You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chapter 99 Moonlight over the Singing Sands
Even the brightest campfire will eventually go out.

Even the most lively gatherings eventually come to an end.

When Chen Shao was quite drunk, several guards escorted him to a room in the Mingsha Society.

This was specially arranged for him by Zhu Lingling. Chen Shao had his personal guards come in to inspect the place long ago. He rarely stayed out overnight, and when he did, he was extremely cautious.

The moonlight was as clear as a mirror, and the mountain peaks under the night sky resembled a woman with long hair flowing to the ground, serene and peaceful.

Chen Shao listened quietly, and sure enough, when the wind blew, there was a sound of singing sand, which was quite magical.

Chen Shao unbuttoned his shirt, propped himself up on his knees by the window, and sat down, enjoying the cool night breeze.

The bright moon hung high in the sky, and a gentle autumn breeze carried the warmth of the alcohol.

Chen Shao patted his knees, suddenly feeling quite at ease. He temporarily forgot all the scheming and deceit, and quietly listened to the sound of the singing sand in this small building.

He slapped his knee with a swagger and recited loudly: "When will the moon be clear and bright? I raise my cup to ask the blue sky, I wonder what the celestial palace is like..."

Suddenly, a voice came from behind, "What year is it tonight?"

Chen Shao turned his head, and Jin Mo'er was looking at him with a smile.
A sweet, charming smile appeared on her lips.

"You've even read poetry?" Chen Shao asked, somewhat surprised.

"I read this when I was a child. People admired men from the Central Plains like Jie Shuai the most. Not only was he handsome and dashing, but he could also write such beautiful poems."

Jin Mo'er walked slowly over, carrying a steaming cup of beverage. Whether intentionally or accidentally, her pale yellow dress slipped off her shoulder, revealing the girl's snow-white neck and shoulders.

"Oh dear." She blushed and put down the cup, half-squatting on the ground to hold her slipped clothes, looking up at Chen Shao with an innocent expression.

Chen Shao swallowed hard, reached out and touched her forehead, then raised a finger and gently slid it down her head, across her smooth, white forehead, her delicate nose, and her lips.
Jin Mo'er opened her little mouth and gently licked her fingers.

The soft touch brushes against your fingertips, bringing a wonderfully thrilling sensation.

Chen Shao couldn't help but tighten his legs, thinking to himself that this was simply a demon reincarnated.

He had even planned to use unconventional methods to attack the enemy's rear, and to bring rain to the dry road each time, in order to avoid the fact that his first bloodline had Qiang ancestry.

It seems like a complete joke now.
This little vixen is so skilled; she must have been taught by someone. Perhaps she was taught by a nanny since she was a child, otherwise, where would she have learned such methods?

Old Zhu, you are too well-rounded. No wonder you became the leader of the Qiang people.

Having a daughter, you're really selling yourself!
Since they were both seasoned foxes, Chen Shao was too lazy to keep up the act. He gently patted Jin Mo'er's face and said, "You little hussy, don't you have a little sister? Where is she?"

Jin Mo'er rubbed her cheek against his palm and laughed:

"The General is so wicked. He has other people but he's not satisfied. Why doesn't Jin He'er come out and serve him with me?"

Ding-ling… Ding-ling…

A timid young girl, with the silver bells on her ankles jingling softly, slowly walked towards Chen Shao.

Unlike her alluring older sister, Jin He'er looked charming and adorable. Her eyes were round and large, and you could clearly see her pupils, which were as lively as black mercury.

Her cheeks were round, beautiful, and radiant.

With each step, the silver bells on her ankles made a clear and pleasant sound.

She came to the window, her pretty face slightly flushed, and sat down with her sister on Chen Shao's lap.

Chen Shao tugged at the hair of both sisters, one in each hand, first making the younger sister kiss the older sister, then the older sister kissing the younger sister, and then—
Yinzhou City was severely damaged.

However, thanks to the efforts of the supply train and laborers, it has been almost completely restored.

In Yinzhou City, those die-hard Western Xia nobles were completely eradicated.

This left behind a large number of vacant houses and properties.

This is the foundation upon which Chen Shao extensively won over the Qiang tribes of Hengshan.

With the arrival of these Qiang people, Yinzhou City became lively again, and they were extremely efficient.

After all, it's about making money for oneself, so everyone is eager to get involved.

The first group of merchants had already purchased a large number of cattle, sheep, hides, wool, tendons, horns, and animal bones, and then escorted them to the Central Plains.

Chen Shao estimated that if they wanted to make quick money, they could sell these goods at Fuyan Road, where they could buy them all.

Of course, if you want to work harder and earn more, you can transport the goods to Kaifeng Prefecture to sell.

The Song Dynasty court treated merchants well.

Meanwhile, some far-sighted military leaders from the Northwest also joined this feast early on. They were more professional than ordinary merchants and began to work in the industry, using the excavated cave dwellings to recruit a large number of male and female workers to reprocess the goods they had bought on credit from the Tangut people.

The furs were used by the needle-making women to make novel and unique robes and bedding that were half-Han and half-Hu (non-Han ethnic groups). Bone glue, animal sinews, and cow horns, along with locally sourced hardwood, were used to make bows and arrows. Once these items were made, they could be kept for personal use or resold to the Tangut people on the grasslands, with profits more than ten times higher than the price of the raw materials.

The peace achieved in the five states of Dingnan was hard-won, but the benefits it brought were earth-shattering.

It is so large that it is beyond human imagination.

Chen Shao's relationship with the military families in the Northwest was not particularly good, but he did not set up barriers because of this. Instead, he took the initiative to provide convenience and took the opportunity to improve his relationship with them.

If Chen Shao hadn't known that the Jingkang Incident would erupt in the next few years, he would definitely have participated in this grand event himself, rather than inviting everyone to attend.

He will earn enough capital through these insatiable trades.

But now, Chen Shao knows that this prosperity will not last long and will soon be shattered by the Jurchen Tartars in the north.

Therefore, he didn't invest too much energy, but instead chose to make a quick buck and build connections with those around him, which seemed short-sighted.

This will make these forces entangled with you, with each having their own interests intertwined.

Heading north from Yinzhou, Chen Shao has already sent people to begin building fortified villages, just like in Youzhou.

Two directions are squeezing Xia Zhou's living space, making it impossible for them to survive!

Xia Prefecture is the last thorn in our side. If we can remove it, our Dingnan Five Prefectures Special Economic Zone will also include Mongolia.

At that time, the prosperity of trade will reach a new level.

Chen Shao spent a lot of money to build the fortress.

Early in the morning, Chen Shao rode his horse with his personal guards to see the first fortress that had been built.

The village walls were built of loess, high and thick. The loess was extremely sticky and had been soaked in glutinous rice juice and steamed. Once the walls were dry and hard, they could be used to sharpen knives.

Because the materials were sourced locally, the walls were built very thick, and the walls were densely covered with crenellations, rolling logs, and boulders.

If you were to cut down ancient trees deep in the mountains, the planks of the tall city gate could be long enough to reach the top. However, in order to withstand impacts, the city gate was made of composite wood. Each piece of hardwood was soaked in tung oil, wrapped in iron sheet, and riveted together to form the gate.

Chen Shao wasn't just here for a casual visit or to go through the motions; he wouldn't give any ridiculous instructions about building the second floor on top of the first floor.

He carefully tested the strength of the fortress and was very satisfied.

"All future fortresses should be built according to this standard! Also, we need to make the people feel a sense of belonging to the fortresses. Only in this way will they defend them resolutely when the enemy attacks."

Inside the fortress, the people who had received new homes and land all gathered together and built houses, cattle sheds, and pigsties for themselves.

Vegetable plots and grain fields were cleared out around the fortified village.

In the past, when people performed corvée labor for the lords, or were even forced to work with knives and guns, although they dared not shirk their efforts, their enthusiasm was incomparable to that of today.

Chen Shao's territory was seized from the Western Xia, which meant that the original ruling class would be purged.

In this way, the industries and lands they have seized will be vacated.

This is Chen Shao's greatest advantage; he can use these to win people's hearts.

From the day he decided to take this path, Chen Shao knew that whoever wins the hearts of the people wins the world.

Therefore, he wanted to win the hearts of as many people as possible, that is, to make as many friends as possible.

When the Jin army arrives, he can command a large following in his own territory. After leaving Hengshan, he can also have a certain influence in the Western Army, just like Liu Guangshi.

This would allow them to gather the remaining forces of the Western Army, the Hebei rebels, and the defeated soldiers of Gyeonggi Province.

He also needed to make the five prefectures of Dingnan as prosperous as possible, and gather enough resources to use when the war started.

“After the trade routes develop in Dingnan Five Prefectures, especially our Yin Prefecture, a large number of merchants will definitely flock in.”

Taverns, teahouses, restaurants, and inns will all spring up. You must be prepared and bring them all under regulation. All kinds of taverns, restaurants, casinos, and brothels must register with the government, operate according to regulations, and pay taxes. Don't be caught off guard and panic later!

The five prefectures under Chen Shao's control are different from those under the Tang Dynasty. They are now Yinzhou, Youzhou, Yanzhou, Hongzhou, and Xiazhou, which has not yet been captured.

Although the officials accompanying Yinzhou did not take notes, they all listened very attentively.

"Also, the roads must be repaired, and they must be extensively repaired!"

"We also need to dredge the river channels. Water transport is always faster, more convenient, and cheaper than land transport."

Chen Shaoxing's work on improving transportation will help make trade routes smoother in the short term, but it will also involve issues related to transporting grain and other supplies in the long run.

When going out to fight, transportation is absolutely the most important thing, because he is different from the Jurchens.

The Jurchen Tartars could fight and kill wherever they went, using war to sustain their war effort, and cruelly plundering the people of the Central Plains.

But Chen Shao is absolutely out of the question.

He needed the best possible logistical support; he was not a conqueror, but a pure Han Chinese.

After leaving the fortress, on his way back to Yinzhou, Chen Shao saw that the once lush green grass had turned into a mottled yellow. Large swathes of wild grass had been cut down by hardworking herdsmen and piled into large haystacks waiting to be transported away. This was their winter ration for the livestock.

Looking at the herders cutting grass with sickles and the grass around them, Chen Shao was in a great mood.

The biggest advantage of occupying this land is having warhorses!
The Song Dynasty was short of horses
This was decided when they founded their country; the geographical layout locked down the core pastures for horse breeding, leading to their loss.

The Longyou and Hetao regions, which were crucial for horse breeding during the Tang Dynasty, were successively occupied by the Tubo and Western Xia dynasties.
Hebei's high-quality pastures were once again occupied by the Khitans.

Even if they bought warhorses, they couldn't afford to feed them because civil officials and scholars had seized too much land, leaving no pasture for the horses. Bureaucrats and nobles forcibly occupied pastureland to build estates, and the emperor himself set a bad example. When Zhao Ji built the Genyue Garden, he requisitioned pastures in Henan Prefecture. By this year, the first year of the Xuanhe era, the number of government-run pastures in the Song Dynasty had decreased by 90% compared to the Tang Dynasty.
Reduced by 90%!

Only 10% left!
During the peak of the Northern Song Dynasty (1080), there were only 15.3 warhorses left in the whole country, while the Western Xia could raise 20 horses at Hengshan Pasture alone!

This Yokoyama Ranch is now in our own hands.

Back in Yinzhou, at Chen Shao's own residence, Zhao He came to report that Third Master Liu had arrived.

Chen Shao hurried back to the guest hall, where he saw Liu Guanglie sitting and drinking tea.

The two brothers met and were very affectionate, showing no difference despite their changed status.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Liu Guanglie said, "Brother Shao, the matter you asked me to do has been completed. Would you like to go and take a look?"

"Let's go, let's go together."

Liu Guanglie led him to the next room, opened the door, and everyone inside immediately looked at them.

Chen Shao glanced at it and was very satisfied.

There were about fifty girls in the room, the youngest being eight or nine years old and the oldest fifteen or sixteen.

When they saw the Chen brothers, they all lowered their heads, looking somewhat timid.

They all looked very healthy; some were dark-skinned and looked energetic.

Chen Shao nodded in satisfaction.

After the two came out, Liu Guanglie sighed and said, "These were all recruited from Yan'an Prefecture. They are all orphans of Western Army soldiers. I had people investigate the family background of each one clearly and recorded it."

Chen Shao dared not use newly recruited maids, especially those recruited from the Western Xia territory, so he asked his cousin to recruit some from the Song Dynasty and send them over.

These maids were all on contracts. There was no slave system in the Song Dynasty; they were all employed by themselves.

Collect your monthly pay on time, work hard, and if you want to leave, discuss it with them and settle your accounts before you go.

"Shao-ge'er, you must treat them well and not abuse or bully them."

Liu Guanglie knew this was a good thing, so when recruiting, he tried to select as many of the orphans of the Fuyan Army as possible.

Chen Shao punched him, "Don't you know me yet!"

"With you, I can finally have a place to settle down and make a living."

Because of the more than 100-year war with the Western Xia, there are widow villages all over the Northwest, and these girls are indeed very pitiful.

The two brothers returned to the main hall. After Liu Guanglie sat down, he twirled the cup in his hand and said, "By the way, my mother said she was coming to visit my sister-in-law."

Chen Shao laughed and said, "She was left behind by her stepmother and I don't know when she will return to Youzhou. Besides, how can I let my aunt go through all that trouble? I'll take her to visit her when I have some free time."

Aunt Chen Yuexian accepted Chen Shaoguan's growing power and influence.

However, the fact that he married the eldest daughter of the Zhong family still felt like a dream, and he couldn't believe it.

The Zhong family held an extremely high position in the Northwest.

So she was often worried that her nephew's wife would run away.

"By the way, cousin, when are you leaving?"

Liu Guanglie pouted and said, "I just got here, and you're already kicking me out?"

"There are still many things for you to do!"

Chen Shao didn't stand on ceremony with him and said with a grin.

Liu Guanglie glared at him with displeasure and said irritably, "What is it now?"

In fact, he quite enjoyed working for Chen Shao, and because of Chen Shao, his status also rose accordingly.

He's doing very well in the Northwest.

Because the generals in the Western Army all wanted to benefit from the five prefectures of Dingnan, and the only way they could find a way was through Liu Guanglie.

He was originally just an illegitimate son of the Liu family, with no status and a low military rank.

But now he has suddenly become a big name in Shaanxi.

Since he was just idling at home anyway, doing chores for Shao Ge'er helped Liu Guanglie regain his confidence.

He discovered that he was not a useless son of a military family at all, and that he was quite capable in many things.

He's a genius, especially when it comes to eating, drinking, forming cliques, and building relationships.

Chen Shao said with a smile, "I have prepared some gifts for the gentlemen of the Western Army. Cousin, please help me deliver them!"

Liu Guanglie immediately felt sorry for Shao Ge'er's money and asked, "Why are you still giving them gifts? They're begging us to come and get a share of the pie. Aren't you going against the grain?"

Chen Shao didn't bother to correct his perverse usage, and simply said with a smile, "Having more friends means having more options!"

"Alright then." Liu Guanglie sighed and said, "I find myself understanding you less and less, but no matter how absurd your actions are, they always prove to be right in hindsight, so I just stop thinking about it and often tell myself to listen to you."

"Cousin, go and rest first. I've prepared some gifts for you and Aunt. I'll give you a proper send-off tomorrow!"

Upon hearing that he was to stay there for a day, Liu Guanglie grumbled and went to rest in his guest room.

Chen Shao then selected ten strong young maids to stay in Yinzhou Prefecture, and had Zhao He lead a team to escort the rest to Youzhou, where they would be assigned to Li Shishi.

The profession of maid is too close to him, so he has to be careful in the early stages of starting a business!
After a long day, Chen Shao finally got to rest when he returned to his own courtyard.

He had barely sat down when, following a fragrant breeze, Jin Mo'er smiled sweetly at him and curtsied, saying, "Master, please have some tea..."

As she spoke, she pressed her knees together, bent slightly, and gently placed a cup of hot tea in front of him.

Chen Shao took a sip and then pulled her into his arms.

After arriving in Yinzhou, Jin Mo'er changed into Han Chinese clothing, wearing a lake-green skirt and a light purple skirt, revealing an alluring crimson bra.

When she bent down to serve tea, her two delicate mounds seemed about to burst out of her clothes, their heavy, textured appearance highlighting their strength.

As Chen Shao made his move, Jin Mo'er glanced at him. Her eyebrows were curved like crescent moons, her eyes were playful and charming, and the corners of her eyes were slightly upturned, giving off a sweet and alluring vibe.

Chen Shao smiled and said, "I might leave Yinzhou for Youzhou. Do you want to stay here, or come with me to Youzhou?"

Zhu Lingling is to be stationed in Yinzhou; he still needs to deal with the Qiang chieftains of Hengshan who are unwilling to come down from the mountains.

Jin Mo'er replied obediently, "Of course I'll follow Master."

Chen Shao nodded. Old Zhu had always been trying to emulate that Rouran woman, and even wanted to send someone to supervise him and his daughter having a child.

If the two sisters were left in Yinzhou, Old Zhu would probably be the first to disagree.

This man was very ambitious. Although Chen Shao liked the performance of the Jin Mo'er sisters in bed, he didn't dare to open up to them.

Physical pleasure is fine, but when it comes to true intimacy, they're not as good as Chun Tao and Shi Shi.
-
After the peace treaty between Song and Xia, Tong Guan led his troops to withdraw from Western Xia territory.

He has now led his troops to Shaanxi and is heading towards the capital region.

The 30,000-strong elite Victory Army, marching through the territory of Gyeonggi Province, attracted attention.

Putting aside everything else, his troops, on the surface, were even more imposing than the Imperial Guards of the Capital Garrison trained by Gao Qiu.

People generally believed that he could lead his troops to sweep across Youyan and reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun lost in the Central Plains.

When Tong Guan was on military campaigns, the furnishings in his chapel were often simple and solemn.

However, his own residence outside the capital city of Kaifeng was magnificent and luxurious.

He rarely visited this residence, yet it was no less extravagant than the mansions of princes and nobles in Bianliang.

To be fair, Tong Guan was a hard-working person, as evidenced by his willingness to serve on the frontier for twenty years.

However, as he grew older, he became increasingly indulgent in extravagance. In the past, he could lead a large army straight into the Qiang tribes of Qinghai, but this time, when his army besieged Xingqing Prefecture, he was at least a hundred miles away from the front line.

The temporary residence outside Kaifeng was meticulously prepared. The remnants of the night's banquet in the hall had not yet been cleaned up, and the rouge and floral decorations scattered on the floor were traces left by the singing girls and dancers.

The incense burner still emitted a faint fragrance all around. The servant who was tidying up was so tired that he dozed off little by little next to the incense burner.

In the outer room, at least seven or eight lightly dressed maids sat on benches, dozing off while holding various things, waiting for a sudden summons from inside.

Inside the bedroom, there were four or five concubines, a total of about ten beautiful women surrounding him, simply to serve Tong Guan as he lay down to sleep.

Even a simple cough from Tong Guan would immediately draw a large crowd to serve him.

Compared to our Commander Xuan, Commander Chen Shao's life was quite ordinary!
Normally, even if an urgent official document arrived at night, the shogunate could not directly enter Tong Guan's residence to deliver it; they had to wait until Tong Guan got up before they could report it.

Especially in recent years, after Tong Guan got old.

Fortunately, Tong Guan had been leading troops for a long time, and his daily routine was different from that of his friends in Bianliang who accompanied Zhao Ji in his debauchery. He wouldn't sleep until late morning.

But today, Zhao Liangsi broke with convention and came straight into the inner courtyard at night!

The seventh-rank official in front of the prime minister's gate, Tong Guan's steward, was naturally quite arrogant. He wouldn't let Zhao Liangsi in no matter what, which made Zhao Liangsi so anxious that he almost shouted loudly outside the inner courtyard to wake Tong Guan up.

Although this temporary residence was luxurious, it was still quite small, unlike the deep courtyards of Bianliang, where you couldn't hear anything even if you shouted at the top of your lungs.

The old steward wasn't oblivious to the situation. Seeing how anxious Zhao Liangsi was, he wondered if something serious had really happened, so he let him in.

Zhao Liangsi waved the official document in his hand and rushed in without paying any attention to the women in the room.

Although Zhao Liangsi was a nobleman in the Khitan, he had never seen such a magnificent and luxurious scene as that of the Song Dynasty. The air was filled with fragrance, and everywhere people were holding spittoons, teacups, incense burners, and other things that he couldn't even name.

The maids were all graceful and beautiful, with bright eyes and white teeth, like fairies gathered together, just curiously looking at this uninvited guest.

"Commander Xuan! Commander Xuan! The Jin army has captured Shangjing, and the Liao emperor has fled to Xijing!"

(End of this chapter)