You have truly caused me great suffering!

Zhongshan Mountain Resort.

Chen Shao, standing in the outer hall, watched Chen Guoting's endless chatter with a sense of helplessness.

This man seemed to be insane; he started cursing at the soldiers who had participated in the Northern Expedition and the Southern Expedition.

To be honest, Chen Shao didn't even dare to think whether he would still dare to curse like that if those people were in the hall.

Chen Shao had no interest in listening to his long-winded speech. The faces of the military generals flashed through his mind, and he realized that it had been a long time since he had seen these subordinates.

Of those who fought alongside me at Yuanbao Village to stop Brother Richard, how many are still alive? Should we get together?

Seeing that His Majesty neither objected nor reprimanded him, Chen Guoting became even more enthusiastic.

Chen Shao picked up the letter on the imperial desk and carefully read it. He discovered that he had gained a new ability: to automatically block out things he didn't want to hear.

The report did describe the course of the "illegal activities at the front" in great detail.

It seems there's a traitor on the front lines. This is definitely incriminating material that only someone who's been to the front lines could write.

It describes in detail how the Northern Expeditionary Army seized the Tartars' wealth and livestock, sold women and children into slavery in the fortified villages, and plundered local riches.

They embezzled the money without reporting it, and pocketed it all themselves.

Chen Shao thought to himself, "Isn't this the unspoken rule? Am I a rich and noble emperor who has never been on the battlefield?"
These ordinary soldiers braved the bitter cold to launch the Northern Expedition, not even resting during the dead of winter. What do you think they were doing it for?
For the greater good of the nation?
Compared to conquering vast territories and ensuring peace for future generations, some underhanded dealings today are nothing.

These intellectuals, full of wicked thoughts and desires, always try to apply the standards of saints to the soldiers who risk their lives on the front lines.

Little did they know that many of the conveniences provided at the front were deliberately offered by Chen Shao.

The caravans helped transport the spoils of war, taking only a tiny fee. Who do you think ordered them to do that?

When he finally finished speaking, Chen Shao nodded and said, "I will send someone to investigate. You may leave."

Chen Guoting was slightly taken aback, but still left the main hall.

Watching his retreating figure, Chen Shao shook his head and chuckled. This scholar was far inferior to Li Tangchen.

He seems to be a good friend of Li Gang, and Li Gang brought many old acquaintances with him when he went to build the city in Baidao.

Inevitably, there will be bookworms like him among them.

How can war be clean?

If the rear guard imposes too strict discipline on the soldiers, the soldiers on the front lines will gradually lose their fighting spirit and motivation, and the troops will become mediocre and cowardly.

The reason why the Liao Dynasty suddenly declined was inextricably linked to Xiao Yanyan's reforms.

Soldiers were no longer allowed to loot during battles; anything captured at the front lines had to be handed over, and generals had to report their achievements to the court for rewards, a lengthy process.

With no loot to be had and only meager pay, the soldiers gradually became a weak force in the later stages of the war.

The Dingnan Army, the cornerstone of the founding of the Great Jing Dynasty, was already fearless in the face of death when it fought against the Jurchen Tartars for supremacy.

The reason why the two armies now fighting in the south and north are showing even greater fighting enthusiasm than before is because both wars offer huge profits.

Chen Shao hoped they could maintain their current pace and take over these territories as soon as possible. The productivity of today was different from that of previous dynasties, and Chen Shao believed that his Great Jing Dynasty was capable of absorbing these lands.

A merciful general cannot command an army; war is inherently a contest aimed at killing.

As long as the hidden dangers are eliminated and resources are obtained, it is a good war and a victorious war for the country.

This morning, Chen Shao wanted to see more than just Chen Guoting, but since none of them were his trusted confidants, the others waited outside and came in one by one.

Actually, today is a day off, which is the statutory rest day for officials, so they have time to come to the Summer Palace to meet the emperor.

He poured out all his grievances to the emperor.

Chen Shao was happy to listen to the officials' thoughts.

To avoid getting lost in your own world, like Emperor Xuanzong of Tang in his later years, who wouldn't listen to a single piece of advice.

Even when Gao Lishi tried to advise him, he was so scareed he almost wet himself.

With Chen Guoting gone, the next person to arrive should be Li Zhiyan from Goryeo. Chen Shao sat behind his imperial desk, reviewing memorials while waiting for Li Zhiyan to enter.

Compared to some places in the imperial harem, or even the luxurious mansions and villas in the capital, the place where Chen Shao handled government affairs appeared rather simple and unadorned, except that the building was of a very high standard and the materials used were very precious.

Besides the antique ritual objects, the most eye-catching thing was his very large desk, which was placed in the middle of the hall.

After summer arrives, a straw carpet is placed under the large table, while the rest of the floor is made of brick and stone.

Chen Shao actually had a great fondness for refinement and luxury in his life, and he also loved to eat exquisite and delicious food, and drink fine wine and tea.

However, in his office, he preferred simplicity and solemnity, and he didn't like to employ too many servants.

Some wealthy merchants and nobles had a large number of servants at home at all times, living a very extravagant life.

However, Chen Shao usually only had a few people around him.

Moreover, most of the time they are acquaintances, and the palace maids they are used to are more considerate and reliable. The key is safety. They do things like serving tea and water, and there are not many people needed anyway.

Whether they were palace maids or eunuchs, Chen Shao would chat with them from time to time, asking them where they lived and about their families.

At first, they were all very careful, afraid of saying the wrong word; but as time went on, they gradually realized that His Majesty was not just putting on an act.

So the palace maids and eunuchs nearby gradually got used to it.

A short while later, Li Zhiyan, the Duke of Goryeo, bowed and walked in to pay his respects. Chen Shao then told him to stand up and speak.

Li Zhiyan came with a mission this time. First, he thanked the garrison of Dajing for helping them quell the rebellion.

Secondly, there's Chen Shao's initiative to promote the use of Chinese throughout Goryeo, which Li Zhiyan hopes to further bolster.

Modern-day Goryeo has become so Sinicized that even its common language is now the same.
Can Goryeo truly remain an independent kingdom?

These are all despicable tactics employed by that traitor Cui Shunting. His Majesty certainly doesn't know this and has been deceived by him!

These Goryeo people, especially the powerful clans of Goryeo, had complex feelings toward Chen Shao.

First of all, this is the emperor of their suzerain state, their nominal sovereign and father, and legally they should be loyal to him.

Moreover, regardless of whether Chen Shao harbored malicious intentions towards Goryeo, he gave Goryeo ample face and substance.

When the Great Jing Dynasty was founded, it immediately recognized Goryeo as a country that would not be conquered, and it treated Goryeo envoys with great courtesy whenever they came to Jinling.

This made the Koreans feel very proud.

Whenever there was a rebellion in Goryeo, he would send troops to suppress it, thus maintaining Goryeo's rule.

It also gave Goryeo many practical benefits, making Goryeo rich now and ensuring it has no worries about food.

They also longed to immerse themselves in the beautiful dream that their father would pamper and cherish them.

But with Annam and Dali as stark examples before them, the thought of these two unfortunate brothers made it impossible for them to deceive themselves any longer. After uttering a string of polite greetings, Li Zhiyan finally got to the point:
"Your Majesty's virtue and wisdom have spread far and wide, and your teachings have reached all corners of the world. Our Goryeo was originally a small and insignificant nation, but thanks to Your Majesty's grace, we have been given the correct pronunciation. This is truly a blessing for a thousand years."

However, we have heard that the Book of Rites says, “Cultivate its teachings, but do not change its customs; regulate its governance, but do not change its appropriate practices.”

If we, the common people of Goryeo, were to forget our native language and dialect, I fear our sentiments would be obscured, our ancestral teachings would be lost, and our filial piety would decline.

We humbly beseech Your Majesty's mercy to allow public halls to use the Han language to serve the Celestial Empire, and private schools to preserve local dialects to teach children. This would ensure that we do not fail the Emperor's grace above, nor interrupt the ancestral sacrifices below, truly a blessing for ten thousand generations.

Upon hearing that they had finally arrived, Chen Shao immediately coughed lightly and said, "What you said is very good. I agree with it very much. Promoting the Chinese language was not my intention. It was proposed by the subjects of Goryeo and the scholars of the Imperial Academy. I rejected it in court. There is evidence to prove this."

"I also believe that the different local accents are all passed down from our ancestors, and it would be unfilial to forcibly change them. Our Great Jing takes loyalty and filial piety as its foundation. In addition, promoting the Chinese language would consume my national treasury."

Li Zhiyan didn't expect him to be so easy to talk to, which left him speechless for a moment.

At this moment, Chen Chong, the eunuch standing to the side, suddenly spoke up: "Your Majesty's words are law. If they are easily changed, it may chill the hearts of the Goryeo scholars."

Chen Shao immediately looked troubled and remained silent.

At this moment, Wang Xiangnian also spoke up: "Your Majesty possesses the entire world, and your word is law. Since you wish to change it today, then let it be changed. What is wrong with that?"

"How dare you, a eunuch, presume to discuss state affairs!"

Chen Chong laughed angrily, "Aren't you one of them?!"

The two men started arguing in court, and almost came to blows.

Chen Shao was furious and slammed his fist on the table.

The two men hurriedly knelt down, and Chen Shao angrily scolded, "You are the ones who want to learn Chinese, and you are the ones who don't want to learn it either. You come to me every other day to make a fuss over such trivial matters!"

"Discuss this matter yourselves before you come to me!"

Li Zhiyan felt a pang of bitterness in his heart. The emperor was furious. If he spoke again, he could be charged with deceiving the emperor.

But how can we persuade that great traitor Cui Shunting and the lesser traitors of the Jinling Imperial Academy to change their tune?

It's simply impossible.
Li Zhiyan could only retreat in frustration.

The Ministry of Rites has now standardized the reception procedures, and foreign envoys visiting the capital stay at the Huitong Hall of the Honglu Temple.

The Ministry of Rites would host a banquet, known as the "Dismounting Banquet," and would also extend friendly greetings of varying degrees of importance.

However, these activities don't involve any substantial content, and most of the lines are pre-written, just like a theatrical performance.

When it came to actually discussing matters, it was either in written form or through private conversations between officials from the Ministry of Rites during their visits.

There aren't many people like Li Zhiyan who have the qualification to directly meet the emperor; at most, this might be the only time.

He was both annoyed and panicked at having wasted this opportunity.

It seems that the promotion of Mandarin Chinese is now completely unstoppable.

There was already a strong desire among the people to flee to Liaodong, the capital of the Great Jing Dynasty. If there were no language barrier, it would be hard to imagine how many people would be lost.

From the Jin-Liao War onwards, Liaodong was a high-intensity battlefield. By the time of the great battle between the Dingnan Army and the Jurchen and Ever Victorious Army, Liaodong had become a truly vast and sparsely populated area.

No matter how many people try to fill the slots, it will never be full.

This land is even larger than the entire country of Goryeo.

Li Zhiyan sighed and glanced at the Summer Palace. Its magnificent and solemn eaves and brackets were as immovable as a mountain.

At this moment, he thought of King Taejo Wang Geon of Goryeo, of Gaegyeong, and of his childhood wet nurse, the woman who didn't understand Chinese but only spoke Goryeo, who taught him a folk song.

His face grew even more dejected, and he lowered his head to recite:

"The emperor, from afar, pays homage to the emperor's crown and edicts are issued to the eastern vassal states to prohibit singing in the land."

From then on, the green hills were no different, and the lark, singing its song, was no longer free.
-
The weather is getting hotter and hotter; the Lesser Heat will arrive in just a few days.

The Imperial Astronomical Bureau reported that the next few days might be even hotter.

Given the irregular seasons in recent years, this abnormal weather could very well lead to people dying from the heat.

Chen Shao issued a special decree to grant a ten-day 'summer vacation'.

The original plan was for everyone to rest and escape the summer heat at home, but it turned into a wild party.

The day after the imperial edict was issued, the capital was bustling with activity from the morning onwards, with lanterns and decorations, and the sound of gongs and drums.

With their time off, officials and civilians had many things to do and spontaneously organized many performances. There were also flower boats on the Qinhuai River and other rivers that held events to select the most beautiful courtesan, which attracted a large number of onlookers.

When the news reached Chen Shao's ears, he regretted it a little, but he did not cancel the holiday. He simply published an article in the Dajing Daily to remind everyone to take precautions against heatstroke.

The emperor, on the contrary, did not come down the mountain to participate in any programs.

The summer palace is located halfway up the mountain, where it is very cool and refreshing, with gurgling springs and a refreshing mountain breeze. He doesn't plan to come down the mountain this summer.

To prevent the officials from getting too carried away and falling ill from heatstroke, Chen Shao hosted a banquet for them at the Summer Palace.

The Empress then hosted a banquet at the Summer Palace for the families of officials and nobles.

After everyone left, the Summer Palace, which had been bustling all day, returned to its tranquil state once again.

Chen Shao stood in front of the window for a while. The afternoon sun was shining on the window frame, making the vermilion wood scorching hot.

I wish it would rain.

Chen Shao looked up at the sky; the sun was high in the sky, and there was no sign of rain.

The sunlight evaporated the air, making the air in the mountains seem to have a layer of oily moisture.

Chen Shao didn't know when this period of irregular seasons would end.

He was constantly worried that Hebei might experience another rainstorm or a drought.

He didn't know that this strange trend would end after this year.

Historically, from the end of the Northern Song Dynasty to the establishment of the Southern Song Dynasty, this period coincided with the transition from the Medieval Warm Period to the Little Ice Age, a time of dramatic climate fluctuations.

Winters without snow, summer torrential rains: The "Treatise on the Five Elements" in the History of Song records that during the reign of Emperor Huizong, "winter thunder, summer frost, and severe cold in spring" occurred frequently.
Extreme weather events: the Yellow River breached its banks in 1117, the Jiangnan region suffered a severe drought in 1120, and Hebei experienced a blizzard in 1125.

The scientific explanation is that reduced solar activity (the Wolf Minimum) and volcanic eruptions (such as the eruption of Mount Asama in Japan in 1108) led to global cooling.

After 1135 (the fifth year of Shaoxing), abnormal climate phenomena in the Southern Song-controlled area (Jiangnan) decreased significantly, agricultural production recovered, and the saying of "the four seasons being out of order" gradually subsided.

The heat in Nanjing this year is not actually due to the influence of this meteorological event, but rather because Nanjing is naturally hot in summer.

Chen Shao himself was unaware of these matters. In order to prepare for the possible disaster, he could only build more warehouses and stockpile supplies.

I wonder if future poets will also describe the magnificent scene under their rule, where "both public and private granaries are overflowing." (End of Chapter)