You have truly caused me great suffering!

Luoyang has never been an ordinary place.

During the Tang Dynasty, it was the Eastern Capital; during the Song Dynasty, it was the Western Capital.

Because Luoyang had a network of canals that led to the Bian River, thus connecting to Bianliang (Kaifeng).

Therefore, the Song Dynasty was very prosperous, forming a series of economic and cultural centers.

After the Song Dynasty ended the chaos of the Five Dynasties, there were few natural disasters or man-made calamities here for a hundred years. Under peace, people pursued all sorts of things, including sensual pleasures and extravagant lifestyles.

Now, however, Luoyang is on edge again.

Using the pretext that his merchant ship had been seized and the caravan members had been beaten and humiliated, Pang Ge led a large group of men to the outskirts of Luoyang.

He directly cut off the Tongji Canal.

The waterway system connecting Luoyang to the Bian River was still based on the Grand Canal of the Sui and Tang Dynasties. After multiple dredging and renovations, it formed a canal transport system with the Tongji Canal (Bian River) as its core, combining natural water systems and artificial water diversion.

The Tongji Canal was the main waterway connecting Luoyang and Kaifeng (Bianliang).

Now that the river has been cut off, merchant ships are stranded on the river, resulting in enormous losses.

The gentry of Luoyang were immediately alarmed, as the interests and money involved were enormous.

The losses caused by this barbarian's attack are immeasurable.

Pang Ge, who was hiding in the village, clamored for severe punishment of the perpetrators, demanding that the Henan government hand over the murderer.

The blockage of the Tongji Canal quickly became a major news story throughout the city.

However, in the Bianliang court, there was no time to speak out on this matter; everyone was arguing fiercely about Li Gang's incompetence.

Cai Jing and Zhang Xiaochun devised a plan: instead of annihilating them, they would concentrate all their forces and launch a fierce attack on Li Gang.

For a time, Li Gang was indeed physically and mentally exhausted, and his expression was no longer as resolute as before.

But this person was indeed quite stubborn; he still refused to admit defeat and stubbornly refused to leave.

In fact, face and reputation are the Achilles' heel of scholars and officials. It is already very rare for them to withstand such turmoil for so long.

But Cai Jing remained calm; all they offered were words.

The pressure is all on the other side.

On the contrary, news from Luoyang caught Cai Jing's attention.

This is what he was worried about: once the gentry retreated to the provinces, they wielded more power than they did in the imperial court.

They can stir up such confrontations in their respective hometowns, but in the imperial court they can only engage in verbal battles.

In the elegantly furnished study of the Cai residence, an elderly man in his seventies was writing.

Cai Jing actually stood up and started writing again; his physical condition is far better than outsiders thought.

He put down his pen and examined the character "忍" (patience/endurance) written on the fine Xuan paper, its ink still dripping. Cai Jing chuckled and said, "Alright, being an official is like being a person; the most important thing is this character '忍'."

"Li Gang's forbearance was a kind of intense forbearance, not a kind of forbearance with a clear conscience. Although he gritted his teeth and endured it, he probably vomited blood in private."

"Xing'er, if you were Li Gang, what would you choose?"

Cai Xing thought for a moment and said, "My grandson will most likely submit a memorial to apologize and resign from his post to return to his hometown."

Cai Jing neither blamed nor lectured him, but said with a smile, "Very good, you are young, so you should have the spirit of a young person. But as you grow older, you should also have more wisdom and patience."

"This kind of wisdom cannot be taught to you by me through oral tradition, but rather you must learn and comprehend it gradually!"

"I am not here today to teach you how, but to share my experience with you."

"After so many years of ups and downs in my official career, whenever someone tries to slander or defame me, I always calmly try to figure out their purpose and observe their methods, figuring out which ones can really hurt me and which ones can be used to my advantage."

"For example, in this case with Li Gang, his party has been debating from beginning to end whether Li Gang's wartime measures were useful, which is a bad move. If it were Aweng, I would ignore these arguments and instead attack the opponent. They throw out a charge, and I will throw out a charge and pin it on him."

“You say I, Li Gang, have been defeated, so I will accuse you, Cai Jing, of being a treacherous villain.”

"He makes a show of force, and so do I. He wants me to lose heart, but I'll just laugh loudly. In short, I can't let my opponent lead me by the nose."

Cai Xing, standing to the side, seemed to understand something.

Cai Jing laughed and said, "There is a knife above the word 'patience.' When a person is patient, he should have a knife in his heart, thinking about how to wait for an opportunity to strike back."

Cai Xing asked, "And what about Minister Li this time?"

“He has fallen into my trap without realizing it, and he has already lost. He will soon have to withdraw from Bianliang.”
-

Li Gang couldn't hold on any longer.

After personally offering his condolences, the emperor sent Shao Chengzhang to convey a message to him, hoping that he could return to his hometown to rest.

This became the final straw, completely shattering Li Gang's defenses, leaving him no choice but to resign.

The emperor wants you to leave, so what is there to be nostalgic about? Even if you are forced to stay, you can't contribute to the country anymore. You can only stir up trouble in the court and delay important matters.

The recent events in Luoyang have remained unresolved due to my own troubles.

Li Gang also felt deeply guilty about this.

In the eastern suburbs of the capital, there is a ten-mile-long pavilion.

Li Gang was a genuine Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) and enjoyed a high reputation throughout the country.

If people were to shield him from the storms of life in the imperial court, they might lose their courage.

But today, as he retires and returns to his hometown, he still has the courage to come and see him off.

Outside the pavilion, carriages and horses lined the streets, and family members dressed in blue robes and small hats crowded around. Inside the pavilion, many officials, all in plain clothes, came to see them off.

Minister of Rites Chen Guoting raised his cup and said, "It is a misfortune for the country that Prime Minister Li has retired from office and left the capital. Traitors are in power in the court and treacherous officials are rampant. I should also follow in your footsteps and get out of the mire as soon as possible."

Li Gang said solemnly, “Your Highness is mistaken. Since we wear official hats and robes, we should follow the principles of Heaven and the sentiments of the people. Now that I am leaving my post, the affairs of the court must not be neglected. You are all ministers and officials, holding important positions. The peace and prosperity of the nation and its people depend on you. We must not take this lightly.”

Chen Guoting nodded in understanding, feeling genuinely saddened; there was truly no hope left in the court.

Professor Chen Dong of the Imperial Academy also said loudly, "What Prime Minister Li said is the truth. We read the books of sages and learn the teachings of Confucius and Mencius. To live a life of happiness and joy is the way of a gentleman. How can we forget our ancestors and let treacherous people run rampant? Since ancient times, those who follow the right path have many helpers, while those who stray from it have few. These treacherous people may be able to act wickedly for a while, but they cannot be tyrannical forever. They will surely be crushed to pieces in the future!"

Chen Dong was the leader of the Imperial Academy, and his words were powerful and clear, which drew loud cheers from the crowd.

Professor Chen even shed a few tears when he spoke of his feelings.

Li Gang turned around and took one last look at Bianliang, the capital of Tokyo, his brows furrowing with melancholy.

What saddened him even more was that the people who came to see him off today, though righteous and stern, were actually quite incompetent.

Their reputation and abilities are not as good as mine, yet I was still defeated. How can you possibly fight against Cai Jing?

Moreover, there is an even more dangerous figure behind Cai Jing.

Although he had never met Chen Shao, Li Gang had already thoroughly investigated Chen Shao's life story.

Without a doubt, this is a wolf in sheep's clothing, and he will inevitably usurp the throne!
Moreover, the Song Dynasty would most likely be destroyed in this man's hands. Whenever Li Gang couldn't sleep at night, he would think about how to save the situation, but he always came to the conclusion that there was nothing he could do.

Let alone dealing with Chen Shao, who commands 100,000 iron cavalry and acts with a desire for fame and reputation, and wins people's hearts everywhere.

Even Cai Jing in the imperial court could no longer win. The old party and the upright officials had been severely weakened by Cai Jing's power in previous years, and now they were only slightly more relaxed. Many of them were still exiled and could not be recalled to Bianliang for the time being.

Moreover, many veteran officials, like Cai Jing, are gradually passing away, but they do not have Cai Jing's spirit of not giving up on growing old.

Now, in the capital city of Bianliang, who else can be considered a pillar of strength?

On the eve of a major upheaval in the court, they held the line and did their utmost to prolong the life of the Song Dynasty!
A short while later, Wu Min and Yuwen Xuzhong also arrived together.

Looking at the two people, Li Gang was filled with mixed feelings. After he left, Wu Min was the leader of their faction in the capital.

But Wu Min is a wicked man! Li Gang has already realized that this man is cunning and only cares about power; he is not a righteous person at all.

Yuwen Shutong was loyal and resourceful, but unfortunately, he lacked seniority.

Seeing Li Gang's dejected appearance, the three of them reunited, but remained silent for a moment.

Putting ourselves in each other's shoes, we are all people who want to establish ourselves in the central government and shoulder important responsibilities.

With Li Gang leaving in such a dejected manner, with no end in sight, nothing he says would be appropriate.

Everyone knew that this time his departure from Beijing was different from the past, and he would most likely never return.

In the end, Li Gang adjusted his mindset, straightened his clothes, and smiled nonchalantly: "Yuanzhong, Shutong, why bother?"

"Given the state of affairs, I have done my utmost. Your presence today is already a great comfort. From now on, I will entrust the affairs of the capital to you two brothers. The nation is in a time of great turmoil; if we, the scholars and officials, do not step forward, are we to allow those treacherous villains to continue to plunge Bianliang into chaos?"

It wasn't just Bianliang that was shrouded in smog and corruption.
They could put up some resistance in Bianliang, but in other areas they suffered a complete defeat.

The Dingnan Army seemed to possess a magical power; wherever they went, they quickly spread and became the de facto rulers of the local areas.

Moreover, they did not rely on riots and killings, and there has been no bloodshed so far. The most tense situation was actually the brief confrontation between Zhang Shuye and Qu Duan in Shandong.

Even someone like Zhang Shuye has betrayed them, and Li Gang sees no hope whatsoever.

From his perspective, endless darkness was slowly covering the sky of the Song Dynasty.

Under the yurt, none were spared.

"We've seen you off for a thousand miles, but we must part ways eventually. Please return home!"

After Li Gang finished speaking, they all composed themselves and took their leave.

The crowd watched his carriage recede into the distance from the pavilion.

The road leading out of the capital was already very deserted.

The main reason for this is that the Tongji Canal in Luoyang was blocked.

Li Gang, who was originally going back to Liangxi (Wuxi), suddenly lifted the carriage curtain upon seeing this and said to the coachman, "We're not going back to Liangxi, we're going to Luoyang!"

Li Gang had never met Chen Shao, and he wanted to see who this Chen Shao was and why he could so quickly dominate the Song Dynasty!
This made people like Zhang Shuye willing to join him and rebel with him.

Li Gang made up his mind to travel from Luoyang to Hedong, and he even wanted to go to Taiyuan, Yunzhong, and Youyan!
If all else fails, I will go to the Northwest to see the reclaimed homeland of China, including Hexi, Lingwu, and the Western Regions.
Go and see what's so special about his Dingnan Army, why they can hold off and even kill the Jin soldiers that I couldn't resist even when I fought desperately.
-

After Li Gang was driven out of Bianliang, Chen Shao immediately ordered Mei Zang Pang Ge to block the Tongji Canal and begin collecting taxes.

The commercial taxes in the Song Dynasty were relatively reasonable, and the policies were generally friendly to merchants.

The biggest victims of this taxation of the Tongji Canal were undoubtedly the gentry of Luoyang.

Soon, some who couldn't hold on any longer began to pay taxes, and Brother Pang readily let them pass.

Chen Shao intended to use a salami-slicing tactic to gradually test the limits of the people in Luoyang, slowly wiping them out.

If Zang Pangge hadn't intercepted the river and collected taxes from the very beginning, the gentry of Luoyang would have certainly resisted fiercely and been unable to tolerate it.

But he first blocked them, refusing to let them leave no matter what, and then suddenly offered them a way out by paying taxes.

The voices of resistance diminished considerably, and many people began to choose to compromise.

Pang Ge himself was not very satisfied; he preferred to lead his troops into Luoyang, but Chen Shao refused.

Chen Shao's vision was far greater than they had imagined.

In Taiyuan City.

The government summoned a large number of iron and copper smelting craftsmen, many of whom were young, strong, and hardworking.

There is not much copper in Hedong; it is mostly found in iron ore and is a by-product.

They had gathered here, already knowing why, and everyone was very excited.

It is said that the King of Dai will come in person today.

Sure enough, a short while later, a group of guards escorted the king to the training ground outside the engineering college.

Da Hu followed closely behind Chen Shao, and came to the front of the group with him.

Chen Shao chuckled and rubbed his hands together, saying, "I want to congratulate you!"

His first sentence captivated everyone.

Chen Shao continued, "Congratulations! You are about to enjoy endless wealth and glory! Congratulations on the opportunity you are about to receive—an opportunity to bring honor to your ancestors and make your descendants forever grateful to you!"

"As you all know, I want you to board our merchant fleet's large ships and go overseas to search for mineral deposits. I assure you that those who board the ships and go to sea will not have to worry about their parents and children at home, and will receive three times their current monthly salary."

"Any team that discovers mineral deposits will be rewarded in their entirety! Land, money, official positions, and titles—I can give them all!"

The craftsmen's eyes turned red when they heard this. Could a title really be given away?

If it were someone else saying it, that would be one thing, but it was the Prince of Dai who said it!

What the King of Dai says he will give, he will definitely give!
With a thud, someone immediately knelt down before Chen Shao, kowtowing and saying, "The Prince of Dai has given us this opportunity, and we will repay the Prince of Dai with our lives."

Chen Shao smiled, helped the person in front to his feet, patted him on the shoulder, and asked, "What's your name?"

"Wang Wang Er".

"Alright, Wang Er, I'll remember you. I look forward to the day I can personally reward you."

Wang Er trembled with excitement and nodded vigorously.

Watching their departing figures, Chen Shao knew that soon there would be groups of men.

They tirelessly searched and surveyed in foreign lands, bringing back news of gold, silver, and copper mines to the Central Plains.

According to records from the Song Dynasty imperial palace, the Song Dynasty engaged in maritime trade with a great many countries.

Foreign kingdoms such as Jiaozhi, Champa, Srivijaya, Zhenla, Jhapa, Tanjung Mei (Thailand), Phu Duan (Philippines), Moi (Luzon), Brunei, and Bagan (Myanmar) frequently paid tribute to China.

Song Dynasty ships could naturally reach these places.

Not long ago, news came from the Institute of Engineering that the bronze cannon had made further progress, with both its range and power increased.

This urgent need prompted Chen Shao to begin making moves overseas.

Beyond the turbulent undercurrents of the Song Dynasty, an even greater storm is quietly brewing. (End of Chapter)