The Next Day Talk 05: The Small Matter of Expanding Territory
The Next Day Talk 05: The Small Matter of Expanding Territory
It took the Song Dynasty a full ten years to restore its lost territories.
Within five years of recovering the sixteen prefectures, the imperial court held three special imperial examinations to select talented individuals to settle in the new territories. The smoke from the factories in Bianjing lingered day and night, and 70% of the manufactured products were sent to the west and north.
Later, large quantities of coal and iron ore were discovered in the territory of Western Xia and the Sixteen Prefectures. After discussing with his officials, Fusu simply issued an edict: various places in the northwest could build their own machinery factories to be self-sufficient.
More than half of the enormous profits brought by machinery manufacturing were pocketed by the two newly recovered territories. This move not only bridged the economic gap between the new territories and the Song Dynasty's homeland, but also won over the hearts and minds of the local people.
In the fifth year of his reign, Fusu ordered a nationwide census of population and land. The population figures collected from Western Xia and the Sixteen Prefectures were 35% higher than the previously official figures, amounting to several million more people.
"What's going on?" Fusu stared in disbelief. "Could they all be mountain people? Are they willing to come down from the mountains this year?"
Mountain dwellers, in general, refer to people who, unable to bear the heavy taxes and levies, flee to remote, uninhabited areas to live a self-sufficient life. Don't be fooled by their tax exemption and complete self-sufficiency. But how harsh are the conditions in the deep mountains and forests? Forced to leave their homes, surrounded by wild animals, lacking food and clothing… anyone who still has the means to be a law-abiding citizen would not flee to the mountains.
The fact that the mountain people are willing to come down from the mountain proves that the current government has governed effectively and that the people can live a good life again!
How could this not make Fusu happy?
“There should be more than just mountain people,” the official said with a smile. “Su’er, don’t forget that the border in the area we’re talking about is very long. It’s possible that some Liao people have crossed over from the south.”
Fusu slapped his forehead: "I had forgotten about them."
But he wasn't entirely convinced. The Liao territory was primarily pastoral, and their way of life differed greatly from that of the Song Dynasty. Perhaps some Liao people were willing to risk crossing the border and changing their way of life, but surely not many?
"What did you say? Say it again!" Fusu stared wide-eyed at the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial. Five years had passed since his ascension to the throne, and he was now a handsome fourteen-year-old boy. After five years as emperor, he rarely showed any surprise.
But today, unusually, it broke down.
The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies was unaware of why the young emperor had lost his composure. He carefully considered the contents of his report but found nothing amiss: "Your Majesty, various tribes have sent envoys to Bianjing, earnestly requesting to become vassals of our Great Song Dynasty."
Fusu suppressed his impatience: "I mean, say the names of those tribes again."
"Dali, Tatars, Qinghai Qiang, Jurchens..."
He pursed his lips, a sense of unspeakable absurdity rising in his chest. What was going on? They were supposed to be the ones destroying the Northern Song Dynasty, so why were they now eagerly submitting to them?
"Treat them well and don't mistreat them. It would be best to subtly find out their background," he instructed.
Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies: "Your humble servant obeys the decree."
During Fusu's conversation with his ministers, Emperor Renzong remained silent, as if he were invisible. After the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies left, he immediately approached and asked, "What's wrong with the Jurchens?"
Fusu paused for a moment: "How did you know..."
"No one knows a son better than his father." Emperor Renzong curved his lips into a slight smile, his voice brimming with pride: "How could I not understand you, Su'er?"
He noticed with his sharp eyes that Su'er's gaze changed when she heard the word "Jurchen." And it happened twice.
"The Jurchen people originated in the Shang Dynasty. During the Tang Dynasty, they established the Bohai Kingdom, which followed the Tang system in everything. A hundred years ago, they were destroyed by the Khitan. Since then, they have been separated and divided by the Liao Dynasty. One branch is called the Raw Jurchen, and the other is called the Ripe Jurchen."
When it came to history, Emperor Renzong spoke fluently and knowledgeably. But even after recounting it, he still didn't understand what Fusu was concerned about. The Bohai Kingdom had paid homage to the Tang Dynasty and emulated its systems, and now the Song Dynasty, under Su'er's rule, was thriving, seemingly poised to become the next Zhenguan era. A strong nation naturally attracting tribute from all directions; what was so strange about that?
Fusu remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was bitterly smiling: How could he explain this to Emperor Renzong? He couldn't very well say that they would be the ones to destroy them in the next hundred years, could he?
He could only say, "When I was heading north, I heard a saying circulating among the Liao people: 'The Jurchens are invincible if they number less than ten thousand, but if they number ten thousand.' I don't know how a tribe that even the Liao army fears would come to pay homage to us?"
Emperor Renzong suddenly smiled: "Naturally, it is because Su'er's reputation for kindness and benevolence has spread far and wide."
Reclaiming lost territory was a feat that even generations of ancestors had failed to achieve. A person who could reclaim lost territory, win over the hearts of the people, manage the economy and people's livelihoods of more than a dozen states in a respectable manner, and not provoke complaints from the local population was a rare find, perhaps only once in hundreds of years.
Whenever he saw the current prosperous state of the Song Dynasty, Emperor Renzong couldn't help but sigh: his impulsive decision to abdicate back then was absolutely right.
Similarly, other tribes suppressed by the Liao Dynasty were wondering: if even a minor official in the Song Dynasty could treat the sixteen conquered prefectures so well, would they treat me the same way if I offered myself up?
At least, that's what the Wanyan tribe thought.
The leader of the Wanyan tribe was named Shi Lu. He used "dogma" to restrain the Jurchen tribes and waged war against other tribes. After becoming the leader of a certain power, his next plan was to send envoys to surrender to the Song Dynasty.
"Originally, I wanted to surrender to the Liao Kingdom, but my son disagreed. He said that the Liao Kingdom had just been defeated by the Song Dynasty and was on the verge of collapse. It would be better to switch allegiance to you."
At the banquet held to entertain the envoys, Wanyan Shilu casually explained the whole story. Fusu's eyelids twitched as he listened: "Is it really alright for me to tell you all this?"
But he also knew perfectly well that this Wanyan Shilu was definitely not as naive as he appeared. How could someone who could build a tribe from scratch into a rudimentary state be a fool?
...Although it really does look very similar.
"However, seeing how young you are, young master, still gave me quite a shock! You look even younger than my youngest son, hahaha!"
From the moment the banquet began, Wanyan Shilu had been drinking heavily. At this moment, his face was flushed and his eyes were unfocused; he was clearly half-drunk and couldn't control his mouth, inadvertently taking advantage of the lord who wanted to surrender.
Fusu: "..."
Forget it, let's not bother arguing with a drunkard.
His dark eyes darted around: "Your youngest son, the one who persuaded you to come and join my Great Song Dynasty, what's his name?"
Wanyan Shilu babbled out a few syllables.
The official from the Court of State Ceremonial, who had been translating, stopped, clearly unsure how to translate the name. But it was no longer necessary; Fusu's ears had already caught the name.
Ugu Nai (pronounced nai, third tone).
That is, Wanyan Aguda's grandfather.
...What else is there to say? If we don't take them under our wing now and legitimately intervene in their management, are we going to wait until Wanyan Aguda is born and "builds upon the accumulated power of four generations" to deal with the Liao Kingdom before dealing with you?
With mixed feelings, Fusu accepted the surrender of the Wanyan tribe and sent people to establish a tributary state in the Jurchen territory. Bianjing issued an imperial edict granting Wanyan Shilu the title of "Jurchen Military Governor".
From then on, the territory of the Song Dynasty expanded once again. Wanyan Shilu also became the first military governor with real power since the beginning of the Song Dynasty.
But Fusu did not let his guard down.
The system of tributary states originated during the reign of Emperor Xuan of the Western Han Dynasty. Historically, whenever the power of the suzerain state declined, the tributary states would lose central control, and there was even a risk that they would turn against their suzerain state.
Referring to the Jin Dynasty in history, the Jurchen tribes in modern times are even more important targets for vigilance.
After issuing the imperial edict, Fusu took further action.
First, the talent package sent to Western Xia and the Sixteen Prefectures was delivered intact to the Jin Dynasty. When Wanyan Shilu came to the Song Dynasty to submit, he still spoke the Liao language. This wouldn't do. Land belonging to the Song Dynasty, even if nominally so, should be in Chinese.
Then, after much deliberation, Fusu still sent them new improved varieties and new inventions.
The ferocity of a nation's army is inversely proportional to the severity of its living conditions. The Liao, Jin, and Mongol dynasties serve as excellent examples. When exploited to the point of desperation, they were all incredibly fierce, to the point that "ten thousand men were invincible." Once they conquered the Central Plains and their living conditions improved, they became uncontrollably corrupt.
Since that's the case, why not just corrupt them, cough, and improve their living conditions?
High-quality seeds were sown in the black soil, resulting in a bountiful harvest in the first quarter. Coupled with the brand-new machinery transported from the Song Dynasty, the lives of the Jurchen tribes improved many times over. Wearing brand-new cotton clothes and roasting honeycomb briquettes that burned all night, the Jurchen men, women, and children all kept mentioning the name of the young official.
What about Wanyan Shilu? He was also thinking about it. Because when the envoy from the Song Dynasty came to offer his help, he specially brought him a pot of strong liquor, saying it was a private gift from a minor official.
"Young Master, you're such a kind person!"
He downed a mouthful of strong liquor and said it with gusto.
Just as the entire Jurchen people were thriving and looking forward to a better future, only one person noticed something was wrong.
Ugunai.
He frowned deeply: "Father, don't you think things are going to get very bad?"
"Hmm? Is something wrong?"
"Our current food, clothing, housing, and transportation are all controlled by the State of Song."
Once he lost it again, and returned to the days of fishing and hunting in the snow, Wugunai couldn't help but shudder.
Before becoming a tributary state of the Song Dynasty, he never felt that his life was any hardship. But now, he felt that he had been far too patient.
Wanyan Shilu slowly put down the wine in his hand: "What do you want, Wugunai? Do you want the Song Dynasty to fight? They even agreed to the Liao people. We Jurchens..."
"Father, what are you thinking?" Wu Gunai rolled his eyes and interrupted him without any politeness, "I'm not that presumptuous!"
Wanyan Shilu breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good. So what exactly are you thinking?"
"I'm wondering... could it be that the minor official of Song did this on purpose? He deliberately gave us good things but didn't teach us how to make them. Does that mean... we have to exchange them ourselves?"
"Exchange? What do you want to exchange? A gyrfalcon? A woman?"
The gyrfalcon and young women were the two "tribute" most frequently demanded by the Liao Dynasty from the Jurchen tribes. Therefore, Wanyan Shilu immediately thought of this the moment Wugunai spoke.
“How could that be? That young official of Song doesn’t seem to be good at hunting, nor is he interested in women,” Wugunai said. “Why don’t we give him the Liao Kingdom?”
Wanyan Shilu: "Huh?"
Fusu: "Huh?"
He clearly hadn't guessed Wanyan Wugunai's thought process.
Giving the Jurchens good things served two purposes. First, it was a form of sweet talk, meant to weaken their resolve and prevent them from opposing the Song Dynasty. Second, it was also humanitarian aid. Given the Jurchen tribes' near-savage way of life, anyone would find it unbearable to witness.
Who would have thought that the Jurchen leaders would be so sensible as to propose a trade of territory for technology—an unprecedented deal.
After thinking about it for a moment, Fusu realized that it might not be a bad idea.
"Tell me first, what would you like to exchange it for?"
"What do you think of exchanging three prefectures of the Liao Kingdom for the Song Dynasty's technology in making honeycomb briquettes?"
Three, three states...
Fusu was dumbfounded.
Are you guys really that confident you can win?
Wanyan Shilu revealed a hint of resentment. After all, he had unified most of the Jurchen tribes by force, and was undoubtedly exceptionally brave and skilled. To be questioned by a fourteen-year-old child was a truly unpleasant experience.
"If you agree now, the Jurchen tribes can immediately mobilize their troops. We are just waiting for your order."
What else could Fusu say?
Fusu could only nod.
With just a single honeycomb briquette mold, they could acquire a territory the size of three prefectures, equivalent to taking over half of Inner Mongolia. This, combined with the original territory of the Western Xia and the Jurchen's tributary states, formed a unified whole. Compared to the northern border of the Second China, it wasn't much different.
More importantly, the coal in the territory occupied by the Jurchens was buried deep underground and could not be mined with current technology.
Even if the recipe were handed over, the raw materials would still have to be imported from places like Yunzhou. The greater the production and demand for coal, the deeper the connection between the Jurchens and the Song Dynasty would become. In that case, even if they wanted to betray their master, they would have to ask their subordinates, who didn't have coal to burn, for their consent.
On the other hand, Wanyan Shilu asked for nothing else; his first request was for honeycomb briquettes, clearly showing his concern for the people under his rule. He could have exchanged them for something more luxurious, something more for personal enjoyment, such as the high-proof liquor that Fusu had given him.
But Wanyan Shilu held back.
Compared to ambitious individuals, those who care about their subordinates, like him, are obviously more pleasant to work with.
Fusu readily agreed. Of course, he still sent an army to accompany the Jurchen tribe. This was to guard against the Jurchen tribe changing their minds at the last minute, and also to better take over the new territory later.
The good news is that the Jurchen tribes did not change their minds. After they rallied together and routed the Liao army, they readily relinquished their garrison rights. At the same time, the recipe for making honeycomb briquettes, along with the demonstration technicians, rushed to the Jurchen headquarters.
In their first collaboration, neither side broke the agreement, and both parties were quite pleased. Thanks to the use of honeycomb briquettes, the Jurchen tribe experienced its warmest winter in history. The mortality rate from freezing dropped to single digits, while the birth rate increased by over ten percent. The tribe's population flourished and prospered.
As winter turned to spring, the Jurchen tribes were no longer satisfied.
This time, their demand was for the Song Dynasty to provide them with superior breeds. The country they planned to attack was not the Liao Dynasty, but the Goryeo Dynasty to their west.
Wanyan Shilu patted his chest confidently: "Your Majesty, you can trust me. I have dealt with the Koreans for many years and know more about that area than the King of Korea."
Fusu: "..."
Fusu: "Okay, you guys go ahead and give it a try."
Three months later, the territory of the Song Dynasty extended another tentacle to the northeast.
Five months later, during the autumn harvest, the Jurchen tribe celebrated their harvest by roasting fragrant, soft, and sticky potatoes. They were sprinkled with precious spices, mashed, and mixed with soft, sticky rice, and everyone ate with great satisfaction.
Of course, in return, the portion of the land used for cultivating potatoes had to pay taxes to the Song Dynasty. Everyone paid it with absolute willingness, because even after deducting a very small percentage as tax, the remaining amount was still enough to feed them for two years.
It was at this time that the prestige of the Wanyan tribe and the minor official family of the Song Dynasty reached its peak.
What Wanyan Shilu felt was unknown. But when Fusu saw the exorbitant tax revenue collected by the Jurchen tribes, he silently guessed: Now that they are well-fed and clothed, they probably don't have any other demands, right?
Fusu guessed wrong.
Because Wanyan Shilu came again: "Young Master, what do you think of Fusang?"
Fusu: "...?" Fusang?
He looked shocked: "Are you sure? Your tribe can board the ship?"
Wanyan Shilu grunted and rubbed his hands together: "Hehe, shall we try this first?"
"Okay. I understand." Fusu understood instantly. It seemed that what Wanyan Shilu wanted this time was definitely extraordinary. Only something worth risking everything for in a field they didn't fully understand.
"Your Majesty is truly wise indeed," Wanyan Shilu flattered casually, then stammered, "If we conquer Fusang this time, could Your Majesty please set up a steam engine factory in our tribe?"
“That won’t do.” Fusu shook his head, and before Wanyan Shilu could even feel disappointed, he added, “However, I can give you a few more mechanical bodies.”
"Oh, and remember to bring back plenty of silver."
For almost a whole year, Fusu was busy organizing and managing the land that the Jurchens had conquered for them. Before he knew it, when he looked up, the map of the Great Song Dynasty hanging in the Chuigong Hall showed that the world had changed dramatically.
In the imperial court, two opposing views emerged.
One praises him for "subduing the enemy without fighting," for expanding his territory effortlessly, demonstrating great wisdom.
Another concern is that he is raising a tiger that will eventually turn against him, relying too much on mercenaries to conquer the world, and allowing the Jurchens to grow stronger, which will eventually backfire on him.
Fusu blinked, utterly bewildered: Had there been too much fresh blood in the court these past few years? Had they forgotten what he had done five years ago? Why were the Jurchens no longer attacking other territories of the Liao Kingdom? Of course, it was because they were perceptive.
Because of this battle, Fusu wanted to fight it himself.
Coinciding with the Liao Dynasty's period of national mourning, Yelü Zongzhen passed away, taking the title of Emperor Xingzong of Liao. However, his throne was not passed to his younger brother, Yelü Chongyuan, but instead to his son, Crown Prince Yelü Hongji. Yelü Chongyuan was appointed "Grand Marshal of the Armed Forces," but he was not satisfied.
Before long, it will be Yelü Chongyuan's turn to rebel.
What are we waiting for?
Fusu immediately led his troops north and personally led the expedition. In less than a month, the Liao Kingdom was destroyed. On the day he returned to Bianjing, the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Dowager, along with all the civil and military officials, went out ten miles outside the city to welcome the victorious army.
"You have conquered distant lands and governed the country with your wisdom. I truly wonder how future generations will bestow a posthumous title upon you, Su'er. It would surely be a difficult task for them."
"So what?" Fusu smiled slightly: "I choose to believe in the wisdom of future generations."
Author's note: There will be another update before midnight tonight, focusing on the romance.
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