The prince is more stable

Chapter 986 Cai Jing Offers a Plan
The composition of court officials was quite complex. Although Zhao Xiaoqian made various changes to the Song Dynasty after ascending the throne, the impact of these changes was no less than that of Wang Anshi's reforms and the Yuanfeng reforms.

While making changes to the country, Zhao Xiaoqian also intentionally or unintentionally eased the sharp contradictions between the old and new parties, deliberately downplaying the factional struggles in the court.

There have been achievements, of course. The old and new parties are no longer fighting so fiercely. However, the main conflict in the court has now become the conflict between the emperor and his ministers.

Zhao Xiaoqian's series of reforms ultimately touched the interests of too many people. Both the old and new factions were shocked to realize that this emperor was becoming a scourge, a scourge even more serious than factional strife.

As a result, the conflict between the old and new parties eased, and everyone turned their guns on Zhao Xiaoqian.

Zhao Xiaoqian didn't care. He said the same thing again: this is the painful period of reform in the Song Dynasty. There will be all kinds of fierce opposition, and the conflict between the emperor and his ministers will become more and more acute. This is unavoidable.

Zhao Xiaoqian knew that in the dark corners he couldn't see, countless people were hoping day and night that he, the emperor, would suddenly die, so that the government would end and the court would return to the good old days of factional strife and chaos.

It's alright, Zhao Xiaoqian decided to start taking care of his health. Everyone was hoping he would die suddenly, but he was determined to take good care of himself and not let them have their wish.

Not only that, Zhao Xiaoqian wanted to muddy the waters of the court even further. It was no fun with only the old and new factions in the court; why not add a treacherous faction as well?

Zhao Xiaoqian had this intention when he suddenly promoted Cai Jing to the Politics Hall.

Today, Cai Jing entered the palace under the guise of offering birthday greetings to curry favor and also to freeload a meal. Looking at these political opportunists in the Wende Hall, Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't help but nod in approval.

There may be a shortage of talented people in the imperial court, but there is absolutely no shortage of treacherous officials and opportunists; they are plentiful.

After the bizarre buffet was over, the twenty-odd courtiers in the hall remained seated obediently, their expressions extremely respectful, and they seemed to still savor the experience. It was clear that the novel buffet they had just enjoyed was still fresh in their minds.

Although I don't know what's so high-class about it, I inexplicably feel that it is. Only the top of high society deserves such a high-end dining experience. I feel a deep sense of respect and lingering reminiscence.

Zhao Xiaoqian knew, of course, that these guys had made a scene at the palace today not just to offer gifts and freeload a meal. They were all waiting for an opportunity, hoping that the Emperor would make a deep impression on them. If they could achieve their goal of "winning the Emperor's favor," then their trip today would not have been in vain.

In this field, Cai Jing was undoubtedly very lucky. He entered the palace casually, met the emperor, and was suddenly promoted to the Council of State Affairs.

Cai Jing's experience has become a role model and benchmark for court officials seeking advancement, which is also the main reason why everyone comes to the palace today to present gifts and get a free meal.

Now that everyone has eaten and drunk their fill, they are chatting casually, but each person is leaning forward slightly, as if they are ready to listen attentively at any moment.

What they wanted to hear was for the emperor to speak, preferably with some substance, such as asking about state affairs. That would be their chance to showcase their talents.

That's how Cai Jing got promoted.

Zhao Xiaoqian glanced around and clearly saw through everyone's thoughts.

Holding a teacup, Zhao Xiaoqian lowered his eyes and casually scraped the tea foam with the lid. His eyes flickered, and Zhao Xiaoqian finally spoke, living up to everyone's expectations.

"Gentlemen, I have a matter that is very difficult for me. All of you here are pillars of our Great Song Dynasty. Why don't I tell you and discuss it with you?" Zhao Xiaoqian said calmly, his eyelids lowered.

Everyone's spirits lifted, and their faces immediately lit up with joy.

He's here! He's here! He's bringing the exam questions!
Cai Jing reacted the fastest, immediately rising and bowing: "It is our duty to share Your Majesty's burdens. Please speak freely, Your Majesty."

Zhao Xiaoqian, with drooping eyelids, said indifferently, "Do you all think that our dynasty's tendency to value civil affairs over military affairs is appropriate?"

Cai Jing replied without hesitation, “That’s not appropriate! I noticed this a long time ago and have been wanting to submit a memorial to remonstrate with him, but unfortunately I haven’t found a suitable opportunity.”

"Since ancient times, the balance of Yin and Yang has been the only way to achieve great things. Good and evil coexist in the world, and both civil and military affairs are important. Only then can the nation's destiny be long-lasting. Although the Song Dynasty's army won several great victories a few years ago under the wise command and planning of the Emperor, which changed the world's perception of our Song Dynasty's army."

"However, the world still has a tendency to value civil officials over military ones, and still looks down on the soldiers of the royal army who defend the borders and fight against the enemy. I believe that this trend should have been changed long ago."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled.

Cai Jing was indeed a talented person.

Before the conversation had even begun, he had already accurately discerned my thoughts and spoke with great conviction and righteous indignation.

How could a villain who has made a name for himself in history be a simple character?
The treacherous minister was merely wicked; he was not stupid. At least his insight and accurate judgment in discerning the emperor's intentions were something many so-called loyal ministers couldn't match.

After Cai Jing finished speaking, everyone present secretly curled their lips.

If Cai Jing could accurately guess the emperor's thoughts, couldn't they?

Wouldn't it be better to give everyone a test paper and answer fairly? Why did he have to rush to answer? He was using all my words!

Cai Jing had finished saying what everyone wanted to say, so the crowd could only nod in agreement, "Me too." Zhao Xiaoqian finally got to the point slowly: "Once the national treasury is restored and full, I will take the initiative to launch wars to destroy Xia, Liao, Tubo, Huangtou Uyghur... In short, I don't like the Song Dynasty being surrounded by a bunch of messy neighboring countries, so it's better to unify them all."

"In that case, the Song Dynasty will need the help of our royal army in many places in the future. If the status of military officers and soldiers cannot be raised, how can they be willing to die for the Song Dynasty?"

"In addition, the Song Dynasty is not short of soldiers, but it is short of good generals. I also plan to set up a new military academy in Bianjing to cultivate generals and commanders for the Song Dynasty."

"However, the Song Dynasty has long held a deep-seated problem of valuing civil officials over military ones. If I were to raise this idea in court, I fear there would be many who would oppose it..."

As he spoke, Zhao Xiaoqian sighed with worry: "It is very difficult to change the current situation of valuing civil affairs over military affairs. The establishment of a new military academy is even more contrary to the ancestral rules. I estimate that even the officials of the Council of State Affairs will not agree to it."

At this point, Zhao Xiaoqian fell silent, but his unspoken meaning was quite clear.

Cai Jing and the others naturally understood, and they looked at each other in bewilderment.

The Emperor is not just making this up today for casual conversation. Since he has brought it up, it means that this matter is both a test and an opportunity.

The opportunity has been given to you; whether you seize it or not is up to you.

Everyone felt both excited and nervous, vaguely as if they had returned to the imperial examination hall of yesteryear, where every word they wrote would affect their future.

After a long silence, Cai Jing suddenly said, "Your Majesty, I have a preliminary idea..."

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at him with a smile: "Go on."

"The establishment of the Military Academy is beneficial to the country. Since that's the case, we might as well first create momentum in the court. General Zhong Jianzhong's expedition against Western Xia is a sure thing. We just need to wait for the good news to reach the capital. While we are celebrating, we can also create momentum."

"Proclaim to the court and the public how brave our Song Dynasty's soldiers are, which heroes have emerged on the battlefield, and what victories they have achieved through bloody battles, and then talk about the hardships the soldiers endured, and proclaim their unwavering loyalty to their country, and so on..."

Zhao Xiaoqian raised an eyebrow: "And then what?"

"Then, we can change the subject and point out the various drawbacks of the war to destroy Xia, such as the generals' limited literacy and lack of strategic knowledge, as well as the various defects in troop deployment, etc. In particular, we can proclaim that although our royal army was victorious, the country still lacks good generals, which may become an obstacle to the future unification of the world."

Zhao Xiaoqian roughly understood and laughed, "So, in the end, you took the opportunity to propose establishing a military academy? Mr. Yuanchang's method is simply to reason with people?"

“It’s not entirely about reason. When the military academy was first established, the emperor could have issued an edict to invite learned scholars of the time to teach military strategy…” Cai Jing smiled and said, “Although these scholars are aloof, they would not dare to disobey the imperial edict.”

"Your Majesty may not know, but many great Confucian scholars, though not holding high official positions, are very influential in the field of classical studies. Sometimes, even the prime ministers of the State Council have to consider the weight of a single word spoken by these great Confucian scholars, after all, these people are the leaders of the scholars and intellectuals of the world."

"When great Confucian scholars entered the military academy to teach military strategy, the court officials would have some reservations if they wanted to object."

"Moreover, the Military Academy was initially established to teach only military strategy, which is the art of a gentleman and is also admired by sages. The Military Academy also has a great Confucian scholar in charge. Even if officials in the court wanted to oppose it, they would have to consider the consequences."

Zhao Xiaoqian was a clever man, and he immediately understood: "First, create a fait accompli, and once the court officials have no choice but to accept it, the Military Academy can then gradually add military subjects in a subtle and gradual manner..."

"Such as the infantry department, the cavalry department, the firearms department, etc., in the end the military academy was fully formed, and even if the court officials objected, it was too late."

Cai Jing smiled and said, "Your Majesty is extremely wise; that is exactly what I meant."

After a pause, Cai Jing continued, "Once the royal army reports its victory to the capital, I and my colleagues here can share the burden of building momentum for the soldiers in the court."

Everyone present nodded like tools, indicating their willingness to serve the government.

Cai Jing seized the opportunity again, so all they could do was cheer and try to leave a lasting impression on the emperor in the future.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at Cai Jing with a smile, his heart filled with even greater joy.

It wasn't that Cai Jing's idea was particularly brilliant or ingenious, but rather that Zhao Xiaoqian had a rare experience of the unity between the emperor and his ministers, and the feeling of everyone working together towards a common goal, which was incredibly pleasant.

"With Mr. Yuanchang assisting me, I am truly like a fish in water. His invaluable advice is worth more than ten years of study," Zhao Xiaoqian said with satisfaction.

Cai Jing quickly and humbly replied that he dared not.

"Mr. Yuanchang is so loyal and of one mind with me, I have nothing to reward him with..." Zhao Xiaoqian subconsciously touched his pocket, intending to give him something personal, but today he was very bare, with nothing but the imperial seal he always carried.

Zhao Xiaoqian awkwardly touched his nose and said, "How about this, I will return the one thousand taels of food expenses that everyone paid today, as a token of my gratitude to you all."

Then Zhao Xiaoqian looked at Cai Jing with a smile and said meaningfully, "As for Mr. Yuanchang, I will not bestow any reward upon him. We can owe him for now, how about that?"

(End of this chapter)