You have truly caused me great suffering!

"At the end of March, a group of prisoners were sent from India, all of them nobles from the Chola Dynasty."

Chen Shao was somewhat surprised and asked, "Where is the person? Where was they sent?"

He died on the way.

Chen Shao frowned slightly. "Died on the way?"

Yang Yizhong bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have already sent people to investigate. It was indeed an accident. The royal family members and nobles captured this time numbered more than eighty. They traveled by boat to Bagan, taking the Yunnan Road Temo Road. As a result, a prince ate mushrooms along the way, and after cooking them, his entire family was poisoned and died."

"Another one was the younger brother of King Jura, who died on the road after licking a toad and being poisoned."

"The remaining nobles no longer needed to come to the capital and were directly assigned to Qingzhou to graze their livestock."

Chen Shao scratched his head. He had heard of the story of people in later India who, unable to afford D, licked toads.

I never imagined that this thing was passed down from our ancestors.

The key question is, can you just casually eat anything in those forests of the southwest, whether it's animals or plants?

You dare lick a toad? Do you think you're Duan Yu?

In fact, Chen Shao tacitly agreed that the wealth of the Chola royal family was intended to reward the troops, and that the front lines should distribute it themselves.

Whoever takes it down owns it.

Otherwise, with such a long distance, who would be willing to risk their life for you? Who would be willing to leave home and travel thousands of miles across the ocean to fight a war?

There must be sufficient incentive to motivate your soldiers to fight to the death.

The combat effectiveness of an army is a very mysterious thing.

The Western Army fought in Shaanxi and Gansu, and every soldier was like a superman. They were driven by Tong Guan to conquer Fang La because there were benefits to be gained, and they were all like gods descended to earth.

The Fang La Rebellion was actually quite large in scale, and it already had a program, similar to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom in later times.

However, they were easily dealt with by the Western Army's bigwigs.

They were completely powerless to fight back.

When the Western Army left Jiangnan and headed north, they were all rolling in money, their cheeks bulging.

But when they arrived in Hebei, they discovered that fighting the Liao Dynasty was a different story.

Before the war even started, the imperial court was already frantically stuffing the Imperial Guards with people they knew, meaning that even if they won, all the benefits would go to those people.

The morale of the troops plummeted to zero in an instant.

After suffering a defeat at Baigou River, most of the Western Army went straight to Tong Guan's tent and cursed him, before returning to Shaanxi in groups.

These members of the Chola royal family and nobles were probably sent to Nanjing, hoping to be brought out for some kind of celebration to make a show of themselves.

If it's not there, it's not there.
Chen Shao didn't care much about these things.

His achievements need no embellishment; they are already magnificent enough.

However, Chen Shao appreciated Yang Yizhong's initiative in sending people to investigate the cause of death. As the emperor, he had many things to manage, but his personal energy was limited.

Therefore, Yang Yizhong, as the informant, should take the initiative to do things, rather than waiting for orders.

Chen Shao used to think that Wang Yin was doing a good job, but now he realized that Yang Yizhong seemed to be even more capable than Wang Yin.

This person is quick-witted, intelligent, and cautious.

The most crucial thing is his background.

It is true that he came from the Western Army, but his father was a military officer in Linzhou, which means that he was from the Zhe family line of Fugu.

Unfortunately, he was selected by Gao Qiu to join the new army in Bianliang, thus severing ties with the Zhe family.

Later, he was sent to Wanyan Zongwang's camp to negotiate peace, but was intercepted by Yang Hao on the way. Yang Yizhong was then forced to join the Dingnan Army and tricked the gates of Bianliang into opening during the palace coup.

This was tantamount to breaking with the new army of the Bianliang garrison.

Looking at his resume, he has lived all over the place and is not close to anyone.

It's not that he didn't want to fit in, but he was simply being pushed along by the situation; he was just an unlucky old man.

Historically, it was at this time that he clung tightly to Zhao Gou's coattails.

Thus, he rose to prominence overnight, becoming Zhao Gou's absolute confidant and in charge of the imperial guards.

Those who left their mark on the history of the late Northern Song and early Southern Song periods were either complete incompetent or truly capable.

This period is marked by dramatic changes and turbulent times, a time when true heroes emerge.

"How is the inspection tour going?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Yizhong immediately perked up; this was truly a matter of great importance.

He immediately recounted the preparations made by Guangyuantang in a clear and organized manner, which made Chen Shao nod repeatedly.

"Well done."

The four-word comment made Yang Yizhong feel a little lighter, but he still bowed and bent over with a serious expression.

Chen Shao recalled how well he had trained the soldiers when he first asked him to do so.

"Guangyuantang is full of veterans, they didn't make things difficult for you, did they?"

Yang Yizhong smiled and said, "Thank you for your kindness and care, Your Majesty. The officers, staff, and supervisors in Guangyuan Hall are all wholeheartedly devoted to the country and work together with me to be loyal to Your Majesty."

Chen Shao understood immediately; Yang Yizhong had already secured Guangyuantang.

Most people would have already spoken ill of the emperor by now, but he spoke these words with great confidence.

It is clear that he did not need the emperor's endorsement to secure his position within Guangyuantang.

Chen Shao would be the first to disbelieve that the people in Guangyuantang had no selfish motives; they were all veteran spies, none of them had a kind heart.

Although he didn't know how Yang Yizhong had subdued him, Chen Shao only cared about the result.

As he said, the imperial tour is the most important matter at present.

Such a grand event usually requires three to five years of preparation.

However, thanks to the current abundance of resources and manpower, Chen Shao expects the trip to take place next year.

Chen Shao tapped the map a few times, and a route began to appear in his mind.

The emperor's tour of the south sounds exciting at first glance, as if countless romantic encounters would come his way. He would randomly walk into a small town, where there would be tyrannical gentry and rich young men who bully men and women, threatening beautiful women like mad dogs. Then the emperor would step in and fight the bullies with the beauties. Finally, the guards would arrive with the imperial robes, and the emperor would successfully win the beauty's heart.

That's pure nonsense.

Since the migration of people and officials to the south, Jiangnan has always been a center of wealth.

When the emperor comes to such a place, he has too many things to do, but he has no chance to fight against the tyrant.

If someone like that can appear by the emperor's side, Yang Yizhong should be the first to be dragged out and executed.

"Jiangnan."

The so-called Jiangnan region does not refer to the Yangtze River Delta region of later times, but specifically to the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas in the Taihu Lake basin.

This region has exceptionally favorable conditions, so workshops are very likely to emerge here.

Cotton spinning will become increasingly important for a long time to come.

Cotton thrives in warm and drought-resistant conditions and is suitable for widespread cultivation in the Yellow River and Yangtze River basins. It is more economical than growing hemp (which requires a lot of fertilizer and has low yield).

Moreover, the territory of the Great Jing has expanded too much in the north, where the lower classes used to rely on hemp, kudzu, and even tree bark to keep warm in winter.

In the northern deserts, half of the Tatars would freeze to death every winter.

The widespread availability of cotton enabled ordinary farmers to keep warm, directly reducing mortality rates and supporting large-scale population migration. In this era, population was everything.

When Yang Yizhong came out of the hall, a gust of cold wind blew him out, and he realized that his back was unknowingly soaked.

Although he answered questions with ease and the number of times he met with the emperor increased exponentially, he was still very nervous and completely absorbed in each meeting.

In his heart, Chen Shao's status was far too high, no different from that of a god.

After straightening his back, Yang Yizhong looked at the several officials waiting for him outside the palace gate and walked over.

The future is long, and I will have plenty of opportunities to make a name for myself. A bright future has already emerged, and Guangyuantang is a cause worth dedicating my life to.

Wang Yin's portrait has been hung in the Funing Hall, and he was also granted the title of "Marquis of Sincerity".

Yang Yizhong hopes to receive the same treatment on the day he retires.

Or, like Jin Ridi and Wei Huo, they could be buried in a secondary mausoleum of the emperor after their deaths, continuing to protect His Majesty.

What an honor this is!

As for his former brothers in the Imperial Guards of Beijing, upon hearing that they were leading Tatars in killing Turks, Yang Yizhong could only silently wish them good luck.
Chen Shao was in the Funing Palace, looking at the reports from various places, especially those from the places he had visited.

As I watched, it became noon.

Li Shishi arrived with two palace maids carrying lunch boxes.

She seemed to have a knack for predicting things; whenever Chen Shao drank alcohol, she would have hangover soup; whenever Chen Shao forgot to go back for a meal, she would arrive promptly.

Chen Shao smiled and invited her to sit down next to him and eat together.

Li Shishi shook her head slightly, bent down and brought him small dishes, serving him as he ate.

"Is His Majesty preparing for an imperial tour?"

Li Shishi glanced at the map on the table and asked while setting out the dishes.

Chen Shao nodded. "It's a pity you can't accompany me this time."

Li Shishi didn't speak, so Chen Shao looked down and saw that her eyes were a little red.

Chen Shao reached out and pulled her into his arms, feeling a pang of heartache.

Li Shishi said somewhat awkwardly, "I didn't mean to."

"I know." Chen Shao hugged him even tighter.

"I'll feel better if you take good care of yourself."

"Have Chun Tao go with her, and just tell her to keep an eye on things."

Li Shishi laughed angrily, "Having her is worse than not having her at all; she's completely useless."

Chun Tao is indeed a bit of a scatterbrain; she can't remember anything important, but she remembers all sorts of random things very clearly.

She doesn't have any hobbies. Now she's twenty-six years old, considered a young married woman, but she still has an innocent and carefree demeanor.

Li Shishi often spoke ill of her behind her back, saying that this younger sister was born into a lucky family. She used to be pampered by her parents, and now she has Chen Shao protecting her. She can live a happy and carefree life.

Chen Shao chuckled and whispered in her ear, "Don't leave later. Come back to the palace with me tonight."

Li Shishi blushed and nodded, thinking that her young master was about to leave, so she would make him happy tonight and invite Chun Tao over as well.

After so many years of getting along, she had long noticed that he would get especially excited when the two sisters were together.

She indulged Chen Shao to an extreme degree, allowing him to do anything as long as he was happy, provided it didn't harm his health.
-
Ezo Island, Japan.

That is, the Hokkaido of later generations.

Li Yanqi looked at the newly built city and breathed a sigh of relief.

five years.

In the fifth year of Jianwu, he began his eastern expedition and submitted a memorial to the throne, proposing to pacify Japan within a year and congratulate His Majesty.

It is now the tenth year of Jianwu.

The conquest of this island nation has officially come to an end, and what follows is no longer a matter for this military general to worry about.

Ezo was also renamed Dongning County at Ma Kuo's request. The island was originally inhabited by Ezo people, but now it is filled with Shiwei, Jurchen and Xi people who came to reclaim the land.

They are well-suited to the climate here, and can support their families by fishing and hunting.

Although the conditions for relocating to the border regions are becoming increasingly favorable, and many Han Chinese from the Central Plains are choosing to settle there, it is still too far away.
There is truly no one coming from the Central Plains.

Moving to Korea was already the limit.

Fishermen also settled in Ryukyu, but the Toning County (Hokkaido) was covered in ice and snow all day long, which made people reluctant to go there.

Fortunately, Mandarin has already begun to be promoted here, and everyone has to learn and speak it.

In a few years, they will gradually integrate with the inland areas.

Li Yanqi has aged considerably in the past five years, but he is still very happy at the thought that he can return to Jinling after achieving success.

"I have finally lived up to His Majesty's expectations."

As for his boast from five years ago that he would conquer Japan within a year, he had long forgotten it.

Who knew the roads here would be so difficult to navigate?

Often, the mountain roads are completely impassable.

Moreover, the resistance of the Japanese was so fierce that no matter how much they were killed, some people still chose to resist.

A clanging sound came from afar as several craftsmen were inlaying a plaque with the words "Dongning" into the center of the city gate tower.

Liu Mao rode over on horseback. He was the second-in-command of the Eastern Expedition, the second-ranking general in the expedition.

From his expression, you could tell that he, like Li Yanqi, was desperately looking forward to going back.

However, it would be worthwhile and highly efficient to establish a foothold in Japan for Dajing within five years.

Although it was incredibly slow compared to the war in the Southern Wilderness, His Majesty seemed to understand and never criticized or urged them on.

Liu Mao told everyone he met that Japan was much harder to conquer than the Southern Wilderness.
Those Japanese would disappear into the mountains or hide on some unknown island in the sea, only to come out and harass you again after you've passed by, which was extremely annoying.

The nobles who led the rebellion were killed one by one, but new ones kept emerging.

The further east they fought, the more wild and untamed the land became, and the more savage and fearless the Japanese became.

When we finally arrived in Ezo, I thought it would be a fierce battle, but it turned out to be surprisingly easy to fight.

The Ainu people were still in the clan/tribal alliance stage, without a unified kingdom, city walls, or written government. Each tribe fought its own battles, and the largest gathering was only a few hundred people.

Their weapons were mainly bamboo and wooden bows and bone and stone spears; they had no heavy armor, no mounted archery, and no siege equipment.

The military conquest was swift, and the subsequent pacification efforts were left to those who had come from north of Huanglong Prefecture.

They'd love for you to disobey them.

After Liu Mao arrived, he asked loudly, "General, when shall we depart?"

He was referring to returning to Jinling to present the victory report to His Majesty, which they considered to be of paramount importance.

People are in high spirits when they have good news, and Li Yanqi laughed heartily, "I'm leaving tomorrow!"

"Good, good, good!" Liu Mao received the news that His Majesty was about to go on an inspection tour, and he hoped that he would have the opportunity to accompany the emperor when he returned this time.

The only thing that worried them was that they had spoken too confidently at the time.

His Majesty has long forgotten the grand ambition of pacifying Japan within a year; let it not become a stain on our reputation that makes us unable to accompany him. (End of Chapter)