You have truly caused me great suffering!

The 20th day of the twelfth month in the second year of Jianwu.

General Guo Hao, who was in charge of the Eastern Expedition, submitted a memorial stating that the Taira clan residence had been completely wiped out and that Ise Province had declared its independence.

Guo Hao produced the imperial edict that the court had prepared long ago:
Kitada Kenjiro, a former member of the Ise clan, was commendable for his loyalty and obedience, and was specially granted the title of "King of Ise".

This is clearly a puppet, a short-term support. In Ise Province, Chen Shao plans to directly incorporate it into the Great Jing Dynasty, using it as a forward base for controlling the island nation.

Kitada was also terrified by Guo Hao's methods.

Upon hearing the news, the Kitada clan hastily established an independent state and then swiftly sent envoys to Nanjing to pay tribute.

This year, the vassal states that came to pay tribute included the three Ryukyu Kingdoms, Iwami Kingdom, Tsukushi Kingdom, and Ise Kingdom.

At this time, the Seljuk Kingdom in Central Asia had been destroyed by Yelü Dashi's Western Liao Dynasty, and the situation in Central Asia was undergoing tremendous changes.

However, this did not affect the transactions between Dajing and the West in the slightest.

It's just a matter of changing the way taxes are collected.

Yelü Dashi always held Dajing in awe and dared not obstruct the trade route.

He had personally witnessed the ferocity and fighting prowess of the Jurchen Tartars; those Jurchen devils who had overthrown the Liao Dynasty were actually wiped out by the Great Jing Dynasty.

He couldn't help but be afraid.
The countries of Southeast Asia also sent envoys to the capital to pay tribute early on, but each had their own ulterior motives.

Many of them come begging for forgiveness and pardon.

Because of their earlier tolerance of the powerful clans within the country attacking the mines, they were subjected to a brutal massacre by the Jiaozhi soldiers sent by the Great Jing Dynasty, which nearly destroyed their country.

Moreover, the Jiaozhi people seemed to be addicted to killing, and they would go there every now and then.

Now that Jiaozhi has been completely incorporated into the Annam Road of the Great Jing Dynasty, they only hope that the Great Jing Emperor can restrain this crazy thug.

Chen Shao consistently avoided seeing them.

These people are hard to beat, and they'll relapse sooner or later. We need to let the Jiaozhi people treat them.

Even the wicked will be punished by the wicked.

Historically, only the Vietnamese and white colonialists were able to govern them, because these people did not treat them as human beings at all.

As for those Chinese who made their fortunes early on, just like the mines in Dajing at the beginning, they were robbed, burned, and killed from time to time.

They have completely become their prey.

Whenever domestic conflicts become irreconcilable, they begin to incite hatred against Chinese people and start anti-Chinese sentiment.

Looking at the list of tributes from various countries, Chen Shao was very satisfied, even though it was only the second year of his reign.

The idea that "all nations will pay tribute" will eventually become a reality.

On New Year's Day, amidst everyone's anticipation, Chen Shao finally returned to the capital.

The emperor held a grand court assembly with his ministers in the Zichen Hall. Everyone saw the emperor again after a long time. After exchanging greetings, they went together to worship heaven and earth.

Then Chen Shao made a special trip to the Liu residence to meet his aunt.

After finishing, they returned to Tangshan.

He intends to stay here until spring arrives next year.

After the Spring Festival, Jin Ling did not wear his usual silver armor and scholar's robe, but only a slightly worn blue shirt, and weeded and planted flowers in the courtyard.

Han Shizhong was helping with the composting, wearing only a jacket despite the chilly spring weather, revealing his two bear-like arms.

"Old Zhu, what do you think His Majesty really means?"

"Don't you dare try to persuade me to presume to know His Majesty's will; that would be a serious offense."

Han Shizhong pursed his lips, looking puzzled. "To be honest, I went there once last month, chatted with His Majesty for a while, and then he kicked me out."

Jin Ling chuckled inwardly. If you insist on chatting for no reason, His Majesty will chase you away if he doesn't.

Just stay and do your job well in the Privy Council. What important matters are there in this world these days?

Especially in military affairs. Looking across the world, only those miscellaneous barbarians in the desert are still waiting to be dealt with.

Now the imperial court is building a city on the White Road to isolate the southern and northern deserts; sooner or later, they will be dealt with together.

While it may not be accurate to say that weapons have been sheathed and horses have been released to graze freely, at least the world is at peace and there is no war.

"Your Majesty has been busy for nearly ten years, painstakingly building up the current situation. Can't you even take a break for a month or two? What are you trying to achieve by just making do?"

Han Shizhong thought about it and agreed. He himself was thinking about enjoying himself, let alone His Majesty.

Thinking about it more deeply, isn't this exactly what His Majesty meant by 'sharing wealth and honor' back then?

Emperor Zhu's eldest daughter, Jin Mo'er, gave birth to another princess for His Majesty a few days ago at the Tangshan Imperial Palace.

Overjoyed that Chen Shao had bestowed gifts upon the Prince of Xun's residence for three consecutive days, Old Zhu had come to terms with it and began to enjoy life by planting flowers and grass in his residence.

Since the world is at peace, and your power and favor have reached their peak, don't go looking for trouble.

Old Zhu put down the shovel, washed his hands in the bucket, and said, "A few of my former subordinates have come to my residence to wish me a Happy New Year, so I won't keep you any longer."

Upon hearing this, Han Shizhong frowned and asked, "Did this person really say that?"

“Huyan Tong is also here.”

Upon hearing this name, Han Shizhong left cursing.

To be honest, this is a complicated feud. Hu Yantong relied on the friendship he had with the Western Army back then and spoke rudely to others every day.

If I'm the commander-in-chief, how can I lead the troops if I don't follow his orders?

Although I was a bit impulsive in wanting to kill him at the time.

But he forced me to do it.

Emerging from the Prince Xun's residence, I lifted the carriage curtain and saw a group of soldiers in civilian clothes arriving together. They carried wine, joked with each other, and occasionally punched and kicked each other playfully.

Han Shizhong couldn't help but recall the days when he was working at the bottom of the Western Army.

How many times have I been surrounded in brothels and casinos by that idiot Huyan Tong? Sigh!
Why don't you go and talk to Old Zhu yourself to make peace?
-
Because he spent the Spring Festival in Tangshan, Chen Shao had far fewer social engagements.

Many people who originally intended to come had to consider whether they would disturb His Majesty's peace and quiet, so they gave up the opportunity to meet him.

Because Huanhuan said she would lead the concubines in the harem to pray, Chen Shao specially ordered the Imperial Workshop to send over some statues of gods for worship.

He still strongly upheld the dignity of Zhong Lingxi as Empress.

In fact, as long as the emperor is not biased, no one can compete with the empress for favor.

Chen Shao's personality would never allow an ambitious woman like Wu Zetian to appear in the harem.

That idiot Li Zhi, for the sake of Wu Zetian, banished Empress Wang and Consort Xiao, who had been quite good to him, to the cold palace, and later shamelessly went to visit them.

When Empress Wu Zetian found out, she ordered that the two women's hands and feet be cut off and thrown into a wine vat, saying, "Let these two old hags be drunk to the bone!"

He died tragically a few days later, and his family was exiled to Lingnan, where their surname was changed to "Python".

Li Zhi, preoccupied with court intrigues, remained silent, displaying a vicious and ruthless nature that made him seem less like a human being.

Empress Wang, from the prestigious Taiyuan Wang clan, was as beautiful as Maode, and her beauty was recorded in history books, described as "exquisitely beautiful."

Emperor Taizong of Tang (Li Shimin) personally recognized her dignified and courteous demeanor, referring to her and Emperor Gaozong of Tang as "a fine son and a fine wife."

This empress, just because she followed the wrong person and ended up with Li Zhi, had a miserable life.

Tonight, all the concubines will be joining the Empress in praying for Chen Shao's well-being, so there will be a banquet and everyone will dine together.

Everywhere you could see palace maids moving around in small groups, placing candles on the lampstands under the eaves by the roadside. Some were responsible for carrying a lamp bed filled with candles, while others were responsible for opening the lampshade and placing the candles, arranging everything meticulously.

After nightfall, the scenery is beautiful and tranquil, with classical-style buildings standing out beautifully among the lakes, mountains and trees.

After praying for blessings, the concubines returned in groups of three or five, their faces beaming with smiles.

Apart from Jin Mo'er, who had just given birth, and the three from Baozhen Temple, everyone else was present, including Xiao Ting.

Judging from her expression, she seemed to be enjoying it quite a bit, because Chen Shao's harem was different from the previous dynasties, which were lifeless and full of rules.

Here, with Chen Shao's doting affection, there is plenty of fun every day.

Seemingly sensing Chen Shao's gaze, Xiao Ting looked at him and smiled charmingly.

After everyone was seated, Zhong Lingxi and Li Shishi sat on either side of Chen Shao. The family began their meal, and once they got used to it, they were not reserved. They chatted and laughed, talking about the interesting things that had happened that day.

Chen Shao didn't listen to a word and wasn't interested at all, but that didn't stop him from occasionally agreeing with a smile.

The bright moon hung over the straight-lattice window, its glow complementing the pale yellow light from the red candles inside. The familiar, charming faces around him felt especially dear and familiar.

Maintaining a harmonious harem requires effort, and Chen Shao always valued this.

Nobody wants to be busy all day outside, only to return to the palace and face a pile of lawsuits.

So far, he has done a very good job, and the corresponding reward has been that he has enjoyed himself very much.
-
After the Spring Festival, the atmosphere in the Hetao region became tense.

After so much training, it's finally time to see the real results.

When Yue Fei wrote to Chen Shao, he clearly explained the benefits of spring pruning point by point.

In fact, he also knew that Chen Shao, as an emperor who came from a military background and had joined the Western Army in the Northwest, must know the significance of the spring campaign.

The fact that Yue Fei could write his memorials so clearly and logically shows that he was indeed a remarkable person.

He can be described as a true genius.

The weather in the Hetao region is naturally very different from that in Nanjing.

The heavy snow that had lasted all winter finally stopped today, and the sun peeked out from behind the steep mountains, shining on the frozen surface of the Yellow River.

The weather was still eerily cold, and a few or even a dozen riders were shuttling back and forth along the Yellow River outside Fengzhou.

The soldiers on horseback were shivering from the cold, and both men and horses were exhaling long plumes of white steam.

Apart from a few more armored soldiers around, the Hetao region remains the same as before.

Because this was the Western Capital of the Liao Dynasty, Fengzhou was also ravaged by the Jurchen Tartars during the years when Yelü Yanxi was hiding from the Jin army.

However, at this time, no trace of the past can be seen. On the contrary, because this place is the center of the trade market, it has become increasingly prosperous in recent years.

Compared to the bustling activity outside, with horses' hooves clattering through the ice and snow, Fengzhou City was deserted, with few pedestrians on the streets. The people of the county town were all huddled indoors, waiting for the weather to warm up before venturing out to earn a living.

This year, the imperial court is encouraging the burning of coal, especially the honeycomb briquettes mixed with soil, which are truly high-quality and inexpensive, saving everyone from freezing.

Countless people in the Northwest have frozen to death, and they are all grateful for the imperial court's benevolence.

Yue Fei was conducting his final inspection of the preparations of the various departments.

If everything is correct, the army will depart from Fengzhou and head towards Tiande Army.

They crossed the Yinshan Mountains, a key pass along the way, and then passed through Gaoque Pass (a fortress of the Qin and Han Great Wall) to enter southern Mongolia, heading straight for the Ongud tribe.

There will be many battles to come, and the imperial court will employ various tactics in turn. The ultimate result will be to force all the non-Han peoples to submit, and to annihilate all the chieftains, clan leaders, and royal courts.

No one is allowed to dominate the desert, let alone claim to be king.

Yue Fei's face remained calm, but his heart was pounding with turmoil. He already knew the court's and Prime Minister Li Gang's plan; if His Majesty succeeded, the northern deserts would be safe for a century.

Being able to witness such a thing is even more exhilarating than destroying the Jin Dynasty!

Even from the perspective of the generals in command, the current level of support the imperial court is providing for the Northern Expedition is unprecedented.

Since he led his troops to join His Majesty and took up residence in Tanzhou, he has never experienced a shortage of food or pay.

If he cannot achieve victory in this battle, Yue Fei will have failed both the Emperor and the people on the border. (End of Chapter)