You have truly caused me great suffering!

The whole world was filled with people carrying large newspapers, watching the battles in the desert.

Khabul had no idea that he had become the most famous Tartar in history.

From overseas islands to the southern wilderness of Champa, from the Qilian Mountains in the Western Regions to Huanglong Prefecture in Liaodong.

Wherever there is a big news report, the locals all hope that he will die soon.

However, this well-known and universally desired villainous niche is seriously mismatched with his true strength.

It's just that there wasn't a large-scale report before.

The one who truly deserves this treatment, in the most recent case, should be Wanyan Zongwang, while Zonghan could barely qualify.

Flames shot into the night sky as yet another Mongol camp was attacked, but the army still could not find Khabul's main force.

He's like a slippery eel, always able to disappear on the grassland.

In the past, Yue Fei would have thought he had fled to the northern desert, since that's how it is in the desert.

If they are slightly outmatched, they will disappear without a trace, disappearing into the northern deserts, and returning only when the Central Plains forces can no longer hold out and retreat on their own.

Under the firelight, the soldiers all looked somewhat weary; the course of the war was not what they had expected.

While such extensive searches reduced casualties and wounded, they also resulted in fewer battle achievements.

Despite the absence of towering mountains and concealment, the main force of the Tartars could not be found on the grasslands.

In the towering mountains of the east, more than 5,000 core members of the Mongol tribe were hiding in a valley.

This place is called the Khentii Mountains, located in the eastern part of the Mongolian Plateau, and not far away are the western foothills of the Greater Khingan Mountains, which can provide them with shelter.

Surrounded by steep and continuous mountain ranges, the reason why Khabul was able to survive against the Jin soldiers who were at the half-step peak was because he hid here.

Once the Jin army is exhausted, they will launch a counterattack in the Hailar River area (present-day Hailar River).

This tactic allowed him to defeat the stronger enemy with the weaker forces. The Jin army was "out of food and horses, and many soldiers died, so they had to retreat."

Within this valley, none of their people drank hot water, nor did they light fires during the day, only at night.

To avoid being discovered by following the smoke.

Hebule had lost weight, and his long, thick beard made the long scar across his nose look even more menacing.

With each word spoken, the scar was aggravated, causing the bridge of the nose to tilt in different directions.

Because the Ongud tribe was his enemy, Khabul, who was gloating over the destruction of the Ongud tribe last year, never expected that the Great Jing would attack so quickly.

But he was a tough nut to crack, stubbornly refusing to surrender.

He and his men were eating dried meat and drinking cold water, and were dozing on horseback when they suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves.

His men became alert, but Hebule didn't even open his eyes; he could tell from the sound of the horses' hooves that they were his own men.

The horseshoes of the Jing people made a clearer sound when they stepped on the ground. For them, iron was such a precious material that it was impossible to use so much on horseshoes.

Sure enough, his scout arrived, shouting from horseback, "Khan, they have attacked the Ba'alin tribe!"

Hebule nodded, feeling somewhat helpless and distressed, but he didn't show it.

The Baalin tribe was relatively loyal to him. Although they were not good at fighting and needed his protection, their tribe's artisans were the most skilled.

Hebrew knew that if he showed even the slightest sign of defeat, his men's morale would immediately collapse.

If I can withstand this pressure, there is great potential for me on the grasslands in the future.

The decline of the Khitan and Jurchen tribes would inevitably give rise to new steppe rulers.

If he could, Habril would love to be the King of the North.

At this moment, he was unaware of the gravity of the situation. This was unlike any previous northern expedition by the Central Plains dynasties; it was a life-or-death struggle, a fight that could lead to the extinction of the entire race.
-
Li Xiaozhong looked at the ruined tribe before him, which was being completely burned down. This was not the main force of Khabul.

Seemingly anticipating this scene, he began to skillfully direct his army to drive away prisoners, seize livestock, destroy pastures, burn tents, and then poison water sources.

After a thorough sweep, the army slowly withdrew, returning laden with spoils.

These grassland captives would most likely be sent to the eleven prefectures of Dingnan in the northwest to work in the fortified villages that combined agriculture and animal husbandry. The unique nature of these fortified villages allowed them to absorb countless prisoners of war.

Actually, they were doing quite well. Some Tibetans from Qinghai thought they were going there to suffer, but when they arrived, they found that they could eat their fill and didn't have to serve nobles or high monks, nor did they have to sacrifice their children to make human bone ritual implements.

As long as you work hard, you will have food to eat. This is not an ordinary thing. In today's world, only Dajing can achieve this.

On the return journey, the military officers took out parchment and drew pictures to record the locations and roads along the way, marking key places.

Seeing Li Xiaozhong's decisive withdrawal, Yue Fei secretly admired him. If it were him, he might have continued to pursue and kill him.

The pre-established battle strategy was to wear them down completely.

It can only be said that Li Xiaozhong had fought for ten years, so he was more experienced and patient than Yue Fei.

For him, this style of fighting was actually the most damaging to the enemies on the grasslands.

This is like killing someone with a dull knife, constantly tearing open their wounds and slowly draining their blood.

If they were to actually find it, these Tartars would be forced to surrender, which would only make things more complicated, because you never know when they might rebel again.

If surrender is not accepted, other tribes that are observing will likely follow suit.

At this time in southern Gobi Desert, similar events were unfolding in countless tribes, including the Taichiwu, Zhadaran, and Hongjila tribes.

Li Xiaozhong and Jin Ling devised a plan of four campaigns in four seasons, which would involve countless surprise attacks on the grasslands throughout the year. The soldiers of Da Jing are all professional soldiers who do not farm on weekdays and do not train in the military camps. It would be better to bring them to the grasslands for actual combat training.

Li Xiaozhong's northern expedition was actually three years in the making, and he had been studying it ever since he destroyed the Jin dynasty.

Therefore, he made thorough preparations, even forming a special "livestock driving team" to move high-quality horses and breeding cattle south, while the rest were slaughtered and bled, with the meat taken back with them.

The supply train also expanded its operations, dumping carcasses, excrement, and poisonous plants into rivers and lakes commonly used by the Mongol tribes (such as the Onon River and tributaries of the Kerulen River); blocking springs and filling wells; and searching for caves used by grassland tribes for storage.

For this purpose, they specially trained military dogs to locate the hidden caves of the grassland tribes.

Once a cave is discovered, the team, armed with kerosene and sulfur, will first rummage through the storage pit, taking everything they can carry away, and then immediately burning the rest, leaving nothing behind.

Leading caravans into battle is an old tradition of the Dingnan Army, but it should be noted that this is not an original creation of the Dingnan Army.

As early as the Tang Dynasty, there were merchants who accompanied the army to safely deliver the soldiers' spoils of war back to their homes, or directly purchase them and deliver the money to their homes.

The Dingnan Army took this to the extreme, because the caravans and they were one family, with greater trust and a stronger relationship, which made the soldiers feel more at ease.

After this battle, the Jing army in Yunzhou affectionately called the Northern Expedition "importing Hu goods" and wished they could come to the grasslands every day to make a fortune.

The summer offensive had just ended, and the soldiers were already eagerly inquiring about the date of the autumn campaign.
-
In early summer, the weather in Nanjing was already quite hot. Chen Shao and Liu Guanglie were drinking in a pavilion.

Liu Guanglie came to the palace to invite Princess Chen Haohao to stay at his residence for a few days.

Because soon, they will be going to Zhongshan Summer Palace together.

Chen Yuexian is getting old, and sometimes she misses Hao Hao but can't see him, so she specially invited him to stay for ten days or half a month.

Originally, it would have been his wife and daughters who went to pick him up, but when Chen Shao heard that his family had come, he ordered a banquet to be held.

The women ate in the Imperial Noble Consort's courtyard, while the two brothers ate in Chen Shao's Funing Palace.

Outside the bamboo curtain, Liu Guanglie looked at the palace maids serving Chen Shao, who hadn't changed much over the years.

He said with a smile, "Should I help Your Majesty find some unmarried women from respectable families in the countryside to enter the palace?"

Chen Shao rolled his eyes at him, annoyed. Back then, Liu Guanglie had helped Chen Shao find maids, but ended up with a group of orphans of the Western Army.

Even now, many still refuse to leave and work in the palace.

Knowing his cousin's temperament, Chen Shao advised him, "Hunting is something you should do occasionally, not every day. If you fall off your horse, it won't be a good thing."

Liu Guanglie chuckled, not taking it to heart. This was his only hobby, something he'd had since he was young.

In fact, he was quite happy throughout his life, whether he met Chen Shao or not.

The only time he felt extremely depressed and almost became depressed was when his father and brother plotted against him.

There was another time when he was so exhausted that he almost gave up. It was when Wu Jie sent him to Jiangnan as a transport commissioner during his campaign against Jiaozhi.

Liu Guanglie and Chen Shao grew up together. When they were young, they didn't have much money, and their families didn't value them. They didn't even let him use the ancestral generational title, but only let him use the character 'Shi' from his brother's name, so that he would know his identity and that he should assist his brother.

But he was, after all, from a military family, and was much wealthier than Chen Shao, a small landlord.

Chen Shao still remembers that the girl he was keeping complained to him when Liu Guanglie went to join the army, saying that she had to stay at a merchant's house for half a month and that the merchant treated her badly.

Back then, the two of them were talking about these things in front of him, planning how to save money, which left Chen Shao completely bewildered.

Later, Liu Guanglie rose to prominence and became a meritorious general of the Dingnan Army. He wanted to bring her back to his home as a concubine, but his wife objected.

He bought a house outside and took him in, giving him a place to stay. Overall, he was a very kind and generous person.

Because he had no ambition or aspirations, he spent his days eating, drinking, and having fun.

Therefore, although his rank was above that of the princes, he had no real authority. Whenever Chen Shao rewarded his ministers, he always gave them the largest share.

The two brothers drank for a while, but they weren't really enjoying themselves. Liu Guanglie had no problem with Chen Shao; this imperial cousin was related to him by blood, and they had a true, life-or-death friendship.

But the palace had strict rules, and he preferred to invite friends to have a picnic in the mountains rather than drink here.

Seeing that he was distracted, Chen Shao put down his wine cup and said, "Cousin, I was thinking that after Dali is incorporated into the country in a few days, I would grant you the surname Chen for your merit in persuading Gao Shunzhen."

Upon hearing this, Liu Guanglie glanced at Chen Shao. Being granted the imperial surname was the highest honor bestowed by an emperor upon his subjects, granting them the surname of the royal family.

This system originated in ancient times, reached its peak in the Tang and Song dynasties, and gradually declined in the Ming and Qing dynasties, spanning three thousand years of imperial history.

At this point, we must mention a very unique 'emperor'—Wu Zetian. This woman created the practice of 'bestowing evil surnames', changing the surnames of her political enemies to "Hui" and "Fu", and using the bestowal of surnames as a form of punishment.

Later, a very sensitive and petty emperor learned this trick, but because his clan's surname was rather unusual, he modified it and named his younger brother Seth.

Liu Guanglie felt that he was not qualified. Since ancient times, the threshold for being granted the imperial surname has been very high, and it was limited to those who had made "reconstruction achievements", such as founding fathers, those who saved the emperor, and those who submitted to powerful vassal states.

Chen Shao continued, "I, the emperor, am truly alone. Cousin, you should be included in my imperial genealogy to enhance the prestige of our Great Jing royal family."

"Won't someone object and cause you trouble?" Liu Guanglie asked, frowning.

Chen Shao smiled and shook his head. Even if someone did try to provoke him, he wasn't afraid.

Moreover, it cannot be said that Liu Guanglie was completely without qualifications.

The beginning is always the hardest. Chen Shao bought military merits to enter the Western Army and became a junior military officer, which was all arranged by him.

This is where it all started.

"You don't need to worry about these things."

Liu Guanglie nodded upon hearing this, and the two brothers raised their glasses in tacit agreement.
-
Before moving into the Zhongshan Summer Palace, Chen Shao held frequent meetings with his ministers to discuss matters.

He wanted to resolve things as quickly as possible to avoid any delays.

This is a flaw in his personality; he is somewhat hesitant and indecisive.

The real purpose was to train officials, improve the official system, and extricate themselves from the situation.

But he just couldn't help but get deeply involved in national politics, sometimes even personally considering and thinking about a small matter with a smile.

Today, Zhang Shuye went to the capital to report on his duties, and Chen Shao summoned all the ministers to discuss matters concerning Guizhou and Dali.

Gao Shunzhen has begun submitting the household registration records, including the population, land, and tax records for the entire territory.

Guizhou, where Zhang Shuye is located, is the closest place to Dali, and they need to cooperate with Dali in many ways to bring Dali under their control.

Zhang Shuye said with a smile, "When I was in Guizhou, I heard many times that the monks in Dali were returning to secular life, fearing that after they were incorporated into the country, they would have to go from street to street to complete the task of 'asceticism and persuasion'."

Buddhism is prevalent in Dali, and monks make up one-third of the population in temples.

This ratio would be considered a great blessing in the eyes of those small, Buddhist countries, but for Chen Shao, it was enough to make him feel extremely uneasy.

He can't stand hearing about this kind of thing.

Moreover, slavery existed in Dali, and it was not until the Mongols destroyed Dali in 1253 that slavery was initially retained.

However, during the reign of Kublai Khan, the Yuan Dynasty emperor, the "household registration" policy was implemented, registering a large number of slaves as state-owned households, effectively abolishing the hereditary slave system. This process coincided with the conversion of slaves from "exiled people" to "civilian households" in the Central Plains.

At that time, there were many people in Dali who were slaves, especially those in temples.

These temple servants were numerous and were responsible for cultivating temple fields, cleaning halls, and serving high-ranking monks.

The children of slaves are born slaves.

After returning to the main city, these issues will need to be resolved gradually.

Because the Song Dynasty before the Great Jing Dynasty abolished the previous system of official and private slavery in law, and established a social structure of employment and tenancy based on "distinction between good and bad people" but "personal freedom as the main principle".

Although disguised forms of enslavement have always existed, the Song Dynasty was indeed the first dynasty in the history of the Central Plains to legally deny the personification of slaves. Considering that the Five Dynasties period before the Song Dynasty was extremely dark, this is especially valuable.

The Great Jing Dynasty, while inheriting the Song Dynasty's policy of abolishing slavery, further improved many laws, including requiring the royal family to set an example by hiring musicians and dancers from Jinling for palace events. (End of Chapter)