The prince is more stable

Chapter 131: Secret Front
There will be a war between Song and Liao, that's for sure.

But in the eyes of ordinary people, a "war" is a battlefield where you poke and stab each other with swords and guns, and whoever loses will destroy the country...

If you think so, it would be too naive.

To conquer a country is to destroy it from the root. Throughout history, when two countries went to war, in fact, before the two armies faced each other, the two countries had already experienced countless silent battles in private.

This fight was a contest of strategic strategies between the two countries, the silent operation of countless hidden pieces in the opponent's side, and a fierce exchange of intelligence between the two sides...

By the time the two armies faced off, the outcome of the war was basically clear.

Didn’t you see that in the final stage of the Kuomintang-Communist War, before Chiang Kai-shek was defeated, his surroundings were already infiltrated like a sieve.

From staff to senior officers and even the confidential clerks around them, they were all my underground party members. As soon as the military order was issued, my party knew about it earlier than the officers under them.

It would be unfair for us to remain undefeated after being infiltrated like this.

But now the situation is that Liao is strong and Song is weak. The rulers and ministers of the Song Dynasty have always maintained a mentality of coping with complacency and are very passive and conservative. With this mentality, it is only a matter of time before they lose their country.

No matter how much criticism the Song Dynasty receives from later generations, there is one fact that they have to admit: the Song Dynasty was rich, extremely rich, the kind of rich that was filthy rich.

"Rich but not strong" is the summary of the Song Dynasty by later generations, which is very accurate.

Zhao Xiaoqian saw with his own eyes how wealthy the Song Dynasty was.

The Song Dynasty was open to business. When business developed, people earned more money, and the country naturally became richer.

The content of Wang Anshi's reforms did have many unreasonable aspects, and it had both advantages and disadvantages for the Song Dynasty. However, the fact that cannot be denied is that after Wang Anshi's reforms during the reign of Emperor Shenzong, the national treasury revenue increased from more than 60 million strings of cash to more than 100 million strings of cash.

Zhao Xiaoqian was not interested in evaluating the pros and cons of the reform, he was just a little dissatisfied.

The national treasury may not be rich enough in recent years, but the money that should be spent is not spent in the right places.

The Liao Kingdom was eyeing the Song Dynasty covetously. Shouldn't we do something?

He spent a lot of money to bribe Liao officials, win over Liao dignitaries, secretly set up an intelligence station in the Liao capital, spread out large numbers of spies, spread rumors, alienate dignitaries, bribe eunuchs, and ambush spies...

There are so many places to spend money, and many things can be solved by just spending money.

If money is spent but the problem is not solved, then the money was not spent properly.

Zhao Xu was very interested in Zhao Xiaoqian's proposal, and there was a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes. He had become more and more trusting of Zhao Xiaoqian. He believed that what Zhao Xiaoqian said must make sense and be good for him and the Song Dynasty.

Hearing Zhao Xiaoqian's serious words, Zhao Xu couldn't help but say, "What Zi'an said about using spies, bribery, infiltration, etc., is actually also being done in the Song Dynasty..."

Zhao Xu said with a wry smile and a sigh, "You are in charge of the official business of the Imperial City Bureau. Have you never asked about the official documents and intelligence of the Imperial City Bureau?"

Zhao Xiaoqian was startled, but said stubbornly, "Of course I have cared about you. I've been reviewing the documents of the Imperial City Office day and night. Look at the pimples on my face, they are the traces of my tireless diligence and hard work..."

Zhao Xu pointed at him and said, "Deceiving the emperor is a crime."

"...I will go back and see."

Zhao Xu sighed, "Never mind. Let me tell you, as early as the reign of Emperor Yingzong, the Imperial City Administration had already planted many spies in the Liao Kingdom's Shangjing City."

"At the same time, there are countless spies and scouts stationed at the border camps of the two countries. Every political and military order from the Liao court will be reported to Bianjing by the spies of the Imperial City Bureau..."

"Also, many people from the Imperial City Bureau have infiltrated the mansions of the powerful and wealthy in the Liao capital to serve as servants. Every word those powerful and wealthy people discuss in their mansions will be reported to Bianjing."

Zhao Xiaoqian listened for a long time, and when Zhao Xu suddenly stopped talking, he couldn't help but ask curiously, "And then?"

Zhao Xu looked at him innocently: "That's all."

Zhao Xiaoqian was shocked and said, "We just planted a few spies and sent out a few agents, and that's it?"

"Otherwise what else?"

"Those spies are the lowest of the low. Besides passing on information, what else can they do?"

Zhao Xu finally understood. "Zi'an means that we need some important figures who can decide or influence Liao's national politics to serve as internal support?" "That's exactly what I mean."

Zhao Xu was a smart man after all, and he immediately asked, "Are you planning to exploit the Liao envoy Xiao Guangjing and his father Xiao Wuna?"

"Yes." Zhao Xiaoqian said with a smile.

Zhao Xu was silent for a moment, his eyes growing more and more disgusted. "I heard that you tricked Xiao Guangjing into falling into the cesspool. Your methods were so dirty and filthy. Do you still want to use him?"

“…it can still be used after washing.”

Zhao Xu pointed at him again, not knowing whether to be angry or amused. "During the negotiations between the two countries, you actually schemed to harm the Liao envoy, and the means were so dirty. If the imperial censors knew about this, do you know the consequences?"

Zhao Xiaoqian blinked. "This matter is known to heaven and earth, to the emperor, to me, and even to Qian Zhongshen... The emperor won't tell anyone, right?"

Zhao Xu chuckled, and suddenly felt a slight sense of excitement in his heart, just like the excitement of doing bad things without anyone noticing when he was young. He felt inexplicably excited.

Zhao Xu, who ascended the throne at the age of ten and is now twenty years old, seems to have regained his long-lost childishness.

So Zhao Xu couldn't help but blurt out: "Next time something like this happens, remember to call..."

He stopped talking before he could finish his words, and Zhao Xu covered his mouth in embarrassment.

How shameful! How could I be interested in such a dirty and filthy thing, and even have the idea of ​​personally participating in it?

However, it was too late, Zhao Xiaoqian heard it.

Zhao Xiaoqian was a loyal minister who understood the emperor's intentions, so he hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, so this is what you like? No problem, I have a plan. From now on, if your Majesty dislikes someone, light a firecracker and throw it in while they're using the toilet. I guarantee you'll be delighted by the sight..."

"Nonsense! I would never do such a thing!" Zhao Xu refused angrily, but for some reason he burst out laughing.

Amidst the laughter and jokes between the king and his ministers, two things had already been decided.

Regarding the Liao envoy Xiao Guangjing, Zhao Xu let Zhao Xiaoqian do what he wanted. It was a huge mistake for the Liao emperor to appoint Xiao Guangjing as an envoy this time. Zhao Xiaoqian would not let Xiao Guangjing leave easily.

A Liao Dynasty playboy who originally planned to go on a diplomatic mission to the Song Dynasty to gild his credentials will eventually become like the Song Dynasty...

There was also the infiltration of the Imperial City Division into the Liao Kingdom. Zhao Xiaoqian personally arranged and deployed this, striving to plant more important spies and pawns in the Liao Kingdom within two years.

Of course, the premise of all this is to spend money, huge amounts of money.

It doesn’t matter, the Song Dynasty is not short of money.

…………

Bian Jing, Di Mansion.

Today the Di Mansion is full of guests, and there is laughter and joy in the hall.

The yard outside the hall was filled with carrying baskets. The gift boxes on the baskets were covered with bright red paper, and inside were precious and rare pearls and jade. Of course, there were also some formal wedding cakes and wild geese.

Di Zi and his wife sat in the main seats, entertaining the guests in the hall.

Most of the guests were officials from the Ministry of Rites, and Vice Minister Qian Zhongshen was among them.

There were three main guests: King Zhao Hao of Chu, the Minister of Zongzheng Temple Zhao Zongsheng, and the Minister of Menxia Zhang Dun, who was equivalent to the deputy prime minister of the dynasty.

Several of them are heavyweights, but today they are gathered at the Di Mansion. It must be said that the Di family has not seen such a grand occasion for many years since the death of General Di Qing.

The purpose of Zhao Hao and others' visit today is to formally propose marriage.

He proposed marriage for Zhao Xiaoqian, asking him to marry Di Ying, the daughter of the Di family.

Zhao Hao was the man's father, Zhao Zongsheng, the Minister of the Imperial Clan Affairs Bureau, was the matchmaker, and Zhang Dun was the witness.

As for the other officials, it would be a bit impolite to say that they were just for show, but it also served to highlight the grand occasion.

(End of this chapter)