You have truly caused me great suffering!

Returning to Tangshan, the imperial palace here is even more magnificent than last year.

Not only were the palaces renovated, but the roads were also changed in many ways.

The pavilions and towers, in particular, have a unique charm that doesn't seem remarkable at first glance, but reveals their beauty the more you look at them.

Chen Shao could tell at a glance that there was a master craftsman in the Crafts Bureau, probably a gardening or palace architecture expert.

The artistic level is very high.

His personal maid was sweeping and cleaning inside his palace.

Chen Chong delivered today's memorial, which he held close to his chest, waiting for it.

"Just put it here."

Chen Shao sat on the stone bench and gestured to the stone table next to him, indicating that he wanted to read the memorials in the courtyard.

After Chen Chong put it down, he stood a short distance behind him.

The first letter I opened was from the Zhe family, who first thanked me for sending the shipwright last time.

Last time, they followed Zhe Ningxiang's route, directly requesting that he send shipwrights over. Chen Shao himself also valued the development of Xiaoliuqiu, which is Taiwan, so he carefully selected some skilled craftsmen, all of whom were of the fifth rank or above, and sent them to the island.

This incident also reveals the Zhe family's style of doing things: as long as the goal is achieved, they are not bound by the means.

This is also based on the experience of those who are used to being regional military governors in large countries.

Often, if you try to enter the official system, the resistance is too great, and it's easy to cause delays.

Chen Shao nodded. A family like this was more suitable for pioneering on the island than others.

Firstly, they have family influence and are united enough to avoid being alone and vulnerable overseas; secondly, they have experience in struggle, know how to govern, and have the means.

Zhe Keqiu's memorial was a report of achievements. Two shipyards, three ports, and many paper mills had been built along the west coast.

The island has abundant timber resources, enough to even supply the Central Plains. There is also a considerable amount of fertile land suitable for cultivation, but there is a shortage of manpower, so the local natives are being taught how to cultivate the land.

No mines have been found yet, but the search and exploration are ongoing.

Chen Shao pondered for a moment, then picked up his pen and wrote a reply, urging them to continue their efforts and promising a host of rewards.

Being an emperor is like being a boss; to put it bluntly, an emperor is the biggest boss in the world, and both require the ability to make empty promises.

In the eyes of the officials of the Great Jing Dynasty, Chen Shao was a good boss because he never assigned tasks far beyond their capabilities, and he always kept his promises after the task was completed.

Through his experiences in Japan, Chen Shao realized that his preconceived notions might not be accurate at this time.

He couldn't say for sure what the situation was like in Taiwan now; he would have to wait until the New Year when Mr. Zhe came to Beijing to report on it.

The island's timber—no wonder Mr. Zhe specifically mentioned it—is becoming increasingly precious.

Both the Tang and Song dynasties were major logging nations.

When the Northern Song Dynasty established its capital in Kaifeng, a plain without forests, the demand for timber increased dramatically. Since there were no large trees within a hundred miles of the city, timber could only be harvested from hundreds of miles away.

The first to suffer were Qin and Long. During the Dazhong Xiangfu era, the imperial court organized tens of thousands of laborers to go to Shangluo and Dengzhou (now southern Shaanxi and southwestern Henan) to cut timber.
According to the "Collected Drafts of the Song Dynasty Administrative Regulations", "The mountains of Qin and Long were once rich in fine timber, but now they are all depleted."

This has led to a dramatic increase in silt in the Yellow River, resulting in frequent breaches and overflows.

This forced the Song Dynasty to begin artificial afforestation. The imperial court organized manpower to plant Chinese fir extensively in Fujian, Jiangxi, and Huizhou, forming the "mountain-planting" system.

The most important thing for Emperor Dajing was river repair, so even before he abdicated, Chen Shao had already begun to promote coal mining and adopted seemingly excessive bans to protect the upstream forests.

It was actually a bit late, but with increased intensity, it could still have a significant effect.

Timber from Korea and Japan has greatly compensated for the logging difficulties in Dajing. Taiwan will also be a timber supplier in the future.

Korean pine and Southeast Asian hardwoods can both be used for palaces, armaments, and cargo ships.

The vast Central Plains, the source of timber, first came from the nearby mountains, then from the Qinling and Bashan Mountains, and finally from the Jiangnan region.

Since the Qin and Han dynasties, the forest coverage rate in the Central Plains plummeted from 60% to less than 15% by the end of the Northern Song Dynasty. The Loess Plateau was crisscrossed with gullies, and the Yellow River was "half a bowl of sand in a bowl of water".

Now that there is an opportunity, Chen Shao wants to ban the logging before things become irreversible.

Chinese people have always liked to think about their descendants, and Chen Shao, though young, is no exception. He wants to put the brakes on the ecological collapse at the critical point.

May the land of the future transform from barren hills to verdant green hills.

The second report was Cai Xing's summary of his experiences in Southeast Asia. Although many memorials had already been submitted, Chen Shao was very interested in these and kept pressuring him.

Forced into a corner, Cai Xing had no choice but to rack his brains and write down everything he had seen and heard during his voyages, whether useful or not.

Most of them are meaningless.

Today's meal was even more watery; I even wrote down what I ate along the way.

Chen Shao flipped through the pages, and just as he was about to close them, he suddenly saw a sentence: "Many countries in the Arab world have citron, which is shaped like an orange but pointed, with a thick peel and an extremely sour taste."

Chen Shao sat up straight immediately. Could this thing be a lemon?

"Call Cai Xing here."
-
Cai Xing traveled from Jinling to the Tangshan Imperial Palace, a journey that took more than an hour on horseback.

Upon arriving at the palace, he was filled with trepidation, thinking that His Majesty had discovered that his writing was too vague, but there was nothing he could do about it.

While waiting in the flower hall, Cai Xing was restless.

Finally, Chen Shao walked in, followed by a eunuch carrying a brush and ink.

Cai Xing quickly stepped forward to bow, and Chen Shao nodded.

Cai Xing saw that what he was holding was clearly his own memorial to the throne, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart, just as he had thought.

"This memorial"

"My lord is guilty!"

Chen Shao frowned slightly, beckoned, and Cai Xing took a few steps forward.

Come here!

Cai Xing hurried to Chen Shao's side, only to see His Majesty pointing to one of the rows and asking, "This thing is called citron. Can you draw it?"

"Yes, yes, yes."

Cai Jing was an expert in both calligraphy and painting, and as his carefully nurtured grandson, Cai Xing's painting skills are also very high.

Chen Shao nodded and said, "Try to restore it as accurately as possible!"

Cai Xing quickly picked up his pen and began to draw on the table while recalling the past.

Chen Shao immediately confirmed that this was a lemon, and that this stuff had a miraculous effect in treating scurvy.

Scurvy was a great threat at sea.

Chen Shao immediately said, "I will speak, and you will write the decree."

"The merchants who pass by must bring these citron saplings and seeds back to Dajing, so that the Sinong Temple can select a site in Guangnan to cultivate them."

After Cai Xing finished writing, he said, "Your Majesty is unaware that although this thing is yellow like gold and shaped like an orange, its juice is extremely sour and inedible."

Chen Shao nodded and said, "I have heard people say that sea breezes can cause thirst, muscle weakness, and tooth loss, but only sour foods can help. This substance is extremely sour, which is exactly what can help generate saliva, strengthen teeth, and detoxify from sea poisoning."

Cai Xing was stunned for a moment, thinking to himself, "His Majesty is truly learned; he even knows this."

"Slice this ingredient, dry it in the sun, soak it in honey, seal it, and it can be preserved for a year. Take it with you on voyages to detoxify from sea poisoning and help our great Jing sailors brave the winds and waves. Wouldn't that be wonderful!"

Extending this idea further, Chen Shao immediately thought of limes, oranges, tangerines, and other fruits, which could also be cultivated and planted on a large scale, and brought along on every voyage.

Then have the engineering institute improve the juicer, preferably making a copper screw press, because copper is easier to polish and shape. "Here, draw a few more, and send people from the ports of Quanzhou, Guangzhou, and Mingzhou to tell the merchants from the Arab world and the Jingzhou world that anyone who brings back seedlings will be richly rewarded. Oh, and the same goes for the Uyghur or Sogdian merchants who travel the Dali-Tibet-Western Regions route."

Cai Xing hadn't expected His Majesty to be so determined and decisive. Could it be that the sour juice of this fruit could really cure the sea poison?
Thinking of His Majesty's past miraculous deeds, he immediately accepted the order and, carrying Chen Shao's decree, set off to visit various government offices in the capital.

Watching his hurried departure, Chen Shao couldn't help but smile, feeling great.

As expected, you have to squeeze your subjects hard, otherwise you would have almost missed out on this stuff.

If a voyage exceeds three months, scurvy will become extremely dangerous, reducing the number of sailors by at least half.

This trip to Southeast Asia was a journey of stopping and starting.

In the future, trips to the Americas and Africa will often require a long voyage.

Whoever can end the "curse of scurvy" will gain the initiative in the ocean shipping industry.

Unfortunately, they might not have been able to reach the Americas at that time; otherwise, there would have been many more crops that could have been introduced.

As for the introduction of lemons, Chen Shao is no longer worried.

He now understands better than anyone the immense power of a de facto emperor in the Central Plains.

As long as Chen Shao shows great interest and promises a generous reward, there is nothing in the world that cannot be accomplished.

The emperor's orders are perhaps the thing that can mobilize the most people's initiative in the world.

"Her words carry the weight of the emperor's will" is not just a figure of speech.

No matter how difficult the task, the people of Dajing will help him accomplish it.

Chen Shao's prediction is optimistic; he hopes that by this time next year, lemon seedlings will have survived.

Guangnan West Road, which is Guangxi, can domesticate every kind of fruit tree from other places.

After Cai Xing left, it was already dusk. Feeling a bit tired, he excitedly decided to go soak in the hot springs.

Arriving at the hot spring pool enclosed by the two-story building, Chen Shao realized that his visit to the crafts camp this year had not been in vain, as the place had been very well maintained.

Based on the source of the hot spring, this bathhouse consists of five pools of varying sizes, shaped like a plum blossom.

The pool was entirely constructed of white marble, pure and flawless. At this moment, the pool was filled with misty steam, the white vapor permeating the air, and the pool's edges, polished to a gleaming shine, emitted a fragrant aroma.

The people from the Inner Palace and the Six Departments also put in a lot of effort, separating each hot spring pool with curtains and screens to form five interconnected yet independent spaces. Inside, in addition to bathing supplies, there were all kinds of beds, brocade mats, and silk quilts for resting.

Chen Shao suddenly remembered that he had promised to build a house with a hot spring pool for Li Shishi and Chun Tao, who loved bathing.

Now I can say that I have fulfilled my promise.

Chen Shao smiled at the palace maids who were standing by with their hands at their sides and said, "Summon the Imperial Noble Consort and her sisters."

Chun Tao came running faster than anyone else, lifting her skirt to find Chen Shao. She looked as if she had fallen into the water fully clothed, still giggling. Then, clothes were seen flying everywhere, some hanging on the screen, some falling to the ground. After a while, a series of noises came from behind the screen, mixed with the soft voice of a young girl.

When Li Shishi arrived, she couldn't help but blush upon hearing the commotion inside.

But she still slowly and deliberately unbuttoned her clothes and went inside.
In the Northwest, Yue Fei led his army back to the Hetao region.

Halfway there, they received orders to garrison Datong and be ready to take action at any time.

Four people were granted the title of king for their military achievements in the Great Jing Dynasty.

At this time, there are two in the Northwest, and everyone knows that something big is about to happen.

Datong had always been Li Xiaozhong's garrison, and at this time he was training his troops.

Yue Fei's army was incredibly fast, especially in the Central Plains where the roads were flat and unobstructed.

The Central Plains army went from being extremely short of horses during the Song Dynasty to having an abundance of horses today, which is essentially due to the defeat of the Western Xia and the regaining of pastures.

He arrived at the military camp outside Datong City and happened to see Li Xiaozhong training his troops.

A military officer led Yue Fei and others to the observation platform. Looking down, they saw that the open space of more than ten acres in the central army camp had long been trampled solid by the soldiers.

Although water had been sprinkled, the entire group was still covered in dust after several rounds of training.

The soldiers and officers, dressed in neat armor with the blades polished to a gleaming shine, had retreated to the side, sitting quietly cross-legged and resting, panting heavily.

Hundreds of horses were led to another location, their bodies drenched in sweat. The soldiers and officers sat cross-legged, each camp arranged in a neat, square formation.

There were few human voices, and when these soldiers occasionally looked at each other, there was a sense of pride in their eyes.

Even just training, let alone fighting, has inspired a great deal of masculine spirit in these men, giving them a sense of high morale and confidence.

In fact, military training throughout history has always been something that goes against human nature.

Its essence is to train a person to kill the other party without any psychological scruples.

Especially in the Central Plains, people are born knowing that murderers will die.

To achieve this goal, various means must be used to completely change a person.

Li Xiaozhong had already rehearsed the upcoming war time and time again. He knew that this campaign to conquer the desert would definitely result in rivers of blood.

However, there is no room for leniency; the entire army must share the same thought as His Majesty, which is to completely resolve the border troubles.

If it doesn't work the first time, try the second time; if it doesn't work the second time, try the third time, and so on until you get the light.

This may be the best opportunity in a thousand years; never before has the north been so weak while the Central Plains have been so powerful.

Take advantage of his illness and kill him!
A true man should not miss such a golden age. Li Xiaozhong was actually quite benevolent when he ruled Yinxia, ​​but the more benevolent a general is in the Central Plains, the more 'ruthless' he becomes when he goes to the desert.

Because they all understand one thing: when the Tartars have the upper hand, they will not show you any mercy.

We have been sworn enemies for thousands of years, so why should I feel any pity? Only by killing you all can my descendants find peace.

Yue Fei, accompanied by Xu Qing and Yang Zaixing, came up behind Li Xiaozhong.

Li Xiaozhong turned around and said only four words: "Well played."

Yue Fei wasn't good at official talk, so he didn't reply, which seemed to be an admission of agreement.

Combined with his uneven eyes, anyone unfamiliar with him would surely think this military general was incredibly arrogant.

Several of Li Xiaozhong's generals looked at him with some surprise before he said, "I wouldn't dare!"

Li Xiaozhong laughed and said, "We need to do more surprise attacks like this."

"Anytime is fine!"

Yue Fei knew what was going on; it seemed the operation was about to begin, but he didn't know the main direction of the attack from all sides.

He wasn't just concerned with where his own troops would attack from; from the very beginning, he was bursting with a sense of responsibility and wanted to know about the overall situation.

"We don't know when the attack will take place."

Li Xiaozhong laughed and said, "We're just waiting for the King to deliver His Majesty's edict, ordering all the chieftains of the grasslands to relinquish their ministerial positions and submit to the Central Plains, and for the herders to be registered and placed under the jurisdiction of the local government. At that time, there will certainly be those who disagree. As long as someone dares to disobey the imperial decree, we'll start a war!"

“We are all paid by the emperor, so we don’t need to farm, cultivate land, or graze livestock. Therefore, from the start of the war, we have spring campaigns, summer attacks, autumn campaigns, and winter punitive expeditions. We will not stop until we destroy the barbarians.”

Yue Fei felt his blood boil and his chest pound.

There has never been such a method of warfare before, only because the nation's strength could not sustain such conquests. It should be noted that Emperor Wu of Han only launched a few campaigns before he had completely depleted the nation's resources.

But if a country has the national strength to support it, then no country can resist such a tactic.

The Great Jing were professional warriors, but not on the grasslands. When there was no fighting or plundering, they were the main labor force of their respective tribes. (End of Chapter)