You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chen Shao was very happy to meet his ministers for the first time after the Spring Festival.

Several close advisors stepped forward to exchange pleasantries with him.

Han Shizhong also came over to say a few auspicious words, but when he got closer, he found that they were talking about the reform of the caravan, so he asked, "Your Majesty, may I also make a little money?"

Chen Shao waved his hand, signaling him not to talk about it here.

Han Shizhong had followed him the longest, and seeing this, he knew there was hope, and was secretly delighted.

He planned to speak with His Majesty in detail after the court session. He had spent a great deal of money these past few days, and the wealth he had earned through military merits was almost entirely gone.

This was before Chen Shaoding established the capital in Jinling, which was then called Jiangning Prefecture. He had told Chen Shaoding in advance that he should purchase property in advance.

Han Wu was in his prime at the time, and he was someone who loved to enjoy life, so he spent money like water.

Moreover, he had no family background to support him and relied entirely on himself, spending his money on building tall houses, keeping beautiful maids, and buying singing girls.
Old Zhu was the same as him, but he learned the essence: spending money to start a family school and buy a charitable estate, so that even if some of his descendants made a big mistake in the future, the family members could make a living with the charitable estate and rise again with the family school.

Many prominent families did this. The two noble families in Dream of the Red Chamber arranged things this way, shifting from martial arts to literature, only to have it all ruined by a group of good-for-nothing descendants.

Chen Shao wasn't showing favoritism to this confidant; rather, he needed to ensure that the newly rich made money from trade.

Only in this way will they maintain the current state of commerce.

Just like when Zhu Di went to Southeast Asia, he made money and spent it himself. Although he did great things that benefited the country and the people, the officials still united to force him to stop.

Moreover, he bought back all the land owned by the gentry and did not allow large landowners with hundreds of thousands of acres of land to be allowed to own.

Then we need to find a new way for these people to make money.

The Great Jing has a trade surplus with everyone it trades with, so as long as they are encouraged, the world's wealth will be continuously transported back to the country.

To continuously spread the influence of Dajing.

When most of the people had arrived, Wang Xiaojie coughed once, then loudly quieted the room before reading a prepared congratulatory message.

After all the officials bowed again, Chen Shao granted special permission for several senior ministers to remain seated in their chairs without having to rise.

Zhong Shidao and Cai Jing were among them.

Originally, an imperial edict was issued specifically stating that these two were not required to attend court during the New Year, but they still came anyway.

In this prosperous era, even if the status quo remains unchanged, it will surely be recorded in history and written in great detail. They don't want to miss a single court assembly!

Because you never know which court assembly or which sentence will be recorded in history forever, and how your descendants will feel when they read it!
These things held immense appeal even for seasoned veterans like Zhong Shidao and Cai Jing, who were quite worldly-wise.

Then Chen Shao ordered that the officials be rewarded again, and the eunuchs brought in wooden trays one by one.

It has gold ingots, silver ingots, and a small glass cup on it.

The cup is almost transparent, as if it contains nothing, and has a certain charm, like "a hundred or so fish in a pool, all swimming in the air without anything to rely on."

Everyone was stunned, staring at the cup in disbelief.

Chen Shao smiled and said, "Last year, thanks to your concerted efforts, the country prospered and the people's livelihood was restored. I hereby bestow upon each of you a glass cup, hoping that you, my dear ministers, can all be as pure and upright as this cup in your official careers."

The officials marveled and couldn't help but pick it up and examine it closely.

Li Tangchen reached out and picked it up, holding it in front of his eyes. He saw that the cup, about the size of a wine cup, was as clear as solidified ice. The thin parts were almost colorless, while the thick parts had a slight bluish-green hue. When sunlight pierced through it, it cast a rainbow shadow on the blue brick floor.

"Is it glass?" Liu Jizu asked.

"It seems so, but the glass is cloudy and flawed, while this item has not a single bubble. Could it be... a new tribute from the Western Regions?"

Han Shizhong stepped forward, his eyes lighting up. He figured he could probably make a lot of money selling this thing.

But considering it was a gift from the emperor, I decided not to sell it.

He then thought that if His Majesty the Emperor had refined it himself, this could be a way to make money in the future. He asked with a smile, "Your Majesty, may I ask where this glass comes from?"

"I ordered the Imperial Workshop to make it."

Zhang Xiaochun frowned, stepped forward hastily, his fingertips hovering in the air, not daring to touch it. He merely circled the jade plate halfway and asked, "Your Majesty... if this cup were sold on the market, it would probably be worth a hundred gold pieces! But if I may be so bold as to ask—how much did it cost?"

He was a little afraid that Chen Shao would start playing these things.

Just like Emperor Huizong of Tang (Zhao Ji) squandered his time playing with strange stones from Taihu Lake, he ruined the country.

Chen Shao laughed heartily, fully approving of Zhang Xiaochun's attitude. "The quartz is taken from the tailings of Zhongshan, the wood ash is leftovers from the palace cooking, and the saltpeter is stored in the old warehouse. Apart from the food for the craftsmen, a furnace with ten cups costs no more than three hundred coins."

"what!"

With a loud bang, the hall suddenly became lively, as the glass from the Western Regions was a very valuable item.

Now Your Majesty can refine ten for less than three hundred coins.

Cai Jing, who had been given a seat early on, reached out and asked Bai Shizhong to bring him one. After Bai Shizhong carefully brought one over, Cai Jing examined it closely.

Having seen and tasted it, he immediately concluded that this thing, whether sold domestically or overseas, would likely be a major source of income comparable to porcelain.

The hall was extremely noisy, and Cai Jing knew that if he spoke, he would be drowned out, so he asked Bai Shizhong to come over and whisper something in his ear.

Bai Shizhong immediately straightened his back and said loudly, "Your Majesty, Grand Tutor Cai suggested that the recipe for this product should be kept secret, and then a few families should be specially permitted to produce it."

Chen Shao nodded and said, "Set up an imperial glass factory in each prefecture and recruit local people to work there. That would be a way to make a living."

The eunuchs naturally wouldn't let them bring this thing to court; they would only let them come up to show it off, and after court, it would be distributed by the three departments.

Chen Shao felt a secret sense of satisfaction seeing their shocked expressions.

After becoming emperor, the most direct experience of the allure of the position came from this glass incident.

He said it in mid-December, the glass was fired the next day, and there were improvements three days later.

Today, the tenth day of the first lunar month, it's time to make cups.

There must have been a large number of craftsmen who worked day and night to adjust the proportions of materials and then fire them.

For the artisans of the Song Dynasty, firing was actually the simplest task, because the kilns used for firing porcelain in the Song Dynasty, in terms of both technology and temperature, far surpassed the level of glassmaking in Venice four hundred years later.

It was the craftsmen's dedication that enabled him to display his divine power in the imperial court today.

Chen Shao then strolled into the hall, stood among the ministers, and had a eunuch bring him a water jug.

He personally poured water from the kettle into the cup. The clear water rippled, yet the cup remained perfectly still, as clear as a tranquil lake.

"My lords, look—" He raised his cup to the light, "This thing can replace window paper to warm cold rooms; it can be made into mirrors to help old ministers read; it can be used as a measuring instrument to ensure accurate medicine. If it is only used as a plaything, it is my fault; if its uses are expanded, it will benefit all people."

Zhang Xiaochun felt both ashamed and guilty. How could he have imagined the current emperor to be a foolish and immoral ruler?

He has never done such a thing.

Then I thought that once Liulichang was built in various places, it would provide the people with another way to make a living.

Moreover, this is also very good news for the finances of various regions, as those barren and mountainous areas now have other options.

At this moment, Cai Jing also felt a pang of regret, realizing that all his ideas were merely aimed at generating more money for the court to replenish the national treasury. He had been misled by the foolish Duke.

His Majesty's first thought was actually about the people's livelihood and how to benefit them, rather than helping the court to amass wealth.

He was the most important person in creating this golden age; compared to him, I am truly ashamed!

I originally thought that with my talent, I could at least account for 30 or 40% of the credit for this prosperous Jianwu era.

In retrospect, it is not an exaggeration to say that Your Majesty alone deserves 90% of the credit, and the remaining 10% should be shared among the ministers!
Cai Jing was indeed greedy, but he was ultimately a traditional scholar.

To say that he has no desire to help the world is slander.

He was one of the first to establish a charitable system.

He issued decrees to establish nursing homes to accommodate "widows, widowers, orphans, the lonely, the poor, and those unable to support themselves," and these homes were established in various prefectures and counties.

This is considered the world's earliest government-run nursing home, 500 years earlier than in Europe.

He also built Anjifang to provide free medical treatment to the poor and sick. According to his decree, each prefecture should have at least one such facility, equipped with wards, pharmacies, and kitchens.

There's also Louzeyuan, an official cemetery where unclaimed corpses are buried. Establishing a public cemetery on the outskirts of the city ended the tragic situation of "bones lying exposed in the wild."

However, he also had the shortcomings of traditional civil officials in the Central Plains, namely, when it came to making political enemies and achieving political achievements, the former always took precedence and was ten thousand times more important than the latter.

Following the emperors they served, Cai Jing and his brother Cai Bian even raised 80 strings of cash to build the largest water conservancy project in Fujian in their ancestral home (which is still in use today).
-
Back at Funing Palace, Chen Shao changed his clothes and prepared to escort Maode to the palace.

With childbirth imminent, Chen Shao naturally wouldn't leave her outside.

Just as they were about to leave, Chen Chong stepped forward and said that a monk who had returned from Japan had come to see them.

Chen Shao nodded and asked, "Where are they?"

"They said they were at Changgan Temple, waiting to be received."

Chen Shao nodded and said, "I will go see them myself."

Chen Chong didn't dare to stop him and could only hurriedly make arrangements.

Fortunately, His Majesty frequently leaves the palace, so the eunuchs and palace attendants are quite familiar with the route.

After Chen Shao led his guards out of the palace, they first arrived at Changgan Temple.

Huixing and the others were waiting for news from the palace when a guard came over and told them that the emperor had arrived.

The monks, including Huixing, were startled and hurriedly followed the guards to the Mahavira Hall of Changgan Temple to pay their respects to His Majesty.

Before setting off, they had all met with the saint. When they saw that it was indeed Chen Shao there, the young monks were so excited that they didn't know what to do.

Chen Shao sat on the prayer mat, muttering to himself.

The monks dared not speak and stood behind him.

"Sit down," Chen Shao said. "I have a child who is about to be born. Please allow me to offer my prayers."

Then everyone sat down on the prayer cushions. From Huixing down, all of them had devout expressions and silently recited the "Universal Gate Chapter of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva" from the Lotus Sutra.

Pray for the princes or princesses.

A moment later, Chen Shao turned around and said with a smile, "You've all worked hard."

"Don't dare!"

Huixing took out an object from his bosom, wrapped it in his monk's robe, and peeled it off layer by layer. It turned out to be a piece of raw ore the size of a pebble—the crack in the stone vein shone with dazzling golden light.

"Your Majesty, this is ore brought back from Lingyi. The mine is not deep and is very easy to mine."

Chen Shao didn't look at the gold, but at the cloth wrapped around the ore, which was stained with blood.

Following his gaze, Huixing lowered his head, and heard Chen Shao say, "Thank you for your hard work."

Huixing was surprised that his first focus was not on the high-quality gold ore, but on the cloth wrapped around it, and his eyes welled up with tears.

But he didn't openly express his loyalty; instead, he kept it in his heart.

"This ore was mined from a mountain stream behind Hishikari Village in Satsuma," Huixing said. "We monks pretended to spread Buddhism and exchange ideas with Buddhist sects in Japan, and secretly found this vein."

“The local barbarians from the East did not know that this thing was gold ore. They only said it was the bone of the mountain god. When they saw that I had taken it, they chased after me like madmen.”

Chen Shao scoffed, "The bones of a mountain god, my foot!"
However, the Japanese don't really value these things anymore.

Moreover, in their understanding, gold is indeed associated with gods.

In Japan, gold is mainly used for gilding Buddhist statues, decorating temples, and as imperial objects.

It's purely symbolic; if you act rashly, you might even be breaking a taboo.

Silver fared even worse, being virtually worthless and even despised, used only for low-grade handicrafts, and regarded by nobles as "vulgar."

Meanwhile, the Song Dynasty had already begun paying taxes in silver, a fact unknown to Japan.

In Japan, the truly valuable things are copper, especially copper coins minted during the Northern Song Dynasty.

The copper coins of the Song Dynasty, also known as "imported coins" in their country, were a true hard currency, as long as the Song Dynasty's coin-minting technology was too superior, while their own copper coins were simply too poor.

According to the "Chaoye Qunzai", the capital market "only used Song coins, and local coins were not accepted";
Song coins even became a unit of measurement for betrothal gifts for warriors and donations to temples.

Copper coins, silk, and rice are what Japan values ​​most today.

The Great Jing Dynasty still mints coins, but they are now more focused on silver coins, with the minting of the copper 'Jianwu Tongbao' coin decreasing month by month.

The Great View Garden had already developed into a scenic spot with its own currency, while Japan was still using Song Dynasty coins.
“I can also dig up the bones of the mountain god,” Chen Shao said. “After you return, choose a powerful family in Kyushu and tell them that the Fujiwara clan is in power and the emperor is in a state of disgrace. If they raise the banner of rebellion, they will be loyal subjects of the emperor. After the deed is done, Satsuma will establish itself as a country, break away from Japan, and become equals.”

Kyushu Island is adjacent to Ryukyu, and Daikage already has a naval port in Ryukyu.

It's much easier for them to interfere with Satsuma in Kyushu than for Iwami.

Hui Xing frowned slightly after hearing this, leaned forward, and said, "Your Majesty, the Japanese believe in the unbroken imperial lineage, which is deeply ingrained. Although ordinary powerful families may not submit to their rule, almost none of them are willing to be on equal footing with the Emperor."

"An unbroken imperial lineage? Nonsense! This is nothing but a trick to fool the common people and control their minds!" Chen Shao cursed. "And it's utterly despicable; it can only fool the Japanese. To break this superstition, we must let the Emperor die in the marketplace, make him tremble at the sight of a blade, and be as pathetic as a stray dog! Let all the Japanese see this ugly spectacle, and let it spread throughout Japan!"

MacArthur shattered the myth of the Emperor with a single photograph, showing people how short and humble he was, thus dispelling the myth.

The means of communication today are not as advanced as those of later generations, so we need to break this perception in a more dramatic and explosive way.

The best way is to kill him in the street.

They were also to be paraded through the streets as a form of public humiliation.

However, Jing Jun cannot take action yet.

Chen Shao almost immediately thought of a suitable candidate: the mob.

They believed that the most venerable emperor, whose lineage was unbroken for eternity, died at the hands of the lowest mob, turning the 'god of the present world' into a 'disguised wretch'. (End of Chapter)