"In future international relations, a country's comprehensive national strength will be measured not only by GDP but also by its grain production, as the great man said, 'With grain in hand, there is no fear in the heart.'"
"Food, as the lifeblood of a country, cannot be controlled by others. This is a lesson learned through blood, as seen in Ireland, Argentina, Brazil, and Ukraine."
"These are all major grain-producing regions in our later generations, but their agriculture is controlled by foreign countries. The vast majority of their grain is exported, leading to food shortages and economic recession. This is the result of having your lifeline controlled by others."
"We understand these principles, lessons learned through blood and tears. We know what it's like to be hungry, so we work hard to develop agriculture. It's thanks to the dedication of a large number of agricultural researchers like Mr. Yuan that we can keep our jobs."
"It's a shame that the Western Xia and Liao dynasties haven't grasped these principles yet, and a large portion of their national expenditures are devoted to the military. Furthermore, as defense spending grows, they increasingly need to support businesses to maintain their military industries."
"According to my investigation, the agricultural and animal husbandry populations in their countries have declined significantly. The majority of Xixia merchants are middlemen in the Western Regions, while the Liao Kingdom is more interested in handicrafts and resource export industries."
"Compared to working hard on the land, going to the Northeast to dig wild ginseng, catching some wild goods and selling their furs to the Song Dynasty, or engaging in trade on the border, the returns are far greater than farming."
"This situation has persisted for seven or eight years. The economies and agriculture of the entire Western Xia and Liao kingdoms have become heavily dependent on the Song Dynasty. We've traded grain for copper ore, which we then mint into copper coins to buy other resources from them."
"It's really ironic. I used to laugh at Emperor Moldy for printing money and harvesting leeks all over the world. Now the Song Dynasty has also become a money printing machine, harvesting leeks all over the world. But it's undeniable that this feeling is really fucking great."
In the meeting room of the Constitutional Council, Zhao Jun spoke freely and with a smile on his face as he discussed the issue of the sudden military action of the Western Xia and Liao Kingdoms against the Song Dynasty's allies.
In the past, some people did not understand why the complete gunpowder formula should be sold to the Liao Kingdom, and why the Song Dynasty merchants should be supported in buying sulfur from Japan and then transshipping it to sell to the Liao Kingdom.
But they don't consider that if both the Western Xia and Liao dynasties were heavily focused on developing firearms, what would happen to people's livelihoods? What would happen to economic and agricultural development? The example of Russia is right in front of them. How could they not understand such a simple truth?
It's not just about food and economy. Once the Song Dynasty really starts to take drastic measures, completely blocks the border and cuts off trade, then maritime trade will also end, and the raw materials for gunpowder will be cut off instantly. Just think about the ending of the Japanese in World War II and you will know what the consequences will be if industrial raw materials are cut off.
So Zhao Jun made a big move early on, a god-like move that could strangle the throats of Western Xia and Liao.
"Thinking carefully, I remember Han Long saying that in history, we fought a war with Xixia, cut off their trade, and nearly caused Xixia to collapse. Could it be that you thought of this at that time?"
Fan Zhongyan opened his eyes wide.
"Um."
Zhao Jun nodded and said, "Since the founding of the Song Dynasty, we've only had two large-scale conflicts with the Liao Kingdom, but because we were defeated, we were unable to cancel the trade. Furthermore, the Liao Kingdom was large, so even if we canceled the trade, it could still be self-sufficient to a certain extent. Of course, you wouldn't have thought of that."
"Although the Song-Xia war lasted for several years and the cancellation of trade threw Xixia into chaos, the embarrassing thing was that the Song Dynasty lost the war again and had to pay tribute to Xixia, which forced Xixia to survive. That was even more speechless."
"So I simply played along. Knowing that we would eventually destroy Xixia and Liao, I decided to launch an economic and political war to force Liao and Xixia into our trap."
At this point, he suddenly laughed, looked around and said: "You don't know yet, at this time, the Han people in Yanyun are all wanting to return to their roots."
"Is this still happening?"
Yan Shu was surprised and asked, "Didn't they say that the Han people in Yanyun all hate the Song Dynasty?"
"The past was the past, and the present is the present."
Zhao Jun pointed at Goryeo on the map and said, "In later times, Goryeo was divided into two: the northern part was called Joseon and the southern part was called Hankuk. At the end of the 20th century, the U.S. Empire became the sole global hegemon. Under its suppression and support, North and South Korea embarked on different paths. North Korea was relatively poor, while South Korea was very wealthy, eventually becoming a developed country. As a result, a large number of North Koreans fled to South Korea, but almost no South Koreans fled to North Korea. Do you know why?"
"It's obvious that life in South Korea is better."
Everyone smiled, the meaning was self-evident.
"Yes."
Zhao Jun nodded. "When the same ethnic group is separated, it's natural to compare them. In the past, the Song Dynasty imposed heavy taxes, and the Han people of Liao certainly didn't want to return and become the target of oppression by the Han people of the Song Dynasty. But now that the Song Dynasty has developed well and the Han people in Song territory have become wealthy, the Han people in Liao naturally want to return."
“Everyone is after profit.”
Li Di sighed.
"This is perfectly normal, and we can't accuse them of having impure motives. After all, those who are unconditionally patriotic are those with lofty ideals. Only a minority are willing to sacrifice their lives for their country. Most people don't have that kind of awareness."
Zhao Jun smiled and said, "Perhaps if you and I were in that position, seeing that the Song Dynasty now has low taxes and the people live a good life, we would also want to return, right?"
"Well, since they want to go home, as compatriots, we should naturally welcome them."
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