You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chapter 108 No Taboos
In a pavilion north of Bianliang (Kaifeng), the capital of the Eastern Han Dynasty, outside the Xinfengqiu Gate, a banquet is currently being held.

A bronze stove was burning in the pavilion to maintain the temperature. Among those seated, there were only three people, dressed in light robes and loose belts.

There were many servants standing respectfully outside the pavilion, and some military officers were also standing outside.

One of the families had an unusually large number of people, more than two hundred, with over ten carts and dozens of strong mules and horses in the procession.

These people were all wearing hemp shoes with nine ears, and their clothes were also thick and sturdy, able to withstand the wear and tear of the wind and frost on the road, looking like they were going to walk a long way.

It's obvious at a glance that this is a farewell banquet. In the ups and downs of officialdom, promotions and transfers are unpredictable.

But the Song Dynasty was different. If someone was transferred from Bianliang (Kaifeng) in the Song Dynasty, it would inevitably mean a demotion!

Therefore, no one showed much joy on their face.

Song Dynasty officials preferred to remain in Bianliang (Kaifeng) as idle minor officials rather than leave the city.

Because Bianliang was the foundation of the Song Dynasty, every year outside the city of Bianliang, the central city of the Song Dynasty, countless officials and military generals were eager to enter this most strategically important capital city in the world!

And who knows how many people sadly bid farewell to the imperial palace, some becoming magistrates in Jiangzhou, some listening to the Huqin on the frontier, some cooking pork in Huangzhou, and some writing books in Xijing.

When they can return to their hometown depends on whether their fate is strong enough or whether their brothers work hard enough.

Farewells are always somber, especially in late autumn. In this era of difficult communication, separation is a true separation; it's not something you can simply do with a phone call or video chat.

We might never see each other again in this lifetime. As the saying goes, "Life is like the stars, never to meet again, as fleeting as the stars."
It is now the time of late autumn, and the scenery outside the new Fengqiu Gate is open and expansive, with the view of the forests in full bloom.

Looking back to the south, one can see the sunset over Yishan Mountain and the Iron Pagoda amidst the clouds.

The iron pagoda of Kaibao Temple, not far away, appeared even more imposing and distinct against the autumn colors. As the autumn wind swept by, the tinkling of the seven-jeweled bells hanging layer upon layer on the iron pagoda drifted and echoed into the pavilion.

Everything, everything, will soon be gone.

At the banquet in the pavilion, the person sitting in the seat of the guest who was about to embark on a long journey, dressed in simple robes, was none other than Cai Tao, the youngest son of Grand Tutor Cai.

Although he was promoted to the rank of his official post and received many favors, he was appointed as the prefect of Dingnan Army and judge of the Grand Prefecture.

However, for the scholars of the Song Dynasty in this era, leaving the imperial palace in Bianliang was by no means a pleasant thing.

Not to mention that this place is so remote, a border region with steep mountains and strong winds and frost.

Have you not heard: Dense snow piles up to cross the Wuding River, and the river carries blood that seeps into people's bones?

Therefore, even though he was appointed as a high-ranking official to quell the rebellion, making him practically the highest-ranking civil official in the army, Cai Tiao still had a sullen face and a rather listless expression, with a melancholy look between his brows.

His transfer was said to be because Grand Tutor Cai had threatened the interests of the Imperial Guards and was being retaliated against.

Cai Tiao knew, however, that this was a compromise made by his father.

He affected the interests of too many people, transferring his most beloved youngest son to the frontier, which brought Cai Jing multiple benefits.

Firstly, to quell the anger of the Imperial Guard families and let them know that they were not without losses as well; every little bit of appeasement would be appreciated.
Secondly, it was also an investment. He had high hopes for Chen Shao, so he sent his youngest son there, just like he had sent Cai You to Liang Shicheng's side back then. He had also specifically instructed Cai Tiao not to try to seize power after he went there, not at all, but just to be a respectable and noble official.

Thirdly, there was another reason in Cai Jing's mind: he now considered Chen Shao his subordinate. This misunderstanding arose from Chen Shao's attempt to curry favor through intermediaries. Sending his son was precisely to solidify this relationship, since Cai Jing was the only power in the court without military forces.

In the past, it was fine; the scholar-officials were of noble birth, and it didn't matter whether they had the support of military men. But now that the court was waging war on four fronts, Cai Jing had to sow the seeds of future trouble in advance, just in case they came in handy.

He always takes a comprehensive approach to things, planning ten steps ahead before taking a single one.

Cai Tiao still vividly remembered his father's tone, as if he would die in Youzhou if he didn't listen to him.

This made Cai Tiao even more heartbroken. He was a prince consort, and his beautiful wife was the most beautiful woman since the Song Dynasty, gentle and virtuous, yet he had to be separated from her.

Nowadays, there is a severe shortage of talent in Bianliang City, and many positions are actually vacant.

The old party and the scholar-officials of the Qingliu faction were severely weakened by Cai Jing in previous years, and their vitality was greatly damaged. Now they are only slightly loosened up, and many of them are still exiled and cannot be transferred back to Bianliang for the time being.

Moreover, many elderly people are gradually dying and passing away.

The food and wine laid out on the table were by no means lavish for the three people present.

However, the three of them wouldn't be thinking about it.

After offering a few cups of wine according to the protocol and saying a few appropriate farewell words, Zhao Mingcheng and Wang Yi fell silent for a moment.

In the end, Cai Tiao adjusted his mindset and forced a carefree smile: "Why must you be like this, Second Brother? The success or failure of an official career is unpredictable."

Since things have come to this, I can only bear it. The Dingnan Army is still in its early stages, and there's much to be done; it's not meant to end like this. The day we meet again is still far off…

"We are already deeply grateful for your kind visit today. We will continue to entrust you with the affairs of the capital in the future."

They all had relatives; Zhao Mingcheng's mother-in-law and Cai Jing's wife were sisters, both daughters of the Wang family.

They exchanged farewells, and Cai Tiao embarked on his journey. Looking back at Bianliang, he felt utterly desolate.
-
The canal to the north has frozen over, making the transport of supplies to the imperial court even slower.

It was already December when Tan Zhen arrived at Jiangnan East Road.

Looking at the stacks of battle reports, he felt a little ashamed. Shao Ge'er was still so fierce, almost finishing all the work for the brothers.

Although Tan Zhen and Chen Shao's relationship was officially severed, they frequently corresponded in private.

Chen Shao would send him gifts from time to time. They weren't particularly thoughtful, but they were definitely expensive!

Tan Zhen was quite generous; he didn't hide anything he knew, even if it was Tong Guan's secret.

In his heart, he never believed that Chen Shao would betray the court. He thought that Shao-ge'er was pure-hearted and just wanted to become a higher-ranking official.

He boasted that his playing of the zither was: "The jade-like sound is leisurely and serene, and the zither's melody is clear and refreshing, cleansing the mind and spirit."

When eating with Shao Ge'er, he would always point the fish head towards himself.

Could he be a bad person?
Are there any good people left in the world?
So after arriving at the battlefield, Tan Zhen followed Chen Shao's advice and began to clear out the surrounding prefectures and counties.

Block the route for refugees to travel north and try to avoid contact with the main force of the bandits.

After Chen Shao captured Muzhou Prefecture, he divided his troops into two thousand and assigned his junior general Wu Jie to guard the area to prevent Fang La from escaping into Jiangxi.

Jiangxi is mountainous, and once someone ventures into the mountains, they are extremely difficult to hunt down.

Fang La seemed completely oblivious and continued his fierce attack on Hangzhou, a move that Chen Shao scoffed at.

So what if you take it down?

Can't you see that the south side is already too tough to gnaw on?

Zheng Mowang, a subordinate of Fang La, led his troops south. Wang Yu, the garrison commander of Xinzhou, resisted by deploying troops in different areas and setting up ambushes. Zheng Mowang's attack on Xinzhou was thwarted.

Later, Gao Zhilin, the general of Xinzhou, commanded the Song army that had been lying in ambush to launch an attack, cutting off the rebel army's retreat. The rebel army was defeated and forced to retreat. Wang Yu ordered the Song army to pursue them, and the three Song armies attacked simultaneously. The rebel army suffered heavy casualties and was forced to retreat back to Quzhou.

In this way, the route south was completely blocked.

This was also within Chen Shao's expectations. In the Central Plains, no matter how corrupt and incompetent the court was, there would always be one or two heroic figures who could emerge as powerful individuals at crucial moments.

Even in the Liangzhe region, where officialdom was so corrupt and Zhu Mian had caused such severe damage, there were still capable generals.

Even if military generals are all useless and incompetent, some capable individuals will emerge from the common people to protect the territory and its inhabitants.

A large cavalry force marched across the once prosperous land of Jiangnan Road, where everything around them was in ruins.

The fields and ditches were all dilapidated and abandoned; even the occasional village was deserted. Some small towns had also become ruins.

His men were all veterans of the Northwest campaigns, and they had seen it all. They were quite used to scenes like this; the battles between the Song and Xia were a hundred times more brutal.

They would retaliate against the people in any way they could, and massacring entire clans and cities was a common occurrence.

Only Chen Shao felt slightly nauseous and wanted to vomit. The smell was too awful, and the sight was appalling.

Fortunately, it is winter now, otherwise the corpses alone would surely cause a serious plague.

His cavalrymen were somewhat disorganized during the march, and their horses were hardly impressive. There was no semblance of a proper formation, but everyone wore a fierce expression.

Some people wore brocade robes over their short, narrow-sleeved jackets on horseback, and incongruously tied jade belts. The items were fine, but tattered and greasy, clearly looted from who-knows-where.

The discipline of the Northwest Army has always been poor, and Chen Shao has been unable to completely control them. Fortunately, this time, they only need to collect the spoils as usual to fill everyone's bags to the brim. At this moment, the advantage of having two horses per person becomes apparent once again.
This is also typical of the Northwest Army soldiers. Whether it was the Western Xia soldiers or the Western Army of the Song Dynasty, they all had this kind of behavior.

To put it bluntly, they were originally from the same place, but Li Yuanhao rebelled against the Song Dynasty and forcibly separated them into the Song and Xia kingdoms.

Looking at the map in his hand, Chen Shao fell into deep thought.

The devastation around him solidified his resolve: he couldn't allow this mob to spread any further.

How to bring the vast majority of the rioters under control? He looked at a place on the map—Hangzhou.

If the refugee army is allowed to roam aimlessly, they will wreak havoc on every place they go, just like a virus.

More and more innocent people will be infected and turn into mindless, chaotic mobs.

Only by gathering them together and eliminating them can we minimize the losses.

“Select those from our forces who can speak Mandarin, have them mingle among the refugees, and together we will besiege Hangzhou!”

Now, the ground is filled with chaotic soldiers, all converging on Fang La.

They were unable to distinguish between truth and falsehood, and some didn't even have the idea.

Chen Shao recalled that historically, Fang La had originally captured Hangzhou.

Unlike Tan Zhen, he didn't care about public opinion at all; all he wanted was to quickly quell the rebellion and reap enough benefits.

In Chen Shao's eyes, the imperial court had already entered its final countdown.
Even if they wanted to kill him, they would have to wait until the campaign against Liao was over and make preparations slowly; they couldn't just send troops directly.

Little did they know that after the conquest of Liao, the court in Bianjing would completely lose its ability to deal with them.

Therefore, he has absolutely no scruples now.

After Chen Shao used his cavalry to drive most of the displaced soldiers to the vicinity of Hangzhou like sheep, he stopped pressing forward.

Inside Fang La's camp.

He felt something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Their momentum has been thwarted; only by capturing Hangzhou can they regain their strength!

His army consisted of those who had joined on their own initiative, those who were destitute and forced to join, and those who had been coerced into joining. It was a newly formed force, and morale was of utmost importance.

This siege of Hangzhou must not fail again!
He was wearing a white sheepskin short jacket, blue silk kung fu trousers, and leggings. He sat under a jujube tree with a short table in front of him, on which were several large teacups. He was discussing the attack on Hangzhou with his brothers.

Fang Qifo rode a yellow horse galloping in from afar. He dismounted under the jujube tree, tossed the reins to one of his men, and strode in.

Shi Bao asked, "How many reinforcements has the imperial court sent?"

Fang Qifo plopped down on the stone stool next to him, picked up a large bowl of tea and gulped it down. He then snatched the wine pot from Fang Jie's hand, not caring that Fang Jie had already drunk from it, and took a few more gulps. "The court only sent Chen Shao, who brought only three thousand cavalry. Apart from that, there is no one else."

Chen Shao had been fighting them for so long, and only now had they discovered his background, so this group didn't take it seriously.

"Only three thousand people?" Fang Jie laughed heartily, completely unaware that these three thousand people had been driving away hundreds of thousands of refugees like dogs and sheep these past few days.

Wang Yin, being an educated man, was also quite cautious and would not be as careless as him. He shook his head and said, "This person is from the Northwest, where they have been at war with the Western Xia for many years. I heard that the imperial court recently won a great victory in the Western Xia, so they may be coming here with the victory in hand. They should not be underestimated."

Fang Jie roared, "Why can't I underestimate three thousand men! I will underestimate them! Ming King, let me lead my men to scatter them and bring Chen Shao's head back to you!"

Fang La shook his head and said, "Let's attack Hangzhou first. Once we take Hangzhou, with so many brothers united in defending the city, no one can take it!"

Since the Yongle Emperor had spoken, everyone stopped discussing it, except for Fang Jie, who looked unconvinced.

Fang Qifo and he had a good relationship. He gently touched his shoulder and said, "Don't be impulsive."

"Don't worry!"

The rebel army attacked Hangzhou with all their might, leaving mountains of corpses piled up beneath the city walls, and the defending troops had become numb to the danger.

They were trembling all over, looking at the horrific scene below, wailing and crying as they begged them not to charge any further.

They are all fellow villagers, why bother?

Enveloped in an overwhelmingly pungent stench of blood, these Zhejiang soldiers wept as they shot arrows or hurled logs and stones.

The scene of carnage beneath the city walls was so terrible that calling it hell wouldn't be an exaggeration.

Chen Shao stationed his troops between Lin'an and Fuyang, watching Fang La attack the city without providing any support.

Although they were surrounded by soldiers, they avoided them like the plague and dared not approach.

Chen Shao was flipping through the letters when the caravan brought a letter from Youzhou, saying that the imperial court had sent Cai Jing's youngest son, Cai Tiao, to oversee the military affairs of Dingnan.

He was wondering what was going on. Had Cai Jing become senile? Why was he willingly handing over a hostage to him?

In his mind, Cai Jing was very wise and shouldn't have done such a thing.

Chen Shao was completely baffled.
What's Cai Tiao doing here? Surely he's not really here to seize power?

He would never have imagined it, because his cousin Liu Guanglie was just too good at getting things done.

Moreover, he couldn't figure out Chen Shao's meaning, and his words implied a desire to defect.

Chen Shao felt that he and Cai Jing were cooperating, and that Cai Jing thought Chen Shao had become his disciple, which led to this misunderstanding.

It's likely that Cai Jing suffered from a lack of experience; he was born into a time dominated by scholar-officials and had never encountered a young military man like Chen Shao with such ambition.

Cai Jing, a man of great intelligence and cunning, spent his entire life being treacherous, but in his final act, he committed the act of placing hostages in someone else's possession.

Just as he was wondering, a sudden shout of battle came from outside, followed by the short, urgent wail of a warning horn, and the sudden, deep beat of a drum, like light thunder.

Chen Shao quickly donned his armor and came out.

A large group of rioters surged in from afar, an indistinguishable number, seemingly covering the sky.

Chen Shao was shocked. Had Fang La seen through his intentions?
Indeed, one should not underestimate the heroes of the world!
Suddenly, Chen Shao felt something was wrong. He had deployed so many scouts; if Fang La's entire army had pressed down, he would have known by now.

The fact that no one reported the news indicates that this force is small.

"Who will go to meet the enemy?"

"The general will go where he wishes!"

A large group of young military officers volunteered for battle. Young people are eager to make a name for themselves and have no idea what fear is.

At the sound of whistles, the barbarian general Weiming Litong charged ahead on horseback. He had been defeated and captured by Han Shizhong on the battlefield, and then surrendered to Chen Shao.

Hundreds of knights followed closely behind, and eventually, thousands of warhorses roared out of the camp with great momentum.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Chen Shao looked at the bound rebel leader inside the tent and asked, "What's your name?"

The man, with his neck stiff, cursed, "Grandpa is Fang Jie!"

"What Fang Jie?" Chen Shao asked, turning to the clerk beside him with a questioning look. The clerk shook his head and said, "Never heard of him."

Fang Jie was furious and struggled to stand up, only to find himself held down tightly. Still unwilling to give up, he spat a mouthful of phlegm in this direction.

Luckily, it was a bit far away.
"Damn it!" Chen Shao was disgusted by him. Playing dirty tricks, huh? Chen Shao gritted his teeth and said, "Push him into the latrine and drown him!"

Logically, this man was also a bandit leader, and should have been reported and rewarded for surrendering the captive, but Chen Shao didn't care.

The Song Dynasty simply didn't have the means to reward him; rather than waiting for the court to bestow an honor upon him, he might as well take it himself.

Much of the wealth in Jiangnan ended up in Fang La's hands. Once he entered Hangzhou, he was trapped and could only take what he wanted.

After taking it, return to the Northwest, continue developing your strength for a while, and then wait for Tong Xuanshuai's battle report.
Commander En, Commander En, I really hope you can do better this time.

(End of this chapter)