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"I'm so surprised. Why does a simple and clear thing have two completely different answers? Moreover, these two completely different answers are all given to me by my important ministers. I just want to know who is lying and who should I believe in the future?"

After hearing what Zhao Ji said, Cai still felt a little pitiful to Zhao Ji.

It is said that Zhao Ji is stupid.

This is true.

But who can say that there is no reason why the ministers deceive Zhao Ji?

Take what Zhao Ji is talking about now. It was clearly caused by the Flower and Stone Gang, but for various reasons, Wang Fu insisted on saying that this was caused by the Tea and Salt Method, keeping Zhao Ji in the dark and making Zhao Ji not know what the cause was after the Fang La Uprising was put down.

But, I have to say it again.

This matter cannot be all resentful to the ministers, and the more reason lies in Zhao Ji.

You know, it’s not that no one tells the truth to Zhao Ji, and there are more than one person who tells the truth to Zhao Ji, but he chooses what he likes to listen to. Who can you blame?

Moreover, one of the biggest mistakes Zhao Ji made was not paying attention to a department left by his ancestors - the Imperial City Department.

Speaking of the Imperial City Department, very few people know about it, but when it comes to the Jinyiwei of the Ming Dynasty, it may be known to everyone.

In fact, the Imperial City Secret is the Jinyiwei of the Song Dynasty. It was founded by Zhao Kuangyin, the Taizu of Song Dynasty. It was called the Wude Secret at that time, and it was specially used for the emperor and only obeyed the emperor.

In other words, the Palace Front Department has no authority to manage the Wude Department, and even the Censorate cannot supervise it. This is a department that is superior to the law and obeys the emperor only.

The Imperial City of the Song Dynasty was far less fierce than the Jinyiwei of the Ming Dynasty - this is not to say that the Imperial City was not as powerful as the Jinyiwei, but was determined by the political and legal systems of the two dynasties.

Since the founding of the country, the Song Dynasty established the ancestral teaching of "no punishment for scholars and officials", so in the Song Dynasty, the persecution suffered by literati was relatively relaxed.

But the Ming Dynasty was very different. In order to consolidate the monarchy, the emperor also set up East and West factories in addition to the Jinyiwei to ensure that the imperial power was not threatened.

actually--

In terms of actual power, status and functions alone, the Imperial City is not inferior to the Jinyiwei at all.

The greatest function of the Palace Guard - the Imperial City Department is to protect the emperor. Based on the Palace Front Office, the emperor personally selected strong and used as personal bodyguards (equivalent to the bodyguard in Zhongnanhai, and was called the personal servant and was affiliated with the Imperial City Department). The requirements were very strict, with a height of more than two feet. They and the Imperial City Department guarded the Imperial City Department in layers, and all the keys of the palace gates and the hall gate were in the hands of the Imperial City Department. The Imperial City Department was purely a decoration.

Spying and Supervision - The second function of the Imperial City Department is to act as the emperor's private detective (called the marriage officer at the time). The emperor did not want to be a blind man or a deaf man, so he sent the marriage officer to go out to spy on information. What should he investigate? Investigate everything, as long as it endangers the security of the country and the emperor and social stability, he would investigate all, no matter who it is, no matter who it is, he would not let anyone go. Therefore, no matter whether it is a dignified official or a commoner, as long as he is targeted by the people of the Imperial City Department, he would be silent. They also gave the marriage officer a nickname - "Chazi". However, the Chazi of the Song Dynasty did not have the power of the Jinyiwei. After they found illegal people, unless they were involved in royal scandals or state secrets, they would have to send the suspect to Kaifeng Prefecture or Dali Temple for conviction.

Court trivial matters - The Imperial City Department has to take care of all the emperor's private affairs. For example, the emperor's small treasury, the management of the palace's utensils, and even the ice cubes used in the palace (called the Ice Well Affairs at the time), are all under the Imperial City Department.

To put it bluntly, the Imperial City Department is a secret agency in the Song Dynasty, and its nature is similar to that of the Ming Dynasty Jinyiwei.

If the emperor develops the Imperial City Department well, it would never be possible for his ministers to be fooled by his ministers.

In the past, Emperors of the Song Dynasty, no matter how capable or virtuous they were, each of them vigorously developed the Imperial City Department.

When it comes to Zhao Ji, especially in recent years, after Zhao Ji began to indulge in art and practice Taoism, the spy and supervision function of the Imperial City Department was a bit in name only.

A few years ago, because of his love for Prince Zhao Kai of Yun, Zhao Ji even waved his hand to Zhao Kai, and asked Zhao Kai to take responsibility.

This is equivalent to Zhao Ji giving his eyes and ears to Zhao Kai.

Let me ask, how could Zhao Ji not become a blind man or a deaf man?

After a little silent, Cai said: "The taxes in the southeast are indeed heavy. In addition to the formal legal taxes, the method of borrowing funds has been adopted. This year, the taxes will be borrowed from next year to the next year, and even after seven or eight years. In this way, the lives of the people in the southeast are indeed difficult. Under such circumstances, the officials will become the fuse to ignite the powder barrel. Huashigang is just the last straw that crushes the camel."

Cai still beat fifty boards each, and he was vague and seemed impartial. The key was to tell the truth.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Ji actually said, "It's similar to my guess. Master Tong cannot be aimless. Wang Fu can't deceive me. It's just that they all generalize from the side and have not studied this issue in depth."

Before Cai still answered, Zhao Ji said again: "I am actually reflecting that I am not giving money and letting the Southeast transport flower stones to Beijing. It will not have any impact on the Southeast. But that little flower stone, like our great Song Dynasty, can it force the people to rebel? It must be that many things have accumulated together, and the Mani cult is bewitching it, which has caused the people in the Southeast to rise up one after another, wanting to reduce some taxes."

Zhao Ji was arbitrary based on his guess and said so convincingly. How could you answer Cai Shen?

There was no way, Cai still could only say: "The official family is wise."

Zhao Ji said: "In this way, let the Southeast rest for a few years, there should be no hidden danger of rebellion again, right?"

Cai Jianxin said: "If you can really let the Southeast rest for a few years, of course you can eliminate the hidden dangers in the Southeast. The question is, can you let the Southeast rest for a few years?"

Of course, Cai still couldn't say what he was thinking, he could only say: "What the official said is very true."

Zhao Ji said: "In this way, there is no need to consider the Southeast."

After a pause, Zhao Ji said again: "Wang Fu, have you heard of the dispute between Zheng Zhongju?"

Cai still did not answer the question, "But the recovery of Yan Yun?"

Zhao Ji said: "You are very familiar with Southeast, Yanyun, Khitan, and Jurchens. I want to hear your opinion."

If Cai still left some room for his life half a year ago, then Cai still, who has established his own base, can no longer be kept at all.

There is no wall in the world that is not leaking, not to mention that Taiwan is such a big island, there are so many people on the island, and they are so close to the southeast. The key is that there are so many people loyal to Zhao Song on the island, so Cai still must not stay in Tokyo for too long, because he may not be sure when his affairs will be revealed.

If Cai still wants to leave Tokyo, the most important thing is to leave with his own army. Nothing is more suitable to lead a large army to head north to recover Yan Yun.

Moreover, Cai still has an obsession with Jingkang's shame that ordinary people cannot imagine. As long as Cai can still control Yan Yun in his own hands and guard Yan Yun himself, then Jingkang's shame will never happen.

At that time, Cai could still pacify the north first, then go south to complete the unification, or find opportunities to find excuses to go south to destroy Zhao Song, and then retreat to defend half of the country by relying on the Yanyun Great Wall. Slowly plan to advance, you can directly lead the troops north to destroy the Jin Kingdom, Xixia and Dadan tribes to complete the unification. In short, advance and retreat are well-founded, and the room for strategic maneuver will be greatly increased.

Therefore, in terms of emotion and reason, Cai still had to agree with Zhao Ji's recovery of Yan Yun.

Based on this, Cai still said: "I believe that giving up the recovery of Yanyun is extremely short-sighted. I don't need to repeat the importance of Yanyun's land. The key is the current situation. I have found out that the Liao lord not only indulged in hunting and abandoning the government, but also executed Concubine Wen, deposed his son, King Yelu Aoluo, and forced the rebellion of the general Yelu Yuji, who had lost his ministers and the people. As long as Yelu Yuji led the Jurchens to kill the Khitan Zhongjing, the Khitan Zhongjing would be lost."

After pausing, Cai continued to say, "If the Khitan capital is lost, the Khitan will only be the land of Yanyun. The Khitan can't even stop the Jurchens by promoting the power of the whole country. Now there is only a little land left, and the hearts of ministers and the hearts of the people will not lose their country?"

Cai was still both hoped and worried that Zhao Ji could understand something from his words, because Zhao Ji and Yelu Yanxi were so similar.

Unfortunately, Zhao Ji did not associate himself with Yelu Yanxi at all. He said, "In this way, do you conclude that the Khitan will perish?"

Cai still said with confidence: "It will perish, and it will never last too long. Therefore, if our Song Dynasty gives up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, not only will there be no chance to recover Yan Yun in the future, but there will also be another strong enemy, and there will be no strong enemy who is vicious and powerful in acting savage and powerful in martial arts."

Zhao Ji said: "You mean, if the Khitan is destroyed, Yan Yun will return to the Jurchens?"

Afraid that Zhao Ji would not make up this decision, Cai still nodded and said, "I am afraid that the Jurgent is not only ambitions."

Zhao Ji was stunned and asked, "Young Master thinks that Jurgent is really ambitious?"

Cai still said with a serious expression: "At least it is the big river (Yellow River)."

Zhao Ji couldn't believe it and said, "This... won't be possible?"

Cai still asked back: "May I ask the official family, why do our Song Dynasty want to regain Yan Yun?"

Zhao Ji didn't understand why, but he still replied: "Yan Yun is the old place of our Song Dynasty and the ancestral land, how can he not be taken back?"

Thinking that this was a bit hypocritical, Zhao Ji pondered for a moment and said, "Using Yanyun's natural danger as the boundary and keeping the barbarians outside the national border can make the north of the Song Dynasty no longer worry about external enemies."

After listening to it, Cai still said, "Our Song Dynasty knew that natural dangers were the national boundaries, how could the Jurchens not know?"

Cai still said again: "Using the current borders of Song and Liao, the Liao Kingdom can go south to attack our Song Dynasty at any time, and our Song Dynasty can also go north to attack the Liao Kingdom at any time. Will this be the national border that the Jurchens hope for now?"

Zhao Ji understood what Cai Shen meant, and Cai Shen was saying: If the Song Dynasty could not block the Jurchens outside the Great Wall, the Jin Kingdom would definitely plan to capture the natural danger of the Yellow River as the national border between the two countries, because only then would be safer for the Jin Kingdom.

Unexpectedly, Cai still said again: "I am worried that this is not the worst case. The worst case is that the Jurchens are heading south to destroy our Song Dynasty, because without any national borders, it is safer than without national borders..."

...
Chapter completed!