Usurpation of Mongolia: My father-in-law is Genghis Khan

Chapter 308 A New Look for China, Zhao Yun is shocked!

Of course, in addition to being granted a noble title, there was also the possibility of being promoted to a higher official rank.

Although the Annam royal family was captured by Pu Kaizong and his Semu people, Niu Fu, the commander of the thousand households who was closest to the palace and captured Chen Shoudu, was still awarded the "Pioneer of Breaking Through the Nation" medal. Niu Fu himself was also promoted to the position of Semu commander of ten thousand households stationed in Annam province.

A single commandery (ten thousand households) stationed in Annam was certainly insufficient. After all, in addition to suppressing those with ulterior motives in Annam, they also had to guard against other countries in the Indochina Peninsula.

The most powerful state in the Indochina Peninsula today is the Angkor Dynasty.

This dynasty reached its zenith at this time, its territory encompassing not only all of Cambodia, most of the Malay Peninsula, parts of Laos, but also a portion of what would later become Thailand. It bordered Dali to the north and extended eastward to Champa.

The Angkor Dynasty is known for its new capital, Angkor. This dynasty was a devout follower of Mahayana Buddhism, built numerous Buddhist temples, had a large population, and a powerful military; it is said that they had 200,000 war elephants alone.

Two hundred thousand war elephants is obviously impossible, but there must be at least ten thousand, right?
With the Zhao Shuo Khanate's army of over 100,000 men now gathered in Annam, the Angkor Dynasty naturally dared not act rashly. However, after the army withdrew, it was hard to guarantee that the Angkor Dynasty would not be tempted by the wealthy Red River Delta.

Therefore, Zhao Shuo decided to leave two Wanhu (military commanders) in Annam.

Another head of the ten thousand households was named Ma Ji.

This man came from a military family of the Song Dynasty. His father and brothers were both generals of the Song Dynasty. However, he did not follow Zhao Yun into Annam. Instead, he became a commander of a thousand households in the Han Chinese Eight Banners.

Historical records state that, facing the invasion of the Yuan army, this man led his troops to defend Yan Pass for three months, digging a path through the mountains to defend against the enemy. After the Yuan army split its forces to attack from both sides, they retreated to Jingjiang, where Ma Ji shot and killed the envoy who tried to persuade them to surrender. After the city fell, Ma Ji was wounded and captured in street fighting, and died a martyr who refused to surrender. The History of Song records that he fought more than a hundred battles without retreating during the defense of the city, and finally died with his fists clenched, and all his soldiers also threw themselves into the fire and died.

During the campaign against Annam, Ma Ji repeatedly took the lead and made numerous contributions. He was not only granted the title of Marquis, but was also promoted to another commander of ten thousand households stationed in Annam.

The commanders of Niu Fu and Ma Ji were different from the Semu commanders stationed in the west by Zhao Shuo Khanate. Each of their commanders had three chiliarchs drawn from the Han army.

The remaining seven thousand households were filled by local barbarians and warriors from the Annamite conscripts.

It's a very simple reason: Annam only has a population of 700,000, and there are not enough qualified soldiers to replenish it.

Zhao Shuo decided to relocate 300,000 Han Chinese to Annam. It is conceivable that the number of Han Chinese in these two 10,000-household units in Annam would be over 30% in the future.

In addition, Zhang Shun, a naval commander, was promoted to commander of the Zhenghe Banner for his meritorious service in leading his naval warriors to sabotage Thanh Hoa Port.

Zhang Gui was promoted to the position of commander of the Blue Banner of the Navy.

In fact, the military achievements of these two individuals alone were not enough to qualify them for the position of commander of ten thousand households.

However, nowadays, the navy is becoming increasingly important to the empire, and three naval commanders are not enough.

Therefore, Zhao Shuo decided to expand the naval force by two 10,000-household units.

One commandery was permanently stationed at Thanh Hoa Port, controlling Annam and radiating influence throughout the Indochina Peninsula. Another commandery was permanently stationed at Palembang, formerly Srivijaya, controlling the Strait of Malacca and radiating influence throughout Southeast Asia.

The invasion of Annam was mainly carried out by the army, which reaped rich spoils. The navy mainly provided logistical support, and its only two operations were the raid on Thanh Hoa port and the siege of Thanh Hoa city. It did not participate in the final siege of Thanh Hoa, so it did not gain much spoils. It was more of a laborious effort than a meritorious one.

Zhao He decided to use 10% of the army's spoils of war to compensate the navy.

In addition, the formation of two new naval commanders and the promotion of a large number of naval officers can also be seen as compensation, which brought cheers from the 20,000 naval personnel.

With everything arranged, Zhao He began his return to his troops.

Besides the soldiers who went to war, Zhao He was accompanied back by Zhao Yun and his two prime ministers, Li Zongmian and Fan Zhong.

Originally, Zhao Shuo had set a KPI for Zhao Yun: to hand over 20,000 foreign slaves every year. Later, the Southern Song dynasty was defeated in Annam, and this KPI was obviously impossible to meet. Later, Zhao He brought a new decree from Zhao Shuo, instructing them to assist Zhao Shuo's Khanate in conquering Annam before establishing a new state there.

Zhao Shuo was also undecided about where Zhao Yun should establish his state. Therefore, he issued an edict ordering Zhao Yun to travel north to Zhongdu so that he could discuss the matter with Zhao Yun before making a final decision.

Therefore, Zhao Yun, along with two prime ministers and a hundred personal guards, entered China again with Zhao He.

Zhao Yun felt that this might be the last time he would return to China in his life, so he asked Zhao He for leave and went to Shaoxing.

Shaoxing is the hometown of Quan Dajie, Zhao Yun's maternal uncle.

When Zhao Yun was seven years old, his father Zhao Xilu passed away, and his birth mother Quan took him and his younger brother Zhao Yurui back to her parents' home.

The mother and her two sons relied on Quan Dajie's support for nine years. When Zhao Yun was sixteen, Chancellor Shi Miyuan ordered his advisor Yu Tianxi to choose a member of the imperial family to inherit the throne of the Song Dynasty. Yu Tianxi was caught in a heavy rain while passing through Shaoxing and took shelter at Quan Dajie's home, where he met the Zhao brothers. Ultimately, Zhao Yun ascended the throne.

It can be said that without the nine years of support provided by Quan Dajie, there would have been no Emperor Zhao Yun of the Song Dynasty.

It wasn't just that Zhao Yun was slow to mature; it was also because the entire imperial family had provided him with an excellent education. Otherwise, why would Yu Tianxi have chosen Zhao Yun over other members of the imperial clan?

After Zhao Yun ascended the throne, he reciprocated by bestowing upon Quan Dajie the titles of "Grand Tutor and Duke of Xu" and promising that "all male members of the Quan family who are over twenty years old may come to the capital to serve as officials."

However, the whole family, upholding high moral character, refused these honors and continued to make a living by farming in Shaoxing.

Left with no other option, Zhao Yun built a stone archway by the Quechao Weir in the east of the village to commemorate the event.

Quan Dajie was the village head, so in the History of Song, Zhao Yun's uncle was always referred to as "Quan Baozheng".

Actually, he has a name, Quan Dajie, which is clearly recorded on the inscription on the stone archway.

Regardless, Zhao He agreed to Zhao Yun's request and sent Yelü Xuan with one hundred armored soldiers to Shaoxing with Zhao Yun.

I am even more timid when I am close to my hometown.

Zhao Yun lived in Shaoxing for nine years, so it was practically his hometown.

He had already learned about the drought three years ago from the newspapers. Although the newspaper reports were very optimistic, Zhao Yun felt that it was unprecedented that no one had starved to death in such a disaster. It had never happened since the time of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.

As for ensuring that the people can have enough to eat, that's simply unreliable. It's likely that the newspapers deliberately embellished the story to please the court.

It's only been three years since that disaster, I wonder if my hometown has recovered yet? How is my uncle's family doing? What about my childhood playmates?

After Zhao Yun became emperor, he naturally remembered the good things his uncle had done for him. However, he completely forgot about his childhood friends. Now, after experiencing so much, his mindset was different from before. He cherished his former friends even more and hoped that they were doing well.

However, when he actually arrived at his "second hometown," namely Shagangkou Village in Hongqiao, Shanyin County, Shaoxing Prefecture, he found that he had worried too much.

When Zhao Yun arrived at the entrance of Shagangkou Village, the entire village, young and old, came to greet him.

After all, Zhao Yun was the most prominent figure to emerge from this small village. Moreover, aside from the fact that he was once the emperor of the Song Dynasty, he was also personally bestowed the title of "King of Song" by Zhao Shuo.

Zhao Yun discovered that these men, women, and children were not thin; they had ruddy complexions and loud voices, clearly indicating that they had been well-nourished over a long period.

Most of them were dressed in clean and tidy cotton clothes, and some were dressed in silk, so their overall standard of living seemed to be quite good.

Once we entered the village, things got even more incredible.

Shaoxing was one of the most prosperous places in the Southern Song Dynasty, but in Zhao Yun's memory, only half of the houses in the village were brick and tile houses, and the other half were thatched and mud-brick houses.

But now, most of them have been replaced by brick and tile houses. Those mud-brick houses seem to be uninhabited; people have moved away.

Zhao Yun spent money to treat his fellow villagers to a big meal. After talking with them, Zhao Yun learned that they hadn't actually gone hungry during the great disaster three years ago, which shocked him even more.

That night, to welcome Zhao Yun, the entire Quan family lit eight kerosene lamps from the main hall to the courtyard, illuminating the whole house brightly.

The villagers gradually dispersed around midnight.

The family members went back to their rooms to rest, leaving only Zhao Yun and his uncle Quan Dajie in the living room. Only then did the two have a chance to exchange a few intimate words.

Zhao Yun said, "Since we went south, I have been worried about the safety of my uncle's family. Now that they are safe and sound, I can finally rest assured."

Quan Dajie said, "His Majesty is benevolent! Not only has he not made things difficult for my whole family, but he has also continued to let me serve as the head of the village. With the change of dynasties, my family has really not been affected at all."

Quan Dajie did not go to Lin'an to take up his official post, but he couldn't possibly refuse the money bestowed upon him by Zhao Yun. Therefore, he was originally a wealthy man.

Being unaffected is already the greatest happiness.

Zhao Yun said, "It seems that the villagers are living much better lives than in the previous dynasty?"

Quan Dajie nodded and said, "That's for sure. The king has distributed the land equally, so those families who had little land before are now living much better lives. Although those who had more land have suffered some losses, in these days, there's more than one way to make a living by digging in the soil."

"Women can go to the city and work in the spinning mills, earning one or two taels of silver a month. Such good fortune was unheard of before. Men, on the other hand, had so many more options. Do you know how much it costs to hire an ordinary male worker these days?"

Zhao Yun tentatively asked, "One and a half ounces?"

Quan Dajie shook his head and said, "Who would do it for one and a half ounces? It has to be at least two ounces!"

So many? Why?

"Didn't I say? There are so many paths for men. Let's not talk about joining the Eight Banners Army or passing the imperial examinations to become officials; that's just a stroke of good luck. Take an ordinary man, for example. If he's too poor to get married, he can immigrate to another place and become a superior person!"

"The government provides local people with unclaimed houses, oxen, 100 acres of land, and even female slaves. Why should they stay in their hometown and suffer poverty?"

"Furthermore, any man with even a little talent can be hired by those nobles to go to their fiefdoms. Those nobles' fiefdoms are short of soldiers, foremen, carpenters, blacksmiths... they're short of practically everything. And since they're located in remote areas, who would be willing to work for them without three taels of silver a month?"

"To transport supplies to those lords' fiefdoms and to bring out the produce from those fiefdoms, ships are needed for transportation. There is also a severe shortage of sailors for the open ocean."

"Think about it, we need people here, we need people there. If we don't pay them enough wages, how can the workshop recruit enough people?"

"For the past three years, Jiangnan has had bumper harvests year after year. The people of Nanyang are also unreasonable. They harvest three times a year, claiming that planting rice once will bring wealth in three years. Ship after ship of grain is being transported to Jiangnan. No matter how many people there are in Jiangnan, they can't eat so much grain. Grain prices are getting lower and lower."

He paused, then concluded, "So, grain prices are getting cheaper and cheaper. Although workers' wages are high, there's more and more workshops opening up, making the competition fierce. Plus, they're using a lot of new machinery, so production is high, and prices aren't rising. Mules, horses, and cattle are becoming less and less valuable..."

Zhao Yun said, "I know that. The cost of raising cattle in Annam is too low. Many of the draft cattle we captured were sold to China."

Quan Dajie said, "Now, it's true that everything is getting cheaper, except for people... no, even those Annamite female slaves are quite cheap. In short, everything is cheap except for Han people becoming more and more noble. Plus, all those exorbitant taxes and levies from before are gone... uh..."

He realized his mistake as soon as he spoke. The Zhao Yun before him was one of the main culprits behind the exorbitant taxes and levies imposed on the Southern Song Dynasty.

Zhao Yun noticed his uncle's embarrassment and quickly said, "When I was emperor, I was indeed not good to the people. Please feel free to reprimand me, Uncle."

"That's not entirely your fault."

Quan Dajie sighed and said, "Do you know why I didn't go to Lin'an to serve as an official before?"

"Of course, it's because my uncle is indifferent to fame and fortune."

"What indifference to fame and fortune? I'm not that aloof!" Quan Dajie shook his head with a wry smile and said, "Now that you're no longer the Emperor of the Song Dynasty, I won't hide it from you anymore. Back then, I felt that I had watched you grow up, and others might not know your abilities, but how could I not?"

"With the treacherous minister Shi Miyuan controlling the court and the threat of the Jin Dynasty looming from the outside, can you really hold onto this throne? Your uncle is timid and incapable of assisting you, so it's best for me to stay quietly in the village. Not causing you any trouble is the greatest support I can offer."

Zhao Yun said, "Uncle means that I am of shallow virtue and talent, and cannot govern the Song Dynasty well. You are right! The King has ruled Jiangnan for less than ten years, and it has become so prosperous. I have been the Emperor of Song for more than ten years, but I have accomplished nothing. I have truly let down the people of Jiangnan!"

"You don't need to underestimate yourself."

Quan Dajie said, "A person matures with experience. I read in the newspaper that your army also played a significant role in the pacification of Annam."

Zhao Yun said, “His Majesty reorganized the Song army with the Eight Banners. Now, the fighting strength of the three commanders under my command, even if not as good as my Eight Banners army, is not far off. This time, His Majesty summoned me to the capital to discuss with me where to establish a country and continue the Song Dynasty. I have already decided where I can best serve China, and that is where I will go.”

"That's good."

Quan Dajie stood up, gently patted Zhao Yun's shoulder, and said, "It seems you've improved a lot over the years. If you serve China well in the future, I, as your uncle, will be proud of you!"

(End of this chapter)