You have truly caused me great suffering!

Gao Shunzhen insisted on taking the Temo Road, via the land-based Tea Horse Road, to enter the Central Plains.

They were unwilling to choose the smoother route down the Red River to Yongzhou.

He wanted to see just how profitable those trade routes were, to make his men so determined to devote themselves to the Great Jing.

The tribute procession traveled north across Dianchi Lake, passing through Anning and Lufeng, and arrived at Qujing (formerly known as "Shicheng"). This was the eastern gateway to Yunnan and a crucial point for the thirty-six tribes of the Wuman.

When he reached the border between Dali and Dajing, looking at the bustling crowds and endless caravans, he fell completely silent.

Even without knowing the specific profits of the trade, seeing such a scale, he knew that this was something he couldn't stop.

You can use various means to get everyone to betray the Duan family and elect you as the ruler of Dali.

But you can't force everyone to be poor with you.

When it comes to self-interest, no amount of intrigue or trickery will work.

They even knew they were going to leave here, yet they didn't want to pretend for the next few days.

Scenic spot coupons, Jianwu Tongbao coins, gold and silver—these have all become hard currencies in Dali.

Gao Shunzhen couldn't imagine what the situation would be like if Daejeong really attacked.

Of the thirty-six tribes of Wuman, how many would surrender at the mere sight of them?

Seeing that he was in a bad mood, the servants around him dared not speak, and everyone was silent as if they were trembling with fear.

The actual ruler of Dali, Gao, passed by in his carriage slowly.

The accompanying court official stood by with his hands at his sides. Seeing that the king kept lifting the carriage curtain and letting in the cold wind, he said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, the weather is getting colder. Be careful not to catch a cold."

Gao Shunzhen turned around, and although she could no longer see him, her mind was still filled with the image of the long caravan.

"How is that little beast doing now!"

Feeling agitated, Gao Shunzhen's emotions became even more difficult to control when she thought of her son.

"The Crown Prince must have repented. I heard he even went to see His Majesty the Emperor of Dajing. He must be planning something for our Dali."

"Planning something?" Gao Shunzhen sneered. "I'd be grateful if this wretched son didn't cause any trouble."

At this point, Gao Shunzhen felt even more heartbroken. Gao Siyuan was his beloved son, whom he had personally taught since childhood. In Dali, he was well-behaved and acted with composure and tact. He never expected that after going to Nanjing, he would completely fall into depravity.

Jinling, oh Jinling! What kind of demonic abode are you?!
Three days later, we entered the territory of Dajing and took what is considered the most remote ancient Yunnan-Guizhou road in Dajing.

Gao Shunzhen was surprised to find that many monks were walking around the streets and alleys. He sent someone to inquire and learned that these monks were there to preach the Dharma to the poor.

To prevent them from being misled by cults and going astray.

Gao Shunzhen sighed upon hearing this, noting that even though Dali is known as the Land of Wonderful Fragrance and the Land of Buddha, there are still so many monks willing to venture into impoverished villages to preach Buddhism to ordinary people.

He was unaware that these were mandatory courses for the monks, and that failing to meet the quotas would result in fines.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Revenue of Dajing, since the establishment of Chengtian Temple in the second year of Jianwu, more than 200,000 monks registered in Dajing have requested to return to secular life and re-register as citizens.

The vast majority were rejected.

Many monks curse and curse as they venture into the deep mountains, then smile and teach people to be good.

Gao Shunzhen was once again gripped by immense fear of Daejeong. How could such a powerful nation, with its many eminent monks, possibly fall?

The route he took was actually through the area where the Jing Dynasty's rule was weakest; Zhang Shuye had only been there for two years.

It should be noted that during the Song Dynasty, this place was not much different from Dali, with each region being under the jurisdiction of the "tributary system" (羁縻自治).

It wasn't until we arrived in Guiyang that we saw the prefectures truly under the rule of the Great Jing Dynasty.

Zhang Shuye warmly received Gao Shunzhen and escorted them all the way to Zhenyuan (on the banks of the Yang River), where they switched to water transport. Gao Shunzhen greatly admired Zhang Shuye, a traditional scholar-official from the Central Plains, and the two chatted amiably along the way. Upon their departure, there was nothing special to give them as a parting gift.

Zhang Shuye gave Gao Shunzhen a copy of the Dajing Daily, which he had accumulated over the year and read several times, as a keepsake.

This thing is even more lethal.

As Gao Shunzhen read, it felt like she was reading a horror novel, and she couldn't wait to go to Jinling and surrender to the Chinese.
-
Chen Shao summoned the ruler of Champa, who had submitted to the Champa Kingdom, to the Tangshan Hot Spring Palace.

Jaya Sanghavajra's skin color is unique, being a deep olive color, a typical characteristic of the Cham people who are of Austronesian-Mongolian mixed descent.

He was of medium to short stature. Although he had long served as a puppet, he was physically strong and skilled in riding elephants in battle. It is no wonder that he had the courage to directly defect to the Great Jing, causing the priests and nobles who had long suppressed him in the country to completely lose power.

Moreover, during his reign, he personally led several campaigns to repel the invasion of Suryavarman II of the Khmer Empire, thus preserving Champa's independence.

With high cheekbones, a broad nose, and full lips, and deep, bright eyes, he wasn't afraid when he arrived at Da Jing's palace. He relaxed a bit after the eunuchs left. He wandered around the flower hall, curiously observing the tall bookshelves along the walls and the various furnishings in the main hall.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

Jayasangavarman quickly stood at attention, ready to greet the emperor. He had learned a lot of Chinese along the way, the most important of which were the various etiquette and words for meeting the emperor.

After Chen Shao sat down, he bowed respectfully and then heard Chen Shao say with a smile, "Please take a seat."

Chen Shao took a closer look and thought the man looked rather comical, somewhat like the dwarves he had seen in movies in his previous life.

"Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful for your shelter! I have no way to repay you," he seemed to stammer, his face turning red with embarrassment.

Chen Shao smiled and said, "Don't rush, tell me slowly."

He looked to the Annamese translator beside him, who was fluent in both Champa and Chinese, as if seeking help.

Seeing that the other party nodded, he then mumbled a long string of words that Chen Shao couldn't understand.

The man from Annam spoke fluently and clearly, and he translated for him.

It turned out that this man wanted to offer his most beautiful daughter, the princess of Champa, to Emperor Dajing in order to thank Chen Shao.

Chen Shao glanced at his appearance and quickly declined. The only women in his harem who could be considered of a different race were the three Jin sisters.

However, the Qiang people and the Han people are truly of the same origin and race, both being descendants of Yan and Huang.

Besides, Goryeo sent so many palace maids every year, all of whom were carefully selected virgins, and Chen Shao never favored any of them.

He still has some strong convictions about this.

If Chen Shao were to actually bring such a concubine into the family, he himself would be upset for a long time.

Chen Shao told him to live comfortably in Jinling, promising to provide him with a mansion and fertile land, and that he could keep all the wealth he had brought from Champa.

According to past practice, the ruler of Champa should have been granted a royal title, or at least a county-level prince title as a token gesture.

But this time, Chen Shao seemed a bit stingy, because he felt that although the king had submitted to the Champa, it was actually his own soldiers who had conquered it.

After so many years since the founding of the dynasty, Chen Shao, like other monarchs, became stingy with titles and ranks.

Chen Hao then chatted with him about some of Champa's customs. The former king was very talkative, and with the help of a translator, he no longer felt awkward.

Although he had drifted to a foreign land, he remained optimistic and told Chen Shao about his plans.

The old man said he had learned that the most elite people in the Central Plains were not Brahmins, but scholars. So he himself wanted to study and pass the imperial examinations, preferably becoming the top scholar or the third-highest scorer.

The people in the hall laughed at this.

It can only be said that he was ignorant and fearless.

If you want to compete with the scholars of the Central Plains, you've chosen the wrong opponent. This is absolutely the most difficult path in the world. (End of Chapter)