The prince is more stable

Chapter 62 The monarch and his ministers play against each other
The annual tribute was undoubtedly a loss of sovereignty and a humiliation to the country. Since the ancient times when Chinese dynasties changed, only the Song Dynasty had done such a pathetic thing.

The later Qing Dynasty, after invading China, did not learn from the good practices, but instead went even further by ceding territory and paying compensation, which helped the Song Dynasty to gain face.

Many people in later generations said that all our handsome and charming ancestors lacked was a world map, and this is true.

But if you give the Song Dynasty officials a world map, what can they do? What are they?
China has not been unified yet, so let’s not talk about such distant topics, it’s beyond the scope.

Zhao Xu was unwilling to not pay the annual tribute.

Having just taken over such a huge empire, he gradually tasted the power, but the Liao Kingdom in the north made him realize that his power was not big enough and he was still suppressed by the Liao Kingdom in the north.

The Liao Kingdom demanded annual tribute, which was information received from the Imperial City Office in the north.

The Imperial City Bureau’s information transmission channels are quite special and faster than normal military reports.

Zhao Xu calculated the surplus in the national treasury and couldn't help feeling short of breath.

There was a sense of indignation and helplessness as if a high school student had blocked me in an alley and robbed me of my pocket money.

"Year after year! Year after year! How many years will it take for our Song Dynasty to pay the annual tribute?" Zhao Xu gritted his teeth in anger.

Zhao Xiaoqian stood in front of Zhao Xu without saying a word. This was a military and national affair, and as a clan member he should avoid suspicion.

However, Zhao Xu refused to let him go. Emotionally speaking, Zhao Xiaoqian was his cousin and more trustworthy than those court officials.

"Zi'an, tell me, is there any way for the Great Song Dynasty to make the Liao Kingdom exempt us from the annual tribute?"

Zhao Xiaoqian bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, I am a relative of the clan and I dare not make irresponsible remarks on state affairs."

"It's not an overstepping of the bounds for us brothers to just chat." Zhao Xu waved his hand nonchalantly.

Zhao Xiaoqian hesitated for several times, thinking that in the next thirty years, the most humiliating Jingkang Incident in Chinese history would occur, and thousands of people from the emperor to the palace and relatives would be captured by the Jin Kingdom, including himself, the prince of Chu.

When he first came here, Zhao Xiaoqian had a simple idea. At worst, he would take his wife and children and flee far away before anything happened, and live in hiding from then on.

After all, it was too hard to change the course of history alone, so Zhao Xiaoqian subconsciously wanted to escape.

But if there's a chance to change history, why not try? Why choose to live in obscurity and wander the world? Wouldn't it be more comfortable to live in Bianjing and enjoy the fine food and drink?
Now that Zhao Xu is asking about state affairs in person, is this considered an opportunity?
Zhao Xiaoqian gritted his teeth and said, "Then let's give it a try."

It doesn’t matter if you don’t listen, just think of it as chanting sutra to the dog.

Zhao Xiaoqian was silent for a long time, then slowly said, "If your Majesty will allow me to be bold, I will make a few remarks. Whether they are right or wrong, I hope your Majesty will not blame me."

Zhao Xu nodded: "It is the rule of the Song Dynasty that those who remain silent will be punished. You can speak freely."

"Your Majesty, if we want to waive the annual tribute, we cannot count on the Liao Kingdom's mercy. Instead, we must rely on the strength of our Great Song. If we become powerful, will the Liao Kingdom still dare to demand the annual tribute? I wonder if Your Majesty agrees with this idea of ​​mine."

Zhao Xu nodded without hesitation: "This is the correct logic, I deeply agree with it. Zi'an, continue."

Zhao Xiaoqian breathed a sigh of relief.

I'm afraid that he and Zhao Xu have different views. If Zhao Xu replies, "I just like to kneel, I just want the Liao Kingdom to give me a discount," then there will be nothing more to talk about.

"The so-called 'strength' is nothing more than 'wealth and strength'. A rich country and a strong military. Although the Song Dynasty's treasury is insufficient, it can barely support a major war. However, as for 'military strength', I declare without hesitation that it is far inferior to the Liao Dynasty. Do you agree, Your Majesty?"

Zhao Xu smiled. "Zi'an, you don't have to be so cautious when speaking. You should ask me if I agree with you before you say anything. I'm asking for your advice, just like the monarch and his subjects should discuss things. Zi'an, just speak freely."

Zhao Xiaoqian shook his head seriously: "No, what I said is based on a step-by-step approach. I need to know whether your ideas are consistent with mine, and to what extent."

Zhao Xu suddenly became serious: "Okay, a rich country and a strong army, I agree."

Zhao Xiaoqian continued, "A strong army can defend against foreign aggression and quell internal strife. Frankly speaking, the foundation of your rule over the Song Dynasty is built upon the loyalty of the army. Do you agree with this statement, Your Majesty?"

Zhao Xu thought about it seriously and nodded hesitantly: "I guess... I agree. I used to believe that the emperor relied on the support of civil officials to influence the government and implement national policies. But what Zi'an said is not unreasonable. Without the loyalty of the army, who would listen to me? Who would support me as the emperor?" There was a slight difference of opinion, so Zhao Xiaoqian paused for a long time. He was waiting for Zhao Xu to digest it himself and change his mind.

This dialogue between the emperor and his ministers happened by chance.

But perhaps many years later, it will be recorded in history in bold strokes.

What Zhao Xiaoqian has to do now is to completely correct Zhao Xu's ideas.

The weakness of the Song Dynasty was doomed from the national policy at the time of its founding. The so-called "laws established by ancestors" were the fundamental reason for the weakness of the Song Dynasty.

After a long time, Zhao Xu finally nodded, and this time his tone was much firmer, perhaps he had figured it out.

"Yes, the loyalty of the military is more important than the support of the civilians."

Zhao Xiaoqian continued, "If the emperor could understand this, he would realize that 'national prosperity' and 'military strength' are equally important. If the new laws are implemented for national prosperity, but the emperor remains indifferent to the military, then the Song Dynasty will be forced to pay tribute to the Liao Kingdom year after year, just like before."

Zhao Xu's expression suddenly changed: "Zi'an means that the army should also reform?"

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed, "Reforming the military is difficult. The conditions for reform may not be right now. At the very least... we should show more kindness and compassion to the soldiers of the Song Dynasty and slightly improve their status."

"The soldiers' demands were modest. The court gave them more annual pay and... treated them like human beings. With their bellies full and their dignity satisfied, who wouldn't risk their lives for the government? Why would they collapse at the first blow against the Liao army, suffering repeated defeats?"

Looking at Zhao Xu, who looked a little shocked, Zhao Xiaoqian sighed softly, "Your Majesty, it's been our ancestors' law that civil officials are superior to military officials. However, since the reign of Emperor Zhenzong, this trend has intensified. Military officials have been trampled into the dust by civil officials."

"Officials, please understand that there's a folk saying, 'Good men don't serve in the military, and good iron doesn't become a nail.' Why is that? Because soldiers have no status, no benefits, and even no human rights."

"But the emperor needs soldiers to protect the country. If we are so harsh to those who risk their lives for the country, who will be willing to die for the emperor in the future?"

Zhao Xu's expression became more and more shocked. What Zhao Xiaoqian said today was simply unheard of and even sounded a bit harsh, but Zhao Xu could not refute any of his words.

It is a fact that civil officials are valued and military officials are despised, it is also a fact that soldiers are not treated as human beings, and it is even more a fact that the court's system of recruiting soldiers is becoming increasingly difficult.

In the eyes of the emperor and his ministers, General Wu Han was just like a servant or slave, and was often scolded and reprimanded.

Zhao Xiaoqian's words hit the nail on the head. Zhao Xu suddenly realized that if this continued, the Song Dynasty would not be able to pay the annual tribute, and even the country would be in danger.

"I, I still have 300,000 imperial guards in Bianliang..." Zhao Xu tried hard to save face.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled brightly and said, "If your Majesty says so, I have nothing to say."

I was talking to you about military morale, combat effectiveness, and the dignity and status of soldiers, and you were talking to me about numbers.

Isn't this just hooliganism?

The problems of the Song Dynasty army were very complicated, ranging from Zhao Kuangyin's national policy, to the pros and cons of the conscription system, to the control and prevention of military power by successive officials, etc. It was a tangled mess.

Today Zhao Xiaoqian only talked about the most basic things.

Eat one bite at a time. What I said today is just to plant a seed in Zhao Xu's heart, so that he can slowly wake up and realize that some changes should be made to the army.

Zhao Xu was in a state of confusion at the moment. Zhao Xiaoqian's words made him realize that the Song Dynasty's army really needed to solve some problems.

The Imperial Guards, the Wing Guards, the Local Guards, no matter what kind of army they were, there were actually many problems. These problems could be seen in the memorials, but he was overwhelmed by the finances of the treasury under the new and old laws, and subconsciously ignored the problems of the army.

"Zi'an's words are enlightening. I have learned a lot." Zhao Xu sighed sincerely.

Zhao Xiaoqian hurriedly said, "I have made irresponsible remarks on state affairs. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

"A noble man's good words should be judged for his merits, not his crimes." Zhao Xu smiled broadly, gazing at him intently. "I was not mistaken in your judgment. Zi'an is a man of great talent."

(End of this chapter)