Prince of Song Dynasty

Chapter 257 Kneeling on One Knee
Ye Chen patted Wang Chao on the shoulder and said, "Brother Wang is right. We will talk about it at the meeting tonight." When there were only two people, Ye Chen, Wang Chao, Luo Yaoshun, and Cao Wei were very casual. , but in the discussion or in front of the army, no matter the title and etiquette, there must be no sloppy.For example, according to military regulations, subordinates must kneel on one knee when they pay respects to the commander-in-chief.

At night, the troops set up camp outside Xiazhou. Ye Chen sent an order with flags to call the commanders and generals to discuss matters.The flag bearers gathered together, and Ye Chen continued to train and study the flag bearers.

All the generals expressed their appreciation for the semaphore order, saying that it is easy to use and convenient.Ye Chen took the opportunity to ask the generals to have at least two standard-bearers beside them, and usually a reserve standard-bearer. The official standard-bearers are responsible for the training of the semaphore, and the officers and generals above the capital should also be familiar with the meaning of the semaphore.

Ye Chen originally wanted to reform the drumming order in the army, but he knew that the time was too late, the troops would not be familiar with it for a while, and it would easily cause confusion when they went to the battlefield, so they didn't proceed.I was just secretly thinking about finishing the Southern Han Dynasty.

The Song Dynasty has been busy with conquests in the past few years, consuming a lot of financial and material resources, resulting in a corresponding increase in the rent and taxation of the common people, and an inevitable increase in corvee labor. The agricultural work has been affected, and the people have not enough to eat, and they have to leave their homes. Or enter the mountains as bandits, and there are quite a few people who have become refugees.

The army to recover the Southern Han Dynasty has already set out, and the commanders of the army are in charge of the war, and Luo Gongming is in charge of the food and grass in the rear, so Zhao Kuangyin doesn't have to worry.

This day was the day of the court. In the Wende Palace, after the civil and military officials bowed down, the Privy Council reported the general position and marching situation of the Southern Han army.Then Luo Gongming hesitated for a while, and said, "Your Majesty! Most of the roads and states can provide food and grass to our Han army according to the amount allocated by the imperial court, but Chengdu Fu Road reported yesterday that it can only provide half of the original amount."

Zhao Kuangyin frowned, and next to him Zhao Pu came out of the shift and said, "Your Majesty! The Chengdu Fulu Transit Envoy wrote to Zhengshitang to defend himself, saying that there was a severe drought in Sichuan and Sichuan last year, and the food in the prefectural and county official warehouses was only half of what it used to be, and most people couldn't get enough to eat."

Zhao Kuangyin remembered the information reported last night by Han Hu, the Deputy Director of the Intelligence Department of the Huaxia Weifu in Kaifeng. He said that there has been an increase in bandits in the Sichuan and Shu areas recently, and that there are signs of Maitreya sect activities in the villages, towns and villages. He contacted Luo Gongming and Zhao Pusuo again. said, frowning slightly.After pondering for a while, he said to Luo Gongming: "Chengdu Fulu's provision of food and grass for the army has been halved. In addition, the Zhengshitang issued an order to Chengdu Fulu, ordering them to pay attention to suppressing bandits, especially the remnants of the Maitreya Sect."

Luo Gongming and Zhao Pu respectfully said yes.

As soon as he talked about this Chengdu Fu Road, Zhao Kuangyin couldn't help thinking about some past events, and he cursed with some anger in his heart: "It's because that idiot Wang Quanbin killed nearly 3 soldiers in Houshu, and sent troops to loot and massacre tens of thousands of people. That’s why the people in Sichuan and Shu haven’t completely felt a sense of belonging to our Great Song Dynasty. In addition, the land of Sichuan and Shu was originally the earliest home of the Maitreya Sect. thing."

What happened back then involved a lot of inside information, and also involved the emperor's favorite concubine, Mrs. Huarui. Zhao Pu, Cao Bin, Zhao Guangyi and others all knew it well, and it was not convenient for them to dare to answer this question.

With the army led by Pan Mei through the Southern Tang Dynasty, they attacked the Southern Han Dynasty.While feeling humiliated, Emperor Li Yu of the Southern Tang Dynasty became more decadent and depressed.The world is getting tough and the fate of the country is in danger. He feels that since he is powerless, he might as well enjoy himself in time and get by.

Li Yu was originally a romantic talent, and being an emperor was just a historical helplessness.He has always had no intention of politics, no power, "thinking of chasing Chao Xu, far admiring Yi Qi", the people who yearn for and admire Chao Fu, Xu You, Boyi, Shu Qi, etc., are all distant state affairs, avoiding disputes, and escaping politics in ancient times. and realistic hermits.

But fate arranged for him to be the emperor, and what he faced was a dilapidated mess with a weak army and internal and external troubles. How could he have the ability and ambition to clean it up?
At the beginning of his ascension to the throne, he also tried his best to try his best to curry favor with the Song Dynasty, trying to win the coldness and compassion of Song Zhao Kuangyin, so that he, a well-behaved, obedient and obedient king of a small country, could live on, but he was disappointed.

He was a smart man, not stupid than others.Of course, he could see that Song Zhao Kuangyin's desire to perish from the Tang Dynasty could not be changed. If the Southern Han Kingdom were conquered by the Song Dynasty, the Southern Tang Dynasty would not be able to last much longer.These days, the only loyal ministers and military generals in the court often knelt down and begged him not to excuse the Song Dynasty, and even proposed to join hands with the Southern Han Dynasty to fight against the Song Dynasty.But he still didn't dare to make this decision, and as a result, these loyal ministers and generals were disappointed again.

Yesterday, a minister declared his ambition by death and was killed in the court meeting, but Li Yu was still not aroused in the slightest blood, and his performance was weak and incompetent, which completely disappointed all the civil and military ministers. In the past few days, no one proposed to join forces with the Southern Han Dynasty to resist the surrender things.

On this day, Li Yu felt lost and decadent. Hearing that Lou Yanming, king of the Ming Dynasty, had returned from a long journey, he sent someone to invite Lou Yanming into the palace, hoping to find some comfort from the Buddha.

With the continuous contact with Lou Yanming, Li Yu became more and more convinced that Lou Yanming was the real reincarnation of Maitreya Buddha. Whether it was his expression, temperament, image, or understanding of Buddhism, he felt that he was more advanced than the previous national teacher. .

Lou Yanming had a merciful face, with a Maitreya-like smile of pity for the world. Seeing Li Yu clasped his hands together and bowed eleven times, he said, "My Buddha is merciful. My emperor has worked hard for my Tang country affairs."

Somehow, this sentence, this voice, coupled with Lou Yanming's expression, Li Yu suddenly felt that his originally irritated and decadent heart became calm and peaceful.

Discussing Buddhism with Li Yu for a while, Lou Yanming suddenly said: "My country of Tang is now weaker than the country of Song. This time, the country of Song has no choice but to attack His Majesty the Southern Han Dynasty by way of attack. If the Southern Han Kingdom is destroyed by the Song Kingdom, our Tang Kingdom will not be far away! As a national teacher, I cannot just sit back and watch my Tang Kingdom be destroyed, so I have already sent people to the Song Kingdom, Sichuan and Shu, to inspire the local people with Buddhism, Letting them revolt against the Song Dynasty will definitely affect the Song State's army against the Han Dynasty, involving their military strength and food supply, and may make the Song Army lose the wind in the Southern Han Dynasty. At this time, Your Majesty may consider sending troops to unite the Southern Han Dynasty on both sides The flanking attack destroyed the army of the Song State in the south. After the Song State suffered such a heavy blow, its national power and military strength will be greatly weakened, and it will no longer threaten the power of the Tang State. Your Majesty's worries should also be resolved."

Li Yu was ecstatic after hearing this, and said yes again and again.He deeply felt that it was because of his sincerity to the Buddha that he moved the Buddha, and the Buddha appeared and helped the Tang Kingdom with great supernatural powers.

Zhao Kuangyin has recently focused his attention on various domestic affairs.In particular, the famine in Sichuan and Shu and the increase in bandits aroused his vigilance.I deeply feel that the use of troops abroad all year round has resulted in too heavy taxes, and we should pay attention to the problem of food for the people, especially farming.

In fact, in the past few years, he has always attached great importance to farming, and the idea of ​​agriculture-oriented occupies an important position in his heart.

In addition to the battle, he issued edicts to officials of various roads, states and counties many times, emphasizing that 'the people are the foundation of the country, and food is the sky of the people'.Let court officials at all levels take persuading farmers to cultivate farming as a top priority, and cultivate extensively, do not violate the farming season, do not forget the land, so that the people can live and work in peace and contentment.But in fact, a war will inevitably increase taxes, not to mention that a large number of laborers will be forced to transport food and grass, which will inevitably affect farming, and there are irreconcilable contradictions in it.For this reason, Zhao Kuangyin worked hard to alleviate this contradiction as much as possible.

For example, during the spring plowing season of the third year of Jianlong, Zhao Kuangyin issued an "Edict to the Chiefs of the County and Officials to Persuade Farmers".I believe that the great treasure of all nations gradually belongs to Longping. The hearts of the people want to achieve prosperity, and they will always remember the industry of agriculture and mulberry as the source of food and clothing.Today, Yanghe is in Chen, sowing capital begins.Considering that there are many lazy people in the countryside, if Gou Chun is not diligent in his work, what is the hope of his achievements?Qing Ren lives and guards the land, and his job is to promulgate regulations. One party's worries are not light, and the steaming of all treasures is dependent on it.

In the first month of the second year of Qiande, the "Edict to Advise Farmers" was issued: I regard agriculture as the political balance, and food as the people's heaven.Today, the soil paste will rise, and the yang energy will rise.If the time for sowing is lost, what is the harvest?Qing Renlong divides the land, dissolves the negotiations and organizes gangsters.It is advisable to go to the east to work diligently, and to complement the west to achieve the hope, so that the land will not be left behind, and there will be surplus grain every year.

In the fourth year of Qiande, Zhao Kuangyin issued the "Encouraging Planting and Reclamation Edict", which clearly stipulated that for the newly reclaimed wasteland, less or no rent tax should be levied, so that the people can get the benefits of reclaiming wasteland, so as to actively reclaim wasteland; Those who have made outstanding achievements in persuading farmers to open up wasteland should be rewarded and promoted, while those who failed to persuade farmers to open up wasteland should be punished.

These edicts and policies persuading farming and mulberry classes undoubtedly had a great effect on stabilizing people's hearts and developing agriculture and mulberry.However, judging from the situation in Sichuan and Sichuan, due to years of wars and heavy taxes, many farmers have not really achieved enough for their families and people to live and work in peace and contentment.

"Hmm... Recently, it has become more and more discovered that businessmen are the most profitable. Perhaps we should find ways to rectify the tax system, reduce agricultural taxes, increase commercial taxes, and ease farmers. For example, eliminate the various disadvantages of the law of mediocrity since the Five Dynasties. These are the guarantees. The foundation of the great Song Dynasty for thousands of years." Zhao Kuangyin frowned and pondered for a while, then made a decision in his heart.

To correctly handle government affairs in this area, it is natural to discuss with the Chief Minister Zhao Pu.

Zhao Kuangyin still maintains the habit of being the emperor at the beginning. Occasionally, after going to court, he goes to the minister's house alone to visit, relax, and discuss some important matters in a relaxed and pleasant environment.

In the afternoon of this day, Zhao Kuangyin came out of office again in a low-clothes and strolled to the Prime Minister's Mansion. The guards changed into casual clothes and followed them from afar.

Most of the guards and servants in the prime minister's mansion knew Zhao Kuangyin, and they didn't dare to stop him, and they didn't dare to go in to report when Zhao Kuangyin stopped him.In this way, Zhao Kuangyin walked in without causing any movement.

(End of this chapter)