On the autumn of the second year of the Yuanfu in the Song Dynasty, few people in Qingzhou City, on the bank of the Yellow River, knew that they were standing at the crossroads of history!

This small and prosperous city will be famous in history because of the ongoing peace talks between Liao and Song dynasties, and will become a place that a new era will begin.

In fact, the necessary conditions for opening this new era were basically met in the late Northern Song Dynasty. At the beginning of its founding, this dynasty had already gotten rid of the old gentry family and the manor economy that matched it. This is probably why Zhao Da could easily implement the policy of "release military power with a glass of wine". At the beginning of the founding of the Northern Song Dynasty, he was not facing a huge, deeply rooted gentry family group, but a group of relatively shallow world-soldier groups.

The foundation of the Five Dynasties soldiers was not the rural clan, but the Wufu family that lived in major cities and important towns. The family was small in size and lacked mobilization ability, and it suffered heavy damage in the troubled times of the Five Dynasties. For example, the Weibo Zhenshi Soldiers were killed by Zhu Wen and Luo Shaowei (Jingdushi). The Chengde Zhenshi Soldiers lost all their losses in the civil strife and the attack of the Later Jin army. The powerful Youzhou Zhenshi Soldiers Group was controlled by the Liao Kingdom and gradually evolved into the powerful Yanyun - the descendants of the Youzhou Fangshi Soldiers under the wings of the Liao Kingdom completed the transformation from the world to the aristocratic family, so some of the aristocratic families even evolved into the Han marquis of the later Mongolian Yuan!

However, in the main part of the Song Dynasty, especially in the most economically developed Central Plains, the former Shibing Group no longer existed, and a considerable part of it was transformed into the urban industrial and commercial class. In Kaifeng Prefecture where imperial guards gathered, the phenomenon of descendants of Shibing soldiers entering industry and commerce was particularly common. After all, the Shibing family did not plan for family planning, and there were many descendants. It was impossible for them to all work in the imperial guards, so it was very natural to switch to industry and commerce to make a living. Moreover, when the Taizu of the Zhao family founded the country, he encouraged a group of warlords who handed over military power to make a fortune. Of course, they could not rely on farming to make a fortune. It was inevitable that they would get involved in industry and commerce.

Therefore, it developed to the end of the Northern Song Dynasty. The industrial and commercial wealthy people in Kaifeng Prefecture, Daming Prefecture, Yingtian Prefecture and other places all had close ties with the Kaifeng Imperial Army and Hebei Imperial Army of the Northern Song Dynasty, and it can even be said to be one! The Northern Song Dynasty had a high industrial and commercial status. During the several reforms in the Northern Song Dynasty, there were many battles between merchants and priests. This is the reason why it ended up in the end.

No matter how fast the priests of the Song Dynasty were, they could not kill the Kaifeng Imperial Army generals, because the Song Dynasty officials rely on them to control the "fake Imperial Army" in Kaifeng Prefecture and Hebei. With these "fake Imperial Army" protection, those civil officials who could "control the martial arts" would obediently become slaves to the imperial power.

Otherwise, once the Kaifeng Imperial Army generals are cleaned by the magistrates, the Kaifeng Imperial Army will become a tool for the magistrates rather than an imperial power. It seems that no one has ever stipulated that civil servants cannot wear yellow robes, right?

So the fierce Han Qi bullies Di Qing, Jiao Yong, the general capitalists and artists with great ancestors in Kaifeng Prefecture, are all good friends and relatives of Han Qingtian!

In fact, the authority of the Northern Song Dynasty officials was based on the balance between the imperial examination literati and officials from the countryside or Jiangnan and the imperial guards with Bianliang as the main stage.

In addition, there was another interesting rule of the Northern Song Dynasty - most of the people's officials were military officials, which means that the descendants of the awesome civil officials Da Qingtian would have a high probability of becoming generals!

For example, Han Qi's descendants evolved into generals in the Southern Song Dynasty. The Han Tuozhou (Han Qi's great-grandson) who became the prime minister of Kaixi and was led by the Northern Expedition by Hanshou, was born as a military officer. He was probably the only person in the history of the Song Dynasty to serve as prime minister.

It is precisely because of the existence of this sect rule that the descendants of famous ministers who were used by the Emperor Zhao’s elders to “reign martial arts” in their early years have now become generals, and have become members of the “bureaucratic landlord capitalist artist” complex. The new party supported by Shenzong and Zhezong, mainly the literati and officials in the south, was actually used to fight these “bureaucratic landlord capitalist artists”.

But it is not possible to fight again and again, and to fight to the death and defeat it...

Wu Haogu, who had been in the circle of generals and capitalists in Kaifeng Prefecture of the Northern Song Dynasty, naturally had already figured out the complex relationship between generals and commerce, civil servant Qingtian, and the royal family of Zhao and Song dynasties.

It is precisely because of this that Jiehe Market, which was actually controlled by Kaifeng's industrial and commercial wealthy, was able to obtain sufficient support at the level of the Song Dynasty court.

Because the power of Jiehe Commercial City was actually controlled by Kaifeng Generals... At least this was the case in the early days of Jiehe Commercial City's establishment.

Wu Haogu himself is actually a candidate for the ancestor of the generals. The General Sect of the Northern Song Dynasty is not a closed group, but can constantly add fresh blood. The descendants of civil servants and ministers are a source, and military officers who have made great contributions are naturally also a source.

If Jiehe Shangshi and Ma Zhi play a great role in the future "destroying Liao and restoring Yan", it is possible to find an official position as a Jieduan with the means of Wu Haogu.

By then, a general of the Wu family will be born!

However, Wu Haogu, who knows the historical development of later generations, has another idea at this time...

...

The autumn wind and rain for three consecutive days have turned the Qingzhou town into cold and wet...

Merchant ships moored on the bank of the Yellow River sway in the wind and rain. The low and dilapidated walls of the small town of Qingzhou appear in the rain. The high-hanging flags of the inns, hotels, restaurants, and brothels in Qingzhou City were also wet and hung down. Even the bustling Qingzhou markets seemed to be frozen by the autumn rain that was cold to the core, and they lost their former prosperity.

Wu Haogu was walking on the cold and wet street with his female apprentice Du Wenyu. Without going far, he walked into Xiaofan Building, which was on the same street as Qingzhou Inn.

A waiter came up to him who already recognized Wu Haogu, and sang a fat man and said, "Master Xiao, Mr. Xiao, is here, and is listening to Mrs. Jin sing songs in the private room of Tian3."

Wu Haogu took out a copper plate and threw it to the waiter, put it away and handed it to the waiter, and then said to Du Wenyu: "Wenyu, let's go and meet Brother Xiao and Niangzi together."

"Yes." Du Wenyu nodded, put away her umbrella and handed it to the waiter. In addition to learning the skills of human body sketching from Wu Haogu these days, she acted as Wu Haogu's "female companion" to socialize with Xiao Baoxian and Qiao Jinniang.

After a while, she became familiar with Xiao Baoxian and Qiao Jinniang. At the same time, her admiration for Wu Haogu has also reached a higher level.

Wu Haogu is more than just "the first in painting", and his ability to engage in diplomatic relations is probably one of the best! He actually formed a relationship with the Liao Dynasty's left-behind Nanjing, and became close friends. When they met, they were talking about everything. Poetry, music, calligraphy and painting, business, and even the ongoing Liao and Song dynasties were also something they were talking about.

To put it more exaggeratedly, the Qingzhou talks were openly discussed by Zhang Shangying and Xiao Baoxian, but in secret, Wu Haogu, Xiao Baoxian and Ma Renwang are talking - usually after meeting Xiao Baoxian, Wu Haogu and Du Wenyu will meet with Ma Renwang or Zhang Jue...

Many rules and regulations of Jiehe Commercial City in the future were basically finalized in this undercover operation.

Needless to say, the actual formulation of these rules and regulations is Wu Haogu himself!

It was through the deception of both ends that he led Jiehe Market to the path of no return to capitalism...

"Brother Xiao, Zhang Zhongshu has nodded! From now on, the Jiehe Shang City will be the republic city of our Liao and Song dynasties according to your wishes!"

"Really? This is great!"

Today, as soon as Wu Haogu and Xiao Baoxian met, they told each other a "great news" that the Chamber of Commerce in Jiehe Commercial City will adopt the "republic system" according to Xiao Baoxian's wishes.

Uh, is this what Xiao Baoxian means?

In fact, Xiao Baoxian himself couldn't figure it out... That seemed to be what he meant after getting drunk! Anyway, Qiao Jinniang and Du Wenyu said so, so they shouldn't be wrong.

And the "republic system" seems to be good - this is what Ma Renwang said!

In the next 25 years, the commerce market was "republic" by the shareholders of the Chamber of Commerce. It was neither the official of the Song Dynasty nor the imperial decree of the Emperor of the Liao Dynasty. All matters were discussed and formulated by the shareholders of the Chamber of Commerce, and the officials in the commerce market were appointed by the Chamber of Commerce.

The Song and Liao families were just sitting and collecting money... Of course, they still had to manage the matters such as Baojia, police patrols, and dikes in the market had to be discussed by the two dynasties.

In addition, if a thief wanted by the two countries enters the market, the two countries must also send personnel to the arrest - that is, the Nanjing Police Inspection Office and the Hebei East Road Prison Office will send people to arrest them!

In addition, Liao and Song dynasties could also set up "Permanent Embassy" in Jiehe Shang City. This "Permanent Embassy" is completely different from the current embassies that are actually welcome hotels. This kind of embassy is not managed by the other party, but is managed by the envoys themselves, and there are envoys who are permanently stationed all year round.

In the future, diplomatic exchanges between the two countries will be convenient. If there is anything, you can discuss it immediately in Jiehe Market. There is no need to send a delegation from thousands of miles away.

Such a good idea was proposed when I was drunk... Xiao Baoxian admired himself a little. It seems that he should drink more alcohol in the future and will not be able to make things happen!

Of course, for the Song Dynasty, this republic seems to be excellent. Because most of the shareholders of the Jiehe Chamber of Commerce are Kaifeng generals! The Song Dynasty officials handed over their lives to Kaifeng generals, and of course they would not have any questions about their loyalty.
Chapter completed!