Prime Minister

Chapter 1368 Along the River During the Qingming Festival

Chapter 1368 Along the River During the Qingming Festival

In the Yaojin Pavilion.

Zhang Yue and the Emperor sat before Empress Dowager Xiang. The Prince of Suining sat obediently to one side.

The lotus pond outside the pavilion reflects the morning light, and koi carp swim in the water.

Empress Dowager Xiang pointed to Yaojin Pavilion and said to Zhang Yue, "I have summoned you today for two matters."

Zhang Yue bowed slightly: "Your subject respectfully obeys the Empress Dowager's decree."

Empress Dowager Xiang smiled and said, "The first matter is what the court officials have said about the Eighth Prince leaving the palace to study. I wonder what your opinion is on this matter?"

Zhang Yue said, “Your Majesty, I have heard from the ministers that the Eighth Prince is exceptionally intelligent and particularly skilled in painting and calligraphy. It is still a bit early for him to begin his studies.”

"However, seeing you today... I feel that this is necessary."

Everyone was stunned. What was Zhang Yue doing?

But then Zhang Yue stood up and carefully examined the Prince of Suining.

The Prince of Suining boldly exchanged a glance with Zhang Yue, only to see Zhang Yue's eyes flash with a fierce light, and he instantly felt a chill run down his spine.

"So this is what it means to be a prime minister. I have seen it for myself," the other party thought to himself.

After observing him, Zhang Yue continued, "I believe the Eighth Prince is indeed intelligent, but he seems somewhat frivolous... rather than intelligent. I think he should be given a Confucian tutor to teach him rigorously."

"frivolous!"

The Prince of Suining was greatly alarmed; such an evaluation was hardly a compliment.

The Empress Dowager and the Emperor wondered to themselves, "Does Zhang Yue have some prejudice against the Prince of Suining?"

Generally speaking, a prime minister would not easily befriend a prince, much less offend one.

Empress Dowager thought to herself, "Could it be that Zhang Yue has sided with Consort Zhu?"

Or are they unwilling to control the imperial heir?

The emperor thought the same thing: Zhang Qing was indeed good at recognizing people. He had only met the Prince of Suining once, yet he could tell his character at a glance.

The Prince of Suining is indeed clever, but he seems to lack a certain gravitas.

I agree with the word "frivolous".

Behind the curtain, he asked the Empress Dowager, "Minister Zhang, what is the difference between cleverness and intelligence?"

Zhang Yue slowly said, "To understand five things from one and to draw inferences from one instance is intelligence."

"To know right from wrong, to distinguish beauty from ugliness, to discern good from evil. Learning knowledge is not as important as understanding knowledge, and to be able to understand it sincerely is even more difficult."

"But all that is beside the point. True wisdom lies in having a vision, having a grand vision, and consistently working towards it. That is true wisdom."

Empress Dowager Xiang seemed to understand after hearing Zhang Yue's words.

"To leave home and study..." Empress Dowager Xiang seemed to be considering.

The Prince of Suining looked at the Empress Dowager with a pleading expression.

He said to the Empress Dowager, "The Eighth Prince is still young. I originally intended to keep him by my side for a few more years."

Empress Dowager Xiang quickly regained her composure: "Your words have indeed reminded me."

She sighed softly, "In that case, I will grant your wish and select a good teacher to instruct you rigorously."

Zhang Yue nodded slightly. His intention was to pull the Prince of Suining out of the clutches of the women in the inner palace and let the ministers exert influence over him.

The right to raise imperial heirs will be shared by the outer court and the inner court.

The question of who will inherit the throne will be decided by the ministers before the emperor makes a decision, and will not be made by the women in the inner palace or by any eunuch.

You must hold onto your position.

Empress Dowager Xiang did not dwell on the matter, which was somewhat unexpected for Zhang Yue.

Behind the curtain, he gestured towards the distance towards the Empress Dowager and asked, "What does Minister Zhang think of the scenery at Yaojin Pavilion?"

Zhang Yue looked at the Yaojin Pavilion. It must have cost a lot of money to build it. It was originally built by Cai Que and Song Yongchen for the emperor after Zhang Yue resigned as prime minister. If Zhang Yue were still in power, he might not have agreed so easily, and at least he wouldn't have allowed Song Yongchen to buy up all the lotus flowers in Bianjing overnight for the emperor to enjoy and amuse himself.

Song Yongchen would not dare to do so.

Power without checks and balances can indeed be used arbitrarily.

Zhang Yue looked around and saw pavilions and waterside terraces, all extremely luxurious.

Zhang Yue replied, "Truly ingenious."

The Emperor said, "I have noticed that Longyou Palace and Cining Palace have been in disrepair for many years, so I would like to renovate them."

Empress Dowager Xiang smiled and said, "The Emperor is so filial, it is very comforting to me. However, Longyou Palace is still in good condition, but Cixi Palace really needs to be properly repaired."

Zhang Yue glanced at the Empress Dowager from behind the curtain.

Immediately, Zhang Yue looked at the emperor, who seemed somewhat nervous.

He instantly understood its profound meaning.

[What? The Empress Dowager wants to build a garden? And she's stopped funding for the navy?] This plot seems so familiar.

One can imagine that an eunuch or someone must have whispered something in the Empress Dowager's ear.

The imperial court pacified Lingzhou and the Dangxiang people surrendered. Zhang Yue's power and prestige were too great, and he was suspected of overshadowing the emperor with his achievements, so he needed to be restrained.

Why not use the pretext of repairing a garden to pull his hand?

This will also let the world know who the pillars of the court are.

He bowed calmly and said, “Your Majesty’s benevolence and filial piety have moved Heaven. Over the years, we have won the battle of Lingzhou thanks to the support of the Empress Dowager. All the people of the world are grateful for the Empress Dowager’s kindness.”

"Your subject will comply with the imperial decree."

He smiled at the Empress Dowager from behind the curtain and said, "Minister Zhang will not disappoint me."

Zhang Yue thought it over and agreed, then figured out a way to stall for time.

Being in the imperial court is a place of intense conflict and conflict; it's much more pleasant to be a local warlord.

As he slowly departed from Yaojin Pavilion, he thought to himself, "I will handle the open and hidden attacks in the court; my lads, each of you must do your part."

……

Liangzhou.

The westernmost border of the Great Song Dynasty.

Wang Hou led his army on horseback from Lanzhou to Liangzhou, followed by a long line of supply wagons.

The former Liangzhou was not a desolate frontier, but rather a place of pioneering and progress.

The chants of workers building the city with rammed earth rose and fell; this was a tent city built for the tea-horse trade, while on the other side, newly reclaimed terraced fields stretched far into the distance between the Longshan Mountains.

In the spring breeze of the second year of the Yuan You era, Liangzhou, a vital passage on the Silk Road, was undergoing its most thorough rebirth since the Tang Dynasty.

The system in Liangzhou differed from that of the Song Dynasty. Liangzhou had been plagued by years of warfare, leaving its land desolate.

Therefore, Liangzhou implemented the equal-field system of the Tang Dynasty, allocating 20 mu of permanent land to each adult male.

Wang Houji recalled that whether or not to implement the equal-field system in Liangzhou had sparked controversy among the court officials.

Is it appropriate to suddenly implement the equal-field system in Liangzhou since the Song Dynasty did not have a land system?

In the end, it was Zhang Yue who made the decision: we could give it a try.

Therefore, Liangzhou piloted the Yongyetian system, which differed from the other prefectures of Xihe Road, where merchants and nobles would bring money to buy land and then hire locals to cultivate it.

Liangzhou prohibits the sale of land and grants land as permanent land.

Guanzhong and Longxi were areas in Shaanxi where land consolidation was severe, resulting in a large number of people without land. Hearing that Zhang Yue was willing to grant permanent land in Liangzhou to attract people, many migrated from Guanzhong to Liangzhou with merchant caravans.

The people implemented the alternating field system, which had long been practiced in the Tao River Valley, and surprisingly, the yield per mu of the sloping land cultivated with agricultural tools exceeded that of the Guanzhong Plain. Bookstores printed the "Essential Techniques for the Common People" in Western Xia, Tibetan, and Chinese, spreading the Song Dynasty's agricultural reclamation techniques to the Western Regions.

The imperial court then recruited soldiers from the land-granting populace, similar to the Tang Dynasty's militia system.

Over the course of several years, Liangzhou recruited as many as 100,000 Han and non-Han people, enriching the local population.

The most important thing was commerce. Liangzhou also established a market exchange office and a trading post, using credit notes such as salt certificates and tea certificates to facilitate trade between Han and non-Han peoples.

A Tibetan girl was even promoted to the position of craftsmanship supervisor in Liangzhou because of her outstanding carpet weaving skills. Her lotus-patterned camel wool carpet was sold to the Arab world by caravans from the Western Regions.

Now, there are many camel caravans with more than a hundred people in Liangzhou City, and there are even camel caravans with thousands of people traveling back and forth to the Western Regions.

The Song Dynasty's years of efforts, through continuous support from war and commerce, revitalized the economy of Liangzhou City, making it a true pearl on the Silk Road.

Wang Hou's army rested for three days after arriving in Liangzhou Prefecture before advancing westward again, this time with the four prefectures of Hexi as their target.

The north wind howled across the Qilian Mountains in Hexi.

With veterans of the Guiyi Army as guides, Wang Hou, the military commissioner of Xihe Road, mobilized 30,000 elite troops from both Han and non-Han ethnic groups and advanced westward along the northern foothills of the Qilian Mountains.

The army consisted of three branches of the armed forces, and the number of civilian laborers required was between 60,000 and 70,000. Most of the supplies were transported from Lanzhou to Liangzhou. Even if more than half of the labor was carried out locally in Liangzhou, the costs on the Xihe Road were still considerable. Nevertheless, Liangzhou had become an important logistical support point for the Song Dynasty's expeditions to the Western Regions.

This is undoubtedly due to the efforts of Liangzhou in reclamation and development over the years.

Along the way, Wang Hou saw steep mountains, continuous snow-capped peaks, and glacial meltwater at the foot of the mountains forming rushing streams that carved out deep valleys and ravines.

The army marched along the ancient road, flanked by jagged black rocks, barren of vegetation, with oases scattered like pearls in the yellow sand in the distance.

Along the way, you can see abandoned beacon towers, collapsed city walls, and withered poplars, which are the relics of the Anxi Protectorate of the Tang Dynasty.

This scene is similar to that of Liangzhou City, which fell to the Tanguts back then.

Today, the rammed earth city walls are mottled and worn by wind and sand erosion, but the remaining arrow towers still stand stubbornly, as if loyal veterans of the Hexi region during the Tang Dynasty are waiting for the return of the royal army.

This place was once a prosperous area on the Silk Road, with a constant stream of merchants and camel caravans. However, it fell into ruin as the Tang Dynasty declined and the Tibetans, Tanguts, and Uyghurs carved up the land.

Wang Hou took a swig of strong liquor from the leather bag and asked, "Where are the troops of the Qing Tang tribe?"

Wang Shan, the military commander of Xihe Road, also served as the third general of Xihe Road and was in charge of the third army of Xihe Road. He was a former subordinate of his father, Wang Junwan.

This time, when Wang Shan led the Third Army to follow Wang Hou in conquering Hexi, he pointed to a sheepskin map and said, "Wen Xixin led his army to sweep away the strongholds of the Grass-Headed Tatars and the Yellow-Headed Uyghurs. This is the base of Aligu."

"Afterwards, they will head north to join forces with our army in attacking Guazhou and Shazhou!"

Wang Hou asked, "Where are Ali's main forces?"

Wang Shan pointed to the map and laughed, "We are currently engaged in a fierce battle with the Tanguts beneath the Yin Mountains!"

Wang Hou burst into laughter upon hearing this.

Wang Shan said sarcastically, "I heard that he submitted a blood-written letter to the Minister of Works, stating that he was willing to serve as the vanguard of the court to punish the rebels."

"I wonder if Sikong has paid any attention to it."

Aligu knew that the Song army was going to seize the four prefectures in Hexi, but he dared not fight back. Instead, he went north and fought against the Dangxiang soldiers at the foot of Yinshan Mountain.

Ali Gu wasn't stupid; he just wanted Song Chao to spare his life since he was still useful.

When Wang Hou's army arrived at the city of Ganzhou, the local Han people welcomed the Song army with food and drink, and the barbarian women along the way presented flower garlands to the Song soldiers.

The governor of Ganzhou surrendered without a fight and handed over the city of Ganzhou.

Several white-haired old men prostrated themselves on the ground and wept, saying, "Sixty years have passed, and we have finally seen the banners of the Han Dynasty again!"

"Elders, please rise!" Wang Hou helped the kneeling elders to their feet and publicly read aloud the imperial edict bearing the purple seal of the Council of State: "The edict proclaims: To restore the former territories of the Han and Tang dynasties, new policies shall be implemented. The four prefectures of Hexi shall be exempt from taxes for three years!"

Suddenly, cheers erupted from the crowd in Tangut language—it turned out that Zhang Yue had specifically noted that "all people, regardless of ethnicity, should receive the same benefits," meaning that even tax collectors from the former Western Xia period could be re-registered as citizens.

As the sub-prefect began registering the hidden households and their land, he also issued "documents" specifically for the sons of the subjugated tribes to enroll in the Imperial Academy.

Wang Hou walked to the city and looked at a stone tablet inscribed with "[Zhangye Prefecture of the Great Tang Dynasty]", and was filled with emotion.

Wang Hou carefully wiped the stone tablet clean and bowed solemnly.

Upon ascending the city of Ganzhou, which had surrendered without a fight, Wang Hou, standing atop the city tower, gazed at the snow-capped Qilian Mountains and said to Wang Shan and Zhong Pu, "If I were Emperor Wu of Han, I would also conquer the Western Regions, to see the camel bells ringing in the yellow sand, the grapes glistening with moonlight and frost, and the jade maiden dancing by the drunken bonfire."

After Ganzhou was subdued, Wang Hou left Zhong Pu with 15,000 troops to garrison Ganzhou, and then personally led the army to continue westward.

The garrison commander of Suzhou refused the Song army's request for his surrender. Wang Hou did not attack the city, but instead led his troops to plunder people, cattle, sheep and grain, or to divide his forces to attack small towns and fortresses.

It is a cardinal sin for military strategists to send troops on a distant expedition and be stranded beneath a fortified city.

In a short time, the Song army used both coercion and enticement to lead the people of Ganzhou to Liangzhou.

However, most of the people of Ganzhou were willing to leave with their families, and many of the people who stayed behind by the Guiyi Army even took the initiative to spread propaganda for the Han army.

Liangzhou and the newly subjugated Ganzhou also lacked population.

Wang Shan was in charge of plundering the population. He was very resourceful and burned down all the local pastures and houses. He had used this tactic before when attacking Liangzhou City, and he was now very familiar with it.

Wang Hou led his army westward to the outskirts of Guazhou City, burning down pastures and relocating the population along the way. The garrison in Suzhou cowered inside the city, daring not to engage in battle. The Song army entered as if they were in an empty field.

A scout arrived on horseback with the news—

"Report! Aligu has led his troops back, and the vanguard has reached Guazhou!"

Wang Hou reined in his horse and looked into the distance, where he saw billowing dust and barbarian cavalry pressing in like dark clouds.

He sneered: "This Ali is truly a ruthless villain. On one hand, he uses a blood letter to show weakness, but on the other hand, he wants to cut off my way back?"

Outside Shazhou City, the two armies faced each other.

The Song army deployed heavy infantry in front, their long spears like a forest and their large shields like a wall, with archers concealed within the formation. Wang Shan led the light cavalry of the Dangxiang tribes to patrol the flanks, ready to intercept at any moment.

Aligub personally led his main force into battle. He had been fighting a fierce battle with the Tanguts at Yinshan when he heard that the Song army was raiding Hexi, so he urgently dispatched his elite cavalry back to reinforce the region. At this moment, he was clad in iron armor, his gaze somber.

His men were all elite soldiers who had fought alongside him for many years, numbering about ten thousand cavalry, while the rest were various tribes that had been brought here by force.

He had thought that Wang Hou would take the opportunity to attack Suzhou City, so he could wait in comfort and wait for the enemy to tire themselves out. He did not expect that the enemy would bypass the fortified city.

“The Song army has come from afar, and their supply lines are long. As long as we can hold them off, they will surely retreat when their supplies run out!” Aligu said through gritted teeth.

The two armies first engaged in probing exchanges.

Aligu ordered his barbarian cavalry to launch the first attack. More than a thousand light cavalry swept towards the flank of the Song army like a whirlwind, and a rain of arrows poured down.

"Raise your shields!" The command suddenly rang out in the Song army formation, and a shield wall was erected.

Wang Shan sneered and waved his flag. Suddenly, Song crossbowmen who had been lying in ambush behind the sand dunes appeared and fired three rows of crossbows in unison. The barbarian cavalrymen fell to their deaths and fled in disarray.

Immediately, Wang Shan led the Dangxiang troops out to attack, and Aligu immediately urged his elite cavalry to intercept them.

More than a thousand cavalrymen from each side roared out, and swords and spears clashed instantly, with countless men falling from their horses in a flash.

Wang Shanyong was unstoppable. In the midst of the clash between the two riders, he swept several barbarian generals off their horses. Aligu's trusted general was about to charge forward with his spear when he saw Wang Shanyong's horse arrive like lightning.

After the two horses clashed briefly, Wang Shan's spear pierced the other's body.

Wang Shan's personal guards were overjoyed, and one of the soldiers immediately cut off the other man's head and hung it on the horse's neck.

Ali's thousands of personal guards immediately scattered and fled, and upon returning to the village, a count revealed that most of them had perished.

Aligu's face turned ashen upon seeing this.

For the next few days, the two armies engaged in frequent small-scale cavalry battles. The Song infantry held their positions firmly in their camps, while Aligu's barbarian cavalry repeatedly harassed them but suffered minor losses each time.

Several days later, until the imperial edict arrived—

"Wang Hou should immediately withdraw his troops and relocate the people to Liangzhou!"

Wang Hou received the imperial decree, glanced around at the barbarian flags fluttering atop Shazhou City, and said indifferently, "Aligu is nothing more than a minor ailment; the overall situation in Hexi is now settled."

After a pause, Wang Hou said with some regret, "It's a pity we didn't manage to reach the outside of Yumen Pass and take a look."

That night, the Song army quietly broke camp and returned east, taking with them over 100,000 people from Hexi, countless cattle, sheep, and warhorses, and marched back to Liangzhou in a grand procession.

When Aligu learned that the Song army had retreated, he dared not pursue them. Seeing that reinforcements were rushing from the direction of Liangzhou, he had no choice but to silently withdraw his troops.

He gazed eastward in silence for a long time, then sighed deeply.

The people of Hexi migrated eastward under the escort of the Song army. Along the way, some looked back at the sandbar, wavering between their old homeland and their new homeland, and tears streamed down their faces.

After sweeping away Aligu's lair, the troops of Qingtang returned to Qingtang.

After suffering heavy losses, Aligu surrendered, offering to cede Guazhou and Suzhou, while retaining only Shazhou and Yizhou for himself.

……

After being demoted to Hangzhou, Zhang Dun was filled with resentment and could not find peace of mind.

Although Hangzhou is a picturesque city, it could not conceal the pent-up emotions in his heart.

He would sit alone in his official residence by West Lake every day, gazing at the vast expanse of water, and he couldn't help but rant about current affairs.

One day, in the midst of a drunken revelry, he slammed his fist on the table and angrily denounced the "examination and assessment system" as being implemented too hastily, and even bluntly stated that "Zhang Yue appointed people based on nepotism."

These words were quickly recorded by those who cared, and sent to Bianjing (Kaifeng) overnight.

The imperial court issued another edict, transferring him to the position of Supervisor of Dongxiao Palace.

This Taoist temple is located in Dadi Mountain in Yuhang, surrounded by clouds and mist, as if it were separated from the mortal world.

On the day Zhang Dun and his wife moved in, they saw young Taoist boys sweeping the courtyard and old Taoists burning incense and chanting scriptures, as if they were in a secluded paradise.

Every morning, Zhang Dun would tidy his clothes and set up a desk under the purple cypress tree to write furiously.

From "Ten Policies on Military Farming in Jiaozhi" to "Memorial on Salt Administration in Huguang," he submitted them one by one to the imperial court.

One day, a fierce storm raged, and the sky darkened. Seeing him still engrossed in his work, Zhang couldn't help but snatch his pen and inkstone away: "The court treats you like trash, why bother?"

Zhang Dun remained silent.

He stood up, his sword-like eyebrows arched, and stared at the horizon where thunder rumbled, saying, "Others, though of humble rank, dare not forget their duty to the country, while I have yet to fulfill my ambitions."

"When it comes to martial arts, one wields a sword; when it comes to literature, one wields a pen."

His wife, Zhang, looked at her husband's face and quietly wiped away her tears, saying, "My lord, all your hard work in writing has been in vain. The court will no longer employ you for the remonstrance; you will only serve as a palace maid..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Zhang Dun's gaze.

Zhang Dun suddenly burst into laughter, picked up his brush, and wrote on the whitewashed wall: "Indeed, I am now a recluse in Dongxiao Palace, an old official in the Eastern and Western Secretariats."

Seeing Zhang Dun like this, Zhang was extremely saddened.

"If only the late emperor were here..."

Both husband and wife were heartbroken.

The next day, after the fainting spell cleared, a young Taoist priest came to report, "Prefect Chen Guan requests an audience."

Zhang Dun was taken aback; Chen Guan was Zhang Yue's confidant.

When Zhang Yue reprimanded Zhang Dun using Wang Anshi's letter, Chen Guan appeared as Zhang Yue's henchman.

Is this person here today to humiliate Zhang Dun?

Zhang Dun angrily replied, "I won't see you!"

Just then, a loud laugh came from outside the courtyard: "Master Zhang, you still have such a temper after all these years."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dun immediately said to Chen Guan, "I was just lamenting that the flesh on my thighs had grown back, and how could they not be bigger?"

Upon hearing this, the young Taoist retreated in alarm, only to see a purple-robed official stepping over the stone steps.

Chen Guan stood in the courtyard, holding a lacquer box, just as he had questioned Zhang Dun in the temple years ago.

Today, with his smile undiminished, he said, "Master Zhang, it's been a long time."

Zhang Dun rose and bowed.

Chen Guan presented the lacquer box.

Zhang Dun opened the lacquer box, inside which was the original memorial he had submitted a month earlier, with the imperial annotation "Insightful understanding of current affairs" prominently displayed.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dun looked up and took a deep breath, then turned to Chen Guan and asked, "Is this the Minister's intention?"

Chen Guan said, "Lord Zhang, this is an imperial decree; it is His Majesty's will."

"However, when the imperial court selects someone to govern Huguang!"

"Sikong said that the barbarian lands of Huguang are still undeveloped and cannot be pacified without a resolute and capable minister. Lord Zhang had a good record of governing Jingnan in the past. If we send him to manage the region, we can follow Zhao Chongguo's strategy of establishing military farms."

Zhang Dun said, "Even the Minister of Works would speak up for me?"

Chen Guan said, "The Minister of Works not only speaks for Lord Zhang, but Lü Jifu has also been in charge of Hedong for seven or eight years now."

Zhang Dun then changed the subject, saying, "Sikong, if you want to employ me, I have a word of advice for you. You dare not employ all the new party members, nor dare you expel all the old party members. This is a way to invite disaster by playing both sides."

Chen Guan said, "Lord Zhang."

"Just a few months after Wen Gong's death, Jing Gong also passed away. Within a year, the court lost two pillars of the state."

"At this point, is it still a debate about whether Jing Gong was right or Wen Gong was right? This is not what the two gentlemen originally intended, and they can rest in peace."

After Sima Guang's death, the imperial court posthumously granted him the title of Duke of Wen.

At that time, the court was once again divided into two factions regarding the posthumous titles and posthumous treatment of Wang Anshi and Sima Guang, with each faction hurling insults at the other and doing everything in their power to slander the two men.

In the end, Zhang Yue overruled all objections and gave the two of them the highest level of posthumous honors.

Zhang Dun said, "What is your opinion? The Minister of Works has given both Wen Gong and Jing Gong posthumous titles and honors, placing them on an equal footing. But in my view, this is precisely what belittles Jing Gong!"

"Wen Gong abandoned the new laws, harming the late emperor and Jing Gong, and created his own system, which truly disrupted the government and ruined the country!"

"This man deserves to have his coffin opened and his corpse mutilated; even that wouldn't be enough to vent my anger!"

Chen Guan said, "Now that things have come to this, I have no desire to argue with Lord Zhang about this matter any further."

"Imagine there's a chair, one occupied by an old woman and the other by a pregnant woman, neither of them willing to give up their seat. How would you judge who should sit down?"

Sikong said that they shouldn't judge the matter, but instead bring another chair.

"The essence of accomplishment lies in excellence, which means moving chairs. This is the duty of a Confucian scholar. But throughout history, I have debated for thousands of years about who should sit in this chair. This debate dates back to the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors."

"Therefore, Yao and Shun followed the path of refinement and unity, and only by first refining themselves could they achieve unity."

He remained silent upon seeing Zhang Dun.

Chen Guan continued, "Using the analogy of traveling by boat, if one side is favored over the other, how can it be done? On a boat, can everyone sit on the left or the right?"

"If we abolish the new laws or implement them, it's like trying to balance the boat by moving all the people on the left to the right, or all the people on the right to the left. Neither of these approaches will work."

"Judging from the events of the Xifeng and Yuanfeng reigns, Wen Gong did not understand the late emperor's will and acted too hastily by adopting the idea of ​​changing the mother to the son, which led to the incident of the military remonstrance against the Empress Dowager. The best course of action now is to eliminate the personal feelings of his ministers, uphold the good intentions of the ancestors, eliminate factions, and maintain the middle way. This is what Zhang Gong and other insightful people should do."

At this point, Chen Guan bowed deeply to Zhang Dun and said, "Lord Zhang, the rights and wrongs of the Xining and Yuanfeng eras, whether left or right, are best left unsaid."

"Let's all look up and look forward! This is the only way to eliminate cliques and personal relationships."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dun's expression brightened, and he grasped Chen Guan's hand, saying, "What does 'holding fast to the mean' mean? It means that only the essence is the mean."

Upon seeing Zhang Dun's agreement, Zhang Shi, overjoyed, burst into tears and said, "Prefect, please stay for a meal!"

Chen Guan was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Very well, I was just about to have a long talk with Lord Zhang."

"Stop nagging."

The two shared a meal together.

The next day, Zhang Dun received his appointment and went to take up his post.

The land of Huguang is shrouded in mountains and miasma, and is inhabited by both Han and non-Han peoples.

Legend has it that when Zhang Dun was developing Huguang, he encountered a cliff blocking his way.

The craftsmen, fearing the poisonous insects, dared not chisel through the mountain. Zhang Dun personally took up an iron hammer and struck the rock, rolling up his sleeves and shouting, "Does Heaven wish to obstruct the king's rule?"

Suddenly, a thunderclap split the sky, and the rocks collapsed on their own, revealing a smooth road.

The local people were all astonished and worshipped, calling it "Zhanggong Gorge".

Zhang Dun then introduced agricultural teachers from Fujian and Yue to teach rice cultivation. Within a year, 36 dikes and ponds were built. By the autumn of the fifth year of the Yuan You era, the annual tribute of rice from Jinghu suddenly increased by 200,000 hu.

Local officials often say, "The barbarian chieftain is unruly and difficult to subdue."

Zhang Dun retorted, "It's not that the barbarians are difficult to subdue, but that the officials are afraid of difficulties!"

So Zhang Dun personally traveled throughout Huguang, often wearing a straw hat and braving the wind and rain to understand the people's conditions.

The folk rhyme spread far and wide: "Zhang Gong's straw hat shelters from wind and rain; Zhang Gong's canal flows with white rice."

Historical records state that Zhang Dun governed Huguang for ten years, during which time Huguang was well-governed.

……

"Zhang Zihou said, 'If Huguang becomes a paradise, what is the significance of the two prefectures?'"

Zhang Yue was genuinely pleased to receive Chen Guan's letter.

He had indeed not misjudged Chen Guan; the person he had entrusted with the task had persuaded Zhang Dun to accept it.

Zhang Yue recalled that Chen Guan's "discourse on boats" took place in another historical period at the end of the Yuan You era, after the death of Empress Dowager Gao, when Zhang Dun was summoned by the emperor to travel to the capital by boat.

At the time, Chen Guan, who was still a minor official, boarded a boat to visit Zhang Dun and used the boat as a metaphor to write this long speech.

Zhang Dun was speechless after Chen Guan's words.

Although Zhang Dun found Chen Guan's words unpleasant (and was quite surprised), after much deliberation, he was persuaded by Chen Guan and agreed on the boat to "take over the Yuanyou era as well".

However, after entering the capital, he exiled all the Yuanyou faction members.

When Emperor Huizong ascended the throne, Chen Guan submitted a memorial stating that "the mean is neither too much nor too little, neither too high nor too low, neither too left nor too right."

Prime Minister Zeng Bu expressed a similar opinion, saying, "Neither the Yuanyou nor the Shaosheng factions should be favored."

'For today's matter, the left side should not use the chariot and the right side should not use the jing and the bian.'

Deng Xunwu presented Emperor Huizong with a painting titled "Helpless to Help," which placed the Yuanfeng faction members on the left and the former officials of the Yuanyou era on the right.

Emperor Huizong's initial intention was also to "establish the center and pacify the country".

But the middle way is the most difficult. The political situation is like a seesaw; when one side rises, the other falls, and there's no reason to sit in the middle. Zeng Bu and Chen Guan both held this view. Unfortunately, they, along with Su Shi and Su Zhe, made the mistake of "exerting too much force leads to failure."

Emperor Huizong initially considered two candidates for prime minister: one was Cai Jing, and the other was... Chen Guan.

However, Chen Guan offered too many frank remonstrances, and Emperor Huizong felt that only Cai Jing could help him carry on the legacy of his father and brother. Therefore, he ultimately did not choose Chen Guan, but instead chose Cai Jing as prime minister.

What if Emperor Huizong of Song had chosen Chen Guan as his prime minister in history?

There are no "what ifs" in history.

As for Zhang Dun, he has also been given a good arrangement. The grudges and conflicts between the two of them, and the past grievances, have been over for more than thirty years, and he has become indifferent to them.

Zhang Yue put down the letter Chen Guan had given him and said to Zhang Gen, "Summon Yingzhong to the capital! Appoint him... Minister of Revenue."

Zhang Gen asked, "Father..."

Zhang Yue said, "Yuan Du is my substitute. He has the support of his master, servants, and the Empress Dowager. He is also the son-in-law of Duke Jing. Even after I step down, the court will still move towards the path of reform!"

Zhang Gen exclaimed in surprise, "Father... how could you have ever had such a thought!"

"My elder brother just won a great victory in Jiaozhi, and Wang Hou is also doing well in his military campaigns in the Northwest... Father!"

Zhang Yue stood up and looked out the window. At this moment, three thousand officials were coming and going in the Ministry of Personnel.

Beneath the massive beams of the capital, which would take several people to encircle, officials thronged the courtyard, their crimson and green robes flowing like a river, surging ceaselessly beneath the shadows of the deep palace walls.

The twilight bathed the beams in its light, and the long, flowing time surged before him like a mighty river, never before so vast, yet never so stingy.

Zhang Yue suddenly said, "Geng-ge'er, I suddenly thought of a poem."

"I know that all things are empty when I die, but I grieve that I cannot see the unification of the nine provinces."

"Wang Shibei fixed the day of the Central Plains. He never forgot to tell Nai Weng about the family sacrifices."

Zhang Geng said, "This poem is so moving it could be sung and wept, and it could even move ghosts and gods. I wonder which poet from the Eastern Jin Dynasty wrote it as his last poem."

"I will certainly learn from him!"

Zhang Yue said, "I have forgotten who wrote it, but you can imagine the grief and indignation the person who wrote this poem must have felt, having unfulfilled ambitions in this life and leaving them only to their descendants."

When Zhang Yue was reading the history of the Song Dynasty, the two things that he couldn't get over the most were Lu You's poem and "Crossing the river, crossing the river, crossing the river".

Zhang Gen continued, "Father, we should take what we should now, lest we leave behind a regret for posterity."

Zhang Geng understood Zhang Yue's intention in suddenly bringing up this poem.

"Father, don't you intend to destroy the Tanguts?"

……

In June of the second year of Yuanyou.

Bianliang City was shrouded in a gray, white fog.

The dull sound of the fifth watch drum rolled across the empty palaces of the imperial city.

In Zhang Yue's study, the lamp wick had long since burned out, leaving only a wisp of smoke that eventually dissipated without a trace.

He sat at his desk with his eyes closed, resting.

There was a wooden box in front of him, inside which lay a single arrowhead.

The arrowheads were rough, heavily rusted, and covered in blood and mud; they were relics pulled from Tang Jiu's body eight years ago at the foot of Lingzhou City.

The document that Zhang Zhi had ordered to be sent from Guangyuan Prefecture to the capital over the past few days is now on his desk.

"Kill the thief!"

Zhang Yue inexplicably recalled Tang Jiu's desperate cries amidst the chaos of battle, the soldiers who drowned under the walls of Lingzhou after the breach of the Yellow River's seven-level dike, and the massacre of the Song army in Mingsha City after its fall.

Zhang Yue glanced out the window.

"Dong-dong-dong-!"

The resounding chimes shattered the stagnant air outside the Zichen Palace.

A major daily routine is required every five days.

The massive palace gates opened one after another, and officials dressed in crimson and purple filed in, standing solemnly in their respective ranks beneath the red steps.

The young Emperor Zhao Xu, seated upright, glanced at the assembled officials below, while the Empress Dowager remained seated quietly behind the curtain.

Officials lined up in formation.

"Start your Majesty!"

The voice of Huang Lü, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, broke the silence first, clear as the clash of metal and stone, drowning out the rustling sounds in the hall.

He held an ivory tablet in his hand and stepped out of the class.

"The Khitan Liao Kingdom is vicious and inhumane! Since our army captured Liangzhou, their troops have repeatedly invaded Hebei, burned our villages, plundered our border people, and slaughtered our border guards! The border reports are stained with blood, and every word is heart-wrenching! These barbarians treat our Great Song as nothing, and their wolfish ambitions are as clear as day!"

"But at this very moment, we must restore the old order of Liao and Song, and wish each other well!"

Huang Lü suddenly raised his head and looked straight at the throne, saying, "Your Majesty, I beg you with tears in my eyes! You must not agree to the treaty with Liao!"

"Prime Minister Huang is mistaken!"

Right Minister Lü Gongzhu stepped forward and said, “The national treasury is empty! Last year the Yellow River breached its banks, and this summer the southeast suffered a severe drought. We need to provide disaster relief to the victims, and the palace also needs to repair the Longyou Palace and the Cixi Palace!”

"How many troops were lost in the great war with the Liao Kingdom? Hebei has become a wasteland, and the people have been displaced. What should we do?"

"What Prime Minister Lü says is absolutely right!" Su Shi stepped forward and said, "Prime Minister Huang! The lessons of the past are still fresh in our minds, and the blood and tears have not yet dried!"

"The loyal souls of the eight thousand soldiers of Shiqiao Pass, and the land that was invaded and lost by the Liao Kingdom, are now ready for peace with the Liao Kingdom."

Many court officials stepped forward to oppose it.

Privy Councilor Shen Kuo said, "Your Majesty, please allow me to speak. At this time, it is absolutely not advisable to negotiate peace with Liao. We must act decisively, mobilize the entire nation's strength, launch a thunderous attack, and wipe out the Dangxiang! We must avenge the humiliation suffered by Emperor Renzong and Emperor Shenzong and forever eliminate the threat to the northwest border!"

"We must never tolerate evil, lest we nurture a tiger that will eventually become a major threat, a catastrophic festering wound!"

Shen Kuo's true intentions were now revealed.

Zhang Yue's eyebrows twitched.

Li Qingchen, the Vice Minister of the Chancellery, said: "Not to mention the time of Emperor Renzong, but also the defeats at Lingzhou and Yongle, where hundreds of thousands of loyal souls were buried in the yellow sand, have you forgotten them all? If you lightly provoke conflict today, won't you be repeating the same mistakes and pushing the Song Dynasty and its people into an abyss of no return?"

"'Weapons are instruments of misfortune, and even sages use them only as a last resort!' In the year and a half since the Minister of Works was appointed Prime Minister, the court has already captured Guangyuan Prefecture, Ling Prefecture, Shun Prefecture, Suzhou Prefecture, Gan Prefecture, and Dingnan Prefecture. The whole world has submitted to the rule of the Song Dynasty, and the prestige of our dynasty has spread throughout the world. The Liao Kingdom no longer dares to look directly at our Great Song Dynasty and is willing to stand on equal footing with us. Therefore, this peace negotiation proposes that the Liao Kingdom, the Dangxiang Kingdom, and the Great Song Dynasty maintain lasting peace and harmony. This is a grand plan for peace for a thousand years."

"Why are you still not satisfied and risk provoking conflict with the Liao Kingdom by waging war against the Dangxiang? Moreover, how can you support a large army on a long expedition when it is a war of annihilation? Not to mention the cost of pay, weapons, and transportation. This is like cooking without rice."

Lu Gongzhu turned around and said, "Minister Zeng, you once served as Minister of Revenue, what is your opinion?"

"Prime Minister Lü!" Zeng Bu, the Deputy Privy Councilor, also stepped forward. His voice was steady, carrying the shrewdness honed by years of experience in officialdom, and he also wanted to avoid this dilemma.

"I know the Left Chancellor well, and he is concerned about the country. However, the Liao Kingdom has indeed been established for over a hundred years, and the Tangut cavalry is fierce and difficult to control."

"Our army has marched a long and arduous expedition deep into barren lands. Let alone the odds of victory, if the campaign drags on, the Liao Kingdom could take advantage of the situation and attack Hebei, bringing their troops to the Yellow River. The consequences would be unimaginable. It would be better to reinforce our troops and defend the strategic passes of Hebei, agree to the Liao Kingdom's proposal, reopen the annual tribute and border markets, and continue to appease and control the Dangxiang people. Aligu is the best choice. This is the wise way to govern the country!"

"Control? Appease?" Huang Lü glanced at Zeng Bu. As the Minister of Revenue promoted by Zhang Yue and thus entered the Privy Council, he actually opposed the use of force against the Tanguts.

This person is indeed swaying back and forth.

Zhang Yue remained silent, looking at the faces of the officials in the court, some indignant, some heartbroken, some calculating, and some indifferent, pondering his own plans.

Each person's interests lingered silently in their hearts.

Zeng Bu's opposition was not unexpected. He had always been relatively 'neutral'. When it came to matters of national survival and war that threatened the entire nation, he was afraid of getting involved.

Huang Lü directly rebuked Zeng Budao: "What a shrewd strategist! What a master of appeasement and control! You sit high in the court, living a life of luxury, yet all you talk about all day is 'tribute' and 'markets'!"

"Have you ever personally witnessed the burned-down fields and houses of the border residents in the four routes of Shaanxi?"

"Have you ever seen the Han people who died at the hands of the Tanguts?"

Huang Luzhen, his robe billowing in the wind, said, “Your Majesty, the Dangxiang are shameless and prone to betrayal; how can you so easily trust them?”

"How could the greed of the Liao Kingdom be satisfied by annual tribute?"

"The Liao Kingdom's promise of lasting peace and prosperity to the three families is enough to make us put away our weapons and let our horses graze freely?"

"If we do not seize this great opportunity today and sit idly by tolerating evil, even offering up the world would not satisfy the appetites of the Liao and Dangxiang."

"Have you all forgotten how the Liao Kingdom forced us to cede a village today and lose a city tomorrow? What you called 'mature and prudent' was nothing but waiting for a sharp blade to be placed at your throat! The city of Bianliang is intoxicating with the fragrance of perfumes and cosmetics, yet you have forgotten the hatred of our ancestors and the late emperor's dying wish!"

Zeng Bu's face turned pale.

The entire Zichen Palace fell silent.

Huang Lü knelt heavily on both knees, his forehead touching the ground, and said, "Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, your subject Huang Lü, weeping blood, bows again!"

"The Tanguts are like jackals, fearing power but not virtue! The Khitans have revealed their ferocity, slaughtering our people and trampling our land! This hatred is irreconcilable! This resentment cannot be washed away even if rivers were to overflow!"

"Your Majesty, I implore you to appoint a capable minister to personally lead the royal army to strike at Helan! We will not rest until the Dangxiang are pacified and Chief Li is executed!"

The thunderous roar of clashing swords and galloping horses seemed to echo beneath the dome of the grand hall.

The clamor of opposition that had been just moments before vanished without a trace.

The ministers who advocated peace were speechless.

Cai Jing, the prefect of Kaifeng, observed the interaction between Zhang Yue and Huang Lü.

On the throne, the emperor's body tensed imperceptibly. As he listened to Huang Lu's words, a surge of emotion, a mixture of shock, anger, humiliation, and determination, welled up in his heart, a emotion typical of a young man.

In the depths of those eyes, prematurely tinged with a profound sadness beyond their years, something within the emperor was churning and surging violently. Was it a quiet, illicit affair, or was it the fierce, all-or-nothing spirit ignited by the bloodlust deep within the Zhao Song emperors' veins, a spirit of reckless abandon and bloodshed?

All eyes were on the young emperor.

The Empress Dowager coughed lightly from behind the curtain.

Having understood the Empress Dowager's meaning, the Emperor swallowed back the words he was about to say.

He said to the Empress Dowager, "I have rarely made decisions lately, and have mostly left it to the ministers. However, this matter concerns the country, so I must ask them."

Behind the curtain, the Empress Dowager asked, "What are your brilliant ideas, Grand Tutor?"

Wen Yanbo stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the surrender of the Dangxiang is enough. Why must we destroy their country? If we destroy it, what if another powerful vassal rises in the northwest?”

“In the past, the Tang Dynasty had a much larger territory in the Western Regions than it does today. Even so, it still felt that the land was not large enough and the emperor’s prestige was insufficient. The westward expedition resulted in the defeat at Talas and the An Lushan Rebellion served as a warning.”

"The late emperor did leave a will, and the Minister of Works is indeed a man of great talent and ambition, whose campaigns in the east and west have been invincible, and the surrounding barbarians are in awe of him. However, while the pacification of the Dangxiang is indeed the late emperor's will, I believe... it would be better to find another opportunity and first agree to the Liao Kingdom's peace terms!"

The Empress Dowager then asked, "What is the Minister of Works' opinion?"

Standing beside Wen Yanbo, Zhang Yue stepped forward and said, "Your subject agrees with Duke Wen's view and we should negotiate peace with Liao!"

Zhang Yue recalled his conversation with Zhang Gen in the capital.

"Father, do you really not want to destroy the Tanguts?"

Zhang Yue waved his hand and said, "For thousands of years, countless ordinary people have died, all of whom have accomplished heroic deeds. One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand."

"The time is not yet ripe! We should not do things we are not confident about, let alone risk the fate of our nation and people."

Thinking of this, Zhang Yue finished speaking and withdrew to the court, while the court officials buzzed with excitement.

Huang Lü and Shen Kuo silently withdrew from the court.

The Empress Dowager said, "Since both of you ministers have said so, let us reply to the Liao Kingdom and agree that everything will remain as before, so that from now on the Song, Khitan, and Tangut families can share peace."

As soon as the words were spoken, the court officials discussed among themselves. Some showed joy, some showed regret, and many felt relieved, with some even shedding tears of joy.

Seeing this scene, Huang Lu knew that people's hearts were not at ease.

The assembled officials chanted in unison, "The Empress Dowager is wise and benevolent; from now on, we will enjoy peace and prosperity!"

After the court session ended, the court officials saw Zhang Yue, Shen Kuo, and Huang Lü exchanging pleasantries.

The two men looked solemn, or perhaps they nodded.

……

Early autumn.

Candlelight flickered inside the building.

Yelü Yixin sat blankly at his desk, gazing at the wine in his cup—a special imperial brew bestowed by the Ministry of Rites of the Song Dynasty.

Yelü Yixin sat hunched over his desk, his former imposing presence as a high-ranking official of the Liao Dynasty long gone.

Yelü Yixin still refused to give up, saying, "Hasn't my lord already allowed me to live out my days in the Song Dynasty? I am very ill and don't have many days left to live."

“Lord Wei, how can you speak so naively?” said Zhang Kangguo, Assistant Minister of Rites.

Yelü Yi forced a smile and said, "A traitor is a traitor after all. When I betrayed the Liao court and defected to the Song Dynasty, I already foresaw this outcome. However, I thought the Song Dynasty would still have some lingering affection..."

"The imperial court has promised to take good care of your descendants and family. From the day you arrived in Dengzhou until today, you have lived quite a few days. It can be said that the Song Dynasty has taken good care of you. Five years have passed, and you have enjoyed the full grace of protection. You should be content."

"Now that the great victory at Lingzhou has been achieved, the Liao emperor Yelü Hongji has abandoned his plan to attack the Song in the south and instead wants to make peace with the Song."

He stepped forward and pushed the wine cup closer, saying, "Lord Wei, you may finish this cup to preserve the dignity of both nations. Your death will put the Liao Kingdom at ease, and the Song and Liao will be at peace from now on. This is the greater good."

Faced with the increasingly sharp words of the Song Dynasty officials, Yelü Yixin knew that there was no turning back.

Yelü Yixin gave a bitter laugh, his gaze sweeping over the cup of wine, as if reminiscing about past glories—the prestige of being the prime minister of the Liao Dynasty, the false peace under the protection of the Song Dynasty. He knew this was the end.

He suddenly picked up his wine glass, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.

The cup fell onto the table with a crisp clinking sound.

Soon after, Yelü Yixin swayed and slowly collapsed onto the table, his eyes wide open, devoid of any spirit.

Several days later, a thin coffin was transported to the Song-Liao border.

……

A cup of poisoned wine ended the life of Yelü Yixin, who had fled to the Song Dynasty, and his body was returned to the Liao Dynasty.

Although Yelü Yixin was already terminally ill at the time, and the Song Dynasty agreed to take care of his descendants and family instead of handing them over to the Liao Dynasty, many ministers in the court still considered this move extremely humiliating.

Moreover, the final peace agreement between the Song and Liao dynasties still stipulated an annual tribute of 500,000 taels of silver, which was only 200,000 taels less than the 700,000 taels that Cai Que had agreed to.

The Liao Dynasty 'generously' backed down and no longer demanded that the Song Dynasty return Lingzhou and Liangzhou to the Dangxiang.

Such was the balance of power between nations. The Liao Dynasty maintained its apparent dominance, and the Song Dynasty was unwilling to risk a full-scale war with Liao.

However, after making peace with the Liao Dynasty, the Song Dynasty requested that Li Bingchang and Aligu come to the capital to pay homage, but Li Bingchang refused, citing poor health.

Without hesitation, Aligu immediately set off for Bianjing.

Zhang Yue and Ali Gu are old acquaintances.

Now Zhang Yue watched as Ali Gu, bare-chested and carrying thorns on his back, knelt on the ground with disheveled hair and a dirty face. Behind him, two young children dressed in Hanfu were led into the capital hall, but were driven out by the hall officials and only allowed to wait at the foot of the steps.

This once powerful warlord, who had carved out a territory and coveted Liangzhou, was now groveling on the ground in humility.

Zhang Yue knew that Ali Gu was always cunning and fierce, but now his face showed fear and exhaustion. Zhang Yue knew that this man's spirit was gone, but perhaps he was deliberately putting on an act for him. A true hero can bend and stretch, but this didn't seem like him.

None of the gentlemen in the capital even looked at the other person directly.

Aligu touched his forehead to the steps and loudly pleaded guilty: "Your Excellency, I, Aligu, am filled with remorse and gratitude for the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty's mercy in sparing my life. I have already offered up all the lands of Gansu, Guazhou, and Hexi to the Celestial Empire!"

"With over a thousand miles of territory, I dare not claim any merit. I only beg the Grand Commandant's mercy to grant me the old land of Shazhou so that I may live out my days as a shepherd until my old age. I, the sinner, and my descendants will forever be grateful for the benevolence of the Great Song Dynasty's rebirth!"

Zhang Yue remained silent.

These words were carefully prepared.

Privy Councilor Shen Kuo said calmly, “Aligu, your current situation is no longer what it once was, with a large army and vast territory. The two prefectures of Sha and Yi are merely remnants of the imperial army that have not yet arrived, and our dynasty can take them at any time. You, with your mere remnant army and empty title of only two prefectures, what virtue or ability do you have to presume to discuss any ‘terms’ or ‘gifts’ with the Celestial Dynasty?”

"Prime Minister Shen! This sinner dares not! Dares not speak of bargaining chips! This sinner...this sinner is willing to offer his entire family in vain! My son is here!"

"I beg the Grand Minister's grace to allow the son of this sinner to serve before the Crown Prince! Let them learn from a young age the ways of the sages of our Han dynasty, and understand the great principles of the Spring and Autumn Annals, the distinction between the Chinese and the barbarians! I only ask that the two of them understand that the teachings of the Celestial Empire are the bright and righteous path! I only ask that they, father and son, forever remember the grace of the Great Song Dynasty and remain loyal to it!"

Aligu said something; he was already quite fluent in Mandarin, after all, he had once been a hostage in the Song Dynasty.

The men couldn't help but find it laughable when they saw Aligu's son dressed in Han Chinese attire, including a blue jacket and a square cap.

The child's two little faces were already deathly pale with fright, and tears welled up in his eyes.

Shen Kuo's gaze swept across Ali Gu's face before turning back to Zhang Yue at the head of the table.

Zhang Yue slowly said, "Changing clothes is nothing more than a day's work. I respect you, Aligu, as a ruthless hero."

"Back then, you returned to Qing Tang alone, relying on the meager funds and provisions provided by this dynasty and your former reputation, and conquered five prefectures. This forced both the Dangxiang and this dynasty to look at you with new respect. Do you really think your mind can be tamed by your physical appearance and a few words of the Spring and Autumn Annals?"

"Your move is less a surrender and more a gamble to save your last bit of territory."

Ali kept his head down.

Shen Kuo laughed and said, "Rice in Bianjing is not cheap. The court supported your whole family for free before, and now you have two more mouths to feed. You've certainly made a good calculation."

The ministers chuckled. Aligu's wives, concubines, and children had been detained in Bianjing, yet he still dared to straddle the fence between the Tanguts and the Song Dynasty. Now that he's sending two more sons to the capital, we'll have to add two more pairs of chopsticks for him.

Aligu's body trembled almost imperceptibly, and sweat beaded on his forehead as he said, "I beg you, Sikong, to remember that I also contributed to the court's conquest of Liangling. Please show me mercy."

Shen Kuo and the other ministers exchanged meaningful glances, awaiting the Minister of Works' decision.

Zhang Yue said, “You have nearly ten thousand soldiers in the lands of Sha and Yi, but they are nothing compared to the elite troops of the imperial court in Xihe Road. You know this very well.”

“You want a place to eke out a living…” Zhang Yue paused slightly, “Fine. I’ll grant you that favor.”

Ali suddenly raised his head.

"The court allows you to garrison the two prefectures of Sha and Yi, but you must reduce your troops and the number of your remaining followers must be determined by the Xihe Road Military Command. Following the example of Qinghai, the court will station some troops and officials in Shazhou. After that, you should herd sheep peacefully, keep to your duties, and maintain smooth trade in Hexi. The court will reward you accordingly."

Do you agree?

"I, Aligu, a sinner... bow in gratitude... to the Lord... for his grace!"

Zhang Yue nodded.

"His Majesty will see you in three days. Go and take your two children to see your wife and children in Bianjing. You may stay in Bianjing for about a month, after which you will return to Shazhou alone."

"It's not easy to meet someone from five thousand miles away."

……

After the Tangut, Liao, and Song dynasties achieved peace, Zhang Yue continued his reforms and changes.

It is well known that commerce flourished in the Song Dynasty, but prosperity is one thing, the characteristics of the Song Dynasty economy were the abundance of grass markets and flea markets, with markets visible everywhere.

To maintain its rule and prevent "martial arts masters from violating the law" and "Confucian scholars from disrupting the law with their writings," the Song Dynasty maintained a military force of hundreds of thousands and a tax-paying class of hundreds of thousands of officials. In contrast, the Sui and Tang Dynasties, with their militia system, could be self-sufficient in troops. Furthermore, the Tang Dynasty did not have as many officials as the Song Dynasty.

To support soldiers and officials, these people, who did not engage in production, had to purchase goods from the market, thus promoting commercial prosperity. At the same time, it was necessary to collect money from the people to support them, so a large amount of currency had to be levied from the people, and then this currency was used to make purchases.

In the past, during the Tang Dynasty, people could pay taxes with grain, silk, and hemp.

However, during the Song Dynasty, coins were the primary form of currency.

After Wang Anshi presided over the Xining Reforms, the imperial court intensified its efforts to extract wealth from the people, resulting in even greater expenditures.

Because there was no matching gold and silver to circulate, there was a money shortage. During the reign of Emperor Huizong, Cai Jing issued coins worth ten cash, which was one such measure.

The common people had no money to exchange, so they could only sell their grain, silk cloth, mulberry and hemp to pay the seedling tax and the exemption tax.

Because of the shortage of currency, in years of plenty, people could not sell their grain for much money due to its low price, and in years of famine, they had little grain and had to sell their cattle and houses. Therefore, Sima Guang's criticism of Wang Anshi for his excessive pursuit of wealth (that officials enacted laws solely for the purpose of making money) was also reasonable.

The idea of ​​reforming the government by taking from the people and using it for the people is good, but the people did not have enough matching currency, so the new law became a law that harmed the people.

Therefore, the Green Sprouts Act and the Exemption from Service Act were considered good in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, but harmful in Shaanxi in the Northwest.

Of course, during the Yuanfeng era, Zhang Yue promoted the circulation of salt paper money and, at the same time, used the method of the imperial court purchasing large quantities of paper money from the people to make money circulate in the market again.

However, the currency circulation was still mainly based on copper and iron coins. Although there were salt certificates and paper money as a supplement, people still paid taxes to the court by handing over grain, silk, cloth, mulberry and hemp. Therefore, the reform still had considerable drawbacks among the people.

Now that Zhang Yue has been appointed prime minister and adopted the copper coin system, the annual revenue has increased by one million strings of copper coins. At the same time, money shops have been opened in the private sector for lending out the Green Seeds Fund, and the profits have been put into the national treasury to strengthen fiscal reserves.

Privately-run pharmacies are allowed to participate in market competition, but interest rate regulation is controlled by the government.

This led to the Song Dynasty's economy reaching a new level during the Yuanfeng era, surpassing that of the Yuanfeng era.

Learning from the failed economic reforms of the Liao Dynasty, and with the government-run money exchange establishing clear regulatory rules, risk management was implemented for private lending to prevent potential financial chaos.

When the news of the cessation of hostilities with the Liao and Dangxiang people spread, although people of noble character were unwilling, the common people breathed a sigh of relief, and the economy, especially among merchants, was revitalized.

The entire society is thriving.

……

In the autumn of the second year of Yuanyou.

Sunlight streamed over the bustling city. The air was filled with the rich aroma of newly ripened grains and the fragrance of spices from the Western Regions.

In a corner of the West Market, the bright red gate of the government-run money exchange stands open, bustling with merchants coming and going.

Amidst the clinking of copper coins as silk was exchanged, a merchant from the Western Regions carefully examined the salt notes stamped with the red seal of "Official Seal Money Shop." His fingertips rubbed the tough paper, while he listened to the hearty laughter of the silk shop owner beside him.

The Jiaozi (paper money) was reissued by the Song Dynasty, originating from Zhang Yue's new policy of changing "pawnshops" to "money shops".

"Rest assured, esteemed guest! The new Jiaozi is now the golden talisman for traveling the world. Caravans can pass through Tongguan and go straight to the Shaanxi money exchange, where copper coins can be exchanged on the spot. The perilous journey of carrying thousands of coins and traversing mountains and rivers can be completely saved!"

Before he could finish speaking, a ruddy-faced grain merchant chimed in, his voice booming with delight: "It's not just trade routes! After the Green Seedling Law was brought under the control of the money exchange last year, spring loans and autumn repayments are now clearly priced. I no longer have to be subservient to the powerful and wealthy when buying grain. Their exorbitant interest rates of five percent, which are suffocating, are coming to an end. And this law doesn't disturb the people."

He clapped his hands and laughed, his wrinkles at the corners of his eyes brimming with relief.

Su Shi gazed at the newly hung plaque of "Official Money Exchange" downstairs, the tea in his cup rippled slightly.

"Ziyou, you should know that this combination of the money exchange and the Green Sprouts Act is the essence of Minister Zhang's twenty years of reforms."

“In the past, I saw farmers borrow one string of cash for seedlings in the spring and repay two bushels of wheat in the autumn—the grain, worth 1,500 coins, only covered the debt of 1,000 coins.”

Even in a bountiful year, bankruptcy is not uncommon.

Outside the window, a continuous stream of caravans laden with new grain passed by. Su Shi pointed to the grain-laden caravan and said, “Now, money banks have a unified fixed interest rate of two percent, and the interest rate is jointly discussed by the exchange bureau and the pawnshop. Even the border markets are conducive to stabilizing prices.”

Su Zhe said, “Now the government controls the minting of coins, credit, and salt certificates all at once. Isn’t this competing with the people for profits? Silk merchants in western Zhejiang used to rely on private pawnshops for circulation. Now that money banks have a monopoly on lending, not even one in ten small and medium-sized pawnshops survives!”

"Nowadays, private banks are large pawnshops, which can rival the imperial bank."

Su Shi stroked his beard and recited a long poem, looking down at the orderly flow of people at the entrance of the money shop. There were merchants, peddlers, and ordinary people holding salt certificates and trading permits.

"When the late emperor passed away, he instructed Zhang Yue to continue his new laws. The current money exchange is one of the solutions to the Green Sprouts Law. During the Yuanfeng era, the Minister of Works revised the exemption from corvée labor law, which was praised by the people. However, the Green Sprouts Law failed because officials forced loans and powerful families lent money. Now, the money exchange takes the profits of powerful families to supplement the national treasury, merchants get credit at fair prices, and farmers are spared the harm of low grain prices—these two policies turn harm into benefit!"

"However……"

After the two paid for their tea, the tea server smiled and said, "What fine poem has Scholar Su composed this time?"

Su Shi smiled and said, "It doesn't have much artistic conception."

"A new Zhuque Tower has been built nearby, offering a panoramic view of Bianjing. Why don't you take a look, Scholar Su, and then write the fine line 'The higher you climb, the colder it gets'?"

Su Shi and Su Zhe agreed.

He and Su Zhe walked downstairs and watched as the Hu merchant contentedly put away the salt notes, stuffed them into his bulging leather bag, bowed to the shopkeeper in farewell, and merged into the bustling crowd.

Su Shi and Su Zhe talked as they walked, and Su Shi still had some dissatisfaction with Zhang Yue's Yuan You New Deal.

Su Zhe suddenly said, "Brother, there have been far fewer beggars along the way to Bianjing in the past two years."

"Yes." Su Shi nodded, looking at the faces of the passing people, which showed the peace and stability of the world and the satisfaction of having money and grain in their pockets.

Su Shi and Su Zhe climbed the Zhuque Tower and looked out into the distance. The new bridge over the Bian River was like a rainbow, and the market outside the Zhuque Gate was bustling with activity. It was a peaceful and prosperous scene with the flow of wealth and the gradual peace of officials and people.

Su Zhe said to Su Shi, "Brother, look at this scenery, isn't it poetic?"

Su Shi said to Su Zhe, "I heard from the Imperial Son-in-Law Wang Shen about a man named Zhang Zeduan. He is from Mizhou. He has traveled extensively and enjoys discussing poetry, literature, and policy essays, often touching on the great principles of governing the country and ensuring its stability. However..."

Su Zhe looked up and listened.

"Extremely shallow knowledge."

Su Zhe chuckled.

Su Shi said, "However, this person is not good at classical studies, but he is good at boundary painting. He has been able to develop his own style in the depiction of boats, carriages, market bridges, and city streets."

“I told him that instead of focusing on classical texts, he should master this art of boundary painting.”

“At first he didn’t listen, thinking it was just a minor issue, but after I gave him some advice, he’s starting to believe it now.”

Su Zhe chuckled and said, "That's just how my brother is."

"They don't do proper, serious things."

Su Shi laughed and said, "That is incorrect."

"What is a proper thing to do? As officials, our job is to enable ordinary people to do their proper things."

Su Zhe nodded.

Su Shi said, "Sikong once said, 'The misfortune of the nation is the fortune of the poet; lines written in the style of vicissitudes are the most skillful.' But now I have little inspiration for poetry. It is far less than when I was in Mizhou, Hangzhou, or even when I was exiled to Huangzhou."

"However, having witnessed this scene today, I would like to ask Zhang Zeduan to ascend the Vermilion Bird Tower and create a painting to record this magnificent spectacle."

Su Zhe smiled and asked, "Alright, what's the name of this painting?"

Su Shi said, "I haven't decided yet, but the Book of Songs says, 'We attacked the great Shang, and the court was peaceful and clear.' I think the phrase 'peaceful and clear-minded in a well-governed world' can be used to describe the scenery of Bianjing."

Su Zhe asked in surprise, "Brother also thinks this is a peaceful and prosperous era."

Su Shi said, "Did I say there wasn't any?"

Su Zhe said, "Why do you still have so many criticisms?"

Su Shi was taken aback and said, "I am just speaking from my own feelings. It's not that I think Sikong is bad. You know I just say whatever comes to mind."

"You know that many times we are blinded by our own involvement."

"We may have many complaints, but a few years, or even decades later, when we look back, we suddenly realize that the time we experienced was the best time in the world."

"We just didn't realize it at the time."

"So let a painting, a poem, or an article be passed down to future generations, so that people in the future can see it."

At this point, the brothers leaned on the railing and looked out at the Bian River in the distance. The scenery there, like the tide of history, was flowing endlessly and rushing forward.