"The soul of the nation?"
Zhao Duan chewed these four words carefully and his eyes brightened more and more, but then he thought of Da Song's current situation, and his eyes gradually dimmed.
The idea is good, but given the current situation in the Song Dynasty, it is unrealistic.
The entire Song Dynasty has a population of nearly 10 million. Although it is a vast territory, the Song Dynasty has been a country for hundreds of years. Not to mention the thousand-year-old families, let’s talk about the nobility, officials and the new aristocratic families that have emerged since the founding of the Song Dynasty. The landowners and gentry have already conquered the entire Song Dynasty. The land in the Song Dynasty was occupied by 7788.
If it weren't for the royal family having its own imperial palace, I'm afraid even he, the Emperor of the Song Dynasty, wouldn't have any land.
Without land, how can we let the people have enough food, know etiquette if they have enough food and clothing, and know honor and disgrace if they have enough food and clothing?
This is an endless cycle. If the problem of land annexation is not solved, the people will never be able to condense the soul of the nation.
Unless there is some special opportunity, but that is only possible by a miracle.
Thinking of this, Zhao Duan silently picked up the tea cup in front of him and drank it all in one gulp, as if he wanted to use the tea to extinguish the anger rising in his heart.
It seemed that he saw the old man's difficulty, but Zhao Jun pretended not to know and continued to eat his own snacks and drink tea.
Zhao Duan lowered his head and was silent for a long time. He secretly looked up at Zhao Jun across from him, but saw that he still looked careless and suddenly became angry.
I have already set off the atmosphere here, doesn’t this brat still understand what I mean?
Wouldn't it be enough if you took the initiative to tell me your solution? Is it really necessary to ask in person?
Zhao Jun naturally understands what his father means, but the way he keeps the people of Yunzhou County fed is by destroying large tracts of land with his body poison. Naturally, this cannot be told to his father. He has already poisoned his body. Given that he has his own private space, he doesn't want his father to take food away from his mouth.
However, he was calm, but Zhao Duan was not. After the stalemate for about half an hour, Zhao Duan finally couldn't help coughing twice.
"Ahem!"
After coughing, he immediately looked up at Zhao Jun's expression. Seeing that he was still unmoved, he coughed harder.
"Ahem!"
Zhao Jun remained calm.
"Cough cough cough!"
"Old man, if your throat feels uncomfortable, I'll ask Wang Huaien to buy you some rock sugar and snow pear water to drink. That stuff will soothe your throat!
If that doesn't work, Yunzhoujue also has Chuanbei loquat ointment, which is good for your throat when you drink it.
Wang Banban! "
With that said, Zhao Jun summoned Wang Huaien.
"Your Majesty!"
Wang Huaien trotted over quickly.
Before Zhao Jun could speak, Zhao Duan couldn't hold it in any longer and immediately said:
"What, my voice is fine, I don't need those two things."
Then he said again: "Don't pretend to be stupid for me, I can't do it and you don't understand what I mean!"
In this regard, Zhao Jun still said with an innocent face: "Father, I really don't understand what you mean?!"
Anyway, the main theme is that if you don’t say anything, I will pretend to be confused.
His move really made Zhao Duan very angry. He glared at him fiercely and then said: "Don't be so pretentious! Tell me, is there any solution within the customs?"
Since you brought this up, you must have a solution. Your Yunzhou County is united, don't tell me that you can't help it! "
The old man directly pierced the window paper, and Zhao Jun could no longer pretend to be stupid. He had to sigh, helplessly raised two fingers and said: "Just like finance and taxation, if the people in the pass can unite the soul of the nation, then You have to let them eat first.
But if you want them to be full, you must first have food.
There is food in the pass, but it is not in the hands of the people.
With the current situation in the country and your character, Father, it is definitely impossible for you to take food from those who have it.
There are currently only two ways, one is to increase productivity, and the other is to increase production sources! "
"What does it mean to increase productivity? What does it mean to increase the source of production?"
Zhao Duan asked.
Zhao Jun explained: “Increasing productivity means finding ways to produce more food from one acre of land. As long as more food is produced, people will be able to eat even if there is less land.
The more productivity increases, the more people will be able to eat.
Slash-and-burn farming has been practiced since ancient times, but now people's careful management of fields is a way to increase productivity.
Of course, this matter must be coordinated with the containment of land annexation within the pass. Otherwise, no matter how much the output of an acre of land is increased, the people's land will be taken away, not even an acre, so it will be meaningless no matter how much the increase is. "
Zhao Duan frowned. This method of increasing productivity was okay. He had heard that some people had superb farming skills and could grow two more layers of food than others. He could just find these people and promote their methods. Do it.
However, curbing land annexation gave him a big headache. In the Song Dynasty, the power of the royal family extended to the county. In the township, clans or local wealthy families suddenly had the final say.
This is the situation that the imperial power does not go to the countryside. There are so many places in the country that I cannot control at all, and it is difficult to prevent this situation from continuing to happen.
So after careful consideration, he could only ask: "What about the second method? What is increasing the source of production?"
Zhao Jun knew that the old man would definitely not be able to solve the first problem that needed to be faced. This was a problem that had not been solved in all dynasties. How could the old man possibly solve it?
If he could solve it, he would not let the Song Dynasty become like this.
So without any hesitation, he directly stated his second method:
“The so-called increase in production sources means obtaining more land!
Since the land within the pass is no longer sufficient for the needs of the people, the public will expand outward to obtain more arable land so that the people can obtain their own land. This can alleviate the situation of domestic land annexation. If If the Song Dynasty can conquer a piece of land the same size as the Song Dynasty now, then the land annexation of the Song Dynasty will be delayed for another hundred years!
The people who obtained the new land could support themselves, and the vastness of the land would naturally increase the people's sense of identification with the Song Dynasty, thus uniting the soul of the nation. "
"Aren't you just talking nonsense?"
After hearing Zhao Jun's second method, Zhao Duan suddenly became angry.
Doesn't he know that the current situation of the Song Dynasty will naturally be alleviated as long as it can open up territory.
But where to develop?
Where is it worth exploring for the Song Dynasty?
grassland?
No! There is no way to grow food in that place!
Above the sea?
Along the coast of Guangbo, who knows if there is land on the sea, it is simply unknown, so it was removed.
Then there is only the Piao Kingdom in Caiyun County, but that place is full of tree miasma, how can they survive?
It can be said that in his opinion, there is no more land for expansion around the Song Dynasty!
The current national strength of the Song Dynasty does not support tentative and unrewarding behavior.
The treasury cannot afford to be hurt!
Zhao Jun had already expected Zhao Duan's performance.
He shrugged and said, "Where is the nonsense?"
Zhao Duan said directly: "Then tell me, where can our Song Dynasty expand now?"
Zhao Jun smiled and told Wang Huaien: "Wang Banban, go and get the second version of the World Map!"
"Okay, my lord!"
Wang Huaien responded and quickly left the box.
Zhao Duan was a little confused, but Zhao Jun just asked him to calm down. Seeing Zhao Jun's confident look, Zhao Duan believed him, and they waited quietly together.
After waiting for about two-quarters of an hour, both Zhao Duan and Zhao Duan had finished their second cup of tea, when Wang Huai'en finally ran in holding a huge scroll.
After entering, he bowed to the two of them and then quickly hung the map of the world on the wall of the box and unfolded it under Zhao Jun's instructions.
After the map was unfolded, Zhao Jun stood up, walked to the map and pointed to the Piguo Road next to Caiyun County:
"Does your father know this country?"
Zhao Duan glanced at it and said angrily:
"Of course we know that the seat of Biguo was the Annan Protectorate in the former Tang Dynasty.
After the collapse of the Tang Dynasty, Duan De, the governor of Jiedu, proclaimed himself the emperor and named his country Dali.
However, less than fifty years later, the Chuan Kingdom was destroyed by the sudden rise of the Xiongnu. Later, the Xiongnu supported a puppet regime, the pseudo-Nguyen Dynasty.
Finally, when the Song Dynasty was established and the Xiongnu were in a stalemate, especially when the second emperor's uncle was chasing the Xiongnu northward more than 20 years ago, the puppet Nguyen Dynasty general Shunanda entered the puppet Nguyen Dynasty palace and proclaimed himself the emperor. The place became independent and broke away from the control of the Xiongnu, and established the country as Piao. "
Seeing his old man talking, looking at him like he was looking at an illiterate, as if to say, you don't even know this, Zhao Jun gave a helpless smile, and then said after he finished:
"Father, everything you said is right.
But what I want to say is that Piao Guo is not the focus! "
"Clam?"
Zhao Duan was a little stunned. Aren't you just asking Piao Guo?
Why is he not the focus anymore?
Zhao Jun pointed with his finger behind Piao Guo, where there were two big words "Zhengluo" marked with a red pen and said:
"That's the point!
Although Piao State is full of high mountains and dense forests, it is not worthy of attack by the imperial court.
But this showdown is a good place.
According to the information reported by Erchen, this is a large plain, and it is all arable land. The people of the entire Qianluo Kingdom only need to scatter seeds in the ground and they will not worry about food for the next year. Moreover, most areas of this place are There are two crops a year, but other parts can achieve three crops a year. The grain output is quite high. It is a rare treasure land! "
Suddenly, Zhao Duan, who had just been sitting firmly on the Diaoyutai, suddenly stood up, walked quickly to the wall, and stared at the place where the two words "Zhiluo" were written in silence for a long time.
After a long time, he suddenly turned his head and looked at Zhao Jun steadily. Zhao Jun even seemed to feel that he was shining from his eyes.
"How big is this arrogance!"
Zhao Jun knew that he was moved, but he did not show off and said: "As big as Shuzhong County!"
"What?!"
Zhao Duan was startled, pointing to the plot of land on the map and saying, "But this long strip seems to be much smaller than the Shuzhong County on your map?"
Zhao Jun spread his hands and said:
"The size of the map is an issue. In order to include other things, it can only be drawn smaller. However, the actual area of Zhaoluo is no smaller than that of Shuzhong County. Moreover, due to the terrain of Shuzhong County, in terms of arable area, Zhaoluo is much bigger than Shuzhong.
If the imperial court can win over Ziluo, it will be a new land of abundance with more arable land and more grain than Shuzhong County! "
Zhao Duan is thinking, thinking desperately, a place that is no smaller than Shuzhong County, but bigger, and the food is harvested twice a year, and some places are treasures with three crops a year, he is really something. !
However, looking at the Piao Kingdom between Caiyun County and Zhiluo Luo, Zhao Duan got a headache again!
Although he was good at showing off, there was still a Piao country between him and the Song Dynasty!
This place is full of dense forests, all kinds of snakes, insects, rats and ants, and the miasma of the dense forests are all obstacles that block the Song Dynasty from leading to the treasure land!
"Father is tempted?"
Zhao Jun asked with a smile.
Zhao Duan rolled his eyes at him and said angrily:
"What if you are tempted? There is Piao country in the middle. If the imperial court wants to take over this place, it must at least be prepared to attack two countries.
The border defense pressure of the Song Dynasty was already great, and the court's finances were also tight.
It is too risky to attack two countries at once.
The geographical environment of Piao State is also so harsh. If the imperial army wants to attack, there are too many things that need to be conquered.
If it is blocked for too long, the Song Dynasty may collapse on its own.
What can I do if I am tempted again? "
Zhao Jun turned to look at the map on the wall, nodded and said, "Indeed, it would be too difficult to defeat Pyo Kingdom from land."
Zhao Duan was originally going to say, isn't what you said nonsense?
But suddenly an idea flashed in his mind, and he quickly turned his head to look at the vast coastline of Caiyun County on the map!
Zhao Jun smiled.
Zhao Duan quickly turned to look at him and asked, "Do you want the imperial court to attack Ziluo from the sea?"
"No no no!"
Zhao Jun shook his head.
Zhao Duan was stunned, what do you think?
Zhao Jun asked with a smile: "Old man, tell me yourself, with the current capabilities of the imperial court, can the Song Dynasty mobilize an army to attack a country from the sea?"
Zhao Duan thought seriously and suddenly shook his head dejectedly.
Attacking from the sea is not just a matter of talk. It is difficult to purchase or build a large ship that can transport a large number of soldiers and logistical supplies.
What's more, the court is still running a fiscal deficit and cannot come up with the money.
"What do you mean?"
Zhao Duan didn't believe that there would be no follow-up to the question he already knew the answer to.
As expected, Zhao Jun suddenly laughed and said: "Old man, now I have a way that can not only make the court a large amount of income, but also weaken the Piao and Qiluo countries. I wonder if you are willing to do it?"
Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment, but then he quickly asked: "What can I do?"
Zhao Jun said: "I received news that the Piao Kingdom is also eyeing a large area of Zhiluo's land and is fighting against Chunluo, and Chuiluo has already fallen into a disadvantage.
This is what I think. Although the imperial court currently does not have the ability to send troops to attack Zhan Luo, it does have the ability to provide support, right?
Although the Kingdom of Chunluo is small, it has a lot of good things.
The imperial court could sell some unwanted tattered equipment to Zhan Luo, but they were still using bronze weapons.
Even the tattered weapons of the imperial court are good things wherever they are. We will let Zhan Luo exchange them for gold, silver and grain!
In this way, we have improved the strength of Qianluo, which can not only allow Qianluo and Piao to fight harder and consume the strength of both parties, but also take the opportunity to dispose of some stockpiles of junk gadgets in exchange for money and food to replenish the domestic finances.
It can be said to be a good thing that kills two birds with one stone. The only problem is that this approach is a bit unethical.
I don’t know if you’re embarrassed to do it, old man? "
Zhao Jun was like a demon tempting people to fall, with a weird smile on his face, looking at his father with a smile, waiting for his answer.
…
Four thousand chapters!
(End of chapter)
