The prince is more stable

Chapter 1028 Naval Maritime Affairs Office
We should certainly have reverence for life; this is a correct set of values.

But the lives of Japanese people are an exception; this is a trace left by education from a previous life.

Zhao Xiaoqian's treatment of Japan was unprecedentedly violent and cruel, so cruel that even Zhang Rong was quite surprised.

In Zhang Rong's memory, Zhao Xiaoqian had always been a very gentle person. Although he was not exactly "benevolent and righteous," he usually did not kill innocent people indiscriminately.

When the Song army became powerful, it often crossed the border to plunder Liao villages and tribes, but it was actually quite restrained in its slaughter of the Khitans and did not commit too many atrocities.

Zhao Xiaoqian's attitude toward the Japanese was indifferent and cold; he didn't treat them like human beings at all, not even as animals.

Zhang Rong didn't understand why the Emperor was so hostile towards Japan, but he didn't care. He was a military general, and military generals were born to kill. Killing a few people from barbarian countries was too easy for him.

Zhang Rong is now essentially MacArthur in Japan, even more powerful than the retired emperor. It's not entirely because the Japanese lack backbone; it's mainly because Zhang Rong's 10,000 Song soldiers are so formidable that they have no rivals within Japan.

No city or pass could stop the Song army's advance. Whatever the Song army wanted, whether it was territory, cities, or minerals, it would soon be in its hands. No matter how much the Japanese lords resisted or tried to stop it, the final result would be no different.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at Zhang Rong with a smile and said, "You've killed so many Japanese and committed countless atrocities. Aren't you afraid of retribution?"

“You are one of my former subordinates. If you have concerns in this regard, I can transfer you back to Bianjing and send a different general to Japan to take up your post.”

Zhang Rong was anxious: "Your Majesty, what makes you say such a thing? Military generals should be ruthless and merciless. Otherwise, how can they be qualified to expand the territory for Your Majesty? I was doing well in Japan. Your Majesty asked for a certain number of people to be killed, and I killed no less than that. Why replace me?"

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed, "I was just worried you'd have reservations. Killing too many people will inevitably leave you feeling uneasy. What if your wife gives birth to a son? He'll be chubby and adorable, but then you'll turn over and think, 'Hey? Where did the little swallow go?'"

Zhang Rong hurriedly said, "No, only wicked people have sons without skin swallows. Those who commit murder will not, and their sons will be even more numerous..."

Zhao Xiaoqian said worriedly, "It's not right that your son has grown up with two little swallows."

Zhang Rong stamped his feet in frustration. To be honest, he was initially reluctant to accept the assignment Zhao Xiaoqian had given him. Staying in that wild and uncivilized land of Japan would be even more arduous than guarding the border.

But now, he has gradually discovered the fun in it.

Putting everything else aside, the fact that the Japanese lords treated him like a living ancestor was enough to make him feel incredibly good. Not to mention the beautiful Japanese women that the lords vied to offer him, making him a groom every night. Just by looking at his dark circles and weak back, you could tell what kind of life he was living in Japan.

Such a wonderful life, I wouldn't trade it for even a god. Right now, Zhang Rong is genuinely worried that the emperor will replace him.

Seeing Zhang Rong's anxious expression, Zhao Xiaoqian smiled.

Zhao Xiaoqian could basically guess what kind of life Zhang Rong was living in Japan. After all, the Japanese were like that; once they were defeated, their mentality of admiring the strong became terrifyingly twisted. They went to great lengths to fawn over Zhang Rong. Since Zhang Rong was living such a comfortable life in Japan, of course he didn't want to come back.

However, Zhang Rong would be transferred sooner or later. Although Zhao Xiaoqian trusted him, he still had to set rules in advance. Otherwise, he couldn't just remove the Japanese emperor and then raise a regional warlord who outwardly obeyed but inwardly defied the central court.

However, Zhang Rong can stay in Japan for the time being, as he still has many things to do.

"When it comes to mining, you don't need to be too polite to the young and strong Japanese laborers. They're born to mine, so they'll make progress faster," Zhao Xiaoqian said.

"Yes."

"There is one more thing. I will send craftsmen to the east coast of Japan to find a suitable site to build a deep-water port and a shipyard. Before long, there will be a large amount of cedar and pine wood from the Liao Kingdom. You will need to conscript labor to build huge ships for the Song Dynasty."

"The fleet must be at least 5,000 ships. Before I destroy the Liao Kingdom, we must have a fleet of more than ten ships, and we must train the navy day and night..."

Zhang Rong immediately understood his intention and asked, "Does the Emperor intend to build a navy to sail the seas? Who are our enemies?"

"It's not about killing enemies, but about exploring new continents. Let's broaden our horizons and take a longer view. Don't always focus on the small piece of land in front of us. There are even greater surprises waiting for us to conquer and occupy in the far east of the ocean."

Zhang Rong exclaimed with delight, "Your Majesty, I am willing to lead the navy to expand the territory!"

Zhao Xiaoqian said with a half-smile, "Don't you want to act like a tyrant in Japan anymore?"

Zhang Rong chuckled: "This kind of life is certainly enjoyable, but it gets boring after a while. I still prefer to serve Your Majesty, subdue the world, and expand the territory."

"It's good that you haven't forgotten your original intention. I thought you had lived a life of extravagance and debauchery for too long and only knew how to indulge in pleasure."

"Absolutely not! I much prefer the days of riding into battle and slaying the enemy on horseback."

"After you return to Japan, intensify your efforts to eliminate the local lords' forces. I do not wish to see any forces on Japanese soil that do not submit to the rule of my Great Song Dynasty."

"After the purge, your focus will be on building a navy and overseeing shipbuilding. I will soon order the Council of State Affairs and the Ministry of Personnel to select officials to go to Japan to take up their posts, establish government offices and various levels of embassies. You will no longer need to concern yourself with these administrative matters. Concentrate on building an invincible navy for me." After a pause, Zhao Xiaoqian said calmly, "By the way, while you are eliminating the forces of the Japanese feudal lords, you should also burn all the books in Japan, especially the history books."

"And all the so-called intellectuals and teachers were killed. From now on, the Japanese are only allowed to speak the Central Plains Chinese language and learn Chinese characters. They must face the direction of Bianjing every day to greet and pray for blessings."

"I want Japan to become a blank slate again and submit to the rule of my Central Plains."

Although Zhang Rong was a military general, he quickly understood the emperor's intentions. The emperor planned to completely erase Japanese culture and history, using slaughter and burning to castrate Japan, so that Japan would no longer have its own national characteristics and would be completely subjugated to the culture of the Central Plains.

A murderous glint flashed in Zhang Rong's eyes, and he bowed coldly, saying, "Your Majesty, I obey your decree. Rest assured, after I return to Japan, I will definitely bring Japan under my thumb."

Zhao Xiaoqian patted his shoulder and said with a smile, "Wait a moment, I have ordered a palace banquet to be prepared to welcome you. While these few days are peaceful, you should also go home to visit your parents, wife and children, and spend more time with them..."

"By the way, does your wife know how much fun you've had in Japan?"

Zhang Rong humbly replied, "I have always been honest, reliable, and loyal to my wife..."

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed: "Your current appearance of kidney deficiency and weakness is not convincing at all. It's too late to treat it now. Why don't you have the palace maids touch up your makeup? Otherwise, your image will be ruined."

Zhang Rong fell silent for a long time, then suddenly laughed bitterly, "It's no use... I can't get past the hurdle of paying my wife's dues tonight. I probably... can't squeeze out even a drop."

Zhao Xiaoqian was taken aback, but felt no sympathy whatsoever.

You've lived a life I never had, so you deserve to be beaten to death by your wife.

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed and said, "I have sent imperial physicians to wait outside your door to save lives at any time. The court is in dire need of capable people, and I cannot afford to lose a great general!"

…………

The implementation of the military academy was unprecedentedly swift, practically lightning fast.

After receiving the imperial decree to oversee the task, Cai Jing fully demonstrated the abilities of a treacherous official. In the field of pandering to the emperor, treacherous officials are absolutely experts.

When Zhao Xiaoqian first established the Censorate, it took him a long time to outwit and outmaneuver his court officials before he finally managed to set it up.

At that time, Zhao Xiaoqian had only recently ascended the throne, and he still had some concerns about the attitude of his court officials, so he inevitably hesitated to act.

When the task of establishing the military academy was handed over to Cai Jing, the situation was quite different.

Cai Jing didn't care how many people opposed him. He took things too seriously, didn't reason with others, and only knew how to execute orders meticulously.

Cai Jing's logic was simple: the emperor's edict was of paramount importance. Anyone who jumped out to obstruct it was disobeying the edict and committing treason. Shouldn't such a person be thrown into the Dali Temple to reflect on their actions? Why keep them around for the New Year?
After receiving the imperial decree, Cai Jing led officials from the Ministry of Works to select a site outside Bianjing (Kaifeng), where they encountered officials who tried to obstruct them on the very first day.

The officials, looking indignant, blocked Cai Jing's carriage, accusing him of going against the tide and violating the ancestral system of valuing civil officials over military ones established by the previous emperors of the Song Dynasty. They also scolded Cai Jing for losing the integrity of a civil official, only knowing how to flatter and fawn, and not being able to distinguish right from wrong.

In short, with a foolish ruler and treacherous ministers, the country is doomed!

Cai Jing sat in the carriage and laughed in anger. Without even showing his face, he ordered his attendants to strip the officials who blocked the road of their official robes, report them to the Council of State Affairs, dismiss them from their posts, and bring them to the Court of Judicial Review for trial.

The official who blocked the road was thus undignifiedly taken to the Dali Temple on charges of openly defying the imperial decree.

Many officials opposed the establishment of the military academy. Even the prime minister, Zhang Dun, openly opposed the emperor, which shows the attitude of the officials below.

Cai Jing, however, disregarded this. From another perspective, treacherous officials are actually more loyal to the emperor because their principle in office is to only cater to the emperor and not care about the lives of others. The emperor's favor or disgrace can determine their life and career.

For the sake of their own future, they also had to faithfully carry out all the emperor's orders without any compromise.

Amidst a clamor of opposition, Cai Jing resolutely pushed through the plan to establish the military academy.

The day after receiving the imperial decree, Cai Jing selected a vacant lot in the northern suburbs outside Bianjing (Kaifeng) as the site for the military academy.

Next, officials from the Ministry of Works took measurements, charlatans from the Imperial Observatory conducted geomancy surveys, craftsmen moved in, and materials were brought in.

Just like when the Control Yuan was built, many opposing officials came to the construction site, angrily obstructing and opposing the construction. Cai Jing ruthlessly ordered them to be beaten and driven away.

They weren't afraid of the ministers' complaints to the court; they couldn't get past the Council of State Affairs. As for the Military Academy, Cai Jing had taken complete control, and even Zhang Dun was no longer qualified to interfere.

(End of this chapter)