I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 341 The Five Women in the Crown Prince's Eyes

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Zhao Shou, who personally participated in the Battle of Pingjincheng, had many feelings, especially after hearing the veterans say that when the Song Dynasty did not have firearms such as the Li Lin Cannon, they could only rely on fortifications and fight to the death to barely stop the Xia army's attack.

From a very young age, Zhao Shou and the other princes and princesses knew that there were five women in the harem whose status and position were different from the other concubines. Even his mother was unwilling to provoke them, or even dared not provoke them. They were like the five tyrants of the harem, running rampant throughout the harem and doing whatever they wanted. The number of women who served him in bed was the highest in the harem, even surpassing his mother.

Because the former emperor, Emperor Zhezong of Song, Zhao Xu, favored his concubine over his wife and allowed his favorite concubine, Liu Qingjing, to seize the empress's position from his empress, Meng Xiang, everyone associated with Meng Xiang was implicated. Zhao Shou, who was precocious from a young age, was particularly worried for a time that his father would also send his mother to the cold palace for the sake of these five women, and then depose him as crown prince and replace him with one of the sons of these five women.

Later, Zhao Shou dispelled his doubts only after seeing that his father and mother had a good relationship and that the five women got along very well with his mother.

But what followed was the challenge from the sons of these five women.

Zhao Di, Zhao Cun, Zhao Qing, and Zhao Cheng were all outstanding among their brothers, each of them being exceptional. From a young age, they had never lost to him in terms of literary and military prowess. In particular, his fourteenth brother, Zhao Cheng, not only had never lost to him, but had also always been ambitious, practically stating that he wanted to become the crown prince.

Later, even the slightly younger Zhao Xing and Zhao Sheng began to distinguish themselves among the next batch of princes.

When he was a child, Zhao Shou never understood what was so special about these five women, or what his father liked about them.
It wasn't until he grew older that Zhao Shou understood:
Yuan Qingcheng solved the food problem that plagued the Song Dynasty and even all of humanity. Her contributions were significant for the present and will benefit future generations. She is the greatest woman of this era.
Ma Xiaojiao invented many advanced mechanical equipment and industrial materials, which greatly changed the lives of the people of the Song Dynasty and even changed the course of human history.

Ye Shiyun not only created the "Ye Shiyun Medical Canon" that saved countless lives, but she was also the behind-the-scenes operator of the Song Dynasty's economy and the de facto female god of wealth in the Song Dynasty.

Zhao Shou asked himself honestly, if he had encountered these three women, would he have given them the same privileges?

That's right, Zhao Shou doesn't know where to find such an extraordinary woman.
It is worth mentioning that Zhao Shou knew about the abilities and contributions of Yuan Qingcheng, Ma Xiaojiao, and Ye Shiyun, but he was not so clear about the abilities and contributions of Zhang Chun and Li Lin, who were on par with them. He only knew that his father took Zhang Chun and Li Lin with him wherever he went.

Of course, Zhao Shou had also heard about Zhang Chun and Li Lin's abilities.

For example, Zhang Chun was proficient in divination and could serve as a strategist.

For example, Li Lin is proficient in fitness techniques and has certain military skills, so he can accompany his father, the emperor, in fitness activities and provide him with some military advice.

Only now does Zhao Shou realize that Li Lin's invention of the Li Lin Cannon became the Song army's trump card, and that all the tactics for using firearms were invented by Li Lin. She now has the nickname "Goddess of War".

Having personally experienced and witnessed the power of Li Lin's cannons, muskets, tiger-squatting cannons, thunderclap bombs, and explosive charges, as well as their firearms tactics that completely suppressed the Jin army, Zhao Shou also felt that Li Lin deserved the nickname "Goddess of War".

As for Zhang Chun, who is on par with Yuan Qingcheng, Ma Xiaojiao, Ye Shiyun, and Li Lin, and can be by his father's side every day, he believes that he must have something extraordinary about him.

“I heard from a brother in the Tiger Legion who fought against the Jurchens that even with the Tiger Crouching Cannon and Thunderclap Bombs, they only managed to fight the Jurchens to a draw. The Jurchen soldiers are skilled at close-range attacks, charging up close like madmen and shooting arrows one after another, which is extremely powerful. If we want to defeat them, we can only attack them from a distance with Tiger Crouching Cannons, Divine Arm Bows, and Firearms, preventing them from getting close. When they get close, we can bombard them with Thunderclap Bombs. If they do get close, the only way to win is to detonate the Thunderclap Bombs and charge in to perish together with them.”

"At that point, it will be a bloody battle."

"We must fight, even if it means a bloody battle. To die in battle is glorious, and the court will take care of everything. But if we are afraid to fight, military law is merciless, and we will certainly die. We will also bring shame to our ancestors and make our wives unable to hold their heads up for the rest of their lives. It is a terrible loss."

"It's still best to fight a defensive battle. You can gain merit and promotion without having to risk your life."

"This is all thanks to Your Majesty's wisdom. Just because our Great Song Dynasty has powerful firearms and has defeated the Jurchens in open field battles, we did not simply engage in open field battles with the Jurchens. Instead, we played to our strengths and avoided our weaknesses, using our army's most proficient method of shallow attack and fortification to annihilate the Jurchens."

"That's why His Majesty is the most knowledgeable and wise ruler in military affairs throughout history!"

"..."

Hearing his soldiers speak so highly of his father, Zhao Shou felt a surge of indescribable pride and admiration. This pride stemmed from the soldiers' boundless respect and affirmation of his father—a heartfelt praise for a wise ruler and a hero. He pondered to himself that his father possessed not only extraordinary wisdom and courage in governing the country, but also such profound and far-sighted military strategy. He had placed such importance on firearms, and had indeed used them to neutralize the seemingly barbaric Jurchen forces, while simultaneously employing the most prudent tactics to gradually erode the Jin dynasty. This ability was truly beyond the reach of ordinary people.

At the same time, Zhao Shou secretly pondered that if he could inherit half of his father's wisdom, he would probably be able to stand firm in this chaotic world and protect the Song Dynasty.

After the victory, the army was allowed to rest and replenish its supplies briefly before Zhong Shidao commanded the Song army to completely recapture Chenzhou, thus opening up the land passage between the Liaodong Peninsula and the Liaoxi Corridor.

After doing all this, the composed Zhong Shidao finally reported the victory to Zhao Yu.

In reality, Zhao Yu had already received news of the great victory at Pingjincheng.

However, Zhao Yu did not rush to express his opinion. Instead, after Zhong Shidao's report of victory arrived, he issued an edict ordering the Privy Council to lead the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue to verify the battle achievements of the soldiers on the front lines as soon as possible and to distribute the promotions and rewards immediately to boost morale.

After the court session ended, Zhao Yu did not discuss the matter of offering sacrifices at the temple with his ministers, but went straight to Ma Xiaojiao's Royal Research Institute located at Wansui Mountain in Genyue.

By this time, the Royal Academy of Sciences had nearly 10,000 members, including researchers and craftsmen.

These nearly ten thousand people, men, women, and children, were scientific research talents recruited by Zhao Yu from across the Song Dynasty over a period of more than a decade. They were all hidden talents in their respective fields. Some were proficient in mathematics, able to clarify complex data with a flick of their fingertips and deduce the laws of all things in the smallest detail; some were knowledgeable in astronomy, observing stars and measuring constellations with ease, able to determine the four seasons and directions based on the movement of the sun, moon, and stars; some were skilled in mechanical ingenuity, able to transform ordinary wood and iron into ingenious mechanisms, either saving effort and increasing efficiency or driving heavy objects; and some specialized in materials research and development, refining new iron from ores and extracting adhesives from plants to make objects stronger, tougher, and more usable.

These people gathered together, and under Ma Xiaojiao's leadership, they verified and inspired each other. Mathematics provided precise standards for the operation of machines, astronomy guided the arrangement of time and long-distance voyages, mechanical ingenuity transformed theory into practical tools, and new materials allowed tools to break through their original limitations.

The fire in the furnace burned all night long, and the lines on the blueprints became increasingly precise. From improving farming tools to enhancing transportation capacity, from measuring the heavens and the earth to new methods of smelting and forging, breakthroughs bit by bit gradually converged into a stream. Unbeknownst to them, they had laid a solid foundation for the industrial revolution of the Song Dynasty.

In recent years, there have been more and more voices praising Zhao Yu's wisdom and martial prowess, almost to the point of elevating him to the heavens.

However, Zhao Yu was well aware that his brilliance and prowess were mainly due to the efforts of two people: Yuan Qingcheng and Ma Xiaojiao.

The former helped Zhao Yu solve the survival problem of the people of the Song Dynasty.

This is the most important thing. Later generations' desires always snowball. Once they have clothes to cover their bodies, they crave designer fashion; once they have food to fill their stomachs, they pursue delicacies; once they have houses, they dream of villas and large apartments. It seems there's an insatiable appetite; the more they get, the more they want, and they rarely feel satisfied with what they have.

But people of this era are different. For them, the underlying theme of survival has always been scarcity, and hunger is a common occurrence etched into their memories. Therefore, "having enough to eat" has become the ultimate goal they seek in their lives. As long as they can eat their fill, it is enough to make them beam with joy, feel that life has a future, and consider it the greatest happiness.

This happiness is simple and real, requiring no elaborate embellishment or fancy decoration. Simply being free from hunger is enough to fill them with gratitude for life and to make them loyal to the court that provides them with this peace.

Yuan Qingcheng solved this most fundamental need by helping Zhao Yu stabilize his rule, making the foundation of the Song Dynasty as solid as a rock, allowing the people to live in peace and prosperity, and to be grateful to the court. This laid the most solid foundation for the long-term stability of the Song Dynasty.

Food is the most important thing for the people. Only when the people are well-fed can they focus on production and labor without distraction, and only then can they wholeheartedly support the court, thus enabling the Song Dynasty to prosper.

It can be said that Yuan Qingcheng was the most crucial person for Zhao Yu to secure his throne in the Song Dynasty.

However, having enough food alone could only ensure relative stability within the Song Dynasty, and even then, it was only stability at the grassroots level.

Zhao Yu wanted to expand his territory, but relying solely on grain would not suffice.

Moreover, with only food, Zhao Yu couldn't even completely stabilize the internal affairs of the Song Dynasty.

It's important to understand that once there's an excess of grain, it becomes worthless, especially given that Emperor Zhao Yu was constantly suppressing grain prices in the Song Dynasty in order to protect the people's livelihood.

Don't forget that Zhao Yu had already implemented the "Gentlemen Paying Taxes as a Whole" and the "Equalization of Land Tax and Labor Service," shifting the burden that originally fell on ordinary people onto the gentry class, forcing them to bear considerable pressure.

If this makes the grain in the hands of the gentry class even less valuable, wouldn't that force them to rebel?
In reality, peasant uprisings alone rarely overthrow a dynasty. The advantage of peasant uprisings lies in their large scale and wide coverage, directly impacting the dynasty's economic foundation and grassroots rule. When land annexation is severe, taxes are heavy, and natural disasters are frequent, the survival crisis of the peasantry is intensified, easily forming a force that sweeps across the country. However, the limitations of peasant uprisings are also obvious: loose organization, lack of long-term strategy, often relying on religion or simple slogans to unite forces, and prone to failure later due to internal divisions and a lack of governance experience (such as the Taiping Rebellion).

The gentry class was different.

The gentry class (including bureaucrats, landlords, and literati) possessed knowledge, wealth, connections, and local power. If they were to rebel, their advantage lay in their clear objectives and concentrated resources, enabling them to directly shake the core of the dynasty's rule. They were familiar with the workings of the bureaucratic system and could use their power networks to instigate defections within the army, control local areas, or even directly launch palace coups (such as the Dong Zhuo rebellion at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty and the Sima clan's usurpation of power in Cao Wei).

However, it must be said that the threshold for rebellion by the gentry class was higher: it required breaking free from the constraints of the "loyalty to the emperor" ethic, and often depended on internal power struggles (such as the loss of imperial power or the struggle for the throne among members of the imperial family). If the central authority of the dynasty was stable and the interests of the gentry class were protected, they were more inclined to maintain the existing order than to actively rebel.

Zhao Yu's previous two new policies had already severely damaged the gentry group and strained relations with them. If he didn't stop, he would be forcing the gentry group to completely break with him, or even forcing them to rebel.

The fact is, whether Zhao Yu was willing to admit it or not, the gentry class was the foundation of the Song Dynasty's rule. Without them, no matter how much the people loved Zhao Yu, he would still become a ruler who lost his country.

Zhao Yu was always clearly aware of this.

Therefore, after implementing the two new policies, Zhao Yu immediately began to reduce agricultural taxes.

By doing this, Zhao Yu was both easing the burdens on the common people and improving relations with the gentry class.

The latter is even more important.

After all, how many acres of land do ordinary people own?

However, Zhao Yu's reduction of agricultural taxes alone was far from enough to compensate for the losses suffered by the gentry class, who previously did not have to pay any taxes at all.

The problem with these things is the comparison.

Fortunately, Zhao Yu had Ma Xiaojiao, a great treasure, who helped him initiate the Industrial Revolution, bringing the Song Dynasty into a semi-industrialized state, resulting in the emergence of a large number of commodities and a commodity economy.

This gave the gentry class new opportunities to profit, allowing them to gain far more from the increasingly prosperous commerce than from land.

Zhao Yu then shifted the tax system from agricultural tax to commercial tax, and hinted to the gentry that he would gradually reduce or exempt agricultural tax in the future, and might even abolish it altogether, giving the gentry hope.

Crucially, the gentry class could also see that the commerce of the Song Dynasty was becoming increasingly developed. Once the commerce of the Song Dynasty reached a certain level, the commercial tax and the tariffs it generated would become astronomical figures. At that time, the imperial court would indeed not care about the small amount of money from agricultural tax.

Based on these factors, and given that Zhao Yu was indeed not someone to be trifled with, the gentry class reluctantly tolerated the harm he had previously caused them.

This is for internal use.

In foreign affairs, the sound of cannons could bring in a fortune.

Without the support of the industrial revolution initiated by Ma Xiaojiao for Zhao Yu, how could he guarantee the welfare and treatment of the Song soldiers, and where would he get so many weapons and supplies to bully the Jin Kingdom?
Therefore, Ma Xiaojiao's contribution was also extremely crucial, and in Zhao Yu's mind, her contribution was no less than that of Yuan Qingcheng.

This is one of the reasons why Zhao Yu has been coaxing Ma Xiaojiao all these years.

This precious darling has helped Zhao Yu far too much.

Today, Ma Xiaojiao informed Zhao Yu that she had invented something very useful for him and asked him to come and take a look.

Zhao Yu arrived without saying a word...

……

(End of this chapter)