I'll steal Gao Qiu's life and lead the Song Dynasty to prosperity.

Two days later, at the beginning of the 9:00 AM, in the rear pavilion of the Chuigong Hall.

This place is much quieter than the main hall where I was summoned on the previous two occasions.

Zhao Xu looked slightly better today than the previous two days. He was wearing an ochre-yellow casual outfit with a thin bright yellow vest over it.

He leaned against a soft couch covered with brocade, with a hidden pouch behind his back. In front of him was a small sandalwood table with several memorials scattered on it.

It was a petition in which Wang Shan, Wang Min, Sun Lu, and others attacked each other.

Guided by the eunuch, Zhao Mingcheng bowed and entered the palace. He stopped a few steps in front of the imperial bed and paid his respects with great ceremony.

"Zhao Mingcheng, a student of the Imperial Academy, kowtows to Your Majesty and respectfully wishes you good health."

"Rise, please take a seat." Zhao Xu's voice still carried the weakness of illness, but it was stronger than the day before. He raised his hand and pointed to an embroidered stool that had been set up not far from the bed.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Zhao Mingcheng stood up, but did not sit down immediately. Instead, he bowed again.

"Your Majesty is ill, yet you still worry about the affairs of the country. Your students are deeply moved and earnestly request Your Majesty to take good care of your health."

Zhao Xu smiled faintly and waved his hand.

"Please sit down. My health is a chronic condition, and I can't rush things. As for you, Zhao Mingcheng, how are your studies at the Imperial Academy going? Are you settling in well at the Prince Duan's residence?"

"Your Majesty, the Imperial Academy's courses are strictly supervised by the Doctors, and the students dare not slack off in the slightest. Furthermore, thanks to His Highness Prince Duan's continued favor, I am still summoned from time to time to either organize old books or engage in brief conversations. I dare not claim to be of any help, but only hope not to disturb Your Highness's refined enjoyment."

As Zhao Mingcheng spoke, he carefully sat halfway on the embroidered stool, keeping his back straight.

"Hmm," Zhao Xu nodded, his gaze lingering on Zhao Mingcheng's clear and calm face for a moment before speaking again.

"I have heard about the theft at Prince Duan's residence last time. You assisted the Prince's residence in reporting the theft to the authorities and apprehending the thief, and you handled the matter quite appropriately."

"Your Majesty flatters me; I am unworthy of such praise." Zhao Mingcheng quickly bowed. "This is all thanks to the impartial handling of the matter by the officials of the Prince's Palace and the Kaifeng Prefecture. I have only done my humble duty by conveying the information. Thanks to Your Majesty's great fortune and the clear manifestation of justice, the wicked have been brought to justice."

After a few pleasantries, the atmosphere eased slightly.

Looking at the composed and well-mannered young man before him, Zhao Xu seemed to understand why his father, Zhao Ji, valued him so highly.

This guy is really comfortable to be around.

Having answered the questions correctly the first two times, Zhao Mingcheng had already left Zhao Xu with the impression that he was pragmatic, reasonable, and responsible.

Today, in this relatively private inner chamber, perhaps we can hear some different perspectives.

"I summoned you here today for no other reason than this." Zhao Xu suppressed the faint smile on his face, tapped the memorial on the small table in front of him lightly with his fingers, and his tone turned serious.

"Northwest, Qinghai Province."

Zhao Mingcheng felt a chill run down his spine, and his expression became even more respectful as he adopted a posture of listening intently.

"Not long ago, good news came that Wang Shan had captured Qing Tang and made great contributions to expanding the territory. I am very pleased," Zhao Xu said slowly, but his brows furrowed slightly.

"However, not long after the good news arrived, infighting broke out. Wang Min impeached Wang Shan for being greedy for merit and tyrannical, but Sun Lu sided with Wang Min and stripped Wang Shan of his military power. Wang Shan was dissatisfied and cried out for justice. The reports from all sides attacked each other, and the truth could not be discerned. I... am quite troubled."

Zhao Xu paused, then looked at Zhao Mingcheng.

"I vividly remember the articles you wrote. Chancellor Zhang believes that Wang Shanshou deserves the most credit and should be fully supported; the rest can be set aside for now. What do you think we should do?"

Zhao Mingcheng's mind raced.

Historically, the Song army gained control of Qinghai and lost it again for many reasons, such as problems with food supplies and morale among the troops.

However, Wang Shan's "great looting" and "massacre" after entering the city, as well as his reputation among the Tibetans for "deep resentment," were definitely one of the key reasons that led to the uprisings and ultimately prevented the Song army from gaining a foothold.

Zhang Dun's approach of "emphasizing merit over demerit" might have stabilized Wang Shan in the short term, but in the long run, it sowed the seeds of greater disaster.

Zhao Mingcheng paused for a moment, organized his thoughts, and then cupped his hands in greeting.

"Your Majesty, Prime Minister Zhang is a wise and experienced strategist. His statement that 'expanding the borders and advancing the country is the most important task' is indeed a profound truth. General Wang Shan fought valiantly and recaptured Qinghai. This is an unparalleled achievement, and the court should reward him handsomely to encourage future generations."

Zhao Mingcheng first affirmed the "merits" of Zhang Dun and Wang Shan, which was politically correct and served as the basis for the conversation.

Then, he changed the subject.

"However, in my humble opinion, it is easy to conquer a city, but difficult to defend it; it is easy to expand the border, but difficult to stabilize it."

Now that Qing Tang has fallen, the most urgent task is probably not to continue the advance, but to consolidate this hard-won victory and truly transform it into the territory of our Great Song Dynasty, rather than a burden that requires constant investment of troops and resources and is always at risk of reversal.

Therefore, the students believed that expanding and stabilizing edges should be done in parallel, and that stabilizing edges should even take precedence over expanding edges.

"Is stabilizing the borders more important than expanding them?"

Zhao Xu repeated it softly, a thoughtful look in his eyes, "Continue."

Zhao Mingcheng, having received permission, continued.

"General Wang Min's impeachment of General Wang Shan, regardless of whether it was true or false, all pointed to one thing: military discipline and the people's hearts."

Although the students have not personally visited Qinghai, they have read history and know that in newly annexed border areas, the people's hearts are yearning for change, like piled-up firewood, which, if not handled carefully, can start a prairie fire.

If General Wang Shan were to allow his troops to plunder, be greedy for merit, or act cruelly, regardless of the reason, it would give others ammunition to escalate tensions, causing the newly subjugated people to grow resentful out of fear of his power, and from resentment to rebellion. At that time, not only would Qinghai be difficult to defend, but it might also jeopardize the overall situation in the Hehuang region.

Zhao Mingcheng's words pointed out the connection between Wang Shan's personal behavior and the overall stability, elevating the moral accusation of "greed for merit and tyranny" to the strategic level of "endangering the results of the war," making it easier to attract the emperor's attention.

Zhao Xu nodded slightly.

"Your concerns are not without merit. So how should we stabilize the border? Wang Shan has indeed rendered meritorious service, and the court cannot afford to cripple him; but the reports submitted by Wang Min and Sun Lu are not unfounded either. We are caught in a dilemma. How can we resolve this?"

Zhao Mingcheng gathered his thoughts and spoke slowly.

"In my humble opinion, the key to stabilizing the border lies in two points: first, using barbarians to control barbarians, and second, ensuring the supply of food and provisions."

"Oh?" Zhao Xu leaned forward slightly, showing interest. "Tell me in detail."

"Let's start with using barbarian tribes to control barbarians," Zhao Mingcheng said.

"In the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, various Tibetan tribes live together with different customs. They believe in Buddhism and value tribal leaders. If our dynasty wants to achieve long-term stability, we cannot rely solely on military force to forcibly assimilate the local people into Han culture. Instead, we should govern the Tibetans according to their customs."

"Your Majesty, among the Tibetan leaders who have surrendered to our Great Song, such as Xia Zheng, their tribes still have influence in the Hehuang region."

For such people, the court should show leniency and bestow generous rewards, allowing them to continue leading their former tribes, and even granting them official titles and ranks, so that they may be employed by the court and the hearts of the tribes be appeased. Their religious customs must be respected and not belittled; this is for the purpose of uniting those tribes that have submitted.

"At the same time, it is also necessary to understand the movements of the various Tibetan tribes and, if necessary, to divide and disintegrate them."

For the pro-Song tribes, befriend them with kindness; for the hesitant tribes, show them trust; and for the rebellious tribes, attack them with force.

If all of this can be accomplished, then the various Tibetan tribes will find it difficult to unite as one, allowing us to divide and rule them, greatly reducing the pressure on Qinghai.

As Zhao Xu listened, the light in his eyes gradually brightened.

This combined strategy of "using barbarians to control barbarians, governing according to customs, and dividing and disintegrating" is clearly more meticulous, pragmatic, and in line with the actual situation in the border areas than the arguments in the court that either advocated "relocating all the people" or believed that "they will submit out of fear and there is no need to worry."

"What about the food supply? How can that be resolved?"

Zhao Xu asked the most difficult question.

Zhao Mingcheng's expression became even more serious.

"Your Majesty, this is truly the key to whether Qing Tang can hold its ground! As the saying goes, an army cannot move without provisions."

Although Qinghai has been conquered, the area is remote and the roads are treacherous. Transporting grain and fodder from Xihe to this place resulted in a great loss of laborers, with less than five out of ten surviving.

If this continues, the army at the front will run out of resources, while the people at the rear will be exhausted from transporting supplies, leading to widespread discontent. This is a recipe for disaster and cannot be a sustainable solution.

"That's right, continue." Zhao Xu frowned, this was also his biggest worry.

"In my opinion, to resolve this predicament, we need to combine short-term and long-term solutions and take multiple approaches simultaneously," Zhao Mingcheng said.

"For short-term emergencies, the first priority is to obtain food from the enemy and procure it locally."

"Searching for food from the enemy? You mean you're directly sending your troops to plunder?"

Zhao Xu couldn't help but frown when he heard this word.

"No," Zhao Mingcheng shook his head.

"The student's statement about 'supplying food to the enemy' is the point of the award."

For Tibetan tribes that have submitted and are willing to cooperate, they must not be plundered; instead, a fair and cooperative approach should be adopted.

The imperial court could transport tea, cloth, salt, and other necessities urgently needed by the Tibetans, and purchase grain, livestock, and medicinal herbs from them at market prices or slightly higher.

In this way, the tribes that submit will gain real benefits and will be willing to trade grain, and our army will also receive supplies. This will win the hearts of the tribes.

"Then... what about those tribes that haven't submitted, or even those that are hostile?" Zhao Xu asked.

"As for tribes that disobey orders and rebel," Zhao Mingcheng's voice was slightly cold.

"We should regard the enemy's resources as our own. When our army marches to suppress them, we can confiscate their stockpiled grain, fodder, and livestock to replenish our military supplies. This is a way of using war to sustain war, which has existed since ancient times."

The only thing that needs to be made clear is that they can only take from the official granaries or the treasuries of wealthy households. Soldiers are strictly prohibited from plundering ordinary barbarians, and those who violate this rule will be severely punished.

In this way, we can both strike at hostile forces and partially replenish military supplies.

Zhao Xu nodded slowly. This approach distinguished between the target and the means of "obtaining food from the enemy," which was much more sophisticated than simple and brutal looting.

"However, none of these are long-term solutions," Zhao Mingcheng added, changing the subject.

"If we want to stabilize Qinghai in the long term, we still have to rely on military farms."

Zhao Mingcheng spoke with a firm tone.

"According to what the students know, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Huangshui River region are not barren lands. The area is high and cold, suitable for grazing and certain cold-resistant crops."

We can emulate the old system of military settlements in the Han Dynasty, with the main force being garrisoned troops and supplemented by recruiting poor people and refugees from the interior who are willing to go. We can set up settlements in key locations with abundant water and grass and flat terrain.

If the military settlements are successfully established, the army can become partially self-sufficient in food supplies, significantly reducing the pressure on rear transport. Once the settlers are settled, the border regions will be well-managed, and through gradual integration, Han and non-Han cultures will flourish – this is the foundation for long-term stability.

Zhao Mingcheng's speech, from the situation of the barbarians to the provisions, from short-term emergency measures to long-term fundamentals, was meticulously analyzed and progressively advanced, demonstrating both strategic vision and concrete measures.

In particular, there are concepts such as using barbarians to control barbarians, fair and just grain purchase, and military farming.

It embodies the outward appearance of benevolent governance and appeasement, but also contains an extreme degree of pragmatic calculation.

This is exactly the kind of solution Zhao Xu needs right now—a solution that can both solve the problem and be politically correct.

After hearing this, Zhao Xu remained silent for a long time, only tapping the armrest of the chair lightly with his fingers.

He took a closer look at Zhao Mingcheng, whom he had already asked the question to correctly twice.

His speech and demeanor were calm and measured; his analysis and planning were insightful and penetrating.

What is even more commendable is that the strategies he proposed were not just empty talk, but took into account the customs, geographical conditions, and practical difficulties of the Tibetan people.

It combines appeasement with firmness, and addresses both immediate needs and long-term goals.

His understanding of the situation of the barbarians is evident in his utilization of arbitrary taxation, his detailed approach to obtaining grain from the enemy, and his emphasis on military farming.

"Mingcheng," Zhao Xu finally spoke, his voice filled with undisguised praise.

"I summoned you today for questioning, and you have indeed lived up to my expectations. Although you are in the Imperial Academy, you are concerned about border affairs. You have been able to analyze the situation of the barbarians and their provisions to such an extent. Your insight and thoroughness far surpass those of many mediocre officials in the court. You have truly grasped the essence of stabilizing the border and securing peace for the barbarians."

"Your Excellency is too kind."

Zhao Xu looked at Zhao Mingcheng and said meaningfully.

"It is not an overstatement to praise you. What you said is of great benefit to me and the court. I will consider it. You should go back and study in peace. Do not spread today's conversation."

"Your Majesty, I obey your decree and thank you for your inquiry. I will now take my leave."

Knowing that his words had had an effect, Zhao Mingcheng bowed again and, led by Hao Sui, bowed as he withdrew from the Chuigong Rear Pavilion.

Inside the pavilion, Zhao Xu sat alone, his gaze once again fixed on the view outside the window.

The knot in his heart finally loosened considerably.

(I wonder if any of you readers are watching the game? On January 1.17th, congratulations to Manchester United for beating Manchester City 2-0. The skies over Manchester are red today.)