You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chapter 92 Spying on the Groom
This large area of ​​land near Yongle City originally belonged to Yinzhou.

After the Zhong family conquered the area, Zhong E submitted a memorial suggesting the construction of Yongle City at the junction of Yinzhou, Xiazhou, and Suizhou, with the intention of establishing a forward military outpost and compressing the space for Western Xia activities.

Emperor Shenzong of Song immediately granted permission, but sent an incompetent civil official named Xu Xi to oversee the matter.

First of all, the location was absurd. Veteran generals such as Zhong E and Gao Yongneng repeatedly pointed out that Yongle City had "no water source" and would be doomed if besieged. However, Xu Xi refused to listen and instead demoted and punished those who opposed him.

This city was built in just fourteen days with the help of 200,000 laborers.

This shows that the Song Dynasty was not weak at the time, and with proper command, it could have destroyed the Western Xia. However, people like Xu Xi only knew how to talk about war on paper.

The Western Xia counterattack came quickly. Empress Dowager Liang dispatched an army of 30 to besiege Yongle City, cutting off its water and grain supplies. Xu Xi refused Zhong E and others' proposal to launch a surprise attack while the Xia army was halfway across the Wuding River, intending to emulate the ancient story of Duke Xiang of Song, who "did not attack before the enemy was in formation."

They also abandoned the defensive advantage of the city walls and forced the Song army to leave the city to fight the Western Xia cavalry in the open field;
After the Western Xia cut off the water supply, he refused Qu Zhen and Gao Yongneng's suggestions to break out of the siege and waited to die.

After the water source was seized, the Song army dug wells but could not find springs, and most of the soldiers died of thirst, some even drinking horse dung to survive. On the night the city fell, torrential rain washed away the earthen city walls, and the Western Xia army launched a general offensive.

Ultimately, generals Xu Xi, Li Shunju, and Gao Yongneng were killed in battle, with only four, including Qu Zhen, escaping. The Song army suffered losses including 230 officials, over 1.23 soldiers, and nearly 20 laborers, resulting in almost total annihilation.

The disastrous defeat at Yongle City caused Emperor Shenzong to "weep with grief and indignation, and fall ill for months," and it also completely shattered his ambition to "pacify the five prefectures," leading him to switch to "active defense."
In recent years, with Tong Guan's expansion of the border, the fortified village tactics have been extended to the Hengshan area.

In order to better support the villages of Hengshan, the Zhong family army returned to this place and, relying on Hengshan, rebuilt Yongle City at a new site.

Chen Shao glanced at it and realized that this was a military prefecture through and through, even more so than Hong Prefecture.

You could call it a city, or you could call it a large fortified village; neither would seem inappropriate.

Looking at Chen Shao, who was covered in dust from his journey, Xiao Zhong thought to himself that although this man had flaws in his character, he was truly a capable and hardworking person.

Moreover, he was arrogant at first but obsequious later. When he was following Tong Guan, he didn't even look at the generals of the Western Army.

Now they're being so polite again.
Zhong Shizhong looked down on such people, but that didn't stop him from understanding that such people were the ones who could stand firm in the Northwest.

In such a short time, he's stirred up a storm in the Northwest. Perhaps my brother's idea is right; alas, Old Zhong is always right.
I'm arrogant and quick-tempered, and I'm not as insightful as Lao Zhong. I'll just have to listen to him from now on.

"You've come from afar, Chenliu, you must be tired! Please come in!"

Chen Shao was genuinely surprised by Xiao Zhong's generosity, but he didn't care.

At this level, no one acts impulsively; it's simply a matter of bargaining.

Chen Shao believed that his sincerity was quite sufficient.

Preparations for the Song-Liao War have already begun, and the Northwest will soon fade from everyone's view.

It is a blessed land where heroes can grow and thrive.

Upon arriving at the Zhong residence, Chen Shao exclaimed, "The Zhong family is truly a family of loyalty and righteousness to have moved their mansion here to guard the gates of the Great Song Dynasty and the Emperor!"

Zhong Shizhong had made up his mind to speak less so as not to jeopardize his elder brother's plans, but seeing his brother's expression, he couldn't help but recall the look on his brother's face when he praised Tong Guan. He immediately turned away quietly, almost vomiting.

"Come, come, my brother has been waiting for a long time, but he has been unwell and has not been able to come to greet me in person."

Chen Shao laughed and said, "How could I dare? In the eyes of our Northwest soldiers and civilians, Grand Commandant Zhong is like a pillar supporting the sky and a golden beam spanning the sea. His health affects the hearts of so many elders and villagers. Who am I, Chen Shao, to dare to trouble your health?"

Unable to bear it any longer, Zhong Shizhong strode forward, looking at him with an air of "I can't hear you, so you can't disgust me," and quickly walked inside.

Seeing this, Chen Shao was somewhat confused, wondering why they were in such a hurry.

Thinking back to what Xiao Zhong just said, that Lao Zhong is unwell, could it be that he is about to die?
He didn't feel there was anything wrong with it at all, because he came to ask for silver from Yinzhou. As the saying goes, one doesn't hit a smiling face, and saying a few auspicious words would cost nothing, so why couldn't he open his mouth?

He quickly followed and arrived at the classroom, only to see Old Zhong sitting at the head of the table, not looking like he was about to die.

Several generals of the Zhong family army, now dressed in civilian clothes and having removed their armor, stood by.

Seeing them come in, Old Zhong stood up and exchanged a few pleasantries.

After the guests and hosts were seated, Chen Shao coughed lightly, preparing to ask for the silver state.

Old Zhong asked with a smile, "I heard that Chen Liuhou is from Fuzhou. How old are you this year?"

Chen Shao secretly pondered, what kind of move is this now?
Even if you try to get close to me, I still have to accept it.

"Grand Commandant, Shaozheng is just over twenty years old. His ancestors were from Bao'an. They followed Lord Liu and his family in battles. It was only in my father's time that they followed Lord Liu to Fuzhou. They made some contributions and were granted land by Lord Liu, which allowed them to settle down in Fuzhou."

Chen Shao cleverly added a year to his age, otherwise he would be looked down upon if he was too young.

"Good, good indeed, you are worthy of being sons of my Western Army. This time, you have captured Yanzhou, Youzhou, Hongzhou and Longzhou in succession, which can be considered as bringing glory to your ancestors and living up to the ambitions of your fathers."

Something is wrong!
Chen Shao became wary. "I didn't even have a chance to flatter you, and you've already done it first."

Judging others by his own standards, Chen Shao concluded that the Zhong family definitely wanted to get something from him, and he began to be wary.

After thinking about it for a while, he realized that he didn't have anything worth worrying about, so he felt a little relieved.

"Let's forget about Chenliu. Calling you by your official title always sounds too formal. Since you're also a son of the Western Army, shall I take the liberty of calling you Shao-ge'er?"

Chen Shao quickly stood up and said, "This is too kind of you, sir."

"As expected, heroes emerge from among the young. The Book of Songs says, 'His courtesy name is excellent, and he is a fine young man.' Now that Brother Shao has come of age, he should have a courtesy name."

“Responsibility is based on etiquette, and etiquette carries the way. If I am fortunate enough to receive such a favor from the Grand Commandant, I will be extremely grateful.”

The teacher of Zhong Shidao was Zhang Zai, who uttered the four lines of Hengqu: "To establish a heart for heaven and earth, to establish a destiny for the people, to continue the lost learning of the past sages, and to usher in an era of peace for all generations."

Chen Shao nodded inwardly, thinking it was a good idea for him to give him a courtesy name.

Zhong Shidao laughed and said, "Then I won't stand on ceremony. Shao means to continue. You take Shao as your name, inheriting the loyalty and bravery of your father who died on the battlefield. You can also carry on the legacy and open up new horizons. This shows that you are brave and resourceful, and have lofty aspirations. How about calling yourself 'Mingyuan'?"

Chen Mingyuan?
Chen Shao mentally counted on his fingers, comparing his name with that of the original owner's ancestors, making sure not to offend them, then clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "Thank you for bestowing this name upon me, Grand Commandant."

"Come, come, Mingyuan, sit down quickly."

Chen Shao was a little dizzy from drinking, so after returning to his room, he quickly ordered a basin of water to be brought.

After washing his face, he felt a little more refreshed, sat down in a chair, and began to think.

The Zhong family is being so polite; they must have something on their mind.

But none of these bastards said a word. They were really good at keeping quiet. Chen Shao racked his brains but couldn't figure out what they wanted from him.

A servant brought in tea. Chen Shao sat at the table, dipped his finger in the tea in the bowl, and drew circles on the wooden table.

When he thinks about what he has, he draws a circle and then wonders if his family needs it.

In the end, after drawing densely packed pictures, he realized that everything he possessed was unnecessary, or rather, something he dared not have.

If we give them Youzhou, would they dare to take it?
The Zhe family, guarding their territory of Fugu, lived in constant fear and trepidation, lest the Song Dynasty seek trouble and reduce their power.

Could it be that they don't want to return Yinzhou?

That shouldn't be the case either; Yinzhou is a hot potato for them too.

Recalling the conversation, Chen Shao didn't miss a single detail, but still couldn't find the answer.

"I'm not going to think about it anymore," he shook his head and said to Da Hu, "I'm going to sleep for a while. Don't go too far."

Da Hu nodded and sat in the room, gently wiping his weapon.

Chen Shao slept soundly. He had rushed here and had many things on his mind, so he was physically and mentally exhausted.

When he woke up, it was already the next day.

"Big Tiger!"

Dong Dahu rushed over from outside. Chen Shao felt relieved to see him and asked, "What time is it?"

"Just past 9 AM."

"Is someone looking for me?"

Chen Shao felt he should confront the Zhong family; he had to get his hands on Yinzhou.

Dong Dahu said, "One just arrived, he's outside, I haven't had a chance to speak yet."

Chen Shao nodded, quickly got dressed, and came out, somewhat surprised to see who it was.

"Brother Mingyuan! I heard that Old Master Zhong gave you a courtesy name yesterday. I haven't congratulated you yet!"

"Brother Ping, what brings us together here?"

The visitor was Liu Guangshi, who said with a smile, "I have been following Master Zhong recently and learning some skills in his tent."

Many of the generals in the Western Army were trained by Zhong Shidao. Zhong Shidao valued Liu Guangshi highly, believing him to be much better than Liu Yanqing, at least not as cowardly.

Of course, what he valued was not Liu Guangshi himself, but the Fuyan Army behind him, the Western Army troops based on the Huanqing Army.

These soldiers were initially very capable fighters, but after following Liu Yanqing for a long time, they became terrible at fighting, though they were first-rate at escaping.

It can only be said that a bad soldier is a bad soldier, and a bad general leads to a bad army.

Liu Guangshi was a natural at making friends. Even though he had only met Chen Shao once, he acted very friendly towards him.

"You've just arrived in Yongle City, let me show you around!"

Chen Shao initially wanted to refuse, but then he thought that if he inquired with Liu Guangshi, he might be able to find out Lao Zhong's plans.

Then he smiled and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Uncle Ping."

"We're all brothers, no need to be so polite!"

The two came out together, with Dong Dahu following closely behind them on horseback. Liu Guangshi said, "Yongle City is mostly inhabited by military households, and there aren't any brothels or entertainment venues. Let's take a walk around Yongle Temple."

Chen Shao nodded and asked, "This city has only been built a few years ago, and it already has temples?"

Liu Guangshi smiled and said, "The temple was only built a few years ago."

Upon entering the mountain gate, Chen Shao's first impression was that the temple was quite small.

With just a glance, one could see most of the temple, and the monks inside were sparse.

Chen Shao watched with great interest. If he wanted to establish himself in the Northwest, he would have to consider the religious issues under his jurisdiction.

The Buddhist temple has two main styles of buildings: one is a foreign pagoda-style building with many curved lines, and the other is a local style with a hip roof.

Chinese-style architecture always possesses a unique aesthetic appeal.

The two walked side by side up the front steps and then stepped into the main hall, while Liu Guangshi's entourage remained outside.

Dong Dahu followed closely behind, and Liu Guangshi said, "Your family and I will go in to pay our respects later. You can wait here."

Dong Dahu shook his head without saying a word, but still followed closely behind.

Chen Shao laughed and said, "Da Hu stays by my side every step of the way, so there's no need to worry about him."

Liu Guangshi hesitated for a moment, then did not insist further, and the three of them walked into the Buddhist hall.

Unlike the crowded Buddhist temple, this hall is quite spacious and can easily accommodate dozens of people.

The rhythmic tapping of the wooden fish and the soothing chanting of sutras echoed throughout the spacious hall, while the air was filled with the scent of incense.

Although Chen Shao was not a Buddhist, he found the atmosphere here quite pleasant. Perhaps because this was a military prefecture, the men who fought here were not very devout Buddhists; there were very few people in the Buddhist temple, including only one monk.

Inside the Buddhist hall, two people were secretly peeking through the crack in the door.

Which one is it? The thin one or the fat one?

Zhe said angrily, "I told that idiot Liu Guangshi to just bring one person in, but he still brought two."

Beside her, Zhong Lingxi clenched her small hands into fists, her chest heaving with nervousness.

She silently closed her eyes, muttering to herself, "Please, please don't let it be the fat one!"

Although the fat man was quite young, not the old man the stepmother had described, he was still terrifying.

Standing there, he's like a wall.
She was fourteen or fifteen years old, with firm, fair skin, making her look younger than her actual age.

That beautiful and delicate face, full of youthful vitality, clearly showed that she had never suffered any hardship.

She turned to look at the thinner one; compared to the big tiger, Chen Shao looked exceptionally pleasing to the eye. The thought that she was secretly watching men made her face flush slightly, and her heart pounded.

It's all the stepmother's fault.
Zhe twisted her waist and nudged her, saying, "Alright, this looks like it's never going to end. Let me see."

Zhong Lingxi ignored her.

Enraged, Zhe slapped her on the buttocks.

Chen Shao looked at the Buddha statue, which was similar to the one he had seen in later generations, and couldn't help but put his hands together in prayer.

Liu Guangshi, trying to make conversation, asked with a smile, "Mingyuan, do you also believe in Buddhism?"

“Yes, I do.” Chen Shao said, “If you ask me whether I believe that Buddha can bless me with promotion and wealth, I don’t believe it. In my opinion, worshipping Buddha is a kind of spiritual practice that can make people temporarily forget some troubles and gain a moment of peace.”

After leaving the Buddhist hall and walking up the stone steps, Liu Guangshi suddenly asked, "Mingyuan, I heard you're not married?"

As soon as this sentence came out.

Chen Shao suddenly had a revelation and understood everything at once.

It turned out to be the case.

The Zhong family wanted to form a marriage alliance with him, but they certainly couldn't tell anyone themselves, so they went to Liu Guangshi.

Liu Guangshi was indeed a suitable candidate. First of all, he was related to him in some way, although they were not blood relatives, they were still related by blood.

Secondly, his position was also suitable; the Liu family was one of the military families in the Northwest, and he was the eldest son of the Liu family.

“Mingyuan, at your age, you have already made such great contributions. People say that you should settle down and start a family. It’s time for you to settle down and start a family,” Liu Guangshi continued with a smile.

At this point, Chen Shao had begun to consider the benefits of a marriage alliance with the Western Army, and he eventually discovered that the benefits were substantial.

If Chen Shao intends to pursue an official career and climb the ranks of the Song Dynasty, then he must stay far away from these military families.

In particular, one should not marry a daughter of a military family.

But Chen Shao planned to start from scratch, so the Western Army would be the greatest help to him.

Although we may temporarily arouse the court's suspicion, as long as we endure these few years, the court's suspicion will be nothing!
The emperor, who seemed to be high above all others and possessed supreme authority, along with a group of important officials, were about to become worthless prisoners and slaves.

When the Jingkang Incident occurred, the Western Army was practically the only capable field army of the Song Dynasty, so most of the rising military leaders came from the Western Army.

Liu Guangshi, who was by his side, quickly became the top military leader in the early Southern Song Dynasty by leveraging his status as a general from the Western Army to gather the decimated troops in the north.

He was even listed among the four generals of the Zhongxing era.
As for his battle record, it can only be said that he had no battle record at all. Like his father, he was afraid of war and repeatedly disobeyed orders to avoid battle. The Jin soldiers were so angry that they gave him the nickname "Liu the Runner" because they could not catch up with him.

Even he was able to recruit so many soldiers by leveraging the reputation of the Western Army, and becoming the son-in-law of the Zhong family naturally brought him great benefits!
Chen Shao immediately realized that he knew about the Jingkang Incident, but the Western Army did not.

If they want to form a marriage alliance with me, then I can take the opportunity to seize Yinzhou!

"The Zhong family has a virtuous young lady, the younger sister of old Master Zhong, and the youngest daughter of General Zhong Yi. She is fifteen years old, gentle and kind, and a perfect match for Mingyuan. If Mingyuan is interested, I am willing to go and arrange a marriage for you."

Chen Shao was very tempted. By marrying Lao Zhong, he could not only take the opportunity to demand Yinzhou.

They could also find the grassroots talent they desperately needed from the Zhong family army. After so many years of fighting, the Zhong family army had many officers and local officials waiting for promotion, but they were struggling because there were no openings.

I and the Zhong family complement each other in every way, so a marriage alliance would be an excellent choice.

Chen Shao had not expected that Lao Zhong would have the courage to form a marriage alliance with him, which was in fact a silent resistance against Tong Guan and the imperial power behind him.

Let them know that the Western Army is not someone the court can mold or manipulate at will.

Before taking any action, it's best to think things through carefully.

Before Chen Shao knew the fates of Lao Zhong and Xiao Zhong, he subconsciously thought they were the kind of military generals who were somewhat blindly loyal.

But upon closer reflection, he realized that the Zhong family, who had stood strong in the Northwest for so many years and become the recognized leader of the Western Army, could not possibly be blindly loyal.

"If Brother Ping can indeed make this happen, I will be deeply grateful."

Liu Guangshi looked at Chen Shao with a smile on his face, but he felt a little uncomfortable inside.

What makes you think you can do that?
Unlike the prosperous Zhe family of Fugu who married into various families, the Zhong family has always had a small population.

Especially the daughters of the Zhong family.

Things are valued for their rarity, and Zhong Lingxi is undoubtedly the apple of the family's eye. Moreover, she is extremely beautiful, and whoever marries her will receive Old Zhong's support.

Over the years, Lao Zhong's prestige in the Western Army has become unparalleled, and many of the generals who command troops were trained by him.

It's a pity I'm not the right age, otherwise I would have definitely asked my father to propose marriage back then.

(End of this chapter)