The prince is more stable

Chapter 1021: Smooth Implementation
Bianjing, Yanfu Palace, Funing Hall.

Zhao Xiaoqian was drenched in sweat when he woke up in the middle of the night with a start. He looked around in a daze, and when he realized that he had just had a nightmare, he breathed a sigh of relief and showed a look of relief.

This nightmare was not only terrifying, but also bizarre.

In the dream, Zhao Xiaoqian was middle-aged and seemed to have several sons, among whom the eldest son, Zhao Hao, was the most troublesome after growing up.

One day, Zhao Hao, now an adult, suddenly brought a woman back with him. The woman was young and fairly good-looking, but her hairstyle was messy and she even dyed her hair yellow, a typical image of a modern-day "spirited young woman".

Perhaps it was the generation gap, but even in his dreams, Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't understand why his eldest son had such a taste...

You have the same interest in widows as your grandfather, and I won't say anything to you; I'll just silently respect your preference.

In the dream, the young woman, upon seeing him, was completely unafraid that he was the Emperor of the Song Dynasty. She immediately asked, "Old Deng, my will-o'-the-wisp is parked outside your palace gate. Won't it get scratched?"

Zhao Hao, standing beside her, looked at the spirited young woman with doting eyes, as if he had found the love of his life.

Zhao Xiaoqian felt a metallic taste in his throat, and a breath stuck in his chest that he couldn't get out.

I still remember in the dream, Zhao Xiaoqian was furious and enraged. He immediately shouted to push this spirited young woman out and kill her. But Zhao Hao desperately stood in front of her, stubbornly and arrogantly declaring that if they were going to die, they would die together, or else they should bless their love...

Zhao Xiaoqian was so angry that he gritted his teeth and stomped his feet, repeatedly calling him a "rebellious son, a wicked beast."

Young men and women pursuing true love, a decadent and oppressive extended family, and a stubborn and conservative feudal patriarch...

All the elements of a melodramatic soap opera were there. Zhao Xiaoqian never expected that he would be playing the role of a feudal patriarch. But seeing the young woman's behavior, he felt that he was actually quite wronged as the patriarch.

I simply can't give them any blessing in their relationship!
Fortunately, Zhao Xiaoqian didn't have to witness the finale of this melodramatic drama in his dream.

Because he was so angry, his body jolted awake from the dream.

Sitting up, drenched in sweat, Zhao Xiaoqian looked around in horror, only to find that his unfilial son Zhao Hao was not by his side, and his young mistress had vanished without a trace.

Then Zhao Xiaoqian breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness, it was just a dream, not real...

However, even if it was a dream, Zhao Xiaoqian was still furious when he woke up.

Sitting on the bed, Zhao Xiaoqian blurted out without thinking.

"Guards, Old Zheng!" Zhao Xiaoqian shouted, "Wake up that rebellious son Zhao Hao and send him to Tibet for a marriage alliance!"

Finally, she heard a noise beside her. Di Ying, who was heavily pregnant, sat up quickly and stared at him in disbelief.

"My lord, are you crazy? Hao'er is not even two years old!" Di Ying's pupils dilated in shock.

Zhao Xiaoqian was also taken aback: "So small?"

The nightmare he just had was so terrifying that he was having trouble distinguishing between reality and dreams.

In the dream, the rebellious son had grown up and wanted to anger his biological father to death so he could inherit his Alipay account and the throne.

"Oh, not even two years old..." Zhao Xiaoqian pondered for a moment, his mind becoming increasingly clear: "Then let him be raised for a few more years, and I'll reconsider the marriage alliance..."

Di Ying looked at him speechlessly. What on earth was wrong with my husband?

Zhao Xiaoqian composed himself, then looked at Di Ying and said seriously, "We need to properly raise and educate Hao'er, especially his social interactions, which we must strictly control."

"Don't go near him if he has dyed blond hair!"

"Even those riding will-o'-the-wisps are not allowed!"

“Those rude people who call others ‘Old Deng’ should be dragged out and beaten to death with sticks.”

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Xiaoqian pointed to Di Ying's protruding belly and said seriously, "The one in your belly is the same."

After saying that, Zhao Xiaoqian rubbed his face vigorously to clear his mind.

In my past life, I thought having a daughter would bring more trouble, since those blond-haired guys outside were no pushovers. I never imagined that having a son would also give me such nightmares.

After fully regaining consciousness, Zhao Xiaoqian was speechless at the bizarre and absurd nightmare that had occurred in such a time-space distortion.

They say that what you think about during the day, you dream about at night. So, what exactly did I think about during the day, and why did I have such a crazy nightmare that I almost died of anger in the dream?

Di Ying looked at him, raised her hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and said softly, "My lord, you are overworked with state affairs and have been worrying too much. You must have had a nightmare. It's alright, I'll stay with you."

After regaining his composure, Zhao Xiaoqian smiled bitterly and said, "My wife is still the best to me. We have supported each other through thick and thin. A hundred years from now, it will surely be a legendary love story. It is truly rare to see such a deep affection between husband and wife in a ruthless imperial family."

Di Ying smiled sweetly: "It's all because of my good husband that you can tolerate me. Only under your protection can I do whatever I want." Turning around, she hugged Zhao Xiaoqian tightly, letting out a satisfied sigh, her expression becoming even more happy and sweet: "Don't be afraid, my husband. You'll be fine when you wake up from your nightmare. I'm here with you."

Zhao Xiaoqian instinctively wrapped his arms around her broad waist, gently stroking it, and said softly, "Madam..."

"Ok?"

"Nightmares are terrifying. Even after I wake up, I still feel scared, lonely, and cold..."

"I'm with you."

"not enough……"

"Hmm? What does Your Excellency intend to do?"

"Call all the women over to sleep together; I'll feel so warm and cozy..."

Di Ying was silent for a while, then got up and glared at him: "My lord, you should not sleep. You are the emperor of the Great Song Dynasty. You should know how to govern diligently and rise with the rooster. Get up and go review the memorials."

Zhao Xiaoqian pondered: "The meaning of 'rising to dance at the crowing of the rooster'..."

"Shut up! That's not what you think!"

…………

It was another ordinary court assembly. Zhao Xiaoqian sat at the head of the hall, yawning listlessly.

The Song Dynasty's government was very bloated. From the central government to the local level, there were more than 20,000 officials with official salaries alone, and the annual salary payments amounted to tens of millions of taels of silver, which was a huge burden on the court. This was Zhao Xiaoqian's next target.

You're just a figurehead with an official title, getting paid but doing no work. There's no such thing as an easy life. I, the emperor, have to work from dawn till dusk every day, dealing with state affairs day and night. I'm more tired than an ox or a horse. Why should you officials with honorary titles enjoy wealth and a peaceful life?

This is like a company in later generations that is not doing well. The boss doesn't want to go bankrupt, so he has to go out and work for others to earn money to pay the company's employees. It's like the opposite of what was expected.

It's too early to start dealing with the bloated bureaucracy now; the timing isn't right. Zhao Xiaoqian can wait until the Western Xia and Liao dynasties are destroyed, then it's time to start streamlining the army and simplifying the administration.

The main topic of today's court meeting is the investigation of land ownership in Nanjing Yingtian Prefecture.

The case of the assassination attempt on Zhao Xiaoqian in Bianjing had been closed. The real culprit was the Han family, a large landowner in Nanjing. Under the investigation and supervision of the Imperial City Guard, the truth of the case was finally revealed, and all two hundred members of the Han family were arrested. This time, Zhao Xiaoqian did not show any mercy and immediately issued an edict to exterminate the entire family.

With the heads of more than two hundred members of the Han family falling to the ground, the officials and powerful landlords in Nanjing suddenly became obedient and docile.

Zheng Chaozong, the garrison commander of Nanjing, was still recovering from the assassination attempt. Taking advantage of the lingering threat and the remaining authority of the imperial court, he swiftly mobilized his officials and servants to conduct a thorough land survey and re-register the land in the seven counties under Nanjing's jurisdiction.

It must be said that killing to establish authority is indeed very effective at any time, especially the deterrent of executing nine generations of a family. This can quickly subdue all the restless and ambitious powerful landlords, making them clearly aware of the court's determination and its uncompromising attitude.

If the imperial court doesn't compromise, then the powerful landlords will have to. You can't fight city hall. Once the imperial court is determined to do something, anyone who tries to obstruct it will face the fate of the more than two hundred heads of the Han family.

Zheng Chaozong's work of surveying the fields progressed exceptionally smoothly, so smoothly that even Zheng Chaozong himself could not believe it.

The officials and yamen runners sent out by the Nanjing Garrison Command to investigate found that no matter where they went, the powerful landlords would cooperate and confess.

The land properties that had been concealed from the government in recent years were all discovered, and the landlords obediently accepted the penalties and dutifully registered their land with the government.

To this day, Zheng Chaozong has submitted a memorial to the Bianjing court, revealing that a total of 750,000 hectares of unreported farmland have been discovered in the seven counties under Nanjing's jurisdiction, and the investigation is not yet complete, with this number continuing to grow.

750,000 hectares is enough to resettle millions of displaced people.

If the displaced people are resettled in a unified manner, and the imperial court and government re-establish and divide administrative villages, towns and townships, and appoint officials and neighborhood leaders, the sharp class contradictions in the Song Dynasty will be further alleviated, which will be extremely beneficial to consolidating the Zhao family's imperial power.

As long as farmers have land to cultivate and can support their families, the rulers don't really need to worry about them rebelling. If they can have enough to eat, who would want to do something so stupid that could cost them their heads?

The good news from Nanjing finally lifted Zhao Xiaoqian's spirits considerably.

But the courtiers inside the palace had a different feeling.

Most court officials actually opposed the equal land tax law, since it affected the interests of too many people, including those of the court and local officials.

However, the memorial sent by Zheng Chaozong revealed such a huge amount of unreported and concealed land ownership. From the perspective of the country, this was indeed a great thing for the Song Dynasty. Even though the court officials opposed it in their hearts, they had no choice but to express their approval against their will.

Seeing the smile on the Emperor's face, clearly indicating that he was in a very good mood, Vice Minister Cai Jing, who was adept at reading people's expressions, immediately stepped forward and reported: "Your Majesty, your subject and Minister of Rites Zhang Yi, along with I, have negotiated with the Liao envoys on imperial orders and have obtained a result."

Zhao Xiaoqian raised an eyebrow and said, "Tell me in detail."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I have reached an agreement with the Liao envoy. To express his apology, the Liao emperor Yelü Yanxi is willing to compensate our Great Song with 500,000 strings of cash, 200,000 shi of grain such as wheat and rice, 10,000 warhorses, and 1 million liang of timber such as fir and pine native to the north."

"Your subject has agreed with the Liao envoy that the above compensation will be paid in full within one year. At the same time, our Great Song can withdraw 20,000 troops under Zhekeshi's command. The border between the two countries will remain unchanged, and we will continue to refrain from aggression against each other. The border troops of the two countries will live in harmony."

(End of this chapter)