In the Song Dynasty, there was no law or order.

The seventh year of Qingli was the most comfortable year for the Song Dynasty.

In April, Xixia and Liao sent envoys to ask for peace with the Song Dynasty.

Among them, Xixia was willing to pay tribute, while Liao hoped to sign a peace and equality treaty again.

They even carefully prayed that the Song Dynasty would return Liaoyang Prefecture to them.

But it is obvious that the Liao Dynasty is no longer qualified to bargain with the Song Dynasty. They are lucky to be able to stabilize the internal situation.

Because of the defeat of Yelu Zongzhen, the first to make trouble were the Mengwu in the Mongolian grasslands, and the Bohai, Jurchen, and Shiwei ethnic groups in the northeast region were in turmoil.

So the Song Dynasty sternly rejected this request and loudly rebuked the Liao envoys, scolding them bloody, but they dared not talk back.

This time, many ministers of the Song Dynasty were proud, while the Liao envoys were angry and swallowed their anger.

However, the Song Dynasty did not continue to add insult to injury.

In the battle of Xijin, the number of wounded soldiers captured by the Song Dynasty, surrendered Liao people, and soldiers captured on the battlefield totaled more than 100,000.

For the Han Liao soldiers, the Song Dynasty adopted a relatively relaxed policy and organized them into local wing troops. The rest of the tribesmen, such as Mengwu, Bohai, Jurchen, and Shiwei, were organized into construction corps.

Under the supervision of these wing troops, these tribesmen were allowed to participate in the construction of Youzhou on the spot, referring to the large-scale infrastructure policy currently being carried out by the Song Dynasty, digging canals, building roads, and reclaiming fields everywhere.

The soldiers of the Khitan ethnic group could be redeemed by the Liao Dynasty, using gold, silver, copper, war horses, cattle, sheep, furs, and all resources and minerals as ransom.

Even the Liao general Xiao Xiaomu allowed them to be redeemed.

The Song Dynasty did this not to please the Liao people, but if it did not do so, the Liao Dynasty would have perished.

With this disastrous defeat, the foundation of the entire Liao Dynasty was shaken.

Due to Zhao Jun's insidious arms race strategy, most of the resources and output of the Liao Dynasty had to be used for military expenditures.

Every year, the sulfur purchased from the middleman Song Dynasty alone exceeded more than one million kilograms, and iron and bronze were used to make grenades and cannons, and the domestic development was lackluster.

They were able to continue to suppress the remaining ethnic tribes by force, in addition to relying on the powerful guards, the existence of firearms also played a crucial role.

However, in the battle of Xijin, they not only lost Nanjing of the Liao Dynasty, but also lost Dongjing Prefecture of the Liao Dynasty, an important production base of firearms.

Due to the influence of geography, the sulfur purchased from Japan could only be unloaded in Liaoyang Prefecture. In order to reduce land costs, they naturally had to choose to manufacture gunpowder and firearms on the spot.

As a result, when the Song Dynasty recovered Shenzhou, it directly destroyed the firearms manufacturing base of the Liao Dynasty, and confiscated all the craftsmen and raw materials.

This caused a big problem for the Liao people.

The production base of gunpowder was destroyed, and Yanyun and Liaoyang Prefecture were lost. The population, economy, and national strength suffered heavy losses, and they were bound to be counterattacked by various ethnic groups.

After all, the Liao Dynasty had a population of more than 9 million people, and the Khitan people only accounted for about one-eighth of the total population, while other ethnic groups accounted for seven-eighths.

As the saying goes, when a wall falls, everyone pushes it; when a drum breaks, everyone hammers it.

If the Song Dynasty ignores it, it is very likely that the Jin people will destroy the Liao Dynasty, which will happen decades later, will happen now.

Once the Liao Dynasty is destroyed, it is not a good thing for the Song Dynasty to have a unified regime established by the Jurchens, the Mongols, the Bohais, the Shiweis and others in the northeast.

Although the Song Dynasty is now strong and is not interested in the current operations in the north, it does not mean that they need a strong neighbor.

Therefore, helping to maintain the regime of the Liao Dynasty, which can be broken at a touch, and allowing them to continue to consume internal energy and be in a chaotic stage, is the best result for the Song Dynasty.

At this time, the Liao Dynasty Emperor Yelu Zongzhen was seriously ill, and the old Tai Shi Zhang Jian was originally in Shunzhou. When he heard the bad news from the front, he also fell ill all of a sudden.

The life span that could have lived to more than 90 years old is probably approaching the end of its life.

However, Zhang Jian had been the Grand Master for so many years. Although he was about to die, it was not difficult for him to understand the Song Dynasty's thoughts, so he made suggestions to Yelu Zongzhen.

Although Yelu Chongyuan was the crown prince, he was still slightly lacking in political ability, so Yelu Zongzhen, who was seriously ill, also listened to Zhang Jian's advice and asked Yelu Chongyuan to send someone to apologize to the Song Dynasty.

As expected, it was just as Zhang Jian expected.

The Song Dynasty did not have the intention to completely destroy the Liao Dynasty at present, so after signing a series of unequal treaties, it finally gave the Liao Dynasty a chance to breathe.

The Song Dynasty promised not to continue to attack northward, and all captives could be redeemed, and the commercial treaties signed before were still valid. In addition to requiring the Liao Dynasty to pay tribute of thousands of war horses and 10,000 taels of silver every year, there were no other requirements.

However, the annual income of the Liao Dynasty was only a few million guan, and at most it was only tens of millions guan, and most of the tax revenue came from Yanyun and the Northeast.

Now Yanyun and Liaoyang Prefecture, the richest prefecture in the northeast, have been taken away by the Song Dynasty. The annual income can be said to have been reduced by at least 60%. For the Liao Kingdom, it is basically just a lingering breath, and it is good enough that it has not collapsed on the spot.

Therefore, it can be said that the Song Dynasty has squeezed the Liao Kingdom to the extreme. It has agreed to continue the sulfur trade with them, but also extorted their money.

In this way, the Liao Kingdom can continue to suppress the ethnic minorities of various tribes through firearms, and in order to have money to maintain firearms, it must continue to exhaust the fish in the pond for those ethnic minorities, which has caused conflicts between the Khitan and other ethnic groups.

Even when the Song Dynasty intended to let the Liao Kingdom go, the battle between the Liao and Song finally came to an end, and the current status pattern in East Asia was finally determined.

The Song Dynasty suddenly became the hegemon of East Asia from its former second eldest brother, which caused shock in all directions and brought an endless stream of tributes.

As for Xixia.

Then it's probably just a matter of chance.

Because the Song Dynasty did not pay attention to the Xixia envoys, its attitude was non-committal, and it did not sign a peace treaty with them.

Obviously, Xixia will be wiped out in two years, and it will be a matter of time before the Hexi Corridor is recovered.

On May 14th, the weather has been getting hotter and hotter recently, the temperature has been rising, and it coincides with the most prosperous time for Bianliang's business, so the heat is spreading in the city.

Only the political courtyard is cool and comfortable. Outside the courtyard, there are towering trees, shaded by greenery, and a gentle breeze.

There are a lot of ice cubes in the house. Saltpeter ice making is one of the oldest ice-making technologies. Naturally, the royal family will make a large amount of ice cubes every year before summer comes and store it. Now is the time when it is needed.

"During this period, Bianliang was really lively. Envoys from the Liao Kingdom, Xixia, Goryeo, Dali, Yue Dynasty, Uighurs, and rare guests, even the Japanese envoys and the Black Khan envoys from the Western Regions came. ”

Yan Shu said casually while reviewing today's Zhazi official documents: "There is an endless stream of people, and it is difficult for the court to receive them. Now they are all handed over to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Wang Siwen even complained to me this morning."

"That is, the United States was only a second-rate country before World War I. After World War I, it made a fortune and became the world's largest industrial power. After World War II, it became one of the two poles in the world. When the Mao Xiong disintegrated, the limelight There is no difference for a moment, and you are truly invincible.”

Zhao Jun said with a smile: "Our current situation is basically the same as that of the United States after the disintegration of the Mao Xiong. We are invincible, coming from all directions, and have become the big brother of East Asia."

"I have to say, this feeling is pretty good."

Everyone looked at each other and laughed.

"By the way, Hanlong, Bianliang University said there are too few students and they hope to expand enrollment this year. What do you think?"

After making a joke, Jia Chang asked Zhao Jun.

He used to be the Minister of Education, and now he is also in charge of education.

"Well, although Bianliang University was established in the past, its main purpose was to cultivate talents for the Academy of Sciences. It did not recruit students from outside. It only recruited Jinshi scholars and extremely outstanding high school students who were interested in scientific research."

Zhao Jun said: "Now we have slowly completed most of the basic science knowledge from primary school to high school, and advanced mathematics, advanced physics and advanced chemistry are also making steady progress. It is time to officially expand enrollment and cultivate more scientific research talents."

As he spoke, he began to think deeply, and after a while he said: "In this way, starting from Bianliang University, let them organize personnel, bring people and equipment, and establish branch universities in each road first. Each road in the Song Dynasty must have at least one Once the school is established, we will organize the college entrance examination and let the Ministry of Education organize it.”

"yes."

Jia Changchao nodded.

"Many countries have requested to establish embassies in Bianliang. What do you think, Hanlong?"

Cai Qi asked here.

"Let them build it. That is to say, we cannot build the United Nations now. We will have to find opportunities to annex them in the future."

"That's okay."

"Hanlong, this is the current national industrial situation. Basically, there are at least three steel plants, cement plants and brick factories on each road, and more than ten."

Song Shou, who is in charge of industry, also said.

"It's not enough. Big construction must continue."

"Are we taking too big a step? Although our current income is steadily increasing, we still need to invest a lot of construction finance, which will be very difficult for the court."

"Don't be afraid of spending money. If money is something that you won't take with you until you die, you have to spend it ruthlessly."

Zhao Jun thought for a while and said: "I think the surrounding small countries are a bit too primitive. Let the Ministry of Foreign Affairs negotiate with Dali to repair the land road from Sichuan to Yunnan, dredge the waterway, and sell more things there. ”

"They're afraid they won't agree."

"It's up to them to agree or not. By the way, although the tribes at the junction of Sichuan and Yunnan belong to the Song Dynasty in name, they have always disobeyed the imperial court and asked Chengdu to send troops to take over the city and formally establish The government."

"this."

Everyone was stunned for a moment when they heard this.

It's not that I'm worried about fighting, but it's a bit thankless.

Why did the ancient dynasty only care about the thirteen states of Han Dynasty?

Because these places are high-quality assets with rich products and fertile land, which are suitable for the development of farming civilization.

Other places, such as the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Guangdong, Guangxi, Lingnan, Mongolian grasslands, the three northeastern provinces, southwest Yunnan and Guizhou, etc., were areas with very harsh natural conditions in ancient times.

Therefore, although Zhuge Liang went south to conquer the ethnic minorities in Yunnan, he did not vigorously develop it. Instead, he established the Governor's Palace of Gajiang, which was a semi-domestic rule.

Now that the Song Dynasty has taken back Yanyun, all the high-quality assets inherent to the Han people have been taken back. In other places, they are inferior assets. Will they increase the burden on the court?

"Establish the government first and then rule slowly."

Zhao Jun smiled and said: "Don't worry about whether these local ethnic groups are convinced or not, declare sovereignty first, and then slowly govern. Yunnan mainly produces gold and silver. What the Song Dynasty lacks now is not material, but money."

"Didn't Zhiyuan plan to make banknotes? How is it now?"

Xia Song asked.

"It is expected to be officially released next year and the year after that. The School of Chemistry is already working on the banknote production project. It will not be easy to prevent counterfeiting. However, the silver coins can be sold starting next year, which can alleviate the current pressure of lack of money."

Zhao Jun said.

"The currency for commodity circulation is indeed very important. The Song Dynasty is increasingly short of money."

Yan Shu sighed.

The emergence of Jiaozi in the Northern Song Dynasty was caused by lack of money.

There are far more goods on the market than money, causing severe deflation.

Prices have been falling every day in the past few years. If the imperial court had not been purchasing agricultural products to maintain prices, farmers would have been miserable.

Mainly, large-scale infrastructure construction has been carried out for five or six years. From the second year of Qingli to the present, large-scale repairs have been carried out on official roads, waterways, and canals across the country.

Materials circulate faster, and after overthrowing a large number of landlords, the amount of farmland increases instead of decreasing. In addition, the number of household registrations in the Song Dynasty jumped from more than 70 million before Qingli to about 90 million last year.

With more fields, more people, and skyrocketing productivity, output will naturally increase by a huge amount.

The prices of various agricultural products such as rice, millet, beans, and wheat are falling day by day, and the introduction of crops such as corn, potatoes, and sweet potatoes has allowed the livestock industry to flourish. The production technology of lard, peanuts and soybean oil has improved, and the prices of animal oil and vegetable oil have also fallen.

It can be said that not only the loose policies of the Song Dynasty in recent years have brought prosperity to the people, but it is also a direct result of the introduction of a large number of overseas crops, which has greatly increased productivity.

"The current productivity has basically reached the peak period of the Qing Dynasty. Feeding a population of 4 to 5 billion is not a problem. In the next hundred years, the population of the Song Dynasty will explode, and it will not be a problem to increase to 2 to 300 million people."

Zhao Jun said: "So we have to step up a bit and be prepared for danger in times of peace. The Agricultural College must be vigorously developed. Various experimental fields and experimental bases must be invested in the construction and continuous improvement. We must seek hybrid rice and prepare for the third productivity. skyrocketing.”

"Um."

Everyone nodded after hearing this.

"Speaking of it, I have established a relatively mature official system, with the Constitutional Yuan as the core, and each ministry performs its own duties, with layer-by-layer supervision and layer-by-layer governance. But I have not yet established a complete modern country."

Zhao Jun suddenly thought of a question and said to everyone: "In this way, during the Chongzheng Hall meeting this afternoon, we will discuss with the officials to improve the modern national system."

"good."

"We must indeed move towards the future and break away from the original shackles."

"The Song Dynasty will finally transform from an agricultural society to an industrial society. This is a beginning and innovation for our Chinese civilization."

"I agree."

Everyone agreed that a complete modern national system is the foundation and trend of the future.