I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 239 Of course, we'll choose the Western Army.
...

Cai Jing's decision to shed his tail to survive, as described by Zhang Dun and others, was not unexpected.

After all, as long as Cai Jing didn't lose power, given his control over the economy of the Song Dynasty, he could easily earn back the mere 200,000 mu of fertile land.

However, Zhang Dun and the others never expected that Cai Jing would accept the two new policies so early on. Not only did he not conceal the amount of land his family owned, but he also paid the land tax according to the new policies, clearly having prepared an escape route for himself long ago.

Upon closer reflection, it's quite normal for Cai Jing to be so decisive.

These high-ranking officials were the ministers closest to Zhao Yu, so how could they not know Zhao Yu's determination to implement the two new policies? It can also be said that Zhao Yu was determined to solve the hidden danger in the Song Dynasty where "gentry own vast tracts of land but do not pay taxes, while the common people have no place to stand but are burdened with heavy taxes."

If Zhao Yu had been a weak emperor like Emperor Renzong of Song, it would have been fine. If they had joined forces, they could have suppressed Zhao Yu, made him obediently implement the ancestral laws, and watch as the gentry annexed land without paying taxes. He could only lead by example in frugality and slowly wait for the Song Dynasty to perish.

The problem is that Zhao Yu not only possessed great talent and ambition, but also had the determination to break with tradition and establish something new.

Unlike other emperors of the Song Dynasty who were raised in the inner palace and controlled by women, Zhao Yu was not short-sighted, blinded by the protection of the gentry, or indecisive. He knew that if the old system continued and the gentry class was allowed to annex land without limit to evade taxes, the people's lives would become increasingly difficult, the national treasury would be depleted, and the country would eventually be doomed.

The key point is that Zhao Yu did not make a blind decision to punish the gentry, but rather made ample preparations.

As prime ministers, Zhang Dun and others had long discovered that Zhao Yu had promoted a large number of poor people without land over the years and placed them in key positions.

Furthermore, when the New Party and the Old Party were preoccupied with internal strife, Zhao Yu established the Eastern Depot on the basis of the existing Imperial City Guard. Later, due to mistakes made by the Imperial City Guard and the Eastern Depot, which led to Zhao Yu's assassination, he established the Embroidered Uniform Guard. After that, Zhao Yu continuously strengthened the power of the three major intelligence agencies—the Imperial City Guard, the Eastern Depot, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard—which were not under their control at all, to the point that they could threaten their safety.

Some of them, whether through meticulousness, coincidence, or being informed, discovered that they were being monitored and knew that their every move and thought was under Zhao Yu's control. Zhao Yu could not only kill them, but also ruin their reputation and make them wish they were dead.

This is why Zhang Dun and others believed that Cai Jing must have brought out all of his family's land. They knew that Cai Jing wouldn't dare to lie to Zhao Yu. No, they wouldn't dare to lie to Zhao Yu either, unless they wanted to test how much dirt the three major secret service agencies—the Imperial City Guard, the Eastern Depot, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard—had on them.

It is no exaggeration to say that Zhao Yu had made thorough preparations before taking action against the gentry in the south.

Cai Jing's keen insight and decisiveness were evident precisely in this historical context. He saw through Zhao Yu's resolve and foresaw the inevitability of the implementation of the two new policies. Rather than being forced to accept them after their implementation, he chose to proactively comply, thus preserving his own interests.

Therefore, Cai Jing did not hesitate to give up some immediate interests and actively responded to the reforms, thus demonstrating his loyalty and willingness to adapt to the times to Zhao Yu.

Zhang Dun and the others looked at Cai Jing, their hearts filled with indescribable complex emotions.

Prior to this, Zhang Dun and others had all thought that Fang La's rebel army, under the banner of "purging the emperor's inner circle," intended to kill Cai Jing, and that Cai Jing was likely doomed this time. After all, Fang La's rebel army was powerful and unstoppable, with people along the way responding enthusiastically, demonstrating the deep-seated resentment among the people towards Cai Jing and his ilk. They believed Cai Jing would be overwhelmed by this, and might even be sacrificed by Zhao Yu to quell public anger. However, they never expected that Cai Jing could adjust his strategy so quickly, using a strategic retreat to advance. He not only preserved himself but also completely severed ties with the southern gentry, offering his allegiance to Zhao Yu and showing his willingness to serve as a pawn in implementing the two new policies in the south.

'That's cruel!'

This is the shared sentiment of Zhang Dun and others.

After hearing Cai Jing's attitude, Zhao Yu said calmly, "It's good to move to the north. The south has been in a state of chaos lately and is not suitable for living. Once the chaos dissipates and the world is restored, you can move back and live there in peace."

Upon hearing Zhao Yu's meaningful words, all the high-ranking officials felt a chill run down their spines. They understood that Zhao Yu was truly going to take action against the southern gentry this time, and they knew they couldn't stop him.

really!

Zhao Yu then changed his tone and said, "Minister Cai's move to relocate his clan and abandon his land is excellent and can serve as a model for the gentry in the south."

These are all seasoned foxes; how could these high-ranking officials not understand that Zhao Yu was leaving a way out for their relatives, friends, disciples, and former officials?
Zhao Yu was practically telling them directly: if they left the land and allowed their entire families to relocate to the north, he would spare the southern gentry; otherwise, those stubborn southern gentry would be doomed.

The novel "Water Margin" is full of talented people from the gentry and landlord class. In the Liangshan camp alone, there are many heroes from the gentry and landlord class, such as Song Jiang, Chao Gai, Lu Junyi, Shi Jin, Chai Jin, Kong Ming, Kong Liang, Song Qing, Mu Hong, Mu Chun, Hu Sanniang, and Li Ying. Song Jiang, Chao Gai, and Lu Junyi are also the top leaders of Liangshan.

The villains, Zhu Family Village and Zeng Tou Clan, were also extremely powerful. The Liangshan heroes had no trouble defeating them when they conquered the prefecture defended by a large number of government troops.

Although the story of Water Margin is fictional, it truly reflects the power of the gentry and landlord class during that period.

During this period, it was quite common for landlords to own vast tracts of fertile land and numerous farmhands, especially in the south.

The nearly two hundred years of land annexation during the Song Dynasty led to a shortage of land resources, a surge in the number of displaced people, and the beginning of a society of displaced people.

It is very easy for vagrants to become outlaws.

Once refugees embark on the path of outlaws, they naturally need the protection of powerful figures.

On the other hand, the gentry and landlords of the Zhao Song Dynasty also needed private armed forces to protect their property.

The two sides hit it off immediately, and that's how the owner and the servants of the estate came to be.

Therefore, there were many examples of gentry and landlords colluding with outlaws in the Song Dynasty, and they even formed gangs with characteristics of organized crime.

Such incidents were more common in the south. This was mainly because the Song Dynasty's military strength in the south was very weak, and the gentry and landlords in the south needed their servants to protect their lives and property.

Historical records state: "In Jinxi County, Fuzhou, the prominent Deng and Fu families each had several thousand local militia. They wore red-lacquered leather hats over their heads and were known as the Red-Headed Men. They were feared far and wide and were called the Deng and Fu Societies." The local officials in Jiangxi had far less power than these landlords and could only let them do as they pleased.

The gentry and landlords of the Song Dynasty not only had a habit of forming societies, but also of stockpiling military equipment on their estates. Furthermore, these gentry and landlords, along with their families, generally practiced martial arts. Wang Jing, a famous general in the early Song Dynasty, rose to the high position of Jiedushi (military governor) by forming his own society, stockpiling military equipment, and having his family members practice martial arts. Some gentry and landlords even achieved victories surpassing those of the government army. For example, the Ma family of Linzi, Qingzhou, before the Treaty of Chanyuan, actually led their estate workers to hold off the Liao cavalry that had invaded Shandong.

Many skilled individuals also emerged from the farmhands of gentry and landlords.

If history had not changed, a few years later, Yue Fei would have entered the Zhoujin Hall of Han Zhongyan's grandson's family and become a servant of the Han family.

On the other hand, no matter how powerful the gentry and landlords were, or how many capable people they had under their command, they were still just a rabble. As long as Zhao Yu did not send regular troops to help them suppress the bandits, they would only be lambs to the slaughter.

In other words, as long as Zhao Yu chooses to sit back and watch the two sides fight, Fang La's rebel army and Song Jiang's rebel army will definitely be able to wipe out the gentry in the south.

Most importantly, even if Zhao Yu had made that choice, the world would not have criticized him.

The situation on the surface is now quite clear: Zhao Yu had long foreseen that the gentry's excessive exploitation of the people would drive them to rebellion. Therefore, he presciently introduced two new policies to alleviate the conflict between the gentry and the people. However, the gentry were too greedy and did not appreciate Zhao Yu's efforts at all. They resolutely resisted Zhao Yu's reforms, which finally drove the people to rebellion. Now the people want to kill all the gentry, which is entirely the gentry's own fault.

Of course, the gentry didn't see it that way. They believed that if Zhao Yu hadn't insisted on introducing the two new policies and vigorously promoted their benefits, what would those ignorant people know? They would still be subjected to their exploitation generation after generation, while they themselves would continue their pampered and privileged lives. In their eyes, Zhao Yu's reforms were like a bolt from the blue, shattering the privileges and comforts they had enjoyed for generations. They even stubbornly believed that Zhao Yu had stirred up this storm, inciting the discontent and anger in the hearts of the people.

This is also the source of the conflict between the two sides.

After two years of testing each other, Zhao Yu believed that the conflict between the two sides was irreconcilable.

The gentry also had the idea of ​​finding an opportunity to replace or even kill Zhao Yu.

Given this, is there anything wrong with Zhao Yu choosing to kick someone when they're down?
Although Zhao Yu's attitude was already very clear, as the prime minister, Zhang Dun still had to remind Zhao Yu: "Your Majesty, if we cannot quickly eliminate Song Jiang and Fang La, and allow them to wantonly destroy Jiangnan, then the land of Jiangnan will likely suffer immense loss of life and economic decline, and it will be difficult to recover for ten years. In that case, the foundation of the country may be shaken, which is a great taboo for the country."

Zhao Yu looked at Zhang Dun and asked leisurely, "What does the Prime Minister think?"

Zhang Dun knew that Zhao Yu, who had long harbored murderous intentions towards the gentry, would certainly not let the southern gentry off easily now that he had gained the upper hand, lest he raise a tiger to cause future trouble.

With a sigh, Zhang Dun said weakly, "We still have to send troops, otherwise... the consequences will be unimaginable."

When Zhang Dun said such things, the other ministers all felt a chill in their hearts. They understood that Zhang Dun must have realized that no one could stop Zhao Yu from targeting the gentry in the south, which was why he only advised Zhao Yu to be careful to control the impact and not let Song Jiang's and Fang La's rebel armies really grow too powerful, lest things become unmanageable.

Zhao Yu nodded: "That's right, Prime Minister's reminder is very accurate. Hmm... Instruct Tong Guan to bring the Western Army back."

Upon hearing that Zhao Yu was planning to send the Western Army to the south to quell the rebellion, the ministers completely abandoned any thought of persuading Zhao Yu to pardon the southern gentry.

Why?

The Western Army was very powerful; the recapture of Qinghai and Tibet, and the recapture of Western Xia, were all achieved by the Western Army.

Sending the Western Army to eliminate Song Jiang's rebel army and Fang La's rebel army would surely succeed.

The problem is that the Western Army was notoriously undisciplined. You could call them bandits in official robes. If you let them go out to fight, they would plunder wherever they went, treating life as worthless as grass or dust. Wherever they went, war raged and the people suffered.

If the Western Army were to go to Jiangnan, and Tong Guan, whom Zhao Yu sent to command them, were to give them some hints, then the gentry in the south would not only suffer massacres at the hands of Song Jiang's rebel army and Fang La's rebel army.

Zeng Bu, whose hometown was in Jiangxi, really didn't want his hometown to be ravaged, so he suggested: "The Western Army is far away, while the Four Auxiliary Armies are nearby. Why does Your Majesty have to go to such lengths instead of seeking what is close at hand? Why not send the Four Auxiliary Armies on a mission?"

Both the Shenji Army and the Fourth Auxiliary Army were new armies, created by Li Lin according to the standards of our army in later generations. Moreover, Li Lin always paid close attention to political education, so their military discipline was excellent.

Zeng Bu meant that this was a civil war, and asked if Zhao Yu could show mercy and give those stubborn southern gentry a way out.
Zhao Yu didn't say that if these southern gentry were stubborn and unwilling to give up their wealth, refusing to follow the path he offered, why should he show them any mercy? Instead, he calmly said, "If the four auxiliary armies march south to quell the rebellion, and the Liao army marches south as well, how can our Great Song protect itself?"

Zeng Bu wanted to say that the Liao Kingdom had been so badly defeated by Your Majesty that they had no courage to march south to seek revenge.

But Zeng Bu dared not say such a thing.

Firstly, he couldn't guarantee that the Liao army wouldn't take the opportunity to move south.

It's obvious to anyone with discerning eyes that once Zhao Yu resolves the biggest threat to the Song Dynasty, the next step will undoubtedly be to recover the five prefectures of Yan, the three prefectures of Pingluan and Ying, and all the passes, thus achieving true unification.

If anyone in the Liao Kingdom could see this step, they would know that for the Liao Kingdom, this was likely its only chance to avoid annihilation.

Therefore, if Yelü Yanxi had the decisiveness and courage, he might very well have taken a desperate gamble.

Secondly, Zhao Yu had already made his stance clear and had given the southern gentry a way out, which was considered giving them face and not completely annihilating them.

Isn't this Zhao Yu's benevolence?
Therefore, Zeng Bu could only sigh helplessly and shut his mouth.

Zeng Bu retreated, so what could the other ministers say?
The key point is that they all understand this might be the only chance to resolve the hidden dangers of the Zhao Song Dynasty. If they were to advise Zhao Yu to show leniency to those southern gentry who have consistently opposed him and refused to accept any means of survival, wouldn't that be tantamount to telling Zhao Yu that these high-ranking officials are only interested in colluding with those gentry and sharing wealth, rather than truly considering the country and its people? How can a monarch determined to eradicate deep-seated problems and create a prosperous era tolerate these selfish and self-serving individuals?
Losing land is better than losing your life; as long as the green hills remain, there's always firewood to burn...

……

(End of this chapter)