You have truly caused me great suffering!

Before the Mid-Autumn Festival, Chen Shao suddenly rewarded Yang Cheng and his son handsomely.

The official gazette also published stories about the Duke of Anguo.

From the Hongliu River in the northwest to the Grand Canal today, Yang Cheng's contributions are listed in great detail.

The Duke of Anguo's mansion was bustling and grand.

Yang Cheng was purely addicted to being an official; he didn't care about money or profit.

He simply enjoys being an official and is very willing to contribute to the country.

But to say he's a good person is not really accurate; he's quite ruthless.

So he himself didn't care, but the people in the Duke's mansion all felt that His Majesty's actions were a timely help.

The Duke's mansion, a man of such high status, should not be too shabby when celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival this year.

The reward given by Chen Shao was not a sham; it was all real gold and silver.

Just as the mansion was filled with joy, Yang Cheng himself was also very excited, for His Majesty wanted to use him again.

Looking at the map, Yang Cheng knew that it was time to extend the canal to Youyan.

Once I've truly repaired this river, it won't be as simple as just being granted the title of Duke. His Majesty has always been generous to meritorious officials.

With this in mind, Yang Cheng was filled with enthusiasm.

Cai Jing, that old scoundrel, is almost eighty years old, yet he can still frequently confide in His Majesty and receive His Majesty's inquiries. His every word and action influences national affairs, making him essentially the prime minister of two dynasties.

A man who has lived to this point can die without regrets!

Most emperors who cannot control their desires tend to drain the world dry, absorbing all the resources available to sustain themselves.

The capital city would also benefit from the emperor's presence.

For example, Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty, Emperor Li Longji of the Tang Dynasty, and Emperor Zhao Ji of the Song Dynasty.

To facilitate their exploitation of the entire nation, these emperors would build rivers.
Because waterway transportation is the most convenient and efficient.

Yang Guang goes without saying, and Li Longji also rebuilt the "Water Department," stipulating that all prefectures and counties must inspect and repair dikes and dredge ditches every year; and dredge the Guangtong Canal to connect Chang'an with the Yellow River;

To ensure the smooth westward transport of grain from the Jianghuai region, "more than one million shi of millet were transferred into the pass each year";
Repair the Bian River and Shanyang Canal to ensure that "taxes are collected, grain is transported, and major military and national plans rely on the Yangtze and Huai Rivers."

The imperial court is now undertaking a major waterway repair project, but this time, it's the central capital that's benefiting the local areas.

The earthquake in Qin Prefecture and the severe drought in Hebei have shown the people of the world how supplies transported by waterways are used to provide relief to the entire nation.

Moreover, with the flourishing of maritime trade, wealth from all corners of the world is concentrated in Jinling, and His Majesty has built an astonishing number of warehouses, exceeding two hundred.

What is the scale of this?
It has only been three years since the Great Jing Dynasty moved its capital, and Jinling's prosperity has surpassed that of Bianliang, the capital of the Eastern Capital. Three years ago, no one would have believed this.

Moreover, Bianliang (Kaifeng) was a city that only received goods and never sent them out, reaping the benefits of the entire country. The ratio of goods brought in to goods sent out of Bianliang was approximately nine to one.

Upon arriving in Jinling, the goods were then distributed in all directions.

When the Great Jing Dynasty was founded, countless civil officials made great contributions. However, among the five kingdoms, Yang Cheng and Liu Jizu were granted the title of Duke because of their work on river repair.

Therefore, as winter approached, the imperial court began preparations for river repairs.

“Every year at the beginning of winter, the water recedes and the sand emerges, which is the perfect time to carry out construction work.”

Localities began recruiting laborers, preparing supplies, and mobilizing officials.

Repairing the river had always been a top priority in Chen Shao's plans.

Regardless of the policy, if it is to be implemented nationwide, the first thing to solve is transportation.

It takes half a year for government orders to be issued, so how can we talk about promotion? If we want to see the results, we have to send officials to inspect, which will take another three to five years.

Moreover, workshops are now located in various places, and it is also very important for them to exchange what they have.

Lady Anguo was overjoyed. She helped him put on his official robes and urged Yang Cheng to go to the palace to express his gratitude.

Yang Cheng stretched out his arms and let her help him change his clothes, but he was in no hurry to enter the palace.

After his wife got annoyed by his nagging, Yang Cheng finally replied:
“What do you know? His Majesty and I are of one mind. We are not only ruler and subject but also confidants. I need to come up with a plan before I can go to the palace to see him.”

"Alright, alright, it's all up to you."
-
The troops on the Annan Road continued their advance, aiming to attack the last remaining enemy forces.

As dawn broke, the rugged and narrow road was already crowded with soldiers, all of whom were barbarian soldiers, judging from their attire and voices.

These people wore pointed hats and carried various weapons. Some of them wore armor made of iron and bamboo, and their skin was dark, like that of the green forest in the mountains.

If someone in the know saw these people, they would recognize them as the Lang Son soldiers who were the last to be incorporated into the Annamite Army.

They were originally barbarians from the mountains.
Although these people were called barbarians, they were actually kinder than the orthodox Annamese who called themselves "Little China of the South". They only knew how to fight according to orders and generally did not plunder villages. Only a few of them would break into the villagers' homes, mainly to check if there were any horses.

People and horses passed through the village in an endless stream, and most of the villagers in Champa kept their doors and windows closed, quietly watching from inside.

"Woof woof woof..." The barking of dogs from all sides was incessant, and the fog was filled with the smell of feces and wood ash.

In such weather conditions, it still depends on these barbarian soldiers.

Moreover, their beliefs differed from those of the Champa people, so they felt no psychological pressure when fighting.

Behind them were the regular Annamite soldiers, who were no longer responsible for fighting in the mountains and forests.

Their sole responsibility was to eliminate and exterminate Hindus, especially Brahmins, leaving none alive once they were caught.

This is a very lucrative position, because these people have been exploiting others for generations and have accumulated an untold amount of wealth.

There were also some Annamese scouts responsible for observation and surveillance to prevent the Zhenla people from joining the war.

Even in the relatively flat areas of southern Champa, there are many paddy fields, grass and trees, but not many wide roads.

The marching army mostly moved in long, dense lines, which, when viewed from above, looked like an army of ants carrying food.

At this time, the Jing army from the Central Plains, including the Lingwu army, the emperor's personal guards, also began to garrison Champa.

Originally, the dividing line between the Joseon Dynasty and Champa was the mountain range south of Ha Tinh.

North of Ha Tinh City lies the territory of the Ly Dynasty; to the south, the Hue region remains under the control of Champa.

Both countries are coastal, flat, and densely populated.

Annam had several cities in this area. Along the coast, from south to north, there were five counties: Ha Tinh, Nghe An, Dien Chau, Thanh Hoa, and Hoa Lu. All of these were re-divided after the surrender of Dai Khanh.

The western hills and mountains are difficult to control; to the west of Yi'an and Yanzhou, there are only two county towns, Lu Nian and others.

The vast mountainous region west of Yeonju and Thanh Hoa is characterized by its crisscrossing mountains, dense forests, and difficult roads. Even the Joseon Dynasty could not control it, and official power was virtually nonexistent there.

After Wu Lin arrived, he mobilized Annam troops to enter the mountains and, at great cost, wiped out the various tribes one by one.

The policy of replacing local chieftains with centrally appointed officials was a persistent idea, and it has been a favorite practice of the Central Plains dynasties since the Qin Dynasty.

After all, local officials are essentially states within a state.

A state within a state is the most intolerable concept in the Central Plains' etiquette and laws. As the saying goes, "Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king; on the shores of the earth, all people are subjects of the king."

In fact, these places are just rugged and mountainous, not barren.

Ample sunshine and a warm climate year-round make the mountains and forests rich in produce, and even the scattered small plots of land yield several harvests a year.

On the Mid-Autumn Festival, Wu Lin arrived in Champa and watched the Annamese soldiers returning home, each with their bags full. He did not say anything.

That's how war is; you can't command an army with mercy. If you think that the battlefields of this era can only be filled with heroic sentiments of national righteousness, and not with dirty plunder and killing, then you're a fool.

War, to put it bluntly, is a contest of killing.

Winner takes all.

Li Shiyan's massacre of the Champa believers was beyond his expectations.

Li Shiyan was originally from the Northwest Army and was not originally part of the Lingwu Army. He had only stayed in Annam, and in order to unify command, the court incorporated his troops into the Lingwu Army.

Li Shiyan himself was actually a favorite general of his elder brother Wu Jie.

After learning that Li Shiyan's reason for exterminating the believers was because they cursed His Majesty the Emperor on the altar, Wu Lin went from being puzzled to supporting him.

In fact, without eliminating these followers, it would be difficult to completely subdue this land.

If a piece of flesh is rotten, no amount of wound medicine can revive it. It's far better to cut it out and let it grow back.

Li Shiyan rode up on horseback and, upon reaching Wu Lin's banner, bowed slightly.

Wu Lin smiled and said, "General Li, there's no need to be so polite."

As his elder brother's favorite general, he naturally received exceptional treatment.

“I never expected there to be such a large, flat rice paddy here.” Wu Lin pointed to the land behind him and laughed. “I originally thought this was a barren land, inhabited by beasts that eat raw meat and drink blood.”

Wu Lin was overjoyed to have conquered such a rich and fertile land for His Majesty.

Li Shiyan also laughed and said, "The land is good, but the people are no good!"

The birdmen here used blood sacrifices to curse His Majesty, and his anger still lingers to this day.

Wu Lin whispered, "Luckily, this place is high in the mountains and far away, so those civil officials can't see us. Otherwise, there would be another round of impeachments."

"Let them impeach us." Li Shiyan was very firm. As veterans of the Dingnan Army, these soldiers always believed that the Great Jing belonged to them and His Majesty.

When we were fighting alongside His Majesty and the Tanguts, you were still worshipping the Zhao Emperor.

The capture of Champa was of great significance, a fact that those in the court might not easily grasp.

But for those who have visited this land, they have a very direct understanding of this.

When Cai Xing went to Southeast Asia, some merchants who stayed here established a settlement by the sea, and they were even more excited at this time.

Unexpectedly, without moving an inch, everyone suddenly returned to the Great Jing Kingdom.

These people were wealthy and came to reward the army. Moreover, they traded with the locals, learned more about Champa, and could provide intelligence.

At this time, many such merchants had gathered in Wu Lin's tent.

Rebuilding Champa was originally a very difficult task, but Wu Lin happened to be rebuilding Annam at the time.

In this way, we can simply treat this place as a prefecture capital of Annan Road.

To put it bluntly, the Annamese soldiers' killings actually cleared away many obstacles for them.

It saves a lot of trouble without you even realizing it.

The two rode their horses together to the camp.

As Li Shiyan lifted the curtain and walked into the tent, he said, "Duke of Wei, this trip south has made me see some things clearly. Nowadays, among the barbarians in the world, the country is strong when the imperial power is stable; the country is mostly vulnerable when the powerful clans despise the imperial power and oppress the ruler."

"As long as our Great Jing continues to obey His Majesty, we will be invincible!"

Wu Lin never expected that a mere warrior could understand such profound truths.

When a monarchy is powerful, its organizational capacity is high, enabling it to mobilize the entire nation's resources.

The surrounding small countries were all weak in the trunk but strong in the branches, so it's no wonder that they were defeated one by one by the Great Jing.

Even the most powerful Jurchen people went downhill after Aguda's death!

Zonghan's western army and Zongwang's eastern army were wary of and hindered each other, each only concerned with their own interests, which allowed Dingnan Army to take advantage of the situation.

Zonghan even recklessly abandoned Yunnei in order to coerce Zongwang. If he had been willing to sacrifice himself and hold back the main force of the Dingnan Army in Yunnei, then Zongwang in the Central Plains would have been very likely to break through Bianliang.

The situation has changed again.

The two looked at the map and discussed how to deal with the remaining enemy forces entrenched in the south, and what industries to develop on this land after the war.

Unbeknownst to many, the way war operates has changed drastically.

In the past, the only thing a commander-in-chief had to consider was how to annihilate the enemy and win the war.

Now, victory is practically assured even before the battle begins; the most important thing is what to do after victory.
-
The Mid-Autumn Festival coincides with the autumn harvest season.

The overall harvest in Dajing this year is not as good as last year, and the difference is quite significant.

Despite the efforts of the Jing emperor and his ministers throughout the year, digging ditches and repairing canals everywhere, the seasons were out of order, and disasters were rampant.

Fortunately, we live in a prosperous era. If it were a chaotic era, many people would starve to death.

That's the cruelty of the world: even if you do everything right, you're not guaranteed a good life.

Chen Shao did not hold any large-scale celebrations for the Mid-Autumn Festival this year, and he also reduced the amount of rewards given to officials accordingly.

On that day, they went to worship heaven and earth again, praying for favorable weather and abundant harvests in the coming year.

He also ordered that the four regions of Hebei, Youyan, Shandong, and Henan be exempted from grain taxes for one year.

The government purchased and transported grain to these places to sell, enriching the local grain market, preventing people from starving to death due to lack of food, and also preventing unscrupulous merchants from raising prices arbitrarily.

The year following a severe drought is prone to locust plagues, so local governments should pay close attention and take timely preventative measures.

Then winter is coming soon, and this year local officials will still have to help people build stoves and burn coal.

All levels of government offices gritted their teeth and worked hard for the next few days, after which they would have nothing to do once winter arrived.

Until spring, there was basically nothing to do.

At this time, a military report came from Yanjing City, saying that Yue Fei's troops had severely damaged the Tatar tribe, killing countless enemies and more than 10,000, and had reached Youyan.

Chen Shao couldn't help but click his tongue a few times, telling him to let Chunfa do it, but he just beat him up in a big circle.

These days, a decisive victory is hard to come by, and even a major triumph is rare, with opponents who are barely passable.

Chen Shao ordered them to go south to present their victory report, so that the people of the capital could also have some fun and shake off the bad luck caused by the widespread disasters of the third year of Jianwu!

Yue Fei's battle crippled the only powerful force in the northern desert, the Tatars. If they fail to plunder anything this winter, they will likely face even greater disasters.

This created favorable conditions for Jin Ling's conquest of the desert.

Everything is ready except for the final push.

Throughout history, most of the barbarian tribes that could threaten the Central Plains came from the north.

Only the Tibetans benefited from the favorable climate and once invaded Chang'an from the southwest.

In addition, the North has always been a breeding ground for major enemies of the Central Plains.

This time, Chen Shao is about to completely rewrite this situation. (End of Chapter)