Chapter 51: You Have Your Strategies, and I Have My Countermeasures

Zhao Ning pointed at the map and said, "The Jurchen bandits have failed to capture Bianjing for a long time, so they will inevitably begin to blockade the city."

Zhang Shuye and Zhao Ding also looked at the map.

"Therefore, food is more important than anything else right now."

The so-called blockade meant conquering all the cities around Bianjing, turning Bianjing into an isolated city cut off from the outside world.

In this way, the loyalist reinforcement armies would also be unable to enter this region.

Earlier this year, Wanyan Zonghan had used this exact tactic when attacking Taiyuan.

He completely sealed off Taiyuan Prefecture, preventing Zhong Shizhong's reinforcements from arriving.

This was the stalemate of the current phase.

It all came down to whose food supplies would last!

"Over the past month, I had Gao Qiu send people to investigate house by house. Ordinary households only have enough rations for three months, while better-off households can manage for four months."

Zhao Ding sighed and said, "If the Jurchen bandits besiege the city for three months, we will be in deep trouble."

A three-month siege, plus the current month, meant four months in total—by which time ordinary families would have exhausted their food.

Even with tight rationing meant to stretch supplies over four months, that was an ideal scenario.

Because no one could guarantee the Jurchen bandits would leave right after three months, and this involved questions of collective psychology.

What would happen when the third month arrived, the city could no longer hold out, food ran out, and large-scale turmoil broke out?

When food vanished, human civilization would regress to the age of beasts.

Would those with nothing to eat resort to plundering those who still had food?

If the city fell into chaos, how could they fight a war?

Zhao Ning said, "Here, Ci Prefecture, and here, Xiang Prefecture, as well as Daming Prefecture, and this entire region—Taiyuan, Hejian, Zhongshan—the loyalist armies here are all marching south."

"Zong Zhen, whom I dispatched to Ci Prefecture, must have already recruited a loyalist army, and the same goes for Wang Boyan in Xiang Prefecture."

Both men had been sent out by Zhao Huan a few months ago, and Zong Ze could be considered one of Zhao Huan's few correct moves.

"The Jin army will certainly establish numerous fortresses near the Yellow River, both to intercept the northern loyalist armies and to secure their own food supply lines."

"If Zong Ze can break through the Jin army's fortresses right here, the duration of the Jurchen siege will be shortened." Zhao Ning pointed to the Yellow River region in the north.

He was well aware that, in orthodox history, in the first month of the second year of Jingkang, Zong Ze's forces had launched a fierce offensive against the Jin army in this very area.

Thirteen battles and thirteen victories!

In an instant, Zong Ze's fame shook the realm.

One must remember that Zong Ze had only joined the army a year prior; previously, he had been a civil official—a sixty-seven-year-old scholar!

At a time when everyone had been terrified into submission by the Jin army, this old scholar stepped forward, using his own shoulders to bear the heavy burden of resisting the Jin in Hebei.

Zhao Ning pointed to Daming Prefecture again and said, "I also sent a secret letter written on silk to the Prince of Kang, appointing him as the Grand Marshal of Hebei Military Affairs. He will surely rally a loyalist army at Daming Prefecture. Within three months, the situation will inevitably change."

Zhang Shuye said, "Your Majesty is wise. The Jin army has just failed to capture the city, and their morale is exhausted. If Zong Ze can attack the Jin fortresses in this region during the first month, it will be the prime opportunity. My only concern is that the loyalist armies might fear the enemy like tigers."

Zhang Shuye's worries were justified. After all, over the past year or two, the Song army had suffered a complete collapse across the entire northern front.

The three major northern military strongholds had all fallen, and the strategic barrier of the Central Plains had been shattered.

Zhong Shizhong, Zhe Keqiu, and Yao Gu—these renowned generals of the Western Army—had all been defeated.

Zhong Shizhong and Yao Gu had suffered almost total annihilation of their forces, and the Zhe family of Fugu, renowned as one of the strongest military clans of the Great Song, had actually surrendered to the Jin state.

The impact of this on the Great Song was devastating, particularly a devastating blow to public confidence.

So much so that many commanders of the northern loyalist armies were now timid and indecisive.

Zhao Ning said, "I have met Elder General Zong Ze; he possesses the moral backbone of Yan Qingchen."

The Yan Qingchen he mentioned was the famous Tang dynasty figure and renowned calligrapher Yan Zhengyang, who steadfastly defended his city during the An Lushan Rebellion and ultimately met a tragic end for his country.

Zhang Shuye had never met Zong Ze, so he still harbored some anxiety: "If that is the case, it would be wonderful!"

Zhao Ning brought the topic back: "Let us discuss how to resolve the food shortage within the city."

In truth, Zhao Ning already had a plan in mind.

He would use the Ruzhong Method.

The institutional system inherent to the Great Song Dynasty could come in very useful at a time like this.

What was the Ruzhong Method?

The so-called Ruzhong Method meant that merchants transported the supplies needed by the garrison forces in border regions.

In compensation, the imperial court provided the merchants with scarce and highly valued commodities in the market.

Such as salt vouchers!

The Great Song Dynasty had many state monopolies that were strictly government-run and forbidden to private individuals, such as salt and iron.

At this moment, salt vouchers could be used to trade with merchants.

For example, the court would give a merchant salt vouchers worth 500,000 guan, and the merchant would provide the court with military grain of equivalent value.

The merchant would transport this military grain to a designated location assigned by the court to collect the salt vouchers.

Then, the merchant would turn around in the market, exchange the salt vouchers worth 500,000 guan for salt, sell it for 600,000 guan, and pocket a profit of 100,000 guan.

In this manner, the court successfully resolved its military supply needs.

Why was 21st-century China able to rise?

Many people assumed that China's governance standards in the 21st century were extremely high, and indeed they were.

Yet they did not realize that the state governance capabilities of ancient China were already world-class.

Ancient times lacked paper currency, and currency was scarce, yet ancient statesmen devised such ingenious methods based on practical circumstances.

The Ruzhong Method was one of them.

Commerce was highly developed in the Song Dynasty, and merchants were not suppressed; cooperation between the court and merchants was a common occurrence.

This was also one of the distinctive features of the Great Song Dynasty.

Zhao Ding said, "Your Majesty, this minister has a plan."

"Let's hear it."

"The court can issue salt vouchers to wealthy households within the city, exchanging them for an equivalent amount of grain. We can then store this acquired grain and distribute it to those facing food shortages according to actual circumstances."

Zhao Ding was truly Zhao Ding; with a turn of his mind, he immediately thought of the Ruzhong Method.

A truly capable minister was never one who merely played petty political maneuvers like the so-called gifted scholars.

Those who could govern the state were capable ministers.

Those who could solve problems were capable ministers.

And the essence of statecraft was to put the people's livelihood first.

Grain prices, commodity prices, transportation, commerce, agriculture, iron smelting, public security, and so forth—these were what a qualified official should consider.

Playing political tricks to perfection was merely an auxiliary tool.

"Minister Shuye, what are your thoughts?"

"This minister believes that Yuanzhen's proposal is sound. Since the wealthy households have surplus grain in their homes, they will certainly be willing to exchange grain for salt vouchers. However, these wealthy families do not know when the Jurchen bandits will retreat to the north, so a portion of them will inevitably have reservations."

Zhao Ding added, "During extraordinary times, we can use high-value salt vouchers as incentives for the exchange. Moreover, our successful defense of the city will also boost public morale. I believe many wealthy households will be willing."

"Very well, let it be done. Zhao Ding, I leave this arrangement to you."

"This minister obeys the decree."

In fact, this logic was somewhat akin to financial logic.

Salt vouchers represented state credit; merchants used grain to purchase state credit, then exchanged it for the essential commodity of salt, and resold it to earn the price difference.

By the way, why not simply appeal to the wealthy households to be virtuous and hand over their surplus grain?

Some wealthy families might do so, but surely not many.

Humans were inherently selfish; that was human nature.

Zhao Ding went down to arrange this matter, as it was a means to regulate the market's grain supply.

At the same time, the estates of Wang Shiyong and Fan Qiong were also destined to be confiscated, their wealth seized, and bereavement stipends distributed.

Inside the Jin army camp.

Shi Li'ai said, "We must completely blockade all cities surrounding Bianjing, construct encampments throughout this region, and within three months, a food crisis will inevitably erupt within Bianjing."

However, Wanyan Zongwang did not agree with this approach.