Song Xiu

Chapter 100 Reforming Military Power: Guangyi and Baixiu
Seeing Zhao Guangyi's confidence and recalling that the Zhao family had produced three generations of military geniuses since Zhao Hongyin, Shi Xizai's confidants felt much less uneasy.

While Zhao Guangyi's military strategy might not be considered outstanding given the environment he was immersed in, it was certainly at a general level.

Once this thought came to mind, all the trusted confidants stepped forward and bowed, saying, "We are willing to lend a helping hand to Zhu Muzhou."

Seeing that none of his confidants had any further objections, Zhao Guangyi waved them away with satisfaction.

Unexpectedly, after her confidants left, Madam Fu, who had been listening in from the side hall, could no longer sit still.

Lady Fu dismissed the servants and came alone to Zhao Guangyi:

"The battlefield is dangerous; I urge you to think carefully, sir."

Fu's face was full of worry.

Unlike her close confidants, Lady Fu, as a member of the Zhao family, had heard Zhao Kuangyin's evaluation of Zhao Guangyi: "He is well-versed in military strategy, but he does not know how to adapt to changing circumstances."

As the daughter of a military family, Lady Fu naturally knew that being "inflexible" in military strategy was not a good compliment.

Having just gained the support of his confidants, Zhao Guangyi's face darkened when his wife again came out to dissuade him.

"The blood of the Zhao family also flows in my veins."

If Liu Ge'er could become famous in one battle, why can't I!

Recalling the praises given to Zhao Dexiu by the officials at the front, and the gesture of bestowing a title upon him with a paulownia leaf, Zhao Guangyi felt a deep sense of resentment.

"Do you know how smug Wei Renpu and others were when the news of their victory at the front line reached the capital?"

Do you know how the people of the capital praise him now?
I don't accept it.

I have served Your Majesty for many years, many years!

I have not yet been made a king, but he has been made a king first. He relied on nothing more than his military achievements.

I cannot lose to him, I will not lose to him!

In front of his wife, Zhao Guangyi revealed his true thoughts.

Zhao Guangyi's expression grew increasingly gloomy, which caused Fu Shi to furrow her brows.

Noticing Fu's frown, Zhao Guangyi calmed his agitated mood and said gently to Fu:

"You don't need to worry too much."

In this battle, I will request Your Majesty to allow capable generals such as Wang Quanbin and Tian Chongjin to assist you.

You know Wang Quanbin's talent.

Hearing Zhao Guangyi say this, Madam Fu's brows slowly relaxed.

Although Wang Quanbin had some personal moral flaws, his military strategy was impeccable.

With his assistance, the campaign against Li Chongjin would indeed be relatively safe.

After Fu approved of Zhao Guangyi's actions, she said:

"Rest assured, my lord, with our hearts united, I will support you."

Fu's words brought a smile to Zhao Guangyi's face.

The fact that the Fu family supports him means that Fu Yanqing, who is behind him, will also support him.

The reason he had to explain so much to the Fu family was precisely this point.

How can we lose this battle?
The news of the emperor's triumphant return had already spread throughout the entire city of Bianjing.

The emperor's triumphant return to the capital was already an exciting and joyous occasion.

In this great victory, Zhao Dexiu's glorious achievement of being crowned a king in one battle swept through the entire city of Bianjing like a hurricane.

Before the emperor's entourage had even returned to the capital, some imperial edicts of bestowal of titles and honors had already been sent back one after another.

Not long ago, the emperor issued an edict appointing Wei Renpu as Grand Tutor.

The title of Grand Tutor did not have any real power, but it was a symbol of honor and status.

According to the old system of the Han and Tang dynasties, the Grand Tutor was the teacher of the crown prince or a prince.

Zhao Kuangyin bestowed this honorary title upon Wei Renpu to commend Wei Renpu for his teaching of the Prince of Taiyuan, and to officially establish the teacher-student relationship between Wei Renpu and Zhao Dexiu.

It must be said that Wei Renpu was quite satisfied with this official title.

In the Hall of State Affairs, Wei Renpu held up the imperial edict that Zhao Kuangyin had just sent back and said to Fan Zhi and Wang Pu:
"We cannot delay His Majesty's proposal to establish an advisory province."

I believe the Consultative Office could be established within the Forbidden City.

Upon hearing Wei Renpu's words, Fan Zhi and Wang Pu both looked hesitant.

Why did the Council of State Affairs and the Privy Council gradually become the main central institutions of the imperial court?

One very important reason is that the offices of the Council of State and the Privy Council are located within the Imperial Palace.

This means that the heads of the Council of State and the Privy Council can communicate closely with the emperor at any time.

Over time, with the support of imperial power, the status of the Council of State and the Privy Council rose above that of other ministries in the court.

In their time, the Council of State and the Privy Council, one governing the government and the other the military, were respectfully referred to as the "Two Offices".

As a newly established government office, is it too much to rashly set up the Consultative Province in the capital?

Noticing Fan Zhi and Wang Pu's hesitation, Wei Renpu continued:

"The position of advisor has existed since ancient times."

The original intention was to advise the lord and offer strategies.

Since that is the original intention, it is not appropriate to set up the office of the Consultative Council outside the palace. If His Majesty has something to discuss with us tomorrow, he will have to come out of the palace.
The emperor's body is of utmost importance; how could he lightly leave the forbidden palace?

Wei Renpu gave a reason that neither Fan Zhi nor Wang Pu could refuse.

With the feigned tacit approval of Zhao Pu, Lü Yuqing, and others, Fan Zhi and Wang Pu could only agree in the end:

"Then let us do as the Grand Tutor says."

Upon hearing Fan Zhi and Wang Pu address him as Grand Tutor, a slight smile appeared on Wei Renpu's originally stern face.

He liked hearing that title.

The decision to establish the Consultative Province office in the Imperial City was primarily Zhao Dexiu's idea.

From Zhao Dexiu's plan, Wei Renpu keenly discerned a corner of Zhao Dexiu's grand political blueprint.

The future crown prince of the Song Dynasty is a man determined to reform!
Inside Yanqing Palace, also located in the imperial city, Empress Wang had just finished reading a letter written by Zhao Dexiu himself.

When a person is away from home, they should write letters frequently to let others know they are safe and sound; this is a form of filial piety.

Zhao Dexiu genuinely respected Empress Wang as her mother.

After putting down the letter she was holding, Empress Wang smiled and looked at Li Duoruo opposite her:

"Has the Prince of Taiyuan ever written you a letter?"

The social norms of that time had not yet reached the perverse level that would become in later generations.

On the contrary, in some aspects, they appear to be exceptionally open-minded.

For example, the emperors and generals of the Five Dynasties period generally preferred married women.
It's nothing unusual for men and women to exchange heartfelt letters.

Empress Wang's question caused Li Duoruo's cheeks to naturally flush.

Although the social atmosphere is open, it is only natural for young girls to be shy.

"Reporting to Mother, there are occasionally one or two letters."

Li Duruo answered shyly.

Although Li Duruo and Zhao Dexiu have not yet officially married, they have been engaged, and Li Duruo is nominally a member of the royal family.

For this reason, after Zhao Dexiu left the capital, Empress Wang frequently summoned Li Duruo to the palace for talks.

Empress Wang's move was an attempt to plan ahead for the future.

Li Duoruo's answer made Empress Wang smile:
“The Prince of Taiyuan is not too dull.”

In this respect, Zhao Dexiu was much better than Zhao Kuangyin, who was single-mindedly devoted to his career.

Not long after Zhao Dexiu was born, Zhao Kuangyin set out on a long journey to find a wise ruler.

This resulted in Zhao Dezhao being born many years later than Zhao Dexiu.

To this day, all of Zhao Kuangyin's children are legitimate offspring.

This phenomenon is extremely rare for someone of Zhao Kuangyin's status.

However, this phenomenon is not a good thing for the royal family.

"Once the Prince of Taiyuan returns to the capital, His Majesty will certainly arrange for his marriage to you. As the eldest daughter-in-law of the royal family, your primary duty is to produce offspring for the royal family."

Furthermore, the Prince of Taiyuan is of noble status, and it is inevitable that he will take concubines in the future. However, no matter how many concubines he has, their status will never be comparable to yours.

You must remember this.

During the Five Dynasties period, many military families produced outstanding women, and these women were known for their strong and resolute personalities.

It is not uncommon for wives to prevent their husbands from taking concubines, such as Fu Shi's relationship with Zhao Guangyi.

Of course, given Zhao Dexiu's status and personality, if he really wanted to take a concubine, Li Du couldn't stop him.

However, precisely because of Zhao Dexiu's status, the harmony of his family is a matter of vital importance to the future of the country.

In view of the above, Empress Wang, who was wholeheartedly considering Zhao Dexiu's future, earnestly reminded Li Duoruo.

Upon hearing Empress Wang's reminder, Li Duruo rose and bowed respectfully:

"The husband is Qian (☰), and the wife is Kun (☷). Only when Qian and Kun are in harmony can all things be accomplished together."

My only wish is that Your Highness achieves your great ambitions; I have no other concerns.

Li Duoruo's answer made Empress Wang's smile even wider.

The more she looked at her daughter-in-law, the more satisfied she became.

"His Majesty's imperial carriage will arrive in the capital in a few days. You should go back to your residence and make preparations."

Prepare to welcome your young general home.

Empress Wang's words made Li Duruo feel both ashamed and happy.

Two adorable dimples on her cheeks quietly appeared.

In mid-July of the first year of the Jianlong era of the Song Dynasty, a large imperial procession appeared outside Bianjing (Kaifeng).

Inside the imperial carriage, guarded by tens of thousands of elite soldiers, a father and son were having a heated discussion about the future of their empire.

“Father, our dynasty’s policy of ‘separation of command and control’ for the army may be further refined.”

After hearing Zhao Dexiu's views on the new policies in the military camp some time ago, Zhao Kuangyin, from the day he returned to the capital, pulled Zhao Dexiu into the imperial carriage to continue discussing other aspects of the new policies with him.

Today, the father and son happened to be discussing the reform of military power.

Since the late Tang Dynasty, many monarchs, worried about the threat of war, have tried various measures to divide and curb the military power held by generals.

After numerous attempts, a trend gradually emerged in the Five Dynasties period – “separation of unified command and regulation”.

The original meaning of the separation of command and control is to separate the power to command troops from the power to deploy troops.

The Privy Council's status continued to rise during the Five Dynasties period, which was a result of this increasingly strong trend.

The Privy Council holds the power to deploy troops.

While this trend was strong initially, there were still some issues with certain details.

What Zhao Kuangyin needed to do was to completely institutionalize this trend and plug all the loopholes.

Zhao Dexiu supported Zhao Kuangyin's idea.

Using the method of "separation of command and control" to prevent military generals from becoming too powerful is a trend in historical development and is correct in general.

In Zhao Kuangyin's original plan, he wanted to divide military power into three parts.

"The Privy Council is in charge of troop deployment and decision-making; the Three Military Commands are in charge of troop command and training; and the Ministry of War is in charge of military registers, military etiquette, and some military officers."

This idea, at first glance, also reflects the concept of checks and balances in the separation of powers.

In reality, they are not the same.

The key point is that the powers of these three parties are not strictly separated.

In the context of the time, the Privy Council was close to imperial power and held a prestigious position.

In the process of implementing the separation of military power, the powers of the Ministry of War and the Three Military Offices will inevitably be subject to considerable constraints from the Privy Council.

The Privy Council would become the de facto highest military and political body, so how could it be considered separate?
The head of the Privy Council has always been a scholar.

In times of chaos, there are no shortage of scholars who are also knowledgeable in military affairs, such as Wei Renpu.

However, as the world stabilizes, intellectuals who are ignorant of military affairs will gradually take over the Privy Council.

Imagine if the main power of the army were in the hands of intellectuals who knew nothing about military affairs; the consequences would be disastrous.

The division of departments into three, without a strict distinction of powers, will inevitably lead to problems such as redundant officials and low military efficiency.

Of course, from Zhao Kuangyin's perspective, what he wanted to do now was to quickly and completely control the army.

He may be aware of many long-term drawbacks, but he can only temporarily ignore them due to practical needs.

What Zhao Dexiu needed to do was to use the knowledge of later generations to provide Zhao Kuangyin with a more practical and effective method to control military power.

Only by doing this could Zhao Kuangyin possibly change his policy.

"Your Majesty's new policies aim to indirectly control military power through the Privy Council. However, I have an idea that may help Your Majesty to directly control military power."

Zhao Dexiu's words immediately caught Zhao Kuangyin's attention.

Did the imperial power directly control the military?

Which emperor could resist such temptation?

Speak quickly!

Sensing Zhao Kuangyin's urgency, Zhao Dexiu said:

“In the past, military mobilization was often based on the tiger tally, which was either controlled by the Privy Council or managed by the generals of the Three Military Commands.”

Unclear division of responsibilities, coupled with relying solely on the tiger tally to mobilize troops, makes it easy for unforeseen changes to occur.

Your Majesty, I believe that Your Majesty should reform the specific process of troop deployment.

For example, our dynasty can forge precise talismans, one side of which can be placed in the Forbidden City, and the other side in the Privy Council.

When there is a war and troops need to be mobilized, the Privy Council must first request permission. After obtaining permission, they must carry the talisman and the imperial edict to the Forbidden City to retrieve another talisman.

Only after all the inspections have been completed and confirmed to be correct can the troop mobilization order be delivered to the general.

If either the talisman or the imperial edict is missing during troop deployment, anyone who is missing will be sentenced to death.

In this way, every troop movement was basically carried out under the emperor's instructions.

This would allow the emperor to directly control the military.

As soon as Zhao Dexiu finished speaking, Zhao Kuangyin's eyes lit up.

With his understanding of the military, he was able to see the crux of Zhao Dexiu's proposal at a glance.

"Your suggestion is quite crude in many details."

The general direction is correct.

Zhao Kuangyin praised Zhao Dexiu.

Zhao Dexiu knew that his suggestion had many oversights in the details, and that he had done it on purpose.

His suggestion was based on the troop deployment system of later generations.

However, no matter how good a system is, it must be adapted to the times and localized.

This crucial step should naturally be entrusted to the talented individuals of our time.

Those in power grasp the big picture, while officials fill in the details; this is the significance of establishing advisory departments.

After Zhao Kuangyin finished praising Zhao Dexiu, the imperial carriage happened to stop outside the city.

As soon as the imperial carriage came to a stop, the sounds of ministers paying their respects could be heard from outside:

"Your Majesty, we congratulate you on your victorious return."

Amidst a chorus of resounding congratulations, Zhao Kuangyin led Zhao Dexiu down from the imperial carriage.

When the officials saw two figures emerge from the imperial carriage, they were all taken aback.

Upon seeing that the other figure was Zhao Dexiu, the officials all understood.

"Your humble servants pay their respects to the Prince of Taiyuan!"

Zhao Dexiu heard the officials' homage.

At this moment, Zhao Dexiu's gaze was focused on one person:
Even now, although you are my uncle,

But you must worship me!

(End of this chapter)