I served as an admonisher in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 504: Twenty-four streets of Bianjing? A family that cuts ice does not raise cattle or sheep
Inside the Chui Gong Hall.

When Zhao Zhen announced his intention to lead the army in person to destroy Xia, the hall suddenly became quiet.

After a while, Prime Minister Wen Yanbo was the first to step forward.

"Your Majesty, the late emperor personally came to the Song-Liao border because our army's morale was low and we urgently needed the late emperor to boost morale and stabilize the army. Now, our army's morale is high and we are bound to succeed in destroying Xia. Your Majesty should not take risks."

"If the emperor is to leave Bianjing for a long time, he will need to appoint a crown prince, appoint assistant ministers, and handle many other trivial matters. It is very cumbersome. Xixia is not worth the emperor's personal visit!"

"I second the motion!" Fu Bi stood up.

"If a full-scale war breaks out with Liao, it would be of great benefit for the emperor to personally visit the border. However, Xixia is already at the end of its strength, and it would be more valuable for the emperor to stay in Bianjing City!"

Hearing this, Zhao Zhen's face turned gloomy.

The two of them had spoken very tactfully.

To put it bluntly,

Whether Zhao Zhen personally led the army to fight or not would basically not affect the outcome of the war.

Zhao Zhen looked at Su Liang.

When he was expanding the border in Hehuang, he told Su Liang that if Xia was to be completely destroyed, he would definitely lead the army in person, and Su Liang did not object.

All the ministers also looked at Su Liang.

Su Liang stood up with a smile on his face.

"I have no objection to your majesty leading the army in person, but if you go to the northwest, I'm afraid that in the history books of later generations, you will be suspected of stealing credit from the military officers. The people always like to tell the truth, and their words are often more trustworthy to future generations than historical records."

After Su Liang finished speaking, he retreated.

Everyone in the hall was smart. After careful consideration, they understood what Su Liang meant.

present.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that Western Xia was no match for the Song Dynasty.

Di Qing worked in the northwest in his early years, and now he is expanding the border in Hehuang. It is only a matter of time before he destroys Western Xia.

At this time, no matter whether it was Zhao Zhen or the ministers, no matter who went, they would be suspected of wanting to "take advantage of the credit."

When providing timely assistance, the charcoal is the protagonist; but when adding flowers to the icing on the cake, the flowers are dispensable.

Zhao Zhen and all the ministers knew it very well.

Even if they went to the northwest and participated in the destruction of Xia, the people would definitely think that Di Qing was the main contributor and they were just benefiting from it.

The following battles did not involve so many strategies or tactics, they were all hard battles of breaking through.

It would be better to stay in Bianjing City, so that you can leave a good reputation for knowing how to appoint good people to the right positions.

Ouyang Xiu smiled helplessly and said, "Your Majesty, gentlemen, even the military advisor Jingming doesn't want to go, which means that destroying Xia is a foregone conclusion. If we go, it really won't make much difference. So let's stop arguing, and we won't go!"

"Yes! Your Majesty, it will be the time for you to lead the army in person after we recover Yanyun. The mere Western Xia is not worth your visit!" Wen Yanbo said.

Zhao Zhen curled his lips, feeling a little aggrieved.

"I'm not going! I'm not going! Remember what you said, I must participate when we recover Yanyun!"

All the ministers bowed in unison.

immediately.

Zhao Zhen picked up the "General Strategy for the Destruction of Xia" and looked at Wen Yanbo, saying, "Send a message to Prime Minister Di Shu, and have him follow this strategy and fight as hard as he can!"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Wen Yanbo bowed solemnly.

Followed by.

Zhao Zhen looked at Wang Yaochen, the Third Secretary, again.

"Prime Minister, this war has cost a lot of money. Will the treasury be short of money and food?"

"It won't be a big problem if we only fight with Western Xia. But if a war breaks out on the northern border, it will be a little tense," said Wang Yaochen.

The most expensive thing in the world is war.

Fortunately, the Song Dynasty has been storing money and food in recent years.

Zhao Zhen nodded slightly and said, "Liao is trapped in civil strife. The conflict between Yelu Hongji and Yelu Chongyuan is getting worse and worse. In addition, Yelu Zongzhen's health has not been very good recently. It is highly likely that he will not participate in the war. But just in case, we should be more frugal this year and control the expenditure of each government office."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Wang Yaochen bowed solemnly.

……

On February , the dragon looked up.

The streets of Bianjing were crowded with caravans.

Some merchants carried silk, porcelain, tea and other commodities to the northwest, some loaded their boats with paintings, calligraphy and clothes and shipped them to the south of the Yangtze River, and some carried the specialties of various prefectures to Jiaozhi, Dali and other countries in the south...

Cao Yi, the uncle of the Cao State, is very busy.

He was responsible for the maritime trade in the east of the Song Dynasty, the commercial development in the northwestern Hehuang region, and the trade transactions with the surrounding countries.

Especially the Hehuang area.

When Su Liangdao said he wanted to develop the Hehuang area, Cao Yi naturally spared no effort and invested a lot of money.

Once Cao Yi's people become familiar with the trade in Hehuang, the road ahead for merchants will become easier.

……

To the northeast of the Song Dynasty, the fighting between Japan and Goryeo was fierce.

Although the Japanese troops have not yet invaded Goryeo's territory, they have already controlled most of the surrounding waters.

Once the entire sea area is occupied, Goryeo will just have to wait to be beaten.

at the same time.

Many merchants and nobles from Goryeo secretly fled to the Liao Kingdom with huge amounts of wealth.

Although the Goryeo court tried its best to stop it and hoped that the Liao Kingdom could persuade these people to return in time, all the wealthy people still successfully became citizens of the Liao Kingdom through various means.

This also led to chaos within Goryeo.

Burning, killing and looting became the daily routine of the Korean people.

Just started.

When Japan sent the body of Goryeo's special envoy Wang Youcheng to Goryeo, Goryeo continued to explain and shout that it was innocent.

But when no one paid attention to them, they had no choice but to fight to the death.

this moment.

The Koreans deeply regretted listening to the Liao Kingdom and deeply regretted provoking Su Jingming of the Song Dynasty.

Unfortunately, it's all too late.

……

February 10th, early morning.

Di Qing conveyed the imperial edict of the Song Dynasty in the Xihe area, enumerating more than ten major crimes committed by Western Xia against the Song Dynasty.

Including: looting, injustice, bad morals, bloodlust, etc.

Then he announced in the northwest that he would unite with the Tibetan troops in Qingtang, send 250,000 troops, and attack Western Xia in five directions.

As soon as this announcement was made, people in the Northwest were excited.

Many young and middle-aged men and veterans volunteered to serve as porters and participate in the war to destroy Xia.

at the same time.

The news of the complete destruction of Xia was also published in the state and prefectural newspapers of all prefectures in the Song Dynasty.

The Song Dynasty, which was once only capable of defending itself.

This time we must completely destroy this long-standing neighboring enemy.

soon.

The Liao Kingdom also learned the news, but they did not dare to act.

If they dare to help Xia, the Jurchens in the north will immediately become active.

In addition, the Liao emperor Yelü Zongzhen was in poor health, and the dispute over the throne between Yelü Hongji and Yelü Chongyuan had reached a point where they were at loggerheads.

The Liao Kingdom simply did not have the energy to send troops to help the Xia.

They knew that if the Song Dynasty destroyed Western Xia, the next step would definitely be Yanyun.

But they are currently unable to join the war early.

We can only hope that Western Xia can hold out a little longer and consume as much military strength as possible from the Song Dynasty.

……

On the morning of February 18th, the sky was just getting light.

At a corner of Nanmen Street, a guy selling folk tabloids held up a tabloid and shouted.

"Tabloid! What will Bianjing look like three years from now? It's all in today's tabloid!"

"Tabloid! What will Bianjing look like three years from now? It's all in today's tabloid!"

"Tabloid! What will Bianjing look like three years from now? It's all in today's tabloid!"

……

His shouts attracted most of the people on the street.

The people of Bianjing City loved reading tabloids.

If you don't read it for a day, you will lack the capital to chat with friends after dinner.

When they heard that the tabloid described the city of Bianjing three years later, they began to buy the tabloid.

On other streets in the city, people were also rushing to buy tabloids.

at the same time.

Su Liang walked out of the Su residence. Uncle Ji handed Su Liang several tabloids and then drove Su Liang towards the Censorate.

Su Liang sat in the carriage and began to read the tabloids.

He read the newspaper most mornings on his way to the yamen.

As a censor, he had to be the first to know all the news in Bianliang City.

Not long after.

Su Liang was attracted by an article.

The title of this article is: "Draft of the General Strategy for the Construction of Twenty-four Streets in Bianjing".

Signed by: Shangguan Yu, a merchant from Bian Jing.

Shangguan Yu was a big businessman in Bianjing City.

Cao Yi once mentioned him.

This man was a house rental agent. As the housing prices in Bianjing City have been rising in recent years, he made a lot of money.

In addition to building, renting and selling houses, the current business also involves restaurants, teahouses, pawnshops and other industries.

He is one of the top ten wealthy businessmen in Bianjing City.

When Cao Yi dealt with this man, he found that he was too utilitarian and good at dealing with people. He disliked him very much and they did not have much interaction.

But this person is good at creating a reputation.

He has a good reputation among government officials, fellow merchants and the common people.

The contents of this draft are -

Shangguan Yu planned to invest in the renovation of 24 "severely encroaching, dilapidated and crowded" streets and alleys in the city of Bianjing over a three-year period, turning them into luxurious restaurants, hotels, shops, etc.

These streets are: Small Goods Lane, Cloth Shop Street, Youtianshui Lane, etc. in the inner city; Wheat Straw Lane, Bathhouse Lane, Niuxing Street, etc. in the outer city.

It is basically a gathering place for lower-class people, and it is rather dilapidated and crowded, in stark contrast to the prosperous buildings on both sides of Nanmen Street and Imperial Street.

to be honest.

It's about demolition.

He was willing to compensate all the people who needed to be relocated at the current market price, and he was also willing to pay for the repair of all the roads in these streets.

This is a huge project involving tens of thousands of people.

He published the draft in the tabloids.

His intention was to listen to the opinions of the people in Bianjing City. If the people supported it, he would submit an application to Kaifeng Prefecture.

This draft is quite literary and mentions Su Liang many times.

He said that he was willing to build 24 streets in Bianliang to add color to the city, which was influenced by Su Liang and Cao Yi's construction of Nanjiao Market and Nanjiao Juchang.

He intended to make the city of Bianjing a better place through these twenty-four streets.

The words are convincing.

It's all for the Song Dynasty, for the city of Bianjing, and for the people in the city to live a more comfortable and happy life.

After reading it, Su Liang frowned slightly.

A quarter of an hour later.

Su Liang arrived at the Censorate and immediately called two clerks.

He picked up the pen, circled the twelve words "Draft of the General Strategy for the Construction of Twenty-four Streets in Bianjing", and handed it to them.

"Go to the streets immediately to collect the opinions of the people discussing this article, and report back at dusk."

"Yes, Zhongcheng!"

The two men took the tabloid and left. They were very familiar with doing this kind of thing.

……

Afternoon, Yushitai.

Su Liang was reading the recent court reports when Wang Yaochen, the Third Secretary, strode over.

He placed a tabloid on Su Liang's desk and said excitedly, "Jingming, have a look at this newspaper. This draft of the overall plan for the construction of the 24 streets in Bianjing is quite good!"

"We have renovated the city of Bianjing, repaired the roads, reduced the dirtiness and street invasions, and a merchant is willing to take on the responsibility. Not only will this save the court money, but the commercial taxes paid by these streets will also increase by more than ten times in the future!"

"Shangguan Yu knows how to share the worries of the imperial court. He is truly a patriotic Confucian businessman!"

Su Liang moved the tabloid aside and said with a smile, "I've read it! The content of this article should be handed over to Master Bao for processing first!"

The renovation of Kaifeng Prefecture was Bao Zheng's responsibility. If he agreed, he could report it to the court immediately.

"Humph!"

"I went to Kaifeng Prefecture first, and then came to you."

"Do you know what Bao Xiren's attitude was? He snorted coldly, saying that I was obsessed with money, and then he walked away. Isn't this a good thing?"

"The street invasion in Bianjing City is indeed serious. It is time to rectify it. Master Bao has done a good job in other aspects, but he always turns a blind eye to the people's street invasion. He is too stubborn!"

"Jingming, Shangguan Yu did this because he followed the example of you, Jingming, and the emperor's uncle. This is worth promoting! Please persuade Master Bao to report to the emperor as soon as possible. He will listen to your advice."

Su Liang suddenly laughed.

"Mr. Bao has his own ideas, and we cannot force him to do anything. Since the matter has spread to the streets, let's listen to the people's voices first! Once the discussion among the people heats up, it will be easier for the court to handle it."

"Yeah, public opinion is above everything else."

Afterwards, Wang Yaochen chatted with Su Liang for a few words and left.

……

Near dusk.

The two officials sent by Su Liang returned.

"Minister Zhong, the people in the streets and alleys, restaurants and teahouses are all praising this matter. Everyone thinks this is a good move and that this is how Bianjing City should develop..."

"During our investigation, we also found that some people, when discussing, are used to associating this matter with the Nanjiao Market and Nanjiao Jucheng built by you and the uncle of the king, and they also said that this was done in accordance with your ideas. During our investigation, we found that someone was deliberately spreading this kind of speech, and the mastermind was the businessman Shangguan Yu..."

"okay, I get it!"

Su Liang didn't expect that Shangguan Yu was not only good at manipulating public opinion, but also used himself as a paving brick.

Nanjiao Market and Nanjiao Jucheng are completely different from the Twenty-Four Streets of Bianjing.

The biggest difference is: one is outside the city, which has less impact on people's daily life; the other is inside the city, which will cause a large number of original residents to migrate.

The reason why Su Liang didn't like this strategy.

This is because he believed that if the 24 streets of Bianliang were built, tens of thousands of people in the city would be forced to leave Bianliang.

This move could make the city of Bianjing more prosperous and also increase the commercial tax of Kaifeng Prefecture. However, once this precedent was set, the city of Bianjing became a city for the rich and the noble, rather than a city for the common people.

Originally, these twenty-four streets could support tens of thousands of families.

But once the twenty-four streets of Bianjing were built, it could only enrich the imperial court and the businessman Shangguan Yu.

not worth it.

In a house that cuts ice, no cattle or sheep are kept.

This is a rule to ensure the safety of the people and it cannot be broken.

Next, Su Liang wanted to see if there would be anyone who would agree with his idea and stand up and speak out.

No matter how rich Shangguan Yu is, he cannot completely control public opinion. Smart people will surely realize the trap hidden in this strategy.

(End of this chapter)