You have truly caused me great suffering!

On the banks of the Honghe River along An'nan Road, it was the end of the dry season, the most comfortable time of the year for the locals, with clear and azure skies.

It is also the most popular season for people in the Central Plains, because the apricot blossoms and spring rains in Annam and the Central Plains feel similar at this time, but it is drier, without the dampness of plum rains, and cool in the morning and evening and slightly warm at noon.

This place is located upstream of Dongguan City and is no longer part of the plains.

Duke Wu Lin of Wei sat on horseback, looking across the river at the hills of varying sizes.

Visibility was high, but the field of vision was not very wide; the furthest point visible was a high mountain about four or five miles away.

Wu Lin dismounted his warhorse and walked to the riverbank. There he saw some dark, broken pieces of wood floating on the water with the waves.

On the opposite bank of the Red River, many Annamese people are using nets to catch something in the water.

This ship hijacking is not an isolated incident; in the past, the hijackers only took the cargo.

This time, the goods were extremely valuable, and the robbers had killed someone.

Human life is of paramount importance, especially the loss of more than thirty lives, which is absolutely intolerable.

Wu Lin was uneasy. In fact, he had prepared himself for punishment beforehand, since this had happened under his jurisdiction.

His Majesty trusts me so much, granting me such great power, and hasn't even set up any official positions to hinder me. I feel I've let His Majesty down by having this happen.

However, when the imperial decree arrived, instead of punishing him, it appointed him as commander-in-chief.

Wu Lin knew that he had to do this job well, otherwise he would have no face to return to the Central Plains.

He has relinquished all matters related to the westward expedition to India, handing them over to the South China Sea Naval Headquarters, which is under the jurisdiction of Zhekeqiu.

The core members of Wu Jiajun were also transferred from Champa.

Overall, Wu Lin did a good job in Annam, especially in terms of grain production, which consistently supported the Central Plains.

There were also various workshops, gunpowder facilities, and mines.
But the barbarians in the mountains don't care about any of that. They just grab whatever benefits they see, like beasts in the forest, without considering the long term, only caring about the present.

Wang Xi followed and said in a deep voice, "The Ruan family and the Li family haven't sent anyone yet, and they haven't sent any messages after this incident. Do these two scoundrels have some rebellious intentions?"

Wu Lin did not respond, but bent down and picked up a piece of wood, which should have come from the burned ship.

Whether these two families harbor rebellious intentions is no longer important; their failure to pledge loyalty means their loyalty is not absolute.

These powerful families in Annam are living too well.

Wang Xi continued, "The people around here are also a bunch of scoundrels. They don't report things to the authorities when they encounter problems. Instead, they wait for the robbers to run away so they can get a share of the spoils and pick up the leftovers."

Wang Xi glanced at the civil officials beside Wu Lin, and they exchanged a few glances.

At this moment, a military officer rode up on horseback, clasped his hands and said, "Your Excellency, we have captured several villagers. During interrogation, we learned that as early as a month ago, thieves had been hiding in nearby villages to scout and keep watch, but those villagers concealed this fact."

Immediately, someone said indignantly, "As soon as the Duke gives the order, we will lead our troops to wipe out all the counties and prefectures in the vicinity, as a warning to others!"

"Investigate this matter thoroughly. Anyone even remotely connected to it will be executed without hesitation!" Wu Lin said coldly.

The generals quickly clasped their hands and said, "Yes."

Those uncivilized tribes who refused to submit to the king's rule hid in the deep mountains, but the people in the villages near the Red River enjoyed many benefits under the rule of the Great Jing.

For example, the government distributed farming tools and improved seeds, and many villagers worked in government-run workshops.

They are living much more comfortably than before.

"They fear power but do not cherish virtue."

The words of the ancients were now taking on a concrete form in Wu Lin's mind.

He had transformed his pent-up anger and guilt toward the emperor into overwhelming murderous intent.

Suppressing his anger, Wu Lin continued to lead his cavalry to patrol along the Red River. He had originally focused his energy on how to develop this land.

Compared to other generals, the Wu brothers were indeed more capable of developing local areas.

Both Wu Jie and Wu Lin possessed excellent governance abilities.

Historically, they led the remnants of the Western Army up the Qinling Mountains, which provided a stronghold in Sichuan and Chongqing, allowing them to hold off the Jin army and achieve several major victories, forcing even a war fanatic like Zong Han to halt his offensive.

The Wu brothers played a significant role in enabling the Southern Song Dynasty to maintain control of half of the country.

The crew's ambush was just the trigger; the real reason is clear to everyone.

The reform of replacing native chieftains with centrally appointed officials, which has been planned since the founding of the nation, is the root of everything.

This is a struggle between the Great Jing Dynasty, representing the orthodoxy of the Central Plains, and the local chieftain families who have controlled the mountainous areas for thousands of years. Once it begins, it will be a fight to the death.

Otherwise, a mess will be left behind, and in the short term, it will be impossible to return to the previous superficial peace.

If successful, it would solve a huge problem for future generations.
-
March 20th, the eleventh year of Jianwu.

The emperor issued an edict that he would "visit" the capital three days later.
The Cabinet proclaims: The Emperor tours the empire, inspecting local customs, military camps, and inquiring about the people's suffering, and informs all government departments of this.

The Crown Prince was appointed to oversee the affairs of the Imperial Guard in the capital, but was not to accompany the Emperor on official duties, including the imperial seal, imperial edicts, and ancestral temple sacrifices.

Last time the crown prince was young, but this time he is already twelve years old, so there is no need for the empress to rule from behind the curtain.

The imperial procession consisted of 7,500 men, all of whom were Lingwu's personal guards, commanded by Mozang Pangge, with a clear distinction between the vanguard, the central army, and the rearguard.

Three days later, Chen Shao got up early to receive greetings from a group of concubines, princes, and princesses.

Apart from a few who were with him, everyone else was teary-eyed, which warmed his heart.

He patted the crown prince on the shoulder and said, "The regent should ponder this carefully, and not just know what it is without understanding why it is so."

Chen Wang nodded.

Chen Shao did not instruct him to take care of his mother, younger brother, or sister-in-law. Romantic feelings are acceptable, but they cannot be the main focus; these are not matters for the emperor to worry about.

Then they arrived at the Left Gate, where yellow banners were already in place in the middle of the imperial road outside the palace gate, and Chen Chong was holding a seven-jeweled whip in front of the carriage.

Chen Shao walked over, reached out and picked it up, then stood on the carriage, holding onto the crossbar at the front (this thing is called 'Shi', the 'Shi' in Su Shi's name).

The emperor stood in his carriage and looked outwards, demonstrating his tireless pursuit of imperial tours.

On the outskirts of Nanjing, crowds of people came to see him off.

By the end of Chenshi (7-9 AM), Chen Shao had arrived at the southern suburbs. He was already quite tired, leaning on the carriage, but he didn't go inside.

Chen Shao had always been quite compliant with these etiquette rules, especially after he became emperor.

Chancellor Liu Jizu led the officials in bowing twice outside the Nanxun Gate to bid farewell to the emperor, shouting: "May Your Majesty be well—we, your subjects, await your return to the capital!"

After the shouts, many officials burst into tears.

Chen Shao waved his hand, and finally he could get into the carriage. After he got in, he put down the Seven Treasures Whip, and two maids quickly came forward to massage his shoulders and arms.

Posing is tiring.
Chen Shao chuckled, sat inside the carriage, and began playing with the Seven Treasures Whip again.

This item is made of seven precious materials: gold, silver, glass, coral, agate, pearl, and crystal.

The Seven Treasures Whip has always been a symbol of the emperor.

In June of the second year of the Tai Ning era of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Emperor Ming of Jin, Sima Shao, went to Huzhou to investigate the military camp of the rebel minister Wang Dun. He was discovered by scouts and pursued by five horsemen.

In a critical moment, Sima Shao handed his Seven Treasures Whip to an old woman who was selling things by the roadside, asking her to give it to the pursuers.

When the pursuers arrived, they saw the precious whip and lingered, playing with it. They also touched the horse manure and found it was cold, so they mistakenly concluded that Emperor Ming was already far away and stopped the pursuit.

Chen Shao toyed with the Seven Treasures Whip, pondering whether he should try it out for some fun, but then he thought that none of the women around him seemed to be perverted, and he couldn't bear to whip anyone, so he had to give up the idea. This thing was destined to be just a ceremonial weapon.

After setting off from Jinling, Chen Shao looked at the environment on both sides of the road and found that it was full of people in the distance.

Chen Shao smiled. He wanted to enjoy the scenery, but he ended up becoming the scenery himself.

He wasn't angry at all; in fact, he enjoyed the feeling.

This inspection tour was different from the last one. This time, the domestic political situation was more stable. Chen Shao even specially converted the Lecture Hall into a cabinet before the tour, expanding it to ten people.

The crown prince is twelve years old now, no longer a child.

If this were during the Eastern Han Dynasty, the twelve-year-old emperor would have already started looking for ways to reclaim power.

After the age of ten, one undergoes a transformation from dragon to snake.

Therefore, Chen Shao had nothing to worry about and could freely tour this vast land.

There wasn't even an imperial edict like last time forbidding local governments from welcoming the emperor. However, local government offices dared not rush to welcome him, given that many officials had been investigated for the same offense last time.

During this tour, when encountering famous mountains and great rivers, people or individuals will be sent to offer sacrifices. When encountering temples or monasteries, people will also be sent to bestow additional honors.

If there were any small temples in the countryside that were particularly efficacious, or wild gods, mountain gods, or ancient figures that people spontaneously worshipped, Chen Shao could use his status as emperor to bestow titles upon them and give them a formal status.

The emperor, in his ecological niche in the Central Plains, was just that arrogant.

Starting from Nanjing, the first stop is naturally Zhenjiang.

At Guazhou Ferry, tens of thousands of soldiers who had gone on a distant expedition to Japan awaited his inspection and reward.

The Ministry of War had already prepared the specific rewards, and was just waiting for Chen Shao to arrive before announcing them.

These rewards and honors became acts of grace from the emperor, benefiting both parties.

The royal family rallied the army's morale, and the soldiers were doubly honored.

In the Central Plains, anything related to the 'Emperor' becomes exceptionally precious.

Even older palace maids who were dismissed from the palace were highly sought after after they left.

After walking along the official road in the southern suburbs for a while, it was time to board the ship. Chen Shao looked at the large and imposing procession, even though he had screened and deliberately brought fewer people.

In the end, no fewer than 20,000 people made it to the destination.

Once they arrive at the destination, more people will join them one after another.

The enormous Fujian-style ship was four stories high and could hold a large number of people.

It began to be built in the fifth year of Jianwu, specifically for Chen Shao's inspection tours, and this was the first time it was put to use.

Perhaps because there were too many people, Chen Shao did not see the two people from Baozhen Temple. When it was time to leave, he even felt a little dizzy.

Back in my cabin, it was almost no different from an ordinary palace, and even more luxurious in some aspects.

As his career grew, Chen Shao knew that as emperor, if he continued to live too frugally, his ministers would also follow suit.

Today is not the time to advocate for a life of hardship, but rather to inspire everyone's desire to forge ahead and continuously expand.

But to be honest, Chen Shao was only particular and picky about food, drink, clothing, and women; he didn't care much about anything else. (The last phrase, "ceremonial use," appears to be unrelated and likely refers to a different context.)
These items don't cost much.

Unlike Emperor Huizong of Song, who indulged in extravagant hobbies that cost money like water, often causing hundreds of thousands of people to lose their fortunes and their families to be destroyed.

Whether Chen Shao was frugal or extravagant, it was all for the sake of current politics, and his purpose was very clear.

Seeing that His Majesty looked tired, Li Wanshu, who had served him for more than ten years, beckoned and called out, "Shu'er, come here."

The maids of the Daejeong Palace had been monopolized by the Goryeo people for many years, which had long aroused dissatisfaction among the people.

After Haidong's submission, the Goryeo regime was no longer in power, and no one organized tribute payments anymore, thus breaking their monopoly.

Chen Shao used Goryeo maids not because he had a particular fondness for them, but because it would be a waste not to.

We can't just send it back, can we?

Moreover, since they stayed in Jinling and weren't on duty in the palace, they had nowhere to be placed.

Now that Goryeo has cut off supplies, everyone has an opportunity. Chen Shao now has some Han girls around him.

Shu'er was the daughter of the magistrate of Jiaxing County in Hangzhou. Because her name also contained the character "Shu," she was well-behaved and likable, and Li Wanshu liked her very much.

Since she arrived, Chen Shao has called Li Wanshu "Big Shu'er" and her "Little Shu'er".

"Sister, what is it?" Little Shu'er was charming and cute, especially her sweet and soft voice, which was pleasant to hear.

With so many young women entering the palace, Xiao Shu'er's voice was a major advantage in being chosen to serve the emperor.

Ever since being spoiled by Li Shishi, Chen Shao has developed a fondness for sweet, cloying voices, finding them pleasant to listen to every day.

“Your Majesty is sleepy. You will serve him at his bedside today,” Li Wanshu said, stroking her hair.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Shu'er clung to Li Wanshu's arm, acting coquettishly, and felt extremely grateful.

Li Wanshu patted her little bottom with a smile and said, "Go quickly, don't keep His Majesty from resting."

Little Shu'er quickly did as she was told, removing her stockings and sitting on the bed, rolling up the hem of her skirt. Her eyes were brimming with joy, her cheeks flushed and fragrant, unable to hide her happiness.

As Chen Shao walked over, she became even more excited and almost couldn't help but hum aloud.

Chen Shao smiled and touched her cheek before lying down. The girl's legs were straight, fair, soft, and delicate. Resting his head on them felt cool and smooth like jade, youthful and elastic.

Sure enough, Chen Shao fell asleep shortly after lying down.

When I woke up, I had already arrived in Guazhou.

The imperial ship set sail from the Guazhou ferry, crossed the Yangtze River diagonally, and arrived at the Jingkou wharf at noon.

Chen Shao lifted the curtain and saw that Suanshan, a branch of Beigu Mountain, lay across the north of the city, with yellow tassels already hanging on the city tower.

He chuckled inwardly. The local officials were quite quick-witted. Would this count as welcoming the emperor?
Upon reaching Guazhou Ferry, many of the entourage did not need to disembark, otherwise the city might not have been able to accommodate them all.

After all, this is no ordinary ceremonial procession; everyone has a status, and they can't just be crammed into a side room and squeezed together.

The officials who were there to welcome the emperor had been waiting at the dock for a long time.

Before the sun had set, officials from the capital region and Zhenjiang Prefecture were all waiting here.

There are also some local gentry and celebrities; anyone who can stand here must be someone of importance.

The clerks and inspectors, looking tense, led a hundred or so government offices to maintain order in the city. As for the suburbs and the docks, the emperor's personal guards had long since taken over.

As soon as the black and yellow dragon banner came into view, the crowd stirred. A moment later, the boarding ramp was lowered, and more than a hundred guards, led by two commanders, rushed off the ship, spreading out to the left and right in a wing-like formation.

The crowd escorted Chen Shao, who was under a yellow parasol, as he disembarked from the boat.

The officials bowed in greeting.

Chen Shao looked at them and recognized several familiar faces, after all, Zhenjiang was too close to Nanjing.

After everyone greeted His Majesty, they stepped forward to inquire about his itinerary, assuming that His Majesty would not be going to the military camp at this time.

However, the eunuchs of the Inner Palace said that His Majesty himself said he would go. (End of Chapter)