You have truly caused me great suffering!

Song, Maode, and Li Qingzhao, being familiar with Chen Shao, did not stand on ceremony.

Chen Shao smiled and nodded, as if to say hello.

Despite Chen Shao's coercion of Song Shi and his exposure of Maode's nakedness, he also spread many lewd rumors about Li Qingzhao.

Surprisingly, all three of them had a good impression of Chen Shao.
It can only be said that women sometimes use different standards when looking at men.

They simply felt that Chen Shao treated Song Shi very well, that he didn't abandon her after starting a relationship, and that he wasn't just playing around; rather, he was gentle and considerate.

The four words 'gentle and considerate' are enough to cover up everything else.

This morning I was teased by Shishi, and then I saw these three top-tier married women. Their looks, figures, and artistic qualities are all off the charts, and I really can't resist them.

Li Qingzhao seemed more relaxed. She turned around, moved a little closer, and said to Chen Shao, "Fu Jin said that thanks to your help last time, the prince consort wasn't wronged."

"She wants to host a banquet and invite you as a thank you."

Maode's name was Zhao Fujin, a fact Chen Shao had also heard from Song.

After listening, Chen Shao looked from the front and saw that Mao De seemed to have noticed him, so he turned his body to the side to avoid his gaze.

Chen Shao felt that she looked even more beautiful from this angle, and her delicate chin appeared even more exquisite.

"I dare not refuse such an invitation from a beautiful woman."

Li Qingzhao rolled her eyes at him, a half-smile playing on her lips.

"Your Majesty is extremely busy with affairs of state; when will you have any free time?"

Chen Shao laughed and said, "There's no time like the present."

Li Qingzhao didn't expect him to be so decisive. Wasn't everyone saying he was very busy?

"Not today. The princess has invited us to go flower viewing."

"Then let's do it another day. Whenever the Princess is free, just send someone to deliver the message."

Neither Song nor Maode wanted to have much contact with Chen Shao here, so they beckoned Li Qingzhao back and went together to Zhonglingxi Courtyard for their appointment.

Chen Shao clicked his tongue twice and strode into his own courtyard.

Just as he returned to his room, before he could even sit down, he heard Li Wanshu rush in and say, "Your Majesty, someone has brought this report."

Chen Shao opened it, scratched his brow, and looked somewhat surprised.

The report was written by Li Xiaozhong, stating that the Tatars were gathering and preparing to raid the Jin Kingdom.

Taking advantage of the conflict between the Dingnan army and the Jurchens, Khabul of the Qiyan tribe unified several tribes on the Mongolian steppe through military expansion and diplomatic means, including powerful tribes such as the Kereit and Tatar tribes.

The Mongol tribes in the Onon River basin elected him as "Minister of the Mongols," honoring him as "Khabul Khan," and established the Mongol Empire.

The word 'Mongolia' appeared.
Chen Shao smiled and shook his head. Hubula had actually established a country right away.

He sent someone to contact Li Xiaozhong, wanting the Dingnan Army to provide him with some weapons and armor, in which he could help the Dingnan Army attack the Jin Kingdom.

Chen Shao pondered for a moment and said, "Grind the inkstone, I want to write a reply."

On the Mongolian steppe, the Tatar tribe numbered in the hundreds of thousands, scattered across the vast mountains and rivers of northern Mongolia. They were not bound by city walls, nor did they have any intention of settling down. They migrated according to the water and grass, and made their living by plundering cattle and sheep.

After unifying the various tribes, Khabul Khan controlled over a hundred settlements in southern and northern Mongolia.

Due to its nomadic characteristics of being "unsettled, borderless, and massive," the threat it poses is essentially "the ever-expanding need for survival."

Although Chen Shao highly advocated the strategy of supporting the second-in-command to defeat the first-in-command on the grasslands, and then supporting the third-in-command to defeat him after the second-in-command took power.

But this time is an exception.

The Mongols have far greater potential than the Jurchens; we can't afford to play with fire this time.

Therefore, he strictly ordered Li Xiaozhong not to even give him a knife.

We can fight the Jurchen Tartars ourselves; we don't need the steppe Tartars.

Of course, I won't stop them if they want to go.

They'll take whatever they can get their hands on. The Jurchen Tartars these days aren't pushovers either, and they probably won't tolerate these people.

In fact, at first, the Tatars on the grasslands were not particularly hostile to the Jurchen Tatars.

They had been suppressed by the Khitan for so many years, and they thought they had finally found a good big brother who could lead them to fight the Khitan.

Who knew that when they happily surrendered to the Jurchens, ready to follow them everywhere to kill, plunder, and slaughter their prey, they would find themselves in a different situation.

They suddenly realized that they themselves were also prey of the Jurchens.

The Jurchens were far more brutal than the Khitans in killing them. It was precisely because of the Jurchens' appearance that these tribes on the grasslands began to miss the benefits of the Liao and Khitan dynasties.

That's why we're seeing such fierce resistance now.

If the Jurchens had simply thrown them a few bones while enslaving them, these Tartars, who considered them a barbaric tribe of third or fourth class, would have long since become loyal dogs.

Despite their poverty and the fact that so many people starve to death every year, their long-cherished wish has always been to plunder southwards.

It's something ingrained in your bones.

These nomadic tribes on the grasslands were just as obsessed with raiding southwards as the people of the Central Plains were with farming.

Even after sending the letter, Chen Shao was still a little uneasy.

Because of the great war between himself and the Jurchens, the Jurchen Tartars, who had been going to the grasslands to reduce the population and massacre the grasslands, were unable to spare any resources.

This unexpectedly created a rare vacuum period on the grasslands, giving the various nomadic tribes that had been suppressed by the Khitans and Jurchens a much-needed respite.

During this period, no one came to reduce the population on the grasslands, nor did anyone bother to balance the power on the grasslands or prevent a situation where one entity became dominant.

Surprisingly, this led to the Mongols unifying the country ahead of schedule.

Fortunately, they were now penniless and still fighting with bone arrows, while the Dingnan Army was at its most powerful. Chen Shao had enough capital to look down on the grasslands.

At this moment, Chen Shao remembered Wanyan Balisu, who was trapped in the west.

Perhaps it's time for this good friend to play his role again.
He had no grudge against Khabul and Chen Shao did not want to attack rashly, as it would transfer their hatred for the Jurchens onto him.

It should be noted that the states within the Yunnei region are completely adjacent to the grasslands.

The long border makes defense a challenge.

When the army marched north, these Tartars ran into the icy hollows to the north, and they couldn't be found at all.

After all, he wasn't Kublai Khan; he really couldn't find where his brothers were hiding.

Balis was an expert in dealing with the Tatars.

We need to find a way to get him to go.
Chen Shao secretly rejoiced, thankful that he hadn't attacked Ba Lisu and had allowed him to stay there.

In fact, Balisu did not want to return to the Jin Kingdom, nor did he want to oppose Chen Shao.

They no longer look down on those poor villagers.

Especially after returning home, you'll be bossed around by those smelly fellow villagers and be under their control.

There was another reason why Ba Lisu's men didn't want to leave: they had fought their way all the way from Yunnei.

Zonghan once ordered Balisu to garrison in the Khitan's Xijing Road, so that they could take root there and forever rule this barren land for the Jin Dynasty.

In other words, they took with them all the Khitan captives, slaves, and their own families that they had seized.

Wanyan Balisu had many opportunities to return east and reunite with the Jurchens. On the grasslands, no one could stop them.

However, after much hesitation, he still did not go back, and his true intentions were already quite clear.

Chen Shao hadn't touched them for this reason: these people had already become disloyal to the Jin state, and keeping them around would be more useful.

The next day, early in the morning.

Chen Shao then sent envoys to Heishan to renew their old friendship with Wanyan Balisu.

Indeed, they never clashed, not even when the Dingnan Army and the Jurchen Tartars were locked in the most intense standoff, Balisu never launched a sneak attack from behind.

From the perspective of Wanyan Balisu and his men, Chen Shao was even more considerate.

Despite having a huge advantage, it has never made a move against itself.

Both sides are now fully aware that if Balisu were to escape back from the grasslands at this point, he would likely be killed.

His crimes were different from those of Wanyan Xiyin.

Xi Yin was no match for Xi Yin, not because he didn't try, but because he had too few cards to play. It wasn't a fault of his own.

He left so quickly; it was clear to everyone that he truly didn't want to come back.

"Have someone select more gold, silver, jade, silk, and satin from the treasury and send them over. My brother Balisu likes these things."

Chen Shao smiled and said to the people of Taiyuan Prefecture.

Inside the government office, the other officials also burst into laughter. They had all heard about the behavior of these Tartars.

Among the Jurchens, they were perhaps the group that degenerated and fell into depravity the fastest.

There was nothing they could do; the Prince of Dai was too wicked. He had personally led them down this path step by step.

Of course, it was also Wanyan Balisu's own fault for not being firm in his will. If Lou Shi and Yin Shuke had come, Chen Shao probably wouldn't have been able to pull them off their horses either.

Finally, Liu Jizu volunteered to go to Heishan to negotiate with Wanyan Balisu.

When Chen Shao came out of the government office, he saw that the flowers and trees in the courtyard were already in full bloom.

Bees and butterflies swarmed around, buzzing with the sound of their wings, and the air was filled with the scent of steaming leaves.

"It's so heartwarming."

I wonder how Qu Duan's naval training is going.

Chen Shao secretly calculated that once the navy was fully established, the Dingnan Army's rest and reorganization would also be over.

I will concentrate all my strength to completely resolve the Jurchen problem, as well as Guo Yaoshi, who controls Liaodong.

Chen Shao did not believe that Guo Yaoshi would surrender. Having tasted the power, he would find it more painful to relinquish his military power and become a wealthy man than to kill him.

However, given his extensive history of betraying his masters, even Guo Yaoshi himself wouldn't believe that Chen Shao would still let him command troops.

The Ever-Victorious Army, which developed from the Eight Camps of the Resentful Army, was the foundation upon which Guo Yaoshi established himself in the chaotic world, and also the culprit that kept him in a high position and unable to settle down.

At this moment, a guard came over and said that a military general had come from the front line of Youyan Tanzhou to request an audience.

Chen Shao was somewhat surprised, "Yue Fei's men?"

Other military officers would never have come to see him; they would have reported important matters to Chen Shao in writing.

The guard nodded.

Chen Shaodao said, "Let them in."

He really liked the smell at this time of year, feeling that the early summer air, filled with a sweltering heat, had an energizing effect that inspired people to strive forward.

So he sat down on a stone bench under a tree in the courtyard, and soon his personal guards brought Xu Qing in.

Xu Qing was Yue Fei's confidant and fellow townsman, and was extremely loyal.

"Greetings, Prince of Dai!"

Xu Qing was quite excited when he first met Chen Shao.

Did Pengju send you?

Xu Qing nodded and took out a letter from his pocket. "My general has sent me to deliver a letter to the Prince of Dai."

Da Hu took it and handed it to Chen Shao, who unfolded it. Yue Fei's handwriting was actually better than his own, and it looked quite upright and righteous.

This made Chen Shao somewhat unconvinced.

After reading the letter, even though Yue Fei didn't say it directly, Chen Shao could fully understand his meaning.

Yue Fei was puzzled as to why he didn't launch a northern expedition.

This is something I would never tell an outsider.

Chen Shao chuckled and handed the letter to the people around him, telling them to put it away.

“Go back and tell Pengju that since we set out from Nuanquan Peak, our Dingnan Army has been fighting without stopping our horses or removing our armor. We have fought more than 500 battles, large and small, and we are exhausted.”

“I, Chen Shao, never belittle soldiers. Naturally, I will let them rest and recuperate properly so that they don’t have to worry. I will work hard to prepare for the Northern Expedition sooner or later.”

Even without the idea of ​​a naval landing, Chen Shao was prepared to accumulate strength for several years before launching a northern expedition.

If both sides are preparing for war, time is on Chen Shao's side.

Because Chen Shao had the backing of the behemoth that was the Central Plains, his preparations for war would be far more thorough than those of the Jurchen Tartars.

After listening, Xu Qing clasped his hands and said, "This humble general understands."

He fully understood Chen Shao's thoughts; in Xu Qing's view, the Tartars had already been driven out of Hebei.

They can't harm their own hometown. Whether we fight in a few years or immediately, it's all the same.

Judging from the past record of the Dingnan Army, there is still a great chance of winning the Northern Expedition against the Tartars, at least by recapturing Gubeikou and taking the initiative.

After Xu Qing left, Chen Shao sat under the tree and pondered for a while.

Today, on the border, Yue Fei is probably not the only one with this question: why did the Dingnan Army stop?

It all depends on when Qu Da's navy will be ready to serve its purpose.

Actually, he didn't want the navy to fight a naval battle, but rather to transport troops to Liaodong and conquer Liaodong from within.

Later, Zhu Yuanzhang dispatched Feng Sheng, Fu Youde, and Lan Yu with an army of 20 to first attack Qingzhou and then take Jinshan. It was with this strategy that Liaodong was finally completely recovered during the sixth Northern Expedition.

Because that place is indeed very suitable for separatist regimes.

If Liaodong is managed well, it could really support an army of over 100,000 men!
And they're also very likely to be extremely strong fighters.

Now, Guo the Pharmacist has allied with the Jurchens and colluded with Goryeo. He is ambitious and holds firm, and every step he takes must be flawless.

What Chen Shao had to do was to counter each move as it came, and finally use his numerical advantage to defeat and eliminate it.

The last time Goryeo sent people to pay tribute to the Song Dynasty, they traveled by water because all the land routes had been blocked.

Chen Shao didn't know Goryeo's actual thoughts, but he always felt that Goryeo was a force that could be won over, because the Goryeo people were very sensible.

After sending envoys, he also sent someone to Taiyuan to pay a special visit to him.

The Goryeo people of that time were definitely more capable than their descendants. (End of Chapter)