Upon hearing this, Xu Churen felt an urge to bang his head against a wall.
He had secretly vowed to follow the emperor's lead from now on, but he never expected the emperor to be so reckless so soon.
In addition to Bianjing as its capital, the Song Dynasty also established Nanjing Yingtianfu, Xijing Luoyang, and Beijing Damingfu.
There's a reason why these deputy positions are set up.
Speaking of Luoyang, the Western Capital, at the beginning of the founding of the dynasty, Emperor Taizu intended to move the capital to Luoyang.
Luoyang is a very important place in China. As early as the Xia Dynasty, it became the center of the world. Almost all the subsequent dynasties established their capitals or secondary capitals in Luoyang.
The reason is actually quite simple: Luoyang is located in the very center of the Central Plains, surrounded by mountains to the north and south, and also has the Luo River for water transport.
From a feng shui perspective, it is a land of kings. From an economic and military perspective, it is an excellent location.
Therefore, during the Song Dynasty, Luoyang's status was actually second only to Bianliang (Kaifeng).
Nanjing Yingtian Prefecture and Beijing Daming Prefecture were responsible for governing the northern and southern regions.
But now the situation in the court has changed, or rather, the future strategy of the Song Dynasty has been readjusted.
The emperor wanted to open up the seas, and since Hangzhou and Guangzhou were located along the coast, the emperor wanted to invest more resources and equipment there to fully promote maritime expansion!
At the same time, according to the analysis of the map of China, designating Hangzhou and Guangzhou as secondary capitals can radiate the vigorous development of the economy of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the Lingnan region. Only by strengthening the economic strength of these two places can they become a solid base for opening up the sea.
In the future, control over Japan, Goguryeo, and Southeast Asia will be further strengthened.
As for abandoning Luoyang and elevating the status of Jingzhao Prefecture (Chang'an), it was clearly to consolidate the power of the Northwest and also demonstrated the emperor's ambition to expand the territory of the Northwest.
What Xu Churen couldn't understand the most was the decision to establish Youzhou as the northern capital.
Yanyun has been in the hands of barbarians for over a hundred years. The people there all identify themselves as Liao people. It is also close to the Jin Kingdom and a battleground. If the Jin people launch another large-scale southward invasion, Youzhou will inevitably bear the brunt. It can be said that there is no protection whatsoever.
If we must talk about barriers, Youzhou itself is a barrier, but how can the capital be considered a barrier for a country?
Therefore, out of habit, Xu Churen immediately stood up to object: "Your Majesty, you must not."
"Does Minister Xu have a better idea?"
Xu Churen said, "The Central Plains is the land of China, and the capital should naturally be located there. Moving the capital would be a waste of resources and manpower and could shake the foundation of the country. I hope Your Majesty will think it over carefully."
Zhao Huan was speechless. He had thought that Xu Churen could come up with some earth-shattering reason, which was that the foundation of the country was being shaken and that the Central Plains were following the traditional, motivational theories of governance.
His consideration of establishing four deputy capitals stemmed from his perspective on economic development and national governance.
Each sub-capital can drive the economic development of a region. If efficient national management is to be implemented, a highway connecting the four sub-capitals to the central capital must be built.
There's a saying from later generations: "To get rich, build roads first."
With the roads repaired, it became easier for merchants to do business, and it also made it easier for the imperial court to suppress rebellions in any corner of the country.
This is a great thing that benefits the country and its people!
Zhao Huan said, "My mind is made up. Do as I say!"
Xu Churen instinctively wanted to object, but the emperor's cold tone startled him, and he quickly realized what was happening: "Yes, Your Majesty!"
Once the four deputy capitals were decided, Xu Churen began to make specific plans.
Zhao Huan then asked, "King Kang, what is the situation with the Maritime Trade Office?"
"Your Majesty, Japan, Goguryeo, and Southeast Asian countries have made additional purchases, bringing the total transaction amount to ten million strings of cash."
Upon hearing this, the East Mansion official immediately felt both envious and jealous.
Since the emperor ascended the throne, the prime minister of the Eastern Palace felt that his status had plummeted. It wasn't that the prime minister's power had been severely stripped away, but rather that the emperor was instigating the censor-in-chief, He Jianren, to frequently criticize the prime minister. Not only that, but he was also sowing discord among the prime ministers within the Council of State Affairs. For example, the matter of the Vice Minister of State Affairs now overseeing the merchants was to establish the authority of the Grand Chancellor, Xu Churen.
Moreover, the power of the Imperial Bank of the Great Song Dynasty does not lie with the Hall of State Affairs. On the contrary, Prince Kang, Zhao Gou, is also doing very well in maritime trade. Maritime trade has only been launched on a small scale, yet such a huge influx of money has already occurred. If it were to expand even further, wouldn't it cause chaos?
From now on, the State Affairs Hall of the Great Song Dynasty will probably have nothing to do.
Zhao Huan was clearly satisfied. He asked, "What about the plan for the whole year?"
Zhao Gou then presented a scroll: "Your Majesty, the target for maritime transport this year is 20 million strings of cash."
His words nearly stunned the ministers of the Council of State: 20 million strings of cash! And that's just for the second half of the year! Moreover, maritime shipping has clearly only just begun and hasn't even really taken off yet!
Zhao Huan opened it and took a look. It contained a detailed plan, and he was very satisfied. Zhao Gou was indeed the most outstanding person in the royal family. With this plan alone, he could easily defeat the Council of State Affairs.
"King Kang is a man of great talent."
"It's all thanks to His Majesty's excellent guidance."
After putting on a good show in front of Xu Churen and He Yi, the emperor was very satisfied, while Xu Churen and He Yi felt as if they had suffered tens of millions of points of damage. If this continued, the two prime ministers would become nothing more than supporting characters.
Does the prime minister even care about his reputation?
Upon thinking of this, Xu Churen said, "Your Majesty, I believe that Jiaozi (paper money) can be promoted in the capital region, the eastern part of the capital, and the western part of the capital, in conjunction with the Imperial Bank of the Great Song Dynasty."
Zhao Huan's eyes lit up. Damn it, Xu Churen really needs a little stimulation to unleash his talents.
The emperor deliberately asked, "What do you mean by that, Minister Xu?"
“Your Majesty, each string of cash weighs about 4 kilograms. Such currency poses a serious obstacle to commercial transactions. I believe that the use of Jiaozi in Yizhou can be implemented in the Jingji Circuit.”
Tang Ke hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, no! Once the paper money is issued, it will inevitably trigger a crisis of trust among the people."
Tang Ke's concerns were naturally justified. First, paper money could be counterfeited; second, the public did not have enough trust in it, and many people were unwilling to use it. This disrupted circulation, which would affect the public's trust in the imperial court and further impact other matters.
Xu Churen seemed to have been driven mad by the stimulation, as if he would commit suicide if he didn't come up with something remarkable. He forced himself to say, "Your Majesty, I believe that if we want to establish the Great Song Merchant Guild as soon as possible, we must start issuing paper money. This matter cannot be delayed."
Zhao Huan nodded, very satisfied, and praised, "You are a pillar of the country, what you say is very true. Within five days, you shall draft a plan for me."
Seeing the emperor's great interest, Xu Churen immediately became excited: "Yes, Your Majesty!"
Tang Ke, who was standing to the side, wanted to say something more, but ultimately remained silent.
Why? Since Xu Churen has already offered a constructive suggestion, wouldn't it be considered idiotic if I didn't offer anything in return?
He said, "Your Majesty, I believe that a bank similar to the Royal Bank should be established to prevent any single entity from becoming too powerful and monopolizing the court's foreign financial affairs."
Zhao Huan was greatly surprised. It seemed that these prime ministers really needed to be pressured. They wouldn't produce anything unless they were pressured. Only by pressing them hard could they get anything out of them.
Look, the two points raised by Xu Churen and He are both very important and very forward-thinking.
This undoubtedly had a huge benefit on the economic development of the Song Dynasty.
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