You have truly caused me great suffering!

When the family banquet ended, the palace became unusually lively.

Carriages and horses from various families, waiting to pick up their loved ones, crowded the official road outside the imperial city.

In the Great Jing Imperial City, overnight stays are not permitted, not even by the concubines' own mothers.

To this day, only Jin Zhu'er, the fourth son of the Jin family, has spent several nights in the imperial city because she was teaching the princesses.

Chen Shao made an exception and tried to persuade his aunt Chen Yuexian to stay for a few days, but she refused, saying she wasn't used to the place.

Chen Shao could only personally escort her out of the palace.

Chen Haohao hesitated to speak, but kept giving Chen Ting, who had changed her surname to Chen, a meaningful look. The latter smiled and said, "Grandmother, let Haohao come and stay with us for a few days. She misses you."

Although the question was directed at Chen Yuexian, Haohao had already gone to see Li Shishi.

The latter pursed his lips in annoyance.

Chen Shao immediately laughed and said, "It would be good for you to stay for a few days in place of the Emperor. You must listen to your great-aunt."

He lowered his head and chuckled quietly, then nodded seriously.

The other princesses were somewhat envious, but since the other princess had spoken first, they couldn't say anything more.

In a few days, I will also try to ask my father, since they all have maternal uncles in Jinling.

However, Emperor Chen Shao generally did not allow the princesses to leave the palace; they could only return with their mothers.

Only Chen Yuexian's place was a place he could freely visit, which made Chen Shao feel particularly at ease.

The crowd outside the palace lingered for a long time; there were simply too many people.

This trip back home will surely become a source of glory for these imperial relatives, and they will undoubtedly boast about it in Jinling in the future.

Especially the women.

Chen Shao and some of his concubines looked out from a high building in the imperial city, pointing at the carriage in the distance and guessing whose it was.

They played this seemingly boring game with great enthusiasm, including Chen Shao.

The emperor is a lonely and isolated person, but after being lonely and isolated, he is first and foremost a human being.

Everyone longs for family affection, unless they've been hurt by their loved ones. His clan was far too sparse; he was utterly alone, utterly isolated.
Now that we're such a big family, it really feels like we're relatives.

For the emperor, this was a rare opportunity to regulate his emotions.

A heartless man is not necessarily a true husband.
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, without consulting any ministers, Chen Shao issued two imperial edicts.

The first proposal was to change the Jiangzhengtang into the Cabinet, which was tentatively set at ten members, still led by the prime minister.

Those who entered the cabinet were all deputy prime ministers, and the candidates were still the same few.

The second letter was about establishing military academies throughout the country, and Chen Shao himself drafted the appointment of five supervisors for these academies.

These officials were mostly respected figures who had retired from their posts in the local area, and they had all supported the emperor's new policies when they were in the court.

These civil officials are generally quite open-minded, quick-witted, and have a thorough understanding of their studies.

Chen Shao trusted their loyalty, and even more so their abilities.

Whether the previous dynasty had hindered his attempt to usurp the Song throne was not even a consideration for Chen Shao.

They were all Song officials at the time; the fact that they didn't stop him from replacing the Song dynasty was a serious problem.

When an emperor is conquering a country, he wishes all his opposing ministers would surrender.

Once they have truly secured their rule, they tend to favor the loyal officials and distrust the traitors.

The most famous example is Emperor Qianlong. When Dorgon entered the pass, so many Han Chinese officials and military leaders surrendered and became collaborators with the Manchus.

At that time, Dorgon was quite adept at winning over these people.

However, by the time of Emperor Qianlong, the political situation had stabilized, and he began to dredge up old grievances.

He wrote a biography of these traitors, which was extremely insulting.

Chen Shao's vision was broader than theirs, judging solely by his performance during the reign of Emperor Chen Shao.

Zhang Suo was a confidant of Li Gang and was loyal to the Song Dynasty back then. However, he was later impressed by Chen Shao's achievements and worked diligently in the court for ten years.

If you were to say that he still harbors thoughts of restoring the Song Dynasty, Chen Shao would be the first to disbelieve it.

These two imperial edicts, one civil and one military, charted the course for the future of the Great Jing Dynasty.

At this time, in various parts of Dajing, many officials held the Dajing Gazette and began to study the mysteries of the list, summarizing why these people were able to enter the cabinet and why they were able to become the director of the military academy.

The reason why the emperor had to hide deep in the palace was that every little thing he did would attract the attention of countless people.

If the exposure is too high, over time, the emperor's weaknesses, likes and dislikes, and quirks will be thoroughly exposed.

The fear is that some newcomers might use this as a stepping stone to advance their careers and try to find crooked or unethical ways to do so.

Just like the selection of virtuous women from all over the world, Chen Shao did not specifically tell them what kind of women he liked.

King Huai of Chu favored slender waists, and many people in the kingdom starved to death.

Maintaining a degree of mystery surrounding the emperor and the royal family is actually quite necessary.

Now that the Great Jing is vast, with a strong army and prosperous people, Chen Shao is naturally fearless and has no taboos.

But his descendants may not all have this opportunity.

Chen Shao's two edicts also carried a deeper meaning: they confirmed the emperor's power of appointment from the very beginning of the Military Academy's establishment.

After all, the Great Jing Dynasty had only been established for ten years, and there were no precedents for many of its policies. What Chen Shao did would become the ancestral law in the future.

This point is actually very important. The strength of Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di in the early Ming Dynasty established that the emperor of the Ming Dynasty had the power to make decisions on everything. He could appoint whomever he wanted and what official position he wanted to hold with just a word.

Even at the end of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Chongzhen, Zhu Youjian, could change the chief minister at will according to his own preferences.

In the later stages of many dynasties, the emperor's power over personnel appointments was no longer complete; he could kill or dismiss officials, but he could not promote them solely by imperial edict; the central government offices could even reject the emperor's edicts.

The royal family firmly grasped military power, enhanced the executive power of the cabinet, and strengthened oversight and interview systems.

In this way, with the imperial power secure, the stability of this system can be well maintained.

Some founding emperors were highly capable and energetic. When they established systems, they were so eager to consolidate power that they wanted to hold all the power in their own hands, not allowing anyone to challenge them, and tacitly assuming that their descendants would be just like them.

However, he overlooked one thing: his descendants might not have his abilities and skills, such as Zhu Yunwen; even if they did have the ability, their minds might not be on governing the country, such as Zhu Houcong.

Chen Shao was different; he worked hard to establish a system that would allow the state apparatus to function properly even if the emperor was somewhat foolish and incompetent.

Thanks to the tremendous increase in productivity, his idea is gradually becoming a reality.

Seven days later, at the small court assembly, Chen Shao glanced at the proceedings and none of the ministers raised any objections.

He nodded to himself.

That's settled.

The Zhongshu Menxia Jiangzheng Hall was originally just a temporary institution established by Cai Jing to prepare for the campaign against Liao.

After the cabinet was established, the system was effectively solidified.

Compared to the prime ministers of the previous dynasty, this represented a strengthening of the administrative power of civil officials, so they naturally would not object.

Moreover, the cabinet has ten seats, and His Majesty has clearly stated that anyone who enters the cabinet will become a vice prime minister, a proper prime minister.

Instead of the past, where officials would elevate each other to positions like "this minister" or "that grand commander."

Even Pai Shih-chung made it into this cabinet. If we all work hard, we might still have a chance.

For them, this was actually an extraordinary act of grace from the emperor. Compared to the two imperial edicts, the ministers at the small court assembly preferred to discuss the imperial tour.

Everyone argued their case, repeatedly emphasizing the importance of their presence on the emperor's side, hoping that the emperor would take them along.

Chen Shao found it somewhat boring. In fact, no matter what these people said, he had already decided who he would bring along.

When the nation needs talented people, instead of thinking about staying in the capital to prepare for the two western expeditions by land and sea, you only think about accompanying the emperor. How can that be acceptable?

When it comes to hiring a driver, it's best to choose someone who can accompany you, identify problems, and has the ability to solve them.

For example, Yuwen Xuzhong, Cai Xing, and Zhang Run.

The eminent monks from Chengtian Temple also wanted to accompany me to the border to see how the religious situation was there.

Do we need guidance from Chengtian Temple?

Chengtian Temple's guidance on religious issues was truly a cure-all.

Because their first thought is not to solve the problem, but to solve the people who caused the problem.

If any religion engages in activities that are not in the best interests of the Great Jing, then kill all the leaders and replace them with a new group. If that still doesn't work, then wipe out the religion.

This is Chengtian Temple's method.

That's how Shintoism was destroyed.

As for Buddhist sects in various places, they were all tamed in this way.

In this era, many places are actually controlled by religion.

Their divine authority was even greater than that of the monarchy.

This is absolutely forbidden in the Grand View Garden; it is a serious violation of the law.

Chengtian Temple was a very important part of this trip. It is worth mentioning that although Chengtian Temple has "temple" in its name, it is definitely not just a simple Buddhist temple.

It contains monks, Taoist priests, lamas, shamans, and priests.
All religions existing within the Great Jing territory are represented in Chengtian Temple, and according to the laws of the Great Jing, each branch of Chengtian Temple is the supreme authority of its respective religion.

It possesses the right to interpret the highest doctrines of various religions.

If you don't listen to them, then you are a heretic.

Chengtian Temple only needed to submit a memorial and follow the procedures to mobilize Jing troops from various regions to eliminate heretics.

Although such incidents usually involve small-scale bloodshed, the series of actions by Chengtian Temple have indeed caused the most bloodshed and killed within the Central Plains in the ten years since the founding of the Great Jing Dynasty.

As a result, the Zhai family of Hexi rose to become one of the most prominent families in the Great Jing Dynasty.

Moreover, Chengtian Temple was also secretly responsible for intelligence gathering, since missionary work is the most suitable field for intelligence gathering.

Intelligence agencies are the emperor's eyes and ears. How could someone as cunning as Chen Shao trust just one pair of eyes?

Chengtian Temple, Guangyuan Hall, and Jinling Prefectural Government Office were the three major intelligence agencies under Chen Shao's command.

They were his three pairs of eyes and ears.
-
The tenth year of Jianwu, the twelfth month.

Chen Shao was furious in the Funing Palace because he had gone to great lengths to wipe out the entire Tatar royal court in the north.

Then winter camps were built to provide nomadic peoples with a place to live and to help them better survive the winter.

Indeed, many non-Han peoples felt a strong sense of identification with Dajing and voluntarily became border residents of Dajing, herding livestock for Dajing.

However, this year, news came from northern Mongolia that scattered tribes have reappeared near the North Sea, which is Lake Baikal.

While the border people who had submitted to the Great Jing returned to Winter Camp City, they seized their pastures.

This is tantamount to challenging Chen Shao's bottom line.

He immediately ordered troops from all over the north to wipe out these tribes that had appeared out of nowhere.

Chen Shao guessed that they might have come from further north.

Because the North is just too big.

Although Da Jing has reached an agreement with the tribes in the frigid far north, it cannot guarantee that every tribe has been notified.

They probably thought there was no one left here.

These small tribes lived a nomadic life, with virtually no sense of national or ethnic identity.

They simply felt that there was no one left here.

You might say they were innocent, maybe a little, but Chen Shao still didn't show any mercy.

Sending troops to drive them away was only the first step. He immediately ordered that the construction of beacon towers in the northern desert should begin the following spring when the flowers bloom.

They were responsible for overseeing the ranches and driving away these tribes.

During the Spring and Autumn Period, all the northern states built the Great Wall. After Qin Shi Huang unified the six states, he embarked on a massive construction project and built the Qin Great Wall.

In fact, the most important function of the Great Wall was not as a fortress or blockhouse, but as a means of transmitting messages.

"Beacon fires raging across the sky" and "smoke signals rising everywhere" are both among the fastest visual long-distance communication methods in ancient times.

The Great Wall itself is a comprehensive project for defense, communication, and border control.

Chen Shao's Great Jing currently lacks both the strength and the need to build the Great Wall in the northern desert.

However, building beacon towers was still very necessary.

If you let it go unchecked, new barbarian tribes will inevitably appear on the grasslands sooner or later. You must lie low and wait for the Central Plains to fall into a low ebb before they bare their fangs.

After issuing these two orders, Chen Shao sat on the dragon throne and calmed himself down.

He discovered that the emperor's mood was actually quite abstract; it wasn't that the emperor was capricious, but rather that he had too many things to manage.

In such a vast empire, perhaps something is done well here, pleasing the emperor; while elsewhere something is done badly, displeasing the emperor.

To outsiders, isn't that just being capricious and unpredictable?
Chen Shao felt that getting angry was not a good thing, so after calming down, he began to think about his own psychology.

He probably thought the northern border was secure, so the sudden situation disappointed him.

It's like someone repairing a house; they've just finished fixing one side, and now the other side is leaking air.

Repairing and patching things up will never achieve perfection, which inevitably leads to compromises.

However, when dealing with political affairs, what's needed is 'patience'; nothing can be solved once and for all.

The founding emperor always wanted to do everything well so that his descendants could safeguard the foundation of the dynasty.

It seems I've fallen into this vicious cycle too.

Chen Shao smiled and shook his head. To live a long life, one must be open-minded and not take these things too seriously.

When soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it. Whatever problem arises, we'll solve it.

What, could it possibly lead to the downfall of a nation?

Thinking about this, Chen Shao felt much better. He had this advantage: he could regulate his emotions in a timely manner.

Seeing Chen Chong bring in some memorials with both hands, Chen Shao immediately stood up.

"His Majesty?"

"I have already reviewed many memorials today, so I will take a break and not work today."

After saying this, Chen Shao strode out to find the concubines to listen to music, drink wine, and make merry. (End of Chapter)