The prince is more stable

Chapter 916 Since ancient times
Throughout history, the size of China's territory has varied.

The Tang Dynasty had the largest territory at that time, extending from Central Asia in the west to Goguryeo in the east. There were basically no powerful countries surrounding the Tang Dynasty. However, it was difficult to deal with neighboring countries like Tibet, which were located on a high plateau and had natural defenses. The Tang Dynasty was never able to completely subdue Tibet.

Although the Song Dynasty is considered a continuation of the Central Plains dynasty, it is, in a strict sense, still only a local separatist force.

If we use the begonia-shaped map of later generations as a standard, the Song Dynasty had many neighboring countries to conquer, not just the Liao and Western Xia.

The various Tibetan tribes, the Gaochang Uyghurs, the Yellow-headed Uyghurs, and in the south, the Duan family of Dali and the Li family of Jiaozhi, etc.

Whether neighboring countries are friendly or not, let's put that aside for now. These territories have belonged to the Central Plains dynasties for the past thousand years, and there's no room for negotiation.

Now that Zhao Xiaoqian had become emperor, he naturally couldn't just drift through life aimlessly. If a lazy bum carries too heavy a responsibility, he has no choice but to become diligent.

Every emperor has his own mission. With favorable timing, location, and popular support, it's better to get things done in this generation and not leave problems for the next.

This is probably an obsession etched into the bones of all Chinese people.

Inside the command tent, General Xu and the others were completely bewildered. They didn't quite understand what other enemies the Great Song Dynasty had besides the Liao and Western Xia in the north. Who exactly did the Emperor mean by planning to deal with these enemies?
"Your Majesty, the greatest enemies of the Great Song Dynasty are the Liao and Western Xia. If we can destroy these two countries, Your Majesty will truly unify the world. I wonder what Your Majesty means by 'other enemies'..." Xu Jiang asked cautiously.

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed and said, "You guys are still too small in ambition and too small in steps. You've read too many books of sages and saints, so you're cautious in everything you do, afraid of violating the principles of the sages."

A truly brilliant and ambitious emperor would govern the country using Confucian classics to maintain domestic stability. In this respect, Confucianism does indeed have its unique advantages.

However, emperors themselves must never believe in Confucianism. In the eyes of an accomplished emperor, Confucianism is a tool for governing the country. Others must believe in it, but he himself must not.

Other schools of thought, such as Legalism, Military Strategists, and Taoism, were all merely tools in the eyes of emperors.

What emperors should truly believe in is the cruel law of the jungle, and specifically the international law of the jungle.

Between nations, the weakest deserve to be swallowed up.

In real history, the Song Dynasty perished due to the international law of the jungle.

Whether it was with the Liao or the Jin, how many empty words of good neighborliness and friendship were spoken in diplomacy? But the Jin later became powerful and eventually destroyed the Northern Song in one fell swoop.

In this lifetime, with Zhao Xiaoqian, the Song Dynasty is no longer the same.

Conversely, the Song Dynasty also needed to consider how to swallow others whole.

Throughout his life, Zhao Xiaoqian vowed to restore the shape of the begonia on the maps of later generations.

Inside the command tent, facing the doubts of Xu Jiang and other ministers, Zhao Xiaoqian clapped his hands.

"Old Zheng, bring in the map," Zhao Xiaoqian ordered in a deep voice.

The curtain of the commander's tent was lifted, and Zheng Chunhe directed two eunuchs to carry a heavy-looking roll of cloth into the tent.

Zhao Xiaoqian gestured for the cloth to be placed on the ground, and ordered the eunuch to slowly unfold it.

Xu and the others stepped forward, and as the cloth was fully revealed, everyone's eyes widened in surprise.

The cloth was about two zhang square, and when unfolded, it was a huge geographical map of the Song Dynasty and its neighboring countries.

The map is drawn in great detail, showing national borders, cities, mountains, rivers, plateaus, and basins.

Xu Jiang knelt on the ground in shock, and leaned closer to examine the enormous map closely.

Of course, the Song Dynasty had maps, but none had ever been drawn in such detail. This map was the most detailed map Xu Jiang had ever seen in his life.

"Your Majesty, this map... it will be of great use if used for military operations!" General Xu exclaimed in astonishment.

Zhao Xiaoqian hummed in agreement and said, "This was drawn by me recently after I summoned painters from the Hanlin Academy, as well as officials from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works, to review many sealed geomantic maps."

"It should be the most detailed map of the Song Dynasty at present. After the map was completed, I ordered the Ministry of Works to make a thousand copies, which will be sent to the generals of the troops stationed in various parts of the Song Dynasty in the future."

Xu Jiangxi said, "If the border commanders in various regions obtain this map, it will be like adding wings to a tiger. Your Majesty is wise."

The map was certainly drawn after consulting many archived documents, but most of the credit goes to Zhao Xiaoqian.

Based on his memory, he drew the approximate shape of the Song Dynasty and its neighboring countries. The Hanlin Academy and officials from various departments then created this map based on Zhao Xiaoqian's memory and by referring to sealed documents.

In ancient times, when technology was underdeveloped, a complete and detailed map served a purpose comparable to the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System of later generations, demonstrating its importance for both military and civilian use.

Ignoring the shock and excitement of the crowd, Zhao Xiaoqian beckoned them closer to the map. Pointing to the border of the Great Song Dynasty on the map, Zhao Xiaoqian said, "Our Great Song Dynasty only occupies this small area. Admittedly, this area is blessed with natural advantages, possessing vast plains, the fertile Jiangnan region, and a long coastline..."

"But what's the key point?"

"The key point is that this place is too small. You are all well-versed in history and should know how vast the territory of the Tang Dynasty was. Now look at the territory of our Great Song Dynasty..."

Xu Jiang and the others were stunned for a long time before finally letting out a disappointed sigh.

Zhao Xiaoqian's tone gradually became more impassioned: "Look at these neighboring countries, such as the Liao Dynasty, the Western Xia Dynasty, the Yellow-headed Uyghurs, the Gaochang Uyghurs, the Tibetan tribes... what kind of mess of birds are these!"

"These have always belonged to the territory of the Central Plains dynasties!"

Xu Jiang and the others looked up at him in astonishment.

Is the phrase "since ancient times" meant seriously?
Zhao Xiaoqian ignored their reactions and continued, "The territory of the Great Song Dynasty is less than a third of that of the Tang Dynasty. Hundreds of years ago, the Tang Dynasty dominated the world, and all nations came to pay tribute."

"The Song Dynasty today is like a regional warlord with its own independent power. The territory that should have belonged to the Song Dynasty has been occupied by the Liao, Western Xia, Tibet, and Uyghurs. They have usurped the throne and established their own countries..."

"A country splitting into three or five governments—isn't that a betrayal of Qin Shi Huang?!"

Xu Jiang and the others were stunned, staring blankly at Zhao Xiaoqian.

Are we... betraying the First Emperor?
When did the betrayal begin? What did we both do?
"Your Majesty, it's not...it's not that serious, is it?" Xu Jiang said with difficulty.

"Serious! It's fucking serious!" Zhao Xiaoqian was furious.

Pointing to the map, Zhao Xiaoqian drew a circle above it and said, "Do you think that by destroying the Liao and Western Xia, the Song Dynasty will truly be unified? If those Tang emperors knew this from beyond the grave, they would laugh at me for being just a little brother, a mere greyhound!"

"...Zhen Qing, if your dog eyes are still staring at my crotch, I'll have you dragged out and beheaded!"

"I deserve to die ten thousand times!"

Zhao Xiaoqian raised his head, looked around at the ministers in the tent, and said, "My ambition in my lifetime is not only to destroy Liao and Xia, but to restore the territory of the Tang Dynasty!"

"My dignified Central Plains dynasty, when it comes to the three words 'unification,' must take the Tang Dynasty as the benchmark. Only when the territory reaches the level of the Tang Dynasty can I accept myself as the emperor of a unified empire."

Xu Jiang blushed and said cautiously, "But Your Majesty, the Tubo, Uyghur, and Huihe countries have been established for hundreds of years. If the Great Song starts a war without cause, I'm afraid..."

Zhao Xiaoqian immediately interrupted him: "What do you mean by 'starting a war without cause'? The Great Song Dynasty has a perfectly legitimate reason, which is 'since ancient times'!"

Xu Jiang and the others widened their eyes in astonishment once again. You're using a map from the Tang Dynasty to attack a neighboring country of the Song Dynasty? How can you be so self-righteous?
Zhao Xiaoqian sneered. These people in front of him had ultimately read too many classics and were bound by morality and etiquette throughout their lives. They could not see the true nature of this world.

The world doesn't actually believe in sages, and so-called morality and etiquette are utter nonsense.

The law of the jungle is the essence of the world, and this essence has not changed at all even a thousand years later.

When a nation is bound by Confucian etiquette for too long, its thoughts are stifled, and it loses its fighting spirit and aggressiveness. Outsiders will no longer respect this nation.

With troops, weapons, strong logistical support, and countless manpower and resources, even the most ridiculous and absurd excuse can be used as a legitimate reason to send troops.

"Look over here, everyone. The Song Dynasty's treasury is currently empty. We cannot send troops to Liao and Western Xia for the time being, but the Song Dynasty can begin its advance preparations against some neighboring countries now."

Everyone crowded around the map, and Zhao Xiaoqian pointed to the northeast of the Song Dynasty on the map, saying, "Here..."

Then, pointing to the north of the Liao Kingdom, Zhao Xiaoqian added, "And here... These are the two places that the Song Dynasty is currently planning to establish a presence in."

Xu Jiang stared intently at the two places for a long time, then exclaimed in surprise, "The one Your Majesty is referring to is Huanglong Prefecture, which is occupied by the Jurchen Wanyan tribe, and the other is the Northwest Route Imperial Expeditionary Command of the Liao Dynasty, which is an endless grassland pasture... "

Zhao Xiaoqian stared at the map and said, "The Jurchen Wanyan tribe is currently our ally and a friendly force to contain the Liao Kingdom. However, the so-called alliance is only temporary. When we destroy the Liao Kingdom, our Song army must also destroy the Jurchen Wanyan tribe. Otherwise, it may become a major threat in the future."

Then Zhao Xiaoqian stared at the north of the Liao Kingdom on the map and said, "This place belongs to the Northwest Route Expeditionary Command of the Liao Kingdom, but on this grassland, there is a powerful enemy lurking and dormant, namely the Mongol tribes."

"These formidable enemies must be completely wiped out when we destroy Liao, leaving no one alive!"

Xu Jiang felt a moment of confusion. He seemed completely unable to keep up with what the Emperor was saying today, and he couldn't understand it at all.

Pointing at the map with a grim expression, Xu Jiang hesitated and said, "Your Majesty, why do you attach so much importance to the Mongolian tribes that graze on the grasslands under the jurisdiction of the Northwest Route Pacification Commission of the Liao Kingdom? They are... just a few herding tribes."

"No, it's not just a few insignificant grassland tribes; it's a hidden danger to the Song Dynasty and must be completely eliminated."

(End of this chapter)