The Song Dynasty on the Sand Table

Chapter 539 They're still in the old world
The sunlight was blinding in the early morning.

Yue Wenxuan got out of bed, stood at the edge of the sand table, and looked down into it.

Everything in the sand table was proceeding according to his plan.

Gong Erniangzi is leading a large army and protecting a group of laborers as she maintains a brand new city on the southern edge of the grassland. This city is built on the Jinlianchuan Grassland and named "Shangdu".

Of course, this is only what Yue Wenxuan can see. In places that he cannot see on his sand table, there are several other cities under the protection of several generals of the Song Dynasty, which are being built in an orderly manner.

This blatant invasion enraged the Mongols.

Several Mongol tribes sent troops to harass and try to stop the Song Dynasty from building cities, but as soon as the muskets fired, the Mongols could only flee in disarray, powerless to stop the construction of these cities.

Right under their noses, the Song people enclosed the foundation of a small city with a two-meter-high low wall, first setting up some simple tents as houses in the city, and then hanging up a sign: "Mutual Market!"

The Song people forgave the Mongols for their previous raids, since they had not lost a single soldier, while the Mongols had suffered many casualties from firearms. It was easy for them to forgive the Mongols!

After forgiving them, they were welcome to shop in the capital city.

Han Chinese goods were extremely attractive to the Mongols.

Salt, tea, iron, and cloth are all necessities for the Mongols, but they are unable to produce them themselves.

Once the trade market opened, the Mongols, who had previously been clamoring for war, risked being surrounded and killed by the Han people in the city, and cautiously led their cattle and sheep over...

They soon discovered that the Han people were genuinely interested in doing business with them and had not slaughtered them in the city. Their cattle and sheep were quickly transformed into iron pots, salt, tea, and cloth.

The Mongolians happily carried these goods back home, and then word spread quickly, leading to a large number of Mongolian herders driving their cattle and sheep to Shangdu to exchange goods with the Han people.

After the Han people received a large number of cattle and sheep, they began to recruit workers from the Mongols, citing a shortage of manpower and inability to handle the workload. The jobs were numerous, including but not limited to sheep shearing, slaughtering, making cowhide products, cow horn products, beef jerky, sheepskin processing, and mutton jerky.

The wages offered by the Han people were very generous.

The Mongols weren't stupid. They sat down and did the math. If they worked for the Han people and received a few strings of cash each month, their annual income would be as high as several dozen strings of cash. This was much more comfortable than raising cattle and sheep and wandering around the grasslands.

Many of the pioneering Mongolians abandoned their nomadic lifestyle and settled in Shangdu, becoming professional workers.

Just at this time……

A message reached the Song Dynasty court.

Something's starting to go wrong in the Dali Kingdom.

It turns out that during the years that Yue Wenxuan was dealing with the Jin Kingdom, the Dali Kingdom was always ruled by Duan Heyu. Duan Heyu was a typical pro-Song figure who was very friendly to the Song Dynasty during his reign, and could even be described as obsequious.

However, Duan Heyu is getting old! He is no longer able to subdue the various forces within the country.

When the Song Dynasty destroyed the Jin Dynasty, Yue Wenxuan uttered the words that he would sweep away all directions. After this was spread, some ambitious people in Dali took advantage of this and began to stir, wanting to overthrow the rule of the pro-Song faction.

The aging and frail Duan Heyu felt powerless in the face of the overwhelming opposition, so he announced his abdication and became a monk, passing the throne to Duan Zhengxing.

Yue Wenxuan saw this scene from outside the sand table and wanted to go in and say something, but then he thought: Dali is just a small country. The current Song Dynasty can deal with Dali without breaking a sweat. I shouldn't bother with it and let's see how the newly established Song Dynasty handles this matter.

If he doesn't step in, the Song Dynasty will have to solve this problem itself.

Soon, the Council of Regents convened again, with all twenty-two regents gathered together.

As usual, the young emperor Zhao Bocong served as the mascot to preside over the event, while the thirty-two eunuchs presided over the proceedings, and Yue Wenxuan watched the entire process from outside the sand table.

The two regents from the Jin Dynasty hid in a corner, looking like they were there to learn, and their cautious manner was quite endearing.

The thirty-second eunuch first introduced the situation of the Dali Kingdom, and then allowed the regents to speak freely...

Zhang Yong: "We just destroyed the Jin Dynasty and are expanding into the grasslands. Dali is making trouble now because they think we can't deal with them. Pshaw! They're a tiny country. We don't need a large army to deal with Dali. A small force will suffice. It won't put any financial pressure on us. I'll vote to send troops to subdue Dali."

Li Gang: "I also support sending troops to subdue them, but how to manage them afterward is a problem. I suggest adopting the concept of 'autonomous region' proposed by Yue Fei to manage Dali."

"The autonomous region is too troublesome. Why not just kill off the entire Dali royal family and have our people govern it?"

“The Dali Kingdom has many Yi ethnic groups, and it would be easy for internal strife to be caused by using our people to govern it.” Lu Zai: “I vote for the Autonomous Region.”

"Seconded!"

"Seconded!"

In the blink of an eye, out of the twenty-two ministers, ten voted in favor of an "autonomous region" and ten voted in favor of "the imperial court sending someone to govern it."

It's a tie!
Now, everyone's attention fell on the last two Jurchens who had not yet voted.

Wanyan Zongjun and Wanyan Zongpan both felt immense pressure.

The two were newcomers and really didn't want to become the center of attention or get involved in important national policies, fearing they might make a mistake and be killed.

But now everyone is watching them, what can the two of them do?
Wanyan Zongjun asked cautiously, "How do you want us to vote?"

Wanyan Zongpan also asked cautiously, "I will vote for whatever you tell me to vote for."

The two of them had just finished speaking.

The ten regents said, "Of course we want you to join the autonomous region."

The other ten regents said, "Of course we want you to submit to the court and send someone to manage it."

"Ahhh!" Wanyan Zongjun and Wanyan Zongpan cried out in agony, "You can't do this!"

Gong Erniangzi: "Speak boldly, don't be afraid."

Wanyan Zongjun and Wanyan Zongpan thought to themselves: How could we not be afraid? If we say the wrong thing, you will definitely kill us.

The two were trembling with fear... saying that the autonomous region would offend ten regents.

It is said that even if the imperial court sends someone, it will offend ten regents.

This is how to do?
Oh no, oh no, I never imagined the Song Dynasty had dug this pit for me. I'm doomed today.

The two exchanged a glance, and then almost simultaneously, Wanyan Zongjun said, "I'll defect to the autonomous region."

Wanyan Zongpan said, "I will ask the court to send someone to manage this."

Thus, the votes were tied again, 11 to 11.

Everyone rolled their eyes at the two men surnamed Wanyan, wanting to complain, but for some reason they could understand why they did what they did.

“They’re still stuck in the old system and need time to adapt.” Yue Wenxuan suddenly emerged from outside the hall, smiling as he said, “I’ll vote for the autonomous region.”

12 votes to 11, the autonomous region wins!
-
Summer of 1139 AD.

The Song Dynasty began fighting on two fronts, with its main army in the north protecting the laborers as they continued to advance into the grasslands.

Another small contingent was sent to Dali.

This small force was led by Xiao Yuanshan, a Khitan, who also brought his son Xiao Feng along. Their slogan was "to help the Dali Kingdom restore order."

Duan Yu's title of king was conferred by the Song Dynasty, so the Song Dynasty had the right to intervene in the change of power in the Dali Kingdom. Therefore, the reason for sending troops this time was perfectly legitimate and there was nothing wrong with it.

The anti-Song faction in the Dali Kingdom attempted to use the terrain to resist...

However, it was all in vain. Xiao Yuanshan pulled out a bunch of small black balls and blasted them all the way through, quickly subjugating the Dali Kingdom.

The Dali Kingdom was incorporated into the Song Dynasty and became an autonomous region for the Yi ethnic group. Duan Heyu, who had become a monk, was invited back to serve as the governor of the autonomous region.

To help Duan Heyu suppress those who opposed him, Xiao Yuanshan's son, Xiao Feng, led an army and stationed it in the Dali Kingdom for an extended period. Duan Heyu and Xiao Feng spent much time together and developed a deep friendship. This event is recorded in detail in another novel, but this book will omit it by a hundred million words.
-
"Hello!" Mom's voice came through the phone.

As soon as Yue Wenxuan answered the phone, his mother yelled at him: "How many years have you been playing the social media game at home? Why haven't you given me a grandson yet?"

Yue Wenxuan: "We live in a new society now, and young people don't necessarily have to get married."

Mom: "Who cares if you get married or not? I want a grandson. You can steal, rob, have a surrogate, or have IVF, just give me a grandson and I won't bother you anymore."

Yue Wenxuan: "Hey Mom, are you thinking this modernly?"

Mom: "What else can I do but be trendy? I know young people don't like getting married, so I have to be trendy and accept all sorts of grandsons of dubious origin."

Yue Wenxuan feels a lot of pressure! His mother is also going astray, what strange things she's saying?
He had just hung up the phone when it started ringing again.

He yelled as soon as the call connected, "Hey, that's enough! Let me be frank, I have erectile dysfunction, I can't have children."

The voice of my old classmate Wenjie came from the other end of the phone: "Oh? I can't pretend I didn't hear that. I have to post this in our high school classmate group right away."

"This..." Yue Wenxuan was a little embarrassed: "I made a mistake, I made a mistake, my dear Jie-ge, I didn't know it was your call, I thought it was my mom urging me to get married, I just said it offhand, please don't send it to the high school classmates group."

"I don't believe it!" Wenjie chuckled. "You clearly let it slip and are now making excuses to cover it up. I have a wide network of connections. Your high school classmates will all know about your erectile dysfunction soon, followed by your middle school and elementary school classmates... The only exception is that we're not in the same university, so I can't help you spread the word, but I'll try my best to contact your university classmates."

Yue Wenxuan: "Hey! Don't go after me for the slightest thing. What do you want from me to let me go?"

Wenjie: "Prove it to me."

Yue Wenxuan: "How do you prove it?"

Wenjie: "There is only one way for a man to prove his sexual prowess to a woman."

Yue Wenxuan: "Hey, Jie-ge, stop playing with fire! Have you been flirting with me lately? As a single young man, I have a lot of yang energy. My mom is urging me to give her a grandson. If you flirt with me at this time, you're just asking for trouble. Don't come crying to me later and calling me a beast."

Wenjie: "I'm all clean and ready for you, come on! Show me what a beast you are."

"Okay, just wait!"

Yue Wenxuan turned to look at the sand table...

Over the years, Wenjie had been subtly hinting and flirting with him, but the two had never taken that step. Yue Wenxuan felt that he shouldn't get married; once he was married and there was someone else in the family, he wouldn't be able to keep an eye on the sand table every day. He could only glance at it when his wife was at work or asleep.

But now the Jin dynasty has surrendered, most of the land has been pacified, and the new political system is progressing smoothly. Everything is going well. Even if I don't intervene in the future, the Song dynasty can still make rapid progress based on its current foundation.

Yue Wenxuan no longer needs to stare at the Song Dynasty model for extended periods; he can just come back and take a look occasionally when he has free time.

Maybe……

It's time to end this "Age of Empires" game and grab our real lives.
I feel a little sad, but that's just how strange humans are.

Starting a new life often doesn't require a complicated reason.

Maybe one day you'll be sitting on the shore of Kalimdor fishing, full of enthusiasm one second, and then suddenly feel that maybe it's time to try a different game.

Or perhaps one day, you're in Alterac Valley attacking the enemy's castle with thirty-nine friends, and suddenly you want to go on a trip.

And then, the new life began so naturally.

Yue Wenxuan pulled over a black cloth and slapped it over the sand table. He then locked the study door, quickly took a shower, brushed his teeth, went into the bedroom, changed into clean clothes, and went downstairs to the small supermarket to buy a box of ultra-thin, non-sticky...

He then hailed another yellow Ferrari and sped off towards Wenjie's home.

(End of the book)

(End of this chapter)