You have truly caused me great suffering!

Goryeo, Kaesong Port.

Kim Bu-sik wore a crimson round-necked robe, a horn-trimmed turban, and a jade belt symbolizing a first-rank official.

Standing atop Lingtong Temple near Kaesong, one can overlook the Song Dynasty's port.

Merchant ships, laden with grain, entered the port.

Kim Boo-seok sighed, “The Song and Jin dynasties were at war, fighting so fiercely in Liaodong, yet they actually had surplus grain to sell to Goryeo.”

In fact, he opposed the importation of grain from the Central Plains into Goryeo, because he knew that once this precedent was set, it would lead to trouble.

The amount of arable land in Goryeo used for grain cultivation will be greatly reduced, resulting in a reduction of at least half of the production.

Once this dependency was established, Goryeo was completely controlled by others.

Grain cannot be grown in just a few months. If the Song Dynasty were to cut off the sale of grain, people would starve to death immediately.

However, he was also a staunch supporter of the debate between Chinese and barbarians.

There are also benefits to the entry of grain from the Central Plains into Goryeo. If you are truly loyal and not afraid of the Central Plains running out of food, then the people of Goryeo will have an easier time.

These mountainous areas are indeed unsuitable for growing crops.

If they weren't burdened by food shortages, they could easily adapt to local conditions and raise horses, grow ginseng, mulberry and hemp, and pick tea.
Fortunately, it seems that Prince Chen Shao of Dai has the qualities of a wise ruler, someone who can recreate the Han and Tang dynasties.

Behind him, Zheng Zhichang, the young man who had once angrily confronted Chen Shao, was still very dissatisfied. “The grain from the Central Plains to Goryeo is all done by these merchant caravans. The sage said, ‘Those who rise at cockcrow and diligently pursue profit are like Zhi.’ Xunzi said, ‘When there are many merchants and artisans, the country becomes poor.’ Now, the Central Plains are doing great business, which is probably not a wise move.”

Kim Boo-sik glanced back at the young man and sighed.

This caravan is unlike any other force in the Central Plains before; the contract has just taken effect and they have already begun building the port.

Now, at this speed, they are starting to sell grain to achieve their goal of controlling Goryeo.

Their execution is incredibly strong.

In the hands of the King of Dai, it was clearly a powerful tool; how could it lead to the poverty of the country?

When the sage spoke those words, farming was still difficult, there were few iron tools and a small population, and a large number of men were needed to work in the fields.

The world is so different now; it cannot remain unchanged.

Zheng Zhichang may not have been unaware of this principle; he was simply angry and helpless.

“Zhi Chang is well-versed in poetry and literature. Has he not heard the saying in the Book of Zhou, ‘If farmers do not produce, there will be a lack of food; if artisans do not produce, there will be a lack of work; if merchants do not trade, the three treasures will be exhausted; if hunters do not hunt, wealth will be scarce’? Since the caravan’s entry into Gaegyeong is now irreversible, we in Goryeo must treat the caravan well and ensure that it benefits our Goryeo rulers, subjects, and people.”

“What Jin Xiang said is absolutely right. I have learned a lot.”

Kim Bu-sik's lifelong philosophy of the Sino-barbarian ancestral lineage was about to be fully realized, and Goryeo could no longer pursue the doctrine of serving the great power.

Logically, he should have been happy, but he seemed a little dejected, with a hint of resentment in his heart.

When a nation entrusts its destiny to others, it always requires an adjustment period.

Hopefully, the Central Plains will not let Goryeo down.

This suzerain state must not be suppressed by the northern barbarians any longer.

The caravans were far more formidable than Jin Fushi and Zheng Zhichang had imagined. In the newly recovered territory of Liaodong, the caravans had already begun laying trade routes.

In the plan of the Prince of Dai, it would be more convenient to send grain into Goryeo via the land route through Liaodong.

Liaodong, a vast fertile land, where sowing seeds on the black soil yields a bountiful harvest, should have been developed long ago.

The Khitans relied on a nomadic economy and placed great emphasis on the development of grassland pastoral areas to ensure the supply of livestock products such as horses, cattle, and sheep. Their grain supply depended entirely on Youyan, which was their Nanjing Prefecture.

Bianliang, Zhaodefang.

Looking at the military report in his hand, Chen Shao said to Cai Jing, who had come to visit, "I intend to settle Qu Duan's army on the spot, and those who have made meritorious contributions will be allocated land in Liaodong and permanently stationed there."

"I'm afraid people won't accept this."

Chen Shao nodded and said, "Qu Duan's troops come from Yinxia and Shandong. These two places have long been out of land to be granted or bestowed. How about this, I will not force them to stay, but those who stay can receive three times the original reward of land."

"The caravan was responsible for bringing their families to Liaodong."

"Another three to five years of tax exemption!"

Cai Jing's expression shifted. The Prince of Dai was indeed a man of great ambition; no wonder Hedong was able to increase grain production so quickly.

Throughout history, those in power have always valued land and taxation the most.

"If Your Majesty does so, you will surely be able to retain many men," Cai Jing said sincerely.

Since ancient times, the most coveted thing for the landless people has been their ancestral property, which can be passed down to their descendants. Theoretically, it is a permanent property that can be passed down from generation to generation after a change of dynasty.

Qu Duan's Dingnan Army, which he brought from Yinxia, ​​was relatively well-behaved, but most of the naval forces recruited from Shandong did not own any land.

Moreover, they are not far away; it would only take a day or two by sea to arrive, so it shouldn't be difficult for them to stay.

As for the veterans in the Dingnan Army, as many as they wish to stay are welcome.

Otherwise, we still need to bring in people from outside; otherwise, we don't know when we'll be able to fill this place up.

Liaodong was already sparsely populated, and it had been massacred by the Jurchen Tartars several times, leaving it mostly wasteland and forests.

This place is suitable for fishing, hunting, farming, and animal husbandry.

Moreover, it is a trade route bordering Goryeo, with great potential for the future, requiring a large population to stay and develop it.

Cai Jing read the report for a while longer and noticed that his eyes were getting blurry.

Upon seeing this, Chen Shao took it and read it aloud himself.

Cai Jing looked at him in surprise, then lowered his head, deeply moved.

After reading it, Cai Jing was silent for a moment, then said, "If we want to leave people in Liaodong, there are still some we can try."

"what?"

"Refugees from Hebei".

Cai Jing said, "The refugees from Hebei serve as soldiers under Zong Ze, incurring huge expenses every year, but their performance in battle is mediocre. Now they no longer engage in combat. Most of these people have deep-seated grievances and have lost their families. Since they have become soldiers, it will be easier for them to migrate."

"Since Your Majesty can be exempted from taxes for five years, why not provide some iron plows, seeds, and oxen as well?"

Chen Shao nodded and said, "That's fine. Taking care of these refugee rebels under Zong Ze's command would be killing two birds with one stone."

Cai Jing said, "Shandong, Hebei, and the Dingnan Army can provide enough labor, but we are still lacking one thing."

"That's the woman."

"Without women, how can a family settle down?"

Chen Shao clicked his tongue. This matter was rather difficult to handle unless all the Khitan people captured by the Jurchen Tartars were taken back.

After all, the Jurchens had slaughtered the Khitans severely, and each Tatar soldier had captured many women.

In the five routes of Shaanxi, there are quite a few villages inhabited by widows. Many of these villages are inhabited by women who help each other with farming. However, the weather is freezing cold and the journey is long, so people may not be willing to come.

“The Dingnan Army can first return to the Fifth Route of Shaanxi to settle their family property, pay respects to their ancestors, and then return to Liaodong together after they have started their own families.”

"Those who can start a family will receive a larger share of the land; those with children will receive an even larger share!"

"Encourage marriage to widowed or widowed women."

Developing Liaodong is not an urgent matter; it can be done gradually.

Chen Shao could only think of these methods, so he didn't dwell on the matter. Instead, he ordered his staff to write down their ideas and send them to various places to ask for suggestions.

Cai Jing was observing the situation as he worked with Chen Shao for the first time.

Having served Emperor Huizong for a long time, he had developed a habit of observing his leader's preferences before deciding how to act.

As a result, Cai Jing discovered that this was a very pragmatic person who was particularly receptive to advice and also considerate of his subordinates.

Unlike Emperor Huizong of Tang, he won't dump the task on you and expect you to come up with a solution. Instead, he'll discuss and research it with you, and if things don't work out, he'll temporarily put it aside.

Working under such a person is truly a pleasure for a subject; if he were to become emperor, he would undoubtedly be a wise ruler.

And he's so young.

It's a pity I'm no longer young.
At Cai Jing's age, it's inevitable that he will start thinking about what will happen after he passes away.

Although in his middle and prime years he indulged in pleasure and coveted power, he did many treacherous things.

But he was a traditional scholar, a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) whose name was announced at Donghua Gate. How could he not want to leave his mark on history?

Unfortunately, it seems there's no chance now.

Chen Shao didn't notice anything unusual about Cai Jing, assuming it was just that the elderly man was in poor mental condition and somewhat dazed.

He stood up and said, "It's already noon. Why don't you have lunch here with us, Grand Tutor, and then go back to your residence for a rest?"

"Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty."
-
News of the capture of Luanzhou spread.

The Ever Victorious Army in the Pinglu area, as well as the retreating Victorious Army, were all in a somber mood.

Jinzhou, located behind them, is also in grave danger.

Leaning against the city tower of Wangdu, Yang Keshi did not show much dejection, as if he had foreseen today's situation when he betrayed the city.

At this moment, in the west, the signal flares unique to the Dingnan Army rose into the sky, and the entire sky seemed to be shrouded in rising smoke and flames!
The victorious army on the city wall of Wangdu naturally saw the rising smoke and heard the wailing of the bugles.

The sound of bugles, along with signal fireworks, announced the arrival of the Dingnan Army.

Before the main force had even arrived from Jinzhou, Zhu Lingling's troops, responsible for the feint attack, had already forced Lu to retreat and were about to surround Guo Yaoshi.

A major reason for this was that the Jin army did not continue to advance, but instead built a defensive line in Xiao Gan's original territory.

They saw the decline of the Ever Victorious Army, whose men had lost all will to fight after losing Liaoyang Prefecture and their families falling into the hands of the Dingnan Army.

If they rashly join the Pinglu battlefield, they will likely be completely trapped by the Dingnan Army on the plains and unable to escape.

Wanyan Zongwang knew that the Jurchens could not afford any more defeats. The last remaining hope was that they still had the will to destroy the Liao.

On the city wall, people kept surging up until they were all crowded together on the steps.

Everyone stood on the city wall, watching from afar, too lazy to even approach, presumably knowing that their army was at its wits' end.

Large groups of victorious soldiers gathered together, staring blankly at the fireworks rising not too far in front of them.

They retreated from the Ji River, pursued all the way, and everyone was extremely confused, not knowing where the road ahead lay.

The murmurs gradually rose, and soon grew louder, mixed with cries of agony.

"We are from the Fifth Route Army of Shaanxi, the Western Army. We can't go back!"

"Let's all throw our lives here, throw them here."

"We should have rebelled when we entered Bianliang, supported Commander Tong Xuan to become emperor, killed the corrupt official, and made Commander Xuan the emperor!"

"Where is General Yang? Where is General Yang? Let us ask him, which path does Yang Keshi intend to lead us on?"

Amidst the commotion, Yang Keshi, surrounded by several guards, stepped out from the crowd and arrived at the front of the army.

He stood ramrod straight, holding a large gun in his hand, seemingly without a trace of dejection or fear, his piercing gaze sweeping over the entire army.

After being swept by his gaze, the entire Shengjie Army seemed to feel a little more at ease.

"We are all deeply indebted to Commander Xuan, and Chen Shao is Commander Xuan's mortal enemy. Today we will fight them to the death. Even if we are defeated, we can still face Commander Xuan with a clear conscience!"

As the commander of the Victorious Army, Yang Keshi had led them for too long. They were orphans from the Northwest who were taken in and reorganized into personal guards by Commander Xuan, and eventually became the Victorious Army.

The battles against Xia and Liao, the defense of Yanshan Prefecture, the retreat to Taiyuan, the death of Commander Xuan, and the southward advance of the Jin army—the hardships and dangers they faced were countless, but Yang Keshi always led them through them.

Even now, the soldiers of the victorious army still have some hope for Yang Keshi in their hearts. As long as they see his figure, they feel that they have not yet reached the point of complete despair.

Unfortunately, Yang Keshi himself lost confidence. He said he was going to die, which was very heroic, but it made people's hearts more and more scattered.

Some people have already started crying.

Marshal Xuan has been dead for so many years, can't our Victorious Army live on?

What happened to Chen Shao? Chen Shao was one of our brothers back then. He held Hengshan Mountain by himself for seven days while we watched from below.

Did he ever complain?

Doesn't Xuan Shuai really have done anything wrong to him?

If we hadn't followed Yang Keshi in rebelling against the Song Dynasty, and had instead joined the Dingnan Army directly in Hebei, we would either have long since returned to the five routes of Shaanxi, or we would be among those people swaggering around the city.

Upon hearing these words, Yang Keshi was enraged and immediately wanted to kill someone.

However, as he held his spear horizontally and looked around, he found himself unable to make a move.

These young faces, many of them not yet twenty, are his brothers-in-arms who have followed him here.

Yang Keshi once tricked everyone at the Baigou River when Tong Guan was attacking Liao.

Although he always managed to lead everyone to safety, he had never shown them any kindness; every time he led them to defeat.

Now that they are asking for a way to live, why should I stand in their way?

Yang Keshi threw down his gun and said, "Kill me!"

"Take my head and surrender!"

The people around them all backed away, and no one was willing to step forward.

Yang Keshi's own personal guards drew their weapons and looked around warily.

Anyone who dares to move will be immediately attacked with knives.

As Yang Keshi shouted, he suddenly drew his sword from his waist and pointed it to the west: "Come! Kill me, and use my head and this city to exchange for the lives of my brothers."

“I will never surrender to Chen Shao. If you don’t kill me, I, Yang Keshi, will not survive either.”

The surrounding military camps were not set up. Since Tong Guan's death, Yang Keshi had been slacking off in every battle and had never taken it seriously.

Almost all of them would lead their troops away as soon as they saw the situation was unfavorable.

To be honest, he was indeed a brave man, but definitely not a good leader.

Tong Guan also bears a great deal of responsibility for the defeat at Baigou Bridge.

"Fools, what are you waiting for? To let Chen Shao humiliate me!"

At this moment, one of his personal guards suddenly said, "Brother Shao is honest and kind, and he treats people very warmly. How could he humiliate his lord!"

"That's right, Brother Shao has a thousand strings of cash, but he's willing to spend eight hundred on everyone."

"There must be some misunderstanding. It will be fine once it's been cleared up."

Chen Shao seems to have become Yang Keshi's inner demon.

Hearing his own guards still praising Chen Shao at this point, Yang Keshi felt utterly hopeless.

He didn't argue with these people, but simply said, "Take good care of my family. Tell my three sons that their grandfather's favorite food was fried pork intestines. Even if they die of poverty, they should bring some with them when they visit his grave."

He said this to those around him, wondering who would help him take care of his family.

After saying this, without the slightest hesitation, he drew his sword and committed suicide.

As his consciousness faded, Yang Keshi seemed to return to the most glorious time of his life as Commander Xuan, pacifying half of the Song Dynasty and holding all military power in the country. His brothers were truly in high spirits.

Yang Sanqi told him that a young man had come to the Xuan Commander's tent. He was a man of wide-ranging influence, generous and righteous, and very popular.

He put his arm around Yang Sanqi's shoulder and laughed heartily:
"Really? Let's go take a look!" (End of Chapter)