You have truly caused me great suffering!

Minnesota Harbor.

Qu Duan stood on a high point in the harbor, overlooking the bustling docks.

Mingzhou Port is located at the confluence of the Yongjiang River, Yuyao River, and Fenghua River. It is bordered by the Fenghua River to the east, the ancient city wall to the west, the Yongdongsi Wharf on the west bank of the Yaojiang River to the north, and the Taohua Ferry in Yongdongxiang to the south.

This geographical advantage of "river-sea intermodal transport" enables Mingzhou Port to connect with international shipping routes, heading north to Japan and Korea, and south to Southeast Asia.

It can also connect to the inland hinterland (such as Hangzhou and Suzhou) through the Yongjiang River and the Zhejiang East Canal, forming a transportation network that "goes east to the ocean, connects to the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers in the west, and transports goods between the north and south".

When news spread that the Dingnan Army was recruiting naval forces in Jiangnan, countless people from Fujian and Zhejiang provinces eagerly signed up.

The people here also have a pioneering spirit, which has been suppressed by the Song Dynasty over the years.

When the opportunity arises, many people think of using it to achieve great success.

In Jiangnan, what caused the most sensation among the people was actually the caravans.

Xiao Ting's caravan operation model allows people to invest. When she was in the Western Regions, she merged all the original small and medium-sized caravans.

In this way, the safety risks faced by small and medium-sized caravans were reduced, and everyone wanted to get on board the Dingnan Army's big ship and make money together.

Moreover, at this time, doing business was very risky due to bandits who would rob people on the road, and maritime shipping was also vulnerable to sea pirates.

But let me ask you, who in the world dares to rob the army of Dingnan?

The greatest advantage of a navy is that it does not require soldiers to expend any physical energy during marches.

Moreover, they can move swiftly day and night, and their amphibious landings are like divine intervention.

Especially now, no one thinks of setting up defenses on the coast, and even if someone does set up defenses, they simply cannot defend against them.

Having received a promise that they would definitely send troops, Qu Duan was no longer in a hurry to go into battle, but instead began to make careful preparations.

He himself was also under psychological pressure.

And it's not small.

All you do is talk about how this person doesn't know anything about soldiers, and that person doesn't know anything about soldiers. When it's your turn, you absolutely can't embarrass yourself.

Otherwise, he would have no chance of surviving in the Dingnan Army and would have to be subservient to everyone.

The general beside him looked at the warships below and laughed, "Even though we've taken so many craftsmen from the Mingzhou Shipyard, their shipbuilding speed is still faster than Mizhou's!"

Qu Duan chuckled. These local bullies had plenty of ways to protect their star craftsmen.

No matter how powerful a group of outsiders are, they can't compete with the local bullies in a short period of time.

Now that he has extended his reach to Fujian and Zhejiang, the attitude of these gentry has quickly changed.

They were not against the Dingnan Army, but against the Dingnan Army's constant plundering and lack of benefits for them.

Nowadays, everyone with eyes can see that the Song Dynasty is just an empty shell, and the Prince of Dai will ascend the throne sooner or later. If he can join, who would object?

The Central Plains are vast enough to accommodate many meritorious officials who followed the emperor.

The gentry in Jiangnan had a very good impression of the Prince of Dai. When Fang La rebelled with the "vegetable demons" that year, the gentry in Jiangnan were really unlucky.

Tan Zhen, sent by the imperial court, led the Song army to exploit them, while Fang La led peasants to kill them.

Only Chen Shao gave everyone a way out: he provided relief to the disaster victims, appeased the local people, and executed Fang La and his gang.

This event occurred in the year Tong Guan conquered Liaodong, which seems like a long time ago, but it was actually only six or seven years ago.

The kindness and righteousness remain!

Joining the Prince of Dai offers both practical benefits and a sense of honor, providing both substance and prestige.

Finally, the addition of caravans further struck at the heart of Fujian and Zhejiang.

The gentry of Fujian and Zhejiang knew best how much wealth was at sea, and the more the sea was opened up, the happier they were.

"I think the ships are almost finished, but Madam Xiao is still not satisfied. She is of noble status, so let her build the ships. It's not a big deal anyway," Qu Duan said. "However, we still have to work on the navy ourselves. This is a rare opportunity. I told you repeatedly a year ago that after this battle, there will be no more major wars in the world."

"If one cannot make a name for oneself, one can only watch others achieve fame and fortune and perish with the nation."

Upon hearing this, the generals also became extremely attentive, clearly agreeing with what he said.

Besides them, the other units of the Dingnan Army have each made considerable contributions.

Even the Youyan Corps, which remained in the Northwest and did not go on the expedition, welcomed the westward expedition last year.

They completely captured Qingtang, and then, by a twist of fate, took over Longyou.

The Dingnan Army, at most, numbered less than 200,000. They had the fewest battle achievements and had basically never fought a war; only this one force remained.

It would be strange if they weren't anxious.
-
Chen Shao lifted the thick curtain hanging at the door and walked into Zhang Yinghan's bedroom.

It was warm inside, with smokeless charcoal burning.

Chen Shao, who wasn't afraid of the cold, took off his coat first, and a maid quickly stepped forward, carrying the coat and following behind.

Upon entering, she discovered that Zhai Rui was also there. She quickly went forward, took the clothes from the maid, hung them on the rack, and then served Chen Shao a cup of tea.

Seeing that Madam Zhai was even more clever than herself, the little maid secretly warned herself that she would have to be quicker in the future.

Seeing that she was holding his arm, Chen Shao gestured downwards and casually pinched her round, perky buttocks.

Zhai Rui and Zhang Yinghan are about the same age, both still young girls, but now that they are married and living comfortably, their figures and charm are indeed becoming more and more mature.

Zhai Rui blushed, but she wasn't embarrassed at all; on the contrary, she was very pleased and happy.

Chen Shao took a small sip, then put down his teacup and went to the fireplace. He turned the coals over; they were burning red-hot and there was no soot.

"Is this anthracite?"

Zhai Rui looked puzzled and tilted her head in confusion. Only then did Chen Shao realize that she was a legitimate daughter of one of the nine great families of Hexi, and from the wealthiest family, the Zhai family.

I doubt I've ever seen billowing coal in my life; it's either anthracite or charcoal.

Zhai Rui didn't know why her king was so interested in a few pieces of charcoal, turning them over and over. She stood silently behind him and waited.

At this moment, Zhang Yinghan also got out of bed and came to the outside of the screen, saying, "Your Majesty is here."

Chen Shao then stood up and asked with a smile, "How was it?"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I will take good care of myself during my pregnancy and give you a healthy baby."

Chen Shao laughed heartily. As they spent more time in the Prince's mansion and realized that they were not cold-hearted people, they gradually became more lively.

Zhang Yinghan grew up on the pastures of the Qilian Mountains, and has been eating yak cheese, beef and mutton since childhood.

So her physique was relatively good, and she gave birth in two months. Apart from her round, protruding belly, she didn't look particularly weak.

It's about the same on Jin Ye'er's side.

Both of them gave birth in April. Not long ago, Jin Mo'er also became pregnant. When Lao Zhu received the news at the front line, he specially sent some tonics and a painted silver basin. He also sent his family to make pure gold toys such as sleeping sheep and reclining deer, covered with cotton cloth.

Upon seeing this, Chen Shao could only sigh, "Old Zhu's knowledge is all too mixed up."

Sitting between the two, Chen Shao casually picked up a piece of dried meat, a specialty of Hexi. The local people have a custom of seasoning the meat with spices such as peppercorns, ginger, and honey. The meat is marinated and dried, and has a salty and fragrant taste with a slight spiciness.

This is a typical Western Region flavor; the spices and other ingredients all came from further west, and it sells well in the Central Plains.

As the Silk Road became increasingly smooth, I wonder how far the Arabs had developed in the Western Regions.

Not long ago, Yelü Dashi sent a letter to Chen Shao, wanting to form an alliance to protect each other's caravans and conduct tax-free trade.

Chen Shao readily agreed.

Given his current size and the foundation of the Central Plains, Chen Shao welcomes anyone who wants to do business legitimately, regardless of who they are.

Because indeed, no place, country, or ethnic group has been able to make money from the Central Plains.

The productivity gap is too large; they're not even in the same league.

Because of Zhai Rui's persistent pleading, Chen Shao finished his meal and took a nap there.

The next morning, after washing up, he practiced his kung fu in the courtyard and took the towel that Zhai Rui handed him to wipe the sweat from his neck.

"Your Majesty's kung fu is getting better and better."

Having heard so many compliments, Chen Shao could now basically ignore them. He chuckled and pinched Zhai Rui's cheek, asking, "Did you know your father moved to Lanzhou?"

"I know, someone from home came and told them. Thank you, Your Majesty."

Chen Shao didn't want her to express her gratitude. Instead, he asked, "When your father was in Hexi, he had the authority to interpret Buddhist scriptures. Did you learn any Buddhist teachings from him?"

Zhai Rui shook her head.

Chen Shao sighed. He was about to expand southward, as large-scale mineral deposits had been discovered in Southeast Asia, making expansion inevitable.

At that time, many places there were devout Buddhists, and in many places, politics and religion were combined.

The importance of the right to interpret scriptures has been elevated once again. Originally, this was a means that Chen Shao used to rule the Western Regions, and it is likely that it will also be used in Southeast Asia.
-
In March, after three months, the Goryeo envoy returned.

It's better not to trouble two masters for one matter. This time, it was still Yin Yanyi who came, but the mission was of a much higher standard.

He was accompanied by many Goryeo officials, all of whom were of high rank.

Chen Shao received him at dusk as usual.

This time, however, he didn't encounter Chen Shao and his men feasting. When he arrived at the Prince's Mansion, only Chen Shao was there.

In the warm pavilion where the Goryeo envoy was received, there was a partition door covered with brocade embroidery.

Yin Yanyi noticed that the brocade was somewhat translucent, and the light from the copper lamp holder inside the partition and the bright red robe were faintly visible.

A moment later, Chen Shao came out, and he was indeed wearing a bright red robe with a dragon design.

The Prince of Dai was dressed differently than last time.

Yin Yanyi secretly kept it in her heart.

Once he reached the position of the Prince of Dai, his clothing, food, housing, transportation, casual remarks, and daily habits were no longer insignificant.

If we can deduce the psychology of the Prince of Dai and know roughly when he will ascend to the throne, it will be very important for Goryeo.

Chen Shao sat at the head of the table, with only two maids kneeling on cushions to his left and right to serve him.

"Meet the king."

"No need to be so polite," Chen Shao said to them. "Sit down!"

The elevated status of the delegation this time is evident in their attitude towards Yin Yanyi.

The group that came last time basically followed Yin Yanyi's lead. When Chen Shao offered him a seat, only Yin Yanyi sat down, while the others stood behind him.

This time, however, they all sat together, ready to discuss the matter at any moment.

Chen Shao was unlikely to speak up voluntarily; his position dictated that he had to remain silent.

As expected, after Yoon Yeon-i sat down, he immediately said, "Your Majesty previously mentioned the matter of building a port and stationing a navy in our Goryeo. I will report this to Your Majesty upon my return."

"The king was pleased to hear this and wished to welcome the Dingnan Navy into Goryeo. However, our people are crude, ignorant, and do not know etiquette. We fear that they may offend or disturb the Dingnan Navy. We beg Your Majesty to be gracious and grant some favor to our small country."

"Our king and the three million people of Goryeo are all deeply grateful for Your Majesty's kindness." Chen Shao chuckled, having a fairly good impression of this group; at least they got straight to the point and didn't beat around the bush.

It seems they've done their homework and know their own temperament.

Chen Shao did not express his opinion at the time, but simply smiled and said, "This is a minor matter. I will instruct my men to discuss it with you in detail."

Once the port is opened and troops are stationed, things will be much easier. We can gradually subdue them using salami-cutting tactics, or boiling a frog in lukewarm water.

As far as Chen Shao knew, the Goryeo Dynasty had already been established for more than two hundred years.

Empress Dowagers, powerful clans, peasant uprisings, land annexation—all the essential elements were present.

Once troops are stationed there, the troops stationed in Goryeo will become the object of courting by all factions in Goryeo.

In time, they will gradually compromise and back down to gain support.

Therefore, it is feasible to agree to some conditions in the early stages, so that they have a reason to persuade the Goryeo king, his ministers, soldiers and civilians to accept them.

But Chen Shao definitely wouldn't speak.

Even if he were to participate in such bargaining, he could only do so behind the scenes.

The Goryeo delegation had heard that the King of Dai was easy to talk to before they arrived, but they didn't expect him to be this easy to talk to.

Some of them even hoped that the Prince of Dai would ascend the throne as soon as possible.

Chen Shao then served them wine and food, treating these powerful Goryeo officials to an exceptionally high level of hospitality.

After the banquet, they left the palace satisfied, praising Chen Shao highly.

These Goryeo nobles, who have lived for over two hundred years, are definitely not stupid; in fact, they are quite shrewd.

But if you're asking about extraordinary talents, sorry, there isn't a single one.

When the channels for upward mobility from the lower classes are blocked, the ruling class will gradually become mediocre.

Because you are no longer selecting outstanding individuals from the entire nation, but from the top few families.

When the base number suddenly shrinks by a million or even ten million times, mediocrity becomes inevitable.

Goryeo is currently in a state of mediocre shrewdness.
-
While the Goryeo delegation was still negotiating with Chen Shao's advisors in Taiyuan.

Chen Shao's secret order has already reached Qu Duan.

He was urged to prepare quickly, to go to Goryeo to open a port and station troops.

Qu Duan never expected that before he could even reach Liaodong and strike deep into Guo Yaoshi's heartland, he would have to station troops in a foreign land.

However, he carried out the order thoroughly, sending people to follow the caravan's ships to first explore and select a site in Goryeo.

Chen Shao took this matter very seriously, and his words in the letter were very firm.

The garrisoning of troops in Goryeo is a major event; after this trip, I don't plan to leave.

It's not a matter for one generation, but for every generation to have troops stationed there.

How important is this place?

More than 800 years later, when we were poor and destitute, we still had to fight against most of the world for the sake of this place.

Finally, ten days after Qu Duan sent people to Goryeo, the Taewon Prefecture and the Goryeo delegation reached an agreement.

Chen Shao recognized the current Goryeo royal family as the legitimate successor to Goryeo, and the King even personally promised Goryeo to be a "country that will not be conquered".

With the border trade tax-free, after conquering Liaodong and defeating Guo Yaoshi, Chen Shaohui will open the border, allowing caravans from both sides to travel between them, and will provide Goryeo with annual support, including grain and cloth.

He bestowed upon Goryeo Confucian classics and Buddhist scriptures, and dispatched great Confucian scholars and eminent monks to educate the people.

Goryeo Kingdom strictly adhered to the customs of China and was a renowned vassal state of the East.

Chen Shao affixed his seals as the Prince of Dai and the Grand Marshal to the agreement, and personally wrote the four characters "A Country Not to be Conquered" and presented them to Goryeo.

These agreements are actually very appealing to Korea.

In particular, support in the form of food and cloth.

Goryeo is a mountainous region with very little arable land.

Unfortunately, they were the foreign lands that most closely resembled the Central Plains, and they supported a complete bureaucratic system within their country, so the pressure on the people was unimaginable.

The Goryeo Dynasty adopted Buddhism as its state religion, and Buddhism wielded immense power. Temples possessed vast amounts of land and wealth, and even interfered in politics.

Some Confucian scholars among the Goryeo officials criticized Buddhism for being "extravagant and wasteful" and "detached from worldly affairs," advocating for "emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce" and "restoring the Zhou rites," thus forming a sharp opposition to the Buddhist forces.

Small but complete.

While learning from the Central Plains, Goryeo also acquired all the common ailments of the Central Plains dynasties.

In particular, land consolidation has reached a frenzied level.

The King of Dai ordered Qu Duan to build a port in Goryeo and station troops there.

When the news reached Lady Xiao's ears, she immediately took out a map, which clearly marked Gyeonggi Bay and North Hamgyong Province near Kaesong.

Moreover, all the information is written down clearly on the document.

Upon seeing this, Qu Duan immediately suspected that Xiao Ting and the Prince of Dai had secretly made their plans.

Otherwise, how could they have produced such a detailed explanation in such a short time?
-
Banqiao Town, Mizhou.

Xiao Ting lay half-reclined in the warm pavilion, not finding it boring at all.

Although she never leaves her home, she firmly holds onto a golden path.

At this moment, Xiao had just finished a set of body shaping techniques, her body drenched in fragrant sweat. She wore a soft and well-fitting silk robe over her body, and underneath she wore a moon-white silk wide-sleeved shirt and a light pink embroidered vest. A snow-white silk scarf was wrapped around her slender neck, making her waist appear slim and her legs long.

As she stretched and yawned, her exquisite body curves took on a different kind of undulating shape.

The maid behind her blushed slightly, her heart pounding. The lady was making herself more and more flexible every day, and even she blushed when she saw it. She was trying to push the Prince of Dai to the brink of death. She was really worried for him.

Xiao Ting was particularly excited today, not expecting that Chen Shao would handle her proposal to station troops and open the port so quickly.

Indeed, if there is anyone in this world who understands me, it must be Chen Shao.

She turned around and said to the maid who was staring at her blankly behind her, "Pack your luggage immediately, we're going to Taiyuan."

Seeing the maid staring blankly, Madam Xiao frowned and glared at her, "What are you thinking about!"

"Oh, yes, I understand."

Xiao Ting is intolerant of any imperfections. People around her can be ugly or bad, but they absolutely cannot be stupid.

One cannot be without ability.

Her phoenix eyes narrowed, and Ling'er, the maid who was serving her today, immediately trembled and broke out in a cold sweat. She bowed and said, "This maid will go and prepare right away."

Xiao nodded, already making plans in her mind.

Following this troop deployment, a series of measures will be implemented in due course.

In her eyes, Korea and Japan were like two gold mines, so rich that she could never finish moving them in several lifetimes.

She really wanted to thoroughly examine Chen Shao from head to toe, inside and out.

How did such a powerful, ambitious man, who is also so compatible with me, suddenly appear?

They, the people of the Central Plains, all say that they were created by a woman named Nuwa. Could it be that this man was created by Nuwa specifically for him?

Xiao rested her chin on her hand, smiled, and recalled the time she spent with Chen Shao.

In reality, he was no match for him at all, but he was used to cheating and would tie people up and humiliate them for his own amusement whenever he was no match for him.

It's no wonder that the maid Ling'er had wild thoughts; Xiao Ting was indeed a born enchantress, and most good men couldn't resist her.

In Xiao's eyes, sexual pleasure was merely a side effect; true happiness lay elsewhere.

He had accomplished all of this; even as a eunuch, he was, in Lady Xiao's eyes, the most virile man in the world.

I admire him the most.
-
Mid-March.

Spring is blooming, and all things are revived.

Yang Cheng officially began digging the canal in Hebei, but this time it was not a dredging project along the canal originally dug by Yang Guang.

Instead, it will head north to Youyan, connecting the five major river systems of the Haihe River, Yellow River, Huaihe River, Yangtze River, and Qiantang River, and crossing the North China Plain and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Plain.

Chen Shao has been a strong supporter of this canal excavation project.

In his plan, this was probably the most important project in the Central Plains in recent times.

Subduing the lands of Youyan was only the first step in bringing this territory back to the Central Plains; the construction of the canal was what truly established the link.

This is a remarkable feat that could be dedicate a separate chapter to future history textbooks.

The length is roughly the same as that of a dynasty.

Fenzhou City.

Chen Shao came to Fenzhou again, but this time it was about the Grand Canal. He unusually summoned a large group of experienced officials.

Most of these officials were those who had participated in opening the road from Taiyuan to Yunnei and restoring the ancient Tang Dynasty road.

They have extensive experience in managing laborers.

The officials gathered on the outskirts of the city, surrounding Chen Shao, and all seemed to be in good spirits.

At this moment, their only fear was having nothing to do. Any task personally assigned by the Prince of Dai, no matter what it was, was something to be happy about.

If I do a good job, I might have a chance to show my face to the Prince of Dai.

Such opportunities were essentially cut off completely after he ascended the throne.

Chen Shao also stood and chatted with them intently. After the spring plowing, a large number of laborers from Hedong would also cross the Taihang Mountains to the east and go to Hebei to dig irrigation canals.

As for the logistics of food supplies and the replenishment of baggage, they are basically the same as during wartime.

It can be said that although Chen Shao did not mobilize the people of Hedong and Hebei to participate in the war, there were one or two major projects like this every year.

Every year, the caravans and Cai Jing provided him with so much money, yet he was always strapped for cash, and that was the reason.

Chen Shao has quietly accomplished many great things.

These things, taken individually, don't seem very important in this era.

It even seems to have the priorities reversed, and the main and secondary points are unclear.

But looking at the long term, each one is remarkable.

He is tirelessly building a framework, but when the time comes for the plane to take off, people may not even realize how important that framework is.

But Chen Shao knew. (End of Chapter)