You have truly caused me great suffering!

The Japanese emperor and nobles are quite outrageous; they created a very dirty and chaotic set of legends to mythologize their emperor.

But ordinary people are just as outrageous.

They have truly been fooled, believing in the Emperor's doctrines for centuries, and will continue to believe them.

If they hadn't lost World War II, they probably would still believe it.

The reason for this is that no emperor has ever been beheaded in the street without shedding blood.

On that small island nation, people's minds were thus imprisoned. Unable to see the Emperor's lineage, they could endlessly deify him in their own minds.

This has led to some mental illnesses among the Emperor's faction.

Totoba goes without saying; his bizarre actions leave people completely baffled.

Baihe was an extraordinary man. One year, because the continuous overcast weather disturbed his refined pleasure, he ordered that rainwater be collected in basins and then thrown into the prison as a way to "punish" the heavens.

This is a typical example of the illusions that arise from being narrow-minded and ignorant for too long, inevitably leading to arrogance and complacency.

Now, Emperor Shirakawa is about to die of old age, and Emperor Sutoku is still very young, so Toba is the most suitable candidate.

Chen Shao thought for a while, but then felt it wasn't safe enough. According to their perverse customs and ideas, if Toba died on his own, the nobles could easily say that he made way for the Emperor.

It would be best if we all went down together.

During the Battle of Xuge, the Zhou emperor was shot in the shoulder by an arrow and bled, thus completely destroying the emperor's authority.

Chen Shaoyue thought about it and felt it was appropriate; the mob movement had exceeded his expectations.

Since things have escalated to this point, let's add fuel to the fire!
The people of Japan today are still too ignorant. They don't know what "Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?" means, nor do they know what "The blue sky is dead, the yellow sky shall rise" means.

Fortunately, with Chen Shao's help, they were able to skip all of this and directly enter the "Maitreya's Descent into the World, Dharma Body White Lotus" stage.

This wave of good fortune is truly immense; it's like skipping a thousand years of detours and directly entering the ultimate form of rebellion—the White Lotus Sect.

What's even more interesting is that the entire Japanese nation is Buddhist, making this Maitreya White Lotus doctrine seem particularly promising.

The White Lotus sect's neighborhood association model, with its small group leaders and hall masters, was also more suitable for Japan.

In the Central Plains, if you form a society with a few hundred people, you're nothing but a piece of trash. If word gets out, the government will send troops to wipe you out.

Here, if you gather a few hundred men and are lucky enough to wipe out the powerful local tyrants, you've basically succeeded.

Of course, this is under the condition of having weapons and equipment.

Previously, they could not possibly have had such things; they might not even be able to obtain weapons, let alone armor.

In the Central Plains, having swords is nothing special, but hoarding armor is tantamount to rebellion.

Because these two things are not on the same level.

In battle, armor plays a far greater role than weapons.

Huixing waited quietly for Chen Shao to give his orders. No matter what the Emperor wanted, they would do it without hesitation.

When the bell of Changgan Temple rang, Chen Shao came back to his senses, looked at the young monks in front of him, and sighed: "You have all worked hard."

The monks put their palms together and chanted, "Amitabha."

"The gold mine is right there. Let's not rush to dig it up. Let the military port in Ryukyu stockpile enough supplies before we go to Kyushu to stir up trouble."

"What you need to do now is to continue to expand your influence among the people and incite conflict between the nobles and the common people."

"It would be best to let them form their own society." Chen Shao thought of the refugee leader, Teppou Mizo, whom Huiming had trained in Nara. That man was truly fierce and a born bloodthirsty villain.

For the first time, the Japanese nobles and powerful families who treated herders like sheep and dogs tasted fear.

His tactic of hanging the heads of noble families on the road their troops were bound to take was something even the Jurchens, their mortal enemies, couldn't have come up with.

If we could get this guy into Kyoto...
Chen Shao pursed his lips and couldn't help but smile.

Then congratulations to Japan, they've acquired their own Huang Chao.

If a mob storms into Kyoto and slaughters the Emperor and his family, things will get interesting in Japan.

Supporting a few powerful figures to carve out their own territories and declare themselves kings, splitting the country into smaller states, would be far easier to control than it is now.

However, this was not quite what Chen Shao had originally planned, and he needed to issue new orders to his people in Korea and Japan to unify their thinking.

This will take a while.

Chen Shao patted Huixing and Huihe on the shoulder and said, "You two should rest for a few days. I will soon have a great use for you."

"I am willing to die for Your Majesty!"
-
As Chen Shao left Changgan Temple, he noticed that more and more people were offering incense.

There were also some peddlers both upstairs and downstairs, carrying loads of food and hawking their wares by the roadside.

"It has the grandeur of the Great Xiangguo Temple!"

Dong Dahu laughed and said, "It's still not as good as the Great Xiangguo Temple. That place is much more lively."

"Take it slow!" Chen Shao nodded slightly and said, "The prosperity of Bianliang, the capital of the Song Dynasty, was sustained by draining the blood of the entire Song Dynasty. My Jinling, however, is meant to provide blood transfusions to other regions."

Although Bianliang, the capital of the Song Dynasty, had reached the pinnacle of prosperity for a feudal dynasty, Chen Shao still believed that in the near future, an even more prosperous city would emerge in the Great Jing Dynasty.

And there's more than one!
He stopped in front of a peddler, who, seeing his extraordinary bearing and the many people surrounding him, knew he was an important person.

So his eyes became somewhat evasive and timid.

Chen Shao took a small straw ornament from his carrying pole; it looked like a small animal.

"You made this up yourself?"

"Replying to your question, sir, this was woven by my mother at home. She asked me to pick it out and sell it for some money."

Chen Shao said, "Good! Good! There are opportunities everywhere in Jinling now. You can make money no matter what you do. Your mother is very insightful. You should listen to her more in the future."

The shift of displaced farmers to handicraft vendors was a harbinger of what would become the wealthiest dynasty in Chinese history.

The peddler listened in astonishment, thinking to himself that this man was probably a high-ranking official who liked to teach people.

Chen Shao took a small straw ornament and asked someone to pay him. The eunuch Chen Chong quickly took out a money pouch and gave him some loose silver.

The peddler said awkwardly, "I don't have any change either. If you don't have any coins, sir, it's fine. This thing isn't worth much; consider it a gift."

"No need to look anymore!" Chen Shao laughed, mounted his horse, and led his men straight to the small garden.

The place has been renamed "Baozhen Temple". Chen Shao initially thought the name was so-so and wanted to comment on it, but when he learned that it was named by Li Yi'an, he immediately shut up.

This person is too cultured. If he tries to act tough, he'll easily make a fool of himself and become a laughingstock for future generations.

When he heard them say that preserving one's true nature means keeping one's original, genuine self, Chen Shao felt that it was very apt.

Li Yi'an, Zhao Fujin, Song Xiangyun, and Chen Shao can be considered as four Preserving Truth Sect cultivators who broke through the shackles of worldly conventions and pursued their own happiness with sincerity.

Baozhen Temple has only changed its signboard; the interior remains the same as before. The garden is desolate, with a few ancient pines growing tall and showing patches of green. As the winter snow melts, it reveals moist red soil, dotted with ice crystals that sparkle like jewels.

The plum blossoms of dozens of winter plum trees have just finished blooming, and the branches still have a faint pink hue. Sunlight filters through them, scattering dappled spring light across the ground. Strolling among them feels like being in a secluded paradise.

Inside the bedroom, there was a large bed large enough to accommodate six or seven people, which Chen Shao usually slept in when he came to visit.

The three of them each had their own room and a group of maids.

In fact, Li Yi'an's life was already quite tight, but after joining the Baozhen Sect, he was no longer worried about food and clothing.

In the main house's bedroom, spring was in the air. Chen Shao sat upright in a chair, chatting with Mao De beside him, showing her the little grass ornaments he had bought, telling her that grass is the most resilient, and he hoped that his children would be like that too.

Incense smoke curled from the burner, and the charcoal fire burned brightly. Song Shi, dressed in a silver-white stand-up collar cloak, sat casually on a futon on the ground. Her white horse-face skirt swirld around her, but could not conceal her long, slender legs wrapped in snow-white silk trousers.

Chen Shao sighed softly, lowered his head to stroke her cheek and hair, and said gently, "Where did you learn this new skill? You're really quick-witted."

Unable to speak, Song could only blink her eyes to convey her feelings. Maode saw this and jokingly said with a smile, "I think it's just a matter of practice makes perfect."

Song blushed even more, her cheeks burning. Chen Shao asked, "Are you going to the palace?"

Maode hesitated and said, "I like this place. Please allow me to think about it."

Chen Shao supported Song's head and said, "You can stay outside, but I will be brought into the palace."

Maode nodded and said, "Find a good wet nurse for me, and I will visit her in the palace often."

Seeing that she was determined not to enter the palace, Chen Shao did not force her.

Song Shi had already said she wouldn't go in, and Li Yi'an didn't want to go to the palace either. This Baozhen Temple held extraordinary significance for them.

And they do live a more comfortable and pleasant life.

After a while, Song returned after rinsing her mouth, and Chen Shao picked her up and held her in his arms.

She felt both shy and satisfied. Even though she was older than Chen Shao, he held her like a daughter.

Li Qingzhao, who had just woken up from her afternoon nap, lifted the curtain and came in. She saw Chen Shao at first, but then she saw Song Shi being held horizontally in his arms and couldn't help but laugh.

“Maode is determined not to go to the palace. You all have to be my witnesses. It’s not that I don’t want her to go.”

Li Qingzhao rolled her eyes at him, rubbed her hands together and said, "If you don't want to go, then you don't have to go. We already agreed not to be apart."

Her eyes flickered, and she asked casually, "Are you going back to the palace tonight?"

A night breeze swept by, causing the two lanterns to sway and the chains of the chandeliers to creak, adding to the tranquility of the night.

In his bedroom, Chen Shao spread out a sheet of paper under the lamp and began to write furiously.

On the large bed not far away, Li Yi'an peeked over, the brocade quilt slipping off his shoulders, revealing a large expanse of fair and smooth skin that emitted a faint glow in the night.

She put on a fleece coat, walked over and glanced at it. She saw Chen Shao writing about Ryukyu, Japan, and military ports, along with a bunch of accounts she couldn't understand, and immediately lost interest.

She quietly walked to the side and began to write ink for Chen Shaoyan.

At this moment, Chen Shao was in a state of enlightenment, his mind was clear and his brain was working very fast.

He was a diligent person, and seeing that he was in such a good state, he immediately listed out all his plans for the day.

This handwritten order to Huiming was to instruct him to once again fund Tiebang Misan and others in order to cultivate a leader of the refugees in Japan.

Mob leaders and vagrant commanders are two different levels of bandits.

It's roughly similar to the difference between Song Jiang and Fang La.

"Is this a decree for governing the country?"

"I suppose so," Chen Shao said with a smile, "but it's about 'governing' other countries."

He sneered inwardly, "If I can't kill you this time, you're lucky!"

“You are a very good emperor, better than any other capable ruler in history,” Li Qingzhao suddenly said.

Chen Shao looked up at her with some surprise, and Li Qingzhao smiled and said, "That is indeed true."

For some reason, Chen Shao felt a surge of emotion.

"It is my honor to grind ink for you here tonight, and I have also contributed a little bit to your governance of the country."

As Li Qingzhao ground ink, she gazed at the young man under the lamp, her eyes softening with tenderness and a hint of admiration.

Over the years, she has also experienced going from bustling Tokyo to impoverished Qingzhou.

Having experienced the chaos and turmoil of the Jin army's southward advance, they also witnessed the incompetence of the Song court and the Song army.

Now, she has taken in the entire grandeur of the Great Jing Kingdom from Jinling.

The man before me is truly a great hero who turned the tide!
In the second year of Jianwu, spring arrived.

The rulers and ministers of the Great Jing Kingdom decided on two major tasks. One of them was to dig the North-South Canal to allow the grain transport to connect the north and south.

Secondly, they were accumulating strength in preparation for annihilating the various tribes of the grasslands in one fell swoop.

Therefore, Chen Shao specially dispatched Li Gang to build a city at Baidao and Yue Fei to train troops at Hetao.

They also contacted Wanyan Balisu, the most powerful henchman of the Great Jing in the southern desert, ready to strike at any time.

Throughout history, the Central Plains have regarded the northern barbarians as their greatest enemy and the most troublesome border threat.

Of course, the Tang Dynasty is an exception. Perhaps even Heaven felt that the martial virtue of the Tang Dynasty was too abundant, so it gave the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau a limited-time boost, giving birth to the strongest Tubo.

The Tang Dynasty's archenemy was the Tibetan Empire, which posed a greater threat than the Tartars in the north.

Today, the Great Jing Dynasty was founded on the Hebei region, which can be considered the northern border.

The Dingnan Army and the Jurchen soldiers fought fiercely, causing chaos and upheaval, and the Dingnan Army suppressed the nomadic tribes of the grasslands to the point of being unable to breathe.

This was a perfect opportunity, when the Hu people were at their weakest, and the Central Plains were surprisingly strong.

Today, the most powerful tribes on the grasslands are: the Kereit, the Naiman, the Tatar, the Mongol, and the Merkit.

Among them, the Kereit and Naiman relied entirely on the northern route of the Silk Road and the trade routes of the Western Regions for their livelihood, and had already effectively submitted to the Great Jing.

The sect that the Kereit tribe believed in was called "Nestorianism" (Christianity). Although it had nothing to do with the Great Jing, they liked to make far-fetched connections and associate themselves with it.

As a result, Chen Shao issued an edict reprimanding him.

The Kereit tribe possessed the strongest military group on the grasslands, but because they traded with the Central Plains, they were already very wealthy. The upper echelons did not want to fight, nor did they want to lose the opportunity for trade.

The Tatar tribe, nomadic on the shores of the lush and fertile "Buyuerhaizi" (Lake Bel), were once lackeys of the Jurchen Tartars, often driven and captured by the Jurchens for their livelihood.

They also "hunted eagles" for them. The so-called "hunting eagles" was to kill indiscriminately on the grasslands to reduce the population and make it easier to control.

The current leader is named Mieguzhen Xueqiehuli. These mixed northern barbarians hate the construction of cities along the white road the most.

The road south was completely blocked, and it became impossible to go south and plunder, even to rob the people of Mobei.

They can only fend for themselves and endure the winter blizzards.

There is also a Merkit tribe in the northern desert, located south of Lake Buyur. They are brave and skilled in battle, known for their raids and plundering. Their society is relatively backward, retaining remnants of a matrilineal system. They don't have any particular stance, but they are the kind of people who will rob when they are extremely hungry.

To put it bluntly, they were a bunch of bandits who would steal anything and made a living by plundering.

Historically, they abducted Genghis Khan's wife, and were therefore exterminated.
After the start of the year, Chen Shao's first official imperial edict was to order the eldest sons of the leaders of these five tribes to come to Jinling as hostages.

These actions toward the desert and grasslands are all done openly.

However, all arrangements for Japan were made in secret.

Arming refugees doesn't actually require many supplies. Chen Shao only sent some craftsmen, asking Huiming to forge the iron from the by-product ore while he was refining silver ore in Shijian.

Japan lacks a strong central government, high city walls, and a well-connected road network, making it ideal for peasant uprisings.

If all else fails, we can just hide in the mountains.
His imperial edict has already been issued; now we await its actual effect. (End of Chapter)