You have truly caused me great suffering!

The setting sun casts its rays across the sky, and the leaves rustle in the breeze.

Outside Daming Prefecture, men and horses galloped about, creating a scene of bustling activity.

On the watchtower in the Victorious Army camp, Yang Keshi looked at the people who were lingering in the distance, his eyes filled with resentment.

In the eyes of their victorious army, Chen Shao's achievements were entirely stolen from Commander Tong Xuan.

In the war to destroy Xia, Commander Tong Xuan had completed 90% of the task, but in the end, because he was too eager to attack Liao, Chen Shao took advantage of the situation and attacked.

According to Commander Xuan's plan, Chen Shao was to stay there until the campaign against Liao was successful, after which everyone would come together to claim the riches.

The idea was to let him build fortresses and strongholds in Western Xia, continue to drain Western Xia's national strength, and drain their resources dry.

Unexpectedly, Chen Shao directly destroyed the Western Xia.

Admittedly, Chen Shao's abilities exceeded their expectations, but you shouldn't be so ungrateful.

Now even the family property left by Xuan Shuai is being fought over by Shengjie Army.

His idea actually made some sense, as the Western Xia was indeed on the verge of collapse at that time.

The root cause of the later situation was that the war against Liaodong was not what they had envisioned.

Everyone thought that the campaign against Liao was just a formality, and that the Khitan Empire was like a dilapidated house that would collapse if kicked.

If the campaign against Liaodong had gone as smoothly as they had predicted, there wouldn't have been any follow-up events.

There is a high probability that the Song Dynasty could actually accomplish the feat of recovering the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, the Five Prefectures of Dingnan, and the Prefectures of Lingwu under Tong Guan's leadership.

As for whether they can pursue the fleeing enemy and wipe out the remnants of the Western Xia in the Helan Mountains, that remains to be seen.

Because it is highly unlikely that the Song Dynasty could unite the various Qiang and Hu tribes in the northwest like Chen Shao did.

However, Chen Shao, who had gained the ability to see the heavens, knew very well that if he didn't take action, his fate would only be worse.

After their failed campaign against the Liao, they were completely bogged down, giving the Western Xia a chance to catch their breath.

They were pulled from the brink of death to successfully complete Li Qianshun's reforms, and then thrived for another hundred years or so.

Previously, the Dingnan Army's power was limited to the former territory of Western Xia. However, as the Jin Dynasty broke the alliance and brazenly marched south, they took the opportunity to expand and infiltrate Hedong.

Now that they have taken over the entire Hedong region, their root-like tentacles are beginning to extend towards the capital region and Hebei.

They have troops in Bianliang City and Daming Prefecture as well. Yang Keshi is very worried that before long, Hebei will be infiltrated and even completely occupied by these people, just like Hedong.

He and Chen Shao did not get along well, and even from Tong Xuanshuai's perspective, many of the brothers in Shengjie's army harbored resentment towards Chen Shao.

"These idiots, how did they set up camp so quickly!"

Despite his hostility towards these people, Yang Keshi couldn't help but be amazed at how quickly they set up camp.

The deputy general Zhao Hong, standing nearby, said, "Those soldiers do whatever they're told; they're very obedient, unlike us."

Yang Keshi frowned.

The great truths of the world are sometimes right there in front of you, but you may not necessarily put them into practice.

Who in command doesn’t know that military law must be strict and that military officers must take the lead? But these are all old brothers who have followed you for more than ten years. If he drinks and gets into a fight, can you really hit him with a military rod?
Even if we take a step back and say you hit him with a military rod, what if another son of a military family breaks military law? Would you hit him then?
Every military leader knows that treating soldiers like their own children leads to higher combat effectiveness.

But can you resist drinking the blood of soldiers? In an era where all officers exploit their soldiers, can you truly remain untainted by the mire?

Those who lead troops know that merit must be rewarded, which can motivate soldiers to fight desperately. But can you really protect the merits of your soldiers?

This is similar to many principles in later generations: the great road to heaven, the law of all methods—mathematics—is right there. You can learn it anytime you want, and mastering it will guarantee you reach the pinnacle.

But very few people can master it.

Yang Keshi packed up his weapons and said to the men around him, "Tell the brothers not to cause trouble these next few days, or these bastards will find a reason to use it against us."

"They've set up camp here; are they planning to stay and never leave?"

The victorious army has already regarded the land north of Daming Prefecture, which has not yet been conquered by the Jurchens, as its own territory and does not want other troops to easily encroach upon it.

Many of Zhang Jue's defeated soldiers from Pingzhou in the north who fled to Hebei were wiped out by them.

In the distance, in the Dingnan Army camp, Li Yanqi looked at the several groups of people spying on them and felt somewhat uneasy.

Having ventured deep into enemy territory alone, far from their base, the only one who could come to their aid was Guo Hao.

But he didn't have as many soldiers as I did.
Li Yanqi was a strong and robust man, only in his thirties. However, he joined the army very early and followed the Jingyuan Army to fight against the Tubo and Western Xia. He was extremely brave and made many meritorious contributions.

He was particularly skilled in mounted archery and commanded cavalry.

Daming Prefecture was Beijing, one of the "Four Capitals" of the Northern Song Dynasty. It served as the northern barrier for Bianjing, the capital city, and was also a transportation hub connecting the Central Plains with Hebei and Shandong.

The place where he was stationed was surrounded by flat plains, without mountains or even hills, making it a typical place that was easy to attack but difficult to defend. However, the location was so important that the city walls were high and thick.

I must defend this place.
At least we can't be kicked out.

Li Yanqi looked at the military officers around him and said in a deep voice, "Send out more scouts and spies to keep an eye on the movements of the Shengjie Army. Also, be careful of Du Chong."

"Don't worry, Commander-in-Chief, Guangyuantang has spies in his residence."

Li Yanqi nodded. "Even so, we still need to be careful. We're in a situation where we're deep in enemy territory, so we have to be cautious."
-
"General, Qu Duan's army is already approaching Henan Prefecture."

Sitting in the study of the Taiyuan military governor's mansion, Chen Shao nodded as he read the memorials. He looked up from the memorials and turned his thoughts to the court in Bianliang.

Wei Li and Geng Nanzhong have not yet arrived in Bianliang, and their own people have not yet begun to take over Cai Jing's team.

A recent report stated that Cai Jing, Li Gang, and others were engaged in a fierce power struggle within the court, which had reached a fever pitch.

Chen Shao ordered Qu Duan to continue the march, offering some support to Cai Jing.

He also implied to Cai Jing that he could give up some positions as long as he could secure the financial resources.

The biggest advantage of being teammates with Chen Shao is that he's not greedy, which makes things much easier for you.

While ensuring his own survival, Chen Shao also ensured the survival of others. He did not require Cai Jing to centrally distribute supplies to him, but only to distribute them as needed.

This made things very easy for Cai Jing. Although the Song Dynasty's imperial authority had been completely lost, the core structure remained, and the enormous political inertia made their financial income quite considerable.

Zong Ze of the Hebei rebels, Yao Zhezhong of the Western Army, and Wang Bing of the Huanqing Army all wanted to train their troops.

You all keep practicing; every little bit helps.
Being able to hold off some of the Jurchen Tartars would at least reduce the pressure on the front lines.

As for what will happen in the future, Chen Shao is not worried at all. They are still relying on the Song Dynasty to support them, while he has already taken over half of the Song Dynasty's territory.

Apart from the Western Army, the other forces were all without a base of operations, and the Western Army was very scattered and located right next to its own headquarters.

They couldn't stop the Dingnan Army.

And most importantly, Chen Shao's current situation means there is absolutely no need to plunge the world into war and cause immense suffering to the people.

His successful conquest of Hedong gave him inspiration; he could slowly infiltrate and subtly take over the Song Dynasty.

In fact, it's the same principle as using fortified villages to slowly chip away at the Western Xia, leading to its demise.

It means that your Great Song Dynasty has lost its prestige, while my prestige increases with each victory.

Of course, these are all the strategies that Chen Shao has formulated for the Dingnan Army at present. As for whether they will change in the future, it depends on how the situation develops.

Chen Shao glanced at his advisors in the study and asked, "What's the situation in Daming Prefecture?"

"Li Yanqi, the general sent by Qu Duan, has already established a foothold in the city."

Chen Shao nodded. The situation in Yanshan and Hebei was in a state of disarray, resulting in a large number of defeated soldiers.

The Shengjie Army was not originally a garrison in Daming Prefecture. Yang Keshi followed Tong Guan and once held a very high official position.

When Yanshan Prefecture was first established, he was the top general of Yanshan Prefecture in the Song Dynasty.

They simply displayed the spirit of Tong Guan: sending friendly forces to fight tough battles and running away at the slightest sign of danger.

Even though Yanshan Prefecture fell, he was able to escape all the way to Daming Prefecture, traversing the entire Hebei province; he was truly a talented individual.

In Chen Shao’s study, Wei Yun, a staff member and Wei Li’s nephew, said with a smile: “General, Commander Qu wrote a letter a few days ago, saying that Yang Keshi is a mediocre talent who knows nothing about military affairs. His two thousand cavalry are enough to sweep away Shengjie Army.”

Chen Shao curled his lip; Qu Dapengzi's catchphrase was that others didn't know anything about warfare.

He berated the entire Dingnan Army, except for himself and Old Zhu.

This person is not suitable for the front lines, because fighting on the front lines requires coordination with other friendly forces.

With his personality, he'll make mistakes sooner or later, but to say he has no talent is just blatant lying.

Qu Duan was very skilled at leading troops, training soldiers, enforcing military discipline, and building defenses.

Therefore, Chen Shao allowed him to operate in the rear, which can be considered as making the best use of his talents.

The front lines were actually short of capable military commanders, but Chen Shao refused to send him to the front.

Just as he continued to review the reports, news came from outside that a large contingent of people had escorted Wei Li and his entourage to Taiyuan.

Chen Shao was taken aback, surprised that they had arrived so quickly.

Although Chen Shao waited in the city himself, he also sent his personal guards to greet him.

Before long, the guards, accompanied by a large group of civil officials who were tasked with quelling the rebellion, arrived in Taiyuan.

Chen Shao immediately understood that these two were in high spirits because of good news. Being able to return to Bianliang so quickly was a long-cherished wish for them.

Wei Li, in particular, once thought he would never be able to go back in this lifetime. When he was in the Northwest, he often expressed his longing for Bianliang when chatting with Chen Shao.

As for Geng Nanzhong, his allegiance to Chen Shao was political opportunism, and now that his goal has been achieved, he is naturally very happy.

It's perfectly reasonable for the two of them to bring their trusted subordinates with them on their journey to the capital today. After all, when Xu Jin returns to take over, he will undoubtedly want to support some of his own people.

If their subordinates don't leave, a power struggle ensues.

Inside the reception room, the two men and Chen Shao exchanged greetings before taking their seats.

Before Chen Shao could speak, Wei Li said first, "The establishment of the military governorship was difficult. If no heir is established, the people's hearts will not be at ease."

Chen Shao was taken aback by what he heard, but did not refute it.

"The clan of the military commander is full of heroes, but the population is not large. There should be a distant relative or cousin among them. We can choose a smart one to adopt or take in a godson."

Chen Shaozhen had few clansmen, which was his biggest weakness, arguably his fatal flaw.

Even though Zhu Yuanzhang was in such a miserable state, he still had a nephew and a great nephew to rely on, and both of them were very talented.

Chen Shao had only one cousin, who was a dissolute playboy. Liu Guanglie also had no sons, only two daughters.

But he didn't want to adopt a son, lest it cause trouble later. He felt he could hold on for many more years.

Over the years, I could have had ten or eight children. But lifespan is unpredictable, and I'm no longer alone.

Even though you're young, you should think about the people around you. What will happen to them if you accidentally die?
Thinking of this, Chen Shao recalled that some time ago, the officials from Hedong wanted him to move his family here.

“I am not a man without an heir; I already have a beloved daughter. Today, you may bring your family to Taiyuan.”

Li Tangchen and other officials from Hedong were overjoyed upon hearing this, but they kept their excitement to themselves.

It's also a bit of a pity that I don't know if my daughter is pregnant.

Wei Li nodded inwardly. He had originally intended to persuade Chen Shao to bring his family over. If his wife could give birth to a legitimate son, then he would be Lao Zhong's nephew.

Who was Lao Zhong? He was the nominal leader of the Western Army, its very soul. As long as this relationship existed, a bond was formed between the Western Army and the Dingnan Army.

Therefore, once Zhong Lingxi actually gives birth to a son for Chen Shao, more people and forces in the Western Army will openly or secretly defect to Chen Shao.

However, fearing that Chen Shao would refuse if he directly advised him, he came up with an even more explosive idea.

Sure enough, when threatened with the idea of ​​adopting a son and having him raised as an heir, Chen Shao immediately agreed to bring his family over and try to have a legitimate son.

During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period before the Song Dynasty, it was very common to adopt sons and establish them as heirs when one did not yet have one's own children.

If you don't have a successor, your subordinates will be truly uneasy and will often make their decisions about whether to pledge allegiance to you or betray you.

"Wang Yin, send someone to inform Wu Jie to escort my family to Taiyuan."

Wang Yin immediately got up and went out to take care of the matter.

Chen Shao's decision immediately enlivened the atmosphere in the hall.

Soon, someone brought in wine and dishes, and everyone began to feast in the hall.

Halfway through the drinking session, Chen Shao personally got up and poured a glass of wine for Wei Li and Geng Nanzhong.

The two hurriedly stood up and bent over to hold their wine glasses.

Chen Shao said in a low voice, "I know that you two have always had some grudges against Cai Jing. This time, I hope that you will prioritize the cause of the Dingnan Army and show more respect to Cai Jing. I will toast you on his behalf. Don't dwell on the past. We must look forward!"

Upon hearing this, the two were startled; they did indeed have this idea.

However, after being touched by Chen Shao, all the pride and smugness in his heart vanished instantly.

Now is not the time to argue over trivial matters; the great cause of the future is what truly matters more than Mount Tai.

“After we arrive in the capital, we will definitely visit the Cai residence first, without the slightest arrogance.” Wei Li turned around and said, “Xi Dao, we should keep an eye on each other.”

"That's how it should be."

The two toasted each other, and Chen Shao nodded in satisfaction.

Cai Jing now has three grandsons, who are also in Taiyuan. They came with Cai You and the others.

Chen Shao directly promoted his grandsons Cai Youliang and Cai Youzhi to be scribes for his Pacification Commission, responsible for copying and organizing documents.

Although the official rank may not seem high, it is a very desirable position when you are by your side.

Cai Jing himself also held this position.

Cai Jing himself had many children and was blessed with good fortune, but his sons did not have many grandchildren; most of them were born to Cai You.

I wonder if it was because of this father and son that the Cai family's good fortune and luck were completely exhausted.
Chen Shao could tell that although these people were physically in Taiyuan, their hearts had already flown to Bianliang.

Only those who have been immersed in the officialdom of the Song Dynasty know how attractive Bianliang was to the scholar-officials.

In those days, flowers and willows sheltered the phoenix towers and dragon pavilions. Pearls and jade adorned the Wansui Mountain, and music and song filled the Penglai Palace.

The century-long splendor of Tokyo was a celebration for the literati. When this prosperity faded, the city walls disappeared, and the lights dimmed at dusk, they could not help but eagerly await its return.

Chen Shao didn't try to keep them; he never wanted to spoil anyone's fun, so he let them go that very day.
-
After returning to the mansion, Chen Shao went to the inner courtyard.

Li Yumei stood by the window, watching him walk back and forth, moving between the courtyards, and couldn't help but feel a little curious.

She grabbed Liu Caiwei and was about to go find Chen Shao, who timidly asked, "If the master has important business to attend to, we might be punished if we disturb him."

What's there to be afraid of about being punished?

"I'm afraid of pain," Liu Caiwei said weakly.

Li Yumei pursed her lips, thinking to herself that this girl was useless and wouldn't be able to help her in the future.

She casually draped a purple jacket over her shoulders, rolled up her trousers to reveal her pale, slender legs, and ran towards Chen Shao.

"What are you doing wandering around here, sir?"

Chen Shao said, "My whole family is moving here. I'll see if this place is big enough for them."

Upon hearing this, Li Yumei's heart skipped a beat; the first wife was coming!
Chen Shao didn't have many wives and concubines, but the three members of the Jin family were inseparable and always lived together, requiring only one courtyard.

He reached out and pulled Li Yumei into his arms, nodding and saying, "I think we've tidied up all the vacant courtyards, and that should be enough."

This place was originally built by the Xiao family. Unlike the places in Youzhou and Xiping Prefecture, where it offered a panoramic view of the entire city, this place was different.

This place is secluded and quiet, with extremely high walls. Even from Chen Shao's study, one cannot see the outside street.

Apart from a small courtyard used to guard the Cai residence, the surrounding houses were all occupied by guards.

A few years ago, Chen Shao would definitely not have lived here; he would have chosen a place with a wide view.

But now, Chen Shao's mindset has changed; he no longer needs the sense of security that a wide field of vision provides.

Even when he was in Youzhou, he was still worried that someone might suddenly rebel and attack his residence.

But now, he no longer has that concern.

Even in the deep confines of a mansion, he can still maintain control over the entire situation.

"How many people are coming?" Li Yumei asked cautiously.

She had already found out, but she still asked deliberately. Chen Shao replied, "We just need to renovate seven more courtyards."

"The yard is big enough, but won't it feel a bit crowded?"

Chen Shao laughed and said, "What's so cramped about? It's only when we live together that it's truly enjoyable."

Li Yumei secretly reminded herself that her husband seemed to like harmony, and she absolutely must not complain, even if she was in the right.

You must not spread rumors, even when the evidence is conclusive.

Chen Shao had no idea what she was thinking, and even if he did, he wouldn't care.

In fact, as long as a man doesn't have foolish thoughts like favoring his concubine over his wife, his harem won't be in too much chaos.

Especially for someone with power like myself.

If you don't give them hints or help, they will never provoke the wife, no matter what. And most men who do do so have political motives.

Of course, many are simply stupid.

Chen Shao was too lazy to deal with it anyway, but when he saw her come over on her own initiative, he smiled and said, "You've come at the right time. I'll leave this to you."

Li Yumei didn't try to cheat or be cunning, and asked with a smile, "What's the reward?"

Chen Shao patted himself down and, finding no jade pendants or jade tokens, laughed and said, "I'll give you a credit for this. You can get reimbursed for anything you want in the future."

Li Yumei nodded happily and immediately began planning to tidy up the vacant courtyard.
-
Bianliang City, within the imperial city.

Zhao Huan felt more at ease than ever before, and felt that life was finally comfortable.

Grand Tutor Cai regained control of the empire's finances and was remarkably adept at it.

There was no need to raise money for Zhao Ji, this huge drain on resources; there was no need to send annual tributes to the Western Xia and Khitan; and because the Jurchens broke the alliance, the money promised to the Jin Dynasty was naturally saved.

For Cai Jing, it was as if he had been freed from eighteen layers of constraints.

The imperial court executed Li Yan and his son Zhu Mian, confiscated Liang Shicheng's property, and obtained more than 50 million strings of cash.

People from all over the country took to the streets to celebrate, especially in the Jiangnan and Guangdong regions, where the execution of Zhu Mian and his son was a cause for universal jubilation.

Meanwhile, the various forces that came to the aid of the emperor began to withdraw from the vicinity of the capital back to their original positions, thanks to Li Gang's efforts.

The imperial court allocated funds to the Dingnan Army to hold off the Jurchen Tartars. Zong Ze was appointed as the Pacification Commissioner of Hebei and began to clean up the mess in Hebei and reorganize the army.

It will probably not be so easy for Wanyan Zongwang to make a comeback.

All I need to do is hold the inner palace tight, add a little more every now and then, and if the Tartars really attack, I'll find a way to pay reparations and settle the matter.

If all else fails, just like the previous dynasties, pay some tribute to the Jin dynasty.

A rare look of joy appeared on Zhao Huan's face, as if the Song Dynasty had finally gotten back on track.

Aside from Wu Min, Li Gang, and a few others who frequently came to him to discuss the hidden dangers of the Dingnan Army, there was nothing else that kept him up at night.

As for the Dingnan Army, this official simply couldn't be bothered to think about it. He couldn't solve it anyway, so why bother?

Chen Shao of the Dingnan Army has neither besieged the city nor openly coerced or extorted me. Should I go out of my way to provoke him?

At this moment, Shao Chengzhang entered, his expression complex, and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty."

"What's the matter?"

Zhao Huan was bent over his desk calculating how much money he had in his small treasury, and he was in a rare good mood.

Shao Chengzhang couldn't bear to spoil his good mood.

"Geng Nanzhong is back."

"Oh?" Zhao Huan smiled and said, "My imperial tutor has returned?"

Seeing his carefree attitude, Shao Chengzhang was stunned. That was the imperial tutor who had abandoned you and joined the military leader Chen Shao.

The official seemed to harbor no resentment whatsoever.

"Although Mr. Geng was a bit strict, he always considered my needs. Back then, when I was oppressed by the Emperor Emeritus and my third brother, I was filled with bitterness and had no one to confide in. Only Mr. Geng listened to me, advised me, advised me, and comforted me. Even now, thinking back on that time still makes me feel terrified and distressed."

Shao Chengzhang finally understood: this official was like a block of wood, completely devoid of any intelligence or cunning.

The key point is that he wasn't faking it.

In historical records, such people are mostly pretending, hiding their talents and waiting for the right opportunity to strike.

But the fact that the officials are truly in power makes one even more desperate.

What fate awaits us, living in such chaotic times, serving such a ruler?
(End of this chapter)