Traveling through Tianlong: Starting from the Zhenlong chess game

Chapter 280 The huge difference between the two countries

Zhao Mu looked at Zhezong and shook his head and said: "It's not a bet, it's that we will definitely win. Originally, I planned to let the Liao Kingdom live in peace for another two years, but this time the Liao Kingdom's envoy came to seek death himself and disturbed the banquet of the Song Dynasty and Dali Alliance. , Don’t blame me for being cruel and vicious. I humiliated them in public just to make this matter a big deal and to make the Liao Kingdom break the covenant of the Chanyuan Alliance and declare war on us, the Song Dynasty."

"As long as they declare war on us, I will have the confidence to defeat them. This can also be regarded as a congratulatory gift to His Majesty. If Your Majesty succeeds in the first battle after taking office, and completes the unfinished achievements of his predecessors, this will be a blessing to Your Majesty in the future. It is also beneficial to establish authority in front of the ministers. And after we win, we can also show those weak-kneed people in the court that the Liao people are not invincible. They are also raised by their parents. If they are slashed with swords, they will know If it hurts, it will kill you."

But when it came to this, Zhao Mu also sighed and said: "Alas! It's a pity that the Queen Mother."

Zhezong also snorted disdainfully when he heard this, and Zhezong said: "Okay, let's not mention the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother is old, and their generation fears the Liao people as evil ghosts, and naturally they are not as ambitious as our young people. But the Emperor What uncle said is after we win, but what if we lose?"

Zhao Mu smiled and said: "Your Majesty, don't worry, I am willing to pledge my head to guarantee the lives of the three clans."

Zhe Zong said with a smile: "Haha, I'd better keep the head on the emperor's neck for me to make suggestions. As for the emperor's three clans, aren't I also in it? Hahaha."

After Zhezong finished laughing, he continued: "But Uncle Emperor, let's talk about something serious. Uncle Emperor, it's not that I can't trust him, it's just that I need someone who can convince the officials." But Zhezong thought for a while and said, " No! At least there needs to be a reason that can convince King Zhongxiao and Marshal Yang."

"The Huyan family and the Yang family have been the twins of the Song Dynasty since the founding of the Song Dynasty. They have even filled the country of the Song Dynasty with several generations of people. It can be said that they have devoted themselves to death. Now they two They are the chief and deputy privy envoys of our Song Dynasty, and the military power of our Song Dynasty is in the hands of these two people. As long as I can convince them two, then we can mobilize hundreds of thousands of forbidden troops."

"As for the civil servants, there are not many available people. Sima Guang is a close confidant of the Queen Mother, and Cai Que is a cunning old man. These two old stubborns will definitely not support me. But Su Zhe can try to win over me. His elder brother Su Shi was demoted to another place as an official. And his father Su Xun was also a militant who supported the war against Liao."

As he spoke, Zhezong rummaged through Long's desk and found the original manuscript of The Theory of Six Kingdoms written by Su Xun to Emperor Renzong.

Since the beginning of Shenzong, the emperors of the Song Dynasty have gradually become dissatisfied with the Liao and Xia coins to buy a peaceful life.

Emperor Shenzong found the original manuscript of The Theory of the Six Kingdoms and often read it at night. Zhezong has taken out the Treatise on the Six Kingdoms from time to time, just like his father's habit over the years.

Shenzong's emphasis on Wang Anshi's reform was also because he wanted to imitate Qin Xiaogong's reform in order to strengthen the country.

It's a pity that although Emperor Shenzong had great ambitions, he was just like Taizong in that his martial arts skills were not enough. Although there were virtuous ministers such as the Prince of Dongping to assist him, the decline could not be concealed. In addition, he died young in his thirties and did not achieve any great fame. Zhezong opened the old memorial, read it and said: "The Su brothers have always had a good relationship. If I agree to transfer Su Shi back, and with this 'father's will', Su Che will definitely support me."

Zhezong looked at Zhao Mu seriously and said, "So, Uncle Emperor, since I have everything ready, I need you to come up with a reason that can convince them."

Zhao Mu said: "The reason is very simple, that is, the foreign powerful and middle-ranking cadres of Liao are not our opponents at all. The ministers in the DPRK and the Central Government are afraid of Liao because they do not know the actual details of Liao. Although Liao is large today, their people The number of Ding households is only over 9 million, and even if we include Jurchens and Tatars and other barbarian soldiers who have surrendered, the number is only over 12 million."

"But the registered population of the Song Dynasty is ten times that of the Liao Kingdom. What does this mean? That is, the taxes we can collect are ten times that of the Liao people. The soldiers we can use are also ten times that of the Liao people."

"Although the war focuses on weapons and strategies, it pays more attention to the gap in national power between the two countries. Since the Chanyuan Alliance, the two countries have opened up their markets for trade. However, Liao needs mostly supplies from the mainland, and the mainland needs Liao. There are very few materials in the land. However, the horses that can be sold at a high price in the Liao land are prohibited from being transported to the Song Dynasty. Therefore, when we, the Song Dynasty, do business with the Liao Kingdom, we make a lot of money, and they But all the money flowed into us."

Zhe Zong nodded silently upon hearing this.

Zhao Mu continued: "The Alliance of Chanyuan has been around for nearly a hundred years since the Zhenzong Dynasty. It has been like this every year. I think the Liao Kingdom's treasury has almost been emptied by us. Maybe they can not pay the soldiers and let them plunder." We need to plunder to make up for the lack of food and pay, and to improve the morale of the soldiers. But weapons, horses, and armor all require money to maintain their production. The Liao treasury is about to be exhausted, what can they use to fight us?"

"Maybe we will have some military decline in the early stages of the war, but what if we drag this war out longer? One year! Two years! Three years! Even ten years! The population of the Liao Kingdom is not as large as that of the Song Dynasty. We The Song Dynasty can recruit young men and women for rotation at any time. But the Liao Kingdom cannot do this. They have insufficient young men and women in the country. If they all go to the battlefield to fight, the fertile fields will be abandoned and no one will cultivate them, and the food will be exhausted in a few years."

"And we only need to strengthen the walls and clear the country, rely on the danger to hold on, and no longer sell food, tea and other materials to them. The severe winter in Liao is much longer and colder than in the Central Plains. Without the charcoal and food in the mainland, we can't use it. How long will it take for the Liao Kingdom to starve to death all over the land? And if there is civil strife in the Liao Kingdom, other tribes will definitely rebel in order to survive. The Jurchens and Tatars are all barbarians, and these barbarians are enough to cause a headache for the Liao Kingdom."

"And if we don't have the materials from the Liao Kingdom, there won't be any big problems. Firstly, our Central Plains is vast and rich in resources, and we can be self-sufficient in many things. Secondly, all the Liao Kingdom can give us is some furs and ginseng from Changbai Mountain. , deer antlers, bear bile and other supplies, these are not irreplaceable, Dali can also provide them. And those who used to do business in Liao can also be sent to the border of Dali for business and trade. This will not affect our annual business business revenue.”

"We have lost the Liao Kingdom, which is almost completely harmless to us. But if the Liao Kingdom loses its worship in the Central Plains, then it can only sit there and wait for death. Based on this alone, our Song Dynasty will be invincible. If we fight If you don't win, then just find a way to delay it for a few years. Even if you just put the soldiers at the border, the Liao soldiers must prepare for war. We have ample treasury, and it doesn't matter if we fight for ten or eight years. But the Liao people can't afford it. , if it stays in this state for a long time, within three years, or at most five years, the Liao Kingdom will directly collapse internally. Moreover, the Liao soldiers can only be 300,000 at best. It is difficult to support these 300,000 people, let alone a full-scale war. . And our Song Dynasty currently has more than 800,000 imperial guards in Tokyo, and they can be trampled to death even if they are trampled."

After listening to Zhao Mu's analysis, Zhezong said: "Okay! The emperor's analysis is reasonable." However, Zhezong thought of a question, and he immediately asked, "It's just that the population of the Ding clan in each country is top secret. Unless you are a relative, you can't know it." .How did the emperor know?"

(End of this chapter)