You have truly caused me great suffering!

Yue Fei led his troops to Nanjing.

Half a day's journey from Jinling, the army set up camp along the flat, water-rich areas on both sides of the official road.

The number of troops that came this time was not large; he didn't bring many troops during the spring campaign to begin with.

After selecting those who escorted the wounded back, more than three thousand people remained.

Setting up a camp in such a remote location is not like setting up a battlefield.

There's no need to build so many auxiliary defensive fortifications. As long as the stockades are neatly arranged, the camp is well-organized, and deer fences are set up to prevent unauthorized pedestrians from rushing into the camp gate, that will suffice.

Now is the time to cook and prepare meals. In addition to the army carrying extra provisions, the prefectures and counties along the way are also responsible for supplying the returning army.

Upon reaching the vicinity of the capital, officials from the Jinling government came to offer their support to the troops very early on.

The air was filled with the aroma of rice and meat. When camping in the open, according to the military orders of Yue Fei's army, drinking alcohol was not allowed.

If you don't want to drink, then don't. The soldiers who have fought their way into enemy territory and survived countless battles have spent a year fighting on the unfamiliar and desolate grasslands. Being able to return to the rich and prosperous Central Plains is already something to be overjoyed about.

Moreover, the grand occasion of presenting a victory was a source of immense pride, and laughter and cheers frequently filled the camp.

The three thousand cavalrymen, when deployed, truly formed a continuous line.

Yue Fei was extremely strict in governing his army, but just like Qu Duan, he set an example in everything he did, so no one could say anything against him.

Moreover, he never lost money on provisions and pay. Yue Fei was a rare general who never exploited his soldiers, which is why his soldiers were willing to die for him.

A disciplined army is not necessarily exceptionally capable in combat, but every capable army is bound to be disciplined.

At this time, Yue Fei and Zhang Xian had already gone to Jinling City, leaving their troops behind to wait.

Such a grand occasion, occurring right after the Mid-Autumn Festival, left the people deeply disappointed.

But in Nanjing, there will inevitably be another round of revelry.

Before the generals returned, the Ministry of War's reward arrived first, saying it was tribute wine bestowed by His Majesty, and that the soldiers were specially granted permission to drink it in front of Commander Yue.

The soldiers cheered immediately. It wasn't that they were greedy for the wine, but rather that the event itself exuded a sense of royal warmth, which made these battle-hardened men feel warm inside.

Many countries in later generations have used beautiful women to entertain their troops or boost morale. For example, the United States used Marilyn Monroe to entertain its troops, and South Korea had girl groups perform dances.

But what truly boosts morale and stirs the hearts of these warriors is never a beautiful woman, but the emperor.

The army drank heavily all night, and before dawn the next day, they began to prepare for their departure.

The road conditions in the Song Dynasty, the wide and smooth roads in the local areas, and even the administrative capacity of the government offices were actually quite good, far surpassing those of the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties.

In later generations, it is rare to see armies of tens of thousands of people gathering together and setting off at the same time.

The reason is simple: both road conditions and local supply capacity are insufficient.

They usually set off in groups of about a thousand people.

During the Song Dynasty, it was common to see troops of nearly 10,000 men, fully armed and bearing numerous banners, marching across Song territory.

The Great Jing Dynasty, which completely inherited the local system of the Great Song Dynasty without any disruption, undertook extensive repairs and renovations on this basis.

Road and river repairs have always been the biggest financial expenditure for Dajing, exceeding all other expenditures combined.

As a result, the road became easier to travel.

At this moment, the soldiers returning from the Northern Expedition, riding on their horses, looked back at the vast army in front of and behind them, and a sense of pride welled up in them.

Comparing the grasslands and the Central Plains this year, I feel even more strongly that the vast landscape I have behind me is so powerful, and the enemies in the desert are nothing to fear.

As the army marched, a fairly orderly shout suddenly came from a distance behind them.

From what he could faintly hear were songs of praise and eulogy, such as "Long live the Emperor." Yue Fei was somewhat surprised and turned to look around. Zhang Xian smiled and said, "The soldiers rehearsed this on their own initiative. They're showing off their achievements in the Imperial Street to make His Majesty happy."

Yue Fei remained silent; his silence was tantamount to approval.

He arrived in Beijing last night, and was received by Han Shizhong, his former superior from Tanzhou.

Han Shizhong was always very close to Yue Fei, considering him one of his own, but this actually stemmed from a misunderstanding.

While commanding troops at the front, he was reprimanded by Chen Shao for persecuting Huyan Tong. Han Wu had a sudden inspiration: instead of letting His Majesty think he was cold-hearted, he should make His Majesty think he was upholding military discipline and not bending the law for personal gain.

Therefore, he specifically recommended Yue Fei, who was stationed in Tanzhou, praising his outstanding military leadership and combat abilities. This was to show that whether he punished his close friend Hu Yantong or recommended Yue Fei, whom he did not know, he was doing it all for the public good.

As it turned out, Chen Shao really did give Yue Fei a high-ranking position.

In fact, Chen Shao was completely unaware of his little scheme. The promotion of Yue Fei was not due to his recommendation, but rather to information asymmetry from later generations.

In Han Shizhong's eyes, the current emperor didn't know Yue Fei at all; they had no connection whatsoever. Moreover, this guy was one of Zong Ze's men. Back then, the Dingnan Army and Zong Ze's group didn't get along. Calling them enemies would be an exaggeration, but they were certainly wary of each other.

Why would His Majesty so readily promote this military general from Hebei? After much thought, Han Shizhong concluded that it could only be because of his own recommendation.

Therefore, in his heart, Yue Fei was someone he had promoted, someone he considered his younger brother, and thus he was especially close to him.

This made Yue Fei feel somewhat flattered.

After meeting him, Han Shizhong took Yue Fei to meet the emperor and told him that His Majesty was about to visit the Tangshan Palace and was waiting for them to present their victory report.

When Chen Shao saw Yue Fei again, he felt that Yue Fei had matured a lot.

After a long talk between the emperor and his minister, Yue Fei learned of the devastating disaster that had struck the Northwest. The earthquake in Qin Prefecture had delayed the complete pacification of the desert.

However, the fact that Prince Xun Jinling has already arrived in the Northwest indicates that the imperial court is not far from taking action.

In other dynasties, facing such a major event, they might have needed to accumulate strength and lie low for five or eight years before launching a full-scale attack.

But Dajing Finance is too good, so it doesn't require that much preparation time.

Just like Zhu Di, the fourth son of the Zhu family in later generations, who had plenty of money when he went to Southeast Asia, which enabled him to launch successive northern expeditions.

Coming back to his senses from last night's thoughts, Yue Fei realized that Jinling City was already right in front of him.

The soldiers and troops behind them, who had never seen such a city before, all exclaimed in admiration.

The city had long prepared a road for the victory presentation. Yue Fei and several generals reined in their horses and stood on the left side of the road.

Each battalion marched past them in neat rows, with the flags of each battalion arranged as neatly as possible. Following the command of the leading general, the hundreds of soldiers in each battalion shouted in unison, chanting slogans such as "Long live the Emperor!" and "May the army be victorious!" It was quite a proper performance.

A group of people entered the city, where they were greeted by countless citizens.

At this moment, everyone was moved to tears. Although they could not describe their feelings, they all felt that risking their lives in the frontier was worthwhile.

This victory parade, in terms of both scale and program, cannot compare to the military parade held by the Dingnan Army outside Bianliang City back then.

But it's still an exciting thing, and it will be a topic of conversation in Nanjing for a long time.
-
After seeing off the troops from Hetao, Chen Shao received a message.

This year, Gao Shunzhen from Dali will personally come to pay tribute.

This almost threw Chen Shao off balance. He thought about it carefully and realized that he had pushed the other party to the limit, making them want to surrender.

I didn't expect it to be so fragile.
In fact, Chen Shao underestimated the current power and pressure of the Great Jing.

He felt like he was tugging at the other person's neck, but Gao Shunzhen felt like she was constantly being pricked by a thorn in her back, or like a sharp blade was hanging over her neck.

Besides having to endure the daily flirtations and even open arm-in-arms between various departments of the junior high school and Da Jing, his foundation of rule was being eroded piece by piece.

We also have to worry about the Jing army attacking.

In the past, the Tang and Song dynasties, Tibet, and Dali formed a balance.

When Tibet was powerful, Dali allied with the Tang and Song dynasties to counterbalance it. Whenever the Tang or Song dynasties harbored ambitions to seize Dali, they would flirt with Tibet.

Now that Qinghai-Tibet has been destroyed by Wu Jie, and the neighboring Jiaozhi has become part of the Dajing Annam Road, Dali is essentially surrounded on three sides and has no natural defenses.

The Great Jing could easily invade from the Red River Plain.

He was unaware of Chen Shao's soft spot for Yunnan, only feeling that the Great Jing Emperor was no pushover, judging by the devastation Jiaozhi had suffered; and then there was Champa. Although Champa didn't look like much, it was still an ancient kingdom with a thousand-year history.

What merit or ability do I possess to have earned Emperor Jing's respect? Who knows when he might attack?
Gao Shunzhen, who was tormented by this anxiety of being beset by internal and external troubles every day, could only think of one way to break the deadlock: to sell her ancestral property for a good price, just like the Qian family.

It must be said that the Song Dynasty helped the Jing Dynasty in many ways, albeit in a subtle way.

The Song Dynasty seized power from the Guo family and treated Guo Rong's descendants well. When they abdicated to the Jing Dynasty, there was much less resistance and the people were more likely to accept it. The Zhao family also had the confidence to do so.

Why did Li Yu suffer so much after being captured? His wife was raped by the legendary charioteer Zhao Er, and he even had to paint a picture to record it, yet later generations generally showed no sympathy for him.

Just look at how they treated their benefactors, the Yang Wu royal family, and you'll know.

The Song Dynasty's good treatment of the Qian family paved the way for the Jing Dynasty, giving these smaller states a greater sense of security when they submitted to the Song.

Chen Shao then ordered Gao Siyuan to be summoned.

The once elegant and refined young master of the Gao family of Dali now appeared dejected, with a vacant stare and sluggish thinking, causing Chen Shao to shake his head in dismay.

It turns out that after he got together with Qingqing, a famous courtesan in Nanjing, they became inseparable, and he thought he had found a treasure and a precious gem.

But you can't hide fire with paper.

After learning that this famous courtesan had actually managed to curry favor with the successor of the de facto ruler of Dali and was becoming increasingly arrogant, the past could no longer be kept secret.

Soon, Qingqing's former patrons began to boast about how they used to be...
For example, there was a spoiled brat who boasted that once when she had her period, he suggested taking a different approach, and she agreed.

This extraordinary woman, Gao Siyuan, was pure of heart and devoted to Buddhism, but due to family reasons, she was forced into prostitution. All sorts of scandals about her have been exposed.

How she poisoned other girls in her courtyard because of jealousy and rivalry; how she squeezed a scholar from out of town dry and then kicked him out; how she persuaded her patron to divorce his wife and was subsequently beaten and taught a lesson.

Gao Siyuan didn't believe it at first, but there were too many rumors. Although he, Gao Siyuan, was absurd, his identity as the heir of the Gao family was not fake, and he had shrewd and capable subordinates. He could find out the truth about this matter with a little investigation.

After the investigation, his Dao heart was damaged.
Devastated, Gao Siyuan even considered becoming a monk to formally enter the Buddhist order and sever his worldly ties. However, he was told that his family background did not meet the requirements for becoming a monk in Dajing.

I spend my days in a daze, not knowing when I'll come to my senses.

When he was summoned by Chen Shao, it was the time when he was most depressed.

He couldn't respond to a single question even if I said three, and his answers were irrelevant, causing all sorts of problems and disrespect in front of the emperor.

Chen Shao swallowed hard, realizing there was no point in talking to such a spineless person. He quickly dismissed him and decided to wait for Gao Shunzhen to arrive before continuing the conversation.
-
As the autumn wind grew cooler, amidst the anticipation of the concubines in the harem, Chen Shao officially ordered a trip to Tangshan.

In Jinling City, the imperial guards, composed of Lingwu soldiers, escorted the royal procession to the Tangshan Imperial Palace.

It is popularly known as the 'Hot Spring Palace'.

The imperial guards, dressed in brocade robes, stood in a dense array. Dong Dahu, in the robes of a high-ranking official, rode his horse, his hand on his sword, leading the guards.

There was no Junrong Zhiyue Band playing music, and not many colorful flags were waving, but the atmosphere was still extraordinary.

The personal guards of the founding emperor possessed a unique air that was unmatched by the imperial guards of other times.

The people poured into the streets, cheering, hoping to attract the attention of the emperor and his concubines.

As the crowd grew larger, Zhong Lingxi ordered that some hand warming money be distributed, to be given by the eunuchs of the Inner Palace Department, with more for the elderly and children.

The Emperor's blessings extended to the people of Zhouzhi, and these copper coins had been prepared long ago.

Some people laughed and said that the current emperor's romantic nature surpasses even that of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang.

Clearly, some people still see Li Sanlang as a positive character. It can only be said that time, like a great wave washing away sand, has buried too many truths.

The "Annals of Emperor Xuanzong" in the Old Book of Tang records: "Every year in the tenth month, he would visit Huaqing Palace and return at the end of the year."

In other words, Li Longji would spend three or four months at Huaqing Pool every year, and this continued for 14 consecutive years during the Tianbao era.

His Majesty now visits once a year, but it hasn't caused a great stir.

Scholars in the Central Plains have always liked to use history as a mirror, employing the experiences and lessons of past emperors to advise the current emperor.

But Chen Shao was different.

Emperor Xuanzong was lazy and negligent in governing, purely pursuing pleasure and leaving state affairs to treacherous officials.

Once he entered Huaqing Pool, he truly neglected state affairs, relying on Li Linfu in the front and Yang Guozhong in the back to govern the country. Li Linfu was bad, but he was indeed quite capable.

Can Yang Guozhong even govern a country? He's incapable of it, you know that?!

Chen Shao's actions were intentional, aimed at cultivating a system of officials. Officials could still have an audience with the emperor if they wanted, and imperial edicts were delivered to him daily. Chen Shao simply changed his work environment; he did not neglect his duties.

His ultimate goal was to cultivate the administrative abilities of the Secretariat and the Chancellery, so as to create a relatively relaxed system for his descendants that would not rely excessively on wise emperors to maintain prosperity.

Because he didn't know if his descendants would produce a tyrannical ruler. If the dynasty always relied on one emperor to lead the way and make all the decisions, the probability of a tyrannical ruler appearing would be 100%. It was just a matter of which generation it would be.

If these descendants of a tyrant are merely incompetent and pleasure-seeking, that's one thing. But if a prodigy like Yang Guang, with astonishing destructive power, were to emerge, everything would be over.

You know, Brother Guangzi is a second-generation descendant!
The second generation encountered Guangzi Ge, and the Sui Dynasty was also blessed by their ancestors, which is equivalent to their ancestral graves emitting black smoke.

As long as military power is retained and troops are controlled, any administrative power that is handed over can be easily regained at any time.

Chen Shao's ultimate goal was to have the engineering institute innovate weapons and bring warfare into the firearms age.

In this way, the Jing army could crush troops from other places without needing their generals and soldiers to be familiar with each other.

The Song Dynasty's system of soldiers not knowing their generals and generals not knowing their soldiers was truly effective.

He bestowed upon the royal family absolute authority through his unparalleled prestige, thereby ensuring the stability of the regime and enabling his policies to continue operating for a long time.

In just a few hundred years, once the path of technology is on the right track, no matter how the situation changes, the civilization on this land will be able to stand above all other races!
This is what Chen Shao is pursuing.

The emperor's entourage passed through Nanjing and became much quieter once they entered the official road.

Everyone's ears are still ringing. (End of Chapter)