You have truly caused me great suffering!

The first day of the third year of the Jingkang era.

Taiyuan City is filled with a festive atmosphere.

Everyone went from street to street, visiting each other.

Chen Shao received a series of visitors at his residence.

Outside the Prince's Mansion, the traffic was heavy. Apart from a few important and close people, most visitors would just say a few auspicious words and leave.

Wu Jie, Li Tangchen, Liu Jizu, Zhang Xiaochun, and others sat in the main hall, chatting with Chen Shao and helping him receive visitors.

A group of officials from Taiyuan Prefecture sat for a short while before getting up to take their leave.

Because Li Tangchen was their superior, he also stood up to see him off.

"Last year, everyone worked together with one heart and made many contributions, which the Prince of Dai is well aware of. Gentlemen, let's continue to work hard together next year," Li Tangchen said with a smile. "I have received your courtesy throughout the year, and on this New Year's occasion, I would like to offer you my respect!"

After speaking, he clasped his hands in a fist salute and bowed slightly.

The people in the prefectural government office quickly offered them a helping hand, exchanged a few more polite words, and then left with smiles on their faces.

Watching his trusted subordinates leave, Li Tangchen was in a good mood. Just as he was about to turn around, he saw a group of unfamiliar faces enter the courtyard.

"these are?"

The guard who brought the man in whispered something to Li Tangchen, who frowned slightly, then looked somewhat strange.

He and these people came in one after the other.

“Kim Boo, the envoy from Goryeo, has come to pay his respects to the King of Dai.”

His voice carried a strong Kaifeng accent; at that time, Koreans spoke much better Chinese than people from North and South Korea in later generations.

Chen Shao looked at the person in front of him, nodded, and said, "It's kind of you to send someone. Thank you for your thoughtfulness."

The Goryeo Dynasty always acted this way, avoiding offending anyone during this period of history.

It maintained tributary relations with the Song Dynasty while dealing with the Liao and Jin regimes.

Later, when the Song Dynasty fled to Jiangnan, they gradually and completely sided with the Jin Dynasty and became its vassals.

Now they must have seen the growth of Chen Shao's power, and since they also have people in Bianliang, they are quite familiar with the power dynamics in the Song Dynasty court.

So I came to pay my respects at the pier in advance.

Chen Shao asked with great interest, "In which ports do your Goryeo ships trade with the Song Dynasty now?"

Jin Fu was just there to familiarize himself with the place, and fortunately, he had already made some connections with the future King Zhen after he took the throne.

Hearing that Chen Shaozhen was concerned about their domestic affairs, Jin Fu was delighted and coughed lightly, saying, "Our country has the Donglai Prefecture Envoy, who is in charge of managing the eastern coast. The office is located in Busanpo and is specifically responsible for maritime trade and defense against Japanese pirates."

Are Japanese pirates still rampant?

When Jin Fuyi brought this up, he became somewhat angry and said angrily, "The Japanese pirates have always been rampant and inhumane; they are the Jurchens of the sea!"

Upon hearing this title, Chen Shao couldn't help but smile and shake his head, saying, "My subordinate Qu Duan is currently building ships in Mizhou. He will join forces with you to cooperate with the Japanese and wipe out the Japanese pirates."

Jin Fu quickly bowed and thanked him, “Your Majesty is unaware that the barbarian country of Dongying is far from the Central Plains, isolated overseas, uneducated, and cruel and cunning. Many in their country actually support the Japanese pirates, and they are even a den of snakes and rats.”

Chen Shao nodded. "I already know."

Jin Fu said, "As soon as Your Majesty's troops arrive, they will be reduced to dust in an instant!"

He himself did not expect that coming to Taiyuan would bring unexpected gains.

Chen Shao was also very interested in Goryeo, mainly because his own maritime trade was about to begin.

Korea, this little brother, is a market that's neither too big nor too small.

Japan is an even bigger heavyweight.

There's plenty of money waiting for me to earn.

Chen Shao asked very detailed questions, and his conversation was always focused and meaningful, so Jin Fu gradually became engrossed in the discussion.

Occasionally, when other visitors came, Chen Shao would let them listen in, or have Wu Jie and others entertain them on his behalf.

The Koreans felt a sense of pride, feeling that they were being valued by such an important figure as the King of Dai, and had a rather strange sense of honor.

Seeing how seriously Chen Shao took it, the others also started listening.

Considering that Qu Duan has already begun preparations, could this be the most important thing for the Prince of Dai next?

Then we should also do some research on ourselves.

At this moment, Wang Yin suddenly walked in. He came up to Chen Shao and whispered a few words.

Chen Shao's eyes widened immediately, and he asked, "Really?"

Wang Yin remained calm, nodded, and stood silently to the side.

He simply provides information without making any inferences or calculations.

Chen Shao's expression was somewhat solemn. He turned to Wu Jie and said, "Jinqing, please help me entertain the visitors."

After saying this, he led Wang Yin out of the main hall and all the way to the study.

After closing the door, Chen Shao asked, "Where is that person from the Cai residence now?"

"Search in progress."

Suddenly, Chen Shao remembered something and asked, "Where is Cai Tiao now?"

Wang Yin also felt that the cause of this incident might be Cai Tiao.

But Chen Shao immediately believed that Cai Tiao was the one who did it, rather than Cai Jing resorting to such a desperate measure to avenge his son.

Wang Yin still doesn't quite understand Cai Jing.

That's Cai Jing, how could he possibly do something like assassinating a minister?

Wang Yin immediately said, "Cai Tiao has always refused to come to Taiyuan. Last time, because the Prince of Dai promised the Princess, we brought him here. Since arriving, he has been hiding in his residence and rarely comes out." Chen Shao frowned slightly. Of Cai Jing's sons, very few are truly capable.

Could Cai Tiao really be so despondent just because he was beaten up?

Back then, Geng Nanzhong and he also got into a fight in the restaurant. It wasn't like he was the only one getting beaten up, so why did he become so depressed?

They might even go so far as to poison people!
Thinking of this, Chen Shao's expression gradually turned cold. No matter what the reason was, poisoning a minister had crossed his bottom line.

The death of Geng Nanzhong has had a profound impact, and its effects will continue for at least the next decade!
This is not a simple murder; it is a complete disruption of the rules of officialdom.

Logically, he should have been executed as a warning to others, but Cai Jing's importance was simply too great.

The reason he was able to refrain from killing Cai You was because he was old, and he thought that while Cai Jing was still alive, he would not harm his family in order to keep him in check.

Unexpectedly, after letting one Cai You go, another one has appeared!

Cai Jing, you were shrewd and resourceful your whole life, yet your sons are all as stupid as pigs and oxen!

Even if you want revenge, can't you wait a few years?

Poisoning Geng Nanzhong at this time, what am I supposed to do?
Chen Shaoji was basically certain that the murderer was Cai Tiao, not Cai Jing.

If his father had already died by now, Chen Shao would have already torn him to pieces.

Chen Shao said, "We must capture that person!"

Wang Yin nodded and turned to leave.

Chen Shao rubbed his temples and cursed a few more times.
-

The second day of the third year of the Jingkang era.

The long-awaited sunrise finally peeked out from behind the clouds.

The winter sun shone through the curtains into the antique-style house, making everything even brighter.

The light snow fell for a day and a night, but it has now stopped.

Even her maids, who were used to seeing her, were still somewhat stunned when they saw the princess's skin.

It outshines frost and snow, truly whiter than the snow outside.

It was only because she grew up in the deep palace and had a father who was extravagant and wasteful, that she was able to raise such a beautiful and wealthy woman.

Princess Maode, alone in her empty room, sighed and slowly dressed with the help of her maids.

She overheard the two maids serving her husband whispering and learned that the fight in Xiping Prefecture had injured her husband's genitals.

It caused him to lose his body and become a eunuch.

It's ridiculous that I went to Lady Lin's place every day to nourish my body; now it's completely impossible for me to get pregnant.

No wonder he's been so sullen and withdrawn every day.

Pushing open the door, she saw a world covered in silver. After learning about her husband's hidden illness, Maode stopped actively seeking him out to avoid causing him distress.

Upon arriving at the moon gate, they saw Cai Tiao approaching, who seemed to be in a good mood.

"Consort."

Maode greeted him with a smile, and Cai Tiao nodded, asking, "Where are you going?"

"Madam Zhao is going to pay a New Year's visit to my sister-in-law today, I'll go and see her too."

Cai Tiao smiled and nodded, saying, "The roads are slippery with snow, so be careful."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Maode wanted to say a few more intimate words to him, but then he remembered that the prince consort had been avoiding him ever since he arrived in Taiyuan.

Talking to him might be a burden for him.
Suppressing her longing and worry, Maode dared not comfort her husband, fearing that it would backfire and cause him further distress.

Because up to this point, he hasn't told himself to just pretend he doesn't know.

After passing him, Maode silently wiped away his tears and walked towards his sister-in-law's courtyard.

Looking at the princess's retreating figure, a trace of sadness flashed in Cai Tao's eyes again.

Geng Nanzhong, that scoundrel!

Even dying ten thousand times wouldn't be enough to quell the hatred in my heart!
-

Bianliang, within the imperial city.

Upon learning of Geng Shi's death, Zhao Huan's mood, which had been relaxed for several months, suddenly tightened again.

He suspected that someone wanted to harm him.

Otherwise, why would he poison his own imperial tutor?

Therefore, the emperor hid in the palace and declined many sacrifices and ceremonies that he should have presided over.

He spent every day by the Empress's side, sighing and lamenting.

Empress Zhu Lian was also helpless, and she was somewhat irritated.

Her husband, an official.
If all else fails, then follow the example of the retired emperor and abdicate!
The prince is young, and Zhu Lian doesn't want him to get involved in this vortex. Any of the princes except the third prince can take the position!
Of course, she only complained in her heart and didn't dare to say it out loud.

Although she knew that the reason why the Emperor was so timid was because of the Emperor Emeritus's daily suppression, as a woman, she couldn't help but feel disappointed by his behavior.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the imperial court should have held a grand court assembly, where the emperor and the emperor would have received the congratulations of officials and envoys from various countries, followed by a banquet.

But the officials did not go.
Today is the second day of the Lunar New Year. The Emperor should have led the imperial family to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to offer sacrifices to their ancestors, presenting jade cups and sacrificial offerings to the ancestral spirits.

But he didn't go.
If you don’t want to go, don’t go.

Zhu Lian looked at the dejected emperor and secretly shook his head.

It's utterly tasteless for emperors and empresses to act like this. (End of Chapter)