[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-transmigrated-to-the-northern-song-with-them":3,"chapter-i-transmigrated-to-the-northern-song-with-them-i-transmigrated-to-the-northern-song-with-them-chapter-326":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","I Transmigrated to the Northern Song with Them",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2319216,4535,"Chapter 326","i-transmigrated-to-the-northern-song-with-them-chapter-326",326,"\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Jing sincerely admired Zhao Yu’s extraordinary vision and strategic acumen, knowing his judgment and decisiveness far surpassed ordinary men, especially in grand planning and court control. Faced with Zhao Yu’s thunderous methods and precise insight, he remained perpetually reverent, never daring to slacken or deceive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, despite Zhao Yu’s formidable abilities, his energy was finite, requiring Cai Jing to manage state affairs and coordinate officials—offering Cai Jing the very platform to realize his ambitions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before meeting Zhao Yu, Cai Jing had endured three rises and three falls; leveraging his jinshi background, administrative skill, and acute sense for power, he shifted allegiances amid the New and Old Faction struggles, clinging to different factions and cultivating ties with the powerful, gradually ascending from local official to the imperial core, laying the foundation for his eventual rise as Chancellor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after encountering Zhao Yu, after years of hardship, did Cai Jing finally win the Emperor’s favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since ascending the throne, Zhao Yu had begun to appoint Cai Jing to key posts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the former Chancellor Zhang Dun retired due to old age, Zhao Yu promoted Cai Jing to Chancellor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Jing’s spring had finally arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet being Chancellor was no easy task—especially as Zhao Yu’s Chancellor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Yu valued systems and efficiency; Cai Jing could propose concrete plans for refining laws, rectifying officialdom, and developing livelihoods, leveraging Zhao Yu’s authority to implement them and realize his ideal: “to elevate the sovereign to the level of Yao and Shun, and restore pure customs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhao Yu retained control over core power; though Cai Jing held high rank and authority, he must constantly gauge the “limit”—neither allowing himself to be dismissed for incompetence nor provoking suspicion by overshadowing the Emperor. Thus, Cai Jing deliberately tempered his ambition, leaving “room for maneuver” on critical issues: in military and diplomatic matters—fields Zhao Yu personally controlled—he focused on execution rather than decision-making, avoiding direct power clashes with Zhao Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Yu’s brilliance meant he demanded excellence from his ministers; any administrative lapse could invite severe reprimand—or even be labeled “incapable”—placing immense pressure on Cai Jing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, Cai Jing’s abilities were truly unmatched; he met nearly all of Zhao Yu’s demands, never failing at critical moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even before becoming Chancellor, Cai Jing had recognized he lived in an age of enlightened rule; if he aided Zhao Yu in achieving a golden age, he would be remembered in history as a “wise Chancellor,” forming a celebrated “emperor-minister harmony” with Zhao Yu. But if his own errors or discord with Zhao Yu caused the collapse of Zhao Yu’s governance, he might become the dark counterexample beneath the Emperor’s radiant halo—thus he paid exceptional attention to reputation and integrity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In sum, Cai Jing was more like the “operator of a precision instrument”—required to align with Zhao Yu’s “overall coordination” while ensuring his own functions ran stably, balancing reverence, opportunity, and risk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Jing understood his significance to Zhao Yu; thus, on matters concerning the Emperor’s sovereign authority, he was exceedingly cautious, meticulous, and scrupulous: if he could do it, he did it; if he couldn’t, he gave one hundred and twenty percent, terrified that a single imperial decree might reduce him to nothing overnight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For this reason, whatever Zhao Yu ordered—even if wrong—Cai Jing executed it with unremitting effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as with this relocation of the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without exaggeration, Zhao Yu had once again struck at the vested interests of many nobles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Dongjing Bianliang, prosperity was like a dream: merchants gathered in droves, the mansions of high officials stood shoulder to shoulder, every inch of land steeped in the scent of power and wealth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The plan to relocate the capital was like a massive boulder cast into a calm lake, stirring waves of shock and turmoil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could those nobles, whose power had been entrenched for generations in Bianliang, willingly give up this unparalleled prosperity for an unknown new capital?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Jing knew full well this relocation would face fierce resistance—but Zhao Yu’s resolve was firm; only by fully succeeding could he prove to Zhao Yu his worth as Chancellor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Jing summoned Zheng Xiansu and Zhao Shou, mother and son, to gather the ministers, then spoke loudly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Today’s discussion on relocating the capital is not a temporary change—it is the foundation for ten thousand generations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bianliang may be prosperous, yet it lies in the Central Plains, bordered to the north by powerful enemies, with no natural defenses. In the past, we paid annual tribute, bowed to seek peace—all due to our geographical weakness. Back then, the state was weak, the army exhausted; we lacked funds to move and strategy to hold, forced only to endure humiliation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, His Majesty is divinely martial, the realm is tranquil, the army is strong, and the treasuries are full. Yanjing—flanked by the Bohai Sea to the east, backed by Mount Taixing to the west, controlling the northern steppes, and embracing the Central Plains to the south—is a land of strategic superiority, the traditional seat of emperors since antiquity. Relocating here will secure the northern frontier, repel barbarian cavalry beyond the Great Wall; facilitate trade with northern merchants, enrich border markets; concentrate the empire’s finest troops, and awe all directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we cling to Bianliang, should northern invaders march south, the thousand-li plain offers no fortress to defend—our dynasty will be in peril!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dilemma of the past was not due to unwillingness to move, but to inability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now His Majesty has granted us the opportunity: we have armies sufficient to guard the capital, treasuries sufficient to build a new capital, and capable officials sufficient to pacify the people. If not now, when?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relocating the capital will bring initial hardship, but for our descendants, for the ten-thousand-year future of Great Song—it must be done!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor’s will is settled—who dares oppose it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those with objections must ponder the weight of the state and the altar of soil and grain—do not let personal interests betray the nation!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Cai Jing finished speaking, Su Shi stepped forward to strongly support him:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“His Majesty’s resolve to relocate the capital is a stroke of insight spanning millennia—only a sage emperor could make such a decision!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, our former sovereigns developed Bianliang out of necessity. We all know: Bianliang lacks mountain or river defenses; should invaders arrive, the capital trembles and the realm panics. This is no alarmist claim—the lesson of Chan-Yuan is still fresh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I have personally traveled the north and know Yanjing’s strength: it uses the Great Wall to repel northern winds, faces the Bohai Sea to welcome ships, controls the fierce troops of Youyan internally, and connects the nine frontier supply routes externally. Relocating here is not merely to avoid invasion—it is to project Great Song’s might to the north, making all foreign peoples know we harbor ambitions to encompass the Four Seas, not to settle for a corner of the land!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some say: Bianliang is prosperous; to abandon it is a pity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I ask: is the luxury of one city more important than the ten-thousand-li realm? Is the private property of nobles more urgent than the safety of millions?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His Majesty, with the state as his heart, forsakes near-term gain for long-term vision—this is the act of Yao and Shun!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anyone remains obstinate, sacrifices public good for private interest, and obstructs relocation, he stands against the empire, against our ancestors!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His Majesty’s wisdom has already seen the advantages and dangers clearly—who dares stand in the way will be spat upon by ten thousand generations!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though I, Su Shi, am unworthy, I vow to follow His Majesty, through fire and water, to accomplish this glorious legacy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Zhizhong then echoed: “His Majesty’s resolve to relocate the capital is already declared: ‘The Son of Heaven guards the nation’s gate; the sovereign dies for the state!’ Such vows shake antiquity and surpass history—only a sage ruler could utter them!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His Majesty, of such exalted rank, is willing to risk his own life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the sake of the realm, we ministers, who eat the state’s grain and receive its grace—how can we shrink back?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If any still object, it is not because they fail to see the benefits of relocation, but because they cling to their private estates in Bianliang, cherish their personal comfort!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such thoughts serve not the state, but private gain—malicious intent, glaringly obvious. Those who serve the state must take the Emperor’s heart as their heart, the weight of the state as their weight. To defy the imperial decree and obstruct relocation is to betray ruler and country—how dare such men call themselves ministers of Great Song?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The relocation is now the Emperor’s sworn vow—it is Heaven’s mandate. Who dares defy it? Death without pardon!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Chancellor and senior ministers all voiced their support, each speaking with firm resolve, silencing those reluctant to relocate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Cai Jing seized the moment and, in the court’s name, issued orders for the relocation: ordering the Ministry of Revenue to immediately recruit artisans and laborers; the Ministry of Works, under Vice Minister Li Jie, dispatched directly to Yanjing to design the new capital and imperial palace; meanwhile, envoys were sent to locate the best sources of raw materials to build cement plants, steel mills, and brickworks to supply construction for the new capital…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the relocation order took effect, Bianliang city, like a pavilion with its central beam removed, gradually revealed its decline.\u003C\u002Fp>",1568,"2026-06-20T15:06:50.687Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","95ad6583ba1c47408a01d5efe96ecdce6f9e4f9bf8992d4ecfb2707a92099c5c","i-transmigrated-to-the-northern-song-with-them-chapter-327","i-transmigrated-to-the-northern-song-with-them-chapter-325",348,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-transmigrated-to-the-northern-song-with-them-cover.jpg"]