You have truly caused me great suffering!

The first rays of dawn pierced through the silk curtains.

Opening his eyes, Chen Shao looked at the red gauze curtain and immediately thought of what he needed to do that day.

If someone were to tell him that so-and-so was simultaneously chasing girls, traveling, and effortlessly conquering the world, he would definitely give that person a piece of his mind.

He had enjoyed some relative peace and quiet a few days ago due to the stalemate in the fighting. But with Wanyan Zongwang's northward retreat and the changing situation, countless troubles suddenly awaited his attention.

Chen Shao casually patted someone next to him, not caring who it was, and said, "What time is it? Still sleeping in? Get up and help me get dressed."

Liu Caiwei opened her eyes groggily, said "oh," and quickly got up with her buttocks sticking out.

Life is hard, even a concubine sighs.

She sighed inwardly, realizing how difficult it was to be someone's concubine, as she used to love sleeping in late.

Li Yumei, who was fast asleep next to her, was enjoying herself. Liu Caiwei, unable to bear it, pinched her and made her get up to serve others.

After his two concubines and maids helped Chen Shao change his clothes, he hurriedly ate a few bites of food and then led his personal guards to his study.

Inside the study, almost all of Chen Shao's staff and advisors were present and engrossed in their work.

Today's report arrived early, and Chen Shao carefully read through it, confirming that there were no major changes, and felt a sense of relief.

More often than not, wars are a contest of who can hold back and make the first mistake, especially in protracted wars like this.

One of the reports came from the Guangyuantang Western Regions Merchant Protection Team, written by Zhao Shan himself, saying that the Xiao family was fighting with a group of Karakhanis for a jade mine.

Chen Shao thought about it for a moment and didn't care. As long as the caravan made more money than before, that was fine.

Xiao herself also sent letters, and since they were from the same place, their letters were also exchanged.

She hoped that Chen Shao would submit a memorial to the Song court, requesting that the salt and iron trade be fully opened up. Once the salt from Youzhou could be sold freely to the Central Plains, it would generate substantial profits.

Chen Shao laughed after reading it. This was no easy task, and the Song Dynasty court certainly knew about it.

Xiao is a typical capable person. While doing her own job well, she also speaks up without hesitation when it comes to things that Commander Chen should do for his subordinates.

Upon reaching this position, Chen Shao realized that managing people was actually quite difficult.

Those who are capable are often not so obedient, while those who are truly obedient are less capable.

He needs to mediate and deliberate, and sometimes he needs to appropriately discipline and guide, or encourage and nurture.

If you can encounter someone like Han Shizhong or Zhu Lingling who is both highly perceptive and capable, then you should be secretly happy.

Another important point is to maintain one's glorious and imposing image.

The way to manage subordinates is not simply about being closer to them and showering them with favors.

That might actually make him look down on you.

You yourself must also demonstrate your unique charm before those outstanding individuals and heroes will be willing to serve you.

This charm doesn't have to be academic or martial arts skills, but it must be bold enough to make decisions that others dare not make at crucial moments.

Otherwise, the more capable your subordinates are, the more careful you should be.

After reading the report, Chen Shao then read the letters. As his status rose, he received more and more letters.

Most of them were flattering words, but Chen Shao would also have someone mark the person's official rank and place of origin on the envelope before keeping it.

Maybe it will come in handy someday.

Suddenly, a letter from Guo Hao in Bianliang caught his attention.

Du Chong, the garrison commander of Daming Prefecture, together with the Shengjie Army, embezzled all of Tong Guan's assets in Hebei and other places.

Then the imperial court bestowed all of these upon him.
This is interesting.

Chen Shao held the letter and paced around the study. This was a scheme to use someone else to do his dirty work.

Without a doubt, I am the knife.

You can use someone else to do your dirty work, but can you control that knife?
Chen Shao chuckled. He believed in acting with a legitimate cause because he knew that in the Central Plains, if you acted without a legitimate cause, many people would oppose you.

Putting aside other matters, if we were to openly break with the Song Dynasty at this time, then powerful figures like Zong Ze, Yue Fei, and Zhang Suo would become our enemies.

Moreover, everyone, all the forces of the Han people in the Central Plains, can attack you at any time.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the whole world is their enemy.

Never underestimate the potential of a Central Plains dynasty. This land is rich in talent and resources, and you never know when or where an unassuming person might suddenly rise to prominence. This was especially true of the Song Dynasty.

Therefore, Chen Shao always walked on the edge of danger, maintaining a distant relationship with the Song Dynasty, and refraining from doing anything too outrageous.

But aren't you just handing over your weakness? You can use me as a weapon to kill someone, but can you control yourself?
After you've killed someone, can you guarantee that you'll put the knife back in its sheath?

Chen Shao immediately ordered Qu Duan to send another general, under the pretext of accepting the emperor's reward, to lead two thousand cavalry into Hebei.

After reading the letter, Chen Shao went to the engineering college.

After looking around, Chen Shao discovered that although he had proposed the development of firearms, most craftsmen were still tinkering with things like 'stone-throwing cannons' and 'thunderbolt cannons'.

After all, these are the immediate combat troops, while a war is currently raging on the front lines.

In the small courtyard where firearms were being developed, the air was filled with the smell of gunpowder explosions, and many shattered bamboo tubes were scattered on the ground.

Upon seeing Chen Shao enter, the group of craftsmen did not stop what they were doing and continued working diligently.

The junior official in charge of the ordnance bureau of the engineering college got up and rushed over.

"How was it?" Chen Shao asked casually.

Chen Shao had been assigning this task for quite some time. The clerk in the Firearms Bureau nodded and said, "These bamboo tubes can hardly withstand the explosion of gunpowder. Not long ago, someone suggested trying copper tubes, but copper is extremely precious and rare. Even if it were made, it would be difficult to produce."

Chen Shao waved his hand and said, "It's alright, let's do it first! After we finish it, we'll think of other ways to replace it."

He himself did not know the exact proportions of gunpowder, but he had a general understanding of the gunpowder available at the time, and the proportions seemed to be below the optimal level.

So Chen Shao walked over to the gunpowder, looked at the piles of raw materials and a small weight, and asked, "What are all these?"

"Commander, this is saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal. When mixed together, it becomes gunpowder."

Chen Shao said to the craftsmen who were weighing the gunpowder, "Try to modify it, try it a few more times, and see if you can increase the burning rate of the gunpowder and the power of the explosion."

With such a large group of professionals and their own financial support, it should be faster than trying to figure it out yourself.

Seeing that the cannon next to him was easier to make than the musket, Chen Shao said, "If all else fails, we can make a cannon with a copper tube first."

After leaving the Firearms Bureau, Chen Shao went to the Construction Bureau next door.

Rows of farm tools were laid out there, and these things became much more practical.

Basically, they are picked up on the same day they are produced.

Agriculture is the foundation of this era.

The importance of agricultural tools is self-evident.

Chen Shao examined the iron rakes. Most of them had a buckle that allowed them to be mounted on a wooden frame and pulled by oxen to break up clods of earth.

The second most common item is the seed drill, which has a seed box, seed drill feet, and a soil covering board, allowing it to do three tasks at once: tilling, sowing, and filling.

Nowadays, these systems are being used in the fortified villages of Northwest China, which can save a lot of manpower.

With an ox, even a woman could manage the farm work. In times when a large number of farmers needed to be conscripted, the importance of these farm tools became exceptionally high.

Chen Shao was very satisfied with what he saw. After staying for a while, he realized that by this time, the people of the Central Plains had already become skilled in farming and the use of tools was widespread.

During the Song, Liao, and Xia dynasties, there was indeed healthy competition in craftsmanship, with each side learning from and catching up with the others, which led to rapid development in smelting and casting.

By the time of the Qing Dynasty, things had regressed rather than progressed, with many places resorting to backbreaking labor in the fields. There was no other way; under foreign rule, they dared not allow the people to possess too many iron tools.

After all, an iron rake is a farming tool when you use it to rake the land; but when you use it to rake the Tartars, it becomes a revolutionary weapon.

Chen Shao stayed at the engineering institute for a while, then rushed off to the Taiyuan Prefectural Government Office.

The fields outside Taiyuan are peaceful and lush, with wisps of smoke rising from the villages. On the edge of the yellowing fields, a few farmers are looking towards the official road, watching a group of officials galloping on horseback.

On horseback, Chen Shao said to his trusted confidant Xu Jin, "Li Tangchen, as a native of Hedong, must know how important the road to Yingzhou is. It's just that Yingzhou has been in the hands of the Khitan for over a hundred years, which is why the transportation has been cut off."

Xu Jin nodded and said, "It's not too late to repair it to Yingzhou. We will also need to improve the road from Yingzhou to Datong in the future."

Taiyuan now serves as a stronghold and a bridgehead supporting the front lines, but it is actually quite far from the front.

Therefore, the supply train wanted to open up a road between Taiyuan and Yingzhou. This was a huge project, so they couldn't make up their minds.

Most importantly, Yingzhou must not be lost, otherwise it will become a shortcut for the Jurchens to advance south.

Li Tangchen was undecided and unable to make a decision, so he sent someone to invite Chen Shao.

After Chen Shao arrived, he immediately confirmed that the matter was feasible. Taiyuan, Yingzhou, and Datong were originally a complete defensive line.

There was an ancient road during the Tang Dynasty, but it had fallen into disrepair over the years and was not newly built.

Moreover, Yingzhou had already been captured, so there was no intention of losing it.

Building this road is a clear message to the world that I have no intention of returning to the Northwest to establish a separatist regime.

Inside the government office, everyone was looking at the map.

After Han Shizhong captured Datong Prefecture, he was caught off guard and had no idea that they would attack the city, so Wanyan Zonghan did not have time to take away or destroy the map.

Therefore, the Dingnan Army had a complete map of mountains and rivers.

Li Tangchen and Liu Jizu were indeed very familiar with the terrain here. Their ancestors had lived here for generations. In fact, in the later period, trade between the Liao and Song dynasties in Hedong was very busy.

"This area is mountainous, so we should try to travel along river valleys or mountain valleys. General, look, the Yangwu River Valley, through which the Hutuo River tributary passes, is the ancient road of the Tang Dynasty."

Chen Shao nodded, and Li Tangchen continued, "Then let's go along the route Taiyuan—Yangqu—Xinzhou—Daixian—Yingzhou. What does the General think?"

"Very good."

Chen Shao added, "What are your plans regarding the labor force?"

"Using the method Grand Tutor Cai used a few years ago, we will divide the section from Taiyuan to Wutai Mountain into dozens of sections. We will publicly recruit merchants from Hedong to repair each section, and after the repairs are completed, they will receive salt permits from the Jiezhou Salt Lake."

"They can just provide the money, and we'll take care of the rest!"

Liu Jizu, a wealthy merchant from Hedong, laughed upon hearing this, saying, "I'm afraid they'll fight tooth and nail to get their hands on it."

In the Hedong region, merchants mainly made money from salt lakes, as well as from previous private trade with the Khitan.

There is no threat from the Tartars in this area now, so there is no need to worry about being harassed by the Tartars when building roads. This is indeed very attractive to the wealthy merchants in Hedong.

It's surprising that the idea for this bidding process came from Cai Jing; he really is quite capable.

Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) was so wary of him that every time he dismissed him from his post as prime minister, he would invite him back after a few years, still cursing and swearing.

There's nothing he can do; no one else can get him money to spend.

Cai Jing used this tactic a few years ago; it's impossible for the Song Dynasty to pull it off now.

Because they failed to keep their promise last time, the Song court's reputation among the people has already collapsed.

The most obvious example is that paper money, once currency, has almost become worthless.

However, the reputation of Dingnan Army remained, and Guangyuantang Caravan never abused its power to bully others when doing business.

After Chen Shao occupied Hedong, they did not receive any special privileges.

The same applies to the Northwest; it's impossible that these merchants from Hedong didn't know this.

This kind of reputation is hard to build up. It was only because the emperors of the Song Dynasty encouraged commerce that it gained some reputation among ordinary merchants.

All of Zhao Ji's ministers were purged and killed, especially Cai Jing and Tong Guan.

Chen Shao nodded and said, "That's very good. Once we leave Wutai Mountain, I will have Han Shizhong mobilize the auxiliary troops and the people of the former Liao Kingdom to repair it."

The ferocity of the Jurchen Tartars brought Chen Shao some convenience.

For example, if he had conscripted Liaodong people to work in the past, those people would probably have tried to cheat and slack off. If he had been strict with them, they would probably have caused trouble and rebelled.

Now that they've been tamed by the Jurchen Tartars, they've all become obedient. Compared to the Jurchen Tartars, all rulers have become kind and benevolent lords.

If you can work without getting beaten, you should be thankful.

There's still food to eat? There are such kind people in the world!

Of course, this effect will become less and less pronounced over time.

Therefore, Chen Shao planned to put it into use as soon as possible.

Through this incident, he also realized that the team in Hedong was very capable.

Wang Bing was able to hold Taiyuan for a year, thanks in no small part to the local talents.

If they can establish a foothold in Hedong and manage Yunzhong Prefecture well, then this large area surrounded by their own territory will eventually be gradually penetrated.
-
Longde Prefecture, Huangze Village.

Inside Qu Duan's large tent, many generals and officers had gathered.

"The commander has asked me to select a military general to lead two thousand cavalry to Hebei to receive the imperial court's rewards and bring back Tong Guan's family property. Who among you is willing to go?"

Tian Sheng stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This humble general is willing to go!"

Li Yanqi hesitated for a moment, then stood up and said, "This humble general is willing to go."

Tian Sheng glared at him, annoyed.

Qu Duan looked the two men over for a while and said with a smile, "Li Yanqi has always been the cavalry commander, so let him go."

Li Yanqi clasped his hands and said, "This humble general obeys the order."

Tian Sheng sat down somewhat resentfully, and a few of his friends around him whispered a few words of comfort.

Qu Duan listened to their conversation and vaguely heard things like "achieving great deeds and establishing a career," which made him somewhat resentful.

In his view, Han Shizhong and Li Xiaozhong made many mistakes in the Battle of Yunnei, especially Li Xiaozhong, who was too conservative and prevented the Xiazhou troops from expanding their gains, allowing Wanyan Zonghan to stabilize the front line.

Wu Lin is a complete incompetent! If he had gone himself, he would have taken Weizhou long ago.

Commander Zhu was his superior and held a very high position among the soldiers of Yinzhou. Qu Duan rarely criticized him publicly.

He was unceremoniously disrespectful to the other generals of the Dingnan Army, often giving orders from his own tent.

He was initially dissatisfied with being left in Shuozhou by Zhu Lingling. Later, he finally got the chance to advance eastward when the Lingwu army set out, but he didn't get to participate in any battles.

I thought I could fight Wanyan Zongwang in Hebei, but I didn't expect him to run away too.

Qu Duan won the fight after only a brief exchange, which made him even more confident.

However, the dispatch of troops to Kaifeng still gave him a strange feeling.

After all, that's a strategically important area near the capital, and the Dingnan Army is, at the very least, a border army. What are they trying to do?
Although he was supposed to be going to receive a reward, the commander didn't mention anything about coming back.

With the addition of Guo Hao's thousand cavalry, there are now three thousand iron cavalry of the Dingnan Army near the capital.

Three thousand riders can do so much. (End of Chapter)