The prince is more stable

Chapter 962 Plot to Revolt
It is difficult to summarize Wang Anshi's reforms in history as either a success or a failure.

Despite its supposed success, it was constantly being abolished and reinstated, ultimately causing a split between the old and new factions in the court and failing to bring any real benefits to the people.

Despite its failure, it has survived through three dynasties, and to this day, the New Party, which supports reform, still holds the upper hand. Moreover, since the reform, the imperial treasury has indeed seen a significant increase in revenue.

Rationally speaking, both the emperor and his ministers agreed on the urgency and necessity of reform.

However, the reform was indeed fraught with difficulties. Emperors and ministers throughout history tried their best to implement the reform, but were ultimately forced to compromise or even give up due to the difficulties and dangers of reality.

What they feared most was that it would incite rebellion among powerful families and landlords, causing domestic unrest or even popular uprisings.

Zhao Xiaoqian had this courage because he came from the battlefield, and his temperament was completely different from that of the gentle and timid emperors of previous dynasties.

He was not afraid of resistance from powerful landlords, nor was he afraid of killing.

"Reform must involve bloodshed" had almost become Zhao Xiaoqian's inevitable logic. The development of things always comes at a price. Previous emperors dared not pay the price because they had too many concerns.

He wanted to maintain the balance and stability of the court, but he didn't want to offend the local powerful landlords. He also hoped that the people would be obedient subjects of the Song Dynasty for generations to come.

The emperor isn't some scheming, manipulative woman. How can you expect to have it all?
Zhao Xiaoqian's plans were simpler and more brutal than those of emperors throughout history.

It is impossible to satisfy all three: the imperial court, the powerful clans, and the common people. Therefore, one must be sacrificed to satisfy the other two. Even if there is a brief period of turmoil in the country, it is not a bad thing for the long-term prosperity of the Song Dynasty.

What Zhao Xiaoqian decided to sacrifice was the interests of the powerful landlords.

In fact, since the establishment of the Censorate, the discussion of the Green Sprouts Act, and the later Equal Taxation Act, Zhao Xiaoqian's goal has always been very clear: to no longer consider the interests of powerful landlords, but to use imperial power to maintain the stability of the court and to use new policies to broadly take care of the interests of ordinary people.

Zhao Xiaoqian was well aware of the consequences of his actions. The powerful landlords would eventually lose patience and create unrest, or even rebel.

It's okay, this is just the process of removing the pustules; a short pain is worse than a long one.

If the government is stable and the people are loyal, the foundation of the government will not collapse.

If historical records could document Zhao Xiaoqian's achievements during his years in power, then with the implementation of the Fangtian Equal Tax Law, this period might have been given a very modern name: "Land Revolution".

It is not a complete revolution, but it has already taken on the rudiments of a revolution. If it is successfully implemented in the end, it will greatly alleviate the sharp contradictions between the ruling class and the people.

Conversely, what revolution doesn't involve bloodshed and sacrifice?
Now, with Liu Zening's sudden unannounced visit to the prefectures and counties under the jurisdiction of Yingtian Prefecture, many things that were meant to be concealed can no longer be hidden.

So, several officials gathered together and, with an almost desperate mentality, began to plot a popular uprising.

They had a very clever plan: as long as a popular uprising broke out, all the blame could be placed on Liu Zening, since Liu Zening would be dead by then and unable to refute it.

The popular uprising also served another purpose: to let the officials in Bianjing see firsthand the terrible consequences that such a hasty and careless implementation of the new policies would have on the people.

In addition, it also allowed the emperor to see the true quality of the Censorate he had established despite opposition.

It was precisely these supervisory officials who caused the disaster after being sent to local areas that led to this. The Emperor should also consider whether the Supervisory Office should continue to hold a transcendent position in the imperial court.

Of course, after the popular uprising, the officials of Yingtian Prefecture would have to bear responsibility, and Li Huai and others had also considered these consequences.

However, this conspiracy was originally designed to target Liu Zening. In this conspiracy, the popular uprising under the jurisdiction of Yingtian Prefecture was caused by Liu Zening.

Moreover, Liu Zening had never met with the officials of Yingtian Prefecture; everything was done privately. Therefore, even if the officials of Yingtian Prefecture were to bear responsibility, it would only be a minor collateral responsibility, with little cost, which was acceptable.

…………

Bian Jing, Yanfu Palace.

Zhong Jianzhong has already led a large army out, and the focus of the court's work has shifted towards this war.

The courtiers discussed the outcome of the war and the process of the three-way battle between the enemy and themselves every day.

That's right, "victory".

The army had just set off, and the court officials were already certain of victory, though they did not agree on the outcome.

Some speculate that Zhong Jianzhong's forces will control the Hexi Corridor, the Silk Road, and the few major cities of Western Xia, but most of Western Xia's northern territory will likely fall into the hands of the Liao army.

Some speculate that the emperor's temperament would not allow him to be so modest. The sacrifice of soldiers' lives, the court's provisions and military equipment, and such a large-scale mobilization—if the entire Western Xia could not be conquered, this deal would be a loss, and given the emperor's character, he would never accept it.

Therefore, the final result will likely be that the Song army will occupy the entire territory of Western Xia, while the Liao state, having contributed money, manpower, and troops, will end up gaining nothing. On the contrary, after the Song army destroys Western Xia, it may immediately turn against the Liao army and drive them back into Liao territory, allowing the Song to reap the fruits of victory.

The atmosphere in the court was high-spirited and excited when the results of the war were discussed.

In previous years, when the Song Dynasty waged war against foreign powers, there were often differing opinions in the court. There were pro-war and pro-peace factions. Some people advised the emperor that the country's prestige must be demonstrated, while others advised the emperor to stop while he was ahead and not to be greedy for victory.

In the end, amidst all the commotion, the Song army did indeed end the campaign hastily, retreating after gaining only a small advantage and also retreating after experiencing a minor setback.

From Emperor Taizong's Battle of Gaoliang River to the later counterattack by the Northwest Army against the Western Xia invasion, the Song Dynasty's military campaigns had followed this pattern for a century. However, the atmosphere in the court this time was different.

The officials at court are no longer discussing the outcome of the battle; that question is essentially settled.

They were discussing how much territory the Song army could occupy in this war, how much benefit it could gain, and at what point the war should end.

It must be said that when Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly appeared and showed his talent, the world did indeed change a lot.

He instilled a sense of confidence and an unwavering belief in victory into this historically weak dynasty.

He used his clear victory to let his subjects know that the Song Dynasty was not so weak, and that the vicious enemy was nothing more than two shoulders and a head, which could be severed from the body with a single blow. There was nothing to be afraid of.

The war that destroyed a nation was no ordinary event; it was an inspiring and motivating event, and a landmark event in the history of the Song Dynasty's rise to power.

Therefore, since Zhong Jianzhong led the army to war, the tense and antagonistic relationship between the emperor and his ministers in the court due to the new policies has eased considerably in the past few days. In the court meetings of the past few days, few ministers have mentioned the new policies, and everyone's attention has shifted to the war to destroy Xia.

The court meeting was filled with various discussions and debates, analyses of the advantages and disadvantages of different strategies, and some far-sighted officials even began to discuss the issues of stationing troops after the conquest of Western Xia, the assimilation of population and territory, and specific governance issues.

Officials of the Privy Council submitted a series of memorials, suggesting that the Emperor begin planning for a war of annihilation against the Yellow-Headed Uyghurs and the Gaochang Uyghurs.

These two countries were located to the west and southwest of Western Xia. After Western Xia was incorporated into the territory of the Song Dynasty, it would become neighbors with these two countries.

These two countries were actually part of the territory of the Central Plains dynasty during the Tang Dynasty. At that time, they were called the "Western Regions," and the once famous "Anxi Protectorate" was located in their present territory.

Now that the Song Dynasty has military strength, why not simply take them over as well?

After casually flipping through a few of the memorials submitted by his ministers, Zhao Xiaoqian ignored them.

They're all talking nonsense. If I could, wouldn't I want to wipe them all out in the blink of an eye?

But the national treasury is empty of money and food, how can we fight?
Are we going to follow the example of Emperor Huizong of Song (Zhao Ji) in history and conjure soldiers by scattering beans?

Late at night, inside the Funing Palace.

After reviewing the last memorial, Zhao Xiaoqian threw down his pen, leaned back, and sighed wearily.

There has been a lot of political activity in the past few days. After all, the Song Dynasty is now at war, and the entire nation must serve this war of annihilation, including the emperor.

Although Zhong Jianzhong's army had just set off, prior to this, the Imperial City Guard had already sent out spies and informants, as well as daily military reports from Zhang Jie, the Northwest Border Commander, closely monitoring the Liao army's progress, the reactions of the Western Xia emperor and his ministers, and the troop movements, etc.

These important military reports could not be passed on to the Council of State Affairs or the Privy Council. As the emperor, Zhao Xiaoqian had to keep abreast of the situation on the northwest front at all times, so he had to do it personally.

As a result, Zhao Xiaoqian, who had always been a lazy bum, had no choice but to become a high-ranking servant these days, either convening meetings with Privy Council officials or sitting at his desk reviewing memorials.

The familiar feeling of being treated like a beast of burden left Zhao Xiaoqian with mixed emotions.

It wasn't until late at night that Zhao Xiaoqian finished reviewing the memorials, and then he slumped in his chair, not wanting to move at all.

Zheng Chunhe was indeed an excellent secretary. It's unclear how he heard the commotion inside the hall. Zhao Xiaoqian had just collapsed for a moment when Zheng Chunhe quietly entered the hall, bowing slightly, and whispered, "Your Majesty has worked hard. Should I serve you a supper? How about Your Majesty eat something before resting?"

Zhao Xiaoqian lazily drooped his eyelids and said, "I'm not hungry, I don't want to eat. Tell someone to prepare hot water, I'll take a bath and then go to sleep."

Zheng Chunhe respectfully acknowledged and quietly withdrew.

Before long, Zhao Xiaoqian was soaking in the huge wooden bathtub. The hot water was slightly hot, and his skin seemed to be sighing with comfort. Zhao Xiaoqian leaned back in the bathtub and dozed off for a while. Finally, a wave of drowsiness came over him, and he wanted to sleep.

Zhao Xiaoqian did not have anyone serve him. Taking a bath was a private matter. In the harem, if he had a eunuch scrub his back, he would feel uncomfortable. If he had a palace maid scrub him, things would change and he would end up being favored by her without really understanding why.

As the most honorable emperor in the world, how could he allow a woman to easily possess him?
After wiping himself off, Zhao Xiaoqian returned to his bedchamber and lay down on the bed looking sleepy. However, he was startled and jumped up as soon as he lay down.

The bed was warm. While Zhao Xiaoqian was taking a bath, Zheng Chunhe and the palace servants had already warmed the bed with a charcoal iron and carefully lit sandalwood incense in the openwork copper incense burner at the head of the bed.

However, at this moment, the bed was not only warm, but also had a soft and fragrant body inside.

It wasn't one body, but two, lying on either side, leaving space for him in the middle.

Zhao Xiaoqian lifted the quilt and was shocked to find that they were two Japanese sisters, Taira and Genji.

After a moment of surprise, Zhao Xiaoqian chuckled.

"It's really like the old lady crawling into bed; it made Grandpa laugh..."

We're an old married couple, no need to be polite, just enjoy your meal.

After taking a bath, Zhao Xiaoqian was no longer sleepy and pounced on the bed.

(End of this chapter)