I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 238 Cai Jing's Decisiveness

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The imperial palace, the martial arts training ground.

Today, Zhao Yu didn't practice "Convict Conditioning" or "Yoga" with Li Lin. Instead, he was learning martial arts, or more precisely, combat techniques, from an elderly man in his fifties, an old monk, and an old Taoist priest.

Zhao Yu originally did not want to learn martial arts. As an emperor, what use would it be for him to learn? Could he possibly personally go into battle to kill the enemy?
In Zhao Yu's view, learning martial arts was a complete waste of time. He should have used that time to do something meaningful, such as sleeping with more women. Wouldn't that have been better?
That's why Zhao Yu didn't practice martial arts at the beginning of his transmigration. He spent all his spare time honing his physical skills.

Until two years ago, when Zhao Yu used Song Jiang's rebel army to kill the northern gentry and used many ruthless methods to force them to accept the two new policies, Zhao Yu worried that even if these northern gentry did not know that he had created Song Jiang's rebel army, they would definitely resent him for condoning Song Jiang's rebel army to kill them and for forcing them to suffer huge economic losses through cruel methods. They might even assassinate him. Therefore, he repeatedly strengthened his security and paid more attention to his own safety. He also repeatedly strengthened the power of the three major intelligence agencies: the Imperial City Guard, the Eastern Depot, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Seeing this, Li Lin advised Zhao Yu to learn some self-defense techniques, since he was her last line of defense. If he trained himself to be a master, he would definitely be able to save his life in a critical moment.

Zhao Yu thought Li Lin's words made a lot of sense, so he learned a lot of military combat techniques from Li Lin, such as military boxing, enemy-capturing boxing, capture boxing, Black Dragon Eighteen Hands, guard boxing, guard combat boxing, riot control boxing, power boxing, body protection boxing, as well as enemy-capturing technique combination routines, one-move enemy-defeating combination routines, reconnaissance soldier combat technique combination routines, etc.

These military combat techniques incorporated the strengths of traditional martial arts such as Tai Chi and Shaolin grappling, as well as foreign combat sports such as Sanda, free fighting, and boxing. With the aim of quickly defeating the enemy and self-defense, they were very suitable for Zhao Yu's self-defense.

In addition, Zhao Yu also learned two foreign military combat techniques from Li Lin: Israeli Krav Maga and Russian Sambo.

What surprised Li Lin, yet was also understandable, was that Zhao Yu could not learn these military combat techniques in a day, but he could quickly master them and grasp their essentials.

In just over three months, Li Lin was no match for Zhao Yu.

This is mainly because Zhao Yu has been honing his physical abilities for many years, bringing his strength, agility, speed, endurance, reaction, and explosiveness to the peak of human potential. Even without martial arts training, he is still a formidable opponent for most martial artists. If he were to further train in military combat techniques that eliminate the superficiality, emphasize effectiveness, incorporate tactics, stress adaptability, and prioritize achieving combat objectives through the shortest path rather than focusing on scoring or aesthetics, he would become an exceptionally skilled fighter. How could a woman like Li Lin possibly stand against him?

Of course, this was also because Li Lin taught Zhao Yu everything she knew without reservation. Otherwise, even if Li Lin had held back a few killer moves, Zhao Yu would not have been able to defeat her so easily.

Zhao Yu practiced with Li Lin for over a year and learned everything Li Lin knew.

Feeling that he had a talent for martial arts, Zhao Yu did not stop there, but wanted to find a master to continue his training.

Therefore, Zhao Yu ordered the Imperial City Guard, the Eastern Depot, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard to each find ten martial arts masters to teach him fighting techniques and serve as his bodyguards.

These old men, old monks, and old Taoist priests are among the best.

This old monk was proficient in all Shaolin kung fu and was said to be the number one master in Shaolin. In close combat, no one could beat him.

This old Taoist priest was particularly skilled in light-body techniques. Even when the best archer pulled the trigger three meters away, he could not hit him.

The old man wasn't as famous as the old monk and the old Taoist priest in his time, but in later generations, he became known as the most famous martial arts master of his era. He was none other than Iron-Armed Zhou Tong, Yue Fei's master. In *Water Margin*, Lu Junyi, Lin Chong, Wu Song, and Shi Wengong were all his disciples. In *The Biography of Yue Fei*, besides Yue Fei, Niu Gao, Wang Gui, Tang He, and Zhang Xian were also his disciples.

Just as Zhao Yu was practicing the "Five Steps Thirteen Spears and Thrusting Feet" under Zhou Tong's guidance, someone suddenly came to report: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened. The bandit Fang La has gathered a crowd to revolt in Qingxi County, Muzhou, and has now attacked the walls of Hangzhou. All the ministers request Your Majesty to go to the Chuigong Hall to discuss countermeasures!"

Zhao Yu did not stop immediately, but calmly continued practicing the "Five Steps Thirteen Spears and Thrusting Feet" until he finished, before saying to Zhou Tong and the other two, "Teachers, please rest today. I have important matters to attend to."

Zhou Tong and the other two responded in unison, "Yes!"

With the help of Li Lin and others, Zhao Yu changed into clean clothes before leisurely going to the Chuigong Hall to see Zhang Dun and the others.

Zhao Yu already knew about Fang La's uprising.

No.

It should be said that Zhao Yu detonated this nuclear bomb.

Otherwise, why do you think Wu Yong would go to Qingxi County to instigate Fang La's uprising?
To be honest, Zhao Yu had been hesitant about whether to detonate the nuclear bomb of Fang La and Manichaeism.
The south was truly the largest and most core base of the Zhao Song Dynasty, without exception, especially before Zhao Yu ascended the throne.

If the Fang La Rebellion were to break out, it would inevitably unleash an unprecedented storm in the south, sweeping through the prosperous lands and plunging the south into turmoil, economic damage, and economic hardship, thus shaking the foundations of the Zhao Song Dynasty's rule.

This would be a huge gamble for any emperor.

If he lost the bet, it would mean Zhao Yu had gone too far, and his fate and reputation would definitely not be much better than that of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang.

The safest approach would be to maintain this corrupt system, allowing the southern gentry to continue exploiting the people and watching social contradictions escalate. This might delay the arrival of a storm until the Song Dynasty was completely rotten and reached its end.

But Zhao Yu didn't want to live like that. Living like that was meaningless.

The key issue is that in the past two years, most of the gentry in the south have become far too arrogant. They don't even bother to pretend anymore. They resolutely resist the two new policies, putting on an act of sacrificing their lives for their wealth. They believe that the Song Dynasty is a system where the emperor and the scholar-officials jointly govern the country. They are convinced that Zhao Yu would not dare to be their enemy. They don't care at all whether the south is developing or whether the Song Dynasty is strong. They refuse to reform in the slightest, making Zhao Yu hate them to the core.

On the other hand, the north, after experiencing growing pains, developed far beyond Zhao Yu's expectations, which gave Zhao Yu the confidence that even if he reduced the south to ruins, he could still salvage the situation.

Most importantly, whether during the Huang Chao period or the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the southern gentry did not suffer much damage, at least not as much as the northern gentry. This allowed the southern gentry group to remain powerful and deeply rooted. They firmly controlled the economic lifeline and political resources of the south, posing a potential threat to the imperial power. If this deadlock was not broken by external forces, the south would forever remain a feast for a few, delaying the overall development of the Zhao Song Dynasty.

It was only then that Zhao Yu made up his mind and brought forward the Fang La Rebellion.

Of course, Zhao Yu could not allow Fang La's rebel army to run rampant and allow the ambitious Fang La to occupy the south and take away half of his country.

To be on the safe side, Zhao Yu instructed Song Jiang through Yuwen Xuzhong to take all of Song Jiang's rebel army south to confront Fang La's rebel army and suppress its development.

Still not entirely at ease, Zhao Yu had long ago deployed the Southern Auxiliary Army to Huaiyang, preparing to seize Zhenjiang immediately should Fang La's rebel army (including Song Jiang's rebel army) intend to blockade the Yangtze River, ensuring that the Song army could cross the river at any time to suppress the bandits. In addition, Zhao Yu deployed the Western Auxiliary Army to Nanyang.

Without Nanyang, there is no Huai River. As long as Nanyang is in the hands of the Zhao Song Dynasty, even if Fang La's rebel army occupies the south, the Song army can go straight up the Han River to the Yangtze River, and then go down the Yangtze River to bypass the Huai River defense line and directly attack the south.

Historically, the Mongols conquered the Southern Song Dynasty by following this route.

To be on the safe side, Zhao Yu personally appointed Chen Gou and Han Shizhong to lead a detachment to garrison Xiangyang.

In this way, if things start to go wrong, the Song army can go through Xiangyang, Ezhou, Huangzhou, Shuzhou, Wuhu, and Jiankang, and then head directly south to approach the Jiangzhe region.

In addition, Zhao Yu specifically named Zhan Du and Zhang Jun to lead a detachment to guard Hongzhou.

Hongzhou is located in the north-central part of the Southern West Road, downstream of the Gan River and Fu River, on the shore of Poyang Lake, surrounded by three mountains, making it a typical strategic location that is easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Historically, during the great war at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, if Zhu Wenzheng had not defended Hongzhou City to the death, Chen Youliang's army could have sent people from Hongzhou into the Zhejiang-Jiangxi corridor and directly attacked Zhu Yuanzhang's rear.

If that were the case, it would be uncertain whether Zhu Yuanzhang or Chen Youliang would ultimately gain control of the empire.

Therefore, Hongzhou was extremely important to the regime that controlled the Jiangdong region. By blocking it with its unique terrain, it was as if the western gate of Jiangdong was closed. Conversely, if Hongzhou was not in the hands of the regime that controlled Jiangdong, then the western gate of Jiangdong would be open, and the Song army could enter Jiangdong from here at any time.

In short, while releasing Fang La and Manichaeism, Zhao Yu also put several chains on this vicious dog to prevent it from getting out of control and becoming too powerful to control, thus turning against its creator.

Since he was the instigator and had made thorough preparations, why would Zhao Yu panic?

Zhao Yu arrived at the Chuigong Hall at a leisurely pace.

As Zhao Yu had expected, all the chief ministers were waiting for him in the Chuigong Hall.

Fang La gathered a million-strong rebel army and besieged Hangzhou. The political, economic, and cultural center of the south was about to fall. How could these officials still sit idly by?

Furthermore, why do you think the Southern gentry were so arrogant that even Zhao Yu dared not act rashly? It's because those Southern gentry had intricate connections with these prime ministers and court officials.
These high-ranking officials, or at least their relatives, clansmen, protégés, and former officials, were the gentry of the south, who owned a large amount of land in the south.

Historically, Zhu Mian was only the lowest-ranking of the Six Traitors, his highest position being the Military Governor of Weiyuan, a second-rank military officer. At that time, the appointment of Military Governors was quite widespread, with approximately sixty such governors nationwide.

There were many high-ranking officials above the rank of Jiedushi, at least one or two hundred of them.

Furthermore, high-ranking officials in the Song Dynasty often preferred to go south when they took office, where powerful families and prominent gentry were abundant.

The Zhu family managed to annex more than 300,000 mu of land in just over 20 years.

Not to mention those high-ranking officials and families with greater influence than Zhu Mian, and those powerful families with deeper foundations than the Zhu family.
Zhao Yu always knew very well that his real enemies were not the gentry, but the officials and scholars he had to rely on.

In recent years, Zhao Yu has indeed promoted many people from poor families and given many officials the opportunity and time to sever ties with land ownership.

That's why we have today's decisive battle.

After so many years of working together, none of these ministers dared to underestimate Zhao Yu. They all knew that although Zhao Yu was young, he was wise and resourceful, possessing a depth and skill beyond his years. Behind every decision he made, there was often an unfathomable plan and consideration.

The key issue is that the gentry in the south have really offended Zhao Yu quite a bit in recent years.

The key point is that if you look at the development of the North in recent years, it is not hard to see how much the Southern gentry have hindered the development of the Song Dynasty.

More importantly, now that the southern gentry have driven Fang La into rebellion, this is bound to deal a heavy blow to the south and shake the foundation of the Zhao Song Dynasty's rule. How could Zhao Yu not hate the southern gentry to the bone?
Under these circumstances, it is easy to imagine how difficult it would be to persuade Zhao Yu to send a large army to reinforce the gentry in the south.

After the emperor and his ministers exchanged greetings, before Chancellor Zhang Dun could speak, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Cai Jing, knelt down before Zhao Yu with a thud and cried, "Your Majesty, I am guilty! Please punish me severely!"

Zhao Yu asked calmly, "What crime have you committed?"

Cai Jing bluntly explained:
“When I was serving in Suzhou in my early years, I became acquainted with Zhu Chong and his son Zhu Mian. Seeing that they were capable of accomplishing great things, I relied on them a lot. Unexpectedly, they used my name to harm the local people, bullying men and women, which aroused public anger and led to the Fang La Rebellion in Qingxi. They regarded me and the father and son as birds of a feather.”

“I dare not complain, for I misjudged people and failed Your Majesty’s grace, causing great chaos in the south, damage to the court, and suffering to the people. I should be punished.”

“My ancestors have all received the Emperor’s great favor, which has led to our considerable wealth. My family has accumulated 238,633 mu of fertile land over several generations. This was measured two years ago when I instructed my family to have the local officials remeasure it. My family has paid the land tax in full, and I have proof of this.”

At this point, Cai Jing actually took out a stack of land deeds and tax payment receipts and placed them in front of him.

Cai Jing continued, "Your subject is willing to donate all of my family's land to the court for the cultivation of cotton, sugarcane, and other crops, to assist the court's reforms and atone for my past sins."

"Your Majesty, I request that you grant me a plot of land in the north so that my entire clan may move there, severing all ties with the gentry in the south, and dedicate myself to implementing new policies for the court in the south."

"Your Majesty, I beg you to grant my request, and further, I implore you to punish me severely as a warning to others..."

……

(End of this chapter)