Those who squander their money recklessly are either spendthrifts or people who live paycheck to paycheck.
In Zhao Huan's view, he was neither a spendthrift nor a spendthrift.
Money still needs to be spent. For example, in the fifth year of the Jingkang era, he planned to spend ten million strings of cash on scientific research and inventions, giving part of it to the official Academy of Sciences and the rest to encourage private enthusiasts of physics.
Most importantly, it was necessary to demonstrate to the people the emperor's determination to support and incentivize scientific research, while the imperial court also played a guiding role.
In addition, Zhao Huan also planned to invest ten million strings of cash to establish a school.
According to the calculations Shi Xun gave him, it takes a year to build a school, and after covering the monthly salaries of the teachers and maintenance fees, it takes five years to break even from the start of the school year.
In other words, it takes six years from the initial investment to the return on investment. After six years, each school will start making money.
Because of this, Xu Churen even came over and scolded Shi Xun.
Schools and private academies are beneficial to the country and its people; how could one think about making money from them?
Some court officials even proposed a policy of free education, but the emperor rejected it.
Free reading isn't the right thing to do right now; the timing isn't right yet.
Besides education, which costs money, there is also a huge military expenditure.
In the fifth year of the Jingkang era, the navy needed to expand its recruitment, and Li Gang was again approaching Zhao Huan to approve the funding.
That year, Li Gang made an outrageous demand, asking for a budget of 80 million guan.
In addition to completely upgrading military equipment, the Hetao region also needs to build three important towns to defend against potential threats on the northwest border.
The number of fortified cities and strongholds in Yanyun expanded to eighteen, forming a dense network in the northernmost part of the Song Dynasty, creating a solid battle line.
Once these eighteen military fortresses and strongholds are completed, it will not be so easy for the Jurchens to move south.
Besides building fortified villages, the firearms battalion also focused on developing firearms.
Zhao Huan had already spoken to Li Gang, and all the needs of the firearms battalion should be approved without any obstruction.
Currently, the Academy of Sciences and the Ordnance Supervision Bureau are working day and night to improve firearms, which requires finding various special materials from the civilian sector. They are also constantly producing and experimenting, all of which require huge amounts of funding.
This is easy to handle; just give them enough money and use money to buy it!
This is the most brutal and direct method, and it's also the only way out!
Zhao Huan's task for the Academy of Sciences and the Ordnance Bureau this year is to improve artillery and firearms. As for the extent of the improvement, that is to say.
The emperor gave clear instructions: the range must be doubled, and there must be no more barrel explosions!
The biggest pressure is that the firearms battalion needs to be expanded to 10,000 personnel!
Because of the expansion of the firearms battalion, Imperial Marshal Zhong Shidao had to rush back from Xingqing Prefecture ahead of schedule to personally supervise the establishment of the firearms battalion.
Meanwhile, Zong Ze, the commander of the Central War Zone, was to be fully responsible for the expansion of the Imperial Guards and the Imperial Guards.
On the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, the emperor summoned his senior officials to review all the events of the previous year and to reiterate the budgets and plans submitted by each of them for the fifth year of the Jingkang era.
The discussion did not take long, ending in just half an hour.
The most important point of discussion was that the Council of State Affairs must solve the problem of food and clothing for at least half of the population within the next five years.
It refers to the entire Song Dynasty, not just the capital region or the Hedong region.
The entire Song Dynasty had a population of 120 million, and the goal was to ensure that at least 60 million people were well-fed and clothed.
This is a challenging task, and one that cannot be shirked.
Once completed, Xu Churen and Tang Ke will surely be remembered in history.
Based on this major strategic policy, the Political Affairs Hall has compiled a five-year plan.
The next day, the Emperor's goals for the next five years were published on the front page of the Song Dynasty's official gazette.
Then, the news spread like a homing pigeon from Tokyo to all parts of the country.
Every town had its own official gazette office, with dedicated staff to print it and distribute it to the local scholars, who in turn disseminated it.
In the village, the village chief has political duties.
The village chief must ensure that everyone in the village knows this news.
This is encouraging news.
Some couldn't help but exclaim: "In the halls of power, the greatest sound is often the least heard, yet it is a powerful and awakening voice!"
In the fifth year of the Jingkang era, Zhao Huan had been on the throne for five years. He had accumulated unprecedented prestige among the people, who affectionately called him the wise and benevolent Emperor Zhao.
He also accumulated unprecedented prestige in the army, and the Supervisory Yuan's efforts in building the army's morale also yielded results in the fifth year of the Jingkang era.
A number of highly cohesive armies are forming in the Song Dynasty, and they are absolutely arrogant towards the emperor.
They truly gained power and could attack wherever the emperor directed.
Logically speaking, the New Year is the busiest time for the emperor, but this year the emperor disappeared after completing the New Year's Day ceremony.
Even the New Year's hunting expedition was cancelled.
In this way, the officials were able to enjoy some peace and quiet.
On the third day of the Lunar New Year, Zhao Huan disguised himself, changed into a long robe, and secretly slipped out of the palace.
The sky was a clear, deep blue, and an antique-style teahouse sat on the banks of the Bian River, covered in snow.
In the backyard of the tea plantation, which is an open space near the Bian River, some wintersweet was planted. At this time, the plum blossoms were in full bloom in the snow, and the backyard was filled with the fragrance of plum blossoms.
The melodious sound of a zither drifted from the pavilion, where a beautiful woman sat, playing the zither with her slender, jade-like fingers.
Zhao Huan walked along the long corridor, listening to the music, until the piece was finished before entering the pavilion.
Upon seeing Zhao Huan, the woman quickly bowed and said, "This servant greets Your Majesty."
"No need for formalities."
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