I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 130 The Sun Has a Blemish

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in fact--

The reform is an attempt to nationalize various high-quality financial resources across the country.

With the reforms since the middle and late Tang Dynasty, the state no longer controlled the land, which led to the state's control over the population gradually shifting from land to collecting indirect taxes.

Under such a system, although it is impossible to directly curb mergers through land policies, it is possible to limit the development of wealthy households through other economic policies.

The Zhao Song Dynasty after Wang Anshi's reforms gradually "centralized" financial resources under the framework of "nationalization".

Its fundamental purpose is to achieve the same as the Han and Tang dynasties, that is, after mastering the core resources, it can mobilize the national strength to the maximum extent, transform it into national defense force and expand territory.

However, the degree of "centralization" and transformation of national defense capabilities has always been a dispute over the lines between the old and new parties, and even within the new party.

This is also the issue that Zhao Ya needs to consider.

Therefore, Zhao Ya always kept his old party and censors to remind him at all times not to learn from Zhao Ji in history, who mistook false prosperity for strength and finally died from self-aggrandizement.

Zhao Ya's worries are not groundless.

Compared with the new laws led by Wang Anshi and Zhang Dun, Cai Jing was quite like an unlimited amplifier. Once all policies came into his hands, their effects would be amplified several times or even ten times.

In other words, all the reforms of the Zhao Song Dynasty would be transformed from qualitative change to quantitative change under the leadership of Cai Jing.

The huge achievements will certainly prompt Cai Jing's desires to expand, and he will definitely hope to gain more power to realize his political blueprint.

The development of things was just as Zhao Ya expected.

end of August.

At noon that day, a solar eclipse suddenly occurred over Tokyo.

The bright white sun gradually turned dark blue, and at its center it seemed as if a piece of gold had melted, the golden solution seething and surging. The surrounding area was gloomy and dark, like a vast expanse of swirling water.

The eclipse lasted until evening, when the sky returned to normal.

People of this era called this phenomenon "sunny spots."

"眚" means disaster and suffering.

In the eyes of people of that era, a solar eclipse in the sky meant that the emperor had made inappropriate actions, and it was a warning from heaven to the emperor.

Morning next day.

Jiang Gongwang, a censor from the Old Party, submitted a memorial: "Upon the new emperor's ascension to the throne, he must not engage in large-scale construction projects or indulge in women. The sun represents yang, while the one who consumes it represents yin. Only if Your Majesty fears the majesty of Heaven, obeys His will, carries out the great principles of heaven, distinguishes right from wrong, and does not violate the principles of the classics, nor does it upset the people, will Heaven's will be fulfilled."

Jiang Gongwang was a typical member of the old party. He always wanted to build Zhao Ya in the direction of Song Renzong. He particularly disliked the fact that Zhao Ya had built Yanfu Palace less than a year after he ascended the throne, and had accepted beauties presented by his subjects, and was also obsessed with women. He hoped that Zhao Ya would stop building Yanfu Palace and spend less time on women. These useless things would only delay Zhao Ya from becoming a benevolent and holy monarch like Song Renzong.

Now, taking advantage of the solar eclipse, Jiang Gongwang started with the same old cliché, blaming the eclipse on Zhao Ya's large-scale construction projects and his sudden selection of three hundred beauties to fill his harem.

In fact, Zhao Ya had also thought about it and told his ministers that there was mercury in the foundation of the imperial palace and living there would be detrimental to his health.

But first of all, there is no basis for this matter. If Zhao Ya made a false statement and it was proven to be false, then Zhao Ya would not only be slapped in the face, but he might also lose the trust of the world.

Secondly, if the ministers asked who told Zhao Ya about this, Zhao Ya would not be able to find that person. If he really said that it was Zhang Chun who told him, these ministers might force Zhao Ya to execute Zhang Chun.

Thirdly, just because Zhao Ya doesn’t live in the palace doesn’t mean others don’t live there either. If word gets out that the palace is poisonous, how can those people live there in peace?

There was no way out, Zhao Ya could only suffer this loss in silence.

On the other side, Cai Jing was waiting for this opportunity.

Seeing that Jiang Gongwang had finally brought up Zhao Ya's desires again, Cai Jing stepped out and said passionately: "Jing has never complained about insufficient financial resources, but the Book of Zhou says that the king does not understand."

The word "会" that Wang doesn't know means accounting, which means calculating expenses.

And “will not” means that the emperor’s expenses should not be restricted and calculated like those of ordinary people.

What Cai Jing meant was that he earned so much money for the court, but he let Zhao Ya spend it as he pleased. Building a Yanfu Palace was nothing, and collecting three hundred beauties was nothing. The "Book of Zhou" even said that it was natural for the emperor to spend money.

Since Zhao Ya appointed Cai Jing to carry out economic reforms, the economy of the Zhao Song Dynasty has quickly turned from loss to profit. Zhao Ya can now even reduce or exempt land taxes for the people.

This is undoubtedly Cai Jing's contribution.

As a result, Cai Jing surpassed his brothers Cai Bian and Han Zhongyan to become the third-ranked prime minister after Zhang Dun and Zeng Bu.

However, human greed for fame and fortune has never stopped.

The great achievements also prompted Cai Jing's desire to expand, making him not want to wait any longer, but want to replace Zhang Dun now and become the prime minister of the Zhao Song Dynasty to further realize his political ambitions.

Cai Jing was very clear that no matter how much he achieved, the foundation of his power came from Zhao Ya.

Cai Jing was also very clear that Zhao Ya not only valued him, but also valued Zhang Dun very much. It would not be easy for him to overthrow Zhang Dun and replace him.

After much thought, Cai Jing believed that only by allowing Zhao Ya to have the same expansionist desires as himself could he, who was more capable, replace the relatively conservative Zhang Dun.

Now, whether in domestic affairs or foreign wars, Zhao Ya has tasted the sweetness. Cai Jing believes that as long as he can find the endorsement of the sages in the classics and history, there will naturally be a chance for Zhao Ya to break free from the last moral constraints.

So Cai Jing found the sentence "Only the king doesn't know".

In addition, "The Book of Zhou Officials" has always been the classic most admired by Wang Anshi, and Cai Jing was also looking for Wang Anshi to endorse him.

As soon as Cai Jing said this, Han Zhongyan and other old party officials immediately became alert.

Su Che even stepped forward to argue, "The Zhouguan clearly states that the 'only the king does not know' applies only to the expenses of the emperor's sacrificial rituals, not to all other occasions. How can it apply to the emperor's daily expenses? Cai Jing deliberately omitted this content to please Your Majesty. His heart is damnable!"

Next, officials from the Lecture Hall and officials from the old party began to argue about this.

In the court, the atmosphere was tense and tense.

Officials from the Ministry of Lectures strongly supported Cai Jing, citing classics to explain the new interpretation of "Only the king will not know", saying that the country is currently prosperous and the emperor should enjoy more respected treatment and should not be bound by daily expenses, in order to demonstrate the demeanor of a great country.

Officials of the Old Party argued forcefully, arguing that the emperor should be frugal and control his desires, their rhetoric becoming increasingly heated. Su Shi and Su Zhe were even more stern, reiterating the ancestral laws and moral principles, warning that if Cai Jing's arguments were allowed to prevail, the court would risk repeating the mistakes of history and plunging into extravagance and corruption.

Zeng Bu added solemnly, "Although the reforms have shown initial success, their foundations are not yet solid. If we indulge in selfish desires at this time, we will surely lose the support of the people. I hope Your Majesty will be clear-headed."

Zhao Ya has always been very clear-headed. He knows very well that Cai Jing is truly capable, and Cai Jing and his Lecture Hall can meet his own requirements in terms of political achievements, but the moral character of these people is really hard to describe.

If we don't hold the rope around Cai Jing and the Council of Affairs tightly, who knows what kind of trouble they might cause since they have no bottom line.

Although the old party ministers were unable to solve the financial and national defense problems, their character was still more reliable.

Therefore, when faced with this major debate, Zhao Ya did not side with Cai Jing, nor did he try to smooth things over. Instead, he looked at Cai Bian and asked, "How does Wang Anshi explain 'Only the king does not know'?"

Although Cai Bian was also a member of the New Party and Cai Jing's younger brother, in Cai Bian's heart, Wang Anshi's position was irreplaceable, especially since the current dispute also involved Wang Anshi's reputation.

Based on this, Cai Bian didn't even look at the look Cai Jing was giving him, and said truthfully: "Wang Jinggong once said that when Wang Yan drank and shared his plans, it was because the Supreme Lord did not control him according to the etiquette and laws, so he shared his plans with him to make him less restrained and more self-controlled."

In other words, although Wang Anshi agreed that the emperor should enjoy privileges, at the same time, when the emperor was about to squander, the amount had to be calculated to remind the emperor to exercise self-restraint.

After listening to this, Zhao Ya said, "Wang Anshi is truly an enlightened minister of all ages."

Zhao Ya's words not only defined Wang Anshi's character, but also warned Cai Jing and the officials of the Council of State to learn from Wang Anshi's character. He also comforted the hearts of the ministers of the old party and told them that they would not be fooled by Cai Jing.

Zhang Dun then took the lead in bowing, saying, "Your Majesty is wise and wise!"

The old party officials breathed a sigh of relief, and in a rare move, they all followed Zhang Dun in bowing, saying, "Your Majesty is wise!"

Although Cai Jing was deeply disappointed, Zhao Ya had already made it clear that he did not want to indulge in extravagance. If he did not understand, he might suffer. So, he quickly led his men to follow suit and said, "Your Majesty is wise!"

Who would have thought that one crisis would come after another.

Chen Guan, a censor from the Old Party, used the solar eclipse as an excuse, saying, "Sima Guang was considered a traitor by his followers, but the world called him loyal. Now, Zhang Dun and Cai Jing are considered loyal by their followers, but the world calls them traitors. How can this be justified? I believe that they use their extraordinary skills and lewd tricks to seduce the emperor, use prostitutes to corrupt his moral character, and independently control rewards and punishments, repaying their own gratitude and grudges. They can be called traitors..."

The point of Chen Guan's lengthy speech was simply that Zhang Dun and Cai Jing were treacherous ministers. They were the ones who took the lead in sending women to Zhao Ya and condoned Zhao Ya in building the Yanfu Palace. God had sent down a warning, and Zhang Dun and Cai Jing should resign.

People of this era believed that natural disasters meant that there were flaws in the government, and that the prime minister, who was in charge of the government, should take responsibility and either be dismissed directly or resign.

Chen Guan wanted to follow the convention and overthrow Zhang Dun and Cai Jing, whom he hated, and preferably rehabilitate Sima Guang, whom he admired.

In this regard, both Zhang Dun and Cai Jing seemed to have not heard it.

Although after Zhao Ya ascended the throne, he separated the economic reform from Zhang Dun and handed it over to Cai Jing, and brought back the old party to watch the new party's reforms, but at the same time, Zhao Ya also fully supported Zhang Dun in taking charge of everything and expanding the borders. The key point was that Zhang Dun knew very well that Zhao Ya needed him to suppress Cai Jing and others to prevent the Zhao Song Dynasty from getting out of control.

In this situation, Zhang Dun must have been confident that he was not someone that a mere Chen Guan could bring down.

Cai Jing is now a pioneer of reform and is highly valued by Zhao Ya.

Why would Zhao Ya cut off his own hands and feet?
Therefore, Zhang Dun and Cai Jing knew very well that no matter how Chen Guan bit, it would be useless.

really!

Seeing that he had already made his attitude clear and Chen Guan was still so tactless, Zhao Ya simply threw his sleeves and left.

Zhang Dun didn't even look at Chen Guan, and followed Zhao Ya and continued to report to Zhao Ya on the war between Qingtang and Tubo.

The other ministers who had something to discuss with Zhao Ya also went to Chuigong Hall to find Zhao Ya.

The ministers who were not qualified to make further reports dispersed, leaving only the four old party censors Chen Guan, Chen Cisheng, Zou Hao, and Jiang Gongwang.

Zou Hao approached Chen Guan and said, "Your Majesty, if you want to reform the laws, enrich the country and strengthen the army, you must honor Wang Anshi and suppress Sima Guang. Moreover, Sima Guang blindly abolished the new laws, returned the land, and treated the late emperor with childishness. All of this is hated by Your Majesty, and there is no possibility of redressing his wrongdoing in this dynasty."

Chen Cisheng said, "Zhang Dun has a clear bottom line in his actions. His new laws incorporate the spirit of Yuanyou. If Zhang Dun is removed, people like Cai Jing will gain power, and the people's wealth will be exhausted to support the squandering of a few people. Your Majesty is aware of all this and has done everything to protect Zhang Dun and suppress Cai Jing. This is truly a wise move. We must not disrupt Your Majesty's plan. If Zhang Dun is removed and Cai Jing is left alone, disaster will surely befall us."

Jiang Gongwang also said: "Your Majesty may have some minor flaws, but he is wise and resourceful, open-minded and magnanimous, and well versed in state governance. He already has the demeanor of a sage ruler, so we should not be too harsh on him."

Chen Guan sighed and said, "How could I not know what you are saying? However, since I am receiving the emperor's salary, I should share his worries and fulfill my duties to the country. If I remain silent out of fear of power, how can I be a censor? Zhang Dun and Cai Jing are both evil villains. We must bring them down together and restore peace to the Song Dynasty!"

Zou Hao shook his head slightly. "The situation in the court is complex and cannot be reversed by one person alone. Your Majesty has his considerations. If we insist on making such a strong appeal, we may incur His Majesty's wrath and even cause great harm."

Chen Guan's gaze was as sharp as a torch as he gazed towards the Chuigong Hall. He said in a deep voice, "I have made up my mind. At the next morning court session, I will submit another memorial of remonstration, outlining the faults of Zhang Dun and Cai Jing, and emphasizing the injustice done to Sima Guang. Even if I am punished for this, I will not hesitate."

Seeing that Chen Guan was so stubborn, fellow censors Chen Cisheng, Zou Hao and Jiang Gongwang all shook their heads.

They thought, "Since ascending the throne, Your Majesty has occasionally been negligent, but your ambition remains unchanged. You are well aware of the complexities of the court, the fierce struggles between the old and new factions, and that the slightest carelessness could lead to unrest and endanger the country. Therefore, on the one hand, you are promoting reforms to strengthen the country, and on the other hand, you are mediating between the various parties to prevent the situation from getting out of control. And every day, you have to face us, the censors, and you have to be a benevolent ruler and listen to our endless chatter. It is truly difficult for Your Majesty!"

Little did he know that Zhao Ya had already forgotten what Chen Guan said. "Who would get so angry over work? Isn't that a fool?"

At this time, Zhao Ya was listening to Zhang Dun's report.

Zhang Dun said:
With the cooperation of generals such as Wang Shan, Zhong Pu, and Wang Min, Wang Hou launched a general attack on Huangzhou City, which had been captured by Tubo before. The city was defeated in one battle. Zamp Xishe Luosa and his father Xiba Wen abandoned the city and fled. The Zhao Song Dynasty completely recovered Huangzhou.

In this battle, a total of 750 chiefs and 100,000 households were captured.

Wang Shan killed all the 750 chiefs and the male members of their families, sent all the women into prostitution camps, and freed all the slaves in the households. He did not harm the civilians at all.

Wang Hou did not march into Qingtang City immediately like Wang Shan did at the beginning. Instead, he first transported all the supplies from all over Xihe Road to Huangzhou to prepare for the next military action by Qingtang Tubo and Western Xia.

At the same time, Wang Hou ordered the various Song troops to recruit the foreign tribes in the area from Zongge City to Qingtang City.

The various Song armies also went their separate ways to wipe out those foreign tribes that were unwilling to surrender to the Zhao Song Dynasty.

That's right.

It's a carrot and stick policy.

The radiation range of Huangzhou City is as much as 1,500 miles of land. Only by completely controlling these tribes can we talk about deeply controlling this land.

Furthermore, Zhang Dun had already dispatched officials, both civil and military, to the Qingtang region to establish prefectures and counties in the area already controlled by the Song army, formally administering this land. It was only a matter of time before this area became a part of the Zhao Song Dynasty...

……

(End of this chapter)