Prince of Song Dynasty

Chapter 762 Kou Zhun's Strategy for the Country

During this period, Xu Xuan really dug out more than a dozen real master-level figures. After reading through the textbooks written by Ye Chen and doing a certain amount of study and research, these people will soon be able to be qualified as lecturers.It has greatly alleviated the lack of lecturers for the four subjects of physics, mathematics, chemistry, and biology in Xiangfu College.

And with the foundation laid by the spread of several textbooks, people accepted some concepts. As early as more than a month ago, Ye Chen decreed that punctuation marks and Arabic numerals began to be enforced throughout the country.

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After Kou Zhun and Tang Xingwu talked about Xiangfu College textbooks and other matters, Kou Zhun couldn't help asking: "Brother Tang's style of conversation is extraordinary, must he teach me something?"

Tang Xingwu said: "Don't dare. When I first arrived in Xiajing, it was my honor to get to know Mr. Kou and other outstanding people."

Kou Zhun was silent for a long time, and then asked again: "Brother Tang, what advice do you have for the current court situation in Xiangfu Kingdom?"

Kou Zhun said this a bit Meng Lang, but it was because Kou Zhun had some thoughts about Xiangfu Kingdom's court situation recently, but he felt that he was not mature enough, so he hadn't reported it to his teacher Ye Chen.During the conversation between the two just now, Kou Zhun deeply felt that Tang Chengwu had extraordinary knowledge, so he wanted to know more about his knowledge and tolerance.

This Tang Xingwu didn't have so many worries. After thinking for a while, he began to talk: "His Majesty Xiangfu's ability is indeed beyond our ability to match and measure. However, after the establishment of the country and proclaiming the emperor, the various national policies and reforms implemented by His Majesty, In the final analysis, the four words of a rich country and a strong army are just four words. There is nothing wrong with a rich country, but your majesty’s rich country means a full treasury, high salaries for hundreds of officials, high salaries for soldiers, and strong armor and sharp swords. This is not a real rich country. The government is harsh and complicated, but the people are already rich, and the people are rich, so the country is also rich, so Emperor Wu can use this to conquer the four directions; and in the time of Emperor Wu, although Sang Hongyang and others tried their best, the treasury was never comparable to that of Wen Jing. Why? Although the country is rich, the people will not be rich, and the people will not be rich, and the country will never be rich. As for the strong army, Xiangfu's army first defeated the Song army, and then defeated the Liao army. The population of Fu State is less than 400 million. I heard that the army has nearly 20. They are all people who consume the treasury. Once the country changes, it will not be able to fight. In the old days when the strong Han, the people all practiced horses and armed forces, and the country only raised feathers. There are only eight armies, and Emperor Wu's battle is enough to attack the four directions, why, when the country is in trouble, the whole people can serve as soldiers, who can be the enemy?"

Kou Zhun nodded, neither affirming nor denying, but said: "Today, when I returned to Xiajing, I came to Xiangfu Academy first. I haven't entered the palace yet to see His Majesty. It's already late, and I still have to hurry Enter the city in front of the Guancheng Gate, brother Tang will enter the city with the younger brother, and stay in the younger brother's house, so that the younger brother can fulfill the friendship of the landlord."

Tang Xingwu hesitated for a moment, shook his head and said: "Young Master Kou's kindness is appreciated. I also want to listen to the courses of Xiangfu College. It is convenient to live near Xiangfu College. If there is a chance another day, I will have a drink with Young Master Kou."

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An hour later, in the Imperial Study Room of the Xiajing City Imperial Palace.

Ye Chen listened to Kou Zhun, who returned to Beijing to report on his work, report some progress and things about Shanshen Town and Dangxiang County's land reform, and nodded slightly, expressing his satisfaction with what Kou Zhun had done in the past eight months.Finally, after listening to Kou Zhun talk about his experience in Xiangfu Academy, especially after Tang Xingwu's last words, he pondered for a while and said, "Huzi, what do you think of what Tang Xingwu said?"

Kou Zhun had obviously thought about this for a long time, and when Ye Chen asked, he immediately said: "Teacher, I think that what Tang Xingwu said has some truth in the front, but there is some truth behind what Tang Xingwu said."

Ye Chen smiled and said, "Tell me."

Kou Zhun said: "I don't know the second part of what he said later. I think the teacher must know it too, so I won't talk about it. Just talk about what he said earlier. According to Tang Xingwu, the wealth of our Xiangfu country is that the treasury is full. High salaries for hundreds of officials, high salaries for soldiers, and sharp swords, this is not a real rich country, and this is very reasonable for disciples. Tang Xingwu used the Wenjing Dynasty of the past Han Dynasty and Emperor Wu to conquer the Quartet as an example. But disciples do not reason with this , I just want to say that the teacher is the emperor of the 400 million people in the Xiangfu Kingdom, and the disciples are the parents and officials of the 400 million people in the Xiangfu Kingdom. Whether you are a king or a minister, you are all responsible. The people are rich. After the founding of the country, the teacher exempted some taxes for the people, and the local security is much better than before, but my Xiangfu country is located in the northwest, and the mountains, rivers and fields are too barren. Compared with the Song Dynasty , even the Liao Kingdom is not as good as it is. Therefore, after the founding of the teacher, in addition to reclaiming more than 200 million mu of land to solve the food problem, it did not make the people rich, and even the imperial court did not do anything to make the people rich .”

Ye Chen was silent for a long time when he heard the words, and after a while, he said: "Huzi, what you said is reasonable. Since the founding of the country, the teacher has devoted most of his attention to how to fill the treasury and how to build a strong army. It is true that there is too little to think about. Now that the Song and Liao countries will not attack us in a short period of time, we should find ways to make the people richer and make our Xiangfu country more prosperous."

Kou Zhun said: "The teacher is wise, now the original three major workshops outside the city, together with the newly opened cement and red brick workshops, have expanded more than ten times in scale in just over eight months, and the number of craftsmen has reached As many as tens of thousands. The monthly income of the four workshops has reached one million taels of silver. But apart from the benefit of the [-] craftsmen, the income of the common people is extremely limited. From the perspective of his disciples, what Tang Xingwu said is that wealth is hidden in There is a certain reason why the people are the foundation of a strong country.”

Ye Chen said: "What Tang Xingwu said makes sense. The wealth of the people makes the country rich, and the country's wealth can strengthen the army. It's just that besides the direct reasons of land reclamation, water conservancy construction, and widening of business routes, the root of the people's wealth is to improve The productivity of the common people must be increased... I remember the teacher told you that the art of investigating things is the primary productivity. So the teacher established the Xiangfu Academy regardless of the financial crisis as soon as the country was founded."

At the end of Ye Chen's words, what came to his mind was the phrase 'science and technology is the primary productive force' said by the great man who presided over the reform and opening up in later generations.

Speaking of this, Ye Chen paused, sighed, and continued: "But in a short period of time, I want to make Xiangfu Academy's skill of investigating objects into the productivity of my Xiangfu Kingdom, so as to increase the income of the people and even change the lives of the people. Obviously it is impossible. So, Hu Zi! You are right, the teacher should find a way to increase the income of the common people and improve their lives. The teacher heard from you Mrs. Yu a few days ago that there are not only no beggars in Xiajing city. Because of the establishment of our country, it has decreased, but it has increased.”

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Every year at the beginning of autumn, the Liao royal family will hold a big hunting.Before the hunt, the Emperor of Liao would send an order to ask the children of the royal family and all civil and military officials to accompany him.Now Emperor Liao is still a little baby, these things are naturally ordered by Xiao Chuo.

On the fourth day of August, the royal family of the Liao Kingdom held a hunting trip out of the city. The official roads were completely closed and the common people were not allowed to pass through.On both sides of the road from Shangjing, there are continuous brocade curtains one foot high, and the five-colored clothes and honor guards form a distinctive square formation, lined up next to each other, and the banners and crowns cover the sky and the sun for a while.

The emperor of Liao was not yet one year old, and it was not convenient for Xiao Chuo to preside over such hunting activities in person. After the defeat of almost the same number of troops, Xiao Chuo's prestige was seriously affected. Some members of the Yelu royal family and some large tribes were about to move, and the saying that orphans and widows cannot rule the country has been secretly circulated.This is also the reason why the king of the great country of Liao suffered a big loss in front of the newly established Xiangfu country, and was not in a hurry to take revenge.

And if this kind of annual large-scale hunting is not presided over in person, it will make this kind of rumors spread more and more, making some unruly people more presumptuous.Therefore, although the wind in the wild is not good for the health of the baby emperor, Xiao Chuo finally decided to take his son to preside over it himself.

And because Xiao Chuo was a womanizer, he made a decree to be merciful, allowing the accompanying royal officials to bring their family members.

Xiao Chuo, Emperor Liao, and the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty all participated in hunting, so defense work was naturally a top priority.Directly mobilize [-] palace guards, in addition to Xiao Chuo's [-] guards, plus other imperial physicians, palace maids, civil and military officials and their families, guard maids, etc., there are nearly [-] people in a mighty force.With such a large plastic surgery, and located in the hinterland of the Liao Kingdom, it would not be in any danger.

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Hou Chenxi, the daughter of Hou Wengang, the privy envoy of the Tongzhi North Court, the eldest lady of the Hou family, was sitting in the carriage behind her house, and a maidservant with cold eyes was sitting opposite him.

At this time, Hou Chenxi's ears moved suddenly, and he smiled slightly. He opened the car window and looked out boredly, only to see a young man wearing an extremely long cloak.Surrounded by [-] elite guards, he was originally galloping past, but suddenly saw Hou Chenxi in the car window, was attracted by Hou Chenxi's demeanor for some reason, and strangled in front of Hou Chenxi's carriage. He stopped the horse and turned his face away.This young man is unusually stern, he is Xiao Zhen, the younger brother of Xiao Chuo, Empress Dowager Xiao of the Liao Kingdom.Hou Chenxi smiled generously at him, and then pulled down the curtain to block her beautiful face. Xiao Zhen could only feel his heart beating faster. He politely raised his whip and waved it before riding his horse to lead Five hundred entourages and other guards lined up and followed closely behind his sister Xiao Chuo and nephew Baby Emperor.

It's just that Xiao Zhen couldn't help thinking while he was on his way: "That's the old man's daughter Hou Wengang. I seem to have seen it before. She looks good, but I don't have any impression. Unexpectedly, I haven't seen her for a few years. The little girl back then is now gone. Becoming so glamorous, this heart-pounding feeling has never been there before."

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(End of this chapter)