You have truly caused me great suffering!

The vast ocean stretches to the horizon.

When Liu Jizu traveled south by sea, his biggest impression along the way was that there were just too many merchant ships.

Especially in coastal areas.

In the past, going to Guangzhou required traversing mountains and rivers, and the area was originally a region for exiled officials.

Now it only takes about five days, and when the wind is blowing down, it can even take only three days.

When His Majesty was the Prince of Dai, Qu Duan established a navy and seized the shipyard in Mizhou, thus opening up the seas for merchants.

It's only been two or three years since then.

The Guangzhou area has become increasingly prosperous, with annual tax revenue doubling, thanks in large part to trade from Southeast Asia.

Having been a businessman, he was filled with mixed emotions.

Although Your Majesty is young, you are adept at creating miracles and are destined to be chosen by Heaven.

When I was used by Liang Shicheng and trapped in Taiyuan, it was truly a miracle from my ancestors.

Many of his staff agreed that although Li Tangchen was the leader of the Taiyuan faction of officials, he was more of a spiritual leader.

Li Tangchen was a professor at the Taiyuan Prefectural School, with students all over the country, but in terms of ability, he was not as good as Liu.

Liu Jizu was determined to follow the current emperor and make a name for himself in history. Because he had once been a businessman under Liang Shicheng, he had seen a lot of money and knew that at a certain point, it was all just numbers on an account book.

Liang Shicheng, Wang Fu, Zhu Mian, and others—weren't they all incredibly wealthy, amassing countless riches, but what did they ultimately gain?

On the contrary, Cai Jing was more greedy than anyone else, but he had real skills and was able to avoid death.

Moreover, they had to donate their land in exchange for a chance.

Inside the cabin, a subordinate had set up a chessboard and invited him to play a game with a smile.

Liu Jizu waved his hand, walked to the table, and began to review the details of the Guangquan case that had been brought south.

He carefully recalled His Majesty's expression in the palace that day and concluded that His Majesty did not want to impose a heavy sentence, but this kind of trend should not be tolerated.

Taking this opportunity to promote the benefits of the scenic area vouchers and increase the people's trust in them should be what His Majesty most wants to see.

It is also the most beneficial to the government.

With this in mind, he already had a plan, and the matter of Guangzhou businessmen forming their own chamber of commerce also needed to be handled properly.
-
In Guangzhou, people were filled with anxiety.

The government confiscated all the Guangpu bonds, but did not detain the merchants.

Many people started making inquiries, but despite spending a lot of money, not a single official dared to speak up.

The imperial envoy is about to arrive.

At this moment, people couldn't help but recall the incident where the Mingzhou merchants were wiped out by Qu Duan.

In this tense atmosphere, Liu Jizu's boat docked.

At the port of Guangzhou, officials of all ranks came to greet him.

Wei Da, the prefectural magistrate of Guangzhou, Chen Fu, the transport commissioner of Guangnan East Road, Zhao Boyu, the military commander of Guangzhou, and Wang Fen, the professor of Guangzhou Prefectural School, stood at the front.

After the ship docked, a group of guards from the Lingwu Army disembarked first, lining up on both sides to escort Liu Jizu and others off the ship.

Liu Jizu glanced at the sky and smiled at the officials who came to greet him, saying, "The clothes I am wearing in Nanjing are already a bit hot, which shows how excited the people of Guangzhou are."

The officials, who had been tense, paused for a moment, and Liu Jizu exclaimed, "Good news, good news!"

Although it's still uncertain, some people have already shown expressions of surprise and delight.

The president elected by the Guangzhou Chamber of Commerce, named Zhou Lianfu, was extremely nervous at this moment.

He was not qualified to go to the port to greet them; he could only wait at his residence.

Zhou Lianfu, leaning on a cane, sat in his living room without saying a word.

A child of about seven or eight years old ran in quickly, shouting, "Grandpa, the imperial envoy has arrived!"

Zhou Lianfu opened his eyes. When he was elected chairman, it was said that they would advance and retreat together, but now not a single person has come to visit.

This made him somewhat resentful.

But he couldn't worry about that now. He stood up and asked, "Where did you go first?"

"They went to Jixianlou."

Zhou Lianfu raised an eyebrow slightly. Had he gone to Jixianlou for drinks?
Just then, footsteps sounded outside, and a servant led several constables in.

"Brother, these constables say that the imperial envoy specifically requested that you go there."

"I understand." Zhou Lianfu did not dare to delay and followed them out. They did not see a prison cart, only a horse-drawn carriage.

He didn't dare ask any more questions. Before long, he arrived at Jixian Tower, where he was surrounded by armored soldiers, their gleaming armor and weapons all dressed in the uniform of the Jinling Imperial Guards.

Zhou Lianfu lowered his head and went up to the restaurant, where he could hear laughter and chatter coming from inside.

Someone led him upstairs, and at the head of the table, a middle-aged man asked, "Is this Manager Zhou?"

"Don't dare."

"I am the Minister of Revenue, and I also served as the Transport Commissioner of Liangzhe Circuit."

"I have long admired the great name of Envoy Liu!"

Liu Jizu laughed and said, "No need to be polite. Since you know me, you should know that I used to be a merchant."

With just this one sentence, he became closer to many of the merchants present. Zhou Lianfu had just noticed that there were still quite a few merchants standing in the private rooms on the second floor of Jixianlou.

It is extremely rare for a merchant to rise to the position of Minister of Revenue, which shows that the founding emperor of this dynasty did not discriminate against merchants.

“We are all merchants, and I know that carrying money for transactions is very inconvenient. However, those Guang bonds cannot be issued anymore. You must give the court an explanation for this matter.”

Zhou Lianfu kept his head down, his heart pounding in his chest.

Unexpectedly, Liu Jizu raised the issue high but then gently lowered it, saying, "Let's just fine him one thousand taels of silver."

With a thud, Zhou Lianfu knelt on the ground, about to express his gratitude.

He had essentially walked a tightrope between life and death, and was so frightened that he was covered in cold sweat as if he had been drenched in rain.

Liu Jizu stood up, walked over to him, and reached out to help him up.

"The reason why the imperial court doesn't issue more scenic vouchers is to ensure that each voucher is worth one tael of silver and can be redeemed indefinitely!"

"His Majesty is not like those untrustworthy emperors of the previous dynasty, and he will never issue scenic vouchers indiscriminately. This voucher is named after 'Emperor Jing,' which means it carries His Majesty's reputation and is more important than the Five Sacred Mountains. I believe you all agree with this, otherwise you wouldn't have bought up all the scenic vouchers."

Liu Jizu walked to the center of the crowd and said, "When I set off, His Majesty personally promised that a large amount of precious vouchers would be issued within a month, and the number would double. Moreover, starting next month, they can be exchanged in all prefectures and cities of Dajing!"

At this moment, Zhou Lianfu was so excited that tears streamed down his face. He raised his hands above his head and shouted, "Long live the Emperor!"

"Long live my emperor!"

Liu Jizu sighed inwardly. After calming people down, this approach would likely boost Jingquan's credibility once again.

I wonder if it is true that Your Majesty said a large amount of silver flowed in within a month.

Next, I will have to really clean up this mess that Guangquan has made.

We need to collect them one by one, destroy them centrally, and then begin legislation.
-
The envoys from the Dali Kingdom entered Jiaozhi (Vietnam) via the Red River, then traveled through Qinzhou, and finally took a sea route to Nanjing. This saved them several dozen days of travel compared to their previous journey through Yunnan and Sichuan.

Gao Siyuan felt a sense of unease as he experienced the smooth and unobstructed journey.

Such transportation facilitated the tea-horse trade between the two countries and brought considerable benefits to Dali.

But it also means that if the Jing Kingdom were to send troops, transporting soldiers and supplies would be much easier than before.

In other words, the cost of launching a military attack on Dali has been greatly reduced.

The other people on the ship, however, were not so worried and seemed quite relaxed.

Because the Jing Kingdom treated them with great care and hospitality along the way, and did not make things difficult for them at all.

They had never been treated with such courtesy by the Song people before.

It should be noted that the Song Dynasty had always been indifferent and cold towards Dali, deliberately distancing itself from it.

Each ruler of the Joseon Dynasty would receive a title from the Song Dynasty, but Dali did not enjoy this treatment.

After the Jing dynasty replaced the Song dynasty, the country's strength was vastly different, becoming much more powerful, but its attitude also improved.

Gao Siyuan naturally knew what was going on, so the more courteous Jingguo treated him, the more afraid he became.

When they arrived in Qinzhou along the Red River and boarded the Dajing ship, Gao Siyuan admitted that he was also shocked.

Holding onto the ship's railing, he lingered for a long time, unwilling to return to his cabin.

If Qinzhou is already like this, what about Nanjing?

A sense of despair welled up within him; could the foundation of Dali still be preserved?
In the imperial city, Chen Shao had a rare half-day of leisure.

He stayed at the Xiefang Garden, where Consort De resided, waiting for Li Yumei to give birth.

The two daughters, wrapped in little red capes, ran around in the yard chasing butterflies, their cheerful, bell-like laughter ringing out from time to time.

It seems that the treatments provided by Li Shishi and Lin Niangzi are indeed effective, as Maode and Zhai Rui have recently become pregnant.

It seems I have the opportunity to challenge myself in terms of the number of children I have.

The royal family is too small; Chen Shao has a responsibility to expand its lineage.

Li Yumei was well-liked in the palace, and Zhong Lingxi brought some people in with her.

Seeing Chen Shao from afar, she waved her little hand with a smile and happily approached him.

As she approached, the two princesses stepped forward to pay their respects. Huanhuan took out a handful of melon seeds from her sleeve and distributed them to them, which left Chen Shao somewhat stunned.

The two little girls immediately went to the table, craning their necks and waiting obediently for the palace maid to peel the food for them.

Huanhuan said somewhat embarrassedly, "I didn't finish it this morning, so I'll save it and eat it anytime."

Chen Shao glanced at her with a smile. She had thin, red lips, a beautiful oval face, and fair skin. Her hair was styled in a bun at the back of her head, adorned with a white jade hairpin. Her slightly upturned hair supported the silk-woven jacket in a graceful curve, giving her a charming, mature look.

However, she would occasionally reveal a naive and innocent side, which made her very lovable.

"Do you think Yu Mei gave birth to a boy or a girl?" Huan Huan asked with a grin, resting her chin on her hand.

"It's a boy, isn't it?"

Chen Shao felt that he had too few sons. Of course, it would be better if he had a boy, but he wasn't in a hurry if he had a girl.

There are opportunities.

A moment later, a commotion arose inside, and palace maids bustled in and out.

Finally, a loud cry rang out.

The chief female official of the Shanggong Bureau came to announce the good news, followed by a Shanggong (in charge of court etiquette) and a Shangyi (in charge of documents and edicts), who carried the "congratulatory letter".
Six palace maids accompanied him, carrying incense burners, red silk, and gold basins.

"Your Majesty! Consort De gave birth to a princess at 9:45 AM today. Both mother and daughter are healthy and blessed by Heaven!"

Chen Shao nodded without the slightest displeasure, because it was not customary to hold a court celebration for the birth of a princess. According to the precedents of previous dynasties, an imperial edict was issued to the whole country only when a prince was born, while the joy of a princess was only announced within the inner court.

"Three days later, the Hanlin Academy will propose a nickname, and a title will be bestowed upon the baby when he/she is one month old."

By this time, Chen Shao had reached the age of twenty and already had three sons and three daughters, which could be considered quite fulfilling.
-
Nara, Japan.

At the mountain gate of Xingfu Temple, twelve bronze cannons were set up.

This is somewhat beyond the scope of what is considered the intensity of the war in Japan.
Guo Hao's men brazenly transported supplies and provisions to Xingfu Temple.

They even hoped for an attack along the way.

But with their elite cavalry wielding gleaming swords and spears, and even their warhorses clad in armor, no one dared to launch a preemptive attack.

They themselves were also very anxious. They had clearly been trying very hard to provoke the enemy, but the enemy just wouldn't make the first move.

Unfortunately, there were prior military orders prohibiting them from taking the lead.

Guo Hao remained calm, deciding not to take action and letting the monks continue their commotion.

At this time, there were so many people in Japan who could not survive at the bottom of society that once someone started, the wave of resistance became increasingly fierce.

In fact, if it weren't for Jingseng's instigation, local uprisings would have occurred frequently. Eventually, the peasants, unable to survive, could only rely on the samurai, banding together with them, and entering a new era.

But the so-called samurai were actually a type of noble, just a lower-ranking one. In essence, the common people were still exploited by the nobles until they were left with nothing.

Fortunately, the appearance of Jing Seng helped them achieve their class solidarity.

Seeing that the common people were making trouble, Toba, Fujiwara, and other nobles and powerful families from various regions, including the temples, united for the first time.

Toba's "Insei" issued an edict to severely punish the perpetrators and dispatched two thousand soldiers.

The temples and shrines dispatched over three thousand monk soldiers, showing great vigilance against the two thousand imperial guards. Everyone knew that the armed forces of the temples and shrines had always been a major concern for the Emperor's family.

These warrior monks would often take up arms and go to the capital to plead their case with the imperial family, causing great harm to successive emperors, retired emperors, and retired emperors.

Furthermore, various local villains and warriors, under the pretext of suppressing thugs, came to grab a share of the spoils, seize land, and plunder and plunder the people who had not yet revolted.

Taira no Kiyomori saw an opportunity and immediately wrote a memorial requesting the release of his father, as the Taira clan needed his father's leadership to suppress the villains.

Toba was furious. Everyone knew that the Ping clan colluded with Jing State, and that this civil unrest was instigated by Jing State.

Instead of releasing him, he grabbed Taira no Tadamori and beat him severely.

After rejecting Emperor Jing's edict, Toba considered various scenarios, including a large-scale attack by the Jing Kingdom.

He even had some expectations, feeling that this was an opportunity for him to completely unify the armed forces in various regions and eliminate the threat posed by the Fujiwara clan and temples and shrines.

He also considered that the Jing Dynasty would completely blockade the sea area and cut off trade between the two sides.

This was also a good thing for him, because trade between Japan and China was monopolized by the powerful coastal families who made a fortune but did not pay taxes.

But he never expected that such a large empire would resort to such methods.

They stirred up war in our country, and riots broke out everywhere.

Moreover, why are these people so powerful that they can incite those obedient and docile people to rebel in such a short time?

The situation has reached a point where a simple resolution is impossible. Although he doesn't know what the future holds, all he can do now is try his best to eliminate the criminals. (End of Chapter)