A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 226 You just said they were all trash

Faced with Cao Liyong's question, Song Xuan answered without hesitation:

"In the future, when you encounter military issues, just say that everyone here is trash and they all have to listen to me."

"what?"

Cao was completely taken aback and at a loss.

Even before he followed Song Xuan's advice and became a nice guy.

Cao Liyong didn't dare to say that all the prime ministers present were trash!
Such wording is far too forceful!

Cao Li said carefully, "Twelve, it's just the two of us here. Don't talk about this with outsiders."

Song Xuan waved his hand dismissively:
"No, no, no. If you want to maintain your position in the court, you shouldn't always agree with them. When necessary, you should demonstrate your expertise in a certain area. Only then can you earn their respect."

"None of them have any experience in fighting, only you, Cao Liyong, have rich experience. How can you succeed without offering reasons contrary to theirs?"

Cao used his own abilities and the trust of the late emperor to rise to the top.

Unfortunately, the late emperor did not live long and passed away prematurely.

Now the emperor is young and the ministers are strong. As the top military figure, he is not trusted by the empress dowager.

After all, Cao Yong already had everything he needed, so no matter how much Liu E promoted him, it was impossible for him to get ahead.

It would be better to promote Cao and utilize his subordinates; this would be more cost-effective.

"When the time comes, we'll prove them wrong with facts. Even if they lose face, they'll have to take you seriously, especially in military matters. With you, Cao Liyong, around, you'll be the pillar of the Song Dynasty's military!"

"The Sea-Stabilizing Pillar?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Liyong burst into laughter, looking extremely smug.

He was naturally very interested in the novel written by his future son-in-law, and could understand what he meant by that.

"Where did you learn military strategy?"

Upon recalling this matter, Cao Liyong asked again:

"I have seen quite a few descriptions of military strategy in Romance of the Three Kingdoms."

Military books were prohibited from circulation in the Song Dynasty, and Song Xuan's family didn't have many books in their collection, nor were his ancestors soldiers.

It's even less likely that they would be influenced by him.

Therefore, Cao Liyong was very suspicious.

Song Xuan pointed to his head and said nothing.

However, in Cao Yongli's view, Song Xuan had revealed everything.

He had to admit that, in some respects, some people's talents were truly beyond the reach of others.

"Are you going to Luoyang to study?"

"Yes, Dean Fan and others have traveled to Luoyang Taishi Academy (Songshan Academy) to study, but I only went for a month to get to know people and then came back."

“Li You was the great-grandson of Emperor Zhuangzong of Tang, Li Cunxu. He served as the military governor of Ande and the military governor of Xijing. I was acquainted with him.”

"As for Qian Weiyan, he is currently in Luoyang serving as a military governor. I don't think much of him, but he is a well-known scholar. If you go there, he might try to win you over and hope you will praise him a few times."

Cao Liyong shared his understanding of Luoyang:

"Once you get there, take a leisurely trip around, but focus on your studies!"

"clear."

Cao Yong then approached Song Xuan, intending to pat him on the shoulder to offer encouragement, but a milky scent wafted into his nostrils.

Did he just go out to see a doctor for a woman who had just given birth?

Otherwise, how could he have picked up this smell?
Cao Liyong has raised many children, so he is experienced.

But when he thought about Song Xuan's medical skills, he didn't think much of it.

Have you planned your route yet?

“From here, we will take a boat, pass Kaifeng, disembark at Guancheng (now Zhengzhou), and travel either on foot or by carriage to Luoyang, the western capital.”

In fact, Song Xuan could have traveled by boat all the way to Luoyang, the capital of the Western Capital.

After listening to Song Xuan's words, Cao Liyong thought for a moment:
"You can walk from Zhengzhou to Yanshi or Yong'an, and then take a boat to Xijing."

"it is good."

Song Xuan invited Cao Yong to have a simple meal at his home, and then he would head to Luoyang the next day.

Cao Li spent the afternoon boasting to Yan Shu, and then set off with Song Xuan early the next morning.

Song Xuan, along with Wang Gui and Cao Liyong, left the city gate and hitched a ride on a boat.

In any case, Cao was using it for official business.

Song Xuan, wearing a straw hat, sat in a chair, casting his fishing rod. Whether he could catch anything or not, his main purpose was simply to have fun.

After Cao Li finished talking with Yan Shu, he truly realized that Song Xuan had become a hot commodity.

All those officials wanted to marry their daughters to him.

Fortunately, this kid didn't let me down.

This made Cao Liyong even more satisfied with Song Xuan.

Song Xuan sat in the chair, watching the boats come and go.

The city of Tokyo was able to support a population of one million mainly through the Grand Canal.

"Were the ships all transporting grain?"

"Ah."

Cao Li gave Song Xuan a rather impressive introduction.

The grains transported from the Yellow River and Guangji River were mostly mixed millet and beans, which were considered miscellaneous grains and were generally used as horse feed, rarely as human food.

The grain transported from the Bian River was exclusively made of japonica rice and wheat. Therefore, from a grain perspective, the capital mainly relied on the Jianghuai region for supplies, hence the saying "relying on Jianghuai."

"If we estimate it this way, wouldn't it be at least five million shi a year?"

"Hahaha."

Upon hearing this, Cao Liyong couldn't help but burst into laughter a few times:
“In the early years of the Song Dynasty, the country was not at peace, and the annual income was only one million. Now it has reached six million. If the harvest is good, it will not be a problem to increase it by another million.”

What Song Xuan didn't know was that the number had reached as high as eight million, but it gradually decreased until the end of the Northern Song Dynasty.

The volume of grain transported during the Northern Song Dynasty, whether in its lowest or highest years, surpassed that of any previous dynasty, and even exceeded that of the Ming and Qing dynasties that followed.

Song Xuan felt that the Canal Gang should not exist at this time, so he asked:
"But who is in charge of the canal transport?"

"It was the Southeast Six Routes Transport Office established by the government to transport grain shipments."

Examples include Yang Zhi's transport of the "Flower and Stone Tribute" in the Water Margin, and the "Birthday Tribute," among others.

It is an organization for transporting goods. A group is called a "gang". The number of people in a gang varies. For example, fifty horses make up a gang, and ten thousand shi of grain make up a gang. This method of transporting goods in batches is called "gang transport".

The grain transport fleet was usually organized into groups of ten or thirty ships, with personnel assigned to manage and oversee the entire fleet.

At this time, the canal was filled with sails that blotted out the sun, and the cargo ships were lined up end to end, creating a magnificent and spectacular sight.

Song Xuan understood. He recalled the waterway map he had seen from Magistrate Zhang Kang and then asked, "Is it that the six southeastern routes are transporting goods together?"

"Hmm," Cao Liyong replied immediately.

"The supplies from Southeast Sixth Route are transported directly to Tokyo. However, due to the difficulty in achieving consistency in the situation along Southeast Sixth Route, coupled with the excessively long transportation routes, the transit time has been greatly increased. I have heard that we have been looking for a solution."

"Oh."

Song Xuan said nothing more, but watched the transport ships pass by. It was truly a case of water transport supporting the operation of the Song Dynasty's capital, Bianjing.

Otherwise, they wouldn't always be thinking about building water conservancy projects.

If the canal were to become blocked, countless people in Tokyo would likely starve to death.

Cao Yongli noticed that Song Xuan was staring at the ships in a daze, and then a flash of inspiration struck him. Could it be that he had come up with a solution?

No way!
So Cao tentatively asked, "Those chancellors in the court are having a major headache right now. Do you have any ideas?"

"Yes, yes."

Song Xuan then glanced at Cao Liyong:
"But if you really want to offer a plan, what are the follow-up plans, or do you just want to gain some respect?"

Cao Liyong had to admit that Song Xuan had hit the nail on the head.

"I really want to show off in front of others, so they won't all want to kick me out."

Although Cao's reputation improved after he became a "nice guy," he still felt resentful deep down.

Those prime ministers wouldn't even take him seriously.

"Lord Cao has become aware of the crisis."

Song Xuan thought about it and didn't think it was a big deal:
"I've come up with a solution."

"what!"

Cao Liyong's eyes lit up immediately:
"I hope you can teach me, Twelve!"

"It's not impossible."

Song Xuan then spoke to Cao Liyong about the matter of the transfer of fortune, which made Cao Liyong's eyes shine even brighter.

With such a fine son-in-law, how could my Cao family not have a more secure position in the imperial court?
Cao Liyong believed that as long as Song Xuan could pass the imperial examination next year and be appointed as an official outside the capital, he could continue to serve as the Privy Councilor in the court and remain in power.

With Song Xuan's abilities, he will surely be able to quickly advance his seniority in the future, and it is not impossible that he will wear a purple robe at a young age!

The ship arrived in Kaifeng very smoothly.

Cao Liyong stood at the bow of the boat: "Come down with me first and get acquainted with our home." "There's no rush. It doesn't matter when we come to Tokyo. This time, I'm representing Yingtian Academy on this study tour, and my main task is to make it famous."

In fact, Fan Zhongyan's intention was to broaden Song Xuan's horizons and make him famous in various places; the academy was just a side benefit.

"Row."

Cao Yong didn't try to stop him, since Song Xuan was bound to come eventually anyway.

Song Xuan then turned to Wang Gui beside him and said, "Bingzhi, aren't you going home for a visit?"

"My parents are both dead, and I grew up in my uncle's house. In less than half a year, I will come to Tokyo with my brother. I will return home in glory and visit my uncle again."

Wang Gui was traveling, and returning home so early meant he couldn't go out again; instead, he had to go with his uncle to report to the Imperial Guard.

How could you protect Song Xuan as he traveled all over the country?
Cao Liyong stroked his beard and chuckled.

They were all young people, and they never feared parting.

Such emotions can only be truly understood as one grows older.

Cao then spoke to his boatman again, instructing him to take the two young men to their destination and return.

With Cao Yongli gone, the ships set sail again.

"Damn it, just looking at the docks of Tokyo is enough to show how prosperous it is."

Song Xuan had never returned to Tokyo since he left when he was young.

It looks even more prosperous now than before.

Song Xuan had to admit that as long as there was no war and no excessive disasters, the Song Dynasty was quite wealthy.

However, once war breaks out, many transportation costs will be enormous.

Cao Li mounted his horse and, seeing his ship disappear among the many vessels, went straight home.

The palace, night.

Emperor Zhao Zhen once again looked at the news about Song Xuan that Gao Zunfu had sent.

He had high hopes for this old friend.

After all, he wrote a poem, "Shuidiao Getou," which is sure to be passed down through the ages, to commemorate himself.

At that time, Zhao Zhen did not reveal his real name, just as Song Xuan did not reveal his.

Whenever he thought of this, Zhao Zhen felt that they were truly of one mind.

Not to mention that he changed his name after becoming the crown prince.

There was no actual scene at the banquet, but rumors circulated that Song Xuan's doorstep was practically worn down by the crowds.

Many people wanted to marry him.

Zhao Zhen, however, was thinking that Song Xuan must choose a woman he liked as his wife to avoid following in his footsteps.

Now, Zhao Zhen not only feels no tenderness from his wife, but is also extremely angry.

Empress Guo, relying on the Empress Dowager's support, acted recklessly in the palace and showed no respect for me whatsoever.

Zhao Zhen really wanted to write a letter to his old friend to complain, but he was afraid of disturbing Song Xuan, so he secretly thought about it.

Once Song Xuan passes the imperial examination with flying colors, we'll talk to him about it; it'll definitely give him a shock.

Writing letters from now on will be a natural progression.

Zhao Zhen continued reading: "Even Attendant Cao went to Song Xuan's house. Could it be that he also wanted to recruit Song Xuan as his son-in-law?"

With these questions in mind, Zhao Zhen once again listened to the political discussions the next day.

Wang Qinruo was not there; he had gone to recuperate.

At this time, Wang Zeng took over the presiding duties.

Lü Yijian was subordinate to them, and the other vice prime ministers also listened to them.

Cao Liyong sat to the side, prompting Zhao Zhen to scrutinize him several times.

Wang Zeng first mentioned the repair of rivers in various places, and that he would later send officials from the central government to inspect them.

After much discussion, Cao Yongli simply nodded in agreement.

Finally, the time came for the Liao emperor to once again send a general to attack the Ganzhou Uyghurs, and Guizhong Baoshun Khan sent a letter to the Song Dynasty asking for help.

This Khan title was bestowed upon him by the Song Dynasty.

According to the tradition left over from the Tang Dynasty, the Song Dynasty is now the maternal uncle, and the Ganzhou Uyghurs are the nephews.

Now the nephew is being attacked by his uncle's brother country.

As the uncle, can you just stand by and do nothing?
The area occupied by the Ganzhou Uyghurs was a vital passage on the Silk Road.

The Central Plains dynasties needed horses, medicine, spices, and precious stones imported from or through the Ganzhou Uyghurs, while the Ganzhou Uyghurs coveted silk, clothing, gold and silver utensils, and other goods from the Central Plains.

The exchange of goods and services between the two sides brought great benefits to both sides, especially the Uyghur warhorses, which played an indispensable role in strengthening the military power of the Northern Song Dynasty.

Even though there is no war in the Northern Song Dynasty, the desire for warhorses is still extremely strong.

"To save or not to save?"

Lü Yijian and others felt that there was no need to provide any assistance to the Ganzhou Uyghurs.

They were originally under the rule of the Tibetans, but later surrendered to the Guiyi Army. After they grew stronger, they directly broke away from the Guiyi Army and forced the Guiyi Army to cede territory and sue for peace.

How could these barbarians possibly appreciate the good deeds of the Central Plains dynasty?

Of course, it was because the military governor Zhang Cheng declared himself emperor that these barbarians recognized the legitimacy of the Tang Dynasty, not Zhang Cheng's Jinshan Kingdom of the Western Han Dynasty.

Wang Zeng, having seen that Chancellor Lü Yijian and others had expressed their opinions, followed the usual pattern and inquired of Cao Liyong, expecting him to echo his views as before. However, to his surprise:

"Of course we should save them!"

"what?"

Now even Empress Dowager Liu looked to Cao Liyong, because this did not conform to Cao Liyong's past actions.

When it came to military matters, the prime ministers still wanted to hear Cao Liyong's thoughts.

"I hope Attendant Cao can enlighten me."

Wang Zeng was extremely polite and didn't seem to care much about Cao Liyong's words.

No matter how much you explain it, the Song Dynasty cannot easily get involved in war.

Cao Liyong stood up and first talked about the convenient geographical location of Ganzhou Uyghur, which also explained Li Mingde's ambition to expand westward.

The Liao general's expedition to attack the Ganzhou Uyghurs was merely a stepping stone for someone else.

As long as the forces in the Northwest remain complex and intertwined, the time it takes for Li Mingde to declare himself emperor will be slowed down, allowing the Song Dynasty to better contain the border regions and further reduce military expenditures.

"Especially Li Mingde's Western Xia army, which can defeat 500,000 Liao troops, has an even greater advantage against our Great Song's lack of warhorses."

Wang Zeng stroked his beard in agreement with Cao Liyong's point.

But it is so.

Overall, the Song Dynasty was on the defensive against the Liao Dynasty. He had been an envoy to the Liao Dynasty and had seen their army.

"Only when the forces in the Northwest are engaged in inter-war operations, where manpower and resources are scarce, will their individual strength gradually decline, or a regime adept at warfare will emerge."

"In any case, it will ultimately benefit our Great Song Dynasty. In fact, after they fight to the death, our Great Song Dynasty can take advantage of the situation and expand its territory."

Lü Yijian was immediately surprised and doubtful, because he did not think that Cao Yongli could have come up with this.

But upon closer examination, it does make some sense.

"If our Great Song Dynasty were to send troops to help, it would be unreasonable to respond to the Liao Dynasty's questions."

"Hahaha."

Cao suddenly burst into laughter, making everyone feel awkward.

This reminded everyone of Cao Li's fearless entry and exit from the Liao Kingdom in his youth, which led to the Treaty of Chanyuan, and his subsequent indifference towards Liao envoys.

The imperial court repeatedly sent him to deal with those difficult envoys.

"Minister Cao, why are you laughing?"

Having read Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhao Zhen asked with great excitement.

He longed to hear Cao Li say things like, "Wang Zeng is short of strategy," or "Lü Yijian is short of wisdom."

However, Cao Liyong disappointed Zhao Zhen:
"What I mean is that the Liao Kingdom's attack on the Ganzhou Uyghurs will surely be fruitless."

"what?"

These conclusions immediately stunned the prime ministers in the hall.

Empress Liu, with her extensive experience in governing and under the guidance of her husband, the emperor, who was frequently involved in political affairs, immediately inquired:
"I wonder what insightful opinion Minister Cao has?"

Cao Yong bowed respectfully to Liu E:
"Your Majesty, I would not call it a brilliant insight. I believe that the last time the Liao emperor personally led 500,000 men to attack the Western Xia, he suffered heavy losses. The Ganzhou Uyghurs fought the Western Xia to a standstill, and the Liao generals will surely return empty-handed."

"Therefore, I believe that the Great Song should secretly agree to send troops to help this time. This would not only win over the hearts of the Ganzhou Uyghurs, but also make Li Mingde of Western Xia hesitate to act rashly."

"What about the Liao Kingdom?"

Wang Zeng, during his time in the Liao Dynasty, was no less renowned than the Song Dynasty.

However, internally, it is still necessary to plan ahead, as he does not want to go to war.

The Song Dynasty also did not want to start a war.

Cao Liyong glanced at Wang Zeng and said slowly:
"Our Great Song Dynasty has no need to use the pretext of sending troops to help. We will go and do business with the Ganzhou Uyghurs, exchanging our Great Song's silk and other goods for warhorses, camels, and so on."

"The items are valuable, so it's perfectly normal to send troops to escort them!"

(End of this chapter)