Xianxia version of Water Margin

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In the war to destroy Xixia, Jiang Xiu and other princes fully participated in a war to destroy a country.

Similarly, in the process of destroying the Jin Dynasty, Jiang Zai and other princes also fully participated in a war to destroy a country.

Once upon a time, Jiang Xiu, Jiang Zai and other royal descendants all regarded the throne as a trivial matter and were full of confidence, and never regarded it as a heavy burden.

However, after witnessing the tragic demise of the Jin Dynasty and Xixia, their state of mind quietly changed. The unruly and contempt of the past has turned into a heavy awe of the imperial power.

Now, they have a clear mind and know that the throne is not only a symbol of glory, but also a shackle of responsibility and commitment. Once they fail to do their job, not only will their personal honor and disgrace be lost, but they will also push the country into an abyss of no return. The rise and fall of the family depends on this.

When they couldn't sleep at night, they were often haunted by nightmares. In their dreams, the Yuan Empire was in turmoil, the capital fell, the royal family became prisoners, the men were killed or imprisoned, and the women were humiliated. Their dignity and lives were hanging by a thread.

What's more, the mausoleums of the late emperor Jiang Hongfei and the queen were also invaded, the burial treasures were looted, and the bodies could not rest in peace.

Such scenes were enough to make any prince tremble in his heart, wake up in shock, and never sleep again.

They gradually realized that the high dragon throne was actually a double-edged sword, which not only gave unlimited power, but also put the burden of the world on them.

As the son of Jiang Hongfei and the future master of the Yuan Empire, this mission could neither be avoided nor shirked.

Let's put it this way, they knew that their fate was closely linked to the fate of the empire. Only by governing the country diligently could they live up to the people of the world, themselves, and the people they were closest to and cared about the most.

Fortunately, their father, Emperor Jiang Hongfei, stood like a towering mountain, steering the empire with his outstanding leadership and strong physique.

It was this solid backing that gave them enough time and space to prepare and hone themselves, hoping to take over the heavy scepter in the future and lead the Yuan Empire to a more glorious future.

Unlike many princes who went to the Northeast Army for training, such as Jiang Zai, who had already returned to Yuan Dadu, many princes who went to the Northwest Army for training, such as Jiang Xiu, had just set out on the road back to Yuan Dadu.

On the way back from west to east, Jiang Xiu and other princes not only witnessed the magnificence of the mountains and rivers of the Yuan Empire, but also deeply experienced the insurmountable prosperity gap between the Yuan Empire under Jiang Hongfei's governance and the newly recovered Xixia region.

It was a kind of prosperity emanating from the inside out, making the contrast between the two particularly vivid, as if they were two completely different worlds.

Among the accompanying team, there was an old general who had personally experienced the war against Yan. His words were like the echo of history, which made Jiang Xiu and others immersed in the memories of the past.

The old general slowly spoke, describing the glory and undercurrents of the Song Huizong period.

At that time, they followed the army northward and stepped into Hebei from the prosperous Guanzhong. What they saw was a barren land, bare mountains, sparse vegetation, and desolate scenery.

Now, the once desolate land has turned into fertile fields, and the golden crops sway in the wind, and everywhere is filled with the joy of harvest and the satisfied smiles of the people.

This earth-shaking change not only witnessed the passage of time, but also demonstrated the world of difference between a well-governed world and a chaotic world.

The old general also fondly recalled the tragic situation of Bazhou at the end of the Zhao Song Dynasty, which was a history that he could not bear to look back on.

In that turbulent era, human nature was distorted, morality was degraded, cannibalism was common, and people died of illness and starvation. Paper tags were stuck on the bodies and sold openly in the market. People were panicked and lived in misery.

Even as guards, they were not spared. Most of them were skinny and hungry, and only a few survived.

What was even more tragic was that the Zhao Song court not only did not sympathize with the people, but also intensified its exploitation of the people, forcing Hebei, Shandong and other places to transport food to support the front line, making the already precarious private economy even worse.

In addition, there were years of famine.

The people's lives were even more unsustainable.

As a result, the voices of uprising and rebellion rose one after another, and the righteous army emerged like mushrooms after rain. The scale and influence were so large that the Zhao Song court was overwhelmed.

However, in the face of this surging tide of civil unrest, the Zhao Song court not only did not reflect on its own mistakes, but chose more brutal means of suppression, resulting in the depletion of national strength and the exhaustion of military forces.

The root of all this lies in Zhao Ji's extravagance and vanity. In order to satisfy his personal desires, he did not hesitate to build large-scale projects, collect rare treasures, set up institutions such as the Flower and Stone Gang, the Construction Bureau, and the Yingfeng Bureau, and plundered the people's fat, causing the people to suffer. Wherever the Flower and Stone Fleet went, it aroused public indignation, bridges were demolished, cities were destroyed, and the lives of the people were even worse.

In contrast, the Yuan Empire today has a harmonious government, the people live and work in peace, the economy is prosperous, and the culture is prosperous, presenting an unprecedented prosperous scene.

This can't help but make Jiang Xiu and other princes feel deeply. They know that all this is not easy to come by, and they are more determined to serve the Yuan Empire.

The soldiers said that it was because of Jiang Hongfei, a wise and powerful monarch, and the excellent princes that they were willing to sacrifice their lives and shed their blood to protect this prosperous land.

Jiang Xiu and other princes were already accustomed to such remarks in the army.

In fact, Jiang Xiu and other princes often heard such remarks when they were in the army.

But at that time, all the Yuan soldiers said was that they fought for their father Jiang Hongfei and died for their father Jiang Hongfei.

Now, these Yuan soldiers included them and the Yuan Empire, just because their identities were exposed.

After several years of fighting, Jiang Xiu and other princes felt more and more that their father Jiang Hongfei was great, like a mountain to look up to, difficult to reach.

They secretly thought that if they could reach one tenth of their father's level, they would be satisfied.

Catch up?

Is that something that mortals can do?

Now, their father, in their hearts, is almost a god!

What can they compare with God?

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Since the princes who had gone out for training returned, Jiang Hongfei entrusted the responsibility of governing the Yuan Empire to them and the ministers in the name of trust. Even for the finishing work of Xixia, he only steered the direction and let these young princes and ministers handle the details and decisions.

This move not only created a crucible for the princes' trials, allowing them to experience political games, military planning, economic regulation and diplomatic mediation from an unprecedented perspective, but also allowed them to face the ruthlessness and consumption of war and understand the preciousness of peace.

At the same time, Jiang Hongfei also allowed the princes to fully run in with the ministers of the Yuan Empire.

Everyone can see that Jiang Hongfei's move is intended to carefully carve out the future successor of the empire.

No one can make any comments on this, even if Jiang Hongfei began to hide in the harem, messing around with his concubines and ignoring the government.

You know, for a dynasty as big as the Yuan Empire, the future development, such as expanding territory, civil and military achievements, are not the most important.

The survival of the empire is the most important.

You know, there are examples of two powerful empires, the Qin Empire and the Sui Empire, which perished in the second generation.

So, now Jiang Hongfei has made it clear that he will vigorously cultivate successors, who dares to interfere?

The key is, who dares to express opinions on the matter of establishing a crown prince?

The key is the key. As long as you are not blind, you can see that Jiang Hongfei is selecting the most suitable crown prince. Jiang Hongfei is not prepared to abide by the bullshit system of primogeniture inheritance, which is to establish the eldest son instead of the virtuous, and to establish the eldest son instead of the eldest son.

The posture that Jiang Hongfei put on is obviously telling all his sons, do you want my throne? If you want it, show me your abilities and characteristics.

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Without official duties, Jiang Hongfei played more in his harem.

Soon, a piece of good news spread throughout Jiang Hongfei's harem.

Because Jiang Hongfei was determined to play with every woman in his harem.

This was a great thing for the women in the harem.

For Jiang Hongfei's reckless behavior, the ministers of the Yuan Empire were both disgusted and unable to control Jiang Hongfei.

The reason why the ministers of the Yuan Empire repeatedly advised Jiang Hongfei to abstain from sex was mainly because they were very afraid that Jiang Hongfei would become an emperor like Wanyan Liang in history who played with almost all of his relatives and women.

Of course, the ministers of the Yuan Empire did not know that Wanyan Liang would become such an emperor.

But Wanyan Liang was not an isolated case in history.

Sun Hao, the last monarch of the Wu Kingdom, who confronted Sima Yan, the Emperor Wu of Jin, was a tyrant who was extremely extravagant and lustful. Under his rule, not only did the Wu Kingdom's national strength decline, but the people also suffered because of his excessive debauchery.

There were thousands of beauties in the harem, but he was still not satisfied. He extended his greedy hands to the people and prohibited the people from marrying, just to select beautiful women to enter the palace.

Eunuchs were rampant, and even married women could not escape their fate. Beauty became the only reason for them to be plundered.

Sun Hao's tyranny not only emptied the treasury of Wu, but also eroded the people's last bit of trust in the country.

His indiscriminate killing of talents accelerated the demise of Wu.

In the end, the Jin army went south, Sun Hao surrendered, Wu was destroyed, and Sima Yan achieved his great unification.

However, Sima Yan's road to rule was not smooth.

Although he worked hard in the early stage and implemented a series of reform measures, such as governing military corruption, requiring officials to be honest, and implementing benevolent policies, the country once showed a prosperous scene.

But as his achievements became stable, Sima Yan gradually indulged in pleasure, and the number of harems increased sharply, even reaching a staggering scale of 10,000 people.

His original "sheep cart hope for luck" system pushed the extravagant style to the extreme.

As a result, the entire Western Jin Dynasty fell into a quagmire of extravagance and waste. Officials at all levels ignored government affairs and competed for wealth, and the foundation of the country began to shake.

More seriously, Sima Yan's political decisions in his later years also had problems.

He alienated wise officials, got close to villains, cut military equipment, and reused vassal kings.

These wrong decisions directly led to the "Eight Kings Rebellion" that broke out shortly after his death.

This sixteen-year war, coupled with the invasion of natural disasters and man-made disasters, caused the Western Jin Dynasty to decline rapidly.

The former "Taikang prosperity" was like a passing cloud, and the vast majority of working people fell into dire straits again.

Speaking of Sima Yan, his achievements in governance were still remarkable, barely ranking among the wise monarchs, and the two Jin dynasties worked together to build a foundation for 150 years.

However, the hidden worries in the hearts of the courtiers of the Yuan Empire were not comparable to Sima Yan. They were deeply afraid that Jiang Hongfei would follow the footsteps of Zhu Wen and Gao Yang and become a laughing stock for future generations.

Zhu Wen started his career in Bianzhou, swept across the world, and laid the foundation for the Later Liang Dynasty. In the beginning, he worked hard to govern the country, encouraged farming, and the country became more prosperous.

However, after the death of Empress Zhang Hui, Zhu Wen's personality changed drastically. He indulged in wine and sex, and his harem was full of beauties. He even went to the absurd point and even made his daughter-in-law sleep with him, which eventually led to the disaster of regicide, and the foundation of the Later Liang Dynasty was on the verge of collapse.

Let's look at Gao Yang again. He was the founding emperor of the Northern Qi Dynasty. He first ascended to the position of prime minister and forced the Eastern Wei to abdicate. He worked hard to govern the country and made it strong and unparalleled. However, after the great victory in Huainan, his temperament suddenly changed. He was cruel and inhumane. He killed his relatives, humiliated court officials, and indulged himself in excess. People in the court and the public were panicked and competed to marry ugly women to avoid disaster. The "Day and Night Debauchery" recorded in "Book of Northern Qi" is a true portrayal of him.

And Tang Xuanzong Li Longji was even more legendary.

In the early period, he was diligent in government and loved the people. He created the Kaiyuan Prosperity and the Tang Dynasty was extremely prosperous.

However, he lost his way in his later years. There were more than 40,000 beauties in the harem. He was entangled with his daughter-in-law Yang Yuhuan, neglected government affairs, and fell from a wise monarch to a tyrant monarch, which is a pity.

Now, Jiang Hongfei's harem will have 20,000 people. How can the important officials of the Yuan Empire not be worried?

The lessons of history are vivid in their minds. They are deeply afraid that Jiang Hongfei will repeat the same mistakes and make the Yuan Empire repeat the mistakes of the Later Liang and Northern Qi dynasties, and the foundation will be destroyed.

However, Jiang Hongfei proved his uniqueness with practical actions.

Unlike the incompetent emperors in history such as Sima Yan, Sun Hao, Zhu Wen, Gao Yang, and Li Longji.

Jiang Hongfei is wise and wise, open-minded and generous, knows how to appoint people, and is happy to use people. In a dozen years, not only did he complete the great unification, but he also took back the Yanyun area that the Zhao Song Dynasty had not been able to take back for 200 years, took back the Xixia that the Zhao Song Dynasty had lost, and seized Japan, Goryeo, and the Northeast, expanding the territory of the Yuan Empire to second only to the Tang Empire. In a few years, Jiang Hongfei had no plan left out, and his troops were not left behind, and he established a great cause! ! !

The key is that while governing the country, Jiang Hongfei also focused on training his successors.

He was only in his forties, but he had already pushed a group of princes to the front for training.

These princes not only did not inherit Jiang Hongfei's lustful habits, but they were all both civil and military, diligent and caring for the people.

Their outstanding performance gave the ministers of the Yuan Empire hope.

In addition, Jiang Hongfei also showed unique wisdom in dealing with harem issues.

Although there were many beauties in his harem, most of them were spoils of war he had taken from enemy countries during the war or women who voluntarily entered the palace. He never forced any civilian women or ministers' wives and concubines to enter the palace, and he never used a penny from the national treasury to support these women. On the contrary, he used his wealth to support the expenses of the entire harem, and most of this wealth came from his business investment.

Jiang Hongfei's business vision was unique and sharp.

He invested in many emerging industries such as coal mines, oil, special metal mines, etc. These areas that seemed extremely risky at the time and no one was willing to invest in brought him rich returns.

At the same time, he was also one of the largest shareholders of the Yuan Empire's money houses, further expanding his wealth empire through financial means.

It can be said that Jiang Hongfei's wealth has reached an unimaginable astronomical figure.

In other words, Jiang Hongfei not only does not need the financial support of the Yuan Empire, but his descendants also do not need the burden of the empire. He has already paved the way for his family to become rich.

Therefore, Jiang Hongfei's pursuit of beauty is not a hindrance to the Yuan Empire.

What's more, Jiang Hongfei will take on all the tasks of conquering enemy countries and taking in enemy concubines, without letting any burden fall on the shoulders of future generations, ensuring that the reputation of the Yuan Dynasty royal family is intact. This move is indeed a far-sighted move.

Compared with people such as Zhu Wen, Gao Yang, and Li Longji in history, Jiang Hongfei is more like a wise and capable ruler like Qin Shihuang and Emperor Wu of Han.

Qin Shihuang destroyed the six kingdoms, built a palace in Xianyang, and took their beauties as concubines; Emperor Wu of Han built the Jianzhang Palace, which stretched for dozens of miles and had thousands of rooms for beauties.

However, the emperor's love of women is not the only yardstick to judge his wisdom.

There are many monarchs in history who are incompetent and do not like women.

In short, although Jiang Hongfei is not perfect, every decision he has made so far is full of wisdom and wisdom, and Jiang Hongfei has not caused trouble to anyone.

Let's put it this way, if Jiang Hongfei chooses an excellent successor and then dies suddenly, Jiang Hongfei's historical evaluation will never be worse than that of Qin Shihuang, Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Taizong of Tang, and other great emperors of the ages...

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