In March in Shaanxi, the vegetation has sprouted, but there is still a slight chill in the air. It was the evening of March 4th in the thirteenth year of Xining.It has been a month since the Xixia Ji Chou coup.Because Wen Huan and Ren Duo Baozhong successfully escaped Liang Yibu's pursuit and arrived at the control area of ​​the Jingsai Military Division more than ten days later, the news of the coup d'état in Xingqing Mansion on the ugly day of the first lunar month and Xia Zhu's confinement quickly spread. go out.Ren Duohuan immediately sent an envoy to the Xixia Twelve Supervising Army Division to report the matter, but this strong man among the local princes of the Xixia Kingdom was very cautious and did not immediately stand in a position that was incompatible with the Liang family.This is beyond the expectations of many people.

Only two days after Ren Duohuan learned of some of the facts about the coup, a piece of information about the details of the Xixia coup was placed on the official case of Shi Yue, the appeasement envoy of Shanxi Road in the Song Dynasty. With the post-transmission system of the Song Dynasty, it can be guaranteed that this information can be placed on the imperial case of the Emperor Song after four or five days at most.Because the twenty-fifth day of the first lunar month in the thirteenth year of Xining was Ji Chou Day, this information from the Song Dynasty stated that the coup that occurred in Xixia on that day was the "Ji Chou Change".At the end of February, the "Qin Bao" of the Jingzhao Mansion learned of the Xixia coup through some unknown channel. Wei Tang wrote an article himself, and the front page headline was titled "Ji Ugly Coup". From this name, regardless of the Song, Liao and Xia Dynasties, regardless of the officials and the people, they all called the Xixia coup a "self-ugly coup".

Of course, how to call what happened in Xixia is just an insignificant tidbit. The two enemy countries of the Song Dynasty were not stable, but one made the monarchs and ministers of Bianjing happy, and the other worried the monarchs and ministers of Bianjing.In Xixia, Bianjing saw a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; in Liao, Yelujun was invincible—the emperor of Daliao was so supported by the people and soldiers that wherever his army went, the people killed the guards and soldiers Killing the generals, one after another surrendered and rebelled. Even with the help of the "smugglers" from the people of the Song Dynasty, Yang Zunxu did nothing at all, but was scared and hid under the high city of Datong Prefecture, lingering on his last breath.Yelujun surrounded Datong three times inside and outside, and Yang Zunxu's overthrow was just around the corner.

The victory of the Liao Lord, to a certain extent, stimulated the nerves of Zhao Xu and his courtiers who had just finished the funeral of Empress Dowager Cao. A simple ox-drawn three-compartment and four-wheeled cart stopped in front of the post house in Yijun County under the afterglow of the setting sun. "Dear officials, the Yijun station has arrived." An old carriage driver sang rudely toward the carriage, and greeted him loudly.The curtain of the carriage was lifted, and seven or eight travelers stepped out of the stage car one after another bent over. "Huh? There is a monster!" Suddenly, a child in front of the posthouse yelled loudly, and several postmen and shop soldiers hurriedly picked up the Zhuge crossbow beside them and ran out. Looking around, they asked loudly, "Where is the monster?" Where is it?" Although they were only from the Parade Army, they had been trained in the army after all, so they were a little bit more courageous than others.

A twelve or thirteen-year-old child showed half of his head from behind a mule-drawn stagecoach, pointed to a person who had just stepped off the stagecoach, and said timidly, "There...the long-haired monster..." Everyone followed his fingers and saw that it turned out to be a foreign merchant, so they couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.A postman laughed and cursed and walked up behind the child, kicked him lightly on the buttocks, and spat: "What kind of long-haired monster, no barbarian knows? I asked you to help earn a little money, not to cause trouble for me. Don't do anything yet!"

Seeing the expressions of the crowd, the child knew that it was definitely not a monster, but he was still afraid in his heart, he didn't dare to look at the foreign merchant, turned around and ran away.The postman spat again at the child's back, walked up to the traveler who had just got off the bus, bowed with a smile and said, "Country people are rare and strange, and officials should not be surprised." Then he walked up to the foreign merchant, He asked in a half-baked official dialect: "Don't dare to ask this guest officer what to call him?" "I am Acardo." Acardo can now speak authentic Bianjing dialect.This is the first time for him to visit the mainland of the Great Song Dynasty. Because the Silk Road has been broken for a long time, people in the Song Dynasty in the inland rarely see Taixi people. After entering Shaanxi, he was often mistaken for a monster. It was so embarrassing. I'm used to it, and I don't mind it.

"So it's... an officer," the postman finally couldn't figure out Acardo's name, so he typed it vaguely, and then apologized to Acardo with a smile: "The child is ignorant, so he has a lot of knowledge." Offend, please don't blame." "Those who do not know are not guilty." The official of the post office was taken aback when a word of politeness came out of the mouth of the fan merchant.However, in Yijun County, post officials like him can be regarded as well-informed people, and after a few pleasantries, they warmly greeted these guests to rest in the post.Most of the travelers who got off the stagecoach dispersed separately, and only three or four people followed the postman into the posthouse.

From the outside, the post house in Yijun County looks like a large courtyard with a spacious space and exquisite furnishings inside.Yijun County was originally a medium-sized county, originally affiliated to Fangzhou. After Sima Guang presided over the merger of prefectures and counties in Xining, Fangzhou was withdrawn and merged into Fuzhou. Since then, Yijun County has become the southernmost county seat in Fuyan area. Located on the official road connecting Yanzhou and Chang'an, Jingzhao Prefecture, it is also an important city in the Shaanxi Road post administration network.It is ninety miles away from Tongguan County in the south and sixty miles away from Zhongbu County (formerly Fangzhou City) in the north.The water transportation is far less developed than the central county, and even not as good as the official county, but relying on the official road passing through Yijun County, the business travel has gradually increased, and the business has also prospered a lot.The posthouses in Yijun County and the posthouses in Tongguan and Central Counties have a postcoach to go to the other city at dawn every day, and they can return to their respective cities in the evening.In addition, Yijun County also has a post car connecting Shengping Town, which has an alum mine in the county.

With the smooth advancement of the military system reform, under Shi Yue's strong support, the Song Dynasty completely changed the chronic problem of the weak defense of the division of troops in the past, and further improved the border defense system.Although the previous "Military Road" was abolished, four more Yansui, Huanqing, Qinfeng, and Xihe were set up on the border between Shaanxi and Xixia, and Chang'an was the general rear of the four camps. Such a setup In fact, it is the result of the game between Shi Yue and the Privy Council. The four major camps are still under the control of the appeasement envoy, but the head of the camp capital and the camp supervising military capital Yuhou are respectively appointed by the Privy Council and the Weiwei Temple. This ensures Shi Yue's authority in Shaanxi. , and reduced the Song Dynasty's worries about the separatism of the feudal towns.

At the same time, a group of reorganized Forbidden Army began to station in the major camps.In the thirteenth year of Xining, during the ugly coup of the Xixia Kingdom, the Yansui battalion that controlled Yanzhou, Suide, Yanzhou, and Baoan Army, in addition to the third army of the Zhenwu Army and the Yunyi Army of Zhonggu, had new troops. The second army of the Zhenwu Army and the third army of the Shenrui Army, which had been reorganized, moved in, so in the Yansui camp, the infantry of the Imperial Army reached 42,000, and the cavalry reached 10,800.In addition, there are two battalions of divine guards, as well as border archers in Tuntian, some teaching parade troops, and fan soldiers.Because of the attack on Hengshan, many Hengshan tribes attached themselves. Zhonggu and Liu Shunqing wrote a letter to ask to follow the old example of the famous mountain of Wei, and move some of these tribes to live in the open area along the river in Suizhou. Then add kindness and trust to make it the help of the Song Dynasty-the Song Army can recruit more than 10,000 Fan soldiers from it at any time. These Fan soldiers usually do not need the court to spend a penny. When fighting, they only need to pay The salary of their soldiers is enough, although it is not enough for the eternal law, as a temporary expediency, it is very cost-effective.So near Suide City, the Dali River, Wuding River, and Huaining River intersect with Weiming mountain tribes. The newly migrated tribes are all over the river banks, the newly reclaimed farmlands are connected, and the grazing cattle and sheep are everywhere. Along the Wuding River and the Huaining River, three small towns without city walls were built. In addition to the Buddhist temples believed by the Hengshan Fan people, there are specially established schools, doctors stationed in the small towns, and trading facilities for the Han people. market.

With more than 50,000 regular troops and tens of thousands of newly attached Fan tribes, even at the risk of imminent war, the business opportunities in the middle are enough to attract businessmen from as far away as Hangzhou, Chengdu, and Quanzhou to come and trade. As for Yijun County, because it is the southern gate of the Yansui area, many merchants coming and going will stop here, and by the way, they will also buy a large amount of alum and sell it to Bianjing or even Hangzhou. When entertaining guests, they like to pile alum on a plate and put it in the banquet. It looks like ice and snow, and it is called "alum mountain".The Military Supervisory Committee and various weapons workshops are also very interested in Yijun County. Using alum water to write is not only the patent of the staff office, but many departments are interested in it; and Yijun County also produces some materials for making bowstrings. It has also been acquired by official and private workshops in large quantities. This inland county, which was originally inconspicuous and even considered to have no future because of the lack of smooth water conservancy transportation, became prosperous in a short period of time by chance.Although the post car is still a slightly old ox-drawn four-wheeled cart - this is due to the cost saving during the reform of the post office, but the layout inside the post house has long been more and more refined and attentive. Acardo knew very little about all this, since he entered the territory of Shaanxi Road, what he saw and heard along the way was very different from what he saw in other places, and he was always amazed.Limited to what he had seen and heard, his impression at this time was that Shaanxi Road was the center of wealth in the inland of the Song Dynasty.He went through the check-in procedures with the postman, cleaned up casually, and then came out to look for the two young people who were friends with him in the same car. Acardo was very impressed with those two young men.From the conversation on the road, he already knew that one of these two young people was a top student at the martial arts school in Zhuxian Town. Acardo guessed that he was ordered to report to the Yansui Camp.This young military officer of the Great Song Dynasty has a military temperament that fascinates Acardo. Although he is only in his early twenties, he has a calm demeanor, is alert and decisive in his actions, and speaks few words but always means what he says. I heard that this is called "" The young man "Zhong Jianzhong" came from a family of generals named "Zhong" in the Song Empire, and he was the best of the younger generation in this family. Another young man, compared to Zhong Jianzhong, has a more noble background.The young man named "Chai Yuan" was once the emperor of China. Even today, his distant cousin is honored as a "guest of state" and enjoys the honor.Although according to the Chinese custom, he was born from a side branch and had no title and privileges many generations ago, but in Acardo's view, the honor and glory of his blood will never be weakened by this.Moreover, Chai Yuan is also a well-capitalized businessman, which makes Acardo love him even more. When Acardo approached the front hall of the post house, it was already getting dark.A few oil lamps were lit in the hall——compared with the luxurious Bianjing people, Shaanxi people are more simple and frugal, so bright candles are rarely seen except in Jingzhao Mansion.Under the dim light, the guests of the post house were eating dinner alone or together in twos and threes.Acardo saw Zhong Jianzhong and Chai Yuan sitting together and talking about something, he quickly walked over and said with a smile: "Young Master Zhong, Young Master Chai." "So it's brother, let's sit together." Like most Song people, Chai Yuan didn't quite know Acardo's name.Zhong Jianzhong also gave Acardo a friendly smile. Acardo thanked him and sat down. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly heard someone scold loudly: "Are you blind? Or is it the other way around? Open your dog eyes and see, this is a postcard from the imperial court." ! My master is the new head of Ganquan County, if you don’t come to serve, how dare you deny this post ticket?” This scolding attracted everyone's attention.It turned out that there were two well-dressed masters and servants, who thought the post official was negligent and refused to pay, but the post official refused to accept the post voucher, so the servant spoke rudely.Acardo and Chai Yuan were fine, but Zhong Jianzhong's brows were furrowed, and his disdain was evident in his words. When the post official heard that he was a real official, he felt a little bit timid, but the Shaanxi all the way issued an edict clearly, and the post office was different from other places, so he couldn't suffer by himself and advance money for others, so he immediately thought of words Explanation. Unexpectedly, he didn't speak, someone spoke for him first. "Isn't the master of Ganquan County a big deal? You are a snobby servant. You are wanton on Shanxi Road. Be careful to implicate your master and lose your future. It's hard to study hard for ten years." A Confucian scholar sarcastically hugged this Not fair. "Who are you? You dare to meddle in this business!" The master and servant all looked at the person in front of them, unable to grasp the details of the other party for a while. The man smiled and said, "It doesn't matter who I am. The imperial court issued an edict to implement the new post policy on Shaanxi Road. All officials passing by in Shaanxi will be charged according to the mileage of their official rank, and they will be paid by the envoy to transfer to Shaanxi Road. They cannot come in person For those who have paid, please reissue it in your salary. All post coupons will be abolished along the way in Shaanxi. Unless it is related to military affairs, those who have gold and silver plates can pay for it first and then reimburse the account. It is the angel of the court. You have to spend money to live in a post house. What is a mere Ganquan master? In Tongzhou, Yaozhou, and Shanzhou, there are county magistrates who were dismissed for disturbing the post administration. Haven’t you heard of it? Whenever you enter Shaanxi, I I advise you, master and servant, to get rid of your arrogance, you have come all the way, and this Yijun Inn is not the first one, why have you been quiet all the way, why can't you bear it now?" In the Song Dynasty, the corruption of the post administration was one of the most notable maladministrations in the "redundancy" of the "three redundancy".Shi Yue's reform of the post office and the establishment of a post office network are only one of them, and the improvement of the service method is only the second. It is his utmost dedication to get rid of the disadvantages of the post office.When the officials of the Song Dynasty went on business trips, they originally had post coupons, and they could use the post coupons to spend when they went to the post post. They also spend far more than the regulations allow in the posthouse.Once the supply is unsatisfactory, the post officials are often beaten by these officials.The government refused to admit the extra money they spent, so they had to subsidize it themselves, but they couldn’t make up for it. Local officials didn’t dare to offend their colleagues, so they forcibly apportioned it from the people nearby. Therefore, the post office was one of the largest in the Song Dynasty. Maladministration.The imperial court spent a huge amount of money to maintain this network, while the common people were tortured at the same time.However, because the post office is also related to the military, it has always been cautious. Even if there are improvements, it will only treat the symptoms but not the root cause. However, Shiyue's Xinyi Political Law has solved these problems well.After weighing the balance between the emperor and the two governments, they finally agreed, and issued an imperial edict, which was first implemented in Shaanxi. In Shiyue's new post administration law, the post administration network along the Shaanxi Road is divided into trunk lines and branch lines.The network connecting important military towns and major cities to Bianjing is called the main line, and all the main lines are government-run.The networks between the rest of the states and counties are branch lines, which are either government-run or private-run.Regardless of whether it is the main line or the branch line, post coupons are abolished. Officials can receive fixed travel fees according to their rank and mileage.Moreover, in order to reduce the disadvantages of the situation, the money is directly settled at the Shaanxi Road Transit Department, and has nothing to do with the local posthouse or the local government.And there is another method, which is settled by the transshipment department and each post office.From then on, officials entered the posthouse as if they were staying in the inn, and the posthouse was no longer a place for officials at all levels to do their best.Of course, under the conditions of the Song Dynasty, it was impossible to spend a huge amount of money to build another military post system. Therefore, the main line of the post administration network was also the military post system, and priority was given to ensuring the needs of the war.Therefore, the Privy Council promulgated another method of reporting military information, that is, the so-called delivery of gold medals, silver medals, etc., and each post station must give priority to ensuring all expenses for the military's horses and couriers.In addition, the business trips of ordinary military officers are the same as civil servants, and they have no privileges at all. Shi Yue's Xinyi political law touched the interests of a large number of people.In Bianjing, for the first time, there were more officials who found various excuses to oppose Xinyizheng than those who supported it.Because once this matter is successful in Shaanxi, it will definitely be implemented nationwide, and it is destined to damage the interests of all officials.Since the introduction of the Xinyi Political Law in Shaanxi, the matter of officials taking a large number of people with them has disappeared immediately. If you pay for it yourself, even if the officials in the Song Dynasty were paid well and many people traveled, it would be a considerable expense.Moreover, what is even more unacceptable to some people is that after the implementation of the Xinyi Political Law, the local "minister money" specially used to entertain past officials and envoys has also been greatly reduced. Minister’s money is not allowed to be used; there is a limit to the amount of minister’s money that can be used by officials of the third rank or above when transiting the border, and it is no longer free to use as local officials want.Under the restrictions of Xinyi Political Law, there is no room for officials to greet and send.This makes many people think that it lacks human touch, but in fact it just reduces the chances for officials to use public funds to curry favor with their superiors and establish a good relationship network, which naturally makes people feel disgusted.Therefore, Shi Yue and Liu Xiang "misappropriated" the minister's money from Shaanxi Road to build water conservancy projects, which turned out to be an excuse for these officials to attack. This is the first time for Shi Yue to show his "ferocious" side to the world.In the past, although Shi Yue has done many practical things quietly, his image has always been gentle, and he seems to be an official who is good at mediation and compromise.But now, the world began to see Shi Yue's courageous side.Since Shi Yue Fushan, this image has become more and more vivid, and it has reached a peak after the implementation of the Xinyi Political Law.Shi Yue's toughness is not inferior to his gentle and compromising side. After pacifying Shaanxi, he won successive victories in the war against Xia, and at the same time, he also won great prestige for Shi Yue.In addition, the political capital he has accumulated since Xining three years ago is also quite strong, and he has won the support of a large group of people such as Sima Guang, Feng Jing, Han Wei and even Lu Huiqing in the court.After the introduction of these policies, Qingli veterans either remained silent or publicly supported them; and the three major newspapers even praised with one voice. Jinshi from Baishuitan, with the enthusiasm of young people, also publicly advocated "going to the post alone" to show Support; from the court to the local government, there are many officials who are connected with Shi Yue's interests or have similar ideas to defend him and support him.As a result, although the voices of criticism, slander, and attack on the Xinyi Political Law on Shaanxi Road have never stopped, they have finally been persisted.All officials who dared to violate Xinyi's political law on Shanxi Road were impeached by Shi Yue and Liu Xiang and dismissed without exception.Shaanxi's post office network has finally become more and more mature day by day. However, Shaanxi cannot be separated from the whole country.Officials who came to Shaanxi from other places will inevitably feel a little uncomfortable. The incident at the post office in Yijun County is just a small example of this maladaptive disease.If the Master Registrar takes office in another way, although the position is humble, but because he is a Jinshi, not to mention the hospitality of the posthouse along the way, the local officials who pass through the border will inevitably call a banquet for Kabuki to welcome them off, and many poems will be written. Born at such a banquet.This not only satisfies the elegance required by their literati status, but also satisfies the flattery required by their official status.Of course, all of this has to be paid for by Da Song's finances.However, on Shanxi Road, local officials have to pay out of their own pockets unless they are officials of the third grade or above. Otherwise, if Shi Yue and Liu Xiang find out, they will be accused of corruption and impeached.As a result, the local officials in various prefectures and counties have become much more stingy, and officials at the level of the master are even more unconsciously ignored—the county magistrate of Yijun County is completely pretending not to know that there is a man from Ganquan County. The new registrar has to go through his own jurisdiction.Of course, this is not the first time that Master Registrar has encountered such a situation. After entering Shaanxi, only one county has sent people to welcome him, and that is because the Registrar of that county is his fellow villager.But the scale of the banquet is far from the grand occasion in the legends—the money paid by private individuals and the money from the government will always be different.During the banquet, the two masters drank wine and cursed Shi Yue and Liu Xiang's ancestors for eighteen generations, but after waking up, there was nothing they could do. Therefore, although the master of Ganquan County and his servants were blushing and turning pale from the ridicule of the young Confucian scholar, they never dared to make a fuss and left their future in Yijun County.The servant muttered a few words, but was stopped by the master. The master and servant found a step for themselves, obediently paid for the meal and went. Acardo and the three saw this farce in their eyes, and they couldn't help feeling emotionally. Chai Yuan turned his head and sighed: "It will be great when this good governance can be implemented in the world." On the other hand, he was thinking in his heart that several affluent areas in the branch line of the Shaanxi post administration network were all linked by eighteen commercial firms in the south of the Yangtze River. The number is shared with the local wealthy in Shaanxi, and the rest are just some unprofitable branch lines run by the government-such a place is run by the government, and the cost is not high. ox cart.But for businessmen, it is not of much interest, because such a place may not be able to earn the money for an old ox cart in ten years.Although Shaanxi has been divided up, in Chai Yuan's view, the real business opportunities are not limited to Shaanxi.There are countless areas in the Song Dynasty that are richer than Shaanxi. Just imagine, if you can monopolize Liangzhe Road Post Network... Chong Jianzhong seemed to know what Chai Yuan was thinking, and said calmly, "Brother Chai, don't you know that Cai Yuanchang in Hangzhou has submitted a petition to the imperial court to allow Liangzhe Road to follow the example of Shaanxi and implement the new post political law?" "Really?" Chai Yuan was really overjoyed.Chai Yuan doesn't care whether Cai Jing wants to flatter Shi Yue, deliberately echo Shi Yue, or really make some political achievements.All he cares about is the result. "The imperial court allowed him?" "I don't know either. It's just what I heard." When Zhong Jianzhong said these words, he showed no expression.He is a pure warrior with a natural aversion to politics and business.Although he has the political acumen that a child of a family should have, but just as he also has the courtesy that a child of a family should have, that is not his original intention. A disappointed expression floated on Chai Yuan's face, but it just passed by.He drank a glass of wine and said with a smile: "Don't worry about those irrelevant things. I have one more thing, I just want to ask brother Zhong." He lowered his voice and asked: "I want to ask brother Zhong for advice. Brother thinks the court will not accept it?" Know how to use soldiers to conquer Lingxia?" Zhong Jianzhong seemed startled for a moment, and immediately said: "Isn't the court still discussing it?" "Whenever there is a major issue, the court always has to discuss it endlessly." Chai Yuan said with sarcasm, "If you really want the court to discuss it properly, I am afraid that Lord Xia will even give birth to a son as an heir. Although my younger brother is not a scholar, the court I can also see those things clearly. There are those who want to fight, and those who are afraid of fighting. Although there are many reasons for each, but when it comes down to it, there are only a few points. Those who want to fight think that the opportunity is rare and they will make merit; , I am worried that the military expenditure is not enough, and the imperial army will not be able to defeat the western thieves." "What does Brother Chai think?" Zhong Jianzhong asked in turn. "Not long after the Empress Dowager passed away, Xianggong Wang Shao fell ill suddenly again, and he was in a state of distress. The princes of the court were suspicious for a while, looking forward and looking forward to the future. But with my brother's shallow opinion, God will not take it, and he will be blamed instead. Suppose the Liao Lord After destroying Yang Zunxu, he suddenly proclaimed to the world that he would do justice for the world, eradicate traitors for the Lord Xia, and send troops to destroy Xia. It would be as easy as flipping palms. At that time, the Liao and Xia will be merged. How will the Song Dynasty deal with itself? Now Xia Guo is committing crimes against the superior, and the court sends troops. It is the three cardinal guides and the five constant principles, a messenger to Liao, don't say that the Khitan is weak to look west, but it is powerful, and before righteousness, it has to surrender. Otherwise, the Liao lord will not be able to conquer the world in the future. Our army is not incapable of fighting. He has won many battles, and a mere Wang Shao doesn't care about the overall situation?" "So, the West really wants to go to war?" Acardo interjected excitedly and asked, "Emperor Song wants to send troops to put down a rebellious courtier for a king?" "Genius knows." Chai Yuan said with a big grin, "I heard that Sima Junshi kowtowed several times, his head was bleeding, and he refused to send troops..." "Then what is the use of the imperial court raising us?" Zhong Jianzhong, who has been reluctant to say more, suddenly said in a fierce tone, "The imperial court is not without soldiers capable of fighting, and the reorganization of the forbidden army has been 80% completed. If we don't take Lingxia, what's the use of raising soldiers? "Zong Jianzhong's voice was not high, but his words were generous. He was obviously very puzzled by Sima Guang's opposition to Faxia. For most of the northern aristocratic children, including Zhong Jianzhong, Sima Guang had always been respected by them. people. "The reorganization of the forbidden army has been completed by 80%?" Chai Yuan was stunned. "Xin Yi Bao" reported on the reorganization of the forbidden army at the end of last year. Army reorganization was slow because of the war.Obviously, "Xin Yi Bao" did not tell the truth. Zhong Jianzhong realized that he had said something wrong, and hurriedly covered it up lightly: "I'm just speculating. With my class, I can't know these things." Acardo was not very interested in how many troops the Song Army had completed reorganization, because he said with a smile: "If you want to know whether the imperial court will use troops, you just need to ask whether the food price in Shaanxi has risen." "It really is a good idea." Chai Yuan couldn't help clapping his hands in praise. Zhong Jianzhong looked at Acardo with a smile, and couldn't help but treat this foreign businessman differently in his heart.The soldiers and horses have not moved, and the food and grass go first. If the imperial court really intends to go northwest, although it may not gather troops at this time, it will definitely start to secretly raise food and grass. This young officer didn't know at this time that the most common thing that people in high positions do is to disappoint people with knowledge. The three of them chatted while eating and drinking like this. Suddenly, they heard the sound of horseshoes coming from outside the post house, and then heard the neighing of the galloping horse. Someone led the horse into the post house and said loudly: "Hey, this horse Ma, hurry up and boil some hot water, hot side dishes, I have to hurry!" "Hey! Officer, this way please..." The post official agreed, leading the visitor to the front hall. The door opened with a "squeak", and a gust of cold wind blew into the hall, and everyone shrank their necks unknowingly.Then I saw a handsome middle-aged officer wearing a hero hat strode in.Seeing this man, Zhong Jianzhong was startled, and hurriedly stood up. The officer obviously saw Zhong Jianzhong too, and smiled from a distance: "Uncle Yi, why are you here? Didn't I hear that you were in Zhuhai?" Is it Xianzhen?" One side walked over. Zhong Jianzhong hurriedly clasped his fists in return: "Brother Zunzheng, why did you come to Shaanxi?" He was indeed very strange. This officer was another family of generals in the Song Dynasty who had been guarding Fuzhou for generations. The leader of the "Jiang" young generation is named Zhe Keshi.Although the Zhe family is from the Qiang people, they have been loyal for generations and have been trusted by the Song Dynasty. The governors of the prefectures have always been hereditary from the Zhe family, and the current governor of the prefectures is the famous general Zhe Kerou.Most of the men in the Zhe family have military positions.Like Zhe Keshi, but at the age of thirty, he is already the captain of Zhiguo on the seventh rank. "It's a bit of official business." Zhe Keshi smiled, apologized to Chai Yuan and Acardo, and then said to Zhong Jianzhong: "Uncle Yi, I will talk about it later." Zhong Jianzhong also confessed to the two, and followed Zhe Keshi into a room in the small courtyard behind the post house.The postman brought a basin of hot water that had been prepared all the time, put it on the edge of the kang, and sat down on the kang with his buttocks, took off his riding boots and socks, put his feet into the hot water, and let out a comfortable cry "Happy!" The post official had already brought the food and wine to the small case beside the kang, Zhe Keshi ignored Zhong Jianzhong, and started to eat while eating. Zhong Jianzhong looked at it with a smile, and found a chair to sit in.He noticed that Zhe Keshi had a silver medal on his waist.Zhong Jianzhong and Zhe Keshi are two types of people. Zhe Keshi does not stick to etiquette, is free and easy, and pays attention to practical results; Zhong Jianzhong always uses the strictest requirements for warriors to demand himself, behaves well, and pays attention to demeanor.But people with such different personalities don't really have much time to date, but they are excellent friends. "Uncle Yi is going to the Yansui camp?" Zhe Keshi took a sip of wine, watched the postman retreat, and asked, "Aren't you going to the Xuanwu Army? Could it be that the rumors are wrong?" "I was going to the First Army of the Xuanwu Army." Zhong Jianzhong said a little proudly. The First Army of the Xuanwu Army is the infantry teaching army, known as the most elite infantry unit in the Song Dynasty.It is impossible to enter the Xuanwu Army's First Army as a military attache without ability. "Why did you come to Yansui?" Zhong Jianzhong smiled and said, "It's a relationship." Zhe Keshi laughed: "Want to fight?" "Yes, the Xuanwu Army has not moved. According to the plan for the reform of the military system, after the reorganization, the imperial court has 170,000 Mabu troops in Shaanxi. With the addition of Fan soldiers and archers along the border, the total number of troops exceeds 200,000. It is enough to fight Xixia I am afraid that the imperial court will not mobilize the troops near the capital, the Xuanwu Army is in charge of the palace..." Zhe Keshi smiled and shook his head. Zhong Jianzhong was a sensible person, and immediately asked: "You come to Shaanxi, and the Feiwu Army and Flying Cavalry Army from Hedong will join the battle?" "Could it be that Xixia is a matter of Shi Ziming in Shaanxi?" Zhe Keshi rolled his eyes at Zhong Jianzhong, "Our Zhe family has been fighting with Xixia people for more than a hundred years. Is it possible that when the final account is settled, it will fall to my family?" Zhong Jianzhong also laughed: "That's right. But the court didn't decide whether to fight or not..." "Do you think you can bear it today?" Zhe Keshi smiled, "Shi Ziming has expended so much effort to not destroy Xixia, who is he working so hard for? I came from the north, you go to the river to see , Now the river has just thawed, and the river is full of excitement. What are they transported to Yanzhou? Grain! A boatload of grain!" "Ah?!" Zhong Jianzhong exclaimed in surprise. "The price of grain in Shaanxi has not fluctuated at all. In the twelfth year of Xining, Shaanxi was ripe, and Shi Yue ordered that half a grain of grain should not be exported from Shaanxi. The military rations for the eleventh year of Xining's war were all brought in from outside. In the twelfth year of Xining, Shaanxi's military expenditures It is also transported in from outside. Tell me how much grain is stored on the Shaanxi Road? As soon as the river thawed, grain began to be transported to Shaanxi again... Shi Ziming is determined to fight Xixia, isn’t he sick because he is tossing about these things?” Keshi lowered his voice, and said: "If it is said that he does not have the acquiescence of the Sacred Heart, I will not believe it if he is killed. No matter how noisy, the official's heart is determined, and Shi Ziming's heart is also determined, this battle must be fought. " "Brother Zunzheng is right." Zhong Jianzhong rubbed his hands and became even more excited. "Of course it makes sense." Zhe Ke smiled complacently, and nuzzled at Zhong Jianzhong, and Zhong Jianzhong hurriedly stepped forward to mix some hot water from the kettle into the footbath.Zhe Ke smiled and said: "I think you are the most pleasing to me. Among Zhongpu and Zhongshi? Are you still in Gongshengjun and Zhuxian Town? According to me, you advise Zhongpu not to go to Gongsheng Army, that's where the old man stays. Manly man, if you want to go to the front line with real swords and guns to earn fame, what can you do to support the Holy Army? Don't think it's from the front of the palace, it's just a show, I'll bring a thousand horsemen, You can eat his entire army." "That's not his intention either. The Gongsheng Army's daily drills are also extremely strict..." Zhe Keshi shook his head, with disdain on his face: "It's better for the imperial court not to send these Forbidden Army of the Palace Division to fight, they just put on a show, scaring the Khitan people is enough." Zhong Jianzhong smiled and said, "Brother Zunzheng, I haven't said why you came to Shaanxi yet." "Me? The officials want to ask my uncle's opinion, so I'll go to deliver the seal. By the way, I'll go to Chang'an to visit Shi Ziming, who is famous all over the world. I'm afraid of delaying time, so I have to rush day and night, but I'm exhausted." Zhe Keshi said lightly.As soon as Zhongjian moved in the center, he immediately knew Zhe Keshi's intention: If he really wanted to go to war with Xixia, Zhejia would definitely want to know what kind of character the future coach would be.After all, Shi Yue is a civil servant, and a family of generals like the Zhe family will not be convinced by his reputation. They always have to see the truth to be at ease.If Shi Yue can't convince them, and Zhe Keshi goes to Bianjing, he will definitely oppose Shi Yue being handsome—although Zhejia's opinion is not decisive, but with Zhejia's prestige in the frontier, what he says has its own weight, not to mention this There were many people in Shi Dynasty who hated Shi Yue, and they were unwilling to let Shi Yue make such a great contribution. Zhong Jianzhong is almost certain that Zheke fits in his arms, and there are two memorials with different contents.At this moment, Zhong Jianzhong hesitated, he really wanted to speak out to dissuade Zhe Keshi, if Zhe's memorial was used by someone with ulterior motives to attack Shi Yue, it would definitely not be a good thing for Xixia's war situation.Zhong Jianzhong never believed that the imperial court would send them an outstanding commander. As far as the requirements of a civil servant were concerned, Zhong Jianzhong was satisfied with Shi Yue. However, Zhong Jianzhong also knows that Zhejia people are never so easy to persuade.They only trust their own eyes, their own ears. Looking at Zhe Keshi with complicated emotions, Zhong Jianzhong finally swallowed the words that came to his lips. Let them judge for themselves! Jingzhao House, Shaanxi Road. The Department of Appeasement was the same as usual, outside the shaft gate, there were still carriages parked with the shafts connected to each other, and well-dressed dignitaries came in and out with different expressions of worry or joy.The personal guards of the Appease Division also looked very relaxed, and they didn't look like they were facing an enemy at all. The only thing that could be seen from them was that they were different from usual. The usual red shirt - Shi Yue has his own respect for the late Empress Dowager.All the people in Chang'an knew that since the day the appeasement department received the funeral report, all entertainment and celebration activities had been stopped internally, and until now, they have not resumed. Zhe Keshi felt something strange after entering Chang'an City. This is no longer the Chang'an in his memory. Large areas of the ancient and common square walls in Chang'an City disappeared.Instead, in the former residential area, there are row upon row of shops, as well as peddlers carrying burdens and peddling along the street.Even in front of the gate of the Anfu Department, there are all kinds of vendors. Even Zhe Keshi, a warrior who doesn't care much about civil affairs, has heard of some things that happened in Shaanxi. Another important measure that Shi Yue implemented in Shaanxi that aroused national discussion was that he, together with Liu Xiang, resolutely reformed the way of calculating households along the way in Shaanxi, ordering that cattle, horses and mulberry trees within ten horses (trees) do not need to be counted as household property. .After the implementation of this measure, countless private households in Shaanxi Road have declined, and the corresponding tax and labor have also been greatly reduced, which is tantamount to a large-scale tax cut.On the other hand, farmers have no scruples and dare to plant mulberry trees and herd cattle and horses, and their enthusiasm for production immediately increases.Although Shaanxi Road's income from the two taxes was greatly reduced that year, and Shi Yue and Liu Xiang's performance appraisals were rated as "lower", since His Majesty the Emperor decided to turn a blind eye to this, and this matter was also approved by the Shaanxi Road scholar-bureaucrats. The general support of the people - they don't need to take political risks but can enjoy the benefits, most people will not be stingy with their support, and this matter has finally been able to persist. But God is always fair. Since you can get long-term benefits, you must suffer short-term damages.Even Zhe Keshi, who barely understands civil affairs, knows that within at least three to five years, Shaanxi Road must accept the reality of a substantial reduction in the two taxes.When Shi Yue wrote an article to defend himself in "Qin Bao", he also frankly admitted this point.Although in the long run, the wealth of the people will eventually restore the vitality of Shaanxi all the way, leading to the recovery of agriculture and the prosperity of commerce, and the corresponding increase in commercial and agricultural taxes, but Shi Yue himself admits that he has never been unreasonable. actual luxury.Whether it is farming or business, it takes time.Oxen and horses will not be full circle in one year, and mulberry trees will not be able to grow in one year. This is just a simple reality. In order to make up for the loss of the two taxes, Shi Yue had to find another good method. If you want to get the most profit in the short term, the inland will never be as good as the coast. The pursuit of silk, porcelain, tea, and spices by the Thai and Western countries seems to have no end. The profits of overseas trade have not decreased due to the expansion of scale, and the distant markets are far from saturated.And the South China Sea area under the control of the Song Dynasty navy seems to be a natural treasure house, spices, wood, medicinal materials, grain... More than 80% of its products are sold to the mainland of the Song Dynasty, and less than 20% are shipped to the West And Korea, Japan.However, even the local needs of the Song Dynasty were not limited to the initially developed South China Sea Rim area.Because the aborigines lack interest in labor, the Song people who are willing to go overseas are an absolute minority, especially the Song people in the north, who have serious problems of acclimatization. It gradually became common, but the merchants of the Song Dynasty who operated in the South China Sea always faced the plight of a serious shortage of labor force.Among the various factors that restricted the rapid increase of overseas trade in the Song Dynasty, navigation technology was only a trivial issue, while the lack of labor force, backward production capacity, and the limitation of the total volume of seagoing ships were crucial.And all of this, in the final analysis, comes down to limited production capacity. For coastal areas, demand and price are not the problem, production and transportation are the crux.The products of the Song Dynasty can always surprise people in the West, and even the most common things like pepper can be sold at a good price in the West. But for inland regions, demand and price are problems, and production and transportation are bigger problems. Poor farmers have limited purchasing power, commercial taxes and tariffs, high transportation costs, and limited production all limit prices, and high prices in turn further restrict people's purchasing power.Here, there are few shortcuts.The prosperity of commerce must be based on the development of agriculture and handicrafts, otherwise it would be a waste of money. Shi Yue doesn't have the ability to touch stones into gold. However, Shaanxi Road also has the strengths of Shaanxi Road. Along the way in Shaanxi, there are more than hundreds of thousands of imperial troops stationed.Different from the general misunderstanding of the time and space where Shi Yue was born, the imperial guards in the Song Dynasty enjoyed excellent treatment, and their purchasing power was far beyond that of ordinary people.The trade in military service soon became the mainstream of Shaanxi business.Shi Yue provided all kinds of convenience to let the merchants empty the pockets of the officers and soldiers of the imperial army, and then he collected taxes from them to make up for the lack of taxes. In addition, Shaanxi Road can also trade with Xixia and Tubo. Although this kind of controlled border trade cannot be compared with overseas trade, border trade is border trade after all.Buying cattle and horses from Ren Duohuan, in addition to meeting the needs of the army, Shi Yue ordered the cattle to be leased to farmers in need and charged corresponding cattle rent.On the other hand, he not only allowed non-governmental merchants to trade with Xixia and Tubo people, but also openly relaxed the restrictions on quantity and type in order to expand the total trade volume, from which he extracted two-tenths of tariffs. These measures have led to more and more business travelers along the way in Shaanxi. As the center of Shaanxi, Chang'an, Jingzhao Prefecture, its business has naturally prospered accordingly.But even so, in the twelfth and thirteenth years of Xining, both Shi Yue and Liu Xiang knew how tight the treasury was. The money spent on construction and the tax revenue lost to the recuperation of the people are simply negligible. Both of them just gritted their teeth and persisted for their own reasons. Shi Yue is a person who can face reality.It is the work of daydreamers who can't even deal with real problems, but dream about democracy and freedom all day long.In Shi Yue's view, it is better to be a "famous official" down-to-earth than to be the "mentor" of future generations and fantasize about leading the Zhuxia people to a glorious future.Without today's people, there will be no tomorrow.Isn't the so-called "famous official" the person who can grasp today's situation? In Shi Yue's view, a prosperous and powerful Song Dynasty needs a prosperous and powerful Shaanxi.For a continental country, if its inner region is weak, the country's prosperity can only be achieved by being strong on the outside but only on the inside.It is by no means just a coincidence that the two great empires that were once powerful in Chinese history both had a powerful Guanzhong region. Therefore, it is worth insisting on this level of dedication to restore Shaanxi's vitality. Liu Xiang thinks farther than Shi Yue. The reason for his insistence is simple and plain.Just because of the conscience of a scholar-bureaucrat influenced by traditional Confucianism is enough for him to persevere.Everything he did was of great benefit to ordinary people.In Liu Xiang's view, since the implementation of these measures has benefited the people, the government on Shaanxi Road can still function, and Xixia has no border troubles, then why not insist? A person who dared to openly offend Wang Anshi when Wang Anshi was so powerful would not care too much about his official career. Occasionally, Liu Xiang is worried that if he and Shi Yue can't persist until the day of success, will they die?But this kind of worry often only disappears in a flash. There is actually no need to think about this kind of thing that cannot be controlled by oneself.Even if he knew that the next transfer envoy would come to Jingzhao Mansion tomorrow and suspend all his good governance, he would not give up today's efforts. The people are lenient for one point, and one day for lenient is one day. Liu Xiang's idea is very simple. It is impossible for Zhe Keshi to know too much about the hard work and hardship behind this.Zhe Keshi was born in a family of military generals, he practiced martial arts since he was a child, and joined the army with his hair tied. The most important period of his life was spent in the Yanzhou Army on Shaanxi Road, and he was transferred back to Hedong Prefecture. It was only in the past few years Therefore, Zhe Keshi is no stranger to Chang'an City in Jingzhao Prefecture.He has been to Chang'an more than once, but he has never been as shocked as today. Although it is no longer the capital of the Han and Tang Dynasties, and has been repeatedly destroyed by wars, Chang'an City has continued its grandeur, orderliness, solemnity, and scale and temperament, just like its neat and symmetrical streets and squares, and the square walls all over the city. , persisted tenaciously, as if nothing had changed in a thousand years.The fire of war can burn its buildings, but it will tenaciously restore its old appearance after being destroyed again and again. That kind of temperament seems to be something eternal.Anyone who enters Chang'an can feel the breath of Han and Tang Dynasties, and will unconsciously feel admiration and reverence from the heart. However, in the thirteenth year of Xining, when Zhe Keshi was standing in Chang'an City, he was keenly aware of the change in Chang'an City's temperament.This ancient capital seems to have acquired the civic ethos of Bianjing city overnight, becoming less aloof and more approachable.The voice of hawking on Chang'an Street was also mixed with many foreign accents, which made it even more difficult for Zhe Keshi to get used to it for a while.For Chang'an City, this is a grand event that has never happened since the fall of Tang Dynasty, but for Zhe Keshi who rarely reads history books, he only feels that Chang'an City has become strange. Neither good nor bad. The might of heaven crosses the Yellow River, Thousands of miles of Qiang people performed Han songs. Moyan Hengshan flows backwards, From Jiaoxi to Embo... The bold and loud singing voice came from behind Zhe Keshi along with neat steps.An inexplicable kindness arose in Zhe Keshi's heart, and he turned his head to look quickly, it turned out that it was the imperial guards returning from their exercise, passing by the street in front of the Siyuan Gate to appease them.These soldiers didn't wear vests that marked their affiliation with the army, but from the long arrows piercing the Japanese flag flying in the wind at the head of the team, it can be known that they are soldiers of the Shenrui Army. "Is it the Shenrui Fifth Army or the Sixth Army stationed in Chang'an?" Zhe Keshi secretly speculated in his heart, but no matter what, he admitted that it was an army with high morale.Watching the soldiers pass by, Zhe Keshi couldn't help humming the military song of the flying cavalry in his heart, while thinking in his heart, Shen Kuo suggested that the imperial army should have their own military song to boost morale. is a good idea. Thirty Lin Xiaoyong, From the military to the Northern Wilderness. meteor flying jade bomb, The sword falls to autumn frost. draw horn blow, Jinshan is dangerous. Long drive empty desert, Chi Jie reported to the Ming King... Speaking of this military song of the Flying Cavalry Army, it was composed from Shi Yue's poems. "Our Zhejia and Shi Ziming seem to have some kind of fate." Zhe Keshi thought about it, while restraining his mind, he led the horse and walked quickly to the Yamen of the Department of Appeasement. After Shi Yue sent away a rich businessman from Chang'an, he finally couldn't hold back anymore, and told Shi Jian: "I will never see any more guests today. If it wasn't for this broken horse policy..." He sighed while talking, and got up Then go to the backyard.In the midst of busy government and military affairs, it is a rare luxury to be able to spend more time with my precious daughter. "Bachelor." When Shi Yue's role as a father became clearer day by day, very few people called Shi Yue "Young Master" again, and everyone consciously changed their names.Shi Jian gave Shi Yue a sympathetic look, and said with a wry smile: "There is a guest, I'm afraid the scholar must see him." "Oh?" "Fuzhou Zhe Kerou sent someone to deliver a letter to the bachelor." Shi Jian took out a thick stack of name cards in his hand and handed it to Shi Yue. Shi Yue only glanced at it, then smiled with great interest: "Zhe Keshi? A member of Hedong Zhe's family?" Shi Yue was no stranger to Zhe Keshi, he shook his head and said with a smile: "It seems that it is true No." "Do you want to invite Mr. Pan?" Shi Jian asked cautiously. "No need." After Shi Yue took over Shaanxi, the number of talents in the shogunate increased greatly. He raised a total of more than a dozen aides, but the only ones who could really be trusted as confidantes were always Pan Zhaolin and Chen Liang.But the post office first, and then the horse administration, the two events almost left Chen Liang with no leisure time; and the preparation of the logistics for the upcoming war made Pan Zhaolin so tired that he lost weight.Shi Yue still clearly remembered that when the post office was first established, the exhausted Chen Liang had a serious illness and almost lost his life. Later, he had to be raised for three months before recovering.With this lesson learned, seeing that the war against Xixia is almost inevitable, Shi Yue does not want his chief staff to be exhausted. "Go ask him in." "Yes." Shi Jian replied, turned and walked out of the hall. Shi Yue sat back on the handsome chair, looked at Shi Jian's back, and sighed helplessly.In the past two years in Shaanxi, Shi Yue has been able to get a sense of satisfaction from devoting himself to a series of military and political affairs.In the depths of his heart, he gradually developed a disgust for the intrigue in the court, wandering among various forces, and balancing and compromising, and subconsciously avoided all of them.In the past two years, he has brazenly implemented many controversial policies, to some extent, it is actually due to this feeling of boredom and slack.Animals like humans are sometimes very strange. For example, Shi Yue, when he has accumulated considerable political capital by relying on caution and compromise, and reached a high position, he will suddenly get tired of being cautious and compromise, and instead rely on himself. "reckless" political capital. "Am I proud?" Shi Yue tortured his heart again, "Could it be that the correctness and victory over and over again made me get carried away? That's why I feel impatient with the seemingly endless prudence and compromise. ?” He shook his head in his heart, giving himself a negative answer. "In any case, politics is first and foremost a game of balancing forces..." "Bachelor." Shi Jian's voice interrupted Shi Yue's introspection. "Ok?" "General Zhe is here." "Please come in." As soon as the words came out, Shi Yue felt a change in himself. If it was before, he should have stepped down to welcome him, right?But...Of course, with Shi Yue's status at this time, sitting in the hall and waiting for Zhe Keshi is already a kind of courtesy.But this kind of inertia of people is really terrifying!Shi Yue thought to himself mockingly. Shi Jian agreed, walked out of the hall, and soon led a strong and strong Kansai man into the hall. "At the end of the day, Captain Zhiguo, Zhe Keshi, pays homage to Shi Shuai." Zhe Keshi saw Shi Yue, and hurriedly bowed down. "General Zhe, please get up." Shi Yue ordered his servants to show Zhe Keshi a seat, and at the same time looked at Zhe Keshi.This famous general recorded in the history books was a few years younger than him. He was about the same size as him, but he looked stronger and stronger. He wore a military uniform meticulously on his body, as if he was a natural soldier.Shi Yue noticed that in Zhe Keshi's slightly humble eyes, there was actually an imperceptible arrogance hidden. Zhe Keshi also took this opportunity to look at the long-famous Shi Ziming.Although he already knew that Shi Yue was young, Zhe Keshi, who was always quite self-confident, still felt a little frustrated when he saw a person who was less than ten years older than him, who was in the high position of the third rank, comforting him all the way.In three points, it is said that Zhou Yu broke Cao at the age of thirty-seven. Unexpectedly, such things also exist in reality.Shi Ziming's first impression of Zhe Keshi is that he is young, thin and tired. "My uncle admired Shi Shuai's name for a long time. Unexpectedly, because of the fate, he often thought it was a pity in his life. This time, he will go to Beijing at the end of the trip. Because of his duty, he will pay a visit to Shi Shuai on the way, and write a letter to talk about Shi Shuai's life wishes. Shuai is entrusted with the great trust of the country, he is busy with his affairs, he took the liberty to interrupt, and even begged for forgiveness." Zhe Keshi said respectfully and politely, taking out a letter and handing it with both hands. Shi Jian quickly took it and handed it to Shi Yue. Shi Yue took the letter and said with a smile: "I have long admired the famous name of General Zun Dao in Fuzhou and General Zun Dao for a long time, but I just regret not being able to meet him. Today I can see 'General Zun Dao', which is enough to comfort my life's ambition." Zun Dao in his mouth refers to Zhe Kerou's younger brother, Zhe Kexing is more famous than his brother.But the so-called "general species" is an exaggeration.When Zhe Keshi was not crowned, he was praised by Guo