Chapter 475
Preparing for Abdication
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The capital of Dali was easy to conquer; the real trouble lay in its surrounding areas.
It should be noted that to the east of the area are the thirty-seven tribes of the Black Cuan, including Langyu, Afang, and Tiandong, collectively known as the Thirty-Seven Tribes of the Black Barbarians; the Erhai region is also home to numerous smaller powers, known as the "Twenty-Two Kingdoms".
If these small tribes and forces cannot be subdued or wiped out, the Dali Kingdom will exist in name only.
To be honest, if we were to mobilize the regular army of the Song Dynasty to fight against the thirty-seven tribes and twenty-two kingdoms of the Wuman, it would be really difficult.
Thirty-seven tribes were entrenched in deep mountains and dangerous ravines, with the Langyu and Afang tribes each occupying strategic passes. The mountains were high and the forests dense, making the roads difficult to traverse. The heavily armored Song army could not penetrate the pass, and the cavalry could hardly move an inch. They could only attack on foot, which was exactly what the barbarians wanted to do.
The twenty-two kingdoms of Erhai Lake lived around the water, with numerous inlets and harbors. Their villages were built on strategic locations, and both naval and land battles were intertwined. Those unfamiliar with the terrain often found themselves in a dilemma.
Furthermore, although the various tribes of Wuman each had their own leaders, they had a long-standing alliance. When they encountered foreign enemies, they would unite their forces and fight together. Everyone was fearless and accustomed to guerrilla warfare in the mountains and forests, raiding supply lines by day and attacking by night, making it difficult for the Song army to sustain long-distance supply lines.
Although the states around Erhai Lake are small, each has its own specialty, some excelling in naval warfare and others in scouting. They support each other, so if you attack one state, another will cut off your retreat, making it difficult to defeat them one by one.
The key issue is that these tribes and small forces do not build large cities and have no fixed abode. When they win, they swarm up, and when they lose, they scatter into the mountains. The Song army occupies open spaces but cannot capture the main force. After withdrawing, they quickly regroup and repeatedly harass the Song forces.
Moreover, they have been rooted in this place for generations and are deeply loved by the local people. The Song army cannot distinguish between soldiers and civilians. If they carry out large-scale suppression, they will lose the support of the people. If they relax their efforts, they will come back. This cycle will waste military strength and money, and it will be difficult to eradicate the problem in the end.
Most importantly, Yunnan is plagued by miasma, with miasma spreading throughout the mountains, valleys, and streams. During the day, it is shrouded in mist and fog, but at night, it spreads a foul and putrid stench.
The regular army of the Song Dynasty was mostly born in the dry Central Plains. When they first arrived here, they were bound to suffer from acclimatization problems. Those who were exposed to miasma would suffer from mild symptoms such as fever, vomiting, and diarrhea, and lose all their fighting ability. In severe cases, they would suffer from high fever and die in their tents.
Moreover, the damp heat in the mountains and forests makes clothing and armor sticky all day long, making it easy for diseases to breed and spread in the army. Before even engaging in battle, they would lose 30% of their fighting strength.
Such a perilous situation is even more dangerous than barbarian warfare. If the Song Dynasty's regular army were to be sent, even if they were to annihilate them, the Song Dynasty would likely pay a heavy price, wasting manpower and resources, and suffering losses outweighing any gains.
Fortunately, the Song Dynasty first pacified the Indochina Peninsula and later recovered Dali.
The tribes of the Queen's Kingdom were born in the southern wilderness and were accustomed to traversing steep mountains and dangerous paths. Their skills in mountain raids, ambushes, and interceptions surpassed even those of the Wuman. They were well-suited to engage the thirty-seven tribes of the Wuman in fierce battles at deep mountain passes and thwart their ambush tactics.
The elephant cavalry and heavy infantry of Angkor and Bagan were very skilled in mountain warfare and were not afraid of close combat with the barbarians. When they advanced in formation, they could break through passes and destroy fortifications, and were particularly good at dealing with swarms of barbarian attacks. They could achieve great victories against barbarian troops on the main battlefield.
The naval forces of the Ly Dynasty, Champa, and Srivijaya were highly skilled in naval warfare. The Erhai Lake, with its dense network of harbors and waterways, was the perfect place for them to demonstrate their prowess. By deploying their warships into Erhai Lake, they could control various waterways, cutting off the routes of communication between the twenty-two kingdoms along the lake. They could then sweep through the enemy's strongholds one by one, and no matter how strategically located their strongholds were, they could not withstand the combined land and water attack.
The key point is that the people of the Indochina Peninsula have long lived in hot and humid places, adapted to the local climate and water, and are not afraid of the dangers of Yunnan.
Chen Kangbo, Wang Yan, and others coordinated the operation, mainly using troops from the Indochina Peninsula, supplemented by a small number of Song Dynasty's Divine Machine Army for the decisive battle. With ample provisions and weapons, the thirty-seven tribes of Wuman and the twenty-two kingdoms of Erhai were quickly annihilated by the Song army. In less than half a year, they either surrendered or were destroyed, and Dali was completely incorporated into the Song Dynasty's territory.
With the complete incorporation of the Dali Kingdom into the territory of the Song Dynasty, the wars of the Song Dynasty basically ended, and the country entered a period of recuperation and rapid development.
A number of people, led by Crown Prince Zhao Shou and Chancellor Li Gang, suggested to Zhao Yu that Zhao Xun Pavilion be built.
They wanted to build the Zhaoxun Pavilion for three reasons:
First, to commemorate the meritorious service of the founding and expansion of the Song Dynasty, to commend the contributions of generals and civil officials, and to ensure that these meritorious officials are remembered in history and respected by future generations.
Secondly, it was to appease the meritorious officials by bestowing upon them titles and salaries to solidify their glory, allowing those who were to retire to return to their hometowns and enjoy their later years, and ensuring that those still in office could clearly understand their responsibilities and avoid the hidden danger of their merits overshadowing the emperor.
Thirdly, it showcases the grandeur of the Song Dynasty's golden age. The pavilion contains records of the achievements of meritorious officials and engraves a complete map of the territory, proclaiming to the world that the four seas have been unified and that the Song Dynasty's national strength is at its peak.
More importantly, once the Zhaoxun Pavilion was completed, it was meant to demarcate the territory of the Song Dynasty, using the method of inscribing merits on stone to define the boundaries of the Song Dynasty's territory and completely dispel Zhao Yu's idea of continuing to expand outwards.
In other words, Zhao Shou and Li Gang were subtly telling Zhao Yu that the empire was now at peace and that it was time to cease hostilities and launch further conquests. From now on, the Song Dynasty should prioritize recuperation and development, pacifying the people, encouraging agriculture and sericulture, vigorously developing the industrial revolution, promoting education and culture, and strengthening border defenses. Protecting this vast land would be sufficient. Further expansion would only increase the burden of border defenses and the depletion of supplies, potentially undermining the foundation of the nation and jeopardizing this prosperous era.
Therefore, the establishment of Zhaoxun Pavilion marked the end of the great expansion, and the territory of the Song Dynasty was fixed there forever, with no further expansion to be made.
Zhao Yu, of course, knew what Zhao Shou and Li Gang meant. He summoned Zhao Shou and the new prime ministers he had chosen, namely Li Gang, Zhang Bangchang, Tang Ke, Zhao Ding, Chen Gou, Song Jiang, Lü Yihao, Chen Kangbo, and Qin Hui, to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to discuss the matter.
Surprisingly, Zhao Yu did not preside over the meeting himself, but instead had Zhao Shou preside over it in his place.
After years of training, Zhao Shou is now a very mature crown prince and a very mature politician, and he has a very good ability to handle state affairs.
To put it simply, even if Zhao Yu were to pass away now, Zhao Shou would certainly be able to take over the Song Dynasty from him.
In fact, over the years, Zhao Yu had been training Zhao Shou on how to be an emperor, and even left the capital several times to let Zhao Shou oversee the country.
When Zhao Yu was in the capital, apart from major state affairs, he left all other matters to Zhao Shou to decide.
Even when dealing with particularly important state affairs, Zhao Yu would first listen to Zhao Shou's opinion.
Anyone with discerning eyes, including Zhao Shou, could see that despite Zhao Yu having more than three thousand sons, many of whom were highly talented, only Zhao Shou would ultimately inherit Zhao Yu's throne.
It can be said that Zhao Shou felt no pressure whatsoever regarding whether he could inherit Zhao Yu's throne.
Zhao Shou's pressure mainly stems from his lack of self-confidence.
He never had the confidence to govern the Song Dynasty, the largest dynasty in history, and hoped to maintain the status quo. With his wise and powerful father, the emperor, to embolden him, deter the villains, and guide him, he could handle state affairs with ease.
To put it simply, Zhao Shou felt that things were fine as they were. He could fully utilize his talents without worrying about powerful officials or meritorious ministers rebelling, and he didn't have to be distracted by trivial matters. He also had a clear direction.
In Zhao Shou's view, this was simply perfect.
If possible, Zhao Shou hopes things can continue like this forever.
Zhao Shou had heard his father, Emperor Zhao Yu, say that if a dynasty were to perish, it would first be because of internal problems, such as an incompetent emperor, factional strife, a chaotic court, rampant corruption, and the inability of the people to live in peace and prosperity.
Zhao Shou did not want to become like Hu Hai, causing the Qin Dynasty to perish after only two generations. Therefore, he was always very diligent, sometimes sleeping only two or three hours a day, spending the rest of his time diligently handling official duties without a moment's slack. Zhao Shou was also not interested in women, and the entire Eastern Palace had only about ten concubines.
In addition, Zhao Shou was particularly frugal and strongly disliked extravagance and waste.
In short, from any perspective, Zhao Shou was a very qualified crown prince.
The ministers generally shared this view.
With the complete recapture of Dali, Zhao Shou and his ministers felt that the Song Dynasty should stop its external expansion.
Therefore, Zhao Shou and a group of ministers unanimously advised Zhao Yu to build the Zhaoxun Pavilion.
Such matters concerning the fate of the nation cannot be avoided; otherwise, the Song Dynasty is prone to making mistakes in its strategic direction.
Zhao Yu was well aware of this.
It was for this reason that Zhao Yu summoned Zhao Shou and all the ministers and clearly told them: there was no rush to build the Zhaoxun Pavilion.
Zhao Yu was practically saying: I want to keep fighting.
Zhao Shou, Li Gang, and others were puzzled. They simply couldn't understand why Zhao Yu was still unwilling to give up when the Song Dynasty's territory was already so vast.
Instead of being mysterious, Zhao Yu directly raised the problems that the Song Dynasty was currently facing (such as the serious problem of a large number of soldiers who could not be reduced, the fact that many officials and generals who helped Zhao Yu conquer the country would become too powerful if they were kept, and the fact that he had too many sons and that if they were not dealt with properly, they might threaten the new emperor's rule). He asked them what solutions they had.
As a result, Zhao Yu was met with silence the entire time.
It wasn't that Zhao Shou, Li Gang, and the others didn't want to answer Zhao Yu's questions, but rather that the questions Zhao Yu asked were difficult for them to answer, they dared not answer, and they certainly wouldn't answer.
Since ancient times, the handling of meritorious officials after a dynasty has been established has always been the most difficult dilemma for emperors to resolve. Different solutions can lead to vastly different national fortunes and reputations.
Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, established the foundation of the Han Dynasty. He was wary of the powerful and influential princes of different surnames, so he ruthlessly killed Han Xin, Peng Yue, and other founding heroes. Although he ultimately consolidated the Liu family's imperial power, he was criticized for "killing the dog after the rabbit is dead."
The historical Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang went even further, using the Hu Weiyong case and the Lan Yu case to implicate many people. There is also a legend that he set fire to the Celebration Tower and burned all the meritorious officials. In one fell swoop, he almost wiped out the founding team. Although he gained a high degree of centralization of power in the court, he also caused a shortage of talents in the Ming Dynasty for a time, which laid the groundwork for Zhu Di to seize the throne from Zhu Yunwen later.
Even Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin, used the method of "releasing military power over a cup of wine" to disband the military power of the brothers who helped him conquer the country.
Of course, there are also exemplary cases of lenient treatment in history. After Emperor Guangwu of Han, Liu Xiu, established the Eastern Han Dynasty, he did not massacre the Twenty-Eight Generals of Yuntai. Instead, he bestowed upon them high-ranking official positions, generous salaries, fertile land, and beautiful houses, allowing them to relinquish their power and return to their hometowns to enjoy their honors. This preserved the reputation of the meritorious officials and ensured the stability of the court, creating a beautiful story of harmony between the emperor and his ministers.
There was also Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, whose twenty-four meritorious officials were enshrined in the Lingyan Pavilion. Some served in the court and managed state affairs, while others guarded the borders. Li Shimin balanced the power and responsibility of these meritorious officials with his ability to recognize and appoint capable people and his tolerance for others. He neither diminished their achievements and glory nor constrained their power with the system. This allowed the meritorious officials to enjoy honor and glory, and also ensured that the Tang court was full of talented people, which helped to usher in the prosperous Zhenguan era.
If Zhao Yu were to build the Zhaoxun Pavilion now, it would signify the end of the war and the expansion of territory. In that case, there would be no room to avoid the three major problems of reducing redundant troops, resettling meritorious officials, and balancing the princes.
In this way, Zhao Yu could either follow the example of Liu Bang, Zhu Yuanzhang, or Zhao Kuangyin, or he could follow the example of Liu Xiu or Li Shimin.
As a time traveler, Zhao Yu would definitely follow the path of Liu Xiu and Li Shimin.
Zhao Yu also believed that he could definitely reach the level of Liu Xiu and Li Shimin, or even surpass them.
To put it simply, as long as Zhao Yu is in power, he will definitely be able to suppress all the meritorious officials, and as for his sons, they will not cause any trouble.
However, Zhao Yu did not know that if he did not solve these problems and left them to his successor, would he follow the example of Liu Bang, Zhu Yuanzhang, and Zhao Kuangyin, or would he follow the example of Liu Xiu and Li Shimin?
More importantly, will he turn against his own brothers, namely Zhao Yu's other sons?
If he rashly reduces the power of the princes, will he, like Zhu Yunwen, provoke one or more Zhu Di, or even directly lead to the demise of the Song Dynasty?
Zhao Yu did not want to leave these problems to his successor, nor did he dare to gamble that his successor could handle them well. Instead, he prepared to resolve these hidden dangers himself.
How to deal with it?
Zhao Yu planned to emulate Temujin, leading his meritorious officials, his son who aspired to be the ruler, and his surplus troops to continue westward. He intended to wait until they were too old or unwilling to fight any longer, then grant them land and people in a place far from the Song Dynasty, allowing them to inherit the land for generations.
In this way, Zhao Yu could not only resolve the hidden dangers of the Song Dynasty, but also live up to the expectations of those who had made great contributions to the Song Dynasty, and be worthy of his other sons.
In short, Zhao Yu planned to take away everything that might affect the rule and stability of the Song Dynasty, leaving his successor an impregnable Song Dynasty.
However, if the Song Dynasty wants to take this path, it cannot build the Zhaoxun Pavilion now.
Upon learning of Zhao Yu's idea, Zhao Shou, Li Gang, and the others were all extremely surprised, even shocked. They never expected Zhao Yu to take such an unconventional approach.
To be honest, when Zhao Yu first learned that he planned to eliminate the hidden dangers of the Song Dynasty in this way, Zhao Shou, Li Gang and others felt it was absurd. Could this solve the problems of the Song Dynasty? What if it didn't solve the problems of the Song Dynasty and instead brought new problems to the Song Dynasty?
But upon closer examination, taking all the problems of the Song Dynasty with us and separating them from the Song Dynasty might actually be the best way to solve the problems of the Song Dynasty, and it might even be a permanent solution.
Moreover, Zhao Shou, Li Gang, and the others all understood another meaning behind Zhao Yu's words: Zhao Yu seemed to have the idea of abdicating the throne to Zhao Shou.
Think about it.
Zhao Yu was about to lead a western expedition.
This departure could last for several years.
Can a family function without a new emperor?
When Zhao Yu, who was only in his forties and in the prime of his life, was told that he was going to give up the vast Song Dynasty and go out to continue his struggle, Zhao Shou and his ministers could hardly believe it was true. Could an emperor really do such a thing?
But a ruler's word is his bond, and besides, what Zhao Yu said could withstand scrutiny.
Zhao Shou and his ministers were forced to accept this enormous upheaval once again...
...(End of chapter)