You have truly caused me great suffering!

After destroying the Jin dynasty, Qu Duan left people to guard the northern frontier, stationing troops in various cities and distributing land and official positions according to the pre-issued appointment and dismissal certificates.

He himself, along with Yue Fei, Zhang Shuye, and others, went south to the capital to meet the emperor.

At dawn, the three of them, dressed neatly and filled with excitement, arrived at the palace.

During the Song Dynasty, they often had to wait for most of the day, and even emperors who were considerate of their subjects could not do anything about it.

He can only see me after he has finished dealing with political affairs.

Besides, you can't just wait at home; you can't expect the emperor to wait for you, can you?
Now Chen Shao treats his ministers with even greater kindness, so he specially invited them to wait in the Funing Palace, right where he reviews memorials.

The three entered the hall, bowed, and then someone brought them chairs.

Such kindness naturally moved them deeply.

During breaks from reviewing memorials, Chen Shao would occasionally chat with them for a few minutes, otherwise it would be quite boring.

"I never imagined that Japan, a small country, would have such poor road access."

Looking at the report in his hand, Chen Shao noted that Huiming and Guo Hao both suggested that when marching into Japan, a direct land attack was less effective than a sea route.

They were actually quite similar to the Manchus, confining people to their own territory and using Buddhism to imprison their minds for generations.

Nowadays, the frequent uprisings of displaced people, who often retreat to the mountains and forests, have become a major issue that threatens the very foundation of the nation.

Even if you want to travel by land, you have to be wary of these mobs; they're starving and will steal anything.

Even if they were actually created by Da Jing, they have long since gone out of control.

Qu Duan and Yue Fei, who had just returned from the front lines, were watching Chen Shao handle state affairs in the palace when they heard news about Japan. Qu Duan immediately said, "If Your Majesty is willing, I am willing to lead the navy there."

Chen Shao shook his head. Japan was not like Jiaozhi; the situation there was far more complicated.

I have better ways to deal with them.

In Jiaozhi, you could simply slaughter everyone in the Red River Plain, then support a puppet ruler to govern for a few years, gradually transitioning it into submission and making it part of the greater Jing region—that's entirely feasible.

And among the sixty-six 'countries' of Japan, who will you kill?
If he were to venture into the mountains, he would be in an overseas Afghanistan, where the cost of counterinsurgency operations would be astronomical, and it would also affect his gold and silver mining.

It would be better to let all the forces vie for your support. Toba was so tough back then, he even wanted to be on equal footing with me.

Now he's behaving himself.

Let them fight amongst themselves first, then let them have some mining opportunities. In areas with mining, people will live much better than in other areas.

In this way, they would be more than happy for Jing Jun to dig in their own territory, and would become increasingly humble in seeking support.

Chen Shao laughed and said, “Jiaozhi and Dongying are worlds apart! Those Jiaozhi people are wolves by nature. Only a thunderous force can destroy their nest, and only a thorough purge can eradicate their roots. We must first strike with lightning speed to kill their ringleaders, and then gradually show them kindness and win their hearts. If we rashly offer them small favors, they will take it as cowardice. They will take advantage of our kindness and use our resources to strengthen themselves and our weapons to sharpen their edge. In the end, they will turn against us and bark at us.”

"As for the people of Dongying, they are very different from those of Jiaozhi. They are docile but greedy, and can be lured with small rewards and small favors, allowing them to cultivate and weed on their own. Once they have achieved some success, we can take them all at once, like harvesting hay—harvesting when it sprouts in spring, harvesting again when it ripens in autumn, and so on, endlessly. They only see the potential for profit, and work diligently in farming and weaving, fearing only that the grass will not grow well and the goods will not be plentiful. How could they dare to harbor rebellious thoughts? This is what is meant by 'taming them with profit and controlling them with ease,' making them work year-round, accumulating wealth for us generation after generation, without ever complaining."

After Chen Shao finished speaking, Qu Duan broke out in a cold sweat. His Majesty was truly ruthless when it came to scheming against people.

Yue Fei was quite curious. His Majesty was clearly from the Northwest Army, so how could he be so knowledgeable about these overseas affairs without any formal education?

It should be understood that even the most learned scholars may not be familiar with the customs of different ethnic groups.

He wasn't a member of the Dingnan Army, which is why he had doubts. As for those who were from the orthodox Dingnan lineage, they no longer had these doubts. The answer was obvious to them—His Majesty was ordained by Heaven and knew everything!

Zhang Shuye was somewhat confused, but Qu Duan was already used to it and didn't doubt it at all. In his heart, these words were the judgment for the two regions in the future.

Thinking of this, Yue Fei boldly asked, "Your Majesty, what about the mixed nomadic tribes of the grasslands?"

These days, he has been thinking about the Northern Frontier. The Northern Frontier is currently at its weakest. If he could take this opportunity to do something to completely eliminate the northern border troubles that have plagued the region for centuries, it would be a benefit for generations to come.

Chen Shao laughed and said, "People can't even get enough to eat, and half of them die of cold and hunger every year. How can they talk about habits? In such times, people's animalistic nature will inevitably outweigh their human nature. In addition, the southern and northern deserts are where the evil energy of heaven and earth gathers. Throughout history, all those who gather here are of the foul and wicked kind. They cannot be bound by kindness or trust, nor can they be enslaved by wealth."

"The only way is to build strong cities, amass troops, take advantage of their internal strife, launch a northern expedition beyond the border, burn their yurts, cut off their livestock, so that mothers and children cannot protect each other, and tribes slaughter each other."

"I have now sent people to build a city on Baidao Road, waiting for the right time to wipe out the barbarian tribes in one fell swoop!"

Why force them to live together in one tribe after another? Don't the Jing people know how to herd livestock?

Even if you don't know how, you can learn; if all else fails, you can recruit them as guests.

It was nothing more than transforming the barbarians into Chinese.

In any case, the rule should no longer be exercised by chieftains or clan leaders, and a royal court should not be allowed to exist.

At this time, he was unaware that Yuwen Xuzhong already shared similar views and had a complete plan that he was constantly working on and refining.

The barbarian tribes on the grasslands, still suffering from hunger and hardship, could never have imagined that while they were living such a miserable life, so many people of such high status were plotting against them.

Chen Shao closed the memorial in his hand and asked, "Qu Duan, you will need to pay more attention to the naval affairs in the future."

Qu Duan quickly stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to share your burdens."

In Yue Fei's heart, however, he valued the Northern Expedition that Chen Shao had mentioned even more, but he didn't know when it would come.

Normally, preparing for a Northern Expedition of this scale would have taken a very long time.

Even a single emperor cannot achieve this; it takes several generations to accumulate strength. For example, it took three generations of accumulation in the early Han Dynasty before Emperor Wu could launch his Northern Expedition.

However, with the current growth of the Great Jing's national strength, Yue Fei, though a military general, had heard about it and experienced it firsthand.

After all, the supplies transported to the front lines are the most direct indicator of a nation's strength.

Yue Fei was stationed in Tanzhou for nearly three years. During those three years, the supplies provided by the imperial court were something he could never have imagined before.

A commander-in-chief doesn't need to worry about supplies and provisions, or about not being able to reward his subordinates for their achievements; he can focus solely on fighting.

This is something that generals and commanders throughout history have dreamed of, and the current emperor has made it a reality.

He pondered for a while and felt that the time for the Northern Expedition would surely come soon.

I must train my troops well and prepare to march into the northern border, to join His Majesty in completely eliminating the border troubles and ensuring that the Hu horses never dare to invade the south again!

That has fulfilled my life's wish.

Seeing that he couldn't finish processing all the memorials, Chen Shao simply picked out the important ones to review and handed the rest over to the Secretariat for further review.

He raised his head, stretched his neck, and looked at the three men, saying, "You three have made great contributions in destroying the Jin dynasty and should be transferred to the Privy Council. However, the court urgently needs talented generals in various regions. Qu Duan, go to Dengzhou and Laizhou to take command of the Chenghai Water Fortress and recruit and train 20,000 naval troops."

Qu Duan stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and accepted the order. In fact, he already knew about this appointment. After the Battle of Lulongling, Chen Shao had mentioned this matter in his secret order to the front line.

"Zhang Shuye".

"The minister is here."

"There is a matter that is quite thorny, and it has troubled me for a long time."

As the saying goes, "When the ruler is in trouble, the minister is disgraced." Zhang Shuye hurriedly said, "Please give your orders, Your Majesty."

“Dali was the former territory of Nanzhao during the Tang Dynasty. During the Tianbao era, treacherous officials were in power, and King Meng of Nanzhao was forced to raise an army, not out of his own volition.”

"Therefore, the King of Nanzhao erected an iron pillar at the capital gate, carved a stone as an oath, and poured out his blood to plead his case, clearly stating that 'it is not that I dare to betray the Emperor's grace, but that I was forced by the border officials.' When I read it today, I can still feel his earnest desire to return to the capital, and every word is filled with his sincere longing for the emperor."

"However, the mountains and rivers were inaccessible and the roads were overgrown with weeds. Communication between Dali and the Central Plains had been cut off for a long time, which led to the separation of Han and Bai people, and the remaining people were trapped in the Yunling Mountains."

Zhang Shuye was also a well-read man, and he was somewhat taken aback when he heard this, but after thinking about it carefully, he felt that it was only natural.

"Not long ago, I sent Wu Jie to conquer Jiaozhi. The people of Dali were very welcoming and eager to submit. After the soldiers returned, they all said that the people there longed for the royal army every year and wanted to rejoin the territory. However, the Duan family of Dali has always been obedient. They came to pay homage several times when I first ascended the throne. I could not bear to destroy their foundation, nor could I bear to abandon the Bai people as barbarians."

"I hereby order you to go to Guizhou to clear the way, unclog the dangerous roads, and restore the ancient Zangke Road and the Yunnan-Guizhou post road. You are a scholar and have also led troops in battle. You are skilled in both literature and martial arts. You will surely be able to help me pacify the various barbarian chieftains. Both civil administration and military preparedness must be improved. We must not let the hearts of the people in the border areas be chilled."

Zhang Shuye suddenly felt a heavy burden on his shoulders.

Chen Shao continued, "I hereby appoint you as Academician of the Longtu Pavilion, Prefect of Kuizhou, and concurrently in charge of military affairs in Guizhou and other tributary prefectures!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Chong came out holding the letter of appointment, along with an official robe bestowed by the emperor and a seal that had been carved in advance.

Zhang Shuye hurriedly knelt down to receive the imperial decree and express his gratitude.

Chen Shao then took a precious sword from the wall behind him, handed it to him, and patted Zhang Shuye on the shoulder, saying, "I entrust the important affairs of the Southwest to you." Zhang Shuye felt his blood rush to his head. He was full of knowledge and poetry, but at this moment he could not say a word. He could only kneel down heavily, half-raising the sword, and bow.

Chen Shao was very satisfied. Qu Dapao was one of his own, so there was no need for this. As for Zhang Shuye, he was only going to come once, so he wasn't worried that Zhang Shuye wouldn't work hard.

Now he has no choice but to devote himself to the cause until his dying breath.

Moreover, they will not complain and will be full of fighting spirit.

Chen Shao told Li Gang, "We should work with people who have guts and courage." He was speaking from the heart.

The greater the task, the more you realize the true value of these seven words.

Seeing that the two men had found their places to go, Yue Fei thought to himself that he was next. He clenched his fists, and his hands, which were resting on his knees, were already slightly sweaty.

Even though Yue Fei was just an observer, he felt that Zhang Shuye's life had been worthwhile after witnessing that scene.

"Yue Fei".

"Your subject is here!" Yue Feiteng stood up abruptly, his eyes filled with excitement, and his voice was very loud.

It's different from Han Shizhong's loudspeaker style; it's less rugged and more solemn.

"What are your thoughts on the Northern Expedition that I mentioned earlier?"

Yue Fei remained silent for a moment, then clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I will obey all your orders!"

Now it was Chen Shao's turn to be at a loss. If Han Shizhong had said this, it would have made sense, but who would have thought that Yue Fei would say something like this?

Could it be that he caught it from Han Wu?

In fact, Yue Fei was telling the truth. He wasn't trying to flatter or shirk responsibility.

He truly felt that his own insights were inferior to His Majesty's arrangements, because he accepted them.

After years of fighting, I went from lying in wait outside Yingzhou City as a scout to witnessing the Dingnan Army descend like a divine force, eliminating the dark cloud hanging over Taiyuan in one fell swoop.

Later, when Hebei was in ruins, Dingnan Army marched out of Jingxing and turned the tide once again.

Furthermore, the various arrangements made later to destroy the Jin dynasty led him to begin to trust the decision-making level, even more than he trusted himself.

Chen Shao then cut to the chase and said, “The Hetao region controls the Yinshan Mountains and overlooks the southern Gobi Desert. During the Tang Dynasty, Fengzhou, Shengzhou, and Dongshoujiang City were established here. Although they were largely abandoned after the Khitan’s campaign, the foundations still remain. Pengju, you are skilled in managing military settlements. In just half a year in Zhending Prefecture, you were able to hold off Zonghan’s army. This time, you will surely be able to rebuild the old fortifications and recruit border people to populate them.”

"I hereby appoint you as the Pacification Commissioner of Yunzhong, concurrently in charge of the military training and agricultural settlements in the Hetao region, and grant you the imperial insignia and the right to establish your own government in Yunzhong. You are permitted to recruit brave warriors, raise warhorses, and repair armor and weapons. As for any money, provisions, or weapons you require, just ask, and I will prepare and send them to you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Chong, who had been prepared in advance, came out with two eunuchs, who were still ready with official documents, seals, and official robes.

Chen Shao then took a scroll from the table and said, "This is my handwriting. Unfold it when you return and do not disappoint me!"

Yue Fei bowed deeply and rose to accept the gift.
-
Qu Duan was kept behind, and Chen Shao asked him to go to the Privy Council in the outer imperial city to make the handover.

In fact, the Chenghai Navy is not as simple as it seems, because it also involves many unannounced secret orders.

Those were all confidential messages from within the imperial court, concerning the control of Goryeo and some deployments made against Japan.

This, of course, cannot be made public.

Zhang Shuye came out with Yue Fei, and looking at Yue Fei's scroll of calligraphy, he felt a cat-like curiosity.

"Pengju, quickly unfold it and see what His Majesty wrote for you."

Beneath the sunlit gate, Yue Fei carefully unfolded the cloth, revealing eight large characters written on it:

A nation with good generals
Everlasting Golden Goblet
Zhang Shuye couldn't help but glance at Yue Fei. He saw that the two fierce generals, one big and one small, had wide, bulging eyes, clenched teeth, and trembling cheeks, as if they wanted to devour someone.

Suddenly, he let out a loud "Hey!" and carefully rolled it up, holding it tightly in his hand.

Zhang Shuye could understand his feelings very well; in fact, he himself felt almost the same way.

He gripped the sword tightly, and couldn't help but wipe his eyes with his sleeve, his eyes reddening.

The two boarded their respective carriages, accompanied by their waiting retinues, and headed to their lodgings to prepare for departure.
-
People with courage and integrity are a minority in this world.

Despite their petty and despicable actions, they were always bound by the traditions of Song Dynasty officials, with forming cliques and pursuing personal gain being the mainstream.

Chen Shao enjoyed spending time with the former, even his former rival Li Gang.

The initial planning included building cities along the White Road, training troops in the Hetao region, and cultivating alliances and sowing discord. A full-scale Northern Expedition might still be a long way off.

But when doing this kind of thing, even if it doesn't have immediate results, it's still exciting and full of anticipation.

When he turned to deal with the Hidden Field case, he immediately frowned.

Wei Li made contributions to the Dingnan Army, helping to establish the basic bureaucratic system of the eleven prefectures in the northwest in the early stages.

They built a ruling team.

To be honest, he deserves a lot of credit.

However, once he returned to the center of power, he immediately picked up the mindset he had over a decade ago, and he was more like a traditional Northern Song scholar-official than Cai Jing.

Yang He followed behind Wang Yin and stepped into the emperor's palace for the first time in his life.

Although the place wasn't as magnificent as he had imagined, Yang He was still terrified and could barely speak.

Seeing this, Wang Yin did not let him continue speaking, but silently placed all the testimonies and evidence on Chen Shao's table.

Chen Shao flipped through the pages a few times, his face growing increasingly gloomy.

Sometimes, Chen Shao admired these scholar-officials and gentry; they were truly willing to test the emperor's bottom line for the sake of land and taxes.

Especially during the Song and Ming dynasties.
During these two dynasties, the status of literati and scholars was excessively elevated.

It's as if after the disappearance of the Five Clans and Seven Noble Families, these scholars all became members of the Five Clans and Seven Noble Families, masters of the country, and entitled to special privileges.

"Transfer all the evidence in this case to the Ministry of Justice."

Wang Yin's Guangyuan Hall was not suitable for public display, so Chen Shao said, "The investigators should report their respective merits in detail, and rewards should be given accordingly without omission. As for you, I have my own arrangements."

Wang Yin did not refuse and clasped his hands in gratitude.

What he thinks is unimportant. The people below are working themselves to the bone, and if all the credit is given to someone else, they certainly won't be willing.

Chen Shao flipped through the list of names in the case file again, sneering as they were all revealed.

It seems that the problem of redundant officials in the Song Dynasty can be solved.
-
The fifth day of the twelfth month of the first year of Jianwu.

As the New Year approached, the magistrate of Liyang County submitted a memorial to plead for justice for his brother and impeach Tang Ke, an assistant secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, for embezzlement, falsifying the Ministry of Revenue's records, and for driving his brother Yang Yu to his death.

Soon, Tang Ke was arrested and imprisoned, and subsequently implicated many other people.

Two days later, the emperor ordered Mozang Pangge, who was stationed in Luoyang, to come to the capital.

The Dingnan Army, Lingwu Army, and Fuyan Army reinforced the defenses of the capital.

Two days later, the number of officials involved reached 100, with Zhang Bangchang, Xu Churen, and He Deng, former first-rank officials of the previous dynasty, being imprisoned one after another.

The emperor ordered that Prince Liu Guanglie of Fu be appointed as the chief judge and Zhang Xiaochun, the Vice Minister of State Affairs, as the deputy judge to handle the case.

Five days later, Wei Li was reported and summoned to the palace for questioning. After returning to his residence, he committed suicide.

The emperor ordered that all his official positions and honors be removed, but in consideration of his merits, his family school and charitable estate were preserved.

The charitable estate has land, so people won't starve to death, and the family school can help their descendants make a comeback.

After Wei Li's death, the situation completely spiraled out of control.

Two thousand people were found to have participated in the Hidden Land Case in and around Nanjing, including those from Liangzhe Road, Jinghu Road, and Jiangnan East Road.

Hangzhou, Chuzhou, Suzhou, Kaifeng, and Tanzhou were the hardest-hit areas, with almost half of the local officials involved.

They deceived their superiors and subordinates, colluding with over five thousand gentry households to fabricate this case of hidden land. (End of Chapter)