I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

...

As early as the beginning of Zhao Yu's reign, Cai Jing was highly valued by Zhao Yu.

Later, after the original prime minister Zhang Dun retired, Zhao Yu defied public opinion and promoted Cai Jing, who was known as a treacherous minister, to the position of prime minister.

That year, Cai Jing was sixty years old, and Zhao Yu was twenty-four.

At that time, externally, the Song Dynasty was planning to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun and expand its territory; internally, Zhao Yu was going to implement the "Equalization of Land Tax and Labor Service" and the "Equal Payment of Grain by the Gentry," and was about to purge the gentry and landlord class of the Song Dynasty. The Song Dynasty was at a critical moment of deep reform.

At that time, Zhao Yu needed a prime minister with a firm will to reform and the ability to do so.

At the same time, Zhao Yu also needed a prime minister with the spirit of territorial expansion.

It can be said that Zhao Yu at that time was eager to make a difference.

Therefore, Zhao Yu resolutely chose Cai Jing as his chief minister.

Cai Jing was deeply grateful for Zhao Yu's patronage and resolved to repay him with his life.

Upon assuming power, he swiftly implemented profound reforms based on Zhang Dun's reforms, even recklessly promoting the "Equalization of Land Tax and Labor Service" and the "Equal Grain Payment for Gentry," carrying out a massive purge of the gentry and landlord class of the Song Dynasty and uprooting them completely.

Furthermore, during Cai Jing's tenure, the Song Dynasty destroyed the Liao Dynasty, Goryeo, Jin Dynasty, Japan, nomadic tribes on the grasslands, the Western Regions, Tibet, the Joseon Dynasty, Champa, Angkor, Bagan, Srivijaya, and Dali. Even without considering its colonies such as Australia and Prince's Continent, the Song Dynasty's territory was unprecedentedly vast, far exceeding that of the Han and Tang Dynasties.

Furthermore, during Cai Jing's tenure, the Song Dynasty launched a vigorous industrial revolution, strengthened maritime trade, ushered in the Age of Exploration, and transformed the country, bringing peace and prosperity to its people.

In reality, the process was not smooth sailing.

Within three or four years of Cai Jing taking office, the Song Dynasty had completely recovered the Yan-Yun region and achieved unprecedented success in the industrial revolution. Cai Jing then proposed the governing philosophy of "abundance, prosperity, and greatness" to Zhao Yu.

"Feng" means abundance. To govern a country, one must first focus on the economy and ensure that the national treasury is full and prosperous. This is the economic foundation for governing the country.

"Heng" means smooth progress. It is essential to ensure the smooth implementation of government orders so that reforms can be effective. This is the political foundation.

Yu means peace and happiness. We must create a peaceful and harmonious social environment and atmosphere, which is the foundation of society.

"Great" means grand and magnificent. We must establish the demeanor of a great power and embody the grandeur of a great power. This is the foundation of a nation's image.

Cai Jing's governing philosophy is based on these four foundations, with clear levels, a well-defined approach, and rich content.

Cai Jing's governing philosophy of "abundance, prosperity, and greatness" stemmed from his understanding of the rich philosophy of the Book of Changes, and also reflected his thoughts and aspirations for ideal politics.

However, these governing philosophies have repeatedly been misunderstood and criticized.

Some say he's using this to whitewash the situation.

Some say he is advocating for extravagance and waste.

Some even said that he regarded official titles and wealth as dirt and was trying his best to encourage Zhao Yu to squander them.

Moreover, Cai Jing's political style has always been decisive and sometimes aggressive, which inevitably leads to a tendency toward authoritarianism.

Some ministers were also dissatisfied with Cai Jing's strong political stance, so they often impeached him, saying that he was domineering and arrogant and was the greatest traitor in history.

However, Zhao Yu ignored all these impeachments and continued to heavily rely on Cai Jing.

Of course, while making good use of Cai Jing, Zhao Yu also continued to make good use of young people such as Li Gang, Zhao Ding, Chen Gou, Tang Ke, and Song Jiang.

And so, Cai Jing served as Zhao Yu's prime minister for nearly twenty years.

These past twenty years have been the most glorious period of Cai Jing's life, and also the period of the Song Dynasty's fastest development. It can even be said to be the peak and most prosperous period of the entire Song Dynasty, at least up to now, that is absolutely the case.

During this period, the territory of the Song Dynasty expanded more than sixfold, not including overseas colonies; its economy expanded more than tenfold; and its population more than tripled.

Such achievements are unparalleled in the five thousand years of Chinese history.

When historians were writing Cai Jing's biography, they couldn't help but write:
The former glory of the Han and Tang dynasties was but a corner of the Central Plains; now, the Song Dynasty stretches from the Japanese archipelago in the east to the heartland of the Karakhanid Dynasty in the west, encompassing the fertile lands of the Indochina Peninsula in the south and the vast deserts of the Mongolian Plateau in the north. Within its vast territory, post roads crisscross and masts stand tall. In Jiangnan, silk looms weave day and night, in Sichuan, salt and iron workshops are filled with the smoke of cooking fires, caravans from the Western Regions shuttle back and forth carrying porcelain and tea, coastal ports are crowded with merchant ships from all over the world, emerging light and heavy industrial products are dazzling, railways cover all parts of the Song Dynasty, and silver and gold flow into the national treasury like water.

The implementation of the land tax reform brought hidden land to the surface, allowing displaced people to return to their fields and granaries to overflow. The ironclad rule that gentry and commoners should pay taxes together shattered the barriers of privilege that had existed for a thousand years, leading to a more transparent and efficient government. Land annexation, which had been a persistent problem in previous dynasties, was greatly reduced in this one. No longer were impoverished scholars left without a way to serve their country; children studied the sciences in modern schools, craftsmen explored the mysteries of the steam engine in their workshops, and even ordinary families could eat their fill and no longer go hungry, with warm clothes to keep them warm in winter.

Such a prosperous era is inseparable from Cai Xiang's nearly twenty years of governance.

Now, Cai Jing is almost eighty years old. He is blind and unable to write, and his legs are weak and he cannot kneel or bow. He is no longer able to handle official duties.

The key point is that after recovering Dali, Cai Jing had no regrets. Therefore, unlike in the past when Cai Jing lingered in his position and was unwilling to retire, after Duan Zhengyan submitted a letter of surrender to the Song Dynasty on behalf of Dali, Cai Jing took the initiative to submit an application to Zhao Yu to retire on the grounds that "he was too old and no longer capable of handling the matter."

Out of recognition of Cai Jing's nearly twenty years as prime minister and his lifelong dedication to the Song Dynasty, Zhao Yu did not immediately agree to Cai Jing's request to retire. Instead, he summoned him to the palace and had a talk with him.

Upon receiving the summons, Cai Jing immediately went to the palace to pay his respects to Zhao Yu.

Upon meeting, Zhao Yu noticed that Cai Jing's legs were trembling more and more violently, so he offered him a seat.

Cai Jing was so moved that he was about to kneel down to express his gratitude, but Zhao Yu stopped him.

Zhao Yu showed no airs of an emperor and said, "We are not only ruler and subject, but also related by marriage. It is only natural for us to sit facing each other."

Over the years, many of Cai Jing's children and grandchildren have married Zhao Yu's daughters.

The most famous of them was Zheng Xiansu's second daughter with Zhao Yu, who married Cai Jing's fifth son, Cai Tao.

Cai Tiao was a refined and talented young man with considerable ability. Therefore, Cai Jing came to propose marriage for him, and Zhao Yu married his eldest daughter to him. After the marriage, he was also appointed as the prefect of Zhenjiang.

It is worth mentioning that, apart from the incompetent Cai You, almost all the other talented members of the Cai family were given important positions by Zhao Yu.

Cai Jing's second son, Cai Xiao, has now risen to the position of Minister of Personnel. Zhao Yu's use of personnel in this way is definitely related to Cai Jing.

But it could also be said that Cai Jing's family is truly outstanding.

In the novel "Little Li Flying Dagger", Li Xunhuan is known as the father of seven Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) and three of his sons were Tan Hua (third-place winners in the third-place winners in the imperial examinations).

In fact, there is a similar prototype in history, namely Cai Jing's family.

Cai Jing's family produced seven Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), and three of his sons were Tan Hua (third-ranked scholars in the imperial examinations).

In addition, six of Cai Jing's eight sons are bachelors, and five of his grandsons are also bachelors.

Don't assume this was the result of Cai Jing abusing his power for personal gain. In fact, Cai Jing's family had a long tradition of studying and taking the imperial examinations. Cai Jing and his brother Cai Bian both passed the imperial examinations and achieved very high rankings. Their family motto was to study hard and become officials.

Furthermore, historically, before the Jingkang Incident, Zhao Huan actually planned to go to the Shaanxi area to recruit troops as a precaution. The first person to suggest that Zhao Huan go to Shaanxi was Cai Jing's son, Cai Xiao.

Long before Zhao Ji passed the throne to Zhao Huan and prepared to flee south, Cai Xiao wanted to suggest that Zhao Huan go to Shaanxi, but he did not have the opportunity to offer his advice.

Two days before Zhao Ji fled Bianliang, Cai Xiao finally had the opportunity to speak to Zhao Huan in the Yanhe Hall. He said to Zhao Huan, "The emperor should not take advantage of danger, but rather use force to subdue the enemy. Now that the Emperor Emeritus is about to flee south for the sake of the new emperor, it would be better for him to go on a hunting expedition in Shaanxi, summon the ministers of the provinces, and advance from several directions. Taking advantage of our army's momentum, we should send troops to recapture the city. This is the most foolproof plan. If the Jin invade the capital, the city will be a disaster, but it will only be a fire, and the harm will not reach the state. Your Majesty must not fight the enemy generals and defend a lonely city in a hopeless situation."

Zhao Huan agreed, saying, "You may lead the troops in Chang'an to assemble the army and prepare provisions for my arrival."

Zhao Huan then instructed ministers such as Bai Shizhong: "Let Cai Xiao be in charge of Yongxing Army (i.e., Xi'an, Shaanxi), and let him go first to await my arrival."

That evening, Zhao Huan suddenly changed his mind and summoned Cai Xiao to the Funing Palace, saying, "You may set up an office in Dengzhou (i.e., Dengzhou in Henan). When you hear that I have left the city, come and welcome me again."

However, the situation suddenly changed again.

On the morning of the third day of the first lunar month, Emperor Huizong issued an edict saying that he would go to Taiqing Palace in Bozhou to burn incense, and he specifically appointed Cai Xiao to serve as the prefect of Zhenjiang Prefecture.

In fact, Zhao Ji's trip to Bozhou to burn incense was merely a pretext to deceive others. His real destination was Zhenjiang, and Cai You was the person he trusted most. Cai Xiao was Cai You's younger brother, who was capable and reliable, which is why Zhao Ji took Cai Xiao away.

Zhao Huan felt very disappointed after Cai Xiao left.

Li Bangyan then suggested appointing Ren Liang as the prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture.

Ren Liang was a capable man, but at that time he was ill and far away, so Zhao Huan could not count on him at all.

Thus, Zhao Huan's plan to recruit soldiers in Shaanxi basically failed.

This led to the Jingkang Incident.

Because Cai Xiao failed to get into Zhao Huan's carriage, he was later killed along with Cai You when Zhao Huan was purging Cai You.

After arriving in this era, Zhao Yu discovered through his interactions that Cai Jing's children were actually quite talented, especially Cai Xiao, who indeed possessed some of the abilities of his father Cai Jing and his uncle Cai Bian.

In addition, the Song Dynasty had been expanding rapidly in recent years and lacked talent.

Zhao Yu then heavily relied on the Cai family.

This is one of the reasons why Cai Jing felt at ease retiring from public life.

Faced with Zhao Yu's politeness, Cai Jing hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, in the main hall, there are only ruler and subject, nothing else. Your Majesty has taken pity on this old minister's dying body and has graciously granted me a seat. This old minister is deeply grateful."

Zhao Yu sincerely said, "What the Grand Tutor said is absolutely right. However, there are always exceptions. Now that the Grand Tutor is old, he still worries about the world and cares about the affairs of the country. I am very moved, so I bestow this seat upon you. There is no need to refuse."

Hearing Zhao Yu say this, Cai Jing finally sat down on the side of the grand chair.

Before Zhao Yu could ask, Cai Jing took the initiative to say, "Recently, I have found that all the memorials I read require my four sons to read aloud, which makes walking increasingly difficult. I am already nearing eighty, and if I continue to serve as prime minister, I fear I will harm the country. Your Majesty, please do not try to keep me any longer, and let me go home to enjoy my remaining years."

After listening, Zhao Yu remained silent for a moment, then asked, "I wonder who you, my dear minister, prefer to succeed as prime minister?"

Cai Jing thought for a moment and then said a name that greatly surprised Zhao Yu: "Your Majesty, if Your Majesty instructs me to recommend this person, I would like to recommend Zhang Bangchang."

After a pause, Cai Jing stated his reasons:

"Your Majesty has permitted me to speak frankly, so I will humbly offer my advice. The world generally regards the position of prime minister as requiring extraordinary talent, but I alone believe that the two words 'moderation' are the foundation of one's position."

"Your Majesty is exceptionally wise and insightful, possessing a grand vision encompassing the entire world. Under your command are ambitious ministers such as Li Gang and Zhao Ding, as well as many capable individuals who expand the territory and reform the old order. There is never a shortage of such ministers. However, the role of the prime minister is to sit in the court and mediate internal and external conflicts. It is not merely about talent, but also about understanding the emperor's intentions, adhering to the duties of a subject, and never overstepping the bounds."

"As for Bangchang, I have witnessed his ups and downs in his official career. He started as a minor official in a prefecture and county and rose through the ranks to become the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. He handled matters such as the transport of grain, salt and iron, and taxation without any mistakes."

"In terms of his ability to govern the country and benefit the people, he may be inferior to Li Gang's sharpness and Zhao Ding's meticulousness. However, Bangchang's strength lies in his prudence and composure, knowing when to advance and retreat, and understanding gains and losses."

"I have held power for twenty years, relying on Your Majesty's great grace to implement swift and decisive measures and promote policies to strengthen the army and reform the government. Although the results have been remarkable, I have also made many enemies and my sharp edge has become too prominent, which is unavoidable."

"Now, our Great Song Dynasty is at peace, the people are happy, and the world is tranquil. What the court urgently needs is not to stir up trouble again, but to maintain the status quo and consolidate the foundation to secure the country."

"Bangchang is gentle and kind, and humble in his dealings with others. In the court, he is tolerant of dissenting opinions and adept at mediating disputes between civil and military officials. What is most commendable is that he is loyal to His Majesty and has never had the slightest thought of overstepping his bounds."

"In my opinion, if Your Majesty points east, Bangchang will never dare to go west; whatever national policies Your Majesty advocates, Bangchang will certainly obey the imperial edict and carry them out diligently without any slackening. Such a respectful and diligent minister who is also well-versed in practical matters is exactly the kind of prime minister Your Majesty needs at this time."

"If there are wise and brave generals and ministers who are capable of saving the world, such as Li Gang and Zhao Ding, they can be sent to guard the borders and expand the territory, govern the people and manage the government, and govern a region. With Bangchang in the court, like a needle stabilizing the sea, and supplemented by three or five good ministers who can govern the world, Your Majesty can rest easy and concentrate on planning the world and laying the foundation for ten thousand generations."

At this point, Cai Jing rose from his chair, bowed deeply, and said, "I am old and senile, and my eyesight is failing. I dare not claim to have the ability to recognize talent and discern ability. However, since Your Majesty has asked, I dare not fail to tell you the truth. As for who can be prime minister, the decision rests with Your Majesty, and Your Majesty shall make the final decision alone."

Zhao Yu gazed at the aged ministers below the steps, knowing that while his recommendation of Zhang Bangchang as prime minister might not be entirely without ulterior motives, it was not necessarily all for personal gain; there must have been some genuine sentiment involved.

After a long silence, Zhao Yu finally spoke slowly: "I will consider the Grand Tutor's advice..."

...(End of chapter)