You have truly caused me great suffering!

The city of Jinling was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers.

As November approached and the weather turned cold, many families still gathered outside the city to celebrate.

They decorated the withered willow branches with colorful decorations, offered incense at Buddhist temples and Taoist monasteries on both banks, and held grand banquets with wine in the pavilions and corridors.

Especially those newly rich and powerful who were destined for hardship.

This battle lasted for nearly eight years. Despite the enormous sacrifices of the Dingnan army, they managed to hold back the Jurchens, whose morale and military strength had reached their peak.

At that time, the two marshals, Zongwang and Zonghan, were in their prime, and there were many fierce generals such as Lou Shi, Yin Shuke, Zhamu, Zongfu, and Xiyin.

Emperor Wanyan Wugumai of the Jin Dynasty may not have been the most outstanding among the many fierce generals, but he was not an incompetent ruler either.

Defeating this Jurchen force will not be easy.

The temple on the banks of the Qinhuai River is not very popular, but it has an excellent location and enjoys a unique and beautiful landscape.

At the beginning of winter this year, Nanjing was unexpectedly blanketed in light snow, but whether it was due to the underfloor heating or something else, the willow branches along the river still provided shade.

This created the spectacular scene of green willows and white snow.

Scholars and literati flocked to the site to admire the scenery, composing poems and expressing their refined tastes. This brought a rare surge of activity to Waguan Temple.

In a pavilion in the temple, there was a middle-aged scholar, wearing a soft hat and turban, dressed casually, looking both neat and dashing, and all around forty years old.

One of the thin figures was Yuwen Xuzhong. Looking at the enthusiastic tourists below, he sighed and said, "The ground is warm but the weather is cold, the seasons are out of order. It seems this year will be another harsh winter."

The middle-aged man opposite him was Li Gang, who was about to head to the righteous path.

After traveling the world, Li Gang came to Jinling and stayed in this quiet temple.

He didn't expect that after living there for a few days, it would no longer be peaceful, and he could only sigh helplessly.

He had planned to properly prepare for the construction of the city and set some ideas. After years of ups and downs in his official career, he had many friends.

Many of these people were truly capable. For example, several people he promoted when he became prime minister (Zong Ze, Zhang Suo, Zhang Shuye, etc.) all made significant achievements in the military field.

Li Gang couldn't help but think of Baidao City. If it was still snowing there, how bitterly cold must it be in Baidao?

However, if the White Road is not blocked and the southern and northern deserts are not completely contained, even the most powerful Han soldiers will risk their lives to seize it in this extremely cold weather.

Because going south to plunder was a matter of life and death, while not going south meant certain death, with a large portion of the population freezing or starving to death.

Yuwen Xuzhong glanced at his old friend who was about to leave for the bitter cold land and said, "This winter is cold, but fortunately, Prince Xin led a large army to guard the border. Otherwise, the various barbarian tribes in the desert would surely have moved south."

Li Gang, having been struck by his words, nodded and said, "The northern barbarians are endless. When the Han attacked the Xiongnu, the Xianbei rose to power; when the Xianbei moved south, the Rouran rose to prominence; and later the Turks, Uyghurs, and Khitans became fierce in turn."

"Now that the barbarian tribes are weakened, this is a rare opportunity. We must seize this chance to resolve the border troubles."

Yuwen Xuzhong nodded and said, "Indeed, this is a golden opportunity."

"Actually, it's not exactly a godsend opportunity, but rather an opportunity created by His Majesty's expansion of the borders," Li Gang said with a smile. "Shutong is resourceful and wise; he must have some good strategies to teach me today."

Yuwen Xuzhong quickly replied, "I wouldn't dare."

This is typical of traditional scholars. He clearly said "I dare not" twice, but before Li Gang could respond, he seamlessly transitioned to his own suggestions.

"For Minister Li to succeed this time, he must use both kindness and force. He can first select a few tribes with potential and open a trade market with them, allowing them to use the pretext of protecting the trade market to drive away and attack other tribes."

“Once they become strong, we will choose other tribes and repeat this process three to five times. At this point, if the grassland tribes want to avoid being wiped out, they will have to rely on Da Jing. We don’t need to force them; they will lower their status and compete to serve us.”

"Even if the nomadic tribes of the grasslands have powerful rulers, they are not entitled to take their time to recuperate and rebuild their strength, because they face the constant danger of extermination. Only by being eager for quick success and instant benefits can they survive. Therefore, once the Central Plains dynasty is strong, they often flatter and submit to it without any bottom line, but when the Central Plains declines, they turn their backs on it without any mercy."

"Now that we are rising while they are falling, and there is no hope of going south, even if they realize our plan, they have no means to resist."

Li Gang listened patiently without saying a word.

Yuwen Xuzhong continued, "In three to five years, once the city is built, we will establish fortified villages and settle immigrants along the border."

Here, things were pretty much as he had expected, and Li Gang nodded repeatedly.

Yuwen Xuzhong changed the subject and said, "Several years should have passed by now. Minister Li can petition the court to mobilize troops for a northern expedition."

"Northern Expedition?"

Li Gang was puzzled. If the grasslands were all vassals, why launch a northern expedition?
Yuwen Xuzhong said with a solemn expression, "That's right, we must launch a northern expedition. By this time, I believe that the tribes have become accustomed to submitting to the Central Plains and expressing their loyalty. However, their tribal chiefs still hold absolute power. They only need a thought to rebel, and the tribes simply cannot disobey orders."

"If this system is not broken up, it will be just like the old story of the Tang Dynasty. Once there is a change in the Central Plains, even Youyan will be lost. During the Five Barbarian Invasions, the north was occupied, let alone a city like Baidao."

"Lord Li can first gather all the chieftains and ask them to relinquish their military power and come to the Central Plains to submit, promising them gold, silver, and land. The herdsmen should be assigned to various fortresses and villages, no longer subject to the control of the tribal chiefs. They can graze their livestock on weekdays and return to their fortresses to spend the winter in case of natural disasters. This is how to change the native chieftain system and bring about long-term stability."

“Those with less ambition have no choice but to submit to the Central Plains and become Chinese. As for those who refuse,” Yuwen Xuzhong stood up and said, “the nature of the barbarians is that of jackals and wolves! Their customs have no sense of loyalty between ruler and subject, father and son, and they only respect the strong. When their chieftain calls out, ten thousand tents respond; today they submit, tomorrow they raise the beacon.”

"Therefore, if we wish to eliminate border troubles, we must first abolish their chieftain system; if we wish to change the system of local chieftains to imperial rule, we must first eradicate their strongholds! If we do not burn their yurts, do not imprison their Chanyu, and do not extinguish their ambitions, then the flames of war will never be extinguished. I have never heard of anyone subduing the barbarians without a fight, nor have I ever seen anyone who has raised a tiger and yet remained at peace!"

“If the generals who are in charge of pacifying the borders of the Central Plains become complacent because they see the barbarians as obedient, then the seeds of disaster will be sown.”

Li Gang remained silent for a long time, then nodded slightly and said, "I have kept Shutong's words in mind. I will verify them when we reach the northern border in the future."

Yuwen Xuzhong raised his wine cup and said, "I wish that Prime Minister Li will achieve great things for all time, and bring blessings to the descendants of the Central Plains for ten thousand years to come."

Yuwen Xuzhong noticed Li Gang's attitude but said nothing more.

He wouldn't just tell Li Gang what he said today; he would have a proper talk with His Majesty at the right time.

Yuwen Xuzhong also felt that it would be best for Minister Li to implement the first part of his plan, because he really understood how to build a system.

In one respect, I am not high enough in the officialdom, nor do I have enough seniority, nor am I like Minister Li, who can rally people of insight from the Central Plains to go to the frontier.

When it comes time to do the next thing, if Minister Li, being a gentleman, is too reluctant to do it, he is willing to carry it out personally.

They gathered thousands of tents on the grasslands, killed all their leaders, and abolished the hereditary chieftainship.
-
Chen Shao rested for half a day.

I had vowed to rest for a day, but I felt uneasy as soon as I woke up. I felt that I couldn't calm my mind without looking at the memorials.

After a moment's hesitation, I went to the Chuigong Hall and saw that the memorial did not seem to contain any major issues.

The memorial from the Zhe family of Fugu was placed at the front, describing how someone had been caught secretly cutting down trees and burning charcoal.

When Chen Shao saw it in the morning, he was somewhat dismissive, thinking that such a trivial matter should be reported to the emperor.

But when it was noon and he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered this incident again.

He flipped through the memorial and saw the signature at the end, which was none other than Zhe Keshi.

The text on the memorial was very simple: This winter, a certain Zhou, a gentryman from Linzhou in Fugu, illegally felled trees to make charcoal, which violated the prohibition. He was fined two hundred strings of cash as a warning.

Chen Shao seemed to be deep in thought, and said to Chen Chong, "Go to the Secretariat and bring all the memorials sent from the granary and the government offices."

Chen Chong accepted the order and left. A short while later, he returned with Li Tangchen and officials from the Secretariat, followed by a young eunuch carrying a stack of memorials.

When Li Tangchen saw him, he smiled knowingly. Normally, a memorial about such a trivial matter as the grain supply would not be sent to the emperor.

Because no approval is required.

But he deliberately put this memorial up today.

He knew that His Majesty had also sensed that something was wrong.

Chen Shao saw that the Zhe family had submitted more than twenty memorials in just one month.

All of them were signed by Zhe Keshi.

The weather has been fine lately, the horse market is bustling, and the people are living peacefully.

"I have heard that Nanjing is often rainy; Your Majesty should take good care of your health."

"A light drizzle fell at dawn today, but it stopped in less than half an hour. The ground was slightly moist, and the wheat seedlings benefited from Your Majesty's blessings, all thanks to Your Majesty's boundless good fortune. Your subject bows again and kowtows, respectfully wishing Your Majesty good health."

"My handwriting is ugly and my writing is crude. I tremble and sweat profusely every time I write this, fearing it will offend the Emperor's eyes. Yet my loyalty is as clear as heaven and earth; I humbly beg Your Majesty's judgment."

Chen Shao had someone offer Li Tangchen a seat, and then said with a smile, "The Zhe clan is going to reduce their own power."

Li Tangchen smiled and nodded, saying, "Your Majesty is wise; I think that's the same idea."

The Zhe family of Fugu originally faced enemies on three sides. Their territory bordered both the Western Xia and the Khitan, and every year they were also invaded by various non-Han tribes from the southern desert.

Moreover, the Zhe family was utterly loyal to the Song Dynasty, always giving their all in every battle. The Song Dynasty feared that forcibly reducing the power of the vassal states would force them into rebellion, and thus, they barely managed to preserve the Zhe family's status as a vassal state.

There are no enemies around Fugu now, and it is all the place where the current emperor rose to power.

That's right, Fugu is located in Hedong and borders Yinxia. Back when Chen Shao was in charge of the Dingnan Army, they were neighbors.

As a result, their position became more precarious than ever before.

Although they had a good relationship, in the early stages, the Zhe family, under pressure from the Jurchens, joined forces with Chen Shao to cover the enemy to the north for him.

However, things are different now, and Zhe Shi has been observing for several months.

Chen Shao's actions after ascending the throne terrified them.

He even sent troops to vassal states like Jiaozhi, Dali, and Goryeo, either to directly destroy them, to support puppet rulers, or to station troops to control them.

Would such an emperor allow a regional military governor to exist within his empire?

If Chen Shao were to launch a military campaign against Fugu under any pretext, the consequences would be disastrous.

Putting aside the huge gap in strength between them, the Zhe family army in Fugu may not be a united front and willing to fight against the imperial court for the Zhe family.

Zhe Keshi also made a painful but determined decision to personally petition for the reduction of the power of the vassal states, just like King Qian Liu of Wuyue submitted to the Song Dynasty.

I hope it will end well.

His frequent submissions of letters were a kind of hint.

Chen Shao was silent for a moment, then said, "This is indeed a good thing. I have invited them to Jinling so that we can all sit down and talk. They are taking the initiative to save me and the court trouble, and I will not treat them unfairly."

After saying this, he picked up his brush and wrote an imperial edict: "I believe that while the palace is a solemn place, it also values ​​human relationships and deep emotions. Consort Zhe Ningxiang is gentle, respectful, and virtuous. She has served me for a long time and has diligently performed her duties. Now, considering her earnest longing for her family and her filial piety, I feel deeply moved."

By special permission, the female relatives of the Zhe family in Fugu County—mothers, sisters, or close relatives—were ordered to choose an auspicious day to enter the capital and reunite with the Consort Zhaoyi.

Supplies along the route should be provided according to the regulations for a fifth-rank noblewoman; there should be no negligence.

If Zhe Keshi hadn't been making his presence known, Chen Shaozhen would have actually forgotten about them.
There are just too many things to do, and no one is there to specifically remind me.

But without a doubt, when I remember it, I will definitely take it seriously and do something about it.

A state within a state is unacceptable.

The Song Dynasty was able to tolerate it because the situation in the Northwest was too complex, and the Song Dynasty compromised and compromised.

I have no reason to compromise.

The army has swept away the Jurchens and is gradually moving south, awaiting rewards.

They would be very happy to go to war.

This time, with my decree, the Zhe family can use this pretext to escort their relatives to the capital to talk to me.

To be honest, it's very difficult to give up one's ancestral business.

The Zhe family of Fugu effectively controlled the Fuzhou area for approximately 200 years, from the late Tang Dynasty to the mid-Northern Song Dynasty.

To put it bluntly, it lasted longer than the Song Dynasty.

Yang Yizhong, now a member of the Imperial Guard in the capital, comes from Fugu County; his father was a military officer from Linzhou.
-
After Li Tangchen left, Chen Shao realized he was a little hungry.

"Prepare the carriage for the Yaoguang Palace!"

The Great Jing Imperial City was renovated on the basis of the Southern Tang palace, and many of the palaces still retain their original names.

As the moon's shadow shifts and the night grows ever more waning, my silk robes offer no respite from the chill of the predawn hours. Spring is drawing to a close in the Jade Palace.
The Yaoguang Palace mentioned in Li Yu's poem is now the residence of Zhe Ningxiang.

At noon, Zhe Ningxiang had not yet eaten; she always ate a little later.

I just wanted to be with Chen Shao when he came.

She counted the days, but sometimes the man didn't come. Bored out of her mind, she spent her time dressing up.

Meanwhile, the palace maids outside were already serving the dishes, but she was still looking at herself in the bronze mirror, constantly scrutinizing every part of herself.

The image in the bronze mirror was slightly blurry, making her fair skin appear as a pale yellow. Zhe Shi pouted in dissatisfaction.

If only there were a mirror so I could see clearly.

She stood up again, twisted her waist slightly, and carefully examined her body, especially the two contours that Chen Shao liked the most.

Her pale pink off-the-shoulder blouse, purple short-sleeved top, and white tulle skirt, all made of soft silk, looked both ethereal and accentuated her alluring, curvaceous figure.

This style of open collar is not like the half-exposed chest of Tang Dynasty Hanfu, but has a higher collar, which makes it more reserved;

However, because of her ample bosom, she deliberately wore a thinner silk bra underneath, which, upon closer inspection, revealed two alluring outlines, yet were not obvious.

She felt it was a kind of half-hearted, subtle, and affectionate meaning that made Chen Shao particularly fond of it.

Zhe Ningxiang seemed dissatisfied today, looking at herself in the mirror again and again, but couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong.

Chen Shao's concubines in the harem each had their own hobbies.

Few are as pure as the Zhe family.

Aside from chatting with Huanhuan, he spent his time thinking about clothes, jewelry, and makeup.

She even enjoys cutting her own clothes.

In fact, the tailoring of clothes for noblewomen in the palace since the Wei and Jin dynasties has been an important source for the continuous evolution of women's clothing in the world.

Those ladies of noble rank would occasionally visit the palace to pay their respects to the Empress and the imperial concubines; when they discovered new styles in the palace, they would follow suit.

The ladies' thinking was simple: the emperor had three thousand beauties, and the concubines' clothing must be unique and tasteful to attract his interest.

As a result, the changes in clothing were imitated by the ladies of noble birth, and then learned by wealthy women outside, which in turn spread to various places.

This trend reached its peak, especially during the prosperous Tang Dynasty.

Ms. Zhe pinched her waist with her hands and saw her own beautiful and alluring reflection in the mirror, her two curves taut.

Why isn't that person coming?
Zhe Ningxiang sighed, seemingly feeling it was a pity that such a beautiful scene could not be appreciated by Chen Shao.

The palace maids outside invited her to have a meal, and Lady Zhe responded lazily.

When she came out, she saw the figure she had been longing for stepping in.

The casual dragon robe, made of golden satin, shimmered with a luxurious sheen, adding a unique air of majesty to the face of the emperor.

She didn't care about her composed demeanor as a Zhaoyi (a high-ranking concubine), and threw herself into Chen Shao's arms, clinging to his chest and back, saying, "How come I've been waiting for you to come?"

Chen Shao patted her arm with a smile and said affectionately, "I missed you."

Seeing the joy in her eyes, Chen Shao felt a warmth in his heart. He ate lunch with her, legs crossed, and then they fussed around for a long time.

Zhe Ningxiang's black hair was disheveled, and she was covered in fragrant sweat. She lay softly on the couch, with a hint of satisfied allure.

Chen Shao sat on the edge of the bed, pinched her cheek, and said, "Your family said they miss you terribly and want to come to Jinling to visit you, and I have already given them permission."

Zhe Shi said nonchalantly, "Back then, I left her at the Zhong family mansion and married her off to an old man who had been bedridden for half a year. She died a few days after the marriage. These heartless people didn't even say they missed me, but now they're eagerly thinking of me and longing for me."

Chen Shao patted her face impatiently and said, "Family ties are unbreakable, don't say such hurtful things."

He was thinking that there would be many more opportunities for you to meet in the future.

Chen Shao intended for the Zhe family to move to Jinling. If they couldn't establish their own territory, then coming to the capital would be the best option.

As long as the Yangtze River doesn't change its course, Nanjing will always be one of the most prosperous areas in the Central Plains.

Especially now that maritime trade is so lucrative, the world's wealth will gather here in the future.

Although Zhe Ningxiang spoke with a sharp tongue, she actually longed for her family to visit, especially her mother and sisters.

She used to live in the Prince of Dai's mansion, and she even brought one of the Zhe family's concubines into the mansion to raise alongside her own daughter for a period of time.

Thinking of how Chen Shao had gone to such lengths for her, she propped herself up, wrapped her arms tightly around him, and kissed him on the ear. (End of Chapter)