Compete for the Song Dynasty

The two prime ministers and Sima Guang left the Chuigong Hall, and Zhao Xu let out a long sigh of relief. He waved to the eunuchs and maids serving in the hall, and signaled the people on both sides to step back. "Oh, I really don't know what's so good about being the emperor! I really miss the days when I went to Guangnan and Dali with Brother Wang!" He said as if talking to himself.Wang Pang looked at Zhao Xu, the death of Yingzong and the hard work of political affairs in the past few days made the new emperor look a bit haggard.

"Hey, Majesty, don't worry, these are trivial matters." Wang Bang said in a slightly comforting tone.

Zhao Xu smiled wryly: "It's just these little things that annoy the officials endlessly. Do you think these old officials are all the faults of the former emperors? It's such a mess now, and the empty treasury is an internal worry; Liang Zuo is ready to move again, this is a foreign invasion. Look at the court hall, there is still arguing there, even the matter of picking up ashes is moved to the main hall, and you don’t know if there are foreign countries around now. But what should I do?"

"Then if Xixia really sends troops, does the Holy One want to fight with him?"

"Of course I want to! But..." Zhao Xu said, but suddenly stopped, staring at Wang, and then showed a long-lost smile: "Brother Wang, I heard from Cai Xueshi that the bank is operating normally and the Pacific Insurance Bank has sufficient funds Do you still remember what the two of us said when the imperial court opened a bank loan for you as a guarantee?" [

Wang Pang smiled: "Of course I remember, didn't the Holy Majesty say that you will open one after you ascend the throne!"

"Then there's no time! Also, think again?..."

"Well, I remembered, the Holy Majesty said that he seemed to give me something as a mortgage." Wang Bang said deliberately avoiding the important point.

Zhao Xu glanced at Wang Pang very eloquently. The two of them were half joking at the beginning, and that scene seemed to happen not long before their eyes.Now that all this really happened, Zhao Xu recalled the scene at that time, and said slowly: "Brother Wang came to me after having dinner with the father, and I asked you what you and the father said. Brother Wang is going to open a bank. I told me about it, and I jokingly said, "Brother Wang, if one day the court wants to turn around and ask Brother Wang to borrow taels of silver, what should we do?"

Wang Pang also remembered this scene very clearly. He followed Zhao Xu's words and said in the tone of the imitator at the time: "The court also has to give me a mortgage before I can borrow it."

Seeing that Wang Pang still remembered what he said at the time, Zhao Xu was delighted. Now, for him, the most worrying thing is money.He then pretended to frown and thought for a while: "What is it worth?"

The conversation that followed at that time was like this: "Do you dare to reach your Great Song Dynasty?~" Wang Pang lowered his voice and asked, and Zhao Xu laughed when he heard this: "Cut~ you can open a bank? When the official family ascends the throne, the court will open itself, then don't blame me for stealing your business."

But now that Zhao Xu has really ascended the throne, Wang Pang is no longer the prince who is joking with him, but the majestic emperor of Song Dynasty. Zhao Xu is looking at him with good eyes.Wang Pang smiled: "Do you dare to resist your Great Song Dynasty?"

The two looked at each other as if they were competing, and they seemed to be looking for resonance in each other's eyes, and finally they both laughed at the same time.Wang Pang saw the concession from Zhao Xu's gaze, and Zhao Xu smiled and said, "Brother Wang is still so sincere. If I can't manage this country well, I might as well leave you a mess."

"Your Majesty, I still have a way to relieve His Majesty's worries."

Zhao Xu said! "

"Xixia Li Liangzuo will definitely take action, but I think this is a good thing! The Holy Majesty is now going to clean up the court. Whether it is punishing corruption or reforming the court, there must be a transitional time. And although corruption is a good thing, it is inevitable. The people complained in panic. Since you want to fight Xixia, I fully support it, not to mention that the hateful Xixia people took my son away. We can just divert the attention of officials and people to the war against Xixia. As for silver, the Holy One can CPIC Bank will be responsible for the sales of the national bonds issued for national construction. Of course, you are right, if you can’t pay me back, it’s useless to me even if you pay me all of the Great Song Dynasty.”

"National debt? What does this mean?" Zhao Xu listened carefully, asking questions from time to time.

"Country, state. Of course, it means the state of the Great Song Dynasty, that is, you, the emperor. The bonds issued by the court are of course national bonds, just like when I was in Yongzhou construction bonds."

"This is good, this is good! In this way, the official family will be like you. When the treasury is full, just pay more interest. It's not like you Zhennan King, who wants my country at every turn."

Wang Pang laughed in his heart: "This can't wait, the emperor will set a time limit of one year, three years, or more, and it must be paid back at that time."

Zhao Xu frowned: "The officials still don't understand, it's not a problem for you to sell it from the Pacific Insurance Bank, but Brother Wang, you wouldn't be so kind to help the officials raise money without seeing any profits, would you?"

"Hahaha, of course not. I decide how much interest you pay and how much I sell out. Let's put it this way, assuming that the emperor pays 3% interest on regular national debt a year. Then you pay as much as I underwrite." Give me the interest, and I pay two for the treasury bonds I sell. You don’t care how much I earn.”

"Hmph, I knew you were not that kind!"

Wang Pang looked at Zhao Xu, who seemed to understand himself very well, and wanted to let him feel that he was only doing it for money: "A gentleman loves money and gets it in a proper way. Besides, how many national debts you issued are all covered by my bank? That is, even if the Prince's Bank is not sold, I will give you as much silver as the emperor uses, and I don't need you to pay for it, so am I not hearty?"

"Well, then I want a lot, send it for me!" Zhao Xu clapped his hands and said.

"This won't work! You can know how much you want. What to use it for and when to pay it back. Besides, this is related to the royal family's reputation, so you have to think about it carefully!"

Now Zhao Xu was in a difficult situation: "You said a lot of ideas, but this won't work, that won't work, so forget it and make up your own mind. Tell me more specifically, what should the officials do!"

Wang Pang smiled confidently: "That's right, first tell me what you want to do with the money?"

"What else can I do, of course I will fight Xixia as you said?"

"Okay, I will make a budget, and the Holy Majesty will call Xueshi Cai to review it. I will issue as many bonds as I need. This problem should be solved."

Zhao Xu blinked, lowered his head and smiled: "Brother Wang, I'm afraid you've already made the budget you mentioned!"

"Holy Majesty is wise!"

"Okay, the official family is up to you, but the official family has a condition, which is not good at all than calling it a national debt. How can I be compared with foreign countries in the dignified Song Dynasty? It is called Song debt!"

Borrowing money is borrowing money, and the name is still true. Wang Pang looked at this and Zhao Xu also found it interesting: "My minister obeys the order, and I have another matter to tell the emperor. My Taibao Bank has Cai Xueshi on behalf of the imperial court. If the Holy Majesty Should the funds raised be used for the campaign or defense against Xixia, should the bank also supervise the funds?"

"Brother Wang, how many years have we been friends? I see you are getting more and more devious with me." Zhao Xu was slightly dissatisfied, and then said: "I know that Brother Wang wants to know the whereabouts of your son. Regarding the movements of Xixia, Yanzhou and others The censor of the land has already started to make preparations, and General Zhong reported that he has prepared defenses, but I am also worried about the problem that Brother Wang said at the beginning. Now there are many old and disabled soldiers on the border, so I want to recruit elite soldiers and generals from all over the country. And I will appoint Brother Wang as the Supervising Army, Brother Wang is satisfied with this arrangement."

Wang Pang nodded: "Your Majesty is very considerate, I'm still worried that you won't be able to handle it!"

Zhao Xu smiled: "With you here, elder brother, you have considered everything; but after all, I am also the father of three children, although the eldest son - Zhao Yi, died early; the second son - Zhao Zhi, died early; The third son --- Zhao Jun, died early, lost three in a row, but I am also a father, and I feel the same way for Brother Wang. What's more, you are willing to go to Yongzhou, I can't think about everything Ask Brother Wang for a solution. Since there is a solution to the silver issue, then I will issue a transfer order, and Brother Wang, you should also prepare to join the army."

Wang Pang looked at Zhao Xu in front of him, and couldn't help being moved when he heard these words. In the blink of an eye, Zhao Xu has grown up, so he naturally has his responsibility.Or just as Zhao Xu said, only in front of the king is he like a child, and he already has his own plans in his heart.It is not easy to carry a mess on his shoulders. Spiritually, he is dependent on Wang Pang, financially, he is dependent on Wang Pang, and from the expectation of the future of Song Dynasty, he is still dependent on Wang Pang.For Zhao Xu, the reforms that Wang Pang said are like a painting worth looking forward to, strengthening the Song Dynasty and assimilating foreign countries.As far as Zhao Xu is concerned, the reform may fail, but if it does not change, it is waiting to fail.But besides Wang Pang, who else could Zhao Xu say these words to?

Zhao Xu summoned Wen Yanbo and Cai Xiang, and said, "There are many evils in the world, and we must change them." He also said: "Financial management is the most urgent task today. Raising troops and preparing frontiers, the treasury must be abundant. All ministers should pay attention to saving money." Follow Cai Xiang calculated and summarized the current state of the national treasury and the government's support as soon as possible, and at the same time ordered Cai Xiang to review and discuss the military expenses required for sending troops to Xixia.

Wang Pang returned to the palace and stepped up to deal with the letters from Yongzhou. Seeing that the progress in Yongzhou was orderly, he felt somewhat relieved.Within a day or two, the servant came to report that someone from Yichuan had delivered a letter. His father, Wang Anshi, had been summoned by Emperor Shenzong Zhao Xu, and he was enshrined as a scholar of Hanlin, and he would go to Beijing to face saint immediately.This news made Wang Pang very happy. When Wang Anshi returned to the capital this time, Song Shenzong summoned Wang Anshi to discuss political affairs.

However, before Wang Anshi returned to the capital, there was a military report from the front, and Xixia dispatched a serious illness to overwhelm the country. At this point, Cai Xiang and Shenzong's discussion on military expenses also came to fruition. Wang Pang immediately raised funds to help Shenzong send troops to Xixia.The imperial court summoned Yue Li as the commander-in-chief of the dispatch, and set off with Wang Pang.

This time when he went to Xixia again, Wang Pang neither said business nor was friendly, with doubts and anger, he wanted to meet Li Liangzuo for a while, would he be able to find his long-lost son?And Wang Anshi, who has just returned to the court, can the road paved by the king be smooth all the way?

For more exciting content, please read the next volume!

38 Kanwanghai Pavilion) e