You have truly caused me great suffering!

In August, Taiyuan already felt quite cool, almost like autumn.

Because Chen Shao had been based in Taiyuan for a long time, many of the Dingnan Army's organizations gradually moved to Taiyuan.

At the time, Chen Shao only occupied the area north of the Yellow River, which was a barren land with only defensive value. He even had to pay out of his own pocket for supplies.

Things are different now.

The heartland of Hedong is under our control, and it is extremely rich in resources. In the past, we often used the grain from this area to support the Western Army.

Now that the autumn harvest is here, the Hedong region has even begun to recover for Chen Shao, and the arrival of caravans has been particularly well-suited to the area, leading to rapid development.

With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, there is a festive atmosphere in Taiyuan.

Chen Shao arrived at a large training ground, which was originally where Wang Bing trained his troops, but was now empty.

Chen Shao ordered the construction of some warehouses here, which were then used as transit stations.

Pigs, sheep, dried meat, grain, cotton clothing, and medicinal herbs transported from the Northwest were all packed in the city, ready to be sent to the front lines.

Accompanying them were officials and craftsmen from the Institute of Technology.

Chen Shao's conquest of Xingqing Prefecture proceeded very smoothly, and it was a rebellion by the old nobles of the Yeli tribe against Emperor Li Qianshun.

After Li Qianshun's army was defeated, they opened the city gates and welcomed Chen Shao in.

As a result, many things from the Western Xia Dynasty have been preserved in excellent condition, such as this industrial institute.

The Institute of Technology, also known as the Institute of Engineering, was one of the central institutions of the Western Xia Dynasty, ranking after the Privy Council (the highest military decision-making body) and the Secretariat (the highest administrative body).

Belonging to the "Han official" system, their duties were: to be in charge of the skills of all craftsmen, to manufacture weapons, armor, bows and arrows, siege equipment, and all construction matters.

This also shows that there was a reason why the Western Xia Dynasty lasted so long.

It has its own pragmatic side.

The Institute of Technology was further divided into the Weapons Bureau, the Firearms Bureau, and the Construction Bureau.

The Weaponry Bureau, as the name suggests, was responsible for innovating and improving cold weapons such as armor, bows and arrows, and swords.
The Firearms Bureau was responsible for researching gunpowder formulas (such as the ratio of saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal) and manufacturing gunpowder weapons (thunder cannons, rockets, and gunpowder balls).
The Construction Bureau was responsible for making agricultural tools, building palaces, and constructing imperial tombs.

Now that Chen Shao has taken over the workshop, he has added craftsmen from Liao and Song, making the workshop even stronger.

Because the military commander wanted to reform gunpowder and ordered the creation of a barrel capable of firing gunpowder, the engineering institute naturally dared not neglect the task and directly gathered its elite craftsmen, bringing them to Hedong.

Chen Shao has come here today to welcome and settle them.

Seeing that it was Brother Pang who escorted them, Chen Shao smiled and asked a few questions.

He hadn't returned to Dingnan Army for a long time, and many people there were unfamiliar with many things about it.

Mei Zang Pangge accompanied him out of Hengshan, but had to return midway to suppress a Uyghur rebellion.

He enthusiastically told Chen Shao about what had happened in Dingnanjun's hometown.

Upon hearing that Cang Shenrong was dead, Chen Shao's expression froze.

He patted Brother Pang on the shoulder and offered a few words of encouragement.

This left Brother Pang completely bewildered, but he still managed to put on a sad expression.

He and Chief Meicang were actually very distant relatives, with no blood relation whatsoever. He only lied about Meicang Canrong being his third great-uncle in order to deceive Han Shizhong into sparing his life.

Actually, they have absolutely nothing to do with each other.

Even if Cang Shenrong had died of old age, or even if he had died a violent death, he wouldn't have been saddened.

Now that the old clan chief is dead, he is revered in the clan, but Mi Cang Pang Ge no longer respects his position in the clan.

Nowadays, in the Dingnan Army, who still wants to be a clan chief? Only the farmers of the Miqin tribe would yearn to be a clan chief or something like that.

Look at Zhu Lingling, she personally deconstructed the Qiang people of Hengshan, and look what she's become now!

He came to Hedong with the intention of making a name for himself.

The warriors of the Meicang tribe were almost all Chen Shao's personal guards, and were among his most loyal subordinates.

Pang Ge couldn't rely on these people at all, because they were destined to guard Chen Shao's side, so he set his sights on the Lingwu Army.

Wu Lin happened to be in Weizhou and hadn't made any progress, which made Brother Pang of Meicang set his sights on his location.

Just as he was having a pleasant conversation with Meicang Pangge, Wang Yin sent someone to deliver today's report.

The reports from the various generals in the army were categorized and arranged in order. Some were from Wu Lin and Qu Duan of the Lingwu Army, who were nearby, while others were from Zhao Shan, the commander of the Guangyuan Merchant Protection Caravan, who was far away.

Someone placed a table in the lobby. The table was square, but there was a round hole in the middle where a fire could be lit.

Chen Shao did not have anyone light the fire. He was still in good health, young, and had a strong temper.

Chen Shaofen wrote furiously on the table, replying to each question one by one, and quickly finished processing them.

Before they could even rest, another voice came from outside, saying that Grand Tutor Cai's family had arrived.

Watching from the side, Pang Ge thought to himself that the military commander was certainly busy that day.

They couldn't even spare a moment to say a word.

Chen Shao chuckled and said, "Let it in!"

A shouting and cursing came from outside, and someone pushed a middle-aged man in. His face was covered in bruises, his hair was messy, but his clothes were made of fine materials.

This was Cai You's first time meeting Chen Shao, but Chen Shao already remembered him.

When Chen Shao went to Cai’s residence with Tong Guan, he saw this birdman from afar. To be fair, he was indeed handsome and had a good appearance.

Along the way, Cai You was terrified of being beaten. He originally planned to curse Chen Shao as soon as he saw him, but he changed his mind halfway through the journey.

You must beg for mercy when you see Chen Shao.

Now that he has finally arrived, he cannot utter a single word.

Chen Shao picked up the inkstone, ready to smash it at him, but after thinking about it carefully, he calmly put it down.

This inkstone is quite expensive, and he's a little reluctant to part with it.

"You bastard!" Chen Shao gritted his teeth and said, "You've caused so much trouble!"

If Hebei hadn't been in such a state of disarray, with its manpower and resources, it might have been able to hold off Zongwang for a year or two.

After all, historically, Hedong alone, just Taiyuan, blocked Wanyan Zonghan for almost a year.

As a result, this bastard spent a year pacifying Hebei, which angered both heaven and the people. The land in Hebei was plundered several times, and the people could not live a decent life.

Those who fled, those who rebelled, those who became bandits, and those who surrendered to the Jin dynasty.
"You bastard, this is all your fault!"

Seeing that there was someone in the world who could make Chen Shao lose his composure like this, Pang Ge couldn't help but take a few more glances at him, and then suddenly drew his sword and said, "General, why are you wasting your breath talking to him? Let me chop him to pieces."

"Don't rush, spare his life!"

Chen Shao's hatred for Cai You was second only to that for Tong Guan, who redeemed Yanjing and abandoned Hedong and Hebei to flee.

If it weren't for those two's shady tactics, I don't know how many fewer men would have died or how much less effort I would have had to put in.

Now that Cai Jing is cooperating with him, planting people in Bianliang and bribing officials, Chen Shao has reluctantly agreed to spare his life.

But the death penalty can be avoided, but the living crime cannot be forgiven.

Chen Shao was furious when he saw that he was still wearing silk and satin. He cursed, "Strip him of these clothes and put on some hemp clothes. From today onwards, he will stay here and work, eat and sleep with the laborers, and do as much work as everyone else!"

Old Cai, you're not good at educating children, are you?

I'll help you with some labor reform. If you really can't reform him, I'll send him down to join you as soon as you die.

Cai You didn't dare say a word, just stood aside with his head down, looking quite obedient.

Chen Shao couldn't help but remind himself that this person was actually quite cunning, and if necessary, he really had to kill him.

Soon someone came and pushed him out. Chen Shao glanced at him and saw that this bastard had been beaten all the way, yet he still walked with a swagger.

He's actually in pretty good shape.

No wonder he was the one who accompanied Emperor Huizong of Song to play football every day.

Emperor Huizong and his sycophantic ministers were actually in good health, just as the saying goes, "Good people don't live long, but evil people live for a thousand years."

They played football every day to exercise, and would occasionally get together to study Taoism and cultivate immortality. They were also extremely particular about their food, clothing, and daily necessities.

If the Jurchen Tartars didn't come, they would all live to be a hundred years old.

Cai You kept his head down, not daring to raise it even slightly; he truly believed he was going to die.

After being stopped and severely beaten by the Dingnan Army, Cai You was filled with boundless hatred.

But with the second and third attempts, he realized that these people weren't just bluffing; they were serious. Only then did Cai You become afraid. He had enjoyed a life of luxury, never experiencing hardship from childhood.

In an instant, he fell from heaven to hell, and the following days were filled with harassment and beatings.

He always felt that once he arrived in Taiyuan, Chen Shao would definitely kill him.

Cai You breathed a sigh of relief, relieved that he had survived today.

In any case, it's good to be alive; as long as you're alive, you have a chance.

A father won't abandon his child.
As for Chen Shao, once I turn my life around, I will definitely repay him tenfold or a hundredfold for the suffering I endured today!
Cai You lowered his head, wanting only to leave as soon as possible. He vaguely heard Chen Shao talking about gunpowder craftsmen.

Cai You felt an even greater hatred for his father. It was obvious that Chen Shao didn't take him seriously and only came over to vent his anger.
That day, my father said that sending me out was to protect myself, and only by coming to Dingnan Army and letting Chen Shao vent his anger would he possibly spare my life.

At that time, Cai You was unconvinced. He was just a military leader in the Northwest, who could at most become the next Li Yuanhao. What could he do to him?

However, at that time, Bianliang was besieged, and Li Gang and his people were clamoring every day to thoroughly investigate the civil unrest in Hebei. Cai You, hoping to avoid trouble, agreed to leave the capital.

Who knew that life would be like this after leaving Beijing!

After Cai You was taken away, Chen Shao laughed and said, "Brother Pang, you've come at the right time. I'm entrusting the defense of Taiyuan City to you."

Mei Zang Pang was slightly disappointed. His ambition was to become a commander who could stand alone, just like Han Shizhong, Li Xiaozhong, and Zhu Lingling.

With these three, plus Wu Jie guarding the main camp, the situation of the four generals of Dingnan Army is about to take shape. If he doesn't make progress, he may always be overshadowed by others.

However, Chen Shao's decision to have him guard Taiyuan was actually a sign of great trust, and Pang Ge couldn't very well refuse.

The defenses of Taiyuan City don't sound very good.

However, considering that the commander-in-chief had stayed in Taiyuan for so long, the weight of this position naturally increased as well.
-
The carved brick gate tower is solemn and majestic. The bronze ornaments on the vermilion gate gleam in the sunlight. A pair of stone lions bar their teeth at the entrance, and eight guards holding weapons stand at the door, making people feel awe.

Cai You's wife, Song, sent someone to deliver the door card and then waited anxiously inside the carriage.

There were no gatekeepers or doormen; the entrance was guarded by armored soldiers, just like a military camp.

They were on tenterhooks the whole way. Not long after leaving the capital, they thought they had stumbled into a den of thieves.

The husband was beaten every three days, regardless of wind or rain; the soldiers did it as a matter of routine.

Moreover, he became more and more measured, and it was from then on that Song was surprised to find that her husband, Cai You, was so resilient.

Although these family members were not subjected to such beatings, they did not live well either.

Many of their belongings were taken away, and there has been no explanation to this day. They still don't know why they were treated this way.

My father-in-law didn't say that when we left Beijing.
Fortunately, her sister-in-law, Princess Maode, was with her.

Inside the carriage, the two exchanged a glance, both noticing the worry in each other's eyes.

Soon, the gates of the mansion slowly opened, and someone ushered their carriage inside.

We arrived at a courtyard, and it seemed as if laughter could be heard coming from inside.

Li Yumei dressed up meticulously and put all her effort into competing with the most beautiful woman since the Song Dynasty.

But when she came out to greet them and saw the people getting off the carriage, she froze on the spot.

Instead of the beautiful palace ladies adorned with jewels and pearls that I had imagined, several extremely haggard women came down.

They were disheveled, their faces were obviously without makeup, and they looked tired and sallow, as if they had all been seriously ill.

However, she could still spot the slightly younger woman in the middle at a glance and was absolutely certain that she was Princess Maode.
Her beautiful face was not diminished by fatigue or the lack of makeup; on the contrary, it possessed a pitiful and tragic beauty that made one want to hold her in their arms and comfort her.

She resembled a fairy who had descended to the mortal world, with exquisite features, truly like a figure from a painting.

Li Yumei, a woman who had just shed her teenage years, found it hard to bear.

It breaks my heart to see her like this.

I feel pity!
Li Yumei's voice trembled slightly as she said, "Gentlemen, you have come from afar. Please come in quickly. We have prepared some wine and dishes at our residence."

"You haven't asked for advice yet?"

Liu Caiwei, who was standing next to Li Yumei, interrupted, saying, "My master is the host of this place and has specially ordered us to entertain the ladies here."

Cai Jing was still of great use at this time, and Chen Shao did not want to go too far, so he asked Li Yumei and Liu Caiwei to settle the women of Cai's household.

After all, it's inconvenient for a man like him to handle these things.

When the maids brought over porcelain basins for washing their faces and hands, along with a table full of delicious food, the women of the Cai family finally believed that they were not meant to harm them.

Even though she had only washed her face, Princess Maode's appearance had improved several notches.

The title of "the most beautiful woman since the Song Dynasty" is no exaggeration. The thought that she had actually considered competing with her made Li Yumei's face flush.

After the meal, Princess Maode couldn't help but ask, "May I ask, where is my husband?"

News of Cai Tiao's injury had reached back home long ago, but due to the long distance and high mountains, Princess Maode dared not leave the capital to visit him.

This time he was finally able to get out, but he was implicated by Cai You and was sent to Taiyuan.

While Li Yumei was eating, she couldn't help but keep stealing glances at her. It wasn't that she had any strange fetishes; she was simply captivated by her beauty.

I want to admire it every now and then.

Hearing her words, Li Yumei shook her head and said, "We haven't heard the master mention the Northwest much. I'll ask him for you when he gets back."

"Thank you very much."

Don't be shy!
-
The moonlight was hazy, and all was quiet.

The courtyard was quiet, with only the chirping of insects.

After Chen Shao returned to his residence, he went to Li Yumei's room and found Liu Caiwei there as expected.

"Has the master eaten?" Liu Caiwei stepped forward to remove his shoes and socks and asked softly.

After asking the question, he squatted down and personally helped Chen Shao wash his feet.

"We've already eaten." Chen Shao and the officials from Taiyuan ate together at the government treasury.

Their fathers were both present, but Chen Shao didn't mention it to avoid them asking more questions.

Li Tangchen and Liu Jizu did an excellent job in Taiyuan; they knew Taiyuan very well.

He had been busy all day, his mind was buzzing, and he was exhausted. He didn't want to say a single unnecessary word.

No wonder people say that commanding large-scale military operations is extremely mentally taxing, and most people simply can't handle it.

I couldn't stand it even though I was just coordinating from the rear.

Wanyan Zongwang's withdrawal was a major event for the Dingnan Army.

They must make adjustments to their deployment, as the enemy may face a significant strengthening.

Li Yumei leaned against the bedside, gently massaging his shoulders, and asked, "Master, the women of the Cai family have been settled in as you instructed."

Chen Shao nodded. He had already had his men choose a place to stay, not too far from here, but close enough to his personal guards.

"These next few days, try to spend more time with them."

Cai Jing is very useful now, and I can't let any of the women in his clan get into trouble on my territory.

If some foolish, reckless thief manages to climb over the wall, it's no laughing matter.

"By the way, sir, the princess asked where her husband is now."

"The Imperial Son-in-Law?" Chen Shao suddenly realized that he had too many things to worry about every day, and had no time to care about Cai Tiao's affairs.

Chen Shao only knew that he had fought with Geng Nanzhong and others in Xiping Prefecture and was badly beaten, but he had no idea about the specifics of his injuries or whether he had recovered.

Cai Tiao was a man who troubled Chen Shao for a long time. At that time, Chen Shao felt that he could not see through him at all.

The cunning and calculating Cai Jing sent Cai Tao to Youzhou for so long, but Cai Tao did absolutely nothing. Even after Cai Jing personally visited him several times, Cai Tao remained indifferent.

Chen Shao once suspected that this was because of his deep cunning, but later he discovered that he was just a simple good-for-nothing who couldn't do anything right.

After that, Chen Shao paid little attention to this person.

"If she asks again, just say that the prince consort is fine and that he will come to Taiyuan soon to meet her."

Li Yumei nodded quickly.

Before long, Chen Shao lay down on the bed and fell fast asleep.

The two of them, one on each side, wrapped their arms around him and fell asleep. (End of Chapter)