Northern Song Dynasty: Counterattack and became emperor after the Jingkang Revolution

Wanyan Zongfu returned to the Kingdom of Jin with Zhao Yingluo's firm refusal and truthfully reported the news to Wanyan Zonghan. After hearing this, Wanyan Zonghan became furious. He slammed the dragon chair, stood up, and said angrily: "How dare the Song Dynasty be so rude! Do they really think that I dare not send troops to attack them?"

Seeing this, Wanyan Loushi quickly stepped forward to dissuade him: "Your Majesty, please calm down. If we rush to attack the Song Dynasty now, I am afraid we will be defeated. The Song Dynasty has a strong national power and a strong army, and they also have Wanyan Zongyi as a bargaining chip. If we If you act rashly, you may fall into passivity.”

Wanyan Zonghan gradually calmed down after listening to Wanyan Loushi's words. He took a deep breath, and then asked slowly: "Then what do you think we should do?"

Wanyanlou thought for a moment and then said: "Your Majesty, we can unite with the Great Xia Kingdom to send troops together. The Great Xia Kingdom has always been eyeing the Song Dynasty. If we can form an alliance with them, we can form a pincer attack and make the Song Dynasty head and tail. It’s hard to take care of.”

After hearing this, a glint flashed in Wanyan Zonghan's eyes. He nodded and said, "This is a good idea. You should immediately send someone to contact Daxia to see if they are willing to join forces with us."

Wanyan Loushi accepted the order and left, while Wanyan Zonghan sat on the dragon chair and fell into deep thought.

The content of the secret conversation between Wanyan Zonghan and Wanyan Lou's chamber could not be hidden from the spies of the Song Dynasty. Soon, the news reached Zhao Yingluo's ears. After hearing this, Zhao Yingluo couldn't help but secretly laugh at Wanyan Zonghan's overestimation of his abilities. She knew very well that the national power and heritage of the Song Dynasty were far beyond what the Kingdom of Jin could match, not to mention that there was also the Great Xia Kingdom that was eyeing it.

However, Left Prime Minister Lu Yihao was not as optimistic as Zhao Yingluo. He was well aware of the complexity and changeability of the international situation, and the alliance between the Jin Kingdom and the Great Xia Kingdom would undoubtedly bring considerable pressure to the Song Dynasty. So, he suggested to Zhao Yingluo: "Your Highness, although we have full confidence in the strength of the Song Dynasty, we must not underestimate the Kingdom of Jin and the Kingdom of Daxia. We can consider putting pressure on the Kingdom of Daxia to make them give up. The idea of ​​​​union with the Jin Kingdom."

After hearing this, Zhao Yingluo nodded slightly in agreement. She understood that Lu Yihao's concerns were not unfounded, but stemmed from careful consideration of national security. So, she decided to adopt Lu Yihao's suggestion and put pressure on Daxia.

Zhao Yingluo sent an envoy to Daxia to convey the wishes and position of the Song Dynasty to the ruler of Daxia. She hoped that Daxia could remain neutral and not get involved in the dispute between Jin and Song. At the same time, she also hinted at the consequences that Daxia might face if it united with Jin.

After receiving Zhao Yingluo's letter, the leader of Daxia fell into deep thought. He knew that the strength of the Song Dynasty was far superior to his own, and it was not a wise move to become an enemy of the Song Dynasty. However, the temptation of Jin Guo made him excited again. In the end, after weighing the pros and cons, the leader of Daxia decided to remain neutral for the time being and wait and see how the situation developed. After temporarily eliminating the threat from the Kingdom of Jin, Zhao Yingluo began to turn her attention to domestic affairs. She knows that agriculture is the foundation of the country, and spring plowing is a critical moment in the year when spring is the key to planning. Therefore, she ordered Jiang Laosi, the Minister of Agriculture, to organize this year's spring plowing work to ensure a bumper harvest of food crops.

Different from last year, Zhao Yingluo also plans to promote cotton planting around Kaifeng. She learned that cotton is an important economic crop that can be used not only to make clothing, but also to make various daily necessities. Moreover, cotton planting technology is relatively simple and suitable for the majority of farmers.

In order to promote cotton cultivation, Zhao Yingluo specially sent a group of agricultural experts to various places to promote and provide guidance. They introduced cotton planting technology, management methods and market prospects to farmers in detail, encouraging farmers to try growing cotton and increase economic income. At the same time, Zhao Yingluo also ordered some tax exemptions on cotton planting to reduce the burden on farmers. This policy has been welcomed and supported by the majority of farmers, who have expressed their willingness to try growing cotton and contribute to the country's economic development.

Under Zhao Yingluo's promotion, cotton planting around Kaifeng gradually spread. Farmers are actively engaged in spring plowing and production, and the fields show a busy scene. Zhao Yingluo also often goes to the fields in person to check the growth of crops and the production conditions of farmers, communicate with them cordially, and listen to their opinions and suggestions.

Over time, cotton cultivation gradually became popular around Kaifeng and became one of the important sources of income for local farmers. Zhao Yingluo's promotion plan was a complete success, not only promoting the development of agriculture, but also driving the prosperity of the local economy.

With the promotion of cotton planting and the smooth progress of spring plowing, Zhao Yingluo began to solve other domestic problems. She knows very well that the prosperity of a country not only depends on the development of agriculture, but also requires the common progress of industry, commerce, culture and other aspects.

Therefore, Zhao Yingluo convened a group of insightful people from the DPRK and China to discuss the country's future development plan. During the discussion, she put forward the strategic idea of ​​"agriculture-based, diversified development", that is, adhering to agriculture as the basis, while actively developing industry, commerce, culture and other undertakings to achieve overall prosperity of the country.

In terms of industry, Zhao Yingluo encourages innovation and invention to improve production efficiency and product quality. She set up a special agency to promote advanced production techniques and tools and provide support and assistance to craftsmen. This move greatly stimulated the creative enthusiasm of craftsmen, and various novel inventions and ideas emerged in endlessly.

In terms of business, Zhao Yingluo actively promotes domestic and foreign trade exchanges. She sent caravans to various places to conduct trade activities, selling silk, porcelain, tea and other specialties of the Song Dynasty to distant places, and also introduced many foreign rare items and advanced technologies. These trade activities not only promoted economic prosperity, but also enhanced friendly relations between the Song Dynasty and other countries.

In terms of culture, Zhao Yingluo focuses on education and cultural inheritance. She established schools and popularized education, allowing more people to have the opportunity to receive education and improve their cultural literacy. At the same time, she also encouraged literati to create and communicate to promote the prosperity and development of culture. After the country became strong, Zhao Yingluo began to set her sights on the Kingdom of Jin. She knew very well that the Kingdom of Jin had always been a threat to the Song Dynasty, and only by completely eliminating this threat could the long-term peace and stability of the Song Dynasty be ensured. So, she began to plan to use troops against the Kingdom of Jin.

In order to formulate a careful battle plan, Zhao Yingluo convened a group of wise and courageous generals and counselors to discuss the strategy against the Kingdom of Jin. During the discussion, she put forward the tactical idea of ​​"using justice to win by surprise", that is, fighting a decisive battle with the Jin army on the frontal battlefield, and at the same time dispatching elite troops to conduct surprise attacks and harassment to disrupt the Jin's deployment and rhythm. .

In order to ensure the smooth progress of the battle, Zhao Yingluo also ordered to strengthen the training and equipment of the army. She personally inspected the army, boosted the morale of the soldiers and made them understand the importance of this battle. At the same time, she also strengthened ties with the people, mobilized people to support the war, and provided sufficient food, grass and supplies for the army.

Under Zhao Yingluo's careful preparations, the Song Dynasty's army gradually entered a state of war.