Zhao Huan finally understood that Prince Ding had bribed the eunuchs to switch the memorial. Zhao Yi, on his deathbed, revealed the truth. Zhao Yi was skilled in calligraphy and painting. While not as skilled as Huizong Zhao Ji, he possessed his own unique style. He was particularly adept at copying, his imitations so flawless that even the original writer could hardly distinguish the original. It was he who had used Zheng Xian's name to submit a letter to Liu Yu requesting him to be the grain transport envoy.
Originally, some officials from the Privy Council reviewed it, but who was Zheng Xian? He was the envoy of the Tiger Court, a special envoy of the imperial power. He was the most popular of the emperor's favorites, so it was submitted without review.
When Zhao Huan saw the person who was recommended, he knew that Zheng Xian would not easily recommend someone unless he knew him well, so he appointed Liu Yu as the grain transport envoy of Haizhou without thinking.
As soon as the 40,000 dan of relief grain left the capital and arrived in Yingtian Prefecture, Liu Yu immediately colluded with Yingtian Prefecture Governor Chang Xuelin to have 20,000 dan of the grain resold at the Guangyuan Grain Shop. Liu Yu and Chang Xuelin were both Zhao Yi's men, and they colluded to embezzle the relief grain.
The prefect of Haizhou, Han Tiexin, was obsessed with quick success and promotion, completely disregarding the lives of the people. Despite years of severe drought, Han Tiexin not only failed to report them but also continued to extort money, ensuring that taxes were always paid on time. This earned Han Tiexin the admiration of officials from the Privy Council, who prepared a petition to appoint him to Xuzhou. Zhao Huan, unaware of the situation, approved it. It wasn't until Li Haoran sent representatives to the capital that he realized the severity of the situation.
Han Tiexin hadn't taken Li Haoran's death to heart, but Zhao Huan unexpectedly visited Haizhou again, and they panicked.
Although the corrupt officials received their due punishment, Zhao Huan was still in a heavy mood. Especially since so many people had starved to death in Haizhou, he felt extremely guilty.
There was one thing Zhao Huan never understood: Prince Kang Zhao Gou, Prince Ding Zhao Yi, and others. He thought they were the happiest, enjoying a life of wealth and glory. They didn't have to worry about state affairs or struggle for a living. So why did they rebel and be so greedy?
Human desires are insatiable, and Zhao Huan envied them, but they envied Zhao Huan even more.
The Haizhou situation had come to a temporary end, and Cao Zhenguo had already arrived to take up his post. Zhao Huan decreed a three-year tax exemption for Haizhou, but with one condition: water conservancy projects and the reclamation of wasteland to benefit the people. He also decreed that all reclaimed wasteland would become personal property, meaning whoever reclaimed it would own it.
Farmers' enthusiasm was heightened, some literally rising earlier than the roosters and sleeping later than the dogs, toiling day and night. Some, with great strength, even reclaimed over ten acres of fertile land. These reclaimed fields were registered by the government, and land deeds were issued, confirming their ownership.
Zhao Huan began to return to the palace and head north. The people of Haizhou wept and saw him off. In their eyes, Zhao Huan was the reincarnation of a bodhisattva. Only now did they realize that the emperor of the Song Dynasty was a sage and wise ruler who saved the people from dire straits.
"Your Majesty, Lian'er hasn't had enough fun. Why are you in such a hurry to return to the palace? Besides, we are taking the official road directly to the capital. Your Majesty, don't you want to travel around?" In the carriage, Nangong Lian'er couldn't help asking Zhao Huan.
"I just received a letter from Longchuan saying something happened to Zhao Li. I need to return to the palace to discuss with the ministers what decision to make."
Nangong Lian'er finally understood why Zhao Huan was so anxious to return to the palace. It was as if he was in a hurry, as if someone would plot a rebellion and usurp the throne if he returned too late.
Most women are curious by nature: "Your Majesty, what happened to the dragon boat? Did they encounter a sea monster when they went out to sea?" In her mind, the vast ocean is a place where all kinds of monsters and demons appear as in the legend.
Curiosity and imagination about the unknown led to widespread superstition in ancient times. Curiosity and imagination are also the driving force behind human progress. Zhao Huan wanted to tease her, "Lian'er, this is a military and national affair; you can't get involved. But sea monsters do exist. There's a fish in the sea that's bigger than Haizhou City and could swallow a dragon boat in one gulp."
Nangong Lian'er pouted: "Tsk, there's no such big fish."
"Of course not! There's a fish in the North Sea called Kun. Kun is so huge, I don't know how many thousands of miles it is. Do you think Zhao Li's dragon boat is enough for him to eat in one bite?"
Nangong Lian'er immediately became unsure: "So Zhao Li's dragon boat was eaten by a big fish, so he sent someone to report it?"
Zhao Huan laughed heartily. "I'm not kidding you anymore. Let me tell you the truth. Zhao Li went to Japan, and that damned Emperor Toriijin, for some reason, set his sights on the dragon boats. His tiny nation actually wanted to seize the treasures on the dragon boats. They probably thought that since the emperor was far away, we wouldn't do anything to them if they stole the Song Dynasty's dragon boats. Little did they know that before they could even make a move, Emperor Toriijin was captured alive by Zhao Li."
"Captured?" Nangong Lian'er was shocked. This was the Emperor of Japan. She didn't know what method Zhao Li had used to capture the Emperor: "Then, won't the Japanese generals send troops to rescue him?"
Zhao Huan sighed and said, "Who says it's not true? Zhao Li has detained Torii and imprisoned him in Toyama. The princes from all over the country have started fighting each other under the guise of rescuing the emperor. Now Japan is in chaos."
"What does that have to do with us? Let them fight. At worst, we can just release that emperor." Nangong Lian'er said.
Zhao Huan said angrily: "How can such a good thing happen? They want to be bandits, how can I let them go easily? I am not entangled in the truth, I am entangled in the final analysis of whether to capture the little Japan and incorporate Japan into the territory of the Song Dynasty, or let Zhao Li go north to continue looking for food."
Nangong Lian'er was shocked: "Your Majesty, are you saying that we should conquer Japan?"
Zhao Huan nodded. "Zhao Li wrote to me saying he's confident he can conquer Japan. Pan Bufeng also wrote to me about this. They both share the same idea: conquer Japan and then have the imperial court establish prefectures and counties. Destroy their emperor and wipe Japan off the map. But I'm still having trouble deciding."
"But, Your Majesty. Can the dragon boat conquer the whole of Japan with only tens of thousands of people?" asked Nangong Lian'er.
Her thoughts were also what Li Gang and the others were concerned about. After all, the number of people on the dragon boat was small. It seemed unlikely to expect a few tens of thousands of people to conquer a country.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Huan said, "I'm not worried about that. With Zhao Li and Pan Bufeng's abilities, plus the incredible weapons and equipment I gave them on the dragon boat, they should be more than capable of destroying Japan. Furthermore, with Torii in their hands, they can easily use the emperor to control the other states. Right now, Japan is in turmoil. If Zhao Li and his men establish Torii as a puppet emperor, destroying Japan will be a piece of cake."
This was true. At that time, Japan's Heian period was still a barbaric era. Their only remaining etiquette and civilization were inherited from the Tang Dynasty. Productivity was backward, and the people were ignorant. Zhao Li and his men's dragon boats were not only equipped with powerful artillery, but also with a variety of firearms. Not to mention flashy items like thunder cannons and thunder bombs, the rapid-fire divine arm crossbow alone could instantly kill any weapon.
The Japanese had never seen these things before. When Emperor Torii was captured, his guards launched a death charge, but they were all sitting ducks in front of the divine crossbow.
The Shenbi crossbow is now in mass production at the Military Equipment Bureau. Under Zhao Huan's instruction, its power has been doubled. It can penetrate thick armor at a distance of 100 steps, fire continuously, and even aim accurately.
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