You have truly caused me great suffering!

The two arrived at the outskirts of Luoyang and were just about to get out of the car.

At this moment, several officers in brocade uniforms rushed over from a distance.

Someone stepped forward, clasped their hands in greeting, and asked, "May I ask if you are Master Zhang?"

The servant nodded and said, "That's right."

Zhang Suo also got out of the carriage. Upon seeing the man's clothes, he knew that he was Yihui Xiaowei of the Privy Council.

"I am Zhang, what brings you here?"

The messenger said, "By order of His Majesty, military academies will be established in Yanjing, Luoyang, Liangzhou, Guangzhou, and Yizhou. We request that Minister Zhang be appointed to oversee the Luoyang Military Academy."

Zhang was somewhat surprised, but also delighted.

Being appointed to oversee the military academy was a post assignment, not an official position.

But it's quite obvious that he's similar to the dean of an academy.

The position of "in charge of the military academy" certainly meant managing the academy's daily operations, not giving lectures.

This kind of assignment definitely requires someone with management experience and a mature, prudent approach.

The leading captain smiled and said, "Lord Zhang, please alight from the carriage to receive the imperial decree."

Zhang quickly got off the carriage, and Fu Liang inside also came out to receive the imperial decree together.

At the same time, imperial decrees were received in Liangzhou in the northwest, Guangzhou in the southeast, Youzhou in the northeast, and Yizhou in the southwest to build military academies.

Outstanding soldiers were selected from newly recruited soldiers from various regions to study at the military academy.

Following the trend of craftsmen becoming skilled artisans, martial artists are also finding a new path to advancement.

Moreover, this road is exceptionally respectable.

Anyone with eyes can see that the main theme of the future is conquest and expansion, and suppressing martial artists would only make them a laughing stock.

After receiving the imperial decree, Fu Liang said with some envy, "I had heard about this before, but I didn't expect His Majesty to be so decisive and take action so quickly."

"His Majesty has always acted this way." Zhang Su chuckled and gripped the imperial edict tightly.

He considered it a very noble thing to train military generals for the country.

In the future, as he conquers the east and west, and fights in the south and north, expanding his territory, he will no longer be a mere spectator.

In the eyes of scholars today, Chen Shao and the Great Jing Dynasty were likely able to fulfill the ultimate dream of scholars—what does "the first month of the reign of King Wang" mean? It means unification!

From the pre-Qin period onwards, a "political worldview" was solidified layer by layer by Confucian classics, Yin-Yang and Five Elements theory, Gongyang School, and orthodox historiography. Scholars believed that the Central Plains dynasty must "unify the world," not just out of sentiment, but as an inevitable requirement of the Way of Heaven, the system of rites, and the order of civilization.

The so-called great unification does not mean the complete annihilation of the four barbarians, but rather that the emperor establishes the central authority, spreads his teachings throughout the world, and makes the written language and writing system the same for both the barbarians and the Chinese, only then can he be said to have received the mandate of heaven.

The glimmer of hope for this goal was enough to drive scholars, especially traditional intellectuals, into a frenzy.

They are absolutely willing to contribute to this goal and feel extremely honored.

Never before since the pre-Qin period has there been a moment when people felt so close to this goal.

Therefore, the establishment of military academies and the elevation of the status of military men—things that scholars would normally oppose at all costs—received fervent support from the literati in the Great Jing Dynasty.

They were more fervent than warriors.

Warriors are only interested in achieving merit and establishing a career, and securing titles and honors for their wives and children; their ambition is still to protect themselves and others.

Scholars plan for the long term, for the teachings of sages, and for the moral and ethical education they have received since childhood.

The world should be like this; the world should be "unified"!
A unified empire means that there are not two suns in the sky, two kings on the land, or two rulers among the people. The current division is a sign that "the way of Heaven is not in harmony," while unification is a sign that "the king has received his mandate."

The Han dynasty's task was not completed, the Tang dynasty's task was not completed, but if the Great Jing dynasty were to complete it today, how fortunate we would be!

In general, the goals of Chinese scholars were very ambitious, so much so that scholars throughout history could only regard them as a kind of spiritual pursuit.

In reality, however, people still strive for power and profit, cultivate themselves and manage their families, in order to govern the country and bring peace to the world.

Moreover, every dynasty has its flaws, and it is not easy to maintain it.

Seeing his old friend's excited expression, Fu Liang felt genuinely envious. After a moment's thought, he said, "I think I'll postpone my return to my hometown for now."

His Majesty's decree, which allowed him to select suitable individuals to serve in the Military Academy, already granted Zhang Suo considerable power.

He laughed and said, "You're not leaving!"

On the Central Plains, this martial spirit has yet to reach its climax.

If the wind begins with a ripple on the water, then this is just the beginning of the wind.

The future Jingjun will carry the hopes of the scholars and the support of the entire nation to unify the world, establish proper rites and music, and bring about harmony between the Chinese and the barbarians.
-
Mid-Autumn Festival, the tenth year of Jianwu.

Because he was about to embark on an imperial tour, Chen Shao placed great importance on family ties, and this Mid-Autumn Festival he invited all the families of his concubines to a family banquet.

The fathers and brothers of all the concubines attended a banquet in the Zichen Palace, presided over by Chen Shao.

The family banquet for the female relatives is being held in the Imperial Garden. Tonight's banquet is an evening affair, and the invited guests usually arrive in the afternoon. The guests can stroll around the Imperial Garden, get to know each other, and then proceed to the banquet.

Inside the Zichen Palace, there were many officials such as the emperor's father-in-law and brother-in-law. The one from the empress's family was Zhong Shizhong. Although Liu Jizu was the head of all officials, his daughter was not the empress, so his seat was below hers.

Jin Ling is not here today; otherwise, although his daughter is not the empress, given his status, she would be sitting to Chen Shao's left.

Zhai Fengda and Zhang Run sat together, the uncle and nephew chatting happily.

Before Chen Shaoxi conquered Hexi, their two families had a marriage alliance and had always had a good relationship.

The person from the Zhe family who came was Zhe Keshi, who also held a very high position. He was the first person to be granted the title of Duke for his military achievements after the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Because they were both from the Western Army, he and Zhong Shizhong sat together and chatted very congenially.

The relationship between the two families has withstood the test of blood and fire, lasting for a century.

Apart from Li Shishi and the Chuntao sisters, all the other concubines had family members who came to visit.

The nine newly selected concubines were mostly from official families, and their fathers and brothers were mostly gathered around Lü Yihao.

In the previous dynasty, they were all high-ranking officials and scholars of the Song Dynasty. Although their status has declined, they still have their own integrity and will not fawn over the new elites.

Chen Shao looked at the various small groups, their undisguised closeness and distance, and couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing.

Even ten thousand years from now, there will still be factional strife and factions in the world; this will never change.

People are naturally different in terms of kinship; how can they possibly be as close as one family?

He had originally invited Chen Guanglie to come today, but Chen Guanglie didn't come because he had broken his leg while hunting and had difficulty walking.

If he comes, he'll most likely end up with Zhong and Zhe.

The Western Army, as a group, has existed for a century and has the strongest sense of factionalism.

Chen Shao frequently hosted banquets, especially in the imperial city when he did not visit the imperial palace.

But this was the first time we had a family dinner.

The guests were all high-ranking officials and important ministers of the court, so although it was called a family banquet, it was no different from a banquet held on ordinary days.

Everyone spoke and did the same things as when they were feasting.

On the contrary, the imperial harem felt more like a family banquet.

The banquet was hosted by Empress Zhong Lingxi. As usual, the emperor would sit for a while, eat something, drink a few cups of wine, and then leave. Most of the attendees at the palace banquets were women, and the emperor would get bored if he stayed there too long. No matter what the occasion or how high-class it was, the more women there were, the more trouble there would be.

This has always been the case.

Chen Shao was enjoying himself at the Zichen Palace, even though it was a family banquet.

The conversation revolved around national affairs, especially among the relatives of the emperor, most of whom were military officers.

This aligns perfectly with Chen Shao's recent actions.

As evening approached, Chen Shao arrived at the Imperial Garden.

The relatives who had been wandering around returned to an open hall. In the open space outside the house, there were several tables and chairs, with mooncakes, tea, wine, fruits and other items on the tables.

There were palace maids and eunuchs everywhere, always ready to serve the noble ladies.

These palace maids from Goryeo made Chen Shao realize one thing: promoting Chinese in Goryeo was not that difficult at all.

In particular, the two Xijing Rebellions led to hundreds of thousands of Goryeo people fleeing to Liaodong, where they lived with the Han people for seven or eight years.

Everyone will talk about it when we get back.

Now that we are one country, with more exchanges and interactions between us, it has rapidly become widespread.

If you don't speak Mandarin, you won't earn money, and you'll live worse than others.

It doesn't take two or three generations; everyone will know how to do it in just a few years.

The palace maids who came here had accents when they first arrived, but now they can all speak Mandarin.

Chen Shao entered the open hall, and everyone rose to their feet, bowed, and said auspicious words.

Zhong Lingxi also bowed to him. They were usually very close, but today they had to follow the proper etiquette.

“We’re all family, no need for formalities.” Chen Shao stood for a moment, then said with a friendly smile, “Please take your seats, everyone, and prepare the dishes. There’s no need to stand on ceremony among family. It’s a rare opportunity for us to be together, so please eat and drink well.”

After saying this, he led the Empress and Zhong Lingxi inside, where they took their seats at the head table; the others were seated at two separate tables.

The mothers of the concubines and their daughters sat together around a table on the right.

Zhong Lingxi's mother passed away long ago, but her stepmother is still alive.
This matter was not a secret in the palace, but no one dared to mention it, and the Zhe family continued with everything as usual.

They should treat Lady Zhe as a concubine whom the emperor married, and themselves as relatives of the emperor.

There were also some young princes present, and the princesses were the most complete group of attendees.

Fourteen-year-old Chen Xing'er was graceful and elegant. She even stood up and bowed when Chen Shao entered.

This was Chen Shao's first child, his first bloodline, and he was overjoyed at the time.

At least it proves that you are capable of having children.

If Chen Shao cannot have children, it is no exaggeration to say that the entire situation of the Great Jing Dynasty and the entire world will be changed as a result.

Chen Shao reached out to pat her head, just like when she was a child, but quickly withdrew his hand.

Chen Xing'er seemed to have noticed, and looked at her father with a grin.

Chen Shao chuckled and pushed the Grand Princess and Chen Yuexian to the head seats. Originally, Li Shishi and Zhong Lingxi were on either side of her, but now Li Shishi and Zhong Lingxi were on either side of her, while Chen Shao and Chen Yuexian sat in the middle.

Sitting on Chen Yuexian's lap was a princess, none other than Chen Haohao, who frequently visited her residence.

She was speaking quietly to Chen Guanglie's daughter; the two were very close and had grown up together.

Looking at the lively family, Chen Yuexian was overjoyed. Her biggest worry in the past was that her Chen family was not large enough.

Fortunately, Shao Ge'er is a capable man and also quite prolific in having children. With the recent birth of the little prince, he now has seven sons.

Liu Jingshu was personally chosen by Chen Yuexian, and sure enough, she gave birth to the seventh prince, Chen Qi, within a year of entering the palace. He is not even a month old yet.

The mothers of the imperial concubines on the right could be considered the emperor's elders by kinship; however, since they were not from the Chen family, they were still treated with the respect due to a subject to a ruler.

In the ritual system of the Central Plains, Chen Shao's status was undoubtedly the highest.

Unless his parents are still alive, Emperor Chen Shao would have to pay respects to the Empress Dowager and the retired emperor.

Legally, the emperor is supreme, but morally, the relationship between mother and son is greater than that between ruler and subject.

In the ritual system of the Central Plains, morality often takes precedence over law.

After all, if an emperor lacks virtue, he can theoretically be overthrown.

When Chen Shao held the banquet, it was noon, and everyone ate and drank together until almost the afternoon.

The inner palace only begins in the afternoon.

Chen Shao, who was originally going to stay for a short while and then leave, was persuaded to stay by his aunt and decided not to go.

The palace maids filed in, placing all sorts of delicacies on the table.

The cuisine of Dajing has experienced unprecedented development, largely due to the widespread use of iron woks.

Advances in coal and iron smelting technology, along with the introduction of various spices and seasonings from overseas, have led to a rapid improvement in cooking skills.

Of course, Emperor Chen Shao also personally popularized the recipes, having the Da Jing Bao (Great Jing Daily) publish a recipe booklet every month.

Chen Shao was not particular about other things, but he cared a lot about food and clothing.

He now only wears underwear sewn by Li Shishi, and prefers to wear silk.

They also strive for excellence in their food, frequently changing their palates.

It's honestly a little scary if an emperor has no hobbies.

He might be using his energy and focus on other, more critical matters.

The newly hired musicians from the palace also entered, bowing low, and prepared their instruments in a corner. It seemed that there would be a song and dance performance at the banquet.

Seeing that it was almost time, Chen Shao picked up his wine glass. Everyone looked up at the person in front of them, and some people began to raise their glasses as well.

Chen Shao began, “I am overjoyed to see all the royal family members gathered here. I only wish that my family, friends, and all the people of the world can be reunited and happy. As the emperor, I will do my best to achieve this. I wish you all peace and happiness.”

People said that the emperor was in good health and that the country was blessed with favorable weather and abundant harvests.

When Lingniang saw Chen Shao, she insisted on going up to him and asking him to hold her. Chen Shao glanced at Lingniang, who was seven years old and already considered a little girl.

She is incredibly cute, with a delicate and charming voice.

Of all the princesses in the palace, Xing'er and Lingniang were the closest to him. Chen Shao always felt that Li Yumei had taught them well and praised her many times.

Everyone else, including Hao Hao, was somewhat reserved. Li Shishi reserved almost all her patience and tenderness for Chen Shao, and wasn't particularly affectionate towards her own sister and daughter.

The two children born to Maode outside the palace, being free from the palace's rules, became closer to Chen Shao.

Just then, the musicians' lighthearted tune began to play. A group of women dressed like Chang'e, the Moon Goddess, walked into the open hall with small steps, waving their long white sleeves and dancing gracefully in the hall.

Everyone enjoyed the singing and dancing while chatting and laughing, creating a harmonious and joyful atmosphere.

The weather is fine tonight; a full moon is clearly visible in the night sky outside the palace. The pavilions are adorned with palace lanterns, resembling countless bright stars.

Chen Shao ate a few bites and prepared to leave. The Empress would then preside over the rest of the meal, which made the guests feel less reserved. (End of Chapter)