Shi Songzhi passed through Jinghu Lake and did an impressive job.
An official like him who has been a high-ranking official in the local government knows how the local government operates after entering the central government. Unlike those officials who have always been in the central government and can only talk on paper, he can clearly understand how to maintain the political power.
Therefore, Shi Song took action and grasped Zhao Tai's vital points and saw Shandong's weakness.
After Shi Songzhi ordered it, many of Zhao Tai's properties in the Southern Song Dynasty were seized by the Song army. They gathered Baozhai in Lin'an City and gave them to Concubine Jia.
Zhao Tai's shops and restaurants in Lin'an, Yangzhou and other places were all occupied by the Southern Song Dynasty officials and gentry, and the goods that had not been transported away in time were also confiscated.
Although Zhao Tai still had many industries that were not discovered by the Southern Song Dynasty, due to the blockade of the Southern Song Dynasty, Hu Zhen was unable to continue delivering goods to Shandong in a short period of time.
The army needs money to operate, and the government needs money even more to maintain its rule.
Given the situation in Shandong, one could only survive by farming alone. Shi Songzhi's cutting off the connection between the Southern Song Dynasty and Shandong was tantamount to taking away Zhao Tai's wallet.
If Zhao Tai had no money, he would not be able to maintain the more than 100,000 Qi troops. Without an army, Zhao Tai would have no choice but to be at his mercy.
Chuzhou, the establishment department.
In the festival hall, Shi Zhaizhi held the documents from Lin'an and couldn't help but laugh, "Xiang Shi is still smart! This move is really a blow to Zhao Tai!"
Li Zhixiao nodded in agreement, "Shandong was destroyed by the Mongols. Zhao Tai cannot even sustain his own food. Prime Minister Shi has blocked the trade with Shandong. Zhao Tai may not be able to survive for long."
Shi Zhaizhi nodded and said with some excitement: "When Prime Minister Shi made this move, Zhao Tai could only jump over the wall. I think he will rebel in the near future! Now hundreds of thousands of elite soldiers of the imperial court are stationed in Huainan. As long as he dares to rebel, I will destroy him." Got him."
"He will die if he doesn't, and he will die if he doesn't. If he doesn't rebel, when famine occurs in Shandong, he won't be able to pay his wages, and the soldiers and people of Shandong will be alienated from him. If we deal with him, we can easily capture him!" Li Zhixiao laughed sarcastically.
"Hahaha~" Shi Zhaizhi couldn't help but laugh, "This time Prime Minister Shi took action, which really made me feel bad. It seems that we should prepare the army to take over Shandong."
Haizhou.
After Zhao Tai made firecrackers and artillery in the firearms workshop, he immediately secretly mobilized three thousand troops and went to Dongxilian Island in the north of Donghai Island for training.
In order to keep it secret, all the fishermen on the island were relocated, and there were only 3,000 soldiers on it. During the secret training period, no one was allowed to approach the island except supply ships.
At this time, on the island, because the firearms workshop's production capacity could not be increased in a short period of time, not all of the three thousand soldiers were able to obtain firearms.
However, in order to reduce the training time and allow the army to use the firearms immediately after getting them, Zhao Tai ordered the people to rest and the firearms not to rest, and let three thousand sergeants take turns to practice the existing firearms.
At this time, on the school field, nearly a hundred gunsmiths were practicing loading and shooting with their guns. A large group of soldiers without firearms were sitting around the school field, watching them train.
After several days of training, the soldiers were able to shoot with firecrackers and were no longer afraid of firecrackers.
Zhao Tai stood in the distance, watching the officers on the school field explaining to the soldiers how to control the firecrackers. The soldiers completed loading step by step, then raised the firecrackers and aimed at the target fifty steps away.
"Bang bang bang~" A series of gunshots rang out, and clouds of gunpowder smoke rose up from the school field. The smoke spread and connected with each other, quickly forming a white smoke ribbon, which was then blown away by the wind.
When the smoke dissipated, the soldiers holding firecrackers saw through the thin smoke that the targets in the distance were smashed into pieces, and each one was horrified by the power of the firecrackers.
Zhao Tai nodded with satisfaction, "The fire gun training is on the right track. What's the situation on the warship?"
Wang Bin said: "Reporting to your Majesty, a warship has been renovated and equipped with eighteen bronze cannons!"
Zhao Taidao: "Now that a warship has completed its transformation, let Lu Wende and the navy generals understand the performance of the gunship as soon as possible and study water warfare methods suitable for the gunship!"
Wang Bin said: "Lu Wende has already used a gunboat to sink a target ship three hundred steps away! Now there are many warships in the Navy, and they have dug gun windows on the side of the ship, just waiting for the guns from the firearms workshop to get on board. "
Zhao Tai asked: "How is the output of firearms and artillery in the firearms workshop now?"
Wang Bin said: "We can make a thousand fire guns a month, and we should be able to make a hundred artillery pieces."
Zhao Tai calculated the time. In about three months, the Shenji Battalion and the gunboats would have a certain combat strength, and he couldn't help but feel confident.
At this time, the two were talking, and Zhao Hu came over in a hurry.
"Your Majesty, urgent report from Lin'an!" Zhao Hu took out a piece of information and sent it to him.
Zhao Tai frowned and took it over to look at. After just one glance, his expression became solemn.
Wang Bin couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, what's going on?"
Although Zhao Tai was already prepared, he still couldn't hide his anger when he saw the content of the intelligence.
Zhao Tai handed the information to Wang Bin and said with a sullen face, "Lin'an attacked our industries in Jianghuai and banned Southern Song merchants from trading with us."
Wang Bin's expression changed drastically. He read the information and said solemnly: "Your Majesty, this means that we can no longer obtain supplies from the Southern Song Dynasty. After all, your Majesty is the king of the Song Dynasty. Lin'an directly seized the king's property. This is simply a plunder. !”
The situation in Shandong at the beginning forced Zhao Tai to develop an export-oriented economy and rely on sea trade to obtain the wealth to maintain the operation of the feudal town.
Now that the Southern Song Dynasty had directly cut off trade with Shandong, it directly affected Shandong's economy and the operation of the feudal towns.
At present, apart from farming, other industries in Shandong are based on the Southern Song Dynasty as the market. Trading is prohibited in the Southern Song Dynasty. If the goods in the workshops cannot be sold, there will be no money to purchase grain and refined iron. In the end, the entire Shandong will collapse.
Zhao Tai clenched his fists, "It seems that Lin'an is determined to force him to rebel against King Gu. If this is the case, then Gu will show it to them!"
When the Southern Song Dynasty took this step, Zhao Tai had no other choice but to launch a war and defeat the Southern Song Dynasty before Shandong's food and supplies were exhausted.
Wang Bin had a sullen face and did not object again. Instead, he said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, the Southern Song Dynasty is pressing forward step by step. We have only one way to go: raising troops. Now that the King has decided, I agree with the King's decision. However, how to operate specifically needs to be done. Discuss!”
Zhao Tai waved his hand and said: "Go back to Jinan, summon the civil and military forces, and issue a proclamation. I want to provide peace to heaven and eliminate the traitors!"
At that moment, Zhao Tai and his party hurriedly left the island and returned to Jinan to discuss countermeasures.
At the end of June, Zhao Tai returned to Jinan, and Shandong civil and military officials gathered at the palace.
At this time, Zhao Tai was sitting on the throne, looking at everyone with a serious look, "You should already know that Lin'an has sealed up the vassal's property in Jianghuai and impounded the merchant ships that were transporting us. I and you are dedicated to serving the country and serving the country. The imperial court resists foreign humiliation. Nowadays, the traitorous officials in the imperial court are in power and they do not reward their merits. Instead, they seize the properties of subordinate vassals without any reason. What should I do, you guys?"
The generals in the hall had long been filled with righteous indignation, and Wu Xian immediately shouted: "Invade Lin'an and wipe out the treacherous ministers!"
