The prince is more stable

Chapter 911 Interlocking
To destroy a nation, first rot its roots.

At present, the Song Dynasty's treasury is empty. Zhao Xiaoqian has only recently ascended the throne and is busy reforming the bureaucracy and resolving internal troubles, so he is unable to launch a northern expedition to destroy the Liao Dynasty.

However, wise and far-sighted people in both the Song and Liao dynasties clearly saw that the Song dynasty would eventually launch a northern expedition to destroy the Liao. As long as the Song dynasty recovered internally, the emperor's power was consolidated, and the national treasury was restored, that would be the day the Liao dynasty was destroyed, without any doubt.

Even if the Song Dynasty doesn't take immediate action to destroy the Liao Dynasty, the Song Emperor has already begun laying the groundwork for its eventual conquest.

Xiao Wuna and Xiao Fengxian played important roles in this.

Their role was to do everything possible to create chaos within the Liao Kingdom, further weaken its national strength, make the ruling class more corrupt, and make the Liao Kingdom's political situation more volatile.

Zhao Xiaoqian explained that everything Xiao Wuna and Xiao Fengxian did was centered around this goal.

The more chaotic and turbulent the Liao Dynasty was, the less price the Song Dynasty would have to pay to destroy it in the future.

"If news of Yelü Yanxi's capture by the Song army spreads throughout the capital, it will likely be a huge problem for him."

Xiao Wuna said in a deep voice: "Once the news spreads, it will be known to everyone in the court and the public. If Yelü Yanxi wants to suppress these rumors, he can only use iron-fisted methods to suppress them forcefully."

"But there must be many people in the court who are dissatisfied and even plot to depose him. If Yelü Yanxi wants to quell this, he can only kill people, kill court officials, and he will kill many of them. In doing so, it will inevitably cause dissatisfaction in the court, alienate the emperor and his ministers, and his imperial power will be on the verge of collapse..."

Xiao Wuna looked up at Xiao Fengxian and sighed, "I am completely convinced by the Emperor's schemes..."

"This matter requires our cooperation. In the next few days, arrange for people to spread this rumor throughout the capital. Then we'll see how Yelü Yanxi responds."

Xiao Fengxian sneered, "What can he do? These days, he's obsessed with the beauties of the harem, entrusting all state affairs to you..."

"Given his methods, what else can he do to quell this matter besides killing people? You should cooperate with him to kill people then, preferably fanning the flames and killing a few important people. Haha, you can already imagine how lively it will be."

Xiao Wuna hummed in agreement and then asked, "I already know about this matter. What about the third thing His Majesty instructed?"

Xiao Fengxian said in a low voice, "The third thing is that the Emperor wants you and me to find a way to provoke a war between Liao and Xia."

Xiao Wuna was startled.

Every single thing the Song emperor instructed was shocking enough, and all of them were aimed at weakening the Liao Kingdom and creating internal and external troubles. It was like relentless pursuit and every move aimed at destroying the heart.

They were all important officials in the imperial court, and they were not lacking in basic political literacy.

Without Xiao Fengxian needing to explain, Xiao Wuna immediately understood the Emperor's purpose.

"How do we start a war?" Xiao Wuna asked.

Xiao Fengxian chuckled and said, "Select a group of trusted confidants and secretly send them to the Liao-Xia border, disguised as herdsmen from the Western Xia tribes, to instigate and slaughter the Liao border people..."

“If we do a few more things like this, and the news gets to the capital, then you and I can stir things up in front of Yelü Yanxi, righteously demanding revenge, and that’ll start a war.”

Xiao Wuna took a deep breath and launched another vicious attack.

Yes, it's very toxic.

The Liao Dynasty's military strength is now far inferior to that of the Song Dynasty. Under such circumstances, the Liao Dynasty would not dare to easily provoke the Song Dynasty.

But if the Liao Dynasty couldn't afford to offend the Song Dynasty, could it at least not offend the Western Xia?

The Liao and Xia dynasties went to war because of this. Who sat on the sidelines and watched the tigers fight? Who benefited from the conflict?

The Song Dynasty could effortlessly stand by and watch the Liao and Xia states fight to the death. By the time the Song Dynasty had accumulated enough strength, the Liao and Xia states would be on their last legs. Wouldn't it be a sure thing for the Song Dynasty to destroy the two states without paying any price?

Xiao Wuna pondered for a long time, then frowned and said, "No, such an obvious scheme must have been seen through by someone in the Liao court, and someone must have tried to stop it. The Liao and Xia might not be able to fight."

Xiao Fengxian said with a smile, "Your Majesty has already planned this out. Do you remember the second thing I mentioned earlier? Because of the rumors that Yelü Yanxi was captured by the Song army, Yelü Yanxi will definitely kill people in order to suppress the situation. Moreover, with our instigation, he will certainly kill many court officials."

"The conflict between the Liao emperor and his ministers reached its peak, and Yelü Yanxi's imperial power was in jeopardy. At this time, he had to provoke a major event to divert the attention of everyone in the court and the public in order to consolidate his imperial power. Even if he saw that war between Liao and Xia would not benefit Liao, he had no choice but to go to war at this time."

"Because in Yelü Yanxi's view, consolidating imperial power is more important than the lifespan of the Liao state. The lifespan of the state can be extended afterward, but if imperial power is unstable, he will soon be unable to remain emperor. Therefore, even if everyone disagrees with the war between Liao and Xia, Yelü Yanxi will definitely agree."

Xiao Wuna stared blankly, feeling a chill run through his body.

“Thousands of miles away, Your Majesty has already calculated the hearts of the Liao emperor and his ministers…” Xiao Wuna murmured absentmindedly.

Xiao Fengxian also sighed, "This is an emperor with ambition, strategy, and the will to sweep across the world. The Song Dynasty is fortunate to have such a person on the throne. The unification of the country by the Song Dynasty in the future is an inevitable result, and there is no doubt about it."

"It is fortunate that we were able to abandon the darkness and embrace the light in time and submit to the Song Dynasty. With such a brilliant and ambitious emperor, we will not have to worry about not having a place to use our talents."

Xiao Wuna nodded and sighed, "I understand now. The second and third things the Emperor instructed us to do are actually linked together."

"The Liao court is in turmoil, and the imperial power is in grave danger. Only the third thing can possibly be accomplished. An emperor without a crisis would never agree to such a self-destructive suggestion. Moreover, the third thing is the ultimate goal of the second thing. Without the third thing, simply creating conflict between the emperor and his ministers would not be of much use..."

Xiao Wuna sighed, “After several years of war, the Song Dynasty is naturally somewhat weak in terms of national strength, so it is not well prepared for the Northern Expedition. With these three things that Your Majesty has instructed, we can greatly create internal and external troubles for the Liao Kingdom, weaken its national strength without bloodshed, and intensify the conflict between the emperor and his ministers.”

"Your Majesty is brilliant; I am completely convinced." Xiao Fengxian smiled happily: "Not only that, but also the reforms that Brother Xiao has spearheaded. Under your planning, the reforms have become increasingly chaotic, and there is widespread discontent within the country. The court officials are also increasingly critical of Yelü Yanxi. I must say, Brother Xiao's move to lead the reforms was also very clever."

Xiao Wuna's expression froze, and he remained silent for a long time.

Xiao Fengxian noticed his strange expression and asked, "Brother Xiao, what's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"

After a long silence, Xiao Wuna sighed deeply and said, "Actually, I have no ill intentions in presiding over the reforms. I genuinely intend to try and see if we can reverse the decline of the Liao Dynasty and prolong its life through these reforms..."

"I never imagined that reform would be so difficult, it's too difficult!"

"As a result, the more I reformed, the worse the Liao Kingdom became, leading to the current state of public resentment and anger, which is not what I wanted."

Xiao Fengxian stared at him in disbelief.

So, you didn't deliberately ruin the Liao Kingdom by presiding over the reforms, but genuinely intended to make the Liao Kingdom great again through the reforms?
As a result of his incompetence, he caused even more harm to the Liao Kingdom, thus earning a great merit in front of the Song Emperor.

Xiao Fengxian opened his mouth blankly, only to find that he had nothing to say.

Why do I feel inexplicably ashamed of ourselves, these two traitors from Liaoning? It's making me feel so suffocated...

The two are currently in the Liao Kingdom. If they perform normally, they can plunge the Liao Kingdom into internal and external troubles.

However, after the Song Dynasty destroys the Liao Dynasty, and the two become officials in the Song court, the emperor may soon discover what it means to "get what you pay for"...

The atmosphere was a little awkward. Xiao Fengxian and Xiao Wuna looked at each other, speechless.

After a long silence, Xiao Fengxian suddenly said quietly, "Brother Xiao, from now on, we should read more books and enrich ourselves..."

Xiao Wuna nodded solemnly: "That's very well said!"

…………

Bianjing, the Hall of State Affairs.

The emperor's words are law; the officials below must obey what the emperor says. This is called an "imperial edict."

Under Zhao Xiaoqian's decree, the State Council established a new agency called the "New Policy Office." It had virtually no power and was merely a temporary official agency dedicated to studying and revising the new policies.

Although it is only temporary, its leader is no ordinary person.

Zhang Dun and Han Zhongyan.

One was the current prime minister, and the other was the supervising official; both were powerful figures above all others.

The new government office consisted of not only the prime minister from the government affairs hall, but also dozens of officials who had been sent down to the countryside and had just been transferred back to the capital.

Yes, of the original one hundred officials who were sent down to the countryside, only a few dozen were recalled to Beijing, almost half of them.

Those who were not recalled to the capital have been dismissed from their posts.

The officials who were dismissed all had problems with their attitude; they did not take the task of being sent down to the countryside to understand the hardships of the people seriously.

Everyone thought it was a vanity project undertaken by the government to gain political achievements and fame, but they didn't expect the government to be serious. As a result, a small number of officials were dismissed by the government immediately.

The Song Dynasty lacked everything except officials.

The Song Dynasty had far too many officials, making it too bloated. Removing a number of officials in a timely manner was not a bad thing for the Song Dynasty.

The dismissed officials were filled with remorse. Whether they tried to find connections or submit memorials to plead their case, their requests were immediately rejected by the State Council.

The government's attitude was firm; there was no room for maneuver. These officials with improper attitudes were not only dismissed but also barred from future employment.

The severity of the punishment shocked the court officials once again, making them even more in awe of the emperor.

There are punishments, and naturally, there are rewards.

Of all the officials who were sent down to the countryside this time, the one who benefited the most was Zheng Chaozong, the Fengyilang (a high-ranking official).

The once unknown official, because he corrected his attitude and spoke the truth in his memorial, caught the emperor's eye at first glance. He was not only transferred back to Bianjing, but also promoted to Academician of the Zizheng Hall and Acting Governor of the Capital Region.

This promotion was faster than a rocket launch.

Furthermore, Zheng Chaozong was transferred to the New Policies Department to participate in discussions and research on revising the new policy provisions.

Reach the sky in one step.

(End of this chapter)