You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chen Shaogang gave Hu Yantong a severe scolding, had him beaten with twenty lashes, and sent him to Zhu De for reformation.

Then someone came to report that Lady Cai Song had arrived and had been welcomed to her residence.

Inside the mansion, Song looked around at her surroundings, and her face turned red as if she had remembered something.

Her skin was very fair, but she wore dark clothes, and her head was piled high with fruit. Her eyebrows were arched, and her long, black hair was coiled up.

When I first met her, she was a quiet, reserved woman, but her mature figure was curvaceous and charming, and now she has become even more alluring.

Seeing Chen Shao staring at her, Song couldn't help but squeeze her legs together, her toes slowly and forcefully kicking inside her white socks. Countless trivial fragments gradually surfaced in her mind, making her slightly out of breath.

"It's been a while since I've seen you. How have you been these past few days?"

Madam Song was surprised that he cared about her first, and her heart warmed. She said softly, "You are a person who does great things, and I dare not bother you."

"You should balance work and rest. I went to Fenzhou these past few days and brought you back a jade hairpin with a magpie carrying a flower. Try it on and see how it goes."

After Chen Shao finished speaking, he walked behind her, put the hair on for her by hand, and then smiled and said, "It really looks good."

Suddenly moved, Song said with tears in her eyes, "I am of humble appearance and older than you. To receive such pity and love from you, my love, would be worth dying for."

Chen Shao gently stroked her temple and said with a smile, "Why are you saying all this? There's a mirror over there, go and take a look."

When Song walked to the mirror, she saw that she was no longer the haggard and numb woman she once was. Her face was radiant and her skin was fair and rosy, making her even more alluring than when she was young.

Chen Shao liked her most because she was obedient and docile, always compliant, and dignified and virtuous, which gave him a great sense of accomplishment.

Suddenly feeling a chill, Song's heart tightened, and a blush rose to her cheeks.

She gripped the hem of her skirt tightly with her hands.

"Open your eyes."

She hurriedly opened her eyes, her face looking like she was about to cry.

Afterwards, Chen Shao embraced Song Shi and asked, "You said it was Li Qingzhao?"

"Yes, it's her. Poor thing, there's no one else in her clan. For the sake of her husband, she has no choice but to run around begging for help."

Chen Shao scratched his head and said, "Okay, I understand."

Upon careful consideration, he realized that Zhao Ji did indeed have this interest, and Zhao Mingcheng was an expert in epigraphy.

Zhu Mian, being a petty person, was ignorant of epigraphy, so it was understandable that he sought Zhao Mingcheng's advice in order to curry favor with his superiors.

No one could have imagined that the situation in the imperial court would develop to this point.

If that's the case, then Brother Zhao Mingcheng is somewhat wronged. If he and Zhu Mian really colluded, I wouldn't help him get away with it.

"Have her come here. I'll ask if it's true. If her husband really is colluding with Zhu Mian and the others, I won't protect him. If he's innocent, I'll ask someone to do me a favor."

Madam Song knew his temper; even though her father-in-law had allied with him, this young man still wouldn't let Cai You go.

He was a man who hated evil and could not tolerate injustice.

"By the way, Li Yi'an has been running around for her husband, probably spending a lot of money to bribe officials. This unexpected disaster will probably wipe out all of their meager savings."

"I'll give you some gold and silver valuables later. Take them with you and say they're a gift from you."
-
After noon, Li Qingzhao and Maode arrived hand in hand.

Chen Shao was waiting for them in his study.

Seeing that there were other people inside, the two felt a little more at ease.

When they saw Chen Shao seducing his sister-in-law, they assumed he was a womanizer. But then they remembered that they were both married women, so they became more wary.

They were all a little embarrassed to find that Chen Shao was receiving guests in his study, and they secretly felt that they had wronged him.

Li Qingzhao recounted the whole story with a sense of grievance, and then said to Chen Shao, "I know very well what kind of person my husband is. He would never collude with someone like Zhu Mian. Please, General, lend us your help. We, husband and wife, will never forget it."

Maode chimed in, "Zhao Defu comes from an official and scholarly family, and his character has always been impeccable. He is definitely not part of Zhu Mian's faction."

Upon hearing this, Chen Shao nodded and said, "In that case, you two need not worry. I will write a letter to Bianliang and ask someone to release him first, and then investigate the matter thoroughly to clear your husband's name."

He paused briefly, then added, "However, if it is discovered that I have any dealings with people like Zhu Mian, there is nothing I can do about it, and I will absolutely not offer any assistance."

Upon hearing his words, Li Qingzhao was overjoyed. She had sought help from many places without success, but unexpectedly, she found someone willing to help her here.

After all, she and he were not related by blood; they had only met twice by chance.

Recalling her earlier suspicion that he coveted her still-attractive beauty, Li Qingzhao couldn't help but feel ashamed.

Mao De was so beautiful, and even though he was right next to Chen Shao, Chen Shao didn't make a move on him.

It seems that he and his sister-in-law are mutually in love. Although it is somewhat immoral, it is quite touching.

She had sought favors in Bianliang and knew who held the most power at the time. Wei Li had returned to Bianliang and, together with Geng Nanzhong, was at the height of his power.

The Song Dynasty is no longer the Song Dynasty of the past. Even a nobleman like Maode can only depend on others for survival now.

The world might really be in chaos. Li Qingzhao breathed a sigh of relief and stopped thinking about these trivial matters.

After rescuing her husband, she must not let him hold that official position anymore.

After Chen Shao finished writing a letter and let it dry, he held out his hand and said, "Take this letter and go to Bianliang to find Wei Li. After he reads it, he will naturally lend a helping hand."

Maode had initially thought that Chen Shao would deliberately detain her husband, but seeing how kind and compassionate Chen Shao was, her doubts disappeared.

It seems my husband is truly ill; I should wait a little longer.

Cai Tiao's injuries were actually not too bad; Chen Shao had already sent people to escort him to Taiyuan.

However, after learning about his elder brother's situation, he remembered that his relationship with Chen Shao wasn't exactly pleasant either, so he hesitated to come.

The two thanked Chen Shao again, and Chen Shao simply smiled and said a few polite words.

After seeing the two off, Chen Shao smiled to himself, his hands behind his back. He had done her such a great favor, he should write ten or eight poems to express his gratitude.

Considering the added prestige it will bring in future generations, this is a sure-fire way to make a profit.

Moreover, being able to help such people is a wonderful thing, after all, I've been learning Li Qingzhao's poems since I was a child.

Thinking back to the last time he used someone's hairpin as collateral, he ended up selling all the calligraphy and paintings to the Daxiangguo Temple.

Chen Shao smiled, realizing he'd forgotten to return it to her; he'd do it another time.
Several young people have arrived at the front line in Yunnei.

Chen Shao sent Zhe Yanye to Han Shizhong's place, Zhe Yanjian to Meng Nuan's place, and Zhe Yanwen, the heir of the Zhe family, to accompany him.

Zhe Yanye was very happy about this, as he had long wanted to go to the front lines and fight his way to fame and fortune.

Although he was still considered close to the Zhe family, the prominent positions in Fugu would clearly belong to his elder brother's lineage in the future.

Before long, Zhe Yanye led several riders from his clan across the dense deer fortresses and over two ravines, arriving directly in front of the Weizhou military camp.

Standing at the entrance of the village, looking into the distance, one can even see the Jurchen Tartar army camp on the opposite mountain, which controls the road.

Zhe Yanye was completely convinced of this. In the entire world, besides them, who else would dare to set up camp so close to the Jurchen Tartars?

At the height of the Jurchen Tartars' ferocity, there was a fortunate army called the Dingnan Army!

He preferred to follow this group and carve out a future for himself rather than serve in the army in Fugu.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the military camp, Zhe Yanye quickly dismounted.

The reason was simple: Zhe Yanye recognized the person who met him at the village gate—Wei Minglitong, who had once been a mortal enemy of their Fugu clan.

Wei Minglitong was considered a capable general of the Western Xia, and the two sides clashed several times in the past.

Watching him smilingly take the reins from Zhe Yanye, Zhe Yanye felt somewhat dazed.

A few years ago, who would have believed they would be fighting alongside a general of Western Xia? The two sides had been at odds for over a century, but in fact, Fugu and the Western Xia royal family had a period of cooperation.

Later, Fugu chose to be loyal to the Song Dynasty and became a bulwark in the northwest, contributing greatly to the Song Dynasty.

Although he was a regional military governor, his achievements were no less than those of other Western Army generals.

Zhe Yanye and Wei Minglitong walked together toward the central command tent.

Do you know the heavily armored cavalry that the general trained?

Zhe Yanye nodded and said, "I have heard about it."

He felt a pang of envy; only a military commander could acquire so many fine horses from the Western Regions and afford to maintain such heavy cavalry.

The fodder alone was not something that ordinary people could provide. Although there were only two hundred riders, there were more than four hundred auxiliary troops responsible for taking care of the warhorses.

"Huyan Tong, who was in charge of commanding this force, has been punished for a crime and has been transferred."

Zhe Yanye looked at him in surprise, wondering why he was telling him all this.

“You are known for your bravery in the Northwest; perhaps you can take over.”

Zhe Yanye was stunned.

Weiming Litong laughed and said, "Don't believe me? In the Dingnan Army, as long as you have the ability, you can get anything."

In fact, Chen Shao already believed in the Zhe family's loyalty, not because he trusted a particular person, but because he knew how to put himself in their shoes.

If they don't come to our aid, the Zhe family of Fugu will ultimately remain just a powerful clan occupying three prefectures.

In this chaotic world, the fate of local tyrants was entirely dependent on the strong.

The countless Han Chinese military and noble families in Youyan and Yun have already set an example for them.
-
With the spring plowing season in full swing, people across the Hedong region are busy with their work.

Even amidst the fierce fighting on the front lines of the Dingnan Army, when iron tools were in high demand, the Institute of Engineering still managed to produce a considerable number of agricultural implements.

The various government offices in Hedong distributed all these farm tools, either by leasing or selling them.

In this way, a lot of manpower was saved and conscripted to build water conservancy projects. The people were looking forward to the benefits of irrigation and felt very hopeful.

Chen Shao had a few rare days of leisure, as everything was very peaceful.

In the imperial court, Cai Jing and Wei Li joined forces to firmly control the finances.

The only thing the Song court can currently praise is its financial management, especially in the Jiangnan region, which continues to stably supply the Central Plains with grain and various other resources.

Meanwhile, on the Yunnei front, small-scale battles and conflicts continued, and there was never a real ceasefire.

However, there were very few major battles. Not long ago, Zhu Lingling defeated the Jin army and occupied Guangling between Hunyuan and Guangling, which can be considered his greatest achievement.

Wanyan Zonghan sent men to attack Datong, but they were repelled by Li Xiaozhong at Baideng Mountain.

Both sides engaged in large-scale, sweeping battles in the early stages, often launching raids over thousands of miles and capturing countless cities.

However, after the fierce battle in Yunnei, it is now extremely difficult to take over even a single city or territory.

If we only consider Yunnei and not Youyan, then the Central Plains and the northern barbarians have achieved the balance they used to have.

Prayers for rain have begun in various states.

This is not unique to Hedong, but rather an inherent folk custom of the Song Dynasty.

The emperors of the early Song Dynasty, specifically those before Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji), regardless of whether they were incompetent or not, all had an ambitious heart.

Their actions all reveal their desire for a prosperous and strong nation.

In the third year of the Jingde era, Emperor Zhenzong of Song officially promulgated the "Law of Painting Dragons to Pray for Rain".

This set of methods is very detailed, including choosing a deep pool or a secluded forest, on a specific day (Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui days), where the local official leads the elders to fast and bathe, set up an altar for sacrifice, and use specific dragon patterns and offerings.

For example, the blood from the goose's neck is placed in a dish and sprinkled with water using willow branches.

Local officials such as prefects and governors were the main implementers of rain-making ceremonies. This was not only their duty, but the effectiveness of their prayers could also affect their performance evaluations.
In times of severe drought, the emperor may personally participate in prayers for rain, issue an edict of self-reproach to express his remorse, and take practical measures such as tax reductions or exemptions.

Of course, by the time Zhao Ji was in power, all these things had become mere formalities, or even ceased to exist.

This official only cared about his own enjoyment and was blind to the suffering of the common people; he was also too lazy to care about the affairs of these peasants.

Farming was not elegant enough in his eyes, and it was not something he liked to do.

Chen Shao felt that these rain-praying rituals were probably useless, but they represented the government's emphasis on agricultural production.

It was beneficial to strengthen the bond between officials and the people, so he did not prohibit it, but encouraged praying for rain.

Springtime, when flowers bloom and ice and snow gradually melt.

Outside the prison in Bianliang City.

Li Qingzhao waited anxiously, as the government had notified her to come and pick up the person today.

Zhao Mingcheng's case wasn't a big deal, but Wei Li didn't expect it to alarm the military commander, so he sent people to investigate it thoroughly.

As it turns out, Zhao Mingcheng actually did a very good job. Besides being obsessed with collecting and researching bronze and stone inscriptions, he also had a very upright official conduct.

Laizhou had always been a chaotic place. After Zhao Mingcheng took office, he first tackled the problem of corruption by severely punishing corrupt officials.

During this period, he also made several unannounced visits to the countryside to understand the people's conditions and solved many major cases.

Thanks to Zhao Mingcheng's diligence, the officialdom in Laizhou was cleaned up to a certain extent, and the people's customs returned to simplicity.

However, his interests never lay in officialdom, so after achieving some political success, he began to feel somewhat weary.

This was quite remarkable in the Song Dynasty. As for the letters with Zhu Mian, they were purely for seeking advice on epigraphy and did not involve any monetary transactions.

Since that was the case, Wei Li followed Chen Shao's instructions and pulled him out.

On the day Chen Shaoshu's letter arrived, Zhao Mingcheng had already moved out of the prison, but was still detained in the Ministry of Justice.

He was quite frightened this time, and he looked somewhat dejected when he came out.

Li Qingzhao smiled, but her eyes were a little moist, and she said in an unusual voice, "It's good that you're out, it's good that you're out."

Zhao Mingcheng didn't feel much of the elation of someone who had been reborn from a calamity; instead, he felt somewhat down.

This was a completely undeserved disaster for me.

He suddenly asked on the way, "Who helped me?"

"It's Chen Shao."

Zhao Mingcheng's face grew increasingly grim as he recalled the gossip he overheard among the officials in the Ministry of Justice.

Why should Chen Shao help me when I don't even know him?

Those people used vulgar language and insulted his wife, as if he was entitled to special treatment because of her.

This made Zhao Mingcheng especially angry.

But deep down, there was still a sliver of doubt in my heart.

Back at the hotel where Li Qingzhao was staying, after changing him into clean clothes, Zhao Mingcheng suddenly said, "Should we resign from this official post?"

Li Qingzhao paused, nodded, but a sense of sorrow welled up in her heart.

How will we make a living in the future?
Zhao Mingcheng suddenly noticed some gold and silver valuables in the package she was packing. (End of Chapter)