You have truly caused me great suffering!

Having lived in Jinling for a long time, Chen Shao was no longer used to the winters in Lingwu.

His hands became so cold and stiff after writing only a few words.

Sometimes, without a word, he would grab a maid and stuff her hand into her collar to warm it.

Li Wanshu and the others were so frightened that they were on tenterhooks, and when they brought a cup of tea, they would tiptoe over and leave as soon as they put it down.

Outside the window, palace maids accompanying the emperor were already putting up peach wood charms.

The faint sound of firecrackers could still be heard in Lingzhou City.

Every time Chen Shao heard the distant sound of firecrackers and smelled the distinctive scent of gunpowder in the air, he felt a deep connection to the world and a sense of everyday life.

Gunpowder has made great strides in recent years, but manufacturing cannon ammunition alone is quite expensive.

Therefore, the engineering college also specially developed some fireworks and firecrackers, which greatly improved the level of Dajing Fireworks.

For a professional military industry to do these things is simply a game-changer.

But that's how the court of the Great Jing Dynasty is; no matter what kind of government office it is, it can create value.

Chen Shao sat on a bearskin chair and put down his pen. The three-legged gilded bronze incense burner in front of him emitted a faint sandalwood fragrance, which calmed the mind.

With the New Year approaching, although there are many important things to do next year, we cannot neglect our primary job.

He buried himself in writing an imperial edict, which was published in the Dajing Gazette.

The relevant authorities are reminded to pay attention to flood prevention, river repair, and spring plowing next year.

The land reclamation and immigration policies in Liaodong and Nanhuang will not only not be cancelled this year, but will also be further rewarded.

Places like Youyan and Yunzhong have seen a significant influx of people in recent years.

At the beginning of the founding of the country, no one wanted to go, but as the situation stabilized, many Han people could not resist the temptation of land and migrated one after another.

But Liaodong remains a major problem; sending oneself to such a harsh and cold place is tantamount to exiling oneself to Ningguta.
After Chen Shao finished writing, he closed his eyes and thought about what else needed to be added.

Fighting is fighting, but we can't neglect our important business.

Expanding territory thousands of miles abroad is not as important as building water conservancy projects and improving people's livelihoods within one's own country.

Only by securing the Central Plains as our base can we continuously conquer new territories.

If you put the focus on the outside, you're putting the cart before the horse.

If the fighting gets out of hand, and the oppression and exploitation of the domestic population is used to support the war abroad, then when the people in the heartland of the Central Plains are filled with resentment, those territories outside will most likely split up.

The reason why the next battle was able to be fought on such a large scale was actually due to another very important reason: Chen Shao was not very power-hungry.

He didn't intend to concentrate all power in his own hands; he was willing to try some risky things appropriately.

Some dynasties closed themselves off from the world because they feared that their territory would expand too much and they would lose control of the new lands, thus giving rise to forces that were not under their control.

But Chen Shaoyue's situation only made his position more secure.

Those who hide or suppress their actions do not achieve the same effect.

Sometimes, the less you care about something, the more you will gain from it.

From the smallest details of daily life to major national events, things may seem worlds apart, but the underlying logic is the same.

For example, Yang Guang had silk wrapped around trees to promote the strength and wealth of his empire, but this did not bring him much respect.

When Chen Shao toured the country, he often concealed his entourage, but this did not prevent the people and gentry in the places he visited from being overjoyed, as if it were a festival.

There was even a scene where people from all over the country rushed to write to him, urging him to go and inspect the area.

After writing the imperial edict, Chen Shao went into the courtyard. Despite the cold weather, he walked up to the most distinctive feature of the mansion—the high platform.

Chen Shao's residence was originally built by Li Jiqian. This high platform was specifically requested by Li Jiqian so that he could overlook his Lingzhou.

Li Jiqian was to the Tanguts what Chen Shao was to the Jing Dynasty—both were undisputed 'founding emperors'.

Lingzhou was the traditional stronghold of the Tangut people and a base area with the characteristics of a "guerrilla zone".

In 1002, Li Jiqian captured Lingzhou of the Northern Song Dynasty, killed the prefect Pei Ji, and then moved the capital there, renaming it Xiping Prefecture.

Palaces and ancestral temples were built here, establishing it as the capital of the early Western Xia regime until the reign of his son, Li Deming, when it was moved to Xingzhou.

At that time, one could actually glimpse the ambition of this barbarian: Lingzhou "controls Hebei to the north, leads Qingliang to the south, occupies the upper reaches of all roads, and guards the vital western border."

Compared to the remote Xia Prefecture, Ling Prefecture was not only rich in water and grass, but also a strategic springboard for controlling the Hexi Corridor and advancing into Guanzhong.

It's clear that he has great ambitions.

However, the fighting strength of the imperial guards in the early Song Dynasty was not something he could easily match. Faced with the encirclement and suppression by the Song Dynasty, he could only flee for his life.

After the soldiers who had emerged from the Five Dynasties period died out, the Song Dynasty gradually lost its martial prowess, and the Western Xia began to attack.

Chen Shao had originally intended to do the same.

But man proposes, God disposes. Before he could even enter Guanzhong, he bypassed Guanzhong and headed straight for Hedong.

The territory east of the river is extremely authoritative; whoever occupies the east of the river is guaranteed a perfect start in the struggle for power.

If he had followed the established procedures at that time, it would have been extremely difficult for him to break through Guanzhong.

Like the Western Xia, they would likely be firmly suppressed by the Western Army.

Despite the large force the Western Army amassed in Hebei and Youyan, they were still quite formidable in their own homeland.

Moreover, once war breaks out, Chen Shao's eleven prefectures of Dingnan will immediately lose the opportunity to trade with the Central Plains and become a replica of Western Xia.

The Song Dynasty may seem weak, but in every respect, it shouldn't have been destroyed in the Jingkang Incident.

The emperor's actions were truly outrageous; otherwise, we could have weathered the storm.

Ultimately, the Northern Song Dynasty was still wealthy, able to collect taxes, and its officials were not alienated from the country. With money, there was room for maneuver.

When pushed to the limit, it should have bottomed out and rebounded, but unfortunately...
The sky was overcast, and it looked like it was going to snow again. A cold wind blew, and Chen Shao's thoughts slowly returned.

This year is the last peaceful New Year before the start of the great war.

Soon, the world will be plunged into war, unlike previous wars which were all started by foreign tribes.

This time, the conquest was launched by the Great Jing of the Central Plains.

The people who originally conquered westward from East Asia were called the Divine Whip, the Heavenly Whip, or the Whip of God.
But those were just nomadic tribes; their true purpose was to rob.

But this time it's different.

They will soon experience the strength of the regular army in East Asia.

Now that I'm here, I'm not leaving!
The establishment of Blackwater Prefecture in the far north of the Great Jing Dynasty was a very important event.

This signifies that the Great Jing Dynasty is about to abolish the local chieftain system and completely abandon the tributary system.

Heishui Prefecture is a name inherited from the Tang Dynasty. Because the river water was black, it was called "Heishui" (Black Water), which generally refers to the middle and lower reaches of the Heilongjiang River in later generations.

The Tatar immigrants who had traveled to this place had already entered the winter camp city.

This place is a bitterly cold land for the people of the Central Plains, but for the Tatars in the northern desert, it is a holy place to spend the winter.

The Jurchen, Shiwei, and Bohai people who originally lived here have now become subjects of the Great Jing.

Liaodong Road Heishui Prefecture's jurisdiction extended from the Onon River (now the Onon River) in the west to the Outer Khingan Mountains in the north, to the sea in the east, to the Tumen River in the south, and to Sakhalin Island in the northeast across the sea.

The Mongol, Jurchen, Jilimi, Kuyi, and Daur peoples within its territory mostly live by fishing and hunting, but they are all descendants of the Great Jing.

Because the Great Jing insists that the Northern Territory has no royal court, no chieftain, no tribe, and no chieftain.

The land and its inhabitants were all under the control of the government, so Chen Shao put a lot of effort into this matter.

He knew these officials in the Central Plains all too well.

If this place were inhabited entirely by foreign tribes, even though his decrees clearly stipulated that everyone should be treated equally, the arrival of officials from the Central Plains would inevitably lead to chaos and corruption over time. They would deceive their superiors, treat others as less than human, and ultimately cause disunity and alienation.

Therefore, Chen Shao's first step was to relocate Han Chinese to Heishui Prefecture, the northernmost part of the Great Jing Dynasty. The large increase in Han Chinese immigrants would not only change the racial composition of Heishui Prefecture, but would also greatly enhance the imperial court's influence in the region.

There are many Han Chinese here, so you must abide by the law properly, otherwise you will naturally be sued.

Moreover, taking advantage of the internal turmoil in Goryeo, Daejeong brought a large number of Goryeo people to settle here.

Koreans are also skilled at farming, but they don't have much room to develop their talents in their own country.

Because the land in Goryeo is relatively barren.

The original inhabitants here were even more backward than the Tatars of the northern desert; they only knew how to hunt and fish.

For Han Chinese immigrants skilled in farming and animal husbandry, assimilating these most backward and primitive ethnic groups was not actually that difficult.

Who said they don't want to farm?
It's just that I don't know how.

After the Manchus entered the pass, they exiled many Han Chinese to the area.

As a traditional skill passed down from their ancestors, the Han people were taught how to farm when they arrived.

However, the Manchu nobles who entered the pass were afraid that these poor guys would live a good life, so they would destroy the crops they planted.

They euphemistically call it: "Manchu roots, no Han customs allowed."

They were locked up in the Changbai Mountains and the Heilongjiang River basin, forbidden from freely entering the pass to make a living, and forced to maintain their primitive fishing and hunting practices.

They also had to bear heavy labor such as paying tribute with sable and hunting livestock, and their produce was requisitioned by the imperial court at low prices or without compensation.

Although they are nominally the "ruling nation," they are actually one of the most oppressed and exploited groups.

So much so that this group was the happiest when the Qing Dynasty fell.

Zhang Rong (of the Bordered Yellow Banner), a Manchu revolutionary in Fengtian (Shenyang), organized the "United Rapid Advancement Society," which explicitly proposed "responding to the South to prevent the Qing Emperor from returning east," aiming to cut off the Qing court's retreat to the Northeast to establish a government-in-exile.

This United Progressive Society is so humorous; every time I read this part of history, I can't help but laugh out loud.

Bao Huanan, a Manchu from Fengcheng, Liaoning, and Song Yu from Jilin, led an uprising army mainly composed of Manchus, echoing the revolutionaries in the south.

They were ruthless against the Qing Dynasty more than anyone else.

How much grain can one acre of land produce? How many cattle and sheep can one acre of pasture support? The people here are just backward, not stupid.

These people are the least ethnically conscious; they don't consider ethnic factors much and value immediate practical interests above all else.

Once they realize the benefits of farming, these naturally brave and skilled horsemen will become the most honest and loyal farmers in the Great Jing after two generations.

If you could have enough to eat, who the hell would risk their life? If you could live in a house and burn coal for warmth, who would want to sleep on ice and snow?

Chen Shao demonstrated great courage in his efforts to relocate Han people, not only by distributing land and fields, but also by granting titles to those who reclaimed a lot of wasteland!

Those who were unwilling to leave their hometowns, upon seeing that the imperial court was willing to provide them with official positions, exclaimed, "Why didn't you say so earlier?!"

Can it be inherited?

We must move! We absolutely have to move!

What is the meaning of "it's hard to leave one's homeland"?
I don't love this place; I was just born here.
The grand version of "Crossing the Guandong" thus began.

To the left of Heilongjiang lies a vast plain, and to the right, an endless primeval forest.

From a distance, the vast primeval forests look like mushroom mounds rising on a plain. Upon closer inspection, one can see huge trees, some over ten feet tall, such as pine, birch, oak, and poplar trees, densely packed together. Some of them require six or seven people to encircle them.

In these primeval forests, wildflowers bloom everywhere, wild vegetables grow in abundance, bees and butterflies flutter about, and mushrooms, hazelnuts, chestnuts, and countless wild fruit trees abound. Sometimes, you might accidentally step on a nest of quail eggs or wild chicken eggs.

There are many prey here, but the ones they like the most are roe deer. These roe deer have never seen humans before. When they see humans, they don't turn and run away, but stand there and stare blankly. If a person comes up with a stick, they can knock them down with one blow. Because of their arrival, the roe deer have earned an adorable nickname: silly roe deer.

The large fish in this great river is also not found in the Central Plains. It is silvery-gray with red spots, and has a big mouth with sharp teeth. However, its meat has a unique and very delicious flavor.

That is, salmon.

Northeastern cuisine used to be incredibly delicious and powerful, so why did it decline?

Because 90% of the food ingredients have become protected plants and animals, and are no longer allowed to be eaten.

This also shows how abundant the resources were in this area before it was developed.

At this time, in front of the Blackwater Prefecture's government office, many people wanted to sign up to go on the eastern expedition.

That's right, it was the Eastern Expedition.

During the New Year, Da Jing will completely wipe out the remaining powerful clans on the island of Dongying.

Sakhalin Island's southern tip faces Hokkaido across the Soya Strait, which is about 43 kilometers wide at its narrowest point.

The Ōkage Navy has already taken control of Sakhalin Island, and using it as a springboard to land in Hokkaido is less risky than directly crossing the Sea of ​​Japan.

Therefore, the imperial court ordered the mobilization of soldiers from here to occupy the Ezo region.

Heishui Prefecture was different from the prefectures in the interior; it was not just a government office for maintaining order.

It was a military and political entity that also oversaw military equipment maintenance; the entire Blackwater Prefecture was essentially a semi-militarized region.

The government office was responsible for taxes, militia training, finances, water conservancy, land reclamation, salt and tea, coal, postal services, and even criminal matters. It was also responsible for pacifying local tribes and suppressing rebellions.

It can not only govern the civil officials of the prefecture, but also control the military officials such as the magistrate, commander, and supervisor in the area under its jurisdiction.

In Blackwater Prefecture, this news was quite sensational. In this era, who would dare to venture here? Not a single one of them was honest and law-abiding.
The opportunity to make a name for oneself is right in front of one's eyes, so one would definitely sign up enthusiastically.

However, the Blackwater Prefecture said that they didn't need many people, and that they would prioritize selecting from the original contingency team.

This spot instantly became highly sought after.

Many Dingnan soldiers who were unwilling to fight again took the opportunity to resell their positions. Only after a number of them were severely punished did they begin to restrain themselves. (End of Chapter)