Song Dynasty: Yuan Dynasty, you didn't expect this, did you? I'm still alive.

When Zhao Yu's entourage entered Indian territory, the route was already packed with people.

Officials from the Indian Governor's Office and merchants from the Western Chamber of Commerce, dressed in neat attire, stood solemnly along the road, their faces full of respect, and shouted in unison, "Welcome Your Majesty's arrival!" Their voices resounded through the sky and stretched for miles.

Eastern Song Dynasty dragon flags hang on both sides of the road, and colorful silks flutter in the wind, complementing the local saris and garlands, creating an atmosphere that is both majestic and imbued with the exotic charm of India.

The Governor-General of India at this time was no longer Louis, but Shen Juanzhou, a Confucian scholar.

He was dressed in the official robes of the Song Dynasty, with a lean face, calm eyes, and a tall and straight posture like a pine tree. He exuded the elegance and restraint unique to Confucian scholars, yet also possessed a touch of the shrewdness and sharpness of someone who had been in officialdom for a long time.

Even though Louis was extremely politically astute, in the past, after each victory in battle and the acquisition of spoils, he would always smooth things over with all parties involved.

However, this was the reality of the Song Dynasty. The examples of military rebellions and regional separatism during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period were still fresh in people's minds. The civil officials of the Eastern Song Dynasty would never allow any military man to have the opportunity to rebel.

Whether or not they rebel is not important; what is important is whether they have the ability to rebel.

At this time, the situation in India was stabilizing, and the Kargil family outside the Kapur Pass had already submitted, so there was no need for a large-scale war in the short term.

Therefore, in the third year of Xingwei, the court officials unanimously passed a resolution to transfer Louis to the position of Deputy Privy Councilor—ostensibly a promotion, but in reality, it stripped him of his military power, which was neither unfair nor a complete elimination of potential threats.

The president of the Western Chamber of Commerce is Bai Yuan.

He was not born into a wealthy merchant family, but he was skilled in divination and passed the provincial examination, but failed to become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) on several occasions.

Logically speaking, as a scholar who passed the imperial examination, he could have been appointed to a post in the Ministry of Works or the Ministry of Revenue. However, unlike other candidates, who often used their waiting time to study Taoist philosophy and the art of investigating things, he devoted himself to the study of humanities and Taoism, especially economics.

Economics emphasizes practical application and cannot be achieved by working in isolation.

So Bai Yuan resolutely came to India. With his unique understanding of economics, he accurately grasped the pulse of Indian commerce and was eventually elected as the president by many members of the Western Chamber of Commerce.

As it turned out, under Bai Yuan's management, the Western Chamber of Commerce's exploitation of India reached an unprecedented peak—he abandoned the previous standard of "moderate exploitation to avoid rebellion" and instead chose to increase the intensity of exploitation, even allowing Indians to rebel.

In his view, the deal was worthwhile as long as the cost of suppressing the rebellion was less than the extra profits gained from the exploitation.

Shen Juanzhou was completely different from Wei Zuowang.

Amidst the fierce struggle between Confucianism and Taoism in the imperial court, most of the Confucian scholars who survived were driven by a sense of mission to preserve the teachings of the sages and uphold the orthodoxy of Confucianism.

He knew that the reason why Confucianism was able to survive in the chaotic world of the Warring States and the various monarchs with their own preferences was that it recruited many disciples, accumulated strength, and silently persevered by relying on its numerical advantage, eventually becoming the orthodox school.

Therefore, after Shen Juanzhou took office, he vigorously promoted Confucian education in India, built academies, sent Confucian scholars to teach, and at the same time severely suppressed local religious forces.

While this move angered the Brahmin class, who controlled the upper echelons of power in India, it also gave hope to the lower classes who were deeply oppressed by religion, easing tensions between them and the governor's office.

Under the joint rule of these two, India can hardly be described as thriving, but it is at least in dire straits.

The Song people enjoyed a life of luxury and prosperity, while the local Indians struggled under the weight of oppression and indoctrination.

Zhao Yu's first impression upon entering India could be summed up in four words: "So many people!"

Looking around, the streets and alleys were crowded with Indians dressed in various colors of saris and headscarves, shoulder to shoulder, with a cacophony of voices. Even the roadside markets were packed with people, which was in stark contrast to the desolation of the Khmer Empire.

Zhao Yu stopped and turned to look at Shen Juanzhou beside him, asking casually, "How many Song people are there in India?"

Shen Juanzhou stepped forward, bowed, and said in a respectful and steady tone: "Your Majesty, there are a total of one million Song people in India."

"How are my people living here?" Zhao Yu nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the Song people dressed in Song Dynasty attire in the distance, his eyes filled with a casual concern.

Shen Juanzhou quickly prepared a speech in his mind and replied clearly, "Among them, 100,000 people enjoy extremely good treatment. Most of them are high-ranking officials, military officers, and core soldiers, as well as large merchants, agents of licensed merchants, and Taoist priests and masters of divination who are responsible for technology transfer. These people live in luxurious mansions or estates with complete servants, have private doctors, private carriages, and private tutors, and enjoy a life of luxury with no worries about food and clothing."

"Another 400,000 people are well-paid, including lower and middle-ranking officials, college teachers, doctors, engineers, ordinary officers and soldiers, constables, as well as small and medium-sized farm owners and plantation owners. They all have stable and generous salaries, enough to employ several local servants, and live a wealthy and stable life."

"The remaining 500,000 people are treated relatively well. Most of them are ordinary workers and their families. Although they are not rich or powerful, they can live and work in peace and contentment and have no worries about food and clothing."

Bai Yuan, who was standing to the side, was dumbfounded. He subconsciously opened his eyes wide and turned to look at Shen Juanzhou, his heart full of surprise: Shen Juanzhou was clearly a Confucian scholar who had studied the Four Books and Five Classics since childhood. How could he use such a precise quantitative statistical method that was biased towards the investigation of things in Taoism?

This is not a typical tactic of Confucian scholars.

Shen Juanzhou caught a glimpse of Bai Yuan's surprised expression out of the corner of his eye, and a sense of pride welled up in his heart, but he still maintained a calm and respectful demeanor on his face.

Know yourself and the enemy, a hundred battles will never end.

If he does not gain a deep understanding of the way of doing things and research methods of Taoism, how can he overthrow Taoism and uphold the orthodoxy of Confucianism in the future Confucian-Taoist debate in the court?

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yu's lips curled into a smile, his tone tinged with mockery: "I understand. My subjects here are only treated in three levels: extremely well, very well, and relatively well, right? So, there isn't a single one who's doing poorly?"

Shen Juanzhou straightened his expression and bowed, replying, "The duty of the Governor-General's Office is to educate the people and protect the Song people on behalf of the Emperor. If any Song people live in misery under my rule, then we have failed in our duty and deserve to die."

Zhao Yu felt a surge of joy in his heart, thinking to himself: "Indeed, under my rule, the Song Dynasty is thriving, both in its homeland and overseas territories. My people are all living in peace and contentment. This is what a wise ruler should be like!"

He then turned to Shen Juanzhou and asked curiously, "How many of them are local Indians?"

Shen Juanzhou pondered for a moment, then replied, "About ninety million."

"How much?" Zhao Yu raised an eyebrow suddenly, the smile on her face instantly vanished, and her tone was full of surprise, as if she hadn't heard clearly, and she asked again.

Shen Juanzhou bowed again, his tone respectful and certain: "Your Majesty, there are approximately ninety million native Indians."

"Good heavens, these Indians are more prolific than rabbits!" Zhao Yu couldn't help but exclaim, his eyes filled with astonishment.

He recalled that Australia originally had no rabbits, but later, when the Zoo was built, various breeds of rabbits were introduced from overseas. Those small animals were the most fertile species he had ever seen, and in just a few years, they multiplied and became ubiquitous.

He stroked his chin and muttered to himself, "It's so good to have so many people, so good to have so many people."

In his view, a large population means sufficient labor, sufficient room for exploitation, and sufficient manpower, which is simply a great thing.

Subsequently, Zhao Yu, accompanied by Shen Juanzhou, began his tour of India.

He walked through the bustling Song Dynasty residential area, visited the lively local market, toured the Western merchants' trading company, and also appreciated the unique temple architecture and local customs of India, his expression full of amusement and curiosity.

As night fell, the Governor-General's Palace of India was brightly lit, and a sumptuous dinner, already prepared for Zhao Yu, was laid out on the table.

The gold and silver tableware gleamed, and the table was filled with both delicacies characteristic of the Song Dynasty and local Indian cuisine, all exuding a rich aroma.

Zhao Yu glanced lightly at the table, his gaze lingering on the various dishes for a moment, before suddenly turning to Shen Juanzhou and asking with a half-smile, "I don't eat beef?"

Shen Juanzhou was taken aback and wondered to himself: Why does His Majesty ask me whether he eats beef?

But he was observant and quickly scanned the table, instantly noticing that there was indeed no beef on it, and immediately understood.

He quickly bowed and begged for forgiveness: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. In Hindu scriptures and mythology, cows are given a high status. Bulls are the mount of Shiva, the god of destruction, while cows are regarded as symbols of fertility and motherhood, representing abundance, purity, and compassion. The people here are mostly Hindu, and beef is extremely scarce and almost impossible to buy, so I was unable to prepare it for Your Majesty."

"I see." Zhao Yu nodded thoughtfully, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. Suddenly remembering the Buddhist palace he had built in Siam, he continued, "I've heard that Buddhism also originated in India. What are the differences between Hinduism and Buddhism?"

Such profound religious questions would not have been answered by ordinary people in the Song Dynasty.

But coincidentally, Shen Juanzhou had thoroughly studied the doctrines and systems of Buddhism and Hinduism in order to promote Confucianism and suppress local religions in India, and was very familiar with the differences between the two.

Shen Juanzhou calmly replied, "Your Majesty, Hinduism is a polytheistic religion. Believers acknowledge the supreme being of the universe, Brahman, and worship many other deities such as Vishnu and Shiva. They believe that believers can attain liberation through worshipping deities and practicing the doctrines."

"Buddhism is different. Buddhism does not recognize the existence of a creator god. The Buddha is not a deity, but an enlightened being. Buddhism emphasizes 'dependent origination and emptiness,' believing that people can attain liberation without relying on divine protection, but only on their own practice and enlightenment."

Zhao Yu nodded, a knowing look on his face, and casually said, "It seems that Hinduism is simpler after all."

A hint of admiration flashed in Shen Juanzhou's eyes as he bowed and praised, "Your Majesty has a discerning eye! Hinduism only requires believers to sincerely worship gods in order to obtain spiritual comfort and hope for liberation; while Buddhism requires believers to practice asceticism and restrain their desires. In comparison, Hinduism is naturally simpler and easier to practice, which is why Buddhism has gradually declined in India while Hinduism has flourished."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yu felt a sense of amusement and curiously asked, "If I were to want to eat beef, would Hinduism compromise, or would I concede?"

Shen Juanzhou smiled bitterly to himself, but maintained a respectful expression: This official is indeed difficult to serve; he can even ask such a difficult question.

But he dared not hesitate for a moment and quickly replied, "Naturally, it is Hinduism that has compromised. Your Majesty is the supreme Khan of Heaven and Earth, the most exalted being in the universe. How could mere heretical doctrines dare to contradict Your Majesty's wishes?"

"Oh?" Shen Juanzhou's answer surprised Zhao Yu. He raised an eyebrow and said with a half-smile, "I thought you would advise me to treat the local people well and respect their customs."

Shen Juanzhou straightened his expression and said firmly, "Your Majesty, those people are not taught by sages, do not know shame or etiquette, have no ruler or father, and do not respect the king's rule. How can they be considered commoners? Their customs and doctrines do not need Your Majesty to make special concessions."

After saying that, Shen Juanzhou was about to turn around and arrange for someone to find beef, but Zhao Yu raised his hand to stop him.

"Never mind, I don't eat beef." Zhao Yu waved his hand, his tone somewhat bored.

Australia has a well-developed livestock industry, and beef has long been a common dish on his table; he's long been tired of it.

He brought it up just now only to deliberately make things difficult for Shen Juanzhou and see how this Confucian scholar would respond.

Unexpectedly, Shen Juanzhou's cooperation and lack of objection made him lose interest in making things difficult for him.