[{"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-99":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},2318989,4535,"Chapter 99: Jianzhong First Year","i-transmigrated-to-the-northern-song-with-them-chapter-99",99,"\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the New Year, in 1100, the Zhao Song dynasty officially changed its era name to “Jianzhong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, Zhao Yu disliked this era name—“Jianzhong”—because its pronunciation sounded like “jian zhong,” meaning “worthless breed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, it was destined to be only a one-year-plus transitional era name; Zhao Yu only needed to endure until Empress Xiang’s death, then replace it and fully launch his own reign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Bian was efficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the New Year, the thirteen men, including Sima Guang, had been convicted by Cai Bian, with irrefutable evidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From these thirteen families, nearly ten million guan in gold and silver were seized, over one million mu of land confiscated; some households even had servants dressed in brocade robes with golden belts, and one family alone was found to possess more than thirty “meinaihe”—silver balls weighing fifty jin each, even including gold balls of the same weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After obtaining this result, Zhao Yu threw the list before the ministers who had been defending Sima Guang and others, demanding: “Is this what you call a gentleman, one who serves Great Song with pure intent?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced with this outcome, who dared to defend Sima Guang and the others?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, Sima Guang was somewhat unjustly treated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wealth and land seized from his household were not particularly large.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his relatives, leveraging his power, had extorted and amassed vast fortunes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crucially, Cai Bian investigated Sima Guang alongside twelve other major corrupt officials carefully selected by Zhao Yu—their combined wealth was undeniably shocking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Bian immediately requested intensified efforts against corruption.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, the New Party intended to use this opportunity to thoroughly purge the Old Party.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Zhao Yu’s view, the Song dynasty’s greatest problem now was not its bloated military, but its bloated bureaucracy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To prevent military generals from seizing power, since Zhao Kuangyin’s reign, the Song dynasty had promoted “joint governance with scholar-officials,” elevating civil officials to an extreme degree, causing the bureaucracy to swell uncontrollably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During Zhao Kuangyin’s time, the entire Song dynasty had only two to three thousand officials; the bureaucracy was lean, with the central government organized into Three Departments and Six Ministries, and local administration primarily structured as prefectures and counties—yet it still governed the realm effectively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By Zhao Guangyi’s reign, the number of officials had doubled; the number of candidates admitted per imperial examination rose from ten to thirty under Zhao Kuangyin to two to three hundred, a tenfold increase, pioneering the later practice of “enrollment examinations.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By Emperor Zhenzong’s reign, the number per examination had risen to about five hundred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, it had reached one thousand per examination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem with the imperial examination system itself was not the worst.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The real issue was that high-ranking officials could secure official positions for their descendants and relatives—chancellors could secure up to ten such positions—leading to the phenomenon: “One enters officialdom, and all descendants and kin gain office.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To accommodate surplus officials, since Emperor Zhenzong’s reign, idle posts like “Director of Palace Temples” had been created; such sinecures already accounted for ten percent of all officials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Accumulated over time, by Emperor Zhenzong’s reign, the Song dynasty’s official count reached over twelve thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By Emperor Renzong’s reign, it nearly doubled again, reaching over twenty-one thousand officials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During Emperor Shenzong’s reign, it climbed further to over twenty-four thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, due to factional strife and other factors, the number had approached forty thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—In the New-Old Party struggle, each side, upon taking power, purged opponents and installed loyalists. For example: when the New Party ruled, Old Party officials were demoted or sidelined but retained their salaries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, the salaries of Song officials consume thirty to forty percent of state revenue—how much tax revenue could the dynasty collect to sustain this fiscal black hole?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To fill the fiscal gap, the court had previously increased taxation (e.g., the “Square Field Equal Tax Law” was perverted into a tool for extortion), intensifying social tensions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worse still, although the number of officials had multiplied dozens of times, their efficiency had plummeted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, officials’ actual duties (assignments) were divorced from their official ranks, creating the absurd situation of “official without authority” or “authority without official status.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This led officials to shirk responsibility, cling to tradition, and few actually did real work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Shi’s memorial to Zhao Yu harshly criticized this phenomenon, calling it: “Today’s officials dare not undertake a single action...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, talented commoners were squeezed out of officialdom by the examination system; countless capable men were blocked from advancement due to factional strife or the hereditary appointment system, shattering the ideal that “rich families need not buy good land, for books contain a thousand bushels of grain”; meanwhile, hereditary appointees occupied high posts, creating a false prosperity of “all court robes are purple, all are scholars.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ice does not form three feet thick in a day; this was not a problem solvable in the short term.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But one advantage was that Zhao Yu had no fear of purging corrupt officials too harshly and leaving himself without talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let me put it this way: the current pool of Song officials was sufficient to replace these corrupt ones hundreds of times over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the Song dynasty still held imperial examinations, the hereditary appointment system remained rampant, and there were also the Imperial Academy and countless students waiting in line for official posts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under these circumstances, Zhao Yu’s support for anti-corruption efforts met no resistance; officials eager to seize real power and realize their political ambitions were eager to applaud with both hands and feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Zhao Yu waved his hand and continued...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon receiving Zhao Yu’s edict, the New Party rolled up their sleeves and went all out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But one point Zhao Yu held firm: the vacant positions were not given to anyone’s personal allies, but to talents selected by Zhao Yu and Zhang Chun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, using the New Party’s purge of the Old Party and the anti-corruption campaign, Zhao Yu promoted a large number of capable officials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, because the New Party had been leading the anti-corruption drive, most of the capable officials recently appointed were from the New Party.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Yu chose to turn a blind eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because only then would the New Party maintain the drive to crack down on corruption.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this process, vast sums of illicit wealth flowed continuously into the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Yu overruled opposition and first paid the long-overdue military salaries, including overdue rewards owed to meritorious officers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This earned the military’s strong support for both the anti-corruption campaign and Zhao Yu himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Additionally, Zhao Yu began paying overdue official salaries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That is, with the fall of these corrupt officials, everyone reaped tangible benefits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, anti-corruption must continue; whoever opposed it stood against the majority of both military and civil authorities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this process, some Old Party figures who suffered “persecution” did go to Empress Xiang, seeking her intervention against the suppression of the Old Party.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Empress Xiang told these Old Party members that Zhao Yu was not suppressing the Old Party—he was merely addressing the dynasty’s urgent crises.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The truth was indeed so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Yu, with Zhang Shangying, Li Qingchen, and Su Shi, had screened out a large number of capable officials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone could see that Zhao Yu intended to replace corrupt officials with these capable ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And those incompetent officials who held posts without doing work were removed as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Under repeated urging from the New Party eager to “seize territory,” Zhao Yu abolished the “Mo Kan” promotion system, instituting comprehensive performance evaluations of officials nationwide; those failing evaluation were immediately replaced, ending the old practice of automatic promotion by seniority regardless of merit; henceforth, the principle would be: the capable rise, the incapable fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Old Party understood: Zhao Yu was not targeting them specifically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the capable officials selected were not exclusively New Party; they included both New and Old Party members. In fact, since the total number of Old Party officials exceeded that of the New Party, the number of selected talents from the Old Party was even greater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since the New Party was currently leading the anti-corruption campaign, even as they removed corrupt and incompetent officials, they would only appoint from among the New Party candidates selected by Zhao Yu and Zhang Chun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This led some prefectures and counties to become entirely staffed by New Party officials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the New Party so aggressively expand their influence, the Old Party panicked and repeatedly appealed to Empress Xiang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Empress Xiang had no choice but to consult Zhao Yu for a solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Under pressure from Empress Xiang,” Zhao Yu appointed Su Zhe to also oversee anti-corruption efforts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the Old Party began their purge, they were no less ruthless than the New Party; they showed no mercy even though most of the officials they targeted were fellow Old Party members—their motto was: if you don’t step down, how can I take your place?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One must admit: the tactic of “letting successors investigate predecessors, and replacing them upon discovering wrongdoing” was brutally effective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it was inevitable that some envious successors, eager to seize their predecessors’ posts, framed them falsely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Yu’s principle was strict enforcement of counter-punishment for false accusations; and by this stage, investigations were no longer handled by the New or Old Party, but by the Imperial City Surveillance and the special agency Zhao Yu established for this purpose—the Eastern Depot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To reduce resistance to establishing the Eastern Depot, Zhao Yu appointed Yang Jian, Empress Xiang’s trusted eunuch, as its director, and staffed the Eastern Depot primarily with eunuchs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Zhang Chun’s suggestion to Zhao Yu, aimed at strengthening imperial authority and centralization.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Needless to say, this was the Ming dynasty’s Embroidered Uniform Guard and Eastern Depot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Notably, since the original Imperial City Surveillance differed significantly from the Ming’s Embroidered Uniform Guard, Zhao Yu redefined its duties: it now reported directly to him, responsible for investigating imperial cases and apprehending fugitives without going through regular judicial procedures. As Zhao Yu’s personal guard, it also handled imperial ceremonial duties, patrolled the palace grounds, and protected the imperial family. Moreover, it operated independently of the Six Ministries and could directly impeach officials to Zhao Yu—its purpose was to transform it fully into the Embroidered Uniform Guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Eastern Depot, too, operated independently of the Six Ministries, reporting directly to Zhao Yu. Its functions included monitoring officials, commoners, and the Imperial City Surveillance, serving as Zhao Yu’s eyes and ears to prevent bureaucratic monopolization of power, and balancing the Imperial City Surveillance to prevent any single institution from growing too powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because both the Imperial City Surveillance and the Eastern Depot could bypass cumbersome judicial procedures and respond swiftly to Zhao Yu’s orders, during this anti-corruption campaign, several problems were swiftly and efficiently resolved by their intervention, eliminating bureaucratic delays and fully and rapidly executing the emperor’s will, ensuring the smooth progress of anti-corruption and anti-laziness efforts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Imperial City Surveillance and the Eastern Depot, especially the latter, became instantly famous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among both New and Old Party members, there were indeed insightful individuals who realized Zhao Yu’s strengthening of the Imperial City Surveillance and creation of the Eastern Depot had deeper intentions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at this stage, the New and Old Parties’ greatest enemy was each other; they had no time to pay attention to Zhao Yu’s subtle moves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More importantly, neither side yet realized these were institutions targeted at them; after all, the Imperial City Surveillance already existed, and the Eastern Depot was merely a newly created “small agency” to resolve their factional strife.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, for the moment, officials entrenched in factional strife paid little heed to the Imperial City Surveillance and the Eastern Depot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This gave the Imperial City Surveillance and the Eastern Depot the opportunity to grow rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for when New and Old Party members finally realized?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By then, the Imperial City Surveillance and the Eastern Depot would have become forces they could not shake, Zhao Yu’s power would be fully consolidated, Empress Xiang’s constraints gone, and any opposition would be futile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the anti-corruption campaign, coupled with the implementation of Ye Shi Yun’s three economic strategies, overseen by Cai Jing, wealth flowed continuously into the capital; within just a few months, the court turned from deficit to surplus and began accumulating reserves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recently, Cai Jing proposed further reforms to Zhao Yu’s economic system, especially changes to the tea and salt monopolies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ye Shi Yun immediately warned Zhao Yu: Cai Jing’s reforms were a double-edged sword—they could raise revenue, but would intensify social tensions; usable for a time, but dangerous if prolonged, or they would cause lasting harm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Militarily:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After prolonged mobilization, seventy thousand Song troops had assembled near Great Ming Prefecture, ready to march north at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Additionally, the Divine Mechanism Left Army and Divine Mechanism Right Army, recruited by Zong Ze, Zhang Shuye, Wang Bin, and He Guan, had gathered in Bianliang and were now training on the Kaifeng Prefecture parade grounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Yu adopted Li Lin’s suggestion and implemented a dual-command system: the Army Supervisor handled ideological and political work to ensure the army’s obedience to Zhao Yu and the court; the Commander focused solely on combat command and training. Their cooperation would guarantee combat effectiveness while preventing the army from slipping out of imperial and court control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Briefly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Yu assigned Tong Guan (and behind him, Li Lin) to establish and train the Divine Mechanism Left and Right Armies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zong Ze served as Army Supervisor of the Divine Mechanism Left Army; Wang Bin as its Commander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Shuye served as Army Supervisor of the Divine Mechanism Right Army; He Guan as its Commander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both armies were primarily equipped with tiger-crouching cannons, thunder bombs, and divine-arm bows, and followed a composition of four thousand infantry to one thousand light cavalry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, their equipment was the finest in the Song dynasty; Zhao Yu gave these two armies the best weapons and gear the realm had to offer, and their cavalry were extravagantly outfitted with three horses per soldier (roughly half warhorses, half draft horses, to enhance mobility when needed).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Additionally, on Tong Guan’s recommendation, Zhao Yu assembled ten thousand Xiang troops, along with numerous mules, camels, and large carts, to serve as auxiliary forces for the Divine Mechanism Left and Right Armies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, the Zhao Song dynasty had truly prepared itself for war at all costs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, it remains to be seen how the Liao and Xia states will respond...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2411,"2026-06-20T15:06:47.302Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","40eb8573f98187713991e5f2cb7d40fc9c2b9b2c19fd4bf007652ca9d204b41d","i-transmigrated-to-the-northern-song-with-them-chapter-100","i-transmigrated-to-the-northern-song-with-them-chapter-98",348,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-transmigrated-to-the-northern-song-with-them-cover.jpg"]