You have truly caused me great suffering!

After four years of building the city on the White Road, Li Gang finally completed his great undertaking.

A city was built in the desert, and it was put into use even before it was fully completed.

When it was finally completed, it didn't even feel finished because people kept coming in.

The place called Baidao is so important in the desert that it serves as a transit point and bridgehead for both the southern and northern expeditions.

Four years can feel like a short time if you're just passing the time, but if you're doing something as important as Li Gang, it can feel incredibly long.

He had grown accustomed to the harsh winds and frosts of the desert beyond the Great Wall. Although it was tough, he was in a really good mood.

Every day, you can also see what's happening in the Central Plains from the Da Jing Bao newspaper.

The Dajing Daily truly made it possible for "scholars to know everything without leaving home," and in Li Gang's opinion, the Dajing Daily was indeed well-run.

Speak with substance and pursue the truth.

He collected every issue, and filled them with annotations. Several colleagues and friends wanted to exchange them with him, but Li Gang declined.

The city of Baidao was not particularly grand, nor did it have the flying eaves and arched beams of the Central Plains; it was more like a military fortress.

By relying on the mountain and controlling the strategic pass, we guard the vital choke point!
Li Gang chose the site at the entrance of Baidao Valley on the southern slope of Daqing Mountain (Bakouzi Village, Hohhot).

The Baidao is the only open road that traverses the Yinshan Mountains and connects the southern and northern deserts. The "Bai" in Baidao means open and the "dao" means passage.

That means once you step out from here, the space opens up dramatically.

When Li Gang built the city, he used an irregular trapezoidal shape, following the contours of the mountain, rather than the traditional square or rectangular shape of the Central Plains.

This city's design is somewhat similar to Yangcheng in Dali.

The city wall was constructed using rammed earth mixed with gravel, and some sections were edged with rubble.

It has only two city gates, one in the south and one in the north: the south gate leads to the Central Plains and the north gate faces the valley. Both are equipped with barbicans. An inner city was built in the northwest corner of the city. In case of war, this place can overlook the overall situation and serve as the command center.

Water from the dam (Baidao River) was diverted into the city, and a culvert was built to prevent invading enemies from cutting off the city's water supply.

He has done enough.

With this city in place, the southern desert region has a backbone and a bridgehead.

Now that the agreement with Chen Shao has been fulfilled, Li Gang is preparing to leave this place and return to Jinling.

He had no intention of continuing to serve as an official; he had devoted himself entirely to this cause over the past few years.

The changes in various places and the newly expanded territories of Dajing, published in the Dajing Daily, aroused his great interest.

He longed to take advantage of his remaining mobility to travel to various places and see if it was truly as the official gazette described.

When they set off from Baidao, it was during the summer campaign led by King Xun Jinling. By the time they arrived in the heart of the Central Plains, it was already early autumn.

It seems that autumn hoeing has begun again on the grasslands.
Over the past few years, he has become accustomed to this kind of scene.

He made a special trip to Bianliang, but the city was no longer as prosperous as it once was, which made Li Gang feel somewhat melancholy.

However, Tokyo has not completely declined; the streets are still bustling, just no longer as unparalleled as they once were.

Many people who were loyal to the Song dynasty and unwilling to serve the new dynasty chose to stay in Bianliang.

This city was already inextricably linked to the entire Song Dynasty. Many of these people were Li Gang's friends in the past, and many of them were still willing to see him.

Zong Ze was one of them.

Looking at Zong Ze, whose temples were now gray, the two smiled at each other. Having survived countless trials and tribulations, their feelings were quite different when they met again.

They talked a lot, but their tone showed no longing for their homeland, only感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of deep emotion or reflection) about the new dynasty.

The power of the Great Jing Dynasty far surpassed that of the Han and Tang Dynasties, and it has become a new monument.

Li Gang stayed in Bianliang for seven days before leaving.

Beside the Bian River stands a stone tablet inscribed with the achievements of Zhao Huan, the last emperor of the Song Dynasty. He used all the money in his treasury to repair the river, and Emperor Jing of the Song Dynasty, Chen Shao, allowed him to receive a share of the profits every year.

Li Gang stood in front of the inscription for a long time, seemingly lost in thought.

Many ferries came and went on the river, which was very convenient. Soon the attendants had loaded the horses and luggage onto the ferry.

Li Gang's old friends in Bianliang saw him off on the riverbank. Li Gang and his party traveled south along the Grand Canal until they reached the Yangtze River.

The banks of the river were lush and verdant, with houses and estates of all sizes scattered throughout, presenting a scene of prosperity and tranquility.

He recalled another kind of scenery in the northwest frontier, and the contrast between the two was like a dream.

Among Li Gang's entourage were many Tatars, and in just a few years, the lives of these Tatars had changed dramatically from those of the former steppe tribes.

Aside from their foreign appearance, most of them have abandoned nomadic customs. They raise livestock in fixed locations and cultivate wheat along rivers and in oases, becoming like farmers.

Upon arriving in the Central Plains, they all looked around curiously, their shock even greater than that of Li Gang.

Is this the Central Plains?

The Kereit Khan was right; this place is like a dream.

They arrived in early autumn, when the weather was at its most comfortable, with a gentle breeze carrying the unique charm of the Jiangnan region.

When Li Gang arrived in Jinling, he did not disembark at Longgang, but instead disembarked early and took the official road to the capital.

Because it is autumn harvest time, the waterways are very busy as new grain from various places enters Nanjing.

If we go via Longgang, it might be even slower.

Upon arriving in Jinling, Li Gang was greeted by family members outside the city. They couldn't help but weep upon seeing him.

His sons all came and led him to the house that Chen Shao had given him years ago.

After settling in, Li Gang wanted to meet the emperor.

Upon arriving in the capital, he learned that His Majesty was not actually in the capital, but rather at the Summer Palace, which gave him a somewhat uneasy feeling.

There were two emperors who rarely visited the palace back then: Li Longji and Zhao Ji.

But thinking of Da Jing's current achievements, Li Gang shook his head with a wry smile. Whatever!

With such achievements, it would be only right for him to build the Epang Palace to live in.

However, it is already early autumn, and the weather is cool. Why is His Majesty still seeking refuge from the summer heat?

Thinking that Zhongshan was not far away, Li Gang decided to go to the Summer Palace to meet the Emperor. He asked the eunuch on duty in the Inner Palace, who chuckled and said that people came to see His Majesty every day, and he usually did not refuse them.

Unless you're genuinely busy.

Li Gang felt relieved. It didn't matter where the emperor lived, as long as he could meet with his ministers. He just hoped the emperor wouldn't be like the foolish Duke of the previous dynasty who neglected state affairs.

When Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) lived in Genyue, apart from close advisors such as Liang Shicheng, Wang Fu, and Tong Guan, no one else could see him.

During his years in the desert, Li Gang's horsemanship improved rapidly. Instead of taking the carriage prepared by his family, he arrived at Zhongshan Palace with several Tatar followers.

After giving his name, he was immediately allowed to cut in line and go to meet the emperor.

At this moment, Chen Shao was in the outer hall, discussing the autumn harvest situation in various regions with Liu Jizu and Yuwen Xuzhong.

When Li Gang entered, all three men had thick stacks of reports piled up in front of them.

Upon seeing him enter, Chen Shao was taken aback for a moment, and only after taking a closer look did he confirm that it was Li Gang.

He had become much darker and his skin was a bit dry, but he still looked very energetic.

His bright eyes, in particular, left a deep impression on Chen Shao. In fact, Li Gang was a very energetic person.

He has a strong will and a good physique; unless subjected to mental torture, harsh environments are unlikely to defeat him. "Your subject Li Gang greets Your Majesty."

"Someone come and offer me a seat." Chen Shao waved his hand. "Thank you for your hard work."

Yuwen Xuzhong smiled and said, "Brother Boji, how have you been? This is Minister Liu."

The three greeted each other, and Li Gang then realized that they were looking at the harvest reports from various places.

The autumn harvest is not yet complete, but there are general expectations for various regions, as well as information on the disasters that occurred this year and the reasons for the reduced production.

After Chen Shao and his group finish reading it, they will order the Ministry of Agriculture to resolve these matters.

For example, in some places, the crops grown are not actually suitable for the local soil, which is why the yield is very low.

Li Gang was very interested in this. During his years in Baidao City, he was involved in both military and political affairs.

He takes these things very seriously.

After discussing agricultural matters with the emperor and his ministers for a while, Li Gang discovered that His Majesty was very knowledgeable about agriculture.

He spoke with great logic and reason.

Chen Shao then asked him to tell him about Baidao City.

When he first went to the righteous path, Yuwen Xuzhong offered him a plan, but Li Gang thought the plan was too vicious and didn't plan to use it.

But nowadays, Dajing is basically following Yuwen Xuzhong's plan.

And they went even further.

As expected, the desert was pacified like never before.

Throughout history, even the Han and Ming dynasties, which waged the most and fiercest wars in the north, had countless battles and repeatedly ventured deep into the grasslands and raided various tribes in the desert.

However, they were also fighting while simultaneously seeking opportunities for peace talks.

There was no way they could completely occupy the grasslands; the grasslands were too vast and not conducive to the migration of Han people.

There was no way to wipe them out completely, so the usual approach was to use both suppression and appeasement.

But the Great Jing Dynasty succeeded because of its powerful national strength.

Just like how Tsarist Russia occupied other people's territories everywhere, but once it occupied them, it never gave them back. It's the same principle.

If you are strong enough and have sufficient military power, then there is no territory in the world that you cannot conquer.

In fact, the Great Jing has already surpassed its neighbors in terms of national strength, which is why it can expand so recklessly.

It's hard to say that the Song Dynasty didn't contribute to this.
To be honest, the Song Dynasty had a very good foundation, a huge population, and was a dynasty that could easily become wealthy. Combined with the warhorses and strong troops from the northwest, it was as if the Western Xia and the Song Dynasty had joined forces and stopped fighting amongst themselves.

Both the Han and Tang empires first subdued the surrounding barbarian tribes before using the Silk Road to make money.

The Great Jing, on the other hand, had the Silk Road from the start, allowing it to amass enough wealth to support its wars.

Therefore, it developed even faster than the Han and Tang dynasties.

Later, they even opened up maritime trade, occupied the market in Goryeo, and opened the door to Japan.

So despite the wars everywhere, the people did not feel that the taxes were heavier or that their lives had become more difficult.

What Li Gang said was actually known to Chen Shao and the other two, but some of the details were new to them.

They talked at length and then asked the imperial kitchen to prepare some food. The four of them chatted for a long time in the hall.

During this period, Chen Shao also met with many officials and resolved many issues. Some of them talked nonsense, and some said unpleasant things, but the emperor did not get angry.

This was the first time Li Gang had seen Chen Shao at work, and he nodded to himself in approval.

To govern the country to this extent, one must possess extraordinary abilities, and certainly not be a foolish emperor like the previous dynasty's corrupt ruler.

Hu Hai, Huan Ling, and Yang Guang were the most incompetent rulers Li Gang had ever heard of, while Zhao Ji was the most foolish ruler he had ever seen.

When Li Gang descended the mountain from the summer palace, he was still a little reluctant to leave.

He felt this was the ultimate example of a harmonious relationship between ruler and subject, and that being with such an emperor was extremely comfortable.

When faced with political problems, he would not shirk them, nor would he use imperial tactics to torment his ministers.

Instead, he patiently and humbly worked with his ministers to solve problems, focusing on overcoming difficulties rather than engaging in infighting.

Only a sufficiently powerful emperor has the confidence to do so.

Li Gang, who had originally planned to resign, changed his mindset and became somewhat reluctant to leave.

Chen Shao had no other opinion about Li Gang, even though they had been enemies in the past, Chen Shao didn't care.

Everyone wanted to save the Central Plains from disaster and resist the Jin invaders to protect the people, but they chose different paths.

People like Li Gang and Zong Ze, at least their integrity is not questionable.

You can't say that Li Gang was incompetent; he just didn't know how to fight. The fact that the Southern Song Dynasty was able to retain half of its territory was inseparable from his help in establishing a new power structure for Zhao Gou after the Jingkang Incident.

The world is never black and white, and human wisdom is never about condemning everything.

Instead, we should discover their strengths and use them in the right places.

Chen Shao sent Li Gang to build the city in Baidao, and he did a very good job.

Back in his palace, Chen Shao began to plan this year's harvest.

The treasuries in various places were filled to the brim, so that even if there was no harvest for three to five years, there would still be grain to provide relief.

Da Jing is almost able to solve his food problem.

This was so amazing that Chen Shao couldn't help but feel a little smug.

It turns out these things weren't that difficult at all; it's just that people were unwilling to do them in the past.

Because only by threatening the interests of the landlords can you ensure that the poor can have enough to eat.

However, those who were capable of reform were themselves large landowners, and the royal family itself was the largest landowner.

They lack the motivation for reform and face too much resistance.

Just like progressive taxes, it's not that people can't think of it, but that they're unwilling to change their own ways.

Chen Shao used the pretext of resettling 100,000 Dingnan soldiers, and then used three major cases to exile hundreds of thousands of gentry before finally implementing this measure.

These 100,000 unemployed soldiers were his capital, and also his trump card to overturn the table.

The Song Dynasty suppressed military men for over a century, which indeed reduced the disasters caused by military rebellions during the Five Dynasties period.

But when an army from the Northwest marched into the Central Plains, it was truly undeniable that no one could resist them.

The powerful families of the Song Dynasty were all that remained of their wealth; they had lost all their military might.

If it were during the Five Dynasties period, would Chen Shao have been able to enter Hedong so easily?

That's Hedong!

With every step you take, a military governor will come to beat you.

Once you enter a town, the town's soldiers will fight you to the death.

If you threaten local interests, a powerful local army will immediately emerge.

After changing into some fresh clothes, Chen Shao enthusiastically pulled out his Emperor Taizu's diary and began writing down his thoughts for the day. (End of Chapter)