You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chapter 21 Praising the Japanese Commander

Chen Shao, accompanied by several guards, turned into a gate, where a towering archway stood before him.

The four characters “鞠躬尽瘁” were engraved on it, and Chen Shao couldn’t help but purse his lips when he saw it.

Upon entering the main hall, a portrait hangs in front of it, with a horizontal inscription that reads "To die only after one's death" in bold strokes.

The person in the portrait, wearing a feather fan and a turban, along with these two lines of text, must be the Prime Minister Zhuge Liang.

Tong Guan
Chen Shao was speechless. If you had the noble character of a prime minister, that would be fine, but the key question is whether you do?
Passing through the main hall and heading straight to the backyard, Chen Shao asked, "Brother, when did Commander En return?"

"just came back."

The guard was somewhat disdainful; this man was called "Handsome En" behind his back, what a complete sycophant.

Chen Shao nodded secretly, feeling very excited. It seemed that everything he had done had not been in vain.

The old man took the bait.

He breathed a long sigh of relief; most of his worries from the past few days had finally dissipated.

Upon entering the inner hall, Tong Guan, dressed in a flowing python robe and a phoenix belt, sat in the center, toying with a jade pendant in one hand.

A burning sandalwood incense stick was almost extinguished on a nearby table. Beside the table stood a man with three long wisps of beard, dressed in a Taoist robe and wearing a square scarf on his head, exuding an air of otherworldly refinement.

Chen Shao, without looking to the side, clasped his hands and said, "Chen Shao, the commander, pays his respects to my esteemed commander!"

Tong Guan said with a smile, "We're all family here, no need to be so formal, please sit down!"

Chen Shao didn't stand on ceremony at all, and found a chair to sit down.

"I heard that you have been treated with great courtesy by the gentry along the way, and the elders of Qin and Long have been vying to give you money?"

"Which scoundrel is slandering me!" Chen Shao said angrily, standing up. "General, please don't believe the slander of this villain!"

Tong Guan remained silent, looking at him with a cold smile.

Chen Shao looked increasingly guilty and lowered his head, saying, "I am guilty."

"You're quite clever, lad. You know how to conduct yourself properly and who's money you can and can't take," Tong Guan said leisurely. "From now on, you'll never be short of money if you follow me. Take this jade pendant and go withdraw a thousand strings of cash later."

“Bianjing is the most prosperous city in the world. I know you have no parents and are all alone, so I have prepared a house for you here.”

Are there any positions left in the Three Offices?

A man dressed as a military officer clasped his hands and said, "Commander Xuan, the commander of the Japanese army was promoted to the position of Commander of the Palace Guard last month."

“Let Chen Shao fill the vacancy. Once he has made meritorious contributions, he can come with me to the Northwest. We men should go to the battlefield, fight our way up, and repay the wise emperor above and comfort our ancestors below.”

Chen Shao, looking both surprised and delighted, bowed deeply and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Commander. I, Chen Shao, will go through fire and water for you!"

The Taoist priest beside him laughed and said, "Congratulations, Commander Xuan, you have gained another capable general."

Tong Guan laughed heartily.

His approach is indeed quite effective. If Chen Shaozhen is truly a military household with no connections in the Northwest, he might actually be willing to risk his life for him in the future.

Think about it, your monthly salary is fifteen strings of cash, which is only a hundred or so strings a year. Your boss suddenly gives you a thousand strings of cash, which is ten years' worth of your salary.

And they even gave you a house in the capital.

Don't worry about whether it's an old, run-down, or small apartment; just be moved by it.

Unfortunately, this was just a setup; everything Chen Shao displayed was part of a carefully crafted script.

The position that Tong Guan arranged for Chen Shao was not very high; it was a personal guard under the Palace Guard.

Divided into: the Army that Supports the Japanese, the Heavenly Martial Army, and the Army that Respects the Holy Spirit
The Imperial Guards were responsible for protecting the emperor's safety. They were in charge of guarding the palace and its surroundings, ensuring the emperor's safety during his daily life and travels.

Although he was only a seventh-rank official, he still had access to the emperor.

If you can get in touch with the emperor, you can monitor who goes to see him and when they do so.

These matters are of paramount importance to Tong Guan and his ilk. Therefore, they are determined to make arrangements for their own people.

One can imagine that these guard battalions in front of the palace must have been filled with factions and a mixed bag of people.

Now that Tong Guan wants to overthrow Cai Jing and clear the way for his campaign against Liao, this position has become especially important.

Chen Shao was also very satisfied.

The Song Dynasty was characterized by a strong central government and weak regional administration. Even serving in the Imperial Guards of the capital, even as a seventh-rank commander, would be considered an impressive career achievement once one was transferred to the border army.

In fact, after so many years, the Imperial Guards of Beijing are no longer the elite troops they were during Zhao Kuangyin's time.

During the Jingkang Incident, they lost all face; they didn't just flee at the first sign of trouble, they fled at the first hint of trouble.

They were terrified before they even saw the enemy and offered virtually no resistance.

Although its military strength was lacking, that's just how the Song Dynasty was; everything was better in Bianjing.

An official who is transferred away from Bianliang is considered to be demoted.

The Three Offices were Tong Guan's traditional territory, filled with his cronies, so Chen Shao wasn't worried about being ostracized after entering.

He's just going there to get some prestige.

In the matter of allying with the Jin to attack the Liao, as long as one makes some contributions, one can be promoted quickly.

So far, his plan has been half successful.

After all, the hardest part of this plan is getting involved.

For Tong Guan, Chen Shao's matter was a trivial matter.

Soon, he had his men take Chen Shao to familiarize himself with the capital and collect his money and house.

Throughout history, if you want someone to work hard for you, you have to offer them benefits.

This is an iron rule.

Those who accomplish great things are never stingy with rewarding their subordinates.

As he left Tong Guan's residence, Yang Keshi, the commander of the Victorious Army, patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Do a good job!"

"General Yang, please take good care of me in the future."

Chen Shao recognized this man; he was one of Tong Guan's more capable fighters, but he was only brave in person and terrible at leading troops.

He was Tong Guan's top henchman.

“You brought my brothers out this time, and everyone is quite satisfied with you. From now on, we’re all on the same side. Our Victory Army doesn’t have so many rules.”

Chen Shao and the thirty guards of Shengjie Army were very familiar with each other; they were all Yang Keshi's subordinates.

"This morning, before I even went to see you, everyone already knew you were getting a promotion and was clamoring to treat you to a drink. How about it? You haven't offended them, have you?"

"How dare you?"

Chen Shao agreed on a time with him and happily went to collect the money.

The process of receiving the money went smoothly without any difficulties. In fact, the courteous attitude made Chen Shao feel a little embarrassed.

Tong Guan had plenty of money; to him, it was just a number.

He was childless, and having reached the pinnacle of personal enjoyment, all that remained was the pursuit of merit and titles.

Therefore, he was very generous in rewarding his subordinates, and he did indeed have many loyal followers and trusted confidants.

For the same reason, his conflict with Cai Jing over the campaign against Liao was irreconcilable. Cai Jing had a large family to carry on the family line, and he hoped for long-term peace and stability. He was unwilling to let Tong Guan risk the future of the Song Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)