You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chen Shao discovered that Cai Jing's grandchildren were generally not unintelligent.

With a little effort, he could be a great talent.

Then I thought, was Cai You stupid?

His scheming skills are even better than his father's; it's just that he grew up too comfortably and had such a protective father, which led him astray.
That's why they acted so recklessly, causing widespread resentment and anger in Hebei.

The key is still before the big battle.

Knowing that he was nearby, Chen Shao lowered his voice and said to his guard, "Cai You is undergoing labor reform at the Daizhou camp. I wonder how he's doing. Send someone to check on him. I know that man well. He's been well-fed since childhood, strong, and energetic. Give him more work."

“If moving one stone is considered an act of atonement, then his sins would only be complete if he moved the Taihang Mountains to their wits’ end.”

Starting from Lingqiu, Chen Shao saw many places along the way where land reclamation had already begun.

He nodded to himself, realizing that things were different in the early stages of starting a business; government orders were practically law.

If this were in the middle or later stages of a dynasty, it would probably take three to five years of wrangling before it could be implemented.

Most of the laborers from the Daizhou camp came to Weizhou to build water conservancy projects and prepare to restore agriculture in Weizhou.

To be honest, the Khitan's level of governance was indeed low, and they governed the various prefectures in Yunnei like they were in the mountains.

But precisely because of this, the potential here is huge, and land reclamation is actually not difficult.

It's much easier than starting from scratch and trying to earn such a large tract of fertile land.

Moreover, the government helped dig irrigation canals and build water conservancy projects. In short, this was an excellent opportunity for the people to turn their lives around.

If you become lazy now, you'll probably be poor for several lifetimes to come.

This world is very cruel, and there are very few chances to turn things around. Either a brave and determined person from the clan will emerge, persevere, defy fate, and lead the entire clan to turn things around.
Or they would wait for a chaotic period, when most of the rich had been killed, and the new rulers would redistribute the land for tax revenue.
To put it bluntly, the battles in Yunnei and Youyan resulted in so many deaths, which ironically became an opportunity for the survivors.
The Dingnan Army, which ruled the area, attached great importance to agriculture, providing free irrigation, subsidizing seeds, distributing farm tools, and exempting people from taxes.

The benefits following the war and the Jurchen massacres have already arrived.

Upon returning to the Daizhou camp, Chen Shao ordered Wu Lin to station troops there, ready to provide support to all fronts and to suppress and deter nearby forces.

The remaining 10,000 officers and soldiers of the Lingwu Camp followed Chen Shao back to Taiyuan.

On the way, Chen Shao issued another order to the generals, instructing that from this time until the following autumn, the army should focus on rest and recuperation and should not rashly start a major battle.

The lords' desire to achieve great things is boundless, but the warriors have been fighting for three whole years.

Fight from the Northwest all the way to Liaodong!
Chen Shao never treated his troops as tools, which was the biggest difference between him and other military leaders.

Our soldiers need to train and recuperate, the horses need to fatten up, and our logistics are already nearing their limit.

Even within the imperial court, new struggles need to be waged on their own.

Although everyone understands these principles, many powerful leaders are reluctant to stop when starting their businesses.

Especially those who came from humble backgrounds.

Because by the time they reached that position, they were often riddled with injuries and illnesses, and also quite old.

Chen Shao's composure stems from his youth and his early start in the "health preservation competition".

Health is the foundation of everything!

After being separated from the exam, Chen Shaocai realized that each of these famous quotes was as precious as gold.

It must have been the heartfelt words of those important figures when faced with such a predicament.
-

At this time in Bianliang, Zhao Huan summoned his ministers and read out the victory report at Xuande Gate, announcing it to the world. He also offered sacrifices to Heaven and the ancestral temple to thank the gods for their blessings.

The three commanders-in-chief were bestowed with horses and gold belts, and their sons and grandsons were appointed to official positions. All their legitimate sons were granted titles and rewards.

Zhao Huan took out the treasured goods he had stored in his treasury for the peace negotiations with the Jurchens, totaling 200,000 bolts of silk and 30 million strings of cash, to reward his soldiers.

Genyue.

As Zhao Ji listened to his trusted eunuch's report, his face turned ashen and his whole body trembled.

He was living a very frugal life here, and he had no money left to feed himself, let alone reward the concubines and eunuchs around him.

A few days ago, I invited a Taoist priest over, but he didn't give me any reward in the end.

How can this unfilial son be so rich? Even when I was emperor, I never saw so much wealth in my treasury.

"Could it be that he and Chen Shao conspired to exaggerate the numbers to deceive the world and gain fame and reputation?"

Zhang Di shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, the day the decree was issued, they started moving things out of the treasury. The Japanese army carried them out for two days and one night."

"Why is it that when I was in power, the national treasury was always empty!"

Zhang Di was speechless for a moment. Even though he was the Emperor Emeritus's confidant, he was disgusted by those words.

When you were in power, you would spend tens or hundreds of thousands every day. If it was for repairing Taoist temples or building gardens, the expenses would be endless.

Cai Jing is almost exhausted by you.

Although the current emperor is timid and indulges in unrestrained flattery of his subjects, he does not squander money.

The food and drink I eat and drink every day are not as good as what you provide here.

The number of concubines in the harem combined doesn't even equal the number you took in over half a year.

Empress Zhu was also a thrifty woman. Now the court had reduced the expenditure on the Imperial Guards, lost the major expense of annual tribute, and dismissed many officials.

Regardless of whether the dismissal of officials was due to factional infighting or whether Cai Jing and Wei Li took the opportunity to remove them, the point is that it reduced expenditures.

Moreover, it has been significantly reduced.

Both open source and cost-saving
Emperor Huizong slumped helplessly onto his soft couch. He no longer possessed the dignified and noble air he once had, and his whole being was filled with resentment.

At this moment, he couldn't even remember what Chen Shao looked like, since he had mainly met with Li Liangsi during the initial meeting.

Chen Shao didn't say much.

He kept his head down the whole time, never expecting that Tong Guan would bring him such a treacherous and ambitious villain!

Considering all of this boy's actions, he can definitely be described as a hypocrite!
-

Outside Taiyuan city, the weather was already very cold.

It's almost the twelfth lunar month, and the New Year won't be long.

It snowed last night, and the air was crisp and cold. The sunlight shone on people, but there was no warmth at all; the chill still seeped into their bones.

Chen Shao breathed on his hands, which were a little stiff from the cold, but he still rode his horse back.

He wanted the people of Taiyuan to see that he had returned on horseback.

The saying goes, "What the superiors do, the inferiors will follow." This serves as a reminder to those in Taiyuan that since they themselves haven't yet begun to enjoy themselves, others shouldn't be in a hurry to slack off either.

Li Tangchen and others did not hold a banquet outside to welcome him, because everyone knew that the Prince of Dai was an extremely cautious person.

He rarely dine out, and even when he entertains his subordinates, it's always at a place he arranges himself.

Upon seeing Chen Shao arrive at the city gates on horseback, a group of officials stepped forward, about to speak, when Chen Shao said, "Let's go back to the mansion first."

Seeing that he was quite cold, Liu Jizu quickly gave him a wink.

Everyone made way and followed Chen Shao's entourage to the Prince of Dai's residence to wait for him to come out.

The Prince of Dai's expedition was a complete success. After the return of Youyan, the northern half of the country was firmly in the hands of the Dingnan Army.

Moreover, no one else could say anything against it, because they were the ones who conquered these places.

And because of this, he became the guardian of the Central Plains.

After Chen Shao returned to his residence, a large group of women waited for him in the house and escorted him into Zhong Lingxi's courtyard.

Because they were all used to Chen Shao going out on expeditions, even leaving everyone in Xiping Prefecture while he stayed in Taiyuan for a whole year.

This time, in less than two months, there was no crying or sobbing; instead, everyone was all smiles, making it a lively and relaxed time.

A group of concubines stepped forward with joy, and Chen Shao told them not to stand on ceremony, and exchanged a few pleasantries with Huanhuan and the others.

Then they arrived at Li Shishi's courtyard, where Li Shishi was lying on the bed, and the room was filled with warmth.

She was resting in bed because she had just given birth. Madam Lin and Chen Shao nodded and left.

"Is this our daughter? What's her name?"

Li Shishi gave birth to a daughter, and Chen Shao was actually somewhat disappointed, but he didn't show it.

At this time, the more sons the better, the more at ease the subordinates will be.

"Her nickname is Haohao, and we'll wait for you to choose her formal name." Li Shishi smiled happily at Chen Shao. Because she had just given birth, her chest and neck skin were very plump, and even her exposed fair shoulders were fleshy.

"I'll ask a few scholars who have passed the imperial examinations tomorrow."

Chen Shao looked at the crib next to him, teasing the still immobile baby, and said with a smile, "Why are you going to keep him by your side?"

"I want to take care of her myself." A hint of tenderness appeared in Li Shishi's eyes as she couldn't help but look at her youngest daughter.

The more people lack something, the more they want to give it. Li Shishi was sold by her parents when she was a child, and when she had a daughter, she wanted to treat her even better.

Chen Shao laughed and said, "Let alone the fact that you're not feeling well now and need a month or two to recover after giving birth, even if you were perfectly healthy, you wouldn't be as experienced as others."

"If you want to love your daughter, it's not too late when she's older." After saying that, Chen Shao wanted to bend down and touch his daughter, but then thought of his dusty appearance and decided against it.

After listening, Li Shishi thought about it carefully and nodded gently.

Chun Tao, who came in through the curtain, said with a grin, "It doesn't matter who says it, she'll only listen to you."

Li Shishi reached out to hold his hand, but Chen Shao quickly withdrew it, saying, "It's cold."

"I almost forgot, my lord, you must be tired from your long journey and haven't had your meal yet."

After saying that, she ordered the maids to boil water, because she and Chun Tao both loved bathing, and Chen Shao specially had a pool built in the courtyard.

While Chen Shao went to take a bath, Chun Tao's eyes were darting around. Li Shishi said irritably, "Hurry up and go!"

Inside the warm pavilion, Chen Shaoshu sat comfortably in the pool, the steam rising around him, making him feel drowsy.

Chun Tao came in, took off her outer clothes, revealing a pair of slender and beautiful legs wrapped in snow-white silk trousers, with straight knees and calves, indescribably beautiful.

She was getting taller and taller. Chen Shao looked at her calves, and Chun Tao raised an eyebrow. She sat by the pool and scooped water for him to pour.

Chen Shaoshu lay down comfortably, barely able to open his eyes, and instructed his maid to inform the officials in the outer courtyard to disperse and meet at the yamen the next day for a meeting.

In this era, traveling is definitely a physically demanding activity.

Chen Shao was once again satisfied with his decision; the army needed to rest for a while.

Listening to Chun Tao chattering about what had happened recently, Chen Shao slowly closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
-

Taiyuan Prefecture, inside the government office.

A large number of officials gathered together.

Chen Shao proposed that Qu Duan should build seagoing vessels, but the officials did not pay much attention to it and were all talking about the development of Yunnei.

Yunnei is different from Youyan. Youyan is the main granary of the Khitan.

The fertile fields were not abandoned, and agriculture was quite developed. However, there were large areas of wasteland within the clouds.

The territory bordering the grasslands also needs to be managed well. Firstly, we need to trade with them, buying horses, cattle, and sheep. Secondly, we need to guard against these barbarians moving south.

After all, they don't care whether you're strong or weak. If you're starving, you have no choice but to come down and take a gamble.

Moreover, these Tartars shared a considerable border with the Jurchen Jin Dynasty.

We must guard against them defecting to the Tartars.

These matters are quite complex and require a large number of people, and it is essential to be skilled at handling such matters.

Fortunately, Chen Shao had some former officials of Western Xia under his command who had ample experience dealing with the steppe Tartars.

"By the way, Your Majesty, what should we do with Wanyan Balisu?" Li Tangchen suddenly asked.

Wanyan Balisu did not retreat eastward from the grasslands but returned to the Jin Dynasty.

This also surprised Chen Shao somewhat. He had no intention of taking action against Wanyan Balisu for the time being, as keeping him around might be useful.

Chen Shao thought for a while and said, "Don't touch this person yet. He might be useful in the future. Anyway, he only has a small number of troops and wouldn't dare to cause trouble on his own."

Although others were not very interested, Chen Shao was still very interested in building ships.

He felt that he had been in close correspondence with Zhao Huan along the way, and that he should mention it.

At worst, I can offer some more terms and have a proper talk with him.

The shipbuilding technology of the Song Dynasty is not bad. With the help of blueprints and by cooperating with the merchant caravan, it may bring some surprises.

Today, Guangyuantang's caravans are essentially businesses operated by the Dingnan Army, and have basically monopolized the trade routes in the Western Regions.

If maritime trade routes could be reopened, the financial problems would be greatly alleviated.

You don't know the cost of firewood and rice until you're in charge of the household. After taking sole control of the Dingnan Army, Chen Shao realized that money was never enough.

For the Dingnan Army, any amount of money they could afford to spend was acceptable.
My finances always seem to be tight.

As soon as you acquire some new money, even greater needs will arise.

"Liu Jizu".

"The subordinate is here."

Chen Shao said, "Go to Bianliang yourself and ask the officials for the blueprints."

Liu Jizu was probably the one who valued this matter the most, because he originally worked for Liang Shicheng in business.

Upon hearing this, he did not refuse and bowed, saying, "Your humble servant obeys."

If Qu Duan could get into Mizhou, everything at the shipyard would be readily available; the Mizhou shipyard could build more than 500 ships every year.

Second only to Minnesota.

The maritime transport and trade of the Song Dynasty were indeed highly developed.
-

December has arrived.

Light snow began to fall in Bianliang.

The snowfall was light this time, but a thin layer of snow gradually accumulated on the glazed tiles of the imperial palace and at the corners of the palace walls; for a moment, the imperial palace seemed to be shrouded in a layer of pure white gauze.

Zhao Huan was a better emperor than his father, but to say he was a good emperor would be an understatement.

He had little interest in governing the country. With the external threat from the Jurchen Tartars gone, the internal problem of his father was also under control.

The two mountains that had been weighing on Zhao Huan's head were suddenly removed, giving him a blissful, dizzying feeling of happiness.

As a result, Zhao Huan became somewhat negligent in his duties, often neglecting to attend court and instead spending his time reading books and listening to music in the palace.

She taught her son to read and write, and strolled through the garden with the Empress.

He listened to what Li Gang and others said; he listened to what Geng Nanzhong said; he also listened to what Cai Jing and Wei Li said.

The main point is to let whoever is in charge listen to whom.

Unfortunately, these various factions, regardless of their stance, all want to get things done.

Today, Zhao Huan was admiring the red plum blossoms in the snow when Shao Chengzhang came over and whispered, "Your Majesty, Liu Jizu from Taiyuan requests an audience."

"Taiyuan?" Zhao Huan's spirits lifted upon hearing this, and he said, "Summon them!"

The eunuchs and guards led Liu Jizu to Yanqing Hall.

Liu Jizu bowed and walked over to Zhao Huan. If it had been a few years ago, he would have been extremely excited to face the emperor.

At this time, Liu Jizu's emotions were still relatively stable.

"Your subject, Liu Jizu, Prefect of Taiyuan, pays his respects to Your Majesty."

"Minister Liu, there's no need for such formalities," Zhao Huan said with a smile. "I heard that the Prince of Dai has already returned to Taiyuan?"

"Indeed," Liu Jizu said with a smile. "I have come here on the behalf of the Prince of Dai to present Your Majesty with some exotic items from the Western Regions."

"Oh?" Zhao Huan's eyes lit up, and he asked Shao Chengzhang to bring it up.

Shao Chengzhang carefully took out the box, and Liu Jizu said with a smile, "This is Liangzhou cheese, which has a different flavor from the Yongsu of our Great Song Dynasty."

Zhao Huan said with a smile, "Very well, it's kind of you, Prince of Dai, to go to such trouble. I don't have anything to give in return."

He happily asked Shao Chengzhang to take some to the Empress.

Liu Jizu flattered him for a while, saying that the emperor had used his private treasury to reward the soldiers, and the entire Dingnan Army was deeply grateful for the emperor's kindness.

Zhao Huan laughed and said, "As long as the soldiers can drive out the Tartars, this amount of money is nothing."

Liu Jizu was waiting for this very sentence, and he immediately said: "Although the Tartars have retreated north, their main force is still there. The Jin state has gained the territory of the Khitan, and after a few years of recuperation, they will probably move south again."

"Alas!" Zhao Huan sighed and said, "The soldiers of Dingnan Army will inevitably have to work hard at that time."

He realized that no one else could defeat the Tartars.
The Jurchens are terrifying. My ninth brother went to the Jin camp for negotiations, and he's still listless and often seems distracted.

"The Tartars rely on the terrain inside and outside the Great Wall, which they have not yet recovered," Liu Jizu said. "The Prince of Dai intends to build ships in Mizhou to transport troops. If successful, he can launch a surprise attack on the Tartars' stronghold, wipe them out completely, and eliminate future troubles forever!"

"it is good!"

Liu Jizu said, "The blueprints for building the ships are kept in the palace. I would like to ask Your Majesty to grant them to us so that the Mizhou Shipyard can start construction as soon as possible."

“Go back and tell the Prince of Dai to go to the trouble and arrange it personally. I will immediately order the Mizhou Shipyard to cooperate.” After saying this, he turned around excitedly and said to Zhang Di beside him, “Go and get the shipbuilding blueprints.”

Liu Jizu did not expect to complete the mission so easily this time, but the current situation has surprised and delighted him.

I thought I would have to explain myself a bit more, but it seems I was overthinking it.

At this moment, Zhao Huan had already asked the palace maids to bring him tableware so he could enjoy the dairy delicacy.
-

With the New Year approaching, Chen Shao was enjoying a rare period of leisure at his residence.

He spends his days with his children and occasionally goes to the government office to discuss matters.

Sometimes, he would even play a game of leaf cards with the women.

However, he was ultimately a restless person and didn't have Zhao Huan's mindset.

A few days later, I quickly started to feel uncomfortable and kept feeling uneasy.

Thus, they began to plan a new war. The next goal of the Dingnan Army was definitely to eliminate Guo Yaoshi and the Jurchens.

That bastard Guo Yaoshi actually did a pretty good job managing things after he seized power in Liaodong.

This person is capable.

Chen Shao got angry just thinking about him.

You've switched sides repeatedly, changing hands several times, practically a slave to four different masters. So you've become tough now that it's my turn?

It wasn't that he looked down on Chen Shao, or that he had any issues with the Dingnan Army.

It was purely these betrayals that gave Guo Yaoshi the power and military strength he didn't have before.

Each betrayal brought him immense wealth, and his army grew ever larger. After taking over the Shengjie Army, his forces became even stronger.

Moreover, after several wars, Liaodong was depleted, and there were no strong troops stationed there.

Upon his return, he launched a devastating attack, quickly subduing Liaodong and Pinglu.

He and his Ever Victorious Army were all from Liaodong, so it's normal that they had the idea of ​​establishing their own independent territory.

Since ancient times, Xiliang and Liaodong have been ideal places for military leaders to establish their own independent regimes.

The Jurchens had no time to deal with him. As long as he didn't launch an attack on the Jurchens, the Tatars' main objective would definitely still be to defend against the Dingnan Army.

The Jin Dynasty and the Dingnan Army have been fighting to the death, and there is no possibility of a ceasefire or peace talks.

Inside the study, Chen Shao looked at the reports and some maps on his desk.

He found that he was still familiar with this rhythm. After watching it more, he learned some techniques and it wasn't so tiring.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and Wang Yin walked in.

"Your Majesty, Lady Xiao has arrived."

Chen Shao put down the report in his hand and asked, "How many more days until we arrive in Taiyuan?"

"Three days later."

Chen Shao nodded. With the New Year approaching, it was perfectly reasonable for the Xiao family to come.

According to the rules, she should come back, but Chen Shao knew that she was most likely still here for the ship.

Today, products from the Central Plains are best-selling goods all over the world, and can even be considered luxury items.

In other words, no matter who you do business with, you are guaranteed to make a profit, and the profit margin is extremely high.

This will not change for hundreds of years to come, until the morally bankrupt England starts selling opium.

Therefore, as long as trade routes are established, there is no need to worry about buying and selling.

Wang Yin said, "Madam Xiao said that she wants to go to Mizhou in person this time."

Chen Shao knew quite a bit about her work in the Western Regions and knew that she had probably reached the end of her career there.

We can't really just fight our way through, can we? The Chamber of Commerce has basically monopolized the trade of jade, silk, porcelain, glass, brocade, and other commodities.

Fewer foreign merchants were entering the Central Plains. They could unload their goods at Yumen Pass, and then caravans would take over the business, which could be said to bring in tens of thousands of gold coins every day.

Chen Shao was quite satisfied with her.

Although she can be a bit disobedient at times, she's really capable!
If she had truly opened up the maritime trade routes, she would probably have been the greatest business queen in history, and her name would have been etched in history.

Starting the Age of Exploration earlier might not have been impossible. After all, demand creates motivation and creativity, and the technological foundation of the Song Dynasty was far superior to that of Europe in later years when it began its Age of Exploration.

Putting all that aside for now, maritime trade routes can also bring in a great deal of wealth. (End of Chapter)