You have truly caused me great suffering!

At this time, Japan's mobilization capabilities were extremely poor.

The fighting mainly relied on warriors and monk soldiers.

In later generations, when they resisted the Yuan army, although they exhausted their national strength, they could still mobilize at least tens of thousands of people.

The Ping family was already considered a very powerful clan with a substantial fortune, having traded with Song merchants for many years.

However, they could only mobilize a little over five thousand men.

The main force among them were the Taira clan's loyal followers, who were Taira no Tadamori's direct retainers (such as Taira no Morikoku and Taira no Tomoaki) and their private soldiers.

These people were lying in ambush in the dense forest along the Suzuka River, using bows and arrows and falling rocks to block their advance.

Every day, they burned bridges, dug up roads, and slowed down the advance of the Great Jing Army.

They didn't care about what would happen in the future or whether they could leave.

Let's stop them first.

Then there are the armed monks of Ise Grand Shrine. They have close ties with the Taira clan. After being humiliated by Guo Hao when they went to negotiate peace, they have completely sided with the Taira clan and are determined to fight the Jing army to the end.

They had already found out that Jing Jun only had two thousand cavalrymen.

There were also some troops who bypassed the area by water and blocked several key routes, but their numbers should not be large.

The Ise Grand Shrine alone had three thousand monks as soldiers, who were known as "divine men".

Furthermore, powerful clans from Ise Province, such as the Kitabatake and Hasebe clans, sent thousands of men to assist in the battle. Originally, they wanted to observe the situation, but the indiscriminate destruction of fields and burning of houses by the Kage army made them dare not wait any longer and they only wanted to drive these ruthless people out as soon as possible.

From the perspective of these powerful figures in Japan, the Jing army was a truly terrifying and ruthless group. In reality, the troops in the Northwest were only restrained by Chen Shao; their military discipline had never been very good.

The Western Xia and the Song Dynasty have been fighting for so many years, killing each other relentlessly, with both sides displaying ruthless and vicious natures.

The two sides had roughly five to one troop strength, and the priests at Ise Grand Shrine, who had never fought against the Jing army before, were full of confidence.

But soon, the Jing army stormed the Divine Palace.

According to historical facts fabricated by the Japanese themselves, the Yata no Kagami (Eight-Span Mirror) has been enshrined in the Imperial Palace since the arrival of the Heavenly Grandson.

However, out of reverence for the divine power of the great god, during the reign of the tenth Emperor Sujin, the imperial court decided to move the Yata no Kagami (Eight-Span Mirror) to be enshrined outside the imperial palace.

After that, in search of a suitable place, the eleventh daughter of Emperor Suinin of Japan, Princess Suinin, traveled to various places.

About a thousand years ago, Ise was chosen as the place where the divine body would be enshrined for eternity.

At this time, the priestess of the shrine was Princess Toba, daughter of Toba (whose mother was Fujiwara no Tokuko, also known as Mifukumon-in).

She was also Emperor Go-Shirakawa's half-sister;

Two years ago, when she was just eight years old, she was chosen as the priestess, and officially took office the following year. She is now eleven years old.

Although nominally the highest priesthood, the actual sacrificial rites were performed by the Grand Master.

Ōmiya Jitsuhito Sasakuni was the 28th head of the Tokai clan and was in charge of all affairs of the inner palace of Ise Grand Shrine.

The Tokai clan monopolized the position of Grand Master of the Inner Palace for generations, and together with the Araki clan of the Outer Palace (Toyojuku Grand Shrine), they were known as the "Two Great Families of Ise".

Of course, how many of these 28 generations are fabricated is up to your own judgment.

The entire shrine was actively preparing for war, with three layers of wooden palisades erected around the perimeter and the moat filled with water from the Isuzu River.

Archers were stationed in the corner towers, and huge stones were piled on the roof of the temple.

The "divine beings" all carried naginata and spears, their heads wrapped in white cloth, ready to defend the temple to the death.

Monks from affiliated Buddhist temples such as Ominato-ji and Kitano-ji came to help in the battle, wielding iron rods.

Before the official start of the war, the Divine Palace sent people down to negotiate, and Guo Hao thought they were there to surrender.

He was preparing to give these overconfident Japanese a good scolding.

Upon meeting them, the visitors immediately shouted, "The divine realm is inviolable! Foreign barbarians, retreat immediately! Otherwise, divine punishment will befall you!"

His answer was a sharp arrow, which killed him at the foot of the mountain.

At this point, Guo Hao had completely lost his patience and ordered the artillery battalion to move forward and load the equipment.

Just as the 'divine beings' in the shrine were preparing to use boulders, logs, and bows and arrows to meet the charging Jing army, a loud bang was heard.

The divine beings within it felt the earth crack and mountains collapse, and their ears were ringing.

Inside the shrine, a century-old cypress tree shattered with a crash, splinters rained down, and fires broke out everywhere.

After a round of artillery fire, Guo Hao ordered an attack, and the Jing army began an orderly assault, charging forward with their shields on their horses.

At this point, the so-called 'god-like beings' had lost their will to fight and were fleeing for their lives.

An old priest, looking utterly disheveled, his white robes stained with blood, stood on the steps, leaning on his sword, performing a piece of performance art, and shouted angrily: "You barbarians, daring to invade the abode of the gods, may your race be wiped out!"

He had barely finished speaking when he was slashed by a Jing soldier, who then began looting his body.

Inside the shrine, there were many gold and silver ornaments, which was like entering a treasure trove for Jing Jun.

They killed and looted relentlessly, their momentum unstoppable, leaving behind only pitiful cries and the sounds of people kneeling and begging for mercy.

The chief priestess of the palace, Princess Zhangzi, trembled all over, dressed in plain clothes and holding a mirror box, and retreated into the inner hall under the protection of a group of divine beings.

Several divine beings pushed tables and chairs to block the temple door. Listening to the sounds outside, they were all terrified.

Suddenly, with a loud bang, someone outside started breaking down the door. The guards and the gods rushed forward and held it back.

Princess Zhangzi hid in a corner and cried helplessly.

When the people outside couldn't break down the palace gates, they set it on fire and waited outside, hoping to catch the rabbits that had run into their trap.

The hall was instantly filled with thick smoke, so thick that it was impossible to open one's eyes; if one stayed any longer, one would choke to death. The guards had no choice but to move the tables and chairs themselves and drag the prince out, only to trip and fall as soon as they came out.

A group of Jing soldiers laughed as they watched them, and some of them stepped forward to slash.

The squad leader, named Liu Mao, noticed that they were all protecting the little girl, who was also holding a box wrapped in yellow silk.

He stepped forward and kicked Prince Zhangzi, sending him rolling several times on the ground, the box in his arms falling to the ground as well.

Liu Mao picked it up and peeled it open; it was just an ordinary mirror, and it looked rather worn.

"What the hell!"

He casually tossed it aside, and just then Guo Hao and Yuwen Xuzhong walked in, the mirror rolling to their side.

Liu Mao quickly stepped forward and said with a smile, "General, I've captured a little Japanese woman, but she looks like a big fish."

Yuwen Xuzhong bent down and picked up the mirror, examined it from all sides for a while, and said, "This might be their national treasure from Japan, called the Eight-Foot Mirror. Where did you get it?"

Liu Mao pointed to the box on the ground. Yuwen Xuzhong walked over, picked it up, and saw that inside, wrapped in yellow silk, was a string of five curved agate beads.

Yuwen Xuzhong took it in his hand, looked at it for a while, and laughed: "This string is called the Eight-Foot Jade Ornament. I don't know if it's real or a fake. In any case, it's their national treasure. You should put it away first and find an opportunity to destroy it on the spot to destroy the morale of their people."

"This piece of junk is a national treasure?" Liu Mao frowned, looking incredulous.

Yuwen Xuzhong nodded. These days, he had been reading books from Japan.

"Where is this little Japanese girl?"

Yuwen Xuzhong said, "This is the daughter of Niaoyu. Let's lock her up first; she might still be useful."

Guo Hao readily accepted the advice, because Doctor Yuwen never interfered in war, and he was indeed not as as astute as him in other matters.

Since entering officialdom, Yuwen Xuzhong has had the ability to make people obey him without relying on his official position. Wu Min, Geng Nanzhong and even Li Gang are all difficult people to deal with.

But when they had problems, they all liked to consult Yuwen Xuzhong for advice.

Over the years, he has only been able to outwit Cai Jing in a battle of wits, and Cai Jing has dealt him a few times. Otherwise, his performance has been extremely consistent.

This time, after capturing the Divine Palace, they captured more than 3,000 people and killed more than 1,000, far exceeding the total number of Jing troops.

Guo Hao ordered that no one be left alive, and that the prisoners beheaded in a line. Then he set fire to the shrine, leaving only Princess Toba's daughter, Princess Eiko, alive, who might be useful in the future.

After listening, Yuwen Xuzhong waved his hand.

Guo Hao immediately asked, "What are your thoughts, Doctor Yuwen?"

"We mustn't burn down this temple. Let's leave these logs here. Let these prisoners dismantle the timber first, and then we can kill them later."

Guo Hao's eyes lit up. Only then did he begin to notice the wood used in the Divine Palace, which was indeed of the highest quality.

Even if it's used to build barracks in the future, that would be excellent.
-
In Nanjing, it's only November, and some people are already setting off fireworks.

This year is especially festive.

Chen Shao hadn't felt such a strong festive atmosphere for a long time.

People started preparing and celebrating so far in advance.

Unlike Bianliang, Jinling's Bian River was frozen over, making it impassable for boats.

Meanwhile, in Longgang, Nanjing, countless ships continue to transport massive amounts of goods to Beijing.

Chen Shao rode his horse slowly down the street, heading towards Baozhen Temple.

The bustling market put him in a very good mood.

He simply dismounted and, together with Da Hu, bought a large amount of goods from the peddler.

These things may not be useful, but Chen Shaole is among them.

When Chen Shao arrived at Baozhen Temple, it was almost noon. He went into the inner courtyard alone and saw a beautiful and graceful noblewoman standing there in the distance. She was leaning on the door frame with one hand and talking to him with a smile.

A moment later, a woman ran out and chased after her, lifting her skirt.

Chen Shao didn't even need to look to know that Mao De must have somehow angered Yi An again.

As the two were joking around, they both noticed Chen Shao carrying a large pile of things in, and they went up to look at them curiously.

Inside, there were needles and thread, ointments and bath products, children's toys, oil lamps, flint, and tinder.
The two looked at each other, then burst out laughing at the same time. Chen Shao knew that buying these things was meaningless, but now, he no longer pursued meaning in his actions; as long as they made him happy and relaxed, that was enough.

Upon entering the room, Chen Shaoxi discovered that Madam Song was also there. Having not seen her for a long time, Chen Shaoxi eagerly stepped forward, embraced the voluptuous woman who was as plump and beautiful as a ripe peach, and made her sit on his lap to kiss her, his arms tightly holding her soft body.

The woman had a round and full bottom, but her face was dignified and noble. She wanted to be reserved but couldn't help it. Chen Shao liked the subtle conflict in her expression the most.

The other two women spat and turned their heads away, refusing to look.

During the meal, Chen Shao sat on the couch with a smile, while the three of them sat around him in a circle, their six beautiful eyes glancing at him from time to time.

A wisp of white smoke rises from the gilded bronze incense burner, filling the air with fragrance.

Chen Shao is now completely unrestrained, and sometimes he really has the demeanor of a tyrant, such as suddenly stroking the curves of Maode's waist and legs, and pulling down Yi'an's apron.

After hesitating for a long time, Song finally asked the question that was on her mind: when would her son be able to come back?

Chen Shao only said it would be soon, but he didn't really know the outcome.

Cai Xing and his group left in April of the first year of Jianwu, and had been gone for a year and seven months. Logically, they should have returned by now.

After they return this time and rest for a while, the second group of people going to Southeast Asia should set off.

Cai Xing would naturally not go again unless he wanted to.

During this period, it would be best to quickly implement steam engines on ocean-going vessels, thereby increasing the speed of round-trip voyages. (End of Chapter)