Chapter 335 Master, You and Yelu Yanxi Are Really a Perfect Match
Chapter 335: Master, you and Yelu Yanxi are a perfect match (Second update)
Author: sunny
Chapter 335: Master, you and Yelu Yanxi are a perfect match (Second update)
Zhao Abban heard Gao Zhang's instructions coming from inside the carriage, and after he agreed, he got into the carriage.
"Just now I saw that Brother Zhao, you seemed to be full of doubts. You didn't seem to know why Gao did what you did."
When Zhao Abban heard this, he quickly expressed his position.
"Young Master, I do not understand something. Of course, I also know that I have a long-term plan. You must have your reasons for doing this."
"Brother Zhao, you really flatter me. In fact, I just came up with this matter on the spur of the moment. I have nothing to do now, so we just have a chat.
After all, if this matter can be accomplished, it will require the cooperation of your Imperial City Department..."
The Song Dynasty and Xixia have almost always been in a hostile relationship. Although Xixia had a relative advantage militarily for a considerable period of time, it was very dependent on the Song Dynasty economically.
The battlefields of Xixia were all in the northwest, and material output was very scarce. Tea, silk fabrics, grains, spices, lacquerware, copper coins, silver, etc. could not be produced independently.
During the period of peace between the two countries, the Song Dynasty was still willing to exchange supplies with Xixia.
Because the land of Youyun was occupied by the Liao Kingdom, the Song Dynasty wanted to strengthen national defense construction, especially the construction of cavalry troops. Xixia's war horses were a large source.
For example, in the second year of Qingli in the Northern Song Dynasty, the government once purchased 2,000 horses and 10,000 sheep from Xixia at one time.
However, as the relationship between the two countries deteriorated, trade at the national level was cut off, and naturally we could only rely on those merchants to smuggle various materials through their relationships and use of means.
There is even a precedent for detouring from the Liao Kingdom and entering the Xixia trade.
After all, businessmen pursue profits and dare to risk their lives for the sake of huge profits.
If the trade between the Song Dynasty and Xixia was completely banned, Xixia would not be able to sustain it for even ten years, not to mention a hundred years.
It's a pity that the merchants of the Song Dynasty are so bad. It doesn't matter whether you are from the Liao Kingdom or Xixia, I just want to do business.
What's more, officials in the Song Dynasty were not allowed to do business, which led to a huge problem. Among the merchants in the Song Dynasty, a considerable number of those who dared to engage in smuggling trade had backgrounds.
What Gao Zhang wanted to do was to use Duan Zhongping, a wealthy merchant from the Song Dynasty who had a very harmonious relationship with local officials in southern Xixia, to stir up trouble.
To give the simplest example, let him first use various tricks to establish a relationship with the Xixia envoy who is currently under house arrest in the post house, like a deaf and blind man.
Let Xixia people understand that he is a high-quality wealthy businessman who has a heart-to-heart relationship with Xixia and is willing to join hands with Xixia to achieve common prosperity.
The second is that I hope he can deal with the Xixia tribe leaders and Xixia officials in southern Xixia in private.
Purchasing cotton at a high price, no matter how much Xixia can grow, he will eat as much as he can.
It doesn't matter if it's three to five million catties, it's three to five million catties.
After all, the woven cotton cloth can be sold in large quantities on the market, and can also be exported overseas, such as the Liao Kingdom, and areas such as Goryeo and Japan where dogs freeze to death in winter.
As for why we do this, the first thing is to compete for land. Think about it, how much does a pound of grain cost?
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Cotton is a cash crop after all, and its economic value is naturally much higher than that of food.
But here comes the problem. Xixia is already short of food. It mainly relies on farming in the south and central areas to harvest food, and even needs to import it through smuggling.
Therefore, as the head of the Xixia Kingdom, Li Qianshun would definitely not be happy, but the problem is that Li Qianshun, who had only been in power for a few years, was not yet able to fully control the Xixia tribes.
As for the Dangxiang tribes bordering Qinfeng Road in the Song Dynasty, if they really wanted to make a fortune and planted cotton for sale, they would naturally make a lot of money.
When the planting of cash crops begins to erode the planting of food crops, it can only lead to greater food shortages in Xixia.
As the noble princes and tribal leaders of Xixia, they will certainly not be short of food.
But what about the poor people below? Once food prices remain high,
Either raise the pole and pull the flag to rebel, or run away to a place where you can fill your stomach.
Xixia has a small population. Although it is said to have an army of 500,000, almost all the people of the Dangxiang tribe are mainly soldiers.
As for those who supported them, the Han people living there farmed and produced food to supply them.
When the local Han people had to leave due to lack of food, could Xixia continue to maintain such a large number of troops?
All in all, although Gao Zhang had no way to solve Xixia, he could use various means to create problems for Xixia.
"... Therefore, I believe that I, the Song Dynasty, cannot kill the Xixia envoy. If I kill him, it will ruin the reputation of the Song Dynasty for its benevolence and righteousness."
"But if it can be done properly and win people's trust in Weiming Yeguang, the commander-in-chief of the Western Xia Weizhou Jingsai Army Supervisory Army, it will make Xixia think that the Song Dynasty and the Liao Kingdom have reached some secret agreement... "
"Firstly, it can make the relationship between Xixia and Liao continue to deteriorate, and secondly, it can also..."
"Okay, okay, I think this strategy is very good. Let's do this, Yang Jian. You can order the Imperial City Division to continue to cooperate with Xiao Gao."
After saying this, the official Zhao Ji seemed to feel that he had failed his beloved disciple Xiao Gao's plan, so he explained with a little embarrassment.
"It's not that I'm impatient as a teacher, but I'm just worried about you doing things. How can I be worried as a teacher?"
"When things really come to light, the Master Council will make careful plans for you."
"You came at the right time today. I have something important to do as my teacher. I want to talk to you about it. Because of your efforts, the Song Dynasty has preserved the territory we have gained from conquering Xixia in the past few years.
Next, the relationship between Xixia and Liao will inevitably turn against each other. It can be said that we, the Song Dynasty, have made great achievements in pacifying Xixia..."
Under the auspices of the official Zhao Ji, after a rather fierce confrontation, the matter of meritorious deliberation for Gao Zhang and others finally came to an end.
Gao Zhang, Zhou Bangyan, Cai Liulang and Tong Zhisheng were all promoted.
Although they are all casual official ranks, Gao Zhang's casual official rank is set as a fifth-grade imperial official.
"It's a pity that you are still a little short of being able to put on the purple robe..."
Having said this, the official Zhao Ji let out a long sigh of regret. Gao Zhang had already put aside the depression in his heart, and saluted Master Hunjun with joyful brows, and followed suit.
After some compliments with tears of gratitude, this official of the Song Dynasty finally made his eyes light up, smiled heartily, and stood up.
"Come, come, let's stop chatting. Let's go. I will take you to see a painting. It is a good thing that I just got..."
As a disciple who respected his master, Gao Zhang accompanied his master to appreciate the masterpieces of an art master from the previous dynasty.
After the appreciation, Gao Zhang was about to leave, but when he saw that it was still early, the Hunjun Master Zhao Ji ordered Yang Jian to prepare his car and go to Yuqing Zhaoying Palace to listen to the Taoist's sermons and to do some Qing Dynasty.
Gao Zhang looked at the Hunjun who stood up, straightened his clothes, and was about to set off to practice cultivation. He was so upset that he really had nowhere to vomit.
When you are not writing or painting, you are busy cultivating. You are a perfect match for Yelu Yanxi, the foolish king of the Liao Kingdom, who rode a horse, played with a bow, and hunted blindly on the grassland all day long.
Slowly walking out of the palace, Gao Zhang looked at Tokyo, the extremely prosperous capital of the Song Dynasty.
Come on, the foolish king likes to spend the rest of his life wandering like this.
As long as there are three thousand ministers in the court and you only favor me, there will be no problem.
Song Dynasty, let me help you figure it out and try to figure it out so that the Song Dynasty can live for three to five hundred years.
I'm stuck in my thinking. I don't quite understand some parts. I hope my thoughts will be clearer tomorrow. I'm sorry.
