You have truly caused me great suffering!

A series of loud noises erupted from the mountains and forests.

The acrid smell of gunpowder permeated the foothills, frightening many birds and animals into scattering and fleeing.

Huiming was watching from a distance as the craftsmen who were excavating the silver mine carefully laid out the explosives and lit the fuses.

As he watched the mountain range's sand and gravel being blasted apart, his eyes gleamed with the light of the explosion.

The cannons Your Majesty built in Hedong have already shown great power on the battlefield, but I never expected them to be even more useful in mining.

This will save a lot of manpower.

To the Japanese, this was utterly appalling.

Gold and silver mountains have always been regarded as sacred bones by them.

These people were able to easily blast it into pieces.

They have surpassed the mountain god.

Behind Huiming, Heiha Goro's eyes darted around, wishing he could possess such power.

They could easily storm into the city, slaughter all the noblemen, enjoy their wives and daughters, wear their fine silks and satins, and eat delicacies from land and sea.

Looking down at the rows of Jing soldiers at the foot of the mine, he saw them as divine soldiers and generals.

Especially the gleaming armor.

Moreover, they were all tall and imposing, making them stand out even more in Japan, which made it impossible for them to feel any desire to resist.

Despite Jing Jun's lack of good deeds in Japan, they remained filled with awe.

This is a place where axioms and morality are not strong from top to bottom, and only strength is respected.

After the gunpowder was detonated, the miners lined up to enter and begin mining the silver ore.

Huiming turned around, looked at the group of Japanese, and said, "You will train in these mountains from now on. Once you are ready to fight, you can go out and take revenge."

"We can never repay the master's kindness, even if we die!"

Huiming looked at Pinghuo Wulang who was speaking, and felt no contempt for him, because this man was truly utterly wicked.
His pure humanity was devoid of any trace of kindness.

He killed his older brother when he was a child, and later killed his younger brother, all because of a fight over food.

Unable to find a wife after growing up, he became enraged and was arrested for raping his own mother. Just as he was about to be executed, he was rescued by Iron Rod Mizo and joined the mob, killing his way through the land.

Because of his strong fighting ability, he quickly became a confidant of Teppou Mizo. In order to rise to power, he went into a crazy mode and killed anyone he saw.

When Tiebang Misan was injured and fled here to recuperate, this kid killed him and took his place.

Those who can live such a pure life are not ordinary people.

Unfortunately, although he was selfish, he was very strong, had a natural talent for fighting, and was also ruthless when faced with trouble.

They are exactly the kind of talent I need right now.

In fact, Huiming respected him a lot, like when he first came to Japan and saved an old fisherman.

They were clearly being bullied to the point of no return, and the other party was about to kill them for their own amusement, yet they dared not resist.

Huiming stabbed him with a single knife.

Ultimately, he came looking for someone like Hirahigoro.

His Majesty's decree is to cultivate a mob to storm Kyoto and wipe out the Emperor's family.

Moreover, it must be done in public, so that they die without dignity, thereby shattering the prestige of the eternal line of the Japanese emperor.

This has to be done by someone who is fearless and daring.

Ordinary Japanese people tremble at the mere mention of the Emperor. Despite years of brutal and oppressive rule, there has never been a large-scale peasant uprising, demonstrating the ruthlessness with which the people have been kept ignorant.

A young military officer stepped out from Jingjun, nodded to Huiming, and led a group of rioters along a small path into a clearing in the valley.

There is a small training ground here, with piles of stone locks, shields, and rows of weapon racks.

The Japanese refugees stood there bewildered and helpless until someone drove them to get weapons.

There were more than 800 refugees who came for training, which was actually a lot.

Most powerful clans, or even temples with considerable strength, only had a few thousand soldiers under their command.

Some of these refugees were recruited from the Shanyin Road area.

Those who were starving to death, skin and bones, were not even wanted.

Huiming knew very well that what Japan had in abundance was people who couldn't survive.

When people reach a certain age, their children will abandon them in the deep mountains to die, just to save food.

As long as there are these eight hundred or so leaders, wherever they go, the people will be coerced into joining them, or they will be slaughtered.

Or your food might be looted by passing migrants. If you don't join them in their protests, staying put will only lead to your death.

Therefore, as long as these 800 men can break out and defeat the government troops a few times, their numbers will quickly grow like a snowball.

This is not unusual in the Central Plains; it has been the case for refugees throughout history.

In the Dingnan Army, the low-ranking officers all had been trained in the same way to train new recruits. The troops that had just been dispatched from the Central Plains and the North were a force to be reckoned with here.

Huiming said to another general beside him, "Make sure these people have enough food. Give them as much as they can eat, as long as they don't die from overeating."

The military officer frowned and said, "These refugees marched loosely and unsteadily to the drill ground just now; they are unlikely to be of much use!"

"The opponents are different. General Liu, you used to face Jurchen armored cavalry, and such manpower was naturally insufficient. They are only dealing with Japanese soldiers, which is more than enough!"

The military officer nodded, thinking to himself that it made sense.

Huiming breathed a sigh of relief, fed them until they were full, and told them to remember what it felt like to be full. He said that if they didn't want to go hungry after they left, they could go and kill their own kind!

In order to dismantle the myth of the emperor, who has a lineage that lasts for ten thousand generations, it is necessary to kill the lowest commoners in their eyes.

This will prevent them from becoming totems for the island's ignorant populace.

The sounds of drills could already be heard from the distant training ground.

Iron ore, which is a byproduct of silver mining, has also been used to forge armor and weapons.

Huiming calculated the time and made sure to leave the pass just before the autumn harvest.

If they loot and burn all the grain in those fields, the first major peasant uprising on the island of Japan will begin.
-
Compared to Huiming helping refugees develop in a sneaky way in Shanyin Road.

Qu Duan's actions in Kyushu were extremely domineering.

He directly sent troops into Kyushu Island, making it clear that he supported the Shao Er clan.

However, he did not say this publicly. He even sent letters to the Upper House and the Regent, stating that he was protecting Jing Kingdom merchants.

The pressure on Shōni is not small either. Kyushu is not his sole power. There are also the Ōtomo clan, the Shimazu clan (Satsuma), the Kikuchi clan (Higo), and even the Taira clan, which is also supported by Ōkage. They have influence here because he is nominally the Ōzai, and he has sent some of his confidants to serve as officials here.

After Taira no Tadamori was appointed as the Dazai Taini, he repeatedly sent his deputies to Kyushu to collect taxes, but each time Sadayune drove them away on the grounds that "piracy is rampant and local samurai are needed to defend themselves."
Not a single penny was given, and both sides harbored great resentment. Later, during the Baoyuan Rebellion, the two sides fought fiercely.

Qu Duan dispatched more than twenty warships to establish a military camp at the port.

Shichang Mountain City, on the official road.

Although it's supposed to be an official road, the roads here are really quite ordinary.

Farmers working in the nearby fields heard the sound of horses' hooves.

Looking up, I saw a group of people winding their way up the road to Shichang Mountain City, the city where the nobles of the Shao Er clan lived.

Although they didn't know where this important person came from, the people quickly knelt on the ground, not daring to look up.

What they didn't know was that these weren't their noble lords, but Jing Jun.

These soldiers were all strong and agile men, dressed in light armor. Even in a foreign land, they still looked full of energy, and their horses walked with powerful strides on the mountain road.

Seeing the knives and swords at their waists, and the quivers on their horses, they were covered in deadly weapons. You could tell that these were battle-hardened men who had survived piles of corpses.

As they made their way uphill, the laborers around them quickly made way for them and knelt down to pay their respects.

Surrounded by them was an even more imposing figure, dressed in the magnificent robes of the Duke of Dajing, with a stern and unsmiling face—none other than the Duke of Yingguo, Qu Duan.

As a military general, Qu Duan initially planned to petition Chen Shao, saying that there was no need for such trouble, and that if he were given 30,000 to 50,000 troops, he could easily conquer Japan.

Upon arrival, we discovered that the problem was not so simple; the roads were too difficult to traverse, and the mountains were rugged.

It's easy to crack down on, but the cost of maintaining order is too high.

Since Your Majesty only wants mineral deposits, then go wherever there are mineral deposits.

He wasn't pretending to be arrogant; deep down, he felt superior to everyone else here.

No matter what your status is—whether you're a junior official, a Grand Chancellor, or a Grand Chancellor—in his eyes you're nothing more than a barbarian from beyond the borders.

They were leaders of mixed barbarian tribes, not worth mentioning.

With only two or three thousand soldiers at most and less than a few hundred warhorses, what's the use of having a resounding reputation?

Qu Duan was confident that leading a heavy armored cavalry force of two hundred men would be enough to sweep away all of Shao Er's troops. A general like him, who had rolled through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and was the last one to finish off the Jurchen Tartars after a bloody battle, would only earn your respect if you showed your true strength.

It's useless to make a big name like Japan. If you have less money, food and manpower than a county magistrate, what are you calling yourself?
Where are you grown up? And what have you dominated?
Our Great Jing Emperor is only called "Son of Heaven," yet you here call yourself Emperor of Heaven.

But for this one thing, you deserve to die, and your entire clan deserves to be wiped out.

If it weren't for the imperial edict, he would have stormed into the capital long ago. You see, Qu Duan's favorite thing was to execute first and report later.

It's no wonder he's arrogant; it's simply that you don't have the ability to match his respect.

Upon arriving at Shichang Mountain City, the guards, having likely received orders, did not dare to stop them.

Qu Duan entered the city, looked around, and laughed, "This place is so barren, and those working people are barely clothed. I didn't expect the city to be built so well."

The guard beside him said, "It's just that it's built a bit low."

There were wooden houses everywhere, and many noble children were secretly watching them.

The head of the Shao Er clan was Shao Er Zhenjing, who was forty years old and was the fifth head of the Shao Er clan.

He stood at the door to greet them, and when they came in, he quickly went up to them.

Qu Duan flicked his riding whip, which was caught by his personal guards. He asked, "Who is Shao Er Zhen Jing?"

"It's down."

This person can speak Chinese without needing a translator.

However, it had a strange accent, seemingly the Kansai dialect from his hometown.

This surprised Qu Duan somewhat.

During the Tang Dynasty, Japanese nobles generally admired Tang culture, and many Chinese people crossed the sea to Japan.

Young nobles also liked to travel to Chang'an to study, and to this day, the Tang Dynasty still has the deepest influence on them.

"Let's go inside and talk," Qu Duan said, pointing ahead.

Upon entering a reception room, Qu Duan looked around but couldn't find any chairs.

There were some prayer cushions on the ground. Shao Erzhen made a gesture of invitation, and Qu Duan saw that he was actually kneeling opposite him.

Before he could give the order, his personal guards had already pushed the things on the table aside.

Qu Duan walked to the head of the table and sat on a table that was about the same height as the chairs in the Central Plains. This thing was probably used when kneeling.

He Qu Duan did not have this habit.

With his hands on his knees, Qu Duan glanced at the people in the hall, who were all somewhat stunned.

Several samurai were about to fly into a rage, but Shōni Sadako stopped them.

Qu Duan said, "His Majesty has granted you permission to establish your own state and appointed you as the ruler of the Kingdom of Zhuzi and General Zhen Dong, and bestowed upon you one million strings of copper coins, one thousand bolts of brocade, and three hundred suits of armor."

"The imperial edict will arrive soon; you should prepare yourselves."

Shao Erzhenjing asked, "What about the Emperor Emeritus and the Regent?"

"When soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it. Which king doesn't fight when he establishes a kingdom? What are you afraid of? Now that you have the title of king bestowed by His Majesty, we will not stand idly by."

Upon hearing this, Shao Erzhenjing's anger vanished, and he turned and bowed to the west.

Qu Duan was very satisfied and said, "If you have any requests, please feel free to ask, and I will assist you as appropriate."

"I wonder if the general can lead troops to the border to deter other forces!"

"I can only station troops at the naval port, or here with you, to ensure the safety of your entire clan. As for the wars outside, you'll have to fight them yourselves. We'll discuss it again when you're unable to win."

After listening to Shao Erzhen's explanation, although it did not completely align with his own ideas, he was still initially satisfied.

He had over two thousand soldiers under his command and had been based in Kyushu for a century, making him a powerful warlord.

How many people will come to condemn me?

In the past, there might have been quite a few, but now there are riots everywhere. Anyone who dares to move troops out of their territory will likely have their family members beheaded and hung on trees by the rioters.

Ever since Iron Rod Misan started it, it has become a habit for mobs to cut off the heads of nobles and hang them on trees by the roadside whenever they kill them.

In the past six months, they have traded with Jing merchants and Korean merchants and made a lot of money, which has given them a lot of confidence.

Moreover, the Duke of Jing has already guaranteed the safety of his entire clan; at worst, they can cross the sea to Da Jing.

"Alright! Then let's establish a nation and completely break free from Kyoto's control!"

He shouted these words in Japanese, which Qu Duan and the others did not understand.

But everyone else in the room cheered and jumped for joy.
-
Jinling, Baozhen Temple, Xiaoyuan.

Maode gave birth today, and Chen Shao rushed over after receiving the news.

It was dusk, and Song Shi and Li Yi'an waited anxiously outside, hand in hand.

Upon seeing Chen Shaomai enter, the two men, as if they had found their pillar of support, huddled together.

Seeing how nervous they were, Chen Shao calmed down and comforted them, saying, "Fu Jin is in the prime of her pregnancy, so you don't need to worry."

Li Yi'an said with a smile, "He has more experience, so let's listen to him."

Of all the people present, Chen Shao had the most children, that much is true.

Chen Shao chuckled to himself, thinking that he was now blessed with many children, but unfortunately he didn't have a system.

Otherwise, if they simply gave themselves a factory production line and a power plant, they wouldn't need to work so hard to govern the country; they would have already led the Jing army and people to the moon.

After calming down, the three of them started discussing the baby again, guessing whether it was a boy or a girl.

Chen Shao said, "This time we've caught someone knowledgeable; you must choose the name."

Li Yi'an puffed out his chest, pursed his lips, and said, "Fine, I'll take it!"

Suddenly, Li Yi'an paused slightly. She remembered that this child had the blood of both the Song and Jing dynasties, which inevitably reminded her of Li Ke from the Tang Dynasty.

Thinking about it carefully, it is indeed incredibly expensive.

Chen Shao was a meticulous man, but he hadn't thought about this matter, because the prestige of the Song Dynasty had long been extremely low.

The current Jing Dynasty is so powerful that it surpasses even the Han and Tang Dynasties. He has enough confidence that he is not afraid of the restoration of the Song Dynasty at all.

The Tang Dynasty's empire was not actually acquired through the reign of Emperor Jingzheng. You, Li Yuan, were Emperor Yang Guang's cousin. He entrusted Hedong to you, and everything you gained from your rise to power was bestowed upon you by the Sui Dynasty.

Chen Shao started his career on the land of Western Xia, and he conquered it little by little.

Most importantly, even tough guys like Li Gang and Yuwen Xuzhong have recently genuinely pledged their allegiance to Chen Shao.

Where are the loyal ministers of the Song Dynasty now?
Jinghu, Lianghuai, Liangzhe, Henan, Hebei, and Hedong—these fertile lands were all settled by his trusted troops after they retired from the military.

These soldiers who were granted land and became estate owners were all from Dingnan. They were not just tens of thousands of ordinary peasants, but tens of thousands of "Chao Gai", tens of thousands of "Li Ying", tens of thousands of Zhu Family Villages and Hu Family Villages. If their emperor summoned them back, they would not be the same people anymore.

The Great Jing has been reducing its military because there are no wars to fight. If Chen Shaozhen really had this need, he could gather hundreds of thousands of troops in an instant with a wave of his hand.

Gentry and landlords who have lost their land will also turn around and support Da Jing as long as they taste the benefits of trade.

Finally, amidst the three people's anxious waiting, a loud cry rang out.

A maidservant came out to announce the good news, saying, "Congratulations, Your Majesty, it's a princess."

Chen Shao was slightly disappointed, but quickly accepted it, saying with a smile, "Everyone at Baozhen Temple will receive a reward!"

After saying that, he led the two inside to visit the eldest princess and, incidentally, the youngest princess.

The female officials, nuns, maids, and old women at Baozhen Temple were all extremely excited. The fact that His Majesty the Emperor enjoyed bestowing precious treasures had become a well-known anecdote in Jinling.

Everyone knows it.

Chen Shao recently acquired fifty ships of treasures from the Kingdom of Da Yue. Although he has already exchanged the remaining forty-odd ships for scenic tickets and handed them over to the merchant caravan to use.

But the few boatloads of gifts brought into the palace were far from enough to reward all the officials. If a minister was summoned by the emperor, he would most likely not come out empty-handed, but rather with a delighted air of rewards.

During the Song Dynasty, the entire nation devoted its resources to supporting Bianliang (Kaifeng), but now Nanjing (Nanjing) doesn't need to bleed the local area dry.

The best of the world gathers and operates here.

Chen Shao and his trusted ministers once thought it would take several decades to make Jinling as prosperous as Bianliang.

But in less than a year, it has almost caught up; the Yangtze River waterway is still too authoritative.

The resources of the Great Jing Dynasty are far more abundant than those of the Great Song Dynasty. Horses and mutton alone are things that money alone cannot buy in the Great Song Dynasty.

Now, however, you can have as many as you want, and anyone with money can buy them at a much lower price.

The Hengshan Ranch in the Northwest, the Qilian Mountain Ranch in the Southwest, the Mongolian Grassland Ranch, and the Liaodong Goryeo Ranch are all sources of high-quality meat.

The rise of handicraft workshops led to an abundance of cloth, silk, porcelain, and glass.

The most pressing issue now remains transportation, something Chen Shao cannot rush. (End of Chapter)