I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

...

Chang'an, the western capital of the Song Dynasty, has almost restored the appearance of Chang'an in its heyday. No, it should be said that it has surpassed Chang'an in all aspects.

This was mainly because the Song Dynasty recovered Qinghai-Tibet, Western Xia, and the Western Regions, thus fully opening up the land-based Silk Road.

Moreover, on this basis, the Song Dynasty also connected this Silk Road with railways and highways.

This makes Chang'an today even more prosperous and powerful than Chang'an during the Tang Dynasty's golden age.

The rebuilt Chang'an City was constructed in imitation of the old Chang'an City, with only some adjustments made to certain aspects.

For example, Zhuque Avenue was widened by several meters, and the bluestone pavement was polished smooth as jade. The elms and willows on both sides provided shade, and taverns and teahouses lined up under the trees, their signs displaying a bustling atmosphere that stretched for miles.

Amidst the clamor of carriages and horses, caravans from the Western Regions, Persia, Arabia, India, and other Western countries no longer used camels to haul goods. Instead, they rented motorized and non-motorized vehicles from the Song Dynasty to fully load their goods with spices, gems, and carpets.

There were also two-wheeled rickshaws creaking and groaning, with the bare-armed drivers hurrying along, while the passengers inside waved folding fans and pointed out the novel sights along the street.

Occasionally, a bicycle would whiz by, its rider nimble and agile, drawing children from the roadside who would chase after it across the entire street.

Every day at dawn, steam trains would arrive from the Western Regions, puffing out white steam. The roar of the wheels rolling over the rails would echo across the land. The carriages were filled with fruits from the Western Regions, furs from the northern deserts, and merchants from the Western Regions, Persia, Arabia, India, and the West.

Once the train came to a complete stop, the platform was bustling with people. Porters drove back and forth in trucks or pushed wooden bicycles to unload the goods from the train.

Some goods didn't even need to leave the station; they were snapped up by the shop assistants of the city's businesses in the blink of an eye.

Telegraph poles shot into the sky, and power lines and telegraph lines crisscrossed, connecting Chang'an with Beijing and the Western Regions.

After nightfall, Chang'an becomes a city that never sleeps.

The gaslights of the taverns illuminated the streets and alleys as bright as day, and the sounds of silk and bamboo instruments from the singing houses mingled with the hustle and bustle of the market. Actors from the Qinhuai River and dancers from the Western Regions gathered in the market of Xijing, attracting countless tourists to stop and watch.

Compared to the curfews and city lockdowns of the Tang Dynasty, in present-day Chang'an, even at midnight, drunkards can be seen singing new lyrics, staggering under the streetlights, followed by flower-selling girls whose baskets of jasmine fragrance wafts all the way.

Such a magnificent scene was probably never seen even during the Zhenguan and Kaiyuan eras.

Recently, with the arrival of Zhao Yu and his entourage in Xijing, Chang'an has become increasingly bustling. Merchants from all over the country have made a fortune as a result, and the people of Xijing have also benefited greatly.

Some caravans had even planned to follow the emperor wherever he went, determined to make the most of these next few years and earn enough to advance their own careers.

In the temporary palace, Zhao Yu summoned his entourage and first determined the commanders of the three armies on the left, center, and right.

In this matter, Zhao Yu did not consult with anyone before appointing Han Shizhong as the marshal of the left wing army, Zhao Li as the commander-in-chief of the left wing army, Yue Fei as the marshal of the central wing army, Wu Yong as the commander-in-chief of the central wing army, Wu Jie as the marshal of the right wing army, and Li Yanxian as the commander-in-chief of the right wing army.

Although Zhao Yu never intended to fight himself, he had already decided to have his sons, who aspired to be feudal lords, lead the army into battle. Moreover, Zhao Yu had made it clear beforehand that the location and size of their fiefdoms would depend entirely on their own abilities.

Zhao Yu said directly: "I will grant them as much territory as they conquer."

Zhao Yu also explicitly told them: There is no free lunch in this world. If you want fiefdoms or to be made kings, you have to earn them yourselves. The other princes who have already received fiefdoms all did it this way. They may not all have fought on the battlefield, but they have certainly made great contributions. Moreover, they conquered and managed their territories themselves. I am merely giving them an opportunity. If they cannot do these things, then they should give up their ambition to be princes and return to the Song Dynasty to engage in politics, business, or simply live a life of idleness.

After all, they were his own sons, and Zhao Yu couldn't let them harbor resentment towards him, so he explained to them why he had made these enfeoffments.

Zhao Yu told them: If you cannot win the hearts of the people and the soldiers and civilians under your rule, even if I give you a fiefdom and make you feudal lords, you will be overthrown sooner or later, or even be killed. Rather than that, it is better to deprive you of the opportunity to be feudal lords, so that you will not harm others and yourselves.

Zhao Yu then advised his sons, who lacked willpower, to give up becoming feudal lords: "As my sons, you have many choices. Whether you go into politics, business, or cultural circles, or even just loaf around and wait to die, you can live a peaceful and wealthy life."

In addition, Zhao Yu also told his sons who wanted to become feudal lords: "Being a monarch is not so easy. As a monarch, one must first guard against extravagance and laziness, then distinguish right from wrong, and above all, take the people as the foundation and the country as the priority. Only in this way can one fulfill one's responsibilities in one's position, guard one's territory, and bring peace to one's people."

As for appointing people based on merit, keeping away from sycophants and embracing the loyal, being clear about the law and strict with oneself, assessing the situation and safeguarding the country, having a sense of awe and always being humble, etc., these are all standard operating procedures.

In short, Zhao Yu made it clear to his sons who wanted to become feudal lords that it would not be easy for them to obtain fiefdoms and become feudal lords. They would have to make unremitting efforts and even go through a life-or-death experience to qualify.

To quote Zhao Yu: "No one will cherish what they get easily."

What if you unfortunately die in battle during this process?

He's dead, that's all. There's nothing more to say.

The saying "a true dragon never dies" is not just a saying.

To become a regional lord, one must be favored by Heaven, especially under the mechanisms established by Zhao Yu.

Imagine this: the Song Dynasty is going on an expedition to the Western Regions, Central Asia, South Asia, Europe, and Africa. The journey is thousands of miles long. Not to mention the war, the various weather conditions and different environments will cause countless deaths.

Moreover, arrows and stones have no eyes on the battlefield.

Who can guarantee that they are absolutely safe?

Sun Ce, the Little Conqueror of Jiangdong, was a truly remarkable hero. Losing his father at seventeen, he rallied his former troops with sheer courage and, within a few short years, swept through the six commanderies of Jiangdong, defeating Liu Yao, capturing Wang Lang, and crushing Huang Zu. His army was filled with fierce generals and brilliant strategists, and it seemed he was poised to contend for the Central Plains and rule the world. But then, during a hunt, he was ambushed by three assassins, struck by several arrows, and died tragically at the young age of twenty-six.

At that time, Sun Ce was in his prime, and his great cause was just beginning to take shape. If he could have had a few more years, he might have been able to divide the world into three with Cao Cao and Liu Bei.

But fate was against him. Even with unparalleled talent, he could not escape the piercing arrow in the dark. Was this outcome because he was not diligent or brave enough?
It was simply that fate was unkind, preventing heroes from fulfilling their ambitions. There are many such figures in history, such as Huo Qubing, Murong Ke, and Wang Qingzhi, who, despite their extraordinary abilities, could not defy the tides of destiny.

The same applies to Zhao Yu's son.

A sudden sandstorm could engulf the entire squad; a misjudged order on the battlefield could lead to encirclement by the enemy; not to mention the plague lurking in the tents, serious illnesses caused by unfamiliar water and soil, or even being hit by a falling tent pole while turning over at night, all of which could take a person's life.

Although many people arrogantly say "My fate is in my own hands, not in the hands of heaven," in reality, no matter how capable, hardworking, or cunning a person is, the most important factor that truly determines whether they can succeed is fate, especially in major events like becoming an emperor or a feudal lord.

Frankly speaking, human effort is far too insignificant to accomplish such a great feat; only divine intervention could make it possible.

In short, although Zhao Yu's western expedition was aimed at securing fiefdoms for his sons, whether they would ultimately obtain their own fiefdoms and become regional lords depended on their own efforts and whether they were destined to be lords.

in fact--

Without anyone saying a word, Zhao Yu himself knew that his practice of enfeoffment and the way he cultivated his sons would inevitably lead to wars between his descendants in the future.

There's nothing we can do about it.

Most of the monarchs who ruled over their own territories on the European continent were descendants of Charlemagne.

Charlemagne once traversed Europe, establishing a vast empire spanning Western and Central Europe. Before his death, he followed the ancient custom and divided the empire equally among his three sons, believing that blood ties would ensure that his descendants would live in peace and jointly safeguard the legacy.

But before his body was even cold, his three sons broke off relations and went to war over the rich Rhine River basin and northern Italian territory.

The eldest son, Lothair, occupied the Middle Frankish Kingdom; the second son, Louis, controlled the East Frankish Kingdom; and the youngest son, Charles, ruled the West Frankish Kingdom. Although they were brothers born of the same mother, they amassed a million troops on the border and waged war year after year, shattering the peaceful foundation left by their father.

This war between brothers lasted for decades. The Middle Frankish Kingdom gradually split up under the attack from both the east and the west, but the descendants of the East and West Frankish Kingdoms did not stop their wars because of blood ties.

Centuries later, the East Frankish Kingdom evolved into the Holy Roman Empire. The Habsburg and Hohenzollern families within its borders were direct descendants of Charlemagne, yet they fought each other for centuries for the imperial throne and territory.

Ferdinand II of the Habsburg family and Frederick V of the Hohenzollern family were cousins ​​from different generations, but due to religious disputes and territorial claims, they launched the Thirty Years' War, which swept across Europe. Wherever the flames of war reached, cities were reduced to ashes, and people were displaced. Nearly one-third of the population in the Holy Roman Empire alone died in the war.

Looking at the West Frankish Kingdom, its descendants evolved into the French royal family, which is also related to the English royal family across the sea.

Henry II, the first monarch of the Plantagenet dynasty of England, was the daughter of Henry I, King of France. By lineage, he was both the King of England and the grandson of the King of France.

However, such a deep kinship did not stop the century-long war between the two countries.

Edward III, the great-grandson of Henry II, claimed the right to inherit the French throne as the nephew of the King of France, thus triggering a 116-year war.

During the war, the Valois family of the French royal family and the Plantagenet family of England fought fiercely on the battlefield while exchanging letters detailing their kinship ties. However, when their swords clashed, they showed no mercy.

When Joan of Arc led the French people in resisting the English invasion, the King Henry V of England, whom she faced, was her distant cousin. However, this blood relation could not ultimately overcome their desire for territory and power.

Furthermore, the Bourbon and Habsburg dynasties in Eastern Europe were originally allies formed through marriage. Louis XIV of the Bourbon family and Charles II of the Habsburg family were cousins. However, when Louis XIV attempted to expand his territory and seize the Spanish throne, the two countries immediately turned against each other, resulting in the twelve-year War of the Spanish Succession.

The war affected various European countries, and almost all the participating monarchs were related by blood.

Some of them were uncles and nephews, some were fathers-in-law and sons-in-law, and some were cousins. But in order to fight for territory, wealth and hegemony, they did not hesitate to let their soldiers shed blood and let innocent people suffer from the ravages of war.

Which of these European kings did not share the same bloodline? Which of them did not inherit the noble title and the genes of rule from the same ancestor? Yet, under the system of enfeoffment, the allure of territory and power ultimately triumphed over the bonds of blood.

Let's not talk about foreign countries, just China.

From King Wu of Zhou enfeoffing the world to Qin Shi Huang unifying the six kingdoms, this was almost the inevitable outcome of the enfeoffment system.

The enfeoffment system that Zhao Yu implemented outside the Song Dynasty's homeland will most likely end up like this.

Of course, since Zhao Yu enfeoffed more states than King Wu of Zhou, and the territory enfeoffed by Zhao Yu was certainly much larger than that of the Zhou Dynasty, the unification process might take longer, or perhaps these small states would eventually become several or even dozens of large states.

And one can imagine that during this long process, there will inevitably be many human tragedies such as brothers turning against each other, fathers and sons fighting each other, and family members killing each other.

After all, there have been far too many examples to prove that history always repeats itself.

Zhao Yu took this in stride.

"While I am alive, you dragons must coil up and tigers must lie low; you are not allowed to change my distribution of fiefdoms. Otherwise, whoever stirs up trouble, I will deal with them. As for what happens after I die, who cares if the world is flooded?!"

If Zhao Yu were still alive then, he would at most hope that the meat could stay rotten in the pot.

At the meeting, Zhao Yu's sons and Song generals expressed their opinions and quickly finalized the military deployment plan that had been discussed many times.

When Zhao Yu was arranging the order of troop deployment, something unexpected happened.

Then, Zhao Ji, who had finally fought alongside Zhao Yu on the western expedition, stepped forward ahead of Zhao Yu's sons and declared loudly, "Brothers fight tigers together! In this battle, I am willing to serve as the vanguard. I swear I will not return until the barbarians are defeated..."

...(End of this chapter)