Chapter 241: So Busy
War does not begin when the day comes.

The emperor and his ministers of the Tang Dynasty had already clearly told Zhao Xin this truth.

Back then, before destroying the Eastern Turks, Li Shimin taught his soldiers archery in his own palace.

Beforehand, they had done their best to alienate Jie Li Khan and Tuli Khan.

He also sent Zhao Deyan to give Jie Li Khan bad advice, so that Jie Li Khan would gradually lose the support of the people in his tribe.

So it seems that the Tang Dynasty’s conquest of the Eastern Turks was just a matter of one battle, but behind it all was the operation of the Tang Dynasty’s emperor and his ministers.

Then Zhao Xin naturally has to operate it as well.

First, he sent people to Hedong to check the local grain production.

then……

Send another envoy to the Liao Kingdom to collect intelligence about the Liao Kingdom along the way.

See if there are any people in their country worth making friends with.

Giving gifts directly is too low-level.

In the name of increasing trade, he went to the Liao Kingdom to find an agent for himself.

It is better to do this in the name of making money together.

soon……

Zhao Xin then called back Zhao Xun from the northwest.

Because Zhao Xun was indispensable in surveying the terrain and making maps.

As for the grain output in Hedong, just find anyone to go there.

Half a month later, the information about Hedong was also delivered to Zhao Xin’s desk.

The population of Hedong is also several hundred thousand, probably about four or five hundred thousand.

So there are basically no problems in terms of manpower and food.

In addition…

The report also stated that there were a large number of abandoned fields in some counties and cities controlled by the Liao Kingdom.

At the beginning, the Liao Kingdom often came to steal the grain when it saw that the grain in the Song Dynasty was ripe.

Later in the Song Dynasty, the land was simply abandoned and no longer cultivated.

A rough estimate is that there are at least 100,000 acres of abandoned land.

If these abandoned lands could be reused, it would probably solve part of their military food problem.

When Zhao Xin heard this, he was shocked. How could such a good thing happen?

They immediately sent their steam tractors over and recruited civilians to do the farming.

October of that year.

Zhao Xin arrived in Bingzhou and inspected the local situation.

The local prefect also introduced Zhao Xin.

even……

He also told Zhao Xin how his ancestors had demolished the city of Taiyuan.

This is because several emperors came from here, and the military and civilians here resisted very tenaciously.

After listening to it, Zhao Xin could only sigh.

When it was demolished, there may have been good reasons.

After all, that was the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

But so many years have passed and no reconstruction has been done.

This was a strategic mistake made by the Song Dynasty.

Although Zhao Xin could also see that the Song Dynasty had built many forts here, it was said that there were even more as they went further north.

However, without the city of Taiyuan here, it feels like there is a lack of cohesion.

When people move south, these scattered fortresses will become unsteady in their will due to the lack of a backbone.

But there is no way now.

After all, rebuilding Taiyuan City would certainly cost a huge amount of money.

He still has to fight.

There is no time to have it rebuilt.

after that……

Zhao Xin continued northward, passed Xinzhou, and reached Yanmen Pass.

Further north of Yanmen Pass is the territory of the Liao Kingdom.

First, go west from Yanmen Pass for about sixty or seventy miles and you will reach Shuozhou, where the Liao Kingdom set up Shunyi Army. Go northeast for another two hundred miles and you will reach Datong Prefecture, which belonged to the Western Capital of the Liao Kingdom.

This means that the Song Dynasty occupied the Xinzhou Basin, while the Liao Dynasty occupied the Datong Basin.

Zhao Xin climbed to a high place and looked into the distance.

Next…

The Datong Basin is likely to become the new battlefield of their Li Yuan army.

But to be honest, the length and width of this basin is still a bit large.

Moreover, such a fertile land was actually taken by the Liao Kingdom.

The advantage of attacking here is that this is the farthest end of the Liao Kingdom.

Therefore, if the Liao Kingdom wants to send more troops here, the logistical pressure will be very great.

only……

When Zhao Xin learned that the west of this place led to Western Xia and the north was grassland, he suddenly understood something.

This place might be easy to attack, but not necessarily easy to defend.

If all the imperial guards of the Song Dynasty were Li Yuan Army, then Zhao Xin would naturally have confidence.

But the imperial guards of the Song Dynasty are all a bunch of good-for-nothings, and they often do something weird to you.

This made Zhao Xin feel a little uneasy.

and so……

After looking at the situation, Zhao Xin felt that maybe he could consider the direction of Youzhou.

Anyway…

This basin is so large, so this cavalry showdown is bound to take place.

The following year, January.

Zhao Xin returned to Tokyo City.

After returning to Tokyo City, he received the news summarized by Ouyang Xiu one after another.

First, Li Dezheng of Jiaozhi died, and his son sent an envoy to inform the Song Dynasty of the news.

Second, the Liao ruler also died, and his eldest son Yelu Hongji succeeded to the throne.

Zhao Xin has asked his father-in-law to take people to the Liao Kingdom.

So presumably, his father-in-law also witnessed the national mourning of the Liao Kingdom.

Letting his father-in-law go to the enemy country is a bit dangerous, but his father-in-law is a businessman and is very sensitive about what to buy and sell.

At the same time, it can also confuse the other party that we, the Great Song, have no ill will towards you, the Liao Kingdom, and we are planning to do a big business with you.

For example, rosewood is strong and durable, and has a special fragrance like agarwood. It is indeed a top-quality wood that is essential for the royal family.

Our Prince Yu likes it very much!
Originally, this business should have been going smoothly, but unfortunately, it happened to coincide with a national mourning in another country.

of course!

never mind!

If you can’t do business with the royal family, you can find other ministers and talk to them first.

As for what you said, the Song Dynasty has always had a trade surplus with the Liao Dynasty. The Liao Dynasty simply has few things that can be exchanged with the Song Dynasty.

Zhao Xin does have an idea.

Zhao Xin knew that there seemed to be a large alkali mine within the territory of the Liao Kingdom, precisely in the area where the Khitan people’s dragon was born.

During the Qing Dynasty, a large amount of soda ash was imported into Beijing through the tunnel of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway, which was built by Zhan Tianyou.

If he could get such a large amount of soda ash, he could make a lot of glass products and sell them.

at the same time……

It will definitely have a great promoting effect on chemical research.

Zhao Xin asked his father-in-law to go to the Liao Kingdom to help it develop their industry in depth.

You say I have a big trade surplus, that’s okay, I can help you develop your domestic resources.

After hearing this, Yelu Hongji was also skeptical.

Anyway… just like that, I took people on a tour around the Liao Kingdom.

Not only alkali mines, but other commercial matters were also investigated.

In fact, discovering alkali mines is not difficult.

Because alkali has been used by people since ancient times.

For example, you can use it to process leather.

Zhao Xin also told his father-in-law what soda ash looked like and assigned him a Taoist priest who could make elixirs.

Therefore, it is not difficult to find alkali mines.

Besides, Zhao Xin told him the approximate location of the alkali mine.

The investigation continued until March or April of the following year.

Fortunately, those around Yelu Hongji were all well-educated Confucian scholars, so they did not do anything to his father-in-law, such as directly detaining him.

in fact……

Yelu Hongji could have used the excuse that his father-in-law had stolen intelligence from the Liao Kingdom as an excuse to declare war on the Song Dynasty.

only……

Taking into account that the national mourning had just begun and the country had not yet stabilized, and that the people around him were those who did not like war, Yelu Hongji restrained the urge to detain the person.

Of course!
In addition, it was also related to the fact that Zhao Xin’s father-in-law really found a way to make money for the other party.

Zhao Xin’s father-in-law took several kinds of goods, including alkali produced by alkali mines, and then negotiated the prices with Yelu Hongji one by one.

However, Yelu Hongji was not a fool.

you say……

This is something his tribesmen usually use to make leather, why does the other party want it too?

Moreover, the quantity the other party wants seems to be quite high.

Fortunately, Zhao Xin’s father-in-law did not panic, but said that although the Song Dynasty did not have so much leather, this thing could be used to make pancakes, and the pancakes made in this way would obviously taste better.

Anyway…

It cannot be said that it is completely useless.

And just think about it, in Kaifeng Prefecture alone in the Song Dynasty, millions of people would eat so many pancakes a day.

To put it bluntly, this thing is almost like salt.

only……

Salt is a must, but this can be used or not.

After all, the pancake can ferment naturally, it just takes a little longer.

However, there is no doubt that using this can greatly improve the taste of the pancakes.

after that……

Yelu Hongji also asked someone to do the same.

really!

Only when I found out that the other party was not deceiving me did I dispel my doubts.

at the same time……

Yelu Hongji also asked Zhao Xin’s father-in-law and heard that Zhao Xin had a new weapon.

Father Chen also replied directly: “Well… I only do business, I don’t know anything else.”

Yelu Hongji asked Zhao Xin’s father-in-law to go back and tell Zhao Xin that since Song and Liao were brothers, they should not hide things and if there were good things, they should share them.

Father Chen replied: “Your Majesty of the Liao Kingdom, do you want to go to war with our Prince Yu?”

Yelu Hongji had such a plan.

Seeing that Yelu Hongji was speaking so bluntly, Yelu Hongji also said: “Your Highness Prince Yu did a very bad job in occupying Xixia’s land. Xixia has even complained to our Liao Kingdom.”

Father Chen said, “I am not very clear about these things, but… I advise His Majesty the Liao Kingdom to be more cautious. After all, even I, the son-in-law, find it difficult to persuade him. His Majesty the Liao Kingdom should have heard that he doesn’t even take his father seriously in the Song Dynasty?”

Yelu Hongji was a kind and gentle person, mainly because his teachers were all well-read people.

The key point is that Yelu Hongji also likes Buddhism and especially likes to donate money and materials to Buddhism.

For people who grew up in this kind of atmosphere, what they hate most is naturally war.

only……

Before his death, Yelu Zongzhen specifically warned Yelu Hongji not to underestimate the Prince of Yu, and if he had the chance, he must kill him.

However, Yelu Hongji could not forget what his father said.

Hence the performance just now.

in fact……

Yelu Hongji wanted to go to war with the Song Dynasty.

only……

He has not yet sorted out the domestic relations, and his ministers also told him not to fight, so he did not fight.

The main reason is that he had an uncle named Yelu Chongyuan. When his father was alive, he may have drunk too much, said something casually, or something else, but he said that when he died, he would pass the throne to the other party.

Now it is conceivable that Yelu Hongji succeeded to the throne himself and did not pass it to Yelu Chongyuan. Do you think Yelu Chongyuan would have rebellious thoughts?
After Yelu Hongji ascended the throne, he immediately appointed him as the Grand Marshal of the Army, exempting him from the obligation to pay homage to the emperor. He also gave him a gold certificate, four hats and a two-color robe, the best treatment for any member of the royal family, in order to appease him.

Some people may ask, why not just kill the other person directly?
Wouldn’t that be easier?

however……

If you want to kill someone, you must have evidence.

If you kill people for no reason, what will the other members of the royal family do when they see it?
In addition…

Speaking of which, his uncle was still kind to his father.

At the beginning, some people plotted a rebellion and planned to make his uncle the emperor of Liao. It was his uncle who told his father about this, thus avoiding a disaster.

Now you say you want to kill this person who has done a favor to your father, that’s unacceptable.

Given Yelu Hongji’s character, he certainly didn’t believe that his uncle, Yelu Chongyuan, would betray him in the future.

But in this kind of situation, we should be prepared for the worst.

Therefore, some people advised him to be more wary of his uncle.

If the Liao Kingdom sends troops to the Song Dynasty at this time, be careful that his uncle will find an opportunity.

Yelu Hongji had never heard from his father that his uncle was unreliable.

but……

His father specifically told him to be nicer to his uncle.

Just think about it!
When people wanted to establish him, he resisted the urge to get involved. So, at this moment, how could he have any other thoughts?
of course!

A minister told him again.

It’s hard to say!
After all, Xingzong had said that after his death, he would pass the throne to Yelu Chongyuan.

Now that he has broken his promise, will Yelu Chongyuan inevitably have some bad thoughts?

It can only be said that the Liao Kingdom at this time seemed peaceful, but it also had considerable internal troubles.

Then Yelu Hongji asked Chen’s father, “Is your Prince Yu really so disrespectful to his elders?”

Chen’s father replied: “There is nothing we can do! He is the only son of the official family.”

After hearing this answer, Yelu Hongji was speechless.

after all……

The sky is big, the earth is big, but the only son is the biggest!
Yelu Hongji could not help but comment: “Your Song Dynasty officials are good in everything except that they dote on their sons too much, which is very bad.”

Obviously, Yelu Hongji dared to make such an evaluation, which showed that he must have a good understanding of the government of the Song Dynasty.

It is estimated that the Confucian scholars around him told him many times how generous the officials of the Southern Dynasties were to others.

Father Chen didn’t reply either.

can only say……

You are right!
But what can we do?

But in Chen’s father’s opinion, His Royal Highness Prince Yu is fine.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Yu doesn’t put on airs with others, and he won’t argue with you about etiquette.

Anyway…

When doing anything, he is direct and is the kind of person who is content with just getting things done.

As for whether what you said is really arrogant and domineering, Father Chen thinks that His Royal Highness Prince Yu is just concentrating on his career.

He had heard from his daughter that His Royal Highness Prince Yu never had a single day free.

So busy.

(End of this chapter)