the Song Dynasty, the supply of circulating currency has always been less than the demand...

As long as the poorest people have enough to eat, even inflation is within a certain range and acceptable...

Thinking of all this, Su Wu gave a brief instruction: "There's no rush to set off tomorrow morning. After we've eaten, I want to speak with the gentlemen of Dongjing..."

Wu Yong nodded: "Then this humble official will go and give the order to make arrangements..."

Su Wu also got up and went to find Zhao Ji, intending to seize the Zhao family's property first!

As Su Wu walked towards Zhao Ji's camp, which was not far away, he seemed to hear sobbing sounds coming from inside the camp...

Su Wu turned to look at the soldier beside him, who then shouted loudly, "The King of Yan has arrived!"

Sure enough, the crying stopped abruptly at those words.

Su Wu then stepped forward and entered the tent, laughing heartily, "Is Your Majesty still awake?"

Emperor Huizong was already standing beside the bed, ramrod straight, nodding: "Not asleep, not asleep..."

"There's something I'd like to ask Your Majesty..." Su Wu first sat down beside the bed.

Emperor Huizong of Zhao stood ramrod straight, his face tense: "May I ask, Your Highness..."

"How much money is left in the imperial treasury?" Su Wuzhen asked.

Zhao Ji bowed slightly and replied, "Your Highness, there isn't much money left..."

"How much money is that?" Su Wu asked again. "In total, perhaps around eight million strings of cash? The exact amount is unknown; I should go back and ask the eunuchs..."

Su Wu gasped. What is that? How much?

The imperial court's three departments of finance are so poor that even rats wouldn't get into the warehouses, yet you, Zhao Ji, still have eight million strings of cash in your household. Since you have so much...

When Wang Fu went to Datong to lead the troops, why was there no money or food?

What the hell is this?
Row!
Then he asked, "Then... Your Majesty's western city is quite large, how much land does it cover?"

This thing was indeed invented by Zhao Ji, and it was also called the Xicheng Kuotiansuo. In Wang Fu's "Proclamation Against Zhao Ji", it was one of the crimes he was accused of.

No matter how you look at it, it was an institution used by Emperor Huizong of Song to seize land from the people.

Emperor Huizong of Song immediately replied, "It's about 34,300 hectares... roughly that number."

How many?

Su Wu gasped again. No wonder, the people around the capital didn't utter a sound when Su Wu's army entered the city...

This is over 3.4 million mu (approximately 267,000 hectares), which is cultivated land.

Su Wu had heard of the Xicheng Kuotian Suo (a place for collecting land in Xicheng), but he didn't know it was so wealthy and hadn't looked into it properly...

This organization started expanding when Yang Jian was still alive, and Li Yan intensified it, expanding it for twenty years...

Zhao Ji deserved it!

Very well, this saves a lot of trouble. Su Wu suddenly gained control of more than three million mu of land around the capital...

At that time, everyone will know who is responsible for the wrong and who is responsible for the debt. Whoever owns the property can rent it, with a tax rate of one-tenth. Just a contract will be signed, unchanged for a hundred years, and it will be noted that priority will be given for renewal, with the tax rate set at market value...

If it belongs to a wealthy family, and they neither farm nor rent out the land, then they will rent it out to the poorer people...

As for whether the original owner was happy or not, it's still better than letting Emperor Zhao Ji just snatch it away, right? Isn't this a great favor from the Prince of Yan?
This requires a huge organization, Su Wu's Domestic Production Division needs to be expedited. Li Hang should take the lead on this...

JD.com's high-end department is about to become a pillar of support.

Su Wu continued, "Eh... what about the government's shops and residences? How many properties does it own now?"

Dianzhaiwu is a real estate company exclusively owned by the Zhao family. It has been developing since the founding of the nation and has been engaged in real estate business in Bianjing City and its surrounding areas.

Emperor Huizong of Song frowned and thought for a long time before answering, "Your Majesty, there are about 16,000 to 17,000 houses, about 200 mansions, and 700 to 800 vacant lots..."

Su Wu was somewhat stunned. He really didn't know, he truly didn't know, that Zhao Ji was so wealthy.

No wonder, even though the country is on the verge of collapse, he still has eight million strings of cash in savings...

If you're already so wealthy, why should you use public funds to support the arts? You can afford to spend your own money, can't you?
"These..." Su Wu wondered how to begin...

Emperor Huizong of Zhao then said, "Those are all the property of the King of Yan!"

Su Wu immediately waved his hand: "Wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

Zhao Ji immediately added, "What's wrong with that? If I return to the capital and abdicate, everything in the world will naturally belong to the Son of Heaven..."

"It's still somewhat inappropriate. Let's discuss it further... let's discuss it further. Your Majesty, please rest early, I won't bother you any longer..." Su Wu waved his hand, got up, and left...

The group of fierce and armored warriors also followed, heading back to the main tent with Su Wu. They hadn't gone more than ten steps...

Behind him, the sound of the emperor weeping came again. It was initially a soft sob, but after a moment, it turned into a loud wail...

There were also faint words, about ancestors and so on...

That's true... After all, apart from the Xicheng Kuotian Suo, which was a revenue-generating project for Zhao Ji himself, the others were all left by his ancestors. Of course, Zhao Ji also further developed them...

"Sigh..." Su Wu sighed again, not at anything else, but at how to deal with Zhao Ji's constant crying...

My mood is so bad, I've even hurt my body from crying...

He even thought that Zhao Ji would set an example for his son in the future, taking the lead in shining brightly for the new era...

After all, Emperor Huizong of Song was a professional!
Health is still very important; I want to stay healthy and work for the country for another thirty years...

Su Wu was still very concerned about the health of the nation's talent pool...

Su Wu was still in a good mood tonight. A huge sum of money, a truly enormous sum of money, far exceeding his expectations...

We still need to buy land. We need to buy land in Jiangnan, in Hebei and Henan, and even in Guanzhong and Hanzhong. We also need to buy land in Jingdong...

We can wait a bit longer in Sichuan, but in Guangnan and Fujian, where land prices aren't high, we should start developing there too.

The buying and selling went hand in hand...

Next, it's time to rob...

The next morning, after Su Wu had eaten, many of the noblemen from Dongjing began to enter the main tent...

After settling down, Su Wu remained silent, simply sitting at the front and sighing incessantly...

Rongguo Gong Qian Chen came and asked, "Why is Your Majesty sighing?"

The king opened his mouth... then stopped himself... waved his hand and said again, "Alas... what a pity..."

"If Your Majesty encounters any difficulties, we are all here, and all the officials of the court are here. We should all share Your Majesty's burdens..." Qian Chen said again.

Su Wu nodded: "Then I will not hide anything. Now that all the officials of the court are here, as you all know, the court's finances have long been insufficient. Even your salaries are difficult to pay. You are all fortunate, after all, you are from wealthy and powerful families. But how much does the army pay in a year? You all know that it is as much as seventy or eighty million strings of cash. If it is insufficient, I fear that the whole country will be engulfed in war. At that time, I really fear that the streets will be trampled with the bones of officials. But rest assured, I can guarantee that the soldiers in the two routes of Jingdong, the Yan-Yun region, and the northwestern routes will not act recklessly. In any case, we cannot let the barbarians gain the upper hand. As for the others... you all... we must think of a solution together. Otherwise, if I go to fight the Jurchens in the future, the whole country will be engulfed in war and rush straight to the capital, what will we do?"

After saying this, Su Wu looked at the crowd...

Everyone frowned, wondering how such a thing could be said.
Isn't this already a coup?

How come the world belongs to someone else?
This Prince of Yan, he doesn't want half of his kingdom anymore? He doesn't even want Hebei?

But Su Wu continued, “What a mess! What a mess! When you were in power, you left the country with neither money nor grain… What are we going to do? I still have to fight the Jurchens and control the various tribes on the grasslands… The Emperor said he would use the imperial treasury, the land reclamation office in the western city, and the government's shops and residences to fund the imperial budget, but I dare not agree. How would he summon me then? Wouldn't that be like robbing me? Even if I agreed, it would only be a drop in the ocean. Alas… How can we clean up this mess? Whose fault is it? Don't blame the Emperor. The Emperor is only one person. You have the Three Departments, the Six Ministries, the Two Prefectures, and the Three Offices all in your hands, and you've still managed to make such a mess of the country… If chaos really breaks out, I'll just go to the capital and let you do as you please…”

Su Wu spread his hands, frowning helplessly...

We need to give up...

There was another line: "If it weren't for me, the soldiers who went to Datong from the capital region, Henan, Hebei, and Shaanxi would have mutinied back then. It was I who squeezed out grain from the mouth of the river to send them home... If they had run out of food again, I'm afraid they really would have stormed into Bianjing City..."

Su Wu spoke repeatedly, and who could not understand his meaning?
Qian Chen was the first to speak: "My Qian family has many businesses. The court is in such dire straits that we cannot stand idly by. We are willing to contribute 800,000 strings of cash and grain to help the court overcome its difficulties!"

Su Wu rose and bowed: "The Duke is unparalleled in loyalty and righteousness, worthy of the world and worthy of our ancestors!"

"Prince Yan, please rise, please rise!" Qian Chen hurriedly came to help him up, as he could not accept such a courtesy.

Su Wu sat down and then looked at the others...

Su Wu had a premonition that these people, even if they were incredibly stingy, would pluck a feather, but only one feather, definitely only one feather…

As expected, Li Bangyan stood up and said, "Your Highness, please forgive me. I am from an ordinary family, not a noble family like the Duke of Rongguo whose descendants have held royal titles for generations. Although I have some property, it is not much. With the combined strength of my family, I will contribute 50,000 strings of cash for the sake of the country..."

really……

These people will never turn back until they hit a brick wall...

Su Wu gave him a chance, speaking earnestly and at length until his saliva was dry...

well...

Su Wu exclaimed, "Lord Li is truly a pillar of the nation!"

Li Bangyan nodded, as if he was waiting for something.
Of course, he wouldn't get to receive Su Wu's salute...

He replied, "It is my duty. The court is in distress and the world is in turmoil. I should do this with all my family's strength. It is for the country and the people, and to live up to the teachings of the sages!"

"Let's continue then," Su Wu said, scanning each person with his eyes.

"I will offer forty thousand strings of cash..."

"This humble official has thirty thousand..."

"This humble official has twenty thousand..."

Su Wu raised his hand: "Alright, alright, when Wu Yuhou compiles the register, just go and register... Disperse, let's head back to the capital..."

Su Wu was clearly impatient... This amount was too much even a beggar wouldn't want!
The crowd left the main tent, dispersing in groups and scattering...

There were inevitably whispers and murmurs among the people...

"The Prince of Yan is blatantly robbing us!"

"Who says otherwise? They start with tens of thousands of coins right off the bat. If this gets going, won't the imperial court come looking for us whenever they're short of money?"

"Then why didn't you argue your case just now?"

"This isn't just wishful thinking... Sigh... In the end, it's the army, and the soldiers are terrifying... Just wait until we return to the capital, there won't be a second time... Even if he were the emperor, he wouldn't act like this..."

……

Inside the main tent, Su Wu's face was grim, and he cursed inwardly: "Damn it, they don't know what's good for them. Don't blame me for being ruthless..."

Wu Yong, standing to the side, said, "Your Majesty, this matter is truly difficult to handle..."

Su Wu waved his hand dismissively: "What's wrong with doing it?"

"Since ancient times... powerful and wealthy families have been like trees with deep roots. It is already quite an achievement that Your Majesty was able to extract these today. If you really want them to bleed heavily, I'm afraid that's impossible..."

Su Wu remained silent, but how could he not have a plan in mind?
Wu Yong continued, "After all, the court needs these scholar-officials to function; it can't really rely on soldiers. Alas..."

Wu Yong had clearly been unhappy with these people for a long time, but after thinking about it countless times, he was helpless and what else could he do?

But then Su Wu said, "Did you think I was just joking?"

Wu Yong was startled by these words. What were you talking about? You were joking.
not……

Could it be true that the streets of heaven were once littered with the bones of high-ranking officials?
Is this something Su Wu could do? Wouldn't that cause an uproar throughout the land?

What kind of country would that be?
How can we govern the administration then?

Su Wu said bitterly, "Two things. The first is to rectify official corruption, which means to completely dismantle these deeply rooted officials. The second is to manage the court's finances, taxes, and industries... So, do both at the same time!"

"May I ask Your Majesty's plan? And what should this humble official do?" Wu Yong was already trembling with fear, his heart pounding...

"How can there be no rebels in the world? Will the soldiers really not mutini?" Su Wu's words confirmed his plan.

He truly intended to fight the Jurchens...

With an army of over a million, it's not uncommon for some to rebel and mutini...

There will definitely be one force, not too many, ten thousand men will be enough, to invade Hebei, to invade the capital region, to invade Bianjing (Kaifeng)...

They trampled all the bones of nobles and officials on this heavenly street.

Su Wu had only one thing to do: to keep the situation under control.

Wu Yong stood to the side, completely dumbfounded, speechless...

"Summon Yan Qing to see me!" Su Wu waved his hand dismissively!
Why did Su Wu come up with such a plan? Because Su Wu knew how much the Jurchens could obtain in the city of Bianjing!

That's the country's money, the money of all the people, not the money of these parasites of the Song Dynasty.

Su Wu wanted to start anew, but without money, how could he undertake national construction and development?

Don't say things like "this person might be innocent" or "that person might not be bad," it's meaningless... These parasites are a group, and this group is guilty...

Then there are no innocent people... only the wheels of history, rolling on and on, crushing everything in their path!

Su Wu had already spoken, but Wu Yong remained in a daze...

Su Wu turned to look at Wu Yong, and Wu Yong felt a chill run down his spine. Could there really be someone in this world who would act like this?

Can things in this world really be done this way?

This……

This……

"Send Yan Qing to see me!" Su Wu said again.

"Yes, yes, yes... I obey!" Wu Yong turned and ran away quickly, practically wetting himself in his tracks!

(End of this chapter)