You have truly caused me great suffering!

Nanjing was no stranger to Cai Jing.

He once served as the prefect of Yangzhou, and his memories of the land and water of Jiangnan are still vivid.

The maids and concubines in the mansion were busy dressing him in his robes, as the emperor wanted to discuss matters with him today, and they had been busy since before dawn.

"Master!"

The old steward's voice came from outside. Cai Jing frowned slightly. He was thinking of his response to His Majesty when he was suddenly disturbed.

If he were young, it wouldn't matter, but now he's not as wise.

In many literary works, the status of "old people" is often elevated; for example, the most powerful character in martial arts stories is often an old man.
This is actually a fallacy. As people age, all bodily functions decline, including the brain.

In his prime, Cai Jing was like a walking "computer," with the complex and intricate relationships, interests, government offices, and finances of the Song Dynasty all stored in his mind.

No matter how difficult the political situation, they can come up with a solution in the blink of an eye, while also taking into account the interests of all parties.

Cai Jing is still in relatively good health. After all, historically, at this time, he was exiled to the south and managed to survive the journey.

Finally, seeing that they couldn't outlast him, his companions cut off his food supply, and he starved to death.

At this time, Cai Jing's ability to handle political affairs was not as good as it used to be. However, he had the advantage of having gained much more experience and a more thorough understanding of the financial and economic operations of the Song Dynasty.

It's absolutely impossible for him to be the prime minister and rule the world, but he's quite competent as an advisor occasionally.

Just like Zhong Shidao, who fought for more than fifty years, you can't expect him to be able to command on the front lines anymore, but he is absolutely a pillar of strength in planning and coordinating operations from the rear.

"what's up?"

Having served Cai Jing for so many years, the old steward could naturally discern his feelings from subtle nuances in his tone of voice.

Seeing that Cai Jing was somewhat displeased, he quickly said, "His Majesty has arrived."

"Ok?"

Cai Jing was also startled. He quickly put on his robes and, with the help of his servants, went to the flower hall.

A young figure, dressed in a light blue robe, stood ramrod straight, looking at the calligraphy and paintings he had hung up in the flower hall.

Standing beside him was the imposing and powerful general of the emperor's personal guard, Dong Dahu, who was always by the emperor's side.

Even Cai Jing had heard the rumor that when he first arrived in Bianliang, he killed someone by throwing a millstone. If it were true, this man must have been born with superhuman strength.

Upon hearing footsteps, Chen Shao turned around and said with a smile, "Grand Tutor, please forgive my uninvited visit."

"This old minister pays his respects."

Chen Shao stepped forward to help him up, saying, "No need for such formalities."

After the two sat down, Chen Shao got straight to the point, "I originally planned to summon the Grand Tutor to the palace to discuss the progressive tax, but considering the Grand Tutor's advanced age and the slippery roads after the rain, I came myself."

"What merit or ability do I have to receive such favor from Your Majesty? Even if I were to be shattered to pieces, I could not repay even a fraction of it."

Chen Shao chuckled, “Grand Tutor, there’s no need to bother with these formalities. You and I are ruler and subject, not master and slave.”

"I am determined to work with you to accomplish something great, so that our descendants, thousands of years from now, will still be able to enjoy our blessings."

"So you have lived a life without regrets. Grand Tutor, you are well-read, passed the imperial examination, and served as prime minister six times. You have enjoyed the wealth and power of the capital city of the previous dynasty and the power to rule the world. If you don't think about your reputation for thousands of years to come, what else could you hope for?"

"Life is fleeting, like grass and trees in autumn; how many people have had this opportunity throughout the ages?"

Cai Jing was over seventy years old, so hearing these words naturally didn't make him feel enlightened or cause him to feel a surge of youthful passion.

However, it was hard not to feel a stirring in one's heart, and in the days that followed, one would repeatedly ruminate on these words.

He immediately roused himself and began discussing with Chen Shao the specific details of land surveying and progressive land tax.

As they chatted, Cai Jing couldn't help but sigh, "The current emperor travels the world with his 100,000 iron cavalry."

He used these 100,000 warriors to their fullest extent, clinging to this foundation without increasing or expanding it, and investing all the excess money and resources into his "reform".

They were the ones who destroyed the Xia dynasty, they were the ones who resisted the Jin dynasty, they were the ones who restored the Yan dynasty, and now, to change the previous dynasty's policy of annexing land, we will still use them.

He certainly possesses immense self-control and confidence, and he also has great ambitions.

If it were an ordinary warlord, he would have already expanded his army several times over by now, and secured his territory first.

But he was undoubtedly successful, because of the people's hearts.
By expelling the Tartars, encouraging farming, distributing land for reclamation, and constructing water conservancy projects, the emperor had already won the hearts of the people.

He can gather a million soldiers whenever he wants.

The current emperor is still the most accomplished of all the founding emperors in history, having recovered the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun and reclaimed the Central Plains as a bulwark; he has been the least ruthless, having basically not purged his political enemies in the Central Plains; and he was the youngest, sweeping across the land and changing dynasties at a young age.

If I could stand with him and support the chasm in his heart, would I, Cai Jing, still be considered a treacherous villain in future historical records?
History is like a knife, but it always covers up a hundred flaws. Even if someone has been greedy all their life, as long as they do well in their last few years and accomplish something great, the historical records will cover it up for them.

Only after death can the final judgment be made. I, Cai Jing, still have a chance!
In this world, the greatest thing is when everyone is of one mind. If people can truly unite, then anything can be accomplished.

Cai Jing's heart, blackened by the pursuit of fame and fortune in officialdom, also felt the urge to dedicate himself to Chen Shao's reforms and to give up the last chapter of his life.
-
After leaving Cai Jing's residence, Chen Shao breathed a long sigh of relief.

Currently, all of their plans are progressing steadily on each track.

For him, the most important thing is to take care of his health so that his blueprint can continue to move forward and his policies can be sustained.

This means he needs to eat and drink well, exercise appropriately, and maintain a happy mood.

This fire has just started; it must not be extinguished.

Strictly speaking, while progress has been made on all lines, none of them have taken shape.

In other words, there is no rule that is completely stable and has become the default one.

No matter who inherits this business, they can't possibly do it better than you, unless they are a successor who has been trained and educated since childhood.

Thinking of his sons, who were still breastfeeding, Chen Shao felt a heavy weight on his shoulders.

Halfway there, on a street near the imperial city, Chen Shao spotted a house with high walls and black tiles, and his heart stirred.

He ordered someone to knock on the gate, and the guards inside, seeing the visitor, immediately welcomed him in.

These were all imperial guards, and among the closest ones at that. They were usually rotated and exchanged with those around Chen Shao.

Upon entering the inner courtyard, it was noon, and Chen Shao guessed that the others should be having lunch soon.

I just wanted to freeload a meal.

This gave him a strange sense of pleasure. Although they were all his old flames, they had no official status and were still outside the palace, which gave him a sense of novelty. This mansion was originally built by a wealthy man in Jinling, but when Fang La caused trouble, someone took the opportunity to cause chaos and killed his entire family.

In this era, if all the male members of your family die out, even if only some women remain, they will definitely be targeted and exploited, and your fate will most likely be grim.

Sure enough, within a few years, those women disappeared without a trace.

When Chen Shao ordered people to renovate Jinling in preparation for moving the capital, they discovered this house, which was already being sold at a low price.

Now, after renovation, it has been used as the residence of Maode, Song, and Li Qingzhao.

All three of them have families and don't always stay here.

The inner courtyard was quite quiet. After passing through the back door, Chen Shao immediately arrived at the outer corridor surrounded by railings.

He saw a two-story building to the north, which was where they often stayed. He then walked down the stone steps to check out the house opposite.

A few maids chatted idly around him, and they all stood up to greet Chen Shao when they saw him. Chen Shao walked into the small building and heard some noises inside.

Chen Shao quickly walked to the eaves platform, casually lifted a wooden door, and although there was no one in the house, a slight sound of water immediately came from the inner room, like the soft "ding-dong" sound of someone scooping water.

It turned out that someone was taking a bath. Chen Shao didn't know who it was, but he felt a sense of anticipation, like opening a blind box. He then walked quickly into the inner room with great interest.

After entering the inner gate, the sound of water became even more obvious. A wisp of white steam rose from a wooden screen, the kind of mist that only appears when bathing in hot water.

Chen Shao happily walked around the screen and stepped inside.

In the white mist, a woman noticed someone entering, turned her head to look, and her expression changed from joy to surprise. She let out a timid exclamation!
With a "splash," she seemed to be greatly frightened and tried to hide behind her and escape from the water, but her body was blocked by the large wooden tub. She turned around and sat on the edge of the tub.

"Where did this lewd scoundrel come from, barging into the inner quarters of my married home and gazing upon my fair and delicate body?"

Although her arms were crossed in front of her chest, they didn't cover anything. Her face, flushed from the steam, had a sickly redness. Although her words were scolding, her eyes held a hint of teasing and seductiveness.

Chen Shao swallowed hard. Ever since Maode started to give up, he seemed like a completely different person.

Seeing Chen Shao standing there in a daze, Mao De pursed her full red lips, gently scooped up a handful of water and splashed it over, her eyes sparkling as she said with a contemptuous smile, "Neither advancing nor retreating, what a shameless little thief with lustful thoughts but no guts."

Chen Shao could no longer tolerate this.
Heian Kyo, Toba Hall.

Originally one of the detached palaces built by Emperor Shirakawa (Toba's grandfather), it was later bestowed upon Emperor Toba.

After Toba abdicated, he made it the residence of the retired emperor, also known as the In-gosho, and lived there for a long time, where he also held power in the In-gosho.

Despite being Emperor Toba, now the retired emperor, he is actually only in his thirties.

At this moment, he is wearing a tall, soft crown made of lacquered silk, which is lower in the front and higher in the back, with the top slightly tilted forward.

Although he was the retired emperor, he did not wear the imperial robe dyed with yellow ochre, which was exclusive to the emperor, but instead wore the formal attire of a high-ranking court noble—a dark purple, almost black, belt, light purple wide-legged hakama, and trousers with wide, skirt-like legs.

At this time, Japanese noblemen generally applied white powder to avoid sun exposure. If people from the Central Plains saw this, they would inevitably find it a bit strange and unnatural.

But here, it's a sign of high-class sophistication.

He ascended the throne at the age of five and abdicated at the age of twenty, ruling as the retired emperor. He spent most of his life residing in the Toba Palace, where he handled government affairs, received court nobles, held waka poetry gatherings, and practiced Buddhism.

At this moment, he was enduring immense anger, and the exquisite edict in his hand was clenched into many wrinkles.

Even though the Fujiwara clan harbored ambitions all these years, they dared not disrespect him, for he was born into the highest position in Japan.

He became emperor at the age of five, and everyone treated him with utmost respect.

But a single imperial edict instilled in him an unprecedented sense of humiliation; the very title of the edict was enough to make him tremble with rage—"Emperor Dajing Reprimands Toba for Not Congratulating His Accession to the Throne."

Between the lines, it's as if he himself is his subject.

"Bastard!"

The ministers kneeling in the hall were startled and almost crawled forward on their knees to pick up the porcelain vase that he had pushed over.

Seeing his obsequious subjects with their heads bowed, not daring to look at him in his rage, Toba's anger intensified.

Having witnessed the astonishing military parade in the suburbs of Bianliang, Tokyo, Taira no Tadamori knelt with his forehead touching the ground.

He wanted to offer advice, but the words stuck in his throat; he dared not utter them.

Perhaps I should tell him about the Ly Dynasty of Dai Viet, but I'm afraid the Emperor Emeritus will be angry with me.

After much deliberation, Taira no Tadamori chose to remain silent.

He was merely a minor nobleman and could not possibly bear the wrath of the Emperor.

Toba snorted coldly, ordered a table to be brought over, and personally picked up a brush:
Emperor Toba of Japan replied to Emperor Daikei.

The Retired Emperor of Great Japan, in reply to Emperor Ōkage:
Upon reading your letter, I found it to be stern and harsh, accusing me of "disrespecting etiquette and losing my vassalage" and "severing ties with the Celestial Empire," which is utterly laughable.

Since the time of the gods, we have been the descendants of Amaterasu Omikami, ruling the precious throne of Takamagahara for generations. Our lineage has lasted for hundreds of generations. Why should we wait for your investiture to be honored?
In the past, the Sui emperor falsely claimed the title of emperor and sent an envoy to rebuke the emperor for being disloyal. The ancestor, Crown Prince Shengde, replied: "The emperor of the land where the sun rises sends a letter to the emperor of the land where the sun sets, wishing him well."

This is not arrogance, but simply the natural order of things in the universe, and the natural order of the sun and moon's rising and falling!
Although the Great Jing Dynasty now occupies the Central Plains and has changed its era name and established its own regime, I sit in the inner palace of the Dragon Palace, governing the clouds and mists of the eight continents. The nation is as secure as a rock, and the gods enjoy eternal blessings.

They are both ordained by Heaven and each governs a region; how can there be a distinction between ruler and subject?

I am concerned for the people of both countries and cannot bear to sever all correspondence.

However, if you wish to have Japan send an envoy to offer congratulations, unless Your Majesty the Great Jing personally writes a letter addressing you as "Emperor Emeritus of Great Japan" instead of "Island Barbarian," and uses an equal courtesy, then we would rather close all our ports than lose the slightest bit of dignity for our divine nation!

The tides are faithful; they do not change their course because of human anger.
The mountains are silent; how could they bow their heads to imperial decrees?
May the Great Jing Emperor heed this.

延历
Toba-in Imperial Calligraphy

When he finished writing, Taira no Tadamori glanced at it and was horrified.

The Emperor Emeritus didn't even ask what the Great Jing Dynasty was like before replying directly.

Do you still think it's as weak as the Song Dynasty?
When the letter reached the emperor's desk in the capital city of Nanjing, even if the young emperor wanted to let the matter rest, the civil and military officials in the hall were unwilling to give up.

He landed in Dengzhou last autumn and returned in early May this year, having stayed in the Central Plains for more than half a year.

He roughly knew what the Great Jing Dynasty was like now; it truly had a wise and enlightened emperor on the throne, and fierce ministers and generals ruling the court.

This group of people, even when they have nothing to do, still seek to provoke trouble and gain merit; this reply is tantamount to a declaration of war.

From this day forward, the seas will never be at peace again. (End of Chapter)