You have truly caused me great suffering!

"The Emperor of Dajing visited Lingzhou. Will the envoys go directly to Lingzhou this year?"

Yelü Dashi fell silent after hearing the ministers' questions.

Troops continued to gather in the Ili River Valley, but he still did not want to be the first to break off relations.

In his memory, the Central Plains Empire seemed to have no history of waging war against neighboring countries that were very submissive to them.

However, the Great Jing Dynasty was indeed quite different from the previous dynasties.

If it were any other dynasty, Yelü Dashi would have been willing to compete.

Now, this powerful Central Plains empire has forced him to submit.

Even powerful dynasties like the Han and Tang were suppressed by the northern steppe empires in their early years.

The Xiongnu and the Turks both put the founding emperor in embarrassing situations.

Liu Bang faced the siege of Baideng; Li Yuan even sold half of Taiyuan to the Turks, allowing them to plunder it.

But Dajing was different. It reached its peak upon its founding. It first became invincible throughout the world before it was established.

Then their strength continued to increase dramatically.

After you finish this one, then you can fight that one.

The more battles they fought, the better their finances became.

In Yelü Dashi's eyes, this was truly terrifying; to deal with the Central Plains, you had to take advantage of their discord between the civil and military officials.

Military generals wanted to fight and gain military merit, but civil officials, fearing the collection of military funds, constantly obstructed them.

In the Great Jing Dynasty, both civil and military officials wanted to fight, as they were all waiting for war to make their fortune.

Yelü Dashi finally nodded, "Send an envoy to Lingzhou."

After speaking, he seemed to hesitate for a moment, his mouth moved slightly, but no sound came out.

Back in Nanjing Prefecture, the Liao Dynasty was weak, ruled by a foolish emperor, and had many treacherous officials.

In the final years of the empire, with no glimmer of hope in sight, defeat was inevitable.

Now that I am the emperor, the country is rich and powerful, and I am invincible in all directions.

However, when faced with threats, he could not muster any fighting spirit; instead, he was filled with despair.

They didn't even want to resist; they just wanted to run away.

This is the epitome of a hero's weakness.

Yelü Dashi was not the only one who sent people to Lingzhou this year.

Both sides in the Goryeo civil war sent envoys early on to follow the inspection tour and offer New Year's greetings.

Even Wanyan Balisu, who had fled to the north, sent people with considerable tribute.

The Western Liao were the slowest to act; they would be lucky to catch up by the Lantern Festival.

Because the Jing Dynasty kept increasing its troops in Yili, the Liao Dynasty's rulers and officials were all gripped by fear.

Many people even suspected that Jing Jun would attack before the New Year.

In the days leading up to the New Year, the Great Jing sent a messenger with a letter of state, once again bestowing upon Yelü Dashi the title of King of Liao, along with a golden seal and official robes.
-
During the New Year.

It snowed heavily.

On New Year's Eve, the snow stopped in the afternoon, and it should still be relatively early. However, the days are short in winter, and the overcast sky has gradually darkened.

Snow still piled up on rooftops, roadsides, and in every corner.

This kind of snow, combined with the relentless howling north wind, always makes one feel that the snow will never melt.

Chen Shao had this idea before.

But every year, without him even noticing, the snow melts and the harsh winter gradually passes.

Although he was away from home, Chen Shao, as usual, kept watch with his concubines.

In the outer room of the imperial palace's sleeping quarters, all the concubines who had accompanied the emperor gathered together, and Chen Shao sat cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed). A blanket was laid out here, with futons and a small table on it; at night, after putting away their belongings and laying out bedding, the palace maids on night duty could sleep here, ready to receive orders from the inner sleeping quarters at any time.

Li Shishi took off her coat and went up to the kang (a heated brick bed) with Li Yumei, sitting down next to Chen Shao.

The kang (heated brick bed) was the warmest place; it felt cozy under my bottom.

Both of them knelt on the prayer mats, while Chen Shao sat cross-legged.

The kneeling posture is a traditional etiquette passed down from his ancestors, but Chen Shao rarely kneels because this posture makes his ankles and legs feel very uncomfortable.

But the way they sit is indeed very aesthetically pleasing, much better than sitting cross-legged by myself.

The folding motion of the legs and upper body will stretch the fabric of the skirt, creating a beautiful silhouette.

It was Li Yumei's first time spending the Spring Festival in Northwest China, and she seemed very interested in everything there. She kept smiling and snuggling against Chen Shao's arm, asking him questions.

Her voice was soft and sweet, not as melodious as Li Shishi's, but it had a unique charm.

Li Shishi, who is familiar with vocal music, could immediately tell that she was deliberately speaking in a high-pitched voice.

Actually, she knows the use of many things at a glance and isn't very interested in them, but she still asks about them.

Unconsciously, giving a man a chance to show himself is one of her ways of charming and winning his favor.

Li Shishi didn't interrupt; she just stood there quietly, holding Chen Shao's other arm.

This was a rare display of intimacy from her in public; she wouldn't normally do this, otherwise it would seem like she was vying for favor.

But New Year's Eve has a special meaning for her.

She still remembers that New Year in Bianliang; it felt like a rebirth to her.

Chen Shao hugged her and said that they would stay up together every New Year's Eve from now on, and that the two of them were the best in the world.

The nickname she gave Chen Shaosheng's daughter, "Haohao," actually comes from this.

So on this day, she will abandon some of her rationality and become very clingy.

Soon after, the palace maids brought out three dishes of food, as well as dried fruit and tea.

The so-called "oil-fried rice noodle roll" looked a bit like a rice noodle roll, with a thin skin and a lot of filling, and was drizzled with sauce.

Chen Shao drank tea and snacks, surrounded by women on both sides, chatting and laughing.

Concubines would frequently come forward to offer him New Year's greetings, and Chen Shao responded to each one, in a very good mood.

Because of Chen Shao's ban on logging, the palace courtyards are now only burning a small number of tree branches.

After arriving in the Northwest, they simply changed to setting off fireworks. Hearing the commotion outside, he led everyone to the courtyard to watch.

Although the young palace maids were small, they were very bold. After lighting the fire, they covered their ears and ran away laughing.

Looking at their innocent and adorable smiles, their pink and tender skin as white as freshly peeled boiled eggs, Chen Shao suddenly felt a little tempted. Perhaps he really should take some new people in as well.

No wonder some people say that men are boys until they die, and they always like eighteen-year-olds.

Amidst the fireworks illuminating the people in the courtyard, the sixth year of Jianwu had come to an end.

Chen Shao stood there, his mind replaying the gains and losses of his year in power.

In that year, Daejeong conquered the southern wilderness, subjugated most of the Eastern Kingdom, and divided Goryeo.

Zhang Shuye's campaigns in Yunnan and Guizhou, Meng Nuan's expansion into the Ili River Valley, and Li Xiaozhong's northern expeditions into the Gobi Desert all achieved great feats.

The government-run monopolies on many trades along the Silk Road have been lifted, and the caravans that accompanied the rise of the Great Jing Dynasty are quietly giving back to the people.

The engineering department continued its stable performance and produced many excellent works.

Several important positions are about to be filled by different people in the court. The prime minister has been replaced, and Wang Yin has started to train new people.

The harem bore him three sons and three daughters, which was a cause for celebration, as many children bring many blessings.

The seventh year of Jianwu will be an extraordinary year, as I am about to begin plunging the entire continent into war.

It is foreseeable that future historical records will give this year extensive coverage. (End of Chapter)