You have truly caused me great suffering!

Officials were thrilled at the prospect of Dali's impending annexation.

The Great Jing Dynasty has expanded its territory without any regard for reason.

During the Song Dynasty, after being humiliated for so long, the sudden display of such great power was quite unsettling for these people.

After all, we all came from the Song Dynasty.

In the past, no matter how hard we worked, we couldn't protect our land; it was constantly being eroded and swallowed up.

The Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, which were planned at the very beginning of the nation's founding, are becoming increasingly distant.

In fact, the first generation of Song Dynasty imperial guards were truly elite. They were selected from the veterans who had emerged from the Five Dynasties period, with the strong and able-bodied being assigned to the imperial guards, while the old and weak were assigned to the local militia.

They were all from families of professional soldiers in the north, and they had been practicing archery and horsemanship since childhood, making a living by fighting.

It can be described as selecting the strongest of the strong and choosing the best of the best. Only those who meet the requirements in height, arm strength, horsemanship and archery, and load-bearing ability can be selected for the Imperial Guard.

In terms of individual combat effectiveness, it can be said to be one of the most combat-effective armies in Chinese history, with its combat strength comparable to the elite troops of the Han and Tang dynasties at their peak.

In terms of weaponry, they were completely superior, possessing ballistae, infantry armor, and horse armor.
The military commanders were also all-star level. In 960, they defeated Li Jun, with 30,000 Song troops fighting against 40,000 Northern Han and Khitan allied troops. They achieved a quick victory, killed Li Jun, consolidated the new dynasty, and intimidated other countries.
In 964, Song conquered Meng Chang's Later Shu kingdom. 60,000 Song troops fought against 140,000 Shu troops, and the kingdom fell in 66 days.
In 970, Song troops defeated Liu Chang of the Southern Han, with 100,000 Song soldiers fighting against 150,000 Han soldiers. Song captured Liu Chang and took control of Lingnan.
In 974, the Southern Tang dynasty was destroyed, with 100,000 Song troops quickly defeating 200,000 Tang troops.

Under Zhao Kuangyin's leadership, after establishing the country, they suffered no defeats and conquered a country in less than 100 days on average. This record was almost comparable to that of Li Shimin.

In the wild, you can win 99 out of 100 battles against Khitan soldiers.

Unfortunately, such a strong and capable army was wiped out in a single battle during Zhao Guangyi's Yongxi Northern Expedition.

It can be said that from that point on, the Song army lost the opportunity to subdue the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun.

If you really say that Zhao Guangyi was incompetent and lacked ability, that's one thing, but actually he was quite capable.

But that's how history works; one mistake can ruin everything.

The "Heroic Emperor" Gao Yang lost his carefully trained 100,000 Han soldiers in a single battle to Chen Baxian, and was never able to recover, becoming a notorious mad emperor.

The current emperor will not personally go to the battlefield, nor will he interfere with command, but he can provide his soldiers with ample opportunities to showcase their abilities.

The people Chen Shao had under his command might not have been more capable than those under the emperors, but they could unleash 90% of their potential under him, whereas under the likes of Zhao Guangyi, they could only unleash 50% or 60%.

The example of Li Tangchen is even more obvious. Although he was loyal in history and had a strong will to resist the Jin army, he ultimately shared the fate of Taiyuan and sacrificed his life for the country.

However, during the defense of Taiyuan, they only provided money and did not make any significant contribution; on the contrary, Wang Bing made a great contribution.

However, after becoming the prime minister of the Great Jing Dynasty, he was gradually forced by Chen Shao to become a conservative prime minister. Although he did nothing outstanding, he was competent and carried out most of Chen Shao's policies well.

Moreover, because he didn't have many personal ideas and was completely loyal to Chen Shao, he was more suitable than many prime ministers who were highly capable but had strong personal opinions.

Because he encountered such a powerful prime minister, and because of the limitations of the era, he was bound to contend with Chen Shao.

A prime minister's subtle resistance is more damaging to a policy than direct opposition.

Chen Shao sat at the head of the table, looking at the ministers below, all of whom had beaming smiles on their faces.

Influenced by this atmosphere, Chen Shao himself was in a good mood.

He glanced at Zhang Run and said, "Zhang Run deserves the most credit for Dali's surrender this time. Come, let's talk."

Zhang Run's face flushed slightly as he stood up and said, "Your Majesty is too kind. I dare not take credit for this."

“Dali and Jiaozhi have many similarities, so I think the experience of Annam has a lot to offer.”

"The Annamite armies, relying on the abundant supplies of the Celestial Empire, were able to march south and conquer Srivijaya and Java. Their soldiers were well-fed and knew that the mandate of Heaven could not be disobeyed. Now, the Uyghurs are fierce and skilled, and are familiar with the treacherous mountains and rivers. If we grant them banners and send them out to attack the southern barbarians, they will be intimidated by our military might and will naturally change their tune, bow down, and submit to us."

"Secondly, in Annam, workshops are everywhere, and the sound of looms can be heard everywhere. The common people are well-fed and clothed and all praise the holy rule. Although Dali has different mountains and rivers, it is rich in resources. If we set up brocade weaving, salt boiling and copper smelting according to the local conditions, the people can become rich. When they are rich, they will think of peace. When they are at peace, they will know to return home, and their hearts will naturally be attached to the king's rule."

"In general, it boils down to two points: enriching the people and strengthening the military."

Chen Shao nodded. This argument was indeed very insightful. It was about opening one's eyes to the world, rather than relying on the teachings of sages to govern the country.

The example of Annan Road does have its merits.

Over the years, the Great Jing Dynasty has recovered a lot of land, and to this day it still relies on taxes from the Central Plains to provide relief to these areas.

For example, in Youyan, Yunzhong, and Liaodong, not only were all taxes waived, but farmers were also provided with farming tools and oxen, seeds were distributed, and water conservancy projects were built.
These funds were all funded by the imperial court, which is tantamount to sucking the blood of the imperial court.

Annam, however, is quite different. Last year, when the north suffered a severe drought, it was rice from the Red River Plain that was used to provide relief.

It has only been three years since its return, and it has already begun to give back to the imperial court.

Now that the imperial court is managing the southern wilderness, An'nan Road has become a bridgehead, providing manpower and resources to ensure the mining and transportation of copper in the southern wilderness.

Chen Shao nodded repeatedly and said, "This is a very insightful opinion, which shows that Minister Zhang has taken it to heart."

The other officials nodded in agreement, and Zhang Run breathed a sigh of relief, feeling very satisfied with himself.

To be honest, Dali had not experienced war, and after choosing to submit to the central government, the existing interest groups were not broken up.

Such a place certainly has more problems than Annam, and its development is definitely not as fast as Annam Road.

But Chen Shao was not afraid; he was confident that in the next few years, he could fully integrate Dali into the Central Plains.

Because his family has a trump card: Chengtian Temple.

You're from the Kingdom of Wonderful Fragrance, aren't you? You're a Buddhist powerhouse, aren't you? Then don't blame me for governing Yunnan with Buddhism.

Now, swayed by profit, they sold off the Gao family's thirty-six tribes of Wuman, and will be targeted for elimination in the future.

Because the Great Jing Dynasty did not allow such officials to exist.

A tactic of restraint is always a compromise forced upon us when our military strength is insufficient.

For a powerful dynasty like the Great Jing, the most basic measure was to abolish the native chieftain system and replace it with direct imperial control.

Even in the desert, he disagreed with the Tatar mixed-barbarian rule, let alone other places.

Chen Shao's Buddhist community is quite different from other Buddhist communities; these monks have all undergone systematic training.

From the Buddhist academy to Chengtian Temple, they made great contributions to Chen Shao. The reason why Zhai Rui was able to become one of the four imperial concubines, the Virtuous Consort, was because the Zhai family was too important to Chen Shao.

In this era, most of the small countries that Da Jing could come into contact with were Buddhist.

To this day, only Champa is an exception, and if tribes are included, there is also the Christian Kereit tribe.

Since they all believed, Chen Shao simply used Chengtian Temple to rewrite the rules of Buddhism and seize control of the interpretation of scriptures throughout the world.

This is much better than forcing them to change their beliefs.

After chatting with his ministers for a while, Chen Shao was a little tired and said, "Let's stop here for today. We'll make arrangements for the specifics when Dali officially becomes an annexed territory."

"Let me say this first: Dali's submission is just the beginning. The real test for us will be the governance that follows."

If you don't realize this and think that everything will be fine after Dali surrenders, you will suffer a great loss sooner or later.

Many surrounding barbarian tribes initially came to the Central Plains with sincere intentions, but later, due to poor governance, they turned into enemies.

The reasons for this are complex. You could say that those who are not of our kind are bound to have different hearts, but it is unnecessary to use this to downplay the failures of the Central Plains rulers.

After everyone had left, Chen Shao got up and stretched. At this moment, Chen Chong entered and whispered, "Your Majesty, the Zen Master Huineng, who has returned from Japan, wishes to meet with you."

Huineng?

Chen Shao nodded and said, "Alright, I also want to go out for a walk, let's go for a stroll around Chengtian Temple!"

Chen Shao specially arranged for Zhai Rui and Zhang Yinghan from the harem to accompany him to Chengtian Temple to offer incense, as they were Buddhists, having grown up in Hexi, a place steeped in Buddhist culture.

A group of people arrived at Chengtian Temple by horse-drawn carriage.

Zhai Rui and Zhang Yinghan held hands and led a group of people to offer incense.

Chen Shao went to the main hall alone, sat cross-legged on a futon, and tapped the wooden fish for a while.

A short while later, the monk Huineng arrived in great strides.

"This humble monk, Huineng, greets Your Majesty!"

"Rise, no need for formalities, please sit."

Huineng found a futon next to Chen Shao and sat down cross-legged.

After he sat down, Chen Shao said with a smile, "You have done a good job in Japan, which makes me very pleased."

The situation in Japan was completely disrupted by these monks.

Chen Shao sometimes admired these people.

They're too good at causing trouble.

This is actually related to the fact that Buddhism is prevalent throughout Japan.

In the Central Plains, no matter how eloquent he was, he couldn't possibly cause such a commotion all by himself.

Now, the Iwami Silver Mine has been completely controlled by Ōkage, and even the surrounding Iwami Province is a puppet of Ōkage.

When the time is right, we will incorporate it into the territory of Ōkage, just like Ise Province.

Huineng didn't mention anything about Japan, and even when Chen Shao brought it up, he didn't respond.

"I learned from the Da Jing newspaper that His Majesty is sending people to reclaim land in Xiao Liuqiu. I am willing to go to Xiao Liuqiu for His Majesty and do what I can."

Chen Shao shook his head. "You don't need to go to Xiaoliuqiu. I will keep you here and give you important responsibilities."

Since His Majesty has said so, Huineng will not insist any further and will wait for Chen Shao's instructions.

"These days, you should stay in Chengtian Temple and not wander around."

Chen Shao had not yet finalized the selection of someone to send to Dali, but Huineng had to be included.

Chen Shao asked him many questions about Japan, and Huineng answered them truthfully.

Chen Shao found it increasingly surreal, never imagining that the story's madness had begun at this point.

The outburst of those rioters after being suppressed is so much in line with the characteristics of this nation.

They pretend to be Buddhists and kind-hearted in ordinary times, but once their vicious nature is unleashed, they become completely different people, no different from animals.

Today, the imperial line, which has been unbroken for generations, has been largely wiped out, with only a few scattered powerful clans in the Kanto region still possessing imperial blood.

However, overall, it is no longer a significant threat.

In particular, the Great Jing Navy was formidable, capable of rapidly assembling troops and deploying them to any battlefield to annihilate disobedient powerful clans in the Kwantung region.

Moreover, their strength at this time was pitifully weak, and they couldn't make a fuss at all.
-
The monsoon winds over the East China Sea in April and May are northeasterly winds.

The monsoon successfully carried the fleet of escort ships and cargo ships of the Dajing Navy back to the mouth of the Yangtze River.

Qu Duan, Guo Hao, and others also arrived in the capital.

The main force of this navy did not come to the capital, Nanjing; most of the ships were moored at Liujiagang, a port city near the sea, for repairs.

Longjiang Port in the capital is becoming increasingly crowded and can no longer accommodate so many large ships.

The scenery of Jinling is elegant and charming. The pagodas and ancient temples in the morning glow, the carved railings and painted beams, the pavilions and towers are all antique and elegant.

The place that has changed the most in the past two years is probably Longgang, where more and more ships are coming and trade is becoming increasingly busy.

Here you'll find not only ships from foreign lands, but also merchant ships from various regions along the major rivers.

New wharves were springing up along the river outside the capital city. They carried not only large merchant ships but also large Arab merchant ships.

In fact, Chen Shao admired the Arabs, the people of the Arab world, for despite the difficult conditions, many ships still sailed through their territory to do business.

You can laugh at their descendants for being incompetent and constantly colonized and conquered, but the pioneering spirit of the Arabs at this time was very strong.

However, they also have a fatal problem: the upper class is too focused on their own enjoyment.

One can glimpse the extravagance of their aristocracy simply by looking at their insatiable demand for castrated boys.

There are many wealthy people in the Central Plains, but I've never heard of anyone using a eunuch.

Qu Duan brought Guo Hao back to the capital, and the meaning was clear: they wanted to participate in the Northern Expedition.

Chen Shao nodded in agreement. In fact, there was no need for very strong military generals when stationing troops overseas.

I used to overestimate them.
At that time, Japan was nothing special; it was just one of countless small, uncivilized countries.

Guo Hao followed Qu Duan to Goryeo in the first year of the Jingkang era and never returned to the Central Plains.

Upon seeing the capital city of Dajing, his eyes and heart were filled with excitement.

This time, I made a special trip to visit Commander Qu in Ise Province, hoping that he could take me back to the Central Plains, and preferably go on a northern expedition together.

Because he was an old subordinate, Guo Hao didn't hold back and directly expressed his thoughts.

Qu Duan indeed brought him back.

Guo Hao was replaced by one of his own military officers.

After getting ashore, Qu Duan immediately found a small shop, bought all the latest Dajing newspapers, and read them with Guo Hao.

They drifted at sea for about ten days, wanting to know the news of the imperial court's northern expedition. According to the Dajing Daily, it was more effective than asking people.

"Li Xiaozhong has withdrawn his troops!"

Qu Duan's eyes lit up, and his heart was filled with hope.

“Prince Xin, Li Xiaozhong, was a man who knew nothing about military affairs. When he encountered the Jin army at Longshou Mountain, he became afraid of fighting as more and more troops were deployed. If it weren’t for the old commander Zhu Ling insisting on sending reinforcements, the first major battle between the two sides would have been lost, and the Jurchen Tartars would have taken away their momentum.”

"Now that he has rashly withdrawn his troops, his northern expedition must have failed. Let us seize the opportunity and capture Khabul in Jinling, then present him to His Majesty!"

Guo Hao was filled with fervor upon hearing this, "This humble general is willing to serve as the commander-in-chief's vanguard!" (End of Chapter)