You have truly caused me great suffering!

Xiao Ting sent a letter.

The miners and artisans in the caravan discovered large copper mines in the land east of Zhenla and in the southern wilderness.

These ores are of high grade, shallowly buried, and extremely easy to mine.

However, the area was plagued by severe miasma, and some barbarian tribes were also mining there, but their methods were extremely crude and vulgar.

Chen Shao was somewhat happy, though he wasn't quite sure where exactly this land east of Zhenla and the desolate wilderness was.

Judging from the name, it must be from Southeast Asia.

This is even easier to transport than Korea and Japan.

The local indigenous people were not difficult to deal with; at this time, they were just tribes and had not yet established a nation.

It would be good to educate them, and it would benefit both sides.

As for the so-called miasma, Chen Shao knew very well that it was pure superstition.

The hot and humid environment, combined with pathogens transmitted by mosquitoes and water, makes newcomers to the area susceptible to illness.

They attributed the disease to miasma, believing it to be caused by ghosts.

In fact, doctors in the Song Dynasty had already discovered this problem. Zhou Qufei, a Song Dynasty writer, wrote in "Lingwai Daida" that it was very accurate: "Miasma and disease are common in Lingwai, where it is hot and humid. In the transition from spring to summer, the rains are heavy and the air is humid, so many people get sick."

By avoiding damp heat, preventing mosquitoes, and maintaining a clean diet, you can effectively avoid getting sick.

Moreover, troops could be recruited from places like Lingnan to garrison and mine minerals.

In short, these are all solvable problems.

As Chen Shao walked, he told his staff the contents of the reply, instructing her to continue sending people and to persevere.

After saying that, he walked out along the corridor under the eaves.

Every now and then, a section of the eaves is bathed in winter sunlight, making one feel warm and cozy.

Chen Shao felt his steps were very light; he felt his body was also light and airy. If it weren't for his steady and reliable nature, he would have really wanted to jump up and down!
Having been here for so long, no matter how much I've done, I haven't escaped the cycle of dynastic changes, emperors, and generals.

But today's success, or rather, the beginnings of success, have shown him a glimmer of hope.

A spark of hope.

Perhaps in a lifetime, the time when one can truly be happy from the bottom of one's heart is not very long.

And now is that pleasant moment.

It is not because of physical pleasure, nor because of personal enjoyment, nor even because of fame and fortune.

Chen Shao arrived at the hall and personally issued the order to continue recruiting talents for the voyage.

The war that was being prepared in Liaodong was no longer on his mind.

It should be noted that Chen Shao had always attached great importance to every battle since he raised his army.

Although he had not been to the front lines since the fall of Xia, he was very clear about what was happening on the battlefield and had done a great deal of research behind the scenes.

That is why the soldiers of the Dingnan Army could fight so comfortably.

Seeing his joy, everyone assumed it was because war was about to begin, and after conquering Liaodong and destroying the Jin Dynasty, there would be no one left to challenge him.

At that time, with such divine merit, he received the abdication and became emperor, which was both legitimate and proper.

The officials in Hedong who had misunderstood Chen Shao were all beaming with joy and full of energy, working extra hard in their jobs.
-
Back in Mizhou, Xiao Ting was taking a bath in her house.

Her house was built halfway up the mountain, and from the small building, one could see the sea.

There are also hot springs in the mountains, with water drawn into pools made of white marble, which are warm and pleasant.

Having just bathed, the spring water flushed her bright and beautiful face. She wore a jade-white undergarment, a light pink alkaline-patterned gauze dress, and a long silk skirt. Her hair was still damp, and she was naturally beautiful.

This year, she did not return to Taiyuan to pay her respects to Chen Shao and Princess Zhong Lingxi during the Spring Festival. In fact, Xiao was a little scared.

Although she sent back a great deal of things, in a sense, they originally belonged to Chen Shao.

Fortunately, Chen Shao did not blame him and took the letter very seriously, asking him to continue surveying mines for him.

While feeling relieved, Xiao also felt a pang of resentment, thinking that the man was truly heartless.

Although I'm not much better off myself.

Two maids stood beside her, gathering her beautiful hair into a bun and bringing it to her bulging left breast, like a long, smooth, black stream flowing across a undulating snowfield.

“Since the king has spoken, let’s build a camp in Zhenla.” A sly glint flashed in Xiao Ting’s eyes. The mountains overseas were high and the emperor was far away, and those tribes were so weak.

Xiao Ting is not Chen Shao; she is a Xi person, with blood from a nomadic tribe in the northern border region.

For her, "robbery" wasn't a bad word.

The best things in this world should naturally go to the strong. With such an alluring body, you, acting on behalf of the king, are giving it to me at will. Is it because you are of high moral character?
It's all because you have a strong army and a high position of power.

She didn't have the patience to educate barbarians. She would beat them up and kill those who resisted, and soon they would start learning on their own. There was no need for education.

Actions speak louder than words.

"You all say..." Xiao Ting suddenly sighed, stopping mid-sentence.

The two maids looked at each other, wondering why their mistress, who was always so decisive and efficient, was acting so coy and affected today.

"Last time we went to Taiyuan, how many times did the King take liberties with me?"

Xiao Ling'er lowered her body and combed her hair as she said, "Reporting to Madam, it's a total of six times."

Xiao Ting nodded in satisfaction. She had been back for less than a month and had already had six encounters, which showed that the King was quite satisfied with her body.

"Why didn't I have a child?" Xiao Ting frowned and sighed.

Her two maids also sighed inwardly.

This is indeed a pity.

They now also receive a share of the profits from the caravan because they have many responsibilities.

In reality, Xiao Ting rarely appears in public; she values ​​her position next to Chen Shao very much.

Because she knew that this was the source of all her power.

If any rumors were to spread, according to the rules of the Central Plains, even if Chen Shao trusted him, those around him would absolutely not allow him to leave the Prince's Palace to manage the caravan again. This might be acceptable in the Northern Territory, but in the Central Plains, it would be a matter of utmost importance.

Therefore, every time Xiao returned home, she had to curry favor with the women of the Prince's mansion, also because she was afraid they would gossip in front of Chen Shao.

However, she was actually overthinking it; Chen Shao valued Xiao Ting's abilities even more than Xiao Ting herself.

Chen Shao was well aware that although he had a vision far beyond what he could currently comprehend, he would likely find it difficult to manage a caravan effectively.

Everyone has their own expertise, so it's more reliable for her to expand overseas than for me to do it myself.

Xiao Ting is more ruthless, shrewd, and better at scheming than I am.

She is undoubtedly a business genius.

Given enough power, she could build a massive caravan overseas, a behemoth like the East India Company.

He might have other business geniuses around him, but none of them were as pure as Xiao Ting, and she was also his woman.

Like Liu Jizu, who was also a businessman and very talented.

But if I asked him to give up his official post and go into business, I reckon Liu Jizu would be depressed on the spot.

Thinking about having no children, Madam Xiao felt increasingly regretful, mainly because she spent her days strategizing in this secluded mansion, which was actually quite boring.

Having a child can be a good way to relieve boredom.

"After we finish these things, around April, we'll go back to Taiyuan again."

"I also need to go back and check on things in the Western Regions. With the Qinglan Road now open, there's another golden trade route on the Silk Road in the Western Regions."

Ms. Xiao stretched her arms with satisfaction, a faint blush on her face. She was excited when she thought about these achievements.
-
North of Tanzhou, south of Gubeikou.

The large cavalry force rolled like a wall, getting closer and closer.

Amidst the swirling snow, the neighing of warhorses gradually became clearer.

In the howling cold wind, the wind swirled the snowflakes, and gradually, various military flags of different styles could be seen flashing, leading to squads of fierce and agile cavalry appearing in sight, numbering at least a thousand.

Even if there are only a thousand of these cavalrymen, they still make quite a spectacle!
The leader was none other than Yue Fei, who was at the forefront, probing attacks against the Jurchen Tartars while simultaneously training his troops.

To Yue Fei's surprise, his cavalry was supplied with the same equipment and uniforms as the Dingnan Army.

Their mounts were all top-quality Hexi horses or grassland warhorses.

Although not as tall and strong as the northern steeds, they have great patience, something that was something that would never have been possible in the Song Dynasty army before.

These are all products of the Dingnan Army's main camp. They have no shortage of them, and some of their pack horses even look better than the warhorses of the Song Dynasty in the past.

Their armor was either finely crafted lamellar and scale armor from the Song Dynasty's armory in Bianliang, or it was the original iron armor used by the Western Xia guards.

Several of Yue Fei's trusted generals were even wearing Qing Tang cold-forged armor, which was regarded as a treasure by martial artists.

This thing can be passed down as a family heirloom.

In critical moments, it can truly save lives, and more than one.

If you're lucky enough to have such a set of armor, and you're often at the forefront of battle, then don't hesitate, it's only right to give it a good beating after the battle.

Their steeds were magnificent, and their armor was superb. But this force of over a thousand cavalrymen was also fully equipped, clearly prepared for a major mounted battle!
Each armored cavalryman is like a mobile miniature armory.

Besides the long mounted weapons hanging on the victory hook, he also carried short mounted weapons such as copper hammers, iron maces, and pickaxes.

Each rider had four arrow bags hanging from the side of the saddle, filled with both light and heavy arrows, making the bags bulge.

After reining in his warhorse, Yue Fei raised his arm high, and the cavalry behind him quickly stopped.

Although Yue Fei's ability to train troops seemed to have been brought into play, it was not actually fully utilized.

His strength lies not in his ability to train 10,000 men into elite troops, but in his ability to train more than 50,000 men into elite troops!
This ability is rare throughout history; those who possess it are generally legendary figures who have left their mark on history.

When Yue Fei first set up camp here, Zong Ze admired his ambition but felt that he was too old to accomplish anything, so he gradually handed over his troops to Yue Fei.

However, as time went on, Zong Ze regretted it and wanted to take back a lot of it.

He looked at Yue Fei and sensed something was wrong. Through several letters and accounts from those around him, Zong Ze discovered a problem: apart from fighting his way out of the pass to avenge his blood feud, his beloved general Yue Pengju seemed to have little loyalty left to the Song Dynasty.

I don't want to care at all
Just as Yue Fei's men stopped to guard the area, Jin Wuzhu, who was standing on the Gubeikou military camp, immediately began to curse.

He also mixed in some Mandarin he had just learned, fearing that the people below would not understand, so he specifically sought out Han Chinese from Hebei to learn it.

He spoke with a Hebei accent.

During this period, these southerners would come to the military camp to loiter every three to five days.

The key was that he didn't actually launch an attack, which annoyed Jin Wuzhu.

A few of the bolder ones rode forward on horseback, fired a few arrows out of the blue, and then quickly rode back.

If you're unlucky, you might get shot by an arrow from the Jurchen Tartars right on your horse's rear.

Fortunately, at such a distance, it is generally impossible to penetrate armor.

Yue Fei rode his horse forward a few steps, brandished his spear, and shouted, "You dog Tartars, get down if you dare!"

Jin Wuzhu twisted his wrist guard, "I'll go kill him!"

The people in the military camp had been dealing with Yue Fei for over a year; how could they not recognize him?

They quickly stopped their commander, thinking to themselves, "Isn't going there just sending him to his death?"

Yue Fei would bring his men here every few days, which was also a form of training, allowing them to get used to facing the Jurchens in advance.

Seeing that the Jurchen general was really about to come down, Yue Fei's eyes lit up. He was about to warm up when he was pulled back again.

Yue Fei chuckled and raised his spear overhead. His men, seeing this, were already familiar with the move and began to laugh and curse.

Jin Wuzhu felt increasingly uncomfortable. He gritted his teeth, widened his eyes, and wished he could devour that Song general with the mismatched eyes alive.

At this moment, a Jurchen man named Puliyan stepped forward and whispered in his ear, "Zongbi, Zongwang is seriously ill and wants you all to go to his tent!"

Upon hearing this, Jin Wuzhu immediately became anxious and grabbed his shoulder, saying, "When did this happen!"

"We just sent someone over."

Jin Wuzhu, also known as Wanyan Zongbi, had always followed Zongwang. Upon hearing this news, he disregarded his anger towards Yue Fei and rode away from the stockade on horseback. (End of Chapter)