You have truly caused me great suffering!

When Chen Shao woke up in the morning, he found Liu Caiwei still lying on top of him.

After the beginning of summer, the weather continued to warm up, and even in the mornings it was a bit hot.

The area next to the two of them was sticky and sweaty.

He gave her a push and pulled away. Liu Caiwei squinted, seemingly finding the feeling of being a young woman waiting to be married again on the familiar bed. Her whole body and mind were relaxed, and she turned over to continue sleeping.

Chen Shao smiled and got up. The maids immediately came in and carefully helped him put on his clothes.

Chen Shao noticed that the linings had all been replaced with new ones; the Liu family was indeed quite meticulous.

At this moment, a maid said, "Your Majesty, the Prince's Palace sent these memorials early this morning."

Chen Shao nodded and went to the outer room to eat breakfast while flipping through the book.

Only urgent matters are delivered overnight. I didn't go home all day yesterday, so there might be something urgent to deal with.

Upon opening it, the staff had specifically noted that it was sent by Cai Jing.

Cai Jing's letter was indeed specifically emphasized by Chen Shao to be delivered to him as soon as possible.

After all, Grand Tutor Cai, who effectively controlled the finances of the Song Dynasty and provided vital support to the Tongnan Army, played an irreplaceable role.

Chen Shao couldn't help but perk up, and when he unfolded the document, he saw that it was about copper mines.

Eighty percent of the copper produced in the Song Dynasty came from the Censhuichang (Shaoguan, Guangdong).

Because this thing is scarce and has a wide range of uses, there isn't enough just for minting coins.

Therefore, the regulations have always been quite strict.

Chen Shao wanted to produce cannons, so he asked Cai Jing for some funds to help him.

Cai Jing, who is usually very accommodating, refused this time, because he simply couldn't get a large amount of copper available.

In his letter, he detailed the uses of copper and the current difficulties.

Paper money was basically worthless; the imperial court could only rely on copper coins to stabilize its finances.

The copper used for minting coins was in very short supply; it was only possible to produce coins if the demand was not high.

Chen Shao sighed. There wasn't much copper left; what use would it be to make one or two cannons?

This thing is only so-so in terms of power right now; it needs to be produced on a large scale to be effective on the battlefield.

The Liao craftsmen did say that in the iron mines of Yunnei and Datong, there were small amounts of copper ore in addition to iron.

Chen Shao could only ask them to purchase as much as possible from the Western Regions.

As long as there is copper, Chen Shao is not worried that his craftsmen cannot make or improve the product.

At this time, the Song Dynasty had already invented the copper ore extraction process, which involved replacing copper ions in copper sulfate solution with iron. Meanwhile, the West did not begin to abandon pyrometallurgical copper smelting and adopt hydrometallurgy until more than 700 years later, around 1850 AD.

Therefore, Chen Shao did not lack copper smelting craftsmen and skills, but rather copper mines.

He instinctively thought of the caravans setting sail, so he ordered the maids to bring him pen and ink.

When Chen Shao was doing serious business, he was always decisive and efficient, and he would take action immediately whenever he thought of something.

He quickly wrote the letter and instructed the maids to deliver it to his personal guards, who were then to send it to Mizhou.

By the time the order was given to his personal guards to mount their horses and gallop out of Taiyuan City, Chen Shao hadn't even finished his porridge.

Holding the teacup in his hand, Chen Shao sighed with relief. He felt that this battle with the Jurchens was the last tough fight.

Perhaps we can wait a little longer and see if we can put the bronze cannon to good use.

But upon closer reflection, I realized that bronze cannons would be more useful in defense when fighting the Jurchens.

Beyond the Great Wall, there were no proper city defenses left. The Jin Dynasty's palace in Huining Prefecture was still just a cluster of tents.

Light footsteps came from inside the room. Liu Caiwei, dressed, came over with a smile to have dinner with Chen Shao.

"Do you want to come with me?"

Liu Caiwei looked embarrassed and said softly, "I came back to celebrate my mother's birthday, which is the day after tomorrow."

Chen Shao smiled and nodded, "Then stay a few more days."

After saying that, he added, "I'll come see you when I have time."

Liu Caiwei's eyes sparkled, and she took the initiative to hug him and kiss him.

Although Liu Jizu had returned from Black Mountain travel-worn, he was already waiting in the flower hall.

Upon seeing Chen Shao emerge, he immediately stepped forward, "Your Majesty."

"No need to be so polite." After sitting down, Chen Shao asked, "You've managed caravans before, traveling all over the country and have seen a lot. Do you know where there are many copper mines?"

"Shaoguan".

Chen Shao gave him an annoyed look, "Do you even need to tell me that?"

Liu Jizu rubbed his hands together and chuckled dryly, "Copper is precious. Apart from copper, I haven't heard of any large copper mines."

It seems we really have to have Madam Xiao look for them overseas.

On second thought, if you can find copper, you can find gold and silver.

We can find rubber, and maybe in the future we can drill for oil.
In fact, the development of technology is always difficult at the beginning. As long as you help them get started, who knows what might happen.

Oil can breed beneficial bacteria, so why can't copper mines breed harmful bacteria?

Liu Jizu didn't know much about Chen Shao's ideas; he had only heard that the Prince of Dai seemed to be very interested in the weapons of the Engineering Institute, especially firearms.

After all, the Prince of Dai came from a military background and had actually been on the battlefield and fought in battles, so it was normal for him to be interested in weapons.

As for the fact that the cannons were to be cast in bronze, and that the gunpowder formula had been improved to increase their power, Liu Jizu was unaware of these things.

Seeing that Chen Shao had asked about something that he knew nothing about, Liu Jizu was truly annoyed.

She asked her daughter to pay attention to the king's preferences, and as a result, she remembered that the king liked to eat cheese.

Really useless
Then look at that old bastard Li Tangchen's daughter. Now, the Prince's mansion receives women from all directions, and she is practically the most important person after the Princess. It's just that she hasn't given birth to a son or daughter yet, otherwise her position would be even more secure.

Chen Shao, of course, had no idea what Liu Jizu was thinking at this moment. He stood up and said, "You have just returned from Black Mountain. The journey was long and tiring. You should rest for a couple of days before going to the government office to handle matters."

Liu Jizu immediately thought, "How can this be allowed? They want me to stay home and rest? How can I sit still?"
Now is the time to strive forward, and there will be plenty of time to rest after conquering the world!
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. There is a lot of official business backlogged in the government office. I am afraid that my subordinates are not familiar with it and that it may delay important matters."

"Thanks a lot."

"It's not hard work, it's not hard work, it's Your Majesty who's working hard."

Chen Shao smiled, left the Liu residence, and returned to the Prince's mansion with a group of personal guards.

At the entrance of the Prince's Mansion, a group of people rode up on horseback, and the one in the lead looked very familiar.

"Your Majesty!"

Chen Shao looked closely and smiled, "You've come at just the right time."

The visitor was Yang Cheng, who had been appointed as the salt commissioner after the Dingnan Army's eastern expedition.

He oversaw the digging of the canals for the Wuding River and the Hongliu River.

The construction of the canal dredging project has been stalled, and Chen Shao couldn't help but think of him again.

Yang Cheng was originally a Han Chinese from the Western Xia. He met Chen Shao in Hengshan and led his entire clan to join him.

He was genuinely not after money or fame; he was simply addicted to being an official.

It's the kind of addiction that's real.

He is meticulous and fair in his work, but he clings tightly to power and has an insatiable desire for promotion.

Yang Cheng was almost fifty years old, but despite his advanced age, he was in high spirits as he traveled all the way from Yanzhou. Upon seeing Chen Shao, he immediately asked, "Does Your Majesty wish to dredge the canal?"

Chen Shao smiled and said, "You must be tired from your journey. Don't rush to talk about this. Come into my residence first and have a cup of tea to soothe your throat."

After saying that, he led him into the government office.

In the government office, those who came from the Northwest all greeted Yang Cheng.

Chen Shao also sensed that, in fact, his subordinates had unconsciously formed factions based on their place of origin.

This is something that cannot be avoided.

People from the Northwest were originally divided into Yinxia, ​​Xingling, Youyan, and Ganliang. However, after arriving in Hedong, they automatically banded together due to pressure from the Hedong faction.

There's no way around it, Hedong is truly a place with something special about it, a place teeming with talented people and blessed with outstanding natural resources.

Especially during times of chaos, there is a real explosion of talent, somewhat reminiscent of the Huaihai region.

However, they were cautious by nature because Hedong had mountains and rivers to its name, a strategic location, and plenty of salt, iron and grain, so they liked to establish separatist regimes.

Therefore, during the Republic of China era, this place was able to nurture one of the most stable warlords—Yan Xi.

The Huaihai people were fond of rising up in rebellion, becoming leaders themselves, and vying for power, like Chen Sheng, Liu Bang, Xiang Yu, Huang Chao, and Zhu Yuanzhang.
Chen Shao didn't care if his men formed factions; if you want your men to be free of factions, that's pure wishful thinking.

No one has ever done it before, not even Chen Shao, who has a thousand years more experience than everyone else, has ever seen a country without factions.

As long as factional strife hasn't started, forming cliques can be tolerated with a blind eye.

Everyone has degrees of closeness or distance; through social interactions, people gradually band together and support each other.

Yang Cheng dug irrigation canals in the Northwest, turning himself into an expert. He glanced at the map briefly, then began to ponder deeply.

He knew when he arrived that this project was huge, but Yang Cheng had no intention of backing down, because he knew the Prince of Dai very well. If this was done well, he wouldn't have to worry about the future.

"I'll go check it out first. If there are no problems, we'll start again tomorrow when spring arrives."

Chen Shao nodded. The construction of the canal must be carried out in the spring, preferably from late spring to early summer.

This period coincides with the wheat harvest in the north (before the Grain in Ear solar term) and the rice transplanting in the south, giving farmers a short break from farming and allowing them to concentrate their labor.

In winter, the soil freezes, becomes hard and difficult to dig, and the low temperature reduces the efficiency of workers.

Increased rainfall in summer can cause soil to become too wet and prone to collapse, and can also lead to flooding and inundation of construction sites.

In autumn, the soil becomes dry and hard, a condition known as "autumn dryness," requiring additional watering to soften it, which increases costs.

Yang Cheng said, "During this period, we can plan the canal route and then set up government offices along the way. Once we have made all the necessary preparations and deployed the tools, we can recruit laborers to start digging at the same time in the spring."

Upon hearing this, Chen Shao instantly felt the money burning through his coffers, but thinking of the benefits that would come after the canal was dug, he gritted his teeth and nodded.

This is another major event that will put his ability to mobilize and coordinate to the test.

If we can do it well, we can reconnect the lost Youyan region, which has been gone for more than two hundred years, to the Central Plains.

Incidentally, this will improve Hebei's economy and people's livelihoods, and help Hebei regain stability.

The land north of Youyan is a territory that Chen Shao has just acquired, but has not yet fully grasped.

As long as this Grand Canal revitalizes Hebei and the surrounding areas, and allows them to control most of the northern lands in one continuous stretch, they will already have the overwhelming power to crush the enemy.
-

Datong in the clouds.

In the thirteenth year of Chongxi (1044), Emperor Xingzong of Liao promoted Yunzhou to Xijing Datong Prefecture, making it one of the five capitals of the Khitan.

Controlling key passes such as Yanmen Pass and Pingxing Pass, and connecting North China with the Mongolian Plateau, it serves as the "key to the north."

The one stationed here at this time was Li Xiaozhong, one of the founding heroes of the Dingnan Army.

In later generations, he is better known by the name 'Li Yanxian'.

In the original history, after the Jingkang Incident, Li Xiaozhong rallied the people in the northwest and recruited 3,000 men to defend the emperor. He was awarded the title of Chengjielang for his military achievements.

At that time, Li Gang was in charge of pacifying the two rivers (Hebei and Hedong). His troop deployment was flawed. Li Xiaozhong wrote a letter criticizing Li Gang for "not knowing how to fight and potentially harming the country."

Li Gang was the leading figure of the pro-war faction at the time, and this action immediately angered the imperial court. He was regarded as "overstepping his authority to speak out" and was pursued by the authorities.

To evade capture, Li Xiaozhong changed his name to "Li Yanxian" during his escape and served the Hedong Army in hiding. Later, he was reinstated as a captain for his meritorious service in reconnaissance of the Jin army.

Now he naturally doesn't need to be afraid of Li Gang, nor does he need to change his name.

He submitted another memorial, saying that Li Gang was ignorant of military affairs, and Li Gang could only pretend not to hear it.

Because he had nearly 60,000 soldiers from Xia Prefecture, as well as over 100,000 auxiliary and servant troops.

These 100,000-plus people were Han Chinese from the north who defected to the Dingnan Army in the face of battle.

Their families were all in Yunnei; only a fool would follow Liu Yanzong and be determined to become the slaves of the Jurchen Jin dynasty.

The Jurchens treated these surrendered vassal soldiers with extreme cruelty.

On one occasion, Liu Yanzong witnessed a Jurchen soldier capture a dozen servants and let them escape, while he shot and killed them for his own amusement.

Liu Yanzong dared not stop them, knowing that it would be useless to step forward and only provoke the Tartars' ferocity, causing them to kill more people.

His actions also alienated his troops.

If it were the Jurchen Tartars, it would be fine if they kept winning, but if they showed any signs of weakness, their vassal armies would surely surrender.

After returning to their homeland with trepidation, these people were pleasantly surprised to find that their families had not been slaughtered.

Those who were forced into slavery by the Jurchen Tartars were released.

Back then, the Tartars were incredibly powerful and arrogant, regardless of whether the troops in these areas had already surrendered. They would plunder whatever they could find and arbitrarily enslave people.

After the Dingnan Army arrived, they protected the territory and its people, and encouraged agriculture and sericulture.

From the very beginning of their capture of Datong, they started encouraging farmers, which shows that they never intended to lose it again.

Sure enough, after taking Datong, the battle line continued to push eastward, never reaching this place again.

Inside Li Xiaozhong's ceremonial hall, a military officer from the Yunzhong Camp stepped in, clasped his hands, and said, "General Li, I have a relative who escaped back from the Tartars. According to him, the Tartars' second prince, Wanyan Zongwang, seems to be seriously ill and dying."

"Oh?" Li Xiaozhong's expression lit up. "Is this information accurate?"

"My relative is a slave under Zongwang's command, that must be true."

Li Xiaozhong immediately realized the importance of this intelligence.

If Wanyan Zongwang were seriously ill, it would be a good time to launch an attack.

As one of the three main commanders, Li Xiaozhong, like Han Shizhong, knew Chen Shao's plans.

He also knew that the troop transport ships had already entered the sea and were just waiting for an opportunity.

"Bring that person here, I want to question him myself!"

The military officer immediately brought his relative, a very thin and weak-looking man who clearly had suffered a lot.

Being captured and enslaved under the banner of a Jurchen noble was a tragic fate; most of them did not survive more than six months.

After questioning him, Li Xiaozhong basically confirmed that the matter was true.

He dared not delay and immediately picked up his pen to write an urgent secret memorial to Chen Shao.

Only the Prince of Dai could issue such an order for a matter of great importance.

Only if Chen Shao decides to fight will the border region launch an attack on the Jurchens; otherwise, they will have no choice but to remain inactive.

Li Xiaozhong was unsure whether to fight or not. He felt that the Prince of Dai had more intelligence and should be able to make a decision based on the strength of both sides.

Although Li Xiaozhong never said he wanted to open it, just in case, he wanted to be ready to go into battle as soon as the Prince of Dai gave the order.

The troops in Datong Prefecture, including those stationed at the front lines, began to prepare.

For a time, a sense of dread and ecstasy enveloped Datong.

The news brought by those who fled from the Jurchens that Wanyan Zongwang was seriously ill also corroborated this point.

A full-scale decisive battle seems imminent.

A few days after the message was sent out, a group of Prince Dai's personal guards entered Datong Prefecture to deliver the order.

Li Xiaozhong was startled. Although the roads were much better now, especially the road from Taiyuan to Datong, which had been specially built.

But there's no reason for it to happen so quickly.

When Li Xiaozhong unfolded the letter, he realized he had misunderstood; it turned out to be a letter from four days ago.

At that time, I didn't know anything about Wanyan Zongwang.

However, the contents of the letter surprised Li Xiaozhong.

The Prince of Dai learned of Wanyan Zongwang's serious illness before he did and instructed him not to engage in a decisive battle rashly.

They could send cavalry to the border to constantly harass the Jin Dynasty.

Destroy their war supplies, and plunder or simply burn the Jurchens' cattle, sheep, and property.

Their current supplies are not plentiful; most of them are grain and baggage looted from the Khitan and the Song Dynasty.

Destroying as many of their supplies as possible would be a great achievement.

Moreover, it can also take advantage of the situation to quell the restlessness of people's hearts, who are all eager to make achievements.

Since we're going to fight, we should take advantage of our superior light cavalry to launch an attack on the Jin state before the flood season arrives.

Calling it an attack might be a bit inaccurate; according to the Prince of Dai, it should be considered a harassment of the Jurchen people of the Jin Dynasty.

Let them live in constant fear and never have a moment's peace.

Because of Chen Shao's order, the border, which had been peaceful for a long time, was once again engulfed in war.

This time, however, the roles have reversed.

Then it was Dingnan Army's turn to launch a fierce attack.

In Datong Prefecture, Li Xiaozhong inspected the various camps again, ordering all soldiers not to say anything about going out to fight a decisive battle.

Everything must be done at the behest of the King of Dai.

Yanshan Prefecture, Youzhou City.

At the same time, Han Shizhong also received a letter.

He was quite pleased to learn that Wanyan Zongwang was seriously ill.

Zongwang was a very capable marshal of the Jurchens. The Jurchens lost Zongwang, which was tantamount to cutting off one of their own arms.

Han Shizhong had dealt with Wanyan Zongwang quite a bit, especially in the Battle of Baigou River, where he caused most of the two main forces to escape.

That's how we ended up in the current situation.

In fact, their original plan was to annihilate the main force of the Tartars in the border area between Hebei and Youyan, especially in the Baigou River area.

Although they killed many of the Tartar generals and many Jurchen soldiers, they still managed to escape in the end.

On Han Shizhong's side, the situation was similar to that of the entire Dingnan Army. Upon seeing the messenger from Taiyuan arrive, they were all in high spirits.

"General Han, what did the Prince of Dai say?"

"Is war about to break out?"

Han Shizhong slammed his hand on the table and scolded, "What are you scoundrels shouting about!"
"The King of Dai has ordered that during the frost-prone season and before the autumn floods, continuous raids should be launched, awaiting the opportune moment!" (End of Chapter)