You have truly caused me great suffering!

Taiyuan.

Having just returned from Fenzhou, Chen Shao felt that there were truly a lot of people in the world.

Since the beginning of summer, people have been coming to visit me from all over the country during my free time.

This includes the chieftains and tribal leaders of various ethnic groups in the Northwest in the past.

Today, another group of Hu people from the Western Regions came to the palace, saying that they wanted to bring their entire clan to join them and request to move inland and submit to the imperial court.

Chen Shao had the officials of Taiyuan Prefecture interrogate them carefully, noting down their addresses, customs, personnel, and livelihoods. They asked about everything they could think of.

Then someone led them in, and they waited outside the hall for a summons.

Inside the government office, looking at the information presented by Taiyuan Prefecture, Chen Shao couldn't help but laugh and said to the person beside him, "Who do we have here? The Long family of Suzhou, an old acquaintance!"

"When I led my troops on a western expedition, everywhere we went surrendered without resistance. Only the Long family of Suzhou fled to the Western Regions."

"I heard that they sought refuge with their own people, but were driven out, and then sought refuge with the Tibetans."

Li Tangchen laughed from the side, "The Long family of Suzhou was originally the royal family of Yanqi. They took Long as their surname. After their descendants migrated to Hexi, they were called the 'Long family'."

"Later, they submitted to the Tubo Kingdom and were included as part of the Tubo slave tribe 'Umo,' and were scattered and settled in Gansu, Guazhou, Shazhou and other places, and gradually merged into one tribe."

"It is only reasonable for it to return to Tibet now."

Everyone in the hall burst into laughter; they all knew that Tibet had fallen into decline.

Our own people are starving to death in droves, so we don't have the resources to care about them.

If it were the Tibetan Empire during the Tang Dynasty, they would have gone mad long ago if they saw how weak the Song Dynasty was.

Therefore, the Song Dynasty was really lucky in its early years, as it encountered a weakened Tibet, which greatly reduced the pressure on its borders.

The Khitans in the north were an anomaly among nomadic peoples; after the Treaty of Chanyuan, they managed to maintain peace with the Song Dynasty for over a hundred years.

Throughout history, the North has never produced such a peace-loving nation.

Moreover, it was a great northern power that had unified the north and possessed the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, which served as a bulwark for the Central Plains.

If these conditions were given to the Xiongnu, Turks, or Tungusic peoples, they could organize a nationwide invasion of the south every two years.

As it turned out, after the Jin dynasty acquired Youyan, they couldn't hold back for even a year before launching a full-scale southward invasion.

Now that the Long family has returned, Chen Shao knows the reason without even thinking: they're probably terrified of being hungry.

Further west, they were also driven down by Wu Jie. They didn't want to continue starving with the Tibetans, so they had no choice but to come down the mountain to seek refuge with him.

They probably know themselves that it's wishful thinking for someone who runs away, becomes desperate, and then comes back to seek refuge with them. They're asking for whatever they want in return.

So I simply volunteered to be included.

This is like someone who has tied their own hands and is now forced to sell themselves.

Either you take me in as your dog, or I'll die in front of you.

Whether he lives or dies doesn't really affect the Dingnan Army. As long as the farm protection team keeps a close watch on the gate and doesn't let them in to steal the food, that's fine.

Everyone in the hall could see it clearly, which is why they laughed.

After laughing, Chen Shao felt that this was a good start.

The Long family, having nowhere else to turn, left themselves to their own devices, which, in a sense, set a precedent for other tribes.

In the future, when dealing with similar cases of migration or submission that disrupt the original structure of various tribes, we can use the example of the Long family.

Thinking of this, Chen Shao waved his hand, signaling everyone to stop laughing.

Give them some face.

After careful consideration, Chen Shao realized that staying in the Northwest was definitely not an option if he wanted to submit to the Chinese government.

Cao Cao did something similar back then, relocating the Hu people to Shanxi, dividing them into five tribes, and ruling them separately.

Later, because the Sima family oppressed people too much, these people rebelled, which became the source of the Five Barbarian Invasions.

Therefore, even if it is internally incorporated, it cannot be simply transferred over, but must be completely broken down and scattered.

If the goal is to set a benchmark, then it should be done thoroughly to set an example for future generations.

Fortunately, these people are truly at their wits' end, making them relatively easier to manipulate.

Those people on the Tibetan Plateau were truly driven mad by hunger, and their annual raids were simply not sustainable.

Although they are now extremely weak and their fighting power is very low, they still have a large number of people.

And they are truly hungry; as the climate continues to worsen, they will become increasingly hungry.

The number of people who die here each year, and the money and resources spent, will increase day by day.

With the Long family setting an example, it is believed that more and more tribes will submit.

Then I will have the opportunity to slowly break down this former enemy of the Central Plains, now a group of starving people.

Chen Shao said, "Let them in."

The guards at the door went out and soon returned with a group of people.

After the person entered, a fragrant breeze filled the hall. The envoy from the Long family actually brought in a group of beauties.

The Long family in the Western Regions was indeed famous for producing beauties. These women had curly hair, high noses, and alluring faces, possessing a distinct exotic charm.

Upon seeing Chen Shao, the visitors knelt down and bowed, their manners still bearing the legacy of the Tang Dynasty.

They first removed their hats, then knelt down and kowtowed three times, their foreheads touching the ground.

Chen Shao sat there, his expression indifferent, and remained silent.

After waiting for a long time, these people finally got up.

Who are you?

"Your Majesty, we, the sinners, are members of the Dragon Clan and have come to submit to Your Majesty."

Chen Shao rebuked, "In the past, when my king led his troops to conquer Suzhou, the Western bandit King Liang, Li Anquan, stubbornly resisted by holding the city. I breached the city and beheaded him as a warning! All the tribes, large and small, near Suzhou surrendered. Only your Long family fled to the Western Regions. Your intentions are despicable!"

"Today, we are isolated and exhausted, with nowhere else to turn. If we come to seek refuge again, wouldn't we make ourselves a laughingstock?"

"Guards, drag him out and behead him!"

"Your Majesty, spare my life!" Upon hearing this, Long Qiyuan was so frightened that he hurriedly begged for mercy: "We lowly people deserve to die a thousand deaths. We have failed Your Majesty's grace. We are willing to surrender and serve Your Majesty as your servants for generations. We will only serve you and dare not disobey you."

The Long family's situation was even more tragic than Chen Shao had imagined, because after they sought refuge with the Tibetans, the Tibetans were still not satisfied even after squeezing all the supplies they had brought with them.

They have been cruelly oppressed, and if they don't escape, their entire race will be wiped out.

At this moment, Li Tangchen knew it was his turn to step forward and said, "Your Majesty, although the Long family has committed grave crimes, they have been able to repent and come to seek refuge. Could you give them a chance to show Your Majesty's benevolence and compassion?"

Chen Shao glanced at Long Qiyuan and said, "Give them a chance?"

The members of the Long family all knelt down and begged for mercy.

The officials from Hedong in the hall also spoke up at the opportune moment: "Your Majesty is benevolent and compassionate, please forgive them this time."

Chen Shao pondered for a moment and said, "You may be spared the death penalty, but you cannot escape punishment. Half of you members of the Long family will stay by my side, and the other half will go to the front lines in Yunnei and Youyan. The rest of the tribes will be sent to Hebei to prepare for the excavation of the canal." "Once the canal is completed, I will grant them unclaimed land, where they can plant in spring and hunt in autumn, pay taxes and perform corvée labor, and be registered as households in the interior."

Upon hearing this, Long Qiyuan realized that this meant his clan would completely lose control of the tribe. However, they had no leverage left; they either had to accept all the conditions and surrender, or be wiped out by the Tibetans.

His eyes flickered, and he looked behind him, saying, "To show our respect, our tribe offers these women to Your Majesty to serve you. Please accept them."

"You scoundrel!" Li Tangchen, who had been speaking politely, suddenly shouted, "What kind of status does the Prince of Dai have? How dare you use the word 'Na'!"

"We only followed the example of Marshal Zhu Ling, who dedicated his daughter to serve the King. It was all out of the heart of our tribe that we dared not have any other ambitions."

Li Tangchen pointed at him and scolded, "General Zhu Ling followed the Prince of Dai from the very beginning of his reign. She resolutely led 100,000 warriors from the Seven Qiang tribes to surrender and then pacified Yinzhou. Her hard work and merits were immense. Only then did she have the opportunity to offer her daughter as the Prince's concubine to show her great favor, which is a beautiful story. What virtue or ability do you have to dare to be so presumptuous and disrespectful!"

Li Tangchen was truly angry. Now that the Prince of Dai's harem is not a place where you can just stuff people in at will.
Let alone concubines, even the positions of maids are fiercely contested by the major families of Hedong. Even the few daughters of the Li family I sent to serve the Prince of Dai were only dared to speak up after several cautious attempts.

You barbarian, you dare to send five vixen-like enchantresses to the king's side? You are simply lawless!

What's even more despicable is that she dared to compare herself to Zhu Ling's three consorts, whose status was even higher than her own daughter, Li Yumei!
Long Qiyuan, who was not quite aware of the situation, was silenced. He had not expected that this matter would elicit such a strong reaction from the officials in Hedong.

It seems that the crime of sending women to the Prince of Dai is even more serious than the crime of fleeing in Suzhou.

Chen Shao said, "Now that you have submitted, you should abandon any improper thoughts and pledge your loyalty. You will still have the opportunity to rebuild your family business. Do not think of any crooked ways or try to take shortcuts."

"We confess our guilt."

Seeing this, Chen Shao said, "Get up. Since I have already granted your surrender, let's not mention the past. I will write a letter immediately and take it to Hexi, allowing you to come down the mountain and surrender."

"Tell Zhang Anxin to send troops to escort them to Hedong." After Chen Shao finished speaking, his advisors had already started writing and issued the order as previously discussed.

After Chen Shao and his men had given the man a good talking-to, they also gave him a few sweet treats.

Arrange for them to stay in the city and treat them well. The five daughters of the Long family were assigned to the Prince's mansion as maids, and placed under the unified management of the mansion's stewards.

It's practically impossible to be assigned to Chen Shao's side unless they have the ability to attract his attention.

I remember when they first fled from Suzhou, there were as many as 100,000 of them. I wonder how many are left now.

Regardless of their numbers, Chen Shao insisted on settling them down, much like the Torgut people's return to the east during the Qing Dynasty—a gesture more symbolic than practical.

After finishing his official duties, he returned to the inner courtyard, and it was already dusk.

Fulfilling days do indeed pass quickly. Chen Shao looked at the garden full of hosta flowers and gently inhaled their subtle fragrance.

A pale red lantern hung under the eaves, attracting a few summer insects to flutter around.

Upon arriving at Zhong Lingxi's courtyard, one finds mosquito netting used to keep out mosquitoes in the rooms. Inside, there is an incense burner emitting wisps of smoke, which is both calming and mosquito-repelling.

As expected, Li Qingzhao was there when I came in.

She was sitting in a chair, chatting with Huanhuan. It was clear that Huanhuan really liked her.

There were three women in the room, each more fair-skinned and charming than the last. Lady Lin was taking Li Qingzhao's pulse by pressing her wrist.

When Chen Shao entered, Li Qingzhao blushed. The last time he and Maode had done something intimate at her home, Li Qingzhao felt guilty.

The illness that Lin Niangzi diagnosed this time was somewhat private, and he was afraid that this person might ask questions rashly and cause embarrassment.

Fortunately, Chen Shao didn't stay long. After chatting with them for a few minutes, he went next door to see his son.

Wangzai was chubby and fair-skinned, which pleased Chen Shao. He chatted with the wet nurse for a few minutes before leaving.

Thinking about how the Long family mentioned the three Zhu sisters today (of course, they are now surnamed Jin), Chen Shao went to their courtyard.

The three sisters always lived together, but each had their own room. They only slept together when Chen Shao stayed overnight.

When Chen Shao came in, the three of them, along with several maids, were huddled together making "ice cream".

The so-called "bingsu" is the ancient form of "cream ice cream," a traditional delicacy of the Qiang people.

During production, yak milk is boiled with sugar, cooled, and then shaped into mountains or animals. It is then placed in an icehouse to solidify and broken into pieces before consumption.

This ice cream is quite large and looks like it's shaped like a cute yak, but a large part of it has been chipped off.

Upon seeing Chen Shao enter, a group of people stood up to greet him. Chen Shao smiled and stepped forward, embracing Jin Laosan in his arms.

Jin Ye'er, who was pregnant, was also there. Chen Shao said with a stern face, "Don't eat ice during pregnancy."

Jin Mo'er broke off a piece for him, put it in a bowl, and brought it over with a smile, saying, "Master, take a closer look, she's eating it cooked."

Jin Laosan, nestled in Chen Shao's arms, immediately corrected him with a grin, "You should call him King."

Chen Shao chuckled and patted her head. "It doesn't matter what you call me. The most important thing right now is to give me a baby."
-

Laizhou.

In a heavily guarded, secluded courtyard.

Xiao Shi had just woken up and was sitting lazily in front of a dressing table that was taller than a person, letting her maidservants help her with her dressing.

The maids were all very clever and shrewd, and they flattered her carefully.

Looking at the jade pendant in her hand, on which was engraved her name 'Xiao Ting', Madam Xiao couldn't help but smile.

This little man really goes to great lengths to get someone to do him a favor.

Even when she was thousands of miles away, she dared to call Chen Shao that in her heart.

Even though they were all her trusted maids, she dared not speak recklessly.

She took out a box from the drawer under the dressing table. When she opened it, the box was full of pearls, probably about thirty, the largest of which was the size of her little finger. They were all high-quality pearls with a light golden color.

These were all brought back from Korea.

Chen Shao would give her gifts, and she would always return them double the amount; this had become a habit.

However, she still happily put it away.

As for Chen Shao's instruction to have his caravan take more artisans with them when they went to sea to search for gold, silver, and copper mines, Xiao Shi carried it out very diligently.

Putting everything else aside, she was happy that they actually found a mineral deposit.

After opening up maritime trade routes, the Xiao family diligently had their caravans gather intelligence on various foreign countries and small nations overseas, discovering that they were all weaker than they had imagined.

Goryeo, which was originally thought to be a weak and small country, seems like a powerful country when compared to them.

If Chen Shao agrees, the navy and the merchant fleet can go together.
The Xiao family could not imagine how much wealth this would create.

"Send it back to the King."

A maid took it and quickly backed out of the room.

The maid who was combing her hair smiled and said, "Your Majesty is truly blessed to have a wife."

Madam Xiao chuckled, "At my age, what's there to be happy or unhappy about?"

"Madam is still quite old?" The maid made an exaggerated expression. "Madam's skin is better than that of a young girl. His Majesty is always captivated by her beauty."

Xiao blushed, a rare occurrence for her, and couldn't help but gently lift the hem of her skirt to look at her fair calves and jade-like feet.

For some unknown reason, her face flushed. (End of Chapter)