You have truly caused me great suffering!

The first day of the Lunar New Year.

Jinling, southern suburbs.

Heaven gave birth to the people, and established a ruler to govern them; the ruler received the mandate of Heaven, and at the suburbs he announced the receipt of his mandate.
Although I am unworthy, I humbly dedicate myself to fulfilling my duties day and night, striving for peace and tranquility, in order to repay Heaven's silent and benevolent protection!

Chen Shao read the entire prayer in a long and eloquent manner, then threw in the kindling, watching the flames rise and the wind carry the smoke and ash upwards.

At this moment, even Chen Shao himself truly felt that the blessing had reached the heavens.

Standing on the altar, between heaven and earth, in the darkness, it seemed as if a mysterious power was surging within my body.

At this moment, Chen Shao felt that he was the true ruler of the four seas and eight wastelands.

No wonder so many outstanding people couldn't resist the temptation of the throne.

His ambition reached its peak at this moment.

Before the smoke from the burning firewood had even dissipated, the officials in charge of ceremonies led the procession to welcome the emperor back to the palace from the Circular Mound Altar.

Chen Shao returned alone; the rest of the harem remained at the Hot Spring Palace.

After returning to the capital, he rested for a while. Li Wanshu and others helped him take off the Tongtian crown and crimson robe he used for sacrificial rites, and change into his regular court attire before heading to the Zichen Palace.

Crown Prince Chen Wang stood at the front, leading a group of young princes to bow first. Chen Shao smiled and told them to stand up.

Chen Guanglie, the only adult in the royal family, looked quite comical standing among a group of children.

Chen Shao suppressed a laugh, his eyes looking strange. The princes had a very good relationship with Chen Guanglie, and they were all whispering to him.

Chen Guanglie kept his eyes straight ahead and quietly reminded the children to be quiet.

Holding a whisk, Chen Chong gave a greeting, and the civil and military officials in the hall bowed twice to Chen Shao.

Prime Minister Liu Jizu knelt and presented the "Memorial of Congratulations on the New Year's Day." After it was read aloud, an eunuch took the memorial and sealed it in the inner treasury.

In previous years, this would have been the time for envoys from foreign vassal states to come and offer congratulations in turn, but this step was omitted this year.
There was nothing we could do; with no foreign envoys left, there were no more messengers.

Then came the part the ministers loved most: the interpreter began to read the emperor's edict and bestow rewards upon the officials.

This year, he was bestowed with "a set of formal robes and silver and silk of varying quality".

Every year, Chen Shaoci would give gold, silver, and silk—hard currencies—and this year was no exception.

Depending on their rank, the value they receive varies, but it's all a considerable income.

The amount was so large that even a prime minister's family wouldn't consider it insignificant.

As usual, everyone expressed their gratitude.

Chen Shao waved his hand with a smile. This grand court assembly at the Zichen Palace every year was even more relaxed and comfortable than the smaller ones: "At the beginning of the new year, I encourage you all. Each of you should fulfill your duties and not slack off."

Looking at the assembled ministers, Chen Shao was filled with mixed emotions. Every year at this time, he was always overwhelmed with feelings.

This year, some familiar faces left, but many young people also appeared.

The official structure of Dajing has begun to be updated.

Originally, retired officials such as Li Tangchen had also agreed to come and offer New Year's greetings and celebrate with the emperor.

However, due to the cold weather and slippery roads this year, Chen Shao specially issued an edict allowing the veteran officials in the north to stay in their hometowns for the New Year.

We can gather in Beijing again next spring when the flowers bloom.

In the years following his ascension to the throne, Chen Shao followed etiquette in everything he did, and dared not make any changes, for fear of revealing his weakness.

Just like a new employee, following the procedures exactly.

The emperor has now been on the throne for eight years. The average reign of all emperors in ancient China was only eleven years.

An emperor's eight-year career is not short.

This gave him the confidence to handle many things with ease, and he began to establish rules instead of blindly following them.

After all the imperial relatives, civil and military officials, and sons of meritorious nobles had paid their New Year's greetings, the grand court assembly was basically over.

Chen Shao issued an imperial edict to host a grand banquet at the Daqing Hall for the New Year's Eve (lunch).

The emperor's palanquin moved to the Daqing Hall for the grand New Year's banquet, which the Inner Palace had prepared long ago.

As dusk fell, the ministers gradually dispersed, and Chen Shao returned to his palace. Since the harem was all in Tangshan, Chen Shao stayed up with them until the New Year before returning to the capital to offer sacrifices to Heaven.

Therefore, the palace was rather deserted.

Chen Shao let his personal maids gather together for a meal, and then these maids all knelt down to offer their New Year's greetings.

Chen Shao, slightly tipsy from drinking, smiled and bestowed the gifts.

"Let's be more intimate today and not refuse any formalities."

No matter the situation, truly wise leaders will always treat those around them well.

Was Emperor Jiajing powerful?

He ascended the throne at the age of 15 and began to fight against the entire civil service system. At the age of 18, he used the Zuoshun Gate to beat 17 people to death with a cane to suppress all the court officials. He posthumously honored his biological father as the Emperor, resulting in a crushing defeat for the civil service group and the consolidation of power by the emperor.

This can be described as the most thorough crushing of the civil service by the Ming Dynasty imperial power.

The results of it?
Several palace maids almost killed him.

Chen Shao did a good job in this regard; otherwise, you shouldn't have kept her by your side at all.

If you keep them, you have to make sure they're one of your own.

Back in Hedong, before he rose to prominence, he already knew to have his cousin find some tough, dark-skinned girls to serve him.

They'd rather find someone ugly than give anyone a chance to take advantage of them.

The maids around Chen Shao had been with him for over ten years and were practically like family.

Even during the Tang Dynasty, at its peak, poems describing palace women were filled with tragic and sorrowful themes.

However, by the time of the Song Dynasty, the country's strength had greatly declined, and palace lament poems had almost disappeared.

Because the palace maids of the Song Dynasty did indeed live quite well; they could leave whenever they wanted, and even take leave.

Many women in the palace were actually employed by employers.

In the early Tang Dynasty, palace maids were indeed slaves. According to the "Tang Code Commentary", "All slaves and servants are considered lowly people and are treated like livestock."

They could be given death, forced to be buried alive, stripped of their official positions and made slaves, or their titles transferred to meritorious officials.

During the reigns of Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu, a large number of palace women were involved in political purges, especially Wu Meiniang, a vicious woman who was ruthless in her actions.
After the An Lushan Rebellion, eunuchs held power in the mid-Tang Dynasty, and palace maids were often disposed of privately by them.

The final period was a disaster, but since everyone was suffering at that time, it didn't seem like much.

The white-haired palace maids sit idly, gossiping about Emperor Xuanzong.

Once these palace maids entered the Tang Dynasty's imperial palace, they would most likely never leave for the rest of their lives.

The situation was quite different in the Song Dynasty. Most of the palace maids were recruited through paid recruitment or were daughters of disgraced officials who were "assigned to the inner palace" but were paid to support their families.

When they entered the palace, the conditions for leaving were agreed upon, and the palace maids could apply for it themselves.

Moreover, this was not just a formality; as long as there were no special circumstances, most palace maids could leave the palace by applying.

During the reigns of Emperor Zhenzong and Emperor Renzong, there were numerous instances of "releasing palace women" (releasing palace maids to leave the palace to marry or return home).

On occasions of auspicious omens, ascension to the throne, suburban sacrifices, the establishment of an heir apparent, the appointment of an empress, or the birth of a prince, it was customary to "release palace women".

When they left, they gave them money and gifts, and even thoughtfully helped them write documents, "providing them with all the necessary expenses and allowing them to marry as they wish."

When they arrived in the Great Jing Dynasty, since Chen Shao was the emperor for the first time, many things were still done according to the rules of the Great Song Dynasty. Moreover, he only cared about the palace maids around him. The palace maids of the empress and concubines were either sent by their own families or selected by Guangyuan Hall from families with good reputations and clear backgrounds.

Later, the venue was basically occupied by Goryeo maids.

Since Goryeo became part of the Korean Empire, these Goryeo girls were allowed to apply to leave the palace when they reached a certain age.

Chen Shao's reward was also substantial.

Regardless of the dynasty, the women and eunuchs in the imperial harem were all extremely greedy for money.

But the ones around him weren't.

People like Li Wanshu were not only daughters of wealthy and powerful families, but also legitimate daughters.

Children born out of wedlock dared not be sent to the palace.

Although their job was to serve people by serving tea and water and making beds, they were serving the emperor.

At home, she was a pampered young lady who never had to lift a finger.

Therefore, Chen Shao gave them all valuable ornaments.

His personal treasury is now overflowing with wealth; he could spend it all in a variety of ways every day.

Of course, this was also due to his spending skills; if it were Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji), he probably wouldn't have enough money to spend.
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The next morning, Chen Shao went to Baozhen Temple and stayed there for the whole day.

He often comes here most easily, because he has other things to do elsewhere, and he comes here simply to enjoy himself.

Xiao Ting would come down the mountain to offer New Year's greetings every year, but this year she only sent a maid to send her regards.

Chen Shao didn't mind. She had already entered the first stage of cultivation, and he now respected her to some extent.

It's already quite nice that they even thought to send someone to inquire.
Yang Yizhong is one of the few people who can directly contact the emperor, so when Chen Shao heard that Yang Yizhong was outside requesting an audience, he looked up from Maode's arms with some surprise.

When they arrived at the outer courtyard, Chen Shao saw that Yang Yizhong was dressed casually, so he assumed it wasn't anything serious.

Sure enough, after bowing twice with his hands clasped, he whispered, "Your Majesty, Duke Hunde has written a letter to Duke Ping'anle."

"Oh?" Chen Shao adjusted the lid of his teacup and chuckled, "You're not asking for money, are you?"

Yang Yizhong was taken aback upon hearing this, and thought to himself, "Could His Majesty have other secret agents?"

"Exactly."

He quickly composed himself, nodded, and said, "Lord Hunde asked for 800,000 coins, but Lord Ping'an refused."

Zhao Huan was quite a remarkable person; he was cowardly, fearful, and even cried, but he was never poor.

Especially on the eve of his abdication, he actually took out money from the imperial treasury and donated it to the court for river repairs.

Chen Shao ensured that he could enjoy the benefits of the Tongji Canal for the rest of his life. Just this guarantee alone would be enough for his descendants to live the life of wealthy men, as long as they didn't squander the family fortune too much.

Wang Yin had told himself earlier that many officials of the Song Dynasty, after falling on hard times, would go to him to beg for some money.

Zhao Huan was always happy to help others.

He wasn't worried that Chen Shao would be wary, because they had a good understanding with each other.

Chen Shao knew he had no ambition, and he knew Chen Shao was not a cold-blooded and ruthless person.

This can be considered a form of mutual trust.

However, it was already a major taboo for the retired emperor of the previous dynasty to contact the emperor of the previous dynasty.

Chen Shao still didn't seem to care much, saying, "Leaving him here won't cause any other problems."

Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) is quite active these days, perhaps his spending addiction has returned. Fortunately, he's sensible enough not to approach Maode, but instead goes to bully his son, whom he's bullied for decades.

If you were to ask who Zhao Huan was the most ruthless, Wanyan Zongwang, his third brother Zhao Kai, and his father Zhao Ji would likely be considered equally ruthless, taking the top three spots.

He would give money to a beggar on the street, but he wouldn't give Emperor Huizong a single coin.

After hesitating for a moment, Yang Yizhong finally revealed his thoughts, intending to expose the matter.

Then, using this incident, they could expose a group of people who still yearn for the Song Dynasty.

Chen Shao put down his teacup and shook his head slightly, saying, "There's no need to do that."

He is upright in his conduct and conduct; he just offered sacrifices to Heaven a few days ago.

With such achievements, he no longer harbored any wariness towards the Song Dynasty.

Chen Shao looked at Yang Yizhong, then turned his gaze away.

He thought to himself, Yang Yizhong is different from Wang Yin, I need to be careful.

Wang Yin was absolutely loyal to himself, and he would do whatever Chen Shao arranged for him.

Although they also monitored all officials, they would never have thought of taking the initiative to use Zhao Ji as bait to then frame him.

However, Yang Yizhong had this idea.

This person's desires are stronger than Wang Yin's; he cannot be allowed to truly control the entire Guangyuantang, not even with the same level of power as Wang Yin.

Taking Guangyuantang from Wang Yin only required a word from Chen Shao. Although he was reluctant, he immediately began to sever ties and withdraw, actively eliminating his own influence little by little.

Yang Yizhong obviously wouldn't do it, but he is indeed a talented person and very suitable for this position.

There are no perfect subordinates in the world. Chen Shao has never pursued perfection in his personnel management, so he will continue to employ Yang Yizhong.

However, it is necessary to support a few more people within the Guangyuan Hall to share power.

Yang Yizhong was unaware of the emperor's thoughts at that moment. If he had known, he would probably have regretted coming to see the emperor today.

But in the long run, it might not actually be a bad thing for him.

The real danger lies in allowing him to seize power and being unable to let go.

The day Chen Shao becomes wary of him will be the day he's finished, just like the eunuchs and commanders of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the Ming Dynasty.

Civil officials can never defeat them; they will only lose if the emperor decides to kill them.

Chen Shao's current apprehension has resulted in a division of power within Guangyuan Hall, which may allow Yang Yizhong to land safely and escape unscathed.

In fact, many cunning emperors, when faced with such situations, would deliberately support such ministers.

Then, if something happens in the future, they can take advantage of the hatred he stirred up when he was seizing power and push him out to take the blame.

"Not planning to go back to your hometown for the New Year?"

Yang Yizhong was taken aback again, and quickly said, "Your subject dares not leave his post without authorization."

Chen Shao chuckled and said, "It's precisely because Guangyuan Hall can still operate when you leave as the new director that it's considered a qualified government agency."

"Minister Yang, you and I both come from the Western Army. Now that you hold this position, do you know what people are saying about you?"

Yang Yizhong was extremely apprehensive and confused. He clasped his hands and said, "Everyone says that I am a general personally led by the Emperor."

That statement is not wrong; the head of Guangyuantang is none other than the emperor's own general.

He is a true confidant.

Yang Yizhong seemed to understand something, but not quite. He thought to himself that he would visit the strategist, Doctor Yuwen, later to pay his respects and ask the Emperor what he meant.

He knew he was still very calculating, constantly trying to figure out his superior's intentions. When he couldn't sleep at night, he would repeatedly ponder every word Chen Shao had said.

However, just as Zhang Run, who was also extremely intelligent, always missed a crucial move, Yang Yizhong's calculations were always slightly off.

Sometimes, being too clever can really backfire. (End of Chapter)