When talking about the distribution of graduates of Jinling Martial Arts Hall, Zhao Hong frowned slightly.
Sichuan has 230,000 officers and soldiers. Excluding the old, weak, sick, disabled and vacant positions, Sichuan can organize and train at least 100,000 troops. Recruiting another 50,000 new troops and 600 officers may not be enough.
It seems that it is a wise move to establish a branch of the Lecture Hall in Sichuan.
The imperial court of the Song Dynasty was strange. The upper class had insufficient blood, but the lower class soldiers were bloody, and martial arts training among the people became a common practice. The strong men are selected and trained, and the old soldiers lead the new ones. They can be plugged in and used. Their combat power cannot be underestimated.
After all, more than half of the veterans still need to be in charge, with the officers from the martial arts hall at the bottom.
All the ministers were dubious, but they could not question Zhao Hong's decision.
Anyway, it only lasts for more than a year. It would be great if there was no war in the northwest. If there is a war, it is best to be prepared.
"Dear ministers, you are all important ministers of the country. If you are prosperous, you can help the world, and if you are poor, you can be alone. You know many principles better than me. If you don't have enough food and clothing, you can tell me. I will not let you go hungry. Frozen. Don't be like Hu Ju, who failed yourself, harmed the righteousness of the monarch and his ministers, and betrayed the country and the people."
Zhao Hong put on a straight face and solemnly warned.
"I will obey His Majesty's teachings!"
All the ministers nodded in agreement, and everyone was shocked.
The emperor established the Anti-Corruption Department with the purpose of clarifying official corruption. Now that the Anti-Corruption Department is becoming more and more powerful and influential, officials throughout the DPRK are frightened.
It seems that between the rule of law and the rule of law, the emperor chose the former.
"Xue Qing and Zou Qing, the establishment of the Martyrs' Shrine in the northwest border has to be put on the agenda. I think Lizhou West Road is preferable. The Ministry of Industry and General Supervisor will send capable officials to the border to explore the terrain, draw up the map, and report it to me as soon as possible. .As for the money and food required, they are all provided by the Sichuan Manufacturing and Purchase Department and the Sichuan Consul General."
"I obey the decree!"
Xue Ji and Zou Yinglong received the order together.
No wonder the emperor promoted Zou Yinglong to minister of the Ministry of Industry. It seemed that Zhao Hong had made up his mind and was too lazy to argue with his ministers about the Martyrs' Shrine.
Only then did all the ministers realize that the emperor had appointed Cui Yu as the Sichuan envoy last year, and this year he had appointed Fan Zhong as the Sichuan commander-in-chief. This should have been planned in advance and done deliberately.
I just don’t know if there will really be a war on the Sichuan border a year from now? Is it necessary to build the Martyrs’ Shrine?
"Your Majesty, for this year's Imperial Examination, will the topic be set by the ministers or your Majesty himself?"
Zou Yinglong's words brought everyone back to the topic.
This is the topic today.
"I will personally write the questions for this year's palace examination. Don't worry, although it is the period of filial piety, if the late emperor saw me working hard on state affairs, he would also support me."
The Song Dynasty governed the country with filial piety. Both the royal family and the people generally had to observe filial piety for three years in name. Zhao Hong cannot make an exception.
He already knew the topic of the palace examination, which was to deal with the "three redundancies" shortcomings of the Song Dynasty. It would depend on the candidates' strategies.
"Your Majesty is a master of poetry and is well known throughout the country. Your Majesty personally proposed the topic. It seems that the candidates will have a headache."
Xue Ji flattered Zhao Hong with a smile on his face.
"Your Majesty, you are the king of a country. Filling the harem with concubines is related to the country of the Song Dynasty. When concubines enter the palace, you must hurry up!"
Zhao Hong was slightly startled by the words of Zhu Zhu, the Minister of Rites, and then nodded.
"It's up to you to take care of the harem matters."
Throughout the dynasties, one surname ruled the world, and the number of sons the emperor had was of great importance. Especially since the Song Dynasty moved to the south, several kings had few people and had difficulty in producing heirs, which made the officials worried.
Song Gaozong Zhao Gou had no heirs, and his adopted son Song Xiaozong succeeded him. Song Ningzong's grandson Zhao Kuo had no heirs, and his adopted son Zhao Hong succeeded him. Although Zhao Hong now has a son, as the emperor of the Song Dynasty, all ministers are Zhao Hong's concubines, which is related to the foundation of the country and is understandable.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Zhu Zhu respectfully accepted the order quickly.
Together with Princess Xixia, Yang Yi, Jia Sijin, and Cuizhu who served the emperor, the five concubines made the harem finally not look so shabby.
"Li Zongmian, a military official in the Ministry of War, reported that Li Quan's plan to separatist rule in Shandong has been revealed. On the surface, he was submissive to the Song Dynasty in order to obtain money and food, but he secretly communicated with the Mongolian nobles. Although the ministers in the court were also aware of it, there were few who exposed it outright. .Your Majesty makes the decision!”
Zhao Hong passed on the memorial.
"Take a look, what do you think?"
After several ministers read it, they were speechless for a moment.
Because of the Huaihe River, Li Quan killed the important officials of the imperial court and defended Chuzhou and Qingzhou with tens of thousands of troops, which was like a separatist regime. However, no one in the government or the public dared to use troops lightly.
"Eating from the bowl and looking at the food from the pot, the imperial court has been repeatedly toyed with by this little guy. Where is the majesty of the imperial court, and where is the face of the Song Dynasty?"
Xuan Zhen, Minister of the Ministry of War, spoke angrily, and his face immediately darkened.
Li Quan had become a source of worry and scandal to the Song Dynasty court.
"Your Majesty, it is too early to use troops against Li Quan at this time. The crops on both sides of the canal are about to mature now. It is better to wait until the summer is over and the weather gets cooler before using troops again."
Zou Yinglong had to speak.
He originally came to report to Zhao Hong about the imperial examination, but the councilors and officials remained silent, so he had no choice but to break the deadlock.
"Your Majesty, according to the military information coming from Huaidong, the Tatars seem to be planning to use troops against Shandong. Your Majesty, you might as well sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, wait for the two sides to fight, and then attack Chuzhou in one fell swoop."
The newcomer spoke, and Zhen Dexiu had no choice but to echo.
"Your Majesty, what Xuan Xianggong said is absolutely true. When the Tatar troops march to Shandong, Li Quan's rebels will definitely defect to the Tatars. When the time comes, all the food and grass of Chuzhou and Li will be cut off, and Chuzhou will be in chaos. When the time comes, the soldiers will not fight with blood, and they will surrender to the Tatars. We will take over Chuzhou."
Xue Ji also joined in and talked.
Zhao Hong was stunned for a moment and stunned.
Who said that "alliance with Mongolia and the destruction of gold" was short-sighted? The kings and scholar-bureaucrats of the Southern Song Dynasty were helpless in "choosing the lesser of two evils".
Just like how to deal with Li Quan today, the ministers had already made plans, but out of desperation, they revealed their feelings one by one.
"What you said is absolutely true. But..."
Zhao Hong shook his head and smiled bitterly, full of helplessness.
In the age of steel, if you master coal and iron, you will master the pulse of the times. Without coal, iron ore, how can one smelt iron or make firearms?
Even, how to build a steam engine, how to build a train, and how to build a railway?
There are so many iron ore and coal mines in the north, but it is a pity that they have been wasted by the other side.
"Your Majesty, it's better to be calm. The Tatar army is attacking Xia, and then they will attack Jin. It's time for our government to strengthen our troops and implement new laws. Otherwise, once the Tatars free up their hands and invade the south, how should we deal with it?"
Zhen Dexiu was frightened. The emperor was ambitious and ready to act, which often made him have trouble sleeping and eating.
He is still a young man and cannot change his bad habit of being impulsive.
Zhao Hong lowered his head and fell into deep thought.
The Southern Song Dynasty was poor in national strength, poor and weak, and was in need of revitalization. It also had to deal with future wars in the northwest. It was necessary to carefully consider whether it should use troops against Shandong.
Sometimes, he had to be patient and bide his time.
"Li Zongmian, the military officer of the Ministry of War, has the courage to give direct advice. Let him serve as the imperial censor in the palace to relieve the country's worries."
Zhao Hong had a headache and changed the topic.
The imperial censor in the palace is responsible for correcting the indiscretions of officials at court, and can handle matters fairly, which is much better than the original troublemakers like Liang Chengda and Mo Ze.
This man dared to speak out to Li Quan about his evil intentions and was able to tell the truth. Compared with those mediocre officials, this man was a step ahead.
So many scholar-bureaucrats advised against building the Martyrs' Shrine, but they remained silent on Li Quan's matter, which really chilled him.
"As for the use of troops in Shandong, I am just discussing it and don't need to take it seriously. But within five years, if God fulfills his wish, I will definitely make an expedition to the north, restore the northern land, climb the Great Wall, and comfort my martyrs of the Song Dynasty."
"If our Song Dynasty really has a strong army and strong horses, I would like to be the vanguard and follow your majesty to Yanyun to show off with strength!"
Xuan Zhen couldn't help but blurt out.
"May God bless the Song Dynasty!"
"May the great Song Dynasty Zuo live forever!"
Xue Ji and Zou Yinglong spoke out one after another.
Zhen Dexiu nodded slightly. Although the emperor was fierce, he judged the situation and was not a reckless person.
"Your Majesty, are we really going to cancel the horse riding parade and the capture of the son-in-law in this year's imperial examination?"
Xue Ji asked with a smile on his face.
Isn't it a bit of a waste of time to cancel such a lively event, as is the custom between the country and the dynasty, and ruin the scenery?
"Parading on horseback? What have they done for the country to be worthy of showing off like this? What about seizing a son-in-law under the official list, officials protecting each other, or collusion between officials and businessmen? Does the extravagant and extravagant style of the Song Dynasty do any good to me?"
Sure enough, Zhao Hong shook his head and said it coldly.
"The soldiers bled and sacrificed on the battlefield, and received only a few dozen dollars in compensation. Many of them could not even recover their bodies. I want to build a cemetery for them, but there are so many people who oppose it."
Zhao Hong was unceremonious and talked eloquently.
"My government treats scholars kindly. Once you get a scholar through the imperial examination, you will stand out, have a prominent position, and have no worries about food and clothing. When you are at ease, you don't think about being loyal to the emperor, loving the people, and benefiting your hometown. Instead, you use your power to amass money crazily and have no regard for the laws of the country, just like Pu Hong, An Gongxing and others are the same. No one pays attention to the soldiers who shed their blood and died, and their graves are covered with weeds. The officials who are full of fat and guilty and committed crimes are well-dressed and well-fed, and have many wives and concubines. Such strange things have never happened before."
Zhao Hong looked ugly, and Xue Ji and others couldn't help but put away their smiles and sat up straight.
"The national imperial examinations require talents, officials who will serve for one term and benefit the country, not corrupt officials like Pu Hong and An Gongxing. The elimination of parading on horseback and catching son-in-laws under the rankings is also a way to make Xinke Jinshi should be sober and let them know the original intention of the country to recruit scholars. For ten years in a cold window, they are just for promotion and wealth. If anyone thinks so, I will let him go back to prison and experience the feeling of adding iron chains outside the cold window. "
"What your Majesty said is absolutely true, I will bear it in mind!"
Several people worshiped together, their faces solemn, not sure whether it was true or not.
"Your Majesty, how will the Qionglin banquet be arranged?"
Now that the emperor has canceled the horse riding parade and the arrest of his son-in-law, Xue Ji wanted to confirm whether it was necessary to hold the Qionglin Banquet.
"Xue Qing, canceling the parade on horseback and catching the son-in-law under the ranking list is to warn the officials and new scholars in the world, rather than denying everything and giving up food because of choking. Xue Qing, you have some grass and trees."
Zhao Hong smiled slightly and exhaled secretly.
"The Qionglin banquet after the palace examination will be arranged in Yujin Garden. In addition, give me the list of officials when the time comes. I want to refer to it."
The Qionglin Banquet can assess Jinshi in person, harmonize the relationship between monarch and ministers, and enhance mutual trust. Don't give up easily.
He canceled the parade on horseback, arrested the son-in-law under the ranking list, and built the Martyr's Shrine. He was Qiankun's arbitrary decision and suppressed public opinions with imperial power. I don’t know if it will cause a backlash from opponents.
These scholars, with all their twists and turns, are not fuel-efficient lamps.
Xue Ji and others took the order and left, full of suspicion in their hearts.
Yujin Garden was a place where emperors rode and shot. It was once deserted, but when the new emperor ascended the throne, it became a place for the imperial army to practice martial arts. The Qionglin banquet is held in Yujin Garden. Is this an attempt to promote martial arts and suppress literature?
