I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 230 Talk Between Husband and Wife
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Song Jiang and his followers occupied Liangshan Marsh, recruited righteous troops, gathered crowds to rise up in rebellion, and led their followers to attack various prefectures in Jingdong West Road and Jingdong East Road. They captured more than ten prefectures and cities, dozens of county towns, and hundreds of villages of all sizes. They punished the gentry, killed the rich and helped the poor, and their power grew day by day.

Now, Song Jiang's rebel army has begun to split up and go into cities to seize territory and massacre gentry.

Its progress is more than ten times faster than before.

Fortunately, Song Jiang's rebel army was a band of outlaws and never occupied any place outside Liangshan Marsh. Usually, they would just kill and plunder for a while and then decisively withdraw.

For the Song Dynasty, the threat posed by Song Jiang's rebel army was negligible, but the gentry could not tolerate it.

What's even more terrifying is that wherever Song Jiang's rebel army went, they would carry two flags: one with the words "Acting on behalf of Heaven" written on it, and the other with a portrait of "Huang Chao" painted on it.

This clearly shows that Song Jiang's rebel army wanted to emulate Huang Chao's feat of slaughtering all the powerful clans and was preparing to kill all the gentry in order to act on behalf of Heaven.

Song Jiang's rebel army actually did just that.

Wherever their troops went, they did not harm ordinary people in the slightest, but only killed the gentry. They killed all the men in the gentry's households, only sparing the women and children, then looted their property, burned their land deeds, and distributed their grain and miscellaneous items to the common people.

To describe it with a beautiful word, it would be "whale fall".

When a whale falls, all things are born.

Often, eliminating the local gentry families would allow tens of thousands of people in the vicinity to escape their days of suffering.

This led more and more impoverished people to hope that Song Jiang's righteous army would come to their area to act on behalf of Heaven.

News of Song Jiang's righteous army had already reached Bianliang, the capital of the Song Dynasty.

Many officials in the court who were affected by the loss of their territory, including those who worried that Song Jiang's rebel army would threaten the foundation of the Zhao Song Dynasty's rule, submitted memorials requesting Zhao Yu to send a large army to suppress Song Jiang's rebel army.

Zhao Yu did not reject these reasonable requests, but instead, as usual, ordered the Privy Council to send several armies to suppress Song Jiang's rebel army.

However, all the troops sent by the imperial court were defeated by Song Jiang's rebel army, and most of the Song soldiers joined Song Jiang's rebel army because they were dissatisfied with the gentry for obstructing the imperial court's reforms and not giving poor people a way to make a living.

Incidentally, while the imperial court was sending troops to suppress Song Jiang's rebel army, it also intensified its publicity efforts regarding the two new policies, so that more people would know the purpose of the court's reforms and how happy the people in the newly recovered areas were now after the court implemented these reforms in Longyou, Ningxia, Gansu, Qinghai, and the eleven prefectures of Yanyun.

It wasn't that no ministers tried to stop the court from promoting the two new policies at this time. They claimed that the court was stirring up trouble by continuing reforms at this point, provoking conflicts between Song Jiang's rebel army, the common people, and the gentry, and even undermining the foundation of the Zhao Song dynasty's rule. They urged Zhao Yu to withdraw his decree to continue the reforms.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Yu not only ignored the advice of these ministers, but also issued instructions for local government offices to strictly implement the new policy of the second policy, especially to strictly adjudicate unclaimed land according to the stamp tax, that is, only protect land that has been registered with the court and has paid taxes normally, and the court will not recognize any other land's proof of ownership.

This meant that even if some members of the gentry families who were massacred by Song Jiang's rebel army survived, they could not reclaim the land that rightfully belonged to them unless their land was remeasured, a new land deed was issued by the imperial court, and the land was registered with the relevant departments.

On a side note, there are people who are good at exploiting loopholes. They will take advantage of the chaos to rush to process new land deeds for the gentry's land, pay taxes according to the second policy of the new administration, and seize the gentry's land.

Even if the lawsuit between the two parties goes all the way to the imperial court, the court will rule in favor of the person who has a new land deed issued by the court.

Don't blame the court for being unfair. The court gave the gentry time and opportunity to measure their land and obtain new land deeds issued by the court. It was they who concealed their land, tried to evade taxes, and insisted on not following the court's policies. In giving up their obligations, they naturally gave up their rights as well, so they deserved to be punished like this.

In short, thanks to the court's vigorous propaganda and Song Jiang's righteous army's "acting on behalf of Heaven," the general public now believes that the gentry are selfish and resist the court's implementation of the two new policies, which led Song Jiang to lead the uprising. He wanted to emulate Huang Chao by killing all the powerful families who did not give ordinary people a chance to rise in society, and all the gentry who did not give poor people a way to survive.

In other words, the imperial court and Song Jiang's rebel army gained the support of the people, while the greedy gentry became the people's adversaries.

This led many impoverished people who could no longer survive to rise up in response to Song Jiang's uprising. They learned from Song Jiang's army to massacre the gentry, rob the rich to help the poor, and open granaries to distribute grain.

Of course, many more took advantage of the chaos to become bandits, burning, killing, and looting.

With such people and such events becoming more and more frequent, the gentry of the Central Plains were living in constant fear.

This finally led many gentry to reflect on their stance and actions. They began to realize that confronting the court and obstructing its implementation of the two new policies would not only fail to protect their own interests, but could also incite public anger and lead to their annihilation.

In a short time, many gentry who had figured things out took the initiative to approach the government and asked it to send people to measure their land and pay taxes in accordance with the two policies of the new government. Some gentry even began to publicly express their support for the government's reforms in order to ensure the survival of their families.

As a result, the speed at which the imperial court implemented the two new policies increased significantly.

In regions like Gyeonggi Province, where the implementation has been fastest, the rate has already reached over 90%.

The most intense disturbances caused by Song Jiang's rebel army have already reached 70-80% in the Jingdong East Road and Jingdong West Road.

Even nearby Hebei East Road, Huainan East Road, and Jingxi North Road are already around 50% complete.

It was only at this point that some of the poor people who had been deceived by the gentry realized that the two new policies implemented by the court were not intended to exploit them, but to greatly reduce their burden and give them a way to survive.

The imperial court's revenue also increased significantly in these regions where the two new policies were implemented.

Crucially, after this series of reforms and upheavals, the new policies are being accepted by more and more regions.

Even in some remote areas, those gentry who had previously turned a deaf ear to the two new policies of the imperial court, outwardly complied but inwardly resisted and secretly obstructed them, began to feel the wave of reform impacting their established territories with unprecedented force after teetering on the brink of survival and destruction.

These gentry, whether forced or willing, began to adjust their strategies, attempting to reconcile with this irreversible historical tide. In their correspondence, they began to discuss how to achieve a win-win situation under the inevitable implementation of the new policies, rather than simply resisting them and risking the decline or even extinction of their families.

Undoubtedly, at least up to now, Zhao Yu's Water Margin plan has achieved the expected results.

However, at the same time, this also greatly damaged the relationship between Zhao Yu and the scholar-officials behind the gentry.

This does not mean that the literati knew that Song Jiang's rebel army was instigated by Zhao Yu.

Rather, the scholar-officials saw that Zhao Yu was using Song Jiang's rebel army and public opinion to implement two new policies.

This is not hard to see.

Firstly, the gentry were already in such dire straits, yet Zhao Yu was still vigorously promoting the two new policies, completely disregarding their plight. It even had a hint of "profiteering from their misfortune," forcing them to accept the reforms. This clearly demonstrates that Zhao Yu was using Song Jiang's rebel army and public opinion to coerce the gentry into making concessions. This was a tactic particularly favored by scholar-officials to force concessions from the imperial power; unexpectedly, Zhao Yu was now using it against the gentry.

This perfectly illustrates the saying, "Treat others as they treat you."

This left the scholar-officials with a sour feeling. Countless times they had used public resentment and sentiment to tightly bind imperial power, forcing the emperor to compromise and yield to their wishes. Now, this sharp sword had turned against them, making them feel an unprecedented sense of crisis and fear.

Furthermore, many officials suggested that local troops, especially the Xiang Army, should no longer be sent to suppress Song Jiang's rebel army, as they were more likely to cause trouble than to accomplish anything. They proposed that the Four Auxiliary Armies, or even the Divine Machine Army, should be sent to suppress Song Jiang's rebel army.

However, ministers such as Zhang Dun believed that it was unnecessary to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut. They argued that there was no need to use the Four Auxiliary Armies or the Divine Machine Army to suppress Song Jiang's rebel army. The key issue was that Song Jiang's rebel army was operating in the capital region, and what if the troops protecting the capital region were transferred away and Song Jiang's rebel army attacked Bianliang City?
Zhao Yu did not hesitate to choose the advice of ministers such as Zhang Dun.

This clearly shows that Zhao Yu was preparing to continue to implement the new policies by taking advantage of Song Jiang's rebel army and public opinion, and he only gave the gentry two choices: either obediently accept the reforms and give up some of their interests and privileges, or wait for death.

Of course, Zhao Yu would never say such a thing so directly, lest he give others cause for criticism.

After the Song army sent by the court to suppress Song Jiang's rebel army suffered repeated defeats and defected to the enemy, Zhao Yu adopted the proposal of some ministers to offer amnesty to Song Jiang's rebel army. He sent Hou Meng to be in charge of offering amnesty to Song Jiang's rebel army, leaving the scholar-officials with no reason to criticize Zhao Yu. After all, this was a common tactic used by the Song Dynasty to deal with uprisings and bandits.

Seeing Zhao Yu's determination to implement the two new policies, the scholar-officials notified the gentry associated with them that they should not obstruct the court's reforms any further. The court was determined to destroy everything this time, and if they remained obstinate, their families would be wiped out.

Some gentry, upon receiving such warnings, were both indignant at the court's harsh measures and helpless in the face of the prevailing circumstances. They felt that, given the overwhelming trend, their resistance seemed so insignificant and powerless, and they could only reluctantly choose to embrace the court's reforms.

Of course, many gentry also chose to arm themselves to resist Song Jiang's rebel army and to suppress the resistance of the people under their rule. In short, it was out of the question to touch their vested interests.

The gentry and local gentry who followed were the main targets of Song Jiang's rebel army...

……

Harem.

One of Zhao Yu's residences.

Zhang Chun had just finished serving Zhao Yu with a few palace maids when she waved her hand to dismiss the newly appointed women. She then nestled into Zhao Yu's arms, hugged his waist, and asked, "Your Majesty seems to have something on your mind?"

Zhao Yu put his arm around Zhang Chun and said leisurely, "Will it get out of control?"

Zhang Chun knew that Zhao Yu wasn't asking whether Song Jiang's rebel army would be beyond their control, but rather that the court's propaganda about the two new policies was too effective, and Song Jiang's rebel army had set such a successful example that it had led many suffering people in various places to rise up in rebellion under the leadership of some ambitious individuals.

These rebel armies and bandits were not all like Song Jiang's rebel army, which only targeted the gentry. Some of them committed all sorts of atrocities, including burning, killing, and looting.

The key issue is that these rebel armies and bandits are now escalating their activities.

They themselves unleashed this demon, no wonder Zhao Yu was worried that they would become too powerful to control and that they would be trapped in their own web.

This idea came from Zhang Chun. She was also afraid that things would get out of control and she wouldn't be able to explain it to Zhao Yu. But she couldn't show it. She could only say to Zhao Yu, "The court can grant amnesty to Song Jiang at any time. Without this banner, other villains are not to be feared and can be easily wiped out."

After a pause, Zhang Chun continued, "If Your Majesty is not at ease, you can immediately send a large army to wipe out these bandits. Otherwise, Your Majesty can also instruct Song Jiang to send men to annex these bandits. Your Majesty must have confidence in the powerful army of our Great Song Dynasty. If they do not show mercy, what is there to fear from these starving people who only have hoes and sticks in their hands?"

Zhang Chun makes a good point.

But this did not reassure Zhao Yu.

Ministers had already warned Zhao Yu to guard against Song Jiang's rebel army annexing other rebel armies and bandits growing too powerful, which could truly become a threat to the court.

Crucially, besides these endless troubles, Zhao Yu actually had an even bigger worry.

The bigger concern was that even with Song Jiang's rebel army acting so powerfully, the Jiangnan region, which Zhao Yu valued and worried about the most, was still resisting and obstructing the court's reforms.

The gentry of Jiangnan were probably certain that Zhao Yu dared to allow Song Jiang's rebel army to wreak havoc in the Central Plains because the Central Plains were relatively barren and not afraid of being destroyed. Even if it was shattered, as long as nothing happened in Jiangnan, it wouldn't seriously damage the Zhao Song Dynasty. But Jiangnan was different; it was the economic and food lifeline of the Zhao Song Dynasty. If anything happened to it, it would definitely damage the foundation of the Zhao Song Dynasty's rule. That's why they were so fearless.

After the Five Dynasties period, the economy of the Jiangnan region developed rapidly, and land annexation became the most widespread phenomenon. The gentry class became large landowners by purchasing vast amounts of land, possessing considerable economic power. For example, in wealthy areas of Jiangnan such as the Taihu Lake basin, gentry estates were ubiquitous, providing the material foundation for the development of their power.

The Jiangnan region also valued culture and education, with numerous academies that cultivated many scholars and literati. Leveraging their economic advantages, the gentry class vigorously supported their family members' education for the imperial examinations, enabling them to enter officialdom and thus enhance their family's social status and influence. In places like Jiangxi and Zhejiang, many gentry families held high positions for generations, possessing considerable political resources within the imperial court.

As the local elite, the gentry actively participated in local affairs, such as constructing public facilities like water conservancy and bridges, and organizing disaster relief and charitable activities. They held immense prestige and influence in the local community, serving as a vital bridge between the government and the people.

This made the Jiangnan gentry group very powerful. Like an undercurrent lurking beneath the beautiful Jiangnan region, they appeared to be gentle and refined scholars, but inwardly harbored arrogance and scheming towards imperial power. Historically, they have repeatedly demonstrated astonishing cohesion and influence at crucial moments, influencing the course of the court.

Crucially, the gentry class in Jiangnan has indeed accurately grasped the weakness of the Zhao Song Dynasty. Due to the importance of the region, the two new policies that Zhao Yu is pushing hard seem to be unable to make any progress in Jiangnan.

Although Zhao Yu was determined to reform and eliminate the hidden dangers of the Zhao Song Dynasty and prolong its reign, he also knew the principle that a single move could have far-reaching consequences.

Therefore, Zhao Yu had to be extremely cautious about the sensitive area of ​​Jiangnan.

Seeing that Zhao Yu remained silent, Zhang Chun pressed, "Is there something on Your Majesty's mind?"

Zhao Yu and Zhang Chun were bound together by a shared destiny, so there was no need for Zhao Yu to hide anything from Zhang Chun. Moreover, Zhao Yu genuinely wanted Zhang Chun, who had a thousand years more experience than people today, to give him some useful advice, so he shared his concerns with Zhang Chun.

After listening, Zhang Chun remained silent for a long time.

Zhang Chun also knew that Jiangnan was the most important place to implement the two new policies. If the two new policies could not be implemented in Jiangnan, then Zhao Yu's reforms would end in failure. After all, a country cannot have two systems for a long time, right?

Currently, Hebei borders Yi and Zhuo prefectures and the Central Plains, Hedong borders Yundi Jiuzhou and the Central Plains, and the northwest borders Longyou, Ningxia, Gansu, and Qinghai. These regions can all access the new policies and measures. The local gentry cannot cover up the truth and openly slander the court's reforms. Therefore, as long as the pressure is increased, they will eventually yield. Only the Jiangnan region is the toughest nut to crack.

The problem is that Zhao Yu is not quite willing to take a hard line like he did in the Central Plains, because that could have a significant impact and even deplete the national strength of the Zhao Song Dynasty.

After a long silence, Zhang Chun finally spoke her opinion: "In my humble opinion, nothing can be established without destruction, and once the arrow is released, there is no turning back..."

……

(End of this chapter)