The prince is more stable

Chapter 1039 The Light of Life
Strategic planning, government, military presence, civilian order...

When it came to expanding overseas territories, Zhao Xiaoqian seemed to be playing a jigsaw puzzle, where every piece was important and indispensable.

Sitting on the emperor's throne, Zhao Xiaoqian saw the entire chessboard. What he needed to do was not just send troops to destroy the country, but more importantly, after the army destroyed the country, the newly conquered territory needed a long process to be digested and completely belong to the Song Dynasty.

This includes land, cities, ports, minerals, and the hearts and minds of the people.

Regarding how to digest the problem, Zhao Xiaoqian himself didn't have much experience, and he was slowly exploring and trying things out.

Sending these playboys eastward to establish order and power within the Song Dynasty was part of his trial and error process.

Reality may be cruel, and it may ultimately prove that Zhao Xiaoqian has taken the wrong path.

It's alright. He's still young, and the Song Dynasty is just beginning to show its vibrant vitality. He and the Song Dynasty have enough time to correct their mistakes. If this path doesn't work, then they can try another one.

Inside the brothel's private chamber, the wealthy young men present were all excited.

They realized that the government had opened up a new path for their lives, allowing them to change their lives, bring wealth to their families, and forge their own future through their own abilities.

The emperor's intention was clear: he needed these playboys to travel east to Japan, use their own and their families' influence to seize land, cities, and ports, and establish power.

In all aspects of life, these playboys need to establish new, fundamental structures and rules, and these structures and rules will no longer bear any resemblance to those of Japan, but will all be based on the rules of the Song Dynasty.

This is the true destruction of a nation. The emperor not only destroyed a country's culture and history, but also established a completely new order. After one or two generations, Japan will be forever lost in the tides of history.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to cross the sea to the east and serve the Song Dynasty!" A playboy stepped forward and shouted.

The other playboys, as if waking from a dream, also stood up to echo his sentiments.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled: "Go back and discuss it with your elders. You can't inherit the family's titles, official positions, and property, but you can live a different life. What the family can't provide, you can earn yourself."

"I will keep a close eye on your every move. Those who achieve outstanding results will be reported to me. If you can make contributions to the Great Song Dynasty and manage these overseas territories smoothly, I will not hesitate to bestow official positions and titles upon you."

"If you're lucky and capable, your future might be even more glorious and illustrious than that of your family elders."

"I hope that many years from now, when you return to Bianjing, the capital of the Great Song Dynasty, and stand before your elders, you can confidently tell them that I am doing better than you are now, and that you misjudged me back then. Hei Zi, speak up!"

His words were like a shot of adrenaline to the纨绔 (sons of wealthy and powerful families), and everyone became excited and clenched their fists tightly, recalling the scene the official had described.

Returning home in glory, holding one's head high, shining brightly in the ancestral temple—if one can reach such heights in life, what regrets could one have!
Recalling their years of tyranny and gang crimes in Bianjing, the playboys suddenly felt utterly bored.

It's really meaningless. Just as the official said, what's the point of living if you live like this your whole life? You're just a piece of mud that can't be plastered on a wall.

If there were no light ahead, no direction or hope to be found, who would want to live a life of utter despair?

Now, with a light tap of his finger, a ray of light suddenly appeared in the distance.

After seeing the light, they finally realized how painful and abhorrent it was to be in darkness.

"The Ministry of Personnel of the Imperial Court has begun selecting officials and is preparing to establish an official office in Japan. My general Zhang Rong is also in Bianjing, awaiting my decree."

Zhao Xiaoqian slowly said, "As for how to manage Japan and establish civil order, you might as well visit Zhang Rong and discuss it with him. What you are going to do requires the cooperation of the government and the garrison. Take this opportunity to build good relations with them. I don't need to teach you this, do I?"

The playboys nodded excitedly.

Zhao Xiaoqian was satisfied. Facing the distant east, he waved his hand forcefully.

"Excellent! Let Bianjing go and wreak havoc on others!"

Inside the elegant pavilion, a howl of wolves suddenly erupted, and in an instant, dark clouds pressed down overhead, demons danced wildly, and the dark clouds in the sky vaguely formed four large characters.

"Organized crime".

…………

The two Japanese fathers-in-law were revived, but both were seriously injured.

The spoiled brats, unaware of their identities, showed no mercy when they attacked. According to the doctor's report, the two fathers-in-law suffered broken ribs, fractured arms and legs, and their heads were so badly injured that their brains were almost completely disintegrated.

They looked pitiful, but considering what they did in the brothel, they didn't seem to deserve any sympathy.

Knowing that the people had been revived, Zhao Xiaoqian was too lazy to comfort them and didn't even see them. He simply ordered the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies to send them back to the guesthouse so that they could recover properly.

By the way, let the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies teach them the rules of the Great Song Dynasty, especially the rules for visiting brothels, so they don't act like they haven't seen a woman in eight hundred years and start touching any pretty one they see.

These barbarians from beyond the borders are ignorant of the etiquette of the Celestial Empire. Although the courtesans in brothels are of lowly status, not just anyone can touch them.

When Zhao Xiaoqian first met Jiang Miaoxian and Niaoniao, he didn't kiss or touch them on the spot. He took the first step into physical contact much later.

Upon returning to Yanfu Palace, Zhao Xiaoqian had just entered Funing Hall when the two Japanese sisters who had been waiting inside immediately came to greet him.

They looked worried and concerned, but didn't say anything. They just stared at Zhao Xiaoqian with their two clear and tender eyes, like two stray dogs begging for shelter, looking particularly pitiful.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "Don't worry, your father was slightly injured, but he's still alive." The two sisters immediately breathed a sigh of relief, and then asked with concern about their living father's condition.

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed and told them about his two fathers-in-law's injuries, also recounting their despicable behavior at the brothel.

After hearing this, the two sisters felt extremely ashamed, and their worries turned into immense shame and embarrassment.

"We've caused you trouble, sir! It's so embarrassing!" The two sisters knelt down in fear and shame to apologize.

Zhao Xiaoqian laughed and said, "It's nothing, just a small disturbance, it's all over now. However, the fault lies with my two fathers-in-law. I can't be unreasonable, so I can't help them get revenge. Please don't blame me."

The two sisters hurriedly shook their heads, saying they dared not.

"My father is truly..." The two sisters lowered their heads in shame and said, "After they have recovered from their injuries, please send them back to Japan, sir."

Zhao Xiaoqian clicked his tongue and said, "A person should be filial. How can children drive their father away? If word gets out, will you even have any dignity?"

"We are afraid that Father will continue to make mistakes if he stays in Bianjing..." the two sisters said aggrievedly.

"If we're afraid they'll make mistakes, we can just castrate them and that will solve the problem. We can't let the issue of our crotches prevent us from experiencing the customs and culture of the Song Dynasty."

The two sisters were startled: "Huh? This..."

"What? Your fathers are middle-aged and have already fulfilled their duty of carrying on the family line. What use is that evil root in their crotches? It can only cause trouble. It's better to get rid of it once and for all..."

Zhao Xiaoqian winked maliciously at the two women: "In my palace, there are experienced and skilled masters. If you two fathers-in-law need anything, I will not refuse."

The sisters were terrified and hurriedly shook their heads: "No, no, I wouldn't dare, and there's no need..."

Zhao Xiaoqian laughed heartily. After many years of marriage, the two sisters were still so adorable and easily amused.

…………

Xixia, Xingqing Mansion.

The conflict between the Song and Liao armies was ultimately unavoidable in this former capital of the Western Xia Kingdom.

Merchants strive for profit, ordinary people strive for profit, and so does the state.

Moreover, when nations vie for interests, their methods are far more ruthless and brutal than those used by merchants and ordinary people.

Both the Song and Liao dynasties wanted this city, and there was no room for peaceful negotiation between the two countries.

Therefore, war is the last resort.

Yelü Chun had no choice. The Liao emperor had issued a strict decree that he must seize Xingqing Prefecture and obtain everything within the city, including the national treasury, the property of the powerful and wealthy, and all the wealth of the people.

This was to prolong the life of the Liao Dynasty.

After negotiations between Yelü Chun and Zhong Jianzhong broke down at the city walls, the Liao army began its siege that same day.

In terms of numbers, the Song army was at a disadvantage, outnumbering the Liao army.

After several major battles, the Song army suffered several thousand casualties, leaving only over 50,000 men, while the Liao army had 100,000 troops.

However, the more than 20,000 Song soldiers inside the city did not find it difficult to defend.

Ultimately, it was the overwhelming superiority of weaponry. The advent of the era of firearms was on a completely different level from that of cold weapons.

It doesn't require much physical exertion or close-quarters combat with the enemy. The Song soldiers on the city wall only need to obey orders and pull the trigger to calmly reap a life.

The Liao army immediately sensed something was different as soon as they began their siege of the city.

The 100,000 Liao troops could hardly even get close to the city walls. Often, the Song soldiers on the city walls could kill the Liao troops charging towards the city walls from hundreds of paces away, and in large numbers, as easily as harvesting leeks with a sickle.

Each Liao army unit of a thousand men charging forward often suffered the heaviest casualties the closer they got to the city wall.

The Song soldiers concentrated their firepower, and the charging Liao soldiers fell in droves on the road.

Even if some lucky Liao soldiers managed to reach the city wall and set up ladders, the Song soldiers on the wall calmly pulled out another type of firearm: a large square iron box with dark holes, and opened fire on the area below the city wall.

The Liao soldiers, who had finally climbed the ladder to scale the city wall, were brought down by this strange, square weapon. They fell in droves, their faces and bodies covered with countless bloody holes, writhing and screaming in agony on the ground.

This Liao army from the distant Northwest Expeditionary Command may not have known that the Song army's firearms were not limited to flintlock muskets; they also had a more powerful and lethal close-combat firearm called "a swarm of bees."

If the flintlock pistol is a single-target attack skill, then the swarm attack is a group attack skill; just one shot can cause a large number of casualties.

The Liao army's war drums and horns beat rapidly, but their morale gradually crumbled under the Song army's sharp firearms.

(End of this chapter)