Chapter 433
The Third Woman to Know Zhao Yu Was Also a Time Traveler
...
The two hundred million gold and silver were escorted by Zhao Yu's two sons, Zhao Di and Zhao Wei. One of them was the commander of the Shenji Vanguard Army, and the other was the naval commander who was going to Japan this time.
After receiving the two hundred million in gold and silver, the two brothers immediately returned to their homeland.
Throughout the journey, the two brothers were filled with anxiety, fearing that something might happen that would cause them to lose this priceless gold and silver, harming not only themselves but also hindering the development of the Song Dynasty.
Good luck!
The weather was fine and sunny along the way, with no wind or waves, so they returned to Dengzhou Port smoothly.
After the two hundred million taels of gold and silver arrived in Dengzhou, Zhao Yu sent Zhao Qing to lead the Shenji Rear Army to receive them.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Railways specially arranged twenty trains to escort the two hundred million taels of gold and silver separately.
In the end, the two hundred million taels of gold and silver arrived safely in Bianliang, the capital of the Song Dynasty, and were deposited into the national treasury.
With that, everyone was relieved.
With these two hundred million taels of gold and silver, not only would the Song Dynasty's monetary problems be completely resolved, but the newly recovered Northeast would also be thoroughly settled. Furthermore, the Song Dynasty's infrastructure could be further strengthened. Loans could be obtained from emerging factories resulting from the Industrial Revolution to accelerate their development, and the imperial court could directly invest in factories, further promoting the Industrial Revolution. In addition, research and development in various industries and agriculture could be strengthened, continuing to widen the gap between the Song Dynasty and other countries.
Speaking of which, after Zhao Yu ascended the throne, the Song Dynasty was truly blessed with good fortune. There were very few major droughts or floods, and the weather was mostly favorable. Moreover, when the Song Dynasty encountered difficulties, Heaven really helped.
Just like this time, the Song Dynasty finally recovered the Northeast and defeated the various tribes of the grasslands. The wealth accumulated over the years was almost gone, and its own currency had developed a fatal loophole.
As a result, just when the Song Dynasty was in dire straits, Japan sent 200 million taels of gold and silver, resolving all of the Song Dynasty's troubles.
It must be said that the fate of a nation is extremely important.
This is especially true in the feudal era.
It could even be said that the fate of a nation is far more decisive than the talent of any individual or the support of external forces.
These time travelers, including Zhao Yu, who possessed memories of the future, seemed to be gods who could decide everything, even though they held advanced institutional blueprints and technological ideas and knew the course of history.
But in reality, without the support of the nation's destiny, even if it were time travelers like Zhao Yu who were in charge, the reforms and development of the Song Dynasty would most likely not have been so smooth.
Imagine if the seas hadn't been calm on the way back to the Song Dynasty from Japan, the escort fleet of Zhao Di and Zhao Wei might have already been lost at sea. The two hundred million gold and silver that saved the Song Dynasty from its currency crisis and supported its development would have vanished into thin air instead of smoothly entering the Song Dynasty's treasury.
Furthermore, if it weren't for the fact that after the reconquest of the Northeast, the entire Song Dynasty enjoyed favorable weather and abundant harvests, with surplus grain to appease the famine caused by the war in the Northeast and allow the people of the Northeast to live and work in peace, even if Zhao Yu and his allies had the best policies to pacify the people, they would have been unable to withstand the chaos of refugees caused by the famine, let alone have the resources to promote industrial innovation and infrastructure construction.
In feudal times, without the dynasty's destiny, even the most brilliant monarch could find himself in the predicament of "a clever cook cannot make a meal without rice," and even the most diligent ministers might have the talent to save the world but nowhere to use it.
Like those short-lived dynasties that have been lost to the long river of history, they may not have lacked talented people or effective solutions, but they just happened to suffer misfortune at key junctures. They were either troubled by internal problems and then faced external threats, or they encountered natural disasters just as reforms were beginning, or they suffered unexpected events despite the unity of the emperor and his ministers. In the end, they could not escape the fate of national demise.
Those prosperous dynasties were all blessed by the nation's destiny.
This is the power of national destiny; it enables dynasties to rise rapidly in favorable circumstances and turn misfortune into good fortune in adversity, allows monarchs to smoothly implement their grand plans, and makes the people's peaceful and prosperous life a normal occurrence.
The current prosperity of the Song Dynasty is undeniably due to the contributions of time travelers like Zhao Yu, but it is also clear evidence of the nation's good fortune.
Without the nation's destiny, even the strongest external support may be counterproductive, and even the most advanced ideas and concepts may be difficult to implement. Only with the nation's favor could the Song Dynasty overcome all obstacles, move forward, and achieve a glorious and prosperous era.
Looking at the mountains of gold and silver piled up in the national treasury, Zhao Yu's conviction grew stronger: 'Heaven's mandate is with me!'
"Now that the Great Song Dynasty is blessed with a favorable national destiny, I must cherish this time like gold, seize the opportunity, prioritize the people, and focus on reform in order to continue this national fortune and ensure the Great Song Dynasty's prosperity goes further and more steadily!"
Thinking of this, Zhao Yu looked at Ye Shiyun beside him and said, "Japan extorted two hundred million taels of silver from China through the Treaty of Shimonoseki, thus initiating the so-called 'Meiji Restoration'..."
Zhao Yu wanted to continue, "We have enriched the country, strengthened the military, promoted industry, and advanced civilization, transforming ourselves from a tiny island nation into a first-class power in East Asia. We were audacious in the First Sino-Japanese War and invaded everywhere during World War II. Now, our Great Song Dynasty has acquired two hundred million taels of gold and silver, and these are two hundred million taels of gold and silver from the Song Dynasty itself. You help me plan this out properly, and our Great Song Dynasty will surely take off!"
However, as soon as the words "Meiji Restoration" were uttered, Emperor Zhao Yu realized that neither the Treaty of Shimonoseki nor "Meiji Restoration" should be terms he knew.
In other words, he was so happy to have received two hundred million in gold and silver that he gave himself away.
Zhao Yu quickly glanced at Ye Shiyun out of the corner of his eye.
As it turns out, whether Ye Shiyun failed to notice the flaws in her words or pretended not to, her expression was perfectly normal.
Zhao Yu's first reaction was to try to cover this up and continue to hide it from Ye Shiyun.
But Zhao Yu thought again. Ye Shiyun was known as the "Brain King". She had participated in The Brain and won the runner-up. She had the ability to remember everything she saw and her IQ was far ahead of ordinary people.
To be honest, putting aside his identities as a time traveler and an emperor, Zhao Yu was actually just an ordinary person.
In other words, in terms of intelligence, Ye Shiyun is far ahead of Zhao Yu.
Thinking about all this, Zhao Yu asked himself, 'Zhao Yu, do you really want to use this little trick on Shi Yun, giving up this opportunity to confide in her and completely win her heart?'
Zhao Yu thought carefully about all the sacrifices Ye Shiyun had made for him over the years.
Over the past twenty years, Ye Shiyun not only bore him seven children, but she also single-handedly helped him establish the economic and monetary systems of the Song Dynasty, and has been helping him formulate and implement monetary policies, maintain the stability of the financial system, and undertake relevant financial functions of the court.
It can be said that Ye Shiyun alone is almost equivalent to a Federal Reserve.
Of course, Ye Shiyun also had many helpers, such as Cai Jing, Zhao Kai, and Zhang Que, economic experts of this era.
On the other hand, although Cai Jing and others are also very knowledgeable about economics, their experience is a thousand years behind. How could they possibly compare to Ye Shiyun?
So, don't be fooled by Ye Shiyun's seemingly carefree and leisurely lifestyle. In reality, she controls everything related to money in the Song Dynasty from behind the scenes.
To put it simply, Ye Shiyun did all the money-related issues that Zhao Yu should have been considering for him.
After Zhao Yu ascended the throne, he was at war almost every year, and there were often times when the court was short of money. Ye Shiyun was the one who usually found a way to help Zhao Yu solve the problem. Occasionally, some natural disasters or man-made calamities would occur in certain parts of the Song Dynasty. If the court was short of money, Ye Shiyun was the one who usually found a way to help Zhao Yu solve the problem.
In recent years, Zhao Yu has been investing heavily in infrastructure, industrial revolution, maritime trade, and the Age of Exploration. All of these require money.
To be honest, without Ye Shiyun, it's not that these things couldn't be done, but the speed certainly wouldn't have been this fast.
Thinking back, Ye Shiyun has done so much for Zhao Yu over the years. Even though it was Ye Shiyun who killed herself in the accident, she has already repaid Zhao Yu enough.
Moreover, it wasn't Ye Shiyun who was driving that car back then, but Li Lin.
In short, after thinking it over, Zhao Yu decided that regardless of whether Ye Shiyun saw through his disguise or not, he would tell her that he was also a time traveler.
Thinking of this, Zhao Yu waved his hand and said, "All of you may leave. I have something to discuss with Consort Ye."
Hearing Zhao Yu say this, everyone except Zhao Yu and Ye Shiyun left the vault. In the huge vault, only Zhao Yu, Ye Shiyun, and the mountain of gold and silver remained.
At this moment, Zhao Yu took Ye Shiyun's hand and said softly to her, "Shiyun, there's something I want to tell you."
Ye Shiyun said calmly, "What does Your Majesty wish to discuss with me? How can we utilize these two hundred million gold and silver to maximize their value?"
Once he had made a decision, Zhao Yu never hesitated to act decisively. So, he said directly, "Actually, I am a time traveler just like the five of you."
After speaking, Zhao Yu went to observe Ye Shiyun's expression. He wanted to know whether Ye Shiyun had noticed the flaw he had just revealed, and what her attitude was towards the matter.
To Zhao Yu's utter surprise, after hearing Zhao Yu confess that he was also a time traveler, Ye Shiyun's eyes reddened, and tears streamed down her face.
Ye Shiyun's reaction greatly surprised Zhao Yu. 'What kind of reaction is this?!'
Soon, Zhao Yu guessed at a possibility: 'Could it be... she already knew I was also a time traveler?! Did Jiao Jiao tell her, or Qing Cheng?'
'It should be Jiaojiao, right? Qingcheng is quite tight-lipped...'
Zhao Yu didn't think about it too much. Instead, he skillfully cupped Ye Shiyun's face and wiped away her tears with his two thumbs, while gently asking her, "Why are you crying?"
Ye Shiyun glared at Zhao Yu and said, "I thought you would keep it from me forever and only tell me when I was about to die."
Upon hearing Ye Shiyun's words, Zhao Yu could no longer fail to realize that Ye Shiyun had indeed known all along that he was also a time traveler.
They've been married for a long time, and judging from Ye Shiyun's attitude, she probably didn't want to hide this from him anymore. So, Zhao Yu asked directly, "When did you find out that I was also a time traveler?"
Ye Shiyun said, "A year ago, you led troops to fight and recover the Northeast. You took Zhang Chun and Sister Lin with you. Once, I went to play with Qingcheng and Jiaojiao. I overheard them whispering something about how he had lived two lives and knew his limits. They wouldn't take any risks. I felt something was off. I thought the 'he' they were talking about probably wasn't Zhang Chun and Sister Lin."
After a pause, Ye Shiyun continued, "The only person who can make Jiaojiao and Qingcheng care so much is you. So it's easy for me to guess that the 'he' they're talking about is you."
At this point, Ye Shiyun looked at Zhao Yu and continued, "I've thought about your behavior all along again, and I've realized that you're actually full of flaws. For example, you're too open-minded, which is not how a native should behave. Also, we have many problems, but you never doubt us. Zhang Chun said she could predict the secrets of heaven, and you believed her. But you're clearly not the kind of person who trusts others so easily..."
Ye Shiyun didn't say anything, and Zhao Yu hadn't realized that he had so many flaws.
However, these five women were too close to Zhao Yu and trusted him too much, which is why Zhao Yu kept it from them for so many years.
Zhao Yu patiently waited for Ye Shiyun to finish her long-winded explanation before asking her, "Since you already knew I was also a time traveler, why didn't you reveal this sooner?"
Ye Shiyun gritted her teeth and said, "I just want to see how long you're going to keep this from me!!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yu reached out and pulled Ye Shiyun into his arms, saying, "Actually, I've wanted to tell you about this for a long time, but Qingcheng and Jiaojiao both found out on their own. If I were to tell you first, it wouldn't be fair to them, nor to Zhang Chun and Li Lin. Even so, I'm still biased towards you. You're the only one I've told you first that I'm also a time traveler."
Hearing Zhao Yu say this, Ye Shiyun still kept a straight face, but in reality she was overjoyed.
Because she made the right bet, Zhao Yu eventually confessed to her that he was also a time traveler.
What made her even happier was that she discovered Yuan Qingcheng and Ma Xiaojiao herself.
In Ye Shiyun's view, her importance in Zhao Yu's heart should be slightly higher than that of other women.
If you round it up, Ye Shiyun felt that she should be Zhao Yu's most beloved woman.
Zhao Yu held Ye Shiyun in his arms and whispered sweet nothings in her ear for a while. Then he asked her, "Do you think I should tell Zhang Chun and Li Lin?"
Upon hearing that Zhao Yu wanted to tell Zhang Chun and Li Lin that he was also a time traveler, Ye Shiyun quickly stopped him: "Absolutely not!"
Zhao Yu asked, puzzled, "Why not?"
Ye Shiyun couldn't very well say, "If you tell them, then am I still the only one? Wouldn't I be no different from them?"
Ye Shiyun's eyes darted around, and she said, "If you take the initiative to tell them, what will Qingcheng and Jiaojiao think? They'll think you're being biased. What if they quit because of this? How will your Great Song Dynasty develop?"
After a pause, Ye Shiyun said to Zhao Yu, "I'll tell Qingcheng and Jiaojiao later that I discovered this myself, not that you told me. That way you're being fair to everyone. It's not about scarcity, it's about inequality..."
After Ye Shiyun said that, Zhao Yu gave up on telling Zhang Chun and Li Lin that he was also a time traveler.
After dissuading Zhao Yu from his idea, Ye Shiyun suddenly said to Zhao Yu, "Your Majesty, have you ever tried doing this amidst countless gold and silver?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yu looked around and realized that this was indeed a place of great historical significance.
Then, Zhao Yu and Ye Shiyun's eyes met.
The next moment, Ye Shiyun skillfully knelt down, supporting Zhao Yu's waist...
...(End of chapter)