In the Southern Song Dynasty, I competed with Mongolia for the world

Chapter 493: After my death, no matter how great the floods are

Zhao Yurui nodded slowly and said: "Looking at history, most of the founding monarchs were relatively wise, while most of the emperors who perished were relatively mediocre. Of course, this is not 100%. There are exceptions. I mean most of them."

Wei Liaoweng nodded heavily, of course he understood this.

"But sometimes, no matter how wise the founding monarch is, it is useless. If his successors are not strong enough, the dynasty will perish."

The Sui Dynasty had such a good start, but it was instantly wiped out just because of the appearance of Guangshen.

The quality, likes and dislikes of an emperor can easily determine the rise and fall of a dynasty.

In Zhao Yurui's view, no matter how hard he worked, if future generations failed to live up to expectations, the Song Dynasty would be over sooner or later.

"So, the change of dynasty is destined by nature. We cannot force many things. Back then, when he was elected as the first emperor, he dreamed of a great Qin Dynasty for thousands of generations, but in the end, the second generation died."

"I am now in power, and the Song Dynasty is invincible, dominating the four seas and the world, but so what? Who knows if the Song Dynasty will perish after I die, and whether the Zhao family will still have a kingdom?"

Wei Liaoweng's expression changed greatly when he heard this. He didn't expect that the emperor would dare to talk about his country like this.

After a moment, his face was full of admiration. Emperor Zhao Yurui was indeed the only emperor in the ages, and he was more enlightened than any emperor.

That's right, in Zhao Yurui's view, the Song Dynasty belongs to Zhao Yurui only, not the Zhao family.

Decades later, after Zhao Yurui died, the court still didn't care whether his surname was Zhao or Song Dynasty.

After I die, who will care about the floods and the sky?
Therefore, Zhao Yurui made various reforms, opened up wisdom, divided the kings, and wrote treaties in the law that others thought were incredible and would cause turmoil. In addition to limiting the imperial power of the subsequent emperors, they also did not care whether the Song Dynasty or not. , is it the Zhao family?

As for whether there will be chaos later, whether the emperor is a member of the Zhao family or not is none of his business. As long as he is on the throne, his Song Dynasty can meet his expectations.

He never thought that Zhao Song could live forever, let alone that the imperial power would always be high.

He is the emperor now, so he wants imperial power. Once he is no longer the emperor, he will definitely raise his hands in favor of the establishment of a constitution and the establishment of a parliament. This is human nature, and he wants to think in the direction that is beneficial to him in everything.

But Zhao Yurui thought more. Even if he was the emperor and had supreme imperial power, he also hoped that when he got older, he would slowly limit the imperial power and let everyone act according to the rules he set.

"I want to set up an order so that everyone, including the emperor who will come after me, can do things according to the order."

"If everyone can act in accordance with the laws of the court and manage the country with rules, it will not matter whether the emperor is stupid or has treacherous ministers, and it will not cause chaos in the world."

"The root of the chaos in all dynasties is that everyone does not follow the rules and does not act according to the law."

This is not what Zhao Yurui thought about on his own. Both the later European constitutional systems and the parliaments before Rome all had successful experiences there.

Many countries still have emperors and are still running normally.

Zhao Yurui's idea was so advanced that it would be unbelievable in the eyes of many people in future generations, let alone ordinary people.

Zhao Yurui believed that even if 99.9% of the people in future generations, once they become emperor, they will definitely think about how to pass the throne to their son.

"Before the Shang Dynasty, the throne of the emperor was abdicated, and the people of the world lived in it with virtue." Zhao Yurui continued.

"Yao passed it on to Shun, and Shun passed it on to Yu, and it became a famous name through the ages."

"When it came to Yu's hands, he was the first to break the rules and pass the throne to his son Qi."

"Emperors in later generations all praise his Dayu's flood control, but it was actually for the emperors' own selfish interests and to ensure that they were rightly appointed to the throne."

"In my opinion, Yu broke the rules and changed the virtuous residence into a son inheriting his father's inheritance. He is actually the number one sinner in China."

"The fine traditions of our Chinese nation were completely lost in his hands."

Wei Ziweng was stunned. He didn't expect that the emperor's words were getting more and more outrageous, but for some reason, he actually felt a little excited.

I can't even believe that the emperor really has such an idea.

"Whether it is now, past, or future, ninety-nine point nine percent of the people in the world will think about passing on the position of emperor to their sons when they reach my position, and it is best to be able to last for thousands of generations - to become the Great Qin for all generations." Zhao Yurui laughed at himself: "Wei Qing, you don't know--"

"Everyone is selfish. No one cares about the life and death of the people or the fate of the nation. They only care about the rights and survival of their children."

"They will think that all my reforms are impossible in this era."

"They will think that it is impossible for the people and ministers to do it now."

"We haven't done it yet, and many people already think we will fail, because they don't even have the courage to try, and because they are sitting in my position, they will definitely not be willing to try--"

"Of course, I am not saying that I will abdicate. I am going to formulate a unique order so that the throne can be passed down in an orderly manner. I hope it can truly last for generations to come."

As for the order of what Zhao Yurui said, Wei Liaoweng couldn't understand it, but he could vaguely understand it.

This was definitely the news that shocked him the most today, and even in the more than ten years he had known the emperor.

When Wei Liaowen heard the last word, he knelt down again: "Your Majesty is selfless and dedicated to the people of the world. I am so lucky to be able to work with Your Majesty in this life -" After saying this, he burst into tears and couldn't help crying anymore.

Zhao Yurui started by talking about the first two of the three major disadvantages of changing dynasties.

This is dealt with by restricting imperial power and ministerial power.

In these years, Zhao and Rui let the cabinet handle minor matters, and major matters were handled by him. Later, they gradually let major matters also be handled by the cabinet, gradually weakening the emperor's willful power.

However, the cabinet does not control the military and has no military power. There are more than ten or twenty cabinet members, who have a mutual restraint effect.

The next step is to use logistical supplies and relocation of towns to restrict the rights of outside military leaders. This kind of thing has been experienced in later generations. The simplest is to relocate the town. The local governor or the general in charge of the army will move it every five years, and the troops will not leave.

It officially started after Zhao Yurui forced the Mongols away the year before last. Lieutenant generals and above were all transferred within five years. They changed positions in a large space. The generals from the north were moved to the south, those from the south to the east, those from the west to the north, and those from Lin'an. Overseas, the same is true for junior officers, who have to relocate every five years.

All troops stationed overseas are rotated in five to ten years. Through various measures, they can effectively restrict the emperor, powerful ministers, and military leaders.

In the past, prime ministers could still decide on the promotion and transfer of military attachés. Therefore, during the Song and Ming dynasties, local generals would flatter the prime minister and his assistant in the capital. Even Qi Jiguang knew how to flatter Zhang Juzheng.

But in Zhao Yurui's case, there are two systems just like in later generations. Military attachés belong to military officials, and civil servants belong to civil servants.

The military attaches are coordinated by the Ministry of War, including the chief minister of the cabinet and the Ministry of Personnel, and they cannot decide on matters of the Ministry of War.

From now on, all the ministers of the Ministry of War will be senior military generals who retired from the army.

No civilian official can serve in the Ministry of War.

From the seventh year of Yuanzhen to the present, Zhao Yurui spent four years to replace all the officials of the Ministry of War with military attachés, and wrote it into the law that no civilian officials could enter the Ministry of War in the future.

Those who reach the rank of Minister of War or above must be retired military generals who have personally led troops, been on the battlefield, and have achieved military exploits.

So Zhao Yurui said that everyone should behave according to the rules.

If the Song Dynasty had followed laws and regulations to decide on the appointment, dismissal, and transfer of the Ministry of War and military attachés, whether it was the civil servants of the court or the chief assistants, they could not decide the fate of the military attaches, and the military attaches would not have to flatter them or fight with them. By building a good relationship, and the civil servants deciding their logistics, supplies, and adjustments (including moving towns in five years), the two sides would restrict and balance each other.

As for weakening the imperial power, there are many successful experiences that future generations can learn from. Zhao Yurui will definitely try it too. Why do they do this? Just because he feels happy.

Zhao Yurui chatted a lot with Wei Liaoweng that day, and Wei Liaoweng basically understood what His Majesty the Emperor meant. The Emperor was now quite centralized in order to pacify Mongolia and expand his territory. He basically planned to start weakening the imperial power and power after he turned sixty. Your honor.

When it comes to weakening imperial power and restricting local nobles, it must be supported and promoted by officials who have no selfish motives.

Wei Jinsi, the son of Wei Liaoweng, will join the cabinet as the chief minister in the future. Qin Zhuo and him will specially select for the emperor enlightened officials with new university education and rich experience overseas to promote these reforms with the emperor. .

Those officials who are still loyal to Confucianism and believe that the power of the king is divinely authorized, and who are relatively foolish and loyal, will gradually be removed from the imperial ranks by Zhao and Rui in the future.

Zhao Yurui also made it clear to Wei Liaowen that both you and your son Wei Jinsi will join the cabinet and serve as chief assistants, but after the Wei family, the emperor will no longer take care of them. It doesn't matter whether you want to be an official or do anything. , all have to rely on themselves.

In the future, becoming an official will be through the imperial examination, which is based on your ability. If you fail, there will be nothing you can do.

Zhao Yurui established the system, and everyone followed the system. No one could break the rules.

Wei Liaoweng understood the emperor's intention. From now on, he must select young and enlightened officials from all over the world to prepare and train them for future restructuring.

The most difficult thing is selfishness, because the emperor is right, 99.9% of people will have selfishness.

After saying this, Zhao Yurui suddenly asked: "Although Wei Qing supported moving the capital to Yanjing back then, I can tell that Wei Qing probably didn't agree with it in his heart."

Wei Liaoweng did not deny it either: "No matter what your majesty does, I will fully support you."

Although he didn't say anything against it, his meaning was obvious.

"Why do you think Yanjing is so bad?" Zhao Yurui asked with a smile.

"After the Mongols were expelled, there were no major enemies in the north. The city of the Song Dynasty was almost built to Lake Baikal. There seems to be something wrong with the location of the capital? The imperial court is now going all out to the west, and even wants to enter the Persian Gulf. Why not Moving west?"

According to the territory of the Song Dynasty, the control power has now reached near the Altai Mountains, and the army has arrived in the Persian Gulf. Wei Liaoweng believes that it is best to move the capital to Xi'an, which can further strengthen the control of the west.

"Yanjing is not considered a central area now." Zhao Yurui walked to the edge of the map at this time and pointed to the north of Lake Baikal and the northeast of Hai Sanwei.

"These places may belong to the Principality of Ross in the future. They also like to expand outwards. We must be the first to seize more territory in the Far East."

"There are very few people north of Lake Baikal now, but we can continue to immigrate. In ten, twenty, even fifty, or one hundred years, we will strive to move tens of millions of people to these places in the future. Then our Yanjing will then become the center.”

"Furthermore, the north has been ruled by Jin Meng for many years, and the people have not recognized the identity of the Han people. Moving the capital to the north has the intention of winning over the hearts of the Han people in the north."

Wei Liaoweng understood a little after hearing Zhao Yurui's explanation.

Now Yanjing seems to be on the edge of the Song Dynasty, and the main force of the Song Dynasty is expanding westward. But in the future, when people migrate to the north and expand, Yanjing will become the center of the Song Dynasty.

To be honest, looking at the map, the large area north of Yanjing, although there is no one there, is larger than the Song Dynasty now.

In the future, if they are all occupied, and tens of millions of people immigrate there, and then multiply and live, a few hundred years later, there will be tens of millions of people north of Lake Baijia, and then Yanjing will be the center of the Song Dynasty.

If we move to Xi'an, it will be too far from the north and our control will be insufficient.

Zhao Yurui thought about dozens or even hundreds of years in the future, but everyone only saw the present.

Wei Liaoweng didn't say anything more, but he was still thinking in his heart that Hubei was a vast country with few people and a land of ice and snow. He didn't know why the emperor always wanted to occupy it.

But think about it, what the emperor said is right. If you don't occupy the Song Dynasty, if it is occupied by others in the future, then others can go south at any time.

While Zhao Yurui was persuading Wei Liaoweng and his son to support their subsequent restructuring, another large city in the Far East of the Song Dynasty was also being completed.

In the second year of Yuanzhen's reign, the Song army set up a naval division on Kushuo Island (Kuye Island) with three battalions and 1,500 people.

Then they began to set up a stronghold fifty miles southwest of Kushuo Island. First, they built a fort, which was mainly used to store supplies.

Beginning in April of the third year of Yuanzhen, the Song army built Kuye City about 500 miles southwest of Kushuo Island after relocating 5,000 Korean households and 1,000 savage households.

From the third year of Yuanzhen to the present eleventh year, for eight full years, the garrison troops and horses rotated by the Song Army changed twice.

The Song army successively moved 10,000 Korean households, 3,000 savage households, and 15,000 Song households (including the former Khitans and Jurchens), and finally built Kuye City, the largest city in the Far East, in eight years.

Kuye City was built on the east side of the Alimen River (Ussuri River), close to the Alimen River. It initially had a size of about 10,000 people, and later became larger and larger with the immigration.

At present, there are 3,000 Song army generals stationed in the city, plus nearly 30,000 households of various ethnic groups (mainly Goryeo, wild Jurchen, Khitan, Jurchen, Song people, etc.), a total of more than 100,000 people, and the newly built Changchun City, Hai The three cities all belong to Liaodong Prefecture.

Kuye City is also the largest city outside Shenzhou, the provincial capital of Liaodong Province.

At that time, many people did not understand why the imperial court moved so many people here and developed it into a big city. It was more than 5,000 miles away from Lin'an and more than 4,000 miles away from Yanjing.

Now Wei Liaoweng could understand that Zhao and Rui had wanted to move the capital to Yanjing at that time.

(Recommend Der Spiegel’s new book "I Died Again and Again in the Ming Dynasty". Welcome to collect it. Please continue to support it)
(End of this chapter)