You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chapter 16 Everything Seems Like a Dream

Bianjing (Kaifeng)

Duting Post Station.

As a guesthouse specifically for receiving important officials, it was built in a very luxurious manner.

The second floor is divided into several elegant pavilions, each decorated in a magnificent and luxurious style, with doors, windows, tables, chairs, desks, and screens all modeled after the Tang Dynasty style.

Several scrolls of gold and green landscape paintings hang on the wall. There is a small terrace facing the hall outside the pavilion. The terrace is covered with greenery on both sides and bonsai trees. The scenery on both sides is not visible, which makes it convenient for guests inside the pavilion to have private conversations.

Given Chen Shao's status, he definitely wouldn't have been able to move in.

However, because they were to have an audience with the emperor, who personally summoned them, and because the area was under the jurisdiction of Tong Guan, they were able to take advantage of this and move in.

The room was filled with steam. Chen Shaoshu sat comfortably in a round cypress bathtub. His clothes were hung on a screen. Beside the tub was a long, narrow canopy bed and several exquisite small tables and stools, all made of high-quality rosewood.

He placed a warm towel on his forehead, straddled the edge of the bathtub, relaxed his whole body, and felt the hot water soaking into his chest, sweeping away the fatigue of the past few days.

In a daze, Chen Shao had a dream in which he met Li Qingzhao and even made a bet with her.

Then the scene shifts, and I find myself in class, holding a Chinese textbook, having accidentally fallen asleep.

With a bang, the door was pushed open, and Chen Shao was jolted awake.

He was somewhat bewildered, unable to distinguish whether he was dreaming or in reality.

Until he noticed the antique-style surroundings.

No, it's all true.
Chen Shao sighed inwardly. His experience, which resembled Zhuangzi's dream of a butterfly, reminded him of his past life.

"Boss, would you like some more water?"

Dong Dahu was holding a wooden basin filled with hot water.

Chen Shao shook his head and asked, "How long have I been asleep?"

"Boss, are you asleep?" Dong Dahu asked, completely bewildered.

He must have accidentally dozed off for a moment.

It's normal to be a little tired after riding a horse for a long time.

Sometimes, when people are exhausted to a certain extent, they may experience a moment of deep sleep, or even go into shock.

Doing this will quickly restore your energy.

Chen Shao suspected that he had entered this state.

He dried himself off, got dressed, and stepped into the next room.

He raised his hand and knocked on the door. Li Liangsi's voice came from inside, "Come in."

When Chen Shao came in, he found Li Liangsi reading a book.

The Duting Post Station had a rich collection of books, which greatly interested Li Liangsi. He borrowed many books as soon as he arrived.

Chen Shao craned his neck to take a look, and it turned out that what he was reading was "Dream Pool Essays".

Through their time together, Chen Shao also discovered that although Li Liangsi was a Liao person, he had grown up in the Liao Kingdom since childhood.

But deep down, he was more like a Han Chinese than he was; he admired the culture of the Central Plains and had a deep sense of national identity.

It's no wonder that someone in such a high position could so decisively abandon everything and defect to the Song Dynasty.

Moreover, he was definitely not after promotion or wealth.

After the fall of the Liao Dynasty, and after Tong Guan bought back the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun from the Jurchens, Emperor Huizong of Song (Zhao Ji) wanted to reward him.

Li Liangsi submitted three memorials resigning from his official post, stating that in his youth he had sworn brotherhood with Liu Fan and Li Shi, heroes of Yan, and his cousin Ma Rouji. They planned to conquer Youzhou and Jizhou, then return to the capital. At the Beiji Temple, they would pour wine, offer sacrifices to Heaven, and swear an oath that upon achieving their goal, they would live as ordinary citizens to express their true intentions. His initial motivation was not fame or fortune.

He said that he had relied on His Majesty's divine power to succeed in this matter, and that he could not break his vow.
We hope the court will allow him to resign, buy land, and return to farming, so that discerning people will say of him: 'This man, the mastermind behind the pacification of Yan, should be granted a peaceful retirement; such a blessing is truly a blessing for the world!'

It is evident that this person was indeed well-versed in history and quite fascinated by the feeling of retiring after achieving success, as envisioned by Prime Minister Zhuge Liang.

Unfortunately, he chose the wrong person. Zhao Ji was not an emperor with whom he could plan important matters.

Tong Guan was a complete waste of time and energy.

In the end, they actually pinned all the blame on Li Liangsi, sent men to behead him, and exiled his entire family.

However, we can't blame him for misjudging people.

Because Chen Shao had gained supernatural insight and was able to see things from God's perspective, he was able to clearly recognize that Zhao Ji was a scoundrel.

Li Liangsi, however, could not know.

Moreover, he had no choice.

All I can say is that it’s fate.

Chen Shao held absolutely no hope for Zhao Ji; he knew the man's true nature all too well.

Therefore, his goal has always been clear: to become a military leader in the Northwest, to protect himself in the ensuing chaos, and, if he still has the ability, to protect the entire Chinese nation.

After the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty, Zhao Gou and others fled in panic to the south of the Yangtze River, where they settled in a remote corner of the country.

However, in the northern lands, the flames of resistance have never been extinguished.

Countless heroes followed one after another, but unfortunately the Song court was weak, and Zhao Gou had no intention of launching a northern expedition for his own benefit.

This is truly heartbreaking.

"Brother Chen, have you thought of what you'd say to the Emperor this time?"

Chen Shao smiled, pulled up a chair and sat down. "I'm a rough man, and it's already difficult enough for me to keep myself from being disrespectful in front of the emperor. For matters like meeting the emperor, I still have to rely on you, brother."

Li Liangsi didn't think he was being modest; in fact, he thought Chen Shao was right.

He was terrified that Chen Shao might say something inappropriate in front of the emperor.

The main reason was that Chen Shao had left a deep shadow on him along the way, and he was even afraid that Chen Shao had lost his mind and would solicit bribes from the people around the emperor.

Fortunately, he became more composed after entering the capital region. You know, back in the Northwest, he was incredibly arrogant and domineering, using the name of Commander Tong Xuan.

Chen Shao chatted with him for a few more minutes, but feeling a bit bored, he suggested taking the man for a stroll around Tokyo.

Li Liangsi repeatedly instructed him not to cause trouble.

Chen Shao readily agreed and led his personal guards out to wander the streets of Bianliang.

It must be said that Bianliang is undoubtedly the most prosperous city in the world today.

They are leading the second place by a precipitous margin.

Li Liangsi stayed indoors day after day, always confined to his room, sitting at his desk deep in thought.

When Chen Shao returned, he went in to bring him food. He saw that Chen Shao had spread out a table full of paper, written a few words, examined them for a moment, crumpled them up, and wrote again, making the room a mess.

These were all expected responses to the emperor; he carefully considered every word.

Chen Shao shook his head with a smile. This fellow didn't understand Zhao Ji at all. That man was just a spoiled emperor who didn't care about such things.

As long as you get along with his temperament, make him feel interesting, amused, or flatter him, this emperor will have no taboos.

The emperor's most favored men never followed any rules; they dared to say and do anything.

Before Cai You went on a campaign, he went to say goodbye to Zhao Ji, who was surrounded by two beautiful women.

Cai You said directly, "After the mission is accomplished, Your Majesty, please bestow these two rewards upon me!"

Emperor Huizong simply smiled and agreed, showing no anger whatsoever.

The significance of the phrase "Prince Duan is frivolous" increased every day after he ascended the throne.

(End of this chapter)