The prince is more stable

Chapter 960 My Mentor

As the army set off, a war of annihilation began.
Outside Bianjing city, in the western suburbs of the main camp.

The grand procession trudged through the vast expanse of white snow, traversing muddy roads, and marched westward.

Despite the terrible weather, the roadsides were lined with people seeing off the royal army as they left the city.

Despite the cold weather, the faces of the people were filled with warm smiles as they held up homemade food such as boiled eggs, pastries, and flatbreads and handed them to the soldiers marching in the ranks.

This scene has a strong sense of "food and drink," showing that the people genuinely support this war.

For the Western Xia, this war was a disaster, but for the Song Dynasty, it was a triumphant moment.

The once timid and weak Song Dynasty, which was bullied everywhere, now has the confidence to take the initiative to attack enemy countries and is determined to destroy them.

In just a few years, everything has changed.

A strong nation is a blessing for its people.

Zhao Xiaoqian and his civil and military officials stood outside the main camp gate, looking at the vast expanse of white snow, where a dense crowd of people had come to see them off. Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't help but smile and sigh.

"The morale of the army is usable, and the morale of the people is usable," Zhao Xiaoqian murmured.

General Xu, standing nearby, bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise, and the military and civilians have worked together to achieve this remarkable state of affairs."

Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at him and laughed, "Mr. Chongyuan, you've actually learned to flatter? That's not like you at all."

Xu shook his head: "I am not flattering you, but telling the truth. I have been watching all the decisions Your Majesty has made since you ascended the throne. I believe that among all the emperors of the Song Dynasty, no one can match Your Majesty's courage. Your Majesty has the qualities of a true great and wise ruler. The Song Dynasty is very fortunate."

Zhao Xiaoqian laughed and said, "That's a pleasant truth to hear. Mr. Chongyuan, in a few years, I'll give you another assignment. Would you agree?"

Xu Jiang replied solemnly, "I have no complaints about serving the emperor and the country, and I am willing to accept any task."

"It's not that serious. To be honest, it's a private matter of mine... My eldest son, Zhao Hao, will be of school age in a few years. I would like to ask Mr. Chongyuan to be my eldest son's tutor. Is that alright?"

Xu Jiang was taken aback, then showed a look of surprise and honor. He bowed and said solemnly, "It is my great honor to be able to enlighten the prince. I will certainly live up to Your Majesty's expectations, and do my best to teach the young prince his studies, while also cultivating his character, so that he will not go astray."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded: "Then I'll have to trouble you, Mr. Chongyuan. The boy may be unruly, so please don't be polite when you're teaching him. If he dares to cause trouble, just give him a good slap, and I'll cheer him on from the sidelines!"

General Xu: “…………”

Is he even your biological son? Other people's fatherly love is like a mountain, but yours is more like something you can lean on...

However, Zhao Xiaoqian's mention of this matter still excited Xu Jiang greatly.

There are many learned scholars in the court. In fact, many court officials are more academically accomplished than Xu Jiang.

Unexpectedly, among thousands of learned scholars, the Emperor chose him alone to be the prince's tutor. What great respect and honor this is! To be honest, it is far more glorious than promoting him to a higher rank.

"The child is still young these past two years and may be a little naive. You can visit him more often in the palace, take him out to play in your spare time, and teach him life lessons in a fun and engaging way. This will also help cultivate your teacher-student relationship and encourage him to spend more time with you..."

Xu asked, puzzled, "'Cengceng' means..."

"Oh, sir, you were the top scholar in the imperial examination back then. Let my son get closer to you and learn from your literary talent. Maybe he can become the top scholar in the imperial examination in the future." Zhao Xiaoqian grinned at him.

Xu Jiang smiled wryly: "The Emperor's words are so unrestrained, really..."

Zhao Xiaoqian patted his shoulder and laughed, "We came from the same trench and fought side by side back then. I'm very relieved to entrust my child to you."

Xu bowed deeply, moved: "Your Majesty, I will certainly live up to your expectations and educate the young prince to become a pillar of the nation."

"Don't set such high goals. If they can feed themselves, dress themselves, and run home when it rains, I will be content."

Xu's cheeks twitched a few times.

This goal... is indeed not high, it's too damn pragmatic.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at him with a smile. To be honest, there were indeed many learned scholars in the court, and many of them were more knowledgeable than Xu Jiang.

But Zhao Xiaoqian only recognized Xu Jiang.

Having served in the same trenches before, Zhao Xiaoqian knew Xu Jiang's character quite well and knew he was an upright man.

When Zhao Xiaoqian appointed people, talent was secondary; the most important thing was that the person's character was acceptable.

If a learned but cunning person were chosen as Zhao Hao's mentor, and the child were raised by his master from childhood, being taught so-called imperial arts, power struggles, and factionalism, wouldn't that ruin a perfectly good child?

Moreover, Xu Jiang's academic level is not bad either.

A top scholar in the imperial examinations! Such a rare find! The value of a top scholar in ancient times was far greater than that of a top scorer in the college entrance examination in later generations. Do you really think you can just pick one up on the street?
The emperor and his minister stood in front of the gate chatting, and the civil and military officials behind them vaguely heard what they were saying, and couldn't help but feel envious.

The prince's first tutor—such an extremely honorable position, and Xu Jiang actually stumbled upon it. Are there fireworks going off above the Xu family's ancestral graves today?

Entrusting him with such an important task shows how much the Emperor trusts and values ​​him. Back when the Emperor was still a prince guarding the border, he had worked with Xu Jiang. No one expected that this camaraderie would become the reason for Xu Jiang's meteoric rise to power.

Looking back, it seems that none of the court officials who worked with the emperor were treated unfairly; even military generals like Zhong Jianzhong and Zong Ze were granted titles.

Everyone regretted not having such good luck back then. Who would have thought that the clansman who guarded the border back then was actually a real dragon?

All 30,000 Imperial Guards had left the camp. In the howling, biting wind, the troops could be seen disappearing at the end of the road. At this moment, only the fluttering banners could be vaguely seen swaying in the wind and snow until they merged into the snow.

Xu Jiang stared at the royal army that had already disappeared into the distance and couldn't help but sigh, "This weather is really not a good time to start a war."

Zhao Xiaoqian also sighed, "I have also thought that it would be better to wait until spring to start the war, but the opportunity is fleeting. The Liao Kingdom has already made its move. If our Great Song is delayed because of the weather, it will be even more troublesome to try to get a share of the spoils after the Western Xia is completely swallowed up by the Liao Kingdom."

"We can only ask the soldiers to be patient for now; the imperial court will continue to provide them with enough food and warmth."

The crop "cotton" involuntarily popped into Zhao Xiaoqian's mind.

In fact, cotton was already being grown in the Song Dynasty, but it was still a rare commodity with a very small planting area. Moreover, cotton was priced like a luxury item on the market, and only royalty and nobility could afford it.

Fortunately, cotton is an easy crop to popularize. It is drought-resistant and heat-resistant, and does not take up fertile land. As long as the imperial court provides preferential policies in this area, cotton will become a good thing that ordinary people can afford in a few years.

At that time, the soldiers would no longer have to endure the freezing cold when they went to war, which greatly enhanced the fighting power of the Song army.

As for where to plant cotton on a large scale in the future, Zhao Xiaoqian also has an idea.

The southern neighbor of the Western Xia Kingdom was called the "Yellow-Headed Uyghurs," which was also the former Western Regions and later Xinjiang. After the Western Xia and Liao Kingdoms were destroyed, these neighboring countries would also be unified. That territory was simply a perfect place to grow cotton.

Standing amidst the vast snowstorm, Zhao Xiaoqian gazed once more at the Song army soldiers who had vanished into the distance, and said leisurely, "Let's go. The soldiers are about to head to the front lines to fight and shed blood. We, the emperor and his ministers, must also ensure their well-being and keep them warm and well-fed."

…………

Yingtian Prefecture of the Great Song Dynasty, under the jurisdiction of Yucheng County.

Yucheng County has more than 70 villages under its jurisdiction, one of which is named "Zhiping Village".

Liu Zening, the inspector of Gyeonggi East Circuit, was outside this village at that moment.

Departing from Bianjing and traveling day and night to Yingtianfu, Liu Zening did not follow official etiquette by visiting the garrison commander and other officials in Yingtianfu. Instead, he changed course halfway and headed straight for Yucheng County.

This decision was actually made on the spot while on the carriage leaving the capital, and the choice of Yucheng County as the destination was also a random decision by Liu Zening.

As an official of the Supervisory Commission, Liu Zening was well aware of the ills of officialdom.

If he is accompanied by local officials, then whatever he sees will be unreal; it will only be what the local officials want him to see.

Liu Zening was burdened with imperial favor and a mission, and was also an upright official, so it was impossible for him to let the local officials know his whereabouts in advance.

Only by choosing a place randomly can one truly understand the local conditions and the real ways of the government.

Therefore, Liu Zening chose to change course halfway. Yucheng County was a place he randomly chose, and Zhiping Village, which is under the jurisdiction of Yucheng County, was also a place he randomly chose.

This elusive style might be normal for officials in the Censorate, but for officials in Tianfu, Liu Zening's actions were driving them crazy.

When news of Liu Zening's temporary change of course reached Yingtian Prefecture, all the officials were busy.

They were busy putting the lid on, covering it up, and cleaning up the mess.

The entire officialdom of Yingtian Prefecture was filled with an indescribable atmosphere of solemnity, anxiety, and even grimness.

At this moment, Liu Zening stood outside a field in Zhiping Village, squinting as he observed the empty fields. Piles of straw were burning on the snow-covered ground, wisps of white smoke rising and then being dispersed by the cold wind.

An old farmer stood beside him, looking uneasy.

The old farmer was unlucky. In the freezing weather, he was just going out for a walk when he ran into Liu Zening and his group, who stopped him and questioned him.

Judging from his clothes and appearance, the old farmer could tell that Liu Zening was definitely a person of importance. Putting aside everything else, just looking at the nearly one hundred silent, stern-faced men behind him, he knew that Liu Zening was no ordinary person and was definitely not in the same social class as him, a farmer who had toiled in the fields all his life.

Liu Zening was very gentle, with a polite smile on his face. When he asked questions, he even held the old farmer's rough, withered hand, without showing any disgust.

"Are you saying, sir, that all the land in Zhiping Village belongs to one family?" Liu Zening asked, somewhat surprised, and repeated, "All of it?"

The old farmer looked distressed and sighed, "The whole village, the entire village, are tenants of the landlord. Our whole village helps them farm. After paying the rent each year, if we can have a hundred or two hundred catties of grain left, we're lucky if the weather is good."

Liu Zening asked calmly, "If your family of four only has a hundred or two hundred catties of grain left, I'm afraid it won't be enough to feed your family, right?"

The old farmer sighed, “The elderly in the family eat less, the sons who work eat more. We old folks are useless. We go into the mountains to dig up some wild vegetables and pick some wild mushrooms. If we’re lucky, we might catch a couple of wild rabbits. Selling them will be enough to feed us for a few days. That’s how we make do. As long as we don’t starve, we’ll just barely survive.”

(End of this chapter)