You have truly caused me great suffering!

The light snow was falling softly, and the winter night air already carried a chill.

Unaware of the wind and rain outside, Chen Shao, with his head resting on a towel, immersed his young and robust body in the steamy bath.

The water in the pool remained steaming hot as it constantly mixed with the hot water flowing in from the giant cauldron outside, enough to open up all 36,000 pores on his body and sweep away the fatigue of a day's work.

His body suddenly sank down, his head and face submerged in the hot soup. When he could no longer hold his breath, Chen Shao broke out of the water, wiped the water droplets off his face, and shouted, "That was great!"
Feeling he had soaked enough, Chen Shao called someone over to wipe his back. Jin Le'er stepped forward with a smile, wanting to wipe him herself, but Chen Shao patted her little bottom, telling her not to make trouble.

The palace maids then came forward to serve him by washing, wiping, combing his hair, shaving his face, and trimming his feet. After this was done, he stepped out of the bath.

The Emperor of Dajing, who had not fought against anyone for a long time, was in high spirits at this moment.

He discovered that he was not someone who craved stability.

When he first heard about the Hidden Field case, he didn't feel much anger, but rather felt that he finally had something else to do.

Often, major progress is built on a single major case.

Because cases of this magnitude involve many stubborn and conservative forces, they can be uprooted and removed from the ranks of those governing Dajing.

Bringing in fresh blood will make this team even stronger.

It should be understood that those hidden conservatives are often the biggest obstacles to reform, and they are very secretive, secretly causing trouble.

Extremely destructive.

To put it bluntly, working diligently for years is sometimes less effective than doing something like this once to clean up the mess in officialdom.

Moreover, their audacity meant they wouldn't be difficult to investigate.

He walked outside the screen and looked at the report that Wang Yin had sent today, and the more he read, the colder he became.

These thieves are incredibly audacious.

Chen Shao wrote a comment on the report: "The person behind this must be found before the end of the year."
He gave Wang Yin enough time.

This was actually intentional. After these few days of investigation, some people in the imperial court have become restless.

They jumped around, impeaching Guangyuantang with great passion, as if they were criminals who dared to speak out against injustice and were not afraid of death.

The Song Dynasty rarely killed scholar-officials; they hadn't yet stepped out of their comfort zone.

Chen Shao wanted them to keep jumping around for a while; the more they jumped, the more patient he would be and the less he would make a move.

Let's see just how arrogant they can get.

Both the Song and Ming dynasties had instances of officials forcing the emperor to abdicate in front of the palace gates.

Chen Shao also wanted to see if they could put on this grand show for him.

The more arrogant they became, the more they all jumped out, giving him a reason to deal with even those who weren't involved in the Hidden Field case.

This is why Chen Shao let them run rampant.

Many officials may not have actually been corrupt, at least not this time.

Chen Shao did not want to use the method of imprisonment by party members to punish them collectively, but he could teach them a lesson and let them show themselves.

In this way, when the Hidden Field case is fully exposed, these officials can be purged as well.

In the pool, the sounds of Jin Le'er and her sister playing in the water subsided, replaced by the rustling sounds of dressing and footsteps.

Chen Shao also closed the report.

Since ascending the throne, it seems that I have only shown my magnanimous side; now, perhaps I must also sharpen my blade.
-
On the outskirts of Jinling, dust billowed and the sounds of battle filled the air at the Imperial Guards' drill ground.

The officers and soldiers of each battalion of the Lingwu Army are practicing martial arts and weapons under the supervision of their respective instructors.

Yang Yizhong glanced over furtively and saw Chen Shao approaching. He coughed lightly, his voice becoming even louder, "An archer kills a man from a hundred paces away. The archer must measure his bow, and the bow's strength, without showing any emotion or expression, calming his limbs and regulating his breath..."

He comes from a military family and is skilled in archery and horsemanship. Although he hasn't had the chance to fight yet, his foundation is truly solid.

While explaining the key points of archery, he also instructed the archers he was training on how to hold the bow and how to move their feet, correcting them one by one.

Moreover, he kept his eyes straight ahead, maintaining a calm and composed demeanor, but in reality, he had been hoping that Chen Shao would stop and look at him.

Sure enough, Chen Shao was standing nearby; he had come specifically to see his Lingwu Army.

This is the foundation of all our confidence; when the table is overturned in the future, we will be the main force in cleaning up the capital.

"Commander Yang, our bowstrings are so weak, even my wife could draw them. How can we learn archery with that?" one archer complained when the question was directed at him.

"You talk too much, kid. Are you itching for a beating?" Yang Yizhong didn't say anything, but the captain behind the archer started cursing first.

He was actually somewhat dissatisfied; he and his men were all veterans of the battlefield, so how could they be treated so sloppily?

The Lingwu Army was formed in the Northwest and is His Majesty's personal guard. Everyone there has some skill in riding and archery.

Upon hearing this, Chen Shao stepped forward. Everyone had their backs to him, unlike Yang Yizhong, who had already seen the emperor.

Upon seeing Chen Shao approach, everyone straightened their backs, their faces filled with excitement.

Chen Shao reached for the bow, nocked an arrow, and shot it at the target.

Sure enough, the bow was very light, and Chen Shao's arrow missed the bullseye slightly.

A cheer erupted from the crowd, the momentum and spectacle making it seem as if he had shot down the sun.

Yang Yizhong suppressed his excitement and stepped forward, saying, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Guards' weapons have always been more about intimidation than actual combat, which is indeed somewhat inappropriate."

The others echoed this sentiment, which was actually a tradition left over from the Song Dynasty. After all, those fancy imperial guards were just ceremonial troops.

Later, when the Jin army attacked the city, the so-called elite imperial guards of the Song Dynasty performed a disgraceful act.

In the past, the Lingwu Army had a system of comparing martial arts skills within the camp, with three grades and nine rules. Those who made progress were rewarded, while those who didn't were punished. They would either be beaten or fined. Moreover, even if you were willing to be beaten and punished, those who failed to advance beyond the first grade more than five times would be given forty lashes and dismissed from the army.

From its inception, the Lingwu Army has followed the path of elite troops, with ample funding and provisions, sufficient daily meals, and the honor bestowed upon the entire clan.

Being dismissed from the army is truly painful. Most people only ate their fill for a few days after being selected for the camp. They all focused on learning their skills diligently to maintain their status in the Lingwu Army. If they could earn some more reward money, that would be even better.

Later, as Chen Shao's status continued to rise, in addition to having enough to eat and money to receive, they also felt a greater sense of pride and arrogance.

They naturally wouldn't be willing to use these deceptive weapons.

Chen Shao nodded and said, "Military books say, 'Don't worry about a weak bow, for the enemy will naturally come from afar; don't worry about superior strength, for the enemy will naturally come from afar.' When new soldiers join the army, they can use soft bows and light arrows to shoot far and accurately, aiming to hit the target as often as possible. The next step is to use hard bows and heavy arrows, so that they can shoot evenly and not close."

"But my personal guards have followed me all over the country and fought against the Tartars. The entire territory of Weizhou was conquered by them."

The soldiers around him all raised their heads, their faces filled with indescribable pride.

"Have the Ministry of War redistribute weapons and armor, using the original Lingwu Army's, and melt them down."

As soon as he finished speaking, cheers erupted again. People from other camps, not understanding what was going on, all stood on tiptoe to look in this direction.

At this moment, someone brought over a real hard bow. Yang Yizhong weighed it in his hand and nodded in satisfaction.

Seeing that he was indeed strong and robust, worthy of being a son of a military family, Chen Shao wanted to see his skills and said, "You give it a try."

Yang Yi was secretly overjoyed, but his face remained calm. Upon hearing this, he clasped his hands respectfully and said, "Yes, sir!"

After saying that, he drew his bow with lightning speed, drew his bow and arrow three times in a row, hitting the bullseye almost simultaneously.

Such a brilliant archery skill was met with cheers and applause that were not even half as loud as when Chen Shao had shot the arrow earlier.

Chen Shao was quite satisfied, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Not bad."

Yang Yizhong bowed and said, "His Majesty's divine might has enabled the soldiers to display ten times their usual martial prowess!"

He was too eager to advance his career, but the scoundrel Gao Qiu, unfortunately, had already selected him for the Imperial Guard in the capital before the Jingkang Incident.

They thought it was a good thing, a chance to make a name for themselves in the capital, but who knew that the Song Dynasty would change hands in just a few years.

The position of the Beijing garrison troops was extremely awkward. They were neither high nor low, having been detained by Guo Hao halfway and barely considered as having joined the Dingnan Army.

Otherwise, with his martial arts skills and strategies, why wouldn't he be able to join the Dingnan Army and carve out a place for himself on the front lines?

In this era, military officers could be granted titles of nobility. He possessed extraordinary skills, yet he was here teaching others how to shoot arrows!

"What are those people doing?" Chen Shao pointed to a group of soldiers in the distance. They were not equipped with any weapons, but were carrying heavy loads on their shoulders. They ran at full speed for about a mile before stopping briefly, then turned around and ran back to their original spot.

“They’re putting in a lot of effort,” Yang Yizhong said.

"Foot strength?"

Yang Yizhong didn't give anyone a chance to speak, answering almost instantly: "A person's blood and energy are strong when used, but brittle when idle. Exhaust their muscles and bones, starve their bodies. This applies to rulers and ministers as well, let alone soldiers?"

"I made them carry heavy loads because I was afraid that if war broke out and they had to rush to the front lines, they wouldn't be able to keep up!"

Chen Shao nodded. Fortunately, this was training his personal troops. These Lingwu soldiers from the Northwest ate beef and mutton, so they were quite robust.

If the common people of the Central Plains, who had been exploited by the Song Dynasty for generations, were poor and had a weak foundation, such training could ruin them.

Chen Shao said with satisfaction, "You are very resourceful and quick-witted. My cousin praised you back in Bianliang. Keep up the good work, I will need your help someday."

Upon hearing this, Yang Yizhong felt as if hot oil had been poured into cold water. He was overjoyed, but his expression remained calm. He bowed deeply and said, "To be able to meet a holy ruler like Your Majesty and serve as a servant before the palace is truly a blessing earned through a hundred lifetimes and an honor I am fortunate to have!"
-
Emerging from the Imperial Guards' training ground, Chen Shao felt even more confident.

No matter how many years you cultivate your inner strength and mind, it's not as good as my strong and well-equipped army.

Upon returning to the capital, Chen Shao didn't even inquire about the progress of Wang Yin's case, as if he wasn't in a hurry at all.

Everyone knows this is a big deal.

The more important the matter, the more you need to remain calm.

Li Tangchen entered the palace to meet the emperor, bringing with him Guo Zhongxiao, whom he had met a few days earlier, saying that he had selected Guo to take up a post in the Coal Mine.

Chen Shao nodded, which was taken as agreement.

Guo Zhongxiao's father was Guo Kui, who had connections to both the Hedong faction and the Western Army.

In the Great Jing Dynasty today, this is the most powerful force.

When selecting someone to do this kind of thing, you really can't just look at the person's character; you have to look at their background.

Otherwise, once you arrive at the destination, you will encounter numerous obstacles and achieve little despite your efforts.

They've focused all their energy on personnel matters; how are they going to get things done?

Since he was to be sent to work on coal mining, Chen Shao couldn't help but give him a few instructions.

As they talked, Chen Shao realized that either he had indeed done his homework or he was very capable.

This is an unexpected surprise.

In particular, he has already brought up the issue of "coal transport".

When Chen Shao heard Li Tangchen mention that he was the one who discovered the secret alteration of the Ministry of Revenue's census register, Chen Shao rolled his eyes, pursed his lips, and chuckled, "What a sly fellow!"

Guo Zhongxiao apologized with an embarrassed smile.

"You're quite clever; you know to go out and find some peace and quiet."

Li Tangchen said with a wry smile, "Now that things have come to this, even I want to hide. The rumors circulating in and around the court are extremely malicious!"

Chen Shao laughed heartily, “You are my trusted minister, how could you say such a thing? Are you all hiding and expecting me to go sit in the government office myself?”

At this point, his tone turned cold, and he narrowed his eyes, saying, "You should be patient for a few days and ignore it. There will be a day when the truth will be revealed."
-
Cai Jing received more abuse than anyone else.

Because he was originally an enemy of the Qinggui old party of scholars and officials, and this person suddenly took out 500,000 mu of land.

This put the others in a corner.

Grand Tutor Cai has already offered 500,000 mu of land, and you're not selling? What a load of rubbish you have!
But Cai Jing, at this age, had long since seen through everything and didn't take those outside comments to heart at all.

Even when old friends came to his residence and made offensive remarks, Cai Jing ignored them completely, only looking at these officials and gentry with pity.

Who do you all think His Majesty is?

He was a soldier from the Northwest Army. When he followed Tong Guan to Beijing, he dared to lift the curtain and show his head whenever he heard him arguing with Tong Guan!
Even if this was a way to curry favor with Tong Guan for promotion, I ask you, which ninth-rank military officer in the world would have the guts to do that?

Back then, I was a powerful prime minister who held sway over the country for over a decade, unlike now.

Bai Shizhong watched Xu Churen leave, his eyes darting around, unsure how to face him.

Fortunately, the other party did not make things difficult for him and left in a huff.

Bai Shizhong then entered, bowed respectfully, and said, "Grand Tutor, I am here to pay my respects."

“Meng Heng, there’s no need for such formalities. Your official rank is quite high now.”

"Grand Tutor, you are too kind. No matter what official position I hold, you will always be my benefactor."

Bai Shizhong was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) who rose through the ranks to become Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and then Prefect of Yunzhou. In the sixth year of the Zhenghe era, he was appointed Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and Vice Minister of the Chancellery. In the sixth year of the Xuanhe era, he became Grand Chancellor and Vice Minister of the Chancellery, and was enfeoffed as Duke of Chong. His official career was remarkably smooth, and he held an extremely high position.

He had a principle in his official career: to flatter Cai Jing in everything he did, and to follow Grand Tutor Cai without making a mistake.

The only exception was when he was tricked into drinking at a banquet. At that time, those people were all outspoken against Cai Jing, believing that Cai Jing had sided with Chen Shao and was a traitor to the Song Dynasty.

Bai Shizhong wavered for a moment, and then almost died in Jiaozhi.

After returning this time, he rediscovered his life motto.

At a time when the court and the city are in turmoil, I came specifically to ask Grand Tutor Cai for his thoughts.

I want him to give me some pointers.

Cai Jing's mindset is unparalleled when he abandons his sons and places his hopes on his grandchildren.

There is no weakness.

Cai Jing looked at Bai Shizhong. Although this man was cowardly, he was different from other officials in that he was flexible in demeanor but capable.

Since His Majesty hasn't abandoned him, he must intend to use him. Bai Shizhong's timidity means he's destined not to make any major mistakes.

Therefore, Cai Jing was happy to give him a few pointers.

In the future, these will all be part of the Cai family's network.

As for Xu Churen, who was furious just now, he is ambitious but incompetent and cannot see the situation clearly. He will surely be in trouble soon.

Before Bai Shizhong could speak, Cai Jing asked, "Meng Heng, the city is in turmoil lately, and people are filled with anxiety. You must keep things in order."

"Please teach me, Your Excellency."

"No handouts, no gatherings, no banquets, no speeches," Cai Jing said with a smile. "If you can do that, you'll be safe."

Bai Shixin had long remembered that he was cowardly, not stupid; in fact, he was extremely talented and very intelligent.
-
Inside the imperial city, Zhe Ningxiang was happily surrounded by a group of relatives.

She said she didn't miss her family, but her smile was brighter than anyone else's.

Everyone says she is a lucky person.

Listening to the compliments from her relatives, the women and sisters held her hands affectionately, as if she had returned to the time in Baihuawu (the residence of the Zhe family in Fugu).

At this moment, Zhang, Zhe Keshi’s wife, whispered, “My son, now the men in our household are willing to abandon their family business in Fugu and come to Jinling to seek refuge with you.”

"You have to find a good way out for everyone."

Upon hearing this, Zhe Ningxiang was shocked to find that such a heavy task had fallen on her shoulders.

She quickly waved her hand and said, "No, no, what do I know?"

Zhang said, "Everyone knows that His Majesty dotes on you the most. You don't need to think too much. Just tell His Majesty, and that's worth more than ten thousand words from the men of the clan."

"That's right, that's right. Didn't you see His Majesty's imperial edict? It says you are his beloved, and that he was afraid you would be lonely, so he specially sent us to keep you company and talk to you."

"This is incredible! Throughout history, which emperor has ever doted on his woman like this?"

Everyone chimed in, their words making Zhe Ningxiang feel dizzy, as if clusters of flower buds were blooming simultaneously in her heart.

It was as if she truly felt Chen Shao's meticulous and tender affection.

She didn't know how she agreed, but she just did.

After everyone had left, Zhe Ningxiang was not shy at all, and she happily started to dress up.

She put on her favorite dress, then held it in her hands and weighed it in her hands, finding it even softer and more comfortable. Ms. Zhe couldn't help but feel a little happy.

Then they happily arrived at the Funing Palace.

Only after being informed were they allowed to enter, which was actually somewhat against etiquette.

But Chen Shao certainly wouldn't blame him for that.

Upon seeing Chen Shao, she immediately buried her face in his chest and showered him with kisses before getting down to business.

Although Chen Shao liked her very much, he also knew that she had never been very bright and that she had obviously been tricked into coming here.

Moreover, this clingy manner probably means that he said something that touched her heart and coaxed her into becoming an embryo.

But the Zhe family...
It can definitely be used. (End of Chapter)