You have truly caused me great suffering!

Dengzhou Port.

As usual, Qu Duan watched the naval drills in the village every day.

The military officers around him were whispering among themselves about when they could set sail.

Their desire for military merit had been suppressed to a certain extent.

During the Tang Dynasty, many border generals would even issue false orders or report false military intelligence in order to gain military merit.

This was intended to force the superior to fight.

Or they might provoke other races in every way and deliberately instigate war.

At that time, the soldiers in the Liaodong Pinglu area were the most eager.

It happens to be right here, where the decisive battle is about to take place.

Qu Duan glanced around coldly and said in a deep voice, "You should not presume to discuss important military matters. The Prince of Dai has his own plans. A few days ago was the spring planting season. Don't you know that even the emperor has to give way during the spring planting and autumn harvest?"

This is not just Qu Duan talking nonsense, because when the emperor traveled, he usually had a very grand procession.

It's inevitable that people will trample on fields or block roads.

Therefore, if the emperor wanted to travel during the spring planting and autumn harvest season, officials would usually advise him to stop.

After Qu Duan finished speaking, he looked at the distant sea, feeling even more anxious than his subordinates.

He was originally very ambitious, but after arriving at the harbor and boarding the ship, he unexpectedly found himself seasick.

This was a matter of life and death for him. Qu Duan had always considered missing out on several major battles as the greatest regret of his life.

They were counting on this opportunity to launch a surprise attack from the sea and overtake their rivals.

This completely reversed his regret of missing the battle between Yunzhong and Youyan.

Who knew I'd get seasick?
For an ordinary person, perhaps all they could do was complain about the unfairness of fate or wallow in self-pity.

However, it must be said that Qu Duan is indeed ruthless, ruthless to others, and even more ruthless to himself.

This person's greatest strength is his strong execution ability and unwavering will; once he sets his mind on something, nothing can sway him.

If he were to work under someone else, given his personality, he would easily offend people, and even his subordinates might not be able to win him over.

Fortunately, he met Chen Shao, who was able to tolerate some of his shortcomings and had enough prestige to keep him in check. Chen Shao was also willing to give him some advice, which helped Qu Duan correct many of his bad habits.

He first sought out renowned doctors. Traditional Chinese medicine generally attributes "shipsickness" or "dizziness" to spleen and stomach weakness, liver wind disturbance, or qi and blood reversal. Therefore, the treatment focuses on strengthening the spleen and stomach, calming the liver and suppressing yang, and relieving nausea and vomiting.

Qu Duan gathered a group of famous doctors together and specially developed a prescription for him to treat seasickness: take two ounces of fresh ginger, pound it to extract the juice, mix it with honey and take it warm three times a day.

Then, put mugwort floss, ginger slices, and aromatic herbs (patchouli, agastache, and mint) into a cloth bag and hang it in front of your chest. The aroma can invigorate the spleen and stomach, dispel turbidity and ward off evil, and relieve nausea.

That wasn't all. He also changed his eating habits from the Northwest, following the doctor's advice to "avoid overeating and drinking alcohol" in order to avoid putting too much strain on his stomach.

Sun Simiao suggested long ago: "When traveling by boat, do not eat raw, cold, or greasy food. It is better to eat dry cakes and porridge, and give them small portions."

Eat small, frequent meals to avoid vomiting caused by an empty stomach or overeating. At the same time, holding a little salt water or honey water in your mouth can help regulate your qi and replenish fluids without overdoing it.

In order to be able to successfully lead troops into battle in the future, he completely changed his lifestyle.

He followed the plans that these doctors had made for him strictly and meticulously.

Finally, every day after boarding the ship and setting sail, we would set up chess games, look at wooden diagrams, build sand tables, discuss important military and national affairs, and review the several major battles fought by the Dingnan Army.

After a while, he really did get used to it, and his seasickness symptoms became less and less severe.

As the weather gets warmer and the opposite bank is no longer covered in ice and snow, Qu Duan can't wait any longer.

He submitted several memorials requesting Chen Shao to send someone to introduce the current scale of the navy and the carrying capacity of the troop transport ships.

Chen Shao naturally had more to consider than Qu Duan, so he chose to put the matter aside for two months to allow for more thorough preparations.

Thus, despite Qu Duan's forbearance and planning, it was actually Madam Xiao's fleet that achieved results first.

Just as she had predicted, the money from sea freight came as quickly as piling up fallen leaves with a broom in autumn.

In just two months, the amount of money and valuables handed over to Taiyuan was equivalent to 200,000 strings of cash.

There are also large quantities of frankincense, borneol, jewelry, ivory, rhinoceros horn, coral, and agate.
Chen Shao used this to reward officials, win over the emperor, and reward soldiers.

In a quiet courtyard in Laizhou, the outer perimeter was filled with guards, all of whom were elites protecting the caravan.

These people were not the five hundred soldiers that Xiao's family could command and deploy, but rather the legitimate armored soldiers of Zhao He's merchant escort team.

Xiao Shi was different from Mao De; she had cunning and resourcefulness, and she was much more cautious and careful in dealing with Chen Shao.

Fearing the loss of Chen Shao's favor and the possibility of him replacing her, Lady Xiao kept to herself and avoided public appearances. Every so often, she would send people to deliver treasures and beautiful maids, and write letters full of affection, expressing her longing and yearning.
Chen Shao was afraid that this treasure trove wouldn't work hard for him, so his replies were extremely affectionate and tender, full of love and pampering.

In the attic of the courtyard, Madam Xiao was wearing a light silk dress today. Her thick, black hair was held back by a white jade hairpin, which made her face look even more radiant and her skin as white and tender as a fresh lychee.

I don’t know if it’s because of her Xi ethnic blood, but she is very cold-resistant and doesn’t wear very thick clothes even in winter.

Moreover, in this early summer season, it is even more elusive and daring.

As she watched the setting sun, Madam Xiao sighed softly.

A beautiful maid in red gracefully served her a cup of tea, gently massaged her shoulders, and smiled sweetly, "Everything is going so smoothly, why are you sighing so much, Madam?"

Another maidservant smiled and said, "Madam, are you perhaps missing His Majesty? I noticed that on your birthday a few days ago, His Majesty not only remembered but also sent many gifts, which shows how infatuated he is with you. Speaking of which, His Majesty is truly a considerate and thoughtful man!"

Madam Xiao shook her head, frowned, and spat, "Pah!"

She and her maids had different ideas. From the moment the large ship entered the sea, Madam Xiao thought that this boundless sea must have an end.

Otherwise, wouldn't all the water just flow away?

How many other small foreign countries are there in the sea?

Just then, another pretty maid in red came upstairs and said, "Madam, that Qu Duan is really rude. He actually stole another boat from us!"

Madam Xiao smiled and said, "Go ahead and take it, we'll give it to him sooner or later anyway."

When she does business, she never cares about short-term gains or losses; she always takes a long-term view.

A powerful navy is extremely important to them.

Just like if the Dingnan Army hadn't swept through Xizhou, would her business have grown so large?

"The Koreans always say that the Japanese pirates are fierce, especially fond of plundering merchant ships, but our ships have been sailing for two months and have not encountered any Japanese pirates."

Xiao laughed and said, "Goryeo is close and Japan is far away. The Goryeo people are afraid that if we go directly there, they will lose their good job as a transit point."

“These Koreans are really cunning,” a maid said. “They not only haggle over the price of goods, but they also love to spread rumors.”

Xiao disagreed, saying, “The Koreans are shrewd and cunning, and only care about profit. Although they can be annoying, they are actually the easiest to deal with. They can be bought off with a few small favors.”

"What you need to be wary of in business is a capricious and foolish person."

The Koreans were known for their business acumen and greed. Historically, at this time, they made huge profits by monopolizing trade between the Song and Liao dynasties and between the Song and Jin dynasties. Now that maritime trade had begun, they naturally hoped to monopolize trade between the Song Dynasty and Japan, so as to make another fortune.

This project in Korea was Xiao's first step in shipping, and she had been observing it closely. Lacking experience, Xiao was essentially feeling her way forward, trying to identify potential problems that shipping companies might encounter.

Therefore, she would try to understand every move the Koreans made, and she would also learn about the history and character of the Koreans.

She even took advantage of sea transport to send and bribe many spies to help her gather information on the words and actions of the Koreans.

Especially for caravans.

Like Qu Duan, Xiao Shi was definitely a pragmatist. He never complained about what he wanted to do and had a very strong ability to execute.

She's now quite knowledgeable about Korea.

The elite class in Goryeo, especially those powerful families, although they talked about the traditional Chinese social hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, actually valued business ethics very much.

Moreover, although they appeared submissive and long adhered to the principle of "serving the great powers," paying tribute to the Song and Liao dynasties, their diplomatic essence was "weighing the pros and cons and seeking only profit."

Xiao discovered that many of the nobles among them had ridiculed the Song Dynasty as "rich but not strong".

After taking a sip of tea, Xiao Shi placed her finger on her brow and gently rubbed it.

She's just getting started, and she doesn't know how far she can go or how much her man, Chen Shao, will support her.

Can Qu Duan's navy help her gain a foothold in Goryeo and Japan?

If one can obtain unlimited support
Thinking of this, Madam Xiao's face flushed, and she couldn't help but feel excited.

Chen Shao's strength is enough to build an invincible navy. If he could seize the privileges she desires, even the Xiao family doesn't know how many times they could earn now!

While passionately pursuing a long-distance relationship and fooling his pen pal, Chen Shao didn't forget the people around him.

Ever since he got Maud, he's been like a child with a new toy, playing with it endlessly.

Soon, she felt weak and numb, but Lin Niangzi, being an expert, immediately saw the reason.

He secretly told Li Shishi.

This is completely contrary to the health plan that Li Shishi made for him.

Early in the morning, Li Shishi brought breakfast, carrying a food box.

Upon seeing Chen Shao, surprisingly, he didn't smile; instead, he took out porridge from the lunchbox with a stern face.

"Shishi is here." Chen Shao stretched, feeling a bit sore.

He stepped forward with a smile and took her hand, but Li Shishi only gave a perfunctory smile.

However, the rise and fall of her chest indicated that she was not as calm as she appeared, and that she was still somewhat angry inside.

Chen Shao was slightly taken aback, but immediately understood and quickly said, "Shishi is the one who knows how to care for people."

"It's good that you know, my lord. If you indulge in desires without restraint, you will decline before you are fifty. Shishi still wants to stay with you forever. Please don't forget our promise to stay together every year on New Year's Eve."

Chen Shao also became aware that he seemed to have been too indulgent, especially in the past few days.

Princess Maode was charming and innocent, and it wasn't long before Chen Shao and Song Shi coaxed her into being happy together.

Chen Shao truly enjoyed it, and before he knew it, he had become addicted to pleasure and beauty, and had no self-control.

When people have unlimited power, they easily forget their original intentions, and they are no exception.

He grasped Li Shishi's hand and said earnestly, "Shishi, I am not a saint, and I also make mistakes. It is my blessing to have your advice."

Li Shishi was prepared to annoy him, but seeing that Chen Shao not only didn't blame her but also sincerely admitted his mistake, she was overjoyed. She leaned her cheek against his shoulder and whispered, "As long as you are restrained, I am not a jealous person. Singing and dancing are soothing and entertaining, even more so than the pleasures of the boudoir. I will train some dancers for you, so that you will have a way to pass the time when you are tired."

Chen Shao didn't speak, but silently put his arm around her waist. His thoughts were deeper than hers.

Humans are inherently lazy, and I am still young with many important things to accomplish.

With the words of the beautiful woman in his arms, the matter could naturally be stopped in time.

But what happens when success is achieved?
Do they still possess the same composure and perseverance they have today?

You should know that there are too many temptations when you are in a high position, and the people around you will unconsciously try to please you.

Even if you can endure it yourself, what about those who come after you?
This is a deep and far-reaching question, but it's not urgent because Chen Shao is young enough.

Chen Shao thought to himself that he should keep thinking about this in the future in order to find a solution.

If you really can't find it, then you can only do your best and trust in the wisdom of future generations.

Li Shishi truly had no grudges against him. After talking things out, they immediately reconciled. She didn't even ask Chen Shao whether he had kept mistresses or indulged too much with his other wives and concubines.

As long as you don't overexert yourself, you'll be fine.

Li Shishi had no family or relatives, no one to rely on or take care of, and only one younger sister whom she could see every day in the Prince's mansion, so there was no worry about her getting married.

After so many years of being all alone, I finally met Chen Shao.

Therefore, she doesn't compete or fight for anything and is easily satisfied.

After having breakfast together, Chen Shao and Li Shishi strolled to the council hall of the Prince's Mansion and sat down to handle the reports.

To be honest, it was only because he was young at the time that he received a lot of reports from all over the country, many of which required careful consideration and judgment before a decision could be made.

After the decision is made, it will be reviewed and discussed by the staff again. If there are no objections or obvious oversights, it will be approved.

Fortunately, his staff were quite capable and helped him share a lot of the pressure.

Looking at the reports from various border regions, although these people used restrained language, their words were indeed filled with a desire for military achievements.

There are not many enemies left for Dingnan Army now. If they fail to seize the initiative after the war starts, they may completely miss their last chance.

By then, there will be nowhere to cry.

Chen Shao needed to strike a balance between the anxiety and urgency of the people and the thoroughness of the preparations.

Besides, isn't what you all want military merit?

The Dingnan Army has already opened the seas, and there will be no shortage of future military achievements. Moreover, the resources available for rewards are virtually limitless.

Because the Song Dynasty did not achieve major victories in its foreign wars, it left them with a lot of room to maneuver.

Chen Shao wrote a letter to Qu Duan, telling him that the Shandong Navy was not formed for the purpose of fighting naval battles.

He must train these troops well, at least to the point where they can fight on land.

After finishing writing, Chen Shao remembered another person: Qu Duan had occupied Daming Prefecture in the Central Plains and had also fought several battles against the Tartars.

If he's so anxious, what about Wu Jie?
Although Wu Jie did not submit memorials frequently, he would write a letter to Chen Shao from time to time.

The letters contained nothing of importance, and sometimes they were so boring that they even reported on the weather in Xiping Prefecture.

Chen Shao knew that Wu Jie was probably also extremely anxious at the moment, but Wu Jie's personality was different from Qu Duan's, so he was trying to make his presence known to him in such a subtle way.

Thinking of this, Chen Shao said to the people around him, "Submit a memorial to the court, saying that Wu Jie has made meritorious contributions in guarding the northwest, and request the court to commend and confer titles upon him."

The Northwest region needs a great general to guard it, and Wu Jie is currently the best choice. This is the only way Chen Shao can appease him.

Transferring him is not an option.

The Northwest Headquarters is the root of the Dingnan Army. Chaos can occur anywhere else, but it cannot occur here.

With hundreds of thousands of soldiers fighting on the front lines, if their families were in disarray, morale would waver.

As they left the council hall, Chen Shao looked at the large tiger behind him and asked, "Have you been practicing your martial arts lately?"

Da Hu nodded. He didn't have many other hobbies; he just liked horses and martial arts.

Chen Shao laughed and said, "Let's go, I'll go take a look too."

Although Da Hu was somewhat surprised, he was a very good bodyguard and never asked questions on his own initiative.

They led Chen Shao to the training ground, where the Prince's personal guards were practicing. They didn't stop when they saw them come in.

Chen Shao picked up a stick and practiced for a while, but he was indeed a bit rusty.

Thinking back to my time in Hengshan, I had been on the battlefield, actually fought and killed people.

When he came down from Hengshan, even fierce generals like Wang Bing and Yang Keshi showed him great respect.

There were several dangerous situations during that time, and it was Da Hu who came to my rescue.

"Come on, let's have some fun!"

Da Hu also picked up a stick and practiced with Chen Shao for a while.

Chen Shao became more and more adept at the fight. He pulled his legs forward and jumped up, smashing the stick down with all his might, knowing he couldn't hurt Da Hu anyway. His movements looked very agile.

After practicing for quite a while, he stopped, took a towel from the basin next to him, wiped the sweat off his face and neck haphazardly, and rolled up his sleeves.

How is my martial arts skill compared to before?

Da Hu thought for a moment and honestly said, "It's far from what it used to be. My strength and skills are not as good as before."

Chen Shao laughed and cursed a few times.

He realized that he had indeed been somewhat lazy, spending most of his time outside of handling government affairs and indulging in women's company.

There are actually many other things you can do, such as practicing martial arts, calligraphy and painting, or music.
The reason why Emperor Qianlong lived so long was because he had a wide range of interests.

To be fair, we can learn from him in this respect, considering that Emperor Qianlong lived to be eighty-eight.

Chen Shao said to Da Hu, "From now on, come and practice with me for some time every day."

Da Hu nodded, but in his heart he was thinking that his employer might not be available.

At this moment, Wang Yin walked in and stood in the sloping corridor without saying a word.

Chen Shao turned his head and glanced at it before leading his personal guards over.

Wang Yin bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, the investigation in Bianliang has been thoroughly completed. Wu Min was the mastermind behind many things, but the reason he colluded with the Emperor is extremely absurd."

"Oh?" Chen Shao laughed. "How is it absurd?"

"Based on the evidence we have now, I believe that he is doing this because he wants to join the King and deliberately caused trouble for the Emperor Emeritus. He then comes to us to leak information and uses this as a stepping stone to join the Dingnan Army."

Wang Yin arrived at this absurd explanation only after ruling out all other possibilities.

But Chen Shao believed it immediately.

Because he had dealt with these people before, he knew how much they craved power.

Chen Shao disliked this kind of person very much.

Geng Nanzhong was like this, and so was Wu Min.

In the minds of people like them, factional struggles always come first.

These people may be talented, but they will only think of using their talents for something worthwhile after all their political enemies are dead or completely defeated.

Before being poisoned, Chen Shao had already noticed that Geng Nanzhong was showing signs of forming a faction. After he and Wei Li entered Bianjing, he was not as polite to Wei Li as he had been in Xiping Prefecture.

In many matters, he was no longer as cooperative and no longer prioritized the interests of the Dingnan Army.

Instead, they wanted to fight Wei Li and win the top position of the Dingnan Army in Bianliang.

Seeing that Chen Shao did not speak, Wang Yin waited for a moment before continuing, "Your Majesty, there is something else. Li Gang seems to be increasingly dissatisfied with us. When he is drinking with his friends, he often curses Your Majesty and the Dingnan Army."

This time, Chen Shao did not ignore it. Instead, he said, "This can't go on forever. I'll shut him up."

Dealing with Li Gang is actually quite simple; all you need to do is write a letter to Cai Jing and let him handle it.

These people fought against Cai Jing in the Song Dynasty for so many years, and their record was simply appalling.

The struggle between the new and old factions in the Song Dynasty, by the time of Emperor Huizong, had become a one-man show dominated by Cai Jing.

Li Gang's return to Bianliang and his subsequent rise to his current position were also a matter of chance.

He actually benefited from Wanyan Zongwang's southward migration.

Was Zhao Huan incompetent or not?
To be honest, I'm really bad at it!

As an emperor, he was weak and incompetent, making one foolish decision after another, and ultimately lost the Central Plains.

However, in terms of resisting the Jin dynasty alone, Zhao Huan did live up to the expectations of the pro-war faction.

They made a complete mess of things. If it weren't for Chen Shao's intervention, they would have suffered a crushing defeat in history.

They forced Emperor Qinzong of Song, Zhao Huan, a staunch supporter of their regime, to the point that he had to send a charlatan to defend the city, and even forced the emperor to personally go to the enemy camp to negotiate.

The pro-war faction was not without military power and had the strong support of Zhao Huan, but they just couldn't win.

Chen Shao's request was simple: demote him out of the capital, wherever he was to go.

As for Wu Min, Chen Shao was too lazy to bother with him for the time being.

Although Wu Min's motives were despicable, his actions in mobilizing the retired Emperor Zhao Ji were not necessarily a bad thing for Chen Shao.

Both he and the Dingnan Army needed Zhao Ji to be dishonest and to do something.

It's best to tailor your approach to your own situation.

He wanted to make things as big as possible, preferably targeting him directly.

By then, the actions of the Dingnan Army will be considered to have a legitimate cause.

He started it; everyone saw it!
I, Chen Shao, the Prince of Dai, am suffering an undeserved calamity, persecuted by the Emperor Emeritus.

My men are in a frenzy; I can't control what they might do! (End of Chapter)