Doctor of the Great Song Dynasty: In the beginning, Li Qingzhao and Li Qingzhao made a private decis

Chapter 326 Financial War
"Choose a general and control the five armies!"

All the officials in the court were shocked and looked at Fan Zheng in disbelief.

You must know that the Song Dynasty promoted the use of civility to control military affairs, not just to guard against military commanders, but whoever controlled the military forces was under the court's guard.

At that time, Zhao Kuangyin was in charge of the military power alone and launched the Chenqiao Mutiny, which established the Song Dynasty. Zhao Kuangyin started his career like this, so naturally he was very wary of those who held military power. Even if this person was a civil servant who was loyal to the country, it was not that he did not distrust his character. , but because of its ability to rebel.

It was under this thought that even the front line against Xixia in the northwest was divided into five lines by the imperial court, and the chief generals appointed were all civilian officials. The purpose was to control each other and completely cut off their ability to rebel.

Now Fan Zheng proposed that a general should directly command the five-pronged army. It was an army of nearly 20, and it was the most elite and capable army in the Song Dynasty. This directly offended the most sensitive nerves of the Song Dynasty court.

"Fan Zheng, using culture to control military force is the rule of all dynasties in the Song Dynasty. The division of troops into five routes is the invincible magic weapon of Taizu Taizong of the Song Dynasty. How can I allow you to change it at your own request!" Lu Dafang said angrily.

All the officials in the court also frowned and looked at Fan Zheng. The reform and military strategy was different from the reform of young crops or the method of protecting horses. This violated the bottom line of the Zhao and Song royal family, and even more so the court.

Fan Zheng showed no fear, and argued with reason: "Dividing the troops into five groups can indeed prevent the concentration of military power, but it greatly weakens the military force of the Song Dynasty. It is flexible to stretch out the five fingers, but it is more powerful when clenched into a fist. Now We, the Song Dynasty, are faced with the combined troops of Liao and Xia, so we must strike hard and defeat Xixia quickly to break the situation!"

After Fan Zheng finished speaking, he clenched his fist and swung it hard.

All the officials in the court were silent. They naturally knew that the strongest force would be achieved by joining together. However, they knew exactly how the Zhao family came to the throne in the first place. For the royal family, their own throne was naturally more important.

"Fan is a doctor and can only find out the cause of the disease. Please forgive Fan for speaking bluntly. One of the causes of the Song Dynasty's repeated defeats and wars was the strategy of dividing the troops. The disastrous defeat of His Majesty Shenzong's five-pronged attack on Xia is still before our eyes. What happened in the past An army that does not forget the aftermath, now that Xixia is attacking in a large scale, should we divide our troops? If we miss the opportunity and lead to a joint attack from Liao and Xia, the Song Dynasty will be in danger." Fan Zheng said.

Zhao Xu's face suddenly darkened.

"Don't talk about the current battle. In the future, the imperial court will implement the great detour strategy to destroy the Xixia and Liao Kingdoms and unify the world. Will the imperial court have to divide its forces into five groups?" Fan Zheng's series of rhetorical questions suddenly surprised Zhao Xu.

He knew that he had to make a choice, whether to abide by the teachings of his ancestors and continue to divide his troops, or to choose to reform the military strategy and combine the troops to strengthen the Song Dynasty's military force, but increase the risks to the Song Dynasty royal family.

Fan Zheng continued to persuade: "To inform the officials, the royal ancestral precepts certainly have some truth. However, now that the military supervision system of the Song Dynasty is being improved, martial arts has been initially implemented, and gunpowder weapons are showing great power in the army, the officials only Controlling these three points is enough to prevent military generals from rebelling, and it is time for the royal family’s ancestral precepts to change.”

Fan Zheng is not a fool. He understands that if he had previously proposed to unify the five armies of the Song Dynasty, it would definitely arouse opposition from the government and the public. However, now that the military supervision system of the Song Dynasty is being implemented in the army, the martial arts that integrates civil and military forces has been implemented. In the second period, not to mention gunpowder weapons are even more powerful defensive weapons, but they have a major drawback, that is, they cannot be reused. The gunpowder weapons in the world are controlled by the firearms supervisor in Kaifeng City. Even if there is a general rebellion, there is no gunpowder weapon. , and could not threaten the Song Dynasty.

"What do you think, dear friends?" Zhao Xu looked around at the ministers and asked solemnly.

"The Song Dynasty has implemented the integration of civil and military forces, and the weapons supervisor controls the world's firearms. If it is just to unify the military forces during war, I think we can give it a try." Su Song was the first to support.

Zhang Dun thought for a while and said: "Liao and Xia jointly sent troops. This battle is related to the fate of the Song Dynasty. I believe that we should go all out to win this battle!"

Zhang Dun had always advocated tough foreign policy, and the Liao-Xia lion was asking for an increase in annual coins to 300 million guan. If he lost, the Song Dynasty would have no chance to stand up and would have to be slaughtered.

"I also agree to join forces!" Zeng Bu also agreed. He is the privy envoy. Once defeated, he will bear the brunt and be held accountable. Naturally, he will do his best to win this battle.

Lu Dafang couldn't help but sigh when he saw this, but did not object. After all, now that Liao and Xia are jointly sending troops, one accident could lead to a war of annihilation of the country. No one can bear such a huge responsibility.

"allow!"

Zhao Xu saw that the ministers had no objections and immediately agreed.

Of course, his agreement to join forces was not just the persuasion of his ministers, but his confidence as an emperor.

He has been in power for three years, and his imperial power has long been stable. Naturally, he is not comparable to the little emperors of the later Zhou Dynasty. Furthermore, as an emperor, he naturally has a more ambitious ambition, which is to unify the world.

If he doesn't even dare to temporarily hand over a soldier of the Northwest Five Routes to a general, and later destroy Xixia, destroy the Liao Kingdom, and unify the world, is it necessary to divide the troops? Not to mention that the division of troops system has been proven by successive dynasties to be the key to defeat. because.

Since the forces must be combined sooner or later, it is the most appropriate start to unite the five forces in the northwest now. If there is a problem, it may be possible to remedy it.

"The officials are wise!"

Fan Zheng saluted solemnly. He naturally knew how rare it was for Zhao Xu to be able to make this decision. This is why he fully assisted Zhao Xu. Zhao Xu could indeed be called a hero of the previous generation.

Now the Song Dynasty has begun to try to unify all the soldiers and give more trust to the generals. In the future, it may be possible to avoid the tragedy of self-destruction of the Great Wall in future generations.

"I wonder who you think is the most suitable handsome man!" Zhao Xu took a deep breath and asked solemnly.

Suddenly the officials frowned. This position was extremely sensitive, and no one dared to make the decision without authorization.

"From the perspective of the veteran, it is necessary to choose a person with high moral character and respect as the commander to ensure that nothing goes wrong." Yang Wei said.

Although the old party acquiesced in joining forces, it was still extremely wary of generals.

Fan Zheng twitched the corner of his mouth and said, "Master Yang, this is a war, not a job to hire a wife. The first thing the court wants to ensure is to win this war."

Yang Wei said angrily: "Master Fan is young and energetic, does he want to be handsome?"

Fan Zheng grinned and said: "Fan is still relatively young, so it is difficult for him to take on a big job. However, Fan has a suitable candidate. Wei Chen recommended Zhang Kai, the general manager of Jingyuan Road, to be the commander in chief."

"Zhang Qi!"

All the officials couldn't help being surprised and turned their eyes to Zhang Dun.

Zhang Kai was Zhang Dun's cousin. Fan Zheng took the initiative to recommend Zhang Kai as his commander. How could he not surprise everyone?

Fan Zheng said loudly: "In the battle of Pingxia City, Fan was the first to take advantage of the thunderous thunder. In fact, the real military merit was Lord Zhang. Without the cooperation of Lord Zhang, the battle of Pingxia City would not have been possible." It’s possible to achieve such a feat.”

Even Zhang Dun didn't expect Fan Zheng to admire Zhang Kai so much. He looked at Fan Zheng in disbelief and didn't understand what Fan Zheng's purpose was.

"Moreover, Lord Zhang proposed the strategy of attacking and disturbing the farming, which made Xixia exhausted and allowed the Song Dynasty to change its disadvantage in fighting Xixia. In addition, Lord Zhang is in the northwest and knows the military affairs of Xixia well, so he will definitely be able to find a good opportunity to defeat Xixia." Fan He said solemnly.Zhao Xu discussed with officials from the Manchu Dynasty and finally agreed that Zhang Kai was indeed the most suitable candidate.

Zhang Kai was a civil servant and a Jinshi, so he was naturally trusted by the court. In addition, Zhang Kai had repeatedly made military exploits in the northwest, allowing him to command the five-pronged army and convince the public.

"According to the report, Zhang Kai, the envoy of Jingyuan Road, is commanded to lead the elite troops of the five northwest routes to fight against Xixia." Zhao Xu immediately ordered.

"The officials are wise!"

The ministers congratulated him one after another.

"As for the invasion of the Liao Kingdom, Master Zeng will immediately go north to command the armies to frighten the Liao Kingdom." Zhao Xu was very courageous. Since he decided to unite his forces, he directly appointed Zeng Bu to command the northern armies in case of emergencies.

Zeng Bu couldn't help being shocked and said solemnly: "Old minister, I will definitely live up to the trust of the government."

"The officials are wise and powerful, and the Song Dynasty will definitely win this battle." The officials congratulated.

Seeing the high fighting spirit of all the officials in the Manchu Dynasty, Fan Zheng made a shocking statement: "The officials should not be happy too early. In addition to defeating the Liao-Xia war, there is another war imminent."

"Is there another battle?"

The officials' expressions suddenly froze and they looked at Fan Zheng in disbelief.

"Who else in the world besides Liao Xia dares to threaten us, the Song Dynasty, Tubo, Dali or Jiaozhi." Zhang Dun said angrily.

Although the Song Dynasty was repeatedly bullied by the Liao and Xia, it was still one of the great powers in the world. When Qingtang dared to stab the Song Dynasty in the back, the country was already destroyed. With Qingtang's experience, who would dare to take advantage of the Song Dynasty?

Fan Zheng shook his head and said: "This war is not between one country, nor a cold war, nor a hot war, but a financial war."

"Financial war?" Baiguan looked at Fan Zheng puzzled.

Fan Zheng took a deep breath and said: "Now that the Royal Bank has just been established, its foundation is not yet stable. Now that Liao Xia invades, the people of the Song Dynasty will definitely be frightened and withdraw money from the Royal Bank. The Royal Bank will usher in a run wave."

Lu Dafang frowned and said, "That's not easy, just return all the people's young crops money to the people!"

Fan Zheng smiled bitterly and said: "How can it be so simple? In order to pay the interest on the young people's money and earn interest for the court, a lot of the young people's money has been loaned out. If the people all over the world want to take the young people's money, then the Royal Bank will not be able to take it. Come out, as a result, the credibility of the Royal Bank will be dealt a devastating blow, which is probably one of the sinister intentions of the Liao Kingdom."

"The Liao Kingdom is indeed vicious!" All the officials of the Song Dynasty rebuked angrily.

If the Song Dynasty agrees to Liao's conditions, the Royal Bank will naturally be able to operate smoothly. If the Song Dynasty refuses, and Liao and Xia go to war, the Song Dynasty will not only suffer losses, but the reputation of the Royal Bank will also be greatly damaged.

Yang Wei looked at Fan Zheng with dissatisfaction and said: "Fan Zheng, if you hadn't come up with evil methods, how could the Song Dynasty be in trouble today?"

The incentive for Liao and Xia to jointly send troops was Fan Zheng's proposal to open the Maritime Silk Road. Now, in the domestic financial war of the Song Dynasty, Fan Zheng also proposed the Royal Bank, which made the old party very dissatisfied with Fan Zheng.

Many old party officials have accused Fan Zheng, and the new party has also added insult to injury.

Su Song snorted coldly and said: "If I remember correctly, when I returned from my voyage to the East, I made a profit of nearly one million guan. The court was cheering. The Royal Bank expected to make more than 400 million guan every year, and the court couldn't wait to share half of it. .”

All the officials in the court couldn't help but look embarrassed. When Fan Zheng was able to bring benefits to the court, all the officials in the court naturally greeted him with smiles. But now they are adding insult to injury. It can be said that it goes against the gentlemanly style they advertise every day.

Zhao Xu frowned and said, "Fan Aiqing, do you have a way to break this situation?"

Fan Zheng nodded solemnly and said: "The officials can rest assured. As long as the Song Dynasty is undefeated, the Royal Bank will have no worries! Of course, some people are worried and want to take away their own money. Currently, the Royal Bank has about [-]% of its cash in circulation. Although it can In response to a period of runs, if there is too little cash, it may affect the operation of the Royal Bank, so I need the support of the Account Control Department."

"Household!"

Suddenly, all the officials in the court couldn't help but turn their attention to Fan Chunchun.

Fan Chunchun frowned and said, "Fan Taicheng, the expenses of the Ministry of Household Affairs are huge. If there is no money, it will lead to even greater chaos."

Although he and Fan Zheng were uncles and nephews, the Ministry of Household Affairs was related to the political operation of the Song Dynasty, so naturally they could not hand over their financial rights easily.

Fan Zheng said solemnly: "Don't forget, Mr. Fan, that half of the Royal Bank's income belongs to the imperial court. Now that the Royal Bank is in trouble, how can the Accounts Department sit idly by and do nothing? Furthermore, Fan does not intend to touch the Accounts Department." As for the money, once the money from the accounts department is deposited in the Royal Bank, the Royal Bank can withdraw [-]% of the cash, plus the money circulating among the people, the doctor’s money will not be used, so maybe we can get through this."

Fan Chunchun couldn't help frowning, thinking for a moment and said: "Although you and I are uncles and nephews, now it is official business. First, the money in the Account Department is not handed over to the Royal Bank, but deposited in the Royal Bank. The Royal Bank needs to follow Current interest calculation.”

"Calculation of demand interest?"

The officials of the Ministry of Accounts couldn't help but their eyes lit up. They must know that the Ministry of Accounts does need money, but it is not needed immediately. Usually a lot of money is lying in the warehouse of the Ministry of Accounts. If it is deposited in the Royal Bank, the current interest rate of [-]% is low. , but the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Affairs has a lot of money, which can be used at any time and earn a lot of interest.

"Second! The Account Department needs to borrow the flying money from the Royal Bank, and the Royal Bank is not allowed to charge any fees!" Fan Chunchuan added another condition.

The officials of the Manchu Dynasty nodded slightly. Most of the flying money business was used by merchants. It was not that the Ministry of Household Affairs did not use it. The Ministry of Revenue needed to collect taxes from various places every year. At the same time, it also needed to allocate money to various places or distribute food and salaries to officials and the army. Using flying money was extremely important. frequently.If you can use Royal Bank's flying money business at will, this will not only greatly reduce the burden on the court, but also save a lot of money.

"Can!"

People under the eaves had to lower their heads, so Fan Zheng gritted his teeth and agreed.

Seeing Fan Zheng's deflated look, all the officials in the court couldn't help but feel happy. The Royal Bank was extremely important to the court. It could not only issue national bonds for the court, but also earn a lot of profits for the court every year. Naturally, the court could not sit back and watch. There was a run on the Royal Bank.

However, they did not know that Fan Zheng and Fan Chunchen looked at each other secretly. This was a tacit negotiation between the two. From then on, the Royal Bank obtained sufficient cash, and the account department obtained the channels and interest of the Royal Bank. It can be said to be a win-win situation.

(End of this chapter)