The prince is more stable

Chapter 887 Signs of National Demise
To be honest, Yelü Yanxi's life was Zhao Xiaoqian's dream.

What man doesn't yearn for a harem of beautiful wives and concubines, spending his days doing nothing but indulging in debauchery, flitting from one bed to another like a diligent little bee, pollinating and collecting nectar from every flower?

Zhao Xiaoqian was the emperor of the Song Dynasty; if he wanted to, he could do it immediately.

When the emperor first ascended the throne, Chancellor Zhang Dun took the initiative to suggest that the emperor select concubines to enrich the imperial harem.

Zhao Xiaoqian refused, and to this day, apart from his own wives, he has not touched any of the women in his harem.

It's not that I don't want to agree, but I don't want to ruin myself at such a young age.

Some things, once you become addicted to them, are very difficult to break free from; they can be addictive.

If Zhao Xiaoqian truly spent his days indulging in the company of the beauties in the harem, the happiest people would undoubtedly be the Council of State and all the civil and military officials.

The resulting chain reaction will cause the power of the ministers to gradually become stronger within a few years, while the power of the emperor will gradually decline, eventually leading to the distorted political structure of the Ming Dynasty, where all government orders come from the cabinet and the emperor's words have no effect.

After Zhao Xiaoqian seized power, he did not indulge his personal desires. In fact, after ascending the throne, he kept his mind on high alert, dealing with various relationships and problems, and making various decisions to change the status quo of the Song Dynasty.

He and Yelü Yanxi were roughly the same age and both were rulers of their respective countries, but their performances after ascending the throne were quite different.

He admired Yelü Yanxi, wanted to become Yelü Yanxi, or even surpass Yelü Yanxi, but Zhao Xiaoqian dared not.

Having lived two lives, he still has some self-control. He is well aware that indulging in desires will lead to a fall into the abyss, so he must restrain himself.

As Xiao Fengxian recounted the inside stories and gossip of the Liao court and palace, Zhao Xiaoqian listened quietly with great interest.

Xiao Fengxian, his throat dry from talking, took a sip of wine, while Zhao Xiaoqian, seemingly lost in thought, asked, "I have heard that the Liao emperor is diligently governing and intends to emulate the Song dynasty by implementing new policies within the country. Is this true?"

Xiao Fengxian chuckled: "That is indeed the case, but nowadays, the Liao Kingdom is in even more chaos due to the implementation of new policies."

Zhao Xiaoqian was not surprised at all. Reform was so difficult. The Central Plains dynasties had tried to reform many times, but few succeeded. Wang Anshi's reform was abolished and re-established several times, involving the power and interests of all parties. If the Central Plains could not manage it, it would be a miracle if the Liao Dynasty could succeed.

"What kind of new policies did Yelü Yanxi implement?" Zhao Xiaoqian asked.

Xiao Fengxian said, "The Liao Dynasty's reforms mostly copied the new policies of the Song Dynasty, with only slight changes. For example, the Liao Dynasty still implemented the so-called 'Green Sprouts Law.' Just because of this new law, the Liao people have been forced to rebel everywhere in the past year or two, and the imperial army has been busy suppressing them."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled. The Green Sprouts Act is a double-edged sword; it can save the people, but it can also harm them.

The controversy surrounding the Green Sprouts Act continues to this day, with many officials submitting memorials demanding its abolition. The Act is like a double-edged sword; in the hands of a good official, it can save the people from dire straits, while in the hands of a bad official, it can plunge the people into eternal damnation.

The Green Sprouts Act alone caused the Song Dynasty court a great deal of trouble, let alone the Liao Dynasty, which originated from a barbaric nomadic people.

The Khitans were known for their rough and barbaric ways of doing things. How could they possibly handle the delicate things that required reasoning and balance in the new policies? It was inevitable that this would lead to widespread rebellions among the people.

Xiao Fengxian smiled, his smile full of mockery.

"Yelü Yanxi was never a diligent and ambitious person. He implemented the new policies only because he saw that the Liao Dynasty was declining and the national treasury was losing money year after year. Militarily, the Liao Dynasty had suffered defeat after defeat against the Song Dynasty, and the morale of the soldiers was extremely low. Now, they would turn pale at the mere mention of the name of the Song army."

"Yelü Yanxi was anxious, fearing that he would become the ruler of a fallen kingdom, so he had no choice but to seek reforms to prolong the life of the Liao Kingdom."

"Unfortunately, he was ambitious but incompetent, and dissolute. In the early days of his reign, he did seem to be working hard to govern the country. However, his new policies touched the interests of too many powerful officials in the Liao Kingdom. He lacked the courage to rectify and solve the problems, and instead compromised or ran away."

"As a result, the new policies were left half-dead, and he, since the selection of concubines to fill the harem, simply stopped attending court assemblies and spent his days indulging in the beauties of the harem. In the last six months, the new policies have become almost a dead letter, and no one cares about them anymore."

Zhao Xiaoqian chuckled. The reform had turned out like this; Yelü Yanxi had truly not disappointed him.

"The Liao emperor has neglected his duties. Who is now in charge of reforms in the Liao state?" Zhao Xiaoqian asked.

Xiao Fengxian smiled and said, "It is Xiao Wuna and Chen. We are both deeply trusted by Yelü Yanxi, especially Xiao Wuna. Yelü Yanxi has entrusted the affairs of the court to him. Now Xiao Wuna can be said to be half emperor of Liao. All internal and external affairs are decided by him alone."

Zhao Xiaoqian wasn't surprised at all, and simply said, "The Liao Kingdom's reforms have turned out like this, and I'm afraid you and Xiao Wuna deserve a lot of credit for that, don't you?"

Xiao Fengxian smiled: "I am loyal to the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty. The Liao Dynasty is my enemy, and it is my mission to bring about its downfall. The Liao emperor is incompetent and tyrannical, and the country's demise is inevitable. Since that is the case, I do not mind adding fuel to the fire and serving Your Majesty."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and raised his cup in a toast. Xiao Fengxian rose in alarm, respectfully held the cup with both hands, and drank it all in one gulp.

"What about Xiao Wuna? Is he still loyal to the Song Dynasty?" Zhao Xiaoqian asked.

Xiao Fengxian sighed, “I have not had much contact with Xiao Wuna. Judging from his expression, he seems reluctant and unwilling. However, the Liao Kingdom is already showing signs of destruction. Xiao Wuna is powerless to reverse the situation. Although he is not as loyal to Your Majesty as I am, he is at least reliable. Otherwise, the Liao Kingdom’s reforms would not have been such a mess.”

Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at him. This guy's skin... is probably even thicker than his own.

On the topic of loyalty, he not only took a jab at Siew Vujicic, but also seemingly unintentionally praised himself.

Before the fall of the Liao Dynasty, Xiao Fengxian competed with Xiao Wuna for favor in order to secure his future. His feelings and motives are understandable.

Zhao Xiaoqian didn't care how Xiao Fengxian and Xiao Wuna competed for favor; that was a matter for later.

He was concerned about the current state of the Liao Dynasty, and then silently calculated how much of the Liao Dynasty's fate was left.

The current situation of the Song Dynasty is not good. Not only are there many domestic problems, but the national treasury is also empty. At present, it can only recuperate and accumulate national strength.

Therefore, although Zhao Xiaoqian wanted to take action against the Liao Kingdom, he was unable to do so due to a lack of money and food.

This will only allow the Liao Kingdom to continue its internal strife, rotting away at its core, making the edifice shaky and ready to crumble with a mere push when the imperial army launches its northern expedition.

Of course, it is believed that Yelü Yanxi will not disappoint him. After all, entrusting all state affairs to two staunch Liao traitors demonstrates that Yelü Yanxi has sufficient power to bring about the downfall of the country.

After learning about the current situation of the Liao Kingdom from Xiao Fengxian, Zhao Xiaoqian finally felt much more relaxed.

The feeling now is like when my People's Liberation Army fought against India after the founding of the People's Republic of China in my previous life. It's not that we had it all figured out, but it was a sure thing, with basically no suspense. The destruction of the Liao Dynasty was just a matter of time.

Yelü Yanxi is destined to be a ruler who brings about the downfall of his country, unless he becomes excessively infatuated with women in the next year or two, in which case he will die a violent death.

"Let's get down to business," Zhao Xiaoqian said.

Xiao Fengxian was stunned, blinked, and didn't react for a moment.

Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't help but ask, "What brings you all this way? What is the purpose of your mission to the Song Dynasty?"

Xiao Fengxian suddenly realized what was happening and looked embarrassed: "If Your Majesty hadn't reminded me, I would have almost forgotten. That's right, I'm here on the orders of the Liao Emperor to discuss the annual tribute with Your Majesty."

Zhao Xiaoqian asked leisurely, "What's the procedure?"

Xiao Fengxian laughed and said, "Yelü Yanxi means that I should be tougher on His Majesty, but I should not provoke him, otherwise the Liao Kingdom cannot bear the consequences. I should use the toughest tone and say the most cowardly words."

Zhao Xiaoqian was immediately struck by a sense of absurdity.

Look at how Yelü Yanxi is as emperor. He sent a traitor to negotiate. How could he possibly gain any advantage?

Zhao Xiaoqian tapped his fingers lightly on the table and said, "No need for nonsense, let's reveal our cards."

Xiao Fengxian smiled and said, "Yes, Yelü Yanxi's trump card is that the Liao Kingdom's treasury is currently empty. He can return the annual tribute, but he can't give that much. He hopes that Your Majesty will agree to let the Liao Kingdom pay it off within ten years."

Zhao Xiaoqian frowned: "Since the Treaty of Chanyuan, the Great Song Dynasty has paid tribute to the Liao Dynasty every year. As far as I know, the tribute is actually not much, only 300,000 taels per year, and later it was increased to 500,000 taels. Over the years, it has only amounted to a few million taels. The Liao Dynasty cannot even come up with this amount of money?"

Xiao Fengxian said with a wry smile, "That's the truth. The Liao treasury is indeed empty. Your Majesty might as well think about it: with the war between Song and Liao these past few years, the Song treasury is probably not in a good position either."

"The Liao Kingdom suffered repeated defeats, which increased the expenditure of the national treasury. In addition, the Liao officials and nobles were extremely corrupt, the Jurchen tribes rebelled, and there were uprisings in various places. The Liao army had to suppress them everywhere. The current state of the national treasury is that it is in debt. Even if it is only a few million taels, the Liao Kingdom is short of money and it is really difficult to pay it off."

A complex expression flashed across Zhao Xiaoqian's face as he sighed, "To be honest, the current state of the Liao Kingdom is actually the best time for our royal army to launch a northern expedition. It's a pity..."

Xiao Fengxian wasn't stupid; he immediately understood the meaning behind his words.

Clearly, even the wealthy landlords were no longer rich. In recent years, the Song and Liao dynasties had been at war, and neither side had an easy time. Even the Song dynasty, as the victor in the war, was inevitably outmatched, let alone the Liao dynasty, which had been the defeated side.

Zhao Xiaoqian added, "I can wait ten years for the return of the annual tribute, but I worry that the Liao Kingdom cannot wait..."

"Ten years from now, the Liao Dynasty will have long since perished. Who will I settle this score with then?"

"Xiao Fengxian, when you get back, tell Yelü Yanxi that I do not agree and that all the tribute that the Song Dynasty has sent must be returned in one go."

“It doesn’t matter if the national treasury is empty. I will teach him a trick from afar… Pick the most corrupt official in the Liao court, the one who is most resented by the people, then chop him up with a knife, confiscate his property, and put it into the national treasury.”

"In this way, the Liao emperor acted on behalf of Heaven, rectified the chaos, the people were relieved, the national treasury made a fortune out of nowhere, and Yelü Yanxi's reputation was greatly improved by eliminating corrupt officials. It was a win-win situation, wasn't it wonderful?"

(End of this chapter)