You have truly caused me great suffering!

Jinling, Jingyang Palace, Funing Hall.

The spring rain was continuous, accompanied by gusts of east wind, which made the branches by the window sway wildly.

Seeing this, Chen Chong tried to close the window, but Chen Shao stopped him.

He likes to leave the windows open, especially when it rains. The air that blows in is moist and carries a hint of earth, which makes him feel a strong sense of life.

Sitting in this position for a long time, one must constantly remind oneself that an emperor is also just a mortal.

This position of holding absolute authority and supreme authority can easily lead people astray.

The domestic situation in Dajing is becoming increasingly stable.

The surrounding neighbors were unlucky.

If they were to plan in their own interests, they would naturally hope that the Central Plains would be in as much chaos as possible.

In fact, they always benefited from every major upheaval in the Central Plains.

The stronger ones would directly seize territory, such as the Xiongnu, Turks, Xianbei, Tibetans, and Khitans.
Those who were weaker would plunder and fleece, such as the Uyghurs, Huihu, and Dangxiang.

Even in the worst-case scenario, talented people from the Central Plains would seek refuge in their territory, thus acquiring technology and knowledge.

Now, the Great Jing Kingdom is prosperous and its people are wealthy, and its army is strong and powerful, so it is launching attacks from all four directions: east, west, south, and north.

There are simultaneous actions on all lines.

In the imperial city of Jinling, Chen Shao's edicts often determined the rise and fall of a power or a strong family.

This forced him to be cautious.

Chen Shao got up and went to the window. A light drizzle was falling through the window, soft and cool.

"The apricot blossom rain threatens to dampen my clothes, while the willow breeze is gentle on my face."

"What a fine poem." Li Shishi walked in with a smile, carrying a food box.

Inside is today's medicinal diet.

Chen Shao's window offered a clear view of the road he had come from, and he turned around, somewhat puzzled, saying, "Why didn't I see you here?"

Chen Chong bent down and smiled, "The Imperial Concubine arrived a long time ago, but seeing that His Majesty was busy, she kept us from reporting."

Li Shishi slightly rolled up her sleeves, revealing her fair wrists, took out a small bowl from the food box, and asked while filling it with broth, "Those two lines of poetry were well written, why did you only recite two lines?"

“I’m a soldier, a rough and uneducated man, how would I know how to write poetry? If you like, you can go find Huanhuan.”

Li Shishi and Chen Shao laughed together, which was rather unkind.

But thinking of Huanhuan's identity, Li Shishi quickly stopped laughing and even secretly glanced at the eunuch in the room.

Zhong Lingxi has a small box that she cherishes as if it were her life, and she takes it with her wherever she goes.

Inside are her poetry manuscripts and some of her favorite books.

Passion is one thing, but this is something that relies heavily on talent.
"It's getting a little cold." Li Shishi held the medicinal meal in her hands, her brows furrowing slightly.

"It's nothing," Chen Shao said nonchalantly.

"No, no, it's better not to replenish it if it's cold."

Chen Shao smiled and had the eunuchs bring over a small stove, which they lit and slowly heated.

The palace has now switched to smokeless coal, and he wants to set an example for all the scholars and gentry by setting a good example for them.

That's how it is; once the upper echelons use it, the lower-ups naturally feel that using coal is a respectable thing.

It's even better than forcibly changing it.

In dealing with the matter of charcoal, Chen Shao unusually acted arbitrarily and issued an imperial edict explicitly prohibiting its use.

Because at this time, soil erosion was at its worst, and the seasons were out of order, as Chen Shao had deeply felt during the war.

Every summer and autumn, there are constant torrential rains, and the frost-covering period is long and intense.

"When the mountains are barren, the waters will be turbulent."

The soil on the Loess Plateau is loose and easily eroded, making it extremely prone to soil erosion once it loses its vegetation cover.

The Song Dynasty, especially Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji), favored wooden palaces, particularly those made of massive timbers.

He has cut down almost all of the remaining forest upstream.

Every year, the cost of repairing and dredging the Yellow River during the Song Dynasty was astronomical. The number of people who died from the Yellow River floods even exceeded that of most wars.

Moreover, putting all that aside, coal must become popular.

Only when coal becomes popular can it drive continuous progress in coal mining, coal washing, and coking technologies.

This stuff is known as black gold, and it was the most important energy source during the Industrial Revolution.

Once the medicinal food was heated up, Chen Shao took a sip, and it was as bitter as ever.

But Chen Shao still drank it all, sip by sip. He was not a crown prince raised by women who ascended the throne; he had built his own empire and had never been afraid of hardship.

Li Shishi looked at him tenderly; this was what she liked most about Chen Shao. He was good to her as well as to her, which perfectly matched Li Shishi's expectations.

She wanted to spend as much time as possible with Chen Shao, so she needed him to take care of his health as well.

From his days as a soldier to his current position, the young man has never lost his way in the life of an emperor.

He never even indulged in all-night drinking and revelry.

They always go to sleep on time, and even when they've had too much to drink, they reflect on their actions, which she really likes.

After reviewing the memorials in the Funing Hall, and taking a nap with Shishi in his arms, Chen Shao went to the Chuigong Hall to summon his ministers to discuss matters.

News came from the north that the Merkit tribe had detained the envoy and was demanding ransom from the Great Jing.

Unsurprisingly, the generals were all eager for war, especially in the north.

Upon learning of the incident at Buyur Lake, some military officers, filled with righteous indignation, became so emotionally agitated that one might suspect they were secretly gloating.

Victory in war can give military generals more say in the court; and military merit is the only reliable way for each general to establish his status and fame.

The founding of the Great Jing Dynasty immediately bestowed four military merit titles, which thoroughly ignited the martial spirit in the Central Plains.

Reading can indeed help you transcend social classes and gradually become a scholar-official or gentry, but can it make you a king?

Becoming a king is the most glorious moment after becoming emperor. The glory after being granted the title of king can even be traced back several generations, and the whole clan will be honored.

The civil officials, however, held a conservative view. They argued that Baidao City was not yet fully settled, and if they were to launch a long and arduous expedition, they feared that the Tartars might venture further north.

It would be a huge loss to make a big fuss about it, only to end up with nothing.

When war breaks out, the civil officials in the rear are actually very tired, but they don't get much military credit and have to rack their brains to procure supplies.

It's a thankless task.

The Great Jing Dynasty was already considered quite good; at least the emperor didn't squander money, and there weren't any large vassal states to support.

The imperial court's finances have improved dramatically in recent years, and soon war will no longer be a troublesome issue.

As I always say, as long as you have money, you can fight however you want.

Chen Shao watched them argue back and forth, while Han Shizhong remained seated calmly in his chair, leisurely, and even yawned.

Han Wu has recently been indulging in a lot of prostitutes. Not only does he keep courtesans, but he also enjoys going to brothels to compose poems with the most beautiful courtesans. This hobby of his has remained unchanged since his time in the army.

This can be considered as staying true to one's original aspirations.

Not long ago, he was out with a group of scholars he had raised when he suddenly felt inspired. Not only did he compose a poem, but he also wrote it out himself, feeling incredibly proud of himself. He couldn't resist taking it to the palace to show off to Chen Shao.

Seeing his expression, Chen Shao was furious and coughed lightly, saying, "Minister Han."

"Your subject is here." Han Shizhong quickly stood up, clasped his hands, and bowed.

"What do you think?"

"We can mobilize troops from the capital to cooperate with Li Xiaozhong in a surprise attack to the north. If that doesn't work, we can send the Bohai and Shiwei people to fight. A large-scale northern expedition is not yet feasible, and the weather is too cold for marching and fighting."

Although Han Wu was unreliable, his professional skills were still up to par. Chen Shao nodded and said, "We must do everything possible to rescue the envoy."

Liu Jizu, being the quickest-witted, had already considered this at his residence. He immediately spoke up, saying, "Giving a ransom directly is absolutely unacceptable. Not only would it damage the prestige of our Great Jing, but it would also sow the seeds of trouble for other tribes."

"The only way now is to ask other tribes to step in, secretly offer them benefits, and rescue the mission from the Merkit tribe. Then, we should reward the tribe that steps in, give them some rewards, and then issue an order for them to attack the Merkit tribe to punish them for their great crime of detaining the angel."

At this point, Liu Jizu probably felt that this plan was not entirely ethical, and said with a embarrassed smile, "Let them fight each other first."

Chen Shao nodded. He wasn't afraid of being nurtured by the northern grasslands. Once his strategy was complete, the Northern Expedition would be a crushing victory.

It would be better if you unified the northern deserts; it would save me the trouble of hunting them down one by one.

The gap in strength between the two sides is too large, and this gap is widening every day.

"It seems that only Tatar is left."

A year ago, Chen Shao would never have thought of sponsoring the Tatars, since it could very well turn into a dangerous situation.

But now, the situation is different. Even if he shatters the sky and becomes incredibly powerful in the Buyur Lake area, so what if he unifies the northern desert?
If the northern and southern deserts are cut off, their region is destined to never be able to nurture a major power.

Speaking of which, the Kereit tribe in southern Mongolia was the strongest military tribe. They were the first to dare to resist the Khitan and, together with the Jurchens, launched a pincer attack from the east and west, causing the massive Khitan to collapse.

Now that the Kereit tribe and Wanyan Balisu are doing business together, they're making a fortune and have long since given up on fighting and killing.

Just then, Li Chongyi also sent a memorial, saying that he had been sent as an envoy to the Tatar tribe, who intended to help the Great Jing Dynasty attack the Merkit. In his memorial, he also said that it was absolutely not advisable to launch a northern expedition at this time, as three of his entourage had frozen to death during their mission.

If we were to go to war, not only would the hand holding the sword be unable to swing, but it would probably freeze to death immediately.

The opinions of all parties were quickly agreed upon, and Chen Shao immediately ordered the Tatar tribe to retrieve the envoy.

The ransom can be paid privately, but it must not be made public. After the Great Jing delegation is brought back, war can begin immediately.

The Great Jing can provide food and ironware, as long as they can kill the Merkit leader, Huluba.

At this time, several tribes in southern Mongolia, such as the Kereit, Naiman, and Mongol tribes, had already sent hostages to Nanjing.

They bordered the Great Jing Dynasty, and even bordered the Great Jing's ancestral homeland in the northwest, so they naturally knew how terrifying these people were.

The Jurchen Tartars were incredibly brutal, but they were all dealt with by them, which made Monan dare not resist at all.

Don't assume that all the nomadic tribes of the steppe are necessarily fierce. When the Central Plains dynasties were powerful, most of the nomadic tribes in the southern desert were quite docile.

They only revealed their true colors when the Central Plains dynasties were in their later stages and riddled with problems.

After discussing the details, Chen Shao pondered it carefully and concluded that the small Tatar tribe was not going to amount to anything.

The various tribes of the grasslands are currently in disarray and do not yet have the ability to threaten them. The construction of cities along the Baidao Road and the training of troops along the Hetao Road are like two knives hanging over their heads, and they are getting sharper and sharper.

Despite his advanced age, Zhong Shidao still came to the meeting. Looking at Chen Shao's appearance, he nodded inwardly.

His Majesty is indeed a kind and benevolent person.

If it were Emperor Wu of Han, he would have been more than happy for the Merkits to kill the entire delegation.

But he was thinking about rescuing the person.

As a veteran general, he was well aware that the court's current strategy was very effective.

When the time comes for the Northern Expedition, all that will be done is to wipe out their territory.

At this moment, Zhong Shidao couldn't help but think of Tong Guan's campaign against Liao.

It was also a Northern Expedition.

Tong Guan faced the vast and powerful Khitan, while the current emperor faced a loose mix of nomadic tribes from the grasslands.

However, the level of importance and preparation between the two sides was completely different.

Tong Guan didn't even bother to clean up the mess left by Western Xia before rushing off to attack Liao.

They treated the war between the two great powers as a child's play, focusing only on their desire for royal titles and military achievements, without considering the enormous negative consequences that might result.

Even with the nation's strength at its peak, His Majesty patiently planned and spent several years laying the groundwork for the final strike against the northern border troubles.

The old general sighed inwardly. If he had such a court and such supplies when he led his troops into battle back then, how spirited he would have been.

The battles were fought comfortably, without leaving us exhausted every time.

Tong Guan, you claim to be an expert in military affairs and have commanded troops for twenty years, yet you have no respect for war whatsoever.

You are ultimately not a warrior, but a castrated man who wants to regain his masculine dignity through war.
-
Miegu Zhen finally received Da Jing's reply.

This delighted him, and he immediately warmly entertained Li Chongyi and the others in his tent.

He also had his eldest son, Altan, accompany him, and at the banquet he said directly that Li Chongyi could take him along when he went south.

Emperor Dajing doted on his eldest son and was overjoyed to send him to Jinling to enjoy a life of luxury; how could he possibly object?

Miegu Zhen, holding a wine cup, laughed and said, "Altan!"

Altan quickly put down the bone in his hand, stood up, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Father."

"After you go to Jinling, you must explain to His Majesty that our Tatar tribe will always be His Majesty's most loyal servants and are willing to guard the north for him."

"Yes, father."

Altan's happiness was genuine; the relationship between father and son was different on the grasslands, especially in the northern deserts, compared to the Central Plains.

He was often afraid that his father would kill him; if he could go to Jinling, he would be much safer.

Li Chongyi took a sip of wine to warm himself up; this place was just too cold.

I really don't know how these Tartars survived. Li Chongyi shrugged, while the Han Chinese who had come with him also had their cheeks red from the cold.

Miegu Zhen asked cautiously, "Angel Li, when will the promised provisions and weapons arrive?"

No sooner had the words been spoken than a man rushed in, excitedly announcing, "Chief, the Great Jing caravan has arrived!"

When the imperial edict arrived in Shangjing Prefecture, the caravan set off immediately, so the supplies actually arrived at the same time as the edict.

He simply hurriedly sent word ahead of time, urging Mieguzhen to go and demand the people back as soon as possible, lest all the envoys to the Merkit tribe freeze to death.

This time, however, Miegu Zhen did not show that joyful expression.

His gaze turned serious.

That's too fast.
These people are transporting goods incredibly fast.

If supplies could be delivered this fast during a war, how terrifying would that be?
Who else can fight them? (End of Chapter)