You have truly caused me great suffering!

As the eldest son of the Gao family of Dali, and the person who would one day take charge of the entire Dali, Gao Siyuan was always raised with strict discipline.

Besides reading and practicing martial arts every day, he also studied Buddhism and associated with the children of various ethnic groups in Wuman.

Understand the thoughts of these tribes, and deal with any discontent promptly.

The relationship between the thirty-six tribes of Wuman and the Gao family was not one of master and servant in the traditional sense, but rather one of mutual restraint and support, maintaining a delicate balance and striving to preserve the status quo.

They tacitly approved of the Gao family as the de facto masters of Dali, but absolutely forbade them from usurping the throne and replacing the Duan family as independent rulers.

Because they had not yet declared themselves kings at this time, and were still wary of the issue of legitimacy, they dared not excessively weaken the power of the vassal states, fearing that the various tribes would side with the Duan family. Therefore, they were able to maintain a certain level of power.

Once the Gao family becomes the king of Dali, they will definitely consolidate their power.

Therefore, being the eldest son of the Gao family is very tiring. Now that he has come to Jinling, Gao Siyuan was frowning and worried every day when he first arrived.

But as time went by, he realized that there was no use in being anxious.

Moreover, officials from the Ministry of Rites would frequently invite him to banquets in Jinling, and since he no longer had to worry about affairs in Dali, he found himself with more leisure time.

Visit Changganli, Qinhuai River, Xuanwu Lake, and Qixia Mountain every day.
You can also hang out with the city's most beautiful courtesans, chatting and drinking. These fairy-like beauties are not only beautiful, but also have outstanding temperament.

She was many times more beautiful than the women of the Wuman tribes, and she carried a faint fragrance as she walked.

Moreover, they were proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and even when I discussed Buddhism with them, these wonderful people were all highly knowledgeable.

Although there were no intimate actions, when they saw him, they always had a melancholy expression mixed with joy. Their bright and lively eyes perfectly expressed both contradictory emotions in an instant, making Gao Siyuan completely infatuated.

They've clearly fallen for him!
The money that was originally intended for cultivating relationships was mostly spent on girls. Although he didn't even get to hold their hands, he felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

I feel like I've wasted the first half of my life.

When I woke up in the morning, the sky was already bright but the sun was not yet visible. The courtyard was still shrouded in a damp mist, hazy and indistinct like smoke or rain.

Having lived in Nanjing for a while, he even fell in love with this kind of weather.

Gao Siyuan opened the window and looked out at the courtyard. He immediately felt that it was cramped and lacked a sense of spaciousness. Outside were densely packed houses and winding alleys, making the view very limited.

If I could own a grand mansion in Nanjing and live there for the rest of my life, I would have no regrets.

The moment this thought crossed Gao Siyuan's mind, he suddenly realized what he was there for!

A sense of guilt suddenly filled his heart, but when he thought about his appointment with Miss Qingqing to discuss the Heart Sutra, he felt refreshed and relaxed.

Miss Qingqing lost her parents at a young age, her elder brother was a gambler, and her younger brother was often ill. Forced to wander in the mortal world, she still maintained pure Dharma and morality. She is truly a goddess among immortals, a bodhisattva among women.

How could those rough and uncouth women from Baiman and Wuman compare to her? Even the princess of the Dali royal family was worlds apart from her. It was truly a case of rubble feeling ashamed when surrounded by pearls and jade!

The Lunar New Year has just passed and the Lantern Festival has not yet arrived, but Jinchun Garden is not bustling, which is the opposite of the crowded scenes on the streets of the city.

When Gao Siyuan arrived at the garden, he immediately felt that the world had become quiet. Jinling was good in every way, except that it was too crowded, too noisy and crowded.

Upon entering Qingqing's room, Gao Siyuan was filled with excitement. Today, he had entered the young lady's boudoir, and the maids told him that he was the first guest to be allowed in.

He couldn't help but straighten his clothes again, and then he immediately saw the brocade screen in the room. It was indeed well-woven, and there was a poem embroidered on it. It was a fresh and witty little poem, graceful and clever, just like Miss Qingqing's personality. It must have been written by the girl herself.

"Oh! You're here!" were her first words upon meeting him.

She was wearing a plain white dress, which made her face look fair and delicate, making her a beautiful young woman. However, wearing such a plain dress was somewhat out of place for the current season.

Gao Siyuan quickly bowed and said, "Miss Qingqing, please forgive my intrusion." He then took out an exquisite wooden box from his pocket and handed it over, saying, "This is just a small gift, please accept it."

Qingqing said with a smile, "Oh, you even bought me a gift. I have to see what it is... You sit down too, don't be so reserved. They're not going to eat you."

Gao Siyuan shuddered, feeling that Miss Qingqing was a little different today. Could it be that he was the first person to enter her embroidery room and was therefore being treated specially?
"Hehe, young lady, you're quite the joker. My meat isn't very tasty." He then tried to appear casual.

Upon hearing this, Qingqing raised her sleeve to cover her mouth and laughed, revealing only her squinted eyes, which left Gao Siyuan stunned for a moment.

Watching her raise her sleeve and extend her delicate hand with a look of anticipation, I saw her open the wooden box.

Gao Siyuan felt a little nervous.

She opened it and was immediately stunned. The agate of this quality, with its color like cinnabar dew and its texture like solidified fat, was a subtle and not dazzling red. It was clearly the legendary "red jade"!
Red jade is so precious that there is a rosary made of red jade here.

If it's true, then it's incredibly valuable.

Because we were so close, I could feel the beauty's breath, and even her breathing and the rise and fall of her chest.

At this moment, if a playboy among the flowers were to reach out and pull it into his arms, he could use the value of this treasure to do whatever he wanted.

Qingqing was also prepared to wait for the right price, as the price offered by this person was already excessive.

I was already prepared to sacrifice myself today. Who would believe me if I said I was going to study Buddhism? Who would come to a brothel to study Buddhism these days?
That aloof demeanor she used to have was just a way to inflate her own value, waiting until she was truly in the limelight before letting loose and satisfying her patrons. Today, she was all prepared; she was going to use the methods she'd learned since childhood to make this man leave, leaning against the wall for support.

It's important to understand that the key to relationships between men and women lies in the word 'new'.

It's said that prostitutes are heartless, but aren't their lovers just as heartless? Once they get what they want, they lose interest and can easily give it up—that's why courtesans suffer so much in love, while the men who wander through the world of pleasure are inevitably fickle.

A courtesan who could rise to prominence in Jinling naturally understood this principle. Her previous nonchalant demeanor allowed men to savor the absurd and passionate moments after she was won over, keeping her ever fresh in their eyes. Before even stepping out of her boudoir, they would already be planning their next meeting, figuring out how to win her heart and rekindle their bond.

But he didn't move.

Qingqing immediately seemed to understand, and her tone changed, becoming somewhat desolate as she said, "How could a courtesan like Qingqing be worthy of such a treasure?"

Just as Gao Siyuan was about to speak, a series of footsteps suddenly came from outside. "Is Gao Yanei here? Enough nonsense, I'll rip up your brothel."

"Young Master Gao!"

Gao Siyuan quickly stood up and said, "It seems they came to see me."

He opened the door and happened to run into a group of guards who were looking for him.

Leading the group was Liu Qi, the commander of the Imperial Guards. He was furious. "Why did you have to come to the brothel today of all days? And who comes here so early!"
However, considering his special status, Liu Qi, the commander of the imperial guards, remained polite and respectfully clasped his hands, saying, "Young Master Gao, His Majesty summons you. Please come with me to the palace to meet the Emperor immediately."

After the group left, Qingqing was completely stunned.

"The Faceless Saint?"

She looked at the red jade Buddha beads that were still sitting quietly on the table with the lid still closed, and suddenly stood up.

She closed the lid. The maid, Qiao'er, entered, and the two remained silent.

They had originally planned to squeeze this foolish young master from the remote southwest region dry, but they never expected him to be so powerful.

They had no idea about the situation in Dali, and they thought that even if he was the son of the Dali prime minister, it wouldn't be a big deal.

Little did they know, this was actually the crown prince of Dali.
Looking at the red jade on the table, a resolute glint flashed in Qingqing's eyes; she was determined to seize this opportunity.

As long as you can become a concubine in his household, your life will be secure, even if you go to the wilderness!
If only he could stay in Jinling forever.
-
Duan Zhengyan had been waiting outside the hall for a long time and finally saw Gao Siyuan coming over.

The two nodded without speaking and followed Chen Chong toward the Chuigong Hall.

Before meeting them, Chen Shao had already heard from Liu Qi that they had actually found him from a brothel, which made Chen Shao look at him with new respect.

This little Gao
You integrated pretty quickly!

Chen Shao did not mean to look down on him, which is only natural.

At his age, and being groomed as an heir in Dali, he had never seen a seductive vixen in a den of iniquity like Jinling.

But he still found it a little funny.

If it weren't for the fact that your Gao family is incredibly wealthy, we'd really have to be careful in a place like this, they'd eat you alive, leaving not even bones behind.

When the two entered, Gao Siyuan was noticeably awkward, but fortunately, His Majesty did not make any jokes.

Chen Shao said, "I have summoned you here today because I need your help with something!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Siyuan was so frightened that he stood up, clasped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty is too kind. Dali will forever be a vassal state of Dajing. Your Majesty is the ruler of Dali. If there is any order, the people of Dali will do their utmost and dare not hesitate in the slightest."

Chen Shao smiled and said, "There are several foreign tribes in the Southern Wilderness who do not submit to the king's rule and have repeatedly killed my people and plundered the Dajing copper mine. I intend to punish them, but the mountains are high and the rivers are far, and Dali is also in the way."

"In fact, based on the trust between us, I know that even if I send a large army through the heart of Dali, you will feel at ease."

Gao Siyuan smiled wryly to himself; he really wasn't entirely at ease. Did they really think they, the Bai people, didn't know the story of "borrowing a path to destroy Guo"?

"However, my soldiers are not accustomed to the miasma of the southern wilderness, and the rugged mountain terrain makes it unsuitable for marching. Therefore, I wish to borrow the troops of Dali to march south and subdue the barbarians. Send a letter to Dali, tell your father, and ask him if he is willing."

In the past, Gao Siyuan would have racked his brains to consider the pros and cons of this matter.

But at this point, he had no time to think about it, so he wrote a letter to his father to let him make a decision.

Tired
No matter what tricks they used, they couldn't deal with this Great Jing and its emperor.

The disparity in strength between the two sides is too great; even if I wanted to salvage the situation, I would be powerless to do so.

If we really push them too far, and they march south with their army, do you think Dali can withstand that?
Upon arriving in Jinling and learning about the Dingnan Army's achievements, Gao Siyuan had given up all hope.

Gao Siyuan stood up and responded.

Seeing that he was somewhat dejected and seemed indifferent, Chen Shao shook his head slightly.

The land of gentle pleasures is a hero's grave!

This Xiao Gao isn't cut out for great things; he should just come to Nanjing and enjoy life.

Seeing that there was nothing more to talk about, and that the man's mind was clearly not on the matter, Chen Shao waved his hand, signaling them to leave.

Early in the morning, he met with people from Srivijaya and Dali, and read a large stack of memorials.

But I didn't feel tired at all.

After standing up and stretching his limbs, Chen Shao continued reading. When he came across the news about the Ryukyu naval port, he couldn't help but purse his lips.

Although later generations may think that all feudal empires were similar, those who lived through them understand that each dynastic change represented a significant step forward.

Take maritime transport, for example.

It is much better than during the Tang Dynasty.

When one's own orders are transmitted inland, such as when an imperial edict is issued to the Northwest, it takes at least ten days.

The journey from the southeast coast to Ryukyu takes only five or six days with favorable winds, and about half a month even against the winds.

It can be said that every dynasty in the Central Plains made great technological progress, except for the Manchus.

The Qing Dynasty was indeed the dynasty in ancient China that experienced the most severe technological stagnation and even a systemic regression among the major dynasties.

Throughout the Qing Dynasty, the clever Han Chinese of the Central Plains made no further significant inventions.

This is not because the Han people, who were originally at the top of the world's ethnic groups, were not smart enough, but because they were systematically suppressed.

Even in the late Ming Dynasty, when social contradictions were rampant, their technology was still not lagging behind.

The Han people are not only good at inventing, but also very good at absorbing the experience of others and overtaking them.

For example, artillery. Although Western artillery was more advanced in modern times, the rate of firearm adoption in the Ming Dynasty quickly exceeded 50%.

They made their own "blooming shells" (explosive shells) and "fire dragons emerging from water" (two-stage rockets); they also copied the Hongyi cannon, which had a range of 2 kilometers and sent Nurhaci to his death with a single shot.

It's a classic case of the student surpassing the master.

Therefore, even if the West had been the first to complete the Industrial Revolution, the Central Plains would likely have been able to overtake it much sooner without the Qing Dynasty's restrictions and suppression.

Your steam engine is great, now it's mine!

The Ming Dynasty had a book called "Tiangong Kaiwu" (The Exploitation of the Works of Nature), which recorded zinc smelting with a purity of 98%, as well as piston bellows and water-powered spinning wheels.
Songjiang produces 3000 million bolts of cotton cloth annually, far exceeding the output of Britain before the Industrial Revolution.

During the Qing Dynasty, "Tiangong Kaiwu" was banned and destroyed, and there were no official scientific and technological works for more than 200 years.

Refusing to introduce Western textile machinery, the Jiangnan Textile Bureau was still using Ming Dynasty hand looms in 1860.

Its ocean-going capabilities have been completely lost.

The more Chen Shaoyue read the memorials sent from overseas, the more confident he became.

These seemingly intractable problems will only become easier after I develop for a few more years! (End of Chapter)