You have truly caused me great suffering!

Zhang Run, who had just been promoted to Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites of the Great Jing Dynasty, hosted a banquet for Gao Siyuan at his residence.

Although Gao Siyuan has become a laughing stock in Jinling, the last time His Majesty summoned him, he was very impatient and drove him away, which has become a strange story in Jinling.

But Zhang Run still valued him highly.

Regardless of whether he's absurd or a failure as a person, his background determines that he's very useful.

There is really no fairness in this world. The gap brought about by one's birth is very likely one that cannot be bridged no matter how hard one tries.

Because a person's lifespan is limited, within that limited lifespan, no matter how hard you try, you may not be able to accumulate the resources that he was born with.

Success is rare, requiring a bit of luck.

The saying goes: First, fate; second, luck; third, feng shui; fourth, accumulating good deeds; fifth, studying.
Some people think that ranking reading fifth is a denigration of it, but in fact it is the greatest recognition of reading.

It is only in the Central Plains that it has the right to be ranked alongside the previous four.

Gao Siyuan arrived at Zhang Run's residence early, eager to talk to someone, but no one around him wanted to pay him any attention.

He finally found someone who didn't look down on him, but today there's a court assembly, and even though he arrived early, he still has to wait here.

Gao Siyuan, who had already drunk three or four cups of tea brought by the maid, was extremely bored and wandered around the flower hall.

He stopped in front of the bookshelf, looking at the stacks of newspapers, and casually flipped through them.

Nowadays, officials in Dajing have a habit of collecting Dajing newspapers.

And they also like to make annotations on it.

No one started this trend, but gradually everyone found that they had the same habits.

Civil officials often exchanged imperial edicts as gifts or as a form of ritual.

Because Da Jing Bao is really doing a very good job.

After reading for a while, Gao Siyuan suddenly came across a document that said Gao Shunzhen of the Dali Gao clan was about to come to Jinling to pay tribute, and also praised the current prosperity of Dajing, which can be described as a place where all nations come to pay tribute.

Gao Siyuan gasped.

He glanced at the date again, and it turned out to be a newspaper from a month and a half ago.

The Da Jing Bao newspaper now has incredibly high sales, and in some smaller towns, it's often circulated among readers.

In other words, at least hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of people in the Great Jing knew about this before he did.

Gao Siyuan's face turned deathly pale.

But upon closer reflection, I realized I didn't need to care about these things.

When Zhang Run returned, he hadn't even taken off his official robes when he arrived at the flower hall, where he saw Zhang Run reading the Da Jing Gazette.

"Your Highness, we've kept you waiting."

Gao Siyuan put down the Dajing newspaper and said very politely, "Brother Zhang is an important minister of Dajing and is very busy with official duties, unlike me who has nothing to do. It would be fine to wait three more days."

His tone was filled with a deep sense of despondency.

Zhang Run chuckled inwardly, realizing that the official gazette he had deliberately placed there must have been spotted by the man.

Zhang Run was from Northwest China and a descendant of Zhang Yichao. He was tall, strong, and handsome.

Moreover, she speaks in a very polite tone, and can make anyone feel comfortable and at ease.

After a few words, Gao Siyuan seemed to have temporarily emerged from the gloom, and a rare smile appeared on his face.

Zhang Run immediately said, "Your Highness, are you aware that your father came to Jinling?"

Gao Siyuan nodded nervously.

He made such a fool of himself in Nanjing that no one could really control him. Even when his own younger brother came, he scolded him and drove him away.

But his father was different; if he really beat him to death, it would be perfectly legal and justifiable.
Thinking about my own actions, it seems my father really could have done that.

Zhang Run deliberately gave him some time to think deeply about the matter, letting him scare himself first, before chuckling, "This is a golden opportunity for you, Your Highness!"

"A golden opportunity?"

Zhang Run smiled and said, "Hasn't the young master figured out your father's purpose in coming here?"

It was only at this moment that Gao Siyuan suddenly realized, "Oh right! Why would my father come to Dajing in person?"
There's no such logic in the world.

Zhang Run smiled and whispered, "What have the rulers who have come to Jinling in recent years been doing? Perhaps the young master could try to recall."

Gao Siyuan was sweating profusely. Apart from King Wang Kai of Goryeo, he had been coaxed and tricked by his ministers to come to Jinling.

The others came to offer land and submit to the Chinese.

Has Father made up his mind too?
"I have heard a little about the Crown Prince's affairs in brothels. It is common for young nobles to occasionally dabble in pleasure quarters, given their fine clothes and horses. Such romantic affairs are not worth criticizing."

However, your father is far away, and if he listens to the slander of petty people, or if such slander is subtly spread, it may cause a deep misunderstanding between you and your younger brother. You must know that a loving father's love for his son is inherently without fault; it is only through the machinations of petty people that suspicion arises between blood relatives.

Gao Siyuan's face fell, and he said, "Brother Zhang, what do you think I should do?"

Zhang Run coughed lightly, took a sip of tea, and then said slowly, "Since your father intends to surrender the territory, he will inevitably reside in Jinling for a long time. It would be best if the young master could establish himself in Jinling and have a place to live if he is not accepted by his parents in the future."

Gao Siyuan's face fell. If he had that ability, would he need to worry?

All he relied on was his status as the heir of the Gao family of Dali. Once his father arrived, he could immediately cut off his money and wealth.

“His Majesty is a wise ruler who rewards merit. Your father’s visit this time will inevitably involve bargaining with Da Jing. If the young master can understand the greater good and stand on Da Jing’s side, explaining the details of Dali clearly, His Majesty will surely be moved upon learning of it.” “This…” Gao Siyuan hesitated. Wouldn’t that make him a traitor to his family?

Zhang Run took another sip of tea and said, "Your Highness has lived in Jinling for a long time. What do you think of the strength of the Great Jing compared to that of Dali?"

"The two countries are vastly different in strength and cannot be compared."

Zhang Run stroked the back of his hand, "If His Majesty the Emperor of Great Jing wishes to expand the territory and open up new borders, he only needs to issue a single urgent dispatch to the four borders, and then the elite troops will gather like clouds, the court will be filled with veteran generals, the border guards will be armed to the teeth, their faces will light up with joy at the sound of drums, and their hearts will be filled with pride at the sight of beacon towers!"

Is His Majesty incapable of conquering Dali? He is merely being merciful.

If the Crown Prince is willing to join hands with Da Jing, he will not only be a meritorious official of the court, but also a savior of Dali! To be honest, he will also be a lifesaver for your Gao family!

By averting the calamity of war and protecting the people of Cangshan and Erhai, this act of merit is greater than building a seven-story pagoda!
"Your Highness is wise; do you not know that those who follow Heaven's will find peace, while those who defy it are in danger? Heed my advice: devise a grand plan as soon as possible, for that will bring eternal fortune to the Gao family!"

Seeing that he was still hesitating, Zhang Run added, "It also solves your current predicament, Your Highness."

"it is good!"

One sentence woke Gao Siyuan up: did he even have the right to consider anything else? His priority was to survive.

Zhang Run chuckled and said, “Your father has come here to offer up territory and submit to the Chinese side, so he will surely be granted the title of king. If the heir can establish meritorious service, he might also become a duke. At that time, just like the Prince of Xin and the Duke of Wei, one family will have a king and a duke, what an honor!”

"Compared to that, losing our stronghold in Dali on the frontier isn't really a loss!"

Whether Gao Siyuan truly believed it or was just fooling himself, he nodded emphatically and said, "No loss! A huge profit!"

Zhang Run raised his eyelids; the matter of Dali's ceding of territory naturally required negotiation between the two countries.

With negotiations imminent, Gao Siyuan had come along and knew everything about the other party.

How can we subtly inform His Majesty about this matter?

After a moment's thought, he had already made up his mind. The current emperor was a wise and powerful man. Whether he approached his younger sister Zhang Yinghan in the harem or asked his colleagues to do it, it would seem petty and underhanded.

Why not just go directly to the imperial palace to request an audience, tell His Majesty about this matter in person, state your merits, and demonstrate your abilities?

Given His Majesty's personality, this is probably the approach he would prefer!
-
Chen Shao read through Champa's report and was very satisfied.

The Annamese soldiers were already ruthless, but after Wu Lin arrived, they began a full-scale extermination of the religion.

You really can't be kind to places like this, because they truly thrive on a little sunshine.

The entire Southern Wilderness is almost entirely populated by such despicable people, utterly devoid of integrity.

The only language they could understand was the language of blades and cannons.

Just like at the end of the Ming Dynasty, when the Yongli Emperor was tricked by Burma and imprisoned in a thatched hut outside Ava, waiting to be sold.

Ultimately, he was betrayed by the King of Burma and handed over to Wu Sangui, who then strangled him, causing Li Dingguo to die of anger.

This small city of Champa was no pushover either. Historically, the Mongols had dealt with Champa before and suffered a great loss.

After the Yuan army captured the capital of Champa and obtained the Champa people's submission, they withdrew from Champa.

As soon as the envoy left, the Champa people killed the Mongol envoy, and the two countries declared war again.

The Yuan army wanted to pass through Annam, but was refused, and as a result, they first became embroiled in a protracted war with the Annamese.

Champa watched the spectacle from the rear.

This time, let's just wipe them all out. Anyway, the Annamese soldiers can make a profit from this, and they'd love for Da Jing to allow them to continue the cleanup.

Despite its current weak national strength, Champa has many excellent harbors and its location is very important.

He was actually aware of and tacitly approved of the way his soldiers behaved in the southern wilderness.

Chen Shao immediately drafted an imperial edict to reward the generals who had led the southern expedition against Champa, as well as the soldiers who had rendered meritorious service.

The rewards bestowed upon military merits by the Jing Dynasty were unparalleled in history; they were truly willing to spend real money to reward those who performed meritorious service.

"Your Majesty, Zhang Run, the Vice Minister of Rites, is requesting an audience."

"Xuan."

Zhang Run was a young minister whom he was grooming. He was wise, resourceful, and, most importantly, very young. He could understand his intentions and was a rare and promising talent.

Chen Shao had always regarded him as a potential successor to the position of prime minister.

After Zhang Run entered and exchanged greetings, he recounted how he had persuaded Gao Siyuan to serve the Great Jing.

Even though Chen Shao had become emperor and was very knowledgeable, he was momentarily stunned.

With negotiations imminent, they've managed to mislead the other party's junior high school successor.

This is incredibly advantageous for Dajing. Gao Siyuan is probably the second most knowledgeable person about their country in all of Dali.

After all, there are many things you can only tell your successor.

When Zhang Run saw the Emperor's ambiguous smile, he knew he had guessed correctly.

From now on, this is how you should act when interacting with His Majesty!
Chen Shao chuckled and said, "Minister Zhang."

"The minister is here."

"You have made a great contribution this time. Minister Li is older, so you should encourage him."

Zhang Run was so excited that a surge of heat rushed to his head. He immediately stood up, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to serve you with all my heart and soul, even unto death." (End of Chapter)