The prince is more stable

Chapter 964 Sudden Civil Uprising
Zhao Xiaoqian had already conceived of Japan's strategic plans long before he ascended the throne.

Later, Zhang Rong led 5,000 Yan-Yun border troops to land in Japan. With only these 5,000 soldiers, he routed the Japanese lords, which further confirmed Zhao Xiaoqian's suspicions about Japan.

Currently, destroying the country is the most advantageous option for the Song Dynasty.

There's no need to support a puppet regime, nor to provoke a civil war in Japan. It's better to just lead the imperial army to destroy them and incorporate Japan into the Song Dynasty's territory.

The era of firearms began with the Song Dynasty. Before Japan could react and learn to imitate the Song Dynasty's firearms, the Song Dynasty had enough strength to crush Japan. This was a golden opportunity.

The destruction of Japan wasn't entirely due to the radical sentiments of his past life. From the perspective of the Song Dynasty emperor, considering Japan's geographical location, it was necessary for the Song Dynasty to annex this island nation.

Even after the Song Dynasty unifies the world, its progress should not stop. At that time, the Song Dynasty's strategic goal should be to usher in the Age of Exploration.

Japan is located in the Pacific Ocean, with its eastern coast closer to the Americas and its southern Kyushu island closer to Australia. Today, these continents are inhabited only by a few indigenous people, yet they are rich in natural resources, diverse in species, and have countless mineral resources.

Japan's future role is that of a forward outpost for exploring new continents, and the birthplace and bridgehead of the Song Dynasty's naval fleet.

Given its strategic importance, Zhao Xiaoqian could not allow it to fall into the hands of outsiders, not even a puppet regime supported by the Song Dynasty. A puppet regime might turn against them at any time, so it was better to let the emperors of the Song Dynasty hold it in their own hands.

Upon hearing Zhao Xiaoqian's arrangements for the two families, the two sisters were immediately moved to tears.

They now knew that the emperor did not despise them. As the emperor, he still showed some tenderness to his women and protected their families' wealth and honor.

"Thank you, sir. We sisters have caused you trouble and distress. It is our fault."

The two sisters knelt before Zhao Xiaoqian and apologized in a deep seated posture, their posture and attitude were very sincere.

It must be said that the Japanese are very good at etiquette.

The so-called "knowing the small details but not the big picture" means that they pay special attention to the details of etiquette when interacting with others, and in terms of the degree of attention to etiquette, they pay much more attention to it than the Central Plains dynasties, which were known for their etiquette.

Unfortunately, the Japanese only scratched the surface of Chinese culture when they tried to learn it. They only looked at the superficial aspects of Chinese culture, such as the so-called "rites." They completely failed to learn the twelve core values ​​of Chinese culture: "benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, trustworthiness, loyalty, filial piety, brotherly love, chastity, forgiveness, courage, and humility."

Of course, I'm referring to the entire Japanese nation, not these two pitiful Japanese sisters in front of me. They are already Zhao Xiaoqian's women, and now they don't care about anything outside. Zhao Xiaoqian is their whole world.

"The matter with Japan is settled. I will issue an edict to Zhang Rong, instructing him to treat your people well, on the condition that you hand over your territory and power, and assist Zhang Rong in controlling the situation in Japan."

"Next spring, I will send Song Dynasty civil officials to take over Japan and establish government offices. If your so-called emperor wants to live, he would better issue an abdication edict, declare that Japan will forever belong to the Song Dynasty, and all members of the imperial family should leave the mainland and settle in my Bianjing. I will grant that emperor a title, which his descendants will inherit forever."

The two sisters nodded somewhat bewildered. They didn't understand the affairs of the court and the military, but they silently kept every word Zhao Xiaoqian said in mind, wrote it down in a letter, and sent it to their clansmen.

Zhao Xiaoqian was certainly not afraid that the Taira and Minamoto clans would not submit.

Under the overwhelming force of firearms, it doesn't really matter whether the two families submit or not. Zhang Rong will still lead his army to crush them. If the two families can be pragmatic, that will be their only way to survive.

The Emperor is also included.

Once Zhao Xiaoqian made up his mind to incorporate Japan into his territory, the Japanese resistance became insignificant. No matter how much they sacrificed or how passionately they resisted foreign aggression, they could not change the facts.

Even if they wanted to be remembered in history, these rebellious Japanese probably couldn't achieve that.

Because after the Song Dynasty annexed Japan, it would thoroughly cleanse its homeland.

The term "cleansing" not only means purifying the race, but also washing away their history, culture, traditions, beliefs, language, and everything else. From then on, Japanese people can only write Chinese characters and speak Chinese, and are only allowed to be consistent with the Song Dynasty in every aspect.

"To leave a mark on history"?
If history no longer exists, where will our names be recorded?

…………

The court was still in an uproar, but the officials had shifted their focus from the new policies to the war.

The war to destroy the Western Xia was an inspiring one for the Song Dynasty, representing its transformation from humiliation and weakness to triumph and triumph.

The magnificent Han and Tang dynasties, which seemed so distant in history books, now seem almost within reach.

The war to destroy the Western Xia was a landmark event that marked the Song Dynasty's rise to power.

When the courtiers were suddenly struck by the realization that they were witnessing a great historical event, and that they were all the architects and participants of this great history, how could they not be excited?

At the recent court assemblies, Zhao Xiaoqian noticed that the atmosphere was somewhat unusual. The court officials were inexplicably much closer to him, the emperor, and there was far less petty criticism.

In the past, whenever Zhao Xiaoqian sat in court, if his posture was even slightly improper, an imperial censor would immediately jump out from the court, looking all righteous and stern, to criticize the emperor for his lack of decorum.

Their accusations were filled with anguish and their expressions were utterly despondent, as if Zhao Xiaoqian had committed a grave offense simply by sitting askew, and they wished he could atone for it by committing suicide before the ancestral tablets.

The court meetings these past few days have been unusually harmonious, which surprised Zhao Xiaoqian. Not believing it, he deliberately sat with his buttocks askew, and none of those annoying, talkative officials in the court actually stood up. Instead, they turned their eyes to the side and pretended not to see anything.

Strangely enough, Zhao Xiaoqian liked to repeatedly push the boundaries of their psychological limits.

So at the court assembly, Zhao Xiaoqian not only sat improperly, but also took out a snack from his pocket and stuffed it into his mouth in front of all the civil and military officials, while chewing it and casting a provocative look at the group of censors.

The officials... once again turned a blind eye.

He can tolerate this? What has his wife ever done to him?
Countless scenarios of the crimes committed by the husband flashed through his mind, and Zhao Xiaoqian revealed a strange smile.

The court meetings these past few days have been discussing the issue of transporting the second batch of grain supplies to the Northwest, and the officials have been arguing endlessly about it.

Some people believe that grain should be transported by canal, from the Yellow River to the upper reaches of the north, and then transported by land to Yinzhou.

Some people believe that grain should be directly transferred from Taiyuan and Yan'an and transported to Yinzhou by land, which would shorten the journey by at least one month.

Zhao Xiaoqian listened absentmindedly. To be honest, this issue was not important, and it wasn't even worth bringing up in court.

In this war to destroy Western Xia, Zhao Xiaoqian only mobilized 60,000 troops. The consumption of food and fodder was not significant, and it was impossible for the supply to be cut off. He could easily mobilize the grain and fodder from the official granaries of the two prefectures to support the army for a year and a half.

The court officials were of course aware of the outcome, but they still spoke enthusiastically, offering various suggestions, creating an atmosphere as lively as a National Day celebration.

Zhao Xiaoqian was well aware of the thoughts of his ministers.

This war of annihilation is destined to be recorded in history. If my suggestions are adopted, then their names will be recorded in history along with this war. After all, I have contributed to this war, and I must seize the opportunity to be remembered for eternity.

The courtiers below were engaged in a heated discussion. Zhao Xiaoqian yawned listlessly and was about to announce the end of the boring court session when a eunuch rushed into the hall with a pale face and knelt in the center of the hall.

"Your Majesty, an urgent report has arrived from Yingtian Prefecture: a civil uprising has broken out in Xiayi County, which is under the jurisdiction of Yingtian Prefecture!"

Upon hearing this, the entire hall fell into a deathly silence. The assembled officials stared in shock at the eunuch who had delivered the message, their expressions filled with disbelief.

Zhao Xiaoqian was stunned for a long time, and after a while, his face gradually darkened.

With a wave of his hand, Zhao Xiaoqian's voice held a hint of anger: "Bring me the memorial to see!"

A memorial was handed to him. Zhao Xiaoqian unfolded it, glanced at it hastily, and his expression grew increasingly sinister.

The memorial was sent by Li Huai, the garrison commander of Nanjing, but its contents infuriated Zhao Xiaoqian.

"The peasant uprising in Xiayi County? Was it all caused by Liu Zening, the Inspector General of the Eastern Circuit of the Capital Region?"

"Liu Zening was arrogant and domineering. When he went to the local areas, he engaged in all sorts of extortion and corruption. The officials forced him into rebellion, and the rioters rose up. Liu Zening died under the fists of the rioters..."

The more he looked, the gloomier his face became, and Zhao Xiaoqian's teeth were clenched so tightly they were grinding together.

"The incident occurred on the 21st day of the twelfth lunar month of the first year of the Jingkang era. Three days have passed since then, and the uprising has spread to Xiayi and Chuqiu counties. The county towns and villages in both places have fallen into chaos. Officials have fled in all directions, and the rioters have occupied the county towns, numbering more than 40,000..."

Looking at Li Huai's memorial, each point was clearly stated, explaining the cause and process of the incident, and clearly identifying the person responsible, all of whom was Liu Zening, the Inspector of the Eastern Circuit of the Capital Region.

Zhao Xiaoqian took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

To be honest, this memorial seemed flawless, with the matters and responsibilities clearly listed. Zhao Xiaoqian believed that even if the Three Judicial Offices and the Censorate went to Yingtian Prefecture to investigate in person, the final result would likely be the same.

But Zhao Xiaoqian still harbored doubts.

He established the Control Yuan against all odds, and its officials were carefully selected and had undergone numerous internal tests.

If Liu Zening extorted and embezzled from the local people as soon as he took office, then the establishment of the Censorate was truly laughable. Zhao Xiaoqian was essentially slapping himself in the face in front of the entire court.

(End of this chapter)