Song Xiu

Chapter 136 The Three Essentials of Luoyang: Noble Power
Seeing Zhao Dexiu's puzzled expression, Wei Renpu explained:

"His Majesty is benevolent and has bestowed great favors upon the generals, which is enough to make them grateful."

However, having held power for so long, the generals always felt a lingering sense of resentment and unease when their military power was finally relinquished.

Zhao Dexiu nodded at Wei Renpu's words.

Wei Renpu did not believe that the generals would outwardly comply but inwardly defy him, and advised Zhao Dexiu not to show any mercy.

He was just stating the obvious.

In particular, regarding the rewards bestowed upon him in this life, Zhao Kuangyin, on Zhao Dexiu's advice, did not grant his generals large amounts of land.

The purpose of releasing military power ahead of schedule was to subsequently investigate and clear out the wasteland and nationalize it.

Given this political objective, it is impossible to grant the generals large tracts of land and tacitly allow them to annex land at will, as was done in history.

After Zhao Dexiu showed a serious expression, Wei Renpu continued:

"His Majesty and His Highness's act of releasing military power over a cup of wine serves as a model for chaotic times."

As a role model, one should strive for perfection.

"To facilitate Your Highness's control over the Imperial Guards, the departure of the generals from the capital is inevitable, but this is unnecessary for their sons."

Upon first hearing this, an ordinary person might assume that Wei Renpu was suggesting that Zhao Dexiu implement the "family members held hostage in the capital" system.

Whether the "family members held hostage in Beijing" system could be implemented depended on the strength of the centralized power.

The Song Dynasty at present is qualified to implement this system.

But Zhao Dexiu guessed another possibility.

"Does the teacher want me to recruit the sons of the generals?"

Zhao Dexiu's intelligence made Wei Renpu burst into laughter.

"Your Highness truly understands me!"

After laughing, Wei Renpu nodded and said:

"Most of the sons of the generals have grown up and are able to serve the country."

Furthermore, unlike their fathers, they held little prestige within the army and would not pose a threat to the Imperial Guards.

After explaining the safety of employing the sons of generals, Wei Renpu began to talk about the benefits of this measure.

"Your Highness is the Crown Prince, and the Prince's Palace is equivalent to the Eastern Palace."

According to the ritual system of the former Tang Dynasty, the Eastern Palace should have three guards: the Imperial Guard, the Merit Guard, and the Auxiliary Guard.

Most of the guards were sons of nobles and officials.

Your Highness's recruitment of sons of nobles and meritorious officials is in accordance with the established rites and cannot be criticized by the world.

In addition, His Highness is skilled in battle, a fact known throughout the court.

If Your Highness could take the sons of nobles under your wing and lead them to achieve military merits, how far away would power and position be?

The generals lost their military power, while their sons gained power and positions. This loss and gain is enough to console them.

Seeing that there are rising talents in the family who are capable of protecting the family, the generals will no longer feel resentful or uneasy.

Furthermore, if Your Highness could personally cultivate a powerful noble force, having such a force to protect you would be immensely beneficial to both Your Highness and the nation.

After Wei Renpu finished speaking, Zhao Dexiu clapped his hands and laughed.

"What it means to be a wise and experienced strategist for governing a country—I have seen it today! My teacher is truly my Zhang Liang!"

At this point, Wei Renpu had not yet explained where the phrase "the Khitan can be used" was meant, but Zhao Dexiu, who had thoroughly studied the historical records of the early Tang Dynasty, had already guessed the clue.

"If we want to make the establishment of the Imperial Guard a matter that benefits both the country and ourselves, then the selection of sons of nobles must not be taken lightly."

For the sons of noble families, whether they possess strategic skills is not the key to going to the battlefield in the future; the key is whether they are proficient in archery, horsemanship, and horsemanship.

Just like when Zhao Dexiu recruited Huyan Zan, if he wasn't good at riding and archery, how could he give Huyan Zan confidence?

Although the sons of noble families all come from military families, they are still second-generation, and each military family has different upbringing, so they are not necessarily all skilled in riding and archery.

Furthermore, there is a public selection process, so if some sons of high-ranking generals fail to become members of the Imperial Guard, it will not cause any trouble.

In chaotic times, ability is paramount. If you've been given the opportunity but are incompetent, who can you blame but yourself?

After figuring out all the key points, and recalling an incident that had been widely discussed in the court some time ago, Zhao Dexiu smiled and said:

"The Khitan delegation wants to compete with our dynasty in polo skills, so let them have their way."

They selected my guards under the pretext of "demonstrating national power!"

Polo was a popular form of entertainment in the Tang Dynasty court.

When Emperor Taizong of Tang heard that the Tibetans were good at polo, he ordered members of the royal family and the sons of nobles to learn this skill.

Emperor Taizong of Tang vigorously promoted polo, primarily because it was not for entertainment.

Polo skills can directly demonstrate a person's skill in riding and archery.

For this reason, whenever the Tibetans sent envoys to Chang'an, they would always take the initiative to propose a polo match with the Tang Dynasty.

Both teams' polo teams were composed of members of the royal family and sons of nobles.

The Tibetan envoy requested a polo match, primarily to observe the horsemanship and archery skills of the Tang dynasty nobles.

If those above set an example, those below will surely follow suit.

If the elite class were skilled in horsemanship and archery, then the Tang army's cavalry would not be too bad in terms of combat effectiveness.

After all, every son of a noble family could become a leading general in the Tang army in the future.

Thus, the polo match between the two countries has become a military test and diplomatic competition between the two great powers.

The Khitan delegation wanted to learn from the Tibetan Empire of yesteryear.

Coincidentally, the Song Dynasty also aspired to become the second Tang Dynasty!

This would both enhance national prestige and deter the Khitan's probing, and also allow for the selection of capable sons of noble families to further stabilize the domestic situation.

Why not do this?
Seeing that Zhao Dexiu's thinking was as sharp as ever, Wei Renpu stood up and bowed, saying:
"Your Highness is wise; I have no worries about my journey west!"

After leaving the Wei residence, Zhao Dexiu ordered his men to drive the carriage to Shi Shouxin's residence.

While in the carriage, Zhao Dexiu recalled the instructions she had just given to Wei Renpu.

Although he cannot go to Luoyang in the short term, Zhao Dexiu has a plan in mind for how Luoyang should develop in the future.

After Zhao Dexiu sent Wei Renpu to Luoyang, he had three major tasks to handle first:
The first task was to renovate the palaces, government offices, and residences in Luoyang.

Although Luoyang, the former capital of the Tang Dynasty, has suffered from war for a long time, its excellent urban planning layout is still intact.

Palaces, government offices, and residences suffered significant damage.

If the relocation of the capital is to proceed smoothly in the future, many buildings in Luoyang must first be restored to their normal size.

Li Jing's relocation of the capital to Nanchang drew widespread resentment within the Southern Tang Dynasty because he had failed to plan ahead, resulting in the cramped state of Hongzhou, where palaces, government offices, and military camps could not adequately accommodate the population.

It is said that Li Jing died of a stroke due to this incident.

As for the extensive renovation of the palaces, government offices, and military camps, a lot of timber would inevitably be needed, and Zhao Dexiu had already made a plan for this.

For many years, local separatist forces have been rampant, resulting in numerous illegal and unauthorized buildings. Rather than burning them down, it would be better to reclaim them.

The second task was to order someone skilled in water conservancy to conduct an on-site survey of the canals outside Luoyang.

Years of war not only damaged many buildings within Luoyang city, but also caused blockages in many canals outside Luoyang.

The Grand Canal was the lifeline for transporting grain from Jiangnan and the Central Plains to Luoyang.

If the canal is not thoroughly dredged first, a hasty move of the capital to Luoyang will inevitably cause domestic turmoil.

Given the current national strength of the Song Dynasty, it would be quite difficult to completely dredge the Luoyang Canal.

But we must proceed step by step. First, we must order officials to conduct thorough investigations and develop a plan.

As for the third matter: Zhao Dexiu ordered Wei Renpu to send more spies into the Northwest to investigate the details of the various ethnic groups in the Northwest.

Among the various ethnic groups in the Northwest, Zhao Dexiu was most concerned about the Dangxiang.

Containing and even defeating the Tangut forces is a key strategy for consolidating the northwestern border of the country.

In addition, dredging the canal requires a lot of manpower and resources.

The people of China had long suffered from war, and Zhao Dexiu could not bear to subject them to heavy corvée labor any longer.

As for the alien race
Being spared their lives is already an immense act of divine grace.

While Zhao Dexiu was pondering matters in Luoyang, his carriage had unknowingly arrived outside Shi Shouxin's residence.

In the main hall of the Shi family mansion, Shi Shouxin looked at the armor hanging in front of him with a reluctant expression.

The armor was stained with blood, a testament to Shi Shouxin's past hard work and great achievements. Servants inside the mansion were bustling about, organizing the mansion's supplies.

According to the newly issued imperial edict, Shi Shouxin will soon set off with his family to "guard" Yunzhou.

Nominally a garrison commander, but without any military power, he was essentially just a figurehead for retirement.

The thought of never being able to fight again made Shi Shouxin sigh deeply.

Despite his sighs, Shi Shouxin harbored little resentment.

Shi Shouxin knew that Zhao Kuangyin had already done more than enough to give them a way out and a lot of wealth.

As Shi Shouxin reminisced about the past, his eldest son, Shi Baoxing, hurriedly came up behind him:

"Father, His Highness the Prince of Jin has arrived!"

Upon hearing this, Shi Shouxin's face showed panic, and he immediately turned around and asked:
"Does the Prince of Jin have any troops with him?"

At that moment, Shi Shouxin thought that Zhao Kuangyin had changed his mind and wanted to eliminate the threat completely.

This reaction from Shi Shouxin is enough to show the lingering unease in his heart.

Sensing Shi Shouxin's panic, Shi Baoxing quickly replied:

"Only the Prince's personal guards were seen; the Imperial Guards were not."

Shi Baoxing's answer relieved Shi Shouxin.

If Zhao Dexiu came with sinister intentions, he would not have come without the Imperial Guards.

After feeling a little relieved, Shi Shouxin quickly said:

"Quickly come with me to greet them."

With hurried steps, Shi Shouxin soon brought Shi Baoxing to the outside of the mansion.

When Shi Shouxin arrived outside the mansion, he saw that Zhao Dexiu had already stepped down from the carriage and was quietly looking at the plaque of the Shi mansion.

Upon seeing Shi Shouxin and his son arrive, Zhao Dexiu was the first to bow:
"uncle."

Shi Shouxin never expected that Zhao Dexiu would still treat him with such courtesy after he had lost all his military power, which greatly moved Shi Shouxin.

Shi Shouxin led Shi Baoxing forward and bowed deeply to Zhao Dexiu before leading her into the mansion.

On the way to the main hall, Zhao Dexiu encountered many servants who were busy packing their bags.

Upon entering the main hall, Zhao Dexiu saw the armor that had not been put away.

Upon noticing where Zhao Dexiu's gaze was directed, Shi Shouxin sensed something was wrong.

Shi Shouxin called out to Shi Baoxing repeatedly, urging him to quickly put away the armor.

Shi Shouxin was worried that Zhao Dexiu might misunderstand and think that he was very attached to military power.

Urged on by Shi Shouxin, Shi Baoxing was about to step forward to remove his armor, but was stopped by Zhao Dexiu:
"It doesn't matter."

After speaking, Zhao Dexiu sat down with ease, just as she had when she was a child playing at the Shi family mansion.

Seeing that Zhao Dexiu's complexion was still good, Shi Shouxin sat down slowly with a nervous heart, and Shi Baoxing accompanied him.

After sitting down, Shi Shouxin began to explain:

"I will be heading to Yunzhou with my family in two days at most."

This statement was Shi Shouxin's assurance, and there was a hint of probing in his tone.

Shi Shouxin's reaction made Zhao Dexiu sigh inwardly.

Recalling the day after the Chenqiao Mutiny, he recalled his close interaction with Shi Shouxin when he returned to the city.

Now look at how cautious we are.

Among all the generals, Shi Shouxin had the closest relationship with the Zhao family. If even Shi Shouxin behaved this way, how much more so would the other generals?
No wonder that in history, Zhao Kuangyin rewarded his generals with vast amounts of land without batting an eye.

Fortunately, I have him in this life.

Meeting Shi Shouxin's probing gaze, Zhao Dexiu spoke:
"I would like to ask my uncle to stay for a while longer."

Shi Shouxin was greatly surprised by Zhao Dexiu's words.

To prevent Shi Shouxin from overthinking, Zhao Dexiu revealed his intention:
"The Khitan delegation, relying on their expertise in horsemanship and archery, wanted to challenge our dynasty in the art of polo."

I need Baoxing's help.

As she spoke, Zhao Dexiu turned her gaze to Shi Baoxing.

Shi Baoxing was about the same age as Zhao Dexiu, but he was tall and strong, much like Shi Shouxin.

As soon as Zhao Dexiu finished speaking, Shi Shouxin fell into deep thought, while Shi Baoxing looked astonished.

Zhao Dexiu and Shi Baoxing grew up together and had a very good relationship.

After the establishment of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Dexiu was busy with war and rarely had the chance to meet with Shi Baoxing.

However, given their deep past friendship, talking about many things won't lead people to misunderstand.

While Shi Shouxin was deep in thought, Zhao Dexiu continued:

"The Khitans harbor wolfish ambitions, and this matter concerns the prestige of our nation."

If Baoxing can assist the court, he will be credited after the matter is settled.

With this merit, I can bring Baoxing into the Prince's Guard.

Xunwei is a key member of the Divine Martial Army and will be the one who fights alongside me in the future.

I hope my uncle can help me!

After hearing Zhao Dexiu's words, Shi Shouxin was greatly moved.

Having won several major victories, Zhao Dexiu helped many people establish military merits.

In chaotic times, military merit is the foundation for survival.

If Shi Baoxing can become a guard of the Prince of Jin's mansion, unless he is truly hopeless, what difficulty will there be in making achievements in the future?
After figuring everything out, Shi Shouxin looked at Zhao Dexiu with gratitude in his eyes.

"Your Highness."

Why does Shi Shouxin still feel uneasy and resentful?
Shi Shouxin knew that no matter how much wealth one had, without the protection of power and position, it was ultimately just a castle in the air.

Seeing that Shi Shouxin was about to sob, Zhao Dexiu quickly reached out and stopped him.

"The matter of competing with the Khitan is of great importance to the prestige of the nation."

If Baoxing is not good at riding and archery, it would be useless for me to help him.

Furthermore, if Baoxing attempts to pass himself off as an inferior player, thereby causing a loss of national prestige, I will certainly not let him off lightly.

Zhao Dexiu ostensibly spoke of competition, but in reality he was referring to the rules of the battlefield.

On the battlefield, the most feared are incompetent people who harm both themselves and others.

How could Shi Shouxin, who had fought his way up from the battlefield, not know the reasoning that Zhao Dexiu was talking about?
"Your Highness, don't worry!"

After giving the first instruction, Zhao Dexiu revealed her second purpose for coming:

"Polo is best played with a dozen or so players."

I hope my uncle can go to the other uncles' homes to persuade them as well.

No matter how close the relationship was between the Zhao family and Murong Yanzhao, Wang Shenqi and others before, after the "releasing military power over a cup of wine" incident, there was bound to be some discord, just like Shi Shouxin's behavior today.

The best way to persuade the generals in a short time is to have one of them, who is also a party whose interests are harmed, go to them.

As they were speaking, Zhao Dexiu stood up and bowed to Shi Shouxin.

This invitation and bow reminded Shi Shouxin of the scene on the city wall that day.

On that day, Zhao Dexiu wanted to capture Wei Renpu; today, Zhao Dexiu wants to capture the hearts of all the generals.

Zhao Dexiu's bow caused Shi Shouxin to rise and avoid it.
"I will go, I will go."

Upon hearing Shi Shouxin's assurance, Zhao Dexiu smiled.

Before leaving, Zhao Dexiu pointed to the armor in the hall and laughed:
"The armor is so majestic, how can we abandon it?"

Leave it to Baoxing.

After speaking, Zhao Dexiu disappeared from the hall.

After Zhao Dexiu left, Shi Shouxin looked at Shi Baoxing, who was still in a daze, and angrily kicked him, saying:

"Get on your horse and show it to me!"

(End of this chapter)