As for the current cooperation between the two parties, to put it bluntly, it is actually a kind of mutual use.
Shao Xi's mission to Southern Zhao was originally ordered by Xiao Changyi to stabilize Southern Zhao. It was Shao Xi who gave the idea in the first place. When the time comes in the future, Jingyuan's strategy towards Nan Zhao will naturally change.
The secret contract in Shao Xi's hand has not been officially handed over to Zhao Hongjin so far. This is because Shao Xi wants to find out Zhao Hongjin's thoughts in advance, and casting the biggest bait requires a suitable time.
Now that the plan has been finalized and started to be implemented, the benefits promised by the Jingyuan Empire to Southern Zhao should also be revealed, in order to strengthen Zhao Hongjin's determination to cooperate with him.
Revealing the conditions in hand step by step can, to a certain extent, prevent the other party from deviating from one's pre-arrangements and keep the situation under one's control. It's like playing cards on the card table. You can't play all the good cards at once.
A peaceful Southern Zhao emperor is the most beneficial to Jing Yuan Guo, so giving full benefits to Southern Zhao and enabling the two countries to develop steadily in the long term is currently the best solution for Jing Yuan Guo, who has been fighting for years.
In the long run, Nan Zhao's development speed will never be able to catch up with Jing Yuan's. The longer time passes, the greater the gap in national power between the two countries will be. When this gap reaches a level that is enough to crush them, they can get whatever they want. So now that Zhao Hongjin and Fu Zuoliang are willing to cooperate with them to eliminate a relatively large hidden danger to Jing Yuanguo, they can give them the greatest benefit and make them feel that they can benefit from Jing Yuanguo in a peaceful way. .
When they had this idea, Shao Xi's mission was accomplished.
Where is the true trustworthiness in the exchanges between states? Not to mention any words of friendship! All measures are aimed at solving current problems and seeking a longer timeline and greater strategic space for future development.
All the benefits given today will be recovered tomorrow, even doubled.
Speaking of a small country like Nan Zhao, choosing to have good relations with Jing Yuanguo is just to gain more living space for itself to protect itself. Although it is a little helpless, this is the reality.
What Shao Xi is doing now is just one of the pieces in the chess game between the two countries. Although this piece is not enough to determine life or death, it is still a crucial step.
Only by eliminating potential crises can we make better arrangements later, so Lao Wu reminded Shao Xi not to expose his abilities too early, because what he has to do later will only become more and more difficult, and he cannot let others find out about him. .
Shao Xi understood that Lao Wu was worried about him.
Now that I am getting deeper and deeper into this whirlpool of power, the dangers I have to face are getting bigger and bigger. The battles in the future will be life and death. The opponents I have to face are also behemoths, so sometimes I have to hide myself appropriately. You must have a backup plan for everything you do, your true thoughts and abilities.
After a long time, the door of the study room finally opened, and Zhao Hongjin and Fu Zuoliang came out one after another.
Shao Xi and Lao Wu hurriedly greeted them without asking what they talked about. They just accompanied Zhao Hongjin and left the General's Mansion.
In order to avoid being noticed, Fu Zuoliang did not choose to send the three people outside the house.
After getting on the carriage, we walked towards the side door of the palace we came from. Shao Xi, who was sitting on the carriage, took out the secret agreement written by Xiao Changyi to Zhao Hongjin in his arms.
"Little emperor, this secret agreement was written in my own handwriting during my pilgrimage. I was ordered to submit it to you personally after confirming that the monarchs and ministers of Southern Zhao intend to establish friendly relations with the Jingyuan Dynasty. Now that you and the general have a cooperative relationship with me, this It’s time to hand over this secret agreement to you. I believe that this great gift I gave you during the pilgrimage will please you more than the gift I gave you at court today.”
Zhao Hongjin looked surprised and hesitantly reached out to take the secret contract, crushed the wax seal and slowly unfolded the secret contract.
"Money, grain, salt, iron, silk and cloth, your virtuous lord is willing to provide us with so many things we need from Southern Zhao, but you don't ask for anything. You just want to live in friendship with Southern Zhao and never have a war! The Central Plains of China! It's really touching that the great country in the upper state is like an elder brother. It's so touching to take care of Southern Zhao in this way! Our Southern Zhao is located in a remote place. For so many years, the people have lived in poverty and the country's finances have been tight. I didn't expect that the wise king of your dynasty would be so generous and willing to cooperate with me. The poor country of Southern Zhao has become a brotherly and friendly nation, and from now on, our people in Southern Zhao will no longer have to live a life of poverty and poverty."
Shao Xi secretly laughed in his heart. The conditions Xiao Changyi offered to Nan Zhao were actually in accordance with the original idea he gave Xiao Changyi. Zhao Hongjin was so moved in front of him, but he didn't know that the person who brought him this was sitting in front of him.
When Shao Xi gave Xiao Changyi the idea, he had already designed his future policy towards Southern Zhao. In the modern world, there is a word called "path dependence", which means that whatever you lack, I will provide it to you. If you have it, I will provide it. Given these things to you, you will no longer think about how to improve yourself in this aspect.
Over time, dependence will form. The initiative of this dependence is in my hands. If one day I cut off the supply channel, you will not even have room to fight back. To put it in modern vernacular, I will only provide you with products, but I will not let you master the technology. As time goes by, your economic lifeline will be in my hands, and you must obey my words.
There is no need to use war to solve problems. Economic means is the best way to solve problems.
Regardless of whether it is a person or a country, after having ready-made abundant material conditions, if it gives up self-improvement and only pursues comfortable enjoyment, the consequences will be very serious.
Shao Xi originally told Xiao Changyi that his policy towards Southern Zhao was to give money to money and food to food.
The purpose is not to enrich Southern Zhao, but to make Southern Zhao, from the emperor to the people, start to settle for pleasure after suddenly having abundant material conditions, and lose the fighting spirit of self-construction. A country that loses fighting spirit will be a threat to the Jingyuan Empire. No more threats.
I can raise you, but you have to listen to me. If you don't, I will cut off the supply to you. This is tantamount to a disaster for people or countries who are used to living a comfortable life.
War is a disaster because it cuts off people's normal channels for survival, but war is the lowest means. While cutting off other people's channels for survival, it also causes damage to the environment in which one lives.
The use of economic means is different. Economic means cuts off the channels for high-quality life. For people who are accustomed to living a prosperous life, losing high-quality material life is a disaster.
The advice Shao Xi gave Xiao Changyi was to take good care of the country of Nan Zhao, and take care of it very well, so that the country cannot escape the economic control of Jing Yuanguo. Let them live a good life and let them live a good life. Only in this way will they become dependent on Jing Yuanguo.
Do not provide them with any means that will help them improve their own environment, but only provide them with the material conditions to improve their current living environment.
If this continues for another hundred years, the country of Southern Zhao will become the Jingyuan Empire. A sheep is raised. When the sheep is sheared, the scissors are held in the hands of the Jingyuan Empire.
So Shao Xi is currently very close to Zhao Hongjin, the young emperor of Southern Zhao, and can even become a friend. But from the perspective of the two countries, Shao Xi gently pushed Zhao Hongjin's country on the road to destruction.
It doesn’t matter whether he is despicable or not, this is a game between two countries, and as a minister of the Jingyuan Empire, the starting point of everything Shao Xi does is to benefit the Jingyuan Empire, and there will be no personal involvement in it. Feelings.
Shao Xi is looking at the relationship between the two countries from a modern and advanced perspective.
If someone in this era understands the truth that "free is the most expensive", they will not fall into Shao Xi's trap. However, this truth can only be confirmed after thousands of years of verification.
In the era that Shao Xi lives in, few people can truly understand this truth. It is precisely because of this that Shao Xi can use modern people's ideas and modern people's political methods to resolve the relationship between Jing Yuan Guo and Nan Zhao Guo. .
Taking advantage of the shortsightedness, or information gap, of the ancients and using modern means to solve ancient problems is the fundamental reason why Shao Xi appears to be extremely outstanding in the eyes of others.
Shao Xi does not deny that he is smart, but he is not arrogant enough to think that he is smarter than everyone else. It is just because as a time traveler, he has knowledge and some modern concepts in his hands that others do not.
"Little emperor, I have shown enough sincerity in my pilgrimage. All I want is long-term prosperity and stability with your Southern Zhao Kingdom. I think this is not difficult for you. And in this process, through the relationship between the two countries, The border trade between the two countries can also enable Southern Zhao to accumulate a lot of wealth. This is of great benefit to you and does no harm to the Jingyuan Empire. It also exchanges for the tranquility of the southern border. I don’t think you will refuse our offer. Are the conditions full of sincerity?"
"No! Of course I will not refuse. Such a generous condition is simply a gift to our Southern Zhao. Compared with the Jingyuan Empire in the Central Plains, our Southern Zhao is in this barren land and can get the upper state of the Central Plains. It’s really a blessing to be under your care. Jingyuan’s country is powerful, but he didn’t bully the weak. Instead, he cared so much about us. How could we, Southern Zhao, refuse the kindness of the state?”
Shao Xi was also very satisfied with Zhao Hongjin's answer.
From words to thinking guidance, Zhao Hongjin has determined that the reason why Jingyuan Kingdom offered such generous conditions to Southern Zhao Kingdom is because he just hopes that his country's southern border will be prosperous and stable.
What may happen a hundred years from now will only be perfectly covered up by the huge benefits in front of us.
The implementation of political policies is a long-term and huge layout, which requires a long-term vision and systematic strategic thinking.
These things were not lacking for the emperors of ancient feudal dynasties, but they were not perfect enough.
Shao Xi took advantage of this.
