You have truly caused me great suffering!

By mid-to-late October, the autumn harvest was basically complete.

The emperor and his ministers of the Great Jing Dynasty held the Autumn Thanksgiving Ceremony at the Altar of the State to thank Heaven and Earth, comfort the farmers, and express their hopes for the prosperity of the newly founded nation.

On the altar, there were a hundred bundles of new rice, piled up like a small hill; and nine baskets each of new chestnuts, new taro, and new sorghum.

Chen Shao was busy all morning and finally finished the ceremony.

He knew it was pointless, but he had to do it to uphold propriety.

This is the foundation of rule; it may seem useless, but it is actually quite important.

Rules are necessary at all times; this is the prevailing understanding of our time. The etiquette and laws of the Central Plains were already quite advanced.

After descending from the altar, the emperor and his ministers returned to the palace together, while the people cheered along the roadside.

The officials all wore smiles, and those present felt completely at ease.

Some former officials from the Song Dynasty recalled that when Duke Hunde was in power, although Bianliang was just as prosperous, they had never had such comfortable days.

Needless to say, the northern barbarians and western bandits were rampant, and famine was widespread outside Bianliang. The national treasury was perpetually on the verge of collapse, and several close ministers and favorites were embezzling large sums of money.
Since His Majesty ascended the throne, due to the continuous and substantial financial investment in water conservancy projects, the construction of canals and reservoirs, the drought and flood disasters this year have been reduced by more than half.

Even more remarkably, the Yellow River has less sediment, and the dredging work has been done well, so there was no breach in the dikes in Hebei and Shandong.

This would have been unimaginable in previous years.

Inside the imperial carriage, listening to the thunderous cheers, Chen Shao leaned back, and his mood improved.

Humans are indeed very susceptible to emotional value.

After returning to the palace, everyone gathered together to take stock of this year's harvest.

The total grain output reported by various regions was 400 million shi (a unit of dry measure), with the Jiangnan East and West Routes ranking first and second respectively.

Jinghu and Liangzhe followed closely behind. Surprisingly, Hexi and Hetao also produced a great deal of grain. The Dajing Longxing area, due to its fortified village system, greatly utilized manpower and abundant water conservancy, producing 17 million shi of grain.

Although the total grain output in Sichuan was not large, Chengdu Prefecture alone produced 15 million shi of grain, boosting the output of the four major regions of Sichuan and the Three Gorges.

"The amount of grain transported from various regions to the capital need not be excessive. Order all regions to open their granaries for one day, allowing poor households to purchase rice at a 30% discount; exempt all prefectures from one-tenth of the autumn tax!"

Chen Shao waved his hand magnanimously, saying that the Great Jing Dynasty was not the Great Song Dynasty, and there was no need to exhaust the world's grain reserves to feed the capital.

Moreover, the area surrounding Jinling is entirely high-yield region with extremely convenient water and land transportation, which is quite different from Bianliang.

If there were any slight mistakes in the southward transport of grain from Bianliang, countless people would starve to death.

After all, it's a city with a population of one million.
"In the coming year, we will build 300 steam-lifting stations in the Yangtze and Huai River basins to cultivate fields that are guaranteed against drought and flood!"

The ministers echoed his sentiments, praising Chen Shao's achievements, since the steam engine was almost entirely his doing.

The entire court of officials was essentially riding in His Majesty's car at breakneck speed.

When an emperor is too capable, it can easily make his ministers feel dependent on him.

They even felt that His Majesty could bring about such a prosperous era without them doing anything.

In fact, in Chen Shao's eyes, this group of ministers was also very capable.

They weren't particularly impressive, but they were very obedient and able to carry out their orders meticulously.

This is actually not easy.

Just look at the officials of the Ming Dynasty in later generations.

They represented the gentry behind the scenes, constantly harboring a desire to compete with the emperor for profit.

Compared to the ruthless officials of the Ming Dynasty, the officials of the Song Dynasty were relatively good; at least people like Cai Jing were still obedient to the emperor.

"My beloved ministers have devised strategies that have brought prosperity to the world. This is not due to my own virtue, but truly to the efforts of you all."

Li Tangchen stepped forward and said, "This is all thanks to Your Majesty; how could we dare accept such praise?"

Chen Shao laughed and said, "My dear minister, there is no need to be so modest. I will have the Bureau of Smelting specially cast gold ingots with the inscription 'Feng Heng' to be awarded to officials at all levels; top-grade japonica rice from Jiangnan East Circuit; and imperial wine brewed by the Imperial Household Department."

The officials were all overjoyed. His Majesty's rewards to his ministers were not just empty gestures; each time the amount was surprisingly generous.

The key is that receiving this reward brings both substance and prestige, which is far better than embezzlement.

Nowadays, in Dajing, many people have started using gold and silver for transactions when buying goods and building up their wealth.

After all, this can be exchanged for scenic spot vouchers; it's a hard currency.

Emperor Chen Shao was the complete opposite of Emperor Huizong of Tang.

When Zhao Ji was emperor, he wished he could have all the money in the country in his own hands and squander it as he pleased.

Chen Shao, on the other hand, seemed to hate money; once he had it, he would spend it all.

His lavish rewards to his officials were not only intended to win their hearts and minds and to encourage integrity through high salaries, but also had a deeper purpose.

The officials are now encouraged to spend their money. Previously, when they had wealth, they mostly saved it up or acquired land to pass on to their descendants. Now, with the progressive tax system, acquiring land is no longer worthwhile, so most choose to invest in commerce. After all, it's a very quick way to make money; countless overseas fortunes are pouring in like water, as if picking up money off the ground.

This indirectly promoted the development of commerce and trade in Dajing, which was in line with Chen Shao's original plan.

The social atmosphere is slowly changing.

When the nation's fortunes arrive, nothing can stop them; everything will go smoothly!
"Xu Jin."

Chen Shao spotted Xu Jin in the crowd and beckoned him over.

After nearly two years, Xu Jin, with more than two thousand men, finally completed the land survey of the rich and fertile lands of Jinghu, Liangzhe, and Jiangnan.

Only they themselves know the hardships they endured.

Upon hearing the emperor's greeting, he quickly stepped forward and bowed.

Chen Shao laughed and said, "Xu Jin and Yang Cheng are my trusted ministers and great contributors to the court and the people!"

Upon hearing that he had other matters to attend to, Yang Cheng quickly stepped forward to bow and said he dared not accept such a gesture.

"I hereby confer upon Xu Jin the title of Marquis of Pingchou. After you return, report the merits of your subordinates, and I will reward them accordingly. Duke Yang Cheng of Anguo has made great contributions to the management of the river, and his clansmen have all contributed greatly. When he came to the capital, he answered my questions with insightful remarks, proving himself to be a talented individual of our time. I hereby grant permission for ten of his sons to be exempted from the examinations and appointed to official positions in the capital through hereditary privilege."

He was appointed "Commissioner of the Compilation of River Defense Records" to record the process of river management and include it in the annals of history.

Xu Jin and Yang Cheng exchanged a glance, both seeing the confusion in each other's eyes.

The two of them initially doubted that they had misheard.

Although His Majesty is always generous in rewarding his ministers, this level of generosity still shocked them.

The others weren't much better off; they were all pondering and reflecting on His Majesty's words.

The rewards were simply too tempting: a title of nobility, the opportunity to compile a record of river defenses, and ten hereditary official appointments all at once.
Other emperors would carefully consider any reward they were to bestow, but His Majesty today seems to have no interest in money and has given them all away in one go.

If only I had this!
It was the eunuch Wang Xiaojie who coughed lightly and reminded them, "You two should express your gratitude."

The two then realized their lapse in decorum, glanced at him gratefully, and kowtowed to express their thanks.

Chen Shao laughed heartily and said, "You all have done so much for the country and its people, and I have seen it all. I will not hesitate to bestow titles and honors upon you."

The courtiers, together with Li Tangchen, shouted, "Long live the Holy Emperor! May the Great Jing Dynasty prosper forever!"

After shouting, Li Tangchen thought to himself: "When the ruler treats his subjects with sincerity, the subjects repay the ruler with loyalty. This is truly a sign of a prosperous era."

After the court session ended, a grand banquet was held in the Zichen Hall, where Chen Shao once again entertained his officials.

When the wine was flowing freely, Chen Shao sent someone to read aloud the imperial court's war reports of victory in the southern wilderness and the eastern seas.

To win a battle now, we must reach such a place; there are no more battles to fight nearby.

These things didn't bother most people. After all, it was a small country far away overseas. In their eyes, this place was probably quite desolate. Perhaps only Chen Shao took it very seriously.

When the imperial banquet ended, it was already late afternoon and approaching dusk. Chen Shao was a little drunk, but not very much.

He started mentally flipping through cards, thinking about whose place to go and have a good time to sober up.

Back in the inner palace, thinking that it had been a few days since he had visited Huanhuan's palace, he led a group of people to Kunning Palace.

Upon learning that she was in her study, Chen Shao dismissed the others and strolled inside, where a unique fragrance of ink and paper filled the air.

This place is Lingxi's little study, and she doesn't allow anyone else to come in on ordinary days.

Especially when she was reading, only Chen Shao could come in.

Zhong Lingxi was sitting at a desk, her little feet crossed, engrossed in a book. It was unclear what she was reading, but her rosy cheeks were flushed, her almond-shaped eyes sparkled, and her plump, diamond-shaped lips occasionally pursed into a smile.

Chen Shao approached quietly, but his footsteps still startled her. Huanhuan was startled and hurriedly put down her scroll and stuffed it into a pile of books.

"You're the kind of person who likes to scare people!"

Zhong Lingxi seemed a little embarrassed and angry, so Chen Shao didn't want to tease her any further, nor did he ask her what she was looking at.

Girls at this age are sensitive and care a lot about these things; if you really make them cry, they're hard to comfort.

Chen Shao stepped forward, embraced his empress, sat down in her seat, and coaxed her with a smile.

Zhong Lingxi had long since lost her annoyance, her voice sweet and tender as she nestled in his arms, enjoying her man's gentleness.

She blushed and twisted her body, biting her lower lip as she reached down to crank the lever, until she felt a little uncomfortable.

The young empress wore a thin tube top, with a few strands of hair sticking to her temples. She was sweating and languidly curled up in Chen Shao's hot arms like a kitten.

She gradually discovered the endless fun in this kind of thing.

Fortunately, she has a good personality and enjoys many things, so she doesn't cling to Chen Shao.

Otherwise, it would be really difficult for others to compete. (End of Chapter)