The ambitious words of several young people immediately aroused the echo of the people at the table next to them. A well-dressed middle-aged fat man immediately said loudly:
"Brothers, what you said is true! Those who serve as officials serve for one term and benefit the country. They go to the army to protect their families and the country, and we ordinary people can feel at ease. I'll treat you to this meal!"
The middle-aged man has a round face, a strong build, and is well-dressed. He seems to be well-paid.
"Master, thank you very much! I'll lend you your wine and give you a toast!"
The young people stood up one after another and toasted the big fat man.
"What do you call a high-ranking official? Just call me brother! Now that the emperor has exempted us from exorbitant taxes and punished corruption, business has become much easier. Speaking of which, brother, I also owe it to the emperor! If we want to thank you, let's all thank the emperor!"
The fat man picked up the wine glass, clinked it with a group of young people, and drank it all in one gulp.
"Brothers, Your Majesty knows that the people are suffering, so he clarifies the administration and punishes corruption. In the past, the administration was corrupt and officials were corrupt. It was too difficult to do business. Now it's better. Your Majesty treats the people leniently and governs officials with strict rules. The officials are much more honest and the common people If you dare to spend money, my business will be much better!"
The big fat man laughed.
Zhao Hong also smiled and nodded. The people did not ask for much, but clarifying official governance still had a certain effect.
"It's much better! However, there are still many people who commit crimes and do evil secretly. For example, some officials accept bribes. If you don't give them, they will take people to check the details every day and look for thieves. If this happens, your business will still be there. How to do it, in the end it won’t be a waste of money!”
Someone at another table interrupted with a dark face.
"You're good! My cousin's shop is booming, and a new one opened across the street. The shopkeeper is the county magistrate's brother-in-law. Those servants come here every day, each occupying a table, and they only drink tea from morning to night. Without eating, all the guests who came were kicked away. My cousin had no choice but to close the door within a month and go to Jinling!"
Someone at the same table said it angrily.
"My children go to school, and there are fewer and fewer physical education classes, which are taken up by other cultural subjects. The school has no choice. If you want to get into a good school, you must get high scores. Only in the future can you be sure to get into Jinling University and Normal School. .That physical education class and exam are just a formality!"
"Isn't that right! All the stabbing and equestrian skills, including the horizontal and parallel bars, cross-country running, etc., have been stopped! Let's check it out from above and pick out those who like to practice but don't get good grades! Anyway, the above ones just turn a blind eye. One eye, just a formality.”
The words of the other two middle-aged men made Zhao Hong's face gloomy. In anger, he slammed the wine glass in his hand on the table.
The trend of martial arts has just become popular, but some people are already quietly making waves, wanting to repeat the old tune and return to the old ways.
"Don't worry! The Anti-Corruption Department is here, and those corrupt officials who commit fraud will be caught sooner or later and brought to justice!"
"Those people are just trying to get good grades so that the children can have a good future, it's nothing!"
No one noticed Zhao Hong's anger, but some people were still willing to believe the government.
"Not all people in the Anti-Corruption Department are good people! Some people are colluding with officials, and there's nothing we can do about it! For example, in Renhe County, the mayors of the five or six towns below are all connected, and they are all bought!"
"Most of those who are good at studying are either rich or noble. They are the majority who can be admitted to Jinling University! If you want to be an official, poor people should save their money!"
Everyone was talking and complaining about the dark side of society. Even the big fat man was no longer as excited as before, he lowered his head and started drinking wine.
Dong Songchen saw that Zhao Hong's face was ashen and silent, and he winked at Li and Tang.
Li Tang and Xu Sheng knew this well, picked up their wine bowls, walked over, and each joined the others at the dinner table.
The two soap officials walked into the restaurant, and the shopkeeper hurriedly greeted them. One of the officials was circling around the room looking around, while the other was pointing at the door with a serious look on his face and kept saying something.
The circling soap clerk returned to the front. The two soap clerks were talking with red faces and white teeth. The shopkeeper smiled apologetically, bowed his head, and quietly stuffed a small cloth bag into the pocket of a soap clerk.
The seriousness on the faces of the officials disappeared, and they began to become extremely friendly, and they suddenly looked like people.
Zhao Hong looked carefully and his face suddenly fell.
The officials left with great satisfaction. Dong Songchen arrived in time and stopped the shopkeeper.
Zhao Hong withdrew his gaze and picked up the wine glass, but was not in the mood to drink it.
There is indeed a long way to go in terms of government administration, education, and anti-corruption!
In the final analysis, the rise and fall of dynasties in history was not caused by corruption in government. Just like the Southern Song Dynasty in history, if the officials governed Qingming and were united, how could the 60 to 70 million Song people not be able to withstand the Mongolian army of hundreds of thousands of people.
To put it bluntly, the collapse of any dynasty is self-inflicted. The demise of the Northern Song Dynasty has been a lesson. The Southern Song Dynasty played a trick on itself by not having a long memory, and it is the fault of itself.
When Dong Songchen and others came back, Zhao Hong pressed his hand slightly to stop everyone and said softly.
"Who is the head of the Education Department?"
"Your Majesty, I used to be the Duke of Zhen, but now I am the Minister of Industry, Shi Yanzhi."
Dong Songchen shook his head secretly. It seems that Shi Yanzhi is about to encounter something.
"A scholar-bureaucrat presides over the Department of Education! It was my negligence!"
Zhao Hong shook his head, feeling a little guilty.
"Remember these things today, go back and report them to Zhou Ping and Xu Liang, and let them check them out!"
At the wine table, in public, what could Li Tang and Xu Sheng ask?
Nothing in this world can be accomplished overnight, let alone long-term peace and stability. Take your time step by step and keep improving, and you will always get better and better.
Several people started eating and drinking again, but because of the series of bad things the diners mentioned just now, the atmosphere was no longer as relaxed as before.
"Do any of you know how many immigrants are leaving the Liangzhe Road?"
Zhao Hong changed the topic and finally broke the silence.
In the third year of Xingqing, that is, six years ago, the Song Dynasty established the Immigration Department. There should be some numbers of immigrants over the years.
"Returning to Your Majesty, I reported a few days ago that since the imperial court immigrated in the third year of Xingqing, a total of more than 140,000 households and a population of about 700,000 have been relocated."
Dong Songchen is very concerned about big numbers and is very sensitive to prepare for emergencies.
"700,000 is too few! There are 2.9 million households in Liangzhe Road, and less than half of the population has moved out. We must continue to increase immigration!"
Zhao Hong couldn't hide the disappointment on his face.
Liangzhe Road is where Xingzai is located and is densely populated. Less than 5% of immigrants immigrated in 1956.
"Where's Fujian Road?"
Zhao Hong asked with a dark face.
"Your Majesty, a total of about 360,000 households and 1.3 million people have been relocated from Fujian Road."
Fujian Road has 1.6 million households, and more than 90% of it is mountainous and hilly, with narrow land and densely populated areas. It is unexpected that 360,000 households can be relocated, which is more than Liangzhe Road, which has a larger population.
Fujian people dare to venture and fight hard, and this has been confirmed by facts.
"Your Majesty, there are also Guangnan East Road and Guangnan West Road. A total of more than 270,000 households have been relocated from Guangdong and Guangxi, a total of about 800,000 people. Plus the people from Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangxi and Guangxi, plus the people who have migrated from the hinterland of the Song Dynasty, a total of 400 people About ten thousand people.”
4 million people!
It sounds like a large population, but it seems too small for the Song Dynasty's huge population base of 70 million people.
According to Zhao Hong's idea, at least 15 million to 20 million people must be relocated, sowing the seeds of immigration to the ends of the earth and improving the quality of the world's population.
"Your Majesty, there is actually no need to worry at all. As immigration has become a custom, in the long run, more people will immigrate than there will be, and the population crisis in the Song Dynasty will naturally disappear."
Li Tang chuckled and comforted Zhao Hong.
ten thousand years is too long, fight for now. But there is no need to be in such a hurry. What takes a hundred years cannot be completed in ten years.
"Your Majesty, what Li Tang said is right. After the two rivers are restored, we will have to immigrate to the real border. By then, I'm afraid there won't be that many people to move to!"
Xu Sheng continued what Li Tang said.
"Your Majesty, the two rivers are so big that they only have a population of two to three million. There is also Shaanxi, which has only a few hundred thousand people. By then, Zhejiang and Zhejiang will fill in the two rivers, Jiangnan will fill in Shaanxi, and Sichuan will fill in Xixia. The population of our Song Dynasty is too large Many shortcomings will be completely improved.”
Dong Songchen also chimed in.
"The population of our Song Dynasty should be more than 70 million."
Zhao Hong suddenly felt something.
Maybe we should do a census to know how many people there were in the Song Dynasty.
As they talked, everyone's topic returned to regaining the two rivers.
"Have all the generals from the northwest arrived?"
Zhao Hong asked unconsciously.
Shaanxi has been under the rule of the Song Dynasty. Shaanxi pacification envoy Chen Longzhi is pacifying the people and attracting refugees to return to Shaanxi to farm.
The reason why he transferred Chen Longzhi, Fan Zhong and other northwest generals back to Lin'an was because he wanted to ask about the situation in Shaanxi and see if the Northern Expedition was feasible.
"Your Majesty, Shaanxi pacification envoy Chen Longzhi, Hexi Road pacification envoy Fan Zhong, Sichuan Zhizhi envoy Cui Yu and others have just arrived in Lin'an City and are now in the post house, waiting for your Majesty's summons."
Dong Songchen returned quickly.
"Your Majesty, Shaanxi came under the rule of the Song Dynasty. The army restored Fengxiang Mansion and Chang'an City. People from the Jin Kingdom who moved to Henan, as well as those who fled, returned to their hometowns. You won't believe it. Such a big Shaanxi, There are only three to four hundred thousand people. It’s really miserable!”
Li Tang also raised his voice slightly, shook his head and sighed.
Xu Sheng glanced at Li Tang and then said:
"I think back in the prosperous Tang Dynasty, guests from all over the world came to court. During the Tianbao period, the registered population was 360,000 households, and there were nearly 2 million people inside and outside the city. The world is unpredictable and the world has changed. It's really sad!"
"You are right! Before crossing to the south, there were millions of people in Tokyo City. When His Majesty was the crown prince, he took us as envoys to the Kingdom of Jin and visited Tokyo City. There were actually people growing vegetables in Daxiangguo Temple, which has the largest population It’s only five to six hundred thousand. It’s so shabby and so disappointing!”
Li Tang continued what Xu Sheng said.
"You two should stop singing oboe and acting randomly here. You are drooling all over the table and you are not letting anyone eat it?"
Zhao Hong smiled helplessly and stopped Li Tang and Xu Sheng from chattering.
These two guys, in order to make him happy, deliberately found topics.
Everyone is so attentive, how can he not know what to do and make everyone unhappy.
"Your Majesty, when Mr. Chen comes to Lin'an City this time, I'm afraid he will come to your Majesty to ask for things. Food, seeds, cattle, farm tools, and I'm afraid he will also mobilize Xiang troops and militia from Sichuan to reclaim wasteland and farmland!"
Dong Songchen said cautiously on the side.
"Shaanxi is in dire straits, and without 10 years of hard work, it may be difficult to recover."
When talking about Shaanxi, where the ancient capitals of the Han and Tang Dynasties were located, Zhao Hong couldn't help but say a few more words.
"I asked Chen Longzhi to join the dynasty. Shaanxi has suffered from wars many times. It is uninhabited and devastated. As you said, such a big Shaanxi is the birthplace of Chinese civilization, the geographical center of the Chinese territory, and the former capital of Qin, Han, Sui and Tang Dynasties. The former center of the world only had a population of three to four hundred thousand people, so how can it not be distressing?"
Zhao Hong frowned again, feeling a sharp pain in his heart.
"Shaanxi and Jinghu are separated by Henan. I can only immigrate from Sichuan. I also summoned Cui Yu, the envoy of Sichuan, to the court. In addition to discussing the Northern Expedition, I also discussed immigration to Shaanxi."
Shaanxi cannot continue to be in chaos.
Shaanxi needs to recuperate.
"Your Majesty, Shaanxi is in ruins and waiting to be revitalized. Do we have to wait for Shaanxi to recover before we, the King of the Song Dynasty, can make the Northern Expedition?"
Xu Sheng looked at the young people chatting at the table next to him and asked softly.
The emperor summoned all the generals from the border areas of the Song Dynasty to come to An'an, which made him feel that the storm was about to come.
If it were not for the Northern Expedition, there seems to be no need to make such a big fanfare and summon so many generals and ministers to the court.
The Song army on the west route has occupied Shaanxi and has 200,000 troops. The 100,000-strong army on the east route crossed the Huaihe River, entered Xuzhou and Haizhou, and entered Shandong.
If the Song army attacks in three directions, it will definitely defeat the Jin army in one fell swoop and restore the three capitals. Tokyo, the promised land that all Song people dreamed of, was about to fall into the arms of the Song Dynasty.
Just thinking about it makes my heart surge and my blood boil.
"Northern Expedition? We need to make a careful calculation."
Zhao Hong smiled slightly and was noncommittal.
The Northern Expedition attracted the attention of the people of the Song Dynasty, and the Song Dynasty must take action. However, his thoughts were more cautious and he had to consider it more carefully.
"Your Majesty, we can take advantage of the hot weather and the Tatar army to escape the summer heat outside the Great Wall, and our army will send troops to the north. The Jin people will fight against the trapped beasts, and our army will face attacks from both the Jin army and the Tatar army at the same time. Your Majesty, let me go with the army!"
Li Tang said softly. He has been in charge of teaching at the Jinling Martial Arts Hall, making great achievements, charging into battle, and now he is ready to make a move.
"Your Majesty, Uncle Youtian and Hu Datou from Lin'an City will follow Your Majesty and let me also participate in the Northern Expedition."
Xu Sheng also had an apologetic smile on his face and was about to move inside.
Once the Northern Expedition goes deep into the north, the emperor will probably not come to the front line in person, and his bodyguard will be useless. Naturally, he will also want to charge into the battle and make achievements.
Li Tang and Xu Sheng were the first to ask for a fight. Zhao Hong smiled slightly and held the wine glass in silence.
A man is a boy until he dies.
When I saw a pile of human feces on the road, I couldn't help but blow it up with firecrackers. Men wouldn't do such a thing. Those heroic dreams in my youth will always remain in my heart.
Shaanxi needs to recuperate. If the Jin people can be eliminated at the minimum cost and without bloodshed, he can accept it.
All he wants is results. To humiliate and kill losers is too despicable and unnecessary.
