You have truly caused me great suffering!

Bianliang, Jinliangqiao Street, where every inch of land is precious.

A large group of servants and pageboys stood in front of Cai Jing's residence.

A short while later, a dozen or so men escorted a person to the front of the mansion.

These guards all looked extremely imposing; although they were not wearing armor, they were clearly armored soldiers.

Moreover, his eyes were sharp, and even when he arrived at the gate of the Cai residence, he did not show any timidity, but rather looked around curiously.

Cai Jing's mansion is truly magnificent; at first glance, it evokes a sense of awe and pride, making one feel that this is the kind of man a true gentleman should be.

The old steward noticed a young man in the crowd who looked remarkably like the young master Cai Kan.

He was about to greet them when he saw the knights and young men clasp their hands in a fist salute and turn to leave.

The young man then turned around and said with a smile, "Uncle Cai."

"I dare not accept such praise. You really are a young man, much more dashing than before."

Cai You is 48 years old this year. He has four sons with his first wife: Cai Tong, Cai Hui, Cai Xing, and Cai Shu.

After his first wife passed away, he married a woman surnamed Song who was eighteen years younger than him as his second wife, and they had a son named Cai Kan.

There was also Cai Heng, born to a concubine, who was very young and was raised by Song Shi.

Cai Kan was kept in Taiyuan by Chen Shao and was well taken care of. Although he did not become a confidential secretary like his two older brothers, he was placed in the Taiyuan Prefecture to continue his studies under Li Tangchen and to serve as an official.

The current situation in Hedong is truly a test of character. Just imagine, it's surrounded by a group of ambitious and passionate individuals, accomplishing great things.

Being in it, even if you're just going with the flow, you'll be part of the most turbulent waves.

Moreover, none of the officials in Hedong underestimated them, despite some rumors circulating.

But just like the old story of Cao Cao, no one dared to underestimate Cai Jing's few grandsons.

Qin Yilu's wife was beautiful. After Cao Cao killed Lü Bu, Qin Yilu surrendered, and Cao Cao took his wife as a concubine. Lady Du gave birth to two sons and a daughter for Cao Cao.

However, Qin Lang, the son born to Lady Du in her previous life, was adopted by Cao Cao and treated as his own son.

Although Qin Lang was not the biological child of Du Shi and Cao Cao, he grew up in Cao's household and rose to the rank of General of the Valiant Cavalry after reaching adulthood, enjoying the deep trust of Emperor Cao Rui of Wei.

Therefore, the people of Hedong not only dared not laugh at him, but even looked up to him.

After all, everyone knows what kind of status the Prince of Dai has now.

Cai Kan asked several servants about Cai Jing's health, and they all said he was doing well.

He hurried to the inner courtyard, tidied his clothes outside the door, and then stepped inside.

Cai Jing was sitting in the lobby, his hair was gray, and he wore a white brocade headband. He looked quite energetic.

Cai Kan stepped forward and bowed. Cai Jing nodded in satisfaction. He had seen countless people and could tell a lot from a person's spirit and demeanor.

Cai Jing used to be extremely busy, and raising children and grandchildren was never his focus.

But now, he values ​​this more and more, and seeing this grandson made his eyes light up.

"sit."

After the two sat down, Cai Jing immediately asked about Taiyuan. Cai Kan spoke eloquently and logically.

Moreover, his words always contained his own insights, which pleased Cai Jing even more.

Thinking of his eldest son, he couldn't help but feel a little regretful that he hadn't paid enough attention to his children in his early years.

When you get old and have to think about what will happen to you, you realize that none of your sons are of any use.

He was satisfied as long as Cai You was alive, after all, of the people Chen Shao insisted on writing a memorial to kill, only Cai You was still alive.

One thing that makes Chen Shao convincing is that those he petitioned to be killed were indeed scourges to the country and its people, and had committed serious crimes.

They either abandoned their troops and fled, or they provoked public outrage and widespread resentment.
None of them had any direct interest in him.

Even though Tong Guan was someone he had some kind of kinship with, Chen Shao insisted on killing him, while he was more tolerant of others who had framed the Dingnan Army.

The principle of "the great way is for the common good" means that in the Central Plains, one will gain fame and prestige. The benefits are not visible, but they are extremely important.

Truly talented people will be more inclined to make choices based on this.

Finally, Cai Jing asked calmly, "You've been in Hedong for so long, have you heard any news about the Emperor Emeritus?"

"The Emperor Emeritus?" Cai Kan smiled. "It seems the Emperor Emeritus has contacted some officials, but..."

"But what?"

"However, Dingnan Army doesn't care."

Upon hearing this, Cai Jing was taken aback, but Cai Kan seemed to take it all for granted.

Cai Jing sighed inwardly. The Dingnan Army's confidence had now reached its peak.

That's good. As long as there is this kind of spirit and energy within, great things will be accomplished sooner or later.

As for the younger generation of the Cai family, at least one of them must grow up before the Cai family members die.

Only then will it prosper in the days to come.

Establishing a good character is more important than establishing merit! Speaking of establishing merit, Cai Jing felt he could do a lot for Chen Shao, but he feared that after his death, all their friendship would dissipate.

Thinking that he had two grandsons who were also with Chen Shao, Cai Jing felt more confident.

Although the two sons were both disappointing, the grandchildren were better and had the potential to succeed!

Cai Jing chuckled and ordered people to prepare wine and dishes, and also gathered the younger members of his family who were still in Bianjing.

At this time, he also noticed something: Chen Shao was sending more and more officials into Bianliang City.
-
In Taiyuan Prefecture, Chen Shao held a special banquet to celebrate the killing of Wanyan Loushi in battle.

Wanyan Loushi was a great general of the Jurchens; killing him would be a great achievement.

He instructed officials from the Prince of Dai's residence to write a special imperial edict to commend the meritorious soldiers, and also asked Li Xiaozhong to submit the list of meritorious soldiers as soon as possible, along with a written petition, so that he could report the merits to the emperor.

This battle effectively severed the arm of the Western Route Army, killing nearly 5,000 Jurchen soldiers and capturing a large number of Khitan soldiers.

They recovered the entire territory of Hebei, as well as parts of Youyan.

These areas are now in ruins and urgently need to restore people's livelihoods.

Li Tangchen was right next to Chen Shao, and the two of them were tilting their heads, discussing the matter.

"The biggest problem in Hebei is whether the people believe that we can defend the border and prevent the Tartars from invading south again."

"Otherwise, they would rather flee to Hedong, Shandong, or the south than return to their hometown to produce goods."

Chen Shao nodded and said, "It's harvest time right now, and there's been a Tartar invasion in Hebei. I think food is also a problem. If we don't find a solution, hundreds of thousands of people will starve to death!"

The Song Dynasty's usual method of disaster relief was to recruit displaced people into soldiers.

This is very unreliable, but that's how the Song Dynasty always did it.

This wasn't just a common practice during disaster relief; the Song Dynasty's usual method for suppressing bandits was to recruit them into the army.
The redundant troops didn't just appear out of nowhere; the Song Dynasty painstakingly created them for itself.

Chen Shao held his wine cup, thought for a while, and said, "There is no other way to resolve this matter. We must settle the people down and get production started."

If you eat plain rice with your mouth wide open, how much food would you have to stuff in?

Li Tangchen said, "Then the only option is to use work relief. There are quite a few projects that can be carried out in Hebei, and I think the Grand Canal is very necessary."

Chen Shao nodded and said, "That's right! In the future, we need to recover Youyan, fight Guo Yaoshi, and continue the Northern Expedition. All of this requires a smooth transportation line. Not only do we need to build canals, but we also need to build roads. We should use work relief to get through this winter first."

Nowadays, many gentry and powerful families in Hebei are hiding in Hedong and refusing to return, because they are terrified by the two southward invasions of the Tartars.

Chen Shaode instilled confidence in Hebei by having the Dingnan Army fight.

To ensure that the people of Hebei can return to their homeland with peace of mind, we need to conquer several more cities in Youyan and build a complete defense line.

"Replace defense with offense. The vanguard's weapons will be the defensive line. Only in this way will the people trust us."

The Youyan region has been separated from the Central Plains for far too long, and the Grand Canal has long been cut off.

Even if we manage to reclaim it in the future, we must excavate canals and improve roads to reconnect Youyan with the Central Plains. Gradually, we can integrate and return to the Central Plains.

Although Hebei had just been recovered, Chen Shao had indeed already begun preparations for the recovery of Youyan.

The Dingnan Army was at the height of its momentum, and even if Chen Shao wanted to stop, his soldiers would not allow it.

The civil officials in Hedong today will also be dissatisfied.

With autumn in full swing and horses at their fattest, it's the perfect time for fierce battles. Soon, the land of Youyan will witness a series of brutal clashes.

Chen Shao stood up and said to the assembled officials, "Come, let us drink this cup to the brim to celebrate the soldiers on the front lines!"

Just then, a strong woman rushed in and shouted in the hall, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! The Queen has given birth!"

Li Tangchen quickly asked, "Is it a man or a woman?"

"Mother and child are safe! Mother and child are safe!"

A roar of cheers and applause erupted from the hall.

Li Tangchen laughed heartily and, leading the group, toasted Chen Shao, saying:
"Congratulations, king!"

This truly relieved a major worry for everyone present.

Fortunately, Chen Shao is young and looks healthy.

Otherwise, the mere fact that the clan is not thriving, has a small population, and does not cultivate adopted sons would be enough to demoralize people.

In the crowd, everyone looked at Zhong Shidao and congratulated him.

Zhong Shidao kept nodding, and there seemed to be joy in his eyes, but upon closer inspection, it seemed not.

At this moment, he knew that the Zhong family had already boarded the bus.

With this child, even if Chen Shao is defeated, the Zhong family will not be trusted in the Song Dynasty.

His heart was not as calm as it appeared; it was just the composure cultivated from fifty years of leading troops that prevented him from showing his emotions.

A glimmer of hope also began to stir in Zhong Shidao's heart.

This is a child who brings hope to everyone, and who has the blood of their family.

Zhong Shidao, who was usually calm and taciturn, suddenly flicked his sleeves and stood in the very center.

Everyone immediately fell silent.

Zhong Shidao clasped his hands in a fist salute and bowed slightly: "Those whose achievements will last for generations need not worry about having no heirs! Congratulations to Your Majesty!"

The others bowed and said in unison:
"Congratulations to the King!"

"Congratulations to the King!"

"Congratulations to the King!"
-
There were many guests both inside and outside the Prince Dai's Mansion.

When Chen Shao returned to the inner quarters, they still hadn't left.

Although I can't see the princess and her children, I still have to come and visit.

Li Tangchen and Liu Jizu's wife arrived hand in hand, just as Chen Shao entered. The two rose to greet each other.

Chen Shao returned the courtesy with the respect due to a junior, and then smiled and asked Li Yumei and Liu Caiwei to entertain the guests together.

Logically, the male host should avoid female guests, but Chen Shao never cared, and neither did the female guests.

The Prince of Dai was a polite man, at least in the eyes of most people.

Chen Shao couldn't wait to get to Zhong Lingxi's room. At that moment, several women stood guard at the door as if facing a formidable enemy, refusing to let anyone in.

Seeing that it was her master, she let him in and whispered, "Madam Lin said it's not good to have too many people."

“That’s right.” Chen Shao nodded and said, “Keep a close watch.”

Upon hearing this, the two women immediately perked up, filled with a sense of honor.

Chen Shao was always cautious, and all the maids and servants in Zhong Lingxi's room were brought from the Zhong family.

Even those around Song Shi were replaced by his own people.

The Prince of Dai's mansion had many maids, who came from roughly three different sources.

First, the Qiang women were personally selected by Zhu De, whose ancestors for eight generations were thoroughly investigated, and they came with the three Zhu sisters as part of their dowry.

Secondly, there were his most trusted personal guards, the Qiang women of the Meicang tribe. The Meicang tribe was one of the first to join Chen Shao, when Chen Shao was just starting out. Therefore, very few of the young people in this tribe went to the front lines; most of them served as Chen Shao's personal guards.

Thirdly, they were orphans from the Northwest, carefully selected by Liu Guanglie. Once they entered the Prince of Dai's mansion, they basically made it their home.

Now that the princess has given birth to a son, everyone in the household is overjoyed.

Upon entering the bedroom, Chen Shao was surprised to find that Huanhuan was in pretty good condition.

Having a professional lady provide personalized care makes all the difference.

Seeing Chen Shao come in, she immediately felt aggrieved and pouted as if she was about to cry.

Chen Shao quickly stepped forward, took her hand, and said with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work."

"It hurts," Huanhuan bit her lip, looking pitiful, not like a mother at all.

She is a great hero today, giving the entire Dingnan Army a sense of reassurance.

Chen Shao gently comforted her, and after a while, Huanhuan stopped crying and started laughing.

Lady Lin watched from the side, marveling at the sight. She thought to herself that the king, with his noble status, was actually willing to lower himself to coax his wife. The princess was indeed a blessed woman.

"I'm going to see our son."

Huanhuan nodded, her forehead covered in sweat again. Seeing this, Madam Lin quickly came over and gently rubbed her stomach.

Chen Shao went to the small room next door, where Zhe Shi and Li Shishi were. The wet nurse was breastfeeding, and she did not hide when she saw Chen Shao come in.

When Chen Shao saw that A Suo was also there, he went over and hugged him.

Li Shishi smiled and said, "Congratulations, my lord."

"Congratulations! You'll be due soon too, have another one for me!"

The Zhe family said with a smile, "Today, people have come to offer their congratulations in an endless stream, and our Zhe family has also sent some people."

Chen Shao had known for a long time that the Zhe family of Fugu had already moved many of their clansmen to Taiyuan.

However, he did not believe that the Zhe family would give up on Fugu. This matter could not be rushed and should be dealt with slowly.

Chen Shao laughed and said, "It's rare to see you like this. Why didn't you stay for a few days?"

“I asked them to bring a few girls from the Zhe family who were around the same age. I’ll raise them with Asuo, and also find her a playmate.”

"Are you raising them with great care?"

"What do you think?" Madam Zhe pouted and said, "Look how well I've raised my daughter."

Whether A-Suo is well raised or not has little to do with the Zhe family, but Chen Shao just laughed and said, "Good, good, just ask for a few more, we can afford to raise them."

Ah Suo noticed that he was wearing a jade sash shaped like a begonia flower, with a hole in the middle for tying the ribbon, and many shiny gold beads.

She curiously tried to pick at it with her little hands.

Upon seeing this, Chen Shao immediately untied the hairpin and took off the begonia ribbon, giving it to his daughter to play with.

Ah Su grinned.

Seeing how much he loved his daughter, Li Shishi's worries disappeared. Whether she had a son or a daughter, her husband loved her equally.

She gently stroked her lower abdomen, her heart filled with anticipation.

Soon, she too will be bearing a child with her beloved, the best man in the world. (End of Chapter)