Chapter 429: Planning

The entire Wang Family Manor was in the midst of a lively atmosphere. Because the spring thaw had not yet arrived, it was impossible to set up flowing banquets on the street. The Wang family mansion was indeed large, but it could not accommodate the more than a thousand people in the entire manor. Therefore, only some factory foremen brought their families to eat in the mansion, while most of the others gathered in the homes at the foot of the slope.

Wang Family Manor was enveloped in the aroma of wine and food. The adults sat on the heated brick beds, which were heated by honeycomb coal with countless round holes designed by Wang family craftsmen, and were burning hot. They ate pork and lamb in large mouthfuls, rolled green onions in freshly spread pancakes, drank high-proof white wine, and laughed and scolded.

The little children, who couldn't stay idle, ran around the entire manor in groups, eating two bites at this house and picking up two pieces at that house. Of course, they couldn't miss a trip to the big mansion on the slope. They were not afraid of the Great Official, because the person who always spoke to them with a smile gave them warmth. Their parents always said to remember the Great Official's great kindness, and that even if they were to be cows and horses, they should repay the Great Official. They used to be unfamiliar and would run away when they saw the Great Official, because what their parents taught them made their little hearts bear a burden they shouldn't have to bear. They were at a loss and even more afraid of offending the Great Official, so they could only be respectful and distant.

However, the Great Official said that as long as they read the books of the sages well and trained their bodies well, that was the repayment to him. Anyway, they were going to be cows and horses, so what was there to be afraid of? He told them to just play, as long as they didn't harm anyone. As time went on, the children found that the Great Official was indeed kind and amiable, and the rough men in the big mansion were also very kind, and the maids and servants in the mansion didn't bully anyone, so they gradually opened up. Even in the Wang family mansion, they were not afraid; they were all uncles and brothers, and they were all very familiar.

Although the Great Official didn't like the noise brought by children gathering to play, he felt joy in his heart when he saw them making a scene. It was also the simple atmosphere he tried his best to create, wanting this generation of children in Wang Family Manor to be free from outside influence. In this way, when they grew up and left home, they would feel that the outside world was particularly oppressive and feel a lack of freedom. Thus, they would develop in two directions: one would adapt to the environment, and the other would maintain themselves. With their small arms and legs, they were unable to change the environment. But he would help his children maintain themselves and change the environment.

Ignoring the little children gnawing on bones with greasy mouths, the Great Official listened to his brother-in-law at the same table talking about the situation of the Hu family.

It wasn't anything too special; landlord families all had the same development model: swallowing land, raising people, and then swallowing land. They maintained a very high enthusiasm for land. Although they also engaged in business, they had no large capital and no new technology; they were still doing the work of buying low and selling high to earn the difference. The profit was naturally not low, but the development was also limited. To put it in modern terms, the business of using regional differences to sell different local specialties to earn the difference was a red ocean with fierce competition.

Relying on heaven for food, the unstable output of specialties brought about price fluctuations, which was a huge test for the judgment of the person in charge. No one could win forever; just one mistake, and the consequence was that the goods would rot in their hands, losing everything.

However, although the Hu family was greedy, that was human nature and was still within a rational range; they didn't bet their family fortune on getting rich overnight. Their main business was still farming, achieving stable wealth growth by exploiting tenant farmers, which could be considered a bottom line. So their business was steady, with gains and losses, and overall, the business over these years had been a small profit.

Steady was not a mistake. The Hu family was just like that, a business polished bit by bit over three generations, with a foundation, and the roots were not shallow; it was just that there was no way to get rich overnight. Moreover, the nearby Zhu Family Manor was aggressive, and they had suffered many grievances. Hu Cheng's words were a tearful story.

After listening to his complaints, Wang Yan nodded: "Brother-in-law, no need to worry. Now that our two families are connected by marriage, the Hu family's affairs are the Wang family's affairs. Go back and increase the scale of pig farming. In addition, just like our Wang Family Manor, your Hu Family Manor should also have everyone raise chickens, ducks, geese, and sheep. Even if the initial investment is larger, it doesn't matter. We will share some goods with your Hu family and give you some distribution shares in the Liangzhe Circuit. The Liangzhe Circuit is wealthy, so you can earn more. In this way, you will certainly be able to support the expenses of Hu Family Manor. By next year, all the things from your Hu family will be bought by our Wang family, and life will certainly be much better than before."

Hu Cheng bowed gratefully, raised his glass and said: "Thank you, Great Official, I toast you."

Wang Yan smiled and clinked glasses with him. After drinking a cup, he continued: "In addition, I have looked at the guards you brought this time. Although they are men with courage and strength, they fight on their own without rules when walking, and their combat effectiveness is too poor. So after you go back, you must keep a close eye on the training of your family's guards and other young men. The road south has many strong men robbing the road; if an accident happens on the way, the loss will be great. In this way, I will send some instructors over to help you train the young men and strengthen their combat power. Can't your family pull out a thousand or so young men? As long as they obey orders and follow the instructors to train, it will be easy to wipe out the three thousand strong men of the Zhu family in just one year."

Hu Cheng waved his hands repeatedly: "Great Official is joking. Although my family has some friction with the Zhu family, in the final analysis, we are helping each other and advancing and retreating together, and we have no intention of making things difficult for the Zhu family."

"Whether you wipe out the Zhu family or not is not important; having the ability to wipe them out is what's important."

Having said that, Wang Yan ignored Hu Cheng and turned to drink with Wu Song and the others.

The Hu family's affairs were a small matter, and there was no need for him to worry about them. The old steward who had been drinking and chatting at the table had already handled it. It was just that he was his brother-in-law after all, and he was just putting on a show of concern to show his importance to his concubine, and also for his own peace of mind.

Of course, on the other hand, they were in-laws after all. Whether in ancient or modern times, this relationship was very close and could be considered one of their own. Helping them out was also useful. He always needed to use people; who else would he use if not them?

After eating and drinking his fill, ignoring the rough men drinking heavily, the Great Official washed up and walked leisurely back to the main house.

Previously, he, Jin Lian, and the family of three slept in the east room of the main house, but now that another concubine had come, Jin Lian moved to the east wing with the child. In addition, the room next to hers was prepared for Hu San Niang. Whoever was to serve in bed would go to the main house...

As soon as he entered, he heard giggling and laughter coming from inside, but when he heard the little maid in the hall call "Master," the giggling stopped abruptly.

Walking into the room, he saw Jin Lian taking the little one from Hu San Niang's hands: "Alright, sister, I should go, I won't disturb you." After speaking, she turned and left with the child in her arms. Looking at the Great Official at the door, whose clothes were disheveled and easy to take off, she gave him a charming white eye, and as she passed by, she even grabbed the little one's foot and gave him a kick.

Wang Yan understood Jin Lian very well; after all, a man as excellent as him always wanted to be monopolized. Although she had been prepared before, when this day truly came, Jin Lian still felt uncomfortable in her heart, simply expressing a little dissatisfaction in the hope that the Great Official would feel indebted and pamper her in the future. Jin Lian was not bad.

Laughing out loud, watching Jin Lian leave, the Great Official turned around, poured a glass of water, and said to Hu San Niang: "Jin Lian has told you the rules of our family?"

Hu San Niang gave a hum, without speaking.

She stiffened her white neck, stared with her eyes, and met the Great Official's smiling gaze without dodging. She looked very spirited and aggressive on the surface, but her hands were unconsciously clutching a silk handkerchief, her knuckles white, revealing her inner tension.

"You have only just arrived, so it is natural that you are not familiar with everything. That does not matter; you will adapt slowly. You have already met Jinlian; she is not a jealous woman and is very easy to get along with. Once you sisters have spent more time together, you will see." Seeing that she remained silent, the Master nodded and smiled: "Since that is the case, let us rest early. Such a beautiful night must not be wasted."

After speaking, he put down the glass, and without another word, he took off his outer brocade coat and inner shirt and threw them on the clothes rack on the side, revealing his strong body with flashy tattoos.

The Great Official walked forward, and Hu San Niang dodged backward nervously. When the Great Official's hand touched her shoulder, she suddenly threw a punch.

"Murdering your husband?"

While speaking, Wang Yan calmly grabbed her wrist, locked her long legs that were trying to kick his manhood with his own legs, and grabbed her other hand that was attacking, pressing her down...

No matter how spicy the little chili was, she was ultimately a woman. Marrying a husband and following the husband was the unified creed of women in this era. So after the initial discomfort, Hu San Niang very well became the Second Lady of the Wang family.

It was also because the Great Official was tolerant of women. After coming here, Hu San Niang's martial arts practice time was changed to the afternoon, because she couldn't get up most of the time in the morning. After eating a simple breakfast, she would wander around with Pan Jinlian, who was carrying the child, looking here and there, getting familiar with the situation in the house. Hearing was false, seeing was true; she had only heard how powerful the Wang family was, but she had no concept in her heart, and now she could be considered to know what the Wang family's foundation was.

She also knew better why, even though this could be considered a forced marriage, their Hu family still sent her to be a concubine with gongs and drums, and why the humiliated Zhu family didn't dare to let out a fart and even sent more generous gifts.

Understanding these things, she stayed comfortably. She could practice martial arts without restraint, and with the Great Official's occasional guidance, she could be considered to be making rapid progress. Wang Family Manor was also very lively, and there were many rare things in the factory. She soon adapted to life here and was happy with it.

She could be content, and Wang Yan was also happy; after all, there were only two women, and he would be restless if the backyard was not clean. Now that it was like this, he was also comfortable. And on a dark and windy night, he made Jin Lian and San Niang intimate sisters, sleeping in the same bed. Fortunately, the bed was large enough to stretch out.

The Great Official's life stabilized again. Every day he practiced martial arts, read books, wrote calligraphy, and had intimate relations with his two concubines. In his spare time, he would look at the various affairs of the factory, and letters were sent back and forth by fast horses and carriages, outlining the empire in the shadows.

In fact, at his level, as long as he didn't court death, nothing would happen. After all, his great backer was Zhao Ji, the Emperor of the Great Song, and he himself was cautious and never involved in court affairs, only focusing on sending money to Zhao Ji, solving the worries in the Emperor's heart—what a good person, absolutely a loyal subject of the Great Song.

Originally, he thought that by sending a lot of money here, he could reduce the suffering of the people, but he underestimated Zhao Ji, and also underestimated the conduct of those officials. It was normal to think so; no one disliked having too much money. Even if Zhao Ji didn't cause trouble, those officials would still cause trouble. There was no other reason; for political achievements, for promotion, for money, layer upon layer of increases, it was still the same. This was the corruption of the entire Great Song officialdom. Without a reform from top to bottom, relying on the current system and the conduct of officials, wanting a clear sky was impossible.

And not only did he not look for trouble or get involved in trouble, he also solved trouble. He had several hand-written letters from Zhao Ji in his hands, as well as some calligraphy by famous people. Every few days, he would take a piece of calligraphy he wrote himself, along with his insights on calligraphy, and send it to Bianjing to communicate with Zhao Ji. The words were full of flattery, making Zhao Ji's mood very happy, which was a great help to the court officials. After all, when Zhao Ji was happy, they were also relaxed, and everyone was happy.

Of course, it was not without trouble. After all, Zhao Ji's lackeys like Cai Jing and Tong Guan were already nervous, and another one who could lick boots had come, so how could they be willing? However, he was indeed cautious and left no trace, so this group of people couldn't find an excuse to act. Another thing was that even if they found an excuse, they didn't dare to act easily; they had to deliberate again and again even when speaking ill of him to Zhao Ji. They could make money, it was true, but they really couldn't make money as well as Wang Yan, so they had to be convinced.

After all, they were harming the local area, while Wang Yan was helping the local area and driving development. They were not fools. Even if they didn't understand what investment promotion was, or didn't understand driving regional economic and industrial chain development, they could still see the good and bad of Wang Yan's development model for the local area. Yanggu County had grown from a medium county with less than two Battalion Commander to a tight county with more than three Battalion Commander, and the magistrate had been promoted by one level—this was not easy to do.

So they were also careful, absolutely not conflicting with Wang Yan, and maintaining a state of peace.

It was also because of this that no one looked for trouble, and he didn't look for trouble himself, so he could comfortably enjoy the happy life of a landlord at home.

And in this process, Jin Lian and Hu San Niang gave birth one after another. Jin Lian gave birth to another son, named "Qinghe." Jin Lian asked blankly if this child was also short of water. The Great Official explained that since the eldest son was named, and Jin Lian was from Qinghe, he was named accordingly. Jin Lian nodded in agreement and gave the second son the nickname "Xiaohe"...

Hu San Niang gave birth to a daughter, whom the Great Official named "Qingya." Hu San Niang pouted her little mouth high, but Jin Lian was very happy because she didn't give birth to a son. Although the sisters were close, it didn't prevent her from gloating. There was no help for it; not to mention this era, even in many places a thousand years later, women who gave birth to sons had straighter backs. Jin Lian, who had given birth to two sons, smiled even more charmingly.

Of course, in this process, Wang Yan didn't forget Shishi. Every two or three months, he would go to the capital to stay for three or five days, lick Zhao Ji's boots to brush his presence, and then have a secret meeting at night. Zhao Ji, who had no heart, sighed, not knowing why, but every time the Great Official came, Li Shishi would be listless and about to get sick. The Great Official only said it was a coincidence...

But he still went his own way. Anyway, Zhao Ji wouldn't think in that direction, and no one could catch him when he acted in the middle of the night, so he had nothing to fear.

In the Bianjing Imperial Palace, Zhao Ji stood in front of a huge map with his hands behind his back, looking at the northwest for a while and the northeast for a while, silent and full of worries.

Wang Yan bowed: "Your Majesty need not worry. Commissioner Tong is commanding well, and Generals Zhong and Zhe are capable of fighting. Reports of victory are coming from the front. In this war, our Great Song will certainly be foolproof."

Zhao Ji ignored him, but shifted his gaze to the Liao Kingdom in the northeast, and said without looking back: "Do you know about the situation of the Wanyan family?"

"Your subject knows. I heard that Wanyan Aguda started an uprising against Liao with only two thousand troops, and beat the Liao army into retreat. In just a few months, he captured a vast territory of several prefectures. My merchant caravan sent back news that Wanyan Aguda is preparing to establish a country. This is a person with great ambition, and truly a formidable enemy of ours."

"Hmm, your merchant caravan is not bad, but the news is transmitted too slowly. The news from the Imperial City Division yesterday is that he has already established a country, with the national title of Jin. Establishing a country and receiving the country—isn't this just wanting to receive the Liao Kingdom? Although you have never served as an official, your Majesty's heart has strategies. What do you think about our Great Song joining forces with the Jin Kingdom to attack the Liao Kingdom?"

Great Official Wang knew that Zhao Ji already had an idea, and he had even sent people to contact the Jin Kingdom, otherwise there wouldn't have been the Alliance on the Sea later. Joining Jin to attack Liao, as it seemed now, was indeed a good idea.

The Jin Kingdom was newly rising, the Liao Kingdom was old and decaying, and the Jin soldiers were capable of fighting, advancing like a hot knife through butter. Before the Liao Kingdom had invested much energy, they were chasing the Liao Kingdom's garrison and reinforcements everywhere and hacking them.

But the size of the Jin Kingdom now could not enter the eyes of the Great Song monarchs and ministers. They thought very simply: it was just to drag down part of the energy on the northern front, and let the Jin Kingdom attack the Liao Kingdom from the other end. In this way, attacking from both sides, they would destroy the Liao Kingdom, and they would also be able to take back the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun that they had been thinking about for decades. They didn't expect that the Great Song army would be so useless, and the Jin Kingdom would develop so fast, leading to a series of events later.

Although he knew that Zhao Ji would likely not listen, what should be said, Wang Yan must say: "Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty. Your subject will dare to speak about some of my thoughts. The Jin Kingdom is newly rising, and the combat power of the soldiers is strong. If our Great Song restrains the Liao Kingdom in the north, perhaps the Jin Kingdom will really take advantage of the situation, or it may be that the Liao Kingdom will be destroyed. But if it really reaches that situation, Your Majesty, the Liao Kingdom has been a country for a hundred years, its internal corruption is serious, and it has no strong desire to advance."

"But the Jin Kingdom, this late-rising country that destroyed the Liao Kingdom, has an extremely strong desire for expansion, and its soldiers are rich in battle formations, mostly veteran soldiers of a hundred battles, with strong combat power. When that time comes, wouldn't this Jin Kingdom be another great disaster for our Great Song?"

"Your subject thinks that our Great Song's energy should still be placed on the war against Western Xia. If this battle can destroy Western Xia and obtain its territory, it will be a hundred benefits and no harm to our Great Song. Population, materials, and most importantly, horse farms—our Great Song has always lacked warhorses. After destroying Western Xia, the problem of horses will no longer exist. At that time, if our Great Song can train a powerful field cavalry, it will not be too late to plan to go north to recover our Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun."

"And while our Great Song is fighting against Western Xia, we can also pay attention to the war between Liao and Jin at any time. If one side is strong, we will help the other side. In this way, we can balance and wear down the strength of both sides. When our Great Song recovers Western Xia, it may not be impossible to settle the country in one battle. In this process, we can also do business with the Liao and Jin countries. Our Great Song has abundant products, and there are many products that are scarce in the two countries. We can even sell them the weapons accumulated in our armory, and then produce a new batch of stronger ones to re-equip the entire army. This can not only seek the wealth of the two countries but also strengthen the national power of our Great Song. It is the best of both worlds."

He was not deceiving anyone. The Song-Xia war currently being fought could indeed have led to the destruction of the Li clan's imperial house if it had continued. As long as the Great Song did not interfere in the war between the Liao and the Jin, and did not drain the Liao's energy, it was possible to delay the rise of the Jin—even though the Liao might eventually lose, given that they were also plagued by a foolish monarch and treacherous officials. Stretching out the war would have been a good way for the Great Song to play both sides from the middle.

After all, Song and Liao were adjacent, and Jin and Liao were also adjacent, separated by a Liao Kingdom. So there was no situation where pulling the side would cause a collapse. As long as the Liao Kingdom was not stupid, it would not take the initiative to attack the Great Song, and the Jin Kingdom couldn't reach it. Other places like Tubo and Dali were also considered peaceful, and there would be no war. The general trend was with him; how good it was.

Zhao Ji had already turned around while listening, because he also understood that compared to joining Jin to attack Liao, destroying Western Xia and then going north seemed more feasible. Because the Great Song couldn't beat the Liao Kingdom, but the current war against Western Xia in the northwest was indeed going quite smoothly.

He frowned and pondered, and after a long time, he asked: "In this way... how long will it take?"

"If the war against Western Xia goes smoothly, it can be destroyed in six years. Training a powerful field army with combat effectiveness can be done in three years. If we consume the Liao and Jin countries again, and our Great Song recovers after the war, after these nine years, I am afraid it will take another three to five years. If it goes smoothly, destroying Liao and Jin will also take five years of work. Calculated this way, it cannot be done without twenty years."

"Twenty years..." Zhao Ji couldn't help but let out a long sigh, turned around, and continued to stare at the map.

Wang Yan knew that this kid was calculating his own small accounts.

It was now the fifth year of Zhenghe, 1115 AD. Zhao Ji was thirty-three years old, and he was likely calculating whether he could live for another twenty years. At the same time, he had to consider the various situations in these twenty years, because he always had to consider the unfavorable ones.

In fact, he was completely overthinking it. The Great Song was not weak. The reason why it couldn't beat this or that was still a problem at the upper level. And the twenty years he mentioned also took into account the conduct of these monarchs and ministers. As long as the Great Song monarchs and ministers were a little more useful and reliable, this time could be reduced by another two years.

"Xu Ziyan, the method you mentioned is indeed feasible, but this time is too long... Forget it, forget it, don't talk about it, don't talk about it." Zhao Ji turned to sit on the side and drink tea, signaling Wang Yan to sit as well, and waved his hand to tell Wang Yan not to be too polite, only then saying: "I will tell you something interesting. There are failed scholars at the Yingtian Prefecture Academy who are parading with swords, saying that the current scholars are mostly weak and do not have the heroic spirit of the Confucian scholars of the Qin and Han dynasties. They are clamoring to restore the ancient ways, to restore the Confucian scholars to be brave and martial, to mount horses to kill enemies, and to dismount to govern the country. They say that the Great Song is bullied by foreign enemies, the Imperial Guards are incompetent, and they want to gather a group of like-minded people to go to the battlefield to kill enemies, and they have gathered a group of hot-blooded scholars. Xu Ziyan, you are a person who is both literary and martial, what do you think of this 'restoration of ancient ways'..." ===== CHAPTER 430 =====