Chapter 1 Many Things

Although many things happened in the seventh year of Jianyan, and Zhao Guan Jia exhausted all means for the sake of financial loopholes, even falling ill from exhaustion, those matters were more of complicated affairs from the ruler's perspective. At most, they made the official and the central ministers feel tired, and the top dignitaries feel fearful.

But for the vast majority of the Song Dynasty's people south of the Yellow River, and even for a considerable number of grassroots officials, including the hundreds of thousands of imperial troops, this year was undoubtedly a very easy and comfortable year.

Because there were no large-scale wars this year.

Aside from the border harassments, the only two places that could be described as having organized battles were when the Imperial Navy, with its absolute advantage on the water, fought a small, victorious battle against the Jin Dynasty's navy, which tentatively emerged in the middle of the year on the Yellow River; and then, after the autumn harvest, Li Yanxian, having received instructions, organized forces to launch a tentative attack from the Zhongtiao Mountains on the important town of Hezhong Prefecture controlled by the Jurchens. The momentum was strong, but after the arrival of Jurchen reinforcements from Taiyuan, they chose to retreat completely without achieving anything.

But these actions were insignificant compared to the large-scale deployment of tens or hundreds of thousands of troops, the corvée labor of hundreds of thousands or millions of civilians, and the casualties of thousands or tens of thousands in previous years.

In fact, apart from the Dibao (official gazette), few people mentioned it.

Even Zhao Jiu himself knew that the purpose of fighting these two battles was more for the sake of fighting itself, to tell the world that the Song and Jin were still at war, that the Song and Jin were irreconcilable, and that they would eventually fight over.

Then, according to the official's wishes, they would have to continue fighting next year, and on a larger scale and with greater frequency.

Han Shizhong's and Wu Jie's troops, including part of the Imperial Central Army, would all participate in the battles of Hezhong Prefecture… Pinglu City in Shanzhou north of the Yellow River and the Zhongtiao Mountain area were the only salient of Hebei that the Song army had preserved, and their importance could not be overstated. Hezhong Prefecture, as the natural first foothold for the future Northern Expedition, needed to be thoroughly explored, and large-scale armies needed to become as familiar as possible with traveling back and forth across the Yellow River with its different river conditions.

By the same token, the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River had many old courses due to specific historical reasons… These old courses were certainly not as wide and smooth as the main channel entering the sea in Shandong, but the problem was that during the high-water season in summer, they could still allow large ships to pass. They were a natural way for the Imperial Navy to try to infiltrate the area around Daming Prefecture, and even a direct channel for the Imperial Vanguard Army and Right Army to reach Hebei in the future. There was no reason to give up the struggle for this complex water area.

In addition, the Imperial Navy was still in its infancy, currently only at the stage of collecting sea ships and recruiting pirates. Like Li Qi, the pseudo-Qi naval general taken away by the Jurchens, they were only amateurs… For this reason, a few young officials who advocated using the navy to harass the Jurchens' tails had been reprimanded by prudent superiors.

Of course, because of a certain superstition developed in later generations, Zhao Jiu did not say it, but he firmly believed in his heart that with his support and the support of the maritime transport policy, the Imperial Navy would grow rapidly and become another breakthrough point to the north.

But, again, that didn't change the fact that there were no major wars throughout the entire seventh year of Jianyan.

No wars.

Then, although Zhao Ding and Zhang Jun were constantly making small moves against each other, they generally maintained and presented a stage that was possibly the most politically clear in the Song Dynasty in forty or fifty years.

So naturally, everything was waiting to be revived, and there was vigorous vitality.

Even Zhao Guan Jia's bone-sucking actions to gather military expenses did not stop the de facto great strides of revival of this old empire.

The political situation was increasingly stable, production gradually recovered, the population began to grow slightly, and a baby boom began to appear… Even Zhao Ding Zhao Xiang Gong's son was said to be starting to look for a wife.

This self-healing behavior of the entire society, its speed and scale, far exceeded the predictions and judgments of politicians.

Before the Taixue Wen Zheng (Imperial Academy political discussions), the Ministry of Revenue, when conducting the second half-year inspection based on its thick financial and taxation report, was shocked to find that the speed of financial recovery was still faster than expected.

The speed at which those collapsed porcelain kilns were rebuilt was much faster than expected; small-scale trade markets spontaneously formed at the transportation hubs next to the burned markets; the cities that had been completely massacred and burned quickly regained their former glory after a few years of peace… The most obvious examples were Luoyang and Nanjing (Shangqiu), which had been blank slates. In just a few years, they had recovered into large cities with populations of over 100,000.

And without a doubt, Luoyang would continue to recover rapidly, the city's potential was too great.

Moreover, financial revenue showed that many of the new things that had emerged in various places were unexpected when they initially formulated the financial and taxation report at the beginning of the year… Ministry of Revenue officials expressed cautious optimism about trade with the Western Regions. The existence of the Lanzhou Grand Market was indeed within their consideration, but at the same time, they had no ideas about Yinshan, only treating it as a pure point of entry for horses.

Come to think of it, with a population of only one or two million… or perhaps even less, no matter how large the grasslands were, what could be said about them? Were they as useful as the million mu of fertile land in the Xingling Plain?

However, facts proved that the commercial tax collected at Keyimen in this year alone was a huge and somewhat terrifying number… It was not obvious in the first half of the year, but starting in the second half of the year, all sorts of strange goods from Guanzhong and Sichuan would pass through here and go north.

The several secretaries and assistant ministers of the Ministry of Revenue would never believe that a place where even the king couldn't afford to raise dozens of sons would consume so much exquisite porcelain and Shu brocade?

Even the tea and medicinal materials were a bit too much.

Of course, everyone knew that it must have flowed to the Jurchens… Their dignitaries had plenty of gold and silver to spend. So-called Mongolia was just another Goryeo.

Perhaps the fact that Hebul Khan, who had once been shaken by the Jin, eventually sent his son was also related to the outbreak of this business in the second half of the year.

And this unexpected transit trade route was undoubtedly a double-edged sword—Zhao Guan Jia was wary of Hebul Khan because of his surname, the Khitans had their own judgment because of the geographical advantages of the Mongolian Plateau, and the Song Dynasty officials keenly smelled the ambition and unruliness of the first khan of Mongolian history from Hebul's actions, which he didn't know how to conceal.

However, for the moment, everything was for the Northern Expedition, and the first priority of the Northern Expedition was to raise money… If everything had to obey this overall situation, the court could only turn a blind eye.

Who told them that Ningxia Road had collected hundreds of thousands of strings of commercial tax in just half a year?

A road that was considered relatively remote even in the Northwest, and they had only just gotten their hands on it a year ago, but the commercial tax was actually equivalent to half of Jiangnan West Road! And its location and the water conservancy system of the Xingling Plain made its grain destined to become the lowest-cost and highest-quality military grain supply point during the Northern Expedition… The destruction of Western Xia and the establishment of Ningxia Road had a much greater effect on the Northern Expedition than imagined.

Its help was all-encompassing, not only in military and geographical terms, but also in economic, grain, and even diplomatic terms.

Eight million, seven hundred and seventy-three thousand, one hundred and twenty-seven strings and seventy-three wen.

This was the total extra income beyond the original fiscal plan for the seventh year of Jianyan, encompassing everything from stamp tax to lottery tickets, to Zhao Guan Jia selling flags, selling calligraphy and paintings, selling palaces, and all the results after putting down his airs and vigorously developing foreign trade.

"That's not right."

In the Chongwen Institute, Zhao Jiu, standing with his hands behind his back in front of the Secret Pavilion, turned around and shook his head with a smile at Lin Jingmo, the Minister of Revenue in front of him. "There's also the million strings that I just extorted… Minister Lin should not have included it in that number."

These words were too frivolous, but Lin Jingmo's expression did not change. He was only slightly startled and then immediately bowed solemnly. "That is indeed the case, but His Majesty's national bonds actually sold as much as a million strings?"

"That's right." Zhao Jiu directly confessed to the many important ministers in front of him in the Chongwen Institute. "At first, I only prepared a quota of three or four hundred thousand strings, all with a term of five years, and the sales here in the capital were not very good because many people had already bought large amounts of national bonds… But later, someone asked if they could buy some for their friends in Yangzhou. I thought it would be convenient for others and convenient for myself, so I agreed directly. Who would have thought that this person's friends would be so generous? They were all buying in quantities of tens of thousands of strings."

Lin Jingmo and several surrounding ministers were silent… The Empress Dowager Yuanyou had already moved here, and was expected to spend the New Year on the road. The descendants of meritorious officials and the Palace Attendants from the Inner Attendants Bureau were dragged directly to the streets by the Imperial Guards and beheaded in public, and famous scholars of the Southeast Dao School were stripped of their homes and exiled… Under these circumstances, friends in Yangzhou who had not bought large amounts of national bonds a few times would naturally be generous.

However…

"However, if you calculate it this way," Zhao Jiu breathed out a mouthful of white air, looked up at the blue sky on a winter morning, and said with emotion. "It's only over nine million strings, still less than ten million… Moreover, everything must follow basic principles. These people are willing to buy large amounts of national bonds today, but they may not be willing to buy them next year. The houses in Jingyuan are also the same. These are all tens of millions of strings of wealth."

"But things like maritime trade, stamp tax, and lottery tickets are growing steadily… Your Majesty, do not worry." Chancellor Zhang Jun quickly comforted him.

"That's true." Zhao Jiu immediately smiled at his most trusted minister under the expressionless gazes of many officials.

However, there was always someone who liked to tear down the stage. Just as Zhang Jun was about to speak again, Minister of Works Hu Yin could no longer bear it. He stepped forward directly and said with a serious expression:

"Has Your Majesty forgotten that many of the things this year were gradually implemented starting in the middle of the year? In my opinion, it is true that there will not be such great progress in the next two years. Windfalls of a million strings like Jingyuan, sea flags, royal auctions, and today's large national bonds will not be so smooth again, but calculated over the whole year, it will definitely exceed ten million strings… Why is Your Majesty pretending to be deaf and mute?"

Everyone suddenly understood, or rather, many people pretended to understand. Led by Zhao Ding, they all cupped their hands and offered congratulations.

And Zhao Guan Jia finally revealed a smug look on his face, rarely looking around the courtyard triumphantly, smiled, and then waved his hand:

"I almost forgot that this is the result of half a year… But in any case, these are all the results of your hard work, your merits. Only in the next two years, you will have to work hard to follow me and continue to tighten your belts."

As soon as these words came out, countless civil and military officials gathered in this Chongwen Institute, from Chancellor Zhao Ding of the Department of State Affairs and Chancellor Zhang Jun of the Privy Council downwards, felt that their year of hard work had not been in vain, but they did not dare to be negligent. They all bowed and saluted in response.

"Let's go!"

Zhao Guan Jia finally stopped pretending, but directly walked past the crowd of officials with his hands behind his back. "Today, we will explain the matter to the world in the Taixue, and this year can be considered truly uneventful… Everyone, work hard for the last day, and go back and have a good New Year."

The crowd responded with a roar, and they all followed Zhao Guan Jia out of the Chongwen Institute, turned to Xuande Gate, and then set up the ceremonial guard and marched together along the Royal Street to the Taixue… It turned out that today was indeed the day for the last major event of the year, the Ceremony of Taixue Wen Zheng.

And after today, whether the ups and downs of the previous few years, the gains and losses, or the possible major changes in the court situation in the next few years, or the victory or defeat of the Northern Expedition, could finally be temporarily put aside… Because, as the official said, this year alone could be considered uneventful.

ps: Thanks to Boss Linghu Erzhong for the meng, and also to Boss Linghu Erzhong's tenth brother, Boss Linghu Shizhong, for the meng, and also thanks to Boss Submarine Street for the meng, and to the boss who gave a meng even though my writing is not good…

Happy New Year to everyone!