You have truly caused me great suffering!

River Valley.

It was once the core area of ​​the Western Liao Dynasty.

From spring onwards, this place transforms into an endless wildflower meadow, with a sea of ​​wildflowers including feather grass and iris, and distant snow-capped peaks dazzlingly white.

The Chu River and the tributaries of the Ili River crisscross this land like winding silver snakes.

For the Tatars, riding horses on this grassland was incredibly comfortable.

If they had known this place would be like this, they might have migrated here long ago.

However, they did not consider carefully that although the grassland was good, it was too small to support a tribe like theirs.

Large groves of wild apple trees grow along the riverbank, and it is currently the apple season.

Some people casually picked some and put them in their packs on their saddles, while others simply gnawed on apples, feeding half of them to their warhorses.

The Tatars' mission was to search for and eliminate the tribes that refused to surrender and were hiding in the mountains.

These people have been constantly attacking and killing officials and transport teams of the Great Jing Dynasty, and massacring entire families of Turkic subjects, which has caused panic.

Not all armies can accomplish this task well.

It's worth noting that both the Soviet Union and the United States suffered setbacks here.

This is not something you can accomplish simply by having good weapons and equipment, nor is it something you can definitely succeed at just because you have strong national power.

But the Tatars were different.
That's what they do.

They survived in the desert, where resources were scarce, by hunting and searching.

Every winter, when the white blizzard blows, they can dig up and eat all the rats in the grassland.

And another point is that they have a lot of people.
The grasslands north of the Central Plains are so vast that they can support a huge number of nomadic peoples.

During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, they were able to gather 300,000 cavalrymen, a number that is simply unbelievable.

That was 300,000 cavalry.

The opponents faced in the early years of the Han Dynasty were probably the largest cavalry force in human history.

As a result, both the Liao and Jin dynasties could only send troops to the grasslands every year to kill people to reduce the population and thus control the Tatar and other non-Tatar populations.

Wang De commanded 80,000 Tatar and mixed-race soldiers. Their sole purpose was to search for and kill any disobedient tribes.

This is another case of a job that matches one's major.

The Tatar mixed tribes lived in harsh conditions, and before the emergence of winter camp cities, they could only survive by looting.

No matter how weak they were or how powerful their opponents were, they had no choice.

Therefore, they plundered the Khitan, the Central Plains, and the Jurchen, and fought among themselves.

Now, 80,000 Tatar and mixed-race soldiers are searching for rebellious tribes here, which is different from before.

They even had logistical supplies and more powerful weapons. They also had no worries about their families, who were currently herding livestock on the grasslands and would move to the winter camp when it got cold.

Even decades later, Genghis Khan's Mongol cavalry did not have these conditions.

Head coach Wang De, still looking sullen, sat on horseback.

He was already quite annoyed when he was sent to recruit the various nomadic tribes of the northern deserts and deal with them around the North Sea.

Having finally made it through the tough times, he was ready to show his skills with these miscellaneous barbarian soldiers.

Then, still in the rear, they were responsible for suppressing some rebellious tribes.

I heard that Zhang Xian has already reached the border of the Abbasid Caliphate.

They had a chance to capture Yelü Dashi alive.

In Wang De's view, the greatest military achievement in the world today should be capturing Yelü Dashi alive.

After all, the Jin and Xia dynasties had already been destroyed, leaving only the Liao dynasty. Yelü Dashi was a Khitan who had once defeated 100,000 troops from the Central Plains.

Fortunately, a message came from the commander-in-chief, Prince Xun: if this matter is handled well, he will be rewarded with a great achievement.

He still believed what the king said.

Everyone knows that he loved his soldiers like his own children.

Back in the Cloud Kingdom, he could even call out the names of wounded soldiers.

Among the four kings who fought against the enemy, Jin Ling was the one who cared most for his soldiers in ordinary times, but he was also the one who disregarded casualties the most when it came to fighting.

From the very beginning, everyone had, to varying degrees, the intention to serve Chen Shao and help him conquer the world.

Only Jin Ling felt that this empire was won for her, and that it belonged to His Majesty and all of them.

Their descendants will also enjoy wealth and prosperity alongside Da Jing.

Therefore, on the front lines, he often dared to make decisions and issue orders.

Chen Shao didn't really understand his thinking, but the results were always pretty good, so he gradually started to trust him.

A rider on horseback galloped from afar, and suddenly landed on the horse and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Wang De.

This posture is so slovenly, just like the Western Army, that Wang De wanted to laugh.

"My lord, we have captured three groups of Tartars in the foothills ahead. They were originally from the Kipchak Buyi tribe."

Wang De glanced at him and saw that Hurzha was covered in blood, clearly indicating that he had killed many people when he captured him.

Even when they came to report, almost all the people had already been killed.

Apart from young children who could be sold, the orders from above were to leave no one alive.

Hurza and his men not only wanted to kill, but also to kill cruelly.

Only in this way can it have a deterrent effect.

Moreover, these die-hards were also unpopular in the local area because they attacked and killed their own clansmen who had surrendered.

Killing them would actually avenge the other Turkic tribes.

Extreme people are feared wherever they go, and fear breeds hatred.

Wang De nodded, clearly uninterested in the idea; he preferred to fight to the death on the battlefield and earn fame and glory.

Instead of killing people here.

Liu Renxin, the accompanying secretary, noticed that the commander-in-chief always had this expression and secretly speculated about it.

Perhaps the general couldn't bear it. Although Liu Renxin knew he had no compassion at all, in order to guess the general's intentions, he deliberately sighed and said, "Isn't this a bit too cruel?"

Upon hearing this, Hurzha quickly said, "Secretary Liu, these Turkic Tartars are afraid of power but not of kindness. If you don't kill them, they will think that the Great Jing can't control them and will turn around and kill us instead."

“They showed no mercy whatsoever when they slaughtered other tribes that had submitted to my Great Jing.”

"Only by killing all these rebels and bringing this place under the control of my Great Jing can we stop the killing in the long term, and that is true mercy."

Wang De said coldly, "You're not as knowledgeable as Hurzha."

He didn't resent the order itself, but rather being made to do it himself.

He would be very supportive if someone else were to do it.

After all, with these bastards ambushing the transport convoy here, all the soldiers on the front lines wished they could kill them.

Liu Renxin nodded in agreement, but inwardly cursed himself for trying to flatter someone and making a fool of himself.

It seems I still need to learn how to read people's expressions.

This Hurzha was originally the son of a small tribal chief in the Kereit tribe. After joining the Khwarazmian Empire, he's been climbing the ranks and is almost a commander-in-chief. He's spouting all sorts of phrases, using the idiom "fearing power but not gratitude," as if he doesn't know that these were originally used to describe you.

Hurzha was also a little guilty. During the past few days of searching, each of them had their pockets full of money.

However, the Jing Army, which is known for its strict military discipline, does not seem to care much about these things.

In fact, Jingjun's military discipline was not strict in the traditional sense.

If your lord orders you to rush to a certain place at a certain time, and you fail to appear there without a valid reason, you will face the harshest military law.

However, if you capture a city and then plunder some with your brothers, your superior general will most likely cover for you.

If someone really comes to investigate, it's probably because you've done too much but haven't given any tribute.

This is something inherent in the Dingnan Army, and Chen Shao has no ability to change it.

After leaving Nuanquan Peak, he never went to the front lines again. Even when he was on the front lines, Chen Shao's style remained the same: accepting bribes, soliciting bribes, and bribing superiors were all his usual practices.

And to be honest, the expansion of Dajing was a war of conquest from beginning to end.

If you're not going to commit any offenses, then why don't you just stay home and not come here to fight?

A gust of wind blew by, carrying the sweet, fishy smell of dried hay. Wang De took a deep breath and sniffed it.

"Quickly kill all these thieving bastards, and we might be able to catch up with Yelü Dashi."

Hurzha laughed and said, "Don't worry, my lord. Yelü Dashi is the best at escaping. He won't be caught so easily. He'll definitely have a chance."

Upon hearing this, Wang De's eyes finally lit up.

This person is right. Who is Yelü Dashi? He was able to escape from Zonghan's clutches back then.

Who knows whose credit this is?
-
Suburbs of Jinling City.

The Jinling Prefectural Government has just executed a group of death row inmates.

The bloodstains on the ground were still wet, and the crowd dispersed reluctantly, all discussing the execution.

Those executed were all heinous criminals, and after verification, they were executed in the autumn.

Generally, death sentences are carried out in the autumn, and there are many reasons for this.

Firstly, in autumn, the yin energy begins to flourish, and all things wither and decay, which corresponds to "killing, warfare, and punishment".

It is the "time of death" in the way of Heaven, so executing people after autumn is considered to be in accordance with the will of Heaven.

Secondly, starting with Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, death sentences required "three or five reviews" and local death sentences had to be reported to the Ministry of Justice → the Secretariat-Chancellery → and then to the emperor for approval (marked with a red dot).

It often takes several months from the initial conviction to the final approval, and the execution in the fall allows the central government time to review, refute, and discover wrongful convictions.

Later emperors, especially those during times of peace, continued this practice of Emperor Taizong.

During the Song Dynasty, the central government's control over local areas reached a new level. To prevent local officials from arbitrarily killing to establish their authority, the court required that "executions be carried out in autumn," thus returning the power of life and death to the central government.

The same applies to Dajing.

The prisoners to be executed this autumn were not beheaded, but shot.

As usual, it was held at the market entrance, but people were asked to stay away.

After the loud thuds, seeing the prisoners lying on the ground, their wounds gushing blood, should have been a terrifying sight.

But because it was a large crowd watching, they weren't afraid of anything.

The people were talking about it with great interest, discussing the power of the court's new weapon.

There are also some people who pretend to know what they don't, and go around saying that this thing is more brutal than beheading.

After death, the soul cannot be reincarnated.

Because it's a novelty, as long as you dare to say it, there will be a large market for it, and many people will believe it and help spread the word.

Invisibly, this also serves as a deterrent to criminals.

With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, and everyone in the court and the country busy with the autumn harvest, Chen Shao completely ignored it this time.

He can finally extricate himself from these fundamental national policies.

Let the imperial bureaucracy handle it itself.

This shows that his efforts in building the bureaucratic system have already begun to bear fruit.

Life in the mountains was peaceful and leisurely. Chen Shao lay in the high pavilion, which, although a viewing platform, was fully equipped with a brocade mat, a bamboo pillow, and all the necessary amenities.

He leaned comfortably against the pillow, one hand reaching inside the newly selected concubine Wei Yunniang's clothes to knead her, while watching the blush gradually appear on her face.

At her teenage years, she was at her most delicate age. Although she wasn't as famous for her beauty as Liu Jingshu, she was light and supple, with a slender waist that could be grasped in one hand and skin that could be broken with a breath, all of which gave her a unique charm.

Regardless of their social status, most women are viewed with disdain if kept at a distance, and disrespect if approached.

For example, these newcomers are all very thin-skinned. They blush easily with the slightest movement, and some even tremble when touched.

If it were Chun Tao, she would have already climbed on top of him by now.

Even the Empress Huanhuan loved to snuggle in Chen Shao's arms. She often saw Chen Shao resting on the daybed and would lie down on it so he could hold her.

Chen Shao gazed at the distant scenery, his mind blank.

Sometimes he would deliberately ignore state affairs for three to five days, not because he was lazy or negligent, but because he wanted to free the country from dependence on the emperor.

In this way, even if some of the descendants are not very bright, the country will not be unable to function, and can move forward steadily thanks to its great inertia.

With the foundation laid by Chen Shao, the Great Jing will surely continue to prosper in the future; this is already certain.

The prosperity of the Great Jing Dynasty was different from that of the Great Sui and Great Qin Dynasties. It reached a new level in all aspects, from the common people to the imperial court, and from the local to the central government.

People from other regions cannot even come close to it.

Moreover, the Great Jing Dynasty had already entered another era, and at this time, other ethnic groups, even if they wanted to learn from it, lacked the organizational capacity to do so.

Chen Shao did not intend to give them that opportunity.

The decision to launch the westward expedition was intended to extinguish any possibility of a European rise, a fact that needs no evasion.

Chen Shao couldn't let them develop unchecked. Besides, once they got going, they really did nothing right.

He does nothing but act like a beast, and after he's done it, he begs for God's forgiveness, and then he doesn't even suffer internal strife.
I feel that I'm clean now that I've repented.

After the western expedition, Chen Shao had already prepared a package for them.

When you were doing well, you didn't even wait for me to develop, so why should I give you this opportunity?

After the Great Jing reaches the west, the methods they will employ will likely be far more severe than those used in the Western Liao.

The greatest respect you can show to your enemy is to exterminate them completely.

Chen Shao spoke these words casually to the little beauty in his arms, actually just enjoying seeing her timid and pitiful appearance.

As for what she said, Chen Shao didn't take it to heart and just gave a perfunctory reply.

He seemed to have entered a wonderful state, completely relaxed.

When asked why I dwell in the green mountains, I smile but do not answer, for my heart is at ease.

Peach blossoms drift away on flowing water, disappearing into a world apart, unlike anything in the human realm.

No wonder Xiao Ting always felt that Chen Shao had a Taoist heart and a Taoist spirit; he was indeed quite open-minded at times.

Faced with such imperial power, he was able to resist the temptation and slowly extricate himself, all for the sake of his descendants. (End of Chapter)