You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chen Shao has been quite troubled lately.

The plans that had been laid out were ruined by a volcanic eruption.

In fact, according to his and his confidants' original plan, Da Jing did not need to send troops; it would have been better to let them fight each other.

Da Jing always stood on the principle of reason, and simply looked down from a high position.

But there was nothing he could do. The volcano had come at just the right time; it was like Toba had struck gold.

With this "divine punishment for traitors" gimmick, Toba only needs to be slightly stupid to turn the tables.

Moreover, at that time, it wouldn't be as simple as just destroying Tsukushi Province; his prestige and that of the entire imperial lineage would rise to a new level.

If Chen Shao hadn't stepped in, it's very likely that, just like in the original history, they would have survived until later generations.

This is what they mean by "Man proposes, God disposes."

Chen Shao had no choice but to intervene forcefully to turn the tide. According to the logic of the Central Plains, this should have sown the seeds of hatred and suspicion.

This is a level below his previous plans, and it's very likely that it won't be as successful as he thought.

Because no nation can last forever, it would be bad if these Japanese seized the opportunity to reclaim power and launch a counterattack when the Great Jing Dynasty was at a low point.

But in fact, he overestimated Japan.

In this place, there is no morality or trust to speak of. Chen Shao felt that they would hate him for interfering, and it might even arouse their sense of national identity.

But in reality, they only saw the power of the Great Jing. Seeing that the Great Jing had wiped out the allied forces, the forces that had participated were naturally weeping with joy, while those who had not participated were celebrating their victory.

The strength that Jing Jun displayed in the battle truly opened their eyes.

These Jing cavalrymen, who had fought against the Jurchens and Tartars in the north for ten years, were virtually unmatched in their time, and their desire for military merit was at its peak.

If this mob uprising succeeds as Chen Shao predicted, storming into Kyoto and desecrating the Emperor's ancestral graves, then Japan will be utterly finished.

They will surely split into countless small countries.

Because of this matter, there are too many and too complex forces on Japanese soil.

Nothing can unite them as a common nation except for the unbroken imperial line.

Today, the Prefect of Jinling reported that a ship carrying silver from Ishimi had arrived in Longgang.

Chen Shao made a special trip to the port to check the quality of the silver. The Ishimi Silver Mine was a great gift from heaven, and with it, Chen Shao had the confidence to implement his policies domestically.

For men, money is their courage; the same applies to a nation. If a nation's finances are poorly managed, even if you are doing things that benefit the country and its people, and have lasting merit, then if your nation's finances collapse, you will inevitably cause even greater disasters.

Being an emperor is difficult; it's never enough to simply know whether something is right or wrong to ensure everything goes smoothly.

If handled well, bad things can turn into good things; if handled poorly, good things can turn into bad things.

This trip could be considered an incognito visit, with only Jinling Prefect Zhao Shan, Maritime Trade Office Director Zhao He, Xiao Ting, and personal guards such as Da Hu.

These two brothers were Chen Shao's closest confidants, so naturally they had to stay by his side in the most crucial positions.

The port is very busy. As the largest port in Nanjing, Longgang has undergone several expansions.

When the capital was first moved, the river here was about 3 kilometers wide and deep enough to accommodate ships carrying 10,000 bushels of grain. After the capital was moved, the waterway was deepened to 30 feet and a long dike of 10 miles and 12 feet high was built to prevent floods in summer and autumn.

They also built water fortresses and set up two beacon towers on the east and west sides of the port.

Around this area, thirty granaries were built intermittently to store gold, silver, and grain for unforeseen needs and for the distribution of goods.

The Jinling treasury has a stockpile of grain sufficient to supply an army of 100,000 for a year.

Although no one can threaten the Central Plains now, Chen Shao still prepared for the worst.

Chen Shao and Xiao Ting chatted and laughed, while Zhao Shan stood aside, occasionally chiming in with a comment.

At this moment, Da Hu, who had excellent eyesight, suddenly pointed into the distance and said, "Your Majesty, is that the ship?"

It was just dawn, the fog over the East China Sea had lifted, and the morning light pierced through the clouds, shining on the rippling waters of the Yangtze River estuary.

A nine-masted seagoing vessel came from the east. Its hull was low and its draft was extremely deep, with its keel almost submerged in the waves. The hold was full of newly refined silver from the Ishimi Silver Mountain. The rough ingots were not yet cast and were wrapped in linen, forming a mountain of ballast.

The "Jing" flag fluttered at the bow, and the sails were taut.

Loud noises came from the deck, and someone was shouting and directing the sailors and crew to move things.

As Chen Shao approached, he heard the clanging of iron chains and the creaking of wooden planks. The sailors, their faces dark and their eyes sunken, stood ramrod straight, peering down from the ship's side—the bustling city of Nanjing dazzled them.

Chen Shao sighed and said, "Look at these sailors, leaving their families behind, how hard they've worked, they're all tanned black. They must earn enough money to support their families. I just can't bear to see my people suffer. Give the order to slaughter pigs and sheep, and prepare fresh fruits!"

At this moment, Zhao He, the director of the Maritime Trade Office, said, "Your Majesty, they were all recruited from Japan."

"Oh."

Chen Shao's tone and eyes immediately lost their compassion; he even felt a little uncomfortable.

"Your Majesty, shall we slaughter another pig?"

“I think you’re like a pig. These Japanese people in Iwami can’t get enough to eat, and many of them starve to death every day. It’s a great blessing for them to be able to work here. If they don’t want to work, there are plenty of other Japanese people who are willing to do it.”

Because a silver-carrying ship was docking, the surrounding area was placed under martial law in advance. Along the river for ten miles, a newly built stone embankment was coiled like a giant python, with flags standing tall on it, all embroidered with the characters "漕" (cao, meaning grain transport) and "舶" (bo, meaning ship).

They waited for the government officials to unload all the silver and load it onto a special cart.

The boxes that were unloaded were opened to reveal a mixture of sea salt and lingering sulfur smells. The silver ingots, each weighing a hundred pounds, were carried ashore. They were rough and unpatterned, yet so heavy that the Japanese porters struggled to walk.

The supervising officer held a bronze scale and weighed each silver ingot. The ingots fell onto the bluestone ground with a dull, heavy sound.

The people at the port, especially the merchants, were overjoyed as they looked at the silver ingots.

The imperial court has received more silver, and it is estimated that more scenic area vouchers will be issued this year. Nowadays, everyone can't live without scenic area vouchers.

When you go out to do business, carrying a cartload of money means you have too many things to worry about. Carrying attraction tickets makes things a million times more convenient.

Moreover, the imperial court had an excellent reputation, and these were all real gold and silver. Once the trade doors were opened, those who entered first made a fortune.

The river breeze swept across the dock, stirring up dust that swirled into tiny vortexes of light in the air.

Chen Shao nodded and said, "Shi Jian has stabilized, and we're much wealthier this year. We need to think of a way to spend the money."

Actually, he was just putting on an act; the imperial court still had many expenses.

He repaired rivers and canals everywhere, incurring astronomical costs. The Yellow River alone was a bottomless pit, enough to swallow any amount of money. Not to mention the construction of cities along the White Road, the reclamation of wasteland in Liaodong, and the road building in the Northwest, all undertaken in extremely harsh environments, battling against nature.

After Chen Shao finished speaking, he noticed that Xiao Ting hadn't responded, which made him a little curious.

She used to be very enthusiastic when it came to making and spending money, always full of opinions, her little mouth never stopping.

Lately, Xiao Ting has indeed stopped paying attention to business.

How much money is too much?
She has recently become fascinated with Taoist cultivation. Looking at the Taoist classics from the Central Plains, she finds them mysterious and profound.

Xiao Ting buried herself in her studies and worked hard to understand.

Seeing Chen Shao looking at her with some confusion, Xiao Ting snapped out of her daze and quickly gave him a sweet smile, looking slightly guilty.

The reason she pursued Taoism was actually quite embarrassing to admit, even a bit of a secret.

Before opening the seas, Chen Shao knew about the affairs of the four seas and eight wastelands, and even drew a map.

Xiao Ting racked her brains, but she couldn't figure out how he knew. After eliminating all the impossibilities, the remaining one must be the truth—Xiao Ting finally concluded that Chen Shao was a god.

After reaching this conclusion, Xiao Ting felt both awe and excitement.

She had heard that the Taoist sect had a cultivation method called "the art of the bedroom," so she wanted to use this method, along with her own identity, to steal some of Chen Shao's divine power.

As for commerce, she had long since forgotten about it.

If Chen Shao knew what she was thinking, he would probably teach her a lesson. As the two pillars of his financial schemes, Xiao Ting and Cai Jing had always been his support.

Although everything is now on track, Chen Shaoke has no intention of letting her retire and enjoy a peaceful life.

I can't do all the work myself; I can't worry about everything myself!
Can you handle it? Can you manage it all?

If someone is truly so diligent and hardworking, how can their body possibly withstand the strain?

It should be noted that Chen Shao had long ago set the tone for himself: to become a health-conscious emperor.

As an emperor, Li Longji's selfishness, ruthlessness, greed for pleasure, and indulgence, along with the death of his grandmother, were all major scourges.

However, the common advantage of both of them is that they are both very good at maintaining their health.

Wu Zetian lived to be eighty-two years old. If it weren't for the Shenlong Coup that frightened her, she might have lived a few more years.

Li Longji lived to be seventy-six, but that wasn't his limit; it was his son's limit. His son, Li Heng, was in poor health and on the verge of death. Naturally, Li Heng's trusted confidants in Lingwu wouldn't let Li Longji live.

Otherwise, if he regained power, it would be disastrous. So, coincidentally, Li Longji, who was under house arrest, died when Li Heng was terminally ill.

As for health preservation, it's something Chen Shao definitely needs to learn.

Judging from the current situation, as long as Chen Shao lives, he can ensure that his policies continue stably.

Even if he stops doing nothing from now on and spends his days eating, drinking, and having fun, it would still be a blessing for the country.

Chen Shao was very satisfied to see the silver being transported away, and then led them to take a tour of the warehouse.

The abundance of supplies and funds certainly puts people at ease.

Back at Xiao Ting's place, Chen Shao was in high spirits. He sat down casually in a chair, took a sip of tea, and said, "Ting'er, we've finally made it through."

Although Chen Shao has made a lot of money in recent years, he can't keep up with his spending, and most of the time, Dingnan Army's finances are very tight.

Maintaining such a large operation is extremely costly, and Chen Shao never defaults on military pay, leaving his officials with no idea how to cut costs.

They could only survive by relying on caravans to sustain themselves through war, which led to the creation of a behemoth of caravans. At this point, reducing or weakening the caravans became the next challenge Chen Shao had to face.

After the Great Jing Kingdom has established itself, the caravan, an organization that emerged during the war and whose power has become too great, must be weakened.

Chen Shao held his teacup, his mind racing, trying to figure out how to bring it up with Xiao Ting.

Xiao Ting didn't think so much about it. After returning to her residence, she immediately changed into a light, thin jacket with a front opening, loosely tied with a ribbon that could be easily untied with her little finger.

She was even more daring with her lower body, wearing only flared pants and no skirt, which made her legs look even longer and her waist and hips more shapely and alluring.

She squinted and personally stepped forward to serve Chen Shao tea and water, attending to him attentively.

Chen Shao felt that she had been acting strangely these past few days, and with a quick glance, he suddenly had a plan in mind.

Xiao Ting is a very shrewd person. She probably realized that he wanted to reduce the power of the caravan. This is her way of currying favor with him.

It's a pity, it's not that I'm heartless and insist on discarding the bow after the birds are gone and cooking the dog after the rabbit is dead, it's just that the caravans are too comprehensive, so I have to cut them down.

With his supreme prestige as the founder of the nation, he was able to suppress the caravan. What would happen if Wangzai came up?
This country was built by others. If you try to touch it, the interest groups that have grown even fatter and stronger will bite you.

Chen Shao really hoped that Xiao Ting could understand his good intentions, but she seemed not to understand at all, and kept trying to flatter and please him.

Chen Shao sighed, his heart filled with mixed feelings. He felt somewhat guilty towards her, yet also puzzled.
You're a woman, what do you need power for!
He was unaware that Xiao Ting had long since stopped valuing the caravan as much.

She has no children or family, so what use is she?

Having reached the summit, everything about commerce and trade seemed utterly uninteresting to her.

The man she was about to conquer was the one standing before her.

Chen Shao really didn't want to scheme against his woman, so he gently pulled Xiao Ting into his arms.

Looking down at her delicate face, Chen Shao said, "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. You think you can hide it from me?"

He knows everything!
Xiao Ting blushed with embarrassment, twisted uncomfortably, and dared not speak, turning her head to the side and humming softly.

"Speak!" Chen Shao slapped her on the outside of her thigh.

Xiao Ting struggled to her feet, then knelt unsteadily on the ground, raising her head and saying pitifully, "This lowly concubine deserves to die. I will never do it again. Please, please, Your Majesty, have mercy and grant this lowly concubine a little something."

Seeing this, Chen Shao felt both heartache and disappointment. In the end, he could only sigh helplessly, "Why don't you understand my good intentions? Do you really think this thing is so great? Others just say that being at the top is like being on a cloud, and that you must be infinitely happy."

"But I am walking on thin ice!"

Xiao Ting was completely mesmerized. High up? Wasn't that like being an immortal? She gritted her teeth, feeling a pang of envy, as if a cat was scratching its heart with longing.

You're walking on thin ice, so why don't you share some with me?

Just a little bit!

I'm willing to bear this pain for you, to become a god in your place! (End of Chapter)