From a son-in-law to a favorite of the empress

Chapter 764

Zhou Yuan ate until he was full, was slightly tipsy from drinking, half lying on a chair, talking about interesting things in Shuixi.

Empress Zhaojing listened with great interest, stood behind him, and gently pressed his shoulders.

"I didn't expect that the witch from the Wusheng Sect really helped you. Now that the southwest and Sichuan have been pacified, the only thing left is the island bandits in the southeast."

Empress Zhaojing smiled softly and said, "But those people are not to be feared. When our battleships are launched, they will have no way to retreat and will be a group of small fish, which can be easily dealt with."

Zhou Yuan said, "The island bandits themselves are not strong. The main reason is that they come and run quickly, and they collude with some local gentry, which makes them difficult to deal with."

"I don't take them seriously. When I go to the south, I will deal with them by the way. ”

Empress Zhao Jing said with emotion: "Three years ago, the Great Jin was still a decadent Great Jin. Now, it has been revived and gradually regained its vitality. Junior brother, you are the first to contribute."

"Eldest sister is lucky to meet you."

Her face came from behind and kissed Zhou Yuan on the face, giggling: "Reward for you...ah!"

Zhou Yuan whispered: "Eldest sister, what do you think the revitalization of the Great Jin is?"

Of course, it is peace and prosperity, no strong enemies outside, no hidden dangers inside, the people live and work in peace, and the country is thriving."

Zhou Yuan smiled and said: "Then elder sister, guess what I think revitalization is?"

"I don't know..."

"I don't think revitalization is like this."

"No strong enemies outside, no hidden dangers inside, this is just what a nation should do, it is just a guarantee of safety, it is not a revitalization."

Empress Zhao Jing said: "Do you have a higher goal?"

Zhou Yuan said: "I have always had it, otherwise why would I reform the Imperial Academy? Why should we implement the "One Whip Law" and promote the reform of the natives?"

"The rejuvenation of a nation is all-round, not only in the military, in the policy, but also in the wisdom and customs of the people, and in the general trend and direction of the entire environment."

"What is rejuvenation? And what should we do?"

Zhou Yuan said: "Salt inspection and anti-smuggling, tax law reform, is to reduce the burden on ordinary people and fill the treasury."

"Without the burden of head tax, the people have the support of the new law, and the new land is allocated, the fertility rate will increase. We will usher in a doubling of population in a very short time and become a populous country."

"The reform of the business system will make the economy prosperous. The prosperity of the economy and the increase in population will promote greater domestic demand. Greater domestic demand will feed back to the prosperity of business, which is conducive to our opening of the sea and maritime trade."

"When productivity is fundamentally based on people's needs, when education discovers and cultivates more talents, and when the economy is prosperous enough, the technological revolution will come quietly. ”

“The whole world will undergo a leapfrog change because of the technological revolution. Military power will help us protect all of this, and all of this will make our military power stronger. ”

“We will occupy more land, create a new civilization, and lead an era, or even several eras. ”

Zhou Yuan sneered, "You ask me what rejuvenation is? I don't know. I only know that our nation will no longer follow the old path. We don't need to rely on humiliation and suffering to achieve objective progress. We only need to create it ourselves. ”

“You ask me what rejuvenation is? I don't know. I only know that our territory will extend north to the north of the North Sea, south to the south of the South China Sea, east to the east of the East China Sea, and west to the west of the Western Regions. We will occupy the world in the East and become the greatest behemoth, leading the pace of the entire human race. ”

“Dajin is too small. Our stage should be bigger and bigger.”

Empress Zhao Jing was confused when she heard this. She lay in Zhou Yuan's arms and murmured, "Don't tease me. I want to see... How big is this world, do you know? "

Zhou Yuan smiled and carried her into the palace.

He picked up a brush and started painting, drawing the outline of the world in his mind.

He said lightly: "Senior sister, do you see it? This is our Great Jin, we are just a small part of this world."

"We still have a long way to go."

Empress Zhao Jing looked at the magnificent map, and it seemed that the whole world was emerging in her mind. She trembled and said: "We are a little smaller, much smaller than I imagined."

Zhou Yuan poked the map gently with a brush and said: "This is Hetao, and further north is Mongolia, and further north is their holy city of Kulun, and further north is the Tsarist Empire. It is a huge empire, they are stronger and more powerful than us."

"Their territory runs from east to west and has begun to infiltrate the Far East. In the next few decades, they are our neighbors and the biggest border enemies."

He pointed to the south again and said in a deep voice: "This is Haojing, and this is Dongfan Island. FranThe robots and the Dutch have crossed many oceans and taken root here, ready to invade us at any time. "

"This is the island pirate country. Don't look at them as a group of skinny monkeys. Their ambitions are not small. Otherwise, why would they frequently test our southeast coast?"

"This is Siam, this is Annan, here, and here... The Southeast Asian countries are still very backward, but the grain there can be produced three times a year."

"Looking to the future, we have countless dangers and countless things to do..."

Empress Zhao Jing was shocked and sighed, muttering: "Yes, we still have a lot to do... This is a world of great contention."

Zhou Yuan said: "Yes, in a world of great contention, on the eve of a great change in human civilization, once we fall behind, we will have to pay an unimaginable price."

"I must fight, I must work hard, but..."

At this point, Zhou Yuan slammed the table and said loudly: "But you are still playing royal power tricks with me! What political tricks! What are you thinking! "

The sudden anger, accompanied by a loud noise, frightened Empress Zhaojing so much that she almost lost her balance.

Zhou Yuan grabbed her collar and shouted, "Guan Miaoshan! Look in the mirror! Look at what you look like now!"

"Today I deliberately said nice things to tease you and pretended to be very nice, but you actually believed it and were really happy about it."

"In the past, you would only doubt, be on guard, and analyze the reasons why I deliberately catered to you."

"Now, because what I said is beneficial to the imperial power and your position, and it is what you want to hear, you believe it."

He patted Empress Zhaojing's face with his hand and shouted, "You are becoming stupid, do you know! You are confused, do you know!"

"Desire has eroded your wisdom, distorted and polluted your rationality, do you remember why you entered the palace!"

"Do you remember what you told me last year! The people are suffering! So I am determined to be the emperor and save the people! "

"You killed countless people for this, including your own father!"

"Although you were cruel and vicious at that time, you were at least a qualified emperor!"

"But now, look at what you have become!"

Zhou Yuan picked up the cold tea and poured it on Empress Zhaojing's face, shouting: "Wake up!"