The prince is more stable

Chapter 1038 Civil Order
"The first pee of the morning"—this metaphor is fitting for spoiled brats.

In fact, Zhao Xiaoqian himself came from a spoiled background. When he first transmigrated, he even planned the famous Machanggele ambush, giving a good beating to all the spoiled brats who had bullied his predecessor.

Zhao Xiaoqian became a legend because of that battle, establishing his prestige in the circle of playboys. Later, his prestige became so great that he started collecting protection money from all the playboys in the city.

Therefore, Zhao Xiaoqian knew very well what kind of people the纨绔 (playboys) in Bianjing were. These people, relying on the legacy of their fathers and grandfathers, ran rampant in the capital of the Song Dynasty, and even the Kaifeng Prefecture did not dare to interfere.

Today, with his father-in-law getting beaten up, the spoiled brats have come into Zhao Xiaoqian's sights.

Now that we've seen them, we must take care of them and, incidentally, purify the air in Bianjing.

Zhao Xiaoqian spoke very rudely. If anyone else had dared to describe the纨绔 (playboys) in such a way, it would have already resulted in a bloodbath.

But once Zhao Xiaoqian spoke, the playboys remained obediently standing there, not daring to utter a single word in rebuttal.

"Most of you here hold official positions, though they are merely nominal ones, you are still pillars of the court..." Zhao Xiaoqian tried to ease the tension.

However, when the phrase "pillars of the court" was mentioned, not only did Zhao Xiaoqian's cheek twitch slightly, but the纨绔 (sons of wealthy and powerful families) also twitched and immediately showed a look of embarrassment.

Very well, at least this group of people has one advantage: they all know what kind of people they are. The phrase "pillars of the court" really puts them in a completely unfamiliar territory.

Seeing the awkward expressions on everyone's faces, Zhao Xiaoqian then quietly changed his tune: "...Alright, at least you're all human beings, isn't that a fair point?"

The group of spoiled brats: "???"

"I've heard that you are either the second or third child in your families, or even born out of wedlock. Your elders don't seem to value you much, is that right?"

That's a fair point.

The families of powerful and high-ranking officials practice elite education for their eldest sons and legitimate sons. After they come of age, they not only study hard, but the elders of the family will also consciously create opportunities for them to learn how to interact with others and to gain practical experience in the official and business worlds.

The family places high hopes on the eldest son, who is destined to inherit the family business. Therefore, the eldest son's daily schedule is very full. Under the elite education, it is impossible for them to wander around with a group of street urchins and act domineeringly.

Conversely, the treatment of the second or third son, or the son of an illegitimate child, was different. Although they also received elite education, they were not valued.

At the same time, they could see their future clearly: titles, official positions, and family fortunes were all out of their reach. Under this psychological pressure, most of them chose to give up on themselves and became despondent.

The elite circles of playboys in Bianjing were mostly formed by this type of person.

Zhao Xiaoqian lowered his eyelids. He felt neither goodwill nor sympathy for these spoiled brats. If one seriously investigated what these scoundrels had done, each and every one of them present would be worthy of a prison sentence.

He simply wanted to change the status quo in Bianjing and also to change the demeanor of the various powerful families.

"I know that most of you are not valued at home, and I also know that you have given up on yourselves. This is probably how your lives will be. When the family prospers, you enjoy a life of luxury and idleness. When the family declines, you are exiled to the army and live a life of poverty and destitution..."

As Zhao Xiaoqian spoke, he suddenly looked up and said, "But I still want to ask you one question: are you... truly content with living like this for the rest of your lives?"

“You are still young now, and you can play around without restraint, drinking and reveling for the moment, not caring about tomorrow’s troubles. But what about ten or twenty years from now? You will be in your thirties or forties. Will you still be able to play around like this? With your bodies hollowed out by wine and women, will you still be able to play like this?”

These words seemed to strike a nerve with the spoiled brats, and many of them immediately changed color, revealing a variety of complex expressions.

"Even plants and trees know to vie for spring, and old horses know to gallop. But your lives seem to have already ended. You were like this when you were young, and you are like this now that you are old. Nothing has changed. I think this is the saddest thing."

A spoiled brat suddenly stepped forward, gritting his teeth, and said, "Your Majesty, I am unwilling to do this!"

The other纨绔 (sons of wealthy and powerful families) also showed expressions of grief and indignation, and said in unison, "We do not wish for this either!"

Cai You, perhaps caught up in the fervent atmosphere, stepped forward to say something, but Zhao Xiaoqian quickly interjected, "You'er, sit down, this is none of your business."

Cai You was different from them. He was Cai Jing's eldest son, with official rank and title. His future lay in the imperial court, a completely different life from that of the纨绔 (playboys).

Seeing that he had stirred up the emotions of the playboys, Zhao Xiaoqian nodded in satisfaction.

That's right, there's still hope for these guys.

They were all hot-blooded young people, and none of them wanted to live their whole lives in the shadow of their families, like parasites that live off blood. The sense of defeat from not being able to control their own destiny was more despairing than poverty.

"I'll show you a clear path, I wonder if you're interested..." Zhao Xiaoqian said leisurely.

Upon hearing this, the young nobles' eyes lit up, and they immediately bowed and asked for guidance.

Zhao Xiaoqian raised his hand and pointed eastward. "Do you know Japan? It has been almost completely destroyed by our Song Dynasty army. Hmm... the two you beat up today were some of the more powerful feudal lords in Japan."

The spoiled brats nodded in bewilderment.

"In the near future, Japan will be incorporated into the territory of my Great Song Dynasty. I will station troops in Japan and also establish administrative offices to govern this land."

"However, I do not want to see the feudal lords of Japan make a comeback in another way. I need to overthrow and erase the culture, history, rules and everything else of this country, and let Japan, from this generation onwards, be brought under the rule of my Central Plains Song Dynasty."

Zhao Xiaoqian looked around at everyone and said slowly, "Whether it's the government or the garrison, they can only maintain a superficial rule. But there are some established customs that the government and the garrison cannot change. Therefore, I need someone who can go deep into the people and change these things."

One of the playboys asked cautiously, "What is this 'established custom' that Your Majesty is referring to?"

Zhao Xiaoqian said leisurely, "For example, Japan's land, cities, markets, ports, and other important things. Although the Song Dynasty has incorporated Japan into its territory, these things may still be occupied by the natives in the future."

"The former feudal lords have been defeated, but they will not accept defeat. They will definitely occupy a lot of land, control ports and markets, and thus form local forces again to resist the Song government and garrison."

The group of playboys suddenly realized what was happening.

They all come from prominent families. Although not all of them are elites, they possess common sense and strategic thinking that ordinary people cannot match.

They understood what the Emperor was saying. He was talking about how to deal with the aftermath of a conquered country. These were specific issues that the government and the garrison could not resolve simply by killing people.

"Does His Majesty mean... that we should cross the sea to Japan, settle there permanently, and control its lands, cities, and ports?"

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded and said, "In general, the government and the garrison will handle the overall direction, but the government and the garrison cannot directly control the land and ports, so this matter can only be left to the people."

"Merchants are mostly greedy and unscrupulous. I don't trust them with this matter. On the contrary, you have enough background, are ruthless enough, are vicious enough, and your character is even more depraved..."

The group of spoiled brats: "???"

Zhao Xiaoqian said with a smile, "I think it's quite suitable to entrust this matter to you."

"I want you to go to Japan to establish a civil order belonging to the Great Song Dynasty, and do your best to suppress the local forces. The farmers, land, cities and ports of Japan should all be under the control of the Song people. We cannot give any local people a chance to make a comeback."

“This kind of civil order is something that the government and the garrison cannot achieve. I also do not want to support local forces, as they are not of my kind. I fear that raising a tiger will only cause trouble. You are the most suitable to do this.”

"Not only Japan, but it is just an outpost. In the future, I will develop the navy, build ships, sail far and wide, explore new lands, and occupy more lands."

"I hope you will follow closely behind the navy. The navy conquers the land, and you occupy the land. I grant you permission to expand your territory and secure a bright future for your families and your own future."

These words made the young dandies' eyes light up, and they all became excited.

Zhao Xiaoqian's words opened up new horizons and perspectives for them. The playboys finally realized that there was still hope for their lives and that they also had the opportunity to make a name for themselves.

Zhao Xiaoqian observed their reactions and nodded secretly.

The matter is considered settled.

This wasn't just empty talk; Zhao Xiaoqian's plans for Japan, and even for the New World that he might conquer in the future, were all based on this strategy.

Overseas lands and cities cannot be completely brought under the control of the Song Dynasty simply by the occupation of them by the government and the army.

It also has deeper and more complex needs. The government and the army can only maintain their rule, but they cannot win the hearts of the local people.

Only by establishing order and power among the people, and extending the rule of the Song Dynasty to every village and every street, can the rule be stable and secure for a long time, and only then will this land truly belong to the Song Dynasty.

The task of establishing civil order is best suited to be done by this group of spoiled brats.

Merchants can't do it; they'd sell their ancestors for profit, they have absolutely no concept of nation or people.

Officials and military officers couldn't do it either; they were responsible for maintaining the overall administration and coordination.

Only the spoiled brats, who are rich and have plenty of free time, are ruthless and vicious, and come from good families with both political integrity and professional expertise, are not a concern for us to betray the country for personal gain.

In the future, most of the territories that the Song Dynasty will expand overseas will begin with colonization, and colonization requires a group of ruthless killers with powerful backing.

Looking across the entire Song Dynasty, who could be more suitable than this group of纨绔 (playboys)?
Since they are not valued in their families anyway, if they could be sent to Japan or some other new land, they might be able to utilize their strengths and help consolidate the rule of the Song Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)