You have truly caused me great suffering!

In late May, just before the sweltering heat arrived, Chen Shao officially visited the Zhongshan Mountain Resort.

Military operations in Nanhuang and Zhenla were suspended due to the hot and rainy weather.

However, the news that a special examination would be held this summer still delighted scholars from all over the country.

This subject was unusual because, firstly, it did not require a walk to the capital city of Nanjing, and secondly, it was rumored that a very large number of students were admitted.

However, there is a possibility that he will be sent to serve as an official at the border.

Some confident and capable individuals chose not to participate in this imperial examination, but instead waited for the formal spring examination, where they would sit in the Golden Hall as the emperor's disciples and have their names called out at the Donghua Gate.

But these people were a minority; most were scholars with renowned talents. Even a remote position was a highly attractive one for ordinary people.

The social hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, with scholars (士) being the most authoritative, was incredibly prestigious.
The summer of the sixth year of Jianwu was very hot, and people's hearts began to waver.

Everyone is thinking about taking it to the next level.

There are indeed many more opportunities now than in previous dynasties. You can choose to go overseas, study, or even choose your favorite craft skills.

Anyone who achieves academic success will have a chance to succeed.

Such an environment is destined to present a vibrant scene of life and flourishing development.

Many talented individuals will also emerge.

After arriving at the summer palace, Chen Shao sat in the familiar palace, feeling the coolness of the mountain stream, and his body gradually relaxed.

It was just past noon, and he had intended to take a short nap, but he felt a bit restless and didn't sleep.

"Chen Chong!"

Chen Chong, the chief eunuch of the Inner Palace, stepped forward and bowed, waiting for his instructions.

"Send Wang Yin to see me."

Although Chen Shao had a good relationship with his ministers and rarely reprimanded them, like emperors throughout history, he still needed to exercise oversight.

And they were all in the dark.

Chen Shao would summon Wang Yin to the palace from time to time to report to him on the actions of the ministers and whether there was any trend of forming factions.

He needs to judge the soundness of his bureaucratic system and whether there are any loopholes based on the actions of his officials.

Will any powerful ministers be able to exploit this loophole in the future?

Although descendants have their own blessings, once Chen Shao reached this position, he could not escape the common practice of worrying about future generations.

He had already seen the hope that the great vision would be passed down.

Sitting in the hall, Chen Shao waited for Wang Yin to arrive. Bored, he asked Li Wanshu to grind ink, but he felt that his talent was not enough to write anything.

Forcing yourself to write some doggerel is shameful enough.

He didn't have the thick skin of the "Perfect Old Man," nor did he want to gain a reputation for elegance through it. His reputation was already high enough, and his descendants would speak up for him.

On the contrary, Li Wanshu, who was helping him hold down the Xuan paper, stared at him with bright eyes and an expectant look on her face. She had obviously seen Chen Shao casually utter some beautiful verses and thought that her emperor was a talented person.

A woman from a scholarly family like her enjoys seeing men display their talents.

Unfortunately, Chen Shao really had nothing.

He wrote down whatever came to mind, along with some simple, knock-off-style drawings.

Li Wanshu looked on curiously, and Chen Shao asked, "Do you know where this is?"

Li Wanshu shook her head.

"This is Hengshan." Chen Shao immediately recalled his deepest memory: when he came to Hengshan with the empty title of commander to gather the defeated soldiers of Xihe Army.

There are many fortresses built by the Song army in Hengshan. The main idea behind naming these fortresses was to be straightforward and enjoyable.

The names 'Xingqing Village,' 'Yanqing Village,' 'Yuanhao Village,' and 'Mieqiang Village' are just meant to disgust the Western bandits.

As he painted, Chen Shao couldn't help but think of the fortified village nowadays.

Northwest fortified villages are a unique form of settlement where a group of people live together and make the fortified village their home.

To put it simply, this is Dajing's collective farm. The fortified village will help you with elderly care, childcare, pensions, and education.
The young men who contributed to these fortified villages were extremely brave and warlike.

Because they have no worries about the future.

The northwestern fortresses played a significant role in Chen Shao's conquest of the Xia dynasty, and it was during that time that they rose to prominence.

Later, Wu Jie attacked Gaochang, allowing them to rise to another level.
After the destruction of Qinghai, hundreds of thousands of barbarians entered the fortified villages and became slaves.
The three major cases at the founding of the nation, especially the case of hidden land, led to 200,000 gentry from the Central Plains entering the fortified villages as commoners, which enhanced the cultural heritage of the fortified villages.

Chen Shao's lifting of the monopoly on the Western Regions Silk Road gave them money again.

The Northwest Fortress is like a ball that Chen Shao has been constantly pressurizing; it's about to explode when it reaches its limit.

The westward expedition may seem like an option, but it was actually inevitable. Otherwise, if this power expanded to its limit, it would not only fail to harm others but would also harm itself.

If these fortified villages were to be driven westward one by one, Chen Shao believed they would all bring him good news.

These fortified villages are powerful and capable of dealing with anyone; if they don't expand, they will suffer internal strife.

Wang Yin finally arrived.

Chen Shao had a bench brought over and asked, "What rumors have been circulating lately?"

Wang Yin had made all the preparations on his way here, but he didn't speak up directly.

So as not to make His Majesty think he was talking nonsense.

After going over it in his mind again, he slowly spoke, "Guo Kui is in charge of the coal monopoly in Hedong, and it seems that Minister Liu wants to replace him. Now he has asked many officials in Hedong to come to his door in turn, probably to mediate this matter."

Chen Shao nodded. Guo Kui was recommended by Li Tangchen.

Coal mining is incredibly profitable these days.

Such a position is indeed not suitable for one person or one family to hold for a long time.

This decree has only been in effect for a short time and there are no rules yet, so I will establish rules for this matter and change them every three years.

From now on, we will follow this method; this is the ancestral law of the Great Jing Dynasty.

Chen Shao looked up and suddenly noticed that Wang Yin had gained some weight.

He was about to make a few jokes when he suddenly realized that Wang Yin's position didn't seem suitable for one person to hold for a long time.

If something goes wrong, it will be even more fatal than coal ignition.

Wang Yin has a family and a group of trusted subordinates. Over the years, he has worked for him and accumulated countless connections, possessing the biggest and most numerous secrets of the Great Jing Dynasty.

Although Chen Shao was used to Wang Yin and was also a sentimental person, he couldn't let his emotions cloud his judgment in this matter.

The person in charge of Guangyuantang needs to be replaced.

Otherwise, if things continue like this, their interest group will not only become unbreakable, but will also firmly grasp the power of Guangyuantang.

Wang Yin was certainly loyal to himself, but his successors might not have been, and loyalty is not permanent.

Was Hou Junji disloyal to Li Shimin? In the early years, he did a lot of dangerous things for Li Shimin.

But when interests were involved, they still chose to rebel.

Moreover, Wang Yin might not be able to keep his subordinates under control forever.

Similarly, the Coal Mine Company was in such a special position that it could not be held by one person for a long time.

Wang Yin eventually had a son and a daughter. During this time, I need to find a suitable candidate, train him, and let Wang Yin enjoy wealth and honor.

If he were to always do this kind of thing, he would offend a lot of people.

He himself may not be afraid, but his descendants may face retaliation.

Everyone calls him "Long Live the Emperor," but Chen Shao knows that he too will die and will not be able to protect them after his death.

Take the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the early Ming Dynasty as an example. The characteristic of this position was that it was frequently changed and the endings were tragic.
Chen Shao wanted to ensure Wang Yin's safe landing and guarantee that his descendants would never have to get involved in this mess again.

Wang Yin continued to slowly recount the turmoil in officialdom, unaware that he himself was also a part of His Majesty's considerations. (End of Chapter)