You have truly caused me great suffering!

In the Chuigong Hall, so many kings and clan leaders were willing to come to Jinling in person.

This demonstrates the power of Da Jing and the significance of Da Jing's insistence on having a legitimate cause over the years.

However, Chen Shao still paid great attention to etiquette.

Wanyan Aguda chose to rebel against the Liao Dynasty after attending Yelü Yanxi's fish head banquet.

It was after attending a banquet hosted by the Jin emperor Wanyan Wugumai that Khabul launched a rebellion against the Jin.

Although Chen Shao was very determined about this northern expedition to the south of the Gobi Desert, he did indeed want to subdue the enemy without fighting, at least the army of the Kereit tribe.

The Kreik tribe is very strong. Although I am certain I can win a fight, I will also pay a certain price.

After all, they had 70,000 tents and nearly 400,000 people.

The Dingnan Army had all fought alongside him to conquer the land, and at this point, Chen Shaoshi couldn't bear to see too many people die in battle.

Now it all depends on whether the Kereit tribe is willing to relinquish its military power.

If they are willing to relinquish their military power, Chen Shao is willing to offer them generous rewards.

Poor Wuding Riverside Bone is still a spring boudoir dream.

Annihilating the decisive battle between the Kereit tribe and the Great Jing could save countless families—something that money can't buy.

But if they are unwilling, then a fight is inevitable, sacrificing this generation to ensure peace for ten or even a hundred generations to come.

As for detaining Hurzha, that would be an even worse option.

This would provoke even stronger resistance from the Kereit tribe, which at this time consisted of five main clans (Tumentulu, Asut, etc.), each with its own leader.

Their distrust of Dajing will increase exponentially.

Moreover, it would also weaken Chen Shao's prestige.

The prestige that has been painstakingly built up will vanish, and the grand spectacle of all nations coming to pay tribute this year will become a thing of the past.

Seated next to Hurzha was Gao Shunzhen, the ruler of the Dali Kingdom.

His feelings were just as complicated as Hurzha's; after arriving in Jinling, nothing went smoothly.

First of all, the son is missing.
Most likely, they're afraid of blaming themselves or ashamed to face themselves, so they've hidden away.

Secondly, the negotiations were exceptionally unsuccessful.

Da Jing was fully aware of his situation, and Gao Shunzhen suspected that the Thirty-Six Tribes of Wuman had betrayed him in order to do business with Da Jing.

But as the negotiations progressed, he realized that something was increasingly wrong, and there were many things that the Thirty-Six Tribes of Wuman did not know.

Combined with Gao Siyuan's disappearance, Gao Shunzhen suddenly realized the truth.

Either the son was controlled and tortured into revealing the truth about Dali; or this wretched child himself defected to Dajing.

Seeing Huerzha's worried expression, Gao Shunzhen raised his wine cup and said, "Come, let me toast you."

Hurza's Mandarin was mediocre, and Gao Shunzhen's accent was also very heavy, so he couldn't understand what the other person was saying at all.

But the gesture of raising a glass is universal, and they only need a glance to feel empathy for each other.

Two people, each burdened with their own thoughts, raised their glasses and drank them down in one gulp.

At this moment, King Wang Kai of Goryeo stepped forward with a wine cup to offer a toast, once again thanking Chen Shao for quelling the rebellion of Yi Ziqian.

Chen Shao advised him to open his mind and then shared his own experience in maintaining health.

He did not want the king of Goryeo to die so young.

Because Wang Kai was a person who respected the suzerain state very much and understood his own identity very well, he could be described as a staunch fighter of the "serving the great power" principle.

As long as you are strong enough and become my suzerain state, I will submit to you, and I will not allow my subjects to speak ill of you behind my back.

When the Jin Dynasty was powerful, Jin Fushi and others called them "Northern Barbarians," which Wang Kai found very surprising and dissatisfying, and he immediately corrected them.

Now that the Great Jing is a hundred times stronger than the Great Jin, he is naturally even more submissive.

This kind of ruler is Chen Shao's favorite. If another one comes along, nobody knows what kind of person he will be. What if he decides to work hard and get rid of the Great Jing?

Even if he didn't have this idea, the arrival of another tyrant, which would enrage the people of Goryeo and cause them to resent him, would also interfere with Chen Shao's plans.

Chen Shao spoke in great detail, and Wang Kai listened attentively and studied diligently. Just by looking at Emperor Jing's complexion, he knew that Emperor Jing had a knack for maintaining health, and that it was no joke.

The court officials also noticed that His Majesty's complexion was much better than it had been during the war a few years ago.

After drinking and becoming quite animated, Junrong played music, and Chen Shao rose with a smile, inviting several kings to dance together.

Some officials banged their chopsticks and shook their heads, while others joined in the dancing, creating a lively scene. Among them, the former lord of Champa and the lord of Ryukyu's Chuzan Kingdom were the happiest.

Hurzha was also dragged off the stage. On his left, he was holding hands with Han Shizhong, a complete stranger, and on his right was his fellow sufferer Gao Shunzhen.

At such a time, they naturally couldn't keep a straight face, so they all forced smiles and danced along with everyone else.
-
Shortly after the banquet, the imperial harem temporarily returned from the hot spring palace to spend the New Year in the capital.

In particular, since the families of the imperial concubines were mostly in Jinling, the maternal families of each palace and courtyard would send people to the palace to pay New Year's greetings.

The busy end of the year went by very quickly.

On New Year's Eve, after staying up all night, Chen Shaoxian got up at midnight and went to the Funing Hall to burn incense and pray for a good year, and then went to the Tianzhang Pavilion to worship his ancestors.

As the sun rises, the New Year arrives as scheduled, but at this time, the meaning of New Year's Day is still the first day of the first lunar month.

Chen Shao led his officials to the platform to offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth, reporting their achievements and summarizing their gains and losses for the year.

Chen Shao was quite honest and didn't try to deceive anyone. He honestly recalled the merits and demerits of the past year, rambling on and on to Heaven and Earth.

From disaster relief and war to people's livelihood, and even his own lineage and the number of children he had.

These are all achievements.

Anyway, there was no one around at the moment, so Chen Shao got carried away and made a wish for the new year.

Along the road, the Imperial Guards were deployed, and ceremonial guards were arrayed. Five thousand men with yellow flags marched from the palace gates all the way to the main hall.

Civil officials were in the east rank, military officials in the west rank, and envoys from various countries were arranged according to their nationality.

The top-ranking candidates (those who passed the provincial examination) wore blue-edged white robes and double-ridged hats, and followed the procession.

The crowd gathered at the Zichen Hall, which was only held a few times a year, for a grand court assembly. Chen Shao, wearing a crown and a yellow gauze robe, entered the hall in a palanquin.

After they were seated, Chancellor Li Tangchen led the assembled officials in paying their respects.

The imperial guards shouted "Long live the Emperor!" in unison, their voices shaking the palace, a phenomenon known as "thunderous roar around the palace."

At this point, you must speak loudly, but not by shouting; rather, your voice should be booming.

The guards are all specially trained, and the selection process is very strict, so there is basically no such thing as someone who is just filling a position without proper qualifications.

This year, with Emperor Zhu absent, Han Shizhong, the highest-ranking official, stepped forward to deliver a speech, representing all the officials in offering their blessings: "May His Majesty the Emperor live as long as Heaven and Earth, and possess virtue that matches Heaven and Earth!"

Han Wu seemed to be even more health-conscious than Chen Shao, with a ruddy complexion and a booming voice. It even reminded Chen Shao of the pain he felt when Han Wu's loud voice dominated him on the Hengshan battlefield.

It really felt like an eardrum earthquake.

Then the Three Dukes, the Grand Secretaries, and the Ministers of the Six Ministries took turns going up to the hall to kowtow. Finally, all the other officials kowtowed together to conclude the ceremony.

Chen Shao smiled and said, "Thanks to your concerted efforts, we have achieved a bountiful harvest and a prosperous nation. The people live in peace and security. Next year, we should strive even harder!"

Finally, foreign envoys paid homage to the emperor, each according to their own national etiquette, and in turn, they were greeted by interpreters in the palace.

Because Chen Shao attached great importance to the matter of all nations paying tribute, he became angry in the first year of his reign because there were not many vassal states, and even wrote a letter to scold Toba for it.

Next, they simply dismantled Japan.

Therefore, this step has become increasingly formalized and is considered a crucial step that the Ministry of Rites has emphasized.

After all, our Emperor of Great Jing is very casual about other things. He never wastes the country's resources or troubles the officials. This is his only pursuit, so we must make it perfect for him.

After the rulers and envoys of these vassal states finished their homage, Chen Shao waved his hand, and the Inner Palace Department bestowed upon the rulers and leaders who had come in person brocade robes, silver belts, and silk.
Those who only sent envoys were rewarded with silk, saddles, horses, and porcelain of slightly lower value.

The banquet will then resume.

The process was more formalized and the scale was larger, with officials of the fifth rank and above from Jinling present.

Last year, Yang Cheng's nephew took away the wine that was not finished at the imperial banquet, which caused a lawsuit. Chen Shao personally judged the case, found him innocent, and praised him.

Before Yang Cheng came to join him, he was just a farmer in Western Xia, used to a hard life, which is why his family was so frugal and couldn't stand wasting food.

Later, when he came to Hengshan to join me, he immediately faced Richard's army. He spent seven days in Yuanbaozhai, which was shrouded in torrential rain, fighting for himself with his head on his hip.

Finally, they contributed both labor and effort to dredging the canal, which can be described as hard work and great merit.

This year, Emperor Chen Shao specifically ordered that any unfinished imperial wine could be packed up and taken home to share the royal joy with one's family. An official who would even take away unfinished wine is likely an honest official; if he had plenty at home, why would he need to take leftovers?

Chen Shao attached great importance to the New Year's Day Grand Court Assembly because it was a grand drama of ritual, power, and civilization.

It represents not just a ceremony, but also the rules and order behind it.

The Great Realm is so powerful, so civilized, and so moral; it is destined to establish rules and regulations. (End of Chapter)