I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

...

Not long after defeating the Jin-Mongol allied forces, that is, after completely winning this decisive battle and explaining everything about the recovery of the Northeast, Zhao Yu returned to Bianliang, the capital of the Song Dynasty.

Midway through his journey, Zhao Yu also visited Beijing, the new capital of the Song Dynasty.

At this time, Beijing had been completed, and the Forbidden City was almost finished. The matter of moving the capital could be put on the agenda.

Therefore, after returning to Bianliang (Kaifeng), the capital of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Yu ordered that the capital be moved from Tokyo to Beijing this autumn.

This inevitably provoked resistance from some gentry groups who did not want to leave, since moving the capital would harm their interests.

But their resistance was completely useless.

First of all, the relocation of the capital was initiated by Zhao Yu, an emperor comparable to Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han, and who dared to oppose it?

Besides, this matter was decided ten years ago. Many emerging gentry groups have already set up shop in Beijing, where they have invested a lot of money and made massive arrangements. How could they allow these old fogies in Tokyo to ruin their plans?

Most importantly, from the perspective of the imperial court, especially in the context of recovering the Northeast and subduing the grasslands, moving the capital to Beijing was practically tailor-made for the long-term stability of the Song Dynasty.

Therefore, the relocation of the capital is inevitable, and no one can stop it.

After staying in Beijing for more than a month and making preliminary arrangements for moving the capital, Zhao Yu continued south and returned to Bianliang, the capital of the Eastern Capital.

After that, Zhao Yu closely monitored the recovery and governance of the Northeast.

When Zhao Yu learned that Wanyan Aguda was dead and Wanyan Xieye had taken over as the leader of the remnants of the Jin dynasty, Zhao Yu breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt a little lonely.

Without a doubt, Wanyan Aguda was the most outstanding figure of this era. If it weren't for time travelers like Zhao Yu, his contemporaries, whether it was Zhao Ji, Yelü Yanxi, or Li Qianshun, would all be far inferior to him.

To be honest, ever since he transmigrated, Zhao Yu has regarded Wanyan Aguda as his lifelong rival, determined to defeat him personally, reach the pinnacle of this era, and become the true overlord.

Now, Zhao Yu has truly succeeded. The Jin Dynasty has been destroyed by Zhao Yu, the Northeast has been recovered by the Song Dynasty, news of Wanyan Aguda's death has arrived, the various tribes of the grasslands have been severely damaged by the Song Dynasty, and the fate of the world has been decided.

But when the news of victory came flooding in, and when the civil and military officials shouted "Long live the Emperor!", Zhao Yu sat on the dragon throne in the Daqing Hall, but instead of the expected elation, he felt an indescribable loneliness.

Just as in the TV series "Kangxi Dynasty," when Emperor Kangxi, in his later years, offered wine to the memorial tablets of Wu Sangui, Zheng Jing, and Galdan, expressing gratitude to those adversaries who had contributed to his enduring imperial power, Zhao Yu couldn't help but think of Wanyan Aguda. If this adversary hadn't been so formidable, he might not have been so eager to push for military and political reforms, wouldn't have created the world-conquering Shenji Army and the Four Auxiliary Armies, wouldn't have implemented the "Equalization of Land Tax and Equalization of Grain Payment for Gentry" under immense pressure, and certainly wouldn't be the Song Dynasty of today, having conquered Qinghai-Tibet, Western Xia, Liao, Goryeo, and Jin, with its vast territory and far-reaching national prestige.

It was Wanyan Aguda's presence that kept Zhao Yu from ever letting his guard down, and enabled him to break through crises time and time again, ultimately forging a power strong enough to stabilize the world.

But now, that strongest opponent is gone. The likes of Wanyan Xieye are nothing but remnants clinging to life; the various tribes of the grasslands, though ambitious, no longer possess the strength to contend with the Song Dynasty; the gentry of Jiangnan are subservient; and there is no longer any force in the court that dares to hinder Zhao Yu. Looking across the land, there is simply no longer a single opponent who can rival Zhao Yu, an opponent who can compel him to devote all his energy to his task.

Zhao Yu recalled that at the beginning of his time travel, he faced the decay and ruin left by the reigns of Emperor Shenzong and Emperor Zhezong of Song, and the perilous situation of the Jin army potentially advancing south. At that time, although Zhao Yu faced many difficulties, he had a clear goal, which kept him very motivated.

Now, with peace reigning throughout the land and his great undertaking accomplished, Zhao Yu stands at the pinnacle of power, yet he suddenly feels somewhat lost. Those years of toil day and night, those times of wits and courage in battles with his rivals, have all become distant memories, leaving only an empty court and boundless loneliness.

However, this loneliness was only temporary. Zhao Yu knew very well that the last leg of a journey is often the hardest. Moreover, for an emperor, loneliness was the norm. He still had much to do. For example, governing the Northeast, pacifying the grasslands, building the new capital, ensuring the well-being of the people, expanding the distant territories, and protecting even more people.

Even at this moment, he couldn't help but sigh softly. Perhaps, a true overlord is destined to bear the loneliness of unparalleled power alone after defeating all opponents, and continue on his journey... Not long after, news came that Wanyan Xie had also died.

This time, Zhao Yu was even more at ease.

Upon learning of Wanyan Xieye's death, Zhang Chun immediately asserted that the remnants of the Jin army would surely descend into chaos, and the Northeast would be pacified.

really!

Not long after, the remnants of the Jin dynasty split and fought amongst themselves.

It was later reported that tens of thousands of people were killed or injured during the internal strife within the Jin dynasty.

Immediately afterwards, Wanyan Chang led more than 20,000 Jin people to surrender.

To be honest, Wanyan Chang was also one of the Jurchens who invaded the south in history. He also received Zhao Jinnu, the second daughter of Emperor Huizong of Song. Logically speaking, he should also be punished.

However, in history, Wanyan Chang was held back by the Song general Zhao Li in the Battle of Chuzhou. Tens of thousands of Jin troops were stuck under the city for months and could not advance. Instead, the Song army repeatedly raided the city, causing heavy losses. In the end, he retreated north in a sorry state.

Through this battle, he witnessed firsthand the fighting spirit of the Song army and people and the vastness of the territory. He realized that the southern climate and soil were not easily adapted to by the Jin people, and that the so-called "destruction of Song" was nothing but a pipe dream.

At that time, within the Jin Dynasty, the pro-war faction, including Wanyan Zongbi, was at the height of its power, and there was a long-standing grudge between them, causing undercurrents to surge in the court.

Wanyan Chang saw through the fact that years of war had only brought exhaustion to the Jin people, and that if the deep-seated hatred between the Song and Jin were not resolved, both sides would eventually suffer heavy losses. Therefore, he strongly advocated for peace talks against the opinions of others.

He not only repeatedly submitted memorials to the Jin court, stating that "Song territory is vast, but the people's hearts are not yet with it; forcibly annexing it will surely lead to backlash," but he also secretly sent people to contact the Southern Song envoys, proposing to return Henan and Shaanxi to the Song Dynasty, and expressing his willingness to demarcate the border with the Song Dynasty and exchange goods, thereby resolving decades of war between the North and the South.

Although this proposal was driven by his own selfish motives—to seize power from Wanyan Wuzhu and to consolidate his own position with the help of the Song Dynasty—it was particularly rare among the bloodthirsty and warlike Jurchens.

After all, the Jin Dynasty still occupied most of the Central Plains at that time. Wanyan Chang's willingness to concede, even if it was for political calculations, was an opportunity for a truce between the North and the South, allowing Zhao Gou to retrieve the remains of Zhao Ji and his mother, Empress Dowager Wei, and providing a fig leaf for the Song people who were committed to maintaining their precarious peace.

This is still better than the Jin people, led by Wuzhu, who were dedicated to destroying the Southern Song Dynasty.

Actually, the most crucial point is that the Hu people can never be completely killed.

Throughout Chinese history, the threat of nomadic tribes has been a constant presence. No dynasty, including the Han and Tang dynasties, has ever completely resolved this problem through bloodshed.

Emperor Wu of Han mobilized the entire nation for a northern expedition, sealing the Wolf Mountain and inscribing stones on the Han Sea. Although he drove them far away, he could not completely annihilate them. Emperor Yang of Sui launched three campaigns and Emperor Zhenguan attacked six times. Although he destroyed their Khanate, the remaining forces were still scattered in the northern border, waiting for an opportunity to rise again.

Since ancient times, the Hu people have lived scattered in the borderlands, following the water and grass, relying on mountains and rivers for protection. If they are only slaughtered with weapons, they can kill for a while, but not forever. If their tribe is slaughtered today, there will still be remnants to gather tomorrow; if their nests are leveled today, there will be other tribes migrating tomorrow.

Therefore, in order to completely eliminate the threat of nomadic tribes and truly bring the grasslands under the control of the Song Dynasty, the only way is to assimilate the nomadic peoples into Han Chinese culture, and to make them abandon their nomadic lifestyle and become an agricultural people.

Based on this, Zhao Yu issued an imperial edict as the highest political guideline:
"In the ancient times of Great Harmony, there was no distinction between Chinese and barbarians; the world was at peace through education. King Wen and Yu the Great, though born of the Eastern Yi or the Western Qiang respectively, became sages and were revered by the Chinese people because of their promotion of rites and music, and their efforts in flood control and pacification. This is clear evidence that the distinction between Chinese and barbarians lies not in bloodline, but in culture; the unity of ethnic groups lies not in expulsion, but in inclusion. Although the Spring and Autumn Annals states 'inner to the Chinese and outer to the barbarians,' it emphasizes even more 'transforming the barbarians to follow the Chinese'—the state of Jin, which acted like barbarians, was degraded as such; the state of Wu, concerned for China, attacked Chu, and was honored as 'King of Wu.' Confucius's teaching of 'education for all' and the Book of Changes' principle of 'transforming the world' both demonstrate that the emperor considers the world as his home and should nourish all things with humanistic education, not divide the people with weapons..."

...(End of chapter)