Chapter 692 - 7: Storms Across the Land—Southern Commerce, Northern Agriculture
A battle shakes the world!
As the news of the fall of the Southern Han and Southern Tang spread, the entire world suddenly became a bit more serious at this moment.
Even though everyone had long realized the strength of the Song Army.
But when they truly heard this news, they were still shocked by it!
Rumors of the unification of the world by various generals spread more and more, and the various stories about the Gu Clan were included as well.
This is what it means to have a hundred schools of thought contending.
Whether new ideas or old ones.
They all take advantage of the current tide to beat the drum and create momentum.
Not to mention how the young scholars with new ideas are doing, even some Confucians with old ideas have changed under this wave.
——They applied the "Celestial Mandate" theory to the Gu Clan.
From the Emperor to the Gu Clan.
This is also a very rare change.
For this reason, many of them listed detailed evidence to link the rise and fall of the Gu Clan with the rise and fall of Kyushu.
And this also greatly increased academic disputes, including the so-called reforms between various states.
....
Kaifeng.
Gu Jin naturally returned to Kaifeng at the first opportunity, and Zhao Kuangyin gave him extremely high honors.
The Emperor personally led a hundred officials out of the city to welcome him.
A familiar scene played out once again.
Even though Zhao Kuangyin was never fond of superficial matters, he still fulfilled all the proper etiquette for the triumphant army as an Emperor should.
It is noteworthy that he spared Li Yu.
And, contrary to original history.
He even did not send anyone to monitor Li Yu, as if this King of a Defeated Country was not worth his attention, directly ordering him to be sent to Julu.
This level of trust in the Gu Clan was beyond everyone’s expectations.
After all, he was once an Emperor, now safely placed in Julu, without any supervision—no matter how one looked at it, it seemed like an unstable variable.
Yet Zhao Kuangyin did not care.
In his words: "Since Li Yu has already lost his country, if he can rise again, then I am unworthy of this position!"
Zhao Kuangyin is a very confident person.
No, perhaps it should be said arrogant.
Whether regarding the entire world or individual persons, he is so arrogant.
And when placed on an Emperor, this is a most impressive aura of imperial manner.
Sufficient for any in the world to praise.
At the victory banquet.
Zhao Kuangyin and Gu Jin discussed for a long time, and the two reached an astonishing agreement at this moment, which was to decide to delay further attacks.
The impact brought by rapid expansion for a dynasty is not trivial.
Although it is now a time of change.
But the Great Song, having not yet completely resolved various issues in the Shu Region, and now heavily stationing troops in the Southern Han and Southern Tang, clearly needs to pause, at least organize internal problems.
Actually, the territory of the Southern Han is not really a problem for the Great Song.
The influence of the Gu Clan in the two Guang regions is very impressive.
The rapid progress of maritime trade has changed everything, making the two Guang regions no longer the same as in original history.
Coupled with various beliefs.
All this greatly enhanced the position of the Gu Clan in the two Guang regions.
With the help of the Gu Clan, quickly integrating the two Guang regions is not really a problem, the main focus is still on the Shu Region and the former lands of the Southern Tang.
Of course, the two of them are not about to stop their steps here.
In times of great contention,
If one wishes to achieve, one must first lay the foundation on the strength of the nation, internal policy reform is so, and so is external territorial expansion.
Whether it’s Zhao Kuangyin or Gu Jin.
The core strategy of both is South first then North.
The initial framework now has to be completed, what remains for the Great Song, now with immense prestige, no longer needs to move troops!
Sometimes, momentum itself is the most powerful weapon.
Under the advice of Gu Jin, Zhao Kuangyin announced the change of the era name to "Kai Bao", and proclaimed to the world, announcing the ambition to unify the South.
——The news spread, shaking all sides!
And the development of events did not surprise Gu Jin.
In June of the first year of Kai Bao.
The ruler of Wuyue sent the Crown Prince to Bian, voluntarily abolishing the state to surrender.
From then on, the Great Song unified the South, forming a North-South stand-off with the Northern Han and Liao nations.
....
Time flows like water, years like a shuttle.
As a universal talent.
Gu Jin is not only training the troops of the Great Song, but also cooperating with Zhao Kuangyin to reorganize various systems of the Song territory.
This is what they must do.
The system set by Zhao Kuangyin was indeed too basic.
The Great Song now cannot be said to be a small country.
Although it has not yet achieved complete unification, having unified the entire South, it definitely needs to make the overall system more complete.
Fortunately, Zhao Kuangyin is a founding emperor, also a man of decisive action.
When the two cooperate.
No one can stop them.
Gu Jin made various amendments to the Great Song’s systems, the main focus being to profit commerce to benefit agriculture.
The maritime trade convenience of Jiangnan and the two Guang regions provided the fundamental support for all this.
It is noteworthy that this time Gu Jin further liberalized maritime trade policy.
Whether Jiangnan or the two Guang regions, they are key areas of maritime trade.
For the current Great Song, if it wants to rapidly enhance national power in a short period of time, this is undoubtedly the most effective way.
Of course, Gu Jin is well aware of the risks hidden behind this policy.
According to the usual style of the Gu Clan’s members, he definitely would not take such an approach—after all, the vision of the Gu Clan has always been farther-reaching than ordinary people.