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

In September of the 28th year of the Qingli period of the Song Dynasty, Yan Shu died of illness.

It was late autumn, the autumn wind was bleak, and the streets and alleys of Bianliang were crowded with people and leaves were flying.

Kaifeng City is the most charming ancient city. Even after many demolitions and constructions, it has not abandoned greening and urban environmental protection.

The Bian River has been seriously polluted by the industrialization process in recent years.

But Zhao Jun has carried out many governance since the beginning of the Qingli period, and continues to maintain it even today.

A sewage plant was built, and factories were prohibited from discharging sewage into the canal, so that the canal in Bianliang was so clear that the willows and sycamores on both sides swayed in the wind.

The buildings were full of tree-lined paths, and black cars like beetles rumbled by, and electric poles stood along the streets on both sides.

On the wide Imperial Street south of Xuande Gate, a large convoy slowly moved forward and went south to the outside of the city.

The Imperial Street used to be the widest street in Kaifeng. According to the "Dongjing Menghualu", it was more than ten miles long and two hundred steps wide, or three hundred meters.

Now it has been rebuilt into a lane, shortening the distance. Sixteen lanes have been built according to the width of three steps, or 4.5 meters. On both sides, there are 39-meter-wide sidewalk squares, with a total width of 150 meters.

In autumn, the leaves of the sycamore trees are flying all over the sky. The loudspeakers on the motorcade play funeral music. There is a horse-riding honor guard leading the way in the front. The whole team is full of bleakness and sadness in the autumn wind.

Countless people flocked to the ten-mile-long street on both sides. Some wiped their tears and waved goodbye, some looked sad and full of longing, and some shouted in the wind, "Rest well, Prime Minister Yan."

Yan Shu's life was actually not great and upright.

Because he wavered between Empress Dowager Liu and Zhao Zhen in the early days, and he wrote an epitaph for Li Chenfei and concealed the fact that Li Chenfei was Zhao Zhen's biological mother, which made Zhao Zhen very unhappy.

Therefore, his political attitude of sitting on the fence once angered Empress Dowager Liu and displeased Zhao Zhen.

If it weren't for Lü Yijian, he probably wouldn't have been able to return to the court.

But it is undeniable that no matter what Yan Shu's political stance and attitude were before, since Zhao Jun came to power, he has been standing behind Zhao Jun silently and became Zhao Jun's right-hand man for reform.

Yan Shu is not like Fan Zhongyan, who can preside over the reform of the entire Qingli New Deal and can go to the battlefield to defeat the Western Xia and Liao Kingdom, but he is the indispensable and greatest helper of Zhao Jun and Fan Zhongyan.

With him, no matter what the details of the reform can be done well, the loopholes can be checked and filled, and there are people to help watch the execution below, so that the meaning above cannot be conveyed.

Not to mention.

During the time when Zhao Jun was blind, Yan Shu became his greatest spiritual support.

"Brother, condolences."

In the car in the center of the convoy, Zhao Jun wiped his tears, but still had to comfort Zhao Zhen.

Zhao Zhen is 58 years old this year. At this time in history, he has been dead for five years, and the grass on his grave is three feet high.

But with the advancement of medical technology and different mentality, life expectancy has also increased.

However, he was still very sad to hear that Yan Shu had passed away.

After all, Yan Shu had done something to let him and his mother down in the past.

But after working for the country for so many years, the previous unhappiness had long gone with the wind, and what remained was only the feelings of being together for half a lifetime.

Now Zhao Zhen is no longer a caged bird that cannot easily leave the palace. When the prime minister dies, he will personally bid farewell.

"Alas."

Zhao Zhen sighed and shook his head and said, "They left one by one, and my heart is left with only sadness."

"And I will accompany my brother to the end, and we will see a more glorious Song Dynasty."

Zhao Jun smiled.

"Alas, the people who are familiar and close to me have passed away one by one, and I can't help but feel sad."

After Zhao Zhen sighed, tears fell like rain.

In recent years, Song Shou and Cai Qi have also died one after another.

Of the eight people at the beginning, three prime ministers and three ministers, Yan Shu and Fan Zhongyan, now only Fan Zhongyan is left.

Besides, Fan Zhongyan's health has not been very good recently, and I don't know how long he can live.

I think so.

After all, thirty-two years have passed.

Fan Zhongyan is already 79 years old.

And Zhao Zhen will soon be 60, and will soon be in his prime. I really don't know how long he can live.

"Thinking about the vastness of the universe, the human world can't help but feel insignificant. Maybe there is another world after death, who knows?"

Zhao Jun said comfortingly.

Hearing his words, Zhao Zhen opened the car window and looked at the vast sky.

He has spent half his life studying mathematics, physics and chemistry. From his twenties to now, except for his weak mathematics, his knowledge of chemistry and physics is very rich.

Even many of the knowledge points are not obtained from notebooks, but he has studied them for many years.

Through cooperation with the Academy of Sciences, Zhao Zhen can be said to have single-handedly raised the knowledge of mathematics, physics and chemistry in the Song Dynasty to the level before and after World War II, and many knowledge points and formulas are named after him.

He is a scientific giant, and now in his old age, although he did not study theology like Newton, he began to study astronomy, and often sighed at the vastness of the universe and the smallness of the earth.

Zhao Zhen looked up at the sky, his eyes were full of confusion. He didn't know when the originally clear sky was filled with countless dark clouds, the autumn wind was bleak, and the world changed.

The convoy finally stopped at the South Railway Station of Bianliang.

Yan Shu's last words were that he wanted to be buried in the ancestral land of his clan and return to his clan members and parents after his death. Therefore, his body was kept in Yan's mansion for a few days after his death for his friends to mourn.

After the funeral, he will be transported back to his hometown of Linchuan, Fuzhou, Jiangxi by train for burial, which can be regarded as returning to his roots.

A group of people got out of the car.

In addition to the emperor's prime ministers such as Zhao Zhen and Zhao Jun, there were also civil and military ministers such as the prime minister of the Constitutional Yuan, counselors, and ministers of various ministries.

Although Yan Shu's highest position is only Tongzhi of the Political Yuan, not the Zhiyuan, he was promoted from the earliest Secretary of the Ministry of Household Affairs and alternate Tongzhi, to Tongzhi, and now to counselor.

It can be said that after staying in the Constitutional Yuan for more than twenty or thirty years, he has disciples and former officials all over the world, and countless people have received his favor. Naturally, there are countless people who come to see him off.

Among them, Yan Shu's family also got off the bus. Several of his sons were wearing filial robes. The leader was Yan Shu's second son Yan Chengyu. Because his eldest son Yan Juhou died young, he is now the eldest son of the Yan family, holding Yan Shu's portrait.

After more than ten years of development, photography technology has not yet reached the level of color photos, but it is already very outstanding. It is not as blurry as in the earliest days, and Yan Shu's smiling face and voice are still there.

"His Majesty."

Zhao Zhen came to the family members surrounded by everyone.

The Yan family is prosperous and has ten sons. The seventh among them, Yan Jidao, is also thirty years old this year. He stands in the crowd and secretly feels sad.

"Yan Xiang is gone. You must work harder and not slack off."

Zhao Zhen gave a few words of encouragement.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Um."

"Let Mr. Yan return to his roots as soon as possible."

Zhao Jun wiped his tears with a silk scarf and said with red eyes.

The ancient anti-corrosion technology was not bad, not to mention that the School of Chemistry had done extensive research and had already produced formalin and the like.

It's just that most antiseptic techniques require the internal organs to be eviscerated, which is unbearable, so now I just use ice cubes to chill it.

Although it was autumn and the temperature was not high, the body had to be sent back to Jiangxi as early as possible to prevent the body from rotting.

"yes."

Everyone agreed, and then powerful men carried the officials, and the family members followed them into the station.

Everyone watched them go in at the station door. Zhao Zhen sighed: "I don't know when I will leave."

"The official family is still young. It's early. He will live to be a hundred years old."

Zhao Junqiang smiled.

He is only 4 years younger than Zhao Zhen. He is 55 years old this year, and he will eventually lament that time is not forgiving.

It’s no wonder that many emperors in ancient times were obsessed with refining elixirs for immortality in their later years.

Standing at the top of this power, who wants to die?

"Boom."

It seemed to be sending Yan Shu off.

Dark clouds were floating in the sky, it was clearly early morning, but it felt like evening.

"Let's go."

Zhao Zhen sighed.

All civil and military officials returned to their cars and headed back the way they came.

Since they were here to attend Yan Shu's farewell ceremony, everyone was wearing black mourning clothes, so they had to go home and change before returning to the court, and then they left separately.

When Zhao Jun returned home, Cao Miaoxin changed his clothes. As he buttoned his clothes, he sighed: "As soon as Yan Xiang left, my heart felt empty. I have no relatives and he is like an elder in my family."

Cao Miaoxin said: "How can I say that my husband has no relatives? Aren't my children and I relatives? What's more, now you also have grandchildren."

"This relationship is not that relationship."

Zhao Jun tidied up his blue tunic suit, sat on the wooden sofa chair, took a short rest and prepared to go to the Constitutional Yuan.

Cao Miaoxin took out his mourning clothes, and at this moment Zhao Tan walked in.

The mother and son said hello, Cao Miaoxin took the mourning clothes and left, and Zhao Tan walked to Zhao Jun and sat down.

He is also twenty-seven years old this year. He married a female college classmate the year before last and gave birth to a son last year. Zhao Jun was also promoted to a grandfather.

"Father, are you crying?"

Zhao Tan was keenly aware that Zhao Jun's eyes were a little red.

Zhao Jun did not answer directly, but just asked: "How will your work be arranged when you come back this time?"

At the age of 17, Zhao Tan was admitted to Bianliang University with the top score in the Gyeonggi Road College Entrance Examination, and studied for a master's degree and a doctorate. While studying for a doctorate, he also found time to participate in the imperial examination, and became a Jinshi in the 26th year of Qingli with a score of first-class and fourth.

At present, the education system of the Song Dynasty has gradually shifted from the Four Books and Five Classics of Confucianism to mathematics, physics and chemistry.

However, Confucianism is deeply rooted after all, and it is unrealistic to completely abandon it in a short time. Therefore, for more than thirty years, Zhao Jun has been conducting the imperial examination and the college entrance examination in parallel.

Moreover, the weight of Confucianism in the imperial examinations has gradually been reduced, and knowledge of mathematics, physics and chemistry has been improved. At present, Confucianism only accounts for 30% of the imperial examinations, mathematics accounts for 20%, and the other 50% is composed of physics, chemistry and biology.

Compared with the college entrance examination in later generations, it is equivalent to a full score of 750, with Chinese accounting for 225 points, mathematics for 150 points, and science and comprehensive accounting for 375 points.

Basically, the extra 75 points in Chinese are the English part for later generations.

Therefore, it is very easy for outstanding students from key universities to take the imperial examination. The imperial examination can even be regarded as the Song Dynasty version of the national examination. Students with higher levels of mathematics, physics and chemistry can easily pass the imperial examination.

It would have been easy for Zhao Tan to win the top prize with his grades, because in high school, his grades had already surpassed Lu You's grandfather, Lu Dian, and he became the top pick in Bianliang High School.

After that, he also performed very well in the imperial examination. His science score was three points higher than that of Huang Tingjian, the top candidate in the imperial examination that year. Logically speaking, he should be the top candidate.

But Zhao Jun deliberately suppressed him and only ranked fourth. Otherwise, according to Zhao Zhen's wishes, he would definitely be ranked first.

Originally, he could become an official after passing the Jinshi examination. Zhao Jun thought that he would not join the official position while studying for his doctorate. However, Dr. Zhao Tan graduated in September this year, and now it is time to assign jobs.

He said: "Your Majesty wants me to join the Constitutional Yuan as the secretary of the general office."

"Enter the Constitutional Yuan?"

Zhao Jun frowned slightly, then shook his head and said: "No, you are not qualified."

Zhao Tan looked troubled.

Growing up, his father didn't give him much education. He relied on his own hard work to achieve what he has today.

Even the number one scholar was taken away by his father. Do you still want to continue to suppress yourself today?

"Tan'er, are you a little unhappy, thinking that dad is suppressing you?"

Zhao Jun knew what he was thinking when he saw his expression.

"Children don't dare."

Zhao Tan lowered his head.

Zhao Jun sighed and said: "I have great power. To put it bluntly, with a wave of my hand, all officials in the Song Dynasty will be thrown into disgrace, including the prime minister of the Constitutional Yuan. Even His Majesty will not disobey. I mean, I am like an emperor in the Song Dynasty. But do I really want to be an emperor? No, what I care about is never power, but the millions of people in the Song Dynasty."

He looked at Zhao Tan and said: "If my son is born mediocre, I will not give him any privileges or let him have power like me. Because if a mediocre person is in power, it will not be good for the country and the people. It’s a disaster.”

"One person, one family, one township, one place, and even one road and one country, their rise and fall are also sudden. The person in power of a country is very important. If there is no vision, then the country will decline and perish."

"Fortunately, my son is very smart and can learn everything quickly. He also passed the Jinshi examination and entered an official career. But because of this, I can't let you move too fast."

Zhao Jun said to Zhao Tan earnestly: "You are only twenty-seven years old, it is not good for you to float on the top. As a secretary in the Constitutional Yuan, your level is not high, but you are exposed to the top things. It is easy for you to feel Your eyes are too high to see what's below. You have to be down-to-earth and not build castles in the air, so I don't agree with you entering the Constitutional Yuan."

After some words, Zhao Tan understood why his father had suppressed him all these years.

He asked: "Does father want me?"

"Go down to the grassroots and go to the people. Originally, you are a first-class Jinshi, starting at the seventh rank, and you must be a county magistrate. But I can't let you take over the power of a county at the beginning. Start as a deputy and become a county magistrate. "

Zhao Jun said: "Understand the thoughts of the people and find your own answers among the people. Change your surname, don't use my name, don't be afraid of difficulties in officialdom, use your intelligence to solve them." Don't worry when you encounter corrupt elements. Collect evidence and fight your enemies to the end. After you go down, the most important thing is to solve the people's difficulties, how to lead the people to get rich and get rid of poverty. When you can manage a county well, You can also slowly understand how to govern a country well.”

"Yes, I understand, kid."

Zhao Tan nodded.

He was born as a first-class Jinshi, and as usual he started at the seventh rank.

And a seventh-level official in one place would at least be a county magistrate.

Obviously he already understood what his father meant. If he stayed in the central government, he would be promoted quickly. As a secretary in the General Office of the Constitutional Yuan, he would be in contact with all the prime ministers, so being promoted was inevitable.

But my father didn’t want this, because it would only encourage young people to grow. Only by truly going deep into the grassroots and entering the people can we grow step by step.

"Ms. Wang is here."

At this time, Cao Miaoxin shouted at the door.

Zhao Jun said: "Let him come in."

"Father, I'll leave first."

Zhao Tan stood up.

"Um."

Zhao Jun nodded.

Looking at his son's leaving figure, Zhao Jun let out a long sigh.

If possible, he really hoped that his son would be mediocre.

Because of his mediocre son, he only needs to take care of his son's upbringing and not become a dandy.

However, his son is very smart, has excellent grades, and has passed the Jinshi examination and entered an official career.

Even if he doesn't promote him himself, countless people will still find reasons to promote him.

If he dies, his son will take over.

Fortunately, this son is a suitable successor, but I am afraid that in the future, if he has power, he will not be able to control his own instincts and start doing random things.

That would be a disaster for the country.

"Zhiyuan."

Wang Anshi walked in.

He was admitted to the hospital with Li Xiaoji the year before last, in 1066 AD. He is currently the youngest prime minister in the Constitutional Yuan at 47 years old, and is also one of Zhao Jun's favorite successors.

"Jiefu is here?"

Zhao Jun said: "Sit down."

"Xie Zhiyuan."

Wang Anshi sat on the sofa next to him and said, "I saw Yun Shu going out just now. I remember he graduated this year. How is his work?"

Yunshu is Zhao Tan's name, and Wang Anshi is also one of Zhao Tan's teachers.

Because Wang Anshi also served as a professor of Chinese studies at Bianliang University before, the relationship between the two is still very close.

"I was talking about this just now."

Zhao Jun sighed: "The officials want Tan'er to work in the Constitutional Yuan. How can we reach the top in one step? We still have to start from the grassroots level."

"Well, that's fine too."

Wang Anshi nodded.

Nowadays, all the prime ministers of the Constitutional Yuan are from the grassroots level.

Even Zhao Jun has gone deep into the grassroots of the grassroots many times, and he has been there for several years, traveling to various parts of the country for research.

Without going deep into the people, how can we govern the entire country well?

"Jiefu, what's the matter with coming here today? You're going back to the courtyard soon. Is there anything you can't talk about in the courtyard?"

Zhao Jun didn't want to say anything more about his son, so he changed the subject and asked.

Wang Anshi took out some documents in his hand and said: "I came up with the idea of ​​comprehensively abolishing agricultural taxes and subsidizing agriculture. There are also several subsidies for some light industries and energy, and an increase in tax rates for the automobile manufacturing industry. If it can be done in If it is passed by the Supreme Court, I will take it to the regular meeting of the Constitutional Council.”

"Why do you have these thoughts?"

Zhao Jun took these documents and glanced at them. The contents were quite rich, but he didn't have much time to read them.

Wang Anshi said: "Now our country's industrialization level is very advanced, and agriculture is the foundation. If we collect taxes, I'm afraid no one will be able to grow food. Last month, I heard a report from the Ministry of Agriculture that there will be a lot of wasteland this year. This will undoubtedly make agriculture worse. Even if we open a large number of agricultural colleges and actively develop many high-yield crops, if farmers do not cultivate the land, where will the food come from? "

"Well, that's definitely something to address."

Zhao Jun nodded.

With the process of industrialization, the income of working in factories is much higher than that of farming, which will cause a large number of farmers to abandon their fields and go to work in cities.

In the past, no one cared about the farmland that everyone wanted, and wastelands appeared all over the country. This undoubtedly shook the foundation of our jobs, so subsidizing agriculture was inevitable.

"Light industry and energy are currently the main ways to maintain finances. Most workers are involved in light industry, and these things are conducive to exports and increase national income. Maintaining stability in this area is inevitable."

Wang Anshi hesitated and said: "As for the automobile manufacturing industry, I must admit that this is the future trend, but at least at this stage, we in the Song Dynasty can handle it. The world is still in the era of farming, nomadic, fishing and hunting civilization, and the development of automobiles This is not a promising thing, so let the automobile manufacturing industry develop a little slower and maintain the basic base of light industry. After all, people all over the world need to eat, wear clothes, leather and furniture, and also need to read and write, and foreign trade In terms of exports, daily necessities are more popular than cars.”

This is the truth, and it is also the problem that Song Dynasty is currently facing.

It has been almost 30 years since the Industrial Revolution was carried out in the Song Dynasty, and the overall level has basically reached the level of the later World War II. Trains, cars, ships, etc. already exist.

They have even purchased a large number of oil fields in the Middle East for exploitation, and have entered the era of electrification, which belongs to the second industrial revolution.

However, they ran all the way into advanced society, but the world was dragged down by them.

Many smart countries are already inheriting the backward technologies of the Song Dynasty, such as steel-making technology and steam technology. However, currently no country has completed the first industrial revolution. Only some powerful countries are in the process of the first industrial revolution. .

People are still in the stage of playing with steam engines. If you sell cars to others, you are selling combs to monks and glasses to blind people. Except for some powerful people who may buy a few units out of curiosity, it is basically impossible to popularize them.

Therefore, Wang Anshi believed that the Song Dynasty should still maintain light industrial manufacturing, with the main development direction focusing on daily necessities, selling daily necessities abroad in exchange for a large amount of mineral raw materials.

When countries around the world slowly enter the industrial age and are able to import cars, they will vigorously develop the automobile manufacturing industry.

"Well, our development speed is indeed so fast that the whole world is leading the way. No country can catch up with us, and advanced industrial products cannot be sold."

Zhao Jun nodded, and then said: "But this is not the reason why we hinder our progress. The light industry must actively develop, and the heavy industry must not be left behind. Even if we are the only ones who can absorb the automobile manufacturing industry, we must move forward, but we cannot Suppress.”

"But Zhiyuan."

Wang Anshi wonders: "If we allow automobile production capacity to expand, we will have to continue to spend a lot of money to build roads. The massive financial investment will probably be too much for the national treasury to bear."

"I know your worries. There are too many places to spend money now. This country is like a small country, eating, drinking and eating every day, plus a gold-eating beast. You are worried about the bottom of the national treasury and the fiscal deficit. Right."

Zhao Jun smiled and said.

"Yes."

Wang Anshi said: "I think we have to eat our food one bite at a time. It is not enough to take too big a step. It is better to solidify the foundation and expand the automobile manufacturing industry when there are more affluent people. By then our domestic market will be saturated, and the foreign market may rise." ”

"That's not how the account is calculated."

Zhao Jun smiled and shook his head, and then said: "Jiefu, you now know that I am a person from the future. But do you know why I have been able to secure this position and remain standing for more than thirty years? Is it really because I am a person from the future? Identity?"

Wang Anshi said puzzledly: "Please give me a clear explanation."

"It's simple."

Zhao Jun said calmly: "Because I really made the cake bigger and let everyone eat their share."

Make a big cake?

Wang Anshi was stunned for a moment, and then he suddenly understood as if he was struck by lightning.

Zhao Jun told them this before.

But only now did he understand why Zhiyuan had repeatedly emphasized the importance of making the cake bigger.

"I made the cake bigger, and the official family got the biggest share. He has now become the emperor of the ages, or even the emperor of the ages. No emperor in the past has achieved his achievements."

Zhao Jun said: "The official's status in the scientific community is unique in history. He became an unprecedented scientific giant. Even Newton and Einstein later could not compare with him, so the official can tolerate me."

"The prime ministers were once in danger. Once they were impeached, they had to resign as a rule. I established the Constitutional Yuan so that they can grasp the power in their hands and no longer have to fight for power. Then they will be grateful to me."

"What about the hundreds of officials? You knew the seriousness of redundant officials back then. There were tens of thousands of officials, and there were as many as tens of thousands of idle and powerless officials. I gave the cake to them, turning them from idle and redundant officials into powerful officials. So they will support me."

"As for the people of the world, I have distributed land to them and supported many factories so that they can farm and work in factories to make money. I have also established a complete security system so that the poor can see a doctor, study, have food, and clothing. If I have warm clothes, all the people will believe in me.”

He tapped the table lightly and said: "If the cake is always only this small, the emperor, officials, businessmen, and people will be endlessly involved, and eventually everyone will be finished. And as long as the cake keeps getting bigger, even if capital appears, A large amount of wealth has been taken away, but as long as the country can find a way to carve out the flesh from capital and distribute it to the people, then the country will be stable and my position will not be shaken by anyone else. This is guaranteed in the position, the same is true, do you understand now? "

"I see."

Wang Anshi was enlightened and came to his senses, and then said: "Zhiyuan, now a lot of private capital has appeared in the country. Rich people have assets worth hundreds of millions, and there are often cases of non-compliance with labor laws."

"Then crack down and punish severely. Don't have any psychological burden, and don't be afraid of capital fleeing the Song Dynasty. They have nowhere to go except the Song Dynasty."

Zhao Jun said in a stern tone: "Even if they run away and go abroad, the Song Dynasty's army can go to arrest people all over the world. If the capital is honest, then let them develop well. But if it is not honest, then it will just be It’s just a piece of meat. After they leave, more people will naturally fill the gap in their industry. What you have to do is to let capital grow legally and compliantly, and then use taxes to take the money from capital and then subsidize it. Give it to all the people, let everyone get the dividends and eat the cake they deserve.”

"We must remember that it was not the Song Dynasty that supported more than 200 million people, nor was it us who took on the Song Dynasty's more than 10 million square kilometers of land. It was the more than 200 million Song people who supported us, and it was these more than 1,000 people who supported the Song Dynasty. Thousands of square kilometers of land supported the Song Dynasty!”

Zhao Jun's words were full of solemnity.

"knew."

Wang Anshi nodded solemnly, keeping Zhiyuan's words in mind.

"The Song Dynasty is like a train. It can only move forward and cannot retreat."

Zhao Jun seemed a little tired. He leaned on the sofa and said softly: "Yan Xiang is gone. I am over 50 years old and I don't know how long I can live. Among the successors, you are the one I am most optimistic about. Don't let me down." "

"yes."

Wang Anshi felt as if there was a heavy burden on his shoulders, making his body as heavy as a mountain.

The Song Dynasty can only move forward, and it must move forward. Therefore, any opportunity to make a bigger cake cannot be missed. Even if it is untimely at the moment, we must support development! !