Northern Song Dynasty: Starting from the son of Song Renzong

Chapter 323 Northern Expedition
The 42nd year of the Li Yuan Dynasty.

As Zhao Xin pushed the front line to southern India, Srivijaya ushered in great development.

During these one or two years, you may feel that Srivijaya is a wild place, not a place for people to live, and the journey is very dangerous with strong winds and high waves.

Now more than ten years have passed, and coupled with word of mouth from those who returned to the Central Plains, the idea that this is not suitable for living and that one will die if they go into the sea should be changed anyway.

of course!

If you insist that no one died on the way south, that is of course impossible.

only……

Nowadays, if you just want to make a living, how can you be so picky?
By the end of this year, the population of people from the Central Plains who came to Srivijaya, as well as those who were mixed-race at the time, had reached more than 50,000 people.

Although it is still a little less, but...

Considering that the entire city has a population of only 500,000, it is already quite good that one-tenth of the Han people or descendants of the Han people live here.

Moreover, with the increase in the Han population, Chinese has gradually become popular. Even some local people have to incorporate some Chinese words into their spoken language for the convenience of communication.

of course!

Phenomena like this are mainly concentrated in the capital of Srivijaya.

Like other places, they basically remain the same as before, with not much changes.

Cai Jing was a good money-maker.

Now, how Srivijaya makes money is all under his control and is progressing steadily.

Some things should be state-owned, and some things should be left to private businessmen.

In order to attract more businessmen, he was in charge of all the planning.

even……

When the business has reached a certain scale.

By then, it would not be unimaginable to use ships to transport rice.

only……

The loading capacity of today's civilian sea vessels is still too small.

Nowadays, both the Song Dynasty and Srivijaya urgently need to develop sea vessels with larger carrying capacity.

Otherwise, if we keep transporting spices, the market for these spices will surely become saturated one day.

At this moment, Cai Jing was having a headache about these things.

If too many spices are transported, they will be worthless, and if too few are transported, they will certainly not be good either.

But if Zhao Xin hadn't been there, with the ancients' thinking, they wouldn't have cared so much.

Just keep moving.

Anyway...

Huge profits that can be made in one or two years will never be delayed until ten or twenty years later.

But Zhao Xin said that the number should be controlled, so Cai Jing had no choice but to do as Zhao Xin said.

Nowadays, there is no problem with food and drink in Srivijaya.

The issue is……

I still feel like I'm not fully utilizing its advantages.

can only say……

Cai Jing was also slowly testing the Central Plains' ability to consume spices.

Every year, it increases a little bit.

……

As for the Song Dynasty.

In recent years, a large number of railways have been built with the income from spices.

Today, the entire North China Plain is densely covered with railways, connecting almost all important and populous cities in the North China Plain.

Next…

Some craftsmen also moved westward from Kaifeng and entered the Guanzhong Plain, while others went north and repaired the road from Shanhaiguan to Liaodong.

The Guanzhong Plain is not for any economic benefit.

After all, the economy of the Guanzhong Plain has not been doing well nowadays.

This is mainly for national defense.

At that time, if this railway exists, the grain from the south can be directly transported to Guanzhong after gathering in Kaifeng.

As for Liaodong, its national defense and economic value are half and half.

This year……

Zhao Zhe also received another report that the Jurchen Wanyan tribe was not very peaceful and was intending to annex other Jurchen tribes.

can only say……

These merchants from the Central Plains, when they go to the Jurchen tribe to do business, will more or less cheat others.

For example, officials and businessmen collude to suppress the price of ginseng for local people.

When Zhao Xin was around, he was able to control this situation pretty well, but Zhao Xin has been gone for more than ten years. With Zhao Zhe's level, how could he have the same awareness as Zhao Xin?

Therefore, for the sake of their respective interests, the oppression will definitely become deeper and deeper.

The Wanyan tribe of the Jurchens was the one that helped the imperial court, but he could also benefit from it.

For example...

If the people of other Jurchen tribes were not satisfied with the price offered by the merchants and wanted to rebel, even if they did not really rebel, the Wanyan tribe would deal with it.

It is no exaggeration to say that the Wanyan tribe was the imperial court's lackeys.

but……

Some officials also said that even if the Wanyan tribe was the court's lackey and managed the local area, it could not be said that it was completely without benefit to the court, but the Wanyan tribe could not be allowed to act recklessly.

If the Wanyan tribe were to unify the entire Jurchen tribe, it would be detrimental to their rule over the local area.

Zhao Zhe naturally understood this logic.

An investigation was immediately launched into the collusion between officials and businessmen and the oppression of other Jurchen tribes.

can only say……

unambiguous evidence.

The leader of the Wanyan tribe was immediately summoned to Youzhou City, and then he was criticized and replaced by someone else to manage the local Jurchen tribe.

at the same time……

For those businessmen, if they are in the chamber of commerce, they will be expelled from the chamber of commerce immediately. At the same time, other members of the chamber of commerce are strictly prohibited from doing business with them.

This completely blocked the other party's business path.

Not only that, the other party’s illegal gains were also confiscated.

As for the treatment of the Wanyan tribe leader...

Exile to Qiongzhou.

then……

Wanyan Wuyasu was exiled to Qiongzhou.

Immediately afterwards...

Wanyan Aguda succeeded to the throne.

but……

Even if it was Wanyan Aguda, it would probably be difficult to revive the Wanyan tribe.

after all……

You have offended other Jurchen tribes before.

Nowadays, it is difficult for you to fight against so many Jurchens from other tribes with your own strength.

In the past, there was an alliance leader or something like that, but now, he has simply become an official sent by the Song Dynasty.

With just a few transfer orders, he took the formerly highly autonomous Jurchen tribe into his own hands.

The key point is that the other Jurchens didn’t have any major complaints.

In addition to the Jurchen tribe, tribes like the Zubu tribe and the Ugundilie tribe also began to trace back.

only……

Because these places are basically under Su Shi's control.

therefore……

Relatively speaking, the problem is not that big.

only……

Su Shi is no longer with us now.

After hearing that before Su Shi, there was basically no such serious collusion between officials and businessmen, Zhao Zhe had to admire his father.

after all……

His father is really good at employing people.

and……

Look at people like Zhang Dun, Zhang Qie, Wang Shao, and Kumamoto. They are all very reliable when guarding the border and governing the local area.

However, as the years go by, people like these have grown old and passed away.

It can be said that the test of his governance has only officially begun from now on.

This year……

Zhao Zhe later received the news that his grandmother was seriously ill and would die soon.

He sent the imperial physician to treat his grandmother, and also sent someone to write a letter to his father.

By the time Zhao Xin received the letter, it was already the 43rd year of the Li Yuan period. He counted on his fingers to see how old he was.

Depend on!
It turns out that I am already 68 years old.

That Miss Miao is also considered to be very old.

Even at this old age, he probably still feels a bit lonely.

Dad died so early.

It was over, and the empress also passed away.

Zhao Xin looked at the second brother, and then thought about the Song Dynasty.

I'm considering whether I should go back.

But even if I rush back now, I can probably only go to Madam Miao's grave to burn some incense for her.

After thinking about it, I decided to just forget it!
Let someone else take over.

If he left Zhu Luo, I don’t know if the second brother would be able to make it.

This year……

Zhao Xin also sent people to learn about the city-states in northern India.

If you have to say it...

There is a big difference between northern India and southern India.

At least……

In terms of skin color, people in the north are relatively whiter than those in the south.

after all……

Even Zhao Xin, who didn't know much about Indian history, knew that there was a mountain pass in northern India, so India was often invaded by nomadic peoples from the northwest.

Anyway, anyone can bully India.

This led to some of the aristocracy in northern India being constantly assimilated into the blood of other ethnic groups, which is why they became so white.

therefore……

Taking advantage of the fact that the third brother had not returned yet, Zhao Xin also encouraged him to go to northern India to become an emperor.

Anyway, India spans more than 4,000 miles from north to south.

It would be good for these two brothers to each rule an area of ​​two thousand miles.

The third brother did want to do so. After all, if you really want to say it, his age cannot be said to be young.

only……

Now there is not even one stroke out of the ten.

Not to mention, to their north was the Western Chalukya Empire.

Zhao Xin also said it didn't matter.

Anyway...

They could take a boat and invade directly from the northwest or northeast of the Indian mainland.

It only takes a few minutes to capture the enemy's city and establish a stronghold.

The third brother asked Li Shishi for her opinion.

Why do we need to ask for Li Shishi’s opinion?

because……

If he stayed, Li Shishi would have to go back by herself.

Li Shishi said it didn't matter. For someone like her who came from a brothel, she still had to find a powerful and rich man to follow.

There would be no point in her going back alone.

and so……

If the third brother really doesn't leave, then she will most likely not leave either.

This disrupted Zhao Xin's plan to have her go back and spread patriotic songs with him.

of course!

It can't be said that she can't do this if she doesn't go back.

She could just use her fame to have her work sent back.

only……

As for how much fame she has now, Zhao Xin can only say that it is probably not very famous.

Because she went south with the second and third brothers when she was thirteen or fourteen years old, so now she is only fifteen or sixteen years old at most.

At such an age, what kind of reputation can he have?

Of course!
Li Shishi's opinion was not actually very decisive for the third brother.

Instead, I see that the second brother is now gradually becoming the emperor of Chola.

Then, based on the principle that if others have it, I should have it too, shouldn’t I also accept my royal grandfather’s proposal?

……

The forty-third year of the Li Yuan period.

As the return date draws closer.

The third brother also had to make the final decision.

"Forget it! I'd better stay!"

"The main reason is that I thought that all my brothers had gone out to run their own country, and if I went back, it would really be meaningless."

Since the third brother said so.

Then Li Shishi also volunteered and wanted to stay.

After all, if His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi doesn't go back, then there's no point in her going back.

Now that I have made the decision, I will stay.

Then...

They began to discuss how to find an excuse to attack the city-states in northern India.

and……

Should we attack from the northwest or the northeast?

If we attack from the northwest, we will easily come into conflict with the Turks and Persians there.

As for heading northeast...

can only say……

The people of India have always regarded the northeast direction as a place abandoned even by the gods, which shows that this side is basically a barren land.

I'm afraid these living conditions are a bit too harsh.

But no matter what!

First ask them whether they are willing to submit and pay tribute.

If you don’t want to, then attack again.

then……

Zhao Xin sent people to tell them one by one.

natural!

When the lords and chiefs of these city-states heard that Zhao Xin actually asked them to submit and pay tribute, they almost laughed out loud.

Some city lords and chiefs even asked, "Why do you do this? Just because you are Dravidians?"

In India, though not absolutely.

But the darker the color, the lower the status.

The caste system had already been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people in the northern states long before Zhao Xin arrived.

Now Zhao Xin asked them to submit and pay tribute to India in the south, which was indeed a bit funny for them.

Why do you people of low caste make me, the noble Brahmins and Kshatriyas, pay tribute to you?

Even if you say that it is the Song Dynasty that is in charge of the Chola region now.

That's not OK.

of course!

Although they were very stubborn, after they refused, they thought about it carefully and decided to send people to find out the news.

and also!

Why did the Song Dynasty suddenly come?

Since they live deep inland, information communication is not very smooth. Naturally, there are many city-states there, so they don't know much about the affairs of the Song Dynasty.

The key is……

The north is in chaos enough, so many people don't have the energy to care about what is happening in southern India.

I can only say... I didn’t know what was going on until I understood it. Only after I understood it did I realize that the other party was really not a pushover.

only……

Some city-states located inland still hold on to a lucky idea.

Anyway...

You want me to be your vassal and pay tribute for nothing; that is impossible.

after all……

You haven't even fought with me, so what right do you have?
After receiving their rejection, some people still dared to laugh at their low status. Next, Zhao Xin had sufficient reasons to launch the Northern Expedition.

(End of this chapter)