You have truly caused me great suffering!

Baotian Temple

Wang Bing looked at the stone tablet at the foot of the mountain and clicked his tongue.

The people of the Ly Dynasty in Dai Viet really did name their children in the most impressive way possible.

Thang Long City, Baotian Temple, Longguang Hall, Jingtian Pavilion
He looked curiously at the inscription on the stone tablet at Baotian Temple.

At this moment, a group of people walked over. Wang Bing thought to himself, "Although I have a high seniority in the Western Army..."

But now that he is under the command of the Prince of Dai, he is a newcomer.

Wu Jie followed the Prince of Dai when he was in Hengshan. Why is he here looking at the inscription on the stele, and instead being welcomed by others?

If Wu Jie were suspicious, he might think that Wu Jie was deliberately trying to take advantage of him.

He quickly stepped forward and, before Wu Jie could speak, clasped his hands in greeting, saying, "Steward Wu!"

"No, no, not at all," Wu Jie said with a smile. "Grand Commandant Wang has come from afar, please come up the mountain and rest."

Wu Jie's current official position is the Pacification Commissioner of the East and West Routes of Guangnan, and concurrently the Commander-in-Chief of the Cavalry and Infantry of the Expeditionary Army.

In terms of rank, he was inferior to Wang Bing, but in terms of real power, he just happened to be in charge of him.

The two were evenly matched and both showed some deference to each other before arriving together at the main hall of the temple.

After much back and forth, Wu Jie finally took the seat of honor.

"This southern expedition has been successful in fulfilling its mission. I wrote to the King of Dai the day before yesterday, hoping to return to the capital in triumph."

Upon hearing this, Wang Bing laughed and said, "The situation is not yet settled. The battle is over, but I'm afraid the Prince of Dai will not allow me to return."

These words touched on Wu Jie's greatest fear, but there was nothing he could do. Since he had come, he had to handle the matter properly for the Prince of Dai before leaving.

Over the years, Wu Jie has fought in numerous battles, especially in cooperation with merchant caravans, which has gradually made his vision more advanced than that of others.

“In the past, it would have been easy to conquer such a place but difficult to take it back. We would have had to send a trusted person to guard the southwest,” Wu Jie said. “But things are different now. Wherever the caravans go, the roads are gradually becoming clearer and government orders are being carried out more effectively.”

"Especially the cross-sea naval force, which can transport troops thousands of miles, would make anyone in Jiaozhi want to rebel, and they would be wiped out in an instant."

Wang Bing agreed wholeheartedly with the idea that troops would be transported by sea this time, directly advancing into the lower reaches of the Red River.

He was also a veteran of the Western Army, so how could he not know the importance of the word 'marching' in war?

Previously, the Song army had few horses, and the troop movements relied entirely on walking, which could exhaust the soldiers and take many years.

For example, in history, before Tong Guan attacked Liao, he first went to Jiangnan to quell Fang La, and then led troops from the northwest to Youyan.

This is equivalent to making a group of people hike at high intensity from Shaanxi and Gansu to Zhejiang, fight a disease, and then hike to Beijing over a period of more than a year.

Moreover, they were mostly hungry along the way, carrying heavy weapons and armor.

This time, Wang Bing led his troops into Jiaozhi, slept on the ship for two days, and then stormed the port.

Moreover, upon landing, each person was given a horse, not counting the packhorses of the auxiliary troops.

Before the war, the burden was reduced by several times.

It's no wonder that the Prince of Dai's army was able to defeat the Jurchens and dominate the Central Plains, the northern border, the northwest, and Annam.

Wang Bing also saw the role of the caravans in this, and the key point was that they could make money while traveling and transporting goods.

This is the most terrible.

In fact, Wang Bing was unaware that the more important reason why the Prince of Dai was fighting this war was to make more money from Southeast Asia.

The campaigns waged throughout the Northwest were all aimed at opening up the Silk Road; now, the goal is to open up the Maritime Silk Road.

The secret to the Tang Dynasty's strength lay hidden in the caravans of countless merchants from Central Asia.

Most of the Tang army's wars in the northwest were also for the sake of ensuring the smooth flow of the Silk Road.

The Dingnan Army is now even more formidable, conquering far and wide and opening up numerous trade routes.

It is foreseeable that in just a few years, a golden age surpassing even the Tang Dynasty will arrive.

As they were talking, footsteps came from outside, and Bai Shizhong walked in shakily.

His eyes were swollen and dark, his face was pale, and his lips were dry; it was clear he hadn't had a good night's sleep in days.

In fact, these past few days, whenever he closed his eyes, he could picture the tragic state of Thang Long City, fearing that someone might stab him in the neck in the middle of the night.

When the city fell, he was in the palace, waiting to lead the Joseon Dynasty's king and his ministers to surrender.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Boyu opened up the city.

He hates Zhang Boyu to death now, but he can't say it yet.

Upon seeing Wang Bing, he clasped his hands in greeting, "Grand Commandant Wang."

"Grand Chancellor Bai." Wang Bing stood up and clasped his hands in greeting.

He noticed that Wu Jie hadn't even gotten up, which showed that the relationship between the two sides wasn't very good.

Now, Wu Jie and his ilk no longer pretend; anyone who opposes the Prince of Dai is considered an enemy.

Let alone being polite to you. As long as someone gives an order, even if it doesn't have to be the Prince of Dai, even if it's just one of the most senior members of the Dingnan Army saying that these people are blocking the Prince of Dai's way.

There are definitely quite a few who would be willing to draw their swords and chop.

Bai Shizhong seemed to know that he was not well received. He had heard that Wang Bing had come, so he came to see him.

The purpose was also very practical: to let Wang Bing know that he was still alive.

He feared that he might be killed in the military camp without any explanation.

Even after meeting Wang Bing, Bai Shizhong's face remained extremely pale and unwell.

He wasn't sure if it would be useful, but Wang Bing's ability to lead troops to pacify Jiaozhi clearly meant he had also defected to Chen Shao.

Why didn't I make a move earlier? What was I doing drinking there?
Bai Shizhong wanted to slap himself.

He hated Chen Dong and his bastards even more.

My bad luck stemmed from the fact that the official was too high-ranking; out of the ten or so people who attended that day, I was the highest-ranking official.
As a result, all the hatred fell on his own head.

Why did I climb so high? What am I doing here, acting like a daezai?

He didn't actually know that Chen Dong from the Imperial Academy was the one who cursed loudly after drinking.

He was demoted and banished from the capital a few days later. As a result, he drowned before even leaving Kaifeng Prefecture, Bianliang.

The others all met similar fates.

Chen Shao knew nothing about this, and they didn't tell the Prince of Dai.

There were many people even more eager than Chen Shao to usurp the throne from the Song dynasty.

"Grand Commandant Wang has come from afar and must know the news from the Central Plains. I am far from home and miss the Prince of Dai and the Emperor dearly! I look north day and night, not knowing when I can return."

Wang Bing laughed and said, "I heard from Steward Wu that he has already submitted a memorial inquiring about how to deal with Jiaozhi. If he is to be escorted to the capital, I believe it will be the day that Grand Chancellor Bai returns north."

“At this time, Jiaozhi was not peaceful, and there were many remaining stubborn resistance troops on the road. It was not safe for the Grand Minister to travel alone.”

Pai Shih-chung had witnessed the massacre at Thang Long City with his own eyes, and he was terrified. Even if the road was unsafe, it was still safer than being in this military camp.

Hearing that Wang Bing also had no intention of retreating north and could not leave with him, Bai Shizhong sighed inwardly.

He did want to mend his relationship with Wu Jie, but Wu Jie completely ignored him. This was in the main hall, where they were chatting, and he was allowed to enter.

If he were in Wu Jie's central command post, he wouldn't even be able to get in. Wu Jie wasn't a cold and aloof person; on the contrary, he was actually very kind and good at making friends, as could be seen from his treatment of Wang Bing this time.

However, by this time, the Dingnan Army had become extremely xenophobic.

This attitude may only be alleviated after the Prince of Dai ascends to the throne.

Before the Prince of Dai declared himself emperor, anyone who had not explicitly expressed support for this matter or urged him to take the throne was a potential enemy.

The Dingnan Army is ready to fight at any time.

This is a change of dynasty, the biggest event in the world. It's not a dinner party; it's a life-or-death struggle, and there can be no ambiguity.

It would be better if the Prince of Dai actually declared himself emperor; at that time, those who did not express their opinion would be considered to have tacitly agreed.

Only then will the Dingnan Army not see you as an enemy.

Pai Shih-chung was indeed unlucky, but is he really innocent? No, he isn't!

He always listened to Cai Jing, but over the years, while serving as an official, he amassed a great fortune for his family.

In particular, they owned dozens of estates and thousands of acres of fertile land.

Because of his high official position and his status as a confidant of Cai Jing, Bai Shizhong was subtly given information by Cai Jing, who instructed him to dispose of the land as soon as possible.

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, Bai Shixin understood that the Prince of Dai would take away everyone's land.

This displeased Bai Shizhong, so for the first time ever, he did not follow Cai Jing and completely join Chen Shao's forces.

Those people in the imperial court are so shrewd; they can figure out a lot from the slightest disturbance.

Bai Shizhong used to be Cai Jing's yes-man, but after failing to respond several times, people like Chen Dong, who originally looked down on him, invited him to a gathering under the pretext that his fellow townsmen were at the banquet.

Pai Shih-chung didn't actually have the guts to oppose Chen Shao; he just wanted to see if there was any chance to protect his territory.

That one moment of looking around almost cost him his life.

Wu Jie had no idea what he was thinking, nor did he care what he was thinking. When he submitted his memorial this time, he even asked whether Bai Shizhong should be killed while he was at it, without putting on any pretense with the Prince of Dai.

The direct question was: Should we kill him?

Wu Jie laughed and said, "I've had the army prepare some wine and dishes. Let's hold a welcome dinner for Grand Commandant Wang right here!"
-
The twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month.

As the New Year approaches, Bianliang City is filled with joy and bustling with activity.

This year's atmosphere is somewhat different, seemingly more enthusiastic than in previous years, but this explosive jubilation is tinged with a touch of sadness.

The military parade a few days ago was very exciting and remains the hottest topic in teahouses and taverns.

However, everyone knew that Bianliang's status as the capital was in jeopardy.

Bianliang is not a natural harbor, but an artificial river, which was diverted from the Yellow River, which was increasingly silted up.

Every year, millions are spent to dig canals, clear silt, and forcibly open up waterways.

This is the inherent weakness of Bianliang, the city.

Today, Jingzhao Prefecture, which is Chang'an, has become just an ordinary city. This is because all the trees upstream have been cut down, causing the waterways to silt up and making the cost of river management too high every year.

The economic center has completely shifted to the Jianghuai-Central Plains-Hebei axis, causing Chang'an to become marginalized.

Although Chen Shao had vigorously developed coal coking, protected upstream trees, planted trees and afforested, prohibited logging and charcoal burning, and banned the construction of wooden palaces and mansions.

However, recovery will not happen overnight.

In the later period of the Tang Dynasty, a large amount of grain could only be transported to Luoyang, and then transported in segments by the "transfer method," so Chang'an often faced food shortages.

If transportation is inconvenient, especially if water transport is inconvenient, then don't even think about becoming a capital city.

The cost and carrying capacity of water transport are unmatched by land transport.

The Zhaodefang neighborhood of Chen Shao was not as complicated as that of ordinary people.

These past few days, Han Shizhong has been visiting on time, almost as soon as the door opens.

Then he would wait in the guest hall and flower room. If Chen Shao didn't come, he would stay there and drink tea.

Chen Shao was extremely annoyed, but no matter how he tried to urge him on, he just wouldn't leave.

Fortunately, he wasn't completely idle. Chen Shao would usually send him to the Jietang Hall to help him process military reports.

Han Wu is a master at fighting.

Yue Fei, whom he strongly recommended, was also given an important position by Chen Shao. Originally, Han Wu was worried that Yue Fei was not very famous and that Chen Shao would look down on him and not give him an important position.

This man had been stationed near Tanzhou for several years, and according to Han Shizhong's observation, he was definitely a promising talent.

Unexpectedly, the Prince of Dai trusted him quite a bit. Upon hearing that he had been recommended by him, the Prince immediately began to give him an important position.

This made Han Shizhong feel even more self-satisfied.

He also secretly recommended several of his own confidants, but the response from the Prince of Dai was lukewarm.

He insisted on strictly adhering to military merit.

Chen Shao got up very early this morning and came out in high spirits.

Just then, Chen Shao saw Han Wu showing up again to clock in. He frowned and glanced sideways at him, saying, "Didn't I tell you to prepare for the New Year and not to come here?"

Han Shizhong chuckled, helped him lead the horse, and said with a smile, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. My wife is virtuous and manages things well, so there's no need for me to interfere."

Chen Shao's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "What's your father-in-law's name? Do I know him?"

Han Shizhong grinned and said, "He is from my hometown of Suide. Before I, Han Wu, had even made my fortune, my family had already arranged a marriage between us."

"Good!" Chen Shao said, "Good! I didn't expect you, Han Wu, to be so lustful, yet still not abandon your wife who shared your hardships. You've made me look at you in a new light."

Han Shizhong shook his head, thought about the words carefully, and couldn't tell whether they were good or bad. He simply took them as good and laughed, "The orders of parents and the words of matchmakers should not be easily discarded."

Chen Shao knew him; back in the early days of his business, during such a tense time, he even took the opportunity to marry two concubines.

Chen Shao didn't know if he had encountered Liang Hongyu yet. Such a person was very mysterious; she might have, or she might not. He couldn't be sure.

He was too lazy to ask his subordinates' concubines, lest it make him seem like he was plotting something sinister.

After leading the horse a few steps forward, Han Shizhong remembered to ask, "Your Majesty, where are we going?"

At this moment, a personal guard led Han Wu's horse over, and Chen Shao laughed and said, "What happened to me in Hedong has nothing to do with you. Go to Jietang."

"The King of Escorts".

As the two were talking, a red-clad cavalryman galloped up, not slowing down even when he saw Chen Shao.

These are all urgent military reports.

Seeing this, Chen Shao had nowhere to go.

"Your Majesty, news from the Battle of Jiaozhi: Thang Long City has fallen, 113 members of the Ly Dynasty royal family have been captured, and 500,000 enemy troops have been annihilated!"

Han Shizhong's eyes widened. "How much?"

"570,000 enemy troops annihilated! One million captured alive!"

Han Shizhong and Chen Shao exchanged a glance, a hint of doubt rising in their hearts. Was Jiaozhi, like Western Xia, a place where the entire population was mobilized for war? (End of Chapter)