Do you know: I am the crown prince

Chapter 522 Big move

"Don't you understand His Majesty's temperament? For many things, the more you try to stop him, the more determined His Majesty becomes." Han Zhang sighed.

"Ok?"

When Mr. Shen heard this, he was stunned. After thinking about it carefully, it seemed to be true.

After Zhao Xing ascended the throne, the more people opposed what he did, the more he insisted on doing it.

On the contrary, Zhao Xing was not so persistent about things that did not have much opposition. Even if they did not say anything, Zhao Xing would take the initiative to ask for their opinions for reference.

After such a long time, Han Zhang has figured out the pattern and even has some guesses about it.

He felt that Zhao Xing did not agree with the behavior of most officials in the court. Once more people opposed him, Zhao Xing would think that the decision he made was correct.

When most people do not object, Zhao Xing will instead wonder if there is something wrong with his decision.

But he couldn't say it out loud, so he changed the subject and asked, "Do you know where Empress Dowager Xiao and the others are?"

"Ok?"

Shen Xianggong was stunned and exclaimed: "Yes, where are Empress Dowager Xiao and others?"

The emperor led the army in person, and Empress Dowager Xiao and others accompanied him. Now that the emperor has returned, Empress Dowager Xiao and others are missing.

Previously, officials in the court had ignored this problem, but now they reacted after hearing the reminder from Prime Minister Han.

"I think Privy Envoy Zeng should know?" Han Zhang said.

Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Shen looked at Zeng Gongliang.

Zeng Gongliang faced the two people's gazes and said with a wry smile: "Since you have guessed it, why do you still embarrass me?"

"I was just guessing originally, but now I can be sure of it. Empress Dowager Xiao should have been released by His Majesty, right?" Han Zhang asked.

"Your Majesty, let go..."

When Shen Xianggong said this, an idea suddenly occurred to him, and he exclaimed, "Your Majesty let Empress Dowager Xiao go, is it because you want her to disrupt the Liao Kingdom?"

"good."

Han Zhang nodded and said, "Although Yelu Yixin officially ascended the throne, he ascended the throne too hastily. In addition to the fact that the Song Dynasty sent troops, he did not have time to eliminate dissidents. In the Liao Kingdom, in addition to those who have surrendered to Yelu Yixin, there are also some people who are loyal to Empress Dowager Xiao and Yelu Chongyuan."

"If Yelu Yixin wins, many of these people will change their ways and join Yelu Yixin for the sake of their own status."

"But Yelu Yixin was defeated and suffered heavy losses. Now Yelu Yixin's strength is no longer enough to completely suppress these people. In order to stabilize the situation, Yelu Yixin will definitely take ruthless action next."

Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Shen nodded slightly, agreeing with Han Zhang's analysis.

Why is it that no matter whether they are fighting for the throne or for domination of the world, they will kill everyone.

Even if the other party is no longer a threat, even if he is not killed, he will be imprisoned?
The purpose of doing this is not only to not trust the other party, but also to not trust those who are loyal to the other party.

Take Li Shimin for example. After the Xuanwu Gate Incident, he tried to recruit those who were loyal to Li Jiancheng.

Even high positions will be given.

Doing this is not just about showing off one's magnanimity.

The most important reason is that Li Jiancheng's lineage has all died out.

As the saying goes, when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. Without their masters, those people have no one to be loyal to. Even if they are given high positions, they will not pose much of a threat.

But the current Liao Kingdom is different. Empress Xiao is living outside with her son, while Yelu Chongyuan's sons are still alive.

Those who were originally loyal to both sides still have hope in their hearts.

It’s not that Yelu Yixin didn’t want to kill these people, but that he couldn’t.

Many people on both sides surrendered directly to Yelu Yixin. If Yelu Yixin went too far, those who surrendered would be in danger.

If the Song Dynasty and Western Xia were not around, Yelu Yixin might not care.

But there are still the Song Dynasty and Western Xia on the side. The Liao Kingdom has been in chaos for long enough. In order to maintain stability, Yelu Yixin needs to stabilize those people and slowly eliminate them by using the method of boiling a frog in warm water.

But the Song Dynasty did not give the Liao Kingdom any time to recuperate and reorganize its internal affairs.

Now that Yelu Yixin has suffered a great defeat, those who were originally loyal to Empress Dowager Xiao and Yelu Chongyuan will inevitably be tempted.

If Yelu Yixin won, although they knew that they were unlikely to gain Yelu Yixin's trust and would inevitably be left idle in the future, they did not dare to have any other thoughts.

But now Yelu Yixin is no longer enough to intimidate them. If Empress Dowager Xiao secretly contacts and wins them over, even those who were originally loyal to Yelu Chongyuan will be won over by Empress Dowager Xiao.

"The Liao Kingdom suffered a great defeat and was severely damaged. Next, Empress Dowager Xiao will definitely give Yelu Yixin a huge headache and he will have no time to take care of other things. That's why Your Majesty insisted on sending troops to attack Western Xia." Han Zhang said.

"Your Majesty's plan is so far-reaching?" Prime Minister Shen exclaimed in amazement.

Zeng Gongliang shook his head slightly. He was the only one who knew that all this was not Zhao Xing's plan, but that Empress Dowager Xiao had escaped on her own.

At that time, Zhao Xing didn't know that Hehuang would send troops against Western Xia, so he couldn't make such far-reaching calculations.

"That's why I said that this thing cannot be stopped." Han Zhang shook his head slightly.

"Although there is a certain chance of winning this battle, if it fails, the consequences will be unbearable for the Song Dynasty." Prime Minister Shen frowned.

He still prefers not to send troops for the time being.

No matter how well Zhao Xing planned, he was not sure of winning.

Prime Minister Shen also knew that man proposes, God disposes, and that most things in the world cannot be 100% certain.

But in his opinion, if the Western Xia was not successfully destroyed and the war dragged on for too long, the consequences would be something the Song Dynasty could not bear.

"But I can't persuade Your Majesty now!"

Han Zhang shook his head and said, "Since your majesty has made up his mind, it is not a good idea to stop him by force. But you don't have to worry too much. If things don't go smoothly, you can still persuade your majesty. Your majesty is not someone who will not listen to others."

Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Shen fell silent. He understood what Han Zhang meant.

Now that the government has made up its mind and cannot be persuaded, we will just support it first.

Given the current situation of Western Xia, even if we cannot quickly destroy it, we will not be defeated.

If it goes smoothly, that's the best. If it doesn't go smoothly and you hit a wall, it will be much easier to persuade them.

Although he still disagrees, it seems that this is indeed a better solution now.

After returning to the palace, Zhao Xing wanted to discuss the issue of sending troops against Western Xia again.

What surprised him was that this time both Han Zhang and Shen Xianggong acquiesced to this matter and did not object.

Although he didn't know the reason, it just happened to fit Zhao Xing's idea, so he didn't delve into it further.

The next day, Zhao Xing summoned Liang Yimai again and agreed to exchange Queen Liang for Lingzhou City and several nearby cities.

Liang Yimei was overjoyed when he heard this, and thanked her repeatedly, promising that once Queen Liang returned to Western Xia and took control of the situation, he would hand over Lingzhou City and the three nearby cities to the Song Dynasty.

After hearing this, Zhao Xing threatened that if the Liang family made trouble for him, he would raise an army to attack Western Xia.

Then he arranged for people to send Liang Yimai and Queen Liang back to Western Xia.

The night before leaving, Zhao Xing summoned Queen Liang into the palace again.

If we let Queen Liang go this time, even if we are able to destroy Western Xia in the future, we may not be able to capture Queen Liang alive. It would be a pity not to favor her anymore.

After Liang Yimei and Queen Liang left Bian Jing, Zhao Xing sent a secret decree to Gu Tingye.

He was asked to pay close attention to the situation in Xixia, and at a critical moment, he could hold a secret order to mobilize all the troops in the northwest border to attack Xixia and destroy it in one fell swoop. After arranging these, Zhao Xing asked people to pay close attention to the situation in Liao.

Whether his plan could succeed depended not only on how the war between Hehuang and Xixia went, but also on how much commotion Empress Dowager Xiao could cause in the Liao Kingdom.

If Empress Dowager Xiao could not cause any disturbance in the Liao Kingdom, Yelu Yixin would have no time to take care of other things.

When Yelu Yixin learns that the Song Dynasty is sending troops to Western Xia, he will definitely stop it.

After finishing these, Zhao Xing was busy dealing with the affairs of the money house.

In addition, Zhao Xing was not idle and worked hard in the harem.

It is worth mentioning that during this period, Yu Yanran gave birth to a daughter for him.

Not only that, Rulan also became pregnant, and Shulan became pregnant again.

The promotion of money shops was also relatively smooth.

Although some people secretly instigated the people and wanted to stir up unrest in order to force the court to cancel the implementation of money shops and new currency.

But after all, not many people dared to do so. Zhao Xing had previously ordered the Imperial City Bureau to arrest those officials and merchants who were involved in minting counterfeit coins. Except for Li Jie who was exiled to the border, all the others were executed, which had already scared them.

Although there were still some people who were not afraid of death, Zhao Xing did not indulge them. He ordered the Imperial City Bureau to conduct a thorough investigation and execute anyone found guilty.

The introduction of the new currency had no impact on ordinary people. Although some people secretly instigated it, it did not cause much waves.

Moreover, only a minority of merchants in the world participated in the minting of counterfeit coins. For the majority of merchants, they still supported the new currency and money houses.

Although it was not friendly for them to exchange new currency in money shops, it would be very convenient for them to do business if money shops could open in the Song Dynasty.

They would lose a lot if they exchanged the coins, but the silver coins not only had exquisite shapes, but also solved the problem of quality.

The shops they opened no longer need to identify the quality and weigh the goods, which can be said to be a mixed blessing.

Of course, this also has a lot to do with Zhao Xing’s strength.

Zhao Xing killed so many officials that even many officials were frightened, let alone these businessmen.

Until the end of the year, the ten banks operated very smoothly, earning a large amount of money for the court and completely solving the court's financial difficulties.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Xing simply instructed Sheng Wei to promote the money shops and new currency throughout the Song Dynasty as soon as possible, and did not pay much attention to it.

Years later, Zhao Xing began to reform the civil service and the army.

The new assessment system implemented previously has also achieved good results.

However, rectifying the administration of civil servants requires more than just changing the evaluation system.

Division of responsibilities, restriction of powers and supervision of officials are all essential.

This time, the officials in the court could no longer sit still.

Once the division of responsibilities and powers was cleared up, many departments in the court lost their functions.

Zhao Xingjian made cuts to these departments.

In order to place these dismissed officials, Zhao Xing forced many old officials to retire. In addition, the officials who had participated in the minting of counterfeit coins and the officials who prevented the promotion of money shops and new currencies were dealt with previously, so many positions were vacant and they could barely be placed.

There is no need to lay off a large number of officials.

But how could those older officials who are about to be laid off be willing to accept this?

Moreover, Zhao Xing abolished some departments. Although the officials of the abolished departments were resettled, the number of official positions that could hold actual posts in the court also decreased.

It not only affects them now, but also the future of their descendants.

In addition, Zhao Xing also changed the rules of enfeoffment.

There are many obvious reasons for the inheritance of titles. For those with high official titles, almost all descendants in their families can receive the title.

However, Zhao Xing stipulated that from then on, all official titles would be abolished, and only officials of the fourth rank and above could receive titles.

Moreover, only one son can be granted the title, and even the prime minister of the current dynasty is no exception.

Moreover, officials who only hold nominal positions will be demoted to receive basic salaries, and all other benefits will be canceled.

You should know that although the salaries of officials in the Song Dynasty were high, they were only so high because of the addition of various benefits.

The basic salary alone is not high, not to mention the downgrade.

For example, an official who originally held a fifth-rank honorary position could only receive the salary of a fourth-rank official, and it was a basic salary.

It’s not that Zhao Xing didn’t want to make a one-size-fits-all approach and completely abolish the system of imperial titles.

But the resistance is too great, so some room is left.

But even so, it aroused opposition from most officials in the world.

Learn literary and martial arts, and sell them to the imperial family.

Why sell it to the imperial family? Isn't it to get a title for his wife and children, so that his descendants can enjoy wealth and honor forever.

By doing this, Zhao Xing was cutting off the path for their descendants to enjoy everlasting wealth and prosperity. How could they accept this?

For a time, letters of opposition poured into Bianliang like snowflakes, and every day there were officials who died in the court.

But Zhao Xing was very powerful, and he had completely taken control of the imperial guards in Bianliang.

He immediately mobilized tens of thousands of troops into the city and directly imposed military control on the city of Bianjing.

Officials who died for their remonstrances were stripped of all their honors and titles as they were only concerned with their own interests.

Not to mention posthumous honors, their reputations must be completely destroyed.

At this time, Han Zhang resigned from the position of Grand Prime Minister on the grounds of old age, and Zhao Xing agreed, and Prime Minister Shen took over the position of Grand Prime Minister.

What happened next made officials all over the world completely speechless.

The Imperial City Bureau arrested Prime Minister Li, the most vocal opponent in the court, on the charge of treason.

Those officials in the court who opposed this were outraged by this matter, but when Zhao Xing put the evidence in front of them, they immediately became obedient.

Many people even began to live in constant fear.

Evidence shows that the rebellion in the Central Plains last year was launched by Prime Minister Li in collusion with people from the Wizard Cult.

Although Prime Minister Li did not admit that he was plotting a rebellion, he said that he did not want to see Zhao Xing's aggressive military expansion and bring the Song Dynasty into the abyss, so he had to stop it in this way.

But his collusion with the Wizarding Cult was an indisputable fact, the evidence was irrefutable, and the Wizarding Cult's leader and a number of high-ranking officials were arrested, so he couldn't deny it even if he wanted to.

When the news came out, the people in the Central Plains were extremely angry.

Last year, many of them lost their families and not only did they suffer heavy losses, but many of them also lost family members in the rebellion.

Upon learning that the rebellion was caused by Prime Minister Li, they rushed to Bian Jing and requested that Prime Minister Li be severely punished.

In this situation, who would dare to plead for Mr. Li?

Not only was Prime Minister Li arrested, but many officials who were involved in the planning were also arrested.

Zhao Xing abolished other official titles and enfeoffments, which aroused opposition from many officials, mainly Prime Minister Li.

They were afraid that Zhao Xing would use this excuse to label them as traitors, so they dared not beg for mercy.

(End of this chapter)