[{"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-76":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},2318966,4535,"Chapter 76: Zhang the Grand Strategist (Bonus 10,000! )","i-transmigrated-to-the-northern-song-with-them-chapter-76",76,"\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After ascending the throne, Zhao Yu inherited the Zhao Song dynasty’s massive mess, with everything in disarray and in need of revival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhao Yu knew he had time, so he did not rush; instead, he focused first on securing his imperial position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, although Zhao Yu had begun personal rule, out of respect for Empress Xiang and for the sake of a smooth transition, he consulted her on major matters and even sought her advice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In personnel matters, Zhao Yu made no major changes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the reforms many had expected him to lead before taking power, Zhao Yu now refused to mention them at all; when others brought them up, he gave no clear response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, silence itself was a stance—it indicated that Zhao Yu was still walking the path of supporting reform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet at the same time, Zhao Yu pardoned the old faction members who had been toppled by Zhao Xu and Zhang Dun, even recalling them to court for appointments, giving the old faction renewed hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, whether the new faction felt threatened or the old faction sought to turn the tide, both were fawning over Zhao Yu, hoping he would side with them and help destroy the other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Yu was precisely using this to gradually solidify his imperial position…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this could stabilize his throne but not solve the Zhao Song dynasty’s problems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Zhao Yu already had some plans for resolving the dynasty’s issues, he still wished to hear the views of his five daughters from his past life, who had far surpassed him in success.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Chun wanted to impress Zhao Yu, to use his hand to intervene in politics—how could she not cherish the opportunity he gave her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the moment Zhao Yu dropped the subject, Zhang Chun took the bait:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Internally, Your Majesty’s handling has been most appropriate; I dare not presume to speak further.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Externally, I believe we should publicly follow the advice of Chancellor Zhang and other ministers, responding to Liao and Xia provocations with firmness, yielding not an inch.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xia was already cornered and forced to seek peace, but due to the late emperor’s death and Your Majesty’s recent ascension, our court’s stability was still fragile, and Liao provided support—hence they shifted to a hardline stance to force peace, hoping to turn crisis into safety and extort annual tributes, which is truly no cause for concern.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for Liao, their ruler is nearing seventy, and their realm faces a major succession crisis; their crown prince is ambitious but incompetent, unfit to rule, and their internal problems are deep-rooted and irreparable—they cannot possibly wage war against our Great Song. Their troop displays near Xincheng are merely bluster, aimed solely at increasing tribute payments.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is the heavenly opportunity for our Great Song to destroy both barbarian foes, yet our own realm is riddled with problems; if we rashly launch war, we cannot guarantee Liao and Xia will not panic and unite against us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At such a time, our Great Song may struggle to respond.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thus, we should openly prepare for war while secretly pursuing peace…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Chun’s meaning (including what she left unsaid) was:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia is purging its maternal relatives, its political situation unstable; having waged continuous wars against Zhao Song during Empress Liang’s reign, its treasury is empty and its troops exhausted—it is a paper tiger, utterly unworthy of attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liao, too, is in its final days, burdened with countless problems; Yelu Hongji has barely a year left to live—how could he possibly wage war against Zhao Yu?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Yelu Hongji dies, the throne will pass to Yelu Yanxi, the last emperor of Liao, who led seventy thousand troops yet failed to defeat Wanyan Aguda’s twenty thousand, was routed from north to south and east to west, lost over half his kingdom to Wanyan Aguda’s conquest, saw his wife and children seized and divided by the Jin, and was himself captured, later kept like a pet alongside Zhao Ji and Zhao Huan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So whether feigning war or launching it, Zhao Yu need not fear Yelu Hongji or Li Gan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhao Song’s own problems are equally severe: no money, no elite troops; Zhao Yu has just ascended, his throne still unsteady—whether he could even defeat one enemy, let alone two, remains uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the best response is to appear firm, then negotiate peace once Liao and Xia soften their stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In essence, Song, Liao, and Xia are all crumbling, each too weak to wage total war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Based on this broader trend, Zhao Yu can freely issue threats—as long as he doesn’t lose his head and actually fight both Liao and Xia simultaneously. Hmm… better not fight either now; let them all trade words, maintain the status quo, and compete in development.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once Zhao Yu resolves Zhao Song’s internal problems, he can then launch western campaigns and northern expeditions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Yu had to admit that Zhang Chun’s insights, grounded in historical trends, held some merit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet whether Zhang Chun’s strategy would suit the local conditions, Zhao Yu still needed to discuss it with Zhang Dun and other chancellors before deciding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next, Zhang Chun suggested Zhao Yu establish a Deliberative Bureau within the Department of State Affairs, selecting talents from across the realm, assigning officials to specific duties, deliberating policies, promoting benefits and eliminating abuses, and appointing Cai Jing as its supervisor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Establishing the Deliberative Bureau would signal Zhao Yu’s determination to pursue reform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Yu felt Zhang Chun was moving too fast, so he told her: “I have already agreed with Empress Dowager to change the era name to ‘Jianzhong’—I cannot break my word to her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Chun thought: Empress Xiang had barely a year left to live; once she died, no one could restrain her or Zhao Yu—then reform could proceed without restraint. So she said: “If so, this matter need not be rushed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Zhao Yu turned to Ye Shi Yun: “The imperial treasury is now empty; soldiers’ pay and officials’ salaries have been long overdue—do you have any advice for me, Shi Yun?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zhao Song dynasty’s most obvious problem now was the Three Excesses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Three Excesses: excess officials, excess troops, excess expenditures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Excess officials: the bureaucracy is bloated, positions are redundant and overlapping, many officials hold office without performing duties, draining court salaries while achieving abysmal administrative efficiency. A decree from court to the provinces passes through layers of checkpoints and cumbersome procedures; by the time it is implemented, the optimal moment has long passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Excess troops: soldiers recruited in large numbers vary wildly in quality; military training is superficial; frequent troop rotations prevent cohesion between officers and men. In wartime, orders are inconsistent, command is chaotic, and troops collapse at the first enemy assault, unable to form effective defense. Maintaining such a vast army consumes treasury funds like flowing water for provisions, equipment, and pay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for excess expenditures: beyond massive spending on official salaries and military costs, there are the enormous annual tributes paid to foreign powers in humiliating peace deals, turning the court’s finances into a bottomless pit. With revenues insufficient to cover outlays, the state’s poverty deepens, the people’s tax burden grows unbearable, and the vitality of the civilian economy is severely stifled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Three Excesses intertwine like a heavy chain, choking the Zhao Song dynasty, leaving it impoverished and weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is why the Zhao Song dynasty has always sought reform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Zhao Yu wishes first to stabilize his rule, unwilling to launch reform before his foundation is secure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, Zhao Yu cannot cut expenditures now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since he cannot cut expenditures, Zhao Yu must first find ways to increase revenue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, naturally, he must turn to Ye Shi Yun—the economics Ph.D., top financial livestreamer, master of monetary theory, familiar with all economic policies past and present, who invested on her own and amassed hundreds of millions in just three years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Zhao Yu call her name, Ye Shi Yun, still chewing on a swimming crab, said: “This matter is simple…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1342,"2026-06-20T15:06:47.302Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","9cff7f8f9a376697bc08e78a5cefa75ec10e29a95a2c858488294b06f9524b55","i-transmigrated-to-the-northern-song-with-them-chapter-77","i-transmigrated-to-the-northern-song-with-them-chapter-75",348,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-transmigrated-to-the-northern-song-with-them-cover.jpg"]