Song Xiu

Chapter 45 Daring to Change the World

Li Jun's intention to rebel was almost a consensus among the knowledgeable people in Kaifeng, mainly because Li Jun had done something foolish.

Some time ago, the imperial court sent an envoy to Luzhou and appointed Li Yun as the Grand Chancellor to show him great favor.

Unexpectedly, just as Li Jun was hosting a banquet for the envoy, he took out a portrait of Emperor Taizu of Zhou, Guo Wei, and publicly wept and bowed before him.
Later, during the banquet, the officials of Luzhou made excuses for Li Yun by saying that he was drunk. But can a high-ranking general on the frontier disregard the new dynasty just because he is drunk?
This time, Li Jun was drunk and only cried and worshipped the portrait of Emperor Taizu of Zhou. Will he wear the portrait of Emperor Taizu of Zhou on his body next time?

After the news of this matter spread throughout the court, more and more ministers advised Zhao Kuangyin to deal with Li Jun as soon as possible.

Given the prevailing public opinion in the court, even if Li Yun was initially just making drunken remarks, he had no choice but to oppose it under the current circumstances.

After Lu Duoxun finished bowing, he said to Zhao Dexiu:
"Now that Your Highness's engagement is complete, His Majesty will summon Your Highness to serve in the court in a few days."

I believe that Li Jun's rebellion may have been aided by the Northern Han and the Khitan, but ultimately it could not shake the foundation of the Song Dynasty.

Instead of focusing on the symptoms of scabies, we should address the root cause.

Seeing the curiosity on Zhao Dexiu's face, Lu Duoxun continued confidently:
"The fundamental solution lies in the two words: safeguarding the country."

The word "country" refers to the capital city. In the past, the Zhou dynasty established Luoyi as the pivot of the world; the Qin dynasty unified the six states and established its capital in Xianyang to govern the six directions. Both of these states regarded the capital city as the foundation of the state.

Your Highness, if you wish to safeguard the country, you should follow these three essentials.

As the eldest son of the legitimate wife, Your Highness is the hope of the nation. If you are weak and powerless, slander will easily arise, and those who covet your position will seize the opportunity to act.

During the reign of Emperor Jing of Han, the eldest son Rong was deposed due to his mother's loss of favor. Emperor Gaozu of Tang, Crown Prince Jiancheng, was good at befriending heroes in Shandong and controlled the promotion of officials. His high prestige caused Emperor Taizong to worry about moving east.

One positive and one negative example are enough to show that when power is consolidated, evil schemes will not arise, just as deep roots make branches and leaves flourish, and a solid foundation makes a great building secure.

Therefore, cultivating prestige, recruiting talented individuals, and befriending court officials are, in my humble opinion, fundamental principles for Your Highness.

The way of governing cannot be understood without personal experience. Duke Zhou taught King Cheng to "respect virtue and protect the people," and Emperor Taizong of Tang ordered his crown prince Li Zhi to "understand military and state affairs" and to discuss general administration with Fang Xuanling.

Those who safeguard the nation and consolidate its foundations cannot simply build up a large following; they must also possess great talent in governing the world.

Your Highness should personally experience the affairs of state, both large and small, and gradually take charge of the reports of the Six Ministries in order to understand the merits and demerits of governance, gain insight into the true feelings of the people, and thus establish the policies of the country.

Of all the positions in Kaifeng, the Prefect of the Capital is the most important. Does Your Highness have no interest in this?
He is well-versed in government affairs and serves as the Prefect of the Capital, essential for His Highness's future development.

Your Highness is like a dragon lurking in the deep abyss, waiting for the right time to soar. However, a golden dragon needs the right wind and clouds to meet before it can roar across the nine heavens.

Since the time of Zhu Liang, the military has been powerful and tyrannical. If Your Highness does not win the hearts of great generals, it will be like a great building without pillars or a powerful crossbow without a string.

In the imperial court, powerful ministers are prone to overstepping their bounds, and only military generals can restrain them.

When Emperor Xuan of Han plotted to eliminate the Huo clan, he succeeded thanks to the protection of Zhang Anshi and other generals of the Imperial Guard. Similarly, Emperor Wen of Wei, when he was King of Wei, was on good terms with Xiahou Shang and others, which enabled him to usurp the throne from the Han dynasty.

Therefore, a great general is the claws and teeth of a wise ruler. If the claws and teeth are sharp, the wicked and treacherous will be afraid; if the claws and teeth are dull, the general's life and head will be in danger.

Your Highness now has a maternal relative, the Li family, and should employ people like Xiahou Shang and Zhang Anshi.

He trusted his maternal relatives and veteran generals, and prepared for any extraordinary circumstances for His Highness.

If Your Highness can consolidate the foundation, strengthen the branches and leaves, and know how to adapt to changing circumstances, given time, the very foundation of the nation will be in Your Highness's grasp.

With Bianjing in our grasp, what is there to worry about in the world?
This is my strategy for safeguarding the country; I hope Your Highness will consider it.

After speaking, Lu Duoxun bowed to Zhao Dexiu with trepidation.

This was the first time he had offered a suggestion to Zhao Dexiu. He wondered if the outline he had painstakingly devised over the past few days would be appreciated by Zhao Dexiu.

While Lu Duoxun was feeling uneasy, Zhao Dexiu was carefully considering his strategy for "defending the country."

After pondering for a long time, Zhao Dexiu sincerely praised Lu Duoxun:
"Your words are like pearls, quite like the style of the famous Tang Dynasty prime minister Xuanling."

Ludoson is a very intelligent man.

Lu Duoxun clearly grasped Zhao Dexiu's true inner thoughts.

What Zhao Dexiu really wanted to ask was what strategy he should follow to achieve great things. Lu Duoxun not only saw through Zhao Dexiu's true thoughts, but also offered a strategy that was very much in line with the current situation.

Lu Duoxun's general strategy of "defending the country" had a concrete institutional manifestation in his time: the system of princes and prefects in the capital.

The five dynasties preceding the Song Dynasty were, frankly speaking, all built upon the ruins of the Tang Dynasty.

The An Lushan Rebellion marked the transition from the height of the Tang Dynasty to its decline, and a significant reason for this rebellion was the Tang Dynasty's military structure of "emphasizing external affairs over internal ones."

Learning from the past is something every political being does.

"Defend the interior and weaken the exterior" was a famous policy in the Song Dynasty, but in fact, the prototype of this policy was not created by Zhao Kuangyin; Zhao Kuangyin was the one who perfected it.

As early as the Zhu Liang period, a slight trend of "defending the interior and neglecting the exterior" had already emerged.

The "inner" in "guarding the inner and neglecting the outer" usually refers to the capital city of Kaifeng.

Because this trend was constantly evolving and strengthening, starting from the reign of Emperor Zhu Liang, if a prince could achieve the position of Prince of the Capital Governor, he would basically be the emperor's tacitly approved heir apparent.

In Lu Duoxun's view, the world was in such a state of affairs, and Zhao Dexiu was born with the advantage of being the eldest son, in addition, Zhao Kuangyin's favor towards him was obvious to all.

As long as Zhao Dexiu follows his plan step by step, his achievement of becoming a prince and prefect of the capital is just around the corner.

Zhao Dexiu was well aware of Lu Duoxun's thoughts; historically, Zhao Guangyi had done exactly the same thing.

Should we adopt Ludlow's strategy of "defending the country"?

After praising Lu Duoxun, Zhao Dexiu fell into deep thought.

Once he decides to adopt the strategy of "defending the country," he will naturally become a staunch supporter of the policy of "defending the interior while neglecting the exterior."

Once the policy of "preserving the interior while neglecting the exterior" becomes an ancestral system and gains the support of a large number of vested interests, it will be virtually impossible for him to reverse it in the future.

Zhao Dexiu knew that the policy of "defending the interior and neglecting the exterior" was an important reason why the Song Dynasty would become weak for hundreds of years.

Is there really no way to change the Song Dynasty?

If Zhao Dexiu were unaware of the various humiliations the Song Dynasty had suffered throughout its history, then that would be one thing.

If Zhao Dexiu hadn't been strongly influenced by nationalism in his previous life, then so be it.

But none of them are correct.

As her resentment grew stronger, a famous saying gradually resonated in Zhao Dexiu's mind:

"We dare to change the world!"

When those words came to mind, Zhao Dexiu's eyes hardened, and he stood up amidst Lu Duoxun's surprised gaze.

Before Lu Duoxun could react to what was happening, Zhao Dexiu had already walked towards the door.

Just as Lu Duoxun was about to ask a question, a pair of hands grabbed him—it was Wei Renpu.

Wei Renpu smiled and shook his head at Lu Duoxun: "Your Highness is young, but you already have the qualities of a wise ruler. What is a wise ruler? One who listens to all sides and is wise."

Wei Renpu's words made Lu Duoxun suppress his thoughts.

When Lu Duoxun looked at Zhao Dexiu again, he found that Zhao had already opened the door.

The door opened wide, revealing Lü Duan's ordinary face to everyone.

"follow me."

As Zhao Dexiu strode past Lü Duan, he said these words to him.

Upon hearing this, Lü Duan straightened up and followed behind him methodically.

If he dares to come and seek refuge, surely there must be some emperor or king who can teach him something?
(End of this chapter)